Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 1346: Section 1347: Art of Phantom Limb

This was an exceedingly peculiar door, looking hazy as if it was made of cloud mist transformed by an illusion technique, yet it actually carried Angel through and away?

Was this space magic or an illusion technique?

Just as Sanders’s eyes revealed shock and confusion, several white tentacles suddenly appeared behind him.

He turned abruptly, only to see a similar cloud mist gate open not far behind him, with Angel’s figure and white tentacles stretching out from it.

At this moment, the white tentacles began to interweave and split, resembling a spider weaving its net, and within a mere instant, Sanders was trapped in a cage woven by the white tentacles.

Angel stepped out, looked at Sanders trapped in the cage, and couldn’t help but smile triumphantly, “This time, I win!”

Still curious about which trick Angel had used, Sanders lifted his head slowly, and in Angel’s presence, his shape began to change slowly…

In the end, he transformed into a proud horse burning with black flames, its long neighs reaching for the heavens.

This was the Blackfire Nightmare.

Angel was stunned, looking at the Nightmare inside the cage with disbelief, “A Nightmare Substitute? How is that possible… Could it be that the attack just now didn’t use the real body, but a Nightmare Substitute instead?”

“That’s right,” a faint voice came from above.

Angel looked up to see Sanders floating high in the air, below the black rod in his hand, a bizarre pattern clearly emerged.

Holding the rod, Sanders lightly pointed to the void. The pattern immediately retracted, and the Nightmare trapped by Angel in the cage also disappeared without a trace.

It really was a Nightmare Substitute!

Angel, itching with annoyance, looked at the smug Sanders, “That’s simply cheating! Didn’t we agree to test my strength, yet you used a Nightmare Substitute?”

Sanders descended from the air, facing his little apprentice’s accusation, and seriously said, “This isn’t cheating. The Nightmare Substitute is my Law Creation, and you also used your own creation, didn’t you? How fair.”

Angel was speechless for a moment. How could they be the same? One was Sanders’s signature spell technique, while the other was but an obscure little trick barely causing a whiff of Law Creation Phenomenon, not comparable at all!

“However, I am a bit curious, what exactly is your creation: the white tentacles that seem to possess an illusionary quality, or the strange gate that suddenly opened afterward?” Sanders asked with curiosity, looking at Angel.

Since he was forced to reveal it, Angel had no intention of hiding it, anyway, as long as he didn’t mention that special energy, the gate was just an effect of spatial displacement.

“The gate,” Angel replied, while also pondering in his mind how to explain the sudden ability to construct such a trick model.

Sanders nodded, “I thought it was that gate too. The nature of this gate is very strange, it appears a bit ethereal like an illusion, but more so… seems to have a spatial attribute?”

The ethereality of an illusion was because when Angel first constructed the model of the gate, he had used magic power that possessed some properties of illusion techniques, hence the gate’s appearance seemed somewhat intangible. However, in reality, Angel hadn’t seen any effects of illusion techniques in the effects of the Gate Model.

The only property was of spatial attribute.

Of course, it didn’t rule out the possibility that the special energy had an illusionary nature, but at least Angel was unable to confirm that now.

“…Um,” Angel mumbled, not knowing why he was able to construct a spatial attribute trick model. It was very likely due to the Eye of the Sky, but since the Eye of the Sky couldn’t be revealed to anyone, he could only give such a vague answer.

However, to Angel’s surprise, Sanders didn’t pursue how Angel managed to depict a spatial attribute trick model.

In Sanders’s heart, he actually had a vague answer.

When Angel first entered the Barbarian Cave, the Tree Spirit had examined Angel’s talent and said that deep within Angel’s Spirit Sea, there was another hidden talent. However, the Tree Spirit couldn’t detect what specific talent it was because probing further might harm Angel.

But the Tree Spirit had mentioned that the hidden talent seemed to be on the mystical side.

Sanders hadn’t told Angel about this because dual talents could lead to neglected development in one area while focusing on another, and the time invested might increase exponentially.

Space Series required an immense examination of talent, and given Angel had constructed a spatial attribute so quickly, it seemed now that Angel’s other talent was very likely to be spatial.

What puzzled Sanders though, was that Angel himself seemed unaware of his spatial talent… From Angel’s present conflicted expression, it wasn’t hard to guess that he was also puzzled, wondering how to explain to his mentor the ability to sketch a spatial attribute trick model.

Sanders chuckled inwardly, chose not to reveal the fact of the other talent, and merely glossed over the matter.

Although the gate had only appeared momentarily, Sanders had basically confirmed its effect—spatial displacement.

For Angel, this was indeed a very good skill.

A Witchcraft Slot encompassing escape, mobility, and strategy.

Indeed, Sanders’ creation of the “Nightmare Substitute” upon advancing to a True Knowledge Wizard carried the same implication. At that time, Sanders actually drew inspiration from some characteristics of the Space Series when creating the Nightmare Substitute.

Now it seems, Angel happened to think along the same lines.

As for how Angel was inspired to construct the model for this spatial displacement trick, Sanders didn’t delve into it. Perhaps it was a stroke of luck or his accumulation of knowledge; there was no need to pry into such private matters related to the sources of knowledge.

Angel didn’t foresee that Sanders would only marvel at the effect of the “Gate” and praise his choice of Witchcraft Slot, without probing further.

This was a relief to Angel as he hadn’t come up with any explanations himself. He could have easily been caught out by Sanders if he lied, so evasion wasn’t an option.

Fortunately, Sanders didn’t press the matter.

“Your choice is not wrong. Skills related to spatial displacement are always useful, whether for now or the future, or even after you have ascended to Legend status. Even if the spell you devised is not a fixed spatial displacement trick, for your next Witchcraft Slot, I would also suggest that you construct a similar Spell Technique,” Sanders remarked with satisfaction at Angel’s choice. It wasn’t just because this trick was very practical, but also because it was an innovation.

Keep in mind that other Space Wizards must become Official Wizards to learn similar displacement abilities.

Due to the nature of his innovation, Angel had brought the ability of spatial displacement from the rank of “Spell Technique” down to a “Trick” that even an Apprentice could learn, which was no small feat.

In his heart, Sanders felt envious because he had only managed to create the “Nightmare Substitute” after becoming an Official Wizard and often being pursued by enemies with no place to hide. It was in those dire situations that the spell was born.

Angel, being able to acquire an instant displacement ability so early, truly held an advantage from the start.

He would have more options when considering his Witchcraft Slot in the future.

Sanders anticipated that when Angel reached the True Knowledge Wizard Level, his power would undoubtedly far exceed his own.

This thought was both comforting and a little poignant for Sanders.

“It occurs to me that the reason the Law Creation Phenomenon at the Whisker Sea appeared so feeble might be because of your creation. The effect of your spatial displacement is extremely similar to the ‘Teleportation Spell’ of the Space Series; it can bring others along through space, yet its effect leans more towards the ‘Transmission Spell’.” Sanders paused: “Since these two known techniques already exist in reality, even if you lowered the rank of this displacement ability to that of a trick, the Law Creation Phenomenon still wouldn’t intensify.”

Angel agreed with Sanders’ reasoning, as he had previously thought the same.

“Even if the Law Creation Phenomenon is weak, it is still an innovation. Surely you have glimpsed that path by now?” Sanders said.

Angel nodded.

“Then follow this path and continue on it. I look forward to seeing you tread that path one day,” Sanders expressed with infinite anticipation for Angel’s future.

While Sanders still harbored doubts concerning the invention, the future was long, and he wasn’t in a rush to ask just yet. Instead, he brought up another topic.

“Earlier, that white tentacle was quite interesting. Was that also your idea?” Sanders inquired.

Angel didn’t respond immediately but signaled Popota to bring the insect hive over.

“Why don’t you see for yourself, Mentor?”

Sanders glanced at Popota, who stood by somewhat awkwardly, and said nothing more as he extended his spiritual power tentacles into the insect hive.

At first, Sanders didn’t understand what Angel wanted him to see until Popota threw a Beig Ant with formidable attacking power into a compartment. Only then did Sanders notice the two Pliant Worms he’d previously overlooked.

These two Pliant Worms seemed unremarkable at first, but when they encountered the Beig Ant, they suddenly grew numerous strange white tentacles.

The otherwise feeble Pliant Worms became incredibly powerful in an instant, devouring the Beig Ant in a moment.

Sanders noticed that these white tentacles, both in shape and nature, were indeed identical to the white tentacles used by Angel.

“Is this where you got your inspiration from?”

Angel nodded: “These are Pliant Worms with the Art of Phantom Limb, unintentionally cultivated. When I saw their phantom limbs, I felt a kind of intuition. Although at the time I didn’t think I would develop it so quickly, the world’s acknowledgment from the Law Creation Phenomenon allowed me to easily grasp the key and develop the Art of Phantom Limb.”

Next, Angel briefly described some applications and effects of the Art of Phantom Limb.

Having listened, Sanders chuckled: “This has completely left the realm of illusion techniques. Using your own vital energy to drive the phantom limbs, this is fundamentally a Bloodline Sorcerer’s trick. Your recent path seems more and more eccentric.”

Sanders said this, but he was actually quite pleased inside. After all, a wizard who masters more techniques is not a bad thing. For instance, if Sanders were to fight using only his physical body without any illusions, calling him a Bloodline Sorcerer wouldn’t be incorrect.

Moreover, the Art of Phantom Limb that Angel created was such that the stronger the physical body, the more terrifying the effect of the phantom limbs. With Angel’s current strength to drive it, it would definitely reach the standard of an Official Wizard, with surprisingly minimal depletion.

“If word gets out, I suppose those from the bloodline factions would go crazy,” Sanders couldn’t help but admire in secret.