Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 3346: Chapter 3347: Dao Shen’s Thoughts

Everything House, reception desk.

A figure in a black robe slowly took off the hood, revealing a flawless face.

If Angel were here, he would immediately recognize the person without a doubt, it was Dao Shen.

Dao Shen politely declined the attentive service from the reception staff, only asking one question: ”Where did the other black-robed figures who came in with him go?”

Upon learning that the others had been allocated to the corresponding tribe’s reception desks, Dao Shen nodded, didn’t ask further, and turned to walk outside.

He needed to quickly go to the office hall to meet with the others.

After leaving the reception desk, Dao Shen swiftly moved down the long corridor, the only sound being his overlapping footsteps in the quiet silence.

Suddenly, a buzzing noise sounded beside his ear.

”That person just now, do you know them?”

There was no one around Dao Shen, yet this abrupt voice did not surprise him.

Dao Shen slowed his pace, and said indifferently: ”What does this have to do with you?”

”Why shouldn’t it be related to me? Don’t forget, it was your human companion who caused trouble last time, leading to major discrepancies at the gem trade fair.” The buzzing voice sounded honest, but carried a hint of anger now.

Dao Shen: ”Although those people belonged to the same organization as me, they were from another faction, we were inherently at odds.”

Buzzing voice: ”I know, you said before, you’re the Conservative Faction, they’re the Extremist Faction. But to us, it makes no difference—we only know you’re both humans.”

Dao Shen fell silent, unsure of how to refute.

It was incredibly difficult to get the Ersi Clan, an outsider race, to understand the internal disputes among humans, especially ideological battles within the same organization.

Dao Shen decided to ignore its words and replied: ”I don’t expect you to understand the battles of the Dark Blood Church because it’s not important.”

”As for the human you asked about, he’s hardly a member of the Dark Blood Church, just a human I met casually at a gathering, he won’t participate in this hunting event. So, you needn’t worry about him.”

Buzzing voice: ”Not a member of the Dark Blood Church?”

Dao Shen nodded with certainty.

”Alright then, since you’re sure he won’t participate, I’m relieved.” The buzzing voice slowly lowered, like someone about to fall asleep murmuring drowsily.

”Are you going to sleep again?” Dao Shen turned his head to look at his shoulder.

Through Dao Shen’s perspective, one could clearly see a small pocket on the shoulder of his black robe, where a rather burly doll clung to the pocket’s edge.

Despite the doll’s muscular physique, it looked quite cute, like a sunny doll.

Yes, the person who spoke with Dao Shen earlier was this doll.

It was a rather peculiar member of the Ersi Clan.

However, this Ersi Clan doll kept drooping its eyelids, seemingly about to fall asleep.

”Mm, the Everything House is quite safe, no need to worry about being watched, I’m preparing to catch up on sleep...” The Ersi Clan doll buzzed softly.

Dao Shen: ”You can sleep if you want, but before you do, let me ask you one thing.”

”What is it?”

Dao Shen: ”Why did you say you’d be relieved if he didn’t participate?”

This sentence seems fine at first, but pondering it closely reveals something quite off.

Dao Shen knew some of this Ersi Clan’s background; its strength wasn’t weak at all but rather strong, enough to rank in the top ten among the younger generation of Ersi Clan. Despite its earlier complaints about the Extremist Faction, those were merely verbal complaints; if the Extremist Faction were really to interfere, it wouldn’t even take it seriously.

But this powerful being said he’d be relieved if Angel didn’t participate. What did this mean? Did it believe Angel had the ability to change the overall situation if involved?

Dao Shen voiced his doubts.

The Ersi Clan doll, after hearing, grumbled irritably: ”I don’t know if he can change the overall situation, but the two people beside him are not easy to deal with.”

”The silver-haired, heterochromatic-eyed woman beside him, I didn’t recognize, but I felt a strong sense of threat from her, not a good character. And the other is a knight of the Yingji Clan, I’ve seen him at the Yingji Clan ceremony, standing beside the highest commander of the Ice Country, definitely a high-ranking member of the Yingji Clan, or the child of high-ranking members.”

”Though I don’t think the Yingji Clan would get involved in this hunting event. But if he did participate and brought those crazed Yingji Clan soldiers, then our mission would be directly declared a failure.”

”Is there anything else you want to ask? If not, I’m going to sleep.”

Dao Shen opened his mouth, but didn’t speak further.

He initially thought Angel had something unusual about him, but didn’t expect it was the people beside him...

Nonetheless, his fellow human being capable of reaching such high levels in the Daylight Mirror Domain was indeed quite capable.

It seems the badge he left Angel earlier might not come in handy after all.

Thinking of this, Dao Shen still felt comforting. After all, as a fellow human, he didn’t want Angel to perish in a foreign land. Seeing he had reliable support, Dao Shen was relieved as well.

The atmosphere in the corridor returned to silence, darkness was about to dissipate like surging waves, and the distant exit hovered in white light.

Dao Shen knew he was soon reaching the office.

He no longer thought about Angel’s matters, next he would go to the Everything House under the guidance of other Ersi Clan members to make a commission.

It’s said that there’s an investigator here who can smell the scent of information.

Perhaps leveraging the other’s ability, they could track down the culpable merchant who took the blood of the gods.

Thinking of this, Dao Shen’s mood slightly cleared, and his gaze toward the exit carried a bit more eagerness.

...

Angel didn’t know, Dao Shen was still comforting himself that Angel had a good ”support.”

He had already put Dao Shen’s matter behind him because he had followed Sipolov to the Yingji Clan’s temporary base by now.

Being above the Cloud Soil without building cover, the Yingji Clan’s temporary base, like other places, was all shrouded in a thin mist.

Walking within it, everything seemed hazy.

However, even if one couldn’t see clearly, they could still distinctly feel the air’s murderous atmosphere absent in other places.

When Angel was still an ordinary person, he had been to the military camp at Vichy Harbor, where the atmosphere was similar to the Yingji Clan’s station. Even if the smell of blood was absent in the air, one could still feel the Iron Blood aura emitted by the soldiers.

This is a spiritual force akin to a belief, yet it does not deceit; instead, it burns your vitality with a strong sense of killing intent.

Certainly, with Angel’s current abilities, blocking out this spiritual influence is quite effortless.

Compared to the wisps of killing intent floating in the air, he actually cares more about the various Heart Fires drifting around...

Don’t be fooled by the Yingji Clan soldiers diligently attending to their duties in the station, following protocols to the extreme, even if the sky falls; they adhere only to corporeal discipline, while their eyes—Heart Fires, flit about everywhere.

These Heart Fires are like the Wizard’s Eyes on stakeout, scanning the comings and goings of the multitudes.

Since it is currently a regular gathering of multiple tribes, many outsiders will come to the Yingji Clan station. Rationally, the Heart Fires drifting in the air might only glance briefly at Angel and the others, not fixate on them.

But unfortunately, this time they were brought in by Sipolov.

Sipolov’s status in the camp may not be high, but his background is quite prominent, and he is well-acquainted with Senior General Oleg. Naturally, the ”outsiders” he brought received the curious gazes from the Yingji Clan.

Hence, Angel can clearly sense that the mist-veiled, diverse Heart Fires, seemingly leisurely floating and sinking in the air, are in fact focused on them.

If it were real people directly staring at Angel, he wouldn’t feel much. But now, while corporeal discipline follows military rules, the Heart Fires representing eyes are covertly spying on him, making Angel feel a peculiar sensation.

Not necessarily bad, but not quite good either...

Perhaps seeing Angel’s unnatural expression, Sipolov apologizes somewhat awkwardly: ”They’re actually just curious, with no malice. Besides...”

Sipolov hesitated a bit before whispering, ”Besides, a large part is watching for my amusement.”

Angel: ”Your joke?”

Sipolov gently nodded, ”It’s about Kseniya’s matter...”

Kseniya, this proud young lady, has lowered herself to come to the front lines just to chase Sipolov. This incident has spread in the camp, becoming the most amusing gossip for the entertainment-starved troops, causing Sipolov to be secretly watched by Heart Fires wherever he goes.

Sometimes, Sipolov feels he has become a living joke.

Angel deeply looked at Sipolov, softly lamenting: ”You’ve had a hard time.”

Sipolov forced a difficult smile: ”I’ve grown accustomed...”

After a pause, Sipolov collected his thoughts, speaking of the main topic: ”I might need to apologize to you two in advance.”

Angel and Laplace looked at Sipolov, waiting for his explanation.

”According to military regulations, I can’t directly take you two to see Senior General Oleg; I must first go to request permission and gain his approval before bringing you inside.”

This means Angel and Laplace might need to wait a bit outside until Sipolov’s request is permitted, and then they could directly meet Senior General Oleg.

In response, neither Angel nor Laplace had any objections.

After all, this is the Yingji Clan’s domain, and Yingji Clan uses military rules as law. Any breach of these rules is a grave crime. Even if Sipolov has private connections, here it is tough to use them.

So waiting for a short while won’t hurt.

Sipolov soon took the group to the center of the Yingji Clan, a large domed tent with Ice Country flair.

This tent is where Oleg and other key figures temporarily rest.

Outside the tent is a circle of ’market stalls.’ There are open-air stalls and some small opened tents.

Though called stalls, what’s ’marketed’ here are the Yingji Clan’s core products. Simply put, they are officially produced items, distinct from the merchant goods in the outer stall area.

After arriving here, Sipolov temporarily bid farewell to Angel and Laplace; he planned to enter the main tent first to seek permission from Senior General Oleg.

Before leaving, Angel stopped Sipolov: ”If Senior General Oleg inquires about our purpose, you can tell him in advance.”

If it’s merely for permission to meet, they would have to explain their intentions after entering, so it’d be better for Sipolov to inform Senior General Oleg in advance to see his reaction.

Sipolov thought for a moment, then nodded: ”Okay, then... Can I tell him your identities?”

Angel nonchalantly nodded: ”You can.”

Angel is not well known in the Daylight Mirror Domain, so even if identities are revealed, at most only a ”Dream Mirror Member” title would be disclosed, holding little actual value.

As for Laplace’s identity, Sipolov couldn’t articulate it at all, relying solely on conjecture. Revealing it would likely be vague, further fueling speculation.

Hence, Angel and Laplace weren’t concerned about identity matters.

Even in the worst-case scenario of true identities being exposed, it actually wouldn’t be a big deal...

After receiving permission, Sipolov entered the main tent; however, before leaving, he also found a Yingji Clan soldier to serve as a guide for Angel and Laplace.

If they were interested in any stalls or objects, they could communicate with this ”guide” instead of searching and circling around.

Originally, Angel intended to observe the progress of two training instances in the Dream Crystal Origin with the God’s View while waiting for Sipolov’s return.

But with Sipolov arranging a guide, Angel pondered and decided to temporarily set aside logging into the Dream Crystal Origin.

Follow this young guide and examine the Yingji Clan’s goods.

Earlier, when the Yingji Clan ascended the main display stage, Angel was engrossed in private chat with Wang Wang and missed what Yingji Clan presented.

However, he recalled that when Sipolov mentioned the Fragrance Seeking Tribe, he said Ice Country has many laboratories for biological modification experiments, and some results would be showcased this time.

In the Southern Domain, biological modification experiments are rarely discussed, let alone publicly sold research and ”products.”

Angel is quite curious about how Yingji Clan’s biological modification experiments differ from those in the Southern Domain.

With questions in mind, Angel looked at the young guide.

The guide is a black-haired girl, about 1.8 meters tall, well-proportioned, wearing tight-fitting black uniform.

She wore a crimson eye mask, with a blossoming white flower floating beside her.

This flower represents her Heart Fire.

”My name is Takiyana. If there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to let me know,” she spoke with a raspy, distinctive voice.

Angel didn’t hold back and expressed his desire to see things related to ”biological modification experiments.”

Takiyana nodded: ”I understand, please follow me.”