Warlock Apprentice

That means, even if Popota exits the Wilderness of Dreams now, he will only enter the Southern Domain Wizards’ Realm as a form of consciousness light and not be pulled into a Blank Soul.

Unless the Lord of Profundity brings Popota’s Blank Soul from the Profound Abyss to the Southern Domain.

Regardless of whether the Lord of Profundity would do such a thankless task, even if he did, as long as Popota’s consciousness light does not exit the Wilderness of Dreams, there is no worry of being discovered.

Even if we take a vast step back and say the Lord of Profundity truly discovers the Wilderness of Dreams, should he wish to invade, he would have to descend in his true form into the Southern Domain Wizards’ Realm. And once the Lord of Profundity enters the Southern Domain, awaiting him would surely be the sanction of miracles.

”My lord, what are you talking about?” Right now, Popota only felt a head full of question marks. What consciousness light? What is the Wilderness of Dreams? And it involves the Lord of Profundity, which must surely concern him, but why doesn’t he understand any of it?

Angel gestured for Popota to sit down.

”I know you have many questions, and I will consider telling you. However, before solving the doubts you wish to know, you must do one thing.”

Under Popota’s puzzled gaze, Frode took out three rolls of parchment tied with beast sinew and placed them in front of him.

Popota just glanced at it, and with his experience in the Wizards’ Realm, even without opening them, he knew what was contained in the parchment.

These were three different contracts.

The first parchment, engraved with an emblem of a squared wavy pattern, was called the ”Tower Oath,” officially named ”Tarot’s Confidentiality Treaty.” It was initially drafted by a Wizard Apprentice named Tarot from ancient times. Over years of inheritance, successors continually modified any language loopholes that might be called out, finally forming this nearly perfect contractual clause.

The contract’s scope of application is to maintain shared secrets among the transcendent.

The second scroll, adorned with a white feathered side, was named the ”Feathered Man’s Oath.” It was an oath of allegiance signed hundreds of years ago by a young feathered man from the Pamiji Feathered Clan and the wizard who saved him.

The content of the contract is essentially that, without harming each other, the oath-taker will submit to the other, recognizing him as master.

The third scroll bore a symbol similar to a ”88” double helix, representing the most stringent type of contract in master-servant oaths—the ”Luo Oath!” Officially named ”The Follower’s Covenant as Drafted in the Azure Plains.”

This is an extremely restrictive contract. Once the Luo Oath is taken, your ownership no longer belongs to yourself; your body, mind, and spirit all belong to the contract holder. The contract holder is only restricted from killing the oath-taker, but is otherwise unrestricted.

These three scrolls represent three fundamentally different types of contracts, with the binding force of the oaths progressively increasing.

The Tower Oath, though it is a confidentiality agreement, implies an equal relationship between the contracting parties. The Feathered Man’s Oath establishes a master-servant relationship between the parties. The Luo Oath is a much harsher master-servant relationship.

Though Angel said nothing, once these three scrolls were laid out, Popota understood Angel’s meaning.

Angel was letting him choose one of the three contracts.

Looking at these three scrolls, a trace of hesitation flashed in Popota’s eyes.

”I saved you, though at Hua Que’s request, I also had my own considerations. Therefore, I won’t force you to choose; you may even choose not to decide at all.” Angel paused: ”If you do choose, I will respond to your questions based on the contract you select.”

Clearly, Angel’s meaning was quite obvious. To learn the truth, a contract must be signed. Furthermore, the more in-depth the question, the stronger the binding contract required.

”Once you’ve decided, give me your answer.” Angel did not press Popota, just allowing him to decide on his own.

Popota had already received some hints from Angel, such as that Angel saved him at his sister Hua Que’s request. But this wasn’t enough to resolve all of his doubts: How did Angel save him? What is the Wilderness of Dreams? ... Why does everything here feel subtly odd?

Of course, Popota could also choose not to ask, but whether he asks or not, he still intended to sign a contract.

This was not only to thank Angel for saving him but also as a redemption for mistakes he had made in the past.

Having decided to sign a contract, Popota was now hesitating over which one to choose.

The first thing Popota ruled out was the Tower Oath; what difference was there between signing the Tower Oath and not signing a contract?

Since he aimed to thank and repay Angel, Popota hesitated between the Feathered Man’s Oath and the Luo Oath.

In the past, he would have never considered signing a master-servant contract with anyone, but now, having no future, he no longer clings to unnecessary pride and sensitivity.

Popota pondered for a moment and ultimately chose the Feathered Man’s Oath.

For him, there was actually little difference between the two oaths. However, under the Feathered Man’s Oath, the contract master would not actively harm him. This means that, barring special circumstances, he could still live for a time... He wanted to live, knowing, having come close to death, how precious life truly was. He also wished to see his sister; he wanted to see what the future Baiyuan Clan would be like.

So, after weighing his options, he made this choice.

Angel was not surprised by this. The Feathered Man’s Oath was actually sufficient; although not as stringent as the Luo Oath, once the Feathered Man’s Oath was invoked, Popota could hardly betray him.

Under Frode’s indication, Popota did not hesitate, taking the contract scroll of the Feathered Man’s Oath and swore the oath with Angel.

When the dust settled, the look in Angel’s eyes towards Popota lost a bit of its aloofness.

”Since you have already signed the Feathered Man’s Oath, you indeed have the right to know some secrets about the Wilderness of Dreams.” This time, Angel did not hide but slowly revealed the origins of the Wilderness of Dreams.

However, Angel withheld other details. For instance, he did not mention the Dream Conch matter at the moment... should it be necessary in the future, he would disclose it, but there was no need to cover this detail now.

Additionally, he vaguely implied the issue of Authority but did not mention anything related to the Principal Body of the Nightmare Domain. This matter, Angel wouldn’t disclose to Popota now or ever, unless Popota changed the Feathered Man’s Oath into a Luo Oath.

By the time Angel finished speaking, Popota was completely stupefied.

It was not that he failed to comprehend but rather that he was blown away by such a novel and vast world.

This turned out to be a new world related to the Dream Realm? Leaning on reality, yet transcending reality?!

As someone who was once a wizard, Popota knew very well how terrifyingly valuable the existence of the Wilderness of Dreams was. Not just the convenience of communication, but as an existence for life extension, it also held an irreplaceably powerful effect.

At life’s end, entering the Wilderness of Dreams, though existing only as consciousness light, already represented a different dimension of life’s meaning.

In the human world, there is a famous philosophical question: What makes a human human?

In various philosophers’ answers, Popota’s favorite one stated: Humans are humans not because of their flesh, but because they possess thought. And what is thought? It is the integration of memory, emotion, and logic behavior.

From this perspective, consciousness light already encompasses all the characteristics Popota understood as ”what makes a human human.”

Memory, emotion, logic behavior, including the capacity to think, are all contained within the consciousness light.

Under these circumstances, the version of him in the Wilderness of Dreams is the truest form of himself.

To have consciousness light alive also signified that he still lived.

If his consciousness light in the Wilderness of Dreams was unharmed and continued to exist, does this mean another form of immortality?!

And this, too, was the aspect that left Popota in awe!