Warlock Apprentice

The moments of rest always pass quickly. When Greya put away the Dream Twin, the outside world had shifted from daylight to dusk, yet for Sharley and Asaz, who were soaking in the hot spring within the Illusionary Realm, it felt as though only a few minutes had passed.

The evening breeze brushed against Sharley’s slightly reddened skin, carrying a hint of coolness and comfort.

Sharley tidied her disheveled hair and sighed, ”Even though I know it’s an illusion, the effects of the hot spring are unbelievably lifelike. The sensation on the skin feels completely real.”

Most importantly, after soaking in the hot spring within the bathhouse, all the fatigue she had accumulated over the past few days vanished without a trace, restoring her energy entirely.

”Reality and illusion—who can truly differentiate?” Greya responded softly in reply.

Sharley glanced at the Dream Twin in Greya’s hand with envy. ”I’m genuinely amazed that the illusion is so realistic. Believe it or not, I even encountered a pair of sisters bathing in the bathhouse—it was just like the Real World. If only I had such a magical artifact, how wonderful that would be.”

Angel thought for a moment and said, ”If you wish to own such an Alchemical Illusion, I could refine one for you. But as for the exclusive artifact we discussed earlier, it would have to...”

Before Angel could finish, Sharley quickly waved her hand. ”No, no, I was just expressing emotion.”

Although the Alchemical Illusion was delightful, Sharley was far more curious about what kind of artifact Angel might refine for her.

”Let’s set idle chatter aside. Since we’ve rested enough, let’s start.” Greya turned and looked at Toby, who was slumped against Angel’s neck. ”What’s with it? Fell asleep after soaking in the spring?”

Angel shook his head. ”It has already started.”

As they exited the Illusionary Realm, Toby, brimming with vigor, had already entered the Wilderness of Dreams to prepare for its next challenge.

Greya took Toby from Angel’s hands, sighed tenderly with a trace of pity, and then stepped into the center of the ”Destiny’s Boiling Tune” Magical Energy Array, placing Toby within.

”Let’s begin.” Greya turned to Sharley, who solemnly nodded and stepped into the Magical Energy Array as well.

As the energy activated, the space enveloped by the array slowly transformed into night, and Sharley’s figure gradually faded from everyone’s sight...

Watching the already-activated array, Greya turned to Angel, ”It’s estimated that Toby, even if it does manage to defeat Extreme Resentment Thoughts this time, will probably take a good half an hour. Why don’t we sit down and chat for a while? Lately, I’ve been observing Toby’s Enter Dream process and had some insights. Would you be interested in hearing them?”

Angel looked at Greya quietly without responding.

Greya sat down beside him, casually touching the nearby Cloud Bind Tree. Its lush green branches shimmered with light, and the usually barren tree produced a cluster of oval-shaped fruits amidst the glow.

Using her spiritual power, Greya plucked two fruits, placing one in front of Angel and the other before herself.

Though they appeared to be fruits, they were more akin to fruit-shaped vessels. Greya effortlessly opened the lid, inserted a straw, and took a sip. A rich fruity aroma, tinged with a trace of liquor, spread across her mouth. ”I’ve observed that Toby’s Enter Dream process isn’t actual sleep. Each time it enters, a tiny feather near its neck emits an unusual energy.”

”I think that feather might be the key to its dreaming ability.” Greya glanced at Angel with curiosity. ”Speaking of which, you seem to enjoy crafting feathers for Toby—the Snow Feather for spatial storage, the Obscure Feather for stealth. What kind of feather have you refined this time?”

When Greya discovered the feather-shaped log-in device, Angel’s earlier narrative of ”false lucid dreaming” was immediately unraveled.

However, Angel seemed unconcerned. Even without this feather as proof, Greya would naturally have realized he was speaking falsehoods.

Angel seated himself opposite Greya and opened his fruit. The liquid inside his fruit differed from Greya’s wine-like red; his was viscous and milky white. It had no discernible scent but filled his mouth with a sweet milk flavor when he sipped it.

”The Art of Nativity?” Angel murmured softly.

To allow the Cloud Bind Tree to bear beverage-like fruits, the only possibility Angel could think of was the Art of Nativity that Greya had devised back on Illusion Demon Island.

”Indeed, the Art of Nativity,” Greya confirmed with a nod, then winked her right eye and used the Spell of Whispering to convey to Angel alone, ”I specifically removed the milk flavor for the sake of preserving your image, so no one else would catch on.”

Angel maintained a stoic expression as he took another drink, wiping away the white foam from his lips. ”Not bad.”

After a pause, Angel shifted the conversation away from the beverage fruit. ”The Feather of Dreams.”

Greya froze for a moment. ”Are you saying the feather that enables it to dream is called the Feather of Dreams?”

Angel nodded. ”Yes.”

”Why did you specifically craft such a feather?” Greya asked with a seemingly casual smile, subtly probing Angel’s boundaries.

”Didn’t you already guess? It’s simply for dreaming.”

Greya scrutinized Angel. From his expression, she could tell the answer likely wouldn’t go any further. Like before, he withheld certain truths, unwilling to delve deeper.

Greya remarked, ”I’ve been pondering the concept of dreaming—it requires a subject, doesn’t it? During your recent time in the laboratory working on alchemy, Toby’s dream subject clearly wouldn’t have been you. As for others, Toby’s social circle is fairly limited, and there doesn’t seem to be anyone else whose dreams it could enter. Entering its own dreams is even less plausible, since dreaming inherently involves infiltrating another’s dreams.”

”So whose dreams might it be entering?” Greya studied Angel closely. ”Or perhaps...it’s simply entering the Dream Realm?”

Angel’s expression remained unchanged. Greya, unfazed, continued developing her speculations. ”I’ve looked into some records—the Dream Realm is vast, ever-shifting, and constantly in flux. It’s impossible to stay in one place.”

”But according to Toby, it seems to engage in combat with Extreme Resentment Thoughts at the same location every time. How can that be? Is there, perhaps, a certain area within the Dream Realm that remains perpetually fixed?”

”And this area possesses lucid dreaming traits, allowing Toby to simulate Extreme Resentment Thoughts and fight it?”

”Moreover, this place is somehow connected to you? And accessible via...the Feather of Dreams?” Greya smirked, ”Am I correct?”

With each of Greya’s statements, Angel’s eyelids twitched slightly. When she finally delivered her conclusion, Angel exhaled slightly.

Though Greya’s deductions were mostly accurate, her assumption that Toby’s combats with Extreme Resentment Thoughts were tied to ”lucid dreaming” misled her from grasping the full truth.

Still, aside from that detail, her reasoning was close to reality.

Angel pondered for a moment before gazing at Greya. ”Do you truly need to know the truth?”

”I only desire to know the truth.”

From Greya’s tone, it was evident that she wasn’t entirely determined to press Angel for an answer. There remained a distinction between ”need” and ”want.”

After a brief silence, Angel said, ”Soon, you will know the truth. But for now, it’s not yet time.”