Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 2370: Chapter 2371: Water of Forging

Nis spoke in a nonchalant tone, but his words caused the whole room to fall silent for a few seconds.

Saving Renko, is it that easy?

Everyone present was a doctor, and they were well aware of Renko’s injuries. Injuries like these, in the eyes of these mysterious individuals, weren’t even worth mentioning?

This completely overturned their prior understanding.

Is this the miracle of a Transcendent?

While everyone was stunned, Angel glanced at Nis: ”That’s not what I meant to ask. I mean, how to save?”

”I can revive him directly, restoring him perfectly. Or I can use a special potion to wake him from his coma and let him overcome everything on his own.”

Nausicaa was confused by Angel’s words, looking puzzled: What do you mean?

Reynaud didn’t understand either. However, if he had to choose, he’d definitely go with perfect restoration. After all, Renko saved Nausicaa’s life, and he deserves to be restored.

However, when Nis heard Angel’s words, he squinted and pondered: ”Are you thinking of using the Water of Forging?”

Angel slowly nodded.

”This... I can’t answer, that needs to be his decision,” Nis paused, then said to Angel, ”Your idea is quite unique.”

Angel said softly, ”It’s just an attempt.”

Reynaud became more confused as he listened and couldn’t help but ask, ”Sir, what are you talking about? What’s the Water of Forging, it doesn’t sound like a healing potion?”

If someone else had asked, Nis would have basically ignored it. But since it was Reynaud speaking, Nis thought for a moment and replied, ”You’ll understand in a moment.”

When he finished speaking, Nis looked at Angel: ”Do you want to awaken his consciousness? Should I do it, or will you?”

Angel: ”I’ll do it.”

Nis initially thought Angel would let him handle it. After all, Renko’s condition was critical; he couldn’t be unfrozen for now. The best way to awaken his consciousness was to summon the essence of his soul to respond, which was Nis’ specialty.

But since Angel wanted to do it himself, Nis stepped back and watched from the sidelines. He was also curious to see what method Angel planned to use to awaken Renko’s consciousness in such a situation.

Angel thought for a moment and then extended his finger, pointing towards Renko’s forehead from a distance.

Invisible ripples surged into Renko’s sea of consciousness.

Renko’s slumbering consciousness seemed to be embraced by a pair of warm hands, rushing toward an unknown white light.

”Using the Dream Entering Technique’s Dream Tentacles to activate his consciousness and bring it to the surface, then interrupting the Dream Entering Technique midway to prevent him from reaching the Dream Bridge, that’s quite an interesting method.” Nis took one look and understood the meaning behind Angel’s approach: ”However, although his consciousness has reached an active surface state, it still can’t completely break free from the shackles of the physical body, remaining in a semi-comatose state. What should be done now?”

Angel: ”There’s nothing more to do, as long as he can hear what we’re saying.”

Although Renko was still frozen and hadn’t fully awakened, due to Angel’s earlier actions, his consciousness had reached an active surface state, allowing him to hear the external sounds, though he couldn’t respond.

Indeed, that’s exactly how it was. Renko felt he was in a peculiar state where he could hear the faint noises from the outside, but he couldn’t open his eyes. It was like the quasi-sleep state he occasionally experienced when he was under a lot of mental stress in the past.

However, unlike a pure quasi-sleep state, he wasn’t in darkness; there were two light beams of different colors in front of him.

One was red; the other was blue.

While studying these two different colored beams of light, Renko heard voices from the outside again.

Angel: ”Renko, you should be able to see two lights now, one red and one blue. Try to imagine yourself getting closer to the red light.”

In his ”quasi-sleep” state, Renko, although unsure who was speaking, walked toward the red light without hesitation for the sake of communication with the outside world.

Angel naturally knew Renko had reached the red light, but the others couldn’t see the specifics. He thought for a moment and casually set up a few Illusion Nodes in the surrounding space.

Soon after, everyone saw a faint red light starting to drift around. This was Angel secretly manipulating the Illusion Nodes to emit red light, reflecting Renko’s choice.

”Good, now imagine yourself walking toward the blue light.”

Soon, the floating red light turned into a deep blue glow.

Seeing the color change, everyone naturally understood that Angel intended to use this method to communicate with Renko in the simplest way.

After the test concluded, Angel got to the main topic.

”Renko, listen carefully to what I say next.” Angel: ”You don’t need to know who I am, you just need to know I can save you.”

”I am now giving you two choices. The first is to restore your body to its state of a day ago.”

A day ago, Renko hadn’t boarded the Broken Blood yet, wasn’t poisoned, hadn’t used the secret elixir, and was in a healthy state.

”The second choice is for me to use a potion called the Water of Forging that can activate your potential, allowing you to overcome the residual poison in your body on your own. However, the process will be extremely painful. If you can’t endure it midway, you will fail and suffer a backlash, leading to your inevitable death.”

”But if you persist, overcoming the residual poison in your body amidst immense pain, you will also gain some benefits. — Just like forging, the true form doesn’t appear without enduring countless chiseling and hammering.”

”Now you can choose. If you choose immediate restoration, embrace the red light. If you choose to use the Water of Forging, walk into the blue light.”

When Renko was caught in making a choice, everyone else around was quietly pondering Angel’s words.

One option offers immediate recovery, the other requires cutting through thorns and enduring infinite suffering to achieve restoration.

If it were me, what choice would I make?

The former spares pain, the latter may bring some unknown benefits.

”What if it were you, what would you choose?” Nis looked at Reynaud.

Reynaud: ”I don’t want to interrupt Renko’s decision.”

Others also nodded silently, restraining themselves from speaking for fear their choice might interfere with Renko.

At this moment, Angel calmly spoke: ”He can no longer hear external voices now.”

Upon hearing Angel’s words, everyone finally relaxed the tension in their minds, just now they didn’t even dare to breathe, afraid of disturbing Renko and Angel’s dialogue.

As they relaxed, they looked at Reynaud, eager to hear what choice someone not in Renko’s situation would make.

Reynaud pondered for a moment, then spoke: ”I would choose the Water of Forging. Because I know Lord Pat wouldn’t offer a choice lightly.”

Reynaud’s answer was also what some others thought. A Transcendent could obviously save you directly, yet offers another much more arduous path. There’s a large possibility that the benefits gained from traversing the arduous path must be remarkable.

Therefore, at this time, their choice would also be the second option, the Water of Forging.

Nis: ”If you disregard any premise, and don’t know it’s Angel offering the choice, you’re in Renko’s state, which would you choose?”

Reynaud hesitated for a few seconds and said: ”The first option, direct recovery.”

Everyone pondered and thought it sounded right too. Renko is still unconscious, unaware of who outside is talking to him, whether good or bad. If it were them, to be safer, the first choice is more suitable.

Nis nodded, without saying anything, and looked at Nausicaa: ”What about you, if it were you, what choice would you make?”

Nausicaa hesitated almost not at all and immediately said: ”Water of Forging.”

”Not hesitating?”

”Nothing to hesitate about.”

”Even if during the ’forging’ process, you’d wish you were dead, you’d still be willing?”

”Wishing to be dead is still not actually being dead. In my view, without sacrifice, there is no reward.” Nausicaa: ”Those gifts easily obtained are just because one hasn’t seen their hidden price.”

Nis gave a slight smile without commenting on Nausicaa’s reply.

Angel also heard Nausicaa’s choice, not surprised at all. Though Nausicaa rarely mentions her experience as a Pirate, even if she occasionally talks, she always shares bright and carefree moments; however, Angel knows clearly Nausicaa’s journey toward the King of Blackberry wasn’t short of times where she wished she were dead.

Furthermore, many times after experiencing such pain, benefits aren’t necessarily gained.

Now, a choice where you just endure hardship and surely gain benefits lies before Nausicaa, why would she hesitate?

Nausicaa’s answer was straightforward, without any hesitation. This made others start to reflect, could they face such a painful future so forthrightly? Perhaps not.

Thus, setting aside all external interference, when making a choice after listening to Reynaud and Nausicaa’s answers, their hearts inclined towards...direct recovery.

What choice would Renko make?

Renko, unaware of the happenings outside, nor aware of any Transcendent’s arrival, without experiencing any external interference factors, would Renko also, like them, choose the first option?

The answer...would not.

After about half a minute of silence, a tranquil azure light began emanating around.

Renko chose the Water of Forging.

Everyone watched the glowing surroundings, after experiencing surprise and bewilderment, suddenly began to realize.

Renko, from the very start, was different from them.

Even amidst the darkness and sin of the Ghost Ship Island, Renko adhered to his principles. He was the lone illuminating light on the Moonlight Chart Bird.

Such a Renko, how could he be just like the ordinary crowd?

Thus, Renko’s choice seemed destined.

In the eyes of everyone, whether they were moved or disappointed, Angel took out an exquisitely shaped flask, small at both ends and large in the middle, from his bracelet.

The bottle contained a liquid radiating golden brilliance.

Dazzling and magnificent.

This was the Water of Forging.