Warlock Apprentice

His robe was black, but edged with a bright, red pattern that was utterly without order, reminiscent of the roiling magma beneath the dark earth.

Every part of him proclaimed his “fire-willed” nature, including the aura he exuded that confirmed his identity—Odeclass!

Odeclass’s human form, despite the intense flame of his hair and robes, had a face that was cold and calm, entirely devoid of fiery temperament.

His complexion was pale, his expression indifferent.

Like Fafnir, his eyes were heterochromatic—one as vivid red as flames, the other the icy blue of Frostbite.

Odeclass’s aura should have been one of wild flames, but Angel always managed to catch an unintentional whiff of frost from him.

Could it be that like Sinafa, he wasn’t just of fire attribute, but also concealed a contrasting attribute of frost?

Another puzzling fact was that Odeclass, a Flame Dragon, didn’t dwell near lava volcanoes but instead resided in the perennially unmelting Ice Valley—why was that?

Was it because he harbored a hidden frost familiar, or was it… because of her?

Angel’s gaze turned to the wall painting of the white jade-like Frost Dragon.

Odeclass was also looking at the wall painting, sitting in a crystal chair below it, silently gazing at Binaqionse with an indelible longing in his eyes.

The current Odeclass did not resemble a powerful Abyssal Dragon but rather seemed like a devout worshipper gazing at a deity in a church.

Angel began to move, cautiously approaching Odeclass.

To change the deadlock, he needed a variable first. Odeclass ignored Angel’s presence completely with his cold demeanor; if the mountain wouldn’t come to him, he would go to the mountain.

Angel’s steps were slow, and as he neared Odeclass, he pondered the information about him.

According to Fafnir’s description, Odeclass was as warm as flames. But judging by what he saw at the moment, Fafnir’s information must have been outdated. Although there were faint flames surrounding him, not one was emitting heat.

In the Wizards’ Realm, Odeclass was known as the capricious Lord of the Ice Valley.

To say he was capricious did not mean Odeclass was particularly brutal. It was evident from the fact that Sinafa, to evade the Demon’s pursuit, had surprisingly sought refuge in Ice Valley.

If Odeclass truly were bloodthirsty and cruel, he would never have allowed Sinafa to trespass on his territory.

From this, Odeclass didn’t seem to be bloodthirsty. He was considered capricious due to the curse of the Ice Valley; although he didn’t actively kill, anyone who entered the valley would be cursed, and to be cursed in the Abyss was essentially no different from death.

Fafnir’s information was outdated, but that of the Wizards’ Realm might not be accurate either.

In Angel’s view, Odeclass did not appear warm as Fafnir had described, nor was he as temperamentally volatile as the outside world rumored. His expression was arrogant and indifferent, carrying a sense of transcendence that scorned everything. Only items related to Binaqionse could evoke a response from him.

Angel approached closer to Odeclass, now only ten meters away.

In the rows of seating blocks, they were only separated by the central aisle of the great hall.

Angel deliberately emphasized a step, but Odeclass still did not cast his gaze upon him.

Not until Angel “coughed” did Odeclass begrudgingly spare a few seconds of his gaze for Angel.

“You may leave,” the mental communication from Odeclass carried the same coldness as his physical presence.

As Odeclass finished speaking, a thunderous boom echoed from behind—the main door of the hall burst open, and a strong wind gushed in.

A faint firelight emerged around Angel.

This firelight could ward off the curse of the Ice Valley, a reward from Odeclass for Angel’s previous careful treatment of Binaqionse’s dragon scale. However, he would not express this gratitude aloud.

Although Angel was uncertain about the firelight surrounding him, it didn’t prevent him from understanding the situation at hand.

Clearly, Odeclass was “seeing him off.”

Yet his mission was not complete, and how to remove the misfortune from Toby remained an enigma.

Seeing Odeclass about to lapse back into a statue-like state, Angel didn’t dare waste a moment. He dispensed with pleasantries and modesty, and went straight to the point, laying out his purpose all at once.

His forthrightness surprised Odeclass enough to spare him more attention, focusing on the human he had previously disregarded.

Upon first seeing Angel, Odeclass had noticed the aura of calamity around him, but didn’t care to mention it, nor had he an interest to inquire further.

Now that Angel had brought up the issue, tying it to the seabird in his arms, Odeclass paid additional attention to it.

This attention allowed Odeclass to sense a faintly familiar aura on Toby.

Is this “its” aura?

Odeclass’s mind, for a rare moment, fluctuated with something other than thoughts of Binaqionse, as the lingering scent on Toby pulled his memories back to a thousand years ago.

The last time he met the old fellow was outside a phase gate in the Abyssal Depth of Gluttony Faces, a thousand years past.

According to the old fellow’s intentions, he planned to attempt breaking through the taboo, and then he left the Gluttony Faces, his destination unknown.

Afterwards, Odeclass never heard of it again and assumed it had perished on the path of the forbidden venture. Throughout the lengthy passage of time, Odeclass, upon reflecting upon this old friend, would occasionally feel a poignant sentiment.

Now, sensing that familiar aura on Toby, Odeclass couldn’t help but reveal a look of surprise—his eyebrows raised by a mere 1 millimeter.

However, Odeclass possessed a far keener insight than Fafnir.

Fafnir still thought Toby was part of the old fellow’s schemes, but with one glance, Odeclass detected the subtlety: despite the old fellow’s aura, this seabird was cleaner than a blank slate, devoid of the old fellow’s mark.

Even the pheromones were completely different from the old fellow’s.

Moreover… Odeclass glanced at the pink lace pajamas Toby was wearing.

Even if the old fellow was scheming and seeking a pawn, he would not choose a bird with such peculiar aesthetics.

Since Toby was likely not part of the old fellow’s machinations, where could it have come from?

Odeclass was not unfamiliar with human Wizards; he had even cohabited the Ice Valley for a few years with a human who went by the name “Feng,” and this crystalline palace was Feng’s handiwork. Later, with Feng’s help, he painted that mural he had been longingly contemplating.

For this reason, he and “Feng” made an agreement: as long as humans did not provoke him, he would not initiate harm against them.

During his time with Feng, Odeclass also came to understand the Wizard’s system. He knew among the three major structures of Wizards there was one called Bloodline side, capable of hosting the bloodlines of other creatures within themselves, seizing their abilities, and integrating them.

Perhaps this bird had assimilated a part of the old fellow’s Bloodline?

However, with such a dense aura, it seemed a lot of the Bloodline was fused in. But then, why was its strength so weak if so much was integrated? Was it sealed?

Odeclass’s thoughts spun through numerous cycles, yet his expression remained unchanged.

These memories, at most, allowed him fleeting nostalgia, but they hardly stirred his emotions.

…

After Angel finished explaining his intentions in one breath, he anxiously watched Odeclass.

What kind of character was Odeclass? There was no consensus on that yet.

Would his plea stir antagonism from the other party? This, too, was a source of unease for Angel.

Odeclass paid no heed to Angel’s fluctuating emotions. However, seeing some connection between the bird and the old fellow, he spoke indifferently.

“If you can bring back a complete Fire Transmission Stone, I can lift the curse from it.”

He seemed to speak these words nonchalantly, but behind this brief statement lay a multitude of thoughtful considerations. Odeclass, having resided in the Ice Valley for many years, could scarcely replenish his flame energy, which instead was replaced by a cold that turned into ice flame—harmful to him, even though with his current physical form the damage was negligible. However, the cumulative toll taken during his extended stay in the Ice Valley had compounded to a level that could potentially injure his strength.

And since the Calamity Curse was of an extremely high level, he wouldn’t be able to lift it unless his strength was restored to its peak.

There were many ways for him to regain his strength, such as leaving the Ice Valley to spend a few years in a volcano, where the inner chill would naturally dissipate. But with Binaqionse still in deep slumber there, he could not afford to stray even for a moment.

Thus, he chose to tell Angel of another method.

There were numerous other methods as well, like bringing some fire-related secret treasures that might restore his strength. But he didn’t believe that with such items alone, he could be persuaded to lift the Calamity.

“Feng” had once told him of a default rule among Wizards known as equivalent exchange. What you receive, you must pay for in kind. Naturally, this Law of equivalent exchange is judged by the “more powerful party.” For example, trading a copper coin for an orange is an equivalent exchange, but this is a commercial norm within an economic society. In the Wizards’ Realm, however, there’s a supply-demand relationship and a hierarchical increment Law.

The demanding party is naturally weaker than the supplying one. The more powerful dictate the terms of the equivalent exchange.

For the powerful, trading a copper coin for an orange isn’t fair. What they perceive as fair is exchanging a copper coin for an entire orchard full of oranges.

Once Odeclass learned of this exchange Law, he felt it aligned well with his interests. If Angel could present something so compelling that it even moved him, Odeclass wouldn’t mind taking the time to free Toby from the Calamity.

The Fire Transmission Stone, a legendary Demon artifact, was of significant use to him.

It could not only restore his strength but also provide an immeasurable enhancement.

That’s why he made this offer. Although, he didn’t really expect this human, barely stronger than an infant, to procure the Fire Transmission Stone.

As for the layers of thought behind his offer, he was too indifferent to explain, nor did he find any need to do so.