Warlock Apprentice
Warlock Apprentice - Chapter 378: Hippocrotee

Chapter 378: Hippocrotee

Different floating islands were connected by iron chains which also served as traffic routes. They were guarded by sentries. However, all the protections were pointless to Angor and Shadow.

They traveled through the 鈥渋sland network鈥?which appeared like a spider web and headed to its center, where the 鈥渂iggest spider鈥濃€擧ippocrotee鈥攚as.

They finally reached their destination when the sky was painted by dusk.

However, they didn鈥檛 get to take many steps on the central island because Angor suddenly knelt down due to a sudden strange feeling that overwhelmed his body.

It was an indescribable pain that came straight from the depth of his soul.

The pain surpassed everything else there was. Angor couldn鈥檛 do anything but to struggle on the ground helplessly, and without the mana support, his Infinite Reticence broke down as well.

This was what Shadow saw when Angor鈥檚 body re-appeared under the dusk light.

鈥淲hat鈥檚 gotten into you?鈥?Shadow quickly asked when he noticed that the painful writhing was real.

Angor had no strength to answer at all. What was left of his concentration was fully seized by the impulsing agony, which finally went away when he lost consciousness.

鈥?/p>

When he woke up again, he found himself lying beneath the shade of a giant tree.

The color in the sky was replaced by the bright light of dawn.

He felt something on his skin too. It seemed Shadow had given him the invisibility cloak.

He lay under one of the many trees in a forest since no one else was nearby. The Spirit Bond had also vanished because of his condition.

Angor tried to recall what had happened. He couldn鈥檛 understand where that pain came from. Was there something wrong with his soul?

He had not learned anything to actively enter his Soul Space yet, so he couldn鈥檛 check his soul condition. However, he could sense the Green Velvet in his body moving a little, which meant something did happen inside him.

When he heard the sound of rustling leaves nearby, he looked aside and saw the leaves on the ground moving as if someone was walking on them.

鈥淎ngor?鈥?Shadow鈥檚 voice came.

Angor removed the cloak and was about to prepare to talk when another Spirit Bond asked for 鈥渃onnection鈥? which he quickly accepted.

鈥淔inally. What鈥檚 with you yesterday?鈥?Shadow spoke through their Spirit Bond.

Angor realized that he slept through the night.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 know鈥?I think the island has something that hurts my soul. That鈥檚 what I felt yesterday.鈥?/p>

Shadow considered. 鈥淚 know what that is, but it only makes me feel uncomfortable for a while. Maybe you don鈥檛 have any soul defense?鈥?/p>

Angor didn鈥檛 say anything since he knew Shadow was wrong. He already knew that his soul could resist most types of negative effects, judging from his battles against Saka. Also, the Green Velvet was there to protect his soul.

And there was no way 鈥渉e doesn鈥檛 have soul defense鈥?

Still, he wasn鈥檛 going to reveal his abilities to Shadow.

鈥淢aybe it鈥檚 something to do with the garden鈥檚 law?鈥?/p>

鈥淧ossible. I鈥檓 not sure though,鈥?Shadow murmured as he tried to remember what he learned about soul-related Sorcerer鈥檚 Gardens.

Most of such gardens weren鈥檛 used for human bodies. Some of them only permitted souls to go inside, such as a Garden of Deceased.

One of the most famous soul-related gardens should be Soul Soil, which could be used to enhance Soul Manipulators. The most noticeable property of this type of garden was that the garden鈥檚 rule was spread throughout the ground, which obviously wasn鈥檛 the case here.

Shadow considered, but he couldn鈥檛 reach any answer.

鈥淯gh, no use thinking about it. I checked around Hippocrotee last night. The ceremony won鈥檛 happen inside the city. It鈥檚 at an altar to the east. The ceremony is tomorrow, but Hippocrotee鈥檚 almost empty now鈥攖he Krakoks already went to the ritual ground. I think I鈥檓 gonna check the city since no one鈥檚 looking after it. What about you? Want to rest here?鈥?/p>

Angor considered before he replied, 鈥淚 think I鈥檒l go to the altar so that I don鈥檛 accidentally step on their houses in the city. I got a feeling that the core of law might be right there.鈥?/p>

鈥淟et鈥檚 split ways then. I鈥檒l maintain our Spirit Bond. Be careful though. If you do find that core, stay far enough so that you don鈥檛 get lost in it.鈥?/p>

鈥淕et lost?鈥?Angor grew confused.

鈥淭he core of the law is an addictive source of strength to wizards, and deadly. Without the world鈥檚 consciousness to guide you, you can鈥檛 even attempt to learn the law. If you try it anyway, you will quickly get absorbed inside.鈥?/p>

鈥淚 see, thanks,鈥?Angor said. He then removed the cloak and handed it back to Shadow. 鈥淚 can manage on my own without this thing now.鈥?/p>

鈥淭here are loads of Krakoks near the altar. Keep your head down so that you don鈥檛 kill any of them,鈥?Shadow said and left the forest.

Angor chuckled and activated Infinite Reticence again.

鈥?/p>

The ancient ritual altar was located in the eastern suburbs of Hippocrotee city. Angor thought it was still far, but he hadn鈥檛 even walked far before he heard the beautiful music of chanting choirs which were performed by countless singers. Even the Krakok Knights riding on hummingbirds in the sky were singing along.

After the song came the narration of the history of Krakoks.

By chasing the sound, Angor quickly found the ceremonial spot, which was a six-level dish-shaped shrine built on the plain ground at the mountain foot.

The fine designs of the shrine suggested that Krakoks built it. Angor was surprised to see that the shrine was about ten meters tall, which appeared moderate to humans but definitely not to Krakoks.

At the peak of the small mountain, a group of Krakok Clerics stood in front of the Grand Priest鈥檚 temple and presented their holy song.

Countless Krakoks had gathered around the shrine under the mountain; there was only one narrow path left in the middle of the crowd.

Angor observed the shrine carefully. He could sense amazing energy coming from it, which seemed to be the work of multiple runes. A magic array, perhaps.

According to Shadow, the magic array was probably a portal made by Dark Castle.

There was another energy source though, which came from the temple at the peak of the small mountain. It released the same energy which made him faint yesterday鈥攕omething that shocked souls.

He looked at the temple in the distance and forced himself into giving up the idea of adventuring further.

Something suddenly chirped from inside his pocket. Toby, who had been sleeping all day long, began to flutter toward the mountain peak with his eyes closed.

Angor jumped and immediately dragged Toby back.

Also, the more he tried to stay away from the mountain, the more Toby would try to fly away. And the bird never responded to Angor鈥檚 calls, which meant he was still sleeping.

鈥淲hat鈥檚 the deal with that temple?鈥?/p>

Angor tried moving forward again, but Toby only became more and more active in his hand.

In the meantime, his instinct of 鈥渨anting鈥?to check out the strange energy was getting stronger.

When he moved to the middle of the mountain slope, Toby suddenly stopped moving and quieted down again.

And Angor decided to stop as well. He wasn鈥檛 going any further. Not before he learned what was hidden inside the temple.

He found a relatively concealed spot and sat down. He then listened to the holy chant as he continued to observe Toby鈥檚 condition.

Everything on Toby seemed fine. When he cast Heal and received no injury feedback, Angor quickly suppressed his anxiety.

He was getting a little scared of the temple too. He didn鈥檛 know about any law generated in a Sorcerer鈥檚 Garden that could attract Toby like that.

Or was this place a Sorcerer鈥檚 Garden at all?

鈥淵ou good over there?鈥?Shadow鈥檚 voice came from the Spirit Bond.

鈥淚 think I just found the source of the power, but I don鈥檛 know if it鈥檚 the law of the garden,鈥?Angor said. He considered his words before he added, 鈥淚t鈥檚 inside the temple of the Grand Priest. What about you?鈥?/p>

Shadow suddenly snickered. 鈥淥h, I have something really interesting. Do you want to take a look?鈥?/p>

鈥淪omething interesting?鈥?/p>

鈥淎 magic array which covers the entire Hippocrotee. Sounds good enough?鈥?/p>