Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 1568: Section 1569 Shalu Chapter 1568: Section 1569 Shalu Although Angel could use the Pattern of Nature to protect himself, he prepared several defense scrolls just in case. Furthermore, unlike the ones given to the control group earlier, the scrolls he used were all quite high-level.

These high-level scrolls were all taken from Sanders' treasured collection. After all, these scrolls would only be consumed in the Wilderness of Dreams and were irrelevant to reality.

Most importantly, in the Wilderness of Dreams, Angel was currently the only one who could use these high-level scrolls. Because utilizing high-level scrolls required energy as a catalyst, and no one else was currently capable of manipulating the energy needed to activate high-level scrolls.

After making the necessary preparations, Angel activated one of the scrolls–an Advanced Defense Technique. An annular protective cover immediately appeared around him, which had no color but was out of place with the surrounding space; its presence was clear to the naked eye, with the visible distortion of the air.

“Be careful after you enter,” Sanders reminded him.

Angel nodded to Sanders, then walked forward without looking back, eventually completely engulfed by the rolling black mist.

When Angel entered the black mist, it felt as if he had plunged into a dark pond. However, instead of water, the pond was filled with a strange power.

Angel extended his hand, attempting to capture this abnormal power but failed. However, during this process, he could feel that this power was everywhere, like air, it permeated the entire black mist.

He calmed himself and felt it carefully.

He couldn't determine the nature of the power, but there was a vague sense of dark, negative energy.

It was very unfamiliar, yet inexplicably familiar at the same time.

As Angel focused on sensing his surroundings, the black mist around him began to transform, much like what Angel had observed happening to the control group. The dense mist started to surge and roll, eventually coalescing into various grotesque creatures.

These creatures had peculiar appearances. Some had heads that looked like those of Magical Creatures, but below the head, they were gaseous; some were covered in slime, as though they had swum through a rotting swamp; others looked like conglutinations of numerous tumors, akin to aliens.

After these bizarre creatures appeared, they immediately launched frenzied attacks on Angel.

Their methods of attack varied: some charged forth to engage in close-quarters combat, while others stood back and lobbed some form of mysterious long-range attacks.

Angel did not dodge. The different types of ranged energy hit the protective cover surrounding him.

When this energy made contact with the protective cover, it shattered into countless particles and dissipated into the black mist. Angel could feel that this energy was much like Negative Energy, having an arid chill, frenzied agitation, and a strong Desire to devour everything–unpleasant negative emotions. Yet, at its core, it was somewhat different from Negative Energy.

Furthermore, Angel watched the lump of tumor-like aberration that was attacking him fiercely up close.

The solid impact was not only visible, but he could also feel it from the shaking of the protective cover. It was certain that this tumor-like aberration truly existed.

But these creatures were originally formed from the black mist, weren't they?

Even more creatures were taking shape, and Angel couldn't help but observe this process of Transmutation. At first, Angel didn't notice much; but once, a creature formed right beside him. At that moment, all his attention was on it, and when it took shape, Angel sensed a familiar fluctuation.

“This is…” Thinking of something, relying on the Advanced Defense Technique, Angel stood nonchalantly at the center of the monsters, lost in thought.

When Angel came back to his senses, nearly thirty creatures had surrounded him. However, their power was still not enough to destroy the High-level Defense Technique.

But, it was apparent that the creatures born later were much stronger than those initially created. If he stayed in the black mist area, even the High-level Defense Technique might not hold up indefinitely.

After his previous contemplation, Angel had more or less an answer in mind, and he planned to withdraw from the black mist.

However, before withdrawing, he still had one more thing to do.

Sanders calmly looked at the black mist over the distant wilderness, seemingly pondering something.

Beside him, Frode was far from calm. Frode paced anxiously outside the black mist. Although Angel had confirmed that the creatures might not be from an outside invasion, Frode saw the possibility that the creatures inside the mist could be from the Dream Realm.

After all, although the Wilderness of Dreams was not the true Dream Realm, it was born in reliance on the Dream Realm.

If the creatures inside were indeed from the Dream Realm, that would necessitate caution and vigilance.

While Frode was restlessly anxious, suddenly something was thrown out of the distant black mist.

With a muffled groan, a figure was hurled to the ground in front of Frode.

Upon closer inspection, Frode realized it was one of the two who had previously entered the mist as part of the control group. Frode bent down to check on him, but then he saw that the lying person's mouth was wide open, and a black shadow ran out from it.

Frode had not reacted yet when he felt his body lose weight, and his vision blurred momentarily.

When he came to his senses, he saw that Sanders had unknowingly moved behind him and pulled Frode aside right as the black shadow was emerging from the man's mouth, sparing him the tragedy of being hit head-on by the shadow.

Frode thanked Sanders with a sense of relief, but Sanders didn't respond. Instead, he turned his gaze toward the distance.

Following his gaze, Frode saw that the black shadow which had emerged from the man's mouth had already dashed into the fog and eventually disappeared from sight.

“What was that?” Frode couldn't help but ask.

“It may be what was possessing him…” Sanders paused, seemingly choosing his words carefully: “A fog creature?”

While they were talking, the second person was also thrown out.

It was the other individual from the control group.

This time, Frode had learned his lesson. He didn't get close but instead observed from a distance. Soon after this individual emerged from the fog, he too opened his mouth and a black shadow rushed out, ultimately merging with the fog.

Frode noticed that this black shadow seemed to have the outline of a living creature.

Perhaps, as Sanders suggested, it was the fog creature that had possessed them earlier.

After the shadows fled, these two people fell into unconsciousness, and Frode and Sanders didn't bother with them, continuing to watch the fog instead.

Before long, the fog rolled tumultuously, and Angel emerged from within, holding an unconscious man in his hand.

Since both individuals from the control group had come out, there was no doubt that the man in Angel's hand was Lisa's brother.

After dumping Lisa's brother on the ground, Angel was about to share his discoveries inside the fog but noticed that both Sanders and Frode were quietly watching Lisa's brother, as if waiting for something.

“What's wrong?” Angel asked in confusion.

Frode briefly explained the situation they witnessed earlier, and Angel was stunned for a moment: “The creatures that were possessing their bodies ran away?”

Frode nodded: “Yes.”

Angel frowned; he had brought these three out with the intent of studying the creatures that had possessed their bodies, but now that they had all fled, what was there to study?

As Angel was filled with regret, Sanders suddenly said, “Something's not right. Lisa's brother doesn't seem to have expelled any fog creature.”

Half an hour later, at the top of Sky Tower in Originheart City.

“The two from the control group have been temporarily confined in the dungeon. One of them has woken up with a reasonably clear mind, but there's a problem with his memory; he has forgotten everything that happened after being possessed. Although the other is still unconscious, we can expect a similar outcome,” reported Frode. “Currently, only Lisa's brother is the exception; the fog creature inside him has not left.”

Having said that, Frode's gaze shifted to the standing glass chamber on the other side.

The glass chamber was actually an experimental tool, originally used for human tissue repair or physical preservation. Now, it was being used to confine Shalu.

Shalu, that was Lisa's brother.

Shalu had awakened once before, but upon waking up, he had no consciousness, acting like a wild beast, ceaselessly howling and raging.

Not only that, but Shalu's body had also undergone transmutation, with spikes growing on his back, and his limbs showing various degrees of abnormal transformation.

To prevent Shalu from injuring people, Angel had brought the glass chamber from the real world to confine him inside.

“Shalu is different from the other two; he spent a lot of time in the fog, and it's possible that the fog creature that possessed him has already fused with him. Hence the transformation,” Sanders said while examining Shalu in the glass chamber, his eyes reflecting inquiry: “It's a pity. If we were in the real world, we could attempt to study him.”

In the Wilderness of Dreams, although tools can be brought in from the outside, without sufficient personal strength, it's hard to undertake research of this caliber.

If one could have the means to manipulate energy within the Wilderness of Dreams, then perhaps research would be possible. This was Sanders's regret.

“It's not entirely impossible,” Angel suddenly spoke up, drawing everyone's attention to him.

While Sanders waited for Angel to provide an answer, he changed the subject: “Let's talk about what I discovered in the fog.”