Warlock Apprentice

Surface of the Abyss.

Under the dim sky, within the pale forest. A demon with a body over three meters long, its head adorned with curving ram horns, spread its slender wings and flew toward the depths of the forest.

Not long after it had taken flight, it saw smoke rising ahead.

”Found it! The master should be there.” The horned demon thought to itself, stopping the flapping of its wings and gliding downward instead.

The trees in this dense forest were almost all dead, without leaves, their branches covered in thorns. Yet, their wood was so unique that it never decayed. Some powerful warriors of indigenous tribes even broke off these branches to use as weapons, a testament to their destructive force. Despite the breadth of the horned demon’s wings, as it descended, it couldn’t avoid brushing against the branches. The thin, membranous flesh of its insect-like wings was shredded to tatters.

When the horned demon finally landed on the ground, it belatedly felt the pain. Turning to look at its tattered wings, it murmured in a daze, ”Forgot to fold my wings again... The master will probably scold me for being foolish...”

”Why does the master choose to live in this forest? It’s terrifying, dark, and... cold.” The horned demon gazed into the distance. Despite the dense forest obscuring the view, it could faintly make out the sprawling, undulating snow mountains. When its eyes fell upon those mountains, a flicker of fear crossed its gaze.

It was a demon taken in by its master midway, a loner without any kin, living a life of exile on the surface of the Abyss. Having dwelled on the surface for so long, it was familiar with its many forbidden zones, and the snowy mountain ahead was one such forbidden place.

Though of course, it was not the snow mountain itself that inspired terror, but rather the... dragon that resided within the depths of the Ice Valley.

The Abyssal Dragon!

It had never actually seen this dragon, but the mere tales were enough to instill fear. It couldn’t fathom why its new master had chosen to live here.

”Sigh.” The horned demon sighed, shaking its head as it trudged toward the source of the rising embers ahead.

Soon, it arrived at a clearing. There were no buildings, only scattered, irregular stones and a fire burning at the center.

Instinctively, the horned demon glanced toward a large rock. In the past, its master would often sit upon that rock, staring toward the distant snow mountains as if gazing at something.

But curiously, the master wasn’t there today.

The horned demon looked around, confusion plain on its face. ”Where did the master go?”

The master it was so preoccupied with was, at that moment, suspended in the Void above its head.

She was a cold, statuesque woman with dusky skin, her more private areas modestly obscured by blue-black scales. Her auburn hair was cut short, wild and jagged, her face exuding a savage beauty, especially with her mismatched, cyan-and-red eyes, which added an extra layer of mystery.

Though she bore a resemblance to humans upon first glance, a closer inspection revealed key differences. On either side of her forehead, symmetrical sharp horns jutted out, smooth and gleaming, emanating a ghostly glow.

If Angel were here, he wouldn’t find this woman unfamiliar.

She hovered silently in the Void, gazing in a certain direction. Despite an unfathomable distance spanning countless spaces and times, she could still sense a distinct and familiar ripple. Her heartstrings were tugged, and memories surged to the forefront of her mind.

”It seems... it’s its aura.” She suddenly spoke, her voice emotionless yet cold, in the Universal Language of the Abyss.

Her words echoed softly in the Void, and after a long while, an emotionless male voice responded.

”Indeed, it’s its aura.” Though separated by a great distance, its roots were tied to the Abyss, and the ripple was still perceptible.

Upon hearing the male voice, the woman’s previously relaxed body suddenly tensed. She stiffly turned her head, and as her gaze fell upon the distant figure, a complex emotion flashed in her eyes—both joy and a touch of fear.

”O... Odeclass.” She gently called out the name that had always been cherished in her heart.

Odeclass, the Flame Abyssal Dragon residing in the Unmelting Ice Valley.

Odeclass looked at the woman. ”You didn’t used to care about it, but now it seems to have started occupying your thoughts?”

”I—I don’t care about it. Its aura simply reminded me of someone.” Fafnir’s mind flashed with the image of a golden-haired, blue-eyed human.

”I didn’t expect him to have survived under those circumstances.” She paused. ”But even though he’s alive, he didn’t come to see me.”

She didn’t elaborate on whom she was referring to, though she knew Odeclass understood her meaning.

”Fafnir, are you bothered that Angel hasn’t come to see you?” Odeclass called out her name—Fafnir, a fellow Abyssal Dragon, albeit a younger one.

”I’m not bothered.” Fafnir responded quickly but then seemed to think of something and added, ”I’m just upset that his errands always end up with me managing things afterward.”

Odeclass said, ”But don’t forget, he didn’t know where you were at that time. It’s normal that he didn’t seek you out. He couldn’t exactly search for you in Lassudral’s wasteland.”

Moreover, Lassudral had been lost to the Void, torn apart by the chaos of human wars and the upheaval caused by the Lord of the Flameless. It wasn’t a given that Angel could have found her there.

”It sounds like you’re speaking on Angel’s behalf?”

”After all, I’ve formed a bond with him.” Odeclass said, with a tone of neither affirmation nor denial.

”As I recall, a human wizard named Monty came looking for you not long ago, and Angel conveniently used you as an excuse to ward him off. Doesn’t that make you angry?” Fafnir asked, puzzled.

”There’s no reason to be angry. It was nothing but trivial words exchanged.” Odeclass calmly replied, his form gradually dissipating. ”I’m heading back now, Fafnir, and you should leave as well.”

Hearing Odeclass’s words, Fafnir’s expression instantly turned pale.

Although Odeclass’s words seemed to mean that she should leave the Void, Fafnir understood his true intent: he wanted her gone from the forest outside the Unmelting Ice Valley.

Fafnir stood frozen in place, silent for a long time.

Odeclass, however, paid no mind to the emotions brewing within Fafnir as she lingered in the Void. He had already returned to the Ice Palace within the mountain wall, step by step making his way to the grand hall at its center and gazing up at a massive mural.

The mural depicted a pure-white Abyssal Dragon, its crystalline scales dazzling like water-cut gemstones. Even its horns, which on most Abyssal Dragons appeared grotesque, seemed impossibly beautiful and irrefutable in their allure.

Odeclass silently stared at the mural for a long time, a rare trace of gentleness flickering in his eyes.

After a while, Odeclass looked up toward the ceiling—or perhaps through it, toward the distant, dark Void.

Sensing the faint ripples emanating from afar, Odeclass’s lips curled into a subtle smile. ”Who is it sending the ripple to? Is there unfinished business...”

”One day, you will return.”