Warlock Apprentice

Since the mini signal tower he carried with him had already been sent out, Muse had to go to the public signal tower in the main city district to contact Angel.

By the time Muse arrived at the signal tower, the sky had already darkened.

Unfortunately, someone was still using the signal tower at that moment. Muse waited outside the door for a few minutes, but the other person continued to babble on about inconsequential nonsense. Muse quietly snuck past the other person’s mental barrier to eavesdrop a bit and discovered that what they were saying was basically meaningless drivel.

Muse thought for a moment, then knocked on the door directly.

Soon, a burly man angrily opened the door: ”Didn’t you see that it says ’In Use’ at the door? Who... huh?”

Mid-sentence, the man suddenly fell silent because he realized before him stood a beautiful woman he had never seen before.

Having little interaction with women, especially with witches, he suddenly felt a bit at a loss.

Muse initially intended to politely offer some magic crystals so this male apprentice would make way, but seeing his current demeanor, an idea suddenly popped into Muse’s mind.

Muse picked up a folding fan and smiled charmingly: ”Sir, I have a very important matter that requires contacting Mentor Lexa. Could you let me go first?”

Lexa? The man seemed to recall something: ”You mean, the ’Whip Witch’ Lexa from the Blissful Pure Land?”

”Yes.” Muse threw a seductive glance: ”If you could let me go first, next time you visit the Elysium Pavillion, I could give you a discount~”

At that moment, Muse appeared to exude a pink glow.

The man gulped, his mind seemingly blank, and nodded: ”Alright, alright... let me first disconnect from the trading caravan, then it’s yours, miss.”

The man soon returned: ”You can go in and use it now.”

Muse smiled and nodded. Just as he walked inside, enveloped in a rich fragrance, passing by the man, a faint blue spirit suddenly appeared before him.

It was none other than Antonio.

”Dean, the target has been found!”

”Target found?” Muse was taken aback: ”Where’s Rosen?”

”The City Lord has already pursued them.” Antonio replied quickly.

”Where are they now?”

”Over at Hong Kui Square!”

Upon hearing this, Muse immediately nodded: ”Let’s head there now.”

With that, Muse’s figure suddenly scattered into countless light particles, disappearing without a trace. Only a rich fragrance lingered in the air, along with a petrified man.

”Who was that blue figure? He called that beauty the Dean? Rosen... City Lord?” The man murmured something, suddenly realizing something, covered his mouth: ”Could it be that she’s from the Research and Development Institute...”

The man’s eyes sparkled with excitement: my goodness, he seemed to have accidentally discovered a major secret!

Muse, however, was unaware of the man’s current thoughts. Once he came back to his senses, he forgot about these trivial matters, as all his attention was focused on the spirit tentacles that had drifted away.

He was currently in Hong Kui Square, a place crowded with mortals; amidst the bustling crowd, there was no sign of Rosen.

Where could they be? Muse’s spirit tentacles quickly found unusual traces on the rooftop of a tall building.

Muse flew to the rooftop. At a glance, there seemed nothing special, but in the field of view using spiritual power, there was a sealed energy barrier present.

Muse stepped forward and gently tapped the barrier with a folding fan, causing the barrier wall to dissolve like water, allowing Muse to enter effortlessly.

Upon entering, Muse was already prepared for a battle, but as he approached, he realized that the battle seemed to have ended.

Rosen, like a mechanical war god, hovered in mid-air. His body gleamed with golden light as his cold mechanical hand grasped the neck of a young woman.

The woman struggled continuously but could not break free.

Even if she managed to escape, she couldn’t get away, because a giant mechanical falcon was circling high above, its golden pupils fixed intensely on her.

Rosen was known as the ”Mechanical Beast Emperor” precisely because of the powerful mechanical beasts he controlled. The falcon was just one among his mechanical units.

”... Tell me, who is behind you? Where are the other Sprout followers?”

Rosen sensed Muse entering the barrier but didn’t look back, continuing to interrogate the woman before him.

”Even if I die, I won’t tell... ugh!” The woman’s face contorted with pain: ”The God of the Sprout will judge the world’s evil on the scales of justice.”

The woman’s crimson eyes bore a hint of madness: ”You!”

”And you!” The woman turned her head toward Muse.

”You will all become sacrifices on the scales! Eternally fall into the abyss of sin!”

After screaming, she began chanting some strange syllables. With no hesitation, a gold beam flashed in Rosen’s eyes and passed straight through the woman’s forehead.

In an instant, her consciousness utterly vanished, her empty eyes filled with surprise.

With a thud, she fell from mid-air, landing in the dust.

Muse approached to check her condition, confirmed she was dead, and looked at Rosen: ”You acted too quickly; if she was tight-lipped, you could have used hallucinogenic spells or invaded her memory for answers.”

Rosen slowly descended from mid-air: ”Her strength isn’t great, yet she possesses many unique techniques. I tried to invade her memory just now but couldn’t succeed. As for hallucination, there was no time, for she began reciting the entry to the Sprout’s chaotic rhythm.”

If spoken swiftly with mental will, it only takes less than two seconds to complete. Since entering the Sprout’s chaotic rhythm meant death, I decided to kill her directly, leaving behind a body for study.

Muse understood: ”I see.”

Muse squatted to examine the remnants on the woman’s body.

After some time, Muse stood up: ”There aren’t any extraordinary items. It’s difficult to determine her origins from her possessions.”

Rosen pondered: ”The woman’s accent doesn’t sound like it’s from the Southern Domain, probably from the Outer Domain. Later, I can ask Isabel if it’s an Origin World accent.”

Muse nodded, recalling what the woman said earlier: ”Her final words, and those from the one who threatened you last time, bear nearly the same tone.”

Rosen nodded: ”It seems, this is the Sprout followers’ habit. To leave a threat, then directly enter the Sprout’s chaotic rhythm.”

Muse: ”The threat is secondary. From her previously confident tone, I feel she likely already transmitted information from here.”

Rosen nodded: ”Not only Si Man’s memory but also... she specifically pointed out you. Likely considering you and me as allies.”

After a pause, Rosen added: ”So, that’s why you’re disguised as a woman?”

Muse had maintained a female appearance all day. Initially, Rosen thought he’d succumbed to the ’split personality performer’ ailment again, but now it seemed truly an effort to conceal his actual identity.

”I’m not like you. If the Arrow of the Defeated hits me, I’m finished. So, changing my appearance is the rightful path.” Muse declared smugly, realizing that by coming personally to the Sky Mechanical City to target Rosen, they clearly need a confirmed target to shoot the Arrow of the Defeated.

Thus, by altering one’s face, making it impossible for them to identify who it is, the Arrow of the Defeated cannot be fired.

Rosen did not say much on this matter, as that was indeed his intention. All explicit matters fall on him to bear, while figures like Muse, Angel, and the others should best minimize their presence.

”The Sprout Sect could perhaps use the woman’s body to trace back to us. Hence, it must be handled promptly.” Muse paused: ”Leave it to me, once her spirit condenses, I will ensure her body is completely eradicated in the Material Realm.”