Warlock Apprentice

Greya walked around Witch’s Town and slowly understood what “carnival for your nightmare” meant.

She could not see where she was going while covered by the mist. Instead, it seemed the strange mist was intelligent, which intentionally led her toward different buildings.

She did not find a single soul from these places. However, from each item and object she saw, she could imagine a nightmarish story.

For example, she visited a butcher house just now and saw a bloody machete that told her how the townsfolk suffered from a violent murderer.

While reading a religious tome inside a dark church, Greya felt as if she were a condemned witch tied to a stake, while the irrational residents watched her burn.

A tattered coat with an arm missing, scattered files in the governmental hall, hazy gardens… Each sight presented her with a “nightmare”, while the entire town was a thriller theme park full of such nightmares.

Compared to Angor’s “feather earring” illusions, the nightmares here were alive. They allowed Greya to enter the stories and experience them.

“Ah, I guess the boy sincerely listened to my request.”

Meanwhile, the little girl was yelling louder and louder as if a kid was brought to an amusement park for the first time.

Greya felt a bit annoyed at the noise but did not wish to waste time worrying about an illusionary kid, so she returned her attention to the moon above.

There were plain ground and farm fields along the path. Without mountains to obstruct her view, Greya could see pretty far using the moonlight.

“Is ‘Tree Hotel’ a mortal village?” she wondered.

She suddenly heard gentle melodies coming from a distance.

She didn’t recognize the music, but she found it to be quite pleasant, which sounded extremely soothing at night.

With so many fairytale-style elements around, the journey reminded her of her childhood.

Greya began to understand the purpose of Angor’s illusion.

As Cat Bus came to a halt, the little girl hopped out and ran off to another girl who was waiting for her.

Without getting off the bus, Greya told it to keep going.

Behind her, the two girls ran toward a large tree, hand in hand. There was a strange-looking monster floating above the tree and waiting for them.

Greya saw everything and composed a story in her mind, which involved these characters.

But for now, she wasn’t going to prove her story for real.

By showing her Witch’s Town, Angor was probably telling her to “respect her fear”, while the journey along the giant tree meant to remind her of her initial dreams.

And she needed it. After struggling on the path of wizardry for so many years, she almost forgot about her adolescent ambitions.

She decided to generally check through all the different sections in the illusion before exploring everything on free will.

Next, Cat Bus traveled through the Mermaid Sea, which housed abundant nightmare energy beneath.

Then it was Sky Island and piles of broken metal ruins on it, which seemed to be holding more secrets.

Greya did not tell Cat Bus to stop.

Along her way, she saw many passengers with different looks and styles joining her. Some were cheerful like that little girl, while some of them were trembling in fear… They all had their unique stories waiting to be discovered.

The last stop of Cat Bus was “Mysterious Mountain”—a barren ridge with nothing growing on it.

As she wondered what to do next, she stood up from her seat with a start when more wind traveled through the bus window.

How… What was that?!