Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 3234: Chapter 3235: True Bonds

What moves people the most is not personal happiness, but a great love for one’s tribe.

At first glance, isn’t this answer the most likely one?

Enduring humiliation, bearing burdens, and not fearing power, all for the sake of the tribe... Bimon endured too much for this, so much that it was even willing to be confined in a cramped mouse cage, just to see the dawn of freedom through the gaps in the prison!

The deeper Angel thought, the more he felt this answer was the truth!

Angel took a deep breath and said to Laplace, ”Wait a moment, I’ll try Bimon again.”

After speaking, Angel looked again at the little Bimon curled up in the corner of the cage.

It seemed to have closed its eyes and fallen asleep, but through the fluctuations in its emotions, Angel could confirm that it had not truly fallen asleep. Its inner self was not as calm as it appeared.

”Perhaps I was thinking too narrowly before.” Angel communicated to Bimon: ”The so-called ’myself’, sometimes it may not refer to a single person, but could be a group.”

Bimon’s ears perked up... It wanted to hear what Angel had to say.

”In human history, there will always be people who stand out in times of crisis, not for personal gain, but simply to fight for all humanity. We call these people heroes.”

”Humans can have heroes, so why can’t invention mice have heroes?” Angel said calmly, staring directly at Bimon. ”So, your ’myself’ may not specifically refer to one person, but to the whole tribe... right? You don’t want to leave because you want to liberate all invention mice.”

Angel’s tone was very certain, but—

Bimon, who initially had its ears perked up, slowly drooped its ears.

Under Hyper Perception, its emotions gradually returned to peace, as if letting out a breath...

Indeed, Bimon listened to Angel’s self-assured tone, initially thinking Angel had truly guessed its thoughts. But who knew... it was just painting a huge illusion.

And this illusion was not the flavor Bimon liked.

Most invention mice? Most are manipulated puppets, without Pirush they don’t even know how to live, the best way to save them is not to liberate, but to send them directly into Samsara.

Boring.

Bimon sneered internally.

Rather than listening to his nonsense, it would be better to truly sleep. At least a dreamless sleep can quickly pass the time... and won’t easily arouse outsiders’ buying interest.

With this thought, Bimon truly began its journey into slumber.

Angel didn’t know what Bimon was thinking, but from its emotions, Angel detected a hint of faint mockery.

He spoke a lot of words he thought were correct, only to be met with unturned mockery.

No doubt, his previous idealistic expressions once again hit a dead end.

Bimon’s ”myself” was not the so-called ”group.”

At least, not the invention mice group.

But if not for the whole, then what was it for?

Angel fell into a long contemplation.

Meanwhile, Luigi beside him said, ”It seems it still hasn’t replied... Did you ask whether it’s that invention mouse with ancestral features?”

Angel: ”...” That invention mouse is as foolish as a real Golden Silk Bear, how could it possibly be it?

Although Angel didn’t believe it could be that Golden Silk Bear at all, seeing Luigi’s encouraging expression, he thought for a moment and decided to ask.

At least, to let Luigi give up.

As for why Luigi would ask himself why he became interested in that Golden Silk Bear afterward... He could just find a random excuse to brush him off, like finding mice reminding of people.

With this thought, Angel said in a calm tone, communicating to Bimon: ”Have you ever seen Pififi?”

Bimon completely ignored.

Angel continued: ”You actually look quite similar to Pififi, but there is an invention mouse that looks even more similar to Pififi...”

Angel originally just mentioned it casually, intending to quickly move past this topic.

But unexpectedly, Bimon’s previously dormant emotions suddenly surged again, and the fluctuating curve was even larger than before!

Hyper Perception’s feedback left Angel somewhat puzzled.

What’s going on? Why suddenly so agitated?

Is it because the mention of Pififi? But Pififi has been mentioned before, and Bimon had no reaction.

If it’s not Pififi that caused Bimon’s agitation, then could it be... that foolish Golden Silk Bear?

A hint of doubt flashed across Angel’s eyes, feeling it unlikely. Even the ”group” concept proposed by Laplace was denied by Bimon; How could Bimon care about a Golden Silk Bear with no merits other than its appearance?

But for a moment, Angel couldn’t think of any other answers, hesitated for a moment, gently lifted his finger, and Nightmare Illusion Breath followed.

Soon, in the cage where Bimon was imprisoned, Angel used Illusion Technique to conjure a new invention mouse.

It was an invention mouse slightly smaller than Bimon, but visually, this invention mouse appeared rounder and cuter. Ivory short silky fur occasionally mixed with gray and golden hairs, paired with tiny ears and innocent eyes, very adorable.

However, this cute little hamster was vigorously running on a wheel.

Running while chirping dreamily.

When this ”Run, Golden Silk Bear” illusion appeared in the mouse cage, Bimon finally reacted.

Bimon was still pretending to sleep, but hearing the familiar sound behind it, it suddenly lifted its head.

Looking back, it saw a familiar figure.

Separated by a wheel, two invention mice with different colors but similar appearances gazed at each other from afar.

Bimon slowly stood up, walking towards the wheel... Its tiny hands began to tremble gently, seemingly wanting to touch the Golden Silk Bear.

But when truly standing in front of the other, it retracted its hands, standing helplessly in place.

Looking at the scene in the cage, no need for Hyper Perception, everyone present understood.

Including Pierdan and Pixi, who could see a certain bond between Bimon and this white invention mouse.

Luigi excitedly stood up: ”Indeed, indeed!”

Bimon’s bond was indeed with that worthless mouse valued at two Crystalline!

Luigi grabbed Angel’s collar, eyes shining as he asked, ”You knew before, right? The special aspect of that invention mouse is that it restrains a truly inventive mouse!”

Did I know before? Angel’s heart filled with doubt, he could be certain that previously he completely dismissed that Golden Silk Bear.

The performance in front of Luigi was just a ”performance.”

But now, who could tell him?

Why is that inconspicuous foolish mouse truly linked to a possibly ancestral invention mouse? More importantly, this new invention mouse is the one they’ve waited for after long hardships.

Isn’t this a bit of a coincidence?

Is it the power of destiny? Or is it really just a coincidence?

Angel was already prepared to ponder the distant River of Fate, but the voice that reached his ears pulled his thoughts back to reality.

”Right? Right? You know, don’t you?”

Seeing Luigi’s excited expression, Angel hesitated for a moment, coughed, and lowered his gaze: ”You could say... yes.”

Luigi showed a look of ”I knew it.”

No wonder Angel was so interested before in that Invention Mouse, which aside from appearance had no interior qualities. It turns out, it was awaiting him here.

”Not bad, not bad, this is the power of destiny. I should have bought that Invention Mouse back then, only two Crystallines... but it’s not too late now. I’ll send a message to the parrot later and have him buy it on my behalf, and pick it up when I leave, just the same!”

Regardless of whether Angel wants to purchase the Invention Mouse, Luigi is now resolute in his decision to buy it.

Because Angel had been ”arranged” by the Book of Kael before, he has a very high vigilance toward the coincidences of fate. Whenever encountering coincidences in life, his first thought isn’t ”accidental” but a form of ”arrangement.”

But for Luigi, this is a beautiful accident, a gift from destiny.

Roundabout and roundabout, they finally meet.

As if it were meant to be.

So, Luigi decides to purchase the Invention Mouse no matter what.

Angel thought about it and didn’t stop him... It’s just two Invention Mice; it shouldn’t cause any big waves. However, to be safe, after this, he might take these two Invention Mice to see Dororo, to see if there’s any interference from destiny.

Luigi begins excitedly discussing the price of Bimon with Zigua, while on the other side, Laplace looks at Angel and asks in confusion: ”Can you see the connection between Bimon and that Invention Mouse?”

Laplace is not as easily fooled as Luigi.

She had always felt that Angel’s special treatment of the Golden Silk Bear before was purely to fool Luigi.

The Golden Silk Bear, both inside and out, had no merit from Laplace’s perspective.

Precisely because of this, Angel maintaining the enigmatic status in front of Luigi earlier seemed quite laughable to Laplace.

But the current situation is making Laplace not understand.

The laughable one, is it really Angel? Or is the laughable one actually herself?

Facing Laplace’s inquiry, Angel shrugged and said: ”I can’t see the bond.”

”Then you...” Laplace asked halfway through, suddenly not knowing how to proceed.

Angel chuckled softly: ”Destiny is a strange thing, from our angle, it may be confusing. But if viewed from another angle, perhaps the appearance of the Golden Silk Bear is simply to bring us and Bimon together?”

Laplace: ”You mean... that Golden Silk Bear can pull the power of destiny?”

Angel shook his head: ”Maybe not pulling, but a form of favor. Sometimes, ignorance has its own bliss.”

Angel’s words weren’t about being enigmatic but rather a sudden feeling.

This feeling, like when he was at the parrot’s, was about to leave but suddenly felt compelled to connect with the merchant Pierdan for a close encounter with the Golden Silk Bear.

Though the result wasn’t as expected, that whimsical impulse and the current sudden impression are somewhat similar.

Whether destiny is pushing from behind, let’s not worry about it now; in the end, Dororo will tell him.

...

In the end, Luigi used five hundred Crystallines to buy Bimon.

Although Pixi, Pierdan, and Zigua all saw Bimon’s speciality, they intentionally remained silent.

The sales rights of Bimon lie with the business group behind Zigua, and the group didn’t see Bimon’s speciality, giving a relatively cheap price, so they sold according to this price range.

The ”special” induced premium is not their concern.

The business group itself didn’t consider it; who can blame them?

Moreover, they don’t want to offend Luigi, and there’s no need to tell the business side.

Bimon seems to know it’s been traded; it silently sits beside the Golden Silk Bear - it knows it’s an illusion - looking somewhat perplexed at the sky outside the cage.

Unable to control one’s own freedom, this is the predetermined destiny.

But why is there some reluctance?

Listening to the chatter about its future outside, Bimon slowly stands up, walking to the cage’s edge, clinging to the iron-made cage, raising its small head.

Its emotionless eyes stare straight at the nearest person to the cage.

Also, the one who just conversed with it in its mind.

It doesn’t know who he is, but he... dissected its thoughts. Maybe he understands it better and knows its inner yearning.

Bimon itself is currently the focus, and its actions naturally draw everyone’s attention.

Angel also saw Bimon looking at him.

He hesitated for a moment, didn’t use the Mind Ribbon, nor spiritual power conversation, but directly spoke: ”Do you still not want to leave now?”

Bimon turned to look at Zigua, glanced at other Pirush, eyes carrying indifference.

”I want to leave, but not right now.” Finally, Bimon spoke, its voice as always deep and hoarse, completely mismatching its appearance.

Angel: ”Is it because of... it?”

Angel pointed at the illusion still present in the mouse cage.

Bimon nodded: ”Yes, I want to leave with Knockby.”

”Knockby?” Angel: ”Its name is Knockby?”

Bimon hesitated a bit: ”Knockby is the name I gave it, but it seems not to like this name, never responding to me.”

...Probably not dislike, but too complex. Angel mused in his heart.

”Knockfe, Nak Su, Knockby.” Angel softly mumbled: ”Nak, what does it represent?”

Bimon silently lowered its head, not speaking.

Angel didn’t pursue but looked at Bimon: ”Do you hope we find Knockby and leave with it?”

Bimon raised its head, eyes like black beans shimmering with anticipation: ”Yes.”

Angel thought for a moment: ”All efforts have costs. You should recognize your situation. In your current condition, asking us for help, what can you offer in return?”

Bimon lowered its head, after a long while said: ”What I can offer is only myself... my willing self.”