Warlock Apprentice

“… Five years. If you pay me 3 million in five years, you can take him away,” Lydia said.

The price was not completely impossible for a promising alchemist, and the deadline was only something to urge Angor. It seemed Lydia decided such a condition on careful consideration without intentionally making it too hard for the young man.

And Angor had no problem agreeing to it.

“I’ll wait here then. Hope you don’t break your words,” Lydia said as she floated to the sky to take it easy.

Angor grabbed Toby out of his pocket. “You wait here too. I’ll be back soon.”

Toby chirped unwillingly and approached the edge of the mist while waving his wings around, with obvious intentions.

Angor didn’t really want to leave Toby outside. He wasn’t sure whether Lydia would attempt something bad even though Lady Mirror and Tree Spirit were watching.

“Can I bring Toby inside, Professor?”

He had thought for a moment before he asked out loud.

It took some time for Sunders to reply.

“I won’t be sure about it. I assume it’s okay as long as he stays with you.”

Angor was glad about the answer. He asked Toby to stay on his shoulder and stay alert. The bird would definitely react faster if any of the “mutants” came close.

They walked into the mist-covered city.

Lady Mirror turned to look at Tree Spirit. “Aren’t you going to follow him?”

“Nope. I won’t do it even if Sunders allows me to.”

“Why’s that?”

Tree Spirit smiled widely. “Because I trust Angor. We should not hinder his growth by being overprotective. Well, it’s not like I’ll actually help him, but I think he’ll be more determined if no one’s around.”

…

Angor could barely see his own hands. He slowly stepped toward the gate of the desolated city with a strange mindset.

It should be morning time. None of the street lamps were lit, so the entire underground city was completely dark. He could only rely on his spirit feelers to sense his way around.

And he couldn’t help imagining all kinds of ghosts and goblins inside such darkness, especially when he already knew that there were madmen lurking everywhere. He trembled again when he thought about the possibility of one such maniac looking at him from a corner right now.

He walked deeper into the mist and was surprised to realize that none of his concerns actually happened.

When he felt at peace again, the initial terror he felt in the dark was replaced by comfort and… joy.

And he couldn’t understand his mind. An unknown form of happiness was somehow growing inside his mind, like a wild horse that had escaped into the grassland after being constrained by ropes for a long time.

Something told him that there was no danger ahead. Still, he walked as slow as he could, no faster than a weak old man.

He did so because he was struggling with his own mind.

His sanity suggested that this place was wrong, while his instinct persuaded him that the mist area was a paradise.

And he couldn’t move too fast when two different emotions were pulling him in different ways.

The narrow streets of Midnight Sovereign, as well as the skywalks, stood there like hidden monsters, waiting for someone to walk into their traps. Any mortal or supernatural alike would stay cautious under such a condition, yet Angor did not. In his eyes, the shifting shadows around the wall corners appeared as a pair of playful black kittens, who were simply meowing for love.

In order not to get surrounded by any strange men, Angor chose to walk down the main road of the city. It was still narrow, but a lot better than the other alleyways.

A moment later, he was attracted by a strange melody.

“I’m a happy little’o cleanerrr- I’m getting here wholly brighterrr- My queen’s gonna present’er, to see my streets fitterrr-”

Angor couldn’t comprehend the voice or music, but he could read the emotions contained in them, and he felt greatly annoyed at this.

“Of course… that queen again!”

Two shadowy figures suddenly showed up in his path. He immediately halted and took out his golden revolver, while Toby also lowered his posture and prepared to attack.

Angor frowned when he saw the two figures become clearer. It was two Subterrians. Male adults, precisely speaking. They both had long limbs and short torsos, typical for their race.

As Lydia described, they were wearing very colorful fabrics. The one on the left had a diamond-checkered red-and-green overall, while the other one wore a gradient purple dotted hoodie.

They were moving in strange ways as well, in the same way of string puppets being controlled by someone. But despite the fact that their limbs were twisting in inhuman angles, they moved around pretty fast.

Such distinctive features instantly told Angor that he was looking at “infected” people.

As they drew closer, Angor prepared to land the first and decisive hit the moment they were close enough.

But he didn’t get to. The pair stopped in their tracks when they noticed Angor’s presence.

So did the strange music.

Then, they bowed deep to Angor in the same way of circus clowns and slowly stepped back into the dark mist.

The music started again, in a different style this time. It was no longer singing for the queen but for Shava.

“Shava has come, far, far from home. She inspects, she checks, for the queen’s royal tour-around. Her eyes shine and spark starry. O Shava, my gracious, pray bestow your brilliance of glory!”

Angor listened to the flattering lyrics as he watched the two infected victims completely vanished from his sight.

He could no longer deny the fact that what he was looking at now was another consequence he caused by opening up the nightmare passage.

He ran across more maddened people on his way, who all changed their clownish behaviors into that of well-mannered townsfolk upon seeing him, as if he were a noble lord inspecting his subjects.

Angor never managed to “speak” to them, either using language or emotions. Every time, people would politely step into the dense mist which stopped Angor from going after them.

“This is all wrong…”

To Angor, none of the things he saw in the city made any sense. These strange people, the way they acted, as well as his sudden happiness…

He believed all the people were paying respect to “Shava”, not himself. Yet he had no idea who Shava was.

He stopped in front of a fountain in the center of a small community. There was a water statue of a goddess in the middle of the pool.

Before he came, there were nearly a hundred people dancing madly around the fountain while singing their strange songs, as if they were attending some kind of ritual. When he approached them, everyone praised “Shava” and stepped away. And when he reached the fountain, there was not a soul around. The once lively spot quickly became deadly silent, like a graveyard.

“Come out already! Why are you all hiding?” Angor yelled loudly, “I-in the name of Shava, I demand you to come and see me!”

No response.

He wanted to rage and vent out whatever anger trapped inside his heart. But on the other hand, he enjoyed the solitude as well as the tranquility when no one was here to bother him. He felt… conflicted.

He leaned on the fountain wall helplessly.

“What are you doing?” A familiar hoarse tone broke his temporary peace.

“This is not right, Professor,” Angor tried to explain what he had gone through in his mind. “I should be afraid. I should fight this! But I can’t. I feel… safe, in here. It’s like my very soul found comfort in this darkness.”

Sunders remained silent for some time.

“Do not get distracted by unnecessary emotions. You felt wrong because your sanity is urging you against your instinct. Relax, and consider the place a fun park, if you can.

“Remember though, that a park is still not your final goal. Kids can play here at their free will, but they always have to head home in the end.”

The gentleman’s voice grew gentler as he continued, “Don’t panic. Lotus said the city is doomed, while I beg to differ. I didn’t contact you earlier because I didn’t believe the situation is so dangerous yet. Now, do you know why I called you here?”

“Because I caused all this?” Angor muttered.

“No. A cause will not always bring a consequence as people may assume. You did something half a month ago, and what’s happening now isn’t necessarily your responsibility since there are many things that can change the outcome during all these days.”

Angor only understood half of those words.

“I called you here because you’re the only one who can wake them up. The victims… They are alive, but they’re sleeping. The parasites have taken control of their bodies without killing them. It isn’t easy for the parasites to find new hosts. You’ll actually do merit if you wake them up now because the parasites can strengthen their physical forms.”

These people were waiting for him to wake them? Instead of feeling relieved, Angor sensed a huge burden placed on his mind.

There were millions of residents living inside Midnight Sovereign!