Warlock Apprentice

The popularity of the New Star Tournament has begun to decline slowly with the conclusion of the finals. However, the contestants who shone brightly during the tournament remain a hot topic of conversation in various bars.

Although these contestants are still staying in Sky Mechanical City, most of them are immersed in the Endless Corridor trials. Due to their rare appearances, much of the gossip has already been discussed multiple times, making it somewhat tedious. As a result, during the lulls in conversations about the contestants, topics that arose during the tournament but hadn’t been fully explored have resurfaced.

For instance, the battle between Sharley and Kavoline in the main district, Qi Li and Jiebo flooding Fragrant Plaza, the pursuit of Otherworld puppets by extreme sect members... such topics have once again become the focus of discussions.

However, among these topics, the most discussed is Angel.

At this moment, in the Black Wheel Bar on Champagne Road, a group of people is engaged in a conversation about Angel.

”Did you guys hear? That little witch Sharley who dressed up as a magician—someone saw her getting quite close to a Transcendental Wizard. Rumor has it they are even living together. Could it be they...” The speaker trails off ambiguously at the end, sparking a knowing chuckle among the group after a brief pause.

”It might actually be true. Remember that incident on the street? Not only did Jiebo flood the Fragrant Plaza, but Sharley also flooded an entire street at the time. It’s said quite a few people lost their lives because of it. This event was a severe slap in the face for Sky Mechanical City. According to the Enforcement Squad’s rules, Sharley would either have to die or be severely punished. But you all know how it ended—nothing came of it.” The middle-aged man with a small mustache speculated aloud: ”I couldn’t figure it out at first, but now that you mention it, I suspect the Transcendental Wizard smoothed things over for her. After all, he’s a member of the Research and Development Institute, and the Enforcement Squad wouldn’t dare offend someone from the institute.”

This conjecture prompted nods from the group. The mustached middle-aged man, pleased with himself, stroked his facial hair in satisfaction. However, his smugness didn’t last long, as a cold voice suddenly spoke from behind.

”Why must it be the Transcendental Wizard who settled it? Couldn’t it have been Sharley herself who found a way? Besides, Kavoline was also involved in the fight with Sharley. You all know her background—what if she leveraged her connections to suppress the matter instead?”

The abrupt interruption pulled the middle-aged man out of his self-satisfied chatter, causing his brow to furrow in displeasure.

He turned around and saw the speaker: a young man dressed in an unusually eccentric manner. Black hair, black eyes, dark circles, black clothes, black pants, black shoes. Aside from his pale skin, nearly everything about him was black, giving off the impression of a vampire that had crawled out of a grave.

Nonetheless, the reflective studs on his leather jacket and pants dispelled some of the eerie vibe.

The middle-aged man was a junior apprentice whose potential had likely already been exhausted, but as someone who mingled in the lower ranks of the transcendent world, his observational skills were sharp. Though he didn’t recognize this young man, his distinctive style and composed demeanor suggested he possessed some measure of strength.

Especially since a bat with crimson eyes perched on the youth’s shoulder—it radiated an intimidating aura to the middle-aged man.

”His strength is not insignificant, possibly greater than I imagined,” he concluded internally. While he was initially annoyed at being rebutted, he quickly dropped his dismissive attitude.

”I was merely speculating and certainly don’t know the truth. Sir, do you perhaps have some insider information?”

The youth with dark circles coolly downed a glass of wine. The crimson liquid stained his lips, creating a morbid contrast against his pale skin: ”I don’t have insider information. I merely know this—using one’s limited perspective to judge others is always presumptuous.”

The middle-aged man frowned. He couldn’t grasp the full meaning but sensed the youth’s words were tinged with sarcasm. He opened his mouth to retort, but the youth shot him a frosty glance: ”It’s not surprising that you’re just a junior apprentice. Those consumed by desire always project their own desires onto others, assuming they are no different.”

The middle-aged man finally understood—the youth was subtly mocking his lack of vision.

”So, what you’re saying is Sharley has no connection to the Transcendental Wizard? Yet someone witnessed her living in a mansion outside the city,” he countered.

The youth let out a sneering laugh: ”I can’t speak for any connections they may have. However, I do know Sharley’s mentor is also a member of the Research and Development Institute.”

These words completely overturned the middle-aged man’s conjecture. If Sharley’s mentor was indeed part of the institute, then Angel stepping in wouldn’t have been necessary. Given Sharley’s ties through her mentor, her acquaintance with Angel seemed perfectly logical.

The middle-aged man wanted to accuse the youth of lying, yet the latter’s unwavering expression deterred him.

His own theory about Angel had always been based on conjecture, peppered with phrases like ”I suspect” or ”maybe.” In contrast, the youth spoke with certainty, making them fundamentally unequal in credibility. Left without grounds to refute, he could only mutter vague statements like ”So, there were hidden details involved here” to save face.

His friends at the table, noticing his embarrassment, quickly chimed in to steer the conversation onto a different topic: ”By the way, speaking of the Transcendental Wizard, there’s another matter worth discussing. Did you know that during the New Star Tournament, the Transcendental Wizard held an Alchemy class at Ashliea Comprehensive College?”

Most of the people present were junior apprentices, whose knowledge was more limited than expected. Several of them had never heard about this and looked on curiously.

”From the way you’re talking, it sounds like you know what the Transcendental Wizard taught during the class?”

”I’m not entirely sure about the content, but I do know this—during his Alchemy class, the Transcendental Wizard demonstrated a phenomenal technical presentation method. This method sent shockwaves through the artistic community!”

His statement reminded many present of an object currently trending in Sky Mechanical City.

”My mentor is a huge enthusiast of the arts. Lately, the thing he mentioned most frequently is a box. Are you referring to that?”

”Yes, it’s the drama shadow box.” He then launched into an elaborate commentary about the impact of the shadow box. Those unfamiliar listened with rapt attention, while those with some insight scoffed dismissively.

”You’re partly right. Some in the art circle do regard the shadow box as a groundbreaking innovation. However, many who’ve experienced the shadow box consider it mere sensationalism and dismiss it outright.”

This rebuttal resonated with part of the group: ”Exactly, it sounds flashy, but should it really be considered a revolutionary change in art? Hard to believe.”

As everyone voiced their opinions, someone interjected: ”I know who you’re referring to. The Whispering Witch recently bought a drama shadow box, criticized it for its lack of artistry and called it shallow sensationalism. However, I heard that yesterday, the Whispering Witch publicly changed her stance. She said the drama shadow box represents a groundbreaking innovation. She admitted her initial misunderstanding and even announced plans to seek collaborators to create more shadow boxes.”

The Whispering Witch is an Official Wizard with a notoriously petty nature—outsiders wouldn’t dare fabricate her statements. Moreover, the speaker seemed confident, suggesting their claim had merit.

”Why did the Whispering Witch’s evaluation of the shadow box shift so drastically?” someone asked.

”I’m not sure. But apparently, a few days ago, she excitedly went to Sunset Street and bought a new drama shadow box. After comparing it to the old one, she discovered remarkable differences in its technical sophistication.”