Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 2928: Chapter 2929: The Finish Line

”Indeed, the Sea of Void Mirror is vast, and the memories that rush in from the outside are mostly chaotic, often being washed away quickly. Finding specific mirror memories is a slim chance.”

Angel frowned, ”Then why would the Ancient Ruins of Tooth Fairy contain the mirror memories you’re looking for?”

Laplace: ”As I said before, the Ancient Tooth Fairy within the Ancient Ruins of Tooth Fairy, that is, the Mirror Sea Scholars, have developed a technique to seek objects. By utilizing memory fragments fished out from the Sea of Void Mirror, they can associate and locate physical objects drifting into the Sea of Void Mirror with the memory fragments.”

Angel also remembered this. In essence, it’s like the Ancient Tooth Fairy are ”panning for gold” in the Sea of Void Mirror.

Laplace: ”And the seeking technique I mentioned is actually the initial version. Now, the Ancient Tooth Fairy can use the technique not only forward but also backward.”

Angel: ”What do you mean?”

”Using it forward means searching for physical objects drifting in via memory fragments, as I mentioned earlier.”

”Using it backward means searching for corresponding memory fragments through physical objects, and this search does not require strong association, only weak association.”

Angel listened, confused, ”Strong association? Weak association? What does that mean?”

”Strong association means the physical object must correspond to the fragment; weak association does not require a complete match.”

”You might understand it as picking up a hat on the road; the hat and its owner have a strong association with an internal logical connection between them. The hat and a person it fits perfectly have a weak association, meaning a relationship can exist but lacks internal connection.”

Laplace paused: ”Similarly, when the seeking technique is used backward and only requires weak association, the Ancient Tooth Fairy can search a variety of corresponding mirror memories with related physical objects.”

”For example, I traded with the Ancient Tooth Fairy for memories about plane fusion.”

”And the Ancient Tooth Fairy, using half a drop of Constant Fragments, backwardly applied the seeking technique and found many memories related to plane fusion in the Sea of Void Mirror.”

Angel now somewhat understood: ”So, as long as there are related physical objects, corresponding memories can be searched.”

Laplace: ”You can think of it that way. Using the seeking technique forward only works through strong associations. Using it backward, both strong and weak associations with the sought objects can be found.”

Angel understood this.

Regardless, this seeking technique by the Ancient Tooth Fairy is practically a powerful tool for intelligence gathering...

Laplace: ”Are you interested in specific mirror memories the Ancient Tooth Fairy seeks?”

Laplace deliberately mentioned ”specific” because non-specific mirror memories can be retrieved from the Sea of Void Mirror without the Ancient Tooth Fairy by her and her Temporal Body.

Angel nodded, not denying it: ”I am indeed interested in some specific mirror memories. Like the plane fusion information you just mentioned. I’m interested in that, but not the story post-plane fusion; I’m intrigued by plane fusion itself.”

Laplace: ”Do you want Constant Fragments?”

Angel smiled without answering.

Constant Fragments can create Witchcraft Gardens, and Witchcraft Gardens are sought treasures for all wizards, so naturally Angel desires them too.

However, more than Constant Fragments, he is particularly concerned about plane fusion itself.

But these thoughts cannot be disclosed.

Laplace did not know what Angel was thinking, merely considering Angel’s silence as tacit agreement.

”If you’re after Constant Fragments, you could seek them from the Ancient Tooth Fairy, as there are signs preceding plane fusion. The Ancient Tooth Fairy can also find some mirror memories related to those signs.” Laplace paused: ”However, even if you obtain those mirror memories, you might not make it to the plane fusion in time. Unless, plane fusion happens in the Southern Domain. Yet often, the mirror memories the Ancient Tooth Fairy retrieves are far from the Southern Domain.”

Angel: ”I know this too; I was just casually saying. Besides, what truly interests me is the Ancient Tooth Fairy.”

Laplace: ”Oh?”

Angel softly said: ”What do you think about letting the Ancient Tooth Fairy settle in the Crystal Origin of Dreams and create an online store akin to the Ancient Ruins of Tooth Fairy here?”

Online store? What a strange term.

”It’s online purchasing, offline trading. This way, if goods are reserved here, you can collect them later. No goods also mean you won’t make a wasted trip, saving quite a bit of running time.”

Laplace, after a brief thought, understood Angel’s idea.

”I comprehend the concept you mentioned about the online store. However, this doesn’t save much time. People genuinely interested in buying items may not necessarily go in person; they could dispatch a Temporal Body or send a Mirror Thought to achieve the effect of the so-called online store.”

”What you truly want isn’t an online store, but something else, right?”

For instance, the intelligence system of the Ancient Tooth Fairy.

Angel: ”I do have other ideas, but don’t you think the concept of an online store sounds great? It isn’t limited to the Ancient Tooth Fairy. Suppose you, for example, want to buy adorable hairpins, singing scores, or astrology tools—what if the Ancient Tooth Fairy doesn’t have them, but others just do? Can’t items be exchanged initially through the online store and later traded?”

Laplace pondered for a moment: ”What you say makes sense, but it also doesn’t seem greatly necessary. The ecosystem you describe aligns more with the human ecological system, whereas mirror creatures have their own ecosystem.”

”However, putting the concept of online stores aside. Solely expanding the biological population in the Crystal Origin of Dreams, the Ancient Tooth Fairy is a potential candidate.”

”Though the Ancient Tooth Fairy loves researching, like other Tooth Fairies from Tooth Fairy Paradise, they also have an inherent yearning for art. However, few places in the Mirror Domain allow them to express their artistic sides, but the Crystal Origin of Dreams can fully satisfy their artistic passion.”

Angel: ”You mean...”

Laplace: ”Such as architecture...”

The Crystal Origin of Dreams now is merely a barren land, desolately bleak to behold. But with sufficient materials and granting the Ancient Tooth Fairy total autonomy in creation, even without spending any Crystalline substance, the Ancient Tooth Fairy would likely be keen to design and plan in the Crystal Origin of Dreams.

The Ancient Tooth Fairy often laments that the space within the Ancient Ruins of Tooth Fairy is too small; the Crystal Origin of Dreams is a place where they can truly shine.

Once they design their favorite architecture and plan their own ”Paradise,” Angel’s so-called online store might be something the Ancient Tooth Fairy would pursue independently.

After all, once constructing their desired buildings, failing to reside there or do something would be an inordinate waste.

After hearing Laplace’s explanation, Angel’s eyes lit up: ”This is indeed a good method.”

Laplace left it at that, not saying more, but Angel had begun scheming internally, reflecting that maybe after going offline, he could leave a batch of Log-in Devices with Laplace... ideally, get the Ancient Tooth Fairy in here somehow first.

After all, infrastructure projects can’t possibly mean drawing personnel from the Wizards’ Realm.

Additionally, Angel hesitated about whether to reveal the Wilderness of Dreams opens—this was not in doubt. Yet whether to share information about the Crystal Origin of Dreams—still required consideration.

...

While Angel was lost in thought, below, Glaipnir had already surpassed the high-altitude swing, advancing to the final sprint zone.

Just like before, Glaipnir was riding the Black Tiger, sprinting towards the finish line.

Without any suspense, she crossed the finish line alongside the Black Tiger.

As Glaipnir crossed the finish line, a deluge of ribbons and balloons floated up from the finish line, seemingly celebrating Glaipnir’s successful challenge.

Accompanied by balloons and streamers, and the host’s praise, Glaipnir slowly floated into mid-air.

The Black Tiger then turned to smoke and disappeared.

Glaipnir originally intended to bring the Black Tiger into the air but didn’t expect the Circus to make it vanish directly. Glaipnir felt slightly regretful; she actually quite enjoyed petting cats...

However, Glaipnir quickly shrugged off the regret.

Because, in front of her, the colored lights had started to flicker, indicating that the audience was about to score her performance.

Glaipnir was unsure how well she performed, but from the host’s energetic persuasion, she felt her score might not be high.

If it were really a high score, the host wouldn’t need to persuade the audience so fervently.

Soon, the first row of colored lights lit up entirely, signifying that Glaipnir had secured 10 points.

The second row of lights lit up much more slowly, flickering reluctantly to half, and then stopped.

A total of fifteen colored lights lit up, meaning Glaipnir scored 15 points on the animal-taming course.

Glaipnir felt slightly relieved at seeing this score; at least it was a passing grade.

When Glaipnir returned to her seat, the host casually praised her a few times, then the scenery was pulled back under the black curtain.

Everyone was plunged back into darkness.

Though they couldn’t see, it didn’t affect their communication.

At this time, everyone’s focus naturally shifted to Angel, because the next course was the magic course that Angel would challenge.

The magic course was an unknown track, and being the final course, would it be harder than the previous ones?

As everyone discussed, the black curtain suddenly opened, and bright light flooded in.

Once everyone adjusted to the light, they looked down, curious to see what the final course was like.

However, when they looked, they froze.

Below was a cluster of houses, large and small, arranged chaotically, with nearly all the houses connected, either door-to-door or with planks on the second floor as bridges, resembling a slum.

But unlike the varied colors of slum houses, these houses were entirely black and white, without a third color.

Is this the magic course?

What does this cluster of houses have to do with magic?

While everyone was puzzled, the host’s voice came over.

”This is the final course, the magic course. For this course, only the Black Cat Challenger is left, right?” Host: ”The Black Cat Challenger looks quite stunned, anxious to start the magic course?”

Angel’s expression was indeed somewhat surprised, but it had nothing to do with the host’s interpretation of eagerness.

He was merely looking at this course, recalling some... interesting things.

Putting aside the other courses, the magic course alone gave Angel a peculiar sense of déjà vu.

If one views the black-and-white houses as geometric patterns, along with the noticeably brighter lighting compared to other courses, the entire course map looked very much like a game Angel had played, Monument Valley.

He once crafted a tool related to this game... the Monument of the Strange Loop.

However, currently, it’s just a sense of déjà vu, and Angel still doesn’t know what the actual ”play” of this course involves.

At this moment, the host timely spoke: ”This magic course was rushed during the night by the Sunshine Circus, its ingenuity and inspiration are all divinely given. I know you all have many questions about this course, but unfortunately, I cannot reveal too much because it’s a divine design and idea. Revealing it would be a disservice to the heavens.”

”I can only tell you two things, the first being that this course still does not have a time limit.”

”The second point, I can tell you the start and end points.”

The host paused, then said: ”You can look down now, the glowing red circle is the starting point.”

The crowd looked down, finding the start point at the front end of this ”slum.”

Following this logic, the endpoint should be at the back end of the ”slum,” right?

As everyone thought this, the host said: ”Alright, you can look at the endpoint now, I’ve marked it with a glowing green circle.”

The crowd quickly looked.

Upon this glance, they found nothing.

They assumed there would be a green circle at the back end of the ”slum,” but... there wasn’t.

Moreover, outside the entire slum, no green circles were visible.

Could it be inside the houses?

As they considered it, they suddenly heard Angel coughing.

What’s Angel coughing about? The crowd turned to look, thoroughly stunned.

Because the green circle was right under Angel’s seat.

The green light dyed the fur of Angel’s plush costume green.

But that’s not the point; the point is... the circle is beneath the seat!

This is high in the air! And there’s no passageway around, how could the endpoint be here?

Did the host make a mistake?

The host seemed to see the confusion in the crowd’s eyes and said: ”You’re not mistaken, the endpoint is exactly at the Black Cat Challenger’s seat.”

Luigi furrowed his brow: ”How could this be the endpoint, does it require a flight tool?”

Host: ”Don’t doubt, this is the endpoint. As for how to reach here, it depends on the Black Cat Challenger’s wisdom!”

The host paused, then said: ”Does the Black Cat Challenger need to discuss? When ready to begin, remember to press the animal statue, don’t keep our audience waiting...”

Before the host finished speaking, Angel already pressed the animal statue on the table.