Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 2182: Chapter 2183: Exchange Student

Toby accepted the benefits offered by Dangross, so he couldn’t keep showing a stern face. However, he still responded to its flattery with indifference, occasionally chirping a few replies.

Yet even those few chirps made Dangross very excited.

Dangross actually couldn’t understand what Toby’s chirps meant, but every time a chirp came from Toby, it would evoke even more enthusiastic praise from Dangross.

Just like that, a severed hand and a seabird conversed for a full ten minutes without any translation.

It wasn’t until they reached a red archway that Dangross finally stopped its chatter.

”This is the classroom where the teacher gives lessons,” Dangross pointed ahead and said.

Angel stopped and looked toward the archway. The door was open, revealing several rows of desks and chairs made of black stone inside.

”It really is a classroom.” Angel’s expression was slightly surprised. He had previously thought he misunderstood, assuming the classroom was a small room for one-on-one teaching between Magu and Dangross, known as a classroom because knowledge was imparted there; however, he hadn’t expected the classroom to truly resemble those in human academies.

So, Magu’s body not only serves as a residential area but also has the function of a school?

Is Magu transforming its body into a city of elemental creatures?𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Amid his confusion, Angel followed Dangross into the classroom.

Angel had already taken a good look at the classroom from the outside, but upon entering, he noticed two details he hadn’t observed before.

The first was the classroom lights.

The classroom was spacious, roughly the size of a typical church’s prayer hall. Notably, the ceiling of the classroom was quite high, at least thirty meters, with a huge orange fireball at the highest point serving as the classroom’s light.

Angel noticed this ”lamp” immediately because he could sense it emitted a strong elemental fluctuation, the strongest fire elemental fluctuation he had sensed since entering Magu’s body.

Barring any accidents, this ”lamp” was likely the elemental core that Magu had mentioned before in its transmission...

Using the elemental core directly as a ”lamp,” was this intentional on Magu’s part, or just being indifferent?

Aside from the ”lamp,” the second thing that grabbed Angel’s attention was something at the front of the classroom.

The classroom wasn’t empty. In the front few rows of seats, a very tall student was sitting there.

When Angel saw how large the classroom was from outside, he had anticipated students, but the appearance of this student was different from what he imagined.

This student wasn’t a flame lifeform but a stone figure composed of numerous rocks.

In other words, it was an earth element lifeform.

This was the first non-fire element creature Angel had seen in this region.

Dangross also noticed that Angel’s gaze lingered on the stone figure and explained, ”This is Little Inba from the Wild Stone Wasteland, also a student of Teacher Magu. It can make a lot of stones, and the desks and chairs in the classroom were all made by it.”

Angel: ”Is it an exchange student from another region?”

Exchange student? Dangross pondered the term a bit, understanding its meaning, but not why such a term was invented.

”Hmm, I suppose you could call it an exchange... exchange student.”

While Dangross and Angel were talking, Little Inba heard its name mentioned. Its stone head smoothly rotated 180 degrees to look behind.

Little Inba first looked at Angel, scrutinizing him with suspicion for a long while before turning to Dangross: ”I’ll say it again, stop adding little in front of my name, I’m called Inba, not Little Inba!”

Dangross ignored Little Inba and turned to Angel to explain: ”There are two exchange students from the Wild Stone Wasteland, they’re brothers, both called Inba. To avoid confusion, we added ’Little’ and ’Big’ to their names. Big Inba is three times larger in size than Little Inba, which is why he’s called Big Inba, and this one is called Little Inba.”

Little Inba fumed: ”You can call my brother Big Inba, but you can’t call me Little Inba, I am just Inba, I don’t want to be called Little!”

Dangross huffed and turned away, not paying any attention to Little Inba’s protest.

Little Inba: ”No matter how small I am, I’m still dozens of times bigger than you!”

Dangross: ”I just haven’t grown up yet. Once I become mature, I’ll be as big as our ancestors!”

Little Inba: ”Kalomchis doesn’t have hands like yours. No matter how much you grow, you won’t become it. Rather, you might become like this... human beside you.”

Little Inba’s words hit Dangross’s thunderous point, as it considered itself a descendant of Kalomchis and disliked anyone saying it didn’t resemble Kalomchis. Enraged, Dangross charged over to scratch Little Inba, but its stone body wasn’t susceptible to such attacks.

”You know I’m human? Have you seen humans?” Angel looked at Little Inba.

Little Inba: ”I haven’t seen humans, but Teacher Magu has described what humans look like. They look just like you.”

Dangross, who was still scratching, paused: ”Did Teacher Magu talk about humans?”

Little Inba replied irritably, ”Of course he did, but you were only interested in playing, not paying attention.”

After Little Inba finished speaking, it stood up and brushed Dangross off itself: ”You’re here to see Teacher Magu, right? Just now, he asked me to tidy up the classroom for you. Since you’re here, I’ll leave now.”

As Little Inba walked away, it took a few more curious glances at Angel, seemingly fascinated by the human appearance.

Dangross, on the other hand, glared at Little Inba indignantly, muttering, ”Next time, I’ll gather all my little brothers and come beat you up, and see if you still dare to speak nonsense!”

Although Little Inba had already left the classroom, its voice still carried over: ”I heard, though, Inba might be gaining spirit intelligence soon. Without its help, you can’t even scratch my surface. Let’s see who beats whom then!”

Little Inba’s words once again precisely hit Dangross’s nerve, making it jump around the classroom in anger, ranting and raving, but Little Inba had already disappeared.

Eventually, Dangross’s rage slightly subsided.

Angel then said, ”I heard you say earlier that there are many exchange students in the classroom?”

Although still seething, Dangross replied since Toby was there, he didn’t want to leave it unanswered: ”No, only Big and Little Inba are exchange students.”

”Why?”

Dangross: ”Because the Wild Stone Wasteland is our ally, so they send exchange students. Other regions either ignore us or are on bad terms, so they don’t come. Besides, they have their own sages, although I think none of them are as smart as Teacher Magu.”

Angel nodded, seemingly understanding.

Although there’s no concept of countries here, there are tribal concepts. Between tribes, there are bound to be differing positions.

However, Angel was somewhat surprised. He originally thought elemental beings were more like the ecosystem of tribes, very primitive. But now it seems that they also have their own civilization and survival philosophy.

The existence of this classroom may represent a corner of the civilization of the flame beings.

However, this classroom is really too much like the academies in the outside world. Angel speculated that perhaps Teacher Magu had been to the outside world?

”By the way, why hasn’t Mr. Magu appeared yet?” Angel looked at the empty classroom, puzzled.

Dangross hesitated for a moment and said, ”Could he have fallen asleep?”

Regardless of whether this guess was correct, Dangross opened his mouth, shouting loudly with all his might: ”Teacher Magu, Teacher Magu! Are you there?”

After shouting for about two or three minutes, a coughing sound reached their ears: ”Stop shouting, I’m here, I’m here.”

Angel looked back and saw not far from the archway, an old man with a red beard, draped in a red robe, and leaning on a staff, walked in.

The newcomer looked like a human, but upon closer inspection, it was found that his red beard was actually a blazing flame. The staff he leaned on was also a red translucent flame entity, and even his red robe hid flickering flames.

Also, it seemed to be walking, but in fact, its feet were fused with the ground.

This was not a human, nor was it the true body of the newcomer, just a shaping of flames.

It was the ruler of this Lava Lake and Dangross’ teacher, Magu.

Magu entered the classroom slowly, leaning on his staff. Dangross immediately jumped off the table, skipped over to Magu, and hung from Magu’s fiery beard as if swinging on a swing.

Magu looked at Dangross with a kindly smile, not stopping him, showing the demeanor of a loving elder.

”Teacher Magu, why did you come so late? Did you fall asleep again?” Dangross asked while swinging.

Magu’s expression stiffened: ”What do you mean asleep, I just had a little rest.”

”Isn’t that just falling asleep?”

”Nonsense, a rest is a rest, how can that be called falling asleep?” Magu picked up Dangross solemnly and said to him.

”Alright, alright, a rest.” Dangross nodded along with Magu, but his eyes were drifting, clearly not believing it.

Magu, regardless of whether Dangross was sincere or not, placed Dangross aside, turned, and looked at Angel: ”You must be the human His Highness mentioned?”

Angel: ”Has His Highness the New King already told you about me?”

”Not in full detail, just briefly mentioned through the flames that you had questions to ask me.” After speaking, Magu turned to Dangross, ”Did you hear? I wasn’t just resting, I also received information from His Highness.”

Dangross pursed his lips, naturally repelled by this reference to ”His Highness.”

Magu gestured for Angel to sit down, glanced at Toby, his eyes filled with curiosity.

Angel patted Toby, and Toby, understanding Angel’s intention, flew down from his head, skimmed lightly through the air, and transformed into a giant gryphon.

Toby shook his mane, causing a lot of flames to be cast off.

These flames did not ignite the surrounding air but merged with the ground and silently disappeared.

Toby circled once in the air and finally landed gently by Angel’s side, quietly lying down.

Dangross, looking at Toby’s powerful physique, his eyes ignited with longing flames. He attempted to approach Toby, who did not reject him but pinned Dangross down with a paw when he tried to grab Toby’s fur.

Dangross, being held down like this, surprisingly did not struggle and even made a comfortable sound, which made Angel somewhat speechless.

Magu, on the other hand, examined Toby with a complex look, filled with both nostalgia and reflection. After a long time, he said, ”Indeed, a descendant of Kalomchis... But the flame carries a hint of ferocity, while his own emotions are peaceful, somewhat contrary to the feeling the flame gives me.”

Angel smiled: ”Toby’s flame nature is, in itself, wrath.”

Or rather, Toby’s gryphon form is intrinsically wrath. However, this pertained to Toby’s transformation secret, so Angel did not elaborate. Now letting this group of elemental beings mistakenly believe Toby is a descendant of Kalomchis, rather than explaining that Toby’s gryphon transformation is just one of its forms, is more fitting.

”Wrathful fire, not uncommon among flame beings in the Region of Fire. However, the flame of Kalomchis back then was the Flame of Equilibrium, a fire seeking balance in all things.” Magu said.

Angel: ”Kalomchis and Toby are ultimately different.”

Magu nodded: ”Indeed.”

Magu looked at Toby, his eyes showing obvious fondness.

Angel also noticed this gaze and remembered what Midir the Demon Fire had said, that Magu had a good relationship with Kalomchis. His eyes flickered, and he asked, ”Mr. Magu, can you tell me about Kalomchis?”

Magu hesitated for a moment, nodding: ”Even if you didn’t ask, I would tell you... Toby and it are from the same race, perhaps one day Toby can deliver news of Kalomchis to its true descendants.”

Speaking of true descendants, Dangross, pinned under Toby’s paw, struggled a bit, seemed to want to say something, but before he could make a sound, Toby pressed him tighter, silencing him again.

”The story of Kalomchis revolves around guardianship and waiting...”

Magu paused for a long time here. Angel thought Magu was reminiscing, so he quietly waited for two minutes, but what he heard was——

”Zzzzz...”

Angel looked up to see Magu sitting on the chair, both hands on the staff, his head leaned against the staff’s top, eyes closed, snoring loudly.

Angel’s lips twitched, turning to look at Toby beside him.

Toby lifted his head and let out a roar, flames shot to the ceiling.

The loud noise jolted Magu awake from his slumber, looking around in bewilderment.

”Ahem, I was just reminiscing, do you believe me?” Magu stroked his fiery beard and said.

”Of course.” Angel smiled and nodded, not exposing Magu’s lie.

Magu’s eyes darted: ”Shall we continue?”

”Please.”

Magu nodded and continued: ”Kalomchis possessed the most equitable Flame of Equilibrium, and because of this, it was left by its master, Mr. Feng, to serve as a hub of equality across various realms in the Tidal World...”