Warlock Apprentice

Wizard Kihara smiled faintly, understanding that the matter couldn’t entirely be blamed on Angel. Thus, he changed the topic: ”Speaking of which, the weapon you’ve customized for Xiliu does produce a profoundly powerful effect, but...”

Angel patiently waited for Wizard Kihara’s remarks. After a moment, he finally said, ”But, strong it may be, is it truly suitable for Xiliu?”

”Does Wizard Kihara have any opinions?” Angel didn’t argue; instead, he followed up with a question.

”I am not an Alchemist, so I don’t have much expertise to share. It’s just that Xiliu’s talent paired with this long whip doesn’t seem entirely fitting,” Wizard Kihara expressed his thoughts.

The long whip’s effects were undeniably potent, but was it really suitable for Xiliu? Having stayed at Fangling Hall for so long, Wizard Kihara had gained some understanding of her talent. With the ability of water-elemental transformation paired with the whip, would it truly achieve an ideal synergy?

This doubt wasn’t exclusive to Wizard Kihara. Shan, who also understood Xiliu well, murmured at that moment, ”The Ice Whip is undoubtedly powerful, but I feel there’s something... off.”

”Are you saying the Ice Whip is bad?” Serum, standing beside Shan, asked with a puzzled expression.

”It’s not bad, but don’t you think this whip doesn’t necessarily have to belong to Xiliu? Even if it were given to you, to me, or any of us here, it could still perform at a consistent level,” Shan replied. ”I’m not questioning Angel’s skill in crafting it; I just feel that it seems to lack compatibility with Xiliu.”

Serum now understood Shan’s point. As an Alchemy Work, this weapon was undoubtedly excellent—good enough to earn a spot among the final showcase items at an auction. However, this whip appeared more like an independent creation rather than a tailored weapon for Xiliu. It didn’t integrate completely with her talent.

At best, the outer frost effect might slightly extend the reach of Xiliu’s ”water-elemental transformation,” but this improvement was largely negligible.

”Now that you mention it, that does seem to be the case,” Serum said doubtfully. ”However, Angel should know Xiliu very well, right? There’s no way he wouldn’t have considered this.”

Shan added, ”That’s exactly what perplexes me.”

While they conversed, Xiliu was actually nearby. Not only had she heard their discussion, but the others somewhat understood the issue as well.

At this moment, they couldn’t help but reflect on the question: Previously, they’d all been awestruck by the power of the Ice Whip, but when it came to a customized weapon—was the Ice Whip truly suitable for Xiliu?

Seeing everyone harboring doubts, Xiliu suddenly laughed: ”Actually, you might all have misunderstood.”

”Misunderstood?”

”Yes. This Ice Whip may be my first time seeing it, but it is indeed the most suitable weapon for me.” Noticing the lingering confusion on their faces, Xiliu continued, ”Because the requirements for crafting this weapon were originally proposed by me.”

This crafting was requested by Xiliu?

Her answer stunned everyone, including Wizard Kihara hovering in the sky.

”So, this was the reason behind your crafting of the whip?” Wizard Kihara inquired.

Angel replied, ”Indeed. The requirements for it came from Xiliu, so naturally, I had to tailor the weapon according to her request.”

Wizard Kihara furrowed his brows. ”I don’t quite understand why she made such a request, especially when there seemed to be better options.”

Shan voiced the same question.

Xiliu promptly offered an explanation: ”What I need is not to enhance my talent ability but to ensure that my talent ability can actually be executed.”

Shan found it difficult to grasp her meaning, but Kavoline, who personally experienced the whip’s power, suddenly had a look of realization in her eyes: ”Ah, now I get it.”

Xiliu’s most powerful ability was water-elemental transformation. This talent didn’t necessarily require a water-rich environment to demonstrate its effects. Its true power lay in controlling all liquids.

For instance, bodily fluids.

As long as someone stood before Xiliu—even in the parched desert—she could transform their bodily fluids into spears to attack others.

But all of this hinged on breaking through the opponent’s defenses.

From Xiliu’s perspective, this became clear. Whenever she faced strong foes, it wasn’t that she couldn’t overpower them—it was that their defenses were impenetrable, leaving her no chance to manipulate their bodily fluids. Once she managed to breach their defenses, Xiliu would stand victorious.

In the past, her methods of breaking defenses were too singular and slow. Often, before she could successfully focus on penetrating defenses, she’d get interrupted or even outright defeated in the short span of combat.

However, with the Ice Whip now in her possession, this dynamic would inevitably change.

After listening to Kavoline’s explanation, everyone suddenly understood. Recalling the devastating power of the whip—it had shattered nearly all layers of Kavoline’s strongest defensive posture, leaving only the last layer of armor protecting her flesh.

In actual combat, this was terrifying.

None of them present could endure more than a few strikes from Xiliu’s whip. A single crack in their defense would mean the battle was over.

”So, this is the reason you requested the whip,” Shan murmured, realizing her earlier mistake. While she’d viewed things from her own perspective, from Xiliu’s standpoint, the whip truly was a perfect match!

Xiliu declared, ”I simply made the request for a weapon capable of quickly breaking an opponent’s defenses. In the end, this whip not only exceeded my expectations in terms of effectiveness but also aligned with the Water System, enabling me to maximize its potential in combat. So yes, it is undoubtedly the most suitable weapon for me.”

She paused: ”However... there is still something that feels like a pity.”

Shan looked at Xiliu with curiosity: ”What’s regrettable? Or is it that you don’t like whip-style weapons? Admittedly, this kind of weapon feels more fitting for Nausicaa.”

Xiliu shook her head. ”It’s not about the weapon—I am highly satisfied with it. The regret comes from the fact that, aside from this weapon, my customization request also included addressing my sleep disorder... but it seems no one can solve the issue of my excessive sleepiness.”

Xiliu sighed quietly. Even Angel ultimately chose the weapon customization over addressing her sleep-related concerns, which left her with a sense of disappointment.

Though the boost to her combat power was a welcome upgrade, if there had been a way to resolve her sleep issues—or at least improve them in a meaningful way—it would have brought her even greater joy.

Shan understood Xiliu’s thoughts, sighed, and gently wrapped her arm around Xiliu’s shoulder to offer comfort in a low voice.

High above, Wizard Kihara observed the scene at Fangling Hall and couldn’t help but remark, ”If Xiliu’s sleep disorder could be resolved, she would certainly become another brilliant Supernova shining over the Southern Domain.”

”Why another?”

”Because before her, there’s you,” Wizard Kihara paused before adding, ”By the way, is Xiliu’s sleep disorder truly unsolvable?”

Angel replied, ”For now, it remains extremely difficult to address.”

However, if we were to consider the second crafting request Xiliu had proposed—a tool to positively influence her sleep disorder—Angel could indeed create something like that. He had simply deemed it unnecessary because in the near future, a limited opening of the Wilderness of Dreams would allow Xiliu to participate as well. The Wilderness itself could mitigate the drawbacks of her sleep disorder by providing beneficial effects. By engaging in knowledge research within the dream realm, Xiliu wouldn’t waste her sleeping hours entirely.

This was why Angel ultimately prioritized crafting the weapon over considering the second request.