Warlock Apprentice

Apart from the topic of the Wilderness of Dreams, Angel then talked about his conversation with Rhein regarding the ”ruins.”

However, Sanders seemed uninterested in the ruins. Instead, when Angel mentioned the reward given by Rhein, a look of surprise appeared on his face.

”What did you say you received just now?”

Angel paused for a moment and responded, ”Illusory Spirits of the Path of Demon Absorption, the extradimensional laboratory of the Source of Flow, Cloud Chapter...”

Before Angel could finish, Sanders interrupted, ”These are the benefits every successfully promoted Official Wizard receives. I’m talking about the reward Lord Reine gave you personally.”

”Personally given... Mentor, do you mean the starter for the Witchcraft Garden?”

Sanders: ”Starter? Are you sure it’s the starter?”

Angel nodded, then described the appearance of the starter. As he spoke, Sanders’ face showed a moment of thoughtful realization: ”It really is the starter...”

”Is there something wrong with this starter? Isn’t it just a ticket to enter the Witchcraft Garden?” Angel looked puzzled. He could see the odd expression on Sanders’ face when he heard about the starter, but why?

Sanders pondered for a moment: ”It seems Lord Reine values you a lot.”

Value? Angel didn’t understand: ”Is it because of this starter?”

Sanders nodded.

”Could it be that, besides allowing entry to the Witchcraft Garden, this starter has other functions?” Angel asked.

Sanders waved his hand: ”No, it has no other functions besides allowing you to enter the Witchcraft Garden. But even so, it is still very special.”

Before Angel could ask ”what’s special about it,” Sanders took the initiative to explain: ”Its special feature is that it’s a starter, not just a ticket.”

Seeing that Angel still hadn’t grasped his point, Sanders gave an example: ”Although both end in entry to the Witchcraft Garden, the process is different. It’s like the difference between selling and buying tickets for an opera performance.”

Angel, not being slow, quickly understood Sanders’ meaning.

The biggest difference between selling and buying tickets is that both allow one to see the opera, but the means are different. One is an initiator, the other merely a passive observer.

”Mentor, do you mean this starter can initiate the Witchcraft Garden?” Angel deliberately emphasized the word ’initiate.’

Sanders nodded: ”Yes, when you received this starter, it meant you gained the right to actively initiate the Witchcraft Garden.”

If it were just a ticket to the Witchcraft Garden, Angel would have to wait for some future day when it’s opened to enter.

But the starter is different; Angel can open the passage to the Witchcraft Garden at any time.

Even though the end result is the same, being entry into the Witchcraft Garden, one holds the active right while the other passively participates.

”I see.” Angel’s face showed delight; the starter allows him to open the Witchcraft Garden at any time. Although it is still just one opportunity, it saves a lot of effort and avoids waiting.

Sanders looked at Angel, who appeared enlightened, yet sighed: ”You still don’t understand.”

Angel looked at Sanders with confusion.

”The greatest use of the starter is not to save you time, but to initiate the Witchcraft Garden.” Sanders paused: ”Do you think it’s that simple to open the Witchcraft Garden?”

The Witchcraft Garden is a top-tier witchcraft garden, naturally containing the embryonic trails of the Law. Each initiation might consume these trails. Therefore, each opening of the Witchcraft Garden is highly cautious, usually waiting until its tickets are fully sold before initiating.

”That is to say,” Sanders intently looked at Angel: ”Having the starter means you can decide when to open the Witchcraft Garden, and decide who can enter it.”

Angel was stunned, taking a long time to recover: ”...Besides me, I can let others in too?”

Sanders: ”Yes, that’s a right Lord Reine gave you when handing over the starter. You decide when it opens, and who accompanies you when it’s initiated.”

At this moment, how could Angel not understand the importance of this starter?

On the surface, it might look like just a ”ticket seller,” but the ”ticket” he sells is a dream for countless people.

As the top-tier Witchcraft Garden in the Southern Domain, it’s highly sought after. If others knew the starter was in Angel’s hands, even though they couldn’t seize it, they’d certainly pay a high price for a ticket.

This is a right, but also a burden.

”You don’t seem happy?” Sanders noticed that Angel, after realizing the starter’s importance, kept his brows furrowed, seemingly in deep trouble.

”I would rather that Lord Reine had only given me a ticket. The starter, for me, is fundamentally a burden.”

”Even if it’s a burden, it’s a sweet burden.” Sanders paused: ”Many are willing to pay a great price for a chance to enter, like Baroque, who has long sought a way in. You could easily operate the entry quota to the Witchcraft Garden in the shadows to seek your own benefit.”

Angel shook his head, smiling bitterly without saying a word.

He indeed could seek benefits, but he couldn’t let outsiders into the Witchcraft Garden. Even with Rhein’s consent, he wouldn’t dare do it.

If no outsiders are allowed in, then only people from the Barbarian Cave could enter. Angel wasn’t comfortable demanding exorbitant prices from his colleagues, so personal gain was out of the question.

Moreover, deciding who could go and who couldn’t can easily lead to conflicts.

For others, it’s a sweet burden; for him, it’s a bitter trouble, lacking any sweetness.

Sanders perceived Angel’s thoughts, smiling softly to himself: Perhaps this is Rhein’s objective as well, using the starter not only to determine Angel’s affiliation with the Barbarian Cave but also helping him integrate more into his colleagues’ circle. At the same time, it also lets others realize his regard for Angel.

The approach is indeed a notch above the ball suggested by Tree Spirit.

”Can I enter alone?” As Sanders pondered Rhein’s methods, Angel’s voice suddenly reached his ears.

”Enter the Witchcraft Garden alone?”

Angel nodded: ”Find a time when no one is around and secretly enter the Witchcraft Garden, avoiding all the worries.”

Sanders: ”...” Your solution approach is off!

”You can, but that’s quite wasteful. Besides, the opening of the Witchcraft Garden is quite a spectacle; it’s impossible to keep it entirely secret.”

”I see... What should I do, then?” Angel, grasping his hair, was mired in troubled thought.

After a long rumination, Angel couldn’t come up with an effective solution, finally deciding to abandon thinking about it altogether.

Since he has no immediate plans to visit the Witchcraft Garden, there’s plenty of time to decide later.