Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 2537: Chapter 2538: Zodiac Palace

Angel turned to look at Dox: ”Aren’t you going to try going in?”

Dox yawned, leaning against the door: ”Who knows what you’ve been up to inside, I don’t want to be used as a test subject.”

Angel suddenly raised his head. When their eyes met, Angel understood that the other person might really have sensed something.

However, the real situation inside the secret room is definitely unknown to Dox. But he hit the nail on the head, probably relying once again on his out-of-discussion ability—spiritual perception.

Looking at the composed Dox, Angel couldn’t help but sigh: ”Strong spiritual perception indeed lets you do as you wish.”

Dox raised his eyebrows, showing an expression of ”just as I suspected.”

Angel didn’t bother to fool Dox anymore and directly said: ”With so many people inside, I can now conduct a comprehensive test of the mechanism of this Magical Energy Array and see the final feedback.”

Pausing for a moment, Angel looked at Dox: ”After I finish recording this data, we’ll leave. Now, you can either wait for me outside or come in with me.”

Dox: ”I choose to go in with you.”

Angel said speechlessly: ”This time, you’re not hesitating?”

Dox: ”This Magical Energy Array is clearly intriguing; even you as the one who set it up need to record detailed data. There must be a good show to watch, so of course, I want to go in and see.”

Previously, Angel had asked Dox to go alone, and he definitely didn’t agree. But since they’re going together now, there’s no problem.

”You’re even more cunning than I imagined,” Angel said nonchalantly, then turned and stepped through the door.

Dox immediately followed.

As the two of them entered through the door, it immediately closed, and a row of glowing text appeared on the door: Current number of participants: 12.

A second later, this row of text slowly faded away, replaced by another: Game Start, Entry Forbidden.

...

Meanwhile, inside the secret room. Besides Angel and Dox being together, everyone else who entered the secret room was separated.

Old Porter looked around at the empty space, a look of surprise in his eyes.

He had been in the secret room all along, so he knew all about its size. A room that felt crowded with just a few people, how does it look so spacious now?

Or perhaps, is this actually an illusion?

Old Porter walked around back and forth without finding any traces of energy movement. Either it really expanded, or Angel’s illusion technique is strong enough to leave no hint.

Old Porter didn’t know which one it was, nor did he want to guess. What he really wanted to know now was...where should he go?

This question puzzled not only Old Porter but everyone who entered through the door.

As they explored and found nothing, this question surfaced in their minds.

But soon, this confusion disappeared. Because, right in front of them, a row of glowing large characters appeared—”Twelve Zodiac Palaces.”

At the same time, a voice came to their ears that was pompous, with a bit of humor.

”Welcome to Cha Cha’s Twelve Zodiac Palaces. Each time you pass through a Zodiac Palace, you can unlock a item to increase Cha Cha’s affection. Passing through all Twelve Zodiac Palaces, Cha Cha will await you at the end.”

Twelve Zodiac Palaces? What is this?

Everyone almost simultaneously showed puzzled expressions. They’ve heard of zodiac, a term from astrology. But the Twelve Zodiac Palaces, this was the first time they’ve heard of it.

Or is it randomly selected from countless zodiac palaces in the sky?

Angel was probably the only one who knew what was going on. After all, he’s the one who informed...Cha Cha.

”The challenge is simple. Combat? That’s impossible; Cha Cha dislikes combat the most. The way to pass is to answer trivia questions~ Each palace has five questions, just answer three correctly to pass, answer all five for an extra affection item.”

”The questions aren’t difficult, they’re just common knowledge~”

”Cha Cha can’t wait to meet you all, the first one to arrive will get a surprise~ Hurry up and start the challenge!”

As the pompous voice fell, a glowing path appeared in front of everyone, guiding them in the direction to go.

At the same time, a magnificent circular clock appeared in the sky where everyone could see. But inside the clock no longer had minute hands, only the twelve zodiac palace scales, and a rose hour hand pointing to the Twelve Zodiac Palaces.

Now, everyone’s scale is at the starting point, obviously with each palace passed, the rose hour hand moves one scale.

”Looks like it’s just a quiz challenge game. I was worried it’d test some obscure transcendent knowledge, but didn’t expect common trivia questions, should be easy.” Old Porter muttered to himself, stepping onto the Path of Light.

On the other side, standing beside Angel, Dox said something almost identical to Old Porter. But after saying it, he felt it couldn’t be that simple, and asked: ”Are they really common trivia questions?”

”Yes, they are trivia questions.” Angel nodded.

Dox pursed his lips: ”What’s the difficulty then. You really want to test Talented Ones, you should’ve used harder questions.”

Angel muttered silently: ”Who said I wanted to test Talented Ones... I genuinely just wanted to create a slightly hidden Magical Energy Array, but something went wrong.”

”Is the challenge game the mistake?”

Angel sighed: ”Yes, it came about accidentally.”

Angel, while stepping onto the Path of Light with Dox, said: ”Do you know the ’Concealment Box’ Magical Energy Array?”

Dox recalled for a moment: ”Seems like a combination of magic patterns that restrict spirit and energy, used to conceal energy aura and prevent it being detected.”

Angel: ”Correct, I initially wanted to create a Concealment Box, but during the creation, I had a flash of inspiration, felt the Concealment Box alone was a bit dull, so I added on top of the restrict spirit and energy patterns, a deathly stillness pattern, a growth rune, and a frost magic pattern...”

Dox looked shocked: Is this a flash of inspiration? Or a self-exploding bomb? Which Magic Rune Mage would dare mix things up so haphazardly?

”I won’t comment on the others, but why use the deathly stillness pattern?”

The right answer was preservation. But Angel had recently learned his lesson from Mandhela, so this time he played it safe, declaring righteously: ”To foster dead souls, if someone unfortunately dies, at least they can be nurtured here.”

”...Can that be explained? Okay, I’ll take your word for it, but the growth rune and frost magic pattern...”

Angel: ”Considering dead souls, surely you must consider the living. So the growth rune emits life energy to heal the wounded. As for the frost pattern... this place is close to the Laksum Principality, usually hot and dry, the frost magic pattern can help cool down and prevent heatstroke.”

Dox looked at Angel and seriously said: ”I’m sure you’re spouting nonsense.”

Angel: ”...”

Angel was indeed speaking nonsense. Previously, he was probably poisoned by ’Dance of Metal’. Adding growth runes was for growing vegetables, the frost magic pattern was just a refrigerator.

If he told the truth, where would he save face?

”If you don’t want to say, then leave it, but you still didn’t explain why the mishap occurred. Your Magical Energy Array seems fine, was it the illusionary realm that went wrong?”

Angel: ”Hmm... it all went wrong.”

All, went, wrong?! Dox was stunned.

”Alas, even the best make mistakes, and people get sidetracked. Due to distraction, ideas mixed together chaotically, leading to this situation.” Once Angel was done, he quickly added: ”However, this way isn’t bad. You were right, it can test these Talented Ones, after all. Life needs interesting experiences to be fulfilling.”

Dox took a deep look at Angel, ultimately saying nothing. Because, the First Palace of the Twelve Zodiac Palaces had arrived.

The Zodiac Palace was in a typical temple style, grand, majestic, solemn, and sacred.

”Is this an illusion, or did you expand the space?” Looking at the Zodiac Palace, Dox asked in confusion. He knew the room’s size, even with tricks, it couldn’t have become this big.

”Things went wrong, so both.” Angel said with a proud look: ”Well, how’s this? Just this alone is pretty impressive, despite the mishap, the space has definitely expanded.”

Dox glanced speechlessly at Angel and silently stepped into the Zodiac Palace.

The sound of empty footsteps echoed inside the Zodiac Palace.

Soon, Dox and Angel stopped in front of a sweet-smelling girl dressed in a pure white divine robe.

The girl looked like a nun, but if you looked closely, you’d find that her entire body shone with an unusual luster, more like... porcelain.

The girl seemed unable to move, her exquisite and perfect eyes gazing blankly at the visitors.

”Welcome, challengers, to the First Palace, the Sweet Zodiac Palace.” A familiar yet flamboyant voice rang in their ears: ”The questioner for this palace is the sugarcube girl in front of you. Please wait patiently, as the sugarcube girl can only process six challengers at a time. You arrived a bit late, so you’ll have to wait a bit. But don’t worry, the sugarcube girl’s questions are easy.”

Dox: ”... Process six challengers at once, so the challenge is actually done together?”

”No comment on this; if challengers wish to know, they can inquire after the challenge with Cha Cha.”

”Who is Cha Cha?” Dox continued.

”When challengers reach the end, you will meet Cha Cha.” The flamboyant voice paused: ”The sugarcube girl has finished processing the other challengers. Unfortunately, out of the six others, only one answered three questions correctly. Seems like they all lack common sense.”

”Now the sugarcube girl is back; it’s your turn, challenger! Please answer the questions!”

Dox didn’t want to play these childish quiz games; he was following Angel for the ”Out of Discussion” shortcut.

But what about Angel?

Dox turned to look around, and didn’t know when, but somehow he was the only one left, and Angel was nowhere to be found...

”Damn it...” Dox couldn’t help but curse, Angel actually ran off, ran off!

When did he escape? And why didn’t I feel a thing?

Dox suppressed his frustration and asked, ”Where did the one who came with me go?”

Neither the flamboyant voice nor the sugarcube girl responded. From the sugarcube girl’s vacant expression, it was clear this was a set mechanism.

Simply put, she’s just a question machine. Doesn’t do anything other than ask.

Dox took a deep breath: ”Then let’s answer the questions.”

Angel was nowhere in sight, and this was another magical energy array gone wrong. He didn’t dare to venture randomly, so he had to cautiously proceed.

As soon as Dox said he was ready to answer, the blank look in the sugarcube girl’s eyes immediately changed, and the porcelain-like black eyes suddenly appeared radiant.

”The quiz begins, challenger please listen to the question.”

”First question, Griffin, Styanfen, and Johnrich, which is my real name?”

Dox: ...

Right now, Dox just wanted to throw a fit; this is supposed to be a common sense question?

”Ten second countdown, ten, nine, eight...”

Dox calmed his anger, closed his eyes in thought for a moment, and just before the countdown ended, he said, ”None of them.”

As soon as he spoke, the flamboyant voice immediately sounded: ”Congratulations! You got the first question right! Eight people have answered this question, and only four got it right! You’re great!”

Eight responses... Dox remembered, the sugarcube girl could only process six people at a time, so there must be someone answering the questions along with him right now.

The sugarcube girl didn’t pause and quickly moved to the second question: ”Then what is my real name?”

Dox’s fist suddenly tightened.

The first question was multiple choice, and he deduced the answer with his spiritual insight. But now they ask for the real name, who the hell knows!

Even if his spiritual insight was strong, he couldn’t directly read someone’s name. Besides, the she wasn’t even human, just a tool in Angel’s magical energy array, it couldn’t possibly have a name!

Dox had a sudden realization, right! It’s just a tool, why would it have a name.

So answering questions isn’t just shooting blindly; there’s strategy involved.

Thinking this, Dox confidently said, ”You have no name.”

After he spoke, a mournful music played in his ears, and the flamboyant voice became low: ”Incorrect answer. How could it have no name? The sugarcube girl’s name is Carolus. Andalufia. Sugarcube. Kiriya.”

”Such a simple common sense question, and you got it wrong. Cha Cha will likely be disappointed.”

Dox deeply sighed, forcibly swallowing the curse stuck in his throat, trying to suppress his anger as he asked, ”What kind of common sense question is this?”

However, there was no response.

The sugarcube girl started the third question: ”What is my favorite candy?”

Dox: ”... Sugarcube.”

Once again mournful background music played: ”Sigh, wrong again. Despite the sugarcube girl having ’sugarcube’ in her name, that’s just her name; she doesn’t actually love candy. Among the current challengers, only one got it right, unfortunately it wasn’t you.”

Dox smiled, his fists already gathering energy.

”You’ve missed one question; you cannot get the next two wrong, or you will face punishment.”

Dox ignored the voice in his ear, walked smilingly to the sugarcube girl, and slowly raised his hand: ”I won’t play along, answer you sewer rat!”

He swung his fist filled with energy at the sugarcube girl.

But before Dox could touch her, she suddenly vanished.

And behind Dox, footsteps sounded.

Turning around, he saw Angel, who had previously gone missing.

After confirming this was not an illusion of Angel, Dox asked coldly: ”Where did you run off to earlier?”

Angel replied lazily: ”I went to cheat.”

”Cheat?”

Angel: ”According to standard procedure, even I would have to answer in each Zodiac Palace one by one, so I could only cheat. At each palace, I screened the magical energy array, and once screened, it was done.”

”Can’t you modify it all at once?”

Angel sighed: ”An error occurred... modifying each one individually is the only way, don’t worry, I modified each level, it won’t delay us, let’s proceed to the Second Palace.”

Dox squinted at Angel: ”Are you sure you’re telling the truth?”

Angel replied earnestly: ”Of course it’s true.”

Though Dox remained somewhat suspicious, he still trusted Angel in the end. However, he didn’t know that while what Angel said was true, he deliberately slowed down the screening process of the magical energy array.

Because watching Dox answer questions seemed quite entertaining.

”Whether you’re telling the truth or not, weren’t you saying these were all common sense questions earlier? How is this called common sense?” Dox questioned.

Angel picked his ear: ”It’s not like I said that, these questions asked me, I wouldn’t know either.”

”Moreover, you should also realize, the sugarcube girl’s questions do indeed count as common sense, just not common sense from our Southern Domain. In the sugarcube girl’s country, everyone probably knows these common sense answers.”