Warlock Apprentice

My chest? Angor grew a little panicked when he thought Balalaika was talking about the Alien Eye.

Not even Mister Rein and the professor mentioned it. Could Balalaika see it?

Balalaika continued, “It looks so familiar. Was it born in the Abyss?”

Huh? Didn’t the Alien Eye come from outer space?

When Angor tried to think of an excuse to get out of the situation, he noticed that people were staring at his pocket, not his neck.

Toby had poked his little head out and was curiously looking around.

“You mean Toby came from the Abyss?” asked Sunders.

Balalaika moved her fringe out of her eyes. “The cutie is Toby? I don’t know if he’s from the Abyss, but I sense something familiar in his body. It’s almost like… an old friend.”

She looked at Angor in the eyes. “What do you say? Give me your right hand and your little friend, and I shall fulfill one of your wishes. Any wish. Even if you want to become a wizard right away, I can help you.”

Again, everyone gazed intensely at Angor, especially the apprentices hiding in the chapel, who couldn’t hide their jealousy from their looks at all. Most of them had spent their lifetimes trying to reach the level of a wizard. They couldn’t believe that Angor earned the chance so conveniently.

Everyone, including the wizards, patiently waited for Angor’s answer.

Meanwhile, Angor felt greatly relieved that the woman was talking about Toby, not his pendant.

Subconsciously, he ran a finger along Toby’s head.

“Tweet…”

That almost sounded sad.

“Oh, no worries. I’m not anyone to decide your fate.”

Angor would never use Toby to trade. Besides, he didn’t believe that it was proper to have someone granting him a level instead of fighting for it on his own.

Equivalent exchange was always rule number one. If someone found “free lunch” in this world, it was sure to be a trap.

As for his right hand… Even though Sunders once told him that he could remove it and get a new one if he didn’t want it, he never actually tried such an approach. Moreover, his right hand was crucial when it came to controlling the dream wasteland. He couldn’t lose it yet.

“I’m sorry. I can neither give up Toby nor give you my hand.”

Balalaika raised an eyebrow as she was expecting a different answer. But she wasn’t going to force Angor.

“Fine. If you change your mind, I’ll be waiting right here, the necropolis.”

Again, she hummed her small melody and returned to the pub.

With Balalaika gone, Angor remained as the center of the spotlight. Any apprentice would agree to the offer without a second thought even if it meant surrendering their souls to demons.

Sennefer gave Angor another thoughtful glance and looked away.

Madelyne put a hand on Angor’s shoulder, hoping to comfort him. As an outsider, she wasn’t going to speak her opinions when Sunders didn’t say anything yet.

Brofen stared at Angor for a moment longer. Whether he was interested in Angor or his hand couldn’t be told.

Vifet sighed and moved away on his walking cane.

Thud!

Angor was startled a little by his professor, who just landed in front of him. He wanted to say something, but Sunders’ stern look convinced him to shut up.

Sunders spoke to Sennefer, “Prepare to leave. The trade is done. She has opened the exit for us.”

“Whatever is this ‘trade’?”

“I bought a piece of interesting information. As she said, if you wish to know more, feel free to trade with her on your own.”

Sennefer had more questions. She wanted to know what “Sand of Resurrection” was, what was a necropolis, and who was that woman. But she didn’t ask. For one, she doubted Sunders would tell her anything. And it wasn’t the time for it.

“Where should we go?”

“Keep moving forward. Across the night, awaits the light.”

“Across the night?”

Sennefer didn’t understand what that meant, but she saw Sunders pointing to a direction and decided to follow.

“Alright, let’s get out of here.”

She was answered by complete silence.

“Dokibell? Time to go.”

“Zzzzzz…”

When no one was looking, Dokibell had sprawled out and fallen asleep.

Sennefer raised a fist covered in intense flames and bulging blood vessels.

“Relax, relax!” Brofen quickly rushed to her side and dragged her back. “That’s going to kill Dokibell for sure. Let me handle it.”

Brofen created a spiritual stake using magic and reached it inside Dokibell’s head.

Startled by the great pain coming from the inside, Dokibell bounced up from the ground, sweating.

After hearing more of Sennefer’s mouthful, Dokibell obediently followed Sunders’ direction with teary eyes.

On their way, the graveyard remained quiet and tranquil. Balalaika was playing another piece of music by using a strange-looking string instrument. Similarly, it sounded calm and cheerful at first, but extremely sorrowful when savored afterward.

The light barrier that stopped them last them had disappeared. They successfully moved out of the graveyard and saw an endless ocean at the edge of the path ahead.

As Dokibell walked, the complete darkness in the sky slowly turned bright gray as if someone was mixing water with ink.

“Um, the Abyss doesn’t have days and nights, right?”

Sunders heard Angor’s question and looked that way. It had been a year since they met last time. Angor didn’t look much different, but his eyes were beginning to show the ambitious spirit of an adult.

“Of course the Abyss has time shifts. If you go to deeper levels, you’ll see it’s just like the wizarding world. As for the ‘night’ you’re seeing now, it does not belong to ‘the present’. That ocean isn’t a ‘current’ ocean either.”

Sunders looked into the great distance as if he could see much more than what was in view.

Angor sighed in relief. He thought his professor would scold him dearly instead of talking to him like normal.

“Sir, do you mean the night and the water around us are fake?”

People around them all pricked up their ears to listen. They had been wondering where they were for a long time.

Sunders shook his head. “Fake? No. It’s just they do not belong to the prevailing time. This realm… it is locked inside the longest night before Ragnarök, along with those who were there to witness the event.”

“Ragnarök” was an ancient tragedy that involved the deaths of many Grand Demons, according to the few historical records that mentioned it. Nobody these days could tell what exactly happened, but one thing people cared about was that they could find great treasures and destinies from the remains and ruins left behind.

“Mister Phantom, are you saying Balalaika came from before Ragnarök?” Brofen thought he just realized something important.

Sunders gave him an unamused glimpse. “No.”

“Then who the heck is she?” asked Sennefer. She still looked pissed off for receiving Balalaika’s ill treatment.

“You can see her as an informant of some sort. By visiting her, you may purchase secrets and clues only available to the most shadowy figures, or special merchandise. As for why she’s running a pub house here, she is trying to resurrect a sleeping soul.”

“That’s why she needs ‘Sand of Resurrection’?”

“Correct.”

“Okay… What’s she to do with the Undying Brigade? She sells stuff, so why did she attack us? And what changed her mind?”