Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 2819: Chapter 2820: A Conversation Across Space

In no time, everyone had finished their evacuation preparations, and Dox was ready to activate the Plane Corridor at any moment.

After confirming within the Mind Ribbon, Angel killed the last group of human-faced fish in front of him and swiftly retreated. As he dashed away, he took out the External Array Disk from his bracelet.

During the retreat, he had already identified the node locations within the nearby Magical Energy Array that would most greatly affect spatial stability.

Without any hesitation, Angel directly threw the External Array Disk toward the node location.

The square Array Disk drew a parabola in the air, attracting everyone’s attention.

Including those human-faced fish in the sky.

The human-faced fish seemed interested in moving objects, and all the nearby schools of human-faced fish chased after the Array Disk. The entire scene looked like a comet streaking across the sky, dragging a long, glowing tail behind.

Although the human-faced fish were chasing the Array Disk, everyone believed in Angel’s judgment. He dared to throw out the Array Disk, confident it wouldn’t be intercepted.

Dox was also constantly monitoring the direction of the External Array Disk. Once the disk landed, with its magic patterns lighting up, he would activate the Plane Corridor.

Just as the Array Disk was tugging at everyone’s emotions, a voice never heard before suddenly rang in their ears.

”Little mermaid, why are you still playing outside? It’s time to go home.”

It was an exceedingly pleasant male voice, possessing both the deep timbre of a bass cannon and the lazy elegance of a dandy man, with a hint of indulgence.

One could say it was a voice many women would swoon over.

However, Angel and the others were all male and couldn’t appreciate this intentionally contrived voice.

Yes, contrived. How could a normal person concoct something so complicated while speaking, both with an irrational hoarse sound yet carrying affectionate emotions within?

Who could achieve that? Everyone could, but only if they force their voice like actors reading a script for a drama. So, if this isn’t intentional, what is?

Though everyone could tell it was a deliberately forced voice, its impact was undeniable.

Because all the human-faced fish present suddenly became motionless, as if time had stopped.

”Ah, O-Ola-Olao sir, why have you come?” The one speaking was the clownfish, normally with a charming and seductive voice, akin to a matchless beauty gently parting red lips. But now, like someone with a thick tongue, the words stumbled out.

”Olao? Is he the guy in the Mirror Demon God...” Vay exclaimed within the Mind Ribbon.

Previously, the Wise Sovereign had mentioned that the man and woman in Mirror Demon God are Olao and Adanis. Ever since meeting Olao a thousand years ago, there had been no news of him, and all contacts were with Adanis.

Why has Olao appeared now?!

”We know who Olao is, no need for you to tell. The key now isn’t Olao but that the Array Disk has landed!” Dox said, ”Angel, should we still activate the Plane Corridor?”

Whether to evacuate is indeed the most crucial issue now.

Angel glanced at the Array Disk on the ground, which was already in place, and the magic patterns on it were illuminated. With just a thought, he could activate it and let the spatial node in this area fall into chaos.

Should he activate it? Angel pondered for a moment and ultimately decided not to rush in activating the Array Disk for now.

The voice speaking to him earlier in the arena was indeed the same as this voice, though it was more natural then, whereas now it seemed somewhat squeezed. However, it was essentially the same person.

If the visitor truly is Olao, given his previous display of goodwill, perhaps they could avoid this calamity.

Nonetheless, while Angel decided not to activate the Array Disk immediately, he also didn’t relax.

”We can’t tell if the newcomer is friendly, but since he’s holding up these human-faced fish, we have more time. We’ll observe for now and be ready to activate at any moment,” Angel said.

The others had no objections. Because none of those present were willing to leave like this, especially the two from the Noah Clan, being so close to the ancestral Qingkong Poetry Room, abandoning it now would be too regretful. And Kaier didn’t want to lose his ”advancing” spirit, wanting to prove he’s different from the residual soul, and shouldn’t stop here.

Dox was the only one indifferent; he had already gained benefits, and whether to go to Qingkong Poetry Room was up to him.

But since Angel made a decision, Dox wouldn’t oppose it.

As everyone prepared for further observation, Olao’s voice rang out again: ”As a little mermaid, how could you act so recklessly in reality? You should obediently return.”

Although Olao was reprimanding the clownfish, he kept calling it ”little mermaid,” which embarrassed the clownfish into incoherence, speaking even more stutteringly: ”B-but sir, that woman said, doing this would make you happy...”

”No, I wouldn’t be happy because of that,” Olao said. ”Little mermaids should obey.”

”That woman? Clownfish, are you talking about me?” Adanis’s voice also joined the conversation, but like Olao, his true body couldn’t be located.

Clownfish: ”I’m not a clownfish! I’m the Mermaid Prin... no, I’m a little mermaid.”

”Hmph, you vile woman deceived me, saying if I did this, Lord Olao would be pleased. I won’t believe you again!”

The clownfish kept speaking while beginning to retract the human-faced fish it had released.

Adanis: ”That man just provoked you, and what, you let him off? Also, he killed so many of your young fish, aren’t you going to settle that?”

Adanis was naturally referring to Dox and Angel.

This blatant instigation worked well on the clownfish. It started slowing the retraction of human-faced fish, indicating it was indeed hesitating.

”Little mermaid, I once told you, to become a truly elegant Mermaid Princess, you need tolerance and kindness. Of course, treat your enemies with thunderous wrath. But think carefully, was it you who first made enemies of them, or did they first make enemies of you?”

Olao’s voice remained squeezed, and the clownfish seemed particularly fond of this tone. After listening to Olao’s words, it said without hesitation: ”Yes, it was all my fault. I need to be tolerant, I can’t keep doing such reckless things.”

After speaking, the clownfish suddenly redirected its anger towards Adanis: ”But my mistake was believing your lies. You’re the vicious woman!”

”Little mermaid, I just said you need tolerance and kindness. You can forgive these humans, so why hold a grudge over an old friend’s minor mistake?” Olao spoke again, but this time standing by Adanis.

Adanis remained silent.

The clownfish said weakly: ”I, I know I was wrong.”

”Knowing one’s faults and correcting them makes for a good Mermaid. Go back, and have a good rest,” Olao said gently.

In a particularly ”little woman” manner, the clownfish responded ”mm,” and then all the tails of the human-faced fish started swaying and slipped into the mirrors on either side of the corridor, disappearing from sight.

Along with the disappearing human-faced fish was the crack on the wall, which was the clownfish’s pattern.

This also indicated that the clownfish had left, returning to the Mirror Domain.

Seeing this scene, everyone breathed a slight sigh of relief. Although the clownfish didn’t appear extremely powerful, its abilities posed an unsolvable problem for them at this moment. So, its departure was a good thing.

But they were puzzled; why did Olao appear and even help them?

Did Olao want them to continue forward?

However, if that was the case, Olao seemed to be speaking from Adanis’s stance earlier, are he and Adanis allies or adversaries?

When everyone was confused, Adanis finally spoke.

”You really did come after all.” The first sentence Adanis spoke left everyone somewhat bewildered.

What does ”really came” mean? Is this a trap set for Olao, just to make him appear?

”You took it all away. If I didn’t come, they might all be thrown into the Sea of Void Mirror.” Olao finally spoke without a clipped tone, returning to his normal voice, which coincidentally Angel was familiar with. Once again confirming that the one who conversed with him on the competitive stage before was undoubtedly Olao.

Olao’s words had two main points. ’You took it all away’ — here ”it” undoubtedly refers to the Clownfish. Judging from the context, the Clownfish seems to hold great significance and might be very powerful, so much so that even Olao needs to treat it seriously.

From Olao constantly coaxing the Clownfish earlier with a clipped tone, this much is clear.

And in the latter part of his sentence, Olao said Adanis would throw everyone into the Sea of Void Mirror, clearly indicating Adanis’s hostility toward them. At the same time, Olao subtly expressed his stance: he doesn’t seem to want them to be thrown into the Sea of Void Mirror.

”Olao, tell me the reason. Why are you stopping me this time?” Adanis: ”Is it because of him?”

The ”him” Adanis spoke of, everyone didn’t know who she was referring to, as they didn’t even know where Adanis was.

Olao: ”I can’t be sure right now; I need to wait until they enter the Qingkong Poetry Room before I can make a final confirmation. Once they come in, I’ll tell you the reason.”

Adanis snorted coldly: ”They won’t come, and you won’t see them. Even if you can stop the Clownfish this time, given your condition, are you sure you can stop the Infant Spirits next time?”

Olao was silent for a moment: ”If they can come in, it will become proof of a certain thought I have. If they can’t, then... perhaps the time isn’t ripe yet.”

Adanis: ”Hmph, just wait and see.”

Adanis’s voice grew fainter, and the water walls on both sides were withdrawn, appearing as if she had already left.

The surroundings sank into prolonged silence.

At this moment, Black Earl said in the Mind Ribbon: ”I can smell that scent again.”

Black Earl’s words indirectly confirmed Adanis had already left. Before, it was precisely because Adanis erected mirror-like water walls blocking the spread of that fragrance. Now that she withdrew the water walls, the scent naturally began wafting back.

But... still, only Black Earl could smell it; the others’ sense of smell was still in standby mode.

Dox: ”They should all be gone, right? Huh, I thought we’d need to try our luck and make a forced exit this time; who knew it’d turn around so easily?”

Just as Dox finished saying whether everyone had left, next second, they heard Olao’s voice again.

”Go forth, that flower-bearing Infant Spirit is your test, and also a test of the judgment I’ve made this time. I hope you, especially you, don’t disappoint me.”

”I’ve waited far too long, please do come...”

Olao’s voice slowly faded away. Seeing this, Dox immediately shouted: ”Hey, hey, clarify this, what’s the flower-bearing Infant Spirit?”

But Dox wasn’t able to call Olao back. The answer he got was a silent void.

Dox couldn’t help but curse: ”These two come when they want, and leave when they please?”

Vay: ”... What else?”

Dox turned to look at Vay: ”You haven’t even gone to the Qingkong Poetry Room yet, and you’re already speaking up for the spirits your ancestors left behind?”

Vay: ”No. I hate that woman; that man... I don’t like either.”

Dox, initially annoyed due to incomplete information, felt his curiosity rise upon hearing Vay’s words: ”I can understand you not liking Adanis. But Olao, he seems quite friendly towards you Noah Clan, why don’t you like him?”

Vay thought for a moment: ”I don’t know, it’s just a feeling. Although Olao seems friendly, he gives me a sense of being examined from high above.”

Dox muttered softly: ”Really? How come I didn’t feel it.”

Angel then interjected: ”Perhaps it’s because you’re not of the Noah Clan?”

Upon hearing Angel speak, Dox immediately abandoned that topic, approached Angel, and with a suspicious glare, stared at Angel: ”The last words Olao said, ’especially you’, wasn’t he referring to you?”

Angel replied earnestly: ”It’s me.”

”What?! Olao truly meant you? You... What’s your relationship with Olao? Why does he care about you so much?” Dox gaped at Angel, eyes wide, in disbelief.

Angel disregarded Dox, brushing past him, walked to the side, picked up the Array Plate from the ground. After completing all this, Angel stood up and replied: ”Do you truly believe it?”

Dox: ”Didn’t you admit it yourself?”

Angel drawled: ”I admitted it, so you believe it? Think again, I’m not of the Noah Clan, why would Olao care about me?”

Dox still harbored doubt: ”It’s really not you?”

Angel: ”It’s false.”

Dox was stunned, looking up, he found Angel giving him a teasing look. That look made Dox feel like he was seeing those patrons in his bar who used words to tease the female bartender. However, now Dox became the teased female bartender, while Angel was the patron with a wicked grin.

Dox was completely befuddled by Angel, but the nearby Black Earl saw things clearly.

Though Angel jested in his speech, his meaning was unmistakable: It’s unrelated to me.

Black Earl initially thought Olao might be focusing on Angel. After all, ”especially you” seemed strikingly pointed.

Moreover, Black Earl himself didn’t think Olao would pay any attention to himself and Vay.

Vay is just an apprentice, even if he comes from the Noah Clan, hasn’t there been a scarcity of Noah Clan members coming here before?

As for Black Earl himself, he was just a nose avatar; even the Wise Sovereign couldn’t immediately discern his origin before. Even if Olao found out about him, he might assume he was a disguise by a Wizard approaching True Knowledge Level.

And such a Wizard, even if from the Noah Clan, shouldn’t capture Olao’s attention.

Thus, discounting Black Earl himself and Vay, he thought Angel was the most likely.

Angel holds too many secrets, and seemingly has inexplicable ties to this place. Olao focusing on Angel makes sense.

But now Angel denied it.

Moreover, Black Earl could tell that Angel wasn’t uneasy when saying this.

It’s likely Angel genuinely thinks Olao’s words have nothing to do with him.

Then who is Olao focusing on?

There must be someone present who caught Olao’s attention; otherwise, how was it possible for this thousand-years recluse to reveal himself so easily and help them out of a predicament?

Who exactly could it be?