Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 2650: Chapter 2651: Scorching Sun

The story told by Angel was entirely a reconstruction of a relatively reasonable logical chain, based on known results and reverse engineering. If one really wants to pick out flaws, there must be some, because human thinking is multi-threaded, and finding order out of chaos promptly is relatively difficult.

However, if we don’t consider these deeper issues and solely look at it from both surface and deeper layers, Angel’s inference can be valid.

Moreover, the final effect was better than Angel imagined.

Cicia not only believed Angel but also filled in some gaps herself, revealing the secret story between Margaret and the Wise Sovereign back then... And Cicia’s assumptions are very likely true.

This actually corroborates Angel’s suspicion, the Wise Sovereign certainly knew about Margaret and Augustine’s story, and it even might have pushed for them to meet secretly.

Even Dororo’s inspiration—”The Sage is not foolish”—points towards this Sage.

Thus, it is basic certainty that The Sage surely knows about the existence of that wall, and knows Augustine left a secret land there. But whether The Sage ever entered it is somewhat hard to say.

Angel leans towards the idea that The Sage hasn’t entered because refining the key might not be difficult for The Sage, but passing that Alchemy Omen would be no easy task.

Yet, even if The Sage did enter, Angel wouldn’t mind. While he seems to be exploring the wall in the present world, his true target is the wall in the Nightmare Realm.

But now the problem loops back to the Origin Point, even if understanding The Sage is key, knowing many secrets, how to make him speak remains an unsolved mystery.

After contemplating with no result for a while, Angel turned his gaze towards Cicia.

Although Cicia always says not to flaunt her name, she just clearly stated that the identity of The Sage was comparable to her own at the time. Which means, Cicia was certainly not a minor figure back then, her special status had to be cautiously handled, even by dominator-level figures, otherwise Cicia wouldn’t have so easily been in touch with Margaret.

The Sage has also always helped Cicia to monitor the movements of the Baiyuanians outside, which shows that he hasn’t treated Cicia poorly.

Therefore, to truly make The Sage speak, not only would it require finding the Wood Spirit, but perhaps also require Cicia’s assistance.

Thinking of this, Angel asked, ”Miss Cicia, do you want to know the final outcome of your two dear friends?”

Cicia instinctively replied, ”Of course I want to know.”

She was naturally very concerned about her only two dear human friends.

”Why are you asking me this question? Do you happen to know?”

”I naturally do not know,” Angel said, ”However, if Miss Cicia also wishes to know their final outcome, then actually we are on the same path. Because now, the only one who knows all the truth is the Wise Sovereign.”

Cicia furrowed her brow, ”So then? You still hope I will help you ask the Wise Sovereign? Or, using my name to make the Wise Sovereign speak?”

Cicia shook her head, ”Even if I agreed, the Sage wouldn’t tell you.”

”Do you think I haven’t asked the Sage about their situation over the years? Every time it comes, I ask, but it has never given me any answer. So begging me is useless.”

Angel said, ”Logically, your two dear friends have very special identities but aren’t so extraordinary. Yet, the Wise Sovereign completely refuses to answer your questions about them, isn’t there more to it?”

After Angel finished speaking, the air suddenly fell into a deep silence.

After a long while, Cicia finally spoke softly.

”What you said, how can I not understand?” Cicia leaned back on the throne, her eyes hidden in the shadow of her hair, emotions revealed between light and dark were filled with helplessness.

”But what can I do? I can’t even leave this platform, all my news of the outside world has to be delivered by the Wise Sovereign... Thousands of years, long and lonely days, all I can do is hope things will go for the better.”

Cicia curled up her feet, burying her head in her knees, her voice low, emotions forlorn.

Angel could probably guess the unspeakable words hidden within Cicia’s voice.

Once, Cicia was equal to the Wise Sovereign, but after the box transformation, not only did her status plummet, but she couldn’t do anything and knew nothing of the outside world.

Only the Wise Sovereign could help her obtain outside information.

So even if Cicia knows the Wise Sovereign surely knows Margaret and Augustine’s whereabouts, she has no way to force him to answer. The result of breaking this relationship could very well eliminate even the final channel to the outside world.

Consequently, the only thing Cicia can do is silently pray in the dark, hoping things will develop for the better.

Feeling Cicia’s transmitted somber mood, Angel suddenly understood her a little more. To Angel, thousands of years are merely a number, but to Cicia, it is a tangible experience.

She once said Margaret was a caged bird, but now, isn’t she a caged bird too? And, her situation might be worse than Margaret’s, as this box is both her body and a prison, confining her for thousands of years.

Angel had often complained of Cicia’s lapse in intelligence, but now, thinking back, for her to still maintain normal thinking after thousands of years, is quite remarkable.

Considering this, Angel’s voice softened unconsciously, ”You can’t act because you’re restricted in your moving range, there’s no solution for this currently. However, we have come, we can act for you.”

Cicia lifted her head to look at Angel, lightly chuckling, ”What can you do? You might not even find the Wood Spirit, how would you make the Wise Sovereign speak?”

Angel, however, replied with seriousness, ”I can’t guarantee for others, but I can definitely achieve it.”

”Just you? Why?”

Angel answered seriously, ”Of course it’s because I’m a genius.”

Cicia rolled her eyes, disinclined to respond to such an unhelpful comment.

Angel continued, ”Do you think it’s a coincidence that I could acquire the Primeval Flame, find the Baiyuanians? Aren’t you surprised that I could arrange for you to meet Popota, and right inside your box? The Alchemy Blueprint for the secret key, few can understand it, but somehow, I do, and have refined it; is this also a coincidence?”

”I always achieve what I claim I can.”

Angel’s words weren’t very resolute or emphatic, he just laid them out plainly. But Cicia inexplicably felt the deep-seated confidence within Angel’s heart.

This confidence wasn’t absurd or unfounded; it seemed like another form of power emanating from within Angel.

It was a hard-to-describe feeling but it oddly moved Cicia.

A youth under twenty, burning with dazzling confidence like the midday sun.

The long-lost ”youthful spirit,” like a fiery wind, swept into Cicia’s perpetually cold and lonely heart.

She was silent for a moment, then turned her head, ”Who do you think you are?”

”I don’t think I am anyone, but why can’t I accomplish it?” Angel countered, his eyes still bright as ever.

Cicia was silent longer this time, and after a while, asked, ”How do you plan to do it?”

Though Cicia didn’t express anything, Angel understood she could now barely qualify as a ”conspirator.”

”I hope Miss Cicia can tell me everything about the Wise Sovereign in detail.”

Cicia replied, ”I can, but what I say is limited by the oath’s constraint.”

Angel said, ”I understand that.”

Cicia continued, ”Then what? After telling you about it, what do you plan to do?”

Angel touched his chin and said innocently, ”Well... I haven’t thought about it yet. Let’s talk about it later.”

Cicia was speechless: ”...” She really felt like she was being taken for a fool, following the so-called raging passion only to be doused with cold water, piercing and chilling.

Angel: ”Don’t look at me with such a mournful expression. I really haven’t decided yet. At least, I have to catch the Wood Spirit first before I can slowly think about the rest.”

Cicia snorted coldly, ”Then I really want to see how long it will take you to find the Wood Spirit.”

Angel, however, was quite confident, ”Very soon.”

Cicia didn’t respond to that, continuing, ”Are you planning to listen to what the Wise Sovereign has to say now?”

Angel: ”This can wait, let’s discuss it after you meet Popota. However, before you meet Popota, I have a question for you.”

Cicia didn’t mind much at this point, waving her hand, ”Ask away.”

”If I arrange a meeting with the Wise Sovereign, do you have a way to get answers from him?”

Cicia asked in confusion, ”What do you mean? Are you planning to have the Wise Sovereign come to find me?”

Angel smiled meaningfully, ”This question will be clear to you once you meet Popota.”

”Now, Miss Cicia, are you still tired? If not, it’s time to meet Popota. He’s probably been waiting for a long time. Although, as a junior, waiting for you, an ancestor, is quite normal, but wouldn’t you want to leave a good first impression when meeting across millennia?”

Cicia felt a mix of emotions and hesitation, but hearing Angel’s words, she couldn’t help but glare at him: ”Ancestor my Ghosteye Witch! According to my pre-transformation age, I’m not much older than you!”

”Even back when I was an ordinary human, I wasn’t much smaller than I am now as an Official Wizard, let me think, only a bit...”

”Shut up!”

Angel: ”Following your logic, you’re still telling me to shut up, truly hard to understand.”

Cicia gritted her teeth, clenching her fist, speaking through gritted teeth with a warped voice, ”I don’t want to argue with you now, just tell me, how should I meet Popota? Where is he now?”

Angel smiled brightly:

”In the dream, you know.”

...

When Cicia stepped onto the Dream Bridge, it was as if Angel’s annoyingly cheeky words were still echoing in her ears: Popota, he’s in the dream, you know~

Cicia suppressed her urge to explode, gazing at this long-lost Dream Bridge, her eyebrows knitted tightly: ”This is indeed the Dream Bridge, but it seems different from before. Are we really meeting in the dream? Is Angel really a Dream Witch?”

If it’s truly in the dream, that’s not a good thing.

The Dream Witches, though not famous a millennia ago, were renowned for trapping others by creating all sorts of traps in dreams.

Among these, there were stories of Dream System Witches creating the enemy’s intimate lover in dreams to lure them into a trap.

Cicia didn’t want to see this so-called ”Popota” as a fictional creation by Angel in the dream.

Cicia really wanted to exit the Dream Bridge now, but after careful consideration, she ultimately held back.

Ever since her transformation into a box, her soul could no longer be sensed, and from that moment, Cicia never dreamt again, nor did she truly fall asleep. Her so-called rest was merely closing her eyes, emptying her mind, imagining herself in a void world to pass the time... although when she opened her eyes, it was still a void.

So, when she once again entered a dream and saw the long-absent Dream Bridge, Cicia hesitated.

”Even if it’s a dream, let me see how far you can go...”

With this thought, Cicia hesitated no more, stepping forward until her figure disappeared into the glowing Dream Gate...

...

Cicia had been in the Wilderness of Dreams for ten minutes now.

Or rather, she had been in a very plain, cramped room within the Wilderness of Dreams for ten minutes.

During these ten minutes, she had merely been repeatedly touching her body, as well as walls, tables, floors, feeling the various textures.

This tangible sensation, ever since her transformation into a box, Cicia had not felt it again.

”Am I dreaming?” Cicia clasped her hands together, rubbing them against each other, the soft texture as if returning to a thousand years ago.

”Yes, I am dreaming! This is a dream created by Angel!” Cicia suddenly realized.

Yet after that, the doubts in Cicia’s heart only deepened: Had the Dream Witches of millennia later been able to make dreams to such an extent? This level could no longer be described as ’vivid’ but rather as though it were real.

What on earth is happening?

After ten minutes, Cicia finally moved, as she wanted to find Angel to ask.

Since Angel was a Dream Witch, he must be here too, perhaps even watching her from the shadows.

With this in mind, Cicia pushed open the narrow room’s door.

Outside the room was a corridor.

The corridor was bright, not lit by candlelight, but with sunlight streaming in from the windows, bringing a natural and comfortable brightness.

Cicia walked step by step to the window, when the sunlight shone upon her, a warmth, unfamiliar for years, suddenly, unexpectedly encountered.

Gazing at the garden outside the window, and the shadowy outlines of buildings bathed in sunshine in the distance... Even though Cicia knew these were ”fake,” she inexplicably felt like crying.

Crying, too, was a long-unfelt sensation, with her nose tingling, eyes moistening... The feeling of crying was surprisingly distinct. While she was alive, she had never thoroughly experienced this emotion.

Cicia stood at the window for a long time, she really wanted to jump out of the window to embrace the long-lost blue sky outside.

But, she restrained herself.

”Angel is surely watching me, I can’t do this, I can’t. I’d be laughed at, I’d be laughed at. Must stay calm, stay calm.” Cicia kept repeating this to herself.

Finally, with self-esteem interfering, Cicia suppressed her inner yearning—to leap out of the window, instead leaving the window, heading toward the depths of the corridor.

This corridor was a single path; she could even see the opened brown door at the end, as well as the red drapes hanging down by the doorframe.

With drapes? It should be a hall, right?

Then, Angel should be there, right?

With these doubts, Cicia continued to walk forward. Soon, she arrived at the door at the corridor’s end.

Nonetheless, after Cicia passed through the door, she did not see Angel, but rather a... familiar figure.