Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 2267: Chapter 2268: The Snake Gazing at the Stars

A green snake.

Angel had seen many serpentine creatures in the Tidal World, most of them gigantic, their sheer size enough to be described as world-crushing pythons by novelists. Snakes of normal size were very rare in the Tidal World.

The snake before him was such a rare encounter.

Its size was similar to that of an ordinary snake in the outside world, entirely green, with fine and lustrous scales that gleamed with a jewel-like brightness under the gentle evening glow.

Its eyes were bright yellow, with pure gold vertical pupils, exuding an aura of solemn majesty.

What puzzled Angel the most was that this green snake was surrounded by a faint green light, an extremely intense natural aura. Wherever the green light shone, all plants thrived.

In the current environment, wherever the green snake passed, everything revived, and countless flowers bloomed.

It was like the monarch of all plants, whose arrival would rejuvenate the withered and cause the wilted to bloom again.

Amidst the floral splendor, the green snake elegantly wove through its path, finally arriving before them.

There was no doubt that the visitor was Nami Midori.

Nami Midori was about five or six meters away from Angel at this moment, raising its head to calmly gaze at the person before it.

Under Nami Midori’s gaze, Angel felt no discomfort on his body, yet there was an inescapable illusion that he had been completely seen through.

Moreover, Angel was standing, while Nami Midori only slightly raised its head. Judging by the height difference, Nami Midori’s raised height didn’t even reach Angel’s knee. Normally, Angel should be looking down at Nami Midori, but instead, he felt as though he were confronting a mountain range.

An insurmountable mountain range.

”You are human,” Nami Midori finally spoke after examining Angel for about half a minute.

Its voice was pleasant, yet carried a solemn tone.

”Yes.”

”You are the prophesied one mentioned by Mr. Feng,” Nami Midori continued, with a statement of certainty rather than inquiry, as though the fact was already established.

Angel: ”You know who I am?”

Nami Midori’s golden eyes slowly shifted from Angel to the frosty glass on the stone beside him.

Under Nami Midori’s gaze, the glass seemed to be summoned, slowly drifting into the air, and finally, drawn by force, landed before Nami Midori.

Nami Midori lowered its head to quietly observe the glass.

Ripples like water waves suddenly formed around the glass, and after they appeared, the frosty glass vanished, revealing an approximately palm-sized, strangely marked azure ice ring.

Seeing the ice ring, Nami Midori raised its head to look at Angel: ”Isel would not casually hand over a token to others, and for you to possess this token, your identity is self-evident.”

Being human and possessing a token from Frost Iser, Nami Midori, regardless of its simplicity, could surmise Angel’s origins.

Before Angel could respond, Parry Mountains beside him glared at Angel and pointed a branch at the azure ice ring: ”You just told me you wanted a drink, but your true purpose was to use this thing to disturb the master’s seclusion?!”

”I wasn’t disturbing at all, I just presented Frost Iser’s token, nothing more,” said Angel, though his tone was clearly conciliatory.

For Parry Mountains had guessed accurately; Angel had been in the Lost Forest’s core area for a long time without seeing Nami Midori and feared it truly might be indifferent to worldly affairs, so he cast an Illusion Technique, disguising the token Frost Isel had given him as a glass of water, and fetched it from his space.

This token had been given to him by Frost Iser upon leaving Malaya Ice Mountain. According to Frost Iser, Nami Midori was known for its obstinate character, with Mr. Feng being the only person it respected, and this token was once left by Feng for Frost Iser. If Angel unwittingly offended Nami Midori, presenting the token would at least make Nami Midori less inclined to bear a grudge.

Seeing that Nami Midori had not appeared for a long time, and unsure whether Nami Midori simply did not want to meet him or truly had no worldly interest, Angel took out the token to draw Nami Midori’s attention.

And indeed, it was very successful.

Parry Mountains naturally dismissed Angel’s explanation, glaring at him with fury but, with Nami Midori present, unable to confront Angel physically. It could only snort angrily, turning to explain to Nami Midori: ”I didn’t bring him in intentionally, and I didn’t expect him to attract your attention in this manner.”

Nami Midori shook its head, interrupting Parry Mountains: ”No harm, since he is the prophesied one, I would have come to meet him regardless.”

Seeing Nami Midori unperturbed, Parry Mountains sighed slightly in relief, though its glare at Angel remained unwavering.

Having achieved his goal, Angel ignored Parry Mountains’ glare and bowed to Nami Midori: ”Your Excellency Nami Midori, I am here following Mr. Feng’s footsteps. I wish to learn about Mr. Feng and the prophecy you mentioned, would you be willing to tell me?”

Although Frost Isel had told Angel much, including prophecy-related content, many details remained unclear. Since Nami Midori had the closest relationship with Feng, it might know deeper secrets.

Nami Midori gave Angel a deep look but didn’t answer immediately, instead lowering its head to swallow the token, then turning its face slightly toward Angel: ”If you wish to know, follow me.”

With those words, Nami Midori gracefully glided into the woods.

Soon, Nami Midori’s figure vanished, but the path of blooming flowers on the ground guided Angel’s way forward.

Just as Angel was about to follow the path of flowers, a Blue Lantern Flower emerged from the shadows.

It was Earl Mi sending a warning signal to Angel.

Earl Mi’s message was brief, having assessed Nami Midori’s strength in secret, providing a judgment of ”cannot contend,” and suggesting for Angel’s safety that it would be best to stay away from Nami Midori.

Even when facing a Second Level True Knowledge Wizard, Earl Mi would likely lose, but it at least had a chance at a fight.

To date, Earl Mi had only given a ”cannot contend” judgment regarding one person: Lord Rhein.

Nami Midori received the same judgment as Lord Rhein; while this might not necessarily mean Nami Midori’s strength matched that of Lord Rhein, energy level-wise, Nami Midori had definitely reached Lord Rhein’s heights.

Third-level True Knowledge Wizard energy level!

Only such an energy level would cause Earl Mi to issue a warning, even without any display of malice from the other side, simply standing before Nami Midori was deemed unsafe.

Angel understood Earl Mi’s warning, but he had no plans to retreat.

Nami Midori had shown no hostility, and withdrawing now might instead provoke evil intentions. Besides, when entering the outskirts of the Lost Forest, Angel had already speculated about Nami Midori through an energy measurement, and chose still to venture into the Lost Forest’s depths, thus he wasn’t without reliance.

Fight, definitely can’t win. But with his current foundation, getting a few seconds to escape shouldn’t be a problem.

After all, Nami Midori is just an elemental creature, and her understanding of the spatial crevices is definitely not as profound as Angel’s. If the opponent were a learned wizard, Angel might really have taken Earl Mi’s advice.

After calming Earl Mi, Angel followed the trail of a hundred flowers left on the ground towards the center of the woods.

Parry Mountains also followed, but its expression towards Angel was no longer as calm as before, instead maintaining a cold face the entire way.

Following the bloom of flowers, they arrived at the low hill in the center of the woods.

While still beneath the low hill, Angel already saw the figure of Nami Midori. She stood at the very top, gazing at the starlit night, with eyes glowing golden, seemingly revealing a desire.

Even as Angel and Parry Mountains ascended to the top of the low hill, Nami Midori remained unmoving, still looking up at the starry sky.

The air was a bit silent, so Angel and Parry Mountains could only wait quietly behind Nami Midori.

The snake gazing at the starry sky, the inquisitive guest, and the guarding treant.

This scene felt like a painting.

After a very long time, Nami Midori’s voice softly emerged: ”What lies at the end of the sky?”

Nami Midori did not turn around nor designate who should answer, but without a doubt, this question was definitely not directed at Parry Mountains.

Angel did not know what Nami Midori meant, but since the other party was distinguished, and he also needed something from Nami Midori, after thinking for a moment, he said, ”There is no end, it is boundless void.”

”Is the void really endless?” Nami Midori asked again.

”If the edge of the universe can be considered the end of the void, then that’s the end, I guess.” Angel paused: ”However, beyond the universe, there might be other universes, still without end.”

”And what is the universe?” Nami Midori’s confusion softly passed on.

”It is a unifying concept.” Angel casually explained.

Angel did not know if Nami Midori understood, but she did not ask more about the universe, instead speaking of another question: ”Then what are the stars in the night sky?”

Angel: ”They are the reflections of pan-dimensional planes.”

Nami Midori: ”How far are we from these pan-dimensional planes?”

”They seem close, but are actually very far. However, if you travel through the void, you might save some time.” Angel dutifully answered Nami Midori’s question.

Angel thought Nami Midori would continue to inquire, but she remained silent for a long time, just continuing to gaze at the starry sky, yet said nothing more.

After a long while, Nami Midori softly sighed: ”This world is truly vast.”

Upon hearing this, Angel quietly pondered how to respond. However, before he could speak, Nami Midori continued: ”I once asked Mister Feng the same question, and he gave a response just like yours.”

”Seeing my interest, he asked me... do you also wish to see the wonders of other worlds?”

”My answer was negative. I have little interest in those wondrous sights.”

Nami Midori seemed to fall into her own thoughts, beginning to talk to herself. Angel did not interrupt because it seemed connected to Feng.

”After hearing me, Mister Feng told me that there aren’t many in the Wizards’ Realm who gaze at the starry sky like me, yet think not of broader vistas.”

”He asked me, when I look at the starry sky, what exactly am I thinking?”

”My answer was, I feel very insignificant.” Nami Midori’s voice, carried by the petals brought by the evening breeze, lingered fragrantly around Angel’s ear.

”Compared to such a vast world, I am so small.” Nami Midori: ”I do not care for the splendor beyond the void, but I want to become less insignificant.”

”I want to become like the stars in the void, so radiant.”

After saying this, Nami Midori still remembered Feng turning to her at the time and saying: ”You’re indeed interesting, completely different from that foolish-hearted Starwood. Would you like to let me paint a picture for you?”

Nami Midori’s response at the time was: ”What would you offer in exchange?”

After hearing this, Feng simply burst into laughter, and after the laughter, he earnestly said to Nami Midori: ”I can make you less insignificant.”

Nami Midori’s recollection stopped there. Then, she finally turned around, her back to the vast array of stars, and said to Angel: ”This is the scene from when I first met Mister Feng.”

Angel: ”Sounds quite good.”

Nami Midori’s eyes reflected the stars: ”I think it’s quite good too, it was, I believe, the most worthwhile trade I’ve made in my life.”

”After the trade, Feng stayed in the Lost Forest, taught me much knowledge. It was then that my power began to rise, reaching the level known to the outside world as Element Lord in a short time.”

Upon hearing this, Parry Mountains silently added in his heart: It was also at that time that the power gap between him and Nami Midori grew ever larger. Even though they grew up together, different opportunities led them to separate paths on the journey.

Nami Midori did not know what Parry Mountains was thinking and continued: ”But I remain unsatisfied. Every time I gaze at the starry sky, I still feel very small.”

”So, I continued my cultivation. It took nearly two thousand years, but I surpassed my former self, reaching a new realm.”

”Using the wizard realms according to Mister Feng, I’ve reached the level of a third-level wizard.”

”But even so, facing the endless void, facing the shining pan-dimensional planes, I still can’t rid myself of the feeling of insignificance.”

”I long for, still wanting to become more powerful.”

”But I seem to have reached a bottleneck. Before this, the rise of the elemental core within me was always smooth. But when I reached a certain point, no matter how I advanced, I could only achieve quantitative increases, unable to attain qualitative changes.”

”This state lasted for a long time and troubled me for a long time.”

”Until six hundred years ago, Mister Feng came to the Tidal World for the second time.”

”He brought me hope.”