Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 1645: Section 1646 Final Contest

Angel departed from the manor.

Thunderstorms raged in the sky, occasionally accompanied by the slithering dance of lightning serpents; the steel-cast sky fortress shrouded within this frenzied veil of rain.

Nevertheless, such dreadful weather did not dampen the fervor of the populace.

Today marks the final day of the New Star Contest, the most crucial of all. After nearly a year of preparation, the last showdown of the competition takes place today.

Having accepted the task as a special judge, it was only natural for Angel to see this task through from start to finish.

Greya departed with Angel, and since there was still some time before the competition began, they didn’t rush but instead flew toward the Infinite Battle Tower at a leisurely pace.

A Purifying Field clung around Angel, preventing rainwater from penetrating. Greya, however, held a black umbrella aloft, idly drifting through the wind and rain, appearing quite content.

”The sound of rain striking against the umbrella is my favorite sound,” Greya suddenly remarked.

Angel, whose thoughts had been elsewhere, was drawn back by Greya’s words and looked over curiously.

”When I was very little, before being recognized as a Talented One, I lived in the realm of mortals. It was a small town with three rainy seasons per year, where nearly half of the week was shrouded in incessant rain,” Greya’s eyes seemed to drift amidst the curtain of rain, ”I was born with a disability in my legs and couldn’t walk. So whenever we went out, my father would carry me, and I’d hold the umbrella for him whenever it rained.”

”Since then, I’ve always enjoyed the sound of rain on an umbrella, it offers a sense of security,” Greya spoke with sentiment.

Angel was somewhat surprised that Greya would suddenly share her personal history with him.

He mused that Wizards were unlikely to display deep emotions over superficial relations, so Greya’s words were probably an indirect expression of the rapport between them.

”Do you find comfort in it because the sound makes you think of your father’s warmth?” Angel interjected.

Greya smiled: ”Perhaps, but I’ve never delved deep into it, nor do I plan to.”

”And what happened after?”

”What do you mean, ’after’?”

Angel: ”For instance, what happened to your father afterwards?”

”Oh, he died not long after,” Greya replied calmly, ”not from foul play, just an accident. He went hunting and accidentally slipped, hitting his head. I remember, it was also raining heavily that day.”

Angel looked at Greya, suddenly unsure of what to say—should he offer comfort, or apologize for bringing up the past? Noticing Angel’s hesitation, Greya smiled, ”That was hundreds of years ago, if you hadn’t asked, I would’ve forgotten myself.”

”As a Wizard, the longer you live, the more it seems your emotions fade. It’s rare to find something that stirs one’s memories and emotions, so I like to dwell on it,” Greya paused for a moment, then turned her head, ”So, you don’t need to worry about my feelings.”

Angel gazed deeply at Greya, nodded, and said no more.

Greya thoroughly enjoyed the sound of the falling rain; this mutual silence persisted until they neared the Infinite Battle Tower.

Despite the ongoing downpour and ceaseless boom of thunder, even the loudest rain and thunder could not drown out the noise nearby.

After all, it was the final match of the New Star Contest, and not even a heavy rain could withhold the spectators’ enthusiasm. Even though the match hadn’t started and many hadn’t bought tickets, the noise from the crowd gathered outside the Infinite Battle Tower already overwhelmed the sound of the thunderstorm.

In this situation, Greya could no longer enjoy the tik-tok of raindrops falling on her umbrella. She had returned from her sentimental silence to her usual self.

”Why haven’t I seen Sharley or Asaz today?” Angel asked offhandedly as he saw Greya emerge from her reverie.

”Asaz has been to the Infinite Battle Tower since early morning, and Sharley went to find her Mentor.”

Angel was momentarily stunned before he realized that although the Water Pattern Witch was in seclusion working on Alchemy Works, she had accepted the task of being a special judge, and she would likely emerge from her seclusion when the final games came if nothing unexpected happened. It was normal for Sharley to go see her.

”By the way, Allen came here this morning,” Greya suddenly said. ”He was looking for you, but I told him to go back.”

Angel had been in the Wilderness of Dreams in the morning and was unaware of this situation: ”He’s back from Paradow City? Did he find any clues in Wasteland City?”

Greya shook her head: ”It seems he specifically went to look into the Seed Church matter, but found nothing. He wanted to ask you about his sister, presumably.”

Greya: ”You don’t need to deal with him, I’ve already told him to stop inquiring about the Seed matter.”

”When one has not seen the Abyss, the more you tell him not to draw near, the more he will gaze into the Abyss,” Angel pondered aloud. ”After all, Allen is from Candy House, you should be more familiar with him. If one day he reaches a certain level of self-control, you can actually reveal to him the truth about the Seed, within limits.”

Greya nodded; indeed, it’s better to divert than to block. But, the prerequisite is that Allen must have the courage and ability to handle such news.

At this thought, Greya couldn’t help but steal a glance at Angel. She remembered that Angel and Allen had come on the same boat, and although their ages were similar, their experiences and mindsets were worlds apart.

As they spoke, they had arrived at the Infinite Battle Tower.

After entering the tower, Angel took a different path from Greya. As a special judge, Angel had a dedicated passage, while Greya went to the Boundless Battle Arena first.

The lobby outside was bustling with noise and crowds. But as Angel approached the judge’s dedicated passage, it suddenly became quiet.

The permanent judges should have already arrived; only a few special judges like Angel would probably use this passage. Now, Angel was alone.

Not long after walking in the dimly lit passage, Angel saw someone leaning against the wall not far away.

As Angel reached him, he paused for a moment.

The sound of Angel’s footsteps successfully pulled the young man out of his immersion in his book, causing him to lift his head. As his blurry eyes focused, the young man’s face lit up with a sincere smile.

”Mister Chaowei.”

Angel glanced at the door open beside the young man, leading directly to the contestants’ backstage. And today, there was only one match, so this young man was naturally one of the contestants for today.

”Philosopher” Onassis.

Angel had encountered him here before, and unexpectedly, they had met again today.

”Before the Yun Vine Blossoms bloom, I meet you again,” Angel recalled Onassis’ murmur from before and casually responded.

Onassis was momentarily stunned, then his eyes sparkled with happiness: ”Sir, you remember that phrase?”

”Of course, I’m also looking forward to listening to the Yun Vine Blossoms bloom under the distant stars.”