Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 2300: Chapter 2301: First Encounter

Wilderness of Dreams, New City under construction.

At this moment, Lianna stood atop the Rose Water Building, on the tall billboard, holding blueprints in her hand. She overlooked the majority of the construction site below, sometimes shaking her head, sometimes nodding, her eyes occasionally showing contemplation and amazement.

”This isn’t right, who is responsible for the construction of the Cloud Sky Street in the southeastern district? Why is it different from the blueprints?” Lianna frowned, then summoned the person in charge of the region, quickly communicating with the other via the Mother Tree Interlinker.

”Damn it, they actually went and improvised again. Do they really think their skills can surpass those of the original designer?”

While cursing, Lianna furiously yelled into the Mother Tree Interlinker.

Confronted by Lianna’s reprimands, the person in charge on the other side of the tree trembled, not daring to voice any opposition, immediately arranging for the staff to make changes.

When Lianna put down the Mother Tree Interlinker, she still felt a bit uneasy, glaring viciously at the southeastern area, seemingly intending to supervise from start to finish, to see the results of their modifications.

”Lianna, what’s the matter with you again? I heard your voice even while downstairs.” A lazy male voice came from behind.

Lianna turned around to see a shirtless man leaning against the top floor doorframe, looking over at her.

Beside him were three dream plant flower demons of different shapes and colors, floating around him, appearing to be very fond of the man.

”Lord Tree Spirit.” Lianna glanced at the newcomer, holding back her previous anger, said: ”What brings you up here?”

”I was downstairs having tea with Ironclad Granny, but just now, Granny took the Rain Raccoon to Dumatin’s place, with nothing else to do, I came up to take a look.” Tree Spirit replied.

Lianna’s gaze moved to the three charmingly cute dream plant fairies by Tree Spirit’s side.

Tree Spirit: ”I encountered them on the way. They were sowing flower seeds chaotically outside the building, so I brought them along.”

This explanation seemed believable to Lianna. New City had recently seen the arrival of many dream plant fairies. Initially, Lianna was quite pleased, as their arrival meant the city’s vegetation would flourish. However, these dream plant fairies were rather mischievous, often covering the yet-to-be-finished buildings with vines, making them look like abandoned structures. It was fine once or twice, but recently it had become too frequent, and Lianna found it quite inconvenient.

Fortunately, Tree Spirit stepped in. He seemed to have a natural affinity with the dream plant fairies, most of whom loved to be around him. With Tree Spirit overseeing them, construction had returned to some sense of normalcy over the past period.

Hence, Lianna was quite grateful to Tree Spirit too.

Tree Spirit: ”I heard you going off again just now, what’s the matter?”

Lianna sighed, picked up the blueprints to show Tree Spirit, and then pointed to the southeast: ”The buildings over there don’t match the blueprints; some details are completely different. The fountain on the rooftop was also removed.”

”A rooftop fountain, what kind of genius design is that?” Tree Spirit asked doubtfully.

Lianna, annoyed, said: ”The blueprints for the new city have many designs that overturn our imaginations. I also asked Jon about it, he told me, if viewed individually, it seems peculiar, but it’s a part of an overarching layout with a unified style, indispensable as a whole. Moreover, what seems like a rooftop is actually the first floor of a block concerning adjacent buildings.”

”The first floor of a block?”

”Yes, it’s a staggered design. The rooftop itself is a part of a city sky street. There are several such sky streets, making them the first floor, not the top floor, to people living on them in the future.”

Tree Spirit still felt confused. This strange city style was something he was encountering for the first time.

Nevertheless, Tree Spirit didn’t argue. He trusted Jon’s design capabilities and Lianna’s judgment: ”And then?”

”There are a few self-opinionated apprentices over there. They said this is incorrect, and without consulting the responsible party, modified it themselves, placing the fountain on the ground floor, claiming this fits normal landscape logic.”

”A fountain on the ground floor, I understand this landscape design, that’s indeed normal. But this new city aims for a unique style to astonish every witch at the tea party at first sight, who’s interested in normal design? The more unique, the more rebellious, the more it becomes a topic. Besides, it’s for unifying the city’s architectural style. Naturally, we can’t allow them to mess around.”

Lianna got more upset as she spoke, this kind of issue had been happening more recently. A normally styled city wouldn’t catch her eye; it was Jon’s concept that won her over.

”I don’t want the city to end up looking like Originheart City.”

Tree Spirit: ”I see, but you don’t have to compare it to Originheart City. Normal cities are better built than Originheart City.”

Lianna nodded in agreement: ”That’s true.”

The topic paused for a while. Tree Spirit stood by Lianna, overlooking the bustling construction site of the New City, softly remarked: ”The scene before us reminds me of when the Mirror World was established, full of vibrant vitality.”

Lianna: ”I have to say, Angel’s addition brought unprecedented changes to the Barbarian Cave. It’ll be good, right?”

Tree Spirit: ”Of course, it’ll be good.”

Lianna: ”By the way, did you guys find out anything about the Rain Raccoon and Traveling Frog?”

”The Traveling Frog still can’t speak, and the Rain Raccoon’s lips are quite sealed.” Tree Spirit shrugged: ”No progress for now, but often, you don’t need to probe so deeply, daily interactions can already reveal a lot.”

Lianna: ”Will the information gathered lead to any changes?”

Tree Spirit: ”Conclusions can’t be drawn yet, but I think it will be another unprecedented change.”

During their conversation, the three dream plant fairies previously floating around Tree Spirit suddenly froze, all staring in a certain direction.

Lianna was the first to notice their change, curiously looking towards where they were gazing.

However, on the other side was tranquility, with the morning light rendering the faint light of dawn at the horizon into a dazzling golden glow.

After a moment of bewilderment, the dream plant fairies began to murmur among themselves.

”What’s wrong with them?” Lianna asked curiously. The dream plant fairies’ language was unique, not a symbolic language, making it difficult to understand them even with language proficiency. But if the dream plant fairies opened up to spiritual power communication, one could directly grasp their meanings. Only, they usually didn’t allow such mental interaction with most humans.

So, Lianna could only turn to Tree Spirit for help.

In the eyes of the dream plant fairies, Tree Spirit indeed stood out; he easily integrated into their spiritual communication.

After a while, Tree Spirit spoke with a puzzled expression: ”The specifics are still unclear. It’s known that, in that direction, appears to be a sudden area of natural vacuum.”

”Natural vacuum? What do you mean?”

”Literally, in one of the regions over there, a large amount of tree energy disconnected from the Mother Tree network, as if it were a barren area devoid of natural power.”

The flora in the entire Wilderness of Dreams actually belong to the extension of the Mother Tree’s will. Because of this, there are numerous nodes that allow the Dream Plant Fairies to communicate across vast distances.

But just a moment ago, the communication nodes in a certain area all disappeared. This large-scale disappearance of nodes immediately caught the attention of all the Dream Plant Fairies.

This is why those three Dream Plant Fairies were in a daze earlier; they were actually communicating within the Mother Tree network.

”A vacuum zone without natural power, that’s a bit strange. Did something happen? Should we go check it out?” Lianna asked worriedly.

The Tree Spirit shook its head: ”According to the descriptions from the Dream Plant Fairies, the incident location is quite far from New City and not along the airship’s route. It’s an extremely remote place that humans have not yet set foot into. With our current capabilities, even if we traveled at full speed, it would take us over a month.”

”I have a feeling it might be Angel doing something,” the Tree Spirit suspected. After all, there are no external enemies in the Wilderness of Dreams currently. The biggest internal threat is from Malforce Creatures, but even they wouldn’t create a natural vacuum.

Therefore, the Tree Spirit still believed it might be Angel causing some kind of action.

”Is it Angel?” Lianna murmured, taking the Mother Tree Interlinker out of her pocket and opening the chat interface with Angel.

A moment later, Lianna raised her head, her expression a bit more relaxed: ”No problem, it indeed is Angel.”

Lianna waved the screen of the Mother Tree Interlinker, and the Tree Spirit also saw the interface on the screen with a reply from Angel: a simple ”Mm.”

”This thing is quite useful,” the Tree Spirit muttered. Why hadn’t he thought of using the Mother Tree Interlinker just now?

Lianna nodded, continuing her inquiry to Angel about the specifics, while saying to the Tree Spirit: ”It is quite useful. My apprentice Kudodo is now in the development group of the Tree Clusters, and I hear they are planning some kind of boundless information and pocket entertainment—it sounds pretty good.”

In the end, Lianna couldn’t help but sigh: ”If only reality had something like the Mother Tree Interlinker, then I wouldn’t have to see the Crystal Ball everywhere I go.”

The Tree Spirit also nodded in agreement.

With a ”ding” sound, Lianna looked down at the screen: ”Angel replied. He said it’s just a small experiment, and then he asked if Lord Reine is around since he has matters to discuss with Lord Reine.”

Tree Spirit: ”Tell him Reine is guarding the Ruins. If it’s urgent, I can go find him.”

A moment later, Lianna said: ”Angel said it doesn’t matter if Lord Reine isn’t around. He’ll come over to see you later.”

The Tree Spirit nodded: ”Tell him I’ll be waiting here for him...”

Before the Tree Spirit could finish speaking, he heard a familiar voice beside his ear: ”No need to trouble Lianna, I’m already here.”

The Tree Spirit turned around, only to see a light and shadow appear behind him. After the light and shadow condensed, Angel’s face was revealed.

Just as the Tree Spirit was about to say something, his gaze froze, and his eyes involuntarily moved towards Angel’s feet.

There, a graceful figure slowly slithered out from behind Angel and finally settled at his feet.

It was a small green snake.

It looked like an ordinary snake, but its scales, for some reason, were very sleek, seemingly shimmering with a faint green glow under the dawn.

Its eyes were bright yellow, with pupils that were pure gold devoid of any impurities, cold and solemn.

Judging by its size, it was not large; even with its head raised, it would not reach a normal person’s knee. Yet, its gaze carried the pride of a deity overlooking mortals.

Lianna also noticed the small snake first.

At first, she curiously used her spiritual power to probe the small snake’s condition, but just as she did so, the small snake turned and quietly stared at her.

Although the small snake did nothing, under its gaze, Lianna felt her heart rate accelerate, her breathing becoming rapid, as if a heavy pressure was weighing directly on her heart, making her unable to meet its eyes.

Lianna instinctively turned her head away.

It was only after coming back to her senses that Lianna realized what she had done... She couldn’t help but be astonished—why did she instinctively avoid its gaze?

The Tree Spirit was also watching the snake; however, he didn’t use spiritual power to investigate, because even without it he could sense the rich presence of natural power around the snake.

Moreover, seeing three Dream Plant Fairies unhesitatingly abandon the Tree Spirit to happily flutter and dance around the snake, it was evident...

”Is it a... Wood Creature?” the Tree Spirit asked, though it was a question, his tone was very sure. And after speaking, the Tree Spirit silently added in his heart: a powerful Wood Creature.

”Yes.” Angel nodded to the Tree Spirit, then respectfully spoke to the small snake beside him: ”Nami Midori, these are from the Barbarian Cave.”

”This is one of the three Ancestral Spirits of the Barbarian Cave, the Tree Spirit, and this is the Alchemist specializing in Fragrance Studies, Lianna.”

”Lord Tree Spirit, Lianna, this is Nami Midori from the Tidal World.”

Angel briefly introduced both sides, hiding much information in what seemed to be an ordinary conversation.

Lianna and the Tree Spirit exchanged glances, appearing calm on the surface, but with turbulent waves churning within their hearts.

Angel addressed a snake with an honorific?!

And the Tidal World, the Tidal World...

In front of Angel, and in the presence of what seemed to be a commanding Elemental Creature, Lianna and the Tree Spirit couldn’t show too much surprise.

They maintained an air of calm, smiling as they greeted Nami Midori.

Nami Midori nodded gently in response. Then its gaze slowly swept over Lianna, the Tree Spirit, and the three Dream Plant Fairies around, finally locking onto the Tree Spirit.

”Are you also a Wood Creature?” Nami Midori sensed a faint natural aura in the Tree Spirit, but it felt somewhat different from familiar Wood Creatures.

”No, I’m just a Spirit.”