Warlock Apprentice

Angor felt his hair stand when he heard those words. Thank graciousness that he did not allow the queen out back there. Something beyond legendary who was not oppressed by the world’s consciousness would totally destroy this world.

Sunders read Angor’s expression. “You’re right, that the ‘queen’ you saw can bring deadly disaster to this world. However, if she uses her legendary strength too much and causes the wizard continent to falter, she’ll ultimately go beyond the tolerance of the consciousness, who’ll then chase her out.

“But! That’s something well after many years, which means after the wizarding world is already plunged in blood and death. No matter what situation you encounter in the future, do NOT let her out!”

Angor nodded, but he was not really convinced. Why should I care what calamity comes to this world when my life is in danger?

Sunders moaned in his mind. Now, there was an uncontrollable weapon powerful enough to destroy the whole world, and the button to unleash that weapon was held by a kid. What was worse was that it was impossible to take the button away from this kid.

Killing him could solve the problem. Yet Sunders would never butcher his own student, nor would he protect his student from other butchers—this was his doctrine.

“I know what you’re thinking about. Do you remember the motto of Soul Manipulators, that ‘death is only the beginning of all’? Wizards are capable of much more than you think.”

Sunders stopped here to let his student figure out the rest.

As for Froggy and Fox…

“According to Twilight, she caught a glimpse of the animals in the hall. Considering there’s the sound of harp and singing, we can almost ascertain that those creatures are behind this,” Sunders moaned again. “This will never end… previously, each time I accidentally let such creatures loose, they always run wild everywhere in this world. I have no idea why these two stayed in the auction house.”

The gentleman stared at Angor again. “Devildare meant to ask you to handle this and pay for their loss. They want you to accept the punishment.”

Angor widened his eyes and pointed to his own nose. “Wait! Me again?”

“You caused this. Who else can they ask?”

“But I did it because Twilight wanted to kill-okay, I was wrong. But how can they put the blame of the death of their people on me? It’s not like I can control Froggy and Fox. I didn’t ask them to kill their men.”

Angor knew he should be responsible for breaking the rules of the auction house since he and Toby attacked them first.

And he was willing to accept that crazy debt.

However, the three guards who died inside the Nightmare Domain died from their own foolishness. Actually, one of them was killed by Twilight’s attack.

His current debt already contained compensation for the three dead guards, and he believed they were now even. What was going to happen later was beyond his control! Angor found Devildare’s request to be downright unreasonable.

But what could he do about it? There was no way he could oppose the entire Twilight Auction. Should he suck it up and admit his crime?

Now that the powerful wizards already determined him as the culprit, as a feeble apprentice, he had no hope in changing their mind just by using pleas.

Angor glanced at Sunders and noticed his professor was calm as ever. Sunders had to know the reason behind this, but he was not doing anything, which made Angor pretty sad.

“Very well… I’ll do something about it.”

Sunders felt something strange in Angor’s tone. He inspected Angor again and saw a trace of madness inside his student’s otherwise serene pupils.

The gentleman frowned—he knew what Angor was planning to do.

He tapped at the demon falcon statue on the desk. The statue gave out a clear and tuneful eagle wail and the scenery in the study suddenly changed.

A realistic illusion was presented in front of Angor.

War, fire, and blood. The earth was tainted crimson by corpses and monstrosities.

A giant monster with a head like a sun stomped, creating a mountain-sized crater under its iron heel. Lava and tidal waves surged inland and buried everything underneath.

The balance of nature was utterly destroyed. Every corner of the world witnessed the tragedy. No one was spared.

Angor felt as if he was watching one of the post-apocalyptic movies.

Mothers covered in blood hugged and protected their children in vain, lovers spent their last moment comforting each other’s soul with painful smiles, a newborn kitten hid under the rubbles and gave Angor a pleading look…

Sunders suddenly appeared beside Angor.

“Ten thousand years ago, the grand abyssal demon, Fallen Sun, descended upon the southern wizarding region. This was what happened within a mere fifteen days.

“The Fallen Sun was beyond legendary. Its strength was weakened by a portion, and it still brought total destruction to this world. What you now see is the consequence brought by him alone. Tell me, do you still want to release that queen?”

“I never said that…” Angor protested.

Sunders looked his student into the eyes. “It’s what you thought about, no?”

Angor could not find the words to retort again. He did think of something like that when he said he would “do something about the situation”.

“That’s why you’re still a kid,” said Sunders as he rubbed Angor’s hair. “Don’t lose control of yourself.”

Sunders looked back at the Fallen Sun wreaking havoc in the illusion and revealed a mixed emotion.

“Try to grow up, Angor. The wizarding world is constantly changing, every second. Time awaits no one. Maybe this same thing will happen soon…”

Sunders’ voice grew smaller into a whisper. Angor was too busy adjusting his messy hair to register what Sunders said in the end.

Sunders canceled the illusion. “Those who died in the auction house may not have much to do with you, and that is true. But you may be the reason why Froggy and Fox returned there. I’ll handle the matter for you this time.”

Hearing this, Angor almost cried at the great kindness shown by his professor.

“Stay inside Brute Cavern like a good kid and find a way to pay back your debt. A hundred thousand magic crystals to Twilight, in half a month, and another hundred-fifty thousand for me. I give you one month for that.”

Angor quickly felt faint at the insane number. F*ck kindness. F*ck teacher and student. F*ck it all!

“How can I earn two hundred and fifty thousand in one month??” Angor attempted to stir Sunders’ decision by using his tears.

“It’s up to you.”

“I can’t!”

“I believe you can. I asked you to become an apprentice within a month, and then to attain the top level of Sky Tower in half a year. You succeeded in both. Don’t underestimate your potential.”

“That’s different! Potential doesn’t help me make money!”

Sunders was as frigid on the inside as his looks. No matter how hard Angor tried, the man never changed his mind.

Angor had to give up in the end. He thought about selling Prelude to Elimination for money later. However, he had no idea how much a weapon enchanted with such a magic array would cost. Higher than rune-enchanted weapons, that much was sure.

“Don’t make fusses to solve problems. If you did something stupid, people can kill you and imprison your soul for eternity, and you have nothing to escape from it. All in all, you should become stronger,” Sunders lectured sincerely.

“I understand, sir.”

“Good.”

Angor thought about the illusion he just saw and trembled a little. “Professor, the demon, Fallen Sun… Did the world’s consciousness expel it in the end?”

“No. His sinful deed did not break the tolerance of the world’s consciousness.”

“He didn’t? Then how much sin can the world’s consciousness allow?”

“It was a wizard from the Origin World who killed the Fallen Sun,” said Sunders while he looked into the distance as if yearning for something. “Too bad, no one knows where Origin World went to. All passages toward that world in the south were destroyed during a man-made disaster. Maybe there are still ways in the other regions. But it takes more than time for us to travel there.”