Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 2227: Chapter 2228: Cubic

It was a pink little flying pig.

About one meter three or four in length, it had a rather plump and delicate appearance. Its pink skin was incredibly smooth, not only round and glossy but also quite elastic, making one irresistibly want to give it a rub.

On its back, there was a pair of very small, pure white wings, with a total length of no more than thirty centimeters. Despite the wings being completely disproportionate to its body, they fluttered and managed to keep it flying in mid-air.

One could say, this was the most adorable and girlish Wind Spirit Angel had ever seen.

However, this pink little flying pig, which appeared innocent and cute on the outside, was now full of grievances, hovering at the palace gate.

When it saw Angel and the others arriving, the little pig hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly flew over.

”Mr. Pat, this is the Wind Spirit I mentioned before, the one I adopted.” It was Kamil speaking, introducing the little pig’s identity. However, when mentioning the word ”adopted,” there was a slight change in his pupils, which quickly returned to normal.

”I remember, it’s called Cubic?” Angel said, taking a deep look at Cubic. He had once seen Cubic from afar outside Wind Island; back then, Angel didn’t notice its appearance. All his attention was on Cubic’s terrifying escape speed. He marveled that, although still in its elf phase, its speed was astonishing, as expected of a wind-element creature.

Now, seeing that Cubic’s form was actually a little flying pig made him take a second look. He really couldn’t understand how such small wings could make it fly so fast.

”Yes.” Kamil nodded and then glanced at Cubic. His tone suddenly raised, ”Aren’t you going to come over? Did you forget what I told you earlier?”

After hesitating for a while, Cubic, full of grievances, flew in front of Angel, slowly descending from mid-air to the ground under Kamil’s gaze.

Seeing that Cubic wasn’t making any moves after landing, Kamil couldn’t help but remind him, ”And then?”

Cubic then lowered its head and said in a mosquito-like voice, ”Re-Respectful Mr. Pa...t, I shouldn’t have encouraged my partner to grab your clothes. I have deeply realized my mistake and hope you can forgive my ignorance.”

Finishing this unemotional, clearly memorized line in one breath, Cubic finally breathed a big sigh of relief. It furtively glanced at Kamil, wondering if Kamil was satisfied with its words.

However, Kamil’s response was, ”Why are you looking at me? Are you apologizing to me?”

Cubic immediately withdrew its gaze and looked at Angel with expectant eyes.

Angel was silent for a moment, not responding to Cubic, but instead said to Kamil, ”I’ve said before, there’s no need to apologize specifically for a trivial matter.”

Cubic’s eyes, resembling two black beans, instantly brightened, following Angel’s gaze toward Kamil.

Kamil also noticed Cubic’s gaze. He ignored it and instead sighed deeply, ”In my view, it’s not a trivial matter. I seldom accompany Cubic, leading it to act more willfully. That’s why it offended you this time. I also hope to use this opportunity to teach it a lesson.”

Kamil didn’t say this directly but wrapped it in an invisible wind that blew into Angel’s ears. On the other side, Cubic couldn’t hear these words.

After listening, Angel roughly understood Kamil’s intention was to discipline his perpetually naughty child.

Although it sounded reasonable, upon further consideration, something felt off.

Since you already know Cubic acts willfully, there are countless opportunities to discipline it; why seize this chance in particular?

Moreover, it seemed like having Cubic apologize to him was ultimately about making him play the villain and using this opportunity to punish Cubic.

Putting an unrelated guest, whose relationship is yet to be defined, in the role of the villain seemed a bit unreasonable.

How could Kamil, as the Sage, engage in such ”wise” operations?

Or does he really think he has a way to instantly teach a perpetually naughty child to behave?

Multiple thoughts flashed through Angel’s mind momentarily, but he chose not to express them for now.

Returning to the current situation, responding yes or no to Kamil’s request wasn’t important. Regardless of the answer, it seemed like a trap.

Instead of being confused in a murky loop, he might as well directly ask about Kamil’s thoughts.

”I understand what Mr. Kamil means...” Angel pondered for a moment and transmitted his voice, ”But what punishment do you want me to give Cubic?”

Kamil: ”Why not just follow what you previously mentioned?”

Previously mentioned? Angel didn’t react immediately to what he had said before.

Kamil: ”The Dingyuan Merck Oath.”

Angel suddenly realized, recalling that he had indeed mentioned that had it been anyone else but him, a complete Dingyuan Merck Oath would have been required; otherwise, the matter wouldn’t be considered resolved.

”Mr. Kamil, you wish for me to scare it with the Dingyuan Merck Oath?”

Kamil: ”Don’t scare it, just have it sign the oath directly.”

Angel: ”...”

Kamil’s voice remained gentle and calm in his ear, but the content expressed left Angel utterly shocked.

He wasn’t punishing Cubic; he wasn’t intending on keeping this troublemaking child!

Angel: ”Are you joking?”

Kamil had a serious expression: ”This is not a joke. I’ve thought about it for a long time and feel that since Cubic indeed made a mistake, it should be punished according to what you mentioned.”

Angel was utterly baffled, wondering if he had approached Wind Island the wrong way. Even if you didn’t want this kid anymore, couldn’t you just leave it somewhere? Why thrust the responsibility onto him?

Moreover, just a moment earlier, the gentle breezes shared that signing a full Dingyuan Merck Oath would lead to depression or even self-destruction for freedom-loving wind-element creatures. In the next moment, Kamil wanted to impose it. To Angel, it all seemed utterly inexplicable.

Facing Angel’s prolonged silence, Kamil noticed his hesitation and approached Cubic, who was still completely oblivious, ”What you did this time is very serious and may even damage our entire Wind Island’s reputation, so you must face severe punishment. As for how you’ll be punished, Mr. Pat and I will discuss it, and you’ll know later.”

After a pause, Kamil waved at Cubic, ”Alright, you go back to your room first. I’ll come see you later.”

Cubic was completely confused. Wasn’t the purpose to apologize? Why had it turned into a punishment now, and it was even sent away first? What exactly is going on?

Cubic didn’t quite understand, but Kamil’s words held great sway over it, so it nodded before obediently heading home.

After Cubic fluttered away on its scrawny wings, Kamil finally turned to Angel and said, ”You seem a bit puzzled, sir.”

”Indeed, there’s something I don’t understand.” Angel replied, ”Why did you do this?”

Kamil sighed deeply, ”The reason behind this is complex, but I sincerely hope to take this opportunity to let it leave Wind Island. Ideally, it could see a vaster world.”

”Like the human world?” Angel raised an eyebrow.

Kamil nodded, ”Mr. Pat signed an oath with the wind creatures of Storm Ridge; it’s only for twenty years. He has no plans to take them out of Tidal World, correct?”

Angel didn’t reply. Instead, he asked, ”So you think that after I sign a complete oath with Cubic, I would take it to the human world?”

Kamil: ”Yes.”

Looking at Kamil’s indistinct figure, Angel still couldn’t quite understand it. Why did it want to take Cubic out of Tidal World? Did it think Cubic needed a broader stage, or was there another reason?

However, Angel didn’t probe further. Since Kamil brushed it off with a simple ”the reason behind it is complex,” it seemed unwilling to delve deeper.

”A complete Dyron-Merke oath will become a shackle to the freedom of wind creatures. Are you willing?” Angel asked.

Kamil didn’t hide its motives, ”What you refer to are mature wind creatures. They’ve already established a complete and independent sense of freedom, which would be suppressed by the oath. Cubic is still some time from adulthood, and there’s a lot of room for reformation.”

These words sound beautiful, but boiled down, it’s essentially brainwashing.

Angel hadn’t expected Kamil to be so hard on its fostered Cubic.

The air suddenly fell into silence for a moment before Kamil chuckled softly, ”Actually, I’m taking a gamble too. I believe you are a decent human being.”

”Moreover, I don’t have any other choice. After all, you’re the first human to come to Tidal World, aside from the Savior.”

”You don’t have to decide right away. Just let me know before leaving Wind Island. Whether it happens or not is up to fate.”

Angel gave Kamil a sidelong glance, ”Talking about fate... That doesn’t sound like something an elemental creature would say, but rather like something a Prophet Wizard would say.”

Kamil chuckled and shifted the conversation away from Cubic, continuing along Angel’s line, ”By the way, the word ’fate’ is actually something Mr. Feng told us about.”

Angel had a moment of realization. He thought so; how could a group of elemental creatures discuss fate? If it was Feng, then it made sense.

From the moment he entered Feng’s trap through the Abyss, Angel felt certain that Feng must have a deep understanding of the Prophet Wizard’s notions of ”fate” and ”destiny.” Otherwise, why would he always leave a slew of backup plans and set up such mystical traps?

Perhaps Feng’s latent talent was prophecy.

For this reason, when Kamil mentioned that ”fate” was brought up by Feng, Angel immediately believed it.

”Do you know if Feng ever said anything else relating to fate, destiny, or the future?” Angel asked curiously. He was very sensitive to such information, thinking that his presence in Tidal World might be one of Feng’s traps.

”That I don’t know,” Kamil replied, sounding apologetic, ”I only know the term comes from Mr. Feng. As for the specifics, perhaps only His Highness knows.”

As Kamil finished speaking, a gentle breeze suddenly blew around them.

As the breeze brushed their faces, a gentle voice like the wind echoed in their ears, ”Mr. Feng indeed often mentioned fate and destiny. He often lamented that his journey to Tidal World followed the pointer of destiny.”

Angel and Kamil turned around to see a figure holding a harp standing on the platform in front of the grand hall, gathering from countless wisps of breeze in the soft white mist.

The visitor was none other than the gentle wind, Ulano.

It plucked a string, and in a wave of melodious notes, approached Angel and gracefully performed a half-bow, ”Thank you, Mr. Pat, for your understanding earlier. Once the emotions of the tribe settle from their excitement, I will reveal the truth to them. The real hero is not me, but Mr. Pat.”

Angel: ”I’m no hero. I dealt with Hurricane’s group only because they bore malice toward me. If treated kindly, I naturally repay kindness; met with evil, I can only respond in kind.”

Ulano, perceptive enough to catch Angel’s subtle hint, smiled, ”Mr. Pat indeed thinks just as I do. I believe Mr. Pat can discern between feigned benevolence and genuine kindness.”

Having determined Ulano to be a ”Holy Mother,” Angel no longer doubted whether it was feigned kindness. Even if it was fake, deceiving so many sages proved it had done much good.

Therefore, Angel felt a fair level of trust toward Ulano.

”I don’t mind whether you reveal the truth to the Wind Tribe. But if you do speak, just tell it straight; don’t dress me up as a hero,” Angel paused, his expression turning serious, ”Back to the previous topic, did Ulano just mention what Mr. Feng said about fate? Is it true?”

Ulano nodded, ”Indeed, Mr. Feng often spoke those words. If you don’t believe me, Mr. Pat, you can ask Nami Midori and Isel. They’ve spent more time with Mr. Feng than I have.”

As the words fell, Kamil softly reminded, ”Your Highness, it’s Frost Iser.”

Ulano casually replied, ”Such insignificant details don’t matter.”

Angel: ”I naturally trust His Highness Ulano.”

However... if Feng indeed said ”followed destiny’s pointer” or similar, it means Feng didn’t come to Tidal World according to his wishes.

Then it’s possible Feng set up a trap in Tidal World just like in the Abyss.

Back when Angel was in the Abyss, he foolishly fell into the trap. Will he step into Feng’s trap again this time?

Angel shook his head, sighed helplessly, and temporarily set aside his troubled thoughts, since thinking about it now was useless.

When he saw Feng’s message on the little door leading into Tidal World, he had a vague feeling he might be entering a trap. But the essence of Tidal World was too alluring, and he needed an elemental partner, so he had no choice but to step inside.

Since he already decided to enter the trap back then, overthinking it now is pointless.

The most important thing now is to find out exactly what trap Feng set up in Tidal World.