The Wizard of Truth: Starting with Analyzing All Things

The natural barrier at the entrance to the cliffside cave groaned under the impact of the deathly aura, cracks spreading across its emerald membrane like a spiderweb. Lina, pale-faced, trembled slightly as she maintained the barrier; her natural power clashed with the assassin's chilling, corrosive death energy, making the resistance extremely difficult. Lilith continuously threw alchemical smoke bombs and corrosive potions, attempting to slow the "cleaner's" breakthrough outside, but with limited effect.

Despite the excruciating pain from his wounded left rib and the dizziness caused by the depletion of his star power, Luo Wei's mind raced. In this desperate situation, the "Stargazer's Ruins" mentioned on Annie's note was the only direction, but where were the ruins? How could he get there? The pursuers were closing in at any moment!

At this critical moment, the Star Key emblem in his palm suddenly blazed with intense heat, far more intense than ever before! It even pulled his arm up involuntarily, pointing towards the depths of the cave—towards that seemingly solid rock wall!

At the same time, an incredibly clear stream of thought, accompanied by countless shimmering star runes, forcefully surged into his nearly dried-up sea of ​​consciousness:

[High-risk threat detected! Vital signs of the suitor detected are critical!]

[Complies with Article 73 of the Emergency Evacuation Regulations of the Stargazers' Agreement... Final emergency plan activated!]

[Highest Authority Command Confirmed: Guide the compatible user to the 'Ark'!]

[Coordinate synchronization... Path planning... Spatial beacon activation...]

It's the Key to Star Language! At a critical moment, an external threat activated some kind of ultimate emergency procedure! The "Stargazer's Ruins"... is that the "Ark"?!

"Follow me!" Lowe shouted hoarsely without thinking, struggling to his feet and rushing towards the rock wall, following the hot guide of the key. Lilith and Lina, though confused, immediately helped the dazed Barton up and followed closely behind, trusting him completely.

Just as Lina's barrier shattered and the assassin's figure burst into the cave, Rowe channeled his last remaining stellar energy into the key in his palm and pressed it against the rock wall!

Om-!

The rock wall wasn't hit; instead, the instant it touched the key, it rippled out like water, revealing a constantly rotating spatial vortex emitting a soft white light! An ancient, vast energy fluctuation, carrying a faint aura of starlight, surged forth from it!

"Stop them!" The assassin leader, who had rushed into the cave, shouted sharply, and his death dagger transformed into a black line, piercing straight for Rowe's back!

"Go in!" With his last ounce of strength, Lowe pushed Lilith, Lina, and Barton into the vortex. He then turned around, a resolute glint in his eyes, and slammed the fragment of Barton's exhausted Explosive Flame Amulet into the ground. At the same time, he fully activated "Faint Concealment" and the remaining star power to create a final, thin barrier of starlight in front of him—not to defend, but to create a momentary burst of intense light and energy turbulence!

Boom! The fragments of the amulet exploded, and the intense light and flames temporarily obscured the view. The assassin leader's sword was momentarily blocked by the starlight barrier, and Luo Wei used the force to fly backward, crashing into the spatial vortex!

Whoosh! The dizziness of the spatial shift washed over him. Luo Wei crashed heavily onto the hard, cold metal floor, the excruciating pain and exhaustion nearly causing him to faint. He forced his head up, and the sight that greeted him stunned him, as well as Lilith and Lina, who had entered earlier!

This wasn't the ancient ruins or cave one might imagine, but a vast, futuristic, gigantic metal hall! The dome soared, emitting a soft, simulated natural light; beneath one's feet was a gleaming alloy floor; and all around were complex instruments of unknown purpose and crystal screens shimmering with runes. The air was fresh, the temperature comfortable, and it contained a rich yet gentle concentration of high-purity astral energy! In the center of the hall, a holographic projection constantly changed its star map.

This... is the interior of a starship?! "Stargazer's Ruins," is it a crashed or hidden interstellar spaceship? Is that what "Ark" means?!

[Welcome to the 'Stargazer' emergency shelter. A critically injured mate detected; life support system activated.] A gentle but emotionless, neutral electronic voice echoed in the hall. Immediately afterward, several milky-white beams of light descended from the ceiling, enveloping the critically injured Rowe and Barton. Pure life energy and active nanobots surged into their bodies, repairing their injuries and replenishing their depleted energy at a visible pace.

Lowe felt an indescribable comfort; his injuries and star power were rapidly recovering. Barton's painful groans gradually subsided, and he fell into a deep restorative sleep.

"Where...where is this?" Lina looked around, her eyes filled with shock and curiosity. Her natural senses detected an unprecedented, harmonious, and vast energy field here.

Lilith quickly calmed down and warily examined the instrument screens. As a pharmacist and alchemist, she found the sophisticated energy manipulation and matter reconstruction technology incredible.

[This is the ecosystem maintenance module of the "Stargazer". I am the ship's intelligent core, "Star Core". According to the "Stargazer Protocol", you hold the highest-level access key and are therefore considered the temporary access holder.] The electronic voice responded to Lina's question.

Starship intelligence! Luo Wei was deeply shocked. He raised his hand, displaying the key emblem on his palm: "Did you guide us here? Where are the pursuers outside?"

[The emergency teleportation was a one-time, one-way random beacon, and has been destroyed. External threats cannot locate this location. The 'Stargazer' is in a concealed state in deep space and is safe.] The Star Core replied.

It's safe for now! A huge weight was lifted off everyone's shoulders, but more questions arose in their minds.

"What are stargazers? Where did this ship come from? Why is it here?" Lowe asked the key questions.

The star map on the holographic projection shifted, revealing new images and text descriptions. Through the explanation and display of the star core, a long-forgotten historical scroll slowly unfolded:

Darkmoon Academy World Encyclopedia (Ultimate Secrets): The Stargazers and the War of the Abyss

The Stargazers were not wizards, but a highly advanced interstellar civilization long since vanished into the annals of time. They were adept at using astral energy and runic technology to explore the endless cosmos, aiming to record cosmic knowledge and maintain stellar balance. Their enemy was the Abyssal Will and its creations, emanating from dimensional gaps, feeding on worlds and spreading chaos. In ancient times, a "War of the Abyss" swept across the multiverse, and the Stargazer civilization was one of the main forces resisting it. The "Stargazer" was one of the starships tasked with "sparkling civilization" and "Abyssal observation." Damaged in a fierce battle, it crash-landed on this plane (the continent of Chilva), with most of its crew either killed or lost. The starship's core remains hidden to this day, awaiting re-establishment of contact or a new "fit."

"Star Speakers" is a special professional system created by the Stargazer civilization to cultivate allies and pass on knowledge among the indigenous people. Their core power stems from the Stargazers' technology and understanding of the rules of the stars. The inheritance that Luo Wei received is precisely the starting point of the Star Speaker system!

The escape of the "Abyssal Shadow" (projection of the Eye of the Abyss) signifies that the abyssal power, dormant for millennia, has once again begun to erode this plane! The Darkmoon Academy's Discipline Tower's "Tracing the Origins Project" likely aimed to unlock the "Stargazer" or other Stargazer legacies by controlling the "Star Language Key" (Stargazer's access key), thereby gaining the power to fight against (or perhaps even join forces with?) the abyss. However, they have played with fire and burned themselves!

Anne's true identity is most likely that of a surviving, lurking descendant of stargazers or someone who knows the truth!

The amount of information was overwhelming, and it took Luo Wei and his companions a long time to process it. The truth of the world was far more vast and...dangerous than they had imagined. The academy's disaster was merely a tiny ripple in an ancient war on a cosmic scale.

"What...can we do?" Lilith asked in a dry voice.

[Temporary access holder, your current access level is 'Visitor,' granting access to basic survival areas and some low-level databases. Recommendation: Prioritize restoring your strength, learning basic Star Speaker knowledge, and upgrading your access level. Ultimate goal: Repair the 'Stargazer's' core power source, restart the Abyss monitoring network, or... escape this plane.] The Star Core offered rational advice.

Escape? Luo Wei clenched his fists. The academy had fallen, his mentors and companions were missing and their fates unknown, and the threat of the abyss was looming. How could he simply leave?

"We need power, we need information." Lowe's eyes were firm. "Star Core, please grant us access to the databases and facilities within our authorized scope."

[Command confirmed. Access to the Basic Living Area, Basic Training Room, and Level 1 Database is granted. Further access requires meeting specific contribution or skill standards.]

In the days that followed, the surviving four-person team began a race against time to recover and learn aboard this miraculous starship.

Luo Wei reaped the greatest benefits. The rich astral energy environment within the starship was an ideal training ground for him. His injuries healed rapidly, and his astral power not only fully recovered but also became more refined and powerful after systematically learning the basic meditation techniques and rune knowledge of the Star Speakers. His understanding and application of stellar power advanced several levels, and he successfully mastered several practical basic astral spells, such as "Star Pull" (object manipulation), "Starlight Healing" (healing), and the more stable "Starlight Barrier." His cultivation level was firmly established at the Quasi-Wizard (Star Speaker path), and he steadily progressed towards the threshold of becoming a formal wizard. More importantly, through the database, he gained a deeper understanding of the characteristics of abyssal energy and the loopholes in the Lawful Contract.

Under the advanced treatment of the life support system, Barton's injuries healed at an astonishing speed. His broken bones regenerated, and his damaged meridians were repaired and even strengthened. The battle qi technique taught by Master Walter underwent a beneficial mutation in the starship's energy environment, acquiring a trace of stellar heat and explosive properties, making it even more powerful than before. When he emerged from the pod, his strength had reached the peak of a quasi-wizard, needing only one more opportunity to condense a true wizarding core and officially step into the ranks of wizards!

Lilith thrived. The vast amount of "technological" knowledge in the starship's database—covering energy conversion, elemental refining, and genetic engineering—broadened her horizons. Combining her alchemy and potion-making skills, she frantically absorbed new knowledge, concocting more potent healing potions and energy supplements, and even began attempting to decipher the complete formula and antidote for the "Heart Scar Potion." Her mental strength increased dramatically through efficient learning, allowing her to reach the bottleneck of an advanced apprentice.

Lena's gains were the most unique. The immense life energy contained within the starship's ecosystem maintenance system caused her natural affinity to evolve in an incredible way. She could communicate not only with plants, but even vaguely sense the "emotions" of the energy flow within the starship! She established an indescribable, subtle resonance with the starship's intelligent core, the "Star Core," sometimes allowing her to anticipate certain commands or alarms from the Star Core. Although her cultivation level hadn't significantly improved (she was still a beginner apprentice), her auxiliary and early warning abilities had become indispensable.

Current team status summary:

Lovi: Quasi-Wizard (Star Speaker), whose strength has been restored and improved, has gained system knowledge, and serves as the core and strategist of the team.

Barton: Peak Quasi-Wizard (Starry Sky Battle Aura), fully recovered from his injuries, greatly increased in strength, a major combatant.

Lilith: Advanced Apprentice Bottleneck (Alchemy/Potion), Explosive Growth of Knowledge, Logistics and Technical Support.

Lina: Novice Apprentice (Natural Affinity/Spiritual Awareness), possesses unique support abilities, serving as a team early warning and harmonizer.

Overall: A safe base has been acquired, strength has been significantly enhanced, a preliminary understanding of the truth of the world has been gained, and the objective has been clarified.

However, the peaceful learning period didn't last long. One day, as Rowe was trying out a new composite star rune in the training room, the star core's alarm suddenly went off!

[WARNING! High-intensity abyssal energy fluctuations detected at the preset coordinates 'Observation Point Alpha' (former Darkmoon Academy area)! Fluctuation level: Planar Erosion!]

[WARNING! Multiple weak distress signals detected, frequency matching: Descendant of the Star Speakers (suspected to be Anne), Order faction of the Discipline Tower (Anderson band). The signal source is located near 'Observation Point Alpha' and is rapidly weakening!]

The holographic projection displayed a real-time energy scan of Darkmoon Academy—a massive, ever-expanding dark vortex had swallowed up nearly half of the academy area, and countless points of light representing life were rapidly being annihilated! Several specific signal sources were being rapidly consumed by the darkness!

Anne is still alive! Elder Anderson may still be trapped!

Lowe suddenly stood up, his eyes blazing with starlight. Barton gripped his greatsword tightly, and Lilith and Lina also gathered around him with grave expressions.

The period of comfort is over. They have gained power, but they also see a greater crisis ahead. Should they continue to hide and accumulate strength, or...?

"The star core," Rowe's voice was calm and firm, "can you send us to the vicinity of the signal source?"

[Short-range, precise teleportation can be initiated, but the target area is extremely dangerous, with severe abyssal energy interference. Landing coordinates may be inaccurate, and the approximate location of the 'Stargazer' may be revealed. Confirm execution?]

Lowe looked at his companions and saw the same answer in their eyes.

"Confirm execution".

The time for revenge has come, and it is also the beginning of fulfilling the duties of the Star Speaker.