Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 2773: Chapter 2774: Temporal Body and Words of Advice

Her voice is crisp and pleasant when heard alone, but when strung together, it takes on an inorganic mechanical feel, quite cold.

However, the voice is not the main issue; what perplexes everyone most is her name.

The Poet and the Astrologer both announced their names only at the end of the ”test.” But this one, she stated her name right from the opening.

Whether stated early or late doesn’t typically matter, but her name contains the names of that Poet and Astrologer. She stated her name right off the bat, seemingly emphasizing the uniqueness of this name.

Could it be a coincidence for one person to contain the names of two others?

In the same location, with less than a ten-minute difference, such a matter occurs—is it a coincidence? At least Angel doesn’t believe it.

Moreover, Angel is very suspicious about the first name ”Laplace”; could it possibly be the name of that Rabbit Girl from before?

Her name very likely encompasses the names of all three individuals who appeared previously.

Soon, she opened her mouth to confirm Angel’s suspicion: ”Visitors from afar, forgive me for being unable to meet you in person. My true body still sleeps in that Distant Sea; I can only let my three Temporal Bodies replace me to interact with you.”

”Temporal Bodies?” Dox caught onto an unfamiliar term.

”The me condensed at different time segments is the Temporal Body,” stated the silver-haired girl flatly.

”Bodies condensed at different time segments?” Dox wondered aloud in the Mind Ribbon, ”Black Earl, have you heard of such an ability?”

The Black Earl’s specialty is Avatar creation, wherein he distributes his organs to his descendants, which is a form of Avatar ability. So, Dox first thought to inquire of the Black Earl.

Yet, the Black Earl just flicked his nose: ”I’ve never heard of the term ’Temporal Body.’”

If spoken of simply as Avatar, the Black Earl’s Avatars are created at ”different time segments”; however, this is Avatar. If what the other person means is Avatar, she should have used the term ”Avatar” to describe it, yet she uses a new term not heard of before. So, even the Black Earl cannot ascertain the difference between Temporal Body and Avatar.

”Temporal Bodies differ from Avatars, as the Temporal Body emphasizes the condensation of different memories, whereas Avatars entail different bodies possessing the same memory,” said the silver-haired girl.

Dox frowned: ”Are you eavesdropping on our Mind Ribbon?”

If not eavesdropping, how else could she have accurately guessed their conversation and responded?

The silver-haired girl shook her head: ”No eavesdropping, just listening.”

Listening? Angel squinted his eyes, finding this claim odd. The dialogue between Dox and the Black Earl happens within the Mind Ribbon, which holds a high Position, released personally by the Black Earl. If breached, the Black Earl would sense it immediately.

Previously, when the Wise Sovereign eavesdropped, the Black Earl pointed it out directly.

This time, even the Black Earl displayed a slight surprise upon hearing the silver-haired girl’s answer, indicating he sensed no eavesdropping within the Mind Ribbon.

This alone explains a lot.

Consider that the silver-haired girl hasn’t exited the Mirror World; she remains within the prism, and the mirror inside and outside are two distinct worlds!

Eavesdropping on the Mind Ribbon set by the Black Earl within the same world is hard enough, let alone crossing worlds.

Angel believes that the silver-haired girl’s strength surely doesn’t surpass the Wise Sovereign, but she might possess some unique abilities. This ability allows her to ”hear” the dialogue within the Mind Ribbon.

Dox wished to delve deeper into this matter, but the silver-haired girl seemed uninterested in this topic. Her method of protest was peculiar; without uttering a word, she simply stared at Dox with heterochromatic eyes, her gaze resembling that one would give dust particles.

Despite the fact the other party did nothing, Dox felt insulted. —Why say ’again,’ Dox vaguely felt this familiarity in emotion.

Since the other party’s unwillingness to discuss this topic, after thinking it over, Dox said: ”You said before you’d use three so-called ’Temporal Bodies’ to interact with us, referring to the previous three?”

”Yes.”

Dox: ”Your name, divided, becomes those three names?”

The silver-haired girl’s indifferent glance at Dox carried the same dust-like gaze, only with an added hint of disgust, seemingly saying: You’re annoying.

Even though the silver-haired girl showed a distasteful attitude, after a moment of silence, she nodded, which counted as a reply.

This response also confirmed Angel’s guess to be correct, that the third appearing Rabbit Girl is in fact, the silver-haired girl’s first name: Laplace.

Perhaps due to the silver-haired girl’s overly apparent rejection, Dox turned to Angel, gesturing with his eyes: How about you ask next?

Angel didn’t refuse, as he himself had many questions for the silver-haired girl.

His greatest curiosity centered around the so-called ”Temporal Body,” but this should pertain to the other’s ability. Inquiring about others’ abilities isn’t a taboo in the Wizards’ Realm, but it’s an unspoken rule respected by all.

After contemplating, Angel asked, ”Since you claim your true body slumbers, letting the so-called Temporal Body interact with us, then who stands before us now? Isn’t this your true body?”

After Angel asked, Dox watched the silver-haired girl’s attitude with schadenfreude.

After repeatedly being ”insulted,” he figured switching to Angel would reveal Angel’s ”insulted” expression.

Yet, to Dox’s disappointment, the silver-haired girl didn’t gaze at Angel as she did ”dust”; she reverted to her initial cold demeanor.

Perhaps because... Angel was asking for the first time?

Dox thought about it and agreed, when he had first asked, the other party showed no disgust. With that thought, Dox relaxed a bit, now focusing more on the silver-haired girl’s answer.

But the silver-haired girl did not answer immediately, instead quietly observing Angel.

No emotional fluctuations could be discerned, just simple observation.

Angel was also unsure why she continuously stared at him; his Hyper Perception couldn’t transcend worlds, so he couldn’t interpret the silver-haired girl’s emotion, merely keeping eye contact.

It took ages, so long that Dox wondered if the silver-haired girl was falling asleep with her eyes open, until her pink-white lips quivered slightly.

Dox assumed she was about to speak, but she simply pressed her lips again, continuing the silence.

This silence, lasting again for ages...

Of course, this was Dox’s perception of time. Realistically, from Angel posing the question until now, only a minute has passed. But compared to when Dox asked a question earlier, the silver-haired girl’s reaction speed had evidently changed.

After more than ten seconds, the silver-haired girl finally spoke: ”Just a mirror image.”

Angel: ”So, this isn’t your true body?”

The silver-haired girl nodded: ”It is not.”

Angel: ”Then why did you previously use Temporal Bodies rather than a mirror image? Was it purely to test us?”

The silver-haired girl fell silent once more.

If she were merely silent, it might mean she was unwilling to answer. Yet, her demeanor suggested deep in thought, seemingly indicating a willingness to respond but hadn’t settled on the phrasing.

Angel could do nothing but accompany her in silence.

On the other side, Dox observed the atmosphere returning to the previous standoff and couldn’t help but sigh. However, while taking this opportunity to savor the silver-haired girl’s earlier answers, Dox detected a hint of puzzlement.

The silver-haired girl’s answers weren’t particularly complex; why would she ponder so long for such straightforward dialogue?

When she previously locked eyes with Angel, was she contemplating Angel’s inquiries or merely gazing at him?

A strange feeling suddenly crept into Dox’s mind: Could this girl be yet another admirer like Vay? Or rather, a fangirl?

Thinking carefully, it wasn’t impossible. Like before, despite others facing trials, why did Angel not, and the Rabbit Girl directly offered mask shards? Furthermore, the silver-haired girl explicitly stated that those three were her temporal bodies, in a sense, they were all her.

The Rabbit Girl’s behavior towards Angel, isn’t it a reflection of the silver-haired girl’s actual demeanor?

Moreover, the silver-haired girl exchanged words with Angel multiple times without any hint of disdain, which seems to explain something?

The more he thought, the more plausible it seemed, and Dox became increasingly dissatisfied.

On what grounds? If Angel revealed his true face or held up a sign declaring himself as an Alchemy Master, he indeed would have the charisma to attract people.

Yet now, Angel utilized shapeshifting technique, even his relatives probably wouldn’t recognize him, anyone seeing him would purely see him as a ”passerby,” right? So why does he attract such admiration?

Dox couldn’t help but lean in to Kaier, earnestly asking, ”Honestly, do you think I’m more handsome, or is that red-haired guy there more so?”

Kaier had no idea why Dox suddenly posed such a question, he paused for a moment, weakly saying, ”Actually, sir, you also have red hair, and moreover...”

Observing Kaier’s evasive glance, Dox realized pressing further wouldn’t yield a clear answer, he sighed, continuing to lament the injustice.

At this moment, the silver-haired girl seems to have figured out her words, finally speaking, ”Bond.”

”Bond? What do you mean?”

”Temporal body as the bond, mask as the Bridge of Fate.” The silver-haired girl spoke as she extended her hand from her lengthy sleeves.

In her hand rested a mask steadily.

Seeing this mask, Angel was momentarily stunned, summoning the Hand of Magic to take the previously assembled mask.

Upon careful comparison, he discovered these two masks undoubtedly came from the same source!

In Angel’s hand was a male face mask, while she held a mask with feminine features. Judging by the color and sheen, it should also be an old stone mask.

The two masks, one male, one female, held respectively by Angel and the silver-haired girl, stared at each other through the prism.

The scene inexplicably radiated a sense of eeriness.

More bizarrely, the silver-haired girl suddenly lowered her hand, and Angel simultaneously did the same.

In the following moment, both the silver-haired girl and Angel did exactly the same thing, flipping the masks around to face the grey-white eyes toward themselves.

Neat, it appeared just like an actual mirror.

”Be careful.” Black Earl warned in the Mind Ribbon, if the silver-haired girl were to don the mask next, wouldn’t Angel also do so, receiving those surging memories?

However, Black Earl’s warning proved unnecessary. Because the premise for all this was Angel becoming the silver-haired girl’s puppet, his body being controlled.

Yet in reality, this wasn’t the case.

All of Angel’s movements earlier were manifestations of his subjective will, without any external interference altering his intentions.

Exactly because Angel was so aware that he wasn’t being controlled, he felt even more shocked.

Was the silver-haired girl mimicking him?

Or did she guess his subconscious thoughts?

In Angel’s shock, the silver-haired girl suddenly withdrew the mask, gently sighing, ”As expected, it’s still impossible.”

Angel rehanded the mask to the Hand of Magic, casting a puzzled gaze at her, ”What do you mean?”

Silver-haired girl: ”This is the Bridge of Fate.”

Angel could comprehend each word she said, but pieced together, it made no sense.

What Bridge of Fate, what bond? And why mimic him earlier?

The silver-haired girl didn’t respond to Angel’s inquiry but instead turned her gaze towards... Vay.

Vay, suddenly the focus, appeared bewildered.

Weren’t they speaking with Lord Chaowei? Why suddenly look at me?

Could it be, could it be... there really is an apprentice’s trial?

Amidst Vay’s tangled thoughts, the silver-haired girl said faintly, ”The lone one hidden among the crowd must shed the sanctuary of night and embark anew on the long journey, lest abandoned by old friends, drowned by stardust.”

Vay paused, what does this mean?

”A parting word.” The silver-haired girl paused, uncharacteristically adding, ”The Sage requested it, a favor returned, but now...”

The silver-haired girl didn’t continue, suggesting hidden circumstances. But, judging by the literal meaning, they roughly understood the current situation.

Previously, they thought the surprise mentioned by Wise Sovereign was the mask, but it wasn’t. The mask wasn’t the surprise; the surprise was supposed to be the silver-haired girl’s words, arranged by Wise Sovereign.

But what implication does this parting word hold? Or is it actually a prophecy?

Vay cautiously asked, ”What does this sentence mean...”

The silver-haired girl regarded Vay, as if gazing at specks of dust.

”I am responsible only for the words.”

Upon finishing, the silver-haired girl directly turned her head to gaze at Dox beside Vay.