Warlock Apprentice

“Young Master Greerwu, that store is not simple at all, and if it’s not necessary, you better not go there again.” The butler Tandin, dressed in a red robe, expressed his opinion elegantly using the undulating tones of the ancient Demon Language.

“Why not?” Greerwu, the Young Fire Demon, hadn’t switched back from Abyss Language, and replied subconsciously in it, but upon realizing his impropriety, he hastily corrected himself in the ancient Demon Language, “I’m going anyway.”

Tandin, the butler, with a calm face, disdainfully said, “As a noble of the demons, young Master Greerwu, how can you resort to using the inferior Abyss Language?”

“It’s none of your business! Anyway, I’m going tomorrow!” Greerwu retorted discontentedly, “Besides, what’s so unusual about that store—it’s just some powerful woman, but she wouldn’t dare to kill me anyway.”

The butler Tandin said indifferently, “According to my observations, that woman is very likely an adult Abyssal Dragon, whose power is not inferior to that of the Master. Furthermore, there is a peculiar aura on that indigenous person, especially… the mark on his earlobe, which is a crest of a powerful flame creature.”

The presence of such a powerful force behind a store was definitely questionable. As a butler, it was his duty to eliminate any threats looming near Greerwu.

“I don’t sense any malice; I’ve decided to go tomorrow anyway.” After Greerwu spoke, noticing that the butler’s face was growing increasingly darker, he remembered the mission that brought him to Lassudral, and said in a tone not even he believed, “Don’t worry, nothing will happen.”

“By the time something happens, it’ll be too late.” The butler Tandin frowned and, while feeling anxious and unable to persuade Greerwu, pondered if there were other ways to convince him. Suddenly, as if struck by an idea, his eyes lit up—he might not be able to do it, but that person’s words surely could.

“Let’s set this aside for now. We’ve been here for a day and have yet to find our target. Let’s go back and contact Lord Aoluxiya to report the situation here,” the butler Tandin said.

At the mention of Aoluxiya, Greerwu stiffened. If there was anyone he feared more than his own father, it was Aoluxiya. Although they were all of a similar age, not only was Aoluxiya’s strength terrifyingly profound, but his schemes also outstripped Greerwu’s by far. In front of Aoluxiya, Greerwu felt like a worthless little coal briquette.

Despite Aoluxiya’s fondness and even indulgence towards him, Greerwu was still very afraid of him.

For this reason, when Aoluxiya decided to send a vanguard to investigate Lassudral and search for the Primeval Flame, Greerwu actively chose to come along with the butler Tandin.

“Butler Tandin, can we discuss something?” The previously obstinate Greerwu suddenly changed his expression, wagging his little tail while smiling ingratiatingly at the butler Tandin.

“Please speak, young Master Greerwu.” Although Tandin already knew what Greerwu was about to say, he still maintained a professional listening posture and respectfully asked.

“When you contact Lord Aoluxiya later, you mustn’t bring up anything about me, okay?”

The butler Tandin smiled, just about to answer when he abruptly turned towards a not-too-large building.

Staring at the structure, his expression was one of puzzlement.

“Butler Tandin, what are you looking at?” Greerwu also looked toward the building. “The Hunting Museum? Is there something wrong with that place?”

Tandin hesitated, “Earlier, I faintly sensed a familiar aura from within the museum, like a hint of the Water System’s power? It seems to have a trace of the Primeval Flame’s scent. However, it is too subdued and too diluted to be the overwhelming presence of the Primeval Flame…”

“I can sense the Primeval Flame, and I definitely haven’t felt its presence in this tiny Hunting Museum. You must be mistaken.” Greerwu knew the purpose of his trip, so the moment Tandin mentioned the Primeval Flame, he seriously attuned himself, but to no avail.

“Perhaps I was indeed mistaken. But young Master Greerwu, if you think this Hunting Museum is small, the Misty Cabin we saw earlier is less than one-thirtieth the size of this one,” Tandin said.

Greerwu replied nonchalantly, “I never said the Misty Cabin was big. So what if it’s small? What I care about is not its size, it’s—it’s…”

As he spoke the last line, Greerwu’s voice gradually weakened, evidently not wanting Tandin to hear. When Tandin looked over, Greerwu quickly changed the topic, “About the matter I was discussing with you just now, you haven’t answered yet. You can’t tell Lord Aoluxiya about my activities!”

Butler Tandin: “Even if I don’t tell, given Lord Aoluxiya’s attitude towards you, they will ask.”

“If they ask, just say I haven’t done anything.”

The butler Tandin nodded and then maintained a smiling yet silent demeanor. Lying in front of Aoluxiya would certainly be detected, and when the time came for him to “be compelled” to tell the truth, no blame could fall on him.

After a while, in a hall where the gloomy fires burned, Greerwu’s whiny voice could be heard: “Tandin, you lied—”

With Greerwu’s call, Tandin the butler chuckled and said, “I did not deceive the young master, it was Lord Aoluxiya who discovered it himself.”

As Tandin’s voice fell, a third sound emerged in the empty hall.

The source of the sound was an ice-blue ghostly flame. Even though it was flame, this ghostly flame emitted a coldness that made Greerwu somewhat afraid.

“Greerwu, why do you insist on visiting that seemingly extraordinary shop?” The voice was gentle and elegant, yet inexplicably carried an air of authority and solemnity.

Greerwu pursed his lips, glared at Tandin the butler, and then slowly addressed the ice-blue ghostly flame, “Lord Aoluxiya, actually, I initially just went there for fun, because there were many water system demon big sisters there. But then, I noticed that after experiencing the sea rhythm, the energy inside those demon big sisters greatly enhanced. I even heard that yesterday, there were two instances of breakthrough phenomena, one of which involved an ocean demon.”

Greerwu spoke of things even Tandin the butler did not know. Tandin had been out searching for the Primeval Flame and had not kept track of where Greerwu had gone. Only later, when he found Greerwu, did he discover that the shop was out of the ordinary. As for the experiences offered by the shop, he truly did not know what they entailed.

“I’ve been in the juvenile stage for many years now with no signs of transformation,” Greerwu said, with a hint of grievance, “At that time, I thought that the sea rhythm might also be effective for me, so I wanted to give it a try. But I kept getting thrown out by that dark-skinned, violent woman. Later, I don’t know if it was out of defiance or something else, but I kept wanting to go back…”

In front of the daunting Aoluxiya, Greerwu shared all his experiences, including his inner thoughts.

After listening to Greerwu’s explanation, the ice-blue ghostly flame fell silent for a moment before continuing in a steady frequency, “I see. However, my dear Greerwu, since the shop owner has already said that experiencing the sea rhythm might severely injure you, it’s probably better if you do not go.”

“But I’ve already promised, and if I don’t go…” wouldn’t I be looked down upon by that indigenous person?

Aoluxiya’s gentle voice came with an irrefutable tone, “Your mission now is to sense the location of the Primeval Flame. Only by finding it can you open that passage. Currently, I’ve received word that some humans have their eyes on me, so I can’t stay on the surface for too long. I can only rely on you now.”

“But…” The juvenile fire demon Greerwu said, looking down, clearly unhappy.

“That shop you’re talking about, once I go to Lassudral, I will check it out for you. If it’s truly useful to you, I will let you know, and then it won’t be too late for you to go,” Aoluxiya said.

After Aoluxiya finished speaking, the first to react was not Greerwu but Tandin the butler, who had maintained a spectator’s attitude.

In a tone of urgency, it said, “Lord Aoluxiya, how could you visit that kind of shop?”

“Don’t worry, I am just curious as to why messengers from Fafnir and Odeclass would appear there. After all, I still owe Binaqionse a favor,” Aoluxiya said, and after these words, Tandin looked at the ice-blue ghostly flame but ultimately did not say anything further.

After the conversation ended, the ice-blue ghostly flame slowly vanished. In the empty hall, only Greerwu and Tandin remained.

Greerwu felt somewhat gloomy. Although Aoluxiya had not completely shut off his path, he was certain to be looked down upon by that indigenous person; he might even be mocked and ridiculed by that dark-skinned, violent woman. Thinking of this, Greerwu felt a stifling sensation in his heart, his expression showing evident distress.

Tandin did not want to provoke Greerwu, especially since it had previously discreetly encouraged Lord Aoluxiya to inquire about Greerwu’s matters. It could only gently soothe Greerwu by saying, “Lord Aoluxiya will not break his promise. Once the Primeval Flame is found, he will cross the boundaries and come… As long as we find it quickly enough, Lord Aoluxiya can come earlier, and once tested, wouldn’t the young master be able to go to the Misty Cabin sooner?”

Greerwu was taken aback for a moment; Tandin the butler’s words seemed to make some sense. If he could find the Primeval Flame in the next couple of days, wouldn’t that mean Aoluxiya could come straight away? Then, he wouldn’t have to worry about being looked down upon by that indigenous shop owner!

With this thought, Greerwu’s motivation to find the Primeval Flame swelled enormously, his eyes gleaming with intense brilliance.

…

Meanwhile, in the attic of the Misty Cabin.

Perhaps freed from the pressure of gathering materials, Angel was now beginning to ponder other issues beyond mere survival.

Such as the situation with Sanders; the construction of the door; and… the Eye of the Sky.

The last disturbance of the Eye of the Sky had been roughly guessed by Angel, probably caused by an interdimensional passage connecting to the Pamiji Plateau that affected the planar fusion. Then, the specks of light travelled through the interdimensional passage, activating the Eye of the Sky.

Angel could now confirm that the activation of the Eye of the Sky was due to the strange energy produced during planar fusion.

However, what he was more curious about now was the wondrous world he had been taken to after the Eye of the Sky was last opened.