Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 2774: Chapter 2775: Titles

Dox was still pondering the meaning of the silver-haired girl’s gift words to Vay when, unexpectedly, she suddenly turned to look at him.

Dox looked around, then pointed to his nose, indicating: Ah, is it my turn?

The silver-haired girl ignored Dox’s act and said calmly, ”A hunter who seeks treasures wholeheartedly will eventually fall into the traps of the treasure, or be abandoned beyond the stars? It’s worth turning back once in a while.”

At this point, Dox no longer had any doubts, it was obvious that her so-called gift words this time were indeed meant for him.

Previously, that bard Luigi called Dox a ”hunter who seeks treasures,” and now the silver-haired girl continued this title, which must be referring to Dox.

However, although Dox clearly heard her words, the content was cryptic, veering off topic, seemingly hitting the key point but immediately stopping short. This way of speaking is exactly like those prophet wizards.

So-called gift words, are they just a prophecy? Right?

After all, previously the silver-haired girl had a temporal body that was an astrologer, which undoubtedly relates to prophecy.

While Dox was thinking this, Angel was also listening to the silver-haired girl’s gift words.

Whether it was a prophecy, Angel didn’t know... even if it was, he didn’t care. Behind him is a ”Great Prophet,” who, though not yet fully developed, already shows promise in prophecy. With such a reliable backing, why should he care about others’ prophecies?

Besides, prophecy, even witch Maya said not to take it too seriously, it’s just a possibility, not absolute. So, just listen to it casually.

Angel is more concerned, instead, with the silver-haired girl’s titles for them.

Previously, Angel had noticed it, whether it was poet Luigi or astrologer Glaipnir, their titles for Dox and the Black Earl were summary phrases rather than simple personal names.

It’s just that the rabbit girl didn’t give any definition to Angel at the time, so Angel ignored this point.

Now, with the silver-haired girl’s appearance, she not only began to define official wizards but also apprentices with summary titles, which brought Angel’s attention back.

Dox’s title is: Hunter who seeks treasures.

After careful tasting, it seems somewhat accurate, but not entirely. Dox does have a pursuit for treasure, but he is not a treasure hunter who disregards everything for treasure.

Like in Princess Town, Dox showed interest in meddling for a profit after learning some Gumman Kingdom secrets. But later, when he saw the surging undercurrents of the Gumman Kingdom, he very wisely withdrew.

This is not the attitude a ”treasure hunter” should have.

Moreover, if Dox really had the heart to be a treasure hunter, he wouldn’t have been operating a tavern at Sandworm Market, day in and day out, for decades.

Thus, the silver-haired girl’s title for Dox can only be described as one-sided. It encapsulates one aspect of Dox, but there are many more facets to him.

If her summary is of the most important aspect, then it barely counts as a ”summary” of Dox. But Angel doesn’t think Dox’s most important aspect is seeking treasures.

Perhaps ”freedom-driven idealist” would better fit as a summary of Dox.

Next is astrologer Glaipnir’s title for the Black Earl—”a usurper who dreams of ascending to high positions.”

This is a relatively neutral yet somewhat derogatory summary; it requires hearing the speaker’s tone and attitude to determine if it is satire or merely a statement.

Previously, when astrologer Glaipnir chanted this title, it was more calm than mocking. In the current atmosphere, it’s not distinctly mocking in regards to the Black Earl.

Simultaneously, the acceptance of this title also depends on the attitude of the person concerned. The Black Earl didn’t refute the title, although it doesn’t mean he agrees with its content, yet at least he didn’t oppose it.

And the meaning of this title is, in fact, quite clear, it says the Black Earl covets high positions.

As for these high positions, from the Black Earl’s perspective, they should refer to legendary ranks.

The Black Earl, standing at the apex of the Southern Domain Wizard World pyramid, is one of the few Third Level True Knowledge Wizards yearning to transcend the legendary wall barrier, it is perfectly normal.

Lord Monty consumed enormous resources and leveraged the Frostmoon Alliance to deploy vast strategies in the Abyss, requiring cooperation from various organizations to capture Demon God descendants; isn’t it also a method to bypass and break through to legendary?

It can be said, once standing at that position, who doesn’t desire to go further?

Usurp? No, it’s a transcendence of self. No one overlooks from a high vantage, there’s only the relentless pursuit of progress by the seeker.

However, simply from the title, it also summarizes some characteristics of the Black Earl.

Most importantly, with just a title, the Black Earl’s identity is essentially exposed.

The maximum strength of the Black Earl’s avatar can only reach True Knowledge Level. Prior to this, even though Wise Sovereign had guessed, it wasn’t disclosed. Now, astrologer’s words nearly expose Black Earl’s identity entirely.

”A usurper who dreams of ascending to high positions,” this isn’t something an average person can bear.

If Wise Sovereign hadn’t informed the silver-haired girl of Black Earl’s information, and it was purely her own summary, then from this, the silver-haired girl indeed has some capability.

Besides Black Earl and Dox, the third one to be defined is Vay.

”A lonely one hidden among the crowd.”

This title is simply and directly described, the crowd represents bustling, while lonely is loneliness. Explained, it’s the lonely one hidden in the bustle.

At first glance, it has a bit of a pretentious, solitary self-admiration flavor. But combined with Vay’s actual situation, indeed, it’s not wrong.

In bustling Mesomyia, an unassuming divination shop, a lonely shopkeeper prophecies death for every customer. Combined, it somewhat captures the essence.

Moreover, in the silver-haired girl’s gift words to Vay, she said the phrase ”shed the protection of deep night,” regardless of its meaning, but within ”deep night,” it directly pointed to Vay.

Vay’s divination shop usually opens only at night.

Vay self-proclaims as the ”Midnight Poet.” But his poems are different from what people imagine, not songs of praise, but poems of death.

Thus, the silver-haired girl, in this title, indeed predicted Vay correctly. But similar to Dox’s situation, it’s only one aspect of Vay, not the whole.

As Angel thought here, he suddenly became curious about how the silver-haired girl would define him.

On the other side, after the silver-haired girl finished the gift words to Dox, her gaze slowly moved.

Then, she fixed her eyes on the Black Earl beside Dox, without a doubt, she should give the gift words to the Black Earl.

With this, everyone has a concept of the sequence in the silver-haired girl’s gift words.

Originally, they thought the silver-haired girl would rank according to power, one by one with gift words, but now it seems she purely followed standing position.

Vay stood at the edge, so he started. Next to him is Dox, so Dox was second. Beside Dox floats the Black Earl, then the Black Earl is third.

According to this sequence of deductions, Angel should be next.

...

The silver-haired girl quietly gazed at the Black Earl for a moment and then softly said, ”Overreaching pretender aiming for the high ranks, your gifts have already been delivered through the astrology message of my temporal body, Glaipnir. I need not say more.”

With these words, the silver-haired girl was about to turn to the next one.

At this moment, the Black Earl suddenly spoke, ”The Abyss of Evil Gods, is it good or bad for me.”

The silver-haired girl paused, looking at the Black Earl. Her gaze lacked the previous arrogance of seeing dust, now holding only calm directness: ”You should know better than I, I can only interpret a segment of Heart Reflection.”

Interpret Heart Reflection? So that’s the truth of the gift?

But, what exactly is Heart Reflection, another term for prophecy? Or is it that the gifts aren’t actually prophecies?

In the midst of everyone’s confusion, the Black Earl asked again, ”Is the choice right?”

As for what choice, the Black Earl didn’t explain, nor could anyone understand; but the silver-haired girl seemed to grasp the Black Earl’s meaning, pondered for a moment, and said, ”You have the answer in your heart, don’t ask me.”

After a pause, the silver-haired girl still added a sentence: ”Perhaps the Origin World has the answers you seek.”

”The cost to reach the Origin World is too high,” the Black Earl directly said.

The cost the Black Earl spoke of isn’t resources, but the cost in time. There’s no shortcut; to go to the Origin World means traversing the vast void, and the time cost is measured in centuries.

During this process, not even daring to be distracted by other endeavors, for at any time in the void, there could be spatial rifts, collapses, or even spatial tempests... Nature’s disasters aside, there’s also the possibility of encountering void creatures; if too powerful, time taken to detour becomes another cost.

Moreover, the Black Earl is the patriarch of the Noah Clan, not without enemies; until there is a successor capable of shouldering great responsibilities, it is unwise for him to venture too far from the Southern Domain.

Hence, while knowing the Origin World is an option, he won’t place it as a priority.

The silver-haired girl didn’t comment on the Black Earl’s words. It isn’t her decision to make, but the Black Earl’s own choice.

The Black Earl didn’t pursue further inquiries, and the silver-haired girl’s gaze smoothly shifted to the next.

Yes, indeed... Kaier.

The silver-haired girl directly skipped Angel and looked towards Kaier on the other side.

As if Angel didn’t exist at all.

Angel felt a bit bewildered, and others were also somewhat puzzled, having noticed that the silver-haired girl was following the order of standing positions. Why did she suddenly skip Angel?

”Is she reserving Angel for last? Come on, that’s too unfair!” Dox’s protest already echoed within the Mind Ribbon.

But no one paid attention to him as the silver-haired girl had already begun Kaier’s gift.

As for why she skipped Angel, answers would surely come later; there’s no rush now.

The silver-haired girl’s gift to Kaier was, among everyone, the simplest, even simpler than the astrology message already given to the Black Earl.

—”Seekers of past, this is not your destination.”

Kaier was stunned, what did this mean?

Not only Kaier was bewildered, everyone was confused as they gazed... Was that it? Does this not equate to directly signaling Kaier to leave?

Angel originally just wanted to know what Kaier’s title would be, but unexpectedly, the latter part of the silver-haired girl’s gift didn’t need explanation, so Angel wasn’t the only one intrigued; everyone focused on her calling of Kaier.

Seekers of past? Does this fit with Kaier?

Angel thought carefully; Kaier indeed held interest in various ruins and was researching relics from different historical periods, but that’s merely archaeology and not the ”seeking of past,” right?

How old is Kaier anyway, what past could he seek?

Kaier himself was quite puzzled: ”I haven’t sought the past, I am merely... I am merely...”

Perhaps under the gaze of the silver-haired girl’s heterochromatic eyes, Kaier’s mind suddenly felt chaotic, unsure of what to say.

Silver-haired girl: ”You haven’t, but your obsession has.”

My obsession? Kaier was startled, suddenly recalling something: ”My obsession, is it, the residual soul upon me?”

Kaier’s words reminded everyone of the silhouette hidden behind Kaier, seen previously within the illusion of the True Words Tome.

The one pursuing the past isn’t Kaier, but this residual soul?

Silver-haired girl: ”Yes. The Sage’s underground aqueduct is not the place it seeks.”

The silver-haired girl uniquely explained the gift, clearly stating that Kaier’s residual soul is the obsession influencing Kaier’s strong pursuit of relics, and also informed Kaier that the underground aqueduct is not the relic the soul seeks.

This explanation was indeed the clearest among everyone’s.

However, the question of who this residual soul upon Kaier truly is, and why it seeks relics, remained unaddressed by the silver-haired girl.

Dox glanced at Kaier, noticing his dazed state, likely unable to speak. So he opened his mouth asking on Kaier’s behalf: ”Who is the soul upon him? What significance does seeking relics hold for it, and what impact does it have on him?”

The silver-haired girl seemed a bit curious about the soul upon Kaier too, showing no disdain at Dox’s assistance, and after carefully contemplating for a moment, stated: ”I don’t know who the soul is, but it once was a powerful entity.”

When saying this, the silver-haired girl glanced at the Black Earl: ”Possibly comparable to him, maybe slightly weaker or stronger.”

This implies that the residual soul upon Kaier was originally at least a Second Level True Knowledge Wizard, with a high probability of reaching Third Level True Knowledge Wizard. There’s also a slim chance... of surpassing the legendary boundary.

This conclusion surprised everyone. They could see that the soul was likely an extraordinary life in its time, for ordinary people would, upon death, perhaps not even possess a soul, dissolving into spirit light absorbed by soul tide; chance of residual soul possession is extremely small. Only those who were transcendent beings have a slight possibility.

But they didn’t expect the soul was once such a powerful wizard.

Though, upon reflection, it does make a bit of sense.

If not powerful, how could it even affect Vay?

The silver-haired girl continued: ”As for what this soul’s obsession is, what significance it holds...”