Warlock Apprentice

”Arguing about meaningless things?” Angel muttered, his spiritual power tentacles unconsciously reaching into the judging room. After a while, Angel shook his head and walked onto the balcony.

The Water Pattern Witch was right; they were indeed arguing about something meaningless inside—

One of the rewards for advancing in the New Star Competition, how many levels should the Endless Corridor be opened to?

The number of layers open to the top fifteen of the New Star Competition had already been fixed, personally specified by Rosen. However, for those ranked from fifteen to one hundred, how the layers would be arranged was not explained by Rosen, only a rough range was circumscribed, from the 100th layer to the 200th layer.

The judges suggested decreasing layers according to ranks, but, should it decrease by blocks, or at an individual level? What should be the gaps in this decrease? These were the contents of their dispute inside.

In Angel’s view, there was really no need to nitpick over such details. But after all, Angel was not from Sky Mechanical City, and any advice he could give was likely futile; there was no need for him to enter the battlefield.

”Getting red-faced and hot-eared over a layer or two, it’s really boring.” The Water Pattern Witch, Farina, leaned on the railing, as a water system witch, she greatly enjoyed such rainy weather.

”Taking it seriously, is that also a kind of responsibility?” Angel said.

”What they’re doing isn’t taking it seriously. Since they decided to open the Endless Corridor to compensate for the incidents of the Purification Garden in those years, they might as well be generous and set a uniform standard. This is actually petty.” Farina shook her head: ”Let’s not talk about them anymore. I have some latest news, concerning you.”

Angel was startled for a moment: ”Concerning me?”

”Yes.” Farina blinked, her beautiful watery eyes shimmering with a bright light: ”Do you want to guess?”

Angel was just about to speak when the communicator in his arms suddenly lit up. He hesitated for a moment before opening it, a halo flickered, and a human-like phantom slowly emerged from the communicator, it was an elderly man with orange-red hair.

”Angel, I have something to tell you... oh, Water Pattern Witch, you are here too, aren’t you supposed to be in closed-door training?”

Upon seeing the old man’s figure, Farina muttered, ”Looks like I don’t need to say it anymore,” then she replied: ”Midora, don’t forget I am also a special judge.”

This old man was ”Magic Potion” Midora.

”Special judge? Oh, I remember now, today is the finale of the New Star Competition?” Midora was reminded: ”No wonder I didn’t see Yeliya and Tugan on my way back from the Research and Development Institute.”

”Let’s not talk about that,” Midora turned to look at Angel: ”Angel, I just received some news.”

”Bogura has already emerged from the Abyss of Magic.”

”He is now, somewhat considered... a quasi True Knowledge Wizard.” As Midora said this, a look of regret flashed across his face, as advancing to True Knowledge in the Abyss of Magic didn’t really mean much.

Angel’s brows furrowed. Bogura’s emergence was not good news for him.

”However, you don’t need to worry, he shouldn’t be able to trouble you for a while.” Midora indicated that Angel need not worry, but he did not specify why Bogura wouldn’t be troubling Angel anytime soon, only vaguely mentioning it before turning off the communicator.

After ending the call, Angel was still somewhat confused, turning his gaze towards Farina.

”The news I wanted to tell you was also this,” Farina said then, she had also heard about some issues Angel had with Bogura: ”Midora is right, Bogura really can’t trouble you now.”

”Midora, after all, is Bogura’s Mentor from the apprentice stage; he cannot simply say it outright. However, I can tell you, as far as I know, Bogura sustained severe injuries in the Abyss of Magic, and his thinking has become impaired. He has already been taken away by Rosen.”

His thinking has become impaired? Angel still didn’t understand.

”I haven’t seen the specific circumstances, but I heard from Melisa that it seems his brain suffered an impact, leading to cognitive disorders,” Farina said, then added with a sigh, ”That’s reasonable, after all, he ventured into the Abyss of Magic... that place would drive any ordinary wizard insane.”

The Abyss of Magic is transformed from a Mysterious Object, which can indirectly stimulate inspiration and potential, allowing one to have enlightenments to create one’s own unique Spell Techniques. It also helps in advancing to True Knowledge.

However, the Abyss of Magic is very dangerous, and going there purely for the purpose of advancing to True Knowledge isn’t a wise choice.

”Currently, with Rosen controlling Bogura, thus what Midora said is correct, you don’t have to worry about him for now. But I’ve also heard a piece of news, the Spell Technique that Bogura created in the Abyss of Magic is very powerful, so if Rosen were to release him later, you still have to be careful.”

Angel nodded. Although Bogura chose to enter the Abyss of Magic on his own, it was Sanders who pushed him to this extreme. Whether Bogura will confront Sanders, Angel wasn’t sure. But given Bogura’s peculiar tastes, it’s more likely he would confront Angel himself, which was undeniable.

So, one cannot be too careful.

Afterward, Angel and Farina discussed some other topics, such as Farina’s recent insights from seclusion.

Throughout this time, the storm continued unabated, but the enthusiasm of the citizens of Sky Mechanical City for the New Star Competition was not dampened by the rain at all. As the momentum of the crowd rose wave after wave, the time for the finals was drawing ever closer.

”It’s time to go; the competition is about to start,” Farina said, and the two of them returned to the judges’ room.

The judges’ room was very crowded; this was the most attendance seen since the ’Spring Waltz vs The Deceiver’ competition.”

When they entered, the room was still noisy, but the debates had quietened down, with more sounds of complaints. It appears that the rewards for places fifteen and beyond were decided, but some people were not satisfied.

Angel listened briefly and found that the policy they had decided on was a tiered block reduction approach.

It was divided into four blocks, allowing the advancing participants of the New Star Competition access to the top layers of the Endless Corridor, specifically the 140th, 160th, 180th, and 200th layers.

This was indeed better than the earlier dispute over the number of participants.

Angel calculated briefly; Nausicaa would be ranked 98th, allowing her entrance to the 140th layer of the Endless Corridor, while Serum, having lost the will to fight after the Black Classic went dormant, had continued to fall in the rankings, ending up at 63rd, but also affording him entrance to the 160th layer.

As for Xiliu, being in the top ten, she was not within this range of rewards. Presumably, she would receive higher, perhaps even the 300th layer.

However, given Xiliu’s sleepy demeanor, even if she did go to the Endless Corridor, reaching the 100th layer would be doubtful.

While Angel was contemplative, the Boundless Battle Arena outside was already entering the final stage of preparation. With the messages being emitted from the arena, the judges in the room began to leave one after another.

Only a few special judges stayed put.

Just as last time during ’Spring Waltz vs The Deceiver,’ special judges would enter the arena separately through the central teleportation platform in the judges’ room.

Though rich in ceremony, it was equally embarrassing.