Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 2385: Chapter 2386: Spirit Realm Walker

”You’re lying,” Ferro said through gritted teeth. ”The arm of the Night Butterfly Witch, anyone with eyes can see that it originates from the hand of an Official Wizard. How could you possibly not investigate its source? Aren’t you afraid it might involve a powerful force behind her, recklessly courting trouble?”

In the Southern Domain Wizard World, while transplanting organs from other wizards isn’t expressly forbidden, considering the various potential repercussions, such as being hunted by the other party’s organization or family, and curses originating from bloodlines, cases of transplanting other wizards’ organs are rare.

Even if wizard organs are indeed available on the market, sellers would typically mark their origin, letting buyers ponder whether it’s appropriate to purchase.

So, when Ferro heard Number 03’s words, his first reaction was that she was lying.

Obtaining a powerful wizard organ without tracing the origin or caring about the source, to Ferro, was unimaginable.

”I can understand Wizard Ferro’s feelings, but please don’t underestimate the energy of the Lacey Association. Whatever you can think of, the Lacey Association can naturally think of too. The people from Lab Number 2 daring to trade this arm with us must mean they’ve handled everything properly.”

”We trust Lab Number 2 has the capability to handle everything, and thus, we didn’t inquire into the arm’s origin.”

Number 03 explained calmly, yet Ferro subconsciously shook his head.

”If Wizard Ferro doesn’t believe my words, at least trust the power of the Truth Spell.” Number 03 paused for a moment, ending the matter with this sentence, offering no further explanation.

Ferro was an insider, so it’s normal for him not wanting to believe and harboring doubts. Angel and Nis didn’t face such troubles; after hearing Number 03’s explanation, their thoughts largely leaned towards her version.

Moreover, during Number 03’s narration, she hadn’t intentionally avoided the Truth Spell.

Of course, the Truth Spell isn’t necessarily authoritative, and there are ways to circumvent it. Their judgment of whether Number 03 was lying wasn’t solely based on the True Spell’s result, but rather through various details, feeling the emotional shifts when Number 03 spoke... Overall, they could basically determine that what she said was most likely the truth, as Number 03 had no reason to deceive them now.

Additionally, the Night Butterfly Witch left a hundred years ago, while Number 03 and others only arrived forty years ago, so from a timing perspective, Number 03 not knowing the Night Butterfly Witch made sense.

Angel: ”What does the special elixir mean? How did you trade with Lab Number 2?”

Number 03 didn’t conceal anything, roughly explaining the situation.

The so-called special elixir refers to a corresponding Soul Arms, possessing a certain growth capability. Along with one’s own increase in strength, this Soul Arms can evolve and strengthen in the future through the injection of subsequent special elixirs.

It’s akin to treating this Soul Arms as a kind of evolutionary tool, though the premise is to acquire subsequent elixirs.

After explaining the special elixir, Number 03 addressed Sanders’ second question—how the trade was conducted.

Number 03 knew clearly that when Sanders posed this question, he was mainly focusing not on the transaction itself, but on how to conduct it across time-space distances.

The West Continent Wizard World and the Southern Domain Wizard World are separated by immeasurable void time-space distances. Without special means, just relying on Void travel, the two sides would need at least decades to make contact.

”Although the Teleportation Arrays connecting the Southern Domain to the other three Wizard Worlds are damaged, it doesn’t mean there’s no quick method to link them.”

Perhaps to stall time or simply to reveal her worth, Number 03 meticulously listed several methods she knew to rapidly traverse immeasurable void distances.

The first method is through special Spatial Passages for transit. The most typical of these is the Phase Gates in the Abyss, which can swiftly reach the corresponding Abyss Phase Faces of the four Wizard Worlds, then change course to each major Wizard World.

This method is mainstream, but these special Spatial Passages are generally occupied by powerful beings, making them not easy to use. For instance, each Phase Gate is basically under the control of a Demon God, even if Southern Domain Wizards are aware they can access other worlds via the Phase Gates, they lack the capability to face a Demon God directly.

The second method is using cross-world Teleportation Arrays set up in certain worlds and planes. This actually falls under the first category, but is more complicated, requiring constant transit. It’s common to transit dozens of times.

Though it logically consumes less time than direct flight, occasionally due to accidents, getting stuck in a world for years is typical.

This method is also mainstream, but heavily reliant on luck and requires detailed teleportation planning, as not every world allows teleportation. Most importantly, it consumes substantial resources.

The third method involves transferring and descending through concept worlds.

These concept worlds aren’t worlds in the literal sense but special ones otherwise without boundaries, places whose margins are unknowable. They might encompass Void, major minor planes, even more expansive spatial syntheses.

For instance, the Dream Realm. As long as there’s a need for dreaming, it will exist. While deemed a world, it actually contains countless dream homelands.

Similarly, the Soul Plane, or the so-called Quest World; as long as souls birth and die, it can spread seemingly without source.

The aforementioned conceptual worlds were examples brought up by Number 03, while Angel internally added an additional world, the Nightmare Realm. The Nightmare Realm also falls under this category.

According to Number 03’s explanation, since such conceptual worlds theoretically cover countless worlds, once you figure out how to locate time-space in a concept world, you can accomplish transfer and descent.

”For example, in the Origin World, there’s a group known as ’Spirit Realm Walkers.’ They have ways to rapidly travel to various worlds via the Quest World...”

As Number 03 finished speaking, she saw a radiant gleam burst forth in Nis’s eyes, sitting across from her.

Considering Nis’s identity, Number 03 couldn’t possibly misunderstand his thoughts.

”Do you know how to become a Spirit Realm Walker?”

Number 03 furrowed her brow: ”Spirit Realm Walkers sound glamorous, but I’ve obtained some information from within the Lacey Association indicating their limitless travels are severely restricted. However, what these specific restrictions are, I do not know.”

”That’s only reasonable, no matter what, nothing can be absolutely perfect, inevitably, you have to give something up to gain something,” Nis said. From his point of view, regardless of any restrictions Spirit Realm Walkers might have, they’re entirely in line with his aspirations.

Number 03: ”I don’t know how to become a Spirit Realm Walker. But I’m aware that the Quest World certainly contains the respective answers.”

Nis nodded, sincerely thanking Number 03. Disregarding everything else, this intel was quite useful to him.

After Nis and Number 03 concluded their conversation, Angel finally asked, ”Which method did you use for your trade?”

Number 03 shook her head: ”I don’t know precisely which method, as we aren’t directly transacting, but exchanging through Void commerce teams.”

”Void commerce teams?” It was Angel’s first time hearing this term.

Number 03 nodded: ”As long as there’s a need for profit, commerce teams will emerge. This rule applies not only within a world but indeed to Void as well. Void is roamed by many commerce teams, including several non-human ones, who control a lot of secret Spatial Passages. Some even have mastery over special spatial transfer methods, which humans are unaware of.”

At this point, Number 03 mentioned Angel, and thoughts shifted to the Void Traveler... that kind of Chaowei journey is a unique form of space movement.

”However, only high-end tiers can interact with the Void Merchant Groups that can cross unmeasured spatiotemporal distances.”

”When we have needs, we contact the Lacey Association headquarters. The headquarters will then contact these Void Merchant Groups according to our needs.”

”The Witch’s Arm was brought by the merchant group commissioned by Laboratory Number 2.”

”As for what method the Void Merchant Group used, I do not know.”

After Number 03 finished speaking, everyone silently nodded. Number 03’s explanation about the Night Butterfly Witch’s arm was very detailed and also revealed much information unknown to the Southern Domain ’natives’.

Number 03 seemed to notice the relaxed emotions of the others across from her, and took this opportunity to propose the apologies and compensation she mentioned earlier.

Putting aside the apologies for the moment, Number 03 listed three types of compensation. According to her, even if Number 01 and Number 02 came back, they would definitely approve of these.

First, there will be a compensation with some Transcendent organs possessing Soul Arms.

For them, the Soul Arms themselves are not important; the important part is the research data. Although many of the Transcendent organs are unimaginably valuable, as a massive organization spanning across the Wizards’ Realm, as long as their research doesn’t stop, they have ways to continuously produce more Soul Arms.

Number 03 especially pointed out that the arm of the Night Butterfly Witch could also be a compensation item.

Second, Number 03 is willing to reveal information about an Illusion Series Secret Treasure. This is obviously aimed at Sanders, as he’s the only one present who can intimidate her.

Third, the people in the laboratory will leave within a short time and, unless necessary, will not return to the Southern Domain.

This is more about selling goodwill and showing an attitude rather than compensation.

However, Angel believed that Number 03 was definitely not retreating out of fear of Sanders or the Barbarian Cave; their research was likely reaching its end.

Otherwise, Number 03 wouldn’t leave so readily.

Faced with Number 03’s proposed compensation, Angel did not make an immediate decision... primarily because he was bluffing while pretending to be Sanders; if the deception was seen through, these so-called compensations would definitely fall through. Although he was tempted by the compensations, the priority now was to quickly learn more information.

Thinking of this, Angel continued to manipulate Sanders’ illusion, maintaining an indifferent demeanor, and said calmly, ”These insignificant matters can be discussed later. Let’s continue our previous topic.”

As his words finished, Nis immediately followed up: ”Indeed, discussing these things now is just empty words. To show sincerity, perhaps we should talk more about your laboratory. I’m very interested in your lab and the projects within.”

At this moment, Ferro added, ”The laboratory’s doors have strong seals; I checked it before, and it can’t be breached easily.”

After Nis and Ferro spoke, Angel didn’t say much more but instead continued to manipulate Sanders’ illusion, quietly watching Number 03.

Number 03 lowered her head and said softly, ”If you wish to see the laboratory, I can take you there.”

Number 03’s sudden offer made Nis and Ferro become cautious instead.

”Did you set up traps in the laboratory?” Ferro asked, as the power of Truth Spell also permeated the surroundings.

Number 03, seemingly oblivious to the Truth Spell, remained calm and said, ”There are some isolation mechanisms, but they cannot trap an Official Wizard.”

The feedback from the Truth Spell showed that Number 03 was telling the truth.

However, everyone still felt something was amiss.

”Are you concealing something?”

Number 03 replied calmly, ”I am concealing some things, but it involves an oath, and I cannot speak of it. Other than what’s bound by oath, I have not concealed anything.”

Again, it was the truth.

Yet, everyone remained uneasy about the laboratory, and even Ferro did not bring it up again.

Nobody knew what exactly was ”concealed,” and if it had the potential to harm an Official Wizard, it would not be worth the risk.

Nis and Ferro’s change in mindset was perfectly clear to Angel. With just a few words, Number 03 had instilled a degree of apprehension about the laboratory itself; whether there was any concealed information or not, it showed that she wasn’t as simple as she appeared.

”The matter of whether to visit the laboratory can wait for a later discussion.” Angel said, ”First, let’s talk about the other people in your laboratory.”

Number 03: ”What would you like to know?”

”Number 01 and Number 02, and also... Number 00.”

”I can tell you information about Numbers 01 and 02, but the information on Number 00... is restricted by oath, and I can’t speak of it.”

Subsequently, Number 03 briefly described what she knew about Numbers 01 and 02.

According to her, she had limited knowledge about these two; though they were both part of the Lacey Association, they weren’t particularly close. The reason they were gathered at Laboratory Number 4 was due to an order from the Lacey Association headquarters; before that, they had barely spoken to each other.

During the decades since coming to the Southern Domain, due to their strategy of keeping a low profile, Numbers 01 and 02 hadn’t engaged in significant battles, and the few fights they had were against some Sea Beasts, making it impossible to gauge their levels of strength from these encounters.

Thus, what Number 03 knew was mostly superficial.

She said that Number 02 was a Shadow Wizard, adept in Shadow Series abilities, rarely appearing in True Body form even within the laboratory, consistently hidden within the shadows of the dark.

His greatest strengths were Concealment and Ambush.

In terms of ambush capability alone, Number 03 admitted she couldn’t defeat Number 02.

As for Number 01, he was a Bloodline Wizard.