Interrogation

This was a dim hall cut off from the world.

Green sat on a chair in the middle of the hall, like a helpless, pitiful lamb, staring in bewildered trembling at everything unfamiliar around him.

The waves of magic conducted by the six-pointed-star magic restriction around the chair were enough to make Green tremble, enough to drive him to despair, and Green was sitting right in the center of that six-pointed-star magic restriction, waiting for the mysterious wizards high above him to interrogate him.

Torches had replaced light-element magic lamps. A full twelve wizards sat separately on the raised platforms at the six positions around the six-pointed-star restriction beneath Green's feet, looking down from above as they scrutinized him.

The shadows swaying beneath their broad robes exuded mysterious, cold, inviolable authority and majesty. Their true faces could not be seen; layer upon layer of elemental mist covered their features.

This was a high-grade prison cell used only for interrogating official wizards. Unexpectedly, however, Green, a wizard apprentice, had personally experienced it ahead of time.

"Speak. Who is your mentor? Hmph, shielding them will only earn you even harsher and crueler punishment!"

The speaker was a wizard from Realm of Darkness Wizard Academy. His voice was sinister, cruel, and severe, and he was the first to begin interrogating Green.

Berated like this by a wizard, Green's body instinctively trembled, and then he said, "I don't have a mentor."

"Hmm? No mentor?"

This time the voice came from Ivory Castle Wizard Academy. It was a pleasant female voice, and amid her doubt, she seemed to be asking Black Isotta Wizard Academy as well.

"According to the previous investigation, this wizard apprentice named Green indeed has no mentor at Black Isotta Academy."

It was a somewhat aged voice. Green looked up, then froze slightly. The pair of eerie green eyes on this wizard's shoulder—wasn't that the black cat from Mentor Varo's laboratory on the seventy-ninth floor of Black Isotta?

"Hmph! No mentor? Is he mocking the wisdom of wizards? Wizard apprentice, then tell me, what is going on with this mask?"

This irascible, roaring male wizard was so furious he looked as if he wanted to eat Green alive. With a smack, he slapped the Pale Mask confiscated from Green onto the table. The sound kept echoing and exploding through the great hall, making Green's ears buzz nonstop.

"I purchased this mask from a wizard on the third floor of Black Isotta."

Green answered with fear and trepidation.

"Hmph!"

After someone let out a cold snort, the six-pointed-star barrier around Green flashed. Green was once again completely imprisoned in a pitch-black, cramped space. There was no elemental energy here, no sound, no smell, only endless darkness and loneliness. All the items on Green's body had also been detained by an impartial wizard.

Green felt somewhat afraid, and at the same time, he vaguely had a guess in his heart.

These wizards had definitely misunderstood him. They believed that some wizard had given him the Pale Mask to pass the trial, and that he had relied on this magic-tool wizard artifact to seize the reward that had originally belonged to the Son of the Sun from Hourglass of Time Wizard Academy.

In the pitch darkness, on one side was unease over the delayed judgment, on another was fear of being unable to control his own fate, and on another was delight over the additional rare fire-element rune in his soul.

Who knew how long passed.

With a hum and a ripple of magic, light and sound returned to Green's surroundings once more.

Somewhat unused to it, Green raised his sleeve to block the light and narrowed his eyes as he barely looked around. It was still the same dim hall from before he had sunk into darkness, only now there were vaguely three more figures.

"Wizard apprentice, it has already been confirmed that your magic-tool wizard artifact, the Pale Mask, was purchased from this Wizard Xinluwu, and that you also learned a set of basic alchemy knowledge from him. It has also been confirmed that you have no mentor."

The speaker was a wizard from the Bone Clock Tower. He was very calm and exceedingly rational.

Green's eyes gradually adjusted to the swaying torchlight. The three newly appeared figures had not concealed themselves like the twelve surrounding wizards, and among the three, the one in front—Green remembered him. This man was precisely the wizard who had once sold him the Pale Mask and then taught him the basic alchemy course.

At this moment, the wizard still looked exactly the same as before. He was short, only a little over one and a half meters tall, very thin yet full of spirit, with a small tuft of goatee. Right now his face was full of a pleased smile.

"Haha, little fellow, I didn't expect you to be a newcomer who only arrived at the academy three years ago. I thought you were the precious disciple of some old fellow. But this time I really have to thank you properly. A mere wizard-apprentice-level wizard artifact gave me such a huge advertisement. Now, in District Twelve of the Seven-Ring Holy Tower, who still doesn't know of my alchemy talent, Xinluwu? Hahaha..."

The old wizard was extremely smug, constantly stroking the tuft of white goatee on his chin.

Green's expression looked awful. He forced a smile, not knowing what to say, then looked toward the two people behind the old wizard. They were actually Yun Li and the Son of the Sun, Mina.

Yun Li said in a low voice, "Although we are both in Black Isotta Wizard Academy, after I came out, I reported your public violation of the academy rules to my mentor. Who knew she was even earlier than me? Still, I was called here to verify it."

The "she" Yun Li spoke of was naturally Mina.

After Mina was pushed out of the trial grounds, her mentor, Immortal Fire Soul, was naturally furious and utterly puzzled.

After a round of questioning, the Pale Mask, this anomaly, naturally entered that great wizard's ears. In this way, everything followed as a matter of course: the moment Green, who had spent ten days in the secret realm, left the secret realm, he was restrained and arrested by six wizards who had calculated his approximate teleportation direction.

Then he entered this "high-end, luxurious" interrogation room specially used to interrogate official wizards.

"Hmph, your name is Green, is it? Although you seized the reward that belonged to me, you and the mentor who indulged you will suffer a punishment far beyond that reward for this!"

Mina spoke hatefully. At this moment, in front of all the wizards, she no longer displayed that utterly tyrannical, overbearing manner.

It had to be said that, judging only by Mina's figure and appearance, she truly had a unique charm, like a woman with a fiery, explosive body, carrying a kind of frivolity and arrogance in her personality, a pride that put herself above all others.

However, a fellow like Green, who lacked any level of appreciation, fell silent for a brief moment, then said faintly, "I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."

"You..."

The fiery-tempered Mina had just been about to question him when a wizard with an even more explosive temper interrupted her. This person was precisely the wizard seated at Hourglass of Time Wizard Academy's position, the one who had previously asked questions. At the same time, he was also Mina's teacher, a level-two wizard known as Immortal Fire Soul.

"Roar! Arrogant brat, tell me, where did the magic stones you used to buy the Pale Mask come from? All wizards know the rules. They would absolutely never give an enrolled wizard apprentice more than one hundred magic stones, nor would they give a wizard apprentice any magic-tool wizard artifact worth more than five hundred magic stones!"

Before Green had time to speak, another female wizard from Maze Disk Academy also spoke.

Her voice was somewhat melancholy. The female wizard said gently, "Green, you must think carefully. Do not shield the person behind you. Although you broke the trial rules, not all of it depended on this mask wizard artifact. Being able to make the strongest among the despairers, the Son of the Sun, leave the field early also involved part of your own strength, wisdom, and luck. In addition, you have already obtained the inheritance of that Immortal Fire Element rune. In that case, we cannot lightly sentence you to death. For all of this, you only need to confess the person behind you."

Death sentence?

Cold sweat broke out all over Green. Sure enough, entering this interrogation room was no joke.

One careless step, and he truly might never leave again.

This was not dying because of the trial, rules, missions, or adventure. This was being personally erased of all traces by wizards he had absolutely no ability to resist.

In a trembling voice, Green said, "I... I don't have anyone sponsoring me."

Bang!

"Bastard! No sponsor? Then where did the magic stones you used to buy the mask come from?"

Immortal Fire Soul slammed the table, and surging magic power burst outward with a roar as he bellowed at Green like a crazed beast.

Just then, another impatient voice rang out.

"Green, think carefully before you answer. Do you really believe that after all these years, we wizards wouldn't understand the rules for newcomers? That we wouldn't know how many magic stones a newcomer can earn at most during the first three years? Hmph. If you remain stubbornly lost and refuse to turn back, even Black Isotta won't be able to protect you. You should know that for the sake of the person behind you, we will absolutely investigate this matter to the end, even if we have to resort to a soul search!"

The one speaking this time was actually a wizard from Black Isotta Wizard Academy—the mysterious wizard with that black cat perched on his shoulder.

A soul search. Performing a soul search on a wizard apprentice would absolutely endanger Green's life.

However, though this wizard's words were severe, Green felt slightly moved. Black Isotta Wizard Academy had actually stepped forward to protect him?

Green took a deep breath and said loudly, "I earned the magic stones through my own wisdom."

"Bas—"

Bang!

This time, it was actually the Black Isotta wizard with the black cat on his shoulder who interrupted Immortal Fire Soul. His voice held a trace of surprise as he said, "Earned them? Through your own wisdom? What method?"

Green let out a breath of relief and slowly said, "Venus, Goddess of Love."

"That perfume!"

"How is that possible? It was a wizard apprentice..."

Discussions broke out all around. The first to speak was actually that wizard from Bone Clocktower Wizard Academy, whose voice was very rational and very calm. Curious, he asked, "You are the creator of Venus, Goddess of Love? Mm, that perfume is indeed a very magical thing, something rich in imagination. Then... how do you prove that you are its creator?"

"Digen, the fatty on the first floor of Black Isotta. I signed a Seven-Ring Contract with him. He was the one who took out the contract."

Green said it almost without hesitation.

Following Green's words, the six-pointed-star magical restriction beneath the chair flashed once more, and Green sank into darkness again.