Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 2536: Chapter 2537: Change in the Secret Room

The orange-red morning sun had already peeked through the distant mountains, half revealing its true form.

The Witch Town, bustling all night, finally welcomed the daylight.

The chaos had somewhat subsided, but the disappearance of chaos was not necessarily a good thing. It also meant that the Princess Castle’s guards had completely taken control of the town.

At this time, every street had guards at intervals, and the solemn atmosphere enveloped the entire Princess Town with a haze.

The streets were almost devoid of pedestrians, and the shopkeepers were all anxious and uneasy.

All they knew was that there had been a shocking change at the Princess Castle, but no one knew what specifically had happened. From the current level of lockdown, it was clearly no trivial matter.

Meanwhile, Old Porter’s tavern, benefiting from its usual good relations with the guards, still had someone standing guard outside, but the atmosphere was not severe. They even chatted cheerfully, whispering with Old Porter.

After a while, Old Porter walked in from outside.

Lady Melo immediately stepped forward: ”How are things outside now?”

”Not good. I asked those guards, and they actually don’t know the specific situation. But the Princess Castle has already ordered that for the next few days, only external trade caravans are allowed in Princess Town; everyone else is barred from entering or leaving. This ban doesn’t affect Official Wizards much but is quite harsh on the apprentices living here.”

Old Porter paused, leaned closer to Lady Melo, and whispered: ”I’ve known the guard outside for over ten years, and we have a good relationship. He told me a large contingent of guards has already headed to the Royal Capital. If nothing unexpected happens, people will soon be sent from there; by then, the situation in Princess Town will worsen, and even Official Wizards might be restricted.”

”He even suggested that if we can leave, we should; if not, we should try to hide well in the tavern.”

Upon hearing Old Porter’s words, Lady Melo frowned slightly. Leaving seemed difficult now; hiding well also seemed tough.

”If it was just about rescuing people from prison yesterday, it wouldn’t have escalated to this. It seems that something significant might have happened at the Princess Castle last night.” A voice nearby chimed in, speaking was Dox.

At some point, Dox had also moved near Old Porter, and from their conversation, it was clear he had overheard Old Porter’s words.

Old Porter: ”The guards don’t know what happened specifically. However, there is speculation that something might have happened to the Princess, because the one issuing the orders now is not the Princess but the Grey Crow Wizard.”

Dox squinted his eyes: ”This speculation might not be without basis; perhaps someone indeed did something last night.”

Dox deliberately emphasized the word ”someone.”

Lady Melo didn’t understand what Dox meant, but Old Porter did grasp what Dox was insinuating.

Old Porter was shrewd; even though he understood, he feigned ignorance. Dox was an outsider, whereas Angel was a senior from the same organization; he wouldn’t betray them.

”So, what should we do now?” Lady Melo glanced worriedly at the group of Talented Ones sleeping soundly at the table.

Old Porter pondered for a moment: ”Let’s stay here for now. Lord Pat told me earlier that the Wizard handling the Guide’s capture is on their way.”

”However, the tavern itself isn’t very safe. You should take the Talented Ones, and we’ll head to the hidden room.” Old Porter saw Lady Melo’s puzzled expression and explained: ”Lord Pat has set up an Illusionary Realm and Magical Energy Array in the hidden room, sufficiently concealed, potentially lasting until the organization’s aid arrives.”

Upon hearing this, Lady Melo’s eyes lit up. Only those who experienced Angel’s Illusion Technique firsthand could understand its might.

Currently, the tavern interior was enveloped by the Illusion Technique; these guards had checked multiple times and found nothing. Lady Melo and the Talented Ones were mere meters away, yet the guards behaved as if blind. It was the Illusion Technique causing this cognitive deviation, truly remarkable.

With Angel’s assistance, protecting their group should pose no issue.

”It seems the Transcendental Wizard was prepared beforehand.” Dox remarked pointedly from the side.

Old Porter pretended not to hear, addressing Lady Melo: ”Follow me; not sure if Lord Pat has finished setting up.”

Several minutes later.

Not only Old Porter, Lady Melo, and the Talented Ones, but also Dox had arrived at the entrance to the hidden room.

However, to their surprise, the doorway was shimmering with a faint glow. The glow formed a line of patterned characters, understandable to anyone familiar with the continent’s Universal Language.

— No Entry.

Everyone looked at Old Porter, who was equally puzzled and could only speculate: ”Maybe it’s not ready yet; let’s wait a bit.”

Everyone complied with Old Porter’s words and waited quietly in the hallway.

Meanwhile, Red Sword Dox, with a solemn gaze, looked at this not entirely unfamiliar door. His spiritual senses told him something significant seemed to be happening inside...

...

Unsure how long they’d been waiting, the characters on the hidden room door suddenly changed.

Previously, it read ”No Entry,” but now it said ”Challenge Passed, Come Again Next Time.”

Everyone, including Dox, stared at the message with a series of question marks popping up in their minds.

Challenge Passed? What did this mean?

Words like these usually appeared in sites with quirky elements or during tower climbing activities in the Sky Mechanical City, right?

Why was it appearing on this door?

What was happening inside? What sort of Magical Energy Array had Angel set up?

Dox looked at the door, pondering how, despite seeming ordinary yesterday, today it had turned mysterious.

Soon after the message appeared, the tightly shut door was finally pushed open.

Accompanied by the door’s opening, a hysterical female voice emanated from inside: ”Don’t ever use me as an experiment subject for your experiments again! I’ve had enough!”

”I only have you and Tullas with me, or should I have Tullas do the experiment?”

”Don’t you have a hand on your shoulder?!”

”Dangross is still a child; are you heartless enough to use a child for an experiment? Moreover, Dangross doesn’t have your extensive experience.”

”What about the wind around you and the shadow beneath your feet?”

”Huh, didn’t expect your observation skills to be quite keen. They have their own matters, so you’re still more suitable.”

As the words fell, there was a sharp scream followed by a forceful kick that swung the door open, exposing a narrow gap.

After the previous treatment, Mandhela wanted to storm out and make a scene, leaving Angel to clean up the aftermath. But unexpectedly, upon kicking the door open, she was faced not with an empty hallway, but a pair of curious and gossiping eyes.

The hallway was already narrow, now completely packed.

Mandhela took a deep breath, turned to Angel, who was a step behind her, saying: ”I need to go back and rest.”

Angel, with a grin, replied: ”You should have said so earlier. Should I arrange for you next to Tullas?”

Mandhela was silent for a moment: ”No need, I am not that close to him yet.”

”Why are you suddenly being conservative?” Angel muttered, not saying much else, and stored Mandhela in the bracelet.

Once Mandhela was gone, Angel finally turned to face the curious ”crowd” at the door.

”Why are you all here? Looking for me?”

Old Porter quickly stepped forward and explained their purpose.

Angel: ”I see, the illusionary realm and the magical energy array in the secret chamber are ready, just a minor hiccup.”

”Minor hiccup?” Old Porter asked in confusion.

Angel’s expression turned slightly unnatural: ”It’s no big deal, you can still use it, you’ll understand soon.”

After speaking, Angel turned to Dox: ”Why did you follow? Shouldn’t you be battling the Crowned Parrot of Abulei a hundred rounds by now? Don’t tell me you couldn’t hold on even for a hundred rounds?”

Dox’s face fell instantly: ”Are you underestimating me?”

Angel: ”Of course not. If I were to speak my mind, that would be underestimating you.”

”Your mind says...”

Angel scratched his chin, giving Dox a sidelong glance: ”You did prepare, should handle twenty rounds.”

Dox clenched his fists, didn’t argue with Angel, but turned to Abulei who was hiding next to Lady Melo: ”Hurry, call out that damned parrot, I want to see who wins!”

Abulei trembled, shrank her head tighter: ”Sir, you saw it earlier, it fell asleep right after flying back. And it hasn’t woken up yet.”

”Then wake it!”

”But it’s injured, needs to rest.”

Before Dox could continue shouting, Angel interrupted: ”What’s this, the Crowned Parrot is injured?”

Abulei nodded: ”No idea where it went last night, came back with a deep wound visible to the bone on its back. Treated it, it passed out, hasn’t woken since.”

Angel: ”If you don’t mind, let me take a look?”

Abulei nodded, took off the basket, handed it to Angel.

Angel looked at the unconscious Crowned Parrot in the basket, compared to yesterday’s vibrant appearance, now duller, even its feathers had lost some luster.

The wound on its back was from a bite, judging by the force and width, guessed it was from some medium-sized beast. Like a large dog, wolf, or leopard.

The wound was treated, can’t judge much, but to injure a Crowned Parrot, couldn’t be wild beasts, likely a magical creature or phantasmal beast.

Closest place with many free-range phantasmal beasts is the Illusionary Beast Forest at Princess Castle.

”Did it go to the Illusionary Beast Forest?” Angel murmured.

”Most likely went to the Illusionary Beast Forest.” Dox chimed in: ”Finished looking? Pass it to me, witness who’s the king of smack talk.”

Angel ignored Dox, handed the Crowned Parrot back to Abulei: ”Its condition is stable, let it rest. Other matters, discuss when it wakes.”

Abulei peeked at Dox’s displeased face, quickly nodded: ”Okay.”

Angel then turned to Dox: ”No rush for a battle, lots of people now. If you lose...”

Dox’s eyes flashed coldly.

”Cough, or if the Crowned Parrot loses, it’s awkward. Battle privately later.”

Dox snorted, stayed silent.

Angel had a point, a battle of words, indeed bad for public proceedings, better to fight in private. Plus, that damned parrot knows too much, if it spills current Talented One secrets, troublesome.

”Your silence is agreement.” Angel: ”You’re here too, let’s go see, this time crafted a hidden secret chamber, should fit you all.”

As Angel finished, the secret chamber’s door seemed to have self-awareness, characters slowly appeared upon it:

”Welcome, at the end awaits carefully crafted refreshments, hope you won’t keep me waiting too long~”

Seeing the door’s characters, Dox slowly turned to Angel: ”Door spirit?”

Angel coughed: ”Not, no. Consider it a logic error in artificial intelligence.”

Angel sounded mysterious, Dox didn’t understand.

But roughly understood, likely just a magical energy array mechanism.

”Will there be issues inside?” Old Porter worriedly asked, recalling the quarrel with Angel’s spirit.

Angel: ”No issue, spent hours checking the mechanism, sure normal process won’t kill.”

”What’s normal process, is there abnormal process?” Lady Melo inquired quietly.

Angel: ”Normal process is walking in, heading to the end. Abnormal is rude acts like breaking the door, walls, violates norms, punished.”

”As for punishment, wouldn’t want to experience. So just follow normal process.”

Old Porter: ”Only won’t die, injured?”

Angel: ”Body won’t be harmed.”

Old Porter sighed relief, but Dox added: ”Won’t be harmed, but add prefix. Clearly body fine, injury elsewhere, like spirit?”

Dox’s words raised concern again, all looked to Angel.

Angel rolled his eyes at Dox, replied: ”If unwanting, go home as pampered babies.”

Angel finished, leaned on the wall: ”Enter or I close.”

Dox and Lady Melo exchanged glances, said nothing, entered.

Other Talented Ones hesitated but, recalling Angel’s earlier taunt, pride urged them in.

Finally, left outside were Angel and Dox.