Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 3262: Chapter 3263: The Eternal Old Friend

Glaipnir: ”In my view, Tunyta is truly an unparalleled genius, unique in history. During his years as a Prophet, he created many miracles that even posterity cannot decode. For instance, the Crystal Shell was invented by Tunyta. Despite countless derivations over the years, the core of the Crystal Shell remains Tunyta’s original invention.”

”Successors can only expand horizontally but cannot research deeper.”

This means, successors have only been altering the lower limits of the Crystal Shell, but the upper limits remain as they were created by Tunyta over two thousand years ago. No successor of the Crystal Eye Clan has been able to surpass Tunyta’s achievements.

”Moreover, it wasn’t just the Crystal Shell.” Glaipnir paused and continued, ”There’s also the era of shining stars, crafted by Tunyta himself, an unreplicable miracle.”

”Even I...or even my original form, after witnessing Tunyta’s deeds, completely failed to understand how he accomplished them.”

At this point, Glaipnir deliberately glanced at Laplace beside him.

Laplace also nodded promptly, confirming the truth of Glaipnir’s words.

Seeing the perplexed eyes of the crowd, Glaipnir sighed softly, ”Why do I say this? And why do I call the ’era of shining stars’ a lie? Because Tunyta is utterly different from other Crystal Eye Clan members; his thoughts have transcended all the others, making successors unable to comprehend, only clumsily imitate.”

”The Elegy of the Boy’s Demise,” why is it titled as such? Because all those who inherit in the Crystal City are naive youths between fourteen and sixteen years old.

No other age; perhaps it’s the limitation of the Ceremony? Or maybe only teenagers of this age group are most susceptible to the Tide of Thoughts?

In any case, the ”youth” is the protagonist of the Holy Corpse Crystal inheritance.

Whether it was Tunyta presiding over the inheritance ceremony in the past or the Elders Council hosting it later, the protagonists were always teenagers of the appropriate age.

Just that though the protagonists are the same, the outcomes are different.

In the past, when Tunyta presided over the inheritance ceremony, the youths would receive the legacy and gifts of the predecessors, acquiring not only knowledge and abilities but also enhancing their vision and perspective, allowing them to continuously break through their limits in future growth, ultimately reaching their personal zenith.

And countless personal zeniths combined created that era of shining stars.

But after Tunyta’s death, the ceremony presided over by the Elders Council showed noticeable deviations.

Even though the ceremony hosted by the Elders Council was the same, allowing youths to inherit the legacy of the predecessors, one aspect was different: the youths who inherited the legacy of the predecessors lost their personal characters and ultimately became the predecessors.

In simpler terms, Tunyta could let the youths inherit knowledge and abilities without disrupting their human essence. The Elders Council could also let the youths inherit knowledge and abilities, but after inheriting the abilities, the youths were no longer themselves, becoming the deceased predecessors.

In other words, the departed revived through the ceremony left by Tunyta, using the shell of the youth.

”Revival through borrowed shells?” Angel asked in confusion.

Glaipnir nodded: ”That’s right, it can be understood this way... This is why the puzzle story is titled ’The Elegy of the Boy’s Demise.’

Groups of teenagers, at the appropriate age and resonating with the Holy Corpse Crystal, enter the forbidden land, believing they could receive the gifts of the predecessors under the ceremony’s illumination. However, they received nothing but the elegy of life’s end.

What entered were youths, what emerged were a group of revived phantoms.

If this isn’t an elegy, then what is an elegy?

Gutalace felt a chill rising up her spine hearing this. She had good relationships with many of the Crystal Eye Clan, friends like Ku Andata were close friends.

But after listening to ’The Elegy of the Boy’s Demise,’ she suddenly felt uncertain about whether some of her Crystal Eye Clan friends were occupying the bodies of youths as revived phantoms.

Someone like Ku Andata, who she knew was a genius that had risen to fame as a youth, fits perfectly into the motif of revival by borrowed shells, doesn’t she?

Was she a revived one?

Thinking of this possibility, Gutalace felt cold all over, everything seemed so absurd.

Gutalace: ”Back then, Tunyta could let people obtain the legacy without damage, why can’t people do it now?”

Glaipnir glanced at Gutalace and spoke softly, ”This is why I say Tunyta is a unique genius in history. Because he accomplished what others could not.”

”Even though I know the content of this ceremony, I still cannot comprehend how Tunyta managed it.”

”Just like Angel mentioned earlier, what you receive, you must pay for. When Tunyta was alive, these youths only received benefits without paying any price, which is a situation even I can’t figure out.”

Angel pondered and said, ”Could it be, that perhaps those youths paid a price back then, only that price was borne by Tunyta or diverted to another thing?”

Glaipnir: ”That’s possible, but there is no evidence showing Tunyta secretly paid any price. The only certainty is that the era of shining stars is surely a false facade, as Tunyta himself definitely knew that after his death, there would be no more shining stars; this is the lie he wove.”

”Speaking of price, as opposed to now, obtaining knowledge and ability at the cost of erasing personal character does indeed align well with the concept of ’price.’”

Gutalace remained frowning after listening: ”But this price is too high... Has the Crystal Eye Clan’s Elders Council never thought of stopping this behavior? Even if they got the legacy of the predecessors, it also obliterates the future of the Crystal Eye Clan.”

Glaipnir let out a cold laugh: ”Perhaps the Crystal Eye Clan’s Elders Council has thought about stopping the continuation of the ceremony, but sometimes one is not in control. Just like listening to the whispers of a Demon, once heard, it’s hard to withdraw, Desire and innate flaws will surge, completely suppressing conscience, occupying absolute dominance.”

Once Pandora’s box is opened, it’s hard to close it again.

This is human nature.

At this point, Glaipnir naturally transitioned to the next puzzle piece—”The Eternal Old Friend.”

”Why does the Crystal Eye Clan’s Elders Council allow everything to happen rather than stopping? Because they have tasted the sweetness, because they also have...old friends.”

Glaipnir paused and looked at Angel: ”You should remember that live ceremony from before.”

Angel nodded.

Glaipnir: ”If you’ve seen that ceremony, you’ll understand why the Elders Council is unwilling to give up.”

Angel understood what Glaipnir meant, but Gutalace beside him was puzzled: ”What is the live broadcast? And what ceremony are you talking about? Is it the ceremony in the forbidden land? Did you go to the forbidden land?”

Glaipnir glared at Gutalace with annoyance: ”The positions of the Crystal Eye Clan’s forbidden land and the gathering are polar opposites; since we’re gathering now, it obviously means we didn’t go to the forbidden land.”

Gutalace: ”Then what is the live ceremony you mentioned?”

Glaipnir didn’t speak, and instead, looked toward Angel.

Broadcasting itself is Angel’s ability, though it may not necessarily be a secret, she couldn’t explain it on his behalf.

Angel understood Glaipnir’s intention and proactively said: ”Live broadcasting is just a form of performance, Ms. Gutalace need not mind. As for the ceremony mentioned here, I witnessed the entire process, and I am willing to share it with Ms.”

After speaking, Angel briefly introduced their previous experiences.

On their way here, they passed by a Ring Fort and encountered a clearing by soldiers from the Crystal Eye Clan... Then, they witnessed a scene where an Elder from Kasata summoned an old friend through a ceremony.

Angel: ”Because we were too far away at the time, we couldn’t see clearly. We could only confirm that this old friend of Kasata is likely just a consciousness or a departed spirit, definitely not a physical entity.”

At this point, Angel chose not to continue, but Gutalace understood his meaning.

If this spirit or consciousness were to ultimately merge with an eligible youth and erase the youth’s consciousness, allowing Kasata’s deceased old friend to return to the world...

Then, everything would be explained.

Glaipnir: ”Now you understand, don’t you? It’s not that the Elders Council is unwilling to give up the ceremony, but they themselves also harbor unforgettable memories deep within their hearts.”

”And ’The Eternal Old Friend’ tells a similar story.”

Two thousand years ago.

After the Prophet Tunyta’s death, the Elders Council discovered a problem with the ceremony left behind by Tunyta.

At that time, some Elders considered stopping it, and the Elders Council even agreed with the proposal. But when it came to implementation, they found it very difficult.

Because the Prophet Tunyta’s prestige was too high during his lifetime, causing countless people to place absolute trust in his actions. At this moment, trying to dispute the Prophet’s ideology was like preaching heretical doctrines to fanatical believers—not only a suicidal act but also not accepted by any of the people.

Moreover, the most crucial point is that to completely extinguish this ceremony, they would have to destroy the spectacular building at the core of the Crystal City.

But would the Elders Council dare to do so?

They didn’t dare.

The entire Crystal Eye Clan had moved into Crystal City, spanning several generations.

Within Crystal City, people no longer worried about housing or food, nor did they fear falling onto the frozen ground. They could meet more compatriots and establish either friendly or intimate relationships.

From the perspectives of livelihood, education, and even the reproductive issues of future generations, the existence of Crystal City was undeniably beneficial.

Now if they were to demolish it, not only would the people not consent, but even internally, the Elders Council would not agree.

Unable to dismantle the spectacular building, and unable to stop people from integrating the Holy Corpse Crystal into Crystal City, even if they temporarily halted the ceremony, significant progress was hard to achieve.

This had already reached a consensus among the Elders Council.

Indeed, this impasse was soon broken. Moreover, it was broken by a veteran of the Elders Council, known as the Great Elder.

The Great Elder had no partner and lived a relatively calm life, dedicating most of his life to the Crystal Eye Clan. In everyone’s eyes, he was a role model of diligence and professionalism.

However, the Great Elder was not without ties—he had a profoundly close bosom friend.

Their intimate bond could be traced back to when they weren’t yet born, when their mothers bathed together in Male Lake.

Over hundreds of years of interaction, one became the Great Elder, handling various affairs within Crystal City; the other became a warrior, stationed at the Mirror Gate of the Crystal Kingdom.

These bosom friends, though on distinctly different paths, maintained their relationship without fading, growing even closer due to their high positions and lack of other close relations.

Almost every week, the Great Elder exchanged letters with his front-line friend.

Through this ongoing exchange, their bond deepened.

Yet because of this deep bond, when news of a calamity on the front lines came, the Great Elder felt his world collapse.

A Mirror Ghost emerging from the Gloomy Mirror Domain attempted to invade the Crystal Kingdom. His friend, in order to protect the Crystal Eye Clan, engaged in a duel with the Mirror Ghost at the Mirror Gate. Although he killed the Mirror Ghost eventually, he was exhausted unto death.

Upon hearing the news, the Great Elder personally went to the front line and brought back his friend’s Holy Corpse Crystal to Crystal City.

After the burial, the Great Elder spent several years in a dazed state.

Then one day, the Great Elder suddenly discovered a fifteen-year-old youth resonating with his friend’s Holy Corpse Crystal...

”There’s a more detailed follow-up to this story, but there’s no need to delve deeper, because at this point, I believe you can guess what happens next.” Glaipnir said calmly.

Gutalace: ”The Great Elder chose to let the old friend enter the youth’s body and return to the world...”

Glaipnir nodded: ”Yes, and precisely because the Great Elder took this step, the ceremony that was nominally sealed away was revived and continues to this day.”

”The story of ’The Eternal Old Friend’ is just such a tale.”

Gutalace frowned deeply: ”Beneath the veneer of beautiful friendship lies the silent cries of youthful spirits. No wonder every time I come to Crystal City, Ku Anta always reminds me not to mention the Holy Corpse Crystal.”

”I originally thought it was out of respect for the deceased, but now I realize... it was to maintain the façade of peace.”

Glaipnir: ”Although your train of thought isn’t entirely incorrect, Ku Anta’s reminder isn’t just about maintaining a façade. As a close friend of yours, Ku Anta informed you of this simply to prevent you from catching the attention of the Giant City Spirit.”

Even when they used Mind Ribbon to communicate, they put up a barrier outside to avoid being noticed by the Giant City Spirit.

The Giant City Spirit, already tamed by the Elders Council, monitors anyone mentioning keywords. Once you mention the Holy Corpse Crystal, you’ve essentially landed on the Giant City Spirit’s observation list.

If it discovers any unusual behavior from you, it might indeed render you ’silenced.’

As the spirit of the spectacular building, the Giant City Spirit is powerful. Moreover, a building as a spirit has a trait: within its coverage area, it can almost be called a god.

And Crystal City is the Giant City Spirit’s coverage area.

Especially now, they’re within the body of the Giant City Spirit.

Within the Ring Fort’s range, the Giant City Spirit is virtually a supreme god. In its current state, Laplace is definitely no match for the Giant City Spirit.

Even Gutalace cannot overturn within the Giant City Spirit’s body.

Ku Anta’s request for Gutalace not to mention the Holy Corpse Crystal was actually a form of indirect protection.

Gutalace looked at Glaipnir: ”I have a question I want to ask. Since you mentioned Ku Anta, do you know if she has returned as an undead from the Holy Corpse Crystal?”