What a Joke-It Was Him!

Wizard Ethan looked down from above, suspended in midair by some unfathomable means. Cube Metal hovered over his right hand, wrapped in fine threads of electricity. It broke into tiny pieces that scattered across the Bailin Family estate and embedded themselves along its borders.

The next moment, intense particle energy formed an invisible, intangible force field, cutting the Bailin Family estate off from Ancient Forest Wizard City.

Wizard Ethan's gaze remained indifferent. He pressed his right hand lightly against the empty air before him, and white matter began to multiply rapidly. Like some unknown colony feeding on the void, it spread and grew. Its terrifying, tightly contained energy gave off intense radiation. Even insects caught within its reach began to turn white.

Then white spots appeared on plants, walls, floors, and buildings. The same thing was happening throughout the Bailin Family estate.

Children played in the estate's Inner City, obliviously stepping across the spotted floors and touching the walls.

The Bailin Family's ordinary people worked hard, offering the Wizards the only value they had in exchange for meager pay. Hope still shone in their eyes: perhaps their children would prove to have good Wizard Aptitude. They did not notice the white spots appearing on their bodies.

A Wizard and his wife shared a tender moment in their courtyard. She held their newborn baby while he teased its cheek with a finger. An elderly relative, an ordinary man, sat on the doorstep and watched with a kindly smile—until white matter spread across his body. In an instant, life left him, and he became a stiff white statue.

It was a sign of what was to come. The couple realized something was wrong and looked around in terror. White matter was spreading over everything they could see, rippling outward like waves across water. It appeared on them too. They could not resist; their particle energy went out like a candle flame before that dreadful force.

As they turned into white statues, all they could do was hold their child close and cling to each other.

"No! This Particle Energy Fluctuation is from a... Limit Wizard Apprentice!" In an ancient, heavily guarded building at the very heart of the Bailin Family estate, an elderly figure rose to his feet, his face filled with terror.

The power radiating from him marked him as a Third-level Wizard Apprentice. He had sensed the hostile force, but the white matter had already invaded the building. It crept over the walls, ceiling, and floor like a devouring serpent, consuming and assimilating everything.

His aged body released particle energy beyond its limits, but he held the force back for only a few seconds. He was too old and too weak. Even among Third-level Wizard Apprentices, he was far from powerful.

The white matter took his fingers, arms, limbs, and then his torso, stripping away his flesh. With his last breath, he roared in hatred, "Who is trying to wipe out my Bailin Family? What crime have we committed? The Umbral Expanse won't let you get away with this!"

In another room, Wizard Gandhi's face filled with terror at the sight of the white matter. "The White Bone School's Core Inheritance spell!" he blurted out.

He knew he had been exposed. A bitter smile crossed his face before endless bone-like matter consumed him.

Wizard Ethan opened his right hand. The tiny metal pieces embedded throughout the Bailin estate flew back and reassembled into Cube Metal.

He turned, melted into the void, and vanished.

Below him, the once-grand, imposing Bailin Family estate had become an eerie white world. Everything was coated in white, and up close, it looked strikingly like bone.

Some ordinary people and Wizards saw what had happened. Shock gave way to terror, and they scrambled away.

Everything had changed!

A powerful Wizard—one far beyond their understanding—had wiped out the Bailin Family. If even a trace of that radiation reached them, they would die horribly.

The freshmen still on Ancient Forest Mountain naturally knew nothing of the disaster that had struck the Wizard City at its foot.

They remained gripped by fear of the killings. More and more people had died, the five Wizards were nowhere to be seen, and the rules seemed meaningless.

At last, at daybreak, a voice sounded in their ears.

"Come to Ancient Forest Pavilion and see me!"

It was Wizard Ethan's voice!

Thank goodness! Wizard Ethan had finally returned. Some of the Wizard Freshmen were so relieved they nearly cried.

When they took their seats in the Ancient Forest Pavilion's meeting hall again, more than half the places that had once been filled were empty.

Ryan looked toward the figure in the Brown Wizard Robe on the dais. Compared to last time, Wizard Ethan wore a faint smile and seemed less gloomy and cold.

Wizard Zephyr and Wizard Lando stood to one side with their arms crossed. Lando even yawned.

"I imagine you have many questions. Why did freshmen start dying on Ancient Forest Mountain? Why have so many died?" Wizard Ethan spoke evenly. "I can tell you everything."

He laid out the truth, including the Wizard Families' plot and how they had broken the rules. The Wizard Freshmen grew indignant. Some even shouted curses.

"Those Wizard Family freshmen went too far. What they did was vile. They deserved to die."

"Lord Ethan, you were right to kill them! Those bastards had it coming."

Wizard Ethan continued, "With my permission, Ryan Harak acted as the Executor and killed the Wizard Freshmen who broke the rules. That included the Island Freshmen who made contact with Wizard Family freshmen and indirectly caused others' deaths."

The freshmen fell silent.

The cursing stopped at once. Their righteous anger vanished as though doused with cold water.

Far too many people had interacted with the Wizard Family freshmen. Some of those present had even attended the welcome party.

Wait—who was Ryan Harak? Wizard Ethan had just said he was the Executor who had killed most of the freshmen!

The Wizard Freshmen looked around in astonished curiosity.

Ryan's face remained expressionless, but his eyes darkened. He had not expected Wizard Ethan to reveal all this in public.

"I hope this incident has taught you something," Wizard Ethan said. "Rules are to be obeyed, not broken."

"Under the rules, actions that benefit the Umbral Expanse are rewarded. Harmful actions, such as breaking those rules, are punished."

"Word from the Umbral Expanse headquarters is that Ryan Harak will be rewarded with free study in one Supernatural Discipline at the Umbral Wizard Academy."

At that, Ryan stood without hesitation and bowed slightly to Wizard Ethan. "Thank you, Lord Ethan."

Inside, he understood the nature of the Wizard World more clearly than ever.

He was not strong enough. Wizard Ethan could make him do anything and leave him to bear the consequences.

No, "make use of him" was too generous. He was being treated like a tool.

Yet a stubborn thought rose in him: he would make Wizard Ethan regret that choice.

The feeling of having no control over his own fate was unbearable.

He sat down, his gaze dark.

Not yet. He needed to grow stronger and make that day come sooner.

The freshmen's minds reeled. Every eye turned toward Ryan.

Disbelief filled their gazes. What kind of joke was this? He was Ryan Harak? The person who had killed so many freshmen was a freshman himself?!