The Wizard of Truth: Starting with Analyzing All Things

A month passed quietly amidst busy potion processing, an eager absorption of knowledge, and vigilance against the energy of the stone slab and shadows.

For Lowe, this month was fulfilling and efficient.

At the apothecary workshop, he quickly became an "expert" in handling difficult materials, thanks to his analytical abilities from the Book of Truth and the unique concepts he gained from the stone tablet. Whether it was the "Ice Crystal Flower" that required extreme temperature control or the "Phantom Sound Mushroom" that was structurally fragile and extremely sensitive to fluctuations in mental energy, he could always find the most optimized and efficient processing methods, achieving a yield and quality far exceeding his peers.

This ability earned him considerable respect within the workshop, despite him only being a **mid-level apprentice**, and even the apprehension of some senior apprentices. Tina's attitude towards him gradually shifted from initial scrutiny and complexity to a more businesslike acceptance, occasionally even seeking his advice on material energy structures. Lowe, on the other hand, cautiously shared insights that didn't touch on the core issues, maintaining a good superficial relationship.

Master Field no longer summoned him personally, but the tasks assigned by Tina were steadily increasing in difficulty and the rarity of the materials involved. This in itself was a silent form of recognition and cultivation. Lowe knew perfectly well that the "value" he had demonstrated was continuing to grow.

During this month, leveraging his position as a workshop apprentice, he gained access to far more stable and abundant resources than he had in the Seventh Laboratory. Besides the fixed allocation of magic stones (two low-grade magic stones per month), completing high-difficulty tasks yielded additional magic stones or contribution points. He used most of his magic stones for cultivation, and with the optimized meditation method, his mental strength grew steadily and rapidly, firmly establishing him at the mid-stage of the **intermediate apprentice** level.

More importantly, he never stopped deciphering the gray stone tablet. As his mental strength grew and his understanding of the fragmented knowledge he acquired deepened, the synchronization rate between the Book of Truth and the stone tablet slowly but steadily increased to **15%**.

More ancient wisdom flowed into his mind:

"...Energy does not exist in isolation; it intertwines to form 'fields.' Powerful wizards are not containers of energy, but shapers of these fields..."

"...By understanding the flow of the sensory field, one can achieve great results with minimal effort..."

**"...The seventeen basic rune types are actually seventeen modes of interference and expression of basic 'fields'..."**

These ideas deeply impressed Rowe. They opened a completely new door for him, allowing him to move beyond optimizing individual spell models and instead understand the essence of witchcraft from a more macroscopic perspective of "energy fields." He began to try not only to guide energy along the model when constructing spells, but also to fine-tune his own mental power to form a faint "field" that resonated with the target.

This was extremely difficult, requiring a very high level of mental control, and the initial failure rate was astonishing. However, the few times he succeeded, the power of his magic tricks increased, and the energy consumption decreased further. This proved that the path was correct; it just needed time and more practice.

His secret laboratory (that abandoned storage room) wasn't entirely idle. He would occasionally return under the pretext of studying the properties of waste materials, using the accumulated "primary energy aggregate" formulas to produce small batches of inferior energy blocks. He no longer used these energy blocks for his own cultivation (the workshop's magic stones and optimized meditation methods were more efficient), but instead hid them as an emergency reserve. At the same time, he also began trying to use information about more advanced materials available in the workshop to deduce more efficient energy synthesis formulas, but this required greater computing power and knowledge reserves, and progress was slow.

However, beneath the calm surface, the undercurrents never cease to surge.

That chilling, shadowy energy, like a ghost, had been detected twice more by him in the past month using his [Low-Level Energy Vision]. Once was near the materials warehouse in the workshop's common area, and the other was at the corner of the corridor on his way back to his dormitory. Each time it was fleeting, its source impossible to trace, but the feeling of being watched was like a thorn in his side.

Harris's disappearance has long been forgotten, as if it never happened. But Rowe knows that beneath this calm, a deeper conspiracy must be lurking.

That afternoon, Lo Wei had just completed the task of separating the toxins from a batch of "Heart-Eating Grass"—an extremely dangerous plant whose sap could erode mental power. By constructing a reverse energy stripping field, Lo Wei perfectly separated the toxins from the useful calming ingredients, leaving Tina, who was in charge of the acceptance, speechless once again.

Just as he was about to head to the workshop's library to consult some ancient texts on runes (he needed more "background information" to decipher the stone tablet), a serious-looking **High Apprentice** dressed in a deacon's black robe stopped him.

"Luo Wei?" The senior apprentice checked the list in his hand. "By order of the elder deacon, all newly promoted intermediate apprentices in the last three months, including those promoted from junior and those newly recruited from outside, must immediately proceed to Training Ground No. 3 for questioning and inspection. No delays are allowed."

Questioning and inspection? Lowe's heart tightened. Was it routine procedure, or related to Harris's disappearance, or... that shadow?

He remained calm and respectfully replied, "Yes, I'll be right there."

Training Ground No. 3, located on the east side of the castle, was a vast, open-air area paved with obsidian. When Rowe arrived, more than twenty young apprentices had already gathered there, all at the **Intermediate Apprentice** level, their faces showing a mixture of confusion and nervousness.

At the front of the arena stood three figures exuding profound auras. The one in the center was an elderly man in a black robe trimmed with silver, his gaze sharp as an eagle's, his spiritual power as deep and unfathomable as a still pool—at least a **third-ring or higher formal wizard**, presumably the elder deacon. To his left was a stern-faced, gray-robed **first-ring wizard**, and to his right was a **high-ranking apprentice** guard captain clad in leather armor, his eyes scanning every apprentice present.

"Silence!" The gray-robed wizard's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached the ears of every apprentice, carrying a mental pressure that instantly silenced the noisy place.

The elder deacon spoke slowly, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable authority: "In recent months, several apprentices have gone missing within the academy. An investigation has revealed that this may be related to some kind of evil sacrificial ritual or forbidden experiment."

One sentence turned all the apprentices pale, and fear filled the air.

"To clean up the academy environment and ensure your safety, you will now be subject to inspection." The elder deacon's gaze swept over the crowd with lightning speed. "Relax and do not resist."

As soon as he finished speaking, Luo Wei felt a vast yet gentle, but irresistible, spiritual force sweep over his body and sea of ​​consciousness! This spiritual force meticulously examined his life force, mental fluctuations, and whether there were any abnormal energy residues or contract imprints.

Luo Wei was shocked, but he forced himself to remain calm and relax his mind as required. At the same time, deep in his consciousness, the light of the Book of Truth slightly subsided, and all the alien energies (such as the faint remnants of energy aggregates and the strange fluctuations brought about by the decryption of the stone tablet) were firmly locked in the core, only showing the pure and normal **intermediate apprentice** mental power after being tempered by the optimized meditation method.

The immense spiritual power lingered on him for about three seconds, seemingly pausing slightly, perhaps sensing the unusually concentrated nature of his spiritual power, but without detecting any evil, chaos, or foreign aura, it receded like the tide.

"Next," the elder deacon continued expressionlessly.

Lowe secretly breathed a sigh of relief, a cold sweat breaking out on his back. The investigation by a formal wizard was indeed terrifying!

The inspection lasted half an hour, and all the apprentices were examined. Most passed smoothly, but three were marked by that mental force.

"You three," the grey-robed wizard pointed at the three pale-faced apprentices, "your mental fluctuations are disordered, with obvious signs of external interference or improper cultivation. Come with us to the meditation room for a detailed examination."

The three apprentices were so frightened they almost collapsed, and the senior apprentice captain carried them away like chickens. What awaited them was likely not a good thing.

The elder deacon, looking at the remaining shaken apprentices, said in a deep voice, "The inspection is over. You are all fine. However, you must remember to abide by the academy's rules, focus on your cultivation, and not come into contact with any forbidden knowledge or items of unknown origin. Try to minimize going out alone at night in the near future. You may leave now!"

Everyone felt as if they had been granted a pardon, and after bowing, they hurriedly left the training ground.

Luo Wei walked through the crowd, his heart heavy. The academy's swift and severe response indicated that the disappearance was no small matter, and might even have far-reaching implications. Were the three apprentices taken away truly related to the shadow, or were they simply experiencing problems in their cultivation?

He recalled the elder deacon's words—"evil sacrificial rituals or forbidden experiments." This made him think of that cold, negative aura.

"I need to improve my strength even faster." Luo Wei clenched his fist. In the face of a real crisis, the strength of a mid-level apprentice is still like that of an ant.

At the same time, he realized that the academy's higher-ups clearly possessed more information about these shadowy figures and disappearances. Perhaps he could subtly glean some intelligence from certain channels within the workshop, or… from Master Field, who seemed to have high expectations of him?

Back at the apothecary workshop, the atmosphere seemed to have become more somber. The apprentices whispered amongst themselves about the inspection they had just undergone. Lowe noticed a deeper, unspoken meaning in Tina's gaze as she looked at him.

"Love," Tina approached and whispered, "Master Fields wants you to go to his study."

A thought struck Lowe. What did Master Field's summons mean at this sensitive moment?

He took a deep breath, suppressed the chaotic thoughts in his mind, and walked towards that familiar study.