Warlock Apprentice
chapter-42

Chapter 42: Destined Encounter

The giant shake forced every supernatural in the room to use their spells to stable themselves.

“What is it? Someone’s attacking?”

All foundations in Barbie’s Restaurant were protected by spell arrays that could stabilize the space around them. This meant people inside the restaurant would not feel anything no matter where or what condition the restaurant was in—be it flying, floating or being moved by force.

Yet they were feeling the great swaying. There was only one explanation—someone was attacking the restaurant, and the strength of the attack had surpassed the spell arrays.

The attack continued like surging waves, and the protective spells were on the verge of giving in. The elegant crystal chandelier in the middle of the hall was swaying like a pendulum, giving out a chaotic cracking noise as the crystal parts knocked into each other.

As the only common one in the room, Angor thought he was going to stumble like a clown. Before he was thrown off the ground though, Tom Weasel leaped beside him with a ballet step and kept Angor stable, using an unknown spell.

The floor was still shaking, but he felt as if he was standing on solid earth.

“Wizards are amazing,” Angor exclaimed in his mind.

Greya suddenly floated into the air and bellowed towards outside.

“Sunders, what’s the meaning of this?!”

The shaking stopped. Then a soft chuckle came from outside.

“Hehe, I wanted to ask something. But the room was so very protected so I could only use a little force to get in.”

Everyone became grim over the low-toned voice. It was Sunders who was attacking Barbie’s Restaurant?!

If it was another wizard, everyone could stick together and win this over. However, against Sunders… they were not sure they could get away in one piece even if their number was doubled.

When Sabot was forced to stay in Devil’s Water, he secretly called Jellal’s group, for they represented their own organizations, but not because they could actually defeat Sunders. If Sunders decided to ignore the organizations, their only choice was to get the hell out of here before Sunders became fully agitated.

Sunders had been a Level-2 Wizard for decades. The other wizards in the restaurant were all level-1. The different number might not look like a big deal, but the actual gap was even bigger than the one between an apprentice and a real wizard. Not to mention that Sunders was still a top-tier when compared to the other level-2 wizards.

They could not understand. Sunders was always peaceful towards Barbie’s Restaurant. What was the big deal? He said he came to ask something. What was it? Was it so important that he would not mind becoming Greya’s enemy?

Apart from these, Greya was thinking about something else.

Every dozen years or so, Sunders would come looking for her for Twisting Protozoa. They were not close friends but were at least acquaintances. Sunders usually acted neutral in the restaurant, because Greya was the only wizard who could produce Twisting Protozoa. Besides, Sunders knew well about “that great man”.

With “him” supporting the restaurant, there was no way Sunders would suddenly turn hostile against her.

Yet he still did. Considering Sunders’ unemotional personality, whatever he wanted to ask must be extremely important to him, something that would affect his own life.

“Something about his life. He doesn’t even care about Twisting Protozoa anymore. Don’t tell me—” Greya glanced towards the young man standing beside Tom Weasel. “It’s because of him?”

Angor, the young man favored by Toby.

Sunders wanted to ask something about Angor even if it meant becoming enemy with the restaurant?

This explained why Sunders decided to attack before Angor was about to receive his talent test.

Greya inspected Angor and fixed her gaze on his bare back.

An idea came to her mind. She began to have a faint conclusion.

Angor said something about entering a strange world. She did not pay much attention to it, but considering Sunders’ action, there must be a connection.

Sunders’ moniker was “Phantom Master”. Unwitting people might think that Sunders was a master at illusions, but Greya knew the truth. Sunders did not get his name because he was good at creating phantoms, or illusions. The biggest reason was a strange plane called the Nightmare Realm.

The Nightmare Realm was a plane without a fixed location. It was first recorded in Expedition into Endless Planes 200 years ago. Till now, there was not even a stable tunnel that connected the Nightmare Realm to the wizarding world. The only way to enter the place was to open a random wormhole and stumble in there by chance when the plane moved closer to the wizarding world during its movement cycle.

Everyone who successfully entered the Nightmare Realm used such a method. Also, there had been less than ten wizards who went there and returned in one piece, which proved how terrifying the place was.

Those who made it back to the wizarding world could only give vague descriptions about the place. Every time someone talked about the Nightmare Realm, he or she would make it look like some kind of taboo while not hiding the greed in their eyes. Their comments about the Nightmare Realm were exceptionally similar to each other.

“The reality is projected into imaginary and gives birth to the truth.”

Greya never went to the Nightmare Realm but she did know that most of Sunders’ abilities were related to the Nightmare Realm. Also, Angor’s description reminded her about people’s comments about the place.

The same as Padt Manor, but with a group of totally different creatures living in it.

Was that not a “projected reality” in the Nightmare Realm?

Greya connected Sunders and Angor again. If Angor really went to the Nightmare Realm during his talent test, it would well explain Sunders’ radical action.

Although Greya more or less figured out the key point, she still did not know how to deal with the situation.

A golden card holder was most honorable in Barbie’s Restaurant, and a well-renowned Phantom Master feared by the entire southern wizard world.

“That great man” had been away from the south for hundreds of years. His name could only intimate people so much.

Greya’s silence caused Sunders to attack further. The great swaying had thrown the candles on the chandelier off. A fire would have broken out if not for Weasel and Neo’s intervention. However, several parts of the beautiful carpet already caught some small embers.

In the end, Greya sighed and ordered Greasy Bird to lift the protection from the room.

The scale in her heart finally tipped towards Sunders. Sometimes one must bow down one’s head in the face of cold reality. The future was futile if one could not survive today.

Clamp, clamp…

As the curtain slowly went up, a noble gentleman in black walked inside with firm and steady steps. No one would believe such a refined man was the culprit who launched those violent attacks.

Angor was also inspecting the newcomer in secret. Grayish-green curly hair reached from under his black, felt hat. His face showed traces of great age but was still handsome. A gold-rimmed monocle sat on his prominent nose. He was wearing a black tailcoat, white, golden-edged gloves, and a black walking cane.

Every posture on him was elegant. His aura was like that of a noble family with thousands of years of history. Delicate, yet distant. One could admire the magnificence from a distance, any closer, and it would be defiled.

Every step he took made people’s hearts jump.

Why did he come? What did he want to ask? All the supernaturals stared at the composed gentleman with doubt and fear.

Finally, Sunders stopped in front of Angor.

“Good afternoon, young man.”

They looked at each other.

Angor did not know how to react. He just went through all the shaking, and he was still leaning against the table with his legs gave out. He had not put on his clothes. A cold breeze came from the opened curtain and hit his bared body, causing him to shiver.

A young man with bared top and a gentleman full of noble aura stared at each other.

Heroline was unsure of what was going on. Sunders came for Angor? Well, this explained why Sunders suddenly acted when she was about to test Angor.

A sense of crisis rose inside Heroline’s mind. It was not about her safety. Rather, it was a crisis when she was about to lose her destiny. No. “Regret” would be a better word.

Mara, who had been standing beside Angor, spread his hands out and quickly stepped away. He did not dare to stay near Sunders. Even a brief glimpse at the gentleman gave him shivers.

Seeing how Sunders walked to Angor, Greya confirmed her idea, “As expected.”

No one made another move.