Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 2729: Chapter 2730: Gray Merchant’s Request

Dox looked at the Black Earl with hopeful eyes.

The Black Earl’s nostrils flared slightly. Although Dox couldn’t see the Black Earl’s expression, he felt that the Black Earl was looking at him with disdain.

What does it matter if he’s disdained, as long as he can sell the tickets, he can be disdained forever.

The Black Earl snorted, ”Not necessary.”

Dox looked shocked. How could it not be necessary? Just now, the Black Earl clearly expressed admiration for the Sunlight Sanctuary, eager to try it out. Why the sudden change of heart?

Is it just because the Mysterious Parchment became a Half-Mysterious Scroll?

The Black Earl didn’t offer an explanation, but Vay, next to him, understood it well.

His master indeed wanted to test the effects of the Sunlight Sanctuary, but this didn’t mean he needed to go personally. Vay going was the same.

Vay’s physical senses can be swapped with the Black Earl’s at any time, so the bodily experience could be shared as well.

Therefore, as long as Vay went in to experience it, it would be equivalent to the Black Earl going as well. Hence, there was absolutely no need to buy any so-called tickets from Dox, they could just enter for free.

Vay’s assumption, from a practical standpoint, was correct. But the Black Earl’s refusal was not limited to this; he simply felt... a sudden pity for Dox.

Dox was purely frightened by ”losing freedom” now and hadn’t clarified the current situation. Thus, he was being toyed with by Angel’s words.

Think about it carefully, since when does it make sense to use the creditor’s resources to pay back the creditor’s debt?

Even if it were feasible, it should be done in secret and kept from the creditor. Now, the creditor is actively reminding you to do this, which clearly has another purpose.

After the Black Earl explicitly refused, a hint of despair appeared on Dox’s face. Could it be that this trip to the Sunlight Sanctuary would be in vain? Even if he had to pay Angel an equivalent price later, at least he could earn some Magic Crystals now.

Dox’s gaze wistfully turned to the other side, looking at Vay. His throat moved, but he said nothing. Then he looked at... Kaier beside Vay.

”Do you want to give it a try?”

Kaier quickly shook his head, ”I... I don’t have any Magic Crystals.”

Kaier certainly had some savings, but how much could an apprentice have? In the eyes of an Official Wizard, almost nothing. Therefore, what Kaier said wasn’t wrong.

Angel chimed in at this time, ”The Spirit Sea of an Official Wizard is already quite fixed. Although it can soothe scars and conduct baptisms, the effect is far from ideal compared to an apprentice. If an apprentice goes in, the spiritual baptism can make you feel like you’re reborn.”

In other words, the Sunlight Sanctuary has a similar effect on Official Wizards as high-order restoration mental potions, with the added effects of physical healing and banishing evil.

But for apprentices, it’s entirely different. It can further develop the potential of the Spirit Sea, which is of immense significance and has subversive value for future development. After all, the Spirit Sea, which transcends dimensions, isn’t something easily affected.

Kaier had always been very longing for the Sunlight Sanctuary. Now, after hearing Angel’s words, he felt even more eager.

He kept checking his belongings in his mind, went through everything, yet couldn’t find anything of value.

Seeing Kaier’s anxious and then disappointed expression, Dox knew there was nothing more to gain from Kaier.

He sighed, ”How about this, you can owe it first. Pay back with something of equal value in the future.”

Dox knew Kaier’s situation very well; he was an apprentice with significant potential and a rare Space Series. There would be plenty of opportunities to utilize his help in the future, which is why Dox had been cultivating his relationship with Kaier for a long time.

Letting Kaier owe him a favor was naturally beneficial. However, thinking about not getting anything from the Sunlight Sanctuary pained both his heart and flesh.

Dox’s gaze swept around. He had asked everyone in his group and not one could truly pay the price, making him feel very frustrated.

Just when Dox was filled with dismay, he suddenly caught a glimpse of the Wise Sovereign in the sky from the corner of his eye.

His eyes lit up immediately. He flew up into the air excitedly, but didn’t dare to fly too high, fearing attacks from the Void Magical Creatures outside.

Stopping at about ten meters away from the Wise Sovereign, Dox addressed him.

”Wise... *cough cough*, Honorable Sovereign, I wonder if you are interested in experiencing the Sunlight Sanctuary?” Dox’s voice was extremely fawning.

The Wise Sovereign was indeed a bit interested in the Sunlight Sanctuary. However, he was more interested in—Angel.

Angel casually handed a Half-Mysterious Scroll to Dox, and this scroll had usage limitations... how could he bear it?

At least if it were the Wise Sovereign, he wouldn’t bear it.

Moreover, the Wise Sovereign couldn’t see any deep friendship between Angel and Dox. Just for a duel he was bound to win, Angel gifted a Half-Mysterious Scroll?

Another point that puzzled the Wise Sovereign was that the one truly eager to win the competition was the Noah descendant. Because only the Noah descendants could enter the remains, others were just foils.

So, it should have been the Noah descendant who provided Dox with trump cards. But the Noah descendant didn’t do that; instead, Angel did.

This was very interesting.

Currently, the Wise Sovereign still didn’t see any compelling reason for Angel to enter the remains. What intrigued him were the details indicating that Angel truly didn’t care about the Parchment of the Sunlight Sanctuary.

Why didn’t he care? Is it because he had more? Or is it that this Parchment of the Sunlight Sanctuary was made by him?

So, when Dox inquired, the Wise Sovereign didn’t immediately respond to Dox but instead contacted Angel through a private channel.

Because the Wise Sovereign previously promised not to question Angel anymore, this time he didn’t ask but laid out all his guesses and thoughts before Angel, leaving it up to Angel to decide whether to respond.

Of course, the Wise Sovereign wasn’t entirely passive; he was also observing Angel’s reaction. Sometimes, he trusted human involuntary reactions more than direct answers.

Unfortunately, this time he was disappointed. Angel concealed his thoughts very deeply. His subtle responses could be interpreted in more than one way, and each seemed false.

The Wise Sovereign sighed internally, giving up on his observations.

”If I were to say I just casually made a move without any expectations or ideas from the beginning, the Wise Sovereign surely wouldn’t believe me... but that’s indeed the truth.”

”As for the source of the Sunlight Sanctuary, the Wise Sovereign has considered many possibilities, likely has a preference. No matter how I explain myself, it’s no longer important. Without concrete proof, you wouldn’t believe anyway. And, ironically, I have no evidence to defend myself, so the Wise Sovereign might as well go with his own bias, saving me the trouble and making everyone happy.”

Whether Angel’s words are sincere or not, they are certainly not sincere. However, The Sage Dominator couldn’t find any faults, and since he had previously agreed not to question the principles, Angel’s words ended the topic.

The Sage Dominator has a suspicious nature; Angel did not provide a clear answer, and he could not determine whether the Magic Rune Scroll was crafted by Angel.

Therefore, The Sage Dominator could only inwardly sigh helplessly at this moment.

Not getting the desired answer, The Sage Dominator could only accept it. However, regarding the Sunlight Sanctuary, there were still some questions that neither Vay nor the Black Earl had mentioned earlier.

This time, he did not use an encrypted channel to contact Angel, but directly looked down at Angel and asked, ”I want to know, can the Sunlight Sanctuary move? If no one uses it, will it remain on the duel platform forever?”

The Sage Dominator’s question made even Dox’s heart skip a beat.

Right, if no one uses the Sunlight Sanctuary and it can’t move, isn’t it going to stay here forever? Wouldn’t that be giving The Sage Dominator a free advantage?

Thinking of this, Dox also hurriedly looked at Angel.

If it can move, he could take the Sunlight Sanctuary elsewhere, sell tickets at high prices, and make a fortune, couldn’t he?

However, Dox was overthinking it, and his thoughts hadn’t even fully turned around.

Angel smiled and said, ”Honorable Judge, you asked the crucial question. The essence of the Sunlight Sanctuary is to bring faith and civilization to a dark and ignorant world. If it could move freely, wouldn’t the pilgrims have to change their pilgrimage direction every day?”

The Sunlight Garden is the same. If the garden moved, would the flowers and grass inside also move with it?

Therefore, once the Sunlight Series scrolls are activated, they cannot move. Once the Sunlight Sanctuary is opened, it is fixed in place.

Upon hearing Angel’s answer, Dox looked utterly disappointed.

At this moment, The Sage Dominator finally said to Dox, ”I am indeed interested in the Sunlight Sanctuary, but you heard...”

The Sage Dominator paused and didn’t continue.

Dox assumed he understood The Sage Dominator’s meaning, thinking The Sage Dominator wanted to take advantage without paying. While cursing inwardly, he pretended not to understand at all, saying, ”So, does this mean the Sunlight Sanctuary will remain here? If it stays here forever, shouldn’t the price be higher?”

Upon hearing Dox’s absurd remarks, who knows what others thought, but The Sage Dominator looked at Dox with an amused smile.

The Sage Dominator had originally wanted to enlighten Dox, but seeing Dox’s stubbornness, The Sage Dominator couldn’t be bothered to say more, simply saying, ”I won’t shortchange you... As for the compensation, when you come to my place later, I will give you options. For now, let’s focus on the duel.”

Dox’s face lit up with joy, although he didn’t know what options The Sage Dominator would offer him, at least there was now something to look forward to.

After saying this, The Sage Dominator snapped his fingers lightly, and the place where the Sunlight Sanctuary had been located was suddenly isolated by a larger light shield.

Outside this light shield, there was a conspicuous narrow path.

This setup could prevent interference with the battle and wouldn’t damage the location of the Sunlight Sanctuary.

After doing all this, The Sage Dominator added, ”Before the next duel, I can give you a few more minutes. Decide for yourself what you want to do. Also, let me remind you, don’t be deceived by words; any verbal gift from anyone comes with a hidden price. This includes fate, and is also true for man-made promises.”

After saying this, The Sage Dominator glanced in Angel’s direction and then closed his eyes, entering a pretend slumber.

Dox didn’t grasp The Sage Dominator’s meaning, and as he pondered deeply, a voice suddenly resonated by his ear.

”Red Sword Wizard, I wonder if we can enter the Sunlight Sanctuary. I will cover all the costs.”

Dox turned back to discover that it was the Gray Merchant speaking.

Faced with the Gray Merchant’s request, Dox hesitated.

They didn’t have much animosity towards the Merchant Organization. According to The Sage Dominator, this duel was instigated by that ”she” from behind the scenes.

Therefore, if the Gray Merchant could pay the price, it was acceptable to him.

However, the duel was about to commence.

Dox was well aware of the Sunlight Sanctuary’s restorative powers on the body; it could even heal hidden ailments and hard-to-detect wounds within the Spirit Sea.

Bloodline Wizards were most likely to have hidden ailments in their physical bodies.

If the Gray Merchant healed the chronic ailments on his body, wouldn’t that disadvantage Angel in the upcoming battle?

Moreover, the other side had more apprentices than theirs. If those apprentices also unlocked their potential, how would they cope?

Precisely because of these considerations, Dox felt very hesitant inside.

If Dox refused outright, the Gray Merchant wouldn’t say anything. However, seeing Dox’s evident hesitation, the Gray Merchant quickly understood his thoughts.

Thinking of this, the Gray Merchant added, ”This can be discussed after the duel ends.”

Upon hearing this, Dox quickly wanted to agree. But at that moment, Angel’s voice came through the Mind Ribbon.

”After the duel, if they are gravely injured, the effect of the Sunlight Sanctuary will be significantly depleted. Thus, if you genuinely wish to agree with them, it’s best to let them enter now.”

Angel made this suggestion because The Sage Dominator had promised Dox compensation. This compensation was apparently determined by the total remaining effect of the Sunlight Sanctuary.

If the Gray Merchant and others excessively depleted it, could they possibly offer compensation equivalent to that proposed by The Sage Dominator?

This was a deeper layer of consideration that Dox needed to ponder.

”If I let them in first, won’t that put tremendous pressure on you during the duel later?” Dox hesitated for a while before voicing his concerns.

Hearing Dox’s worries, Angel suddenly fell silent, only speaking after a while, ”Don’t worry about us, if I can lend you a trump card, I naturally have other trump cards.”

As for the apprentices, they weren’t sure they could win against the other side, but having a trump card increased their chances, so a slight improvement didn’t matter much.

Upon considering this, Dox finally made up his mind.

He said to the Gray Merchant, ”I can agree with you, and no need to wait until after the duel. However, if you let that Tentacle Monster enter the Sunlight Sanctuary, the cost will be higher than for the others.”