Exploring Technology in a Wizard World
Chapter 490 - 489: Seeking the Truth

Chapter 490: Chapter 489: Seeking the Truth

Upon hearing the Clown’s words, Richard shrugged his shoulders without much reaction.

The Clown continued, "At first, I wanted to test your argumentative thinking in our educational discussion, aiming to perplex you with a debate. But as soon as the conversation started, the many philosophical schools you spoke of made me realize, debating with you is pointless. Compared to the knowledge from the many philosophical schools you mentioned, my arguments were as childish and ridiculous as squabbling over how many bowls of rice a child should eat. I had lost from the very beginning.

Then, with Clown Chess, I was certain I could beat you. I tried to use the game to test your intelligence and to impart some education as a way to compensate for my initial failure. But you, with Five-in-a-row and the act of taking chess pieces, fundamentally shook the validity of Clown Chess. If the outcome of Clown Chess is meaningless, then all the actions I took based on its rules naturally become meaningless too. I might not have lost at the start, but I was doomed not to win.

The last incident, the thievery, was to test your adaptability and methods of dealing with problems. I deliberately crafted many difficult and misleading puzzles, which I must say was my most meticulous test design. But... hmm, this test surprised me the most because you didn’t take it up at all; instead, you bluntly tossed it aside.

How should I put it? In my view, I try to test people in certain ways. Regular people behave by the book during tests, and excellent individuals might shine brightly; that’s normal.

But you... you simply don’t care about the tests; you are not thinking about how to perform during them. Rather, you are keen on looking behind the tests and even trying to test me in return—like trying to provoke me into removing my mask during the Five-in-a-row, or in the thievery incident, using Gold Coins to incite the Circus folks to turn on each other.

You are a person who steps outside the box; you... are truly exceptional. At least, it’s my first time encountering someone like you in the world."

After the Clown finished speaking, Richard smiled, "Actually, to say that I step outside the box is an overstatement. I haven’t stepped out. Stepping out is an idea of mine, and if I could do it, I wouldn’t be here.

In fact, I am just relatively good at exploring the essence of things, at seeing through the layers of disguise to the real core, and that’s all."

"Regardless of what you say, my impression of you won’t change," the Clown said with a shrug. "And now I can tell you, you’re a qualified person—you may continue your exploration of the secrets of the Black Spirit Empire, and neither I nor the rest of my organization will obstruct you anymore."

"Then I thank you," Richard said.

"Don’t be so quick to celebrate," the Clown timely splashed some cold water, "Although I’ve allowed you to explore the secrets, I must remind you that the real secrets of the Black Spirit Empire are far more complex, vast, and dangerous than you can imagine.

You are not the first person to explore this secret, nor will you be the last. Many like you have attempted before but all have failed. You might be exceptional, but I don’t think you can necessarily succeed. If you really want to achieve something, keep striving."

Pausing, the Clown added, "There’s one more thing to tell you. You’ve uniquely passed my three tests, and to reward you, I’ve prepared a very special gift. Although the gift might seem useless at first glance, if you master the correct way to use it, you will definitely find it valuable.

However, I won’t be giving this gift directly to you. Instead, I’ve placed it in a special location. If you find it, take it. If not, then just forget it."

Richard: "..."

"Last of all, this is goodbye," the Clown seriously said, looking at Richard, "By the way, passerby, you’ve been wanting to see my face, haven’t you? If that’s the case, I can now satisfy your wish."

With those words, the Clown standing on the stone reached toward his face and slowly removed the mask to reveal his face, and Richard looked on.

Then, he saw... a void.

Nothingness!

Behind the mask, there was no face, only transparent air!

A Transparent Human?

"Clatter!"

The moment Richard had this thought, the Clown’s mask fell to the ground, and the Clown beneath the clothes disappeared without a trace.

Immediately after, the clothing and mask left behind quickly distorted into myriad points of light and vanished into the air.

Turning to look around, Richard saw that, like a dreamer suddenly realizing they’re dreaming, many of the surrounding scenes collapsed rapidly as if they were illusions.

The black castle crumbled away and disappeared.

The stone the Clown had been standing on sank into the ground and was gone.

The few trees growing along the roadside twisted and vanished.

...

One by one, the scenery disappeared, leaving behind only a vast, barren wilderness and a desolate road.

This!

An Illusion?!

Richard’s eyes narrowed sharply!

Everything around was an illusion!

Then, was everything he had experienced up to now also an illusion?

With a deep frown, Richard felt an increase rather than a decrease in his confusion. He gathered the Gold Coins from the ground into a bag, casually tossed it into the Space Iron Ring, and then mounted his horse to Rush back the way he had come, seeking answers.

In the west, the blood-red Sun slowly set behind the mountains.

...

"Clippity-clop..."

In the middle of the night, on the pitch-black road, a horse galloped forth.

Coming closer, the rider abruptly pulled the reins, causing the horse to lift its forelegs and tap the air before landing heavily, creating two deep depressions in the ground.

"Snap!"

The rider dismounted and walked to the side of the road, lifting a hand to conjure a greenish Flames in the palm, illuminating the surroundings. On the ground, numerous Gold Coins reflected the light, totaling exactly one hundred!

"Hu—Exhale—"

Richard took a deep breath, raising the greenish Flames higher to light up a larger area, looking around within a hundred meters for any traces.

But there were none, no traces at all.

Not to mention carriages, bodies, blood, signs of a struggle, there weren’t even wheel tracks or footprints. It was as if nobody had ever been in this place!

Yet he remembered distinctly that at noon, in this very location, he had spoken with the Circus people and heard about the Clown’s account of the Circus’s thievery incident, and how he had tossed down a bag of Gold Coins to rid himself of them.

Could the Circus members have been an illusion too?

That doesn’t make sense!

If the Circus members were all made of illusions, then why did the Clown personally tell him that they turned on each other after he left? Could it be that the illusions were created but couldn’t be controlled?

Besides, the Circus folks certainly performed shows and interacted with people in villages and towns. If the Circus members were all illusions, wouldn’t the village and town people have noticed? Or perhaps, the people in the villages and towns were also illusions.

This!

Richard’s brow furrowed into a knot, feeling an increase in his confusion. He scooped the Gold Coins from the ground into a bag, casually threw it into the Space Iron Ring, remounted his horse, and started to Rush back the way he had come.

...