Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 2407: Chapter 2408: Serial Number

”Such strange energy fluctuations, judging by the traces, it seems to have been left recently.”

Angel arrived at the anomalous energy point and carefully observed but did not find anything unusual in the Material Realm. However, the energy here was peculiar.

He was certain that this energy was absolutely different from the energy of the Magical Energy Array. The purity of the energy flowing within the Magical Energy Array is quite unparalleled, but the residual energy here was extremely varied and peculiar.

This energy is not only complex but also has a slightly eerie feel to it. Angel had never sensed anything like it before.

However, in the non-main energy, he did find some traces of familiar residual energy.

”Spatial energy.” Although it was already very sparse, Angel could determine it was some kind of residual energy from spatial traversal... somewhat like the leftover spatial energy post-transmission.

Could someone have possibly used something akin to a Transmission Spell to reach here?

But the entire first layer has a Magical Energy Array, and without suppressing the array’s spatial sectors, how could one transmit here from outside?

Alternatively, perhaps someone was teleporting within, like from the east side of the first layer to the west side of the first layer. But is such teleportation necessary?

Angel was a bit confused; he shook his head and no longer dwelled on it.

Speculating now may lead nowhere, coupled with the laboratory itself being bizarre, not everything needs thorough investigation. Perhaps it was just someone’s idly made trick.

Passing by the anomalous point with energy residues, Angel continued with his previous work. Through observing the Magic Patterns of the first layer and calculating the guidance of multi-level sub-control nodes, he confirmed the location of the main control.

This method’s efficiency was indeed beyond imagination.

Once he had wandered through most of the region of the first layer, the progress in the search increased rapidly like never before.

After a while, Angel finally stopped in front of a pair of double doors.

This was the Exhibition Room on the first layer.

According to his calculations, all the Magic Patterns pointed here, and the point where energy converged most was inside the Exhibition Room.

If everything was as he calculated, he could find the information on the location of the main control node in the Exhibition Room.

Angel walked to the entrance of the Exhibition Room without Reynaud, it seemed unlikely that he could ”use facial recognition” to enter. But he had already roughly understood the Magic Patterns of the entire first layer, most spaces here can be accessed through the suppression and inducement of the Magic Patterns.

This might be a backdoor left by the arranger of the Magical Energy Array... or perhaps it was the arranger’s confidence, believing no one could crack it.

Angel reached out and touched the door, as the Magic Patterns emerged he swiftly modified their path, using a self-consistent energy flow method that didn’t alter the overall layout yet succeeded in suppressing the door’s Magic Patterns temporarily, solving the problem of entering.

Upon entering the Exhibition Room, the Authority Eye of the first layer immediately floated out, starting to flash red light.

This wasn’t a warning targeting Angel, but a reminder to all visitors that today’s lingering time in the first layer’s Exhibition Room had already exceeded the limit.

The reason for exceeding the limit was due to Nis and others lingering here earlier.

Generally speaking, once the time limit is exceeded, the hunt sequence would emerge, but the hunt sequence of the first layer had already turned to ashes, therefore the warning of the Authority Eye had no substantial effect.

However, the prolonged flashing of the Authority Eye might alert other layers, so to prevent any contingency, Angel employed some methods to temporarily weaken the connection between the Authority Eye and the Magical Energy Array.

This weakening wouldn’t last beyond fifteen minutes, meaning Angel can only stay in the Exhibition Room for about fifteen minutes.

Walking among the metal platforms, Angel completely ignored the various organs perched atop the platforms. All his attention was dedicated to searching for clues to the main control node.

With the Magic Patterns of the Exhibition Room now before Angel, he became increasingly confident in his deduction.

He had examined the Exhibition Rooms of the second and third layers through the Authority Eye, the complexity of the Magic Patterns there was significantly lesser than that of the first layer’s Exhibition Room.

The complex Magic Patterns concealed within the walls were even comparable to the Mirror Corridor, though not as perilous as the corridor. Judging by the complexity of these Magic Patterns, the first layer’s Exhibition Room must be hiding some clues.

Several minutes later, Angel stood at a corner of the Exhibition Room, carefully observing a convergence point of the Magic Patterns.

As time ticked away, Angel’s eyes grew increasingly bright.

When the suppression time by the Authority Eye approached its limit, Angel extended a finger and lightly tapped the energy-rich area at the convergence point of the Magic Patterns.

A wave reminiscent of thin smoke flickered through the nearby space.

”Thin smoke” lingered momentarily before dispersing like ripples, leaving a pitch-black hole at its origin.

This hole seemed somewhat unstable, ready to collapse at any moment. Without hesitation, Angel stepped inside.

After stepping in, the hole behind him dispersed like clouds and vanished.

At this moment, Angel stood in a corridor he had never seen before.

Without moving forward, just by sensing the terrifying quantity of Magic Patterns in the corridor, along with the dense energy path in the patterns, he was already certain.

He found the main control node.

However, the final step remained; to reach the main control node, he must traverse this corridor.

Removing the energy perspective, solely from a visual viewpoint, it was a blood-red corridor. Initially, it looked like the blood-fleshed cavity of some beast species. But upon closer inspection, it’s evident the blood hue was merely an energy reflection; the corridor was still constructed from metal, unrelated to blood and flesh.

Though the corridor appeared harmless, considering the Mirror Corridor one would know, even the corridors with sub-control nodes can retaliate if mistakenly stepped; this one being close to the main control node, the retaliating force from an error here might be even more daunting.

For others, this type of corridor might symbolize danger. But to Angel, this was merely a Magic Pattern problem solvable with instantaneous computation power.

The stepping points would continuously change, making pre-calculation impossible, hence Angel did not linger but step directly into the corridor.

Upon entering the corridor, he felt a distinct change.

Because he was levitating.

To be precise, he was suspended upside down; what he previously perceived as ”ground” outside the corridor, was now the ”ceiling.”

On the surface, space had merely inverted, but in reality, it had added several folds to the computation power required to calculate the next stepping point.

This was, in fact, a trap.

Some Magic Rune Mages who thought they had attained the threshold might step forward only to find the situation didn’t match their expectations; the computation power suddenly increased, rendering passage impossible, inevitably leaving behind... a last word, or perhaps not even a last word.

Angel’s computation power was competent, but to guard against unforeseen challenges, if anything strange further increased the computation load, errors might arise. So without hesitation, Angel activated super computation mode.

In super computation mode, Angel’s emotion module significantly subdued, all energy supplies solely served the super computation mode.

At this moment, in Angel’s vision, there was no demarcation of any energy, only a series of data floating before him.

These data were rapidly sorting and combining, clearly projecting the path ahead.

The second and third steps, up to the fifteenth step, are all inverted steps on the ceiling. However, by the sixteenth step, the landing point returns to the ground, but the inverted power hasn’t ended yet. To step on the sixteenth step, one must break through the inverted force of the corridor.

This is a test of the energy level of intruders.

Angel doesn’t know what energy level a normal step requires, but he took a shortcut. With Toby activating the Gravity Meridian, he broke through the inverted force and returned to the ground.

Once back on flat ground, the need for computing power seems to gradually diminish.

But this is only a balance, as something more terrifying arrives.

From the sixteenth to the twenty-first step, Angel finds the landing points ahead begin to change rapidly.

On the first twenty-one steps, each landing point lasts for at least half a minute, but the ones ahead don’t even last a second, some disappearing faster than a blink.

Angel thought about this for a moment and then decisively abandoned normal progression.

This path might be passable with computing power and reaction speed, but Angel estimates it wouldn’t be possible for him. Even Sanders might find it difficult to use this method.

Normal progression has reached its limit, but that doesn’t mean there’s no other way.

Upon arriving here, as someone very sensitive to Magic Pattern transmutation, Angel immediately noticed one thing: the sense of spatial constraint here disappears for a few seconds at a time.

In other words, as long as you find the right timing, you can transfer using spatial abilities.

This seems like a solution, but it actually eliminates ninety percent of Wizards, as it requires two prerequisites: you must have the ability of spatial transfer, and this ability must work instantaneously.

Angel happens to have such an ability—The Gate of Void.

A few seconds later, when Angel emerges from The Gate of Void, he has already left the blood-red corridor.

Upon seeing the door not far ahead, Angel feels slightly relieved. Here, computing power is mostly unnecessary. Based on his previous experiences at other sub-control nodes, the test now should be about observation.

From the first to the third floors’ sub-control nodes, there’s always a trigger point near each door that activates the hidden hunt sequence.

By common reasoning, there might be a trigger point here too.

However, if the hunt sequence numbers within the sub-control nodes from the first to the fifth floor, then what might be inside the main control node?

Hunt sequence number 00?

Or perhaps not the hunt sequence, but the legendary number 00?

Regardless of the crisis within, prepare to respond and deal with things as they come once inside.

Angel gathers his thoughts and starts to observe if there are any trigger points near the door. After his meticulous inspection, he confirms there aren’t any trigger points here.

Without any trigger points, Angel isn’t too surprised.

If someone can find the main control node and successfully pass through the blood-red corridor, being obstructed by a trigger point like those in sub-control nodes would underestimate the intruder’s ability.

If Angel were the setter of the Magical Energy Array, he probably wouldn’t place a trigger point here.

Since there is no trigger point, Angel simply pushes open the door.

A creaking sound.

The door slowly retreats to either side.

Inside, there is a roiling frost fog temporarily obscuring specific views.

As the white frost fog gradually disperses outward, the visibility inside begins to increase, and as the view becomes clearer, a human-like silhouette appears in Angel’s eyes.

Is there someone inside? Is it a hunt sequence?

While Angel cautiously guesses, the frost fog continues to dissipate until it vanishes.

And now, Angel sees the truth of the figure.

It’s not what he imagined—a hunt sequence—but rather a person within a cylindrical glass chamber.

This cylinder is identical to the ones at the medical center on the third floor—same design, same cold liquid, same kind of person. However, the medical center’s cylinders mostly contain dead people. Whether this person is dead or alive, Angel does not know.

The person inside the cylinder has long black bangs obscuring his face. Through the strands, traces of numbering can be vaguely seen.

Behind the cylinder lies a cloud of Magic Patterns, dazzling to the extreme.

There’s no doubt that this is the core main control area of this Magical Energy Array.

...

Angel steps inside, with his footsteps echoing in the vast, empty space and Dangross’s timid low voice.

”That person seems a bit scary, and it’s cold here. Why don’t we stay outside...? You can see the Magic Patterns from there as well.”

The trembling voice doesn’t sound through the Mind Ribbon, but directly bounces around the ears. Since Angel left the sub-control node, he can no longer suppress information transmission; the Mind Ribbon is temporarily ineffective.

As Dangross finishes speaking, before Angel can respond, a gurgling sound comes from the direction of the glass cylinder.

It stealthily glances over and discovers that the person inside the cylinder seems to respond to external sounds and has moved slightly.

Regardless of whether it’s Dangross’s voice or not that influenced the ”person” soaking in the cold liquid, what can be confirmed now is... this person is not a corpse.

Angel stops and carefully observes the person in the cylinder.

He’s a man with a bare upper body, revealing a lean physique. Below his waist, he wears gray long pants, which appear a bit flowing in the cold liquid.

As for his face, it’s obscured by hair and temporarily unclear.

However, following the initial ”motion,” his movement escalates, clearly awakened from slumber.

When he opens his eyes, the surrounding cold liquid shakes even more, causing the hair covering his face to sway in the liquid.

Angel finally sees his face.

A face that seems fairly handsome, but as his eyes open, a sense of aloofness arises.

Moreover, the numbering on his face is not the 00 Angel guessed.

The left side of his face carries an ”X,” while the right side is marked by a solitary digit—0.