Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 2469: Chapter 2470: The Final Sacrifice

Angel could feel the Observer’s helplessness and... blessing.

It seems the Observer feels his fate is sealed.

It makes sense, in the knowledge of all wizards, a higher rank can crush anyone, each rank is like a natural chasm. For instance, disregarding other external factors, a Second Level Wizard can completely overwhelm a Level 1 Wizard; the psychic model of a Second Level Wizard is beyond comparison with a Level 1 Wizard, and the magic vortex strength they can mobilize is multiples of a Level 1 Wizard.

This is just the comparison between Level 1 and Second Level Wizards.

As for Gluz Deward, even an avatar can at least perform at the standard of a Level 5 Wizard.

In such a situation, Angel, a newly advanced little wizard, being targeted by an existence that is at least Level 5, nobody would believe there’s an alternative outcome.

Even Angel himself feels a bit apprehensive... He clearly heard Gluz Deward dismisses humans, preferring magical creatures, for this reason he even put Toby into a bracelet, yet after all this roundabout, Gluz Deward hasn’t let him off, only it’s not Toby that caught his eye but Angel himself.

Angel just feels this matter has evolved quite absurdly, but however absurd it seems to become an established fact.

To avoid truly becoming a captive in Gluz Deward’s hands, he only has one resort now: rely on ”it”.

Thinking about this, Angel cast a sidelong glance at the Dalmatian within Wang Wang’s body.

This Dalmatian puppy at the moment was still struggling unconsciously with its limbs, ears drooping, eyes blinking between white and wakeful, remaining in a cycle of ”drowning” and ”awakening”.

Really so... foolish.

Can’t even bear to look.

Angel now seriously doubts, can he really rely on this guy to succeed?

...

The Dalmatian, unsurprisingly, was the reinforcement invited by Wang Wang. The reason Angel would change his mind and come to the center of the Mist Belt to be a human coordinate was because of the Dalmatian’s presence.

Before this, although Angel hadn’t met the Dalmatian many times, every encounter with the Dalmatian was crucial to Angel’s survival, for instance in Sleepless City, without the Dalmatian they might not have escaped; in Xinnai Land, if not for the Dalmatian’s power of protection, it would have been identified by other Nightmare Realm creatures. It can be said, the Dalmatian is Angel’s greatest life-saving grace... dog.

Perhaps the Dalmatian doesn’t care, but Angel cannot forget this kindness, so he’s here.

However, upon seeing the Dalmatian this time, Angel’s feeling... still remained unreliable as usual.

Performing drowning in Wang Wang’s belly, you’ve got to be kidding.

Yes, Angel understands very well, the Dalmatian is ”performing”. Even though they’ve met few times, every time Angel sees him, he’s either about to perform or already started performing.

The first meeting, for example, it pretended to be a lost little puppy, winning Angel’s sympathy, then in a blink it opened its giant mouth and swallowed Angel.

Later, when Angel contacted the Dalmatian through Wang Wang, Wang Wang explicitly stated the Dalmatian could converse. But every time Angel contacted, this guy just started barking on the ”Void Network”!

Moreover, this barking, was completely random shouting, even beast speech masters couldn’t understand its meaning.

The Dalmatian either pretended to be innocent, childlike, or confused in front of him, but showed the demeanor of a big brother in front of Wang Wang.

It could be called an old actor.

Now even better, it’s performing drowning. If you could truly drown, the Minister of Arms would have rebuilt you in a furnace long ago!

Angel was too lazy to care about the Dalmatian; having such an unreliable ally, he’s silently calculating the worst outcome in his heart.

If worse comes to worst, then he’ll go be a tool in the Phantom Spirit City.

...

As Angel remained silent, the space rift began stabilizing.

The moment it completely stabilized, regardless of the Observer’s or Polo Ye’s thoughts, a gleam of joy flashed in their eyes. At least, they had a way out.

In theory, now they should pass through the spatial passage to leave.

However, Gluz Deward didn’t pave the way, instead stepped out from the spatial passage.

With the leading figure here, others dared not leave on their own.

When Gluz Deward emerged, those slightly wicked orange-red fire eyes glanced at Angel and then, with interest, eyed Wang Wang, larger than other Void Travelers, before ignoring the Observer and fixing his gaze on Polo Ye.

”Shoo-loo shoo-loo~ Sir, are we leaving here next, or...” Polo Ye turned his head, looking at the mysterious fruit still extracting nourishment from Entity 03.

”Considering the current situation, obtaining it directly is difficult, but trying its disorder effect is possible.”

Saying that, Gluz Deward stretched out his hand, lightly grasping, capturing the two mini wizards attached to Polo Ye in the palm.

Ignoring the two wizards’ wailing, Gluz Deward extended a finger, lightly pointing, enveloping the two wizards within two spherical protective covers.

These two protective covers might seem ordinary at a glance, but only nearby wizards understand their terror.

Like Angel, when Gluz Deward extended his finger and the fingertip began to glow, his gaze already grew dazed, as if his consciousness was drawn into that faint glow... Fortunately, the Observer woke him, otherwise the consequences would be unimaginable. For in just that less than a second’s direct gaze, Angel’s eyes already started bleeding.

This was the punishment for arrogantly spying.

From this, it clearly showed how terrifying the protective covers cast by Gluz Deward were.

Though Angel was punished, he felt no complaints, for watching Gluz Deward cast the spell, he felt he saw... the truth.

Even in retrospect, it was still so wonderfully intoxicating.

However, while Angel was enchanted by that gleam of ”light of truth”, a cool force suddenly invaded his brow.

The icy sensation instantly broke his thoughts.

Feeling a bit muddled, he raised his head, meeting the Observer’s complex gaze.

”Lord Observer, I... what happened to me?”

”Nothing, it’s just your perception and understanding capabilities are very high, you’ve fallen into a high-level trap.”

The so-called high-level trap isn’t a trap set by higher wizards, but a low-level wizard forcing a peek or understanding of the words, inscriptions, or handbook left by a high-level wizard, causing confusion within themselves.

This isn’t the fault of the higher wizards; this is because lower-level wizards are too overreaching.

However, Angel’s situation was somewhat different from other high-level traps. Other wizards watching Gluz Deward cast spells rarely fall into high-level traps, but Angel was different; his perception and understanding were too exceptional, hence the occurrence of this high-level trap.

Angel’s punishment was something others couldn’t emulate.

This is a talent.

Yet, after living for so many years, having seen many geniuses, the Observer just slightly felt complicated, quickly restraining his emotions and even warning Angel.

”Don’t be deceived by false truth. If truth were so easily obtained, would Wizards still seek it?”

Angel wasn’t foolish; he immediately grasped the Observer’s meaning.

The sensation he was captivated by was actually a poisoned honey, entirely devoid of lasting value. Realizing this, Angel gathered his thoughts and buried the memory deep within his mind.

Meanwhile, Gluz Deward enveloped the two Wizards in air bubbles, gently flicking them beyond the twisted domain.

The two air bubbles floated like sunlit soap bubbles, shimmering with rainbow hues, slowly drifting toward the fruit.

Angel had learned from the Observer that the air bubbles around the Wizards were a level 4 spell technique called the Wall of Vapor. It could block almost all types of energy attacks, classified as defense magic, though its application depended on the Wizard.

But with Gluz Deward’s rank, the Wall of Vapor he released far surpassed the constraints of level 4, reaching at least the pinnacle of level 5.

This unprecedentedly terrifying spell technique enveloped the two Wizards, merely to test the disordered effect of the mysterious fruit.

Thus, it was apparent that items like those of disorder were not something low-level Wizards could pry into.

”Shuala~ The Wall of Vapor can’t block the attraction,” Polo Ye suddenly spoke.

Angel looked up, and sure enough, within the Wall of Vapor, the gazes of the two Wizards had already turned infatuated, indicating that the attraction of the mysterious fruit wasn’t an energy that the Wall of Vapor could block.

”However, while the Wall of Vapor cannot block the attraction, it itself hasn’t been affected by the disordered rhythm,” the Observer added. Before this, lifeforms, material, energy—all could be drawn by the mysterious fruit, so theoretically, the Wall of Vapor should also be energy that could be drawn. But now it wasn’t affected, implying...

”At least before it fully falls into disorder, its attraction can’t greatly impact spells of energy above level 5.”

Of course, the attraction is excluded.

Since the Wall of Vapor can temporarily be controlled, this provides Gluz Deward space to maneuver; he guides the two Walls of Vapor towards the mysterious fruit.

Finally, they hover above the mysterious fruit.

The moment the mysterious fruit matures will be when the two Walls of Vapor test the disordered effect. One will shatter directly, letting the Wizards inside fall to observe the disordered effect; the other will maintain the Wall of Vapor to see if full disorder affects it.

Although simplistic, such a comparative experiment is relatively useful for now.

Even the Observer was curious about the result at this point.

—Of course, the prerequisite is survival; the Observer was prepared to enter the space rift before disorder takes place because it would be too late after disorder fully occurs.

This was also the thought of others present; one might say they were testing at the very brink of disorder. They wouldn’t leave easily before full disorder occurred.

For most, this would mean certain death. But with Gluz Deward stabilizing the scene, they believed precautions would be thorough, avoiding major incidents.

Yet unexpected events often occur in trivial details.

For instance, the drowning drama-act puppy they ignored.

...

Number 03 could no longer wail; her flesh, her blood, her bones, her marrow—all transformed into sacrificial points of light.

If she still had feelings, perhaps she’d regret swallowing that mysterious fruit core.

Regret also believing that mysterious person who sold her the fruit core.

But she had lost emotion; indeed, the final sacrifice wasn’t just of the body but also of the mind space, spirit sea... and finally, the land of the soul.

Her mind space silently crumbled, leaving no trace in the material realm.

The spirit sea began to fracture, transforming into a gust of light that dimmed the bloody mist above the mysterious fruit, revealing a metallic web-like ”fruit flesh” structure below.

Once everything else was shattered, it came to the final stage of this sacrifice.

—The offering of the soul.

The Land of the Soul, a pitch-black, lightless space, finally broke apart under unknown prowess.

Leaving only a solitary soul.

That was Number 03’s soul.

Her soul maintained her most beautiful appearance: clad in a regal gown, hair styled in a bun adorned with an array of ornaments.

Her figure was graceful, and her countenance particularly alluring.

The sole incongruity was the number 03 marked on her soul’s face.

This was the joint endeavor of the Lacey Association and Quest World, marking Number 03’s identity—a mark she didn’t like and wished to remove but couldn’t while bound by the organization.

Once an obsession, this mark was rendered inconsequential by now.

Because her fate had been penned by the hand of destiny long ago.

Number 03 knew too well her future was severed, her life terminated, and her soul would become the sustenance of the mysterious fruit overhead.

Providing it with the last nourishment.

As for whom the mysterious fruit ultimately belonged to? Perhaps the distant Observer, maybe the City Lord of Phantom Spirit City, or maybe... the mysterious figure who malevolently handed her the fruit core.

That no longer mattered.

Once she’s gone, what concern is it to her?

Regarding whether she held hatred... perhaps she did, but the strength representing her emotion was absorbed by the mysterious fruit, and she couldn’t be sure.

Now, she was merely waiting, awaiting the soul’s offering.

Her wait wasn’t long; soon, her soul began to ascend slowly. At this moment, inexplicably, Number 03 felt no fear; she even yearned for a faster entrance into the mysterious fruit.

If expressed through emotion, this urgency would be called anticipation, wouldn’t it?

She didn’t know why she felt this anticipation; perhaps it was because it would enable her earlier... release.

It was worth noting she thought her soul would shatter into golden light points, merging into the mysterious fruit like the rest of her body. In truth, her soul didn’t fracture; she approached the mysterious fruit intact.

Just as her soul touched the mysterious fruit’s blood-red mist.

An indescribable force suddenly surged into her soul.

Before her consciousness, her foundational logic was completely overthrown, she vaguely discerned the origin of this power.

This was, the Mysterious Power.