Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 3244: Chapter 3245: Evil Witch Blessing Magic

”Sage, I’ve rested enough...” The speaker, a Green Pippi Lu, wore a pitch-black robe.

His words came to a halt.

From his perspective, Pika Sage seemed to be hurriedly hiding something.

”Sage?” He lowered his voice, feeling an inexplicable intuition... Should he not have appeared at this moment?

Pika Sage had already hidden the hairpin.

He was indeed ready to wear the hairpin, but he wasn’t prepared to wear this shiny women’s hairpin in front of his kin.

Moreover, wearing it on his beard.

If this got out through Pirush’s mouth, where would he put his face?

Fortunately, just in time, he heard footsteps, turned around quickly, and yanked the hairpin down, hiding it in his sleeve.

From the other’s perspective, they shouldn’t have seen anything they shouldn’t have.

The only unfortunate thing was that in his hasty removal of the hairpin, he yanked out over a dozen strands of beard hair.

His chin throbbed in pain.

However, as long as he wasn’t exposed, it was worth it in Pika Sage’s eyes.

He coughed, tidied up his slightly messy beard, then turned to look: ”Piu, you’re here.”

Piu hesitated for a moment, then nodded gently: ”Sage, I have recovered.”

After a pause, Piu glanced at Angel and the others: ”You are meeting guests, so I’ll return to my room first and come later to report back...”

As Piu spoke, he was about to head back to the staircase.

However, before he could act, Pika Sage interrupted, ”It’s fine, come over, let me introduce you to some friends.”

Piu hesitated once more but nodded, descended from the stairs, and stood properly in front of the group.

”This is Luigi...”

While Pika Sage introduced them to Piu, Angel was observing Piu.

The other was surrounded by a dense mysterious aura; undoubtedly, the so-called ”Evil Wizard’s Eye” should be on Piu, but from the outer appearance, there was no trace of the Evil Wizard’s Eye.

Piu was wearing a pitch-black robe, styled similar to a Divine Officer’s uniform, both solemn and ornate, appearing quite exquisite.

Previously, when Angel visited Pipi Castle, he had seen similar robes, but in pure white. According to Luigi, the white ones were scholar robes.

And this pitch-black robe was also a scholar robe, but it could only be worn by a Great Scholar who had deep research into a particular domain of knowledge and had contributed to Pirush.

If there were no surprises, Piu should be a Great Scholar.

Apart from the attire, Angel’s gaze was more focused on Piu’s hat. It was a pitch-black scholar’s hat matching the robe, seemingly normal at first glance.

However, Angel had previously seen the scholar’s hat with white robes, which was worn directly on the top, showing the front and side hair.

The scholar’s hat Piu wore was a whole size larger, not only covering the top of the head but also enveloping the entire forehead.

The brim of the hat was lowered to the eyebrow line.

If Piu’s head were small and the hat large, it would be understandable. But compared to other Pirush, Piu’s head wasn’t small enough to stretch the hat this much.

Only one possibility remains: Piu’s hat was custom-made, deliberately this large.

Any custom fit meets a certain need.

What needs drove the custom size of Piu’s large hat?

From the style distinct from other scholar’s hats, Angel could only think of one thing: to conceal the forehead.

So, is there something on the forehead that shouldn’t be seen?

An idea flashed in Angel’s mind... Could it be the Evil Wizard’s Eye?

While Angel pondered, Pika Sage had finished introducing Luigi and Laplace to Piu, and turned his gaze to Angel.

”This is Mr. Angel, a scholarly human wizard,” Pika Sage told Piu.

Angel smiled and nodded at Piu, who returned a nod.

After the introductions, Pika Sage brought Piu to sit beside him; although not fully understanding the situation, Piu assumed the Sage’s arrangements wouldn’t be wrong, so he obediently sat on the couch.

”This is our Academy’s Great Scholar – Piu. He is an authority in anatomy, pathology, and microbiology,” Pika Sage told everyone.

Piu seemed to have some social anxiety, a bit uncomfortable with the situation, and shyly nodded: ”My name is Piu, Sage flatteringly overpraises me, I’m actually just an ordinary physician.”

”In nearly 1% of the Academic Library’s topics, your papers are cited. If this is ordinary, then there is no such thing as extraordinary,” Pika Sage chuckled warmly.

He had high expectations for Piu.

He had already prepared to groom Piu as the next Great Sage, which explained his eagerness to introduce Piu to everyone.

In essence, it was networking.

”By the way, I almost forgot to mention, Piu is also the bearer of the Evil Wizard’s Eye.” As Pika Sage spoke, he gestured for Piu to remove his hat.

Piu nodded and removed the hat.

Witnessing this scene, Angel realized he was likely right.

Sure enough, as Piu removed his hat, everyone’s gaze fixated on his forehead.

In the middle of Piu’s forehead, precisely between his brows, there was a vertical slit. When exposed to the external light, it slowly opened, revealing a peculiar compound eye.

The sclera was black, a sheer abyss.

The pupils were bright red.

Because it was a compound eye, there were two pupils, each with a unique design smack in the middle. The one on the left was outlined by a black heart shape, while the right had the same black heart outline, yet split down the middle, forming a fragmented silhouette.

One side was a complete heart, the other a shattered heart.

It was Angel’s first time seeing a compound eye, especially one so strange.

Putting the compound eye aside, Angel could now be sure the Evil Wizard’s Eye had fused with Piu, appearing in a unique state, with Piu as its bearer.

Because of this, outsiders, even if aware of the Evil Wizard’s Eye, dared not casually seize it.

Once the state of the Evil Wizard’s Eye was disrupted, it might spiral out of control on the spot.

...

As Angel observed Piu’s third eye, Luigi suddenly screamed, clutching his own forehead.

Angel quickly looked over, and through Luigi’s splayed fingers, he saw a bloodstain on Luigi’s forehead.

The position of the bloodstain coincided precisely with Piu’s third eye spot.

”What happened?” Angel frowned and looked at Pika Sage.

Pika Sage appeared embarrassed, ”I forgot to mention, you can’t observe the Evil Wizard’s Eye with spiritual power; otherwise, there will be some degree of backlash...”

”However, don’t worry, this backlash only accumulates three times before it causes lasting harm. A single backlash, at most, leaves a slight bruise.”

Pika Sage apologized verbally, but there was a glint of schadenfreude in his eyes.

”You did it on purpose!” Luigi gritted his teeth in pain and used Healing Magic to restore the wound from the blood mark. However, the vertical red line did not disappear immediately.

”On purpose? No, no, no, I genuinely forgot.” Pika Sage pinched his brow: ”After all, at my age, forgetting small things is quite normal...”

”This is a small matter?” Luigi angrily pointed at his brow and interrogated.

”Yes, it’s a small matter; it’ll disappear in a few days... as long as you don’t continue using spiritual power to probe, there will be no aftereffects.” Pika Sage: ”Besides, using spiritual power for observation without others’ consent is itself quite rude, isn’t it?”

Luigi opened his mouth but was unable to refute.

Indeed, recklessly using spiritual power to observe others is considered impolite in the Mirror Domain. It’s just...

”You knew I would be impolite, so you deliberately kept quiet to set me up.” Luigi said, giving up his attempts to argue.

Pika Sage: ”How is this a setup? If I truly wanted to trap you, I wouldn’t remind you even once. I’d wait until you grew a third eye before reminding you—now that would be trapping! Anyway, you set me up first. I clearly saw many things in that bag, but you insisted on pulling out...” a hairpin.

Luigi: ”You want me to grow a third eye?! You’re relentless... huh?”

Mid-argument, Luigi suddenly wondered: ”Can I really grow a third eye?”

Pika Sage: ”If you continuously use spiritual power to observe the Evil Sorcerer’s Eye three times, an eye will appear on your brow. If you don’t quickly gouge it out, it will use your flesh as a bed and become a parasitic eye.”

Luigi: ”Parasitic eye? What’s its effect?”

Pika Sage shrugged: ”It has no real effect; its existence is akin to a parasite, continuously absorbing the energy from your flesh until you die.”

In other words, it’s just an additional, useless organ.

”Is this what the Evil Sorcerer’s Eye does?” Angel couldn’t help but ask curiously.

Facing Angel, Pika Sage restrained himself somewhat, speaking softly: ”No, I’ve mentioned before, the effect of the Evil Sorcerer’s Eye is a blessing... The parasitic eye is merely an insignificant side effect.”

Pika Sage sat back on the sofa: ”Moreover, if the effect of the Evil Sorcerer’s Eye was really just the parasitic eye, the elder of the Crystal Eye Clan wouldn’t have specially come to see it.”

Angel recalled the elder of the Crystal Eye Clan he had met before, indeed, his body was enveloped in a dense mysterious aura, obviously having just come into contact with a Mysterious Object.

According to Pika Sage, he accepted the blessing of the Evil Sorcerer’s Eye.

”Then what exactly is this so-called blessing?” Angel was very curious about the ’blessing’ of the Evil Sorcerer’s Eye. Because when he first arrived here, Pika Sage’s words had hinted that this ’blessing’ wasn’t simple.

Perhaps this blessing not only bestows positive effects but also carries the potential for malice? After all, it’s the ’Evil’ Sorcerer’s Eye.

Pika Sage: ”For the specifics of the blessing, let Pirush tell you. After all, he is the owner of the Evil Sorcerer’s Eye.”

Everyone’s gaze turned toward Pirush.

Pirush was a bit embarrassed, his body somewhat rigid, but still, following Pika Sage’s direction, he detailed the effects of the ”Evil Sorcerer’s Eye.”

As Pirush narrated, Angel finally understood why each time Pika Sage mentioned ’blessing’, he’d show a peculiar expression.

Because this ’blessing’ is genuinely surprising.

Angel’s belief in pure ’malicious blessing’ did not exist, but there are effects of the ’blessing’ comparable to malice.

Inside the Evil Sorcerer’s Eye, a special ability was solidified, one without any energy consumption, energy level, or tier limit — Evil Sorcerer’s Blessing Magic.

This ”Evil Sorcerer’s Blessing Magic” almost has no restrictions, the only restriction is the user’s brainpower.

Every use of the Evil Sorcerer’s Blessing Magic consumes the user’s brainpower. Continuous or prolonged use makes the user utterly fatigued.

This is why, after Pirush used Blessing Magic on the Crystal Eye Clan elder, he had to rest for a while to recover.

It’s not that the Evil Sorcerer’s Blessing Magic can’t be used, but it’s best not to use it continuously.

Back to the topic, the effect of the Evil Sorcerer’s Blessing Magic is highly unique — it provides others with a timed random blessing.

The emphasis is on two points: timed and random.

Timed, it’s as the term implies.

As for random, it’s actually not entirely random. The Blessing Magic will randomly assign blessings from three different types: Bloodline, Element, and Mystery.

Yes, precisely corresponding with the three major structures of Wizards.

The reason is simple, as the Evil Sorcerer’s Eye initially came from a human wizard. After his demise, it gave rise to this special Mysterious Object.

Given its origins in wizardry, the corresponding types of blessings are just rightly aligned with the three major structures of wizards.

Although aligned with wizardry, for those from different energy systems, it doesn’t really make much difference. Most energy systems also have similar factions.

After selecting the specific type, the Evil Sorcerer’s Blessing Magic begins to bestow blessings.

Yet, even with a type selected, the random nature remains peculiar.

Because blessings vary from person to person.

Fat people want to be slim, slim people want to gain weight. One man’s poison, another man’s honey.

Leading to the reality that not every blessing is as welcome or fitting.

More often, the blessings bestowed are quite obscure and not very suitable.

For instance, when Pirush obtained the Evil Sorcerer’s Eye, the first blessing target was his father.

His elderly father is simply a common Pirush, knows neither elements nor mysteries, so the type chosen for blessing was: Bloodline.

The Evil Sorcerer’s Blessing Magic took effect.

The Evil Sorcerer’s Blessing Magic produced a result.

— Within a month, eating one fruit a day will turn hair black.

The effect was quite random and rather ordinary.

However, making hair turn black is better than having it turn white, right?

But, there’s a hitch!

...Pirush’s father is bald.

This blessing is to turn hair black, not to grow hair. So, it seems alright but is actually completely useless for Pirush’s father.

This is the peculiarity of ”randomness.”

Though Pirush’s father received a blessing, it may not be of much use, but at least it had no side effects.

However, many times using the Evil Sorcerer’s Blessing Magic may have certain side effects.

These side effects generally are much smaller than the blessings received. Yet, sometimes the blessing isn’t much applicable, and the side effect is effective—this becomes troublesome.

Pirush cited a nearby example: ”I don’t know if you’ve seen Pili?”

Angel nodded: ”When we arrived, it was Pili who led us here.”

Pirush: ”Not long ago, Pili sought a ’Bloodline type’ blessing from me. And the blessing she received was—every advance of one percent unit of space-time distance in the Void will purify your Bloodline Power, but your sense of direction will become disrupted.”