Warlock Apprentice

While holding her chin, Shan watched as more snowflakes swept past her eyes. Since the city was stationed in the sky, the thick clouds looked extremely large and close to them.

“It’s about to start,” she muttered.

“Fifteen minutes away, to be precise.” Nausica hid her excited expression behind the smoke clouds she released.

“We haven’t found Angor yet. Aren’t you wondering whether he would come at all?”

“Why should I? It’s his own decision whether to come here. That aside, you should do something to wake Shiliew up.”

“But I see him as my ‘husband model’. If he doesn’t show up, I’m gonna lower his grade among my husband candidates.”

“If Angor’s already here and he hears what you just said, he’ll immediately leave.”

Shan huffed and set her eyes on the sleeping Shiliew. “Hey, rise and shine! It’s time to get down the road!” She nudged Shiliew.

“You made it sound like we’re going to a funeral.”

“We are, in a sense.”

After Shan pushed and pinched her several times, Shiliew finally opened her eyes slowly.

…

There were still five minutes until the time limit indicated by the invitations. No one was going through the gate or flying over the giant wall now. The entire waiting area was quiet as a graveyard. The initial excitement of people was nowhere to be found, but at least the situation didn’t seem TOO hopeless yet. At the very least, people had yet to express desperation.

As they believed, a dangerous situation was always accompanied by fortune and opportunity. Danger was something a wizard should not avoid in pursuit of strength and truth. They’d gladly join the challenge as long as the reward was worthwhile.

“Is Dodoro’s prophecy wrong?” The man in the black robe, who noticed Alan earlier, muttered to himself.

Next, he heard the sharp noise caused by something piercing the air and looked up as someone approached from the sky. His movement caused his hooded face to be exposed just a little.

Shan would have easily recognized Angor’s face if she were to look this way.

Angor already told them that he would come, and he had no reason to deny his own words. In fact, he was one of the earliest ones to arrive. But just as Nausica said, he preferred to stay hidden without arousing too much attention.

Of course, he saw Nausica’s group—Gank’s particularly large body was too difficult to overlook. But he never went to greet them. He already told or gave them what he should. Everything else depended on their individual abilities from now on. Even friends should not rely on each other too much.

Angor had been keeping an eye on all the latecomers to find Keely, who never showed up until now. Just as he was beginning to believe that Dodoro’s “fortune telling” was referring to something else, the woman finally came.

Keely, who was still in her deep-blue dress, hopped down from her broomstick and took off the oil lamp. Among the heavy snowflakes and people with grim emotions, the light from the small flame only added to her pale aura.

Her black kitten also landed on the snow and sat beside her.

As people tried to figure out who just came, Keely slowly moved to the right side of the river border on her red dance shoes. With each step, a small ice-cold ember would appear around her body.

Meanwhile, Jebra, who had been tickling his blue whale, suddenly stood upright and gave the silent woman a cold look.

Water waves slowly materialized behind his back.

People looked between them uncertainly. Even Angor was wondering why these people looked so hostile with each other’s presence.

Also, everyone assumed that the woman was another special person since she was brave enough to confront Child of Ocean.

“I didn’t think I’d see you here, psychotic bi*ch,” Jebra said as he released several water streams around his hand while his blue whale grew larger again.

“Today, it’s either you die… or I live,” Keely replied in a cold tone.

“Hah! Do you think you can still run without that old b*stard to shield you? Oh, trust me. There’s only one who’ll win today, and it’s me!”

Keely was never the talkative type. All that was on her mind right now was to kill this man and end all trouble.

Before the fight among them actually started, the metal gate slowly shut off, and a young man in a black robe appeared above everyone’s head and used his power to stop them from making any moves.

Jebra and Keely too, could no longer initiate their attacks when affected by such might.

“Mister Lawson is here. It’s time to get in the garden.”

“Aw such a pity that we can’t see those two fight to their death. I think that’s the third woman who wants Jebra dead today. Whatever did Jebra do to them?”

“Get them pregnant and ditch them of course. HA-haha!”

The robed man floating in the sky was one of the city masters, “Neo Beast” Lawson. His appearance caused the already silent waiting area to go even quieter.

“Time’s up. Get ready to enter the purification garden,” said Lawson. He wasn’t looking at the participants at all.

With that, Lawson turned around and moved away. It was as if he was only here as a formality.

At the same time, the apprentices felt the great pressure on their bodies gone.

“Mister Neo Beast, can you explain what exactly is going on?” someone asked loudly.

Lawson stopped and slowly looked back.

“There are either the aware or the unaware, to whom the knowledge will make no difference. Do your best to withstand what’s coming. Those who succeed will always get what you want, or even a chance to stand tall among everyone.”

Lawson left those words and disappeared over the walls.

The apprentices, as well as the elites, all looked at each other doubtfully. Some of them knew about the blood sacrifice, yet nobody told them how it worked. Were they supposed to kill each other or were there some other traps hidden in the garden?

They thought someone from the city would tell them beforehand, which didn’t happen. Neither Lawson nor the other wizards intended to talk to them.

Soon enough, the ten apprentices selected by the city became the center of attention since they were likely the only ones who knew the secrets.

The ten people in silver uniforms didn’t back down under all the scrutinizing stares. Some of them even replied with their own mocking grins.

But nobody actually moved.

One side of the enclosed area was a tall mountain cliff. All of a sudden, a giant door about 30 meters in height slowly appeared on it.

“The gate is open. Now, please step inside. As for how to get out… you will naturally see when you reach there,” one of the enforcers announced to everyone.

The ten apprentices from the city exchanged a glance before they dashed toward the gate as one.

“Get them! They can tell us the details!”

After someone yelled out, countless more apprentices rushed after the city elites.

The dense human wave flooded toward the single gate.

Keely stood up and glared at Jebra again. “The purification garden shall be your grave. And soon, I’ll find another coffin for your teacher, Flunza!”

Then she walked away. She couldn’t do anything to Jebra since all the guards were watching, but once they were inside the garden, no one would stop her.

Jebra sensed a sweet smell sweeping past his nose. It was Maine, who intentionally walked beside his shoulder.

“Take a guess,” said Maine, “will it be Keely or me who kill you first?”

The woman giggled before she spread her wings and dived into the gate.

Nausica, Shan, and Shiliew also moved toward the gate. Just before they could get in, Nausica suddenly looked around quickly. “Huh…”

“What is it?” Shan asked.

“I think someone’s watching me…” Nausica managed to catch a brief glimpse at a feminine figure, but that person was wearing a large bamboo rain hat that covered her face.

“Do you really care if people look at you?” Shan teased.

“That’s not it. I felt something… hateful. Maybe it’s an enemy of mine.”

“Enemy? Where? I’ll help you kick her b*tt if I find her in the garden!”

“She’s—” Nausica only saw the impenetrable crowd in front of her. It was too hard to look for someone again. “Forget it, let’s move. I can always deal with an enemy by myself.”

On the other side, Keely did not enter the garden after taunting Jebra. Instead, she asked her kitten to find someone.

With several playful hops, the creature reached a hooded figure.

“Angor!”

Angor looked up and saw Keely, who was still wearing the same cold expression.

She was in an extra bad mood due to the previous encounter with Jebra.

“Good. You really didn’t come and bother us. I’ll fulfill my promise and help you stay alive.”

“I don’t need your help.”

As a willful and spoiled girl, Keely chose to listen to her own words and keep talking without minding Angor’s protest.

“I’ll go find you as soon as we enter the garden. Stay somewhere safe and don’t run off. It isn’t my fault if you get into trouble and get yourself killed.”

With that, Keely picked up her kitten, Luna, and jumped away.