Warlock Apprentice

On the third-floor balcony of the Marine Theater, a boy in a small white suit leaned on the railing, looking at the fog-covered streets below: ”The fog is so thick today, will Lado still come over?”

A childish tone murmured from his mouth.

”Stop wondering, didn’t you see the Skycraft earlier? Lado must have gone to wait near the Sky Tower.” A slightly cold, yet still youthful voice came from behind the little boy.

He turned his head and saw a girl in a red dress pushing open the door and walking onto the balcony. It was her who had spoken.

”That’s right, the thing Lado looks forward to most is when the Skycraft returns to the city and Labu comes back from the Demonic Fiend Laboratory. Now that the Skycraft has appeared, Lado must have gone to watch.” Thinking about how his best friend wouldn’t be coming over today, his shoulders immediately sagged. But soon, he seemed to think of something, and his eyes lit up as he looked at the little girl in red: ”Shanni, why don’t we go find Lado?”

Adar’s suggestion made Shanni’s eyes flash with hesitation.

She kind of wanted to agree, not because she really wanted to find Lado, she simply wanted to skip the singing lesson organized by Mentor Jon for her.

The lesson was starting in ten minutes, leaving now might help her avoid an hour of the singing lesson, right?

If Mentor Jon asked, she’d just say Adar was afraid of the fog outside and strongly insisted she accompany him.

Thinking of this, Shanni secretly murmured ”perfect” in her heart.

Shanni coughed and prepared to answer Adar: ”Since you insist, then all right...”

Before she could finish, a melodious piano sound accompanied by a theatrically dramatic opera voice came from behind the door.

Adar paused upon hearing this song, seemingly remembering something: ”Oh, right. You still have a singing lesson later, so never mind, let’s not go find Lado.”

Having said that, Adar brushed off the green particles that had stuck to his hand from leaning on the railing: ”The person singing earlier was Teacher Flafiel. I didn’t expect her to come by so early. I heard that Teacher Flafiel fainted during rehearsal yesterday. I wonder how she’s doing now. Shall we go in and see her?”

After finishing, Adar took Shanni’s hand and started walking inside.

But after a few steps, he realized Shanni was still in place: ”Shanni? Come on? Don’t you have a lesson today?”

Shanni let out a deep breath, rolled her eyes at Adar in exasperation, shook off his hand, and stormed inside.

Adar was puzzled, unsure why Shanni was suddenly upset. But he didn’t think too much about it; seeing Shanni had returned inside the theater, he followed with his chubby little legs.

After Adar left, the empty balcony was silent for a few seconds, and a small head slowly emerged from the edge of the railing.

The curious gaze swept over the empty balcony, finally fixing on the green particles near the railing.

These were what Adar had brushed off his hand earlier.

She quietly observed the small particles, humming an unknown tune softly, and immediately, the seemingly ordinary particles began to undergo transmutation.

Stretching, growing leaves, climbing, stretching again, growing more leaves... In an instant, the entire railing of the balcony was covered with a multitude of green leafy vines. The vines not only climbed the railing but even extended over it, up onto the outer walls of the Marine Theater, continuously elongating until they reached the ground.

It was like an ocean of plant cascades.

Looking at the wall covered in green vines, the Dream Plant Fairy, less than half a meter tall, nodded in satisfaction, then hummed a tune as she prepared to leave.

Unlike the aggressive nature of the Small Curly Spider Vines, she didn’t dislike humans but saw no need to start a conflict upon first contact.

The Mother Tree instructed them to maintain balance, not to invade.

Moreover, lacking strong attack capabilities meant there was no need to provoke. First, fulfill the Mother Tree’s goal—turning the land green— before considering further actions, wasn’t it a better choice?

”We represent a peaceful civilization!” This was the message etched into their bones by the Mother Tree, so she wasn’t going to provoke humans now.

She didn’t even plan to approach them, only intending to return and report the situation here to the King for further plans.

Thinking this, she began to hum the little tune composed with her companions and flew into the depths of the fog.

But just after flying out for less than a second, she suddenly stopped, abruptly turning her head to look at the balcony door.

From inside the door, a powerful singing voice emerged.

The luxurious singing voice, entwined with melodious music, poured out effortlessly like mercury flowing down a surface.

”Is this... music?” She couldn’t understand the lyrics, but she could feel the impact of the music. It seemed as though her life core within her chest was vibrating, resonating with the beautiful music!

She never imagined that music could be so enchanting!

Compared to this composition, the tunes she and her companions had crafted seemed like grains of rice under the moonlight, devoid of any brilliance.

However, she wasn’t at all disheartened by this. Instead, her eyes lit up, as if she had seen the most precious treasure in the world.

”I never imagined music could reach such an exquisite level! I have to listen to it; otherwise, I’d definitely regret it!” Though she had intended to leave, the allure of the music made her choose to stay.

On the stage of the Marine Theater, Flafiel, dressed in a clinging gown adorned with pearls, continued to sing the first part of ”Prayer to the Sea.”

She conveyed the emotions of a wife longing for her seafaring husband’s return through her voice and feelings.

At this time, besides Flafiel, there were only three people inside the Marine Theater.

Jon, Shanni, and Adar.

Jon was playing the piano, providing accompaniment for Flafiel. Shanni and Adar stood in the corner, listening to the practice piece Flafiel was preparing for the performance.

”Teacher Flafiel sings wonderfully.” Adar was completely captivated, feeling as if he were standing on a dark seashore, in the cold drizzle, waiting with the fisherman’s wife for the safe return of her husband from the sea.

”Squeak, squeak—”

”The first segment of ’Prayer to the Sea’ is already so poignantly beautiful. With the second segment revealing bad news, Teacher Flafiel’s expressiveness will surely make it even more tear-jerking...”

”Squeak, squeak—”

”Fortunately, ’Prayer to the Sea’ isn’t a tragedy. After enduring the third segment’s Siren’s Song, and the fourth segment’s tragic reunion, the fifth segment’s Goddess’s Blessing will bring a happy ending.”

”Squeak!”

Adar was about to express his emotions, but hearing the continuous rustling sound beside him, he frowned: ”Shanni, why are you constantly squeaking...”

”Eh, eh, eh? Who are you?!”

Adar had been complaining, but when he turned around, he realized Shanni wasn’t beside him; she had gone to the stage’s edge. Standing next to him was a little girl less than half a meter tall with something resembling Ammonite Whirlgrass on her back.

At that moment, the little girl was playing with the Vortex Grass on her back, making a squeaky noise from her mouth.

Adar’s shout not only caught the attention of the little girl but also caused Flafiel and Jon on stage to pause.

”Adar, why did you come back...” Jon’s words were cut short when his gaze was drawn to the Dream Plant Fairy: ”What is this... Could it be an Alien Clan?”