Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 2588: Chapter 2589: The Black Earl’s Abnormality

In a pile of rubble, searching for the true name insignia wasn’t difficult for them. With a direct probe of spiritual power, they could discern most of it.

The only challenge was in determining whether it was a magic pattern or a true name insignia.

This was a time-consuming task for Dox, Kaier, and Vay, but for Angel and the Black Earl, it posed no difficulty.

In less than two minutes, a large heap of altar rubble was completely sifted through by Angel and the Black Earl.

The result was... nothing!

Besides shattered magic patterns that were impossible to recognize, there were no other traces.

”This is interesting. Could this Mirror Demon God be a Great Demon God, or an unparalleled Great Demon God not yet uncovered by the Wizards’ Realm?” Dox raised an eyebrow upon hearing the result.

Dox’s doubt was shared by the others, including Angel.

Angel turned to look at the Black Earl. If there was an answer to this question, the only one present who might know it would be the Black Earl.

After pondering for a few seconds, the Black Earl still shook his head: ”No, at least according to my memory, no Mirror Demon God has ever appeared.”

”From seeing the Mirror Demon God recorded in Uisu language until now, who knows how long has passed? The Black Earl must have pondered what needed pondering, right? Why did he need a few seconds of thought before answering—is he putting on airs, or is there something he knows but won’t say?” Only Dox dared to confront the Black Earl so directly.

Though Dox’s words might sound overly critical, upon reflection, they seemed to hold some truth.

This was the thinking of Kaier and Vay.

Angel didn’t have as many thoughts; the Black Earl had clearly stated in the light of the contract that he didn’t know the Mirror Demon God, so Angel believed the Black Earl’s words. As for Dox’s claim that the Black Earl might have remembered it along the way, that was even less likely. With the Black Earl’s current status, forgetting something and then suddenly recalling it wouldn’t be the act of a top-tier third-level wizard unless someone stronger than the Black Earl affected his memory.

Faced with Dox’s clearly provocative words, the Black Earl snorted coldly: ”Sophistry.”

The Black Earl only said this one sentence and displayed an attitude of complete disdain towards Dox.

”That’s it? No punishment for Dox? No anger?” This was the thought of everyone present.

Angel originally felt there was nothing wrong with the Black Earl, but his attitude now seemed rather odd. Unlike the others, Angel wasn’t puzzled why the Black Earl wasn’t angry at Dox’s provocation; rather, he wondered about the Black Earl’s obscure emotional fluctuations.

Even when rebutting Dox, his emotions remained obscure.

No highs or lows, no waves. Such emotion was more like pondering something where the contemplation held greater importance than external matters, causing him to ignore Dox’s provocation.

After thinking for a few seconds, Angel spoke up, ”Could it be that the Mirror Demon God is its name from ten thousand years ago, and now it’s changed its name? Or has it fallen?”

”Impossible. A Demon God’s true name can’t be changed at will. As for having fallen, I’ve never heard of a Demon God with this true name falling.” The Black Earl replied without hesitation this time.

Angel nodded, murmuring softly, ”Then why is there no true name insignia now?”

Angel seemed to be in deep thought, but his mind was actually focused on the Black Earl’s reaction. The question he just asked was quickly answered by the Black Earl, indicating a signal: the Black Earl was indeed pondering something, but it should have nothing to do with the Mirror Demon God.

Angel glanced at Dox. Dox happened to look over, and they briefly exchanged glances.

The exchange of looks was brief, yet Angel read from Dox’s eyes what he’s trying to convey: the Black Earl had issues.

The Black Earl having issues was actually quite a broad statement. Frankly, anyone harboring alternative thoughts during a ruins exploration could be said to have issues, like Angel himself could also be said to have issues.

However, the degree of this issue—whether big or small—that’s the key point.

Angel pondered for a bit, then turned to the Black Earl: ”Sir, do you have any thoughts?”

”What thoughts do you want to know?”

Logically speaking, Angel would naturally be asking about the true name insignia, but the Black Earl asked back directly, as if he knew Angel’s main concern wasn’t the matter of the true name insignia.

”Any thoughts will do, such as the Mirror Demon God, or about why there’s no true name insignia, and... does coming to the Underground Labyrinth feel familiar, or summoned you in any way?”

Angel’s statement started off normal but became odd later on. At this moment, Kaier and Vay felt something was amiss in the atmosphere, stepping back towards the door to stand by it. Only Dox remained unmoved, crouching on a pile of rubble and watching the odd tension between Angel and the Black Earl with sparkling eyes.

The Black Earl remained silent for a long time, the atmosphere growing increasingly heavy, yet Angel refused to back down, meeting the Black Earl’s gaze—if staring at the nostrils counted.

After a long moment, the Black Earl suddenly snorted, followed by a burst of laughter. The tense atmosphere was instantly dispelled like a punctured balloon: ”There’s surely something belonging to our Noah Clan within this ruins exploration, don’t refute, you definitely know, otherwise why would you have sought that promise earlier, and now ask about ’summoning’?”

Listening to the laughter that lingered in the air, Angel suddenly thought, could it be that he’d fallen into a trap?

The Black Earl deliberately pretended to be in thought, actually attempting to probe him.

The more he thought, the more possible it seemed. When he sought that promise from the Black Earl earlier, the Black Earl must have had suspicions then; but instead of questioning directly, he awaited Angel to voluntarily step into the trap; sure enough, the Black Earl took advantage of appearing odd, causing Angel to speak about ’familiarity’ and ’summoning’—words hinting at his deeper knowledge of the ruin’s truth.

If that were the case, how cunning!

Angel fruitlessly cursed in his heart, revealing no emotion outwardly.

”I said from the start, I have some knowledge of the ruin.” Angel carefully chose his words, providing a noncommittal statement.

The Black Earl merely remarked calmly, ”Let me guess what you’re thinking now... You should be wondering why his behavior after entering the maze has been so strange—could it be deliberate, trying to probe you?”

Angel pursed his lips silently. Not admitting meant he wasn’t thinking that way—a testament to Angel’s stubbornness.

”I can tell you, I wasn’t probing you. When you sought my promise, I knew you had knowledge of the ruin’s truth, so there’s no need for any acting to probe you.” The Black Earl: ”I know what you and that red-haired kid want to know, and I can tell you. But I have one condition.”

Angel remained silent while the ”red-haired kid” on the other side spoke, ”What condition?”

The Black Earl: ”It doesn’t concern you.”

With that said, the Black Earl looked at Angel: ”I won’t ask you directly for the answer, I just need you to say one sentence.”

”What sentence?”

”The destination of this ruins is related to the Noah Clan.”

In short, the Black Earl was seeking confirmation from Angel.

Upon hearing the Black Earl’s words, Angel raised a corner of his mouth: ”Is it just this sentence? Sir, aren’t you going to initiate the truth-telling spell? Aren’t you afraid I’m lying?”

Before the Black Earl could respond, a faint red light emanated from the side, indicating the truth-telling spell was activated—the one who initiated it was... Dox.

If the Black Earl had a physical body at the moment, he likely would’ve clenched his fist. He had by no means intended to activate any truth-telling spell because it was unnecessary; he had complete confidence in directly judging whether Angel’s words were true or false. Earlier outside, the activation of the contract light shield was purely to dispel these suspicious young folk’s doubts, not because the contract light shield was needed to verify the truth of their speech.

At this moment, Dox activated the Truth Spell, and the Black Earl felt a bit stifled but couldn’t say anything.

Angel also saw that the Truth Spell was activated. He didn’t care whether it was done by the Black Earl or Dox, and directly said, ”I’m sorry to inform you, sir, I can’t say this sentence. Because, I can’t be sure if the destination of the ruins is related to the Noah Clan.”

The Truth Spell had no reaction, indicating that Angel was telling the truth.

The Black Earl, seeing this result, roughly understood that Angel might have some sideways knowledge about the ruins but didn’t really know the true situation.

He thought for a moment and said, ”Then do you think it is likely related to the Noah Clan?”

Angel nodded this time, ”Yes. It is likely related to the Noah Clan, but it’s just likely, not certain.”

The Truth Spell still had no reaction.

The Black Earl nodded, ”I understand.”

Angel: ”Then can you tell us about the doubts in mine and Dox’s hearts?”

The Black Earl: ”Your doubt is about why I behaved somewhat unusually after entering the Underground Labyrinth? I can tell you, you actually guessed half of it right. There is indeed a summoning, but this summoning was actively sent by me.”

”Or rather, it is a fantasy summoning resulting from the convergence of omens and inspirations.”

Summoning is when an entity calls you in some form; and a so-called fantasy summoning is when you actively seek out an entity yourself, with great enthusiasm. But actually, whether there is such an entity is questionable, purely a fantasy.

It’s a bit like someone who knows nothing, after getting a few pages of entirely incomplete information, sets up a ceremony to send a signal to some unknown entity, hoping to get a response.

This sounds a bit magical, and a normal person would only think it’s a madman’s idea. But coming from the mouth of the Black Earl, it’s different.

Angel: ”Sir, is it because of the promise I asked for earlier that you’re certain it’s related to the Noah Clan? So, as soon as you entered the Underground Labyrinth, you began to actively summon?”

The Black Earl: ”I would do so regardless of the promise. But your promise accelerated this process.”

Angel pondered for a moment, ”Has your active summoning received any response?”

The Black Earl was silent for a long time this time, ”There is no obvious feedback of information, but I vaguely sense that my bloodline seems to resonate with some place.”

”However, whether this is real or a response conjured up in my imagination, I can’t tell. This is a side effect of my use of the fantasy summoning.”

It’s unclear whether Dox was intentional or not, but his Truth Spell was never dismissed. The Black Earl didn’t care at all, ignoring the Truth Spell and spoke these words.

The Truth Spell showed no changes, nor did it have the fluctuations that come with deliberate precautions, meaning that what the Black Earl said was true.

”Whether the resonance your lordship mentioned with your bloodline is real or imagined, for now, we can assume it’s real.”

After all, the Underground Labyrinth is vast, and Angel finds it not too easy to find familiar places. Since the Black Earl has bloodline summoning, let’s follow the direction pointed by the Earl’s summoning. Whether right or wrong, wandering around in the Underground Labyrinth, Angel believes he is bound to encounter familiar places sooner or later.

Moreover, Angel speculates that the official institution the Mirror Demon God’s cultists might have planned to attack back then was really the Hanging Jail Stairway.

If it really is the Hanging Jail Stairway, he should soon find familiar territory.

”In any case, thank you, sir, for clearing our doubts.” Angel bowed to the Black Earl.

The Black Earl snorted lightly, ”You little ones are so suspicious. I said I wouldn’t kill you and would even protect you, but you are still so on guard.”

Angel smiled without speaking, while Dox whispered quietly, ”Life and profit are different.”

Dox’s meaning was simple: Suppose treasures of the Noah Clan are really discovered at the target location. In that case, the Black Earl might keep his promise not to kill them, but surely won’t share the treasure with them.

So, what’s to be guarded against must be steadfastly defended. If he turns on them halfway, even if they don’t die, if the benefits are lost, then this exploration of the ruins would also be fruitless.

”Now should we return to the main topic, sir? Could there really be concealed Demon Gods in the Abyss, hidden from detection?”

The Black Earl: ”Demon Gods propagate belief, generally speaking, there won’t be a disguised and undetected Demon God. But you never know, in the depths of the Abyss, there might be some ancient monsters that are even more powerful than Demon Gods. They have their own designations, but calling them Demon Gods is also possible... After all, they are all monsters of the Abyss.”

”Are you speaking of the Ancient Ones?”

The Black Earl’s slate suddenly stopped, then slowly turned around, facing Angel with his nostrils, ”You know quite a bit, not even your Mentor might know the term Ancient Ones.”

The Black Earl’s words made everyone present prick up their ears.

Without a doubt, this is definitely a secret!

”I just know some friends from the Abyss, they told me.”

The Black Earl said faintly, ”The Abyss is unlike the Wizards’ Realm; in the Wizards’ Realm, I can talk to you about the Ancient Ones. But in the Abyss, few dare to speak of the Ancient Ones. Your friends don’t seem simple at all.”

Everyone turned their gaze to Angel, obviously wanting to inquire about which high-level figure Angel knows.

Angel had many candidates in his mind at this time: Odeclass, Baltica, Fafnir, Master Ye... but he couldn’t say any of them.

Because... Dox’s Truth Spell still damn hasn’t been dismissed!

The one who truly told Angel about the Ancient Ones was Greerwu, a descendant of the Lord of the Flameless. If he mentioned Greerwu, the trouble it would bring would be even greater.

Angel cursed Dox in his heart, but on the surface, he remained calm, ”It’s nothing, I just met a subordinate of an Ancient One.”

This statement was true; he had met Garm and Kulangduo, both of whom were under the command of an Ancient One who mastered the rules of death.

Hearing Angel’s words, the Black Earl was even more surprised.

Generally, the subordinates of Ancient Ones are few and have been following them since ancient times. Even if not comparable to a Great Demon God, they possess at least Legendary Level strength.

Angel actually met the other side, even chatted, and the other didn’t kill Angel?

This is simply unbelievable.

It’s known that most Ancient Ones are more unreasonable than Demon Gods.

Angel saw that the Black Earl seemed to have many questions to ask, and he quickly said, ”My past is not today’s topic, let’s leave it at that.”

Angel switched the topic, ”Sir, do you mean to say that the Mirror Demon God might be disguised as an Ancient One?”

The Black Earl: ”If the Mirror Demon God is confirmed to come from the Abyss, rather than being an Ancient One in disguise, I am more inclined to think... the Mirror Demon God’s follower might be disguised as such.”