Sailum spent 15 minutes analyzing the cantrip model, then half an hour to build the model. When he finally managed to cast Create Water out, an hour already passed.
“It always takes you an hour to learn a new cantrip?” Angor asked.
Sailum shook his head in embarrassment. “Your model is simpler. I did this one faster than the others.”
“… So how long did you spend when studying Cleanse until you can actually cast it?”
“Half a day maybe? But I still can’t use it to help me clean stuff in real life.”
Angor did not speak further. Looked like Singularity Dispersive Meditation was not all about faster training. It also helped him learn spells way quicker.
Create Water was a failure. The final result of the spell was getting them a small amount of water, which barely took half of a glass. They made some containers with clean tree leaves and shared the water. It was far from enough to quench their thirst but it was still better than nothing.
“I’ll try to optimize the model when I’m free and try to increase the amount,” Angor said.
“Why don’t you just wait for later and study Water Bullet? That spell will get enough water for all three of us to survive a day,” Sailum commented.
“You’re right… Still, some experiment won’t hurt.”
When they talked about random things, something suddenly exploded in the depth of Phantom Island, thus attracting everyone’s attention.
Tens of thousands of apprentices all looked in one direction. No one made a sound. Every single individual fixed his or her burning gaze on the island as if staring at a long-lost lover, or an eternal nemesis.
“Is the Sorcerer’s Garden completed?” Angor also looked their way. However, the three of them were too far away from the island. They could only see misty clouds.
People kept their attention on the island for a while, but the Phantom Island never showed anything else after the previous booming noise.
The deathly silence was slowly broken when someone began to whisper. When the crowds went bustling again, raven cries suddenly emerged from Phantom Island, bringing some fear to everyone’s mind.
Next, a powerful gust came from somewhere and blew all clouds away from the sky. Dark rainclouds which covered hundreds of kilometers came hanging over the area, shrouding the once sunny place in complete darkness.
Rainclouds and strong wind were followed by lightning. Unlike the people on the cloud dirt who had stable footings, those who had been floating in the sky were all knocked everywhere by the mighty gale. They were unable to keep balance.
In a matter of seconds, hundreds of apprentices who were too close to Phantom Island were pushed into the island by the wind and were shredded in half by the protective magic array.
Screams rose on all sides.
Angor and his friends also struggled in the wind. They were standing on a leaf of Tree of Eternity. With the nearby vines to support themselves, they could still remain steady.
Yet being steady did not prevent them from getting hurt by the wind.
Angor just experienced magic backfiring on him not long ago. His body and mind were both in bad condition. Now the whirling wind caused his face to go pale. Traces of blood began coming out of his mouth and nostrils.
“Angor? Are you okay?” Nausica was naturally the strongest one among the three people. Even when swaying here and there in the wind, she did not seem troubled at all.
Angor could not find the strength to speak. He had to clench his teeth and forced himself to hold on.
Nausica glanced at Sailum and saw the boy holding onto a vine carefully. Sailum was hugging a small tree branch and was in a better position compared to Angor. The boy could even spare a hand to grab his book pouch tightly.
With several swift leaps, Nausica rushed to Angor’s side with the help of the dancing branches and tree vines. She grabbed Angor’s arm to help him keep steady.
Angor gave her a thankful look. With Nausica on his back, he immediately felt safer.
However, the improved condition did not last long. His body suddenly gave in for losing too much blood. Very soon, Angor felt dizzy and a darkened vision.
Nausica could still manage herself with one arm supporting Angor, but when Angor went into a shock and added all his body weight on her, she began to lose her balance quickly.
“Angor! Angor?!” Nausica yelled between her teeth and received no response. She forced her stressed neck to turn around and shouted to Sailum, “Sailum! What happened to Angor?”
Sailum had been focusing on keeping his precious book safe. Upon hearing Nausica, he quickly looked Angor’s way.
“I think he fainted! He got blood all over his face!”
Nausica’s heart skipped a beat. With Angor unconscious, she could not keep up for very long all by herself. But she could not just give up Angor either. The woman squeezed up all her remaining strength and hoped that the gale would end soon.
Nausica reached her limit after another two minutes. Sweat had covered her entire body, and visible blood vessels had bulged on her forehead, neck, and arms.
Several sweat drops went along her arm and dropped on Angor’s face, clearing up Angor’s mind just a bit, which was enough to drag him out of the muddy state of trance.
He opened his eyes and saw Nausica’s terrifying, pain-stricken expression. None of her usual charms could be found.
Nausica realized Angor was awake when Angor grabbed onto a tree vine and greatly loosened her pressure.
“Thanks!” Angor yelled at Nausica in the wind.
Nausica only panted heavily. She rested a bit before replying, “Hold on yourself, I don’t have the stamina to help you anymore.”
Before Angor could answer, a stronger gust of wind invaded them, causing Angor to lose grip of his vine.
Angor was thrown away by the wind and fell. His body span like a stone in the air.
“Angor!!” Nausica and Sailum were both stunned at the terrible scene.
They did not want to think about what would happen if Angor reached the ground from this high in the sky.
Endless self-accusation covered Nausica’s mind. If she could just hold on to him for a little longer…
Angor free-fell at extreme speed. The giant leaf which was Falling Cloud Stop became smaller and smaller above him.
His mind went all blank. The only thing that repeated itself in his head was: Am I going to die?
Not in the Nightmare Realm, but here.
He did not have the time to feel regretful yet.
“Oho… It’s you, blond boy? You didn’t come to drink tea, but you have the time to commit suicide?” A lazy, female voice suddenly reached his ears.
Angor opened his eyes quickly and saw the figure of a woman made of floating mist looking at him in midair.
“I’m not suiciding,” said Angor. He recognized the figure and felt hope. “Lady Mirror, help me…”
The woman was one of the three ancestor souls in Brute Cavern, the spirit living in the mirror world, Lady Mirror. Angor met her once when coming into the mirror world.
“Help you?” Lady Mirror inspected Angor’s face and mumbled, “Alright… since you look pretty fine to me.” Lady Mirror reached out a hand, and a lump of white mist surrounded Angor’s body, stopping him from falling.
“But it’s not for free,” said Lady Mirror. She appeared beside Angor and said, “You’re going to pay me something that equals to the favor.”
Angor was still terrified at his near-death experience. The only thing he knew right now was endless gratitude toward Lady Mirror, so he answered without hesitation, “No problem. Anything, Lady Mirror, and I’ll do my best!”
Lady Mirror carried Angor upward using her mist.
“I don’t know what I need yet. Let’s… note it down for now, and I’ll come up with something later,” Lady Mirror spoke in a carefree manner. She only saved Angor for his above average looks and was not really expecting a newbie apprentice to pay her back.
“I’m going to repair a plane wound caused by the appearance of the world’s consciousness. Where are you heading to? I’ll send you there,” said Lady Mirror. She looked at the dark clouds in the sky in frustration. Her beauty sleep was interrupted when an avatar of the world’s consciousness suddenly descended and created a giant hole in the mirror world. She had to bear her rage for getting dragged up from her bed and go repair that hole, so the mirror world would not crumble on itself.
Angor considered. He wanted to join his friends at Falling Cloud Stop, but with such disastrous weather going on, he would just get blown off again.
He finally decided. “Can you send me to Professor Sunders?”
Lady Mirror was surprised by it. “Professor Sunders? You’re his new student?”
“Yes. Mister Sunders is my current mentor.”
Lady Mirror remained silent for a long time, without speaking or moving. Angor thought she had some grudge again Sunders and regretted his decision. He should have asked Lady Mirror to send him to the ground instead.
A moment later, Lady Mirror finally spoke in a somewhat small voice, “So Sunders is your professor. Just about right. I know what I should ask now…”
…
In the center of Phantom Island.
The wind was still raging. Angor stood behind Sunders, so he did not feel anything this time.
Toby also returned to him. The bird stood tall on his shoulder.
“Professor…” Angor spoke.
Sunders looked sideways at Angor through his gold-rimmed monocle. Angor was not sure of Sunders’ emotion with the glass covering his eye.
“Lady—Lady Mirror said that…” Angor thought about Lady Mirror’s request and felt really weird.
“Just disregard anything she said.” Seeing Angor’s hesitance, Sunders thought about Lady Mirror’s temperament and quickly realized what she wanted.
“But Lady Mirror saved my life.”
“Because you’re too weak. You can talk later. The Sorcerer’s Garden is about to complete. Watch closely.”