Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 3182: Chapter 3183: Birth Stone

Next, the black-robed figure asked many more questions in a roundabout way.

A lot of which involved ideological stances.

Although it was mainly the black-robed figure inquiring about Angel’s stance, in the process, he revealed some of his own ideology.

Even if he didn’t say a word, Angel could discern clues from his emotions.

For instance, when he asked Angel about his stance on Blood Origin and Pureblood, Angel expressed that he had no stance; the black-robed figure was quite satisfied with Angel’s answer, but his emotions showed a trace of dissent towards Angel’s stance.

Obviously, the black-robed figure himself had a stance.

Judging from his emotional analysis, he tended to support the McField Declaration. This indicated that his stance was inclined towards Pureblood wizards.

So, don’t be fooled that it was the black-robed figure asking questions; he actually leaked quite a lot of information himself.

When the black-robed figure had almost finished asking questions, Angel casually said, ”You seem to be very concerned about things related to bloodline, I noticed quite a bit of bloodline-related matters on the list earlier.”

Though Angel didn’t ask directly, the implication was inquiring whether the black-robed figure was a Bloodline Wizard.

The black-robed figure picked up on Angel’s implication and didn’t hide it, nodding, ”Indeed, I am a Bloodline Wizard, so naturally, I pay attention to news related to bloodline.”

He had asked quite many questions related to the Bloodline side earlier, so Angel’s inquiry wasn’t surprising. However, Angel’s next question did catch him off guard.

”Do you come from the Wild Realm?”

The black-robed figure frowned, ”Why does the guest ask such a question?”

He had indirectly admitted that he was ”human” by acknowledging that he’s a Bloodline Wizard. Being human implied that he hailed from the Southern Domain, not from outside regions.

Angel gave the black-robed figure a deep look, ”Stance first, ideology first; that’s not the mainstream in the Southern Domain of the Wizard World.”

The debate between Blood Origin and Pureblood, although an ongoing dispute among Bloodline Wizards, hasn’t escalated to the point where everyone asks about stances upon meeting.

Primarily because the Southern Domain is vast, Bloodline Wizards are scattered and unable to gather long-term, naturally reducing sharp conflicts.

Where ”stance first” truly prevails is in the Wild Realm, where many Bloodline Wizards gather. Especially in the origin of the McField Declaration—Floating City, where it’s fundamentally ”ignoring right or wrong, recognizing only stance.”

So, when the black-robed figure inquired about Angel’s stance, Angel instinctively thought of the Wild Realm.

”Seems I mentioned the topic too abruptly before.” The black-robed figure softly said, ”But, from what I know, Bloodline Wizards in the Wild Realm act much more extremely in identifying non-my stance.”

The black-robed figure admitted talking about stances was somewhat abrupt, but he considered his ideology much less intense compared to those Bloodline Wizards in the Wild Realm.

Between the lines, he didn’t admit originating from the Wild Realm.

Angel didn’t mind the black-robed figure’s denial.

Although the black-robed figure denied coming from the Wild Realm, Angel had already gleaned deeper implications from his emotions.

Decoding emotions alone couldn’t affirm his origin 100%, but Angel sensed the black-robed figure likely hailed from the Wild Realm.

The reason didn’t just lie in the previously mentioned ”stance first” but also in another crucial ”external factor.”

In Crystal City, Angel encountered only two humans.

The first was the previously met Dao Shen, who had been confirmed to be from the Wild Realm, a Bloodline Wizard.

Now another black-robed figure appeared, also a Bloodline Wizard, and talks centered around ”stance.”

If Angel hadn’t first met Dao Shen, he might instinctively think the black-robed figure was from Southern Domain, but with Dao Shen as precedent, Angel definitely associated with the Wild Realm rather than Southern Domain.

Both humans encountered had links with the Wild Realm.

Angel even speculated that perhaps Dao Shen and this black-robed figure shared a deep connection?

Regardless, neither Dao Shen nor the black-robed figure had any link with Angel. He attended the gathering to promote the Crystal Origin of Dreams, not to reminisce with ”fellow countrymen.”

Seeing the black-robed figure reluctant to admit coming from the Wild Realm, Angel didn’t pursue and instead switched the topic, ”Can we talk about the ’unknown smooth arm’ in the mysterious object list?”

The black-robed figure cast a puzzled look at Angel, ”Is the guest interested in this clue?”

If Angel were interested, why hadn’t he brought it up before?

Angel smiled and shook his head, ”I never intended to look for it, just purely curious about the mysterious object’s effect.”

The black-robed figure squinted, pondering an earlier assumption, perhaps this was a chance to inquire, ”Apologies for being presumptuous, is the guest an Alchemist?”

Angel didn’t deny, nodded, ”Sort of.”

The black-robed figure understood, nodding, since Angel admitted being an Alchemist, his curiosity about mysterious objects made sense.

The black-robed figure thought for a moment before speaking, ”Earlier, the guest mentioned ’overly common clues,’ I assume you referred to the Growth Ray clue?”

Angel nodded ambiguously and casually responded, ”Rye God Long Island.”

The black-robed figure instantly understood, as the Growth Ray was indeed from Rye God Long Island; Angel’s dissatisfaction with this clue is natural.

”Indeed, Growth Ray’s clue might be widely spread, but regarding the ’unknown smooth arm,’ I can confirm few people know about it.” The black-robed figure said, ”If the guest just wants to know its general effect, I can talk. But for further details, compensation is needed.”

Angel nodded, ”Understood.”

Upon receiving confirmation, the black-robed figure didn’t hold back further and concisely shared information he knew about the mysterious object’s effect.

This arm resembled a human arm but wasn’t from humans; it originated from an ape.

As known currently, this ape arm, although hairless, causes hair growth upon contact.

Any place touched by the arm would frantically grow hair.

Whether hair growth has a limit is unknown to the black-robed figure, but he heard someone once died due to excessive hair growth.

”...Thus, while this mysterious object’s effect appears simple, it holds some practical value. Especially for those balding, it’s almost like a blessing.”

After hearing the black-robed figure’s account, Angel also felt amazed; mysterious objects indeed have bizarre effects...

After expressing his feelings, Angel did not further inquire about the clues regarding the arm.

Mainly because he was indeed not very interested in this arm, and besides, the arm’s effect didn’t seem that strong, but this was only based on the black-robed man’s description.

Moreover, if just being touched by the arm makes hair grow wildly, what happens if one actively touches the arm? Is there a limit to hair growth? Is the grown hair special?

Also, does the arm only make living things grow hair? What if it assimilates both living and inorganic substances alike?

Angel’s questions are not empty fantasies; if this arm is already in disorder, such scenarios are likely to occur.

The more one understands mysterious objects, the more cautious one should be around them.

Angel didn’t want to rush to deliver something based on a brief clue. Besides, if the arm could truly be obtained so easily, why wouldn’t the black-robed man get it himself?

Seeing Angel did not inquire about the arm’s clues, the black-robed man did not mind; as long as Angel was determined to buy something, a ’transaction’ was possible. More or less doesn’t matter.

...

After about three minutes, Laplace lifted the curtain and walked out.

Angel and the black-robed man looked together.

Angel wanted to know if Laplace had found any items worth picking up at a bargain.

The black-robed man also wanted to see if any of these unknown items contained real treasures.

However, Laplace ignored the black-robed man and looked at Angel.

At the same time, Angel received a transmission from Laplace: ”I recognized three items, but only one is valuable.”

The three items Laplace recognized happened to be three stones of different shapes.

The first is a tower-shaped stone with unknown patterns, which Angel had observed closely before, finding the patterns aesthetically pleasing and evoking a strange feeling within him.

Although Angel did not recognize what this stone was, he suspected it might be something good.

But Laplace’s answer surprised Angel somewhat: ”This is a yellow knapweed fossil.”

Yellow knapweed is an extinct plant from the Wild Realm. When alive, for the first thirty years, it stays low like wild vegetables, but at the moment of its death, it will stand up, absorb the surrounding energy aura through the patterns on its body, store it internally, and form a tower shape. The absorbed energy aura is not real energy, merely an ”energy illusion” or ”energy field,” but to other beasts and magical creatures, the ”treasure-like” appearance of yellow knapweed is very deceptive, making them believe it might be a Demon Plant and thus eat the yellow knapweed.

And yellow knapweed spreads its seeds by being eaten by magical creatures, which then deposit excrement everywhere.

The patterns on the yellow knapweed possess a bit of transcendent nature, but it itself doesn’t quite qualify as a Demon Plant.

This fossil was perfectly preserved in the tower shape of yellow knapweed, also preserving the patterns. Over the years, the patterns silently absorbed energy aura, forming a very unique energy field.

Even deceiving Angel into believing it.

Plus, the fossil shell is likely formed from some magical creature’s viscera, and the combination makes the yellow knapweed fossil very deceptive.

In short, Laplace considers the yellow knapweed fossil valueless.

However, Angel sees some research value in the yellow knapweed fossil... After all, it’s an extinct plant, and the patterns can absorb energy fields, which is quite intriguing.

Angel silently estimated in his heart that if the yellow knapweed fossil isn’t too expensive, he might as well take it.

The second stone is also a fossil.

An inner nest fossil of a Void magical creature named ’Lirus’, the nest probably contained the offspring of this creature, but since it’s been fossilized for at least ten thousand years, it has completely lost its transcendent nature, and what was supposed to be offspring inside no longer possesses any energy aura.

Most importantly, the Lirus still exists in the Void today, not particularly powerful, but due to the vastness of the Void, it’s rarely encountered. However, if one truly wants to buy a Lirus, seeking a Void trading caravan for capture will surely succeed.

Thus, this fossil truly holds no value.

As for the third stone, it’s a marble-sized goose-yellow glowing crystal, deemed the most valuable by Laplace.

This is an extremely rare birthstone.

Upon hearing ”birthstone,” Angel immediately understood the crystal’s value.

Angel has never seen a birthstone, but has heard of it. It’s said to originate from the eve of the world’s birth, hence its name.

But later research confirmed that birthstones have no real connection to the world’s birth, yet the name had already spread too widely, making it hard to change, so it remained unchanged.

Though called a stone, in truth, the birthstone is a sort of energy creation.

It is composed of energy, meaning it might appear as a stone, or any other shape, such as crystal, wood, or even liquid.

The birthstone is precious because it’s entirely made of space and time energy.

When the space and time energy properties reach dynamic balance, the birthstone won’t have any energy spill externally, appearing just like any ordinary energy block.

Only forces with both space and time properties can identify a birthstone.

Angel evidently lacks this energy, so when he saw the glowing crystal, he only thought it might be some discarded energy stone.

Due to containing two extremely rare energies, birthstones are very high-end materials.

They can be used for research, serve as casting mediums, and even work as alchemy consumables.

In essence, it’s a very commendable Extraordinary Item. Due to identification difficulty, seldom seen in the Southern Domain Wizards’ Realm, even the sky auction saw very few birthstones appear.

Angel, being an Alchemist, is naturally very interested in the birthstone and has decided to procure it.

Besides the birthstone, Angel is curious about Laplace as well.

Standing outside the curtain, they could perceive the inner room’s situation. Otherwise, the black-robed man wouldn’t dare to casually display things for them alone to examine.

Given they can perceive the inner room’s situation, Angel knew very well Laplace didn’t borrow other tools for identification. She relied solely on her own strength.

Does this mean Laplace potentially possesses both space and time powers? Otherwise, how did she identify the birthstone?

Angel, though quite curious, chose not to ask at this moment but gently nodded towards Laplace before turning to look at the black-robed man.

Seeing Angel’s glance, the black-robed man immediately asked: ”I wonder if the guest has an item of interest?”