Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 1475: Section 1476 The Believerʼs Oath Chapter 1475: Section 1476 The Believerʼs Oath The ash-green, short curly hair was now all drenched. His forehead was also soaked with sweat, his cheeks pale.

This was the scene Angel saw when he found Sanders.

Noticing Angelʼs arrival, Sanders finally used a Cleansing Spell to wipe the sweat from his brow.

“Youʼre here?” Sanders summoned a chair and signaled for Angel to sit down, “Are you ready to leave yet?”

“I might need to stay here a bit longer,” Angel said, his eyes glancing toward the desk where there was a glass bottle.

The bottle was empty but emitted a familiar scent.

“Twisted Paramedic Worm?” Angel looked up at Sanders. Even though Sandersʼs expression didnʼt show anything wrong, his face was still very pale, “Mentor, did you go to the Nightmare Realm?”

Sandersʼs eyebrows were lowered, and he nodded slightly, “Yes, I did go there for some matters.”

“Is it related to Greya?”

Sanders nodded, “Yes, I used the Paramedic Worm soaked in Greyaʼs soul power to go to the part of the Nightmare Realm where she lost her physical body. I wanted to reposition that area of the Nightmare Realm.”

At this point, Sanders fell silent for a while, his eyes deep yet lifeless, as if recalling something.

“What happened after that?” Angel asked.

Regaining his composure, Sanders shook his head, “After that… I forgot.”

Forgot? In Angelʼs puzzled look, Sanders continued quietly, “I only remember that I seemed to have reached a dark crossroads. Then, my memory was automatically blocked; I canʼt remember anything.”

The Nightmare Realm is full of bizarre happenings, and Sanders had on several occasions experienced memory blockages after entering it. However, the memories that were blocked were usually some important item or scene information, like the “Singularity Scattering Meditation Method,” which he could never remember or take out, or some letters, books, and so on that he saw in the Nightmare Realm…

This time, unexpectedly, it wasnʼt the memory of some item that was blocked, but his entire experience.

Before his memory was blocked, he was clearly still walking on a dark and long road.

Something must have happened after that crossroad.

Perhaps there was a battle, or perhaps he saw some important scenes; in any case, he could not remember at all. And the last fragment of his memory was of being in a pitch-black space, where Sanders could feel the air flowing around him, suggesting it wasnʼt an enclosed space.

However, Sanders felt very anxious at that time, as if he was about to face a great terror, and thus decisively used the Paramedic Worm to return to reality.

“From that crossroad to the pitch-black space at the end, I donʼt know what happened; the entire experienceʼs memory was blocked,” Sandersʼs eyes held a complex emotion, “However, I havenʼt forgotten that ʼfeelingʼ — the panic, the anxiety and fear, the chilling awe… These feelings have left an imprint in my heart.”

Even recalling these feelings caused Sandersʼs body to be covered in cold sweat. It was clear that something terrifying must have happened at that time.

Listening to Sandersʼs words, Angel also felt chills, and a spine-tingling sense of dread rose from his back.

Even though Sanders had entered the Nightmare Realm multiple times, each visit was filled with trepidation.

The Nightmare Realm was just too bizarre and frightening.

Sanders looked up at Angel, “Maybe you could remember if you went.”

Angelʼs Nightmare Soul Body was of a very high rank; he was able to remember the “Singularity Scattering Meditation Method,” so it was very likely that the memory block would have little effect on him.

“However, having just advanced, it would be extremely dangerous for you to go to the area of the Nightmare Region where Greya lost her physical body. But once you have stabilized your strength, you could try exploring the outer edges of the Nightmare Realm.”

Of course, the premise of Angel venturing into the Nightmare Realm for exploration was that the stitched Queen would not come looking for trouble again. This would require Angel to test on his next visit to the Nightmare Realm.

Sanders paused for a moment, “Letʼs talk about the Nightmare Realm another time. Back to the main topic, you just mentioned that you plan to stay at Black Castle for the time being, why?”

Angel followed up on Sandersʼs topic and did not inquire further about the Nightmare Realm but instead relayed the answer Hua Que had given earlier.

“I see,” Sanders nodded in understanding, “I did not expect they would actually succeed in creating the Transforming Soft-bodied Insect.”

“Yes, and this also proves one thing — she plans to continue staying at Black Castle.”

Sanders nodded, neither approving nor rejecting Hua Queʼs choice.

“However, Hua Que proposed a trade with me,” Angel said. “I came to seek the Mentor precisely because of the content of this trade, and Iʼm not quite certain about it.”

Under Sandersʼ gaze, Angel recounted the conversation he had with Hua Que.

“…Without a doubt, what Hua Hua foresaw points surely to the Wilderness of Dreams. Taking Popota into the Wilderness of Dreams is not a problem, but I worry it might expose the Wilderness of Dreams to the eyes of the Unparalleled Great Demon God,” Angel voiced his concern.

Sanders pondered for a moment, “I cannot be sure about the risk either, but I remember there was a wizard who specifically researched the influence of Demon Gods on their followers, including some comparative experiments, which might provide you with some insight.”

Angel: “…” People researched this?

Seeing Angelʼs confusion, Sanders casually explained, “Wizards have lengthy lifespans; itʼs not unusual for them to research peculiar topics. This subject is actually not that obscure. However, those involved with Demon Gods usually donʼt end well. The researcher in question eventually drew the attention of a Demon God, and his end… itʼs better left unsaid.”

Angel also remembered that when he had followed Sanders to Soul Valley to see Nis, Nis was at that time studying some kind of gender-related topic.

Speaking of which, Sanders briefly shared the contents of that wizardʼs research with Angel.

The followers of Demon Gods are spread across the Pan-Dimensional Plane, and They canʼt possibly pay attention to everyone, only bestowing more attention on those with potential. But these seeds of potential, before they turn that potential into strength, are not really that valued by Demon Gods.

And how do Demon Gods prioritize their followers? The answer lies in the oath of sacrifice.

If a followerʼs oath is to offer themselves completely and without reservation to a Demon God, then that person becomes completely transparent to the Demon God, who can know all their information, even tracing back to their lineage.

In other words, as long as you dedicate everything, even your Consciousness Spark, the Demon God can trace it.

If the followerʼs oath is simply to offer their soul, allowing their soul to return to the Demon Earth upon death, then the information known by the Demon God is, comparatively, less.

Of course, if the Demon God wishes to check the memories, they can still know these peopleʼs secrets through their souls. But it is impossible to fully trace the Consciousness Spark unrelated to the soul.

In summary, whether sheltering Popota will expose the Wilderness of Dreams under the scrutiny of a Demon God depends on the exact oath he took during the sacrifice.

If Popotaʼs oath wasnʼt an unconditional sacrifice, then there is room for maneuver.

However, even so, there is an important prerequisite: before Popotaʼs death, he must absolutely not reveal anything about the Wilderness of Dreams to him.

Otherwise, once the soul holds the memory, the Demon God can still probe into it. Only when Popotaʼs soul is completely severed from the Consciousness Spark before death, allowing the Consciousness Spark to naturally be taken into the Wilderness of Dreams by Angel and become a resident of the Dream Realm, can they maximally avoid the Demon Godʼs probes.

Of course, there might still be risks involved, but at this level, avoiding all risks is practically impossible.

Nevertheless, to avoid any oversight, Angel still planned to make a trip to the Wilderness of Dreams to consult Frode, and see from the perspective of “dreams,” how this matter was viewed.

Having shared his thoughts with Sanders, Sanders nodded as well, but just as Angel was ready to return to the meditation room to Enter Dream, Sanders suddenly said:

“Oh, thereʼs another matter I havenʼt mentioned to you.”

Angel turned around, thinking it might be something Sanders had left unsaid about the relationship between Demon Gods and their followers.

However, the content Sanders mentioned was unrelated. “Just before, while you were in the meditation room, a representative from Kimberly sent an Apprentice to find you.”

“Lady Kimberly looking for me?” Angel asked. “Is it about an exchange in Alchemy?”

A peculiar look flashed in Sandersʼ eyes, “No, itʼs said to be someone from the research institute.”

The research institute? Sky Mechanical City?

Angel paused, recalling he had only left Sky Mechanical City not long ago; what would someone from the research institute want with him? And how did they know he was in Black Castle?

“Who from the research institute?” Angel asked curiously.

“I donʼt know, they didnʼt come to Black Castle but communicated through other means. If you want the specifics, you can go to Kimberly and inquire.”

Angel nodded.

At the moment, he couldnʼt fathom why the research institute was seeking him out but, considering the instituteʼs lax rules, it probably wasnʼt for anything urgent. Angel decided to first visit the Wilderness of Dreams and deal with other matters later.