Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 2829: Chapter 2830: Named Shaya

Angel gently thanked the Black Earl.

Even if the Thunder of the Homeland isn’t needed, he still needed to thank the Black Earl for his goodwill.

Black Earl: ”What do you plan to do next? Fight? Or... something else?”

If it’s a fight, the Black Earl will cooperate with Angel, with them leading together. If it’s ”something else,” Angel will lead, and the Black Earl won’t intervene unless absolutely necessary.

”...I plan to negotiate with this Infant Spirit.” After contemplating for a moment, Angel decided to share his idea.

No doubt, Angel’s idea was classified as ”something else” by the Black Earl.

”Alright.” The Black Earl did not ask how Angel intended to negotiate, but simply advised, ”Most Infant Spirits have a natural instinct to disguise, be careful not to be deceived by its appearance.”

Angel nodded: ”I understand.”

Infant Spirits are a type of undead, they don’t possess wisdom, yet in terms of attack methods, they have a natural instinct to disguise, using the guise of an abandoned baby in the wild to lure humans near before attacking. This ”fishing” behavior is instinctive, but can also be seen as compensation. After all, Infant Spirits are much weaker than most undead.

However, Angel wasn’t worried about being tricked by the Infant Spirit, because he was very aware that the one he’s ”negotiating” with this time, most likely, won’t be the Infant Spirit, but the Maneater Flower.

After the Black Earl agreed to Angel’s idea, he didn’t make any more interventions, not even speaking a word, just silently floating aside.

Angel flew forward another three meters.

The distance of merely three meters wasn’t due to caution; it was purely because Angel needed to consider the scope of the Domain Field. Any further, and the Black Earl would be outside the Domain Field and would surely be affected by the Red Wax.

However, even a mere three meters advancement was enough. The distance to the Infant Spirit was so close now, close enough to see all the intricate details of the Infant Spirit and Maneater Flower.

...

Angel’s approach seemed unproblematic to him.

But, as for the ”onlookers” who were unaware of the truth, their hearts were in their throats, fearing that Angel might fall into a dangerous predicament in the next second.

Led by Dox, the group’s concern was for Angel.

But there was another person, who was watching everything with an astonished look.

That person was Adanis.

Adanis was highly confident that this group would never breach the Infant Spirit holding the flower’s defensive line. Because she knew very well the terror of this Otherworldly Infant Spirit!

When the Otherworldly Infant Spirit suddenly descended, had it not been inadvertently lured into the Mirror Domain by Adanis, the Qingkong Poetry Room might have ceased to exist by now.

While in the Mirror Domain, Adanis also tested the strength of the Infant Spirit.

Without exception, each attempt ended in Adanis’s death. Though in the Mirror Domain, Adanis used only mirror shadows, through the transmission of a real mirror, the power was nearly comparable to Adanis. Yet, even so, facing the Otherworldly Infant Spirit was a dead end.

However, after dying many times, Adanis gradually found out some secrets of the Infant Spirit.

This was an Infant Spirit with intelligence and cunning; it had a natural premonition of danger, so after entering the Mirror Domain, even if it could break the imprisoned Mirror Space, it never did so.

Because it knew that once it broke the Mirror Space, with nowhere to go, it would only fall into the deepest part of the Mirror Domain, which is—the Sea of Void Mirror.

And the Sea of Void Mirror, even for a powerful being like an Infant Spirit, is an extremely dangerous place.

Thus, Adanis grasped the first means to deal with the Infant Spirit: banishment to the Sea of Void Mirror.

Besides, in the hundreds of encounters Adanis previously had with the Infant Spirit, aside from dying the equivalent number of hundreds of times, she also gleaned another piece of information by probing.

The Otherworldly Infant Spirit descended to reality not for the Underground Labyrinth, it seemed to have another purpose, a purpose that made it eager to leave, to regain freedom.

After confirming the Otherworldly Infant Spirit’s purpose and grasping its weakness, Adanis began to try to persuade the Infant Spirit to surrender, she was very eager to obtain the loyalty of the Otherworldly Infant Spirit, hoping it could be used by her.

As long as she could control the Otherworldly Infant Spirit, Adanis even had a way to break through the constraints of Qingkong Poetry Room, completely nullifying the contract set by Augustine.

However, 993 deaths also made Adanis recognize a fact.

She couldn’t obtain the loyalty of the Otherworldly Infant Spirit, even when using the Sea of Void Mirror to threaten it, it never yielded.

From occasionally sensed mental fluctuations, Adanis knew the Otherworldly Infant Spirit seemed to have another master, whom it referred to as ’Queen’.

After knowing the Otherworldly Infant Spirit couldn’t be used by her, Adanis set a number for herself, once she died a thousand times, she would inevitably banish the Otherworldly Infant Spirit to the Sea of Void Mirror.

If it couldn’t be used by her, no matter how strong it was, it was worthless.

However, before Adanis died her thousandth time, Angel and his group broke in.

Thus, in the 994th meeting with the Infant Spirit, Adanis and the Otherworldly Infant Spirit reached an agreement.

—Intercept all life forms entering the Slow Corridor, kill them, grind their bones to ashes, then she would set it free.

This wasn’t merely a verbal agreement; after all, once the Infant Spirit was released from the Mirror Domain, no one could guarantee if it would retaliate against her, and Adanis had to consider her safety and the safety of Olao.

Therefore, a contract between them was established. With the Mirror Domain as witness, if the Infant Spirit failed to fulfill the agreement or attacked Adanis or Olao, the Mirror Domain would pull it from reality directly back into the Mirror Domain, falling into the Sea of Void Mirror.

Because of this agreement, Adanis was very confident that Angel and the others would absolutely not break through the Infant Spirit’s defensive line.

In Adanis’s thoughts, Angel and his group seemed unlikely to even break through the Red Wax and Weaving Net.

Because Adanis personally experienced the power of Red Wax and Weaving Net, she died hundreds of times in the Red Wax and Weaving Net respectively. And until now, she hasn’t found any method to break the Red Wax and Weaving Net.

Fire attack? Weaving Net is not afraid of fire. Although Red Wax will melt into wax oil by fire, wherever the wax oil flows will become a place of madness.

When Red Wax is solid, it affects only the area where Red Wax is, but turns into wax oil, making this area expand limitlessly without any dead angles.

Therefore, at present, there is no effective method to threaten the Weaving Net and Red Wax.

Adanis firmly believed that Angel and the others were doomed to die, even prepared to have a ”heart-to-heart” with Olao, but the development exceeded her imagination.

She believed the Weaving Net and Red Wax that seemed impossible to break open were indeed broken.

Can Illusion Technique tear open Weaving Net? Adanis simply didn’t believe it. Moreover, through the Magical Energy Array, she could see that apart from the first Weaving Net pausing slightly when encountering Illusion Technique, the subsequent nets practically opened on their own. It was like a welcome ceremony.

In the Red Wax region, there was also no effect on Angel and others. Their eyes were clear, entirely unlike the madness expected.

This also confounded Adanis.

Why exactly?

The only thing Adanis could think of was that the Infant Spirit deliberately held back.

However, she signed a contract with the Infant Spirit, if it didn’t kill the intruders, didn’t grind them to ashes, the Infant Spirit would only be pulled into the Sea of Void Mirror, completely vanishing.

What is the Infant Spirit thinking? Does it have other plans? Or does it simply not want to kill Angel?!

Adanis clenched her fists, taking a deep breath. She kept telling herself that it’s not over yet, the Infant Spirit is just luring the enemy deeper... Keep watching, the Infant Spirit fears the Sea of Void Mirror, it won’t let Angel go. Absolutely not.

...

Adanis’s gaze, everyone’s gaze, was now focused on Angel.

But Angel was not aware that he had become the center of attention; instead, he quietly stared at the Infant Spirit.

The Infant Spirit was also looking at Angel, its dark eyes devoid of any vitality... but also absent of any malice.

Everyone waited for Angel and the Infant Spirit’s next move, not knowing what would happen, they could only hold their breath and watch intently. The Black Earl knew Angel was preparing to ”communicate” with the Infant Spirit, but how to establish the communication channel, even he wasn’t sure, and needed to continue observing.

But to everyone’s disappointment, Angel and the Infant Spirit just stared at each other, neither speaking.

It seemed they were at a stalemate.

Moreover, the stalemate continued, several minutes passed without any sign of stopping.

While everyone worried anxiously about Angel’s situation, Angel in fact had already successfully connected with the Infant Spirit.

This connection was imperceptible to outsiders, even the Black Earl and Adanis couldn’t sense it.

Because their connection wasn’t on a physical level.

At the time, as Angel approached the Infant Spirit, he immediately felt a familiar and joyful emotion.

This familiarity was identical to the situation in the Red Wax area before.

However, this emotion didn’t directly transmit to Angel’s mind, but was blocked by the Domain Field.

Angel thought for a moment, then actively opened a gap in the Domain Field. As the gap opened, the familiar emotion was immediately felt by Angel.

At the same time, a scene appeared in Angel’s mind.

In the scene was still the fiery red Sea of Flowers from before, where the Maneater Flowers continued to express respect and admiration for Angel. However, they didn’t express this cheerful emotion directly nor openly, but rather restrained themselves significantly.

As for why these Maneater Flowers suddenly became so restrained... it was because, within the scene, a flower that previously didn’t exist appeared.

The Maneater Flower was floating in midair.

This was a completely different Maneater Flower; its color was not fiery red but entirely pitch black.

The petals were a deep, mysterious black, yet shimmered with star-like iridescent glows, looking as splendid as a midsummer starry sky!

Even the large mouth typical of Maneater Flowers embedded in the stamen didn’t look odd on this black flower, instead, it highlighted its mysteriousness.

Looking at this Maneater Flower floating in midair, Angel lowered his gaze and gently expressed through emotion:

”Is it you?”

Angel recalled when he first arrived at Nightmare Abyss City, he was frightened unconscious by the flying skull demon, and then awakened by a black Maneater Flower with its ”scented saliva”.

This black Maneater Flower was the one Sanders referred to as the Flower King of Maneater Flowers.

And the same Maneater Flower floating in front of Angel was identical to the one he encountered in Nightmare Abyss City.

Even the hidden ”starry sky” within those black petals was similar.

Angel actually didn’t know if this black Maneater Flower was an old companion from Nightmare Abyss City... no, an old flower.

So, Angel used a very clever method to inquire.

Following Angel’s inquiry, the black Maneater Flower floated slowly towards him.

As it approached, Angel could clearly sense its excitement and exuberance.

”It’s wonderful, Your Highness remembers me! Your Highness remembers me! Praise the moonlight! Praise Shava!”

The Maneater Flower danced around Angel as if performing a dance. Its familiar fragrance made Angel momentarily feel he was back to the time when he first entered the Wizards’ Realm.

Sensing its joyful emotion, Angel’s heart already had a rough answer.

It should indeed be the Maneater Flower he once encountered in Naraku City.

However, from the current situation, it was slightly different from the Maneater Flower back then.

”Heh.” Angel feigned depth and chuckled, then with a deepened voice, said: ”You’ve become much smarter than before.”

The difference was noticeably in its intelligence.

The previous Maneater Flower, while capable of communicating with Angel, expressed itself in very bland single words; aside from knowing it ”liked” or ”respected”, Angel barely gleaned any other information.

Moreover, the Maneater Flower didn’t even recognize Angel back then; its expression of closeness was merely due to the ”Queen’s” aura on him.

But now, at least it expressed complete thoughts, and from its respectful address, it’s evident it distinguishes between Shava and the Queen.

”Yes, Shaya has become smarter than before!”

”Shaya also obtained a name.”

”Your Highness, my name is Shaya!”

Angel: ”... I’ll remember it.” With it repeating its name so many times, Angel couldn’t help but remember.

But speaking of which, Angel previously wondered who the praised Shaya was among the Maneater Flowers in the Sea of Flowers, and why there was no corresponding person in Gru Town; now it’s clear.

Shaya turned out to be the once Maneater Flower.

”Obtained a name? Wasn’t it self-given?” Angel was trying to ask if perhaps a name was bestowed by the Queen, but at the thought of the Queen, Angel felt a chill on his spine. Recalling the chaos from contemplating the Queen’s appearance and name during the Twilight Auction, he almost caused the Queen to cross half a plane to reach the Wizards’ Realm.

If the patchwork Queen came to the Wizards’ Realm, it would undoubtedly be apocalyptic.

So, as Angel’s words almost reached his lips, he swallowed them again, avoiding the word Queen.

Just as Sanders once said, when facing such unfathomable strength, avoid mentioning it if possible, and use a substitute title rather than calling out its respect name.

”No, it was given to me by the Light.”

”... Light?”