Warlock Apprentice

“Angor?” Flora frowned as she didn’t expect to hear this name. “How come?”

“Why not?” Spivet continued, “I’ve done my research. I know Angor nearly created a Mystery item before. Even if he’s not a wizard yet, he fully knows how to make great treasures. Such a treasure is bound to cause omens and stuff.”

By “great treasure”, Spivet meant to say high-level alchemy items valuable to all wizards.

Leona covered her mouth and giggled. “Are you saying this is an alchemy omen?”

Spivet nodded but didn’t understand why Leona looked so cheerful.

Leona flipped her fringe away from her eyes. “You made all that speech, so I thought you’re more cultured than you look. But it turns out, you know nothing.”

“What do you mean?” It was Flora. She also thought about whether this was Angor’s doing since Angor once covered the sky under dark clouds as well.

Leona grinned. “Do you think I, as an alchemist, can’t tell if something is an alchemy omen?”

“This is not?”

“Of course not! I’ve seen many omens of different sizes when brewing perfumes. Well, I never saw omens caused by Mystery treasures before, but I don’t have to. This has nothing to do with alchemy, I’m sure of it.”

Leona turned to Spivet again and narrowed her eyes. “Hey you, boy. Whoever you are, hide your claws and teeth better, because you don’t have what it takes to challenge other people right now.”

Spivet’s face went a little pale, while Flora laughed out.

“Thank you for the great wisdom, ma’am. I’ll be on my way,” Spivet said in the end, after letting out a deep breath.

Leona was still mocking when Spivet was close enough to hear her. “You don’t even need your brain to tell that Angor got nothing to do with this.”

Flora saw Spivet leaving completely and put on a more serious expression. “How do you know for sure? Just maybe, Angor is behind this.”

“Oh come on, not you too. Impossible. There’s no way. End of the question.”

“There’s no ‘impossible’ in this world. Angor did the impossible before, more than once.” Flora looked in a random direction while recalling something.

Leona frowned. “Oh, stop it. This is beginning to look like a joke.”

Flora humphed. While part of her trusted Leona’s words, she still would like to support her young classmate. She didn’t want to see outsiders badmouthing Angor—she was the only one rightful for this job.

…

Meanwhile, “Star Measurer” Maya was also gazing at the sky on an island to the southeast of Rockwell Venue.

“People say that those who visit Luminous Island uninvited will attract misfortune?” A man covered in a dark shade was talking at the other side of Maya’s observation platform.

The man didn’t have a body. Instead, there were black embers flickering at his position, which covered up everything.

“It is true. I placed something around my island to prove that rumor,” Maya replied in her aged voice. “But this will not trouble you, Mister Magus, since… you did not ‘come’ here.”

“Hee hee hee… Forgive me. I didn’t mean to trick you, Maya.”

The dark flames slowly dispersed, revealing the man’s form as some simple lines and sketches as if a child tried to paint a portrait but gave up because it was too boring.

Maya didn’t look concerned, while the young man behind her showed a curious look.

Maya glanced at her student and looked at the “human shape” again. “I see you gained yet more proficiency at wielding the art of inscription, Mister Magus. But you should be careful not to alert the cult.”

Inscription? Dodoro pinched his nose bridge as he remembered something from his memory.

“The cult? Oh, they already know about this. But they aren’t going to do anything.”

Maya smiled casually and changed the subject. “What brings you here today?”

“You don’t have to ask, do you?”

“In fact, I do not know,” Maya gave a quick answer.

“I see. You do know what I’m here for.”

Maya didn’t answer.

White Bear had been watching all along, and he grew really confused at the conversation. He nudged Dodoro and said something using eye contact: Hey what are they talking about?

But Dodoro wasn’t interested in the puzzle-like words—he looked away and showed a bored look.

“But aren’t you interested in inscription? I thought you wanted to learn a new skill. What’s going on with you?” White Bear said through voice transmission.

Dodoro didn’t know how to use voice transmission yet, so he could only give White Bear a cold eye—what does my interest have to do with you?

Maya knew her students were talking in private, but she didn’t do anything. She kept her attention on Magus.

“I won’t be struggling at the same level for so long if I know about ‘that’,” said Maya.

Magus didn’t seem convinced. “What’s going on up there means something to you, don’t deny it. I just want to know the cause. It can’t possibly come up without a reason.”

When hearing this, Dodoro suddenly froze in place as he sensed something.

Then he looked toward Phantom Island with an anxious look.

Maya saw Dodoro’s expression and silently sighed. So this is truly related to Angor…

Still, she was going to keep her theory a secret, both for her new student and for Angor. To her, befriending Angor brought her more profit than harming him.

“You’re being too hasty, Shildeen.” Maya used Magus’ true name this time. “Just like when you tried to recruit Blackjack. Do you think people can’t understand your intention? They did. That’s why nobody stopped you.”

“What are you implying?” Magus was getting impatient.

“I know you’re desperately going after the path of truth, and that the omen might help with this. Nevertheless, you should stay put and wait for now. When it ends, the truth will naturally show itself to us. I can’t tell you anything at this moment. When the world’s consciousness comes, everything I see is covered behind absolute chaos.”

Magus calmed down just a little. “You… truly have no idea?”

“I’ll say it again. If I know about ‘that’, I’ll be well on my way toward the path of truth instead of wasting my time here.”

“Right, I’m being reckless. I’ll take some time to collect my thoughts.”

With that, Magus’ fake form slowly turned to ash and vanished in the wind.

Those still on the platform spent a moment in silence.

White Bear spoke up first, “Hey, Dodoro, what did you mean by that look?”

Dodoro didn’t reply. He was still watching the direction where Phantom Island was.

Maya gently pulled White Bear’s sleeve. “Quiet now.”

White Bear was taken aback a little and looked at Dodoro again in surprise.

Did this guy see stuff again? But he saw so many prophecies in such a short time! And why isn’t he getting backfired?!

He felt rather defeated when a new student who just joined Maya surpassed his scores so easily.

A while later, Dodoro lowered his head.

“Weal? Or Woe?” asked Maya.

Dodoro didn’t answer.

Maya pondered. “Fair. I see…”

…

The thundercloud was expanding, while the strange power affecting Brute Cavern wasn’t ceasing any time soon.

As time went by, Angor was feeling difficult to stand. The pressure had grown too much for him to bear.

Another giant lightning bolt appeared from the cloud, and as Angor watched in horror, it traveled straight toward his position while he couldn’t move an inch.

For a brief moment, he wondered whether he should eject his soul to escape, but it seemed that he didn’t have enough time to chant Spirit Mantra now.

Am I going to take that upfront?

Can my body even withstand it?!

A pulling force suddenly landed on his body and dragged him back.

Almost at the same time, the lightning struck the railings of the balcony, almost breaking the entire balcony apart.

“You can’t stay put for too long, can you?” Sunders showed up from behind Angor, shaking his head.

Together with him, an old wizard with gray trousers, a clean white shirt, and a finely-trimmed checkered vest emerged from the balcony door. His personal image was arranged so perfectly that Angor did not find a single stray string on his silver hair or his clothes.

“Professor!” Angor knew it was Sunders who just saved his life. Then he carefully bowed to the old wizard. “Mister Rein.”