Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 2712: Chapter 2713: Infant Spirit Holding a Flower

After You Nu left, Adanis still felt somewhat uneasy.

Her brow was tightly furrowed, and her eyes unconsciously turned into a silver-white mirror. The mirror reflected scenes like racing horse lamps, scenes not monitored by the Magical Energy Array, but belonging uniquely to her... memory.

Memories so distant that they required the use of her talent to recall.

Ten thousand years ago, in one night, the glory of Naraku City vanished, descending into the mortal realm.

During that time, it was a huge blow to those sheltered under the great tree of Naraku. One by one, Dominators left, and those who didn’t leave mostly fell into an eternal slumber in despair.

But for the newborn Adanis, Naraku meant almost nothing to her.

Moreover, Adanis and Olao had always been hidden in the Qingkong Poetry Room, where a powerful Magical Energy Array set by Margaret ensured no one could find them, let alone intrude. Even the Wise Sovereign could not enter after it was built, except when invited by the master; after the master left, the Wise Sovereign couldn’t come in anymore.

Thus, the Qingkong Poetry Room was considered one of the rare sanctuaries within the Underground Aqueduct.

However, for a sanctuary to remain forever unstained by dust is very difficult.

In the millennia after the master left, Olao still held expectations for the descendants of Noah, and back then Adanis listened to Olao, not rejecting the descendants of Noah. Like Olao, she anticipated they would come and take them away.

In the end, each descendant of Noah was worse than the last. They couldn’t even reach the Qingkong Poetry Room, many of them already defeated on the way.

It’s important to note that at that time, Adanis hadn’t set up sentries nor did she have the Wise Sovereign to obstruct them, yet still, the descendants of Noah performed terribly.

Even those who reached the Qingkong Poetry Room were nothing but greedy.

During that time, Olao grew more and more despondent day by day, affecting the Qingkong Poetry Room to transform from clear skies to a somber nocturne.

Day by day, year by year, ”clear skies” turned to ”darkness,” and it was never like before, leaving only endless deathly stillness. The Poetry Room finally became what it is now... a remnant.

It was then that Adanis began testing the descendants of Noah.

She believed that only those who passed the test had the qualifications to enter the remnant. Back then, although Olao did not agree in his heart, he did not stop it.

As more descendants of Noah came for the test, Adanis saw through their greed more and more.

Thus, what was originally just a test for the descendants of Noah became resistance and even expulsion.

For this, Adanis even developed a set of skilled procedures: block outside, banish to the Sea of Void Mirror, erase all memory, and return to the human world.

Because the Sea of Void Mirror erased many memories of the Naraku descendants, it also led to fewer and fewer descendants of Noah knowing about the remnant.

For Adanis, this was a good thing. She didn’t like the descendants of Noah, and by now, she had discovered some of her own... secrets.

She already knew that the arrival of the descendants of Noah offered no benefits, only changing the current situation.

Therefore, Adanis’s attitude towards the descendants of Noah became increasingly dismissive, no longer even testing them. As soon as there was a chance, she would directly banish them to the Sea of Void Mirror.

Adanis knew that Olao was not very satisfied with her actions. However, Adanis also knew that Olao wouldn’t stop her.

Olao ignored Adanis’s actions and even rarely mentioned matters regarding Noah.

Adanis knew she had won.

As long as she persisted, even the influence of the master would gradually be worn away by time. By then, Olao would truly have a new life, free from any shackles.

As for things Adanis often said, like ”compared to the descendants of Noah, she more anticipated the coming of Naraku,” initially it might have held some truth, but now, it was purely meaningless talk. Or rather, it was a platitude to appease Olao and the Wise Sovereign.

Adanis thought that even if it took a few hundred years, a thousand, or even another ten thousand, as long as she erased Olao’s shackles, they could truly be free.

Yet this time, Olao’s abnormality left Adanis deeply uneasy.

The scenes in the mirror eyes gradually shattered, and Adanis awoke from her immersion.

Although her eyes returned to their calm indifference, one could still see the lingering unease from her earlier disturbance.

”If things go as usual, You Nu should easily handle a few ordinary Wizards.” Adanis thought to herself, ”But this time is different, the Wise Sovereign manifestly appeared with unusual activity. If he lends a hand, there might be changes.”

Thinking of the Wise Sovereign made Adanis feel even worse. This unusual behavior from Olao was already a variable; the Wise Sovereign stirring up trouble at this time compounded the uncertainty.

However, the timing chosen by the Wise Sovereign is so coincidental, was it unintentional, or deliberate?

With so many variables, where would the final result lead? It’s impossible to predict now, but Adanis understood that as long as the result did not drive them away, it would certainly be disadvantageous for her.

Relying solely on You Nu wasn’t safe; she needed to prepare a few more contingency plans.

With this in mind, Adanis narrowed her eyes and her figure gradually merged into the darkness...

When her body emerged from a prismatic light, she had entered a room filled with red light.

This room wasn’t large; it would feel cramped with five or six adults present. Moreover, the floor was covered with solidified red wax, making the room appear even more confined.

Adanis wasn’t even standing on the ground but hovered mid-air.

The ceiling of the room was quite high, with a chandelier resembling a spider web hanging from it. The ”lights” were actually red candles.

This was why the room was dim and filled with an eerie red glow.

Adanis looked around the small room but did not see her target. Her gaze unconsciously fell on the undulating, wave-like solidified wax on the floor, secretly wondering... could it be hiding beneath?

As Adanis stared at the red wax on the floor, she didn’t notice a blood-red hand quietly creeping up her shoulder.

This hand wasn’t large, roughly the size of an infant’s, but the continuously dripping red liquid and the blue-black nails made it look exceptionally horrific.

As the hand continued to emerge, a blood-red infant’s head, completely devoid of skin, appeared from behind Adanis.

Its expression was bizarre, with a smile so wide it reached its ears, revealing a toothless mouth.

It grinned strangely while reaching its hand towards Adanis’s neck, closer and closer...

When its hand touched Adanis’s neck, the ferocious smile could no longer be hidden. The nails suddenly grew long and sharp, straight into her neck, grabbing the inner spine, and with a harsh twist, Adanis’s head fell, landing in the red wax...

Slurp, slurp. Watching the headless body also fall, the strange eerie laughter grew even more delighted.

However, its triumphant laughter did not last long before it abruptly halted.

Because, a perfectly intact Adanis, had unknowingly once again stood right in front of it. And the corpse whose head it had twisted off had now turned into a pile of shattered mirror fragments.

”This is the 994th mirror you’ve smashed. I said before, when you smash up to a thousand mirrors, I will exile you to the Sea of Void Mirror. If you cannot be used by me, then become a piece of dust in the Sea of Void Mirror.” Adanis said indifferently.

An unskinned infant, entirely crimson, fell from the sky.

Fiddling with the shattered mirror fragments on the ground, seemingly searching for a connection between the mirror and Adanis. As for Adanis’s words, it seemed utterly indifferent.

Adanis looked at the ’strange infant spirit’ that ignored her, with a slight hint of displeasure in her heart.

Yet soon, she suppressed her emotions. This infant spirit’s origins were peculiar, and its abilities were more mysterious. If her true body wasn’t hidden within the mirror, and this place wasn’t a mirrored cage within the Mirror World, this infant spirit might already have its way.

This infant spirit descended suddenly several years ago on the Long Gallery. - The Long Gallery is the hallway outside Qingkong Poetry Room.

When it descended, its head was wrapped in silk ribbons, and it held a swaying red flower in its hand, dressed very oddly.

However, many undead are dressed strangely, so it’s possible that infant spirits have unusual outfits too.

Initially, Adanis merely regarded it as an ordinary infant spirit, thinking it fell from the Quest World. But once several consecutive mirrors were shattered by it, Adanis immediately realized this infant spirit was not as ordinary as it appeared.

Adanis couldn’t catch it, but the more mysterious Olao could.

With Olao’s help, Adanis trapped the infant spirit in the Mirror World’s cage.

Infant spirits are common undead, but a peculiar, imposing infant spirit like this is rare. And infant spirits, due to their innate pursuit of motherly devotion, once recognized, if treated properly, and fed in a timely manner, can become quite loyal.

Therefore, rather than destroy the infant spirit, what she desires more is to gain the infant spirit’s loyalty.

Thus, she returned again and again, mirroring each time, but ended up retreating defeated each time.

Initially, retreating wasn’t frustrating for Adanis; instead, her desire to conquer grew.

Because she discovered another unique aspect of this infant spirit: it is an intelligent spirit.

The minds of undead are chaotic, and even if a few memories from life occasionally pop up in their minds, it’s merely soul and consciousness inertia, hardly intelligent.

But this infant spirit is different; it does many things only intelligent life can do.

For example, weaving.

Like today’s ceiling, that spider-web chandelier woven from the silk that once wrapped around its head.

Also, making candles.

Adanis was hardly inclined to make red candles for an infant spirit; those candles were all made by the infant spirit itself. How it was accomplished, Adanis once spied the truth.

Essentially, it’s from the swaying red flower held by the infant spirit, from which fragrant viscous liquid constantly drips, shaped by the infant spirit into the current candle.

These skills are surely beyond an infant spirit, even undead rarely manage such.

From several signs, this infant spirit is intelligent. Moreover, judging by some positive feedback on the details, it seems to understand human speech.

This made Adanis desire it even more.

This is more suitable for battle than You Nu. Additionally, You Nu is bogged down by his avatar and child, but it is alone, a most superior pawn and weapon for Adanis.

Yet such an infant spirit completely disregards Adanis when facing her. So far, it hasn’t shown a shred of emotion.

Over time, no matter how enthusiastic, the passion will be doused by cold water.

Adanis is not a patient person, and being so tolerant of an infant spirit with a hostile attitude is already exceptional. But exceptions also face the moment their resolve is worn down.

She didn’t know how many methods she used, how many attempts she made to persuade, but ultimately never managed to instill even a hint of belonging in the infant spirit. Now she was already weary, thus she set up a thousand mirrors agreement.

Now, the number of mirrors smashed by the infant spirit is less than two digits from a thousand.

Once it reaches a thousand, Adanis will certainly act according to her words, exiling it to the Sea of Void Mirror.

”I know you understand my words.” Adanis said to the infant spirit inspecting the mirrors on the ground: ”Whether you want to surrender to me was yesterday’s topic; today, I’m not here to talk about that.”

The infant spirit ignored Adanis, but she continued:

”Your greatest desire is freedom, right? I can give you a chance. If you achieve it, I will let you free.”

Adanis finished speaking and waited in silence.

One minute, two minutes... Until five minutes later, the infant spirit finally turned its head to look at Adanis.

The infant spirit did not speak, but through its eerie gaze, an expression that Adanis understood was conveyed—

The infant spirit was asking with its eyes what it should do?

Adanis: ”It’s simple. I will place you in the Long Gallery, and you just need to wait there. As long as any life approaches, kill them, grind them to dust, that is your task.”

Upon hearing it was about killing, the infant spirit’s lip curl grew bigger, its eyes inadvertently tinged with crimson.

Slurp, slurp... An eerie disappearance, complementing the infant spirit’s rampant and ferocious expression.

Adanis knew this time would succeed.

But using the infant spirit as a card, there are many variables, Adanis still lacked trust in this mysterious undead. An unforeseen mistake might result in backfire.

For absolute certainty, she must make more preparations.