Warlock Apprentice

The intense fragrance of flowers hit his nose. Shalu wasn’t a person who loved fragrances, but the smell of these flowers was irresistible, prompting him to take several deep breaths.

Amidst the aroma, Shalu’s originally anxious heart gradually eased.

He opened his eyes, wanting to see where he was.

In front of him was a winding path, leading to a very inconspicuous wooden cabin at its end.

However, the cabin seemed unremarkable. But the path leading to the cabin was truly terrifying for Shalu. On both sides of the path was endless darkness, as if a road had sprung out of the chaotic Void.

Against such a backdrop, even the cabin itself began to seem sinister.

”Where am I?” Shalu took a step back in fear, but as soon as his toes touched the ground, he immediately retracted them. For, behind him, there was also the endless Void.

Only the path leading to the cabin provided solid ground for him to stand on.

Shalu’s mind was in constant turmoil, wanting to know where he was, yet no one told him. His loud shouts went unanswered.

Shalu could only calm down.

Wrapped in this thick fragrance of flowers, Shalu inexplicably felt his thoughts becoming much clearer.

With no one responding, it seemed the only thing he could do was to explore by himself. But in such a peculiar environment, there might be dangers if he attempted to explore.

While Shalu was hesitating, the faces of Angel and Frode appeared in his mind.

Undoubtedly, it was their doing that brought him here.

If they wanted him dead, there were far easier ways than this; such trouble wouldn’t be necessary. Since it wasn’t to have him killed, there must be a way out of this place to which they had cast him.

If this wasn’t a dead end, then there might be a way out.

The only path available was the one leading to the inside of that wooden cabin.

After pondering for a moment, Shalu finally took steps towards the cabin. He couldn’t forever remain in the same place; to seek a change, he had to make changes himself.

As Shalu walked towards the cabin, Angel and Frode were also discussing in the outside world.

”Shalu’s personality might seem reckless and arrogant, but from my Observation, he is extremely cautious, even to the point of timidity,” Frode said with skepticism on his face. ”Given Shalu’s nature, would he really enter the cabin?”

Angel glanced at Frode with some surprise: ”It seems you haven’t entered the House of the Heart.”

Frode asked with confusion, ”What does that have to do with anything?”

”If you’d entered the House of the Heart, you would know. Shalu will certainly enter the cabin, not just because there are no other choices, but also because at that moment, it’s not really him who is thinking.”

Shalu believed it was his prudent decision to enter the cabin. But that wasn’t the case; with his real-world personality, he wouldn’t have decided so quickly.

His swift decision was actually due to the fragrance of the flowers, which is part of the Illusion Technique. It appears to clarify the mind, but it also has the effect of guiding one’s thoughts.

For an Illusion Series Wizard like Angel, the fragrance was utterly ineffective. But for Shalu, under the influence of the seductive fragrance, he would have no awareness of its oddity, and would instead think he made the decision himself.

After hearing Angel’s words, Frode came to Enlightenment, realizing the purpose of the fragrance inside the House of the Heart. He had previously documented Sir Sabel’s entry into the House of the Heart and had noticed the anomaly of the fragrance, but didn’t focus on it at the time.

”Speaking of which, are you really not willing to experience the House of the Heart?” Angel looked towards Frode.

A tinge of embarrassment crossed Frode’s face, and his eyes slightly avoided the question: ”Let’s not. Right now, I don’t even know if what’s in my heart is an obsession or an Obsession Demon, and there are parts of the past I just don’t want to face...”

Angel looked at Frode deeply, nodding noncommittally: ”It’s up to you. After all, the House of the Heart is right here; you can experience it anytime.”

”Facing the past is also facing your future.”

Frode lowered his head and murmured an acknowledgment, saying nothing more.

Meanwhile, Shalu was nearing the cabin, and so far, he hadn’t felt anything unusual.

”Perhaps I am overthinking it; maybe there is no real danger inside the cabin?” Just as Shalu was thinking this, a shadow suddenly flitted across the window of the cabin.

Shalu paused in his steps.

He hadn’t seen exactly what the shadow was, but its appearance meant that there definitely was someone... or some kind of creature inside the cabin.

Shalu felt slightly uneasy, but this uneasiness inexplicably faded when the scent of flowers reached his nostrils. Unaware of this change in himself, he muttered, ”Maybe it’s Master Tyson needing something from me, hence all this mystery... Or perhaps, it’s my brother Lisa inside?”

Shalu allowed the thoughts that leaned towards benefit to surface in his mind, reducing his fear and even giving rise to greater anticipation as he continued towards the cabin.

Upon reaching the front of the cabin, Shalu noticed several pots of brightly colored flowers on the steps, from which that strong fragrance was likely emanating.

Shalu lifted his foot and stepped onto the stairs.

The moment his foot touched the ground, the surroundings abruptly changed. It was as if layers of time and space had shifted, and the original cabin vanished, replaced by a corridor that connected to the Void at both ends.

There were three doors in this corridor.

Before Shalu could grasp what had just happened, he found himself standing in front of the first door.

Upon seeing the door, a flash of disbelief crossed his eyes; the door was very old, with mottled traces marking its surface.

Gazing at this familiar door, a flood of childhood memories suddenly burst into Shalu’s mind.

He crouched down, his hand caressing the doorframe at the height of his knee. When his fingers brushed over some carvings, his eyes unexpectedly moistened.

Why would such a door be here? Despite leaving over ten years ago, why had this door appeared here?

Shalu pressed his ear against the door, trying to detect any sounds from inside, but he heard nothing.

His hand trembled as he reached out to push the door open.

But ultimately, he withdrew his hand.

Ever since their mother passed away, he and his brother Lisa had left their hometown with their uncle and gone to live in Saint Sam City. Since then, he had never returned to their old home.

And this door in front of him was the very door of that old home.

He wanted to push it open and look, yet he was afraid.

It was a strange feeling, not the fear of the unknown, but a reluctance to confront the place he had once lived in... perhaps it could be described as being timid upon approaching home.

In the end, Shalu clenched his fist and did not push the door open.

He decided to check the other two doors first to understand the situation here better.

Shalu took a deep breath and approached the second door. It was an iron door.

Even though this iron door was unremarkable and as cold as ice, Shalu recognized it instantly.

This was the door to his uncle’s house.

He and his brother Lisa had lived with their uncle for six painful years, the most bitter years of his life. The taste of dependency and the powerlessness of those memories haunted him like a nightmare, right up to this very moment.

Shalu looked at the iron door, a cold light of hatred flickering in his eyes.

Still, he did not push the door open. He even felt contemptuous about touching it.

Finally, Shalu arrived at the third door, which was completely different from the previous two; it was a two-part door with a stone frame, looking somewhat familiar...

It seemed to be the gate of Originheart City?

However, it was a miniature version.