Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 2849: Chapter 2850: Dissipation

"Does the great lord know where that Phase Gate was located?" asked the Black Earl urgently.

Augustine gave a straightforward answer: "I don’t know."

When he went to the Origin World, he didn’t need a Phase Gate, as the teleportation arrays from a thousand years ago hadn’t yet been severed. After he broke through to Legend in the Origin World, there were even more ways for him to traverse various worlds. The Phase Gate in the Abyss, after all, was the creation of the Abyssal Demon Eye and might hide dangers, so a Phase Gate wouldn’t be his primary choice for teleportation.

Moreover, even if he wanted to use the Phase Gate gifted to the Indigenous People, he’d still need to be in the Southern Domain. After he left, he’s never returned, so of course, he hasn’t needed the Phase Gate.

Upon hearing this answer, although somewhat anticipated, the Black Earl still showed signs of disappointment.

Augustine: "If you really want to find this Phase Gate, there are ways. In the Abyss, there are actually quite a number of Transcendent life forms willing to trade information with humans. If the price you pay is enough, even a Demon God might lend you the Phase Gate."

The Black Earl remained silent for a moment, then nodded: "I understand."

He said he understood, yet the Black Earl’s thoughts told a different story. Trading information was one thing, but if there was such an information source in the barren surface, wouldn’t Monty know? And borrowing from a Demon God, that’s a matter of differing perspectives and thoughts. A Demon God may dare to lend the way, but does he dare to use it?

Augustine, with his immense power and sharp eyes, would surely notice if a Demon God played some trick. Even if he couldn’t see it, he’d have a way to save himself during any mishap in teleportation. The Black Earl, however, was different; even he must bow his head in awe before a Demon God. Borrowing a way? Better not.

Elsewhere, Angel, listening to Augustine, felt much like the Black Earl. However, when it came to trading information, he thought of Baltica, who ran a small tavern during the Night of Old...

"Third, some special worlds cover the Infinite Planes. With the right guide, you can also reach the Origin World." Augustine paused: "Though, this will be difficult for you."

If Adanis were to complete the missing part and become a "Mirrortraveller," and had also been to the Origin World and recorded its coordinates, she could become a guide from the Mirror Domain to the Origin World. But in reality, Adanis still needs to rely on the Black Earl to find the missing part, making Mirrortraveller an elusive dream.

Aside from Adanis, Augustine believes Angel might actually qualify to be a guide to the Nightmare Realm. Although he hasn’t heard of a guide to the Nightmare Realm yet, Angel’s connection to it is rather mystical, and he might become the first guide. But this is only Augustine’s conjecture, unlikely to be realized soon, so Augustine holds no hopes for the Black Earl in walking this path to the Origin World.

"Fourth, numerous merchant groups traverse the Void, possessing their own methods for quickly crossing worlds. If you’re lucky enough to encounter them, you can trade with these merchant groups. Generally speaking, these groups honor their contracts well, and reaching the Origin World would be no difficult task if you can contract with them."

But... finding Void merchant groups is quite challenging.

Augustine: "These are roughly the few methods that could swiftly get you to the Origin World. Which method to choose is up to you."

The Black Earl muttered, expressing understanding.

Yet inside, the Black Earl felt confused, listening to Augustine describe four methods, but feeling as clueless as before hearing them.

Augustine might imply the Black Earl has a choice, but none of the four methods seem to offer any breakthrough for him.

Frankly, it seemed pointless.

But Augustine, being his elder, the Black Earl dared not contradict him, forcibly swallowing his helplessness and complaints.

Perhaps Augustine felt guilty himself; despite speaking, it felt ineffective upon thinking it over, as these methods were hardly suitable for the Black Earl.

With a moment of silence, Augustine asked: "Any more questions you wish to ask?"

Augustine originally planned to chat with Angel, but feeling a sense of guilt, decided to offer more questioning time to the Black Earl.

Of course, if the Black Earl were to voluntarily refrain from questioning, Augustine would be even more pleased.

But the Black Earl wasn’t so tactful; since Augustine asked, he naturally shared all his doubts.

Furthermore, the questions were numerous, generally including: What happened at Naraku City years ago? Is there a hidden conspiracy there? Who is Naraku, and will he return? How many of the Dominators from back then are still alive?

Beyond concerns about Naraku City, the Black Earl is very interested in the Noah Clan as well, asking whether those washed of memory by the Sea of Void Mirror can regain it or the state of the Noah Clan’s Origin.

Of course, the Black Earl’s primary concern was himself; he shared all his cultivation issues and many bottlenecks he deemed unsolvable.

It’s evident the Black Earl was determined to use this opportunity to clear his mind.

Augustine, although berating "these questions are nonsense, can’t you find the answers yourself, are you an infant in swaddling clothes having to ask these," still managed to explain what he could.

Many questions were intended for private discussion with Augustine, involving Noah Clan secrets, but Augustine never afforded the Black Earl that chance. Instead, he addressed questions before the gathering, selecting what could be answered one by one.

For other inquiries, Augustine gave most of the answers, yet the Naraku City incident remained somewhat mysterious, although compared to the Wise Sovereign, who said nothing about it, Augustine at least offered a vague response: "It involves Baiyuanians and the World Will."

Nonetheless, Augustine didn’t elaborate on their connection, merely providing an odd warning: "Continental Will, World Will, or broader Will, all lack subjective awareness at their core. But never assume lack of subjective awareness allows you to challenge, deceive, or exploit it. That only leads to disaster."

"Especially if you feel you’ve glimpsed the rules of Will and attempt to actively interfere, disaster strikes quicker."

Augustine didn’t continue, but coolly stated: "Naraku was involved in such matters. He thought he’d glimpsed the algorithm behind the rules, but it was merely a negligible projection."

On this topic, Augustine spoke cryptically, yet offered some room for imagination.

The Naraku City calamity seemed not only a manmade catastrophe but possibly also a natural one.

Afterward, Augustine responded to other inquiries, though most weren’t deeply explored or detailed, merely offering conclusions.

For instance, regarding "Will Naraku return," Augustine’s answer was: "He will, though whether he’s still the Naraku of old is another matter."

Providing the answers but not the reasons, Augustine kept silent.

Soon, Augustine answered all the Black Earl’s questions.

Initially, the Black Earl’s questions involved many secrets and historical truths, but after his responses, the audience remained puzzled.

Like lifting the veil of mist to see the truth, yet the sensation of illusion prevailed. Or perhaps, the confusion that "Is the truth really the truth?"

Not all questions induced such sentiments, though; regarding guidance on the Black Earl’s power, Augustine gave straightforward conclusions, eliciting frequent enlightenment from the Black Earl.

And the others, as before, looked bewildered.

This also highlighted a point: Augustine’s response was not "nonsense." It’s just that you don’t see the issue from his perspective, so you feel lost listening to it.

Once his answer touches on a field you understand, you can be like the Black Earl and stay in a state of enlightenment.

After Augustine answered the Black Earl’s question, the Black Earl was about to express his thanks, but to his surprise, Augustine ignored him and turned directly to Angel.

Angel’s expression first showed surprise, then a bit of confusion and gratitude emerged.

Without a doubt, Augustine was surely communicating privately with Angel.

Seeing this, the Black Earl felt a slight twinge of jealousy. He wanted to converse privately with the Noah ancestor, but was ignored. Yet when it came to Angel, Augustine immediately adopted a different attitude.

This made the Black Earl wonder who exactly was the true Noah descendant?

Of course, what the Black Earl cared most about was: what was it about Angel that made Augustine regard him with such favor?

This was also the doubt in everyone’s mind, but it currently had no answer.

Because—

The last trace of energy within the Alchemy Golem dissipated.

This also meant that Augustine’s consciousness departed.

The gemstone eyes of the Alchemy Golem gradually cracked, and its body made a grinding noise, finally becoming a heap of inert primordial machinery.

Watching this, everyone understood that Augustine had left.

A departure of Augustine was inevitable, so no one felt truly regretful. But as they lifted their heads and locked eyes with one another, suddenly, the air felt somewhat stagnant.

Olao was now in slumber, resting within Angel’s bracelet.

On the field were only Angel and his group, along with Adanis.

Although Adanis previously stated her intention to join the Noah Clan, it was merely a verbal declaration without a binding contract. If Adanis suddenly changed her mind now, it wasn’t impossible.

Currently, they were still in Qingkong Poetry Room, still on Adanis’s turf, and without Olao’s constraint, dealing with Adanis was a bit of a challenge.

Considering this, everyone felt a bit weighed down.

Now, what they were keen to see was whether Adanis would keep her word.

Dox stood up, stretched lazily: "Since we’ve almost handled what we came for, shouldn’t we be leaving now?"

Kaier and Vay nodded repeatedly, expressing it was indeed time to leave.

What Dox meant by leaving was actually a means to test Adanis.

And Adanis’s reaction did not disappoint everyone... She turned her gaze directly to Angel.

"Give me Olao’s body."

The commanding tone was irritating to hear. Through this sentence, Adanis displayed a sense of "I am reclaiming control."

Everyone at that moment looked worriedly at Angel, uncertain about how he would respond.

However, before Angel could respond, the Black Earl spoke first: "Adanis, are you not intending to keep your word about joining the Noah Clan?"

Adanis snorted coldly: "What does my conversation with him have to do with the Noah Clan?"

Black Earl: "Because the Noah Family and the Barbarian Cave are amicable allies. His matters naturally concern the Noahs."

The ally comment was something the Black Earl made up. His good relationship with Rhein was true, but many in the Barbarian Cave found him disagreeable, which was also true.

Plus, Lord Monty and other Witcher Organizations wouldn’t like seeing two wizard forces close to Legend form an alliance.

Considering these "wizard politics" factors, the Noah Family and Barbarian Cave weren’t truly allies. Or rather, the Noah Family had no allies at all, which is one reason why it remains unobstructed by major Witcher Organizations. With no allies, anyone could potentially become an ally.

With the Black Earl’s power out there, other Witcher organizations or families had no need to make an enemy of the Black Earl over this. Hence, the Noah Clan had earned a reputation for being generally accepted.

In wizard political science, the Noah Clan could represent the exemplar of "absolute neutrality," serving as a textbook example.

Though not allied, it didn’t stop him from lying openly. His good relations with Rhein were well-known, and Adanis evidently didn’t understand the intricacies between Witcher Organizations. Even if she knew current info about the Noah Clan, she would likely assume the Noah Clan might not openly ally with the Barbarian Cave but secretly collude?

Indeed, Adanis thought this way. She gazed deeply at the Black Earl, did not refute his lies but instead stepped back herself: "I indeed mentioned following the Noah Clan, but I didn’t say when."

"Currently, I have no connection to the Noah Clan."

This statement already had a hint of weakness; the Black Earl only needed to use slight rhetorical skill to silence Adanis.

And the Black Earl indeed planned to do so, but Angel "coughed" twice, interrupting the Black Earl.

All eyes gathered on Angel.

Angel then gave Adanis a gentle smile and unreservedly took out a bronze mirror from his bracelet: "Is this what you want?"