Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 3066: Chapter 3067: Time Arts

Even Dox was a bit stunned when he heard these four stringent limitations.

Are the abilities in the Time Series all so harsh?

Moreover, according to the Black Earl, any mistake during the release process, even a slight detail of carelessness, would be difficult to remedy and could produce unknown variables.

The birth of a variable represents an increased probability of backlash.

In effect, just releasing the ability could inadvertently lead to one’s own demise.

This truly makes Dox incredulous.

It’s known that releasing spells can also lead to backlash, but the probability is extremely low, mostly occurring during the early learning stages due to some cleverness; once they’ve mastered the corresponding spell, releasing it naturally forms an energy-guided memory, and operating according to the energy memory generally won’t cause any backlash.

Even if there are details not meticulously executed, as long as they are discovered before release, there’s a way to remedy them; even if they can’t be remedied, there are various methods to avoid backlash.

But for Time Series abilities, whether it’s a novice or an experienced user, they must be meticulously released because the release process needs to adapt to time, place, and person. Once a variable appears, there’s a chance of backlash. If backlash occurs, consequences are unpredictable.

This is a difficulty Dox cannot imagine.

”Now, do you think it’s fair?” The Black Earl said calmly in Dox’s direction.

Dox smiled awkwardly, ”Fair, very fair...”

The Consecutive Slash of the Time Series seems simple in casting but has great limitations, carrying the risk of backlash; whereas, the Consecutive Slash of Bloodline Art requires personal physical conditions, serving as high prerequisites, but once learned, there’s no need to worry about releasing, and no need to worry about backlash.

Both have their advantages and disadvantages, which can’t be said to be unfair.

However, if evaluated by those present, the scales are actually more tilted towards the Consecutive Slash of Bloodline Art. After all, the Consecutive Slash in the Bloodline side, the practitioners have their own measure, they can freely control the progress, and with adequate physical quality they can learn it, and if they can’t, they don’t need to worry about issues and can continue to enhance their physical quality until they learn. Compared to the ”highly random” Consecutive Slash of Time Series, it’s clearly better.

Black Earl: ”Do you remember what I said earlier about the second and third restrictions of the Consecutive Slash in Time Series? For the Consecutive Slash in Time Series, the most important thing is the weapon.”

”Time Series Wizards need a specially customized weapon to stably release the Consecutive Slash. But Aex, from the various details observed since he came to Starry District, probably doesn’t have such a weapon. Whether it was teaching or when Dox saw him release the Consecutive Slash earlier, he used ordinary weapons.”

This is actually quite normal; to customize weapons for Time Series Wizards, ordinary Alchemists can’t do it.

And neither Aex, nor his associate Sharon the Witch, nor Stop seems to have suitable alchemical equipment. Perhaps they couldn’t find a suitable Alchemist, or maybe they found one, but the Alchemy Tools crafted didn’t suit them. So, rather than using Alchemy Tools, they might choose not to.

The Black Earl continued: ”And precisely because Aex uses ordinary weapons, he left evidence.”

Angel: ”Sir, do you mean the teaching sword earlier?”

The Black Earl nodded: ”That’s correct. I sensed an unusual energy reaction in that teaching sword.”

”Time Series energy is very peculiar, and I cannot directly identify it as time energy, but as long as I data-tize the energy reaction I sensed and input it into the Magic Energy Formula, I can get a rough coefficient. And the spectrum range corresponding to this coefficient aligns with Time Series energy.”

Therefore, it can be confirmed that Aex used the teaching sword to perform the Consecutive Slash of Time Series at that time. This also serves as the strongest evidence that Aex is a Time Series Wizard.

Black Earl: ”Once Aex was confirmed as a Time Series Wizard, those incredible abilities he used before now have an explanation.”

The so-called incredible abilities, excluding the Consecutive Slash, currently there are also two abilities in urgent need of explanation.

The first being Angel’s encounter with the disappearance of the Illusionary Realm.

What method did Aex use to make the Nightmare Illusionary Realm arranged by Angel vanish into thin air? Angel had many guesses before, but none bore fruit. Now, even knowing Aex is a Time Series Wizard, with Angel’s shallow understanding of the Time Series, he still can’t fathom which ability caused the Nightmare Illusionary Realm to disappear.

Angel cast a gaze seeking knowledge toward the Black Earl.

After a moment of contemplation, the Black Earl offered three guesses: ”The Temporal Libra, The Substitution Transfer, and Time-Space Enclosure.”

These were the three Time Series spells Black Earl read in ”Hermes’s Cultivation Diary.”

The Temporal Libra: a Level 1 spell, an advanced version of the Second-Measuring Scales.

The function of the Second-Measuring Scales is to make the energy that comes into contact with oneself, whether beneficial or detrimental, stay at the current coordinate, and delay its explosion. The delayed time is calculated in seconds, usually not exceeding one minute.

Whereas, the Temporal Libra increases the delay time for the energy to explode, allowing a delay of over an hour before the energy bursts. Thus, it is called the ”Temporal” Libra.

Dox: ”This delayed explosion... After the delay ends, does it explode on him?”

Black Earl: ”No. The explosion occurs at the original coordinate where the energy was supposed to explode, and won’t follow the Time Series Wizard’s movement.”

Upon hearing Black Earl’s explanation, Dox couldn’t help but say, ”It won’t follow the Time Series Wizard’s movement? This means delaying the explosion seems a bit too cheating! Isn’t this invincible? Whenever someone attacks, just delay the explosion, who can attack him then?”

The Black Earl scoffed, ”When talking about the Consecutive Slash earlier, you asked if it was fair, didn’t you nod? How come you’ve forgotten now.”

”Just use your brain a little and you’ll know, tricks in the Time Series have numerous limitations, so don’t Time Series spells have limitations?”

Dox’s expression stiffened, and he withdrew his indignation, reluctantly agreeing, ”Sir is right, this kind of spell definitely has major limitations.”

The Black Earl didn’t continue to pay attention to Dox and said to himself, ”Both the Second-Measuring Scales and the Temporal Libra have a prerequisite during release, which is ’let incoming energy actively make contact with oneself,’ meaning he must first endure an attack to initiate a delayed explosion. Imagine if the initial attack breaks his defense, heavily injuring him, can he continue to perform it?”

”Furthermore, this kind of spell has an energy absorption limit; once it surpasses the limit, not only won’t it delay the explosion, but it’ll also backfire on him.”

”These two limitations are explicitly recorded in the handbook; but since Hermes is not an Official Wizard, the spells he knows about are only heard from his Mentor, so there are sure to be other limitations as well.”

Even with just these two limitations, this spell isn’t too overpowered.

Angel: ”If it needs to be touched to trigger the Temporal Libra, then my Illusion Technique should be able to trigger it. Aex, after arriving at the Earth Cavern arena, did come into contact with the Illusion Technique.”

”Objectively speaking, he indeed met the conditions to release the Temporal Libra.” Changing his tone, the Black Earl continued, ”However, usually the Temporal Libra only delays an hour, and now far more than an hour has passed; if it was truly delayed, then your Illusion Technique should explode at the arena, but in reality, it hasn’t.”

”Of course, it’s also possible that he has delved deep into The Temporal Libra, enabling him to extend the delay time. It’s just that there hasn’t been an explosion yet. However, the maximum delay wouldn’t exceed twelve hours; otherwise, it wouldn’t be the ’Temporal’ Libra but the ’Daily’ Libra.”

It’s already close to twelve hours now. If Aex indeed used The Temporal Libra, the explosion is imminent, and by then, it will become clear.

Apart from The Temporal Libra, other methods that could make Angel’s illusion disappear might include The Substitution Transfer and Space-time Condensation.

The Substitution Transfer: Level 1 spell technique, pre-setting a time-space field that redirects incoming attacks to this field within a certain timeframe.

This spell technique is even more challenging to master than The Temporal Libra.

Although the Black Earl mentioned this technique as a possibility, he believes Aex is unlikely to use The Substitution Transfer.

Besides the difficulty, a main reason is that Aex’s whereabouts are traceable. According to Lucia’s information, Aex hasn’t left Bilun Tree Court recently, meaning any pre-set time-space field would be there.

No information about such a field exists currently.

Furthermore, if the time-space field indeed exists in Bilun Tree Court, and Aex shifted Angel’s illusion there, Angel—with his abilities—should be able to sense the location of the illusion, right?

Thus, while the Black Earl brought up this spell technique, the probability is relatively low.

The other possible spell technique is ”Space-time Condensation.”

Space-time Condensation: Level 1 spell technique, creating a time-energy shield within high-dimensional organs that absorbs incoming attacks.

The so-called high-dimensional organs refer to ”Mind Space, Spirit Sea, Land of the Soul”—those internal parts perceived but difficult to locate.

Are these organs genuinely ”high-dimensional”? Not necessarily.

But that doesn’t hinder the Wizards’ imaginations.

The difficulty of mastering Space-time Condensation isn’t too high, and its effect, by its literal meaning, seems quite good. However, not many time-series Wizards truly practice this spell technique...due to its considerable side effects.

Condensing an energy shield within high-dimensional organs is risky, for once ”Mind Space, Spirit Sea, Land of the Soul” gets damaged, repairing any is extremely difficult.

Moreover, the so-called ”absorbing attacks into the energy shield” doesn’t mean one can rest easy afterward.

Energy won’t disappear nor transfer on its own.

Thus, the only way to remove attacks within the energy shield is to release them again.

This is quite akin to The Temporal Libra—it’s a form of delayed explosion.

Yet, while The Temporal Libra keeps the explosion in place to avoid affecting the Wizard personally...

The delayed explosion of Space-time Condensation will follow the Wizard. Once released, the Wizard is indeed affected.

And this effect is unavoidable.

Because this attack, released from high-dimensional organs, has already established an ethereal link with you.

In other words, when a time-series Wizard releases an attack from Space-time Condensation, they must endure or neutralize it; there’s no escape, only a direct confrontation.

Take Angel’s illusion, for instance: if Aex absorbed the illusion using Space-time Condensation, he might remain unaffected temporarily but will eventually release the illusion from Space-time Condensation and try to neutralize it.

”The Temporal Libra, The Substitution Transfer, Space-time Condensation; among known time-series spell techniques, these three could cause your illusion to fail.” The Black Earl remarked, ”But whether Aex has other time-series spell techniques capable of breaking the illusion, I can’t say.”

Angel understood and nodded. Everyone’s practiced spell techniques differ. Just like Angel, being an Illusionist Wizard, who could have guessed that his first Witchcraft Slot’s technique isn’t illusion but a type of spatial technique?

Angel: ”If we were to choose among these three techniques, which one would you think Aex has used, my lord Black Earl?”

The Black Earl pondered for a moment and replied, ”The Temporal Libra or Space-time Condensation. Now it’s dawn; by noon, if there’s still no report of the illusion’s explosion, then exclude The Temporal Libra.”

Despite that, Angel sensed that the Black Earl likely believes Space-time Condensation has a slightly higher probability.

The Temporal Libra...a one-hour delay is the norm; a twelve-hour delay is a rare event. Betting on a low-probability occurrence now is certainly riskier than Space-time Condensation.

Angel himself has no particular inclination.

The main reason is his very limited understanding of time-series techniques, and these spell techniques all sound somewhat fantastical.

Nonetheless, Angel no longer held confusion in his heart.

Previously, his confusion stemmed from disbelief that the Nightmare Illusionary Realm could be broken so easily. Now understanding the peculiarities of time-series abilities, and that more than one method can break through the Nightmare Illusionary Realm, Angel naturally had no more doubts.

Knowing where one’s deficiencies lie stirs the motivation to pursue further.

With Angel’s confusion resolved, he also found himself curious about other matters.

Beyond the illusion breakdown, there was another formidable ability Aex exhibited that puzzled them—

How did Aex and his companions break through the prohibitive array?

On this point, the Black Earl offered his conjecture, which he held with considerable certainty.

”Time Illusionary Passage.”

Time Illusionary Passage: Third-level trick, allows near-distance space traversing by consuming demonic materials and large amounts of mana, preventing obstruction from any non-time-series abilities during traversal.

In other words, as long as you calculate the distance and direction correctly for ’Time Illusionary Passage,’ you can navigate smoothly even amidst space turbulence or space lockdown.