Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 2225: Chapter 2226: Bowed Heads

”Dozens of wind creatures, including Hurricane, are all trapped in the illusionary realm?”

When Angel returned to the gondola, Dangross appeared incredulous. It knew Earl Mi was strong, but it hadn’t expected Angel’s power to be this formidable too.

Before, it was smugly thinking that if its little minions were here, with their help, its strength on the entire ship might only be second to Earl Mi.

But now it seemed, it was too naive.

Jack and Arnott were also in a daze at this moment. Arnott, originally sobbing quietly for some inexplicable reason, was now so stunned by the battlefield situation that it forgot to cry. Jack’s reaction was more direct, trembling on the stand, too scared to even make eye contact with Angel.

Angel didn’t notice the reactions of these little guys. Upon his return, he focused all his attention on the indistinct green shadow beside the gondola.

This green shadow was none other than Kamil, the Sage of White Cloud Village.

Angel was quite curious about this sage.

Be it Magu or the bitter Platinum, their descriptions of Kamil could be summed up in one word: mysterious.

Because Kamil never revealed its form outside, not even the wind-element lineage of White Cloud Village knew what Kamil’s true form looked like.

There were even rumors in the outside world that Kamil wasn’t real, but rather an avatar of the gentle wind Urano.

Whether this rumor was true or not, Angel didn’t care much. He was more concerned about another legend regarding Kamil, which was told to him by Posia, the Sage of the Wild Stone Wasteland: Kamil’s birth was at a very subtle timing, during the world reset after a cataclysm, when Mr. Feng was still in the Tidal World. Moreover, the relationship between the gentle wind Urano and Mr. Feng was quite good. Coupled with the timing coincidence, it was rumored that Kamil was a human creation left by Mr. Feng, rather than naturally born from the Tidal World.

Although Posia had jokingly mentioned this legend, even not believing it herself, since it was related to the Magic Painter Wizard Feng, Angel couldn’t help but listen. Now that he had met Kamil, he wanted to explore the truth about Kamil.

Kamil was also curious about Angel and wanted to take this opportunity to probe Angel’s depths. Thus, an intentional exchange between them began.

After about a quarter of an hour of conversation, Angel discovered that Kamil indeed harbored some secrets.

However, this secret might not involve Feng, but rather Kamil’s own true form.

Regarding everything else, including information about Feng and the rumors about its relationship with Feng, Kamil responded calmly, effortlessly clarifying the matters.

Only when it came to its true form did Kamil, although still emotionally composed, repeatedly change the subject and respond more chaotically compared to before.

This made Angel certain that perhaps the issue concerning its true form was what Kamil least wanted to discuss.

Previously, the bitter Platinum had secretly entrusted him to help find out what Kamil’s true form actually looked like. Judging by Kamil’s performance so far, it seemed impossible to find out.

As for the rumor related to Feng, even without Kamil’s explanation, Angel could see that it was actually false.

Because, although Kamil hadn’t revealed its true form, Angel could still sense the wind coming from it.

Indeed, it was a wind creature, and indeed the wind of White Cloud Village.

Though the rumors didn’t match the expectations, Angel still felt delighted with the interaction with Kamil. He had encountered too many mischievous kids and hotheads ready to fight at the slightest disagreement along his journey. Being able to have such a normal, serious conversation with someone was something he cherished.

Their conversation was short-lived, however, being interrupted by the hurried arrival of the gentle wind Urano from the Cloud Fog Illusion.

The gentle wind Urano had a complex expression, its eyes carrying a hint of expectation.

Angel met its gaze, then looked down at the harp it held tightly, and with another look at the distant illusion, he already understood the current situation completely.

The gentle wind Urano had extracted Lobal’s illusion node but hadn’t installed it inside the harp. Instead, it released the illusion node again through the harp. The target of the release was... the Wind Island Guardians trapped within the illusionary realm.

After doing this, the gentle wind Urano didn’t bother with the dozens of wind creatures without a pledged oath still inside the illusion, nor did it seek out the other two illusion nodes. It instead hurried to meet him, expressions filled with expectancy.

Even if Angel were foolish, he would understand what the gentle wind Urano intended.

Clearly, controlling the illusion using the harp had given it a taste of power, sparking a desire to truly take over the Cloud Mist Illusion.

Sure enough, the gentle wind Urano began discussing the various happenings within the illusion, never once mentioning the ownership of the illusion, yet the earnestness and desire in its words were unmistakable. Both Kamil and even Dangross at its side heard its intention clearly.

Once the gentle wind Urano finished speaking, it looked at Angel with eager eyes.

In the face of the gentle wind Urano’s anticipation, Angel didn’t immediately agree but instead spoke softly: ”This time, my main goal was to learn about some pre-cataclysm...”

Before Angel could finish, the gentle wind Urano urgently interjected: ”No problem!”

”Also, regarding Mr. Feng...”

The gentle wind Urano seemed to remember something, a flicker in its eyes, yet it still swiftly responded: ”I can, I promise to leave nothing unsaid.”

”I also hope...”

”I already said, anything you want to know and I know, I can share with you.” At this point, the gentle wind Urano was getting the hang of interrupting before Angel finished speaking.

Angel paused for a moment and said: ”Including the true form of Kamil, the Sage?”

”Ah?” The gentle wind Urano suddenly stopped, its throat seemed to be caught, and it coughed awkwardly. Its head slowly turned to look at Kamil nearby.

Although Kamil didn’t speak, nor could its expression be discerned from the indistinct green shadow, the gentle wind Urano inexplicably felt a chill behind it.

The gentle wind Urano gulped down a nonexistent wad of spit: ”I can only speak for myself, I might not be able to answer questions about Kamil, the Sage.”

Angel raised an eyebrow, deducing from this answer that the gentle wind Urano knew about Kamil’s true form, but also chose not to disclose it.

It seems, the true form of Kamil, the Sage, might indeed be somewhat peculiar.

Facing the embarrassed and hesitant gentle wind Urano, Angel smiled slightly: ”I was merely joking before... I actually have some matters for which I hope to gain your highness’s support. We can discuss the details after dealing with the current affairs, there’s no rush to talk now.”

Pausing for a moment, Angel’s gaze turned towards the distant Mist.

In the expectant expression of Gentle Breeze Uranus, Angel spoke, ”As for that Illusionary Realm, it is my honor that you hold it in such esteem, Your Highness. Since I have already entrusted the control of the Illusionary Realm to you, whether to keep it or dismantle it is naturally your decision to make.”

”If Your Highness wishes to keep the Illusionary Realm, you must pay attention to the Illusion Nodes within; at the very least, one Illusion Node must be maintained. Only with all three nodes intact can the Illusionary Realm operate at its fullest potential.”

With these words, Angel had already made his stance clear.

Yet, because Angel had given such a significant favor out of thin air, Gentle Breeze Uranus felt a bit hesitant. Was agreeing too swiftly earlier a mistake? Might what he hopes for from me be exceedingly difficult? Is that why he left the Illusionary Realm behind, to set a trap for me?

Gentle Breeze Uranus, realizing this now, was unsure of what to do. Having already spoken to such lengths, even the paths of retreat had become narrow.

Thinking of this, it could only nod its head with some reluctance.

The exact purpose of Angel’s gesture was still unclear, so for now, it cautiously agreed. If things became too outrageous, it could always just disregard its pride later...

With this in mind, Gentle Breeze Uranus absentmindedly returned to the Illusionary Realm to complete the remaining work.

Angel had a rough understanding of Gentle Breeze Uranus’s thoughts. In truth, its guess wasn’t far from the truth; when he handed over the control of the Illusionary Realm, he indeed had an ulterior motive. However, saying it was intentional would be an overstatement; it was merely a subconscious precaution.

Had Angel truly relinquished all control by turning over the Mist Illusion’s control to Gentle Breeze Uranus? The answer was obviously no.

Thus, the continued existence of the Illusionary Realm was beneficial to him.

Moreover, having the Illusionary Realm remain there genuinely benefitted White Cloud Village. After all, the Illusionary Realm’s power was undiminished, serving as a formidable weapon for defense, crowd control, and assault.

The Illusionary Realm itself was fluid, capable of enveloping Wind Island seamlessly. Should Gentle Breeze Uranus choose, it could serve as a massive Illusion Array to protect Wind Island without issue.

Thus, it provided an advantage to both Angel and Gentle Breeze Uranus.

However, mutual benefit required mutual trust. Gentle Breeze Uranus’s earlier hesitance was due to a lack of foundational trust.

Angel, however, was unconcerned by this.

The matter in which he sought Gentle Breeze Uranus’s support was, in itself, about establishing a mechanism of mutual trust — a cooperative model between the Barbarian Cave and White Cloud Village.

Angel hoped that once the Tidal World opened, the Barbarian Cave would establish a branch within White Cloud Village.

This idea had long been on Angel’s mind. To become a leader in the Tidal World future, mere words wouldn’t suffice; establishing a long-term and prestigious outpost in the Tidal World was ideal.

As for where exactly to set up the outpost, Angel intended to discuss it with his Mentor and Lord Rhein later. However, regarding the branch outpost, he considered White Cloud Village a suitable candidate.

This was not just because he left the Cloud Mist Illusion there but also due to Gentle Breeze Uranus’s character.

Though Angel found the Holy Mother’s temperament somewhat disdainful, he couldn’t deny that a benevolent environment was conducive to development, and Gentle Breeze Uranus’s nature determined the atmosphere of White Cloud Village.

This was one of the reasons Angel wanted to build an outpost branch here.

Initially, he hadn’t entertained such thoughts in the Land of Fire due to its harsh environment and aggressive demeanor, which easily sparked conflicts. White Cloud Village, on the other hand, was different: above were boundless clouds, below spread a green expanse — the geographical environment was superb.

Angel wasn’t concerned about rejection either. Gentle Breeze Uranus, more than any other Sage, understood humans. Knowing that the Tidal World would inevitably fuse with the Wizards’ Realm, Angel trusted that it would make the best choice for White Cloud Village.

And with no other humans yet in the Tidal World, the options available to Gentle Breeze Uranus were limited. Angel could fully leverage this to secure an advantageous position, binding White Cloud Village to the same boat.

As to whether Gentle Breeze Uranus would have regrets in the future, Angel believed that once the Tidal World opened fully and information from the various witcher organizations reached it, knowledge of Barbarian Cave’s stature in the Wizards’ Realm would mean that Gentle Breeze Uranus wouldn’t regret the choices made today.

...

Within the Cloud Mist Illusion.

Although Gentle Breeze Uranus felt uneasy, its efficiency in handling matters was quite high, swiftly issuing all oaths within the Illusionary Realm, including those of the three major wind generals.

Then, it brought over two defenders from Wind Island. Together with the defender already present in the Illusionary Realm, they formed new Illusion Nodes, maintaining the realm.

After completely seizing control of the Illusionary Realm, Gentle Breeze Uranus, feeling the realm’s power, found its previous unease slightly alleviated.

It even secretly resolved that as long as Angel’s requests weren’t excessive, it would try to accommodate them. Even Kamil’s true body wasn’t beyond discussion... at worst, it could make a secret contract of confidentiality and quietly inform Angel.

Because this Illusionary Realm was too enticing, significantly enhancing White Cloud Village’s abilities, it was willing to relax some restrictions.

After quietly studying the Illusion for a while more, with Kamil urging them incessantly, Gentle Breeze Uranus reluctantly departed.

This time, it left with a large contingent of wind-type beings from Storm Ridge.

A vast group of wind-type beings followed Gentle Breeze Uranus, creating a mesmerizing spectacle. Even Kamil, who had prepared for it, was left in awe.

Though the number of wind-type creatures wasn’t vast, their massive forms were overwhelming and imposing like a vast mountain.

However, the general mood among this group of wind creatures was one of dejection. Kamil understood; as soldiers captured under oath, it wasn’t surprising they were less than cheerful.

But the more downcast their expressions were, the more pleased Kamil felt. After all, they had once harbored nothing but malice towards Wind Island.

Now, defeated and captured, even if White Cloud Village’s wind creatures weren’t the ones to subjugate them, Kamil still felt immense satisfaction.

Any who dared harbor ill will towards White Cloud Village should know submission is their fate!

”Mr. Pat has already gone ahead to Wind Island, we should depart too.” Kamil glanced at the wind creatures, feeling quite inspired as he continued, ”You all should hurry and follow.”

”Onward, to Wind Island!”