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1Chapter 150: More Information (1)
2
3
4CHI
5
6The silver dagger drew an arc in the air, and a silver string was pinned to the railing.
7
8Angele heard footsteps leaving behind him and, after several seconds, something being popped. He immediately turned around and glanced around the place.
9
10There was nothing moving in his sight. He scrunched his eyebrows and stepped forward. A stain of black blood was on the floor with a thin layer of white dust on top of it.
11
12The silver string was cut off by something.
13
14Angele had developed a new alloy with the metals he obtained from Francesco, and he had used a string made from it to prevent the unidentified target from escaping. The string was hard and sharp; it could easily slice one’s head off.
15
16"So, this ghost or creature is best at resisting physical attacks. I should probably use energy attacks then, but it moves so fast that even Zero can’t track it down," Angele muttered.
17
18He suddenly felt some intense heat coming from his right hand. The diamond-shaped accessory was melting, and he had no idea why.
19
20He checked the surroundings but did not find anything suspicious. He returned to the body of the hunter and started checking his wounds, wanting to know what had killed the man.
21
22Blood had spurted out of the man's seven apertures. His eyes were wide-open and his muscles rigid. It seemed like he had witnessed something horrifying before losing his life.
23
24"Well, at least I have a clue now."
25
26Angele smiled.
27
28He knew this tower was dangerous, but this ‘thing’ here was identical to the one that he had met in the Moon Gin Garden. However, the one in the tower was much weaker, so Angele decided to do some investigating.
29
30He walked to the blood stain on the ground again and created a metal tube in his left hand. He scraped some of the blood into the tube with the dagger and put the tube into his pouch.
31
32If he hadn't coated his dagger with energy particles, the ‘thing’ would not have been injured. The metals were not stored in Angele's body in their physical form. They were turned into something similar to energy particles by the force field, so although the dagger strike missed, the ‘thing’ was still wounded by the special silver string.
33
34Angele walked up the stairs to take a look at the wooden bridge below. Chilling wind blew into his face when he reached the top, and he saw the bridge shaking below. It was covered in green moss, the hunter being the only one who had passed through it recently.
35
36Angele looked at the other side of the bridge and saw a young girl walking forward slowly. Her face was pale, hair black, and she was wearing a black dress.
37
38He narrowed his eyes, grabbed the metal bow from his back, and pulled a dark metal arrow out of the quiver. The diamond-shaped accessory on the back of his right hand was heating up again.
39
40The wind was getting stronger and stronger, and Angele’s hair was flying in the air.
41
42BAM
43
44The door behind Angele was knocked on by something.
45
46"Who’s there!" Angele shouted out, turning around and shooting the arrow.
47
48Swish
49
50The arrow hit the wooden door, and electric pulses exploded in the air. They disappeared after wandering around for several seconds.
51
52The blue electric pulses brightened up the top of the tower.
53
54Angele lowered his bow. He had shot in a hurry, without pulling the bowstring to full, so although he had enhanced the arrow with an Electric Rune, its power was still low.
55
56"Whatever!"
57
58Angele pursed his lips, pulled the metal arrow from the door, and returned it to the quiver. He turned his head around and looked at the bridge, but the young girl was already gone.
59
60‘Did you find anything?’
61
62‘No force field was detected. The unknown target was not a special creature,’ Zero reported.
63
64"I guess I’m not capable of solving this mystery yet. I need to leave now."
65
66Angele glanced around, making sure that there were no threats around.
67
68Nothing could be seen on the other side of the bridge, only a black sign was shaking slightly on the side of the road.
69
70A sea of trees was on both sides of the road, and Angele could hear the wind howling. He looked at the blurry rolling mountains that were hiding behind the light mist in the background and thought for a while.
71
72He then turned around and checked the door again, but failed to obtain any useful information, so he decided to return to his carriage.
73
74"Damn it," Angele mumbled, shaking his head.
75
76He jumped into the driving seat and looked in the direction of the tower one last time.
77
78The young girl appeared on the bridge again after Angele left. She was staring at his carriage, a cold and terrifying gaze falling upon him.
79
80Although Angele could not see the girl, he still knew someone was staring at him.
81
82"We’ll meet again."
83
84His eyes flickered with a sliver of coldness.
85
86"Move!"
87
88The horses started to speed up, and the carriage traveled back the way it had come.
89
90‘Zero, mark the place on the map, I’ll be back,’ Angele ordered.
91
92‘The location has been marked.’
93
94Angele stared at the wooden watchtower until it disappeared from his sight.
95
96‘Name the location please.’
97
98‘Redwood Watchtower.’
99
100‘Completed. Redwood Watchtower has been marked as a dangerous location.’
101
102Angele’s journey back to the Arias City was quiet and peaceful.
103
104There was no point for him to stay in the forest anymore because the trail of his mother had ended in Tikka Soyun. He discussed some of his findings with Omicade, and asked him about the assassin guild, Dark Emblem.
105
106The kings sent Angele several Knights as guards but he politely told them not to worry about him. He was traveling to the core of Dark Emblem, a city named Blue Root, on his carriage, alone.
107
108Based on Omicade’s intel, the place was famous for a strange plant called Glowing Dark Tree.
109
110The locals said that Glowing Dark Trees usually grew in areas with rich water resources, and they would attract Psychedelic Pigeons. The fruits on the trees were also very valuable to the Knights.
111
112The legend said that Knights who consumed fruits of Glowing Dark Tree would find their own paths, so the fruit was named as Knight’s Faith.
113
114Omicade told Angele many tales about the lost treasures, and Angele thought that this one could be helpful to him. The dryad had said that if he wanted to concentrate his mentality, he needed to strengthen his conviction first, before using the radiation energy.
115
116Knight’s Faith could guide Knights to their own paths, so he thought that the fruit might help him to strengthen his conviction.
117
118Although Angele knew several methods found in the wizards’ books that could help him strengthen his conviction, those methods would take him years to complete the procedures. His max life expectancy was 300 years at the moment, but he was not sure how long it would take for him to reach the next stage, and he wanted to save some time.
119
120Angele followed the map given by the sage, and it took him about two months to get to the Blue Root City.
121
122Outside the Blue Root City, there was a hidden canyon that was surrounded by a forest.
123
124There were many tall wooden watchtowers built around the canyon, and each tower had several archers standing at their tops.
125
126Those sentries were wearing green-yellow leather armor suits and had quivers full of black-feathered arrows on their backs and long black daggers on their waists. Their faces were painted in strange green patterns.
127
128The sentries suddenly noticed movement in the bushes while overlooking the forest.
129
130They immediately put arrows in their bows, pulled the bowstrings to full, and aimed in the direction the sounds had come from.
131
132"Who’s there! Reveal yourself!" a sentry yelled.
133
134A man in black slowly walked out of the bushes when he heard the words.
135
136It was a young man in a black robe. There was a silver glint to his pale face, and his long brown hair trailed down his shoulders. A silver metal bow and a full quiver were on his back.
137
138The young man threw a bronze tag to the ground.
139
140"That’s my permit."
141
142There were no words engraved on its surface but its edges were golden. The sentries saw the bronze tag, looked at each other, and nodded their heads.
143
144"Permission granted. You may enter now," the leader shouted out, lowering his bow.
145
146The young man nodded, kicked the bronze tag into the air, and grabbed it with his left hand.
147
148He then walked past the guard post and disappeared in the entrance to the canyon.
149
150The leader shook his head. "Why do they never learn? It’s almost impossible to obtain the Knight’s Faith, otherwise, we’d all enter the canyon. I guess this one will die too."
151
152He watched the young man disappear past the entrance and sighed. He turned around and started checking the surroundings again. The sentries here were not only to prevent the outsiders and citizens from entering the canyon, but also to protect them from getting hurt.
153
154Angele slowly advanced through the canyon, his sight blurred by the white fog. The visibility here was only about four to five meters and the fog was getting thicker as he proceeded.
155
156The grasses on the ground were still visible, but other objects and plants were all hidden by the fog. With a flick of his finger, a strong whirlwind rose to surround his body.
157
158The wind blew his hair into the air, but the white fog would just not go away; it kept regenerating in the air.
159
160Something was trying to prevent Angele from advancing.
161
162He asked Zero to scan the area in front, and the chip immediately showed him the surroundings that were covered by the fog.
163
164Chapter 151: More Information (2)
165
166
167The fog was still thick. Black stones filled the gaps between the grasses on the ground. A tall withered tree stood in the middle of the large empty ground alone.
168
169Beside the tree was a still, blue lake.
170
171Several piles of bones were left ashore. Furthermore, this mysterious foggy place gave Angele an unpleasant feeling.
172
173Angele glanced around. The only thing he discovered was his own self being surrounded by black cliffs. The empty ground in front of him was about the size of a soccer court, and the lake in the middle had a diameter of 10 meters.
174
175That was all he could see here, only the area within Zero’s scan range was visible, the rest was still covered in fog.
176
177Angele wiped the dust off his black robe and walked to the small lake.
178
179He realized that the tree was in the center of the lake as he moved closer.
180
181Its trunk was black, no leaves could be seen on the branches, and several white pigeons were flying above the tree.
182
183COO
184
185The pigeons noticed Angele’s presence, then they chirped.
186
187"Intruder, you are not welcome here. This is the private garden of Six Ring High Tower. Please identify yourself." One of the pigeons suddenly started speaking in the ancient Byrun language.
188
189"Six Ring High Tower?" Angele felt a bit surprised. His sight fell onto the speaking pigeon.
190
191"You’re the guardian?"
192
193"I am. No permit from my organization, please leave the canyon immediately." The pigeon glared at Angele with its blood red eyes and warned in a high-pitched voice.
194
195Angele grunted for a second and responded, "Fine. If the place is claimed, I’ll be leaving.’
196
197He stepped back and turned around, then started heading back along the path he passed through from before.
198
199Angele stopped walking by the entrance of the canyon and waited on the side. Although he knew the garden was owned by another Wizard organization, he wanted to see if other people who entered the canyon would have the same experience as him. Also, he wanted to see what would happen after people consumed the Knight’s Faith.
200
201After waiting for a while, Angele suddenly felt intense heat coming from his left chest. When he lowered his head, he saw a white ghost-shaped pattern glowing. The pattern was blinking in a particular order.
202
203Angele’s expression changed. He immediately took out a tiny black metal bottle from the pouch and opened it.
204
205CHI
206
207Green smoke rushed out of the bottle and formed a gaseous sphere right in front Angele’s face.
208
209A green slate slowly appeared in the center of the gaseous sphere, with words written on it in Anmag.
210
211‘The underground races have invaded the school. Don’t come back within five years. Liliana.’
212
213This was a message board. The first message was from Liliana. Several other messages were written right below it.
214
215‘Master Liliana is severely injured. Our situation is grave. Without the leader, we won’t survive in this organization. Moreover, the school has claimed that Liliana had betrayed the school! We failed, so we’re now in deep trouble. Disciples of Liliana, don’t return to the school. Eric.’
216
217‘Last time, it was the Mind Reader. Now, it’s our master. What the hell is going on! Damn it! Again, disciples of Master Liliana. Listen! Stay away from the school. We are now identified as traitors! We need to preserve our strength and retaliate later! Manera.’
218
219‘This message will take a month to get to you. As a disciple of Master Liliana, I hope you will be able to understand the situation. We are being hunted down by the Wizards of Ramsoda. At the same time, the underground races are attacking us. This is a planned invasion, and we’re the victims. If you didn’t sign the contract, stay calm. The school has no right to kill you. It’s highly possible that the school is already under the underground races’ control. Green Slinger.’
220
221As Angele continued to read the messages on the board, his expression turned serious.
222
223He left the school not so long ago, yet it seemed that many things had occurred. Only the first message was from the master. The rest was from her disciples. Liliana was a mentor who genuinely cared for her students and disciples. Her disciples would always unite to solve her problem whenever she was in trouble. This was one of the reasons why other organizations fear her power and authority. More so, there were more than 10 formal Wizards among her disciples, with one of them already in the Liquid stage.
224
225Liliana had built herself a strong force and thus was feared by most of the Dark Wizards and people in the school. For some reason, however, the school had claimed of Liliana now being a traitor.
226
227Angele was not certain if his master actually did betray the organization, but even more than that, he couldn not understand the reason why Ramsoda would give up such a strong force so easily.
228
229The message slate was a one-time item with a self-destruct function after displaying messages.
230
231Luckily, Angele took Liliana’s advice and refused to sign the school’s contract. Otherwise, he himself would similarly be hunted down.
232
233Angele’s original plan was to search for the treasures and resources he needed on this land, but it seemed that valuable resources like Knight’s Faith had already been claimed by other Wizard organizations.
234
235"The situation will continue to worsen since the treaty has been breached," Angele muttered as he looked toward the fog right in front of him.
236
237"Well, I need to check if this Knight’s Faith is truly helpful. I need to strengthen my mentality."
238
239The message slate quickly dissipated in the green smoke before the latter was blown away by the wind.
240
241Angele turned around and walked into the fog once again. Once again, he reached the lake and saw the guardian standing on a branch.
242
243"Hey, can we do a trade? I really need some Knight’s Faith," Angele asked politely. He didn’t want to offend the guardian of the garden.
244
245"Trade?" The pigeon hesitated. It was, after all, its first time to hear someone asking to do a trade.
246
247Angele did not give the pigeon time to think, only smiling as he continued.
248
249"Yea, trade. I can see that you’ll break through again soon, right? You must need a good amount of magic stones. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have shape shifted into a pigeon to preserve your power, right?"
250
251The pigeon remained silent.
252
253Angele wanted to see what the Knight’s Faith has in store for him, so he continued to persuade, "See, there are too many fruits in this canyon. Most of the invaders got stalled by you, yet some of them still acquired the Knight’s Faith, right? Sell me some and just consider those to have been stolen by invaders, what do you think? It’s a win-win situation. Your master surely won’t notice what you did."
254
255The pigeon was hesitating, "But… it’s against the rules…"
256
257"Hey, listen. After you break through, you’ll become stronger and be able to finish off invaders easily. A small cost for a brighter future, is there a better deal than this? Come on, trust me," Angele smiled confidently. He could see that the pigeon was already considering his offer. It seemed that Wizards barely visited the garden. Mortals robbed the garden, yet the Six Ring High Tower didn’t send any Wizard to pursue them so the garden might be an abandoned resource point.
258
259"But then again… there are rules here…" The pigeon was still having second thoughts. It lowered its head as it began considering the pros and cons.
260
261Angele quickly took out an extremely rare high-quality magic stone from his pouch, which could be traded for many low-quality magic stones and it contained a great amount of elemental power. It was an item the guardian desired the most before breaking through.
262
263After seeing what Angele was holding, the pigeon finally compromised.
264
265"Two! I want two of them." It raised its head.
266
267"One." Angele’s eyebrows creased, uncertain if the Knight’s Faith was worth two high-quality magic stones.
268
269"I need two. One is not enough," the pigeon added.
270
271"Well, show me a sample of the Knight’s Faith, even just a small amount." Angele stared at the pigeon.
272
273The pigeon did not hesitate this time. It hit the branch with its wings, and a white egg-shaped fruit appeared by the tip of the branch. The white fruit was glowing slightly. The pigeon grabbed it by the stalk with its beak before it threw it to Angele.
274
275Angele stepped forward and caught the fruit. The Knight’s Faith looked like a glowing pear.
276
277He was a bit disappointed. He imagined that the fruit would have some fancy appearance, but it looked and smelled just like a pear, with the only difference being its glowing appearance.
278
279‘Zero, analyze its contents.’
280
281‘Task created… Analyzing…’
282
283CHI
284
285Blue light dots flashed in Angele’s eyes.
286
287Rows of data were shown beside the white pear in his hand and new data was added every second.
288
289‘Analysis, done. The fruit contains special elements that will make its consumers addicted. People will feel great pleasure while experiencing hallucinations. You will be able to concentrate your mentality slowly if you can resist the pleasure and the hallucination effect.’
290
291Angele was a bit speechless.
292
293‘So, this is similar to opium?’ Angele wondered. This special element affected a person’s nervous system and made them experience hallucinations while gaining pleasure. If he could stay calm after eating the fruit, his mentality would be strengthened.
294
295The chip could actually simulate the effect of the fruit for him after extracting this special element. There was no point in him acquiring a large amount of this fruit. Knight’s Faith was rare, but it had extreme effects and using it was risky. Angele had finally understood why this place had been abandoned.
296
297Chapter 152: Leaving Again (1)
298
299
300Angele thought for a while before he took out another high-quality magic stone and threw them both into the air.
301
302The two magic stones began to free fall after reaching the highest point over the lake.
303
304The white pigeon flew toward the falling magic stones and ate them one by one. These two magic stones were nearly the size of half its body. It flew back to the branch and struck it with its wings once again. Another white fruit was revealed and thrown toward Angele.
305
306He stepped back a bit, catching it easily.
307
308"Alright, we’re done here. You don’t know me, I don’t know you." Angele smiled. He turned around and walked toward the entrance of the canyon.
309
310After leaving the canyon, Angele headed to Blue Root City.
311
312Blue Root City was a small but bustling city. It was not even surrounded by walls. Only a small gray fortress was built in the forest outside, with a guard squadron assigned to patrol. The Lord here was a Knight named Tesla famous for his errantry. He was admired by other Knights within Andes Alliance.
313
314Angele wasted no time after entering the city. He went straight to the location provided by Omicade. It was a tavern named Fernery owned by the assassin organization, Dark Emblem.
315
316BAM
317
318Clear, yellow liquor filled up a glass and was put down on the counter with impact. Some of the liquor splashed out; a fruity fragrance permeated through the air.
319
320"Your Coran Fruit Wine!" a short-haired muscular man shouted. He grabbed a piece of white clothes from the counter to wipe the wine off his hands. There was a green bull’s head tattoo on the man’s right arm. He sat behind the counter steadily like a mountain.
321
322Angele sat down by the counter, grabbed the glass, and sniff at the fruit wine. Before pouring it into his mouth, he checked if it was poisoned using Zero.
323
324The Coran Fruit Wine was sour and sweet. It even contained a tinge of bitterness.
325
326"Good wine. If you can get rid of the bitterness, it’ll be even better." Angele put down the glass and said.
327
328"I’m glad you liked it." The muscular man gave him a thumbs-up and a smile.
329
330There were about 10 brown tables in the tavern. Under the dim light of the oil lamps, most of the patrons were just drinking hard liquor.
331
332A bald man with a sword on his back and several mercenaries wearing large, silver earrings were there. Angele could still smell the stench of blood on their armors. Also, several drunkards were yelling at each other at a corner.
333
334The clothes of the waiters and waitresses were revealing. They were running around at different tables, taking orders. People were laughing, shouting, and cursing; the tavern was deafening.
335
336A depressed bard wearing a gray robe sat by the window. The man was playing the cello, yet Angele could barely hear the melody as it was in such a noisy environment.
337
338Angele was wearing a brown, tight leather suit with a metal bow and a quiver on his back, giving off the impression that he was an archer of a mercenary group.
339
340Glancing around, he finished the wine in his glass before he placed it down on the counter.
341
342"Good wine. Where’s the owner? I want to order several barrels and take them back," Angele asked in a low voice.
343
344The man’s expression changed after listening to what Angele just said.
345
346"It’ll be expensive if you want to see the owner and order wine directly from him."
347
348"Don’t worry. Money is not a problem."
349
350"Follow me then." The man shrugged.
351
352"Sherly! Come help me take care of the counter!" He yelled at a sexy waitress beside a table.
353
354"Sure." The waitress nodded and handed the glasses in her hands to someone else.
355
356The man led Angele to a door beside the counter. Inside the room, several colorful paintings hung on the wall under the dim light. The muscular man bowed to Angele as he closed the door.
357
358"Master Angele, we know why you’re here. I apologize about Dice. We had accepted the mission, and we had to try to finish it." He lowered his head.
359
360Angele sat down on a chair nearby.
361
362"Well, I assume you already prepared something for me," he questioned.
363
364"Yeah, of course. Here is the list, you may take anything you want." The man took out a piece of paper.
365
366"I’m the leader of this division. I have already waited for ten days prior to your arrival. Everything is…"
367
368"All of those, and I need Dice’s information," Angele interrupted.
369
370"I heard you guys have enchanted items? Like… Dice’s ring. I liked it a lot. I want to know where your organization buys them from."
371
372The man had a bitter smile on his face.
373
374"Master, I think you know how important enchanted items are to us. As a mortal, I have only one way to obtain enchanted items, which is buying them from the Master Wizards. The ring on Dice was a broken low-quality enchanted item. Dice was just a 3-star assassin and that was all he could get. If you need the details, it’ll take us several days to prepare…"
375
376"How many days?" Angele asked.
377
378"Four days at least."
379
380"I’ll come here again after four days." Angele stood up.
381
382Five days later.
383
384In the morning.
385
386A gray carriage left the Blue Root City with other caravans, heading to Marua Harbor.
387
388Angele sat inside the carriage, reading a yellow scroll quietly.
389
390Most of the transaction history and sources of the enchanted items were listed on the scroll. All the records were important to the assassin organization, but they wanted to make sure Angele was satisfied with their offer.
391
392Angele kept reading and after several minutes, he finally found the record he needed.
393
394‘Agility Boost Ring. Broken. Amount, one. Offered: 2.1 kilograms of gold. 45 slaves. 3 Shallow Flowers. Sapphire… Date, 19th, Jan 1531.’
395
396The number of resources and slaves they provided to the Wizard was ridiculous. The enchanted ring was way too expensive for mortals.
397
398However, Angele thought that the man was still trying to hide something from him. He did not think the ring was enchanted with just Agility Boost after doing some research. He used the ring himself and experienced the freezing of time. It was probably a concept gear. The Knight-level warriors died without realizing what happened. Power like that was way too strong for a broken enchanted item.
399
400He wanted to find out the truth of that ring.
401
402‘From, Wizard Bischof (Six Ring High Tower).’ Angele kept reading.
403
404"Six Ring High Tower again?" Angele’s brows furrowed.
405
406"The item was enchanted by someone in Ramsoda College, but it was sold by a Wizard in Six Ring High Tower?"
407
408More than 90% of the enchanted items recorded on the scroll was sold by Wizards of Six Ring High Tower. They varied in elements, levels, and qualities.
409
410Six Ring High Tower was the strongest Wizards of Light organization Angele knew. Most of the Wizards of Light focused on studies that were not focused on damage spells. They usually relied on enchanted items and rare enchanted gear when they engaged in fights. Wizards of Light were also good at enchanting items and gears besides concocting potions, so it was understandable that they sold some low-rank enchanted items for resources or money.
411
412Enchanted gear was much harder to make than enchanted items. It could store an instant-cast spell, and having one enchanted gear was akin to having another Talent Spell.
413
414Angele had always wanted to try to enchant items. However, without professional knowledge, he could only enchant objects obtained from magical creatures such as the heart from a Glowing Elephant.
415
416The rune spell he obtained from Benedict could only give buffs to his weapons and its duration was short. Casting the Lightning Rune required a good amount of mentality and mana, so Angele only used it when he had to.
417
418‘The books on item enchantment were reserved for formally contracted Wizards. I didn’t sign the contract, so I don’t have the knowledge stored in the chip. This organization sold so many enchanted items, which means their Wizards are very good at it. I can sign a contract with them and collect the necessary professional knowledge… I can’t go back to Ramsoda now anyway.’
419
420Angele had a plan in mind. Although he knew he needed a lot of resources to practice item enchantment, more enchanted items would help him win more fights. Furthermore, he thought that in the end, his efforts would get paid off.
421
422The carriage kept advancing. He hired a coachman this time, so he did not have to control the horses himself.
423
424Several months later, he arrived at Marua Harbor, but he did not notify any people in the city. He built a small wooden house in a remote area beside the coastline. He decided to stay in the house and wait for the Future to pick him up.
425
426Angele was also waiting for the Dark Emblem to send the promised resources to him. He needed a quiet place to concentrate his mentality and this place was the perfect location for him to do so.
427
428Three years later.
429
430By the coastline.
431
432A small brown wooden house sat under a black cliff quietly.
433
434The house was built beside the beach. The forest was located right behind it.
435
436Rays of golden sunlight reflected on the sands. The sea waves were brushing ashore from time to time.
437
438Angele was wearing a black robe. He stood by the window looking at the beach. He could hear the sound of the waves making noises.
439
440He put his hands on the wooden desk and looked outside until the sunlight got intense.
441
442"Three years…" Angele stretched his back and sighed.
443
444"I spent three years analyzing the Knight’s Faith and extracting the element. Finally, the side-effects of the potions I drank have been eliminated…"
445
446He turned around and looked at the glass bottles on the ground. They were completely filled with either green or blue liquid. Piles of bones and various colorful dried plants were lined up on the floor. Those random items made the room look messy but mysterious.
447
448Besides doing research and concentrating his mentality, Angele spent more of his time meditating. Although his progress was slow, his Mentality still increased to 23 units. Things became better after the side-effects disappeared.
449
450After doing some calculations, Angele would need a mentality of 40 to reach the Liquid Stage. If he could keep his mentality increase at the current rate, it would take him about more than ten years. However, he felt the rate reducing after the increase in mentality.
451
452There were many reasons why his progress slowed down at the moment. The meditation method was one of them. He now needed a high-rank meditation method developed specially for Wizards. Also, Angele deduced that the meditation method he obtained from Ramsoda College had some of its pages missing.
453
454Chapter 153: Leaving Again (2)
455
456
457According to the simulation’s result, Angele’s mentality would reach a limit after about two years at this increased rate. If he wanted to keep progressing after that, he would find some other methods.
458
459It was the reason why Angele wanted to return abroad.
460
461"No wonder Wizards don’t want to stay here." Angele shook his head as he opened the door and walked to the beach.
462
463"There are no spell materials, no magic resources, and no other Wizards here. The only people I can talk to are mortals."
464
465‘Zero, I want to reach the Liquid stage. What are the requirements?’ Angele asked.
466
467‘Requirements: 1. Mentality reaches 40. 2. The Tree Killer Potion to increase success rate, three servings. Meet these requirements, your success rate will be 45.14%’
468
469‘I can concoct more Potion of Tranquility to increase my mentality, but there are not many materials or substitution materials here. I need to find other Wizards to make trades. I gave the last one to Velvet… Anyways, I need to go back to the Wizards’ land first.’
470
471Angele basked in the sunshine for a while before he returned to the wooden house after his body warmed up.
472
473He walked to the table with the equipment. On the right side, there was a test tube rack that contained two test tubes filled with purple blood.
474
475On the left side, there was a small glass spherical container being heated by an oil lamp. A sticky brown liquid was boiling inside the container. It looked like a pile of mud, and some white worms were squirming along the surface.
476
477It seemed that those worms were not hurt by the intense heat, but they were still trying to climb up the glass container’s inner wall.
478
479The glass container was about the size of a fist. It was covered by a shell-shaped lid with a hole that helped the vapor leave the container.
480
481Those worms kept climbing up and falling down. There was at least a thousand of them inside the container.
482
483The brown sticky liquid was secreted by the worms’ organs and left on the inner wall while they were climbing.
484
485Angele blew off the oil lamp under the glass container and took it down from the metal rack.
486
487"Finally, it’s done. I already spent too much time breeding them," he mumbled.
488
489Angele removed the lid from the container and grabbed a test tube filled with purple blood.
490
491He carefully poured the blood into the glass container and the blood covered half of the worms.
492
493BOOM
494
495A ball of purple flame exploded inside the container after several seconds.
496
497Angele became surprised. He leaned back and put down the test tube. The flame almost sparked onto his face and if he dropped the container during the explosion, the house would catch a fire.
498
499All the worms inside had been ignited by the purple flame.
500
501The white worms had mixed in with their brown sticky liquid and the flame got darker as the worms started burning.
502
503The purple flame cast reflection upon everything in the room. A stinky fishy stench permeated the air. It almost felt like someone had mixed rotten fish with fresh cayenne peppers.
504
505Angele held the glass container in hands and waited for the reaction inside to finish.
506
507The worms inside were burnt to black ashes and some of them stuck on the inner wall.
508
509Ten minutes later, the purple flame disappeared and green smokes started coming out of the spherical container.
510
511Angele waited for the green smoke to disappear, and then he put the container onto the metal rack again. He scraped all the black ashes down to the bottom with a piece of glass.
512
513He then took out a tiny crystal bottle from the pouch and pointed in the air with the other hand. A light dot appeared on the tip of his finger right away.
514
515Angele quickly drew a red rune in the air with his finger, which looked like two tridents that crossed. The rune quietly floated in the air, turning into a red flash and dropping into the glass sphere after.
516
517His eyes narrowed, and he put his left finger into the sphere after as the rune dropped into it.
518
519CHI
520
521It sounded like his finger was being grilled.
522
523Sweat began to drip down Angele’s chin. He was suffering from some intense pain.
524
525A black string slowly climbed up onto his finger and turned into a ball on the palm.
526
527Blue light dots flashed in front of his eyes. Angele stared at his left hand, and with his teeth gritted, he applied force onto his arm.
528
529"AH!"
530
531It sounded like the dying scream of a despairing woman.
532
533The whole wooden house shook several times. Angele’s left hand was pushed away from the container by something.
534
535Angele was breathing heavily. He raised his left hand and looked at the palm. Black steam was slowly rising upon his skin.
536
537However, the steam disappeared after several seconds, leaving no traces.
538
539"I failed… One more chance." Angele sighed. He lowered his hand and returned to the table.
540
541He opened the drawer and took out a small glass spherical container. It was filled with white worms and sticky brown liquid.
542
543Angele performed the whole procedure again and placed his finger into the sphere.
544
545A thin black string slowly absorbed the black ashes in the container and climbed up his finger.
546
547CHI
548
549A black pattern appeared in his palm, and this time, everything went as planned. The black ashes were completely consumed by the string after several minutes.
550
551Angele moved his finger away from the container and stepped back. His clothes were already soaked in sweat.
552
553He raised his left hand and watched the pattern on his palm shifting.
554
555Time flew by. The black pattern kept changing its shape until it stopped after about an hour.
556
557A twisted pattern was left on his palm. It looked like something spreading its wings.
558
559"Finally, Blood Boiling Signet! I succeeded!" Angele was exhilarated as he kept looking at his left palm.
560
561"Although the ancient blood of the harpies contains strong venom and I can’t take it, I can still make his Blood Boiling Signet. Also, I think I’m the only Wizard in this world that can extract harpies’ ancient blood." Angele was satisfied with the result.
562
563"The legends say ancient harpies can drag their enemies into the abyss. This signet is made from their ancient blood. Although it can only be used for five times, I can still give my opponent hallucinations when necessary."
564
565Several months later, Angele visited Marua Harbor again and gave some items to his father and the professor before boarding the Future.
566
567On the dark deck of the Future.
568
569Angele was wearing his black robe with his hood on. He stood beside the railings and overlooked the dock. He could still see people waving their hands toward the departing ships. Waves were hitting against the body of the ship. New Wizard apprentices were chatting behind him; the deck was quite noisy.
570
571Angele blinked his eyes and turned around. The strong wind blew his hood off and long brown hair was flying in the air.
572
573On his left side, there was another Wizard overlooking the sea. It was a Dark Wizard. Angele could saw the negative energy particles around him.
574
575Also, there was a young woman wearing a white robe talking to several Wizard apprentices beside the stairs. It seemed like she was checking something with them.
576
577Angele glanced around and saw another young man in white robe walked up the stairs and started to talk with the young woman.
578
579The deck was too noisy, so Angele did not hear what they were talking about. He already knew something was not right.
580
581There were four formal Wizards on this ship at the moment including himself. Angele decided to stay vigilant as the situation itself was unusual.
582
583The two Wizards of Light waved their hands and asked the Wizard apprentices to return to their cabins.
584
585The woman took a glance at Angele before she turned around.
586
587"Francis, do you know these two black robes? Why are there so many Wizards on this ship? Although the underground races are invading the land, it’s still quite strange." Her lips moved slightly and her words echoed in the other white robe’s ear.
588
589The man’s brows furrowed and shook his head. He was using the same method the woman used to send a message.
590
591"I don’t know. Although I’m in charge of this trip, I still can’t predict who will board the ship."
592
593"Someone leaked the plan?" The woman suddenly thought about something and her expression changed.
594
595"Beyoncé, that’s impossible." Francis shook his head again.
596
597"Only the ones in our organizations know about our true mission this time. This item is important to us. We can’t let others take it."
598
599"Well, let’s prepare for the worst." Her eyes flickered with a sliver of chill.
600
601"If they’re actually here for the item, I’ll show them my true power."
602
603"We’re on a ship, so dropping one or two Wizards into the sea won’t be a huge problem." Francis smiled with confidence.
604
605On the other side of the deck, the man in black robe watched the two white robes chatting and sneered.
606
607"It seems like they have the item on the ship, master Dave." A high-pitched voice came from his collar.
608
609A dark red centipede slowly moved to the man’s neck. The centipede was about the size of a palm and there was a silver glint on its red body.
610
611The black robe turned his head around. "Good. I didn’t come here for nothing. Thanks for the information," he spoke in a light tone.
612
613"I did it because you promised me something. Don’t disappoint me," the centipede responded.
614
615"It consumes too much mentality to control the creature from such a long distance. I’ll leave you to it, master Calello. I wish you luck."
616
617"Don’t worry about it." Calello grabbed the centipede and put its head into his mouth. The centipede’s light-yellow juices dripped down his chin as he chewed. Half of its body was still squirming.
618
619Calello pushed the rest of the centipede’s body into his mouth and swallowed it whole.
620
621Chapter 154: Incident (1)
622
623
624Clouds floated along the glistening azure sky. A blue ship with white stripes was slowly sailing across the endless sea. It drew a shaky line between the waves as the chilly wind blew across the sails.
625
626The main sails on the ship were triangular of varying sizes, being pushed by the wind.
627
628A black-robed man was wandering around the ship deck with his brows furrowed. His long brown hair flew about in the air, causing it to become a bit messy.
629
630Angele spent a lot of time investigating the ship.
631
632It had been the fourth day ever since they departed from the docks. He had already checked every nook and cranny of the ship.
633
634‘This is not the Future.’ Angele came to this conclusion. Although this ship was powered by spell-driven whales, its constituents were different, such as the size of the cabin and storage room.
635
636The deck was almost empty. All the Wizard apprentices stayed in their cabins, and the two Wizards of Light had been checking their talent levels.
637
638Angele walked to the railing. The humid air coming from the sea moistened his clothes a bit.
639
640The girl named Velvet came to his mind again. Angele never saw her again after arriving at Marua Harbor. She was one of the Wizard apprentices who failed to pursue their dreams. Velvet was studying at the vicinity where White Tooth Castle and Six Ring High Tower were located. It was also the same area Angele was heading to.
641
642He thought for a while and heard footsteps coming from the stairs. About 10 Wizard apprentices just finished their test and left the cabin. Several of them saw Angele was looking at the sea by the railing and walked over.
643
644A girl with red curly hair walked at the front along with four other Wizard apprentices who followed after her. They must’ve come from the same city.
645
646The girl was wearing a red luxury silk dress. She kept glancing at Angele. The male Wizard apprentices behind her looked quite handsome.
647
648"Master, do you know when we will reach the next dock?" The girl had a sweet voice. She bent her knees slightly and bowed to Angele.
649
650Angele turned around and stared at the girl. She looked a bit chubby in the tight dress. Although she looked cute, Angele did not find her attractive. The girl was a rank 2 Wizard apprentices, but Angele detected that she had three enchanted items on her and he was surprised.
651
652"How’s the test? What’s your talent level?" Angele did not answer her question but just asked.
653
654"My talent level is 3!" The girl slightly raised her head and answered in a loud voice. She was pleased with the test result.
655
656"Not bad, do you know the meaning of my black robe?" Angele looked at her.
657
658"Yes, the ship collects Wizard apprentices. We know you’re a Wizard!" The girl smiled, thinking that Angele liked her.
659
660"Yeah?" Angele slightly shook his head.
661
662"Why don’t you ask the other black robe?"
663
664The girl hesitated. Angele could see the fear in her eyes.
665
666"We tried, but it seems like he doesn’t like us…"
667
668"Yeah, I don’t like you as well." Angele turned around and stopped talking.
669
670The girl gritted her teeth and exchanged glances with the other Wizard apprentices, then left.
671
672Angele knew that the girl was a noble. She must have thought that Angele would be willing to start a conversation with her, but it seemed that she had not understood the rules in between the Wizards yet. The only thing that mattered was her rank.
673
674The day ended quickly. Angele finished his dinner in the dining room with the others and returned to his cabin. The chef was hired by the Wizards. Their rooms were right beside the kitchen. They were not allowed to go to any other area of the ship.
675
676Inside one of the cabins.
677
678Wizard of Light Beyoncé stood beside the window and looked at the dark sea with her arms crossed.
679
680Francis lay on the bed behind her and was yawning. It seemed like he had just finished some work.
681
682"Hey, Beyoncé, why are you here? Talk please."
683
684Beyoncé turned around and stared at the man.
685
686"Well, I think it’s time for us to do some investigation. Most of them are meditating now. We can probably collect some intel."
687
688"Good idea. Your spell and my spell complement each other when cast together," Francis stood up as he said.
689
690"You go first or me?" he asked.
691
692"I'll go first."
693
694Beyoncé turned around and raised his right arm. There was a white, silver bracelet around her wrist and many complex patterns were engraved on its surface. Some were flowers and some were leaves, it looked quite charming.
695
696"Free!" Beyoncé used the shortened incantation.
697
698A silver glow appeared around her bracelet. There was no voice and no smell. It was just a ring of silver light.
699
700The bracelet turned into a pile of silver sand after several seconds, which dropped to the ground and disappeared quickly.
701
702Francis carefully rubbed the black ring worn in his left index finger.
703
704He started chanting the incantation as well. It sounded like he was reading a long poem. Black smoke slowly rose upon the surface of the ring as his incantation stopped.
705
706The silver sand that just disappeared turned into countless tiny silver ants.
707
708The ants stayed on the ground and gained stealth again. They quickly moved out of the cabin and barely any noise was made. Mortals, Wizard apprentices, and average Wizards would not be able to detect them. It was a very helpful scouting spell.
709
710"Great. We can monitor the whole ship from this cabin. The effect lasts for a while. However, if we want to push the ring and the bracelet to the limits, we won’t be able to use them again within several years."
711
712"It’s fine. This mission is very important for our organization. Stealth Silver Dust and your Temporary Shape Shift can help us stay undetected. We need to make sure the black robes are not here for the item." Beyoncé did not really care about her enchanted bracelet.
713
714In another cabin.
715
716Angele sat by the table and he was doing some calculation on a paper with a white-feathered pen. The paper was already filled up with formulas, runes, and data.
717
718The wick of the oil lamp sparked from time to time.
719
720Angele had been busy calculating using the formulas that there was a whole pile of paper on the desk. Blue light dots flashed in front of his eyes from time to time. He was modifying new spell models with Zero’s help.
721
722Suddenly, Zero detected the invaders.
723
724"Who’s there!"
725
726He suddenly turned around and with a flick of his finger, a silver needle hit the floor.
727
728DING
729
730A silver ant was struck by the silver needle by the door. The needle pierced its stomach, causing it to twist in pain. After several seconds, the ant stopped moving and turned into a tiny pool of silver liquid. Angele could see steam rising from it.
731
732Angele stood up right after. He started walking around.
733
734"It’s… pure silver." Angele raised his right hand, the liquid silver on the ground turned into a small bead and flew to his palm.
735
736‘Interesting. It’s from one of the three Wizards.’ Angele observed the bead and scrunched his eyebrows.
737
738‘I already scanned them using the chip. The mentality of the two Wizards of Light is average, but the Dark Wizard is quite strong. I don’t think they are here to fight… Perhaps it’s a conflict between two organizations, and they are trying to determine who I am?’
739
740Angele was not concerned. He was not involved in their conflict, but if they tried to attack him, he would retaliate in response.
741
742Ramsoda College was famous for its Necromancy among the Dark Wizards. However, it was relatively far from major cities and Wizards usually did not consider it as a strong organization. Most of its contracted Wizards would help the school fight against the constant threats, so they had more practical experiences than Dark Wizards in other organizations. For that reason, Ramsoda College was considered as one of the top three Dark Wizard organizations.
743
744Wizards from other schools feared the Dark Wizards in Ramsoda because they knew Ramsoda was fighting with Northland Alliance and underground races all the time. Wizards with experiences on the battlefield were usually much stronger than those who stayed in their labs all the time. Their sole mission was to protect the treasure, and they had too much blood on their hands due to the nature of tasks assigned by the school.
745
746A Wizard from Ramsoda would not hesitate to kill. He would make sure every threat was eliminated before things got worse.
747
748Ramsoda College was a relatively large Wizard organization, and there are many other smaller Wizard guilds or organizations led by one or two Liquid Stage Wizards that Angele did not know. Those organizations had lost their power and rights during the grand war and the other three Wizards on the ship were likely members of them.
749
750Angele dropped the silver bead to the ground and glanced around.
751
752He suddenly raised his left hand and the wings on his palm slightly swung. A translucent energy pulse was released into the air.
753
754In the corner, another silver ant was dragged out of its stealth and hit by the pulse. The pulse slowly turned into a tiny needle and sank into the ant’s body.
755
756‘You shall pay for what you have done.’ Angele pursed his lips into a sneer.
757
758Chapter 155: Incident (2)
759
760
761In another cabin downstairs.
762
763A slim man wearing black robe was sitting on the bed with his legs crossed. Three white beads were spinning in front of his mouth and they were glowing. Those beads would release some white electric pulse every several minutes and the electric pulses would go straight into the man’s nose.
764
765Suddenly, the man opened his eyes. It seemed like he sensed something unusual. He inhaled once and all the beads went into his left nostril. The only light resource in the air disappeared.
766
767PA
768
769The man snapped his fingers and the oil lamp on the desk was lit, with dim yellow light brightening the room again.
770
771"What’s going on? Something is wrong," he whispered.
772
773"I need to be more careful this time. There are so many Wizards on this ship…" He rubbed his chin and started thinking.
774
775A faint distortion flashed by the door and a tiny silver ant slowly revealed itself.
776
777The ant stopped moving after entering the door, it swung its antenna several times and vanished into the air again.
778
779The man on the bed had already noticed the ant’s presence, but pretended to not see it as he kept mumbling.
780
781"The other Dark Wizard is a problem… I’ve seen him somewhere. He has killed several mortals without hesitation. I hope nothing will happen during the trip…"
782
783Beyoncé spat out some blood, and it splashed on the floor. The fishy stench pervaded through the air in the room.
784
785"Someone’s trying to attack me through the ants!" Her face turned pale and blood was dripping down her chin.
786
787Francis had a serious expression on his face. "I’m doing good, the black robe that boarded earlier looks fine."
788
789"So, it’s the second one. He’s trying to attack me." Beyoncé was breathing heavily.
790
791Suddenly, Francis turned his head around and looked at the door.
792
793"Who’s there!" He raised his right hand and released a ray of green energy particles. However, the energy ray dissolved in midair after reaching the door.
794
795A translucent skull appeared in the air while laughing.
796
797"Die!" the skull shouted in a hoarse voice.
798
799Beyoncé and Francis finally recognized the spell.
800
801"It’s the Soul Cather! Necromantic Spell! God damn…"
802
803BOOM
804
805Before Francis could finish his word, the skull exploded in the air and the room became filled with a dark venomous cloud.
806
807Beyoncé was closer to the center of the explosion, so she had been covered with the dark cloud before she could put up her forcefield.
808
809"Ah!" she screamed in pain. A strong whirlwind surrounded her body, but it failed to blow the dark cloud away.
810
811The cloud was eating away Beyoncé’s skin. She was doing her utmost to cast the shield spell. At that moment, a red fireball from Francis hit the dark cloud and exploded.
812
813The smoke created by the explosion spread into the air. The dark cloud was cleared by the fireball, and they kept coughing hard for several minutes.
814
815"Damn! It was that Dark Wizard with brown hair here! He wants me dead!" Beyoncé shouted in anger.
816
817"We need to take him down. Do you have a plan?" Francis spoke in a grim tone.
818
819"He killed one of my ants and was trying to kill me! You saw it, Francis!" Beyoncé screamed like crazy.
820
821The smoke cleared. Beyoncé’s face was severely hurt and blood was coming out of her left eye.
822
823"How dare he try to kill a formal Wizard?! I’ll make him pay!"
824
825Angele had no idea that there were people aiming for his life.
826
827He was focusing on developing the new potion, as it was his priority at the moment.
828
829Angele hit the silver ant with the signet just to warn the invaders, yet he did not know it would deal so much damage to the two Wizards of Light.
830
831Angele was not really creating a new type of potion. He just wanted to modify one of the formulae he knew and add some special effects to it. He wanted to add other potion’s effects to the Ghost Voice potion. Angele’s theory was to add potion effects to the vibration of his voice and ultimately create a whole new way of casting spells.
832
833It could also be described as a way to strengthen his body.
834
835Angele already reached his genetic limit again, and he had to rely on other methods to increase the attributes. He was a close combat Wizard most of the time, and he needed to enhance his Metal Mastery to make everything work better.
836
837Angele spent some time preparing materials for the development of the potion before boarding the ship. He had to substitute some rare materials with common materials because his homeland lacked magic materials.
838
839It would take the ship another month to reach Angele’s destination. He did not want to waste any time during the trip.
840
841Angele already finished the calculation and collected enough data a while ago. It was time for him to prepare for the experiments.
842
843Five days later, Angele carefully returned one of the test tubes to the metal rack.
844
845In front of him, there was a silver metal table and various metal containers and glass tubes were lined up on it.
846
847Inside the containers, there were different types of herbs, gels, and potions. Some of them were boiling without being heated and the steam smelled like leather.
848
849Angele looked at the equipment in front of him and wiped the sweat from his forehead with a piece of white cloth.
850
851"All the materials… for two attempts… I hope this time it’ll work," Angele muttered. He shook his head and focused on the experiment.
852
853He grabbed a black metal beaker and started putting herbs into it following a specific order. Also, he was using Zero to measure the numbers while chanting some incantation.
854
855The colorful herbs were mixed together and smashed into powder.
856
857Angele pulled a test tube with red liquid inside from the rack and dropped several drops into the beaker carefully.
858
859BAM
860
861Some strong waves hit the ship and the whole cabin was shaking.
862
863Angele creased his eyebrows and looked out of the window.
864
865"Damn it. Almost spilled it," he cursed in a low voice. Angele used a set of metal equipment because he did not want to break too many things.
866
867He looked at the two servings of materials in front of him. Most of them had been provided by Dark Emblem, so he wanted to make sure nothing was wasted because of his carelessness.
868
869As more materials were added to the beaker, the mixture inside it turned into some sticky dark liquid that looked like oil.
870
871Angele stirred it with a glass stirring rod and carefully poured the dark liquid into the beaker.
872
873The liquid was being compressed as it entered the tube. A whole large beaker of liquid only filled up half of the tube.
874
875Angele was satisfied with the result. He nodded and chanted some incantation again. Some green light dots appeared on the tip of his finger and he put the finger on the wall of the tube.
876
877The liquid inside the tube started bubbling and intense steam came rushing out of the tube.
878
879The color of the liquid slowly turned from black to blue. This was the most important step.
880
881Golden sunlight brought heat to the sea as the howling wind passed through. Large dolphins were leaping out of the water from time to time.
882
883Two Wizards of Light were whispering on the deck by the railings. They were glancing at the Wizard apprentices beside the stairs.
884
885"What do you think? That prick spends all day making potions," Beyoncé asked in a light tone.
886
887"He stays inside his room most of the time. I only saw him in the dining hall during dinner time." Francis nodded.
888
889"Today must be the important day for him. He didn’t even go for dinner. The items I left in front of his door was extremely helpful. Strong energy movement is detected recently, I think he’s focusing on the potion."
890
891"Well, are you ready yet? He can’t do shit while making potions. I think we should take action today." Beyoncé stretched her back a bit.
892
893"We must find the right timing. Otherwise, we’ll be in trouble.
894
895"Don’t worry. The only concern I have is that those Dark Wizards are famous for their damage spells. We must be careful," Francis advised.
896
897"Also, are you sure it’s him? I did some investigation recently. I think something is fishy here."
898
899"Are you saying the other black robe tried to kill us?" Beyoncé sneered.
900
901"Impossible. He was weak and wounded. I already checked. Even if it wasn’t the one with brown hair, we should still kill him. We need to eliminate all the possible threats."
902
903"Alright, get ready then." Francis nodded, "We shall move now."
904
905"I’m ready."
906
907Beyoncé and Francis exchanged glances and took out two tiny translucent crystal boxes. The crystal box was about the size of a palm. Some clear liquid was stored inside it.
908
909A light blue glow appeared on the surface of the liquid but it was hard to observe under the sunlight. Only a small amount of energy waves leaked out of the boxes.
910
911Chapter 156: Engage (1)
912
913
914"Two boxes of Naga’s Holy Water. We’re good," Francis whispered.
915
916Beyoncé gave Francis a confident look, and they dropped the two crystal boxes together.
917
918Crack
919
920The boxes did not break, but their lids fell off.
921
922A pool of translucent liquid slowly emerged onto the deck.
923
924After several seconds, the liquid separated into two smaller pools. They reflected the sky and the clouds like mirrors.
925
926Suddenly, a large hand reached out from the edge of the pool. It was wet and translucent. The hand grabbed the deck, which almost looked like a hand that came from an endless abyss and the pool was the portal.
927
928The two pools were connected to an unknown world. Two tall men climbed to the deck through them.
929
930They were about three meters tall with muscular translucent water bodies. Long antennas were wiggling on top of their head, looking like two strange Santa hats.
931
932The two had no eyes, no noses, and no mouths. They lined up in front of Francis and Beyoncé while glancing around the deck.
933
934Francis and Beyoncé stepped back and talked to each other for a second.
935
936"Go! Kill that man for me!" Beyoncé ordered with a low voice and pointed at the stairs.
937
938The other Wizard apprentices on the deck figured something was about to happen and they immediately returned to their cabins. Only several sailors were still staring at the two Wizards and the water men curiously.
939
940The water men started walking downstairs quickly as they received the order.
941
942They left a trail of wet footprints on the deck and water was splashed everywhere.
943
944The two raised their heads after reaching Angele’s cabin. Cracks appeared in the center of their face as water charged forth.
945
946BOOM
947
948Two pressurized jets of water smashed against the door like two iron pillars. The wooden door exploded, and the wreckage was blown into the room. However, it looked like something was stopping the water jets and the broken wood pieces from advancing.
949
950The water jets splashed onto the ground after several seconds. The two Wizards of Light could finally see what transpired inside the room.
951
952A silver metal shield was floating in the middle of the room. Water was dripping down its surface. The intense sunlight passed through the window and cast reflections upon its metallic surface.
953
954The shield melted after blocking the water jets and wreckage, then absorbed by a hand behind.
955
956The room was a mess, broken glasses and metal pieces were everywhere. White mist soaked the ground, and several metals beakers were rolling on the floor.
957
958A man in a black robe was standing in the middle of the room.
959
960It was a young man with a blue liquid-filled test tube in his hand. The man had a muscular body and long brown hair.
961
962The golden sunlight gave the tube a mysterious blue glow.
963
964Crack
965
966Suddenly, cracks that looked like spider webs covered the surface of the tube. The test tube failed to handle the impact.
967
968CHI
969
970The blue liquid inside the tube turned into blue smoke and leaked through the cracks, then disappeared into the air.
971
972Angele could not believe what just happened, he looked at the cracked test tube in his hand for a second, and then turned around.
973
974"You are dead!" Angele glared at the two Wizards of Light and bellowed.
975
976The test tube in his hand was squeezed into pieces. He raised his hands and pointed at the two Wizards of Light by the entrance.
977
978Silver metal liquid started coming out of his body, which turned into countless metal strings.
979
980CHI
981
982The tip of those silver strings turned into tiny needles. They started flying toward the two Wizards of Light and water men from all angles after Angele swung his hands.
983
984The two Wizards of Light stood beside the door and they were panicking.
985
986"Wait, how is that even possible?! That’s Naga’s Holy Water! It should kill everything it touches! What’s going on?!" Francis’s face was pale and he kept retreating.
987
988Beyoncé stood beside Francis doing some complicated hand gestures while chanting shortened incantations.
989
990Roar
991
992The two water men roared and tried to grab the incoming metal strings with their hands.
993
994Their bodies shrank as the metal strings were melted by the Naga’s Holy Water.
995
996Their size halved within several seconds. They then fell to the ground and turned into two small puddles.
997
998The rest of the metal strings was still flying toward the two white robes.
999
1000Francis already reached the wall in the hallway and there was nowhere for him to hide. He saw Beyoncé shooting a blue water sphere the size of a head toward Angele, but it was stopped halfway in the air by the silver shield. The water ball dropped to the floor and disappeared after hitting the shield.
1001
1002"Beyoncé… We’re in deep shit…" Francis forced a smile on his pale face.
1003
1004Beyoncé stepped back as well. She stopped beside Francis and put up a blue water shield in front of them. The two water shields had the texture of blue crystals and they helped block Angele’s silver strings.
1005
1006The silver strings did not stop. They kept hitting the blue crystal shields, almost looking like they were sawing the surface. Beyoncé was trying her best to repair the shields with water energy particles.
1007
1008Beyoncé was getting exhausted, "What the hell! I don’t recognize his spells! This man can probably kill anyone on this ship if he wants to!"
1009
1010Crack
1011
1012Their barriers broke into pieces and dropped to the ground.
1013
1014Blood spurted out of the two Wizards of Light’s eyes, noses, ears, and mouths. They were reaching their mentality limit. The shield could not be supported by the water energy particles anymore. Strangely, the silver strings stopped in front of them and started returning to Angele’s body.
1015
1016Angele stepped forward and kicked Beyoncé in the stomach.
1017
1018BAM
1019
1020Beyoncé groaned and hit the wall. She struggled for several seconds and fainted on the floor.
1021
1022"How are you going to compensate me?" Angele’s sight fell upon Francis. He spent days making the potion, but the two Wizards of Light broke into his cabin and destroyed the finished product.
1023
1024In addition to that, Angele had just finished the last step and the tube cracked while he was still immersed in the ecstasy of success. This incident completely made him furious.
1025
1026The two white robes already lost their ability to fight. Angele broke the shields of their Talent Spells and their mentality was used up. It would take them years to recover from the loss.
1027
1028Francis trembled in fear.
1029
1030"We… We didn’t mean it…"
1031
1032Angele sneered, raised his right hand, and created a crossguard sword.
1033
1034He stabbed Francis’s chest without hesitation.
1035
1036"Wizards of Light, huh?" Angele pulled the sword out of Francis’s chest and blood dripped down the blade.
1037
1038"When was the last time you actually engaged in a fight?"
1039
1040Francis held his wound with hands. He fell to the ground and died before he could say anything. A small pool of blood gathered under his body and traversed Angele’s boots.
1041
1042Angele turned around and looked at Beyoncé. The young woman was unconscious with her eyes rolled up. He patted the woman’s face, but she did not wake up. Although he had several questions to ask, he still decided to finish her off first. He put his hands around the woman’s neck and wrung it.
1043
1044Angele dropped her body to the floor and looked at the stairs. It seemed that the two Wizards of Light were so confident that they did not even call for backup.
1045
1046Angele pushed his Metal Mastery to its full potential during the fight and he spent half of his mana to control all the metal strings. The ability to control metal strings was named as Silver String by Angele. He developed it while trying to figure out how to improve his Metal forcefield. The string was made of a special alloy that combined many rare metals. It was the strongest material he had at the moment.
1047
1048The string was hard and elastic, and its conductivity also helped Angele save his mana while casting spells. However, he spent a long time to create the alloy. He did countless experiments to figure out the needed metals and the percentages.
1049
1050However, he created too many silver strings at the same time while he was attacking the water men and the crystal shields, and half of his mana was consumed in under one minute.
1051
1052"I know you’re here, reveal yourself," Angele spoke in a light tone. He slightly swung the sword and most of the blood splattered onto the floor.
1053
1054"Incredible…" A man in black robe walked out of a cabin while clapping. He had a gentle smile on his face staring at Angele with a pair of green eyes.
1055
1056"Do you still have mana left? After slaying two Wizards of Light? Hand over the two bodies to me and I’ll let you go. What do you think?" The man was slim and his voice was low. However, the words he said still echoed around Angele’s ears.
1057
1058Chapter 157: Engage (2)
1059
1060
1061Angele’s eyes narrowed as he saw the man walk out of the cabin.
1062
1063The man was different from the first time Angele saw him on the dock. His aura was now similar to the strong Wizard with a black panther Angele met back in the forest. He hid his true mentality level using a certain method and it only indicated one thing.
1064
1065"You already reached the Liquid Stage?" Angele asked in a calm tone.
1066
1067"My name is Calello." The man took off his hood and showed Angele his face.
1068
1069He looked like an average middle-aged man with pale skin and deep eyes. The man’s short, black hair was messy, his eyes coated with a light green glow.
1070
1071"I reached Liquid Stage about five years ago. You’re from Ramsoda, right? Give the bodies to me and I won’t hurt you. I don’t want to be hunted down by your organization anyway." Calello shrugged.
1072
1073Angele creased his eyebrows. "I don’t see any sincerity from your eyes."
1074
1075He suddenly turned around.
1076
1077Clang
1078
1079Angele blocked the greatsword coming from behind with his crossguard sword.
1080
1081A black distorted shadow ambushed him. It looked like a minotaur. Angele could not see its face and body, but he was stared at by two scarlet eyes. The minotaur held a wide greatsword in its hands and was about to strike again.
1082
1083Angele stepped back and his feet were trapped by something
1084
1085He lowered his head and saw dark green vines binding his feet. He had no idea when Calello had cast those spells.
1086
1087Angele immediately kicked the veins away, but they still slowed him down for a second. The minotaur caught the chance and slashed forward with its greatsword.
1088
1089Metal liquid spurted out of Angele’s body and created a shield in front of him.
1090
1091BAM
1092
1093The greatsword hit the silver shield hard.
1094
1095Minotaur’s strike ended up breaking the thick floor and a large hole was created under Angele’s feet.
1096
1097Angele moved the shield under his feet before falling down and jumped out of the hole. He turned around and charged toward Calello. Although the minotaur’s attack was blocked by the shield, he still took some damage that caused him to spit out some blood.
1098
1099Calello opened his arms and smiled.
1100
1101Two pink curved blades appeared on his arms. The edges of the blades were glowing as if they were heated soldering iron.
1102
1103Clang
1104
1105They traded several hits and backed off. Angele hit Calello’s blades with crossguard sword but failed to do any actual damage.
1106
1107He shifted the shape of the sword and turned the tip of the blade into a sharp needle, aiming for Calello’s chest.
1108
1109At the same time, he sent a needle to attack Calello’s back. The needle drew a black arc in the air and was about to hit.
1110
1111Calello slashed forward with the blade on his right arm and forced Angele to jump back. He did not even try to dodge Angele’s attack and the needle just hit his back, but the noise it made sounded like something hit a tree.
1112
1113"That’s all you can do?" Calello stood there and sneered.
1114
1115"I’m disappointed at you, Wizard of Ramsoda!"
1116
1117BAM
1118
1119Angele traded hits again with the minotaur, but his strength had weakened because of the injury and he was pushed away by minotaur’s powerful strike.
1120
1121Angele was not taunted by Calello. He stayed calm and gave Calello a cold look.
1122
1123He suddenly raised his left palm and aimed at the minotaur.
1124
1125The black wings on his palm twisted and trembled. A strange noise echoed in the cabin, it sounded like a woman screaming mixed with birds chirping.
1126
1127A distorted wave surrounded Angele and started spreading into all directions. Minotaur was paralyzed and stopped moving. Calello’s eyes glazed over after being affected by the wave.
1128
1129Angele lowered his left hand.
1130
1131"I have to use the signet…" He mumbled and pointed at Calello with his right hand.
1132
1133Red energy particles gathered in front of his palm and turned into a head-sized fireball.
1134
1135The fireball rotated and sparked, it almost looked like Angele’s hand was covered in flame.
1136
1137"Lesser Fireball!" Angele pushed the fireball forward.
1138
1139It drew a red line in the air and flew toward the stunned Calello. The fireball shrank in the air and quickly turned into a fist-sized red crystal ball.
1140
1141BOOM
1142
1143Calello was hit directly by the crystal ball and his body was covered in fire. The impact almost blew a hole on the ship.
1144
1145"AH!" Calello realized what had happened after suffering from the intense pain.
1146
1147"Banshee’s Scream! Where did you find it?!" he shouted furiously from inside the flame.
1148
1149"Well, it’s Harpy’s Scream. The legends say it will pull you into the abyss and fill up your mind with despair," Angele said in a low voice.
1150
1151"It’s over, Calello. My modified Lesser Fireball is much stronger than most of the average damage spells."
1152
1153Angele watched Calello struggle in the flames. He stored the modified Lesser Fireball in the chip and cast it instantly after using the signet. It was the reason he won this battle.
1154
1155He focused on increasing the power of the spell while doing the modification, but it would take him at least five minutes to just create the spell model. The best way to use it was to store it in the chip and cast it instantly when necessary.
1156
1157Although the amount of time and mentality required to cast the spell was ridiculous, the Lesser Fireball could do at least 40 degrees of damage if the target was hit by it directly.
1158
1159The effect of the signet exceeded his expectations. It stunned a Liquid Stage Wizard for at least five seconds. Without the signet, it would be hard for Angele caught Calello off guard.
1160
1161Five seconds could change the outcome of the battle easily. The power of the ancient blood was horrifying, so Angele decided to use it wisely in the future since the signet could only be activated for five times.
1162
1163The minotaur turned into black smoke and vanished into the air as Calello burned.
1164
1165Calello spent about a minute to put off the fire. He kept swinging the blades to prevent Angele from getting close.
1166
1167Angele was surprised that Calello was still alive. Green smoke was rising from his body and his skin burned black.
1168
1169"Good… You’ll regret it!" Calello leaned against the wall and said with a hoarse voice.
1170
1171"I’ll come back for you…" His body suddenly turned into pieces of black flesh and collapsed to the ground. They melted and turned into a pool of sticky dark liquid, then evaporated. Calello disappeared after several seconds.
1172
1173Angele was not surprised. He quickly rushed to the deck and overlooked the sea by the railing.
1174
1175A white whale appeared on the sea several hundred meters away from the ship. Suddenly, the black smoke appeared on the back of the whale. The black smoke quickly formed into a man who was Calello.
1176
1177Angele quickly created a large silver longbow in his hands. He held the bow in left hand and created a bowstring with his right hand.
1178
1179‘Calculating the direction of the wind…’
1180
1181‘Correcting the needed strength…’
1182
1183‘Simulating… Done. The possibility of hitting the target: 98.15%.’
1184
1185Blue light dots flashed in front of his eyes, he tied the bowstring on the bow and pulled it to a full moon. A silver metal arrow appeared on the bow and its arrowhead was dipped with flames.
1186
1187CHI
1188
1189The arrow disappeared from the bow and drew a red line in the air before hitting Calello accurately.
1190
1191Calello’s body started burning again with the arrow penetrating his heart. The man kneeled down on the back of the whale while screaming in pain.
1192
1193"No!" he shouted in despair. The man’s voice sounded like a dying lion.
1194
1195Angele spat out some blood again and watched Calello’s body exploding in the air. Pieces of his burning flesh dropped into the sea.
1196
1197Angele put his hand on the railing and slowly walked back to his cabin. He still had some mentality left, but he used up most of his mana, including the part stored in the chip. Also, it seemed that activating the signet had consequences. Only harpies had enough resistance that they would not see any hallucinations. Angele’s organs were still hurt although it was him who released the wave.
1198
1199"A Liquid Stage Dark Wizard… If he was more careful during the fight, I would already be dead." Angele shook his head. He had a bitter smile on his face. He carried the two Wizards of Light’s bodies to a random empty room and left some energy particles by the door to set up an alarm before lying down the bed.
1200
1201‘Organs are damaged. Cell activities reduced. What the hell was that Minotaur? I thought I was fighting against a Grand Knight.’ Angele looked at the blue hologram of his body.
1202
1203Rows of information were listed beside the model.
1204
1205The last line told him the estimated amount of time needed for him to recover and it said, ‘One month’.
1206
1207‘I checked the two Wizards of Light’s belongings, but they had nothing that indicated who they were working for. They shared the same Talent Spell, so I’m sure they were from the same organization. I didn’t get the chance to check Calello’s robe, but why did his organization send a Liquid Stage Wizard to assassinate two Wizard of Lights that lacked practice experiences… What did I just get myself into…’
1208
1209Angele sighed and laid on his back.
1210
1211After the fight, he knew the signet would bring him the advantage in a fight against Liquid Stage Wizards, but that was it. The outcome of the battle would be different had Calello taken it more seriously.
1212
1213Chapter 158: Aftermath (1)
1214
1215
1216Without the harpy’s signet, Angele would not have been able to win the battle against Calello so easily. There would be a lot more trouble had Calello successfully escaped.
1217
1218The signet changed the outcome of the battle. It helped Angele hit Calello with the Lesser Fireball directly. Not all the spells could track down an enemy automatically.
1219
1220Angele checked his body condition again and fell asleep. He had no idea how much time passed after he woke up.
1221
1222Angele grunted and got out of the bed while rubbing his temples. He finally had the time to check the surroundings.
1223
1224The room was decorated with gray accessories. Rays of golden sunlight brought warmth to it after passing through the thick glasses.
1225
1226He could see the two corpses lying in the corner quietly.
1227
1228Angele wanted to take out his crystal clock and check the time, but he realized it was not his cabin. Instead, he was inside a random room.
1229
1230The ship was silent, deadly silent that he could not hear the waves of the sea.
1231
1232The sunlight left a golden spot on the floor and the fishy smell of blood pervaded through the air in the room.
1233
1234Angele stood up. He walked to the bodies and pulled the male Wizard’s body to him. A deep wound was left on the center of his chest and his white robe was soaked in the blood.
1235
1236He checked the dead man’s belt and found a white leather pouch. It was full of random items.
1237
1238Angele moved his hands to the body’s right side of the chest and found a hidden pocket that was sewn to the inner side of the robe.
1239
1240He tore the pocket off and threw it on the bed before he kicked the body away. He then grabbed the female Wizard’s body.
1241
1242The woman looked young, about twenty years old. Her skin was elastic and smooth, but her face was just average. Most Wizards had their special methods that would make themselves look younger than they were, so Angele had no idea how old this woman actually was.
1243
1244Again, Angele grabbed her pouch from the belt first and searched her robe.
1245
1246The only valuable item he found was a black necklace on the woman’s neck.
1247
1248Angele furrowed his eyebrows and was about to throw the body away.
1249
1250Suddenly, he narrowed his eyes and found something strange.
1251
1252He quickly laid the body on the floor and took her white robe off.
1253
1254Angele saw a white tight leather armor piece under her robe. The robe was covered in complex silver patterns and for some reason, the woman did not wear any underwear.
1255
1256He found a row of buttons on the left side of the armor and unfastened it quickly. The silver armor piece dropped to the ground after it was unfastened.
1257
1258Angele picked it up and started observing the patterns with excitement in his eyes.
1259
1260"Interesting… So, maybe Calello was trying to get this armor…?" Angele guessed.
1261
1262The armor was specially designed for females to wear, but Angele was still happy that he just found a treasure.
1263
1264"The Light of Thor! A legendary chest armor that was enchanted with water energy particles. This is a compelling enchanted gear…"
1265
1266Suddenly, Angele found something weird on the side of the armor. He turned the armor piece around and saw a circle of blue crystals inserted into one of the buttons. The circle was about the size of a fingernail.
1267
1268Angele’s expression changed.
1269
1270"Damn, it’s a counterfeit." He shook his head and chuckled.
1271
1272"Well, they will send someone stronger to guard it if it’s real…"
1273
1274He threw the armor piece to the floor and started checking the female Wizard’s body again.
1275
1276There was a black belt on her right leg and the slots were filled up with random metal knives that looked like surgery equipment. He also found a white box that was about the size of a finger. Angele took the belt off her leg and removed most of the random items from the slots.
1277
1278He then grabbed the white box and opened it by twisting the tiny lock. A white leather scroll dropped out of the box right after it was unlocked.
1279
1280Angele picked the scroll up and opened it. He saw formulas and data written all over it. There was also a graph of a ring and the information marked beside it looked complex.
1281
1282There was a title on top of the scroll and it said: ‘Ring of Tranquility. When the moonlight shines, the gate of the forest will be opened for you.’
1283
1284"Blueprint of an enchanted gear." Angele recognized the format.
1285
1286"Well, useless to me, but I can trade it for something else." He carefully sealed the scroll and locked it inside the white metal box.
1287
1288He turned the box around and saw a tiny line of words engraved into the center.
1289
1290‘Noupogson, Ring of Tranquility.’
1291
1292Angele collected all the valuable items and stood up. He kicked the bodies to the side and wiped his hands with a piece of white cloth.
1293
1294"So, they’re from Noupogson," Angele mumbled.
1295
1296He knew the organization.
1297
1298It was once a strong Wizard organization that was famous for its Water enchanted items and gears. However, their strength deteriorated over the years due to various reasons.
1299
1300First, their spells and meditation methods were hard to study, so the organization only took in a small number of Wizard apprentices that met the requirements into the school. The number of contracted Wizards in Noupogson also declined due to the lack of new blood. They must have only one or two Liquid Stage Wizards at present. It was almost impossible for them to track Angele down.
1301
1302Noupogson’s situation was similar to Ramsoda. However, Ramsoda College had the incredible treasure, Shadow Pearl, and outsiders still feared its name.
1303
1304In the Wizard’s world, there were many Wizard organizations that were similar to Noupogson. Some of them were created by Wizards who shared the same research projects.
1305
1306Angele already left the school and he did not sign any contract, so he was free to join any Wizard organization he wanted.
1307
1308Most of the decaying Wizard organizations lacked Wizard apprentices because the requirement of studying their spells or meditation method was too high. Angele’s plan was to join as many smaller organizations as he could and acquire their knowledge.
1309
1310The enhancement function of the chip would similarly become stronger if Angele could store more knowledge in the database. Also, the more special spells he knew, the easier the chip could compare the various types of spell models.
1311
1312Although Angele still needed to modify the spells enhanced by the chip to obtain the best results, Zero could still save him some time in experiments. The risk of getting hurt during experiments was also greatly lowered.
1313
1314Master Liliana was hurt during a spell experiment and her strength was weakened. Also, her face and body had been permanently damaged. She needed to get treated every time the clock in her eye reached a certain time.
1315
1316Angele rubbed his chin.
1317
1318‘Joining other Wizard organizations is indeed a good idea. The biggest difference between Wizards of Light and Dark Wizards is the spell type. They hate each other because Wizards of Light don’t like how Dark Wizards treat others. Also, If I can get my hands on a complete white robe, I can just tell them I’m a Wizard of Light. My potion concocting skill is also a plus.’
1319
1320Wizards all wore white robes in the ancient times. The only difference was the pattern on their sleeves. Those patterns indicated their ranks as Wizards.
1321
1322When the war with the underground races waged on, the Wizards decided to enter the underground area and fight back. They changed their white robes to black robes, so they could hide in the dark during the war.
1323
1324The Wizards that were good at damage spells were given the black robes and they started to spend more time researching on spells that were designed to kill. Also, they developed the Shadow spells and Necromantic spells because they were stronger when they were cast underground. The white robes stayed on the surface and kept doing other research since they were not good at fighting.
1325
1326The Dark Wizards spent too much time dealing with the negative energy particles and damage spells, so their personality changed after the war ended. They had too much blood on their hands and they could not help but kept modifying the incredible damage spells they created.
1327
1328The Dark Wizards moved back to the surface after the treaty was signed, but their lives had completely changed.
1329
1330They considered the Wizards who still wore white robes cowards because they thought the white robes did not contribute to the victory of the war. They decided to keep the black robes as a sign of honor.
1331
1332However, there were much more Wizards of Light than Dark Wizards, so the remaining Dark Wizards had been driven away to the remote area of the land.
1333
1334Angele read about the history in the school’s library.
1335
1336‘Black robes hate the white robes because when the land is in peaceful, no one needs powerful damage spells… The Dark Wizards will only shine when there’s a war going around, as their black robes are the symbols of power and strength.’
1337
1338Angele stopped thinking and opened the pouches obtained from the two Wizards of Light.
1339
1340He only found some cheap spell materials and the female Wizard had several relatively valuable magic stones.
1341
1342‘What are they doing here…’ Angele shook his head.
1343
1344The only valuable items Angele collected was the black necklace and Ring of Tranquility’s blueprint.
1345
1346The fake Light of Thor was worthless. It was powered by the energy particles stored in the blue crystals. Angele thought that these two Wizards of Light were mere baits, here to cover for the carrier of the true Light of Thor.
1347
1348Angele shook his head again. He stood up and put everything into his pouch. After everything was done, he carried the two bodies to the deck.
1349
1350Chapter 159: Aftermath (2)
1351
1352
1353In the afternoon, the golden sunlight coated the deck with a shiny glow. The sea glinted under the sun and waves kept hitting the body of the ship.
1354
1355Angele carried the bodies to the railing, inserted two heavy metal blocks into their mouths, and dropped them into the sea.
1356
1357PLOP
1358
1359The bodies sank into the sea within a second. Angele cleaned his hands with a piece of cloth and left the railings. He walked around the deck but did not see anyone around.
1360
1361He furrowed his brows as he looked at the stairs, then he quickly walked down to the cabin area.
1362
1363The oil lamps on the walls were still bringing light to the hallway, but the place was deadly silent.
1364
1365Angele’s footsteps echoed in the hallways and a chill climbed up his spine.
1366
1367The cabin area had five levels. Angele was on the first level and the Wizard apprentices were on the fourth or fifth level. Those levels were reserved for sailors and Wizard apprentices.
1368
1369Angele smelled the stench of blood in the air after walking down the stairs.
1370
1371He walked down the hallway and saw a pile of bodies by the end. All the Wizard apprentices were killed. A large pool of blood gathered on the floor and the color of the blood indicated that they had been killed at least several hours ago.
1372
1373Angele knew it was Calello’s doing.
1374
1375‘So, his plan was to eliminate everyone on the ship. Calello killed all the Wizard apprentices while I was fighting the two Wizards of Light, he knew that it would take me a while to finish the battle.’ Although Angele was a Dark Wizard as well, he refrained from killing innocent people.
1376
1377Angele walked to bodies and started observing. It seemed that those bodies were all missing parts of their bodies.
1378
1379The male Wizard apprentices had their arms and chest muscles missing, while the female Wizard apprentices had their breasts missing. It was almost like they were partially devoured by a strong beast. Angele checked the wounds and realized something.
1380
1381‘Calello’s body was zombified… That’s why the needles did not work.’ Although Angele’s damaged his body, he still almost escaped by turning himself into some strange gas, ‘My Lesser Fireball did 40 degrees of damage to him. I think even a Grand Knight won’t be able to handle it. It’s probably his Talent Spell… Sadly, my Metal Mastery only has moderate physical and magical resistances.’
1382
1383Angele searched the bodies. He wanted to collect evidence. Moreover, he also found the body of the girl who talked to him earlier.
1384
1385However, it seemed that Calello had already taken the girl’s enchanted items away.
1386
1387Angele checked other levels after and confirmed that all other people in this ship were eliminated by Calello.
1388
1389The zombified Calello ate most of the corpses’ muscles and cut their arms to make meat jerkies or something. However, he did not expect for Angele to have such absurd power.
1390
1391Angele checked the whole ship again and confirmed that he was the only one left alive at present.
1392
1393He found some leftover bread and cheese before going back to his cabin. He killed Calello and two Wizards of Light, so he had to find a way to avoid their organizations.
1394
1395Most of the organizations or Wizard families would avenge their members. Although the Wizards of Light came from a weak organization, Angele still decided to be careful. He planned to get off the ship one dock earlier and travel to the Six Ring High Tower on land.
1396
1397The ship would arrive at the destination on its own, so it was fine for Angele to get off earlier. The whales in the engine room would move on their own.
1398
1399Several months later…
1400
1401In the evening.
1402
1403A huge ship slowly advanced on the dark, endless sea, shaking in the strong waves.
1404
1405Angele stood on the bow of the ship and it felt like the whole world was shaking. He tied himself to the main mast that was tall and wide.
1406
1407His long hair and black robe were flying in the howling wind. The coldness and wetness left him with an unpleasant feeling. His body was leaning to the side as the ship was hit by the waves.
1408
1409"F*cking storm!" he cursed. Nothing else happened after the battle with the three Wizards. The ship was now getting close to the next dock.
1410
1411Angele stood on the bow most of the time recently. He wanted to meet those harpies again as he arrived at the area the Future was attacked. His plan was to collect more harpy blood, and this was the best chance he had.
1412
1413Sadly, the harpies did not come, but a storm struck the ship.
1414
1415The power of the signet exceeded Angele’s expectation, but he did not see a single harpy these days. They must have remembered the shape of the ship and decided not to attack it after the massacre.
1416
1417Angele stopped thinking. He grabbed the railings and leaned forward to check the situation ahead.
1418
1419Crackle
1420
1421A furious lightning brightened up the surface of the sea.
1422
1423A bean-sized raindrop hit the back of Angele’s head.
1424
1425After several seconds of pouring down chaotically, it started freezing Angele’s skin.
1426
1427The heavy rain kept hammering down and beat a violent tattoo on the deck.
1428
1429Angele’s black robe was soaked in water. Although the rain left a frosty feel on his body, he was not worried about catching a cold.
1430
1431He held the railing tight as he looked ahead.
1432
1433The dark sea looked like a seemingly endless floor. It sometimes leaned to the left and to the right. The world was almost turning upside down.
1434
1435Angele stayed on the bow and found something unusual in the front.
1436
1437A humongous back of some creature slowly appeared on the surface of the sea.
1438
1439It was a thousand-meter long whale that had rows of black spines on its back, which were about the size of an average spear and were extremely sharp. The whale’s eyes were narrow and were coated in a yellow glow.
1440
1441The ship looked like a small box comparing to the creature.
1442
1443Angele was breathing heavily. It felt as if a heavy stone had just struck his chest.
1444
1445He stared at the whale, his face slowly turning pale.
1446
1447"Echinate Whale! How is that even possible…" Angele recognized this horrifying monstrosity.
1448
1449"A whale that is a thousand meters long… I thought the book was joking…" He could not believe what he just saw. He never took the data of the Echinate Whale on the book seriously.
1450
1451The whale slowly passed by. Luckily, the spikes did not hit the ship. The ship was probably just a plankton to the whale as it did not seem to care about it.
1452
1453The rain was pouring down the sea, Angele stood on the bow and watched the whale passing by. The ship was far from the center of its back, but the waves it brought still made the ship turn several times.
1454
1455Two hours later, the whale finally disappeared in Angele’s sight, He inhaled once and felt relieved. He was worried that the whale would crush the ship.
1456
1457Also, the storm left together with the whale quickly and the surface of the sea calmed down as well. Even the wind had weakened.
1458
1459‘So, the legend is true. The Echinate whale can absorb the power of the storm. I didn’t take it seriously…’ he mumbled.
1460
1461The ship was protected by the Merfolk’s buff and there was an energy barrier keeping all the normal sea monsters away. However, a horrifying creature like Echinate whale could easily break the barrier and capsize the ship if it wanted to.
1462
1463He learned in a book about an incident that a Wizard apprentice once offended the whale and the ship got smashed into smithereens. This humongous whale had the most ancient blood among the ancient creatures. Although they were strong, they usually would not initiate any attack. The Wizard apprentice attacked a smaller whale that was a relative of an Echinate Whale, and the Echinate Whale killed everyone on the ship, including several formal Wizards.
1464
1465After the sky became clear, two crescent moons poured white light onto the deck. The sea was also peaceful and quiet.
1466
1467It was almost as if the storm never happened. Angele felt relieved. He had no idea what would’ve happened had the whale targeted the ship.
1468
1469Angele realized that there were many people or creatures much stronger than him in this world. He needed to keep improving.
1470
1471Three days later.
1472
1473In the afternoon.
1474
1475The ship stopped by a desolate dock slowly.
1476
1477A young man with long brown hair jumped off the ship with a large bag in his hand.
1478
1479BAM
1480
1481He landed on the beach that was covered in stones steadily. Metallic silver glint reflected on his hands and feet.
1482
1483Angele made two small depressions on the beach with his feet.
1484
1485+
1486
1487He turned his head around and looked at the ship for a second before he walked to the forest quickly.
1488
1489After several seconds, intense black smoke rose upon the deck and flames sparked in the cabins. The masts and sails all started burning. The flames streaked into the sky.
1490
1491The fire illuminated the entire dock.
1492
1493Angele did not look back. He climbed up the hill and vanished into the shrubbery ahead.
1494
1495Angele planned to travel to the dock he stopped by when he was on the Future first. The dock’s name was Sea Hawk and was close to the Six Ring High Tower.
1496
1497He had talked with the navigator of the Future before and learned that he only needed to go across two medium-sized countries before reaching the Sea Hawk dock.
1498
1499Also, there were several Wizard organizations around here.
1500
1501Chapter 160: Encounter in the Woods (1)
1502
1503
1504Angele spent three years concentrating his mentality by the coastline and he already reached the Gas Stage. However, he was still far from reaching the Liquid Stage, so he decided to spend his time on preparing for the support materials first.
1505
1506He returned to the land of Wizards because there was barely any rare material around Marua City.
1507
1508There were many Wizard Rifts here, and he could only find the necessary potions in certain Wizard organizations. The potion he needed was called The Tree Killer. There was no way for him find it in the markets.
1509
1510The only thing Angele knew about the potion was its name. He did not have the formula and he had no idea what the materials were.
1511
1512His original plan was to travel to the Six Ring High Tower. He thought it would be nice if he could find the secret of the concept gear and the formula of the potion there. However, things changed after he killed three Wizards on the ship.
1513
1514Although it was self-defense, Angele knew the black robe’s organization would go after him sooner or later. The two white robes were from a small organization; thus, he was not so concerned about them.
1515
1516Inside a gloomy forest.
1517
1518The morning mist spread throughout out the trees, and there were creatures howling.
1519
1520A tall and strong man was slowly advancing on a twisted path. He was wearing a dark red hunting suit and there was a 2-meter-long metal bow on his back. The man held a black bag in one hand and a crossguard sword in the other. There was still hint of blood on the blade. His long brown hair was soaked wet by the mist, which trailed all over his shoulders.
1521
1522It was the fourth day since Angele entered the forest.
1523
1524He followed the traces of the footprints from other people on the way, but he did not see anyone around.
1525
1526The mud on the ground was wet and sticky.
1527
1528Blue light dots kept flashing in front of Angele’s eyes
1529
1530Suddenly, a high-pitched sound came from Angele’s left side.
1531
1532He turned to the left and immediately slashed with the sword.
1533
1534BAM
1535
1536A small animal was blown away by the impact and hit a tree on the side, it struggled for several seconds and died.
1537
1538Angele walked to the tree and skewered the animal on his blade.
1539
1540It was a fat white rabbit.
1541
1542The rabbit was about the size of a human’s head and its eyes were bloody red, also, two snake-like long teeth could be seen around the lips.
1543
1544Angele scrunched up his brows and pulled the rabbit off the sword.
1545
1546He put down the rabbit by the tree, collected some dried branches, and set up a small campfire.
1547
1548With a flick of his finger.
1549
1550The campfire was lit and the flame looked blurry in the mist.
1551
1552Angele sat down by the campfire and grabbed the rabbit. He skinned it quickly and removed the organs.
1553
1554The mist cleared a bit after Angele set up the campfire. He finished cleaning the rabbit and skewered it with his crossguard sword again. He held the handle in hand tight and started rotating the sword to roast the whole rabbit.
1555
1556Angele took off a large water pouch from his belt and drank some water. It was almost empty.
1557
1558Oil was dripping down the meat and the skin of the rabbit was already golden brown.
1559
1560Angele glanced around. He was surrounded by enormous trees, but there were not many bushes around. The dark ground was covered by dried leaves and branches. He could also see grasses on the area ahead.
1561
1562The tree trunks were wide and tall. They stood there like guardians of the forest.
1563
1564Angele cut a piece of the roasted rabbit with a dagger and threw it into his mouth after it cooled down a bit.
1565
1566The texture was smooth and tender, tasting somewhat like roasted chicken. However, Angele did not carry any spice, and he would appreciate some salt.
1567
1568Angele suddenly put the roasted rabbit down and turned around. Blue light dots flashed in front of his eyes.
1569
1570Zero detected an unknown target approaching. Angele saw a blurry black shadow moving toward him. It seemed that the man was wearing a black robe.
1571
1572He stood up and grabbed his bow, starting to prepare for a possible fight while staring at the black shadow.
1573
1574The man stepped on leaves and made some noise. He was getting closer.
1575
1576Angele inhaled once and the smell of a rotten corpse already pervaded through the air.
1577
1578His expression changed. He quickly took out a piece of red leaf and covered his nose with it.
1579
1580"The Light of Thor. Where is it?" The clean voice from the shadow sounded like it was from a young lady.
1581
1582Angele dropped the leaf to the ground. He pulled the bowstring to full and created a black metal arrow.
1583
1584"Light of Thor? What is that? And who are you? I have no idea what you’re talking about," Angele answered in a calm voice.
1585
1586"You killed Calello on the ship, right? Hand the Light of Thor over to me and I’ll let you leave," The female Wizard spoke with a confident voice.
1587
1588"Calello is at the Liquid stage. You backstabbed him while he was fighting with the two Wizards of Light, right?"
1589
1590The lady slowly appeared in Angele’s sight. She had a pair of sharp, green eyes. Her lips, eyes, and her long robe were all black.
1591
1592The female Wizard was covered in black. Her skin was pale, and she looked like she just came back from dead.
1593
1594She stopped about ten meters away from Angele and stared at him quietly. Her face was pretty, but Angele could not see any emotion from her eyes.
1595
1596"Name is Arisa, by the way."
1597
1598"Again. I don’t know what you’re saying." Angele’s eyebrows creased and looked at Arisa.
1599
1600"Light of Thor, a silver chest armor. Stop hiding it, I can smell Calello’s last breath from you." Arisa had no expression on her face.
1601
1602Angele stopped for a while and chuckled.
1603
1604"Fine. Yea, I killed Calello, but I didn’t expect that you could track me down. I know you’re not here to avenge Calello, but I have to be honest here. The Light of Thor I found was a counterfeit…"
1605
1606"Fake or not, hand it over to me. Otherwise, I’ll show you the power of my spells," Arisa interrupted.
1607
1608"Whatever." Angele walked to the black bag beside the tree. "I’ll show you the evidence."
1609
1610He kicked the bag to Arisa.
1611
1612The bag rolled on the ground for several seconds and stopped right in front of Arisa. Arisa picked it up and took out the fake Light of Thor.
1613
1614She put her right hand on the back of the armor.
1615
1616"This one is fake for sure."
1617
1618"Good. There’s no point for us to fight then." Angele smiled.
1619
1620"So, where’s the real one?" Arisa dropped the armor to the ground and asked.
1621
1622Angele’s eyes narrowed and his expression turned serious.
1623
1624"I told you already. I acquired it on the ship and I have no clue where the real one is. Wait, do you really think you can win the fight against me?" He released some energy particles into the air.
1625
1626There was an interesting look on Arisa’s face.
1627
1628"You just admitted you killed Calello, right? If that’s true, I can put you into my new potion in development."
1629
1630She smiled.
1631
1632Hissssssss
1633
1634A strong sound started coming from her body.
1635
1636Arisa lowered her hands and thick black smoke rose from her feet. The smoke was leaking out of her long black robe. The grasses, insects, everything it touched all turned into a pool of black pus. The black pus evaporated in seconds and became part of the smoke.
1637
1638The ink-colored smoke quickly spread around the area and a dark circle covered all the trees, bushes, and grasses. Arisa was in the center of the circle.
1639
1640It looked like a drop of ink started spreading after sinking into a large piece of green cloth.
1641
1642Angele slowly stepped back and watched the smoke streaking into the air.
1643
1644CHI
1645
1646He quickly shot an arrow.
1647
1648The black arrow drew an arc in the air and hit Dark Wizard Arisa’s body with great force.
1649
1650However, Arisa had a mysterious smile on her face. Her body melted like a burning candle within seconds. Her face twisted, turned into drops of sticky black liquid, and fell into the black shadow under her feet.
1651
1652Arisa vanished into the black smoke quickly. Only her long black robe was left on the ground.
1653
1654Angele gritted his teeth and kept stepping back. The arrow he shot had already been swallowed by the smoke and turned into a small pool of black liquid.
1655
1656The smoke separated before reaching him. Some of it blocked Angele’s way.
1657
1658The smaller trees already started melting. Most of the grasses and dried leaves already turned into a part of the smoke.
1659
1660Angele took out a glowing green heart from his pouch.
1661
1662He chanted some incantation.
1663
1664BOOM
1665
1666An arm-sized ray of green flame spurted out of the heart and rushed into the black smoke.
1667
1668The green flame sparked, but it was swallowed by the seemingly infinite dark smoke and disappeared right away.
1669
1670Angele’s expression changed. Suddenly, a ball of green smoke appeared behind him and turned into a human-shaped shadow. It was Arisa trying to seize Angele.
1671
1672He suddenly turned around and brandished forward.
1673
1674CHI
1675
1676The strike missed.
1677
1678"Die!" Angele shouted. Silver metal liquid started leaking out of his skin and floated in the air around him.
1679
1680The metal liquid gathered together and turned into tiny knives. Angele waved his hand in the air and coated those knives with electric pulses.
1681
1682The electric spark noise was loud, and the bright blue light illuminated Angele’s face.
1683
1684All the knives started revolving around his body after he slightly waved his hand.
1685
1686The knives were moving faster and faster. They created a barrier around Angele, which helped eliminate the incoming black smoke.
1687
1688Some of the black smoke disappeared after making contact with the wall of knives, but the electricity applied to them weakened due to the loss of energy.
1689
1690The black smoke was enraged after being blocked by the knives, it started jumping and rolling around.
1691
1692Shadow tentacles suddenly jumped out of the smokescreen and rushed toward Angele. The blue knives kept flying to the tentacles, but only some of them were blocked.
1693
1694Angele shook his head and sneered.
1695
1696Chapter 161: Encounter in the Woods (2)
1697
1698
1699Angele raised his hand. A portion of the floating metal liquid quickly formed into a shell-shaped barrier in front of him.
1700
1701He began invoking strange incantations. The words were simple, yet it didn’t seem to belong to any known language.
1702
1703The temperature around Angele rose. Heat waves became visible in the air, bringing mysterious distortions into the black smoke.
1704
1705Angele nearly finished the incantation as the smoke approached.
1706
1707DING
1708
1709Suddenly, Angele’s face turned pale and his body trembled. The heat disappeared within seconds as his incantation was interrupted.
1710
1711As he failed to finish casting the spell, he watched as the black smoke tried to engulf him whole. Thanatophobia crept into depths of his mind. His body had become paralyzed. Now, there was nothing else he could do.
1712
1713CHI
1714
1715The black smoke amassed together. Angele’s silver barrier and the revolving knives began dropping onto the ground as if it was raining.
1716
1717At the opposite side of the vast forest was a black cliff.
1718
1719An old man wearing a black robe stood on the cliff observing the sea of trees. The howling gust blew the lower of his robe into the air.
1720
1721The man’s hair was white and it was messy, yet his beard and eyebrows were red. His pale face was carved with a countless number of wrinkles.
1722
1723The old man had a blank expression on his face. In front of his chest, there was a head-sized golden plate floating. The plate was translucent, slowly rotating and many complicated runes were engraved on its surface.
1724
1725"I shall harvest your soul for what you’ve done to my beloved disciple," he muttered. His line of sight fell onto the battlefield thousands of miles away from the cliff.
1726
1727He pointed at the golden plate and lightly touched its surface.
1728
1729DING
1730
1731The crisp sound echoed in the forest and that was the noise Angele heard.
1732
1733Angele was no longer paralyzed. However, he had lost some strength that caused him to step back.
1734
1735The silver barrier in front of Angele had turned into a pool of black liquid and splashed to the ground, but it still prevented the black smoke from reaching him.
1736
1737"F*cking hell!" he cursed as looked at his right hand. A small amount of the black smoke covered the tip of his first finger, and the black liquid dripped down the wound.
1738
1739Angele gritted his teeth and pointed at the oncoming black smoke with his left hand. The wings on the palm started flapping.
1740
1741A dangerous aura surrounded his body.
1742
1743Arisa sensed the changed and immediately tried to retreat. The black smoke began to move away from Angele.
1744
1745Arisa was trying to backstab him. However, her expression changed after seeing Angele raising his hand. She stepped back and returned to the smoke screen while sending a small amount of smoke to Angele’s back.
1746
1747Angele narrowed his eyes and was about to activate the signet using his mentality.
1748
1749DING
1750
1751He heard the noise again, which made him flinch for a second.
1752
1753"AH!"
1754
1755Angele’s legs numbed and his back was hit by the black smoke. Green smoke rose from the wound and it created a sound similar to a piece of meat being grilled. He failed to activate the signet completely.
1756
1757Only several translucent waves spread into the air and blew away some retreating black smoke. The remaining smoke on his back was also eliminated.
1758
1759Arisa revealed herself.
1760
1761"That was close. However, that was your only chance to hurt me." There was a cold look on her face.
1762
1763She waved her hand. The black smoke gathered in the air again and rushed toward Angele.
1764
1765Angele kept running away from the smoke. He could sense someone locked onto him with a strange energy wave, and the wave would interrupt him every time he tried to attack or defend. Moreover, this special energy wave penetrated his defensive forcefield with ease.
1766
1767He wanted to gain some practical battle experiences in this fight by himself, but it would seem that he had to seek Zero’s help.
1768
1769‘Zero, is it possible for me to eliminate this energy wave?’ he asked Zero as he dodged several strikes from the black smoke.
1770
1771‘The energy wave will weaken if you can move two kilometers away from your current location. There is an 87% chance this strategy will work,’ Zero reported.
1772
1773Angele groaned as his right arm was damaged by the black smoke again. The silver metal that covered his skin dropped to the ground, and a black wound was left on the arm.
1774
1775He could feel the intense pain coming from his arm and back, but he stayed calm. The smoke in front of him gathered together and turned into the shape of a human, attempting to embrace Angele.
1776
1777"Show me the direction."
1778
1779"East is your best option."
1780
1781Angele threw the crossguard sword into the air, and it turned into a silver shield in front of him. He turned toward the east and started running away like a madman.
1782
1783"Are you trying to run?!" Arisa’s voice came from the human-shaped smoke. The silver shield turned into a pool of black liquid after making contact with the smoke.
1784
1785She started chasing after Angele at full speed.
1786
1787"Give me the Light of Thor!" Her voice changed. It was crisp no longer. Instead, she sounded like an old man with a hoarse voice.
1788
1789Angele increased his speed. He was still regretting activating the signet on his left palm. It was almost a complete waste since the activation had been interrupted by the strange energy wave, and his mentality was damaged by the side-effects of the signet.
1790
1791‘Arisa turned herself to the energy form. If I can hit her with the signet, she’ll at least lose the ability to fight… What is that energy wave? How can it penetrate my force field?!’ Angele was a bit anxious.
1792
1793He started invoking the incantation of Berlin’s Haste.
1794
1795It was one of the Wind spells he had purchased from the school. It could increase the caster’s speed.
1796
1797Angele enhanced his boots with the spell and his speed was greatly increased. He was almost traveling at the same speed as the black smoke.
1798
1799Arisa was still in the form of a human-shaped smoke.
1800
1801"You can’t escape from me," she shouted in a cold tone.
1802
1803"I don’t understand. How did Calello lose to a weak Wizard like you?! Ha!"
1804
1805Angele ignored Arisa’s taunting and kept running forward. The noise made by the strange energy wave was getting intense and was interrupting his thinking.
1806
1807‘Zero, boost all my senses right now!’
1808
1809‘Boost mode enabled. Special mentality tunnel detected… boosting…’
1810
1811Blue light dots flashed in front of Angele’s eyes. His mentality was boiling and roaring, trying to drive the strange energy wave away from Angele’s mind.
1812
1813His vision blurred. The trees on the sides, dried leaves on the ground, and the light from the sun all became gloomy.
1814
1815BAM
1816
1817Angele could sense that his pure energy particles had passed through a mysterious tunnel and reached somewhere far from his location.
1818
1819He saw an old man staring at his energy particles on a high black cliff.
1820
1821The golden Rune Plate in front the old man cracked, breaking into countless tiny pieces and slowly vanishing into the air.
1822
1823"Lucky bastard…" the old man muttered, his voice echoing in Angele’s head.
1824
1825Angele could do nothing but watch the old man walk away.
1826
1827CHI
1828
1829He was pulled back to his corporeal body by some strong power. He felt like the scene he just saw was a dream. It was like an uncomfortable out-of-body experience.
1830
1831Angele was still running forward. Behind him, it was the noise of the smoke engulfing the plants around. Cold sweat was dripping down his forehead as his face was being blown by the howling wind.
1832
1833"Red eyebrows and beard…" Angele mumbled. The unpleasant noise finally left his head. It would seem that the spell stopped after he found the caster.
1834
1835"Come back!" Arisa’s voice came from behind again.
1836
1837Angele’s expression turned serious. He moved his feet and suddenly turned around.
1838
1839Three silver scars slowly appeared on the left side of his face.
1840
1841He raised his left hand as he aimed at the black smoke. A raging fireball gathered upon his palm that was about the size of a human’s head.
1842
1843"Go… Lesser Fireball!" Angele pushed the raging flame forward.
1844
1845The fireball drew a straight line in the air. It sounded like an arrow soaring through the sky.
1846
1847Arisa had no time to react. It was too late for her to stop. The fireball hit her body directly.
1848
1849BOOM
1850
1851"Ah!" A high-pitched scream echoed in the forest.
1852
1853The black smoke was blown away by the flame and spread into the bushes. The whole area was covered in smoke and fire sparks.
1854
1855Right in the center of Arisa’s body, a fireball was spinning at high speed while exploding. Everything around was being lit. The flame quickly drove away all the dark power and cleansed the black liquid on the ground.
1856
1857Angele raised his left hand and aimed at Arisa with the palm. Two black wings on his palm began flapping. He could hear the screams originating from the abyss.
1858
1859"No!" There was fear in Arisa’s eyes.
1860
1861"Nas’vak!" She shouted like a lunatic. Angele could hear a sound of something cracking.
1862
1863A skull composed by green smoke appeared in front of her body and slowly opened its mouth.
1864
1865BOOM
1866
1867The fireball exploded again and hit the skull. A small dark energy vortex was created by the contact.
1868
1869Angele leaped away. The energy strike forced him to stop activating the signet, and the black smoke around almost disappeared.
1870
1871The remaining smoke formed into the shape of a human on the ground. It was the female Wizard, Arisa. Her arms were gone, and there was a large hole in her chest. The left side of her face was burnt black.
1872
1873"My face…" She trembled.
1874
1875Angele looked at her calmly and grabbed the metal bow from his back.
1876
1877"Any last words?" he spoke in a light tone.
1878
1879Arisa heard his voice and slowly raised her head.
1880
1881Angele pulled the bowstring to full and created a black metal arrow on the bow.
1882
1883CHI
1884
1885The arrow turned into a black string and struck Arisa right in the center of her forehead.
1886
1887Chapter 162: Lay Low (1)
1888
1889
1890"No!"
1891
1892Arisa screamed.
1893
1894The tip of the arrow slowly sank into her forehead. The screaming gradually stopped. Arisa’s body melted like a burning candle. Her skin, face, and legs turned into droplets of white or black wax while falling to the ground.
1895
1896The wax landed on the ground and the green grasses turned yellow within seconds. The sour, fishy, and stinky smell flooded the air after some green smoke rose upon the pool of wax.
1897
1898Arisa disappeared and only a long black robe was left on the ground.
1899
1900Angele put the longbow on his back and covered his mouth with his left hand. Blood was coming out of his eyes, mouth, nose, and ears. Especially his eyes, the blue pupils were coated with blood, and they looked horrifying.
1901
1902Angele quickly grabbed the long black robe on the ground and shook it. A small leather pouch dropped out of the pocket along with a palm-sized black notebook.
1903
1904He put everything into his pouch and ran to the east side of the forest.
1905
1906The black robe was left on the ground. Angele jumped into the bushes and disappeared.
1907
1908Angele held his mouth tight. Blood was emerging from his throat. He knew his injury was severe. Furthermore, someone, or something, was pursuing him. He could sense the approaching threat, and it seemed that this ‘person’ was traveling at the same speed as Angele.
1909
1910"Red eyebrows… red beard… I’ll find you one day…" Angele was enraged. It was the first time he was pushed to the limit after becoming a formal Wizard. He was not sure which stage the red beard was at, but Angele assumed the red beard was at least at Master Liliana’s level.
1911
1912Angele kept advancing on the path he chose. It was already noon. The mist had disappeared completely. Rays of golden sunlight shot through the gaps between the leaves of the trees.
1913
1914He asked Zero to check his body condition as he ran down the road.
1915
1916His back and right hand were hit by the black smoke and the skin was corroded. Without the metal shield, he would’ve already been turned into a puddle of sticky black liquid.
1917
1918In addition to that, the smoke contained a strong venom that coursed through Angele’s veins. Blood was leaking out of his skin all over his body.
1919
1920His attributes were plummeting, almost halving. Angele was lucky that he had absorbed many metals with high resistances before boarding the ship and he dodged most of the black smoke with Zero’s help. Also, Angele’s high attributes helped him fight against the poison. Wizards with low stamina would’ve already died.
1921
1922Angele traveled for more than 10 kilometers at full speed until the threat stopped chasing after him.
1923
1924The landscape around changed. The trees were much shorter than the ones he saw in the deep forest, and he finally saw travelers’ footprints on the road.
1925
1926Angele struggled for a while before he started moving again. He finally walked out of the forest and saw a path for carriages covered in mud.
1927
1928He collected some herbs based on Zero’s suggestion and stopped the poison from damaging his organs. Angele also applied some healing gel on his back to prevent the infection.
1929
1930Angele stayed on the side of the road and wiped the bloodstain off his face. He waited for a while and saw several merchants’ carriages.
1931
1932He paid the coachman several silver coins. The coachman said he would drop him off at the nearest town. There was a cart full of furs attached to the carriage where Angele lay on top of it.
1933
1934It was quite cozy. The carriage started heading to an area that Angele was not familiar with.
1935
1936In the forest, there was a tall gray stone tower.
1937
1938An old man with a red beard stood on the top of the tower and oversaw the forest, looking a bit depressed.
1939
1940"Master, you are the best prophet I know, yet you can’t find the black robe on the ship?" a female Wizard behind the old man asked.
1941
1942"He’s out of range." The old man put his hands behind. There was no expression on his face.
1943
1944"If I don’t have something else to take care of…" He turned around and looked at the female Wizard.
1945
1946"Alica, you have the intel of the other targets?"
1947
1948Alica nodded, "Master Sophina just sent me a message that she detected some movements in the mine. The other masters think they’re trying to eliminate us."
1949
1950The old man nodded as well. "Where’s Dior?"
1951
1952"He’s still at a ruin by the west. He was arguing with the Merfolks about an ancient magical artifact he found. I think it will take him a while to…" Alica answered and stopped halfway after seeing the old man nodding his head.
1953
1954"Also, the bloodline composition experiment in the lab… If you didn’t help them in time, the hidden barrier would’ve already been broken. The good news is that the other masters did not notice the incident."
1955
1956"We need to go to the mine first." The old man sighed.
1957
1958"Calello and Arisa… It’s a pity, but they died because they were not strong enough. Light of Thor and the mine are way more important. I already planted a seed on the young bastard. I’ll finish him off when I have time. Also, place a price on his head."
1959
1960"Yes, master," Alica nodded.
1961
1962"Now if you would excuse me…"
1963
1964"Go ahead."
1965
1966Alica turned around and left the room, then closed the door carefully.
1967
1968Angele was woken up from his meditation because the noises made by the carriage’s wheels.
1969
1970He opened his eyes. It was already night. The carriage was slowly traveling down the road.
1971
1972"Korver, are we there yet?" he asked in a loud voice.
1973
1974"We’re almost there, sir. The town ruled by Lord Aster is ahead." The coachman was a middle-aged man wearing gray clothes and a straw hat.
1975
1976Angele leaned to the side and looked ahead. He saw lights and some average-sized town walls separating the town from the forest. There were light torches hanging on the walls and Angele could hear the flames crackling. The only entrance to the town was by the end of the road. Several guards were chatting beside the town gate under the dim light.
1977
1978Angele’s brow furrowed. He raised his hand. A large piece of black metal appeared on his palm and covered his skin.
1979
1980In the darkness, his skin turned dark, giving the impression that it was tanned by the sun. He then created a pair of scissors and cut off his long hair. Also, Angele’s face changed after it was coated with the black metal. He looked like an ordinary young man who could be found anywhere in a town.
1981
1982‘I’m way too weak right now. I need to be careful.’ Angele already had a plan in mind. He was still lying on the furs.
1983
1984The carriages slowly approached the entrance of the gate.
1985
1986"Stop, what’s in the carts?" A tall guard with a mustache walked over and asked in a loud voice.
1987
1988Korver jumped off the carriage quickly and smiled.
1989
1990"Sir, those are some fine furs from the west. Take a look. It’s what the Lord needs."
1991
1992The guard was just doing the routine. He nodded before he walked to the carts and saw Angele lying on the furs.
1993
1994Angele jumped off the cart. He had already repaired the damage on his leather armor suit with a thin layer of silver metal. He straightened his back and stared at the guard like a nobleman.
1995
1996Before Angele could say something, the guard stepped forward and smiled.
1997
1998"Sir, you’re here to study, right? We know Master Markolov’s rules. Who are you looking for? I can be your guide since I’m familiar with the business."
1999
2000Angele stayed calm and nodded. He took out a gold coin from his pouch and threw it to the guard.
2001
2002"I got into some trouble in the forest and lost my map. Can you tell me where I am? I need to know if this is the right place."
2003
2004The guard caught the gold coin carefully. Although the gold coin was light, it was still a good extra money.
2005
2006"This the Aster Town. Master Markolov lives around here. If you go a bit further, you can meet Master Jerad and Master Para. They can give you a test if you are a noble. Please follow me."
2007
2008The tall guard led Angele to the stone wall and pointed at a yellow poster.
2009
2010"Take a look. You need to meet the requirements to take the test."
2011
2012The other guards looked jealous after seeing the tall guard talking to Angele. They just bowed to Angele and stayed by the gate. It seemed like they reached a certain agreement. Only one guard could talk to the ‘customer’ at a time.
2013
2014Angele did not care about the other guards. He focused on the poster.
2015
2016"Huh…"
2017
2018The words were written in Anmag.
2019
2020‘Jerad. One magic stone per year. Age, younger than 20. Must be a noble.’
2021
2022‘Markolov. One magic stone per year. Age, younger than 20. Must be a noble. Also looking for servants.’
2023
2024‘Para. One magic stone per year. Age, younger than 20. Must be a noble.’
2025
2026There were different gray insignias drawn beside their names.
2027
2028Jerad had the insignia of a flower, Markolov had the insignia of a burning flame, and Para had the insignia of a stone.
2029
2030Angele recognized those insignias right away.
2031
2032Chapter 163: Lay Low (2)
2033
2034
2035Those crests were symbols representing elemental categories. Angele found that out while purchasing spells in school.
2036
2037‘So, Jerad focuses on Plant, Markolov focuses on Fire, and Para focuses on Rock. These crests are commonly used among the Wizards…’ Angele thought.
2038
2039‘I didn’t expect Wizards to take in apprentices for a small price. What’s going on here?’
2040
2041‘Wait, but the requirements are so low. They are not expecting talented students. They just want to earn some extra magic stones. The three are not contracted Wizards… There should be many Wizards in this area, which means there’s a resource point around. Nomadic Wizards won’t stay in the same area for too long unless something attracts them here.’
2042
2043Angele read the poster and started planning.
2044
2045‘I can go talk to them first and see if I can find some herbs to treat my wounds. Although nomadic Wizards don’t usually follow the systems, they still carry rare materials and spell books.’ Angele remembered acquiring his Metal spells from a nomadic Wizard.
2046
2047Angele’s Metal Mastery helped him win against a Liquid Stage Wizard. Although the chip, the signet, and the enchanted item assisted him a lot during the fights, the barriers and the forcefield created by Metal Mastery were still a few of the main reasons he survived. Combined with his physical capabilities, he could often gain advantages when the battle started.
2048
2049Angele stopped thinking. He turned his head around and looked at the tall guard.
2050
2051"Where’s Master Markolov? Can you lead me to him?" He took out several gold coins from the pouch. The golden glint attracted everyone’s attention.
2052
2053Those guards were from relatively rich families based on the look of their suits inside the armors. They chose to become gate guards because they wanted to earn some extra money by leading nobles who wanted to be apprenticed to Wizards.
2054
2055"Of course, sir! I’ll take you there!" The guard gulped before responding.
2056
2057He turned around and discussed with the other guards on how to share the reward.
2058
2059"Please follow me."
2060
2061"Sure." Angele nodded. He said goodbye to the coachman and followed after the guard.
2062
2063They left the city gate, walked along the city wall, and entered a hidden path.
2064
2065The path was dark and wet. The guard untied the torch from his belt and lighted it up with a flint stone.
2066
2067The yellow light brightened up the area around the two right away.
2068
2069"To be honest, I suggest you find the other two masters. Master Markolov is famous for his strictness with the students. Now, nobles only go to Master Para’s and Master Jerad’s places," the guard told Angele in a light tone.
2070
2071"What is this strictness you’re talking about?" Angele asked. He was busy giving Zero orders.
2072
2073"I’m not sure… I just heard that he was strict with the students. Many people were kicked out of his place, and he only took in three apprentices." The guard shook his head.
2074
2075"However, the other masters have at least twenty apprentices at the moment."
2076
2077"Is that so?" Angele was not too concerned. Blue light dots were flashing in front of his eyes.
2078
2079He was far away from the location where the fight happened already, but he still felt uncomfortable. It was almost like the stickiness you get after sweating a lot.
2080
2081Angele thought the old man he saw on the cliff probably placed a curse or mark on him. He kept asking the chip to scan him on his way here.
2082
2083He assumed that seeing the cliff from the forest was due to the mentality surplus, but he did not know what triggered it. It felt like the prophecy spells Angele had read about in the school’s library, but such spells usually had small ranges. Also, Zero’s scanning ability was impacted by Angele’s body injuries. The chip scanned his body many times, but it did not detect any issue. Angele knew that the threat was gone or the source of threat decided to let him go, so he decided to deal with it after he recovered.
2084
2085‘To recover naturally, you need at least three months,’ Zero reported.
2086
2087Angele creased his eyebrows. His injury was severe and his power almost halved. After meditation, his mana already recovered, but he had only about 10 Mana at the moment along with the reduced attributes. He could not even cast a modified Lesser Fireball since it would cost him at least 10 points of mana.
2088
2089Angele could not store the spell in the chip if he could not cast it. Also, the transfer of energy from the chip to his body was not perfect. Angele’s body needed one second to prepare for the transfer. For that reason, he could not just simply use the energy particles or mana stored in the chip to help him cast the spells.
2090
2091The stored energy was for emergencies only. It could not replace Angele’s mana, so he could not store Lesser Fireball in the chip until he fully recovered from the injury.
2092
2093Good thing was Angele’s signet still had two uses left, which made him felt a bit relieved.
2094
2095After about half an hour, he saw a row of black metal fences barring his way on a small hill.
2096
2097"That’s it. It’s Master Markolov’s place. I’ll leave here," the guard turned around and explained.
2098
2099Angele nodded and threw a gold coin to the guard. The guard smiled, catching the gold coin before he left.
2100
2101He waited till the guard disappeared from his sight before walking up the hill.
2102
2103The fences were coated with energy particles. It was most likely an alarm. If Angele touched it, the people inside would know someone was here.
2104
2105Angele thought for a while and decided not to enter it directly.
2106
2107He walked around and found a thick bush. Angele hid behind it and used the stealth techniques he had learned before. He vanished into the darkness and left no trace behind.
2108
2109About two hours later, Angele heard some intense footsteps from the path.
2110
2111Two men in gray robes walked up the hill with torches in hands. The flames were dancing and there were two long shadows on the ground.
2112
2113"…If we can capture him, the money we get will be good enough for the rest of our lives," the gray-robed male said. It would seem that they were discussing a certain plan.
2114
2115"Even if he’s here, weaklings like us will die in seconds…" The other Wizard apprentice was a female.
2116
2117Angele overheard their conversation as they got closer.
2118
2119"30 high-quality magic stones and they only needed his location. They did not expect other people to capture the man for them. I think he must have some powerful spells." The man lowered his voice.
2120
2121"So what? Our master is better. He can make a large tree explode with a single instant-cast Fireball. Even the two masters I saw in Ferrero were much weaker than our master." The girl disdained the man’s opinion.
2122
2123"Well, yeah… Our master is better for sure. He was famous for Fire spells and that was the reason why I came here. However, I didn’t expect for the spell to be so hard to learn." The man had a bitter smile on his face.
2124
2125"I spent three years here and hadn’t understood a single spell model yet. When can I actually start doing experiments…"
2126
2127"Same here."
2128
2129The two walked to the fences and opened the metal door as they walked in.
2130
2131The girl was still talking to the man while walking.
2132
2133"I think I’ll give up too if I can’t understand our master’s system in three months. It’s way too difficult for me… I wonder what the level-1 spells are like. A level-0 spell has more than 72 different structures… How is that even possible? I can’t even understand the spell books."
2134
2135"Still better than me. I’m stuck on the fundamentals…" The man looked a bit depressed.
2136
2137They kept walking and slowly disappeared by the corner. Angele stayed behind the bush and did not move an inch.
2138
2139After a while, another man appeared on the path. He just stood there and watched the gray robes leaving.
2140
2141"Natalia… You’ll be mine one day!" the man suddenly whispered.
2142
2143"If that old prick didn’t trick me with a fake one…"
2144
2145Under the moonlight, Angele saw the man gritting his teeth. The man had blue pupils and brown hair. He looked like he was at the same age as Angele.
2146
2147Angele’s assumption was right. The old man with red beard had already placed a price on his head. He now needed to proceed with extreme caution.
2148
2149The man in front of him was just a rank 1 Wizard apprentice and was weaker than the other two gray robes. The two were rank 2 Wizard apprentices and one of them was carrying an enchanted item.
2150
2151The rank 1 Wizard apprentice was probably related to the old Wizard here since he was acting like a spoiled child.
2152
2153Angele had a plan on the mind after staring at him for a while. He crouched and calculated the distance between him and the rank 1 Wizard apprentice.
2154
2155About nine meters.
2156
2157He slowly raised his hand and aimed at the man.
2158
2159CHI
2160
2161A dark shadow rushed out of his hand and hit the back of the apprentice. The shadow melted and then covered the man’s nose and mouth.
2162
2163Angele pulled the shadow back with force, and the man was dragged toward him.
2164
2165BAM
2166
2167The man flew to the bush and landed on the grasses.
2168
2169"*#%#$@^#^$$@^…"
2170
2171He struggled and tried to say something.
2172
2173Angele narrowed his eyes and chopped the man in the neck with right hand.
2174
2175The man fainted right away and Angele dragged him into the deep forest.
2176
2177Half an hour later.
2178
2179A man walked out of the forest from the side.
2180
2181He was wearing a gray robe. His eyes were blue and his hair brown.
2182
2183The man rubbed his chin, checking if the mask was done right.
2184
2185After several seconds, his cheeks puffed up and a silver glint reflected on his skin. The skin returned to its original color after the shape of the man’s face was modified.
2186
2187"I’m Dennis, I’m Dennis, I’m Dennis…" He kept muttering this phrase as his voice continually changed. The man coughed several times. He now sounded just like the rank 1 Wizard apprentice Angele dragged into the bush from before.
2188
2189"Theoretically, it should work. Let me give this a try. I hope I can find the cure to whatever was planted on my body."
2190
2191He was satisfied with the result, so he stopped talking. The man walked to the fences and opened the black metal door before disappearing into the corner.
2192
2193Chapter 164: Lay Low (3)
2194
2195
2196He walked down the dark path and went across a small forest, then he arrived at a small house.
2197
2198Two oil lamps were hanging on the door of the house. The dim light only brightened about a small area in the front, and the oil lamps knocked on the door from time to time as the wind blew.
2199
2200Angele wiped the dust off his clothes and walked to the fences of the yard.
2201
2202He put his hand on the cold wooden handle and pushed it slightly.
2203
2204"Dennis! You’re back." In the yard, a cute chubby girl wearing a gray robe was watering the flowers. She turned around and raised her head.
2205
2206"Yeah, where’s Sidman?" Angele asked.
2207
2208"He’s inside."
2209
2210"I’ll talk to you later."
2211
2212"Sure."
2213
2214Angele passed through the yard and entered the house. It was bright inside, and the walls were decorated with fine glass lamps.
2215
2216It was warm and cozy inside. The fragrance of fruit wine permeated the air.
2217
2218An old man with white messy hair sat in a sofa quietly in the living room explaining something to the Wizard apprentice named Sidman in a low voice. Two glasses of warm green wine were placed on the table in front of the two.
2219
2220Angele could also smell some spices he could not recognize in the room.
2221
2222He was a bit worried when he decided to disguise himself as Dennis. However, he felt relieved after seeing the old man. The old man was just a below average Wizard. He had not yet reached the Gas stage.
2223
2224If the old man had reached Gas or Liquid stage, there would be no point for him in staying beside a countryside and collect materials. Joining any major Wizard organization would bring him much more benefit.
2225
2226The old man’s Mentality was much lower than Angele, so he was not worried that the man could see through his disguise.
2227
2228Angele was not expecting to meet a high-rank Wizard, but he was injured, and the signet was the only thing he could rely on at the moment. He also wanted to save the charges for more important matters.
2229
2230"Master, I’m back." He imitated Dennis’s voice.
2231
2232"Alright." The old man glanced at him for a bit and nodded, then continued to chat with Sidman.
2233
2234Dennis was just a rank 1 Wizard apprentice, but he was the son of the old Wizard’s younger brother. Angele learned the information during the interrogation. It seemed that Dennis did not get treated differently due to his relationship with the Wizard. His rank was lower than the other two Wizard apprentices, so he had to clean the rooms every day and carry daily supplies back from the town.
2235
2236Dennis came to the Wizard one year ago. He was having trouble progressing and he barely talked to the old man. He would rather take the books back to his room and read them himself.
2237
2238Also, the old man did not treat Dennis like an apprentice. Dennis was shy and quiet, so it was not hard for Angele to act like him.
2239
2240Angele was alone most of the time and he got used to it already. One of the characteristics of being an introvert was having a preference of not communicating with people.
2241
2242Old man Markolov was wearing a white robe. There was a silver metal string inserted into his collar. He was explaining things to Sidman, but Sidman did not seem to understand what his master was saying.
2243
2244Angele listened to their conversation for a while. They were just talking about the fundamentals of energy particles. It was just a waste of time for him, so he went straight to Dennis’s room on the first floor. Dennis had said that Wizard apprentices were only allowed to live in one of the rooms behind the living room.
2245
2246He walked to the end of the hall and saw Dennis’s name on one of the four bedrooms’ door.
2247
2248Angele opened the door with the key and locked it after walking inside.
2249
2250‘I’m good as long as Markolov doesn’t know who I am.’ Angele pursed his lips to a smile.
2251
2252Angele had to burn the real Dennis into a pile of ash after he tried to escape.
2253
2254The room was simple. A desk and a single bed were set up by the corners. He also saw several black wooden chairs and a small bookshelf on the side.
2255
2256Angele lit the oil lamp. He grabbed a chair and sat down by the desk.
2257
2258There was a thick leather book on the desk and the title was written in Anmag. It said, ‘The Basics of Energy Compression’.
2259
2260Angele opened the book.
2261
2262‘Energy Compression is an important subject that is being studied by many Wizards. It is also the standard testing method for those who can turn their bodies into pure energy’. This was the first line on the first page.
2263
2264‘Huh? This must be Markolov’s book. He hasn’t reached Gas stage yet, but he’s studying such a deep energy related subject?’ Angele was curious.
2265
2266He turned the page and kept reading.
2267
2268Time passed and Angele’s expression turned serious. He finished the book after about half an hour.
2269
2270Angele closed the book as he closed his eyes.
2271
2272’72 formulas. Combining them together, many energy compression related problems can be easily solved. It’s impossible for a nomadic Wizard to understand such concept. Maybe he inherited it from one of the ancient Wizard families…’ Angele was still thinking about the complicated formulas and structures he saw in the book.
2273
2274The structures demonstrated how to compress any type of energy particles. It was like a complicated mathematical problem. Using different formulas to obtain the simple result.
2275
2276‘Learning the formulas are easy. The problem is how to apply them to the real issue. Logical thinking is definitely needed here. The more I compress the energy, the more mentality will be consumed, but the result will be worth it. Also, that must be why Markolov can make a large tree explode with a simple Fireball.’
2277
2278Angele was excited with what he just found. Although he knew each nomadic Wizard had their own secrets, he still did not expect to find the knowledge on energy compression here.
2279
2280Angele chose to see Markolov because he was more familiar with Fire spells. Finding the knowledge about energy compression was just a bonus for him.
2281
2282If he could master the energy compression formulas, he would be able to power up all his abilities.
2283
2284Angele grabbed the oil lamp and walked to the bookshelf. He wanted to find other books related to the subject.
2285
2286However, he was disappointed that the books on the shelf had no related information, and none of them was valuable.
2287
2288Angele sat on the chair and thought for a while. He decided to meditate on the bed first. He still needed several months to recover, so he had plenty of time to research.
2289
2290At noon, Angele left the drugstore in the town and walked to the direction of the town gate.
2291
2292He saw residents gathered beside a large poster on the wall.
2293
2294People were excited. They were discussing the content of the poster. Angele stopped by the crowd and raised his head to check what was happening.
2295
2296The title of the poster said, ‘Criminal Wanted’, and below that was a painting of Angele’s face.
2297
2298‘The reward for capturing this person is 500,000 gold coins and 200 high-quality magic stones. People who bring valid intel to me will be rewarded with 50,000 gold coins and 30 high-quality magic stones.’
2299
2300‘200 high-quality magic stones…’ Angele was a bit surprised.
2301
2302"The best we can do is getting them intel. Only Wizards can fight the wanted man, I think. What did he do to the White Mist Forest? Haha." A young man behind him laughed.
2303
2304"We don’t need to work for the rest of our lives if we can find this man."
2305
2306"He’s in deep shit… Several major Wizard organizations want him dead. You saw the insignias? Damn. The Miloshine Family, White Mist Forest, and Labyrinth College, what the hell did he do?" a mercenary-like brawny man asked in a low voice.
2307
2308"I don’t know. We’re just mortals. We should mind our own businesses."
2309
2310The crowd kept discussing.
2311
2312Angele spent most of the time cleaning the rooms and organizing books in the house in the last ten days. No one saw through his disguise as he barely said any word.
2313
2314He purchased some herbs to make healing potion from the drugstore in the town and he was recovering well, but he still needed some time to heal his organs.
2315
2316Angele went to the drugstore again today, but he did not expect to see the poster on the wall. He left the crowd with a bag in his left and walked to Markolov’s house.
2317
2318He walked down the dark path, passed through the fences, and returned to the house quickly. Before he opened the door, he heard two people having a conversation in the living room.
2319
2320"Are you sure about this?" Markolov asked.
2321
2322"Yes, master. My family is disappointed at me because I haven’t progressed in years and they want me to go back… Please forgive me…" Sidman answered in a shaky tone.
2323
2324Markolov thought for a while, and responded, "I understand… So, what’s your plan?"
2325
2326"I’ll leave as soon as possible." Sidman hesitated for a second.
2327
2328"Also, thanks for teaching me. I’m just not talented enough to understand the complicated system." He sounded depressed.
2329
2330"It’s not your fault." Markolov sighed and ended the conversation.
2331
2332Angele waited by the door until the two finished their words. He opened the door and saw Markolov and Sidman sitting on the sofa with depressed looks on their faces.
2333
2334He bowed to Markolov politely and returned to his room.
2335
2336Sidman hired a carriage in the afternoon and left the Aster Town.
2337
2338Angele and Natalia said goodbye to him and watched him leave, but Markolov stayed in the house. It looked like he was planning something.
2339
2340Chapter 165: Lay Low (4)
2341
2342
2343Angele and Natalia watched the gray carriage leave under the setting sun.
2344
2345"I’ll be leaving too…" Natalia suddenly said.
2346
2347"I tried as hard as I could, but… maybe I’m just not talented enough."
2348
2349Angele did not say anything. He just listened to Natalia’s words. It was what the late Dennis would do in this situation.
2350
2351If a Wizard apprentice could not reach rank 3 before the age of 18, it would be impossible for him to become a formal Wizard. Sidman and Natalia did not rank up during the years, they were probably disappointed with themselves. Also, they could not handle the pressure from their families anymore.
2352
2353Angele and Natalia returned to the house after the carriage disappeared in their sights. They were not in the mood to chat, so they went back to their own rooms after showering.
2354
2355Angele needed to clean the room on the second floor at night. He went upstairs with a mop in hands and heard someone turning pages in the study.
2356
2357"Is that Dennis? Come here." Markolov’s voice came from the study. He sounded tired.
2358
2359Angele pushed the door open.
2360
2361"You need me? Master?"
2362
2363The room was a mess. Books and scrolls piled up on Markolov’s desk. There was a thick book in his hand and it seemed like he was looking for certain information. He was also making notes on a long leather scroll.
2364
2365"Some data is missing. Can you bring me the books from the basement, please? The ones with red covers."
2366
2367"For sure."
2368
2369Angele took a glance at the books on the deck after responding to the old man’s request. He noticed those bloodshot eyes of Markolov. It seemed that he had not rested for a while.
2370
2371‘Why’s he trying so hard?’ Angele could sense that the old man was weak.
2372
2373He also saw the title on the leather scroll, it said: ‘Simplified Energy Compression Calculation’.
2374
2375Angele turned around and walked down the stairs. In the dark and dry basement, there was a whole box of books with red covers. The box weighed about a hundred kilograms. Angele carried the books to Markolov’s reading after running up and down several times.
2376
2377Markolov asked Angele to return to his own room after everything was done. He was still reading the books with red covers.
2378
2379Time flew by.
2380
2381Angele had already stayed in the house for three months. He had almost fully recovered from the injury, but he still needed some more time. Furthermore, people were hunting him outside, so he only went to town when necessary.
2382
2383"Dennis." Markolov summoned Angele to the study. He was sitting in a chair while looking outside through the window.
2384
2385"Master," Angele bowed and responded.
2386
2387"Dennis, why aren’t you leaving? My brother already sent you the letter, right?" Markolov looked tired and depressed, his hair messy. Angele could not even see the soul from his eyes.
2388
2389Angele remained silent for a while. He did receive a letter from the town. It was Dennis’s family asking him to return. Also, Dennis’s family found an enchanted item that would help him join a major Wizard organization.
2390
2391"I… don’t want to leave. You’re the best master in my opinion!" Angele said after thinking for a while. It was his genuine thought. Although Markolov’s energy compression system was hard to learn, it could still create a shortcut for Angele. Also, he wanted to wait until his injury fully recovered.
2392
2393Angele was not related to Dennis’s family, so he had no reason to listen to their words. He decided to leave after his organs were cured because he was not the real Dennis.
2394
2395Also, Angele spent some time observing Markolov. He already had a general understanding of the old man.
2396
2397There were many goals Markolov wanted to accomplish in his life, but he always had been interrupted by various issues. He would spend about an hour just sitting there looking at the sky through the window every day. Angele knew he was suffering from depression.
2398
2399"Alright, you can leave now," Markolov spoke in a light tone. It seemed like he was pleased with Angele’s response.
2400
2401Angele bowed. He turned around and opened the door. He saw Natalia waiting outside and Angele’s presence surprised her. She did not understand why Angele was called to the second floor.
2402
2403Natalia did not greet him. She walked into the reading room and locked the door.
2404
2405Angele shook his head slightly. He was not concerned about the other two Wizard apprentices’ lives since he would be leaving once he was recovered from his injuries. Markolov’s energy compression system was great and it piqued his interest. However, Angele could not stay here for too long. Also, there was still an unknown mark planted in his body by the red beard. If he got greedy, he might be captured by the people who were after him.
2406
2407Angele heard Natalia talking to Markolov from the study behind before he left the hallway.
2408
2409"Natalia, you’re here. I prepared a detailed note for you. It’s about the simplified energy compression calculation method. You did well the last time, and with this, I believe you’ll be able to reach the next stage. In the note, I added…"
2410
2411"Sorry, master. I have to leave, too…" Natalia interrupted.
2412
2413The room became deafeningly silent.
2414
2415After several minutes, Natalia spoke again.
2416
2417"My carriage is waiting for me outside… Thank you for all these years…" Natalia opened the door. She looked at Angele but did not say anything. She just ran down the stairs and left the house.
2418
2419Angele turned his head around and stared at the open door of the study. He sighed, lowered his footsteps, and walked down the stairs.
2420
2421Natalia left the house as well. The house seemed a bit too big now for Angele and Markolov. The place was empty and quiet.
2422
2423Markolov summoned Angele to the study again by the evening. His condition was worsening after Natalia left. Angele saw him staring at the window and wondered what he was thinking.
2424
2425No one talked after Angele entered the room. The silence lasted for about half an hour.
2426
2427Markolov turned his head around and looked Angele.
2428
2429"I know you’re reading the books I stored in the basement recently. You can have these notes I made. They’ll help you study." He grabbed all the notes on the desk. Angele saw him writing that word-by-word not so long ago.
2430
2431Markolov handed all the notes over to Angele. It seemed like ‘Dennis’ was his last hope. A strong Wizard who failed to find a talented apprentice to inherit his knowledge. It made Angele feel downcast.
2432
2433Angele opened his mouth, but he did not know what to say. He was a Gas Stage Wizard and he already knew that Markolov was dying. Markolov’s attributes were decreasing every day. Angele could not even sense his energy particles in the room.
2434
2435He read about the information on a book that when a Wizard was about to die, his mana and mentality would dissipate. Markolov was not injured. He was just reaching the limit of his life expectancy, and that was the reason why he so desperately wanted to find someone to inherit his knowledge.
2436
2437Angele grabbed the thick notes and looked at Markolov directly in the eyes.
2438
2439"Thank you, master. I won’t let you down." He nodded with a serious expression on his face.
2440
2441Markolov was just a dying Wizard who wanted to pass his knowledge to one of his apprentices.
2442
2443"There is a total of 72 energy compression formulas. I obtained them from the master of my master. Now, I need to find someone to inherit them." Markolov smiled, looking relieved.
2444
2445"If you’re serious about learning the formulas, I have another more detailed note for you. I copied them down one by one from my master’s book."
2446
2447He struggled for a second before he stood up and took down a metal container from a bookshelf. There was a scroll inside.
2448
2449"Alright, come to me every day for a new scroll. Dennis, remember, your talent level is low, but that’s not the problem. If you work hard, one day you’ll understand the system. Never give up."
2450
2451"Yes, master." Angele nodded.
2452
2453The information recorded on Markolov’s scrolls was way too difficult for Wizard apprentices and average Wizards to understand. However, Angele had Zero, and the chip could help him understand the complicated application of the formulas.
2454
2455Combining the formulas in different ways would help him simplify the steps needed to compress the energy, and it was a high-difficulty technique. Also, after doing some research, it would seem that the technique could bring positive changes to his metal forcefield. However, due to the lack of data, Zero could not simulate the changed forcefield.
2456
2457His spell power would be increased greatly if he could master the special energy compression technique.
2458
2459It was a pleasant surprise.
2460
2461Markolov did not care whether Angele understood the information or not. He just wrote down all the things he knew and threw all the scrolls to Angele. It was as if he had no time to find another talented apprentice to pass on the system.
2462
2463Angele was excited that he could learn something new every day. He stored all the data in Zero, and he was progressing extremely fast with his strong logical thinking ability.
2464
2465Angele’s injury had fully recovered in the process, but he was not in a hurry to leave anymore. Markolov would summon him to the study in the morning and Angele would spend the whole day learning the new knowledge.
2466
2467At first, Angele thought that the technique could only be used to compress energy, but later he realized it could also be applied to mentality compression.
2468
2469He kept reading all the books and notes in Markolov’s collection and finally found the technique about mentality compression.
2470
2471Angele noticed that the red beard Wizard planted something in the flow of his mentality a while ago, but if he could master the mentality compression technique, he could easily interrupt or eliminate tracking spells like this.
2472
2473Chapter 166: The Land of Opulence – Nola (1)
2474
2475
2476It was still a bit dark outside. The sun had just appeared upon the horizon, and the howling wind blew through the forest.
2477
2478Angele lay down on the bed with his eyes closed, but his eyeballs were still rolling.
2479
2480A layer of translucent distorted shield covered his head, which looked like glue.
2481
2482The glue shrunk as the time passed. Initially, it was about the size of Angele’s head, but after ten minutes, it evenly spread on his face and became much thinner than before.
2483
2484The morning sunlight passed through the window and brightened up the room.
2485
2486The glue on Angele’s face had already been absorbed by his skin.
2487
2488Crack
2489
2490A red light dot appeared on Angele’s forehead. It was trying to fly out of the window.
2491
2492PA
2493
2494Angele hit the red light dot in the air with his hand.
2495
2496The light dot was crushed into some fire sparks and it disappeared.
2497
2498Angele opened his eyes and sat on the bed.
2499
2500‘Finally, it’s gone.’ Angele was relieved. ‘Without the mentality compression, I won’t be able to get rid of this thing. Also, the wave motion of my mentality was changed after practicing mentality compression. I think even the Wizards that are good at divination won’t be able to track me down anymore.’
2501
2502Angele relaxed for a bit before getting off the bed. He sat down by the desk, lighted the oil lamp, and started reading the scroll he acquired not so long ago.
2503
2504After he recorded everything with the chip, Angele practiced some applications of the basic compression structures until the sun rose.
2505
2506He sealed the scroll, opened the door, and left the room.
2507
2508The living room was silent. The dust in the air was visible under the sunlight. Angele stretched his back and walked up the stairs.
2509
2510A new scroll would appear on the desk in the study every morning that had been prepared by Markolov. Angele would take the scroll and study it in his own room. It already became a part of his daily routine. Markolov usually got up early. He would sit in the chair and wait for Angele to come. However, Angele found no one in the room this morning after he pushed the door open.
2511
2512A yellow letter was left on the chair with a white seal on top of it.
2513
2514Angele was a bit surprised. He walked to the chair and grabbed the seal. It was Markolov’s private seal. He then grabbed the letter and opened it:
2515
2516‘Dennis, right? I’ll just use this name.
2517
2518I already taught you everything I know. I can feel that my life energy is drying up… Last night, I talked to my son, Karen, in my dream. He’s still handsome and gentle. He told me that he purchased a large house in Valborg… I also saw my grandson. He told me they were going to have fun in the pool… Also, my old friend, Medivh, he was there too.
2519
2520I’m dying, and I don’t know how much time is left for me. However, there’s something I have to do. You can do whatever you want to the house after you read the letter. Also, I beg you, study and master the energy compression application. This technique must be passed on to the future generations.
2521
2522Markolov.’
2523
2524The letter ended here, Angele put it down on the desk. Markolov wanted to finish teaching Angele as fast as possible, so he could pursue the last wish in his life. Moreover, he must’ve not wanted for Angele to witness his death due to his pride.
2525
2526Dennis was the son of Markolov’s brother and he had many brothers. However, Dennis’s talent level was worse than his personality. Angele’s studying ability was much stronger than the real Dennis. Angele tried his best not to do anything suspicious, but Markolov still noticed Dennis’s change after all that time they had spent together.
2527
2528At least, the old Wizard ultimately found someone who could understand his system.
2529
2530Angele glanced around the room, feeling gloomy. He knew that the old Wizard had left the house while he was trying to compress his mentality. Although Angele knew that this day would come, he hadn’t expected to be so soon.
2531
2532Angele already got rid of the seed and fully recovered from the injury, so he decided to travel to his next destination. He made sure that no one was around before he took down a black pouch from his belt.
2533
2534It was the pouch found on Arisa’s body. He carefully untied the pouch and took out a bean-sized black crystal ball.
2535
2536"I shall leave too." He sighed. He threw the crystal ball in the air and left the room without looking back.
2537
2538The crystal ball dropped on the red carpet and turned into distorted dark waves, slowly spreading to all angles.
2539
2540BOOM
2541
2542Everything the wave touched — the carpet, the desk, the bookshelf, and the decorations — started burning in the raging flames.
2543
2544Outside the house, Angele stared at the burning house for a second and walked down the path with a small black case in his hand.
2545
2546The house perished within the intense red flames. All the traces of the mentality and the mana were removed by the waves from the black crystal ball, including the seed eliminated by Angele.
2547
2548Angele purchased many meat jerkies, water kegs, and other general supplies from the town. He also purchased two horses after double-checking the location of the closest big city around with the locals.
2549
2550He headed to a big city named Eracia and asked the workers at the inn about the direction of Six Ring High Tower. Angele did not want to waste any time. He purchased a map and left the city right after.
2551
2552Angele was not too far from the Six Ring High Tower. He only needed to pass through two mid-sized countries. Also, this area was safe because it was in the middle of several major Wizard organizations. He did not even meet a single magic creature in the forest and the bandits had been cleaned out a long time ago. The mortals here were living a happy life. Some of them were hired by the Wizards to collect general materials for them.
2553
2554Angele’s plan was to go to the Six Ring High Tower first and find the information on the ring. Also, he needed to collect the materials for making the Tree Killer Potion and the Potion of Tranquility. There was still a price on his head and it was impossible for him to hide for too long, so he had to proceed with caution in the area. The red beard Wizard was much stronger than him at the moment, so he decided to come back here after reaching the next stage.
2555
2556Angele traveled as fast as he could while avoiding contact with the members of the Wizard organizations that were targeting him. He spent a year to reach the area around the Six Ring High Tower.
2557
2558The area was called Highland Nola, and legends said this place was the favorite residential area of many strong Wizards.
2559
2560The highland was empty, and the ground was covered by green or yellow grasses with pieces of tiny stones on top. The seemingly endless yellow path went straight to the horizon.
2561
2562Marshmallow-like clouds were floating in the blue sky. Their shapes were changing every hour.
2563
2564A man in a gray robe was traveling down this twisted road on a strong white house. His robe was covered in dust and his face with the hood.
2565
2566It was the fourth day after Angele arrived at the highland. One of the horses he purchased died due to illness during the trip. The white one was now all he had.
2567
2568The howling wind blew over Angele’s face. It was quite cold.
2569
2570A brown road sign was lying on the ground in the front. The ink on the sign had already faded and it seemed that no one tried to repair it over the years.
2571
2572Angele looked relieved after finding the road sign.
2573
2574"Finally, I’m getting close!" He stopped by the road sign and jumped off the horse.
2575
2576He wiped the dust off the sign and saw several words written in Anmag: ‘Nola, the Land of Affluence.’
2577
2578Angele raised his head and looked ahead. There were two twisted white pillars on both sides of the road. They looked like two humongous fangs that were guiding the entrance quietly.
2579
2580He held the reins in hand as he walked to one of the pillars and rubbed its surface. It was rough and cold. There were many tiny holes that resulted from the weathering.
2581
2582"This is the border of Nola…"
2583
2584Angele rested beside the pillars for a while before leaving.
2585
2586There were many random forked paths on the main road after about 10 kilometers. They looked like yellow cloth stripes that were laid down beside the main road. The main road was covered by tiny stones and was about ten meters wide.
2587
2588The only thing he could see was the endless road. There was no other traveler around. After traveling for two more hours, he could find a random path about every hundred meters.
2589
2590Angele finally saw a man in a gray robe came from a path from the left side. He was riding a yellow horse and he did not say a word while passing by. The man kept whipping the horse and he quickly disappeared in Angele’s sight. It seemed like he was dealing with something urgent.
2591
2592More and more people appeared along the paths as Angele advanced.
2593
2594Some were riding horses and some were driving carriages. Angele saw fruits and wheat in the carts attached to their carriages. Also, most of the people were wearing gray robes. Angele could sense the energy particles around coming from rank 2 Wizard apprentices.
2595
2596The people he saw on the way were all Wizard apprentices. He did not even meet a single mortal.
2597
2598Angele arrived at a large peaceful lake. He could see the gray mountains on the other side of the water.
2599
2600The surface of the lake was like an enormous mirror. The clouds and the sky reflected on the surface of it. Two groups of people were resting by the lake. Some of them were washing their faces and some of them were setting up campfires by their carriages. It seemed like they were cooking something, Angele could smell the fragrance of fish soup in the air.
2601
2602Angele jumped off the horse and held the reins in hand. He took down a large empty water pouch from the saddle.
2603
2604The horse started drinking water by the lake. Angele crouched and refilled his water pouch with the clean lake water.
2605
2606Chapter 167: The Land of Opulence – Nola (2)
2607
2608
2609Bubbles rose to the surface as Angele put the pouch into the lake. The water was clean and cold. He could see the fish swimming through the waving grasses underwater.
2610
2611There were thin ripples on the surface of the water, and Angele saw a palm-sized silver fish moving toward him. Strangely, its head was flat, and it almost looked like someone had cut it in half. Its face looked like a tiny depressed human with sharp teeth under the lips.
2612
2613The strange-looking fish saw Angele’s hands in the lake, and its eyes filled up with greed. It quickly swung its tail and charged forward.
2614
2615CHI
2616
2617A silver needle appeared on the tip of Angele’s right hand's index finger and penetrated the fish’s body.
2618
2619He grabbed the dead fish, dragged it out of the water, and started observing curiously.
2620
2621It was identical to regular silver-scaled fish except for its head. The fish was still moving after it was dragged out of the water, blood dripping down its tail.
2622
2623Angele’s actions attracted people’s attention from one of the groups that had already left after washing their faces. A young man and a girl from the group beside the campfire watched him killing it. They were interested in the spell Angele had just casted.
2624
2625Angele dropped the dead fish onto the ground and walked to the people beside the campfire.
2626
2627They were wearing clothes with identical sigils. Some of them were in hunting suits while the others were wearing robes and dresses. White arrow marks were on top of their left shoulders; it looked like they were made of metal.
2628
2629Angele took a glance at their carriages and also found the white arrow marks there, on the black doors. They looked simple but high-quality.
2630
2631A young man stood up after seeing Angele walking over to them. He was wearing a brown leather coat and long boots. It seemed like he was the leader of the group.
2632
2633"How can I help you?" the man asked in standard Anmag. It was the universal language in this area.
2634
2635The other five people looked at Angele and stood up as well. Angele took a glance at them and checked their status with the chip.
2636
2637Three rank 2 apprentices and 3 rank 3 apprentices. They were also carrying weapons like swords and scimitars.
2638
2639"My name is Green, it’s my first time here. Can you tell me some information about the Land of Opulence, Nola?" Angele answered in Anmag with a smile, making up the name on the spot.
2640
2641He slightly swung his hand and a regular magic stone appeared on his palm. The leader observed Angele for a second and smiled after seeing what was on his palm.
2642
2643"Sure, no problem. Come have a seat."
2644
2645The leader waved his hand and asked the others to make space for Angele.
2646
2647Angele walked to the campfire and sat down by it.
2648
2649"Can you tell me about the organizations around here first, I really have no idea about the situation."
2650
2651The leader sat down by Angele and pointed at a young girl wearing a leather skirt.
2652
2653"Asuna, explain it to him, you know the most about the organizations."
2654
2655The girl nodded, looking happy. The other people around shook their heads. It seemed like they all liked the only girl in the group.
2656
2657"Sure, I need the money anyway." The girl turned her head around and looked at Angele.
2658
2659"The situation of the organizations here is simple."
2660
2661She cleared her throat.
2662
2663"Nola has three major wizard organizations: Six Ring High Tower, White Tooth Castle, and The Snake Bird Cliff. The Six Ring High Tower has the most power, while White Tooth Castle is located at White Tooth Highland, and it is second in power. The Snake Bird Cliff is at the third place.
2664
2665"The Six Ring High Tower is famous for its enchanted items and potions. The White Tooth Castle is the strangest organization among the light wizards, and The Snake Bird Cliff is not funded by humans. Also, there are many small wizard organizations in the area just trying to survive with their specialties, and that concludes the situation of the wizard organizations."
2666
2667Angele nodded. "How about the mortals? The cities and the towns?"
2668
2669"There are not many mortals here, most of the people are apprentices and they’re from wizard families. The organizations need to trade resources with each other, so many towns and cities have turned into trading markets. Also, the wizards brought radiation energy to the residential areas, so the mortals here had to leave. The people left here are all related to the wizard families," the girl explained.
2670
2671"There are many wizards and apprentices entering the land from outside to trade for resources or knowledge. One of the largest resource points on the land is also in the middle of the countries in the area."
2672
2673Angele rubbed his chin, grasping the general idea of the situation here.
2674
2675"So, this area is pretty much run by wizards and apprentices?"
2676
2677"You’re right. Nola is surrounded by many wizards’ residential areas and they’re the source of daily supplies. Actually, Nola is the center of this land."
2678
2679The girl nodded.
2680
2681"It’s yours."
2682
2683Angele smiled and threw the magic stone to the girl. The girl caught it and put it in her pouch.
2684
2685"By the way, which organization are you guys from? Can you tell me?"
2686
2687Angele stood up.
2688
2689"Certainly, we're not from any of the three major wizard organizations. We’re apprentices of the River Arrow."
2690
2691The girl smiled.
2692
2693"How long will it take to reach the town?"
2694
2695"About two to three hours. If you’re not in a hurry, you can join our group," the leader said, joining the conversation.
2696
2697"Sure, much appreciated."
2698
2699Angele nodded.
2700
2701They shared some food by the lake and started traveling together.
2702
2703More and more people appeared on the road ahead, and it was the first time Angele saw people wearing blue robes.
2704
2705He observed the group while having a conversation with them. It seemed like they trusted each other a lot. The people here were different from the ones in the area that was full of dark wizards—they were willing to help and trust each other.
2706
2707The atmosphere here was peaceful.
2708
2709"Nola is the largest residential area for wizards on the west coast and most of the wizards here are light wizards. They’re responsible for keeping the area peaceful and safe."
2710
2711The leading man was driving the carriage and talking with Angele, who was riding a white horse.
2712
2713"It’s so peaceful here…"
2714
2715Angele sighed.
2716
2717"Yeah. Any form of fighting is forbidden here, it doesn’t matter if you’re an apprentice or a wizard. The rule itself is enforced by the three major wizard organizations. Its purpose is to provide apprentices and wizards that come here to study or do research a safe heaven. Actually, only dark wizards and Labyrinth College fight all day, the wizards in other areas would rather spend the time on studying. It takes years to learn the basics, but I think you already know that," the man explained.
2718
2719A man with a mustache joined their conversation.
2720
2721"I heard a ship was destroyed in an accident by the coastline of Labyrinth College awhile ago. The light wizard in charge went missing as well. It’s the biggest news I heard this year. Some say the dark wizards did it. We barely fought any magical creatures… No way could we win a fight against a dark wizard."
2722
2723"Of course… The dark wizards are put into dangerous environments the moment they become apprentices. We’re light wizards and most of us just study our own projects, but the wizard hunters are an exception. The only thing the dark wizards care about is power. Apprentices die every day in the dark wizards’ organizations."
2724
2725A middle-aged man on the side sighed.
2726
2727"Most of the apprentices are psychos. I can’t even imagine what they’ll do after becoming wizards…" the girl said, pursing her lips. "We’re more civilized than those dark wizards for sure."
2728
2729Angele did not say anything, just listening to their conversation with a smile on his face. The group kept discussing the things they knew about Nola, and Angele learned a lot.
2730
2731He finally realized that he had only seen the dark side of the wizard world. According to the information these apprentices shared, most of the residential areas were controlled by light wizards, and they were usually safe.
2732
2733Nola, Labyrinth College, and the land of dark wizards were all on the west coast.
2734
2735The size of the land here still exceeded Angele’s expectations.
2736
2737"So, people here must join the organizations and families once they become apprentices? And they’ll focus on the subjects they’re good at? I lived in a remote area with my master and it’s my first time learning the basics of wizard organizations," Angele said in a calm tone.
2738
2739"Yeah." The girl nodded. "Here, more programs and research projects will bring more power to a major wizard organization. The Six Ring High Tower is definitely at the top. Five years ago, a humongous tornado hit the Silver Ring City, and I witnessed wizards from Six Ring High Tower eliminate the tornado with ease. They have a faculty that specializes in dealing with natural disasters."
2740
2741"What? There are wizards specialized in dealing with natural disasters? How strong are they?" Angele asked curiously.
2742
2743"They’re weaker than the wizards specialized in fighting for sure…" The girl rolled her eyes.
2744
2745"Also, there’s a hunter force in the Six Ring High Tower. The members of the team are specialists in killing and city-level defensive skills. They’re the only people that can fight the strongest dark wizards."
2746
2747"A hunter force?"
2748
2749Angele memorized the name.
2750
2751Light wizards were not interested in engaging in wars or fights. The people living here thought that they had created an ideal society, and the hunter force was like the army and the police. They considered dark wizards as terrorists and uncivilized thugs.
2752
2753Angele thought for a while and asked, "What if the dark wizards disguise themselves as light wizards and enter Nola? Won’t that be dangerous?"
2754
2755"It’s not a problem. There are way more light wizards than dark wizards. They can stay here as long as they don’t break any rules, but the necromancers are never allowed to enter Nola, they stink… Also, the hunter force has recruited several dark wizards already, it’s not a big deal," the girl explained.
2756
2757"Interesting."
2758
2759Chapter 168: Requirements (1)
2760
2761
2762Angele kept chatting with the group members as they advanced, obtaining a general idea of the rules and happenings here during the conversations on various topics.
2763
2764The only girl named Asuna was a knife juggler, and she was in charge of ranged attacks.
2765
2766The leader was named Silen. He had grown up in a wizard family, while the rest of the group members were apprentices from outside Nola.
2767
2768"Your name reminds me of an old friend."
2769
2770Angele pursed his lips into a smile.
2771
2772"Is that so?" Silen smiled as well. "My grandfather named me. It means ‘hope’ in my hometown’s language. Green, I haven’t got the chance to ask you why you’re here? We can help you if you need something."
2773
2774Angele could see the sincerity in Silen’s eyes.
2775
2776"I’m just here for some rare materials. I already spent a long time trying to find them. If it’s not too much trouble for you, I actually have some questions to ask, and I’ll pay you for sure."
2777
2778Angele nodded.
2779
2780"No problem. The Silen Family originated in Nola and they’re familiar with the area," Asuna added and chuckled.
2781
2782More and more carriages appeared on the stone road as they traveled. There were also some pedestrians with heavy bags on their backs. The noise made by the rolling wheels and the horses was getting louder.
2783
2784The carriages were going uphill and Angele saw tiny piles of snow and gray stones filling up the gaps between the green grasses.
2785
2786He stayed on his horse and raised his head.
2787
2788At the end of the road, a mountain covered in white snow appeared in his sight. A tall rectangular stone pillar stood in front of the entrance. The pedestrians were passing by its left side and the carriages were passing by its right side.
2789
2790The surface of the stone pillar had the texture of glass: it was smooth and reflective.
2791
2792Angele pulled the reins of his horse and slowed it down, observing the stone pillar carefully. After his mentality was compressed, he could see that it was surrounded by distorted waves.
2793
2794It was almost like the stone pillar was a signal tower and the waves were spreading in all direction, but he was not sure what the waves could do.
2795
2796"Silen, what’s that?" Angele pointed at the stone pillar.
2797
2798Silen looked at the direction Angele was pointed at and smiled. "It’s the Pillar of Dark Crystal. I heard it’s used to detect intense energy activity in a certain area and it’s used to prevent wizards from casting powerful damage spells."
2799
2800"Some say it can do more than that." The middle-aged man joined the conversation.
2801
2802"Hey, Asuna. There’s a message for you from your father, he wants to talk to you as soon as possible."
2803
2804Asuna looked surprised. "What’s the matter? I still need to clean the materials."
2805
2806"Well, we can do that for you. Go see your father first. It’s something urgent I think." Silen took out two mid-level magic stones from his pouch. One mid-level magic stone could be exchanged for ten regular magic stones.
2807
2808He handed over the magic stones to Asuna.
2809
2810"This is your share of the reward based on the current market rate. However, if the items are sold for a higher price, I’ll keep the rest to myself. Heh…"
2811
2812Silen looked at Asuna and chuckled.
2813
2814"That’ way too much… why?"
2815
2816Asuna hesitated, but Silen had already thrown the magic stones to her, so she caught them in the air.
2817
2818The others laughed while watching the scene. The conversation topic was changed right away and they stopped talking about the price of the items.
2819
2820Angele already knew Asuna needed money, and the members of the group treated her like their own sister. They usually gave her a big portion of the reward; Angele liked that peaceful atmosphere in the group a lot.
2821
2822"Actually, I have something to take care of later. Asuna, why don’t you introduce the place to Green?" Silen suddenly asked.
2823
2824"Umm… But I have to go see my father first…"
2825
2826Asuna pursed her lips.
2827
2828Angele smiled. He took out a mid-level magic stone and threw it to Asuna.
2829
2830"It’s for you."
2831
2832Asuna caught it quickly. "That’s too much. Just give me two regular magic stones. I’ll get you the change…"
2833
2834She quickly untied her pouch from the belt.
2835
2836"It’s fine. Put it back."
2837
2838Angele waved his hand. He knew how important magic stones were to apprentices. He still had one black card in his pouch. The card was made from a special type of magic stone and it could be exchanged for about one thousand regular magic stones. And he also had several high-level magic stones for daily uses. To top it, he could craft potions and sell them. Earning magic stones was really not a problem to him anymore.
2839
2840So Angele insisted on paying Asuna a mid-level magic stone, and her face blushing, she carefully put it into her pouch.
2841
2842The group members' impression of Angele changed after seeing him giving away a mid-level magic stone so easily. They thought Angele was either rich or supported by a large wizard family.
2843
2844Asuna sat in the carriage, her head lowered, and mumbled, "The reward for our mission plus the profit of selling the materials is about 60 magic stones, and this guy gave me one mid-level magic stone just for introducing the area to him…"
2845
2846"Well, he’s probably a member of a large family." A group member nodded. "Asuna, you should talk to him more. I’m sorry but, at this rate, you won’t be able to pay the debt for your family… this is a chance…"
2847
2848Asuna bit her lips but did not say anything. She knew getting closer to Green was her best option at the moment, but she still preferred to earn the money by doing missions with the group.
2849
2850Outside the carriage, Green was still talking with Silen until the carriage stopped by the black pillar.
2851
2852It was built on a square, which was made from some special stone with a gray surface. The carriages were entering from the right side of the pillar while pedestrians were mixed with the leaving carriages on the left side.
2853
2854Angele halted the horse and stared at the black pillar. Its surface was smooth like a mirror, and it was surrounded by the translucent waves.
2855
2856He then lowered his head and looked ahead. The square was built in a gap between the snow mountains. Everything was gray around here, and behind the black pillar, it was an entrance of a canyon.
2857
2858Angele followed the people into the canyon, and he heard the noise of water falling. A humongous cup-shaped canyon appeared in his sight with two white streams cascading down the rocky outcrops; they were the source of the intense noise.
2859
2860Countless sharp rock cliffs covered the surface of the black-grayish mountains.
2861
2862Old gray stone houses were built on each of the cliffs, green mosses and vines climbing up their walls.
2863
2864On the right side of the stone wall, there was a twisted mountain road leading the carriages and pedestrians uphill.
2865
2866"Let’s go."
2867
2868Silen jumped off the carriage and held the reins of the two horses in hand.
2869
2870Angele noticed that the road was a bit bumpy, meaning it would be a bad idea to travel too fast with the crowd, so he jumped off the horse and took the reins in hand as well.
2871
2872The entrance was wide. It was good enough for five to six carriages to enter at the same time.
2873
2874"We’ll arrive at Nola after this canyon. There’s a general market there that sells flour, meat, fruits, and daily supplies, everything you need on the road."
2875
2876Asuna jumped off the carriage as well and followed after Angele.
2877
2878"The markets are the most popular places in Nola. Each of the major organizations owns one major market. All the trading between wizard organizations must be done in those markets. However, this one here is open to public and it doesn’t belong to any family or organization," Asuna explained.
2879
2880"How many markets are there in Nola?" Angele wondered.
2881
2882"Five in total including this one. Three are built by the major organizations and they’re open to the apprentices or wizards from outside. The smaller organizations built one together as well."
2883
2884Asuna pointed at the cliffs.
2885
2886"You see those stone houses? They’re vendors opened by the markets, and each one sells resources of a certain category. They’re protected by the organizations that own them and the price usually seems fair.
2887
2888"This one here, the public market, is protected by all the organizations since it’s important for all the travelers and people living in Nola. One thing to note is that the three markets owned by the major organizations have high-level security, the wizards have too many tricks that need to be prevented."
2889
2890"Indeed." Angele knew at least ten methods that could make a fair-looking trade unfair.
2891
2892"Do they sell spell materials here?"
2893
2894"Well, as I said, the public market only sells daily supplies. You don’t get any materials that are related to spells here, but you can buy clothes or food, and of course, none of the suits are enchanted here."
2895
2896They were slowly advancing through the crowded road. The warm and wet wind was howling through the canyon. The place was surrounded by snow mountains, but for some reason, it was still warm.
2897
2898On one of the cliffs on the left, there were several carts parked in front of a stone house. Ten strong workers were carrying goods into the house and two supervisors were yelling at them. Their voices were unclear due to the noisy waterfalls.
2899
2900Asuna noticed what Angele was looking at it and said, "That vendor sells beans, such as red beans, black beans, and sea beans. They’re collected and delivered here by the merfolk." She stopped for a second. "Actually, most of the food here is delivered by merfolk."
2901
2902"The merfolk?"
2903
2904Angele was surprised.
2905
2906"Yeah, look at their faces, I mean the ones carrying the goods down the cart."
2907
2908Asuna lowered her voice.
2909
2910Angele nodded and started observing those worker’s faces.
2911
2912Chapter 169: Requirements (2)
2913
2914
2915Those workers did look different, their skin was blue and scales covered their cheeks. Also, their faces had the shapes of horses, and they all had bronze earrings on one of their ears.
2916
2917The other group members were discussing something else in low voices while Asuna explained the basics to Angele. Suddenly, they heard a horse stomping from behind.
2918
2919Angele and Asuna moved to the side immediately, seeing a black unicorn rushing past at full speed.
2920
2921The rider was an old man wearing a white robe, his long beard flying in the air.
2922
2923"A wizard," Asuna told Angele in a low voice.
2924
2925Angele nodded, he could sense the force field around the old man; he was the first wizard Angele had met in Nola.
2926
2927People all moved to the side to let the light wizard pass, and he disappeared from Angele’s sight after several seconds.
2928
2929"Let’s keep moving. The next market is not far away. You can trade for materials there."
2930
2931Asuna wiped some dust off her skirt.
2932
2933Angele nodded.
2934
2935"I’ll have to talk to my father first, but before that, I’ll take you to the market owned by the Six Ring High Tower, you can take a look there, and I’ll be right back," she added.
2936
2937"Sure."
2938
2939Angele was not in a hurry anyway.
2940
2941　　****
2942
2943PA
2944
2945A black pouch was put down on the table, full of magic stones.
2946
2947Angele put his hands on the table as well and looked at the clerk behind the counter.
2948
2949"Tree Killer Potion, do you have it here?"
2950
2951The clerk was a tall and strong man, his body covered in a dirty gray robe which was a bit too small for his size.
2952
2953"Tree Killer Potion? Are you kidding me, sir? You’re in a potion shop, but it doesn’t mean we sell potions from the tales." The clerk shrugged. "I’m sorry, but can you ask for something more common?"
2954
2955"Really? You don’t have it?" Angele scrunched his eyebrows. "I’m in Nola, right?"
2956
2957"Yeah, yeah. You can find everything in Nola they say, but there are things that can’t be purchased with just magic stones," the clerk explained, his lips pursed. "Our shop sells things that are attractive to apprentices, but the potion you asked for is from the tales, used by the legendary ancient wizards…"
2958
2959"Well, do you know where I can find it?"
2960
2961Angele had followed Asuna to the closest market and found a potion vendor, but the result was disappointing.
2962
2963Asuna returned to her home after taking Angele to the vendor, but she had already exchanged a communication rune with Angele.
2964
2965The market owned by Six Ring High Tower was in the same canyon as the public market, so it only took them several minutes to reach it. Silen and his group had gone to the other side to clean the materials.
2966
2967"I’ll be honest with you, sir. The master wizards keep the rare materials, formulas, and potions for themselves. They won’t trade it with you. Also, you need to at least join one of the organizations here to get the permit to purchase relatively rare materials. I suggest you talk to Master Vice."
2968
2969"Master Vice?"
2970
2971Angele was about to ask for the details about Vice.
2972
2973"Hey, you! How long do you need? I didn’t see you buying anything."
2974
2975A strong man in a leather suit was losing his patience.
2976
2977Angele turned his head around and stared the man down. The man’s expression changed and his face turned pale.
2978
2979Angele looked at the clerk again. "So, where’s this master Vice?"
2980
2981"Turn left and you'll find him in the first stone house you see…" The clerk felt the tension in the air and he answered anxiously. "Sir, again, you need to at least join one of the local organizations, otherwise, he won’t sell any rare materials to you."
2982
2983"I thought you were joking." Angele’s brow furrowed. "I have to join a local organization for that?"
2984
2985"Yes. He’ll only sell you normal materials if you don’t."
2986
2987The clerk nodded.
2988
2989The potion vendor was inside a small stone house as well; Angele could still hear the waterfall brushing the rocks.
2990
2991The five people behind Angele lowered their heads after seeing his eyes, deciding not to say anything.
2992
2993The aura around Angele was horrifying. The man had stared down a strong mercenary like he was going to kill him the next second. They knew that the man was strong. Only wizards and apprentices that focused on damaging spells would have bloody auras like that.
2994
2995"I hope you’re telling the truth."
2996
2997Angele nodded, grabbed the pouch, and left the vendor.
2998
2999‘I need to join a local organization before I can buy those things… Damn.'
3000
3001Angele had a plan in mind. He took a glance at the people outside the vendor and decided not to hide his aura anymore.
3002
3003The apprentices on the street noticed Angele’s presence and stopped chatting, staring at him.
3004
3005"Hey, do you know how to join the Six Ring High Tower?" Angele suddenly shouted out.
3006
3007The apprentices looked at each other, no one knowing how to answer Angele’s question.
3008
3009He took out a mid-level magic stone and threw it into the air. The magic stone spun several times before dropping on his palm.
3010
3011The people around looked over with excitement. They were scared by Angele’s aura and serious face when he walked out of the vendor, but no one could resist a mid-level magic stone.
3012
3013"Me!" A short man with a cap raised his arm. "I can take you to Six Ring High Tower’s communication stand."
3014
3015Angele nodded, about to throw the magic stone to the man.
3016
3017Suddenly, a familiar face appeared in the crowd - it was Asuna. She had already changed to a tight leather suit, and she was breathing heavily.
3018
3019"Don’t. Your local guide is here. Sorry, I’m late."
3020
3021Asuna’s tight brown chest armor revealed her slim waist and large breasts. Although her face was just average, she still had one of the most balanced bodies among the girls Angele had ever met.
3022
3023"Great, I thought it would take you awhile." Angele stopped releasing his mentality waves and the aura around him disappeared. "Let’s go."
3024
3025Asuna nodded and they left together.
3026
3027The short man shrugged, looking disappointed.
3028
3029The potion vendor's shop was built on a cliff with a huge square. Countless stones covered the square, their sizes varied. The mountain ended here, but it was connected to another humongous cliff with a bridge.
3030
3031Asuna led Angele to the other side of the square, walking downhill on another path. It was a smaller one and not many people were here.
3032
3033There were many apprentices on the square checking different stores, but it seemed most of them ignored this path.
3034
3035"Those vendors are for the normal apprentices, the better ones are down here, but only wizards or high-rank apprentices need those rare materials…" Asuna explained in a polite tone. "Green, are you a rank 3 apprentice?"
3036
3037Angele shook his head. "No, I’m a wizard."
3038
3039There was no point to hide anymore, he had already entered a safe area. He thought disguising himself as an apprentice would only bring him trouble later.
3040
3041"Wait, what? A formal wizard?!"
3042
3043Asuna’s eyes went wide open, surprise evident in her expression. She stopped walking and just stared at Angele.
3044
3045Two of the apprentices walking down heard Asuna’s word and took a glance at Angele.
3046
3047Angele scanned them using the chip and learned that the two were rank 3 apprentices. The light wizard on the unicorn was still the only wizard he had met here.
3048
3049"Move. We still have things to do," he said in a low voice.
3050
3051"Oh, yeah, sorry. I’ll take you to the vendors reserved for wizards." Asuna realized she still needed to guide Angele. "Only wizards are allowed in that area. I’m sorry I didn’t know you were a wizard on the way here. I’ll return the magic stones to you now."
3052
3053She put her hand into the pouch and tried to take out the magic stones.
3054
3055"It’s fine. You deserve those. So, there’s an area for wizards? I should’ve told you earlier."
3056
3057Angele had wondered why the largest residential area for wizards was full of apprentices.
3058
3059"Hey, sorry for interrupting. Are you going to the wizard area as well?" a young man’s voice came from the side.
3060
3061A handsome man with short white hair smiled at Angele from the side. "I’m going there as well, why don’t you join me?" His voice was gentle and deep.
3062
3063Angele had a glance at the man and nodded. "Yeah, I’m looking for some materials."
3064
3065The man was wearing a white robe, and there was a bronze circlet on his head. Many complicated patterns were engraved onto that circlet, and the man’s body was surrounded by a dense force field.
3066
3067"Is this your first time here?" the young man asked, not interested in Asuna at all.
3068
3069Asuna stood beside Angele. She lowered her head and did not say anything, the magic stones she just took out from the pouch were still in her hands.
3070
3071Angele nodded. "Yeah, it’s my first time in Nola."
3072
3073"There should be someone by the black pillar welcoming wizards, did he miss you?" The man scrunched his eyebrows a bit. "Actually, let’s chat on our way to the wizard area. You can call me Ainphent."
3074
3075"My name is Green. No one talked to me at the black pillar."
3076
3077Angele’s eyebrows furrowed. There was only one possibility, his mentality wave must have reduced after he had compressed his mentality. He could control the energy particles and mentality usage much better than before, and it seemed like the black pillar had not detected his true mentality level at all. It could be a good thing for him.
3078
3079"Maybe the black pillar needs maintenance?" Ainphent rubbed his chin. "Well, I’m not sure what happened. I’ll take you to the wizard area first," he said and pointed at Asuna. "But not this woman, unless she’s your servant. I don’t want to offend you, but why do you take her with you? She’s not even cute…"
3080
3081"Is that so?"
3082
3083Angele pursed his lips, he did not like Ainphent’s attitude toward Asuna. He would not disrespect apprentices just because he was a wizard. However, it seemed like Asuna was not angry at all, she just stood there and did not say a word.
3084
3085"Hey, Ain, long time no see."
3086
3087A small black carriage came by.
3088
3089A chubby woman stuck her head out of the window and greeted Ainphent, her voice intentionally made to sound cute.
3090
3091The woman had a triple chin and cheeks so fat like nothing Angele had seen before.
3092
3093"Hey, Med, you’re still adorable. Long time no see, I heard you just came back from Northland Alliance. How’s the war with underground races?" Ainphent greeted the chubby woman with a smile on his face. It seemed like they had known each other for a long time.
3094
3095Angele heard Ainphent say the word ‘adorable’ before seeing the woman and then he felt a bit uncomfortable.
3096
3097"Ain, I purchased several strong ones from Northland Alliance this time. I can give you one if you want. You’re my best friend, haha. And actually, I didn’t gather any intel on the war." The woman turned her head to Angele and said, "Hey, be careful. Wizard Ain is especially interested in muscular men like you."
3098
3099Ainphent’s expression changed. Angele looked at him and slowly took a step back.
3100
3101The carriage slowly left, but Angele could still hear Med giggling.
3102
3103Ainphent had a bitter smile on his face. "Well, I did find you charming and I hope you don’t mind… Nevermind, let’s just get moving…"
3104
3105Angele was speechless—the second and third wizards he had met had some unique personalities. He was not sure if it was a good thing or not.
3106
3107Asuna finally raised her head and Angele saw a weird expression on her face.
3108
3109Chapter 170: The Trade (1)
3110
3111
3112Angele followed Ainphent, telling Asuna that he would contact her later since they had already exchanged their communication sigils.
3113
3114Asuna understood that she would not be allowed in the wizard area so she nodded and left.
3115
3116Angele followed Ainphent down the hill, and he started seeing more wizards on the way after passing several intersections with other mountain roads.
3117
3118"I don’t mind it if you prefer to date men, however, if you’re interested in me, I’ll have to say sorry," Angele said with a low voice, his eyebrows furrowed.
3119
3120Ainphent smiled. "What if I tell you, I was once a woman before the accident happened during an experiment, will you believe me?"
3121
3122Angele was surprised. "What? You were a woman?"
3123
3124He stared at Ainphent and observed him again.
3125
3126Ainphent’s face was handsome, his white short hair clean and straight. His skin was a bit pale, but his body was balanced and strong. Angele found nothing that indicated the gentleman in front of him had once been a female.
3127
3128"Do you mind if I ask what the experiment was about?"
3129
3130Angele found it hard to believe, but he understood that wizards did strange experiments all the time.
3131
3132"I can’t tell you the details, but I was infected by polluted energy leaking out of containers. Something in my body changed and I failed to find a way to stop it. My appearance became like this after several years," Ainphent explained. He sounded depressed.
3133
3134Angele did not know what he should say after listening to Ainphent’s words. They stopped chatting and walked down the path quietly.
3135
3136The left side of the path was a mountain and the right side was a large cliff. A waterfall was cascading down the rocks under the cliff and the water was joining a river in the canyon below.
3137
3138On the farther side, there was a high, white obelisk hidden in thin mist. The surface of the obelisk was smooth like a mirror, and it looked identical to the black pillar by the entrance except for the pyramidal top.
3139
3140Angele raised his head and saw a white glow on the top of the tall obelisk.
3141
3142A tiny black dot was slowly leaving the top of the obelisk, flying to the left, however, it was too far away from Angele for him to see what it was.
3143
3144Ainphent noticed what Angele was staring at and explained, "Are you looking at the obelisk? There are six of them and they are called ‘Signal Obelisks’. The six obelisks are arranged in such a way that they form a giant circle. The place is named Six Ring High Tower not because of the layer but rather that each obelisk exists as an individual ring that completes the circle. It’s also one of the most famous visitor attractions on the west coast."
3145
3146He pointed at the areas that were blocked by the mountains.
3147
3148"Without those mountains, you’d be able to see the other two Signal Towers. They have the same height and look exactly just like the one you’re staring at."
3149
3150"Indeed, they’re magnificent."
3151
3152Angele nodded.
3153
3154"These obelisks were built at least 3000 years ago, and they were almost destroyed during the wars. However, after years of repairing, they’re now in good shape. The obelisks have witnessed the fall and rise of the west coast," Ainphent added.
3155
3156It was the first-time that Angele had seen one of the wonders of this world.
3157
3158The two were walking down when they heard something wings flapping on the side.
3159
3160There were five large black vultures in the air, flying down the mountains.
3161
3162Each of the vultures was about five meters long, their feathers all black and their necks bald. Angele saw several people wearing dark green long robes sitting on their backs.
3163
3164One of the vultures flew by Angele and the strong rush of wind blew the lap of his robe. The vultures flapped their wings from time to time, slowly gliding down.
3165
3166Ainphent smiled. "They’re probably members of one of the local wizard families; they’re the guards of this market. I think they just came back from patrolling since their shift is over."
3167
3168"You mean… They send formal wizards just to patrol the area?"
3169
3170Angele was a bit surprised.
3171
3172"Things like this will only happen in Nola, haha."
3173
3174Ainphent chuckled.
3175
3176They heard other wizards chatting about the landing vultures. The place got noisy within seconds.
3177
3178Angele heard many different languages mixed with dialects and only two of them were found in Zero’s database. He looked at Ainphent, wanting to ask if he knew what the others were talking about.
3179
3180The other saw Angele looking at him and shrugged, it seemed like he did not what others were saying as well.
3181
3182They stopped the conversation and reached the bottom of the canyon after several minutes.
3183
3184A small square appeared in Angele’s sight.
3185
3186There was a tall black stone gate on the surface of the rock. It looked like the gate was built a long time ago, the components already having started to decay due to the weather. On top of the gate, there was an oval-shaped white stone and an eye-shaped complicated pattern engraved onto it.
3187
3188The gate was about ten meters tall and eight meters wide, and closed. Green vines climbed up its sides, and there was a small flight of stone steps in the front. On the right side of the steps, there was a brazier with burning firewood inside.
3189
3190The vultures had already landed on the square when Angele and Ainphent arrived at the gate. All the wizards in green robes jumped off their birds and walked toward the stone gate.
3191
3192Ainphent whispered to Angele, "You saw the green robe leading the team? The one with a huge scimitar on his back? His name is Kuirman, one of the strongest wizards in the three major families that rule the Six Ring High Tower. Also, people say he’s a member of the hunter force."
3193
3194"Really?"
3195
3196Angele’s sight fell upon the leading green robe.
3197
3198The man was tall and strong. There was a silver scimitar on his back, and his face was covered by a hood.
3199
3200An old light wizard stopped the green robes as they approached the door. Kuirman turned around. It seemed like he knew the old wizard since they started chatting.
3201
3202Angele finally got to see Kuirman’s face.
3203
3204He had an aquiline nose, his cheeks were thin, and his skin had the texture of wax. The man looked cold and ruthless with his sharp green eyes.
3205
3206Although he was laughing while talking to the old wizard, he still gave Angele an uncomfortable feeling.
3207
3208Angele knew the man had plenty of blood on his hands; he had to have a lot of experience from battlefields.
3209
3210Angele stopped staring at Kuirman and walked to the gate with Ainphent.
3211
3212Kuirman turned around and walked past the gate as well after he finished the conversation with the old wizard.
3213
3214CHI
3215
3216All the wizards who contacted the gate, including Kuirman and his team, all turned translucent and vanished into it.
3217
3218Angele and Ainphent sank into the gate too, and Angele felt like he had just gone through a thin layer of water screen; it was cold and smooth.
3219
3220A simple small town was behind the stone gate. There were black wooden houses, their walls made of gray bricks. The place was quiet and peaceful.
3221
3222On the opposite side of the gate, there was a well surrounded by some black bricks, and beside it, there was a wooden bucket.
3223
3224An old lady wearing a dark red robe was fetching water with the bucket beside the well.
3225
3226Angele stood at the entrance and overlooked the town.
3227
3228The street was full of wizards wearing white, green, or red robes. It was the first time he saw so many wizards in one place. All of them were chatting and walking around.
3229
3230Several maple trees were planted between the black houses. Those torches of fire brought some energy to the gray town.
3231
3232Angele turned his head around and looked at the gate; it was still closed.
3233
3234"So, you want to purchase materials, right? If you want the rare ones, you’ll have to join an organization. What are you looking for if you don’t mind me asking?" Ainphent asked.
3235
3236"The formula and materials for an ancient potion. Do I really have to join an organization just for that? Isn't there another method?"
3237
3238Angele’s brow furrowed.
3239
3240They followed the crowd into the town, walking on a cobblestone road.
3241
3242"Well, there are several ways you can bypass that requirement. However, only a few wizards have such rights in the whole wizard area. What formula and materials do you need exactly?"
3243
3244"The Tree Killer Potion. I heard it’s a potion from the tales."
3245
3246Angele finally understood how rare the potions listed by Zero were. However, without the potion, his chances of reaching the next stage would be much lower. And since that was his first priority at the moment, the increase in success rate by 45% from the Tree Killer potion would be extremely helpful.
3247
3248"Also, I need some books on potion crafting," Angele added.
3249
3250Ainphent pursed his lips.
3251
3252"The Tree Killer Potion? If I’m not wrong, it’s a potion that helps you reach the next stage by energizing your brain… It’s a high-level ancient potion and it’s hard to craft. Do you really need it?"
3253
3254"I do. Is there anything you can do for me?" Angele nodded.
3255
3256"Well… Any potion that helps wizards reach the next stage is rare, let alone the ancient ones… Also, even if you have the formula, where can you find the materials? They might have already gone extinct. If we could just drink potions to reach the next stage, why would we meditate every day…" Ainphent shook his head. "I know a wizard at Crystal stage who I’m sure knew something about this. She owed me one, so I’m sure she’ll help. What do you think? We can just go ask her."
3257
3258"That’d be nice, but why are you helping me?" Angele had to ask. "As a wizard, I should at least give you something of equivalent worth in return, but you didn’t mention anything. You’re confusing me."
3259
3260Ainphent shrugged. "It’s not a big deal. I help you now so you’ll owe me one too."
3261
3262Angele wanted to know what Ainphent wanted. He wished for a fair trade.
3263
3264"Come on, let’s go." Ainphent laughed. "I’ll make sure the trade is fair."
3265
3266He turned around and started walking, Angele following after him.
3267
3268They went past several houses until arriving at a brown wooden house with a wooden deck built in front of it.
3269
3270Chapter 171: The Trade (2)
3271
3272
3273Angele followed after Ainphent and they heard people arguing before knocking on the door.
3274
3275BAM
3276
3277The wooden door on the opposite side of the house was smashed open, and a middle-aged woman was kicked out. She struggled in pain, her face turning pale.
3278
3279Two strong man wearing brown leather suits walked out of the house and a tall man wearing a white bone helmet was behind them.
3280
3281The helmet was made from the skull of a wolf, and the man’s face was right between the sharp teeth. It looked like a wolf that was trying to swallow his head. The man’s appearance and clothing reminded Angele of the barbarians he had read about in the books.
3282
3283The man was about thirty years old with a serious look on his face, his arms toned.
3284
3285"You know I’m Jerries, right? How dare you sell this fake crap to me? And you became a formal wizard not so long ago? What the f*ck is wrong with this Six Ring High Tower’s vendor?"
3286
3287Angele could see the anger in the woman’s eyes, but she was severely injured, and the only thing she could do was lie on the ground.
3288
3289The wizards on the street noticed the fight and gathered by the house. Some of them were trying to help, but they were stopped by their friends. Obviously, they knew who was behind these three strong men.
3290
3291"Hey, it’s none of our business. They’re from the White Tooth Castle and they bring trouble everywhere. Don’t worry, Kuirman and his group will take care of them."
3292
3293Ainphent looked at Angele and his word echoed in Angele’s ears.
3294
3295Ainphent knocked on the door and the brown wooden door unlocked by itself. Angele had one final glance at the three men, then followed his new acquaintance into the house.
3296
3297The first thing Angele saw was a large wooden table under a window that was covered by random items.
3298
3299Potion containers, crystal lamp covers, incomplete books, strange-looking black wooden pieces, and tiny statues with complicated patterns engraved on them. None of these items seemed valuable to him.
3300
3301A short woman stood up from a chair behind the table, her hair a mess. She forced out a smile on her face.
3302
3303"Oh, hey, Ain. I didn’t expect you to come. Long time no see."
3304
3305She walked to Ainphent and hugged him.
3306
3307"My dear, Melissa. Well, we just met two days ago."
3308
3309Ainphent smiled, hugged the old woman, and patted her back.
3310
3311"Why are you here? I still need some time."
3312
3313The old woman smiled.
3314
3315Ainphent pointed at Angele.
3316
3317"This is my friend, Green. He’s looking for the formula and materials of the Tree Killer Potion. I thought you might have some information about it."
3318
3319Angele bowed to the old woman immediately. He could sense the strong mentality the woman had. It was like standing in front of a sea of energy. He was certain that this old wizard in front of him was much stronger than master Liliana. It was the first time he had met someone that had reached Crystal stage. Also, Angele thought, she would probably have reach rank 2 sooner or later based on the ancient ranking system.
3320
3321"Interesting, you’re young but I can smell blood on your hands."
3322
3323The old woman took out a pair of glasses from a pocket and put them on slowly.
3324
3325"Anyways, if you’re Ainphent’s friend, I’ll help you. I owe her one." She stopped for a second and said. "Follow me, I need to find the notebook."
3326
3327Angele nodded.
3328
3329"Thank you for your help."
3330
3331"You should thank Ain."
3332
3333Melissa turned around and walked down the stairs. There was a door at the end of the staircase.
3334
3335She opened it and Angele followed her into the basement.
3336
3337Random materials were piled up in the corners, Angele even saw several dolls and toys.
3338
3339After about half an hour later, Melissa finally found the notebook she was looking for.
3340
3341"I recorded everything related to the ancient wizards here."
3342
3343She opened the notebook and started searching for the information.
3344
3345Another half an hour passed.
3346
3347"Sorry, this potion you need was hard to craft even for the ancient wizards."
3348
3349Melissa put down the notebook.
3350
3351"So, you don’t have it here?"
3352
3353Ain was a bit surprised.
3354
3355"I do have the formula, but I don’t have the materials."
3356
3357Melissa shrugged and dropped the notebook on the floor.
3358
3359Clap-clap
3360
3361Melissa clapped twice.
3362
3363A small black box flew out of the item pile quickly and landed on her palm.
3364
3365"Take this."
3366
3367She threw the box to Angele.
3368
3369He caught it and held it in his hand.
3370
3371It was a metal cube, probably made a long time ago. Under its black paint, Angele could see a hint of silver.
3372
3373He opened the lid and saw a piece of folded leather paper lying on a silver cloth. Opening it, he saw countless random runes mixed with strings. It seemed like the formula was encrypted.
3374
3375Angele used more than ten different methods to crack the encryption and finally understood the title.
3376
3377‘The secret of Tree Killer Potion – Dark Elf Shiva.’
3378
3379"That’s it." Angele nodded and returned the paper to the box. "How much is it?"
3380
3381Melissa waved her hand. "Ask Ain, I don’t want anything."
3382
3383Ainphent smiled after hearing her words.
3384
3385"Actually, it’s not the first time I bring someone to you, but I think Green fits all the requirements, right?"
3386
3387"He does fit all the requirements, but are you sure you want to take a Liquid stage wizard there?"
3388
3389Melissa scrunched her eyebrows.
3390
3391"Yeah, I believe he can do it. You know I’m good at finding talented people," Ainphent responded.
3392
3393Angele already knew Ainphent would not help him for no reason, but he understood that there was no free lunch in the wizard world. He would be more cautious if Ainphent didn't want anything from him.
3394
3395"Just tell me what you want me to do," Angele said, interrupting their conversation.
3396
3397Ainphent nodded.
3398
3399"We’re creating a team to explore a ruin. We need wizards that can fight and know strong damage spells. I go to the entrance every day, trying to find someone to come with us, but only a few of them meet the requirements."
3400
3401"A ruin?"
3402
3403Angele had heard about ruins several times already, but he had never planned to go to one. Ainphent’s word caught his attention and he was interested.
3404
3405"What kind of ruins?"
3406
3407"An abandoned area of an ancient wizard organization. We've already entered it three times, but we never reached the core. However, I found a wizard that's a master of seals and I need a wizard that knows how to fight. Sorry, I didn’t tell you about it earlier, but there were too many people around, and this is a secret mission," Ainphent explained and apologized.
3408
3409"It’s fine. So, what can I get from this secret mission you said?" Angele asked in a calm tone.
3410
3411"This formula, plus the materials for the potion. Actually, most of the materials are common, but the Oil of Black Rose and the Heart of the Tree are extremely rare. I have a small bottle of Oil of Black Rose here, I obtained it from a dryad wizard about 300 hundred years ago, and I’ll give it to you after the mission is finished." Ainphent stared at Angele. "For the Heart of the Tree, we might have to try and find it in the ruins. There’s no way you can find it on the market now, you have to visit a ruin like this."
3412
3413"Is that so?" Angele hesitated. "How many people are in your team now? And how strong are they?"
3414
3415"I already found three wizards, but I’m not sure if all of them will come. Some wizards just won’t keep their promises. Melissa will come too and she’ll lead the team. Two wizards are at the Gas stage, including you. The rest are at Liquid or Crystal stage," Ainphent said, trying to earn Angele’s trust.
3416
3417Melissa joined the conversation as well. "The ruin was discovered not so long ago, we need to finish exploring it as soon as possible. If other wizards find out about it, we won’t be able to collect the rarest materials."
3418
3419"So, when will we go to this ruins?" Angele nodded. "I still have something to take care of here."
3420
3421"Sure, you have two months." Melissa nodded. "The ruins are in a hidden area, and other wizards have not found it yet. If you decide to accept the mission, please keep the information to yourself. Do you know the Ball of Secret?"
3422
3423"Of course."
3424
3425Angele raised his hand.
3426
3427Melissa clapped her hands again, and a translucent ball flew out of the pile of items, landing on her right palm.
3428
3429The ball was about the size of a human’s head, and there were three floating black dots inside.
3430
3431With a flick of Angele’s finger, a black energy particle sank into the ball and joined one of the three black dots.
3432
3433"Great."
3434
3435Melissa and Ainphent smiled.
3436
3437"Now if you excuse me."
3438
3439Angele bowed again and turned around.
3440
3441"We’ll wait here for five days after two months are up. I hope you’ll be here on time," Ainphent said in a light tone.
3442
3443"Sure."
3444
3445Angele walked up the stairs, opened the door, and left.
3446
3447Ainphent started discussing with Melissa after they made sure Angele left.
3448
3449"I’m sure he can help us. He must be a black robe."
3450
3451Melissa pursed her lips into a smile.
3452
3453"Yeah, I’m sure he has plenty of blood on his hands. Black robes like him can fight much better than us white robes. Although he’s only at the Gas stage, he should know some powerful damage spells. We need to find out what’s hidden in the ruins. We've already wasted too much time."
3454
3455"Ethio is doing work as well. They’re already planning to snatch the crystal, so we need to finish this quickly." Ainphent looked at Melissa. "I hope we’ll succeed this time."
3456
3457"Hope so."
3458
3459Melissa sighed.
3460
3461Chapter 172: Crafting (1)
3462
3463
3464Angele realized he was sweating after leaving the old wizard’s house. He thought if he declined their offer, the two would try to kill him right away. They had told him everything before he had accepted the mission which was strange.
3465
3466The light wizards would usually avoid fighting, however, they would still do whatever benefited them the most when necessary.
3467
3468Angele left Melissa’s house and walked down the wooden steps.
3469
3470The fight he witnessed before entering the house was already finished, but he could still see some broken wood pieces on the ground.
3471
3472No one came to clean the mess, but it seemed like the situation did not get worse.
3473
3474Angele walked down the street while taking a look around. There were only several wizards checking different vendors here, the place was much quieter than the entrance of the town.
3475
3476He turned around and returned to the entrance, deciding to learn the structure of the town first.
3477
3478The town's size was average, there were about sixty stone houses mixed in with some wooden ones. There were many stores with bronze signs hanging on the top. Angele found potions, gear, and materials stores. None of them were crowded and for some reason, most of the wizards just stayed on the street.
3479
3480He saw several wizards buying items, but most of them were communicating using the energy particles. Their lips were moving but no sound was coming out of their mouths.
3481
3482Angele entered a random gear shop. It was dark inside, and a U-shaped counter was in the front. Two wizards were checking the items displayed on the tables.
3483
3484The owner was a bald old man wearing a pair of glasses. He stood behind the counter, staring at a light wizard beside the table.
3485
3486"The price is fair. This is a black eagle spiral shell, I paid three tri-colored orchids for it."
3487
3488The owner was speaking with a low voice, but all the people in the shop could hear him clearly.
3489
3490The light wizard that was holding the spiral shell did not say anything, he just kept observing it.
3491
3492The owner took a glance at Angele when he entered the store. Stores here were different from the ones in the mortal world, the owners never greeted the customers.
3493
3494Angele noticed some energy particle movement on the door. The owner had probably applied some to make the room soundproof, but Angele wondered why he did not want the wizards on the street to hear the conversations in the store.
3495
3496He walked to one of the tables on the right side and started observing the items on it.
3497
3498There was a silver metal helmet, leather armor pieces, short sword, hats, and a large black tower shield.
3499
3500Some of the gear was coated in a white glow; it looked like there was liquid flowing on their surfaces.
3501
3502Suddenly, Angele found something he was familiar with.
3503
3504"Hey, can you open that for me?"
3505
3506He pointed at one of the boxes on the table.
3507
3508The owner looked annoyed, but he walked over and unlocked the box.
3509
3510There was a glowing green heart bumping inside, the core of which was filled up with green flames. Angele could still see the lines of vines on its surface.
3511
3512He grabbed the heart and started observing it.
3513
3514‘Not the heart I know, but it’s close. Items like this contain huge amounts of power and are great for making bombs.’
3515
3516Angele had a plan in mind. He needed to prepare for the exploration of the ruins and something like this would fit his plan perfectly.
3517
3518The heart in his hand contained higher power than the ones he had obtained from the elephants. Some special modification must have been done to it so the heart would work like a tiny flamethrower.
3519
3520Angele utilized 90% of the heart’s potential with the help of the chip when he was making the bomb. However, without the chip, the best a wizard could do would be around 30%, wasting the rest of the power.
3521
3522Enchanted items like this could be crafted relatively easily, and the requirements were not high. Even apprentices—with enough knowledge—would be able to make them. The only problem was finding the raw materials.
3523
3524Angele held the heart in his left hand, its size that of a fist. He could feel the heart still pumping. It was soft and warm.
3525
3526"How much is this?" Angele questioned.
3527
3528"One crystal card," the owner responded, "and, the price is final."
3529
3530"One crystal card?" Angele was surprised. "You mean one black crystal card?"
3531
3532One black crystal card could be exchanged for 1000 regular magic stones.
3533
3534"Yeah, are you buying it or not?"
3535
3536The owner was losing his patience.
3537
3538Angele felt a bit speechless. It seemed like the owner really did not care about his customers.
3539
3540"Well, do you have the raw materials? If you do, do you sell them?"
3541
3542He returned the heart to the box.
3543
3544"Raw materials?" The owner heard Angele’s question and stared at him. "Haha, you want to craft it yourself? Seriously?" The owner sneered. "I have a lot of raw materials. You can try as long as you don’t fear the possible explosions."
3545
3546The other two wizards in the store looked at Angele in surprise. They did not believe he would try to craft the items by himself. They shook their heads and chuckled.
3547
3548Angele nodded. He knew why the others laughed at him. Enchanted items like the glowing hearts were easy to craft but a certain amount of knowledge was still required. Also, whoever tried to craft the item must proceed with caution, and accurate mentality control was required for that. The results might be completely different based on the crafter’s skill.
3549
3550If the crafter did not proceed with caution, the heart might explode, and even if he escaped the explosion, the enchanted item he acquired would be worthless.
3551
3552The owner crossed his arms and sneered again. "Well, I warned you already. If the energy leaks, the hearts will explode for sure. If you really want to try it yourself…"
3553
3554He assumed that the wizard in front of him was not capable of crafting the item.
3555
3556Angele nodded again. "Where are the raw materials? Can you show them to me?"
3557
3558"Of course."
3559
3560The owner walked into the storage room and carried out a large basket. It was a rattan basket full of hearts from various creatures.
3561
3562Green glowing hearts from the glowing elephants, blue hearts from the frozen elephants, and several black rotten hearts.
3563
3564Angele recognized most of the raw materials.
3565
3566"How much is this?"
3567
3568Angele grabbed one of the hearts from glowing elephants.
3569
3570"I purchased these materials to make one-time explosives, and they aren't worth that many magic stones. If you really need them, I can offer you a discount. For the whole basket, it’ll be…"
3571
3572The owner smiled.
3573
3574　　*
3575
3576Angele walked out of the store with a whole basket of hearts, but he looked a bit disappointed.
3577
3578There was a piece of black cloth on top of the basket and others would not be able to see what was inside. All the hearts in the basket contained high power and they could be used to craft simple enchanted items. In another word, these raw materials were extremely dangerous.
3579
3580Although most of them would not explode if Angele threw them to the ground, he might still get hurt.
3581
3582He purchased this basket with all the magic stones he had, and thus, all the magic stones he had earned by selling the rare materials from Moon Gin Garden were used up.
3583
3584However, the hearts were worth the price. Angele thought of the first heart bomb he had made using the heart of a glowing elephant.
3585
3586‘About 40 degrees of power… That’s almost the same power as my enhanced Lesser Fireball. What if I can successfully make all of them into one-time bombs…’
3587
3588Angele felt a bit better.
3589
3590‘I need to find a place to stay first.’
3591
3592He looked at the sky. It was already noon, and several rays of golden sunlight passed through the gray clouds.
3593
3594The town was small but he still found a hotel. However, he did not have any magic stones left. The owner used some special method to find out how many magic stones Angele was carrying and showed him the price. Angele instantly regretted that he did not use the force field to block the scan spell.
3595
3596Enchanted items were much more expensive than raw materials. The flamethrower type heart Angele had seen in the store could be used many times, and it could deal at least 18 degrees of damage, the numbers close to the ones Angele made by himself.
3597
3598He had made two enchanted items with the two glowing elephant’s hearts last time. The heart bomb was used on the monsters and the other one was left in Lennon city. However, the raw materials he had purchased this time were much better preserved than the ones he had previously.
3599
3600Angele had high expectations for this basket of hearts. Most of them contained more than 50 degrees of energy according to Zero’s report. Several of them even contained more than 70 degrees of energy, which was a surprise.
3601
3602However, Angele needed to be even more cautious while crafting this time. Higher energy content came with higher risk. If the energy leaked, the explosion would be fatal.
3603
3604He held the basket in his hands and walked toward the exit. He had already created the map for the town using the chip, and he could easily find the shortest route.
3605
3606There was no reason for him to join any organization at the moment after obtaining the formula. However, his mentality had barely increased recently and meditation was not helping. He decided to find another way after finishing the work at the ruins.
3607
3608He probably would have spent a long time trying to increase his mentality as an apprentice without the Black Lead Potion. Apprentices with talent level 2 usually needed dozens of years to raise their mentality to the next level.
3609
3610Chapter 173: Crafting (2)
3611
3612
3613Angele was leaving the wizard area when he saw several wizards with strange appearances entering the gate. One of the female wizards in a green robe was riding a boar slowly down the hill, and it seemed like she was enjoying her time.
3614
3615Angele walked up the hill and returned to the square. He saw Asuna sitting on a bench, still waiting for him to come back.
3616
3617"You’re here?" Asuna asked with an excited voice after seeing him walking toward her. She looked a bit tired but she still stood up immediately.
3618
3619"I thought I asked you to go back." Angele’s brow furrowed. "Why’re you still here?"
3620
3621"You paid me so I need to finish my job. I haven’t guided you through the area yet."
3622
3623Asuna blushed.
3624
3625"Well, find me a place to stay then, please?"
3626
3627Angele had no magic stones left, so he had to find a place that accepted gold coins.
3628
3629"Of course."
3630
3631Asuna nodded.
3632
3633The square was still crowded and noisy. The apprentices were yelling at vendors as they negotiated the prices. Angele even heard pets making loud noises. The place looked exactly like the markets in the mortal countries.
3634
3635Asuna and Angele went around the square and walked down the hill using a different path this time. There were many people here, and Angele even saw several mortals on the way.
3636
3637After about half an hour of going down, they arrived at a suspension bridge.
3638
3639Under the bridge, it was an endless abyss. The white mist blurred Angele’s sight, but it seemed like the people walking on it had already gotten used to it, only several of them looked nervous.
3640
3641Angele followed after Asuna with the basket in hands. The bridge was shaky and he was surprised by how many people it could handle at the same time.
3642
3643On the other side of the bridge, he saw countless caves on the surface of the mountain, and it looked like a honeycomb. The distance between each cave was about eight meters.
3644
3645"You can rent a cave to stay here. You can also purchase one of the larger caves if you want. The price is fair and the place is quiet," Asuna explained and led Angele to a small stone house by the end of the bridge.
3646
3647There was a small window on the wall, and a middle-aged chubby woman was sitting inside.
3648
3649"Talk to her to rent the cave."
3650
3651Asuna pointed at the window.
3652
3653Angele nodded and stepped forward.
3654
3655"I want to rent one of your best caves for four months. How much will that be?"
3656
3657"Do you have magic stones? If not, what kind of gold coins you have? For four months, it’ll be 10,000 regular gold coins of the empire," the woman answered carelessly.
3658
3659"Do you take this?"
3660
3661Angele took out two purple gems from his pouch. He had obtained them from Nancy, and their quality was high.
3662
3663"Well…" The woman grabbed one of the gems and observed it. "I want at least 10 of them."
3664
3665Angele spent all the gems and gold coins he had and rented one of the largest caves in the mountain. He searched his bag and put down several other valuable items on the table to purchase the food delivery service for one year. His priority was to craft the Tree Killer Potion, so he could sell things later if he needed more money.
3666
3667Asuna was a bit confused at to why Angele hadn't just purchased a cave with a magic stone. The only possibility was that he had used up all his magic stones in the wizard area.
3668
3669The woman gave Angele a number plate after she received the payment. They walked along the caves and quickly found the one Angele had rented out.
3670
3671There was a large brown stone door at the entrance of the cave. It was about the size of an average adult, and there were some simple string patterns engraved on its surface.
3672
3673Angele put the number plate on the door, and the door opened by itself immediately.
3674
3675A well-decorated living room appeared in Angele’s eyes, its walls painted yellow. There was a total of eight rooms on both sides of the living room. Angele did not expect the cave to be so large before opening the door.
3676
3677A gray fur blanket covered the floor and some crystal lights were hanging on the walls. The yellow gentle light brightened up the whole cave. The rooms were fully furnished. They were luxurious-looking and cozy, the only drawback of the place being it had only one entrance.
3678
3679"Worth the price."
3680
3681Angele nodded, satisfied with the environment.
3682
3683Asuna stayed by the door. She had not followed Angele into the living room.
3684
3685"The cave is great, but the wizards or stronger apprentices can easily invade your privacy if they want. People usually only stay here for a short period," she explained.
3686
3687"You’re right." Angele nodded and turned around. "Also, can you help me sell these? I’ll give you 10% of the profit."
3688
3689Angele took out a bunch of small glass vials with green liquid inside. They contained a potion he had crafted awhile ago, but it could only cure general physical injuries.
3690
3691"Ah, high-quality healing gel. I can sell them for you for sure, thank you."
3692
3693Asuna looked happy, she grabbed the glasses vials and counted the number—there were twelve of them.
3694
3695"But you already gave me a lot of magic stones and 10% is a lot," Asuna stated honestly after calming down.
3696
3697"Well, thanks for the help then."
3698
3699Angele started to like this girl, she was honest and selfless. Asuna reminded him of Tia. The last time he'd seen the young girl was about five years ago, and he wondered how was the situation in Lennon City now.
3700
3701Asuna left with the twelve vials of healing gel. Half an hour later, a servant delivered food and drink to him, and Asuna returned to the cave at the same time.
3702
3703There was a small black leather pouch in her hand, and it was full of magic stones.
3704
3705"24 mid-level magic stones in total."
3706
3707She handed the pouch over to Angele.
3708
3709Angele grabbed it, took out a magic stone, and threw it to Asuna.
3710
3711"That’s the reward for your help. Don’t refuse it, I might need you later."
3712
3713Asuna put the magic stone back into Angele’s hand with a serious look on her face.
3714
3715"I can’t. You already paid me well."
3716
3717"Alright."
3718
3719Angele put the magic stone back into the pouch.
3720
3721He closed the door after Asuna left, then sat down in a wooden chair, and grabbed a glowing elephant’s heart.
3722
3723‘Simulate the process of making the heart bomb for me,’ Angele ordered, and blue light dots started flashing in front of his eyes.
3724
3725‘Task created… Initiating… Simulating…’
3726
3727Rows of data lined up on the bottom left corner beside the glowing heart in Angele’s sight.
3728
3729‘Energy: 56.13 degrees. Category: Fire. Simulation Success Rate: 98.78%. Cost: 2 mentality. Duration: 3 hours. Estimated power: more than 50 degrees, less than 53 degrees.’
3730
3731There was also information on energy loss, the possibility of structure optimization, material content, procedures, and many other small notices under the main data.
3732
3733The blue light dots disappeared from Angele’s sight. He raised his right hand and created a sharp silver scalpel.
3734
3735The tip of the scalpel slowly turned from silver to gray in half a minute.
3736
3737Angele held the scalpel in hand and stood up. He walked around the room and applied some energy particles to the walls. By doing that, he could prevent some of the invasions, and the energy particles could warn him about unknown mentality waves. However, they could not stop scanning spells.
3738
3739But he was not trying to hide the process of crafting the bomb, he just did not want other wizards to know how accurate and fast he could do it. Although fighting was forbidden in the area, people still might go after him when he was out on a mission. Wizards would want to know how he could manage to use such small amount of energy to craft an extremely high-quality heart bomb.
3740
3741Angele started drawing lines and runes on the surface of the heart carefully.
3742
3743The time flew by, more and more runes were left on the heart until they almost covered the whole surface. Surprisingly, the blood leaking out of the cuts was black.
3744
3745Black blood was dripping down the heart slowly. Angele finished the last rune and his skin absorbed the silver scalpel. He then quickly pointed at the center of the heart.
3746
3747CHI
3748
3749The green flame inside the heart flashed and almost disappeared. One second later, the flame was about to explode, filling up the heart. The green glow surrounded Angele’s hand.
3750
3751He narrowed his eyes and started chanting incantations to activate the runes on the heart.
3752
3753"Comella, the eternal moon, sink the ice into the abyss, and pour molten lava onto the glacier."
3754
3755BAM
3756
3757The explosion inside was stopped, bright white glow coating the runes and patterns on the surface of the heart. The white light almost covered the green glow from the inside, and the lines between the runes were pumping.
3758
3759CHI
3760
3761The white light disappeared and the green flame returned to its original state.
3762
3763Angele held the heart in hand, satisfied with the result.
3764
3765‘A heart bomb that can deal 50 degrees of damage. Such high-quality raw materials can only be found in a place like Nola.’
3766
3767Angele could win a fight against an average Liquid stage wizard because he could surprise the opponent with the signet. However, the signet could only be used twice more, and the enhanced Lesser Fireball could not one shot his enemy. He had tried it on two Liquid stage wizards but neither of them died because of it.
3768
3769The two Liquid stage wizards were wounded but their injuries were not critical, and without the signet, he could not even land the Lesser Fireball on their weak points.
3770
3771Angele needed something that was powerful and easier to use for the mission in the ruins. He had purchased a whole basket of high-quality raw materials, planning to make a dozen of heart bombs with the help of the chip. Although he paid a lot of magic stones for the hearts, he still wanted to be fully prepared for the high-risk mission.
3772
3773He wondered, though, at how strong a Crystal stage wizard was and if he might have to rely on those bombs when necessary.
3774
3775Chapter 174: The Team (1)
3776
3777
3778Two months later…
3779
3780The brown door of the cave opened.
3781
3782Angele walked out looking tired, his brown hair messy. There were two dark circles around his eyes, and he was wearing a loose gray robe.
3783
3784‘Making the heart bombs is tiring… Although the required mentality is low, I still need to stay focused during the process. It’s so boring…’
3785
3786Angele rubbed his temples and closed his eyes.
3787
3788He could make three to four heart bombs every day, and each one of them would take him about three hours. Without the help from Zero, it would have been even worse.
3789
3790The chip could do the simulation and help him during the procedures, however, he still had to make the bombs with his own two hands.
3791
3792Also, the raw materials could explode at any time during the process, and since Angele had so many of them, he was worried that the explosion could easily destroy the cave
3793
3794After two months of crafting the heart bombs, he had turned the whole basket of raw materials into enchanted items. The completed heart bombs were about the size of a human’s fist, and he could only carry a certain amount of them with him, but he still managed to hide most of them inside his large gray robe.
3795
3796‘Time to go to the wizard area.’
3797
3798Angele checked the time—it was already noon. The golden sunlight warmed his body up.
3799
3800He stood in front of the door, and with all the bombs he had hidden inside the robe, it almost looked like he had gained a ton of weight during the two months.
3801
3802He closed the door, walked down the hill, and arrived at the bridge.
3803
3804Asuna, Silen, and the group were waiting for him by the small stone house. The girl had already told them that Angele was a formal wizard, and they had visited Angele’s cave several times recently.
3805
3806"This is the map and some metals with high resistance you asked for." Silen greeted Angele and handed the items over to him. "We tried our best but that’s all we found in the market areas around here. Are they good enough for you?"
3807
3808Angele grabbed the map and opened. Detailed information of Nola was all recorded on it.
3809
3810The map had a light yellow background, and it was divided into three major areas. The Six Ring High Tower, White Tooth Castle, and the Snake Bird Cliff were ruling those areas.
3811
3812In the middle of the three major areas, there was a long slim line. It was the public area that was not in anyone’s control. There were five red dots on the public area which represented the markets owned by the three major organizations, the public market, and the market funded by smaller organizations.
3813
3814The map's quality was quite high and the notes were clear.
3815
3816"Nice map."
3817
3818Angele nodded. Blue light dots flashed in front of his eyes and the map was recorded by the chip. He asked Zero to compare the routes on the map to the routes he had actually traveled on to minimize the errors.
3819
3820Besides the map, there was also a small black pouch made from leather. Its surface was elastic and smooth.
3821
3822Angele untied the pouch and looked inside—it was full of metal cubes that varied in colors.
3823
3824He grabbed a blue metal cube with a blue glint on the surface.
3825
3826Silen looked at the cube and explained, "It’s called the Blue Devil, a special alloy that’s made from more than ten different metals with high resistance. The white ones are called White Silver Iron, and they are usually used to build spell labs."
3827
3828Angele nodded again.
3829
3830"You guys did a great job."
3831
3832He threw two mid-level magic stones to Silen.
3833
3834Silen smiled, happy with the reward. They could only earn about 100 regular magic stones for completing one high-difficulty mission. Working for Angele was much easier and the reward was much better. Angele only asked them to find him various items, and most of the requests could be fulfilled by just checking vendors in the markets.
3835
3836"Master Green, I assume you haven’t joined any organization yet. Why don’t you join my school? I’m sure you’ll be a great professor. The River Arrow is smaller than the three major organizations, but we have a great number of apprentices, and we have a decent selection of materials in the storage," Asuna asked, looking Angele in the eyes.
3837
3838"River Arrow?" Angele shook his head. "My plan is to join the Six Ring High Tower and I’m not considering other organizations at the moment."
3839
3840Some of the rare materials Angele needed could only be purchased by the apprentices or wizards that were registered in an organization, and Silen did the job for him. He himself stayed in the cave while selling dozens of low-quality potions. He had made thousands of regular magic stones in these two months, with the help of Zero, his success rate in crafting potions was much higher than an average potion master's.
3841
3842The River Arrow was an organization with many registered apprentices, however, they did not care about their students’ talent levels. They would take the apprentices in as long as they could pay the fees. Members of River Arrow could be found everywhere in Nola, but most of them were weak.
3843
3844There were two other organizations that were close to the area. The first one was named Seagull Alliance. It had about 50 wizards, and the strongest one was a Crystal stage light wizard.
3845
3846The second organization was called The Bronze Torch, and it only had about 10 registered wizards. The leader of the organization was a light wizard at the Liquid stage. They were famous for their huge library, and it was also their main source of income. Without the books, The Bronze Torch would run out of money within a week.
3847
3848There were about 20 organizations like those in Nola based on the information Angele had gathered from the people in the markets.
3849
3850Some of the organizations only had one or two registered wizards. They just stayed in their territories and kept doing research using the resources purchased from the market.
3851
3852"I’ll think about it later. There’s someone waiting for me right now, so I must go. Asuna has my communication sigil. I’ll contact you later."
3853
3854Angele refused their invitation and walked to the bridge.
3855
3856Silen and Asuna looked a bit disappointed but they did not say anything. Angele suddenly saw a black distorted rune moving around on his right wrist while stepping forward.
3857
3858"It’s about the time."
3859
3860He pointed at the rune and it turned into a sentence that floated over his palm.
3861
3862‘Come to Melissa’s house before two o’clock.’
3863
3864Melissa contacted him through the black dot Angele had left to her. The black dot contained Angele’s communication sigil so she could send messages directly to him.
3865
3866　　*
3867
3868Inside the wizard area, Melissa’s house.
3869
3870It was dark inside. The long table beside the windows was already cleaned up and covered by a white lace blanket. There were three light wizards sitting around it.
3871
3872A thin old female wizard was sitting in a long chair, carefully wiping the edges of her glasses.
3873
3874Ainphent had a white-feathered pen in hand, and he was writing something down on a piece of leather paper.
3875
3876There was also a young female wizard beside him. She had no expression on her face, and her eyes were closed. It seemed like she was thinking about something. Her body was surrounded by a freezing aura.
3877
3878Ainphent put down the pen and shook the paper slightly.
3879
3880CHI
3881
3882The ink on the leather paper vanished into the air and lines of sentences disappeared within seconds.
3883
3884The feather pen on the table turned into countless white light dots and slowly disappeared as well.
3885
3886"I already notified Green and the other two wizards. They’ll be here today."
3887
3888Ainphent smiled.
3889
3890"So, Green was the last wizard you needed?" the female wizard asked in a cold tone. There was no emotion in her words.
3891
3892"Yeah. He’s at the Gas stage, but we believe he can assist us during the mission."
3893
3894Ainphent nodded.
3895
3896"Oh wait, Green asked me for the formula of the Tree Killer Potion. I think he wants to ask someone to craft the potion for him. Isabell, I remember you still have a bottle of Black Rose oil, right? I think the chance of successfully crafting that potion is extremely low, but why don’t you make a trade with him?"
3897
3898The light wizard named Isabell nodded and said, "Sure, I don’t mind trading with him if he has the items I need."
3899
3900Knock-Knock
3901
3902Someone was knocking on the wooden door.
3903
3904Melissa slowly put on her glasses and pointed at the door.
3905
3906"Come in, please," she said in a loud voice.
3907
3908The wooden door glowed for a second. It seemed like Melissa removed the energy particles she had applied on its surface.
3909
3910Creak
3911
3912The door was pushed open.
3913
3914A ruthless man in green robe walked in. The man had a pair of dark green eyes and an aquiline nose. Although it was sunny outside, the man’s hair looked wet for some reason.
3915
3916"Kuirman, have a seat, please."
3917
3918Melissa pointed at a chair on the side.
3919
3920Kuirman forced a smile on his face.
3921
3922"So, I’m not the last one."
3923
3924His voice was deep and hoarse.
3925
3926Kuirman walked to the chair and sat down. He stopped talking and closed his eyes. Ainphent did not expect to see Kuirman in the team; he looked surprised.
3927
3928The room remained in silence.
3929
3930Wizards all had long life expectancies and most of them were patient. There was still some time before two o’clock, and they were willing to wait.
3931
3932The four just sat there until someone knocked on the unlocked door again.
3933
3934A muscular man with short brown hair opened the door and entered the room.
3935
3936The man had an average looking face, but his eyes were sharp and deep. He was covered in a long gray robe, only his neck exposed to the air. The man glanced around and Melissa noticed a silver glint on his neck.
3937
3938"Green, here you are."
3939
3940Ainphent turned around and greeted Angele with a smile on his face.
3941
3942Angele nodded.
3943
3944"I started moving as I noticed the message. It seems like I arrived on time."
3945
3946He glanced around, the presence of Kuirman and Isabell catching his attention.
3947
3948Chapter 175: The Team (2)
3949
3950
3951Ainphent introduced Angele to the crew. The others took a glance at him but did not say anything. Angele walked to an empty chair and sat down.
3952
3953"One more to go. I found a new guy several days ago. He came to Nola not so long ago, just like Green, but he knew some strong spells."
3954
3955It seemed like Ainphent was still searching for new members recently.
3956
3957"One of our original team members decided to quit due to some personal matters and I had to recruit someone new."
3958
3959He shrugged.
3960
3961The members did not seem surprised and no one said anything. Another half an hour later, the door was pushed open again.
3962
3963A bald old man with a cane walked into the door. He was covered in a dark yellow cloak, and only his head was exposed to the air.
3964
3965"Sorry, I’m late…"
3966
3967The old man had a muscular body, while his voice was deep and loud. He would have looked much younger without the goatee on his chin. He had a serious look on his face, giving the impression that he was stubborn.
3968
3969Ainphent stood up immediately and winked at the old man.
3970
3971"Mr. Belem! You’re here. Welcome!"
3972
3973"Ain, where’s my material?"
3974
3975It seemed like the old man named Belem liked Ainphent a lot, and he smiled after Ainphent greeted him.
3976
3977"I’ll ask my family to prepare it for you after the mission is completed. Don’t worry, I’ll keep my promise," Ainphent responded with a gentle tone.
3978
3979"Sure, that’s great."
3980
3981Belem nodded and sat down on the last empty chair.
3982
3983Angele sat in the chair and saw the old man touching Ainphent’s leg under the table. He shuddered for a second, pursed his lips, and turned his face to the other side.
3984
3985Melissa coughed and glanced around the room.
3986
3987"So, we can start discussing the mission since everyone is here."
3988
3989The female light wizard named Isabell moved her lips. "I’ll take three followers with me, they're all Grand Knights."
3990
3991Ainphent took a glance at Belem and said, "I have 8 followers, 5 rank 3 apprentices, and 3 knights."
3992
3993"That’s way too many people, we need to set up the agreement with the merfolk, and we need to keep the location of the ruins as our secret."
3994
3995Melissa scrunched her eyebrows.
3996
3997Ainphent chuckled. "Don’t worry. Nosdana Prince is a good friend of mine, and the agreement can be reached in five minutes. Also, you know most of my followers. They were with me on our last mission and you can trust them for sure."
3998
3999"Fine."
4000
4001Melissa looked at Angele and the bald wizard Belem.
4002
4003Belem stopped rubbing Ainphent’s leg, and his face turned serious again.
4004
4005"I have two followers. They’re Grand Knights as well."
4006
4007Angele glanced around, he did not know everyone had their own followers. He was always alone since he carried too many secrets and could not afford for his followers to betray him. He needed someone he could trust, but that person also had to be strong. People like that were hard to find, so he decided not to take in any followers at the moment.
4008
4009"I don’t have any followers," he said lightly.
4010
4011Others in the room looked a bit surprised after hearing his response.
4012
4013Most of the wizards would take in followers or servants after they reached the Gas stage.
4014
4015However, no one knew it had taken Angele only several years to reach the Gas stage.
4016
4017"It’s fine." Melissa pointed at the map on the table. "Now, let’s discuss our plan and the route. I have three different plans here…"
4018
4019　　***
4020
4021Ten days later.
4022
4023Public area, the Bull Dock.
4024
4025Several white clouds were floating in the blue and endless sky.
4026
4027Angele stood on the deck of a docked ship and looked around.
4028
4029Bull Dock was small and empty, only several white stone bridges built by the water.
4030
4031There were more than ten ships docked by the bridges, their sizes varying. They were much smaller than the Future he'd used to go back home, and they had white harps painted on their flags.
4032
4033Teams of soldiers with white armor were boarding the ship while wizards were giving orders from the decks.
4034
4035"Master Melissa will stay on the leading ship. Our ships are disguised as transport ships for soldiers. We don’t want any trouble on our way there," a cold female voice said from behind.
4036
4037Angele turned around and saw Isabell staring at him quietly. The lady had no expression on her pretty face.
4038
4039"I saw Ainphent and Belem board the same ship…"
4040
4041Angele pursed his lips into a smile.
4042
4043"I know. They’ll use the same ship this time." Isabell slightly nodded. "Kuirman took a ship too. I’m on your ship because I need to discuss the trade with you on our way there."
4044
4045"You have the Black Rose oil, right?" Angele’s expression turned serious. "What do you want?"
4046
4047"I have about four kilograms of Black Rose oil. What do you have? I want something that at least has the same value as the oil. Although it has no use to me, I still need to follow the rules."
4048
4049"Of course. How about one bottle of Jacqueline’s Neutralizer?"
4050
4051Angele was a bit speechless. He only had one common potion left. He had crafted it while practicing awhile ago, and it was the only valuable item he had at the moment.
4052
4053"Wait, did you craft it yourself? Are you a potion master?"
4054
4055Isabell was surprised.
4056
4057"Yes, I am."
4058
4059Angele nodded. Although he had never learned from a true potion master, he had still created his own crafting method with the accurate simulation his chip could do.
4060
4061"I heard Jacqueline’s Neutralizer is common but extremely hard to craft. However, it can only be used to make potions so it has no value for me. Actually, I have a special formula. If you can craft the potion for me, I’ll give you the Black Rose Oil as a gift," Isabell said with a serious tone. It seemed like the potion she mentioned was important.
4062
4063"What do you want me to craft?"
4064
4065Angele’s brow furrowed.
4066
4067"There are not many potion masters around even in Nola. To train a potion master, it takes a ton of resources, and even the three major organizations can’t handle it. I already visited more than 50 potion masters but none of them could fulfill my request. If you can successfully craft the potion for me, I’ll pay you some extra besides the promised Black Rose oil."
4068
4069This was the longest speech that had come out of Isabell’s mouth since Angele met her.
4070
4071"There’s nothing I can do without the materials and equipment."
4072
4073Angele was a bit curious, he wanted to know how complicated the formula was.
4074
4075"That’s not a problem."
4076
4077Isabelle walked to the other side of the deck. Her three Grand Knights were chatting beside the cabin. Two were male and one was female, all of them equipped with black leather armor.
4078
4079The three stopped talking after seeing Isabell walking toward them.
4080
4081Isabell whispered to her followers and one of them talked to a soldier that was still on the bridge. The soldier nodded and ran to the carts with supplies.
4082
4083After several minutes, a team of soldiers boarded the ship with black cases in their hands.
4084
4085The cases were lined up on the deck. Isabell nodded and walked to Angele, looking satisfied.
4086
4087"We decided to use the sleeping powder after the ships start moving. We need to make sure that no one leaks our location. You can start crafting after that," she said in a low voice.
4088
4089"Sleeping powder? Why? Even we wizards are having trouble with the ruins. Why do we bring so many soldiers and followers anyway?" Angele wondered.
4090
4091"Not all of us can fight like dark wizards," Isabell answered lightly. "I think everything you need is here. The potion equipment and the necessary materials. Give it a try first."
4092
4093"It’s not that easy. I need specific materials…" Angele was speechless. "I may find better materials to use during the crafting process. The formula is important for sure, but it doesn’t mean I can’t improve it. The materials here might be essential but I need more."
4094
4095"Is that so?"
4096
4097Isabell was confused. Angele assumed this lady had never read anything about potion crafting.
4098
4099"Well, show me the sample first. Maybe I can make it without any special materials. I can’t promise you at the moment, though."
4100
4101He looked at Isabell.
4102
4103"For sure."
4104
4105She quickly took out a small crystal vial from the pouch on her belt.
4106
4107The vial was about the size of a finger with some bloody red liquid inside. Isabell handed the vial over to Angele.
4108
4109"That’s the sample."
4110
4111Angele removed the stopper and sniffed the liquid. The fragrance smelled like lemon mixed with flowers. He then poured some of the liquid into his mouth, the taste was bitter and spicy.
4112
4113"This is the blood of… the earth rhino?"
4114
4115Angele was not sure if he guessed it right.
4116
4117"You’re right. It’s from an adult female earth rhino."
4118
4119Isabell nodded.
4120
4121"So, you want me to make this into a potion? It’s extremely unstable, no wonder you can’t find a potion master that will accept your order…" Angele scrunched his eyebrows. "Rhino blood is usually used in making explosive potions. Are you sure you want to neutralize it and make it a normal potion?"
4122
4123"Is there anything you can do?"
4124
4125Isabell stared at him.
4126
4127"Well, I can try and make it more stable, but I’m not sure if I can do it well."
4128
4129Angele shook his head.
4130
4131Isabell looked disappointed.
4132
4133"Fine. Do that for me then, but make sure the blood stays active."
4134
4135"No problem." Angele pointed at the cases. "Send the equipment to my room. Also, find me some fresh roots from a dark-skinned tree."
4136
4137He turned around and walked into his cabin with the vial in his hand.
4138
4139Isabell sent her words to Angele using energy particles. "I’ll prepare the Black Rose oil for you."
4140
4141"It’ll take a while before I can finish it. Also, if you find the heart of the tree in the ruins, just keep it for me," Angele responded to the message using energy particles as well.
4142
4143"… Heart of the tree…" Isabell replied. "… That’s nearly impossible…"
4144
4145Their trade was completed. Black Rose oil was much more valuable than a vial of rhino blood.
4146
4147Angele still had no idea what Isabell wanted to do with the blood, but it seemed like obtaining stable rhino blood was one of her priorities at the moment.
4148
4149Chapter 176: Arrival (1)
4150
4151
4152Five days later…
4153
4154Angele sat beside a table inside his cabin, carefully engraving a white rune circle on the surface of the brown table with a silver knife. There were two triangles inside the circle and the crystal vial from Isabell was placed in the middle.
4155
4156The edge of the circle was surrounded by strange runes; there were at least one hundred of them.
4157
4158Angele kept carving the runes onto the table while blowing away bits of wood.
4159
4160After about 20 minutes, he finished the last one and lowered the knife.
4161
4162He felt relaxed, and the knife was quickly absorbed into his palm. He put his hands on both sides of the circle, the rhino blood right between his palms.
4163
4164Suddenly, something started vibrating in the air.
4165
4166Two rays of light came out of Angele’s palms: the one from the left was green and the one from the right was red.
4167
4168The lights went across each other right above the crystal vial and turned into a translucent string. This string was parallel to the stopper of the vial.
4169
4170It looked like the light rays released by Angele were being absorbed by the rhino blood.
4171
4172The light brightened up the whole cabin, and it started flashing after several seconds.
4173
4174After about one hour.
4175
4176Strings of white light suddenly rushed out of the circle, and the countless runes outside it slowly vanished into the air.
4177
4178The light rays slowly disappeared, and Angele lowered his hands after everything was finished. The circle on the table was coated with a light white glow, the rhino blood still in the center.
4179
4180Angele stood up, looking tired.
4181
4182"Now all I have to do is wait."
4183
4184He walked to the door and pushed it open.
4185
4186A blonde man wearing red leather armor was standing outside the door; it seemed like he had waited here for a while.
4187
4188"Master Green, this is the Black Rose oil, please accept it."
4189
4190He put his right hand over the chest and spoke in a low voice.
4191
4192Angele looked down at a small wooden case beside the man’s legs. Iron needles were hammered into the corners of the case, but its surface itself was smooth.
4193
4194"How generous… So she was certain that I'll be able to fulfill her request?" Angele smiled. "Tell Isabell I appreciate her trust and I’ll take the reward."
4195
4196"No problem."
4197
4198The blonde man nodded politely, turned around, and left.
4199
4200Angele watched the man leave, then sighed with emotion. He knew Isabell had some strong background, but he hadn't expected her to give away the rare ancient resource so easily. Also, she had told him that she'd visited all the potion masters in Nola. Wizards from average families would never be able to do that.
4201
4202He stepped forward, picked up the case, and opened it. A black ceramic pot was covered in bits of wood. The surface of the pot was rough, and it was sealed with a piece of white waterproof cloth.
4203
4204Angele removed the cloth and the fragrance of rose permeated the air. The oil inside was dark and sticky; it looked like black honey.
4205
4206He raised his right hand and several silver needles came out of the tips of his first finger. Angele dipped the needles into the oil.
4207
4208The needles were coated with a thin layer of black oil after Angele brought them out of the pot.
4209
4210CHI
4211
4212Dark flame sparked on the needles as Angele lighted the oil with fire energy particles, and the fragrance of rose was replaced by some rotten stinky smell.
4213
4214"It’s real… The Black Rose oil…"
4215
4216Angele nodded, satisfied with the result. He carefully blew off the fire and the needles were slowly absorbed by his skin.
4217
4218He sealed the pot and put it down on the table before leaving the room.
4219
4220There were only two wizards on this ship, and Angele was not worried that someone would steal his items. He doubted that Isabell’s followers knew what Black Rose oil was used for. He applied some energy particles on the surface of the pot just for alarm.
4221
4222He had picked the cabin on the deck from the many empty ones on the ship, so he could switch anytime he wanted.
4223
4224On the right side of his cabin was the railing. White sea waves were hitting the body of the ship from time to time.
4225
4226The seemingly endless blue sea was pure and vibrant.
4227
4228The wind was chilling, and it took away the heat of the sunlight from Angele’s skin.
4229
4230He turned left and walked to the front side of the deck.
4231
4232Several soldiers were controlling the rudder and checking the sails. The words they were yelling were in a strange dialect that Angele was not familiar with.
4233
4234Several white seagulls were lined up on the railings while organizing their feathers with their beaks.
4235
4236Isabell stood beside the seagulls, playing with them.
4237
4238It seemed like the seagulls enjoyed being touched by Isabell. They twittered happily.
4239
4240Angele quickly walked to Isabell, and the seagulls flew away after noticing his presence, but they were still rotating above the ship.
4241
4242Isabell turned around. She stopped smiling, and her expression turned serious in a second.
4243
4244"How’s the progress? Done already?"
4245
4246"Last step. Ask your people to guard my cabin, and it’ll be completed in three hours," Angele responded calmly.
4247
4248"No problem."
4249
4250Isabell looked at one of her followers. The Grand Knight had overheard their conversation already, so he nodded and walked to Angele’s cabin with his right hand on the handle of the sword.
4251
4252"What else?"
4253
4254Angele smiled.
4255
4256"I just want to know if we’re getting closer to the destination."
4257
4258"We need to go to a public island first and leave the soldiers there. Also, we need to switch to another ship later. I think it’ll take us about another seven or eight days on the sea," Isabell replied in a light tone. "We’re moving into the merfolk territory. You saw the seagulls here, right? It means we’re getting closer to the land or islands."
4259
4260"I’m a wandering wizard so I’m not familiar with Nola. Can you explain the system here to me? Like what happens after you join an organization?"
4261
4262Angele wanted to know the answer to the question since a long time ago, but he did not have the chance to ask when he was making potions in the cave.
4263
4264"Sure." Isabell’s hair was flying in the wind. "I heard you were a dark wizard, so I assume your life has been different from ours. In Nola, most of the light wizards will meditate or do research in their own territories. Most of the races around are friendly to us, and we communicate with each other a lot.
4265
4266"However, Nola still has its own enemies, such as natural disasters, the pollution caused by dark wizards’ experiments, the damage done by ancient races, and wizard invasions. We need to deal with those issues. The biggest trouble is Nola’s relationship with merfolk. There are five markets and 15 towns in Nola, and half of the organizations ruling the towns are related to merfolk. It basically means that we obtain most of our general resources from merfolk merchants. If the situation gets worse, the consequences will be ridiculous."
4267
4268She stopped for a second, then continued, "If you’re considering joining any organization, my suggestion will be the Six Ring High Tower. They can provide you with the best resources. Also, Six Ring High Tower is the only major organization that is not controlled by a certain family. The Snake Bird Cliff and White Tooth Castle hate outsiders a lot."
4269
4270Angele was surprised.
4271
4272"If they hate the outsiders, how do they take in new blood then?"
4273
4274"They intermarry and combine the bloodline. The Snake Bird Cliff is trying to protect their pure bloodline… and the White Tooth Castle just simply combines random bloodlines. Snake Bird Cliff is not funded by human beings, and they just mind their own businesses, but the White Tooth Castle is fighting Six Ring High Tower at the moment.
4275
4276"People say that White Tooth Castle is weaker than Six Ring High Tower because Six Ring High Tower has a lot of money and resources, but White Tooth Castle has many wizards that know great damage spells."
4277
4278Angele nodded.
4279
4280"So, White Tooth Castle is actually stronger than Six Ring High Tower? But why doesn't the latter recruit more wizards if they have the money?"
4281
4282"You need to find dark wizards to fight for you. It’s hard." Isabell stared at him. "Also, White Tooth Castle has aligned with Northland Alliance recently."
4283
4284The two stopped talking.
4285
4286Angele saw another ship sailing on their left.
4287
4288It was Kuirman’s ship. He was walking to his cabin through the deck. Kuirman suddenly stopped and turned to Angele. It seemed like he had noticed him staring.
4289
4290Kuirman shook his head and sneered at Angele before starting walk again.
4291
4292Angele narrowed his eyes.
4293
4294"What does that mean?"
4295
4296"You really don’t know? He has killed dozens of dark wizards, and most of them were wandering wizards like you," Isabell explained. "Obviously, he’s not happy that you’re in the team. He hates dark wizards, and you’ll take a part of the reward."
4297
4298"Whatever…"
4299
4300Angele’s brow furrowed.
4301
4302Isabell looked at him.
4303
4304"Don’t provoke him. He won’t do anything to you when you’re on my ship, but I’m afraid he’ll try to stab you from the back if I’m not around."
4305
4306Angele pursed his lips.
4307
4308"How strong is he?"
4309
4310Although he was not enraged by Kuirman’s taunt, he was still a bit anxious.
4311
4312"Just don’t die. I need you to stabilize the rhino blood for me."
4313
4314Isabell walked straight to the entrance of her cabin after her words.
4315
4316Angele stood where he was, then shook his head. He felt speechless.
4317
4318Chapter 177: Arrival (2)
4319
4320
4321Angele’s signet was strong, but he needed to hide it from the others. The extraction of the ancient blood was almost impossible, and the elders would force him to spit out the method if his signet was somehow found out by them.
4322
4323He decided to only use the one-time heart bomb when necessary because the quality of his bombs was incredible, and a Gas stage wizard could not manage to craft enchanted items like that.
4324
4325Angele could not trust anyone in the team, and he needed to make sure no one knew about the chip he had.
4326
4327The only thing he could use all the time was the Metal Mastery. Sadly, the Talent Spell was not strong enough against a Liquid stage wizard. The last two times he had won his fights against the dark wizards were because he had used the signet.
4328
4329Angele looked at Kuirman’s ship again and returned to his own cabin.
4330
4331　　
4332
4333Three days later.
4334
4335It was afternoon, half of the setting sun already sunk into the horizon.
4336
4337The red light of the sun painted the surface of the sea.
4338
4339The first thing that appeared in Angele’s sight after he left the cabin was the back of a ship-sized black whale, its skin coated with a golden glint.
4340
4341On the left side of the whale, a group of muscular men slowly moved to the surface of the sea, holding black tridents in their hands.
4342
4343There were about 20 men in the group. They were wearing blue leather armor. Their ears looked like fish fins and their skin was blue.
4344
4345"Are you from Nola?" the leader of the merfolk team questioned.
4346
4347"I’m Ainphent. Are you Sumail? Did the prince receive my letter?" a loud voice came from one of the ships.
4348
4349The merfolk in Angele’s sight looked identical to human beings, the only differences being their ears and skin.
4350
4351The merfolk leader named Sumail waved his hand and countless merfolk appeared on the right side of the ships.
4352
4353A smaller team left the group and quickly moved to one of the ships. Angele looked at the ship and saw Ainphent preparing to negotiate with the merfolk.
4354
4355The merfolk team boarded the ship after several minutes, and their leader started talking with Ainphent in a low voice.
4356
4357Angele turned around and saw Isabell’s followers having a conversation beside the railing.
4358
4359"Where’s master Isabell?" Angele asked, walking over to them.
4360
4361The blonde man that had brought Angele the Black Rose oil quickly turned around and slightly bowed.
4362
4363"The master is resting in her cabin. I was told that she did not want to be disturbed," he responded politely.
4364
4365"What’s your name? When did you become master Isabell’s follower?" Angele asked. He wanted to know more about the woman.
4366
4367"My name is Dell. We’re orphans, the master found us and raised us. Without master Isabell, we’d be dead on the street a long time ago. She gave us a home."
4368
4369The blonde man had a bitter smile on his face.
4370
4371"So, that's how she found three Grand Knights as followers…" Angele finally understood.
4372
4373"Do you know anything about master Ainphent?"
4374
4375"Master Ainphent…"
4376
4377The blonde man traded eye contact with the other two followers.
4378
4379"To be honest, we've never heard of him, at least in Nola," the female Grand Knight replied. "I assume Ainphent is not his real name, and I think he has a special mask on his face… Ainphent knows one of the merfolk princes, so he must have a strong background."
4380
4381"One more question. Which organization are you from? If you don’t mind telling me that."
4382
4383The three looked surprised after hearing Angele’s question. Dell stared at Angele, looking confused.
4384
4385"Master Isabell never told you that?"
4386
4387"She didn’t," Angele said with a nod.
4388
4389"We’re from Jones Family of the Six Ring High Tower." Dell lowered his voice. "The Jones Family was one of the three strongest wizard families in Six Ring High Tower. Third of the registered wizards in the organization are related to us."
4390
4391"Jones Family…"
4392
4393Angele memorized the name.
4394
4395Ainphent finally finished his negotiation, and the merfolk team left the ship, returning to their group.
4396
4397They then slowly sank into the sea with the whale after several seconds.
4398
4399Melissa’s voice suddenly echoed in the sky.
4400
4401"All ships, follow after Ainphent’s ship. Stay with the team, otherwise, you might get attacked by the merfolk."
4402
4403Melissa was speaking in Anmag. She repeated the sentence one more time in a different language, then stopped.
4404
4405Angele looked at Ainphent’s ship and saw it speed up and move to the front.
4406
4407He heard footsteps coming from behind while he was checking the other ships.
4408
4409"Master Isabell."
4410
4411The three Grand Knights and other soldiers on the decked bowed.
4412
4413Angele turned around and saw Isabell walking toward him. She had changed into a white robe with purple edges and tied her hair up.
4414
4415"We need to change our route. The merfolk aren't letting us pass through the area. I was told that they had business here," Isabell said in a light tone, looking tired.
4416
4417Angele did not say anything. He could smell the burning wood mixed with blood in the air.
4418
4419His sight was blurred by white mist but he could still see what was happing on the right side of his ship.
4420
4421Groups of merfolk surrounded a humongous black castle ship that was burning. There were flame rays and ice lances flying in the air, and he could also see some strange glowing acid balls.
4422
4423The energy barrier around the black ship kept the merfolk soldiers away temporarily, so the soldiers were waiting for the barrier to break.
4424
4425Those in the front line all had white wooden shields in their hands. There was a black eye-shaped pattern painted in the center of their shields, and for some reason, the spells could not break them.
4426
4427"The merfolk soldiers are waiting for their chance. The barrier is breaking," Angele said, his voice low.
4428
4429"The merfolk tribes are uniting. They always wanted to regain their position on the lands since the ancient times. They didn’t attack Nola because of the agreement. However, the situation is getting more intense lately," Isabell explained, but it almost looked like she was not talking to Angele. "Well, I hope the ship can return to the land if they can survive the fight…"
4430
4431The Grand Knights and the soldiers had already left the railing; they did not want to interrupt the two wizards’ conversation.
4432
4433"At least they didn’t declare war on Nola yet…" Angele smiled. "Did you try the rhino blood I gave you two days ago? How was it?"
4434
4435"It’s great." Isabell nodded. "I was going to start the energy ritual, but it seems like I can do it later."
4436
4437"Are you sure you want to do this? If your body is turned into the energy form, you’ll never be able to reach the next stage. Don’t do it if you don’t have to."
4438
4439Angele’s expression turned serious.
4440
4441"I won’t do it if the situation allows. I won't be human anymore if my body is turned into the energy…" Isabell responded with a light tone.
4442
4443"Wait… Are you going to drink the rhino’s blood? It’ll be a painful experience."
4444
4445Angele smelled a hint of blood from her body.
4446
4447"I know the consequences. Do you really think it’s an easy decision to make? I never questioned the diamond-shaped accessory on the back of your hand and you know the reason." Isabell wanted to end the conversation, she did not like the way Angele questioned her. "We’re getting closer to the island. I need to make some preparations."
4448
4449"Sure."
4450
4451Angele decided to stop asking questions—it wasn't his business. He looked ahead and saw the edge of the island Isabell had been talking about.
4452
4453The ship traveled on a different route and finally dropped all of the soldiers on a public mining area of the island.
4454
4455The six wizards on the ships switched to a small boat with their followers and left the island during the night. They were heading to an area that wasn't yet colonized by the merfolk.
4456
4457　　
4458
4459Angele was not sure how long they had traveled.
4460
4461Fog rose from the sea while the ship was slowly advancing. The visibility was extremely low under the dark sky.
4462
4463There were six people standing on the deck.
4464
4465In the front, it was a thin old woman wearing a white robe.
4466
4467Melissa held a small stone plate in her hands. The plate was gray and a string was attached to its edge. There was a black-red stone tied to the string, and the stone was leaning to a certain direction. It was almost like the stone was pulled by an invisible force.
4468
4469Melissa stared at the stone with a serious expression on her face.
4470
4471"We’re getting closer. I left the other half of the stone on the island, and it’ll guide us through the fog," Melissa said in a light tone.
4472
4473Ainphent and Belem were standing behind Melissa. They looked like a close couple.
4474
4475Kuirman stood beside the railing with his arms crossed, staring at the stone.
4476
4477Angele stayed with Isabell, and both of them had no expressions on their faces. The only thing he could see around the ship was the fog, and he had no idea what the area around was.
4478
4479"This fog is ridiculous. I don’t think the others can track us down. There’s no point to drug the followers."
4480
4481Kuirman shook his head.
4482
4483"I don’t think you have the ability to predict the future."
4484
4485Ainphent stared at him.
4486
4487"That’s it!" Melissa suddenly shouted out.
4488
4489The area in front of the ship turned into pure darkness with her last word.
4490
4491The boat left the fog and entered a new area.
4492
4493Gray clouds covered the sky, and Angele was not sure if the blue glare on the water was from sunlight or moonlight.
4494
4495An enormous dark shadow appeared on the horizon, and it was the destination of the team. Rays of white light shot through the gaps between the clouds and landed on the island.
4496
4497The place was quiet and mysterious.
4498
4499"That’s our destination!" Melissa raised her head and examined the island, looking relieved.
4500
4501"We’re here!"
4502
4503The ship drew a white straight line through the sea, and slowly moved toward the island.
4504
4505Chapter 178: The Ruin (1)
4506
4507
4508Under the night sky, the boat slowly stopped and the team jumped onto the rocks. The light that fell from the sky did not brighten up the area and they could barely see anything around.
4509
4510Melissa stepped on a piece of rock and overlooked the island. The only thing in her sight was a tall black hill with no trees anywhere. The areas covered by shadows were deep and dark.
4511
4512"Stay alert, everyone. This was the territory of a mid-sized wizard organization. I think there’ll be many traps around, so be careful," Melissa advised.
4513
4514The other four wizards jumped through the rocks and landed on the beach. The yellow dust was buried in pieces of broken black stones.
4515
4516Kuirman jumped off a rock easily as Ainphent walked to his side.
4517
4518"I don’t know why Melissa invited to you to join the team, but I hope you can prove that you’re necessary for the mission," Ainphent said in a low voice.
4519
4520"What’s the problem?" Kuirman’s brow furrowed. "It’s not you who decides if I’m valuable to the team or not. Oh, wait, you’re the one who invited a Gas stage weakling to the team."
4521
4522"I’m confident that he’ll do great in the mission and I believe he won’t disappoint me." Ainphent smiled. "He’s not a weak Gas stage wizard by the way."
4523
4524He turned around and left.
4525
4526"Are you sure about this?"
4527
4528Kuirman narrowed his eyes.
4529
4530He suddenly turned around and walked to Angele.
4531
4532"Wizard Green."
4533
4534Angele scrunched his eyebrows and backed off a bit—he wanted to keep a safe distance from this man.
4535
4536"What do you want?"
4537
4538Kuirman took a glance at Angele.
4539
4540"Wizard Ainphent trusts you a lot, but I want to make sure you can contribute to the team."
4541
4542Kuirman’s voice was deep and loud.
4543
4544"So, will you accept my challenge? Just me and you. The loser shall quit the mission and admit that he’s worthless."
4545
4546Kuirman pursed his lips to a sneer.
4547
4548Angele narrowed his eyes. It was obvious that Kuirman did not like Ainphent and was taunted into something, so he decided to challenge Angele to a fight. However, Angele needed to try his best not to reveal his signet and heart bombs here, and using only the Metal Mastery would not guarantee him a win. Kuirman had many practical experiences, and he was a wizard at the Liquid stage.
4549
4550Although Angele was learning new energy compression formulas and had spent most of the time experimenting on the ship, he was still not sure if he could win against Kuirman.
4551
4552Angele’s spell power was higher than before but using the energy compression method required a lot of mentality. They were getting close to the ruin and he did not want to waste his mentality, also, there was no time for him to recover.
4553
4554"Well, I’m not interested," Angele answered in a light tone.
4555
4556Ainphent looked at him. "It’s just a test. Accept the challenge."
4557
4558Old man Belem laughed. "You’re a dark wizard, right? Why are you backing off?"
4559
4560Melissa stood without saying a word but she was interested in the fight as well. Isabell still had no expression on her face; it seemed like she was not concerned.
4561
4562The followers had already woken up. They jumped to the beach as well, attracted by Angele and Kuirman’s conversation.
4563
4564The team lined up beside the two
4565
4566"Don’t worry. It’s just a test. I won’t hurt you." Kuirman’s green eyes were staring at Angele. "Also, you need to show us what you can do. You’re the only Gas stage wizard in the team at the moment since the other one didn’t show up. If you want to share the reward with us, you must accept the challenge."
4567
4568He slightly leaned forward. "Also, if you really are a coward, you can just go stay on the boat while the rest of us will continue the mission. What do you think?"
4569
4570Kuirman turned his face to Ainphent and sneered.
4571
4572Angele just realized that Kuirman was taunting Ainphent, but he feared his background and decided to mess with Angele instead. It seemed like the wizards here were all familiar with Ainphent’s family.
4573
4574Angele glanced around. The wizards watching the argument all wanted to know how strong he was.
4575
4576"Let’s get started then."
4577
4578He saw a green needle rushing toward his chest as he finished the word.
4579
4580The needle was traveling at full speed, drawing a green arc in the air.
4581
4582DING
4583
4584A silver shield formed before Angele and blocked the attack. Fire sparked as the needle hit the front of the shield.
4585
4586Angele barely had no time to react and Kuirman’s sneak attack almost succeeded.
4587
4588‘Warning! Threat detected! Target’s attributes: Strength over 20, Agility over 15, Stamina over 17. Safe distance, 15 meters…’
4589
4590The chip’s mechanical voice echoed in Angele’s head.
4591
4592Goose bumps rose on his skin.
4593
4594‘F*cking hell… Kuirman’s Strength is over 20?’
4595
4596The silver shield in front Angele was penetrated while he was thinking.
4597
4598The green needle stopped for a second and started rushing towards Angele again.
4599
4600Angele stepped back right away when the green needle was stopped by the shield. He raised his hand and created a long black dagger. He tried to stop the needle by hitting it with the tip of the
4601
4602dagger.
4603
4604Crack
4605
4606The black dagger broke into pieces.
4607
4608CHI
4609
4610The needle went past Angew'a left, turned into green light dots, and vanished into the air.
4611
4612Angele kept retreating, but his boots were already in the chilling sea. He raised his head and saw Kuirman was more than ten meters away from him.
4613
4614He was breathing heavily and his chest was pumping. Cold sweat covered Angele’s forehead.
4615
4616The place was deadly silent. The others wizards seemed surprised after witnessing Kuirman’s skill.
4617
4618Kuirman’s one simple-looking strike almost slew a Gas stage wizard. The wizards here all had serious expressions on their faces. They had all already learned how strong Kuirman was through that strange green needle.
4619
4620Angele narrowed his eyes again and stared at Kuirman.
4621
4622‘This man’s attributes are higher than Grand Knights', what kind of monster is he… The glowing elephant’s Strength is 8 and its Stamina is 15… Harland of Lennon is a famous Grand Knight and he only has 8.2 points of Strength… This Kuirman must be a close-combat wizard that enhanced his body with special spells or…’
4623
4624Angele had thousands of thoughts in his mind, but he was still observing Kuirman’s movements carefully.
4625
4626Kuirman looked surprised. "Impressive. I didn’t expect you to dodge that attack. Half of the wizards I killed died to that spell. So, Ainphent didn’t trust you for no reason."
4627
4628He slowly raised his right hand and pulled out a silver scimitar from his long green robe.
4629
4630The scimitar had the width of a human’s arm and the blade was smooth like a mirror.
4631
4632CHI
4633
4634Waves of green gas climbed up the scimitar.
4635
4636"Everyone, stay away from him!" Melissa suddenly shouted.
4637
4638The wizards and the followers were all strong enough to sense the breath of death twisting around the scimitar.
4639
4640"It’s a cursed weapon… You need to kill wizards that are at the same level as you, collect their dying curses, and concentrate them before crafting such a weapon… No wonder you’re so strong," Melissa explained with a low voice. She was staring at the scimitar with a serious expression on her face.
4641
4642"Ha, you’re probably the only one here that can recognize where my weapon comes from."
4643
4644Kuirman smiled and turned the scimitar around.
4645
4646KA
4647
4648Two more blades appeared on the right and left side of the handle, coated with the same green gas.
4649
4650Kuirman started to swing the scimitar with his right hand.
4651
4652The weapon turned into a spinning fan and Angele could hear the wind howling.
4653
4654He had no idea how he should counter the next attack.
4655
4656Angele was used to striking his opponents first with physical attacks, however, Kuirman was a close-combat wizard. His attributes and equipment were also much better.
4657
4658Angele deactivated his metal force field after his shield was penetrated. He had realized he could do such a thing after his mentality was compressed. The mentality compression method helped him control the Metal Mastery a lot.
4659
4660Zero warned him as the shield failed to block the needle and he had to deactivate the force field to prevent direct mentality damage.
4661
4662He would be dead or severely injured if his metal force field was completely destroyed. The damage to his mentality would even prevent him from casting any damage spells.
4663
4664The Talent Spell was the reason why wizards were strong, but it would become their weak point if the force field was broken by opponents.
4665
4666Angele was considering using his signet or heart bomb since Kuirman’s Stamina was over 17. Basic damage spells would not be effective on him.
4667
4668"Are you ready?"
4669
4670Kuirman chuckled and disappeared. Two small holes were left at the place that he had been standing in.
4671
4672A green shadow appeared beside Angele and hit him hard.
4673
4674BAM
4675
4676The two traded hits and fell into the sea together. They were about five or six meters away from the shore.
4677
4678They were slowly sinking into the freezing sea.
4679
4680Angele’s face turned red. The wing pattern on his left palm was sending out distorted waves around him quietly.
4681
4682He grabbed Kuirman’s right hand, and the cursed scimitar almost cut his waist open.
4683
4684‘The energy waves from the signet distracted Kuirman’s attack… I probably should’ve fully activated it… That was too close…’
4685
4686Angele focused on Kuirman’s right arm.
4687
4688The other's strength was so strong that Angele could barely hold his arm.
4689
4690Silver metal liquid started coming out of Angele’s skin. It climbed up Kuirman’s right arm and started solidifying.
4691
4692Chapter 179: The Ruin (2)
4693
4694
4695Angele was trying to stop Kuirman from hitting him again by applying the hardened metal onto his arms. This was probably the only way to deal with his extreme strength.
4696
4697A small amount of the silver liquid moved to Kuirman’s face, trying to rush into his mouth, ears, and nose.
4698
4699Kuirman pursed his lips as he attempted to break the solidified metal layer. After several seconds, the metal coating started cracking. Kurmain raised his left hand and tried to punch Angele. His force was so strong that the water started whirling.
4700
4701BAM
4702
4703Kuirman’s fist hit Angele’s metal barrier but barely did any damage.
4704
4705The two quickly stepped away from each other in the turbid water and started preparing for the next strike.
4706
4707It was dark and blue under the water, and the only thing around them was the sea. The two controlled the Water energy particles to prevent themselves from sinking. An endless deep fosse was right under their feet.
4708
4709CHI
4710
4711Kuirman pulled the broken metal layer off his body, raised his scimitar again, and slashed forward.
4712
4713The water was pulled to his scimitar and the strike created a small vortex that was about to hit Angele.
4714
4715Kuirman raised his left hand, and five finger-long green needles appeared above his palm. They spun several times before being pushed towards Angele.
4716
4717The needles mixed with the vortex, approaching at full speed.
4718
4719The pressure brought by the vortex was pushing water into Angele's mouth and nose, he could barely breathe. He quickly raised his right hand and created a silver shield in front of himself.
4720
4721BOOM
4722
4723The vortex was stopped by the shield, and the green needles were also blocked.
4724
4725Angele hid behind the shield and kept adding extra layers to harden it.
4726
4727He could feel the force Kuirman applied to the strike as the vortex and the needles were blocked.
4728
4729CLANK
4730
4731Angele’s face turned pale and blood came out of his mouth.
4732
4733CHI CHI CHI
4734
4735Three of the needles still penetrated the shield, and they were only several centimeters away from Angele’s face. The green glow casted reflections on his skin.
4736
4737Before Angele could react, he saw a green shadow coming to his lower left. It was Kuirman, and he was sneering.
4738
4739BAM
4740
4741Angele took the painful hit from below.
4742
4743He flew into the air after being kicked out of the water, drops of blood splashing everywhere.
4744
4745Kuirman floated on the surface and watched Angele dropping. He held the scimitar in his hand and slashed upward, hard.
4746
4747Clank
4748
4749Kuirman moved to the other side of Angele and slashed again after the first strike hit. The silver armor on Angele’s body started shattering.
4750
4751The man kept switching positions while hitting Angele; the battle looked very one-sided.
4752
4753"Weak! You’re too weak!" Kuirman roared.
4754
4755BAM
4756
4757Angele was kicked into the air again. A cruel smile appeared on Kuirman’s face, and the green gas surrounding his cursed blade became more intense. He charged at Angele again.
4758
4759It was the first time Angele felt so helpless. He could barely think after taking so many strong hits.
4760
4761He saw Kuirman sneering while trying to hit him with the scimitar.
4762
4763"I have to do this…"
4764
4765Angele pursed his lips and spat out some blood. A blue heart slid into his palm as his silver armor broke into pieces. At the same moment, three silver scars appeared on his face.
4766
4767"That’s enough!" suddenly, Melissa shouted.
4768
4769A white light dot traveled through the air and stopped between Angele and Kuirman. The light dot expanded and transformed into a translucent crystal plate that separated the two completely.
4770
4771Four twisted blue runes were blinking on the surface of the plate, their shapes changing to four strange creatures.
4772
4773Angele and Kuirman stared at each other through the translucent plate. They could see killing intent evident on the other's face. However, they knew that Melissa would not let them continue the fight now she had released her aura.
4774
4775"There’s no point in fighting anymore. The ruins are dangerous and we can’t waste our energy here," she stated, her voice echoing through the area.
4776
4777Angele stepped off the plate, jumped into the sea, and swam to the shore.
4778
4779Kuirman returned his scimitar into the robe and followed Angele. They used Fire energy particles to dry their clothes after leaving the water. White steam rose from their clothes and their bodies were coated in red glows.
4780
4781The result of the fight seemed obvious to the rest of the team.
4782
4783"Green doesn’t stand a chance against Kuirman. However, as a Gas stage wizard, he’s above average."
4784
4785Old man Belem laughed.
4786
4787The others did not comment on the result of the fight but Angele noticed the disappointment in Ainphent’s eyes.
4788
4789Isabell took a glance at Angele but her expression was blank.
4790
4791"You’re way too weak. I thought you could at least leave several wounds on my body…" Kuirman shook his head. "Master Melissa, why did you stop us? You should’ve let me kill this kid. There’s no reason for us to share the reward with him."
4792
4793"Shut it. Let’s move."
4794
4795Melissa turned around and pointed at the translucent plate.
4796
4797Crack
4798
4799The plate exploded into pieces and vanished into the air. It sounded like a window being broken.
4800
4801Angele lowered his head. His eyes were filled with hatred.
4802
4803He was certain that if Melissa hadn't stepped in at the last second, the explosion of the heart bomb would have killed Kuirman. But her timing was way too perfect.
4804
4805The only good thing was that no one knew what he was going to do during the fight, so he would have plenty of chances to backstab Kuirman in the ruins.
4806
4807The wizards’ followers did not say a single word as they did not want to offend anyone here. None of them was stronger than a formal wizard.
4808
4809Melissa was leading the team at the front and Kuirman followed after her.
4810
4811Ainphent and Belem were surrounded by followers, staying at the back of the team.
4812
4813Angele wanted to keep the distance from the others, but Isabell and her three Grand Knights walked beside him.
4814
4815He hadn't had the chance to fight back during the battle. Although he was not severely injured and the blood was just from the impact, he still felt depressed.
4816
4817Kuirman’s Strength, Agility, and Stamina were all much higher than Angele's. There was no point for him to use his sword skills under such circumstances. He should’ve tried to cast spells, but Kuirman’s combo strikes were too furious, and Angele could only try to defend with the metal force field. Three layers of silver metal armor had barely stopped Kuirman’s scimitar.
4818
4819However, Angele noticed that although the signet was not fully activated, it still confused Kuirman for a second. It birthed a plan in his mind.
4820
4821The team kept advancing. They were going deeper and deeper into the island.
4822
4823The surface of the island was covered with black rocks.
4824
4825The only things Angele could see were broken stone pieces and empty grounds. There was not a plant or animal around.
4826
4827The whole island was deadly silent.
4828
4829The ground was covered in small pieces of stones, and the team advanced between the black rocks. The howling wind was freezing, so even the Grand Knights had to pull their collars up.
4830
4831Angele stayed in the middle of the team. He glanced around and realized he was going uphill.
4832
4833He picked up a black stone from the ground and started observing it.
4834
4835The stone looked like a piece of charcoal and was coated in some black dust, but the dust had no smell.
4836
4837‘Strange… I can sense the Necromantic negative energy from it…’ Angele thought as he dropped the stone to the ground.
4838
4839Melissa was leading the team at the front. She was still following the direction pointed out by the accessory on her palm.
4840
4841Half an hour later, the team arrived at a large cliff with a square built upon it.
4842
4843On the gray square, there was a humongous stone sundial standing in the center. Its diameter was about ten meters.
4844
4845The sundial was black, and it looked a bit strange on the gray platform. The inclined edge on its surface was about seven meters tall, but the number was unreadable as the sun was covered by the clouds.
4846
4847"This is the entrance to the ruins!" Melissa shouted out, stepping onto the sundial. "The main entrance to the ruins changes every day. Let’s try to find it as soon as possible."
4848
4849The wizards spread to different areas of the sundial. Angele crouched by the edge and started observing the runes and strings painted there.
4850
4851The rune in front of him looked like a ‘V’ that was written upside down.
4852
4853Isabell’s voice came from behind. "This is a rune used by an ancient wizard organization called the Axis of Time and it represents the number five."
4854
4855.
4856
4857"The Axis of Time…?"
4858
4859Angele had never heard of an organization like that.
4860
4861"It’s an ancient organization that worshipped time, they considered time as their God. Their ultimate goal was to control the time and then change their destinies," Isabell explained slowly. "However, the whole organization disappeared during the war, thousands of wizards vanished into the air together on the west coast. It was almost like they had never existed. People tried their best to locate the abandoned ruins of the organization but only a few of them successfully retrieved some valuable information."
4862
4863"Interesting." Angele stood up. "Do you know anything else about them?"
4864
4865"I do." Isabell stared Angele in the eyes. "The legend says that there were several Rank 4 wizards in the Axis of Time and the organization was the strongest on the west coast."
4866
4867"Rank 4…?"
4868
4869Angele was surprised. He already knew how hard it was for a wizard to reach the next rank. Long meditations barely increased his mentality. Without resources and potions, he was almost certain that he would stay at the Gas stage for the rest of his life.
4870
4871Zero could show him four decimal places when displaying attributes, however, the number had not changed for a while, and it indicated that Angele needed better meditation methods or potions that would help him gain mentality immediately.
4872
4873This was the reason why Angele decided to join the mission without hesitation. Zero had already listed the required materials for making the Tree Killer potion, so the only thing he needed to do now was to obtain the materials at any cost.
4874
4875Chapter 180: The Ruin (3)
4876
4877
4878"Something isn’t right!" Melissa’s voice suddenly came from the other side.
4879
4880"The entrance was opened by someone already."
4881
4882She was standing beside one of the hour lines, looking depressed.
4883
4884All the wizards were surprised. They quickly gathered beside Melissa.
4885
4886She pointed at the white dot on the dark hour line and they watched the white dot slowly turning gray.
4887
4888Ainphent had a serious expression on his face.
4889
4890"This mark means the entrance was opened not so long ago. The dot will turn white first and then slowly return to gray. Someone or something has already entered the ruins…"
4891
4892"Something? You mean creatures?" Belem questioned.
4893
4894"I’m not sure. The area we went past is covered in black rocks, but the other half of the island is a sea of dark trees. We already explored the island last time but we didn’t find any living beings."
4895
4896Melissa’s brow furrowed.
4897
4898"Strange, no one followed us here… which means someone else located the island by himself, " Ainphent said, lowering his voice.
4899
4900"How’s that even possible? We never leaked any information to the public."
4901
4902Melissa was about to say something else but her expression suddenly changed.
4903
4904"Move away from the sundial!" she shouted out.
4905
4906The island started shaking, and it almost felt like an earthquake.
4907
4908The team quickly walked off the sundial.
4909
4910A line of dark smoke appeared on top of the gray gnomon. It looked like a snake climbing up the incline, and after several seconds, the snake turned into a small black light dot.
4911
4912White smoke slowly rose from the surface of the sundial as the earthquake stopped, then lingered in the air.
4913
4914A dreamy voice came from nowhere. It sounded like a woman singing an opera, the pitch high and tone mild.
4915
4916"My beloved hometown.
4917
4918I shall return one day.
4919
4920I’ve been wandering for so long.
4921
4922I miss the clean spring, the beautiful frogs.
4923
4924We shall enjoy the best insects together while listening
4925
4926to the charming screams. We party, we dance, and we sing.
4927
4928The sky is red as the blood and the land is warm as lava.
4929
4930The blood in the glass was smooth and tasty.
4931
4932We laughed, we gouged our eyes out…
4933
4934We chew them now as we sing…"
4935
4936"What the hell is this song?"
4937
4938Angele glanced around. It seemed like the voice was coming from all angles, echoing above the empty and lonely island.
4939
4940"I don't know. I never learned this language but I can understand the meaning of the lyrics," Isabell said, her eyebrows scrunched.
4941
4942"I don’t like it. It’s sick."
4943
4944Ainphent shook his head.
4945
4946The followers all had serious expressions on their faces while checking the surroundings. The song was repeated several times before it stopped.
4947
4948Crack
4949
4950Three dark tunnel entrances opened up in the sundial. Each was about one meter wide and Angele could see long, white-stone staircases inside leading to an endless abyss.
4951
4952Strangely, the three entrances slowly turned blurry, and it almost looked like they were about to disappear.
4953
4954"What are you waiting for? Enter the ruins. Someone triggered the trap inside and something is changing!" Melissa shouted out in a loud voice and pointed at the three entrances.
4955
4956A ray of white light shot out from her fingertip and transformed into three white energy strings. They quickly glued to the entrances.
4957
4958The dark tunnels became focused once again and remained stable for the time being.
4959
4960Without saying anything, Melissa rushed into the entrance closest to her and vanished into the darkness.
4961
4962"Move!" Ainphent yelled and followed Melissa into the same entrance, his followers entering after him as well.
4963
4964Kuirman glanced around and entered a different entrance. Angele looked at him for a second, checking the entrances the others had went in.
4965
4966"Hmm."
4967
4968He stepped forward and rushed into the tunnel Kuirman had chosen.
4969
4970The tunnel was dark. Angele felt like he had just entered an endless space as he stepped inside. The only thing in his sight was a floating stone staircase.
4971
4972He started walking down the stairs, and the sounds of his footsteps echoed in the space.
4973
4974Angele glanced around and once again confirmed that there was nothing around. He raised his right hand and created a silver knife in his palm.
4975
4976CHI
4977
4978He shot the knife to the right, and it was swallowed by the darkness without making any noise right away. Angele did not hear the knife hitting anything, so he assumed that the right and left sides were infinite as well.
4979
4980He had no idea how long the staircase was. He could not see the end at all.
4981
4982Kata-kata
4983
4984The only thing Angel could hear was his footsteps and a chilling feel climbed up his back.
4985
4986He turned his head around, but the entrance had already disappeared. It was replaced by a black shadow.
4987
4988Angele looked down and was shocked. He slowly took a step forward then stopped.
4989
4990The gray stair disappeared as Angele moved his feet away from it.
4991
4992He tried to step on the disappeared stair again but nothing was there.
4993
4994"This place…"
4995
4996Angele’s heart was pumping.
4997
4998With a flick of his finger, a ball of red flame appeared beside the left side of his face. Its bright yellow glow brightened up the area around him.
4999
5000Angele stood still and observed his surroundings with the help of the light.
5001
5002However, he could only see the stairs in front, the rest of the area was covered by a strange dark aura.
5003
5004"Ha," Angele sneered and blue light dots appeared in front of his eyes.
5005
5006‘Zero, can you scan the environment for me?’
5007
5008‘Task created, scanning… processing… done…transferring the information…’ Zero reported quickly.
5009
5010Hissss
5011
5012A strange noise echoed in Angele’s ears. It sounded like a snake using its forked tongue, and suddenly, intense blue glow covered his eyes.
5013
5014BOOM
5015
5016The environment changed. Angele’s eyes blurred and the next moment he was standing on a wet staircase of a closed tunnel.
5017
5018The ball of flame was still floating around his face and it quickly brightened up the place.
5019
5020The walls were built with light yellow bricks while the ground was covered in black slates. Angele heard deep and slow footsteps ahead; someone else was here.
5021
5022‘Warning… Unknown force field detected! The chip is being… CHI… interrupted! The force field… is….’
5023
5024Angele could barely understand what Zero was reporting. It sounded like the current noise mixed with random voice lines, and its voice did not even sound mechanical anymore.
5025
5026Angele’s sight blurred again, his view shifting between bright light and darkness. He thought he was standing in a tunnel but the next second he saw the endless dark space in front of him again.
5027
5028"Goddamn it! What the hell is this place?" Angele cursed in a low voice.
5029
5030He turned around and started running back.
5031
5032He was running at full speed while the tunnel and the dark space kept flashing in his sight. After several minutes, he arrived at the exit, and he could see the bright white sky outside.
5033
5034Angele rushed out.
5035
5036"Where am I..?" he wondered, looking around.
5037
5038The greens trees were vibrant, and the wind was making the leaves dance in the air.
5039
5040"The tunnel is still here?" Angele turned his head around and looked into the tunnel. It was still dark.
5041
5042He had a plan in his mind, so he returned to the tunnel.
5043
5044CHI
5045
5046Nothing was interrupting his chip anymore. He returned to the stone staircase, and he could see the black rocks outside the exit. It indicated that the exit now led to the sundial.
5047
5048‘So, it was an illusion?’
5049
5050Angele raised his left hand and saw the wings on the palm swinging. It seemed like they had grown a bit larger than before.
5051
5052‘The unknown force field is no longer around,’ Zero reported in its mechanical voice.
5053
5054The signet was heating up. It was absorbing some unknown energy substance from the air slowly; it seemed like the blood of the harpies helped Angele resist the illusion. However, the signet needed time to develop the resistance to the illusion that was impacting him here.
5055
5056Angele calmed down and walked down the stairs quickly.
5057
5058The tunnel was wet, and he could smell the mold in the air.
5059
5060After turning twice, a familiar man appeared in Angele’s sight.
5061
5062It was Kuirman. The light from his torch casted flickering shadows upon his green robe. It looked like the robe was specially designed, and Kuirman was walking forward slowly.
5063
5064He heard someone’s quick footsteps and turned his head around, seeing Angele standing in the corner, staring at him.
5065
5066"You come to me yourself?" Kuirman looked surprised. "You know you can’t beat me, right? Are you stupid? How did you even become a formal wizard?" Kuirman taunted and sneered.
5067
5068"Die!"
5069
5070Angele wasted no time and threw a blue heart bomb at Kuirman.
5071
5072BOOM
5073
5074Countless drops of freezing blue liquid splashed through the tunnel as the heart bomb exploded in the air. After several seconds, the walls and the ground were painted in blue.
5075
5076Chapter 181: The Ruin (4)
5077
5078
5079Kuirman tried his best to dodge the bomb but half of his body was still hit by the blue liquid.
5080
5081The blue liquid was slimy. It was slowly moving around the walls and Kuirman’s green robe. Angele’s sight was blurred by the white steam rising from it.
5082
5083Crack
5084
5085The whole tunnel slowly turned blue, the energy particles in the air freezing.
5086
5087Kuirman was not prepared for the explosion and a thin layer of frost covered his skin as the blue liquid spread.
5088
5089"F*cking hell! What’s this thing?! Wait… This is not an ordinary beast heart!"
5090
5091Kuirman roared in pain. Blood was dripping down his nose but it seemed like he was not badly injured. His high Stamina provided him with enough resistance to the ice damage.
5092
5093CHI
5094
5095Kuirman drew his cursed scimitar, turned around, and slashed forward. The blade turned into a fan as it soared through the air.
5096
5097This time a red heart flew at him.
5098
5099"Damn!" Kuirman cursed but failed to dodge.
5100
5101BOOM
5102
5103The man was swollen by red flames, the power of the explosion making the whole tunnel shake.
5104
5105The burning flame melted the frozen blue liquid that filled up the tunnel and the Fire energy particles blazed.
5106
5107It felt like standing in a closed box that was put on fire. The temperature inside was extremely high. Angele leaned backward, noting that Kuirman was blown against the left wall by the explosion.
5108
5109The dent left on the wall had the shape of Kuirman’s body.
5110
5111"You… How dare you…"
5112
5113Kuirman was still alive. He slowly slid to the ground, his body burnt and surrounded by white smoke.
5114
5115The fire slowly extinguished as there was nothing left for it to burn anymore.
5116
5117Angele had more than 20 heart bombs hidden under his robe and the two he had just used had the lowest power. It was possible that he could simply bomb Kuirman to death.
5118
5119The first one he threw contained Ice energy and the second one Fire energy. They both had about 51 degrees of power. Kuirman was not in the center of the explosions, but he was still hit by at least 40 degrees of power twice in a row.
5120
5121It looked like Kuirman was severely injured. Angele stared at him and pursed his lips into a cold smile.
5122
5123"Farewell…"
5124
5125He raised his left hand and the wings on the palm started swinging.
5126
5127BAM
5128
5129Kuirman suddenly hit the wall with his right fist.
5130
5131Some black light dots splashed into the air with pieces of broken stones.
5132
5133Angele was not sure why Kuirman did that, but the wings on his palm stopped swinging, and it seemed like the signet was trying to absorb the black dots.
5134
5135Angele stood there and could not move, his sight replaced by darkness. The only thing he could see was the gray stairs under his feet. The tunnel and Kuirman were no longer there.
5136
5137He assumed he was trapped in the illusion again.
5138
5139"Again..?"
5140
5141Angele lowered his left hand and checked the signet on his palm. Luckily it was not fully activated and he could still use it later.
5142
5143Suddenly, a chilling feel climbed up the back of his neck. His sight blurred and the tunnel appeared again.
5144
5145"Die!" Kuirman roared furiously from behind.
5146
5147Angele turned around and Kuirman’s green needle almost reached the tip of his nose. Kuirman sneered while trying hard to stab Angele’s neck.
5148
5149BOOM
5150
5151Intense green flame blazed between the two.
5152
5153They were blown away by the impact at the same time and hit the walls on opposite sides.
5154
5155"The hell…"
5156
5157Kuirman coughed blood and his body was stuck to the wall again.
5158
5159"You prick…"
5160
5161He stared Angele.
5162
5163Angele slowly stood up. He was close to the center of the explosion but most of the impact was directed at Kuirman, so he himself was just slightly hurt.
5164
5165"It’s over, Kuirman."
5166
5167Another red heart bomb appeared in Angele’s hand. It was pumping slowly, and its surface had a green glint.
5168
5169"Where do you find those strange energy hearts?!" A hint of fear formed on Kuirman’s face. "Such quality… and such power… who did you purchase those hearts from?"
5170
5171He raised the cursed scimitar.
5172
5173A thin layer of green glow coated the surface of the silver blade and casted reflection on Kuirman’s body.
5174
5175Strangely, the burnt areas on his skin were recovering at a fast rate. The wounds disappeared, and it almost looked like he was never hurt several seconds later.
5176
5177CHI
5178
5179Kuirman suddenly disappeared.
5180
5181Angele assumed Kuirman was trying to fight back. He quickly turned around and was about to detonate another heart bomb.
5182
5183However, he saw Kuirman running toward the other side of the tunnel without looking back. He held his stomach with both hands as he ran, a trail of blood on the ground behind him.
5184
5185The green glint on his scimitar turned darker. It seemed like he did not have enough mentality or mana to support the enhancement spell.
5186
5187"Trying to escape?"
5188
5189Angele pursed his lips and started chasing after the man.
5190
5191Kuirman’s attributes were decreasing. It seemed like he needed a certain type of energy particles to trigger the effect on the cursed blade, and after taking damage, he used some of the energy to cure the wounds temporarily.
5192
5193Kuirman’s speed was decreasing gradually and Angele caught up within 20 seconds.
5194
5195BOOM
5196
5197Furious flame rushed through the tunnel and blew Kuirman into the wall again.
5198
5199Angele approached him slowly after creating a silver crossguard sword in his right hand.
5200
5201The fire brightened up the whole tunnel.
5202
5203The two were getting closer and closer. The light from the fire reflected on the blade of Angele’s sword.
5204
5205Kuirman fainted after hitting the wall. Angele aimed at his neck and threw his sword.
5206
5207CHI
5208
5209The crossguard sword drew an arc in the air but Kuirman’s body disappeared right before he was about to get hit, and the sword ended up hitting the wall.
5210
5211CLANK
5212
5213The sword dropped to the ground.
5214
5215"Who’s there!"
5216
5217Angele turned his head around.
5218
5219His back was pushed by a strong force before he could see the man’s face.
5220
5221BAM
5222
5223Angele’s back numbed after being pushed. It felt like getting hit by a truck that was traveling at full speed on a highway.
5224
5225He almost flew back to the stone staircase, which was about ten meters away from Kuirman’s location.
5226
5227"Damn!"
5228
5229Angele struggled for a second before standing up. He barely took any damage. Kuirman had hit him much harder back on the shore, and this time his metal force field could easily handle the impact.
5230
5231He turned around and looked into the dark tunnel. A man with two heads above his shoulders was running with Kuirman on his back.
5232
5233"I can’t let you live, you already saw my heart bombs…" Angele held two heart bombs in both of his hands. "Die!"
5234
5235He narrowed his eyes.
5236
5237At that moment, he heard people yelling on the other side of the tunnel.
5238
5239"The noise came from here! It must be the wizard from Two Head Sect!"
5240
5241A group of people rushed down the stairs, Ainphent and Belem leading the way in front.
5242
5243The fully-geared Grand Knights followed after the two. They were injured and looked tired. Angele counted the number, and it seemed like several of them had died in some intense battles.
5244
5245"Hey, it’s you!"
5246
5247Ainphent saw Angele standing there while Belem noticed the man with two heads running with Kuirman on his back.
5248
5249They looked surprised after realizing that Angele was trying to finish off two wizards that were much stronger than him.
5250
5251Ainphent stepped back quietly after seeing Angele’s angry expression. He knew something was not right. Belem was way too familiar with the route in the ruins, and the old man looked anxious after receiving a message. He led the whole team here and found wizard Green.
5252
5253It did not seem like a coincidence. Angele laughed through his nose and returned the two heart bombs into his robe while trying to catch up with the two-headed man in the front.
5254
5255"Wait!"
5256
5257Belem suddenly appeared in front of Angele and blocked his path.
5258
5259"What’re you doing?"
5260
5261Angele stared at the old man and started releasing the metal energy particles.
5262
5263"I’m just trying to help. I know how strong that two-headed wizard is! You’ll need our help!"
5264
5265Apparently, Belem was not good at lying. His nervous expression already explained everything.
5266
5267"Get out of my way!"
5268
5269Angele raised his hand and slashed forward with his crossguard sword, however, his strike was blocked by an invisible barrier.
5270
5271CLANK
5272
5273Although the attack was blocked by the barrier, Belem still almost lost his balance. Suddenly, he calmed down and stared Angele in the eyes.
5274
5275"Don’t go! Some of our followers have already been killed by him! We need to stay together, otherwise, the ruins will swallow us!"
5276
5277He raised his arms and tried to block Angele’s path again.
5278
5279Angele was stopped by a new enemy when he was about to finish Kuirman off. He needed to make sure that Kuirman did not tell anyone about the heart bombs he had, and for that to happen he needed to catch and slay them with one shot.
5280
5281The wizards would go after him for sure if the secret of the hearts was leaked.
5282
5283Kuirman and the two-headed man were almost out of Angele’s sight but Belem was still trying his best to stop him from moving.
5284
5285"Don’t risk your life!" Belem shouted.
5286
5287Angele’s expression changed. He raised his right hand and a fist-sized fireball appeared on his palm. He pushed the fireball toward Belem without hesitation.
5288
5289"Protect the master!"
5290
5291"Kill that wizard! Now!"
5292
5293The Grand Knights behind Belem charged at Angele, and their bodies were surrounded by the same white glows.
5294
5295"Go! Lesser Fireball!" Angele shouted.
5296
5297He threw a red heart bomb forward when other people’s attention was attracted by the fireball. The heart bomb was detonated by the fireball, and they exploded at the same time. The sparkling flame prevented the bomb from being noticed by others.
5298
5299BOOM
5300
5301The whole tunnel started shaking again. The flame splashed and exploded, so people around could barely open their eyes.
5302
5303The three Grand Knights were blown away like pieces of paper. They hit the wall and stopped moving.
5304
5305Belem was severely wounded by the explosion, blood coming out of his nose and mouth. He rolled on the ground and stopped after hitting the wall on the left.
5306
5307The explosion also stopped Angele from chasing the escaping two-headed wizard and Kuirman. They had already disappeared from his sight.
5308
5309"F*ck!" he cursed loudly.
5310
5311Angele turned around and walked to Belem.
5312
5313BAM
5314
5315He kicked Belem hard in the waist.
5316
5317Belem leaned against the wall, his defensive barrier destroyed by the explosion. The old man was wounded and exhausted, and he had no strength to fight back. More and more blood was dripping down his face after he was kicked by Angele.
5318
5319"Block this! Traitor!" Angele shouted anxiously and kept kicking Belem. "Did you plan all this? Spit it out!"
5320
5321BAM
5322
5323He kicked Belem in the face.
5324
5325Belem was kicked into the air and dropped to the ground several seconds later. He lay on the ground barely able to breathe.
5326
5327"Filthy scum!" Angele cursed and pointed at Belem’s neck. A sharp silver metal needle slowly appeared on the tip of his finger.
5328
5329"Green, wait. We need to take him back to the council. Something must be going on and we need him to talk. Didn’t you just fight a wizard from the Two Head Sect," Ainphent yelled out and stopped Angele.
5330
5331The followers behind him were all prepared for the possible fight. They weren't sure if Angele wouldn't try to kill them as well.
5332
5333Belem’s actions already explained everything. He was related to the Two Head Sect, and he was trying to help the other wizard escape. However, Belem hadn't known that Angele would try to kill him without any hesitation. He stood right in front of Angele and had no time to cast any defensive spells.
5334
5335Angele took a glance at Ainphent and lowered his hand. He was not sure who was behind Ainphent and what was that council he was talking about.
5336
5337"This… is my sect’s territory… you’ll all die… Ha… And… Green, I know your…"
5338
5339Belem had a strange smile on his face. He kept speaking while blood ran down his mouth.
5340
5341"Shut up!"
5342
5343Angele was not sure what Belem was going to say. He quickly ran to the old man and cracked his skull.
5344
5345Belem’s brains mixed with blood splashed everywhere.
5346
5347Angele was not sure what Ainphent was going to do but he had to take action right now. He turned around and started running again.
5348
5349Some of Angele’s energy particles remained on Kuirman’s body and he tried to track him down using the energy trail.
5350
5351"You won’t escape this…"
5352
5353Angele narrowed his eyes and vanished into the darkness.
5354
5355Chapter 182: Exploration (1)
5356
5357
5358The dark twisted tunnel extended ahead. Angele increased his speed and the only noise in the place was from his footsteps and breathing.
5359
5360A ball of yellow flame floated on the left side of his head and brightened up the area around him.
5361
5362‘Strange, the route here is a mess.’ Angele was running at full speed but his head was still clear.
5363
5364It felt like the tunnel was shifting by itself. Angele ordered Zero to create a map of the area when the tunnel first appeared in front of him but he already encountered two unknown exits on his way here. Without the tracking spell, he would have already lost the two in front of him.
5365
5366He ran as he reconsidered the situation.
5367
5368‘Based on Belem’s dying words, this ruins is the territory of the Two Head Sect. The sect’s name probably comes from its members’ appearances. The wizard we saw earlier had two heads over his shoulders. However, Melissa and Ainphent have visited the ruins many times already, I don’t understand how they didn't find anything about the Two Head Sect’s secret plan… There’re probably many things I still don’t know about.’
5369
5370Angele suddenly stopped as he turned at a corner. There was a bright ray of sunlight shooting down the roof in the area ahead.
5371
5372The top of the tunnel was cracked, and the golden sunlight was dazzling.
5373
5374Angele slightly narrowed his eyes and walked into the sunlight.
5375
5376He raised his head and tried to peek outside through the gap.
5377
5378The clouds that covered the blue sky were no longer there, and Angele embraced the warmth of the sun.
5379
5380He carefully removed the cracked stone pieces from the gap and two green vines dropped right in front of him.
5381
5382Angele’s sight fell upon the place where the vines were in contact with the edge of the gap.
5383
5384The surface of the vine was scratched, revealing white plant fibers.
5385
5386"They escaped through this gap…"
5387
5388Angele visualized the scene of the two-headed wizard climbing up the vines and leaving the tunnel with Kuirman on his back.
5389
5390He quickly grabbed the vine in hand and pulled on it hard. Angele then quickly stepped back and raised his head.
5391
5392CHICHICHI
5393
5394A trap was triggered and some black items dropped to the ground from the gap. They drew a straight line below the vine.
5395
5396Angele shook his head and pursed his lips.
5397
5398It was a line of black needles. They stabbed into the slates, and their shapes looked identical to those used by Kuirman.
5399
5400"Not a surprise."
5401
5402Angele sneered and raised his right hand. A thin metal string twisted around the vine and pulled it several times.
5403
5404It seemed like the needles were the only trap they had set up here.
5405
5406Angele stepped forward and grabbed the vine.
5407
5408He quickly climbed out of the tunnel through the gap.
5409
5410Above the tunnel, it was a sea of trees. They were tall and vibrant, their roots strong and bushes around them thick.
5411
5412Green grass covered the land and there were several white flowers mixed in.
5413
5414The distance between each of the trees was about four to five meters, and the black mud was covered with broken pieces of white stones. It looked like white sesame seeds spread on a large piece of black cloth.
5415
5416Angele moved out of the exit and saw a humongous tree right beside him. The sunlight went through the gaps of the branches and dropped to the land, while the tree’s root was covered by green vines. Inside the forest, there were no insects or animals. The only thing Angele could see were the plants.
5417
5418The mud under his feet was wet. Angele went around the bell-shaped root and straightened his robe. Before he could observe the environment, two men appeared in his sight.
5419
5420They were the two-headed wizard and Kuirman.
5421
5422Kuirman had already woken up and was chanting some incantation in a low voice, the left side of his body already merged with the two-headed man’s.
5423
5424It almost looked like Kuirman was trying to get into the man’s flesh.
5425
5426There were no five sense organs on the two-headed man’s face, his skin clean and smooth. He was not resisting what Kuirman was doing to him, just standing there and waiting for Kuirman to finish the incantation.
5427
5428Kuirman heard Angele’s footsteps and turned his head around. He gritted his teeth but Angele could see the fear on his face.
5429
5430Kuirman stopped chanting the incantation, knowing he had no way to finish the spell, and it was possible that the unstable mana would kill him. However, it seemed like the pausing of the spell did not impact the effect that had already happened.
5431
5432"Can’t you just leave me alone?" Kuirman asked in a deep voice. Half of his body had already disappeared, his arms and head were on the back of the two-headed wizard. The scene gave Angele an unpleasant feeling.
5433
5434He sneered. "You gave up?"
5435
5436"You have no idea… I spent years collecting the cursed power and you destroyed it all! There’s no point for me to run anymore. I’ll show you what I’m capable of." The fear on Kuirman’s face disappeared and he stared at Angele. "Now my power has returned… Don’t expect to defeat me easily…"
5437
5438"Huh? Interesting. Show me what you can do then."
5439
5440Three silver metal scars slowly appeared on the left side of Angele’s face.
5441
5442Kuirman laughed through his nose and clapped his hands, then his body and the two-headed man’s body completely combined.
5443
5444The shape of the two-headed man’s faces shifted and the next moment he looked exactly like Kuirman.
5445
5446The two-headed version of Kuirman was half naked, only his lower body covered by a blue blanket. He was about two meters tall, looking strong and ruthless.
5447
5448Kuirman drew his cursed scimitar again and coated the blade with the familiar green aura.
5449
5450"Die, insect!" Kuirman charged toward Angele, the scimitar in his right hand spinning so fast that it blurred. "How many heart bombs do you have?! Huh?" he roared out while slashed forward.
5451
5452Angele shook his head, then the sleeves of his robe, and four heart bombs appeared on both of his palms. All of them were covered in a red glow, ready to be detonated.
5453
5454He raised his arms and aimed at Kuirman.
5455
5456His opponent's confident expression was replaced by fear in a second. He quickly turned around and tried to escape.
5457
5458"F*cking hell! Where do you get so many heart bombs?! You’re crazy!" he yelled as he started retreating.
5459
5460Kuirman had assumed that Angele had used up all of his heart bombs in the tunnel, not expecting Angele to have hidden so many of them under his robe. It was an extremely risky behavior as the heart bombs might explode during battle.
5461
5462BOOM
5463
5464A shell-shaped area in front of Angele was covered in flames.
5465
5466The sky, the trees, and the land disappeared from Kuirman’s sight, and instead, he saw the furious fire trying to swallow him.
5467
5468The pressure brought by the explosions squeezed Kuirman’s body and the high temperature vaporized his defensive barrier in the blink of the eyes.
5469
5470"Ah!"
5471
5472Kuirman roared in pain but the only thing Angele could hear was the burning fire. Kuirman’s eyes perished in the flames, his nose and ears were destroyed by the explosion. In the end, there was not much left of him.
5473
5474The flames streaked into the air and ignited all the trees around. The enormous tree trunks fell to the ground as the fire sparked.
5475
5476Thick white smoke permeated the air.
5477
5478The grass inside the explosion's radius all turned to ashes in seconds, and waves of heat spread out in all directions.
5479
5480Angele was caught in the center of the explosion and was blown away. He created multiple thin silver metal strings and shot them toward the trees on the sides to reduce the impact. Eight large trees were pulled down before he dropped to the ground.
5481
5482"Four Fire heart bombs and each of them had at least 50 degrees of power… Incredible…"
5483
5484It was the first time Angele had used four heart bombs at the same time, and he was surprised.
5485
5486The location he was standing at had turned into a sea of fire, the glowing red Fire energy particles mixed in with the burning plants covered the light from the sun.
5487
5488Kuirman was struggling and trembling in the flames. He tried to escape, but he was surrounded by a circle of furious fire. He was dying, no longer able to hear or see anything, but he was still trying to find a way to survive.
5489
5490Angele was more than ten meters away from the edge of the burning area, but he could still feel the heat, and even the metal layer that covered his skin started melting. He had to back off several meters more.
5491
5492"It’s over."
5493
5494Angele sighed and watched Kuirman burning in the flames. He used one-third of the heart bombs he had during this fight.
5495
5496He recalled the day he had killed two hundred-eyed monsters outside the ruins of Ramsoda, one heart bomb made from the glowing elephant’s heart was all he had needed. However, the monsters had been way weaker than Kuirman—he had almost recovered from the injury done by several heart bombs.
5497
5498Kuirman’s burning body started melting from the heat. He was still moving, but it seemed like there was no way for him to recover from this.
5499
5500BOOM
5501
5502Suddenly, Kuirman’s body exploded and his organs splashed everywhere.
5503
5504A spinning scimitar drew a long arc in the air, surrounded by flames.
5505
5506CHI
5507
5508The scimitar stabbed into a tree’s trunk beside Angele, the blade was still smoking. The remaining heat on the metal left a deep burnt mark on the surface of the trunk.
5509
5510Angele turned around. He was surprised that Kuirman’s weapon was still in a good shape after the explosion. There was not even a dent on its blade.
5511
5512Angele walked to the tree and stopped by its trunk.
5513
5514There was a silver glint on the scimitar, but the coiling green aura was no longer there. The wavy blade looked like a silver snake twisting its body.
5515
5516The handle of the scimitar was made from black metal, but Angele did not see any hilt. Its handle had the style of the short daggers used in rituals.
5517
5518Angele put his hands on the handle. Many blue light dots appeared in the air. They gathered around the handle and turned into a water beam.
5519
5520CHI
5521
5522Thick white steam rose from the handle.
5523
5524After several seconds, the steam disappeared as the blue light dots vanished into the air.
5525
5526Angele grabbed the handle of the scimitar and pulled it out of the tree trunk.
5527
5528Chapter 183: Exploration (2)
5529
5530
5531"The cursed scimitar…"
5532
5533Angele recalled how Melissa had described Kuirman’s weapon but he did not find any additional information about it in the database.
5534
5535He checked the scimitar but it seemed like a special technique was needed in order to trigger its effect. Angele’s mentality and energy particles did not work; it was basically just a normal scimitar to him.
5536
5537Angele spent several minutes observing the scimitar while Zero was doing the scan, but he did not acquire any valuable information. Deciding to do further investigation later, he tied it to his belt.
5538
5539He raised his head and had one final glance at the furious flames. Kuirman’s body was already burnt to ashes and Angele could no longer detect the man’s mentality waves.
5540
5541Angele returned to the gap on top of the tunnel and jumped down. He could still see the fire through the gap and the temperature inside the tunnel was rising.
5542
5543The bright fireball on the left of his face appeared again and he started to walk back to the area where the fight had started.
5544
5545The underground tunnel of the ruin was like a spider web—it was complicated and full of crossroads, but Angele did not see any rooms on the way.
5546
5547He assumed that he was still in the outer area. He reached a crossroad again, but this time he decided to explore the unknown area first.
5548
5549He turned to the left and entered a dark tunnel.
5550
5551CHI
5552
5553The floor vibrated slightly. It seemed like something further away was hitting the tunnel.
5554
5555After about ten minutes, the floor stopped shaking. Angele detected the source of the vibration and increased his speed, turning right at the end of this tunnel.
5556
5557The stone walls had no differences. Without the chip, Angele would have gotten lost already. He finally saw a different-looking entrance on a wall by the end of the tunnel.
5558
5559Inside the entrance, there was a gray stone staircase leading down into the darkness. Angele could feel chilling air brushing his face just by standing beside the wall.
5560
5561He crouched and checked the floor.
5562
5563Angele found some messy footprints on the dusty stone floor.
5564
5565"Someone entered it already."
5566
5567Angele stood up and pointed at the staircase.
5568
5569With a flick of his finger, a small black metal ball was shot down the staircase.
5570
5571Before the metal ball dropped to the ground, Angele raised his hand again.
5572
5573A ray of red light flashed.
5574
5575CHI
5576
5577The metal ball was ignited and the yellow light from the flame brightened up the area down the stairs.
5578
5579PA
5580
5581The burning metal ball rolled down the stone staircase and stopped after reaching the ground. It looked like a small light dot.
5582
5583Angele was satisfied with the result and he threw ten more metal balls down the stairs.
5584
5585He could finally see things clearly and started walking down slowly.
5586
5587Strange white patterns were painted on both sides of the walls.
5588
5589They looked like large flowers with human bodies attached to them. Their arms were long but twisted. One of them had a huge ear that looked like a wash basin. Some of the flower men held each other's hands and were dancing around campfires.
5590
5591Angele rubbed the surface of a wall. Some of the white paint dropped to the ground, and there was a large missing area beside the dancing flower men.
5592
5593He lowered his hand and started walking down the stairs again. He thought it was a tunnel down there, but it was actually a room, and the burning metal balls lay on the floor quietly.
5594
5595There were no paintings on the walls in the room, the surface clean and smooth.
5596
5597Angele noticed a blond woman lying beside one of the burning metal balls. She was wearing a red leather armor suit and her face looked familiar.
5598
5599She was one of Ainphent’s followers.
5600
5601Ainphent’s followers’ armor style was easy to recognize, and Angele identified her easily.
5602
5603He walked to the woman and crouched down.
5604
5605Her body was facing the ground, and there was a pool of dark red blood beneath her.
5606
5607Angele dipped his finger in the blood. It was solidifying, and it felt like touching thick congee.
5608
5609‘I already have the Black Rose oil and the only thing I need is the heart of the tree. I hope I can find it in this ruin. It seems like the ruin is controlled by the Two Head Sect, I can probably find some more resources if that’s true.’
5610
5611Angele knew there was danger ahead but he did not want to give up the possible reward easily. If he chose to leave now, the heart bombs he used would have been wasted.
5612
5613Angele did not back off in the Moon Gin Garden. The only way to keep advancing in the world of wizards was to adapt to the various situations and changes. He needed to be cautious when dealing with things, but it did not mean that he should quit when there was danger along with possible benefits ahead.
5614
5615Also, with the help of a stealth technique and mentality compression method, he could stay undetected if the enemies’ mentality was weaker than his.
5616
5617Angele grabbed the woman’s shoulder and turned her body around.
5618
5619There was a deep wound on the female knight’s neck and a huge blood hole in the center of her stomach. Angele could see the crashed organs mixed with flesh. Also, the woman’s right arm was broken. It seemed like she did not have the chance to fight back.
5620
5621Angele stood up and glanced around after checking the body.
5622
5623There were three arched stone gates on the wall in front of him.
5624
5625The gate in the front was smashed open, large pieces of stone lying on the ground, and there was a trail of bloody footprints beside.
5626
5627Angele used his stealth technique and quietened his footsteps. He then slowly moved into the gate.
5628
5629BAM
5630
5631Suddenly, a loud noise mixed with people roaring came from inside.
5632
5633The room started shaking, the feeling similar to the one he'd experienced in the tunnel.
5634
5635Angele raised his hands and some blue energy particles flashed in the air—all the flame on the metal balls was put off. The room sank into darkness again, with only the fireball beside his face providing minimum visibility.
5636
5637He started moving forward quickly, using the stealth technique and the compressed mentality, the noise of footsteps minimized.
5638
5639Behind the gate was a dark tunnel. After traveling for several minutes, Angele heard people chatting ahead.
5640
5641"… Check… Bring the… with us… We need to hurry… the core area is ahead."
5642
5643It was Melissa’s voice but Angele did not catch all the words she was saying.
5644
5645He took several steps forward and finally could hear their conversation clearly. Someone was responding to Melissa.
5646
5647"All those traps… It’s our first time entering this area. Be careful, everyone! We’ll reach the core area after breaking the barrier. We must grab most of the bearing shafts before the other wizards get here." It was Ainphent, it seemed like he had returned to Melissa’s team. "Belem and Kuirman are spies of the Two Head Sec, I didn’t expect that. If Green hadn't taken care of them for us, it’d have been a big problem."
5648
5649"Hey! Be careful! Look at the walls, Collins! Don’t get too close!"
5650
5651"Yes, master!"
5652
5653"Where’s Isabel? I didn’t meet her and her followers after entering the tunnel," Melissa questioned.
5654
5655"I saw her once on the other side of the tunnel. She was not planning to enter the core area. She went straight to the storage area for some reason," Ainphent explained.
5656
5657"What is she looking for? I doubt there are many rare resources here. Let’s move. We need to get there as soon as possible," Melissa said with a light tone.
5658
5659It seemed like Melissa and Ainphent had entered through the gate not so long ago. Angele followed after them from a distance, advancing little by little.
5660
5661The tunnel was still in the range of the force field that would trap people in illusions. Angele needed to make sure he did not miss any critical information. Melissa had already finished several battles before regrouping with Ainphent.
5662
5663There were broken pieces of human organs on the ground. and blood splashed on the stone walls. Random footprints were left on the floor that led to the deeper area ahead.
5664
5665Angele found a small door on the left side, the sign next to it saying ‘Laboratory’. The word was written in ancient Barun language. He hesitated for a second, then pushed the door open.
5666
5667A light blue glow cast a reflection on his face.
5668
5669It was a spacious room, glowing sapphire covering the walls. Those diamond-shaped sapphires were the source of the light.
5670
5671On the left side of the room, there was a small stone sundial that was brushed with black paint. A thick layer of dust covered its surface.
5672
5673Angele walked to the sundial and wiped off the dust with a piece of cloth.
5674
5675Melissa’s group was still moving forward. They had not entered the laboratory because they wanted to save time.
5676
5677Angele was not sure about what exactly was the bearing shaft Melissa spoke about but it seemed like they did not want others to find out about it. He was not sure how strong Melissa was, so he decided to do some personal investigations first.
5678
5679He had no interest in the bearing shafts anyway.
5680
5681With Kuirman dead, Angele could focus on searching for the heart of the tree now. He had obtained the Black Rose oil from Isabel, so he could start preparing the potion after acquiring the heart.
5682
5683Although Angele’s Mentality was not high enough for the next stage yet, it was still necessary for him to collect the materials for the potion first. There were many different methods to help him increase mentality other than meditating, but this might be his only chance to obtain the heart.
5684
5685Also, Angele was confident that he could successfully craft the ancient potion on the first try. He had many practical experiences and Zero could simulate the process for him.
5686
5687The potion masters would waste a great number of resources every day, but they could only craft one or two mid-level potions each year.
5688
5689The basic potions were expensive in the markets, but the price of mid-level potions was much higher. The skill-level and a number of resources required were ridiculous. The wasted materials were hundred times or even thousand times the materials that were actually listed in the formulas.
5690
5691Angele stopped thinking and observed the environment. A trail of blood in the corner attracted his eyes.
5692
5693He walked to the corner and saw the trail of blood leading to a wall on the other side of the room.
5694
5695Chapter 184: Exploration (3)
5696
5697
5698The dirty floor was covered in dust, which made the dark red blood trail very conspicuous.
5699
5700Angele did not find any other strange things in the room.
5701
5702He followed the trail of blood to the wall.
5703
5704It seemed like the blood came from the other side.
5705
5706The surface of the wall was gray with a silver glint to it. Angele raised his head and saw a head-sized glowing sapphire inserted into the surface of the wall.
5707
5708The clean blue light cast a reflection on Angele’s robe, and on the sapphire, there was a hidden bloody handprint. It was quite difficult to see and Angele assumed that the handprint was left there by the injured person.
5709
5710He raised his hand and pressed on the sapphire.
5711
5712Crack
5713
5714The sapphire was pressed into the wall and moved to the left, revealing a small hidden compartment.
5715
5716A thin book with a yellow cover lay in there quietly. There was nothing written on it, and it looked old.
5717
5718Angele grabbed the book and found a set of black metal keys under it.
5719
5720There were about ten keys hanging on a silver key ring, the sizes, and shapes of the keys varied. It seemed like they were used for different locks.
5721
5722Angele tied the keyring to his belt and opened the thin book.
5723
5724‘April 12th. I arrived at this new ruin we found. Master Mahamt of the sect found this place and captured it. It’s a ruin of an ancient organization named Axis of Time. The place is nice and the weather is great, but for some reason, we can’t find any creatures on the island. It’s strange. As a member of the sect, I have to obey the orders… I really miss my wines…’
5725
5726‘April 15th. Our supplies arrived and everything is proceeding well. There are not many of us here, but we're important to the mission. I want to write down more, but Haner asked me for help in the laboratory. I’ll leave it here’.
5727
5728The next several pages were missing. It looked like they were torn off by someone, but Angele already knew that this was a diary of one of the Two Head Sect members.
5729
5730He kept turning the pages, skipping the records about daily life.
5731
5732Angele reached the end quickly.
5733
5734‘It’s July already. Quella told me that his pocket watch stopped working and he wanted me to fix it. Seriously?! Those gear wheels inside had broken into pieces and there was nothing I could do. Too many explosions had happened in the laboratory… Quella complained that the items crafted by the mortals were too weak… and I have nothing against that opinion’.
5735
5736‘Something isn’t right recently. The captains arrived at the facility and put restrictions on several areas. What are they planning to do? I haven’t seen them in years, and they want to take everything from us? We contributed the most to the project, and they’re not allowing us to enter the area with the rarest resources… I’m a wizard too, I need to find a way to enter those areas someday…’
5737
5738‘October 11th. I finally acquired the keys to the restricted areas. God, it takes ten keys to open all the entrances. I’m preparing to enter the area today, wish me luck’.
5739
5740That was the end of the diary. Angele turned the book around but did not find anything on the back.
5741
5742He grabbed the keys and found that the word '4' was engraved on each of their handles in Anmag.
5743
5744Angele knew something unfortunate had happened just by reading the diary. The man's mission had probably failed. He checked the diary again and found a well-drawn map of the ruin. Each of the areas was labeled with names, and five black circles were marked in the corners. Numbers from one to five were written inside each of the circles.
5745
5746The number four circle was not far away from the laboratory.
5747
5748Angele opened the diary and read the last several pages again.
5749
5750‘And they’re not allowing us to enter the area with the rarest resources…’
5751
5752The wizards sent to the ruin by the Two Head sect failed to completely explore the ruin and for some reason, they set up restricted areas to store the rare resources. Angele guessed that they might have found something else in those special areas and the secret was reported to the leaders at higher positions.
5753
5754The wizard who wrote the diary had probably died when trying to break into the area four, but Angele did not understand why his diary and keys were still there.
5755
5756He rubbed the map with his fingers slowly.
5757
5758‘Should I go there?’
5759
5760Angele hesitated. Based on the information he acquired from the diary, he was certain that something was wrong with this ruin. However, it seemed that if he wanted to maximize the number of resources he could get, he would have to enter the restricted areas.
5761
5762‘I need to proceed with caution, those areas aren't restricted for no reason. Better rewards come with higher risk… Damn, I wish I could reach the next stage now so I could learn some better damage spells…’
5763
5764Angele kept thinking and in the end decided to check the areas outside those circles. If things did not look too bad, he would use the keys and go inside for rare resources.
5765
5766He scanned the diary and stored the information into the database, the whole process taking about a minute. Angele then threw the diary back into the hidden compartment. With a flick of his finger, Fire energy particles ignited the book. In the bright orange flame, the diary turned yellow, twisted, and became a pile of ash.
5767
5768Angele turned around, left the laboratory, and returned to the tunnel. The place was extremely silent, he could not hear anything, and he doubted if the air was circulating.
5769
5770The floating fireball on the left side of his face only brought him minimum visibility.
5771
5772He recalled the map he just read and located his current location. Slowly moving forward under the dim light, he reached another crossroad.
5773
5774The footprints on the ground indicated that Melissa and her group had gone straight ahead.
5775
5776Angele decided to go check the No.4 restricted area first.
5777
5778He double-checked the map he had stored in the chip and turned left.
5779
5780There was some soothing wind coming from the left to the right side. Angele kept moving forward for about twenty minutes.
5781
5782He reached an entrance of a cloister and saw a large ‘4’ painted on the way in an ancient language.
5783
5784The dust in the air made Angele’s nose itch. He stood by the entrance and peeked inside.
5785
5786The hallway was about ten meters long and there was a black wooden door by the end of it. The door was tall and wide, with holes on its surface. The blue light coming out of the holes caught Angele’s eyes.
5787
5788It seemed like someone was having a conversation inside.
5789
5790Angele extinguished the fireball and quietened his footsteps.
5791
5792He stood in front of the wooden door and peeked through one of the larger holes.
5793
5794Angele could hear the people talking inside clearly.
5795
5796"… No! Impossible! Tell me! That’s not your intention, right? Tell me!" a man was shouting, his voice sounding nervous.
5797
5798Angele leaned forward and saw a large meeting hall, its wall decorated with the same glowing sapphires he had seen in the laboratory. Those sapphires were the only source of light here.
5799
5800The hall was filled with people wearing long blue robes. Their ages and genders varied, but they were all releasing strong mentality waves, and it seemed like Angele’s compressed mentality helped him to stay undetected.
5801
5802Angele was quite surprised after checking their mentality waves because all of them were wizards.
5803
5804Also, those wizards’ bodies were translucent. They almost looked like ghosts.
5805
5806All the wizards were quietly staring at several people that were wearing dark blue robes. The voice Angele had heard earlier belonged to a young man, and he was staring at another man in front of him with anger in his eyes.
5807
5808"Naora! You destroyed us! You destroyed the whole Axis of Time! I need to stop you now!"
5809
5810A female wizard stepped forward.
5811
5812"We’re already the strongest organization on the west coast and we don’t have to risk it!" someone yelled out.
5813
5814"I’m doing this for the organization," the male wizard named Naora responded in a light tone. The man had a peaceful smile on his face. It seemed like the others were trying to stop him from making a certain decision.
5815
5816"Axis of Time…?"
5817
5818"So, this is a memory of the ruin…?"
5819
5820Angele had read about it in one of the books from Ramsoda’s library once. Some of the ancient architectures were built with a special material that could record events that happened inside them. The materials were not enhanced by spells, and they were relatively easy to find back then. Many wandering wizards had encountered the material while traveling. The legend said that the Ghost Voice was developed by the ancient potion masters using a similar material.
5821
5822The wizards Angele saw were illusions, and their argument was recorded a long time ago. It was probably an important historical event for the organization.
5823
5824‘This was probably one of the reasons why the Axis of Time disappeared from this world,’ Angele guessed while watching the wizards talking inside the hall.
5825
5826The wizards’ argument got intense, and they were pointing at Naora. No one trusted the man’s explanation, but he was still trying to convince the others, addressing how important his plan was.
5827
5828However, no one was listening to him.
5829
5830"Do you know what’s my intention? Do you remember the day we founded the organization? What’s our true purpose?!" Naora shouted.
5831
5832"Tell us what you’re doing!" one of the wizards yelled.
5833
5834"Yeah! Show us the document! We don’t want to be lied to!"
5835
5836The hall got even noisier.
5837
5838Crack
5839
5840Angele stepped on something while trying to find a better viewing angle.
5841
5842Suddenly, people inside the hall stopped yelling and moving. It almost looked like a video was paused.
5843
5844They turned to the door and stared at Angele through the holes.
5845
5846More than thirty pairs of eyes looked at Angele at the same time, and those wizards’ expressions were replaced by horrifying smiles.
5847
5848Angele was scared, and his skull numbed. He took several steps back and stared at the black wooden door.
5849
5850The hall remained silent, but he could still feel the gazes going straight through the door and falling upon him.
5851
5852Chapter 185: Exploration (4)
5853
5854
5855‘Wait… They’re supposed to be illusions…’
5856
5857Angele was startled at that moment. He was certain that all the wizards’ figures were staring at him, and it seemed like they had noticed his presence a long time ago.
5858
5859Angele stood in the hallway. It was deadly silent, and he could not sense any movement inside the meeting hall.
5860
5861He quietened his footsteps and created a thick layer of metal on his skin for defense. His whole body was covered in a silver glow. He took out a black heart bomb with his right hand. This one was made with the heart of corrosion, and it was one of the two bombs that contained 70 degrees of power.
5862
5863Angele approached the wooden door again, hesitated for a second, but still decided to peek through the hole.
5864
5865The meeting hall was brightened by the blue glow. The wizards he'd seen had already disappeared and the room was completely empty. Angele shook his head. He knew it must have been an illusion. He could see the dust floating in the air under the light.
5866
5867Suddenly, a man’s eye appeared on the other side of the hole, and he was peeking through it just like what Angele was doing.
5868
5869The man was staring at Angele with his bloodshot eyes.
5870
5871Angele was startled again and backed off right away.
5872
5873He calmed down and looked at the hole again, but the man was no longer there, and he could only see the blue light from inside the room.
5874
5875"Are you looking for me?" a cold voice suddenly came from behind.
5876
5877CHI
5878
5879Angele turned around and a silver arc flashed in the air.　　
5880
5881He created a scimitar in his left hand and slashed forward hard. Angele heard the blade soaring through the air, but it felt like the strike landed on nothing.
5882
5883Angele quickly glanced around and tried to find who was behind him.
5884
5885"God damn it!"
5886
5887He was not sure what he should do. He double-checked the surroundings, but still did not see anyone around.
5888
5889Angele held his breath as he sensed someone walking toward him from behind. He assumed it was one of those ‘ghosts’ that were in the meeting hall. The ghost was getting closer and closer, and goose bumps rose on Angele’s neck.
5890
5891He knew he had to make the decision. He raised the heart bomb and threw it behind himself.
5892
5893BOOM
5894
5895Angele detonated the bomb, getting caught in the explosion as well. The impact blew him more than ten meters away. He rolled on the ground, finally stopping after he reached the other side of the hallway.
5896
5897Black-purple sticky liquid covered the whole cloister, and the door of the meeting hall was broken into pieces, so the bright blue light shined upon the hallway. The dust in the air blurred Angele’s sight.
5898
5899White steam rose from the areas that were covered by the liquid. Angele saw that the walls and the ground were being corroded; it was the effect of the heart bomb.
5900
5901The ghost disappeared after Angele detonated the bomb. He coughed several times as the dust went into his nose.
5902
5903Angele stood up and covered his nose with hands to prevent more dust from going into his nose.
5904
5905He gained experience of dealing with mysterious events after the encounter in Moon Gin Garden, and he was more prepared when it happened this time.
5906
5907However, he decided not to enter the meeting hall in front of him. There was no point for him to take more risks. The ghost could still appear at any moment. Those illusions of wizards were unusual, they did not act like the ones the books had mentioned.
5908
5909There were several times that Angele had almost lost his life during the missions because he was too greedy. He calmed down and made up his mind.
5910
5911Angele had a last glance at the corroded cloister, turned around, and left through the entrance.
5912
5913It only took him several minutes to return to the crossroad.
5914
5915Angele took a deep breath and started heading back. He had the map stored in the chip, so it was easy for him.
5916
5917Suddenly, he heard people whispering in the tunnel ahead.
5918
5919"Glen, go collect the items, we need to move. Aria, help the wounded members, Avria is still waiting for us there, we must hurry."
5920
5921The voice of the man was familiar. Angele raised his head slightly and looked ahead.
5922
5923A man wearing a white robe was advancing in the darkness, and Angele recognized him immediately.
5924
5925"Hey, Ainphent!" Angele shouted out. He needed someone that was familiar with the situation, and he wanted to check if they had already collected the bearing shafts.
5926
5927Ainphent was slightly injured. He turned around and looked at Angele.
5928
5929"Oh hey, Green! I really need your help right now!"
5930
5931Ainphent’s voice was shaky. He quickly walked toward Angele.
5932
5933Angele realized something was wrong as Ainphent got closer. He quickly used the fireball to brighten up the area.
5934
5935Ainphent’s eyes were replaced by two deep, bloody holes. The dark red liquid left two trails on his cheeks and slowly dripped down the chin.
5936
5937Behind Ainphent, there was a blue hollow shadow, but it seemed like he did not notice the shadow’s presence. Ainphent looked excited and happy after seeing Angele, and the shadow followed right after him.
5938
5939"Hey, Glen! I told you already, move!" Ainphent turned around and shouted at a wall. He was seeing illusions, Angele assumed. "Are you even listening?!"
5940
5941Angele’s skull numbed. He slowly took two steps back, turned around, and ran away.
5942
5943He was not sure how he could help Ainphent escape the illusions.
5944
5945‘What happened to Melissa then..?’ Angele wondered as he heard Ainphent screaming. The wings on his left palm started swinging again.
5946
5947"Green… Come back… Green… Please…"
5948
5949Ainphent’s voice changed, he was horrified and anxious. The man’s long shaky scream echoed through the tunnel.
5950
5951The diamond-shaped accessory on the back of Angele’s hand was heating up again.
5952
5953The accessory heated up when he was at the watch tower and had encountered the strange girl on the bridge. His curse was lifted already, but he decided to keep the accessory and use it to detect the ‘ghosts’ or ‘souls’. Although Angele had not yet collected accurate data on how those ghosts existed, it seemed like their presences were quite common in this world, and most of them were related to curses.
5954
5955Angele decided to start researching on the spirits after surviving this mission.
5956
5957He returned to the previous tunnel, and it seemed like the strange force field was no longer there. Angele quickly ran back to the room with three stone gates.
5958
5959The right gate was crushed by someone as well. Inside the gate, it was a dark tunnel, and there was a rotten body sitting by the entrance with its back leaning against the wall.
5960
5961Angele double-checked the surroundings and made sure it was safe before entering the gate on the right.
5962
5963He crouched and checked the body. The body had two heads above its shoulders, but there was barely any flesh left on the faces and hands. The place also smelled awful.
5964
5965Angele’s brow furrowed. As blue light dots flashed in front of his eyes, he asked Zero to check if there was poison in the air. After making sure that there was no trap around the body, he started examining it closely.
5966
5967The body was covered in a white robe with a black edge, and it was female. Both of her heads were missing eyes. Angele could only see four bloody holes. One of the heads was leaning against the wall and the other one was almost cut off.
5968
5969‘One of theirs… Two Head Sect…’ Angele guessed. He raised his right hand and aimed at the body’s heads.
5970
5971"En… Dira…" he chanted the incantation. It meant ‘rebuild’ in Anmag.
5972
5973CHI
5974
5975The noise sounded like gas being released from a container.
5976
5977Intense green glow covered his right palm and casted its reflection upon the dead body’s face.
5978
5979After ten seconds, the rotten muscles on the woman’s face started recovering, and the area under the green light returned to its original shape. It almost looked like the wound was fresh. However, some deep holes were still left on her pale skin.
5980
5981Angele stood up, the green slow on his palm weakened and disappeared.
5982
5983"She was killed about two months ago, but the temperature here is low, and it slowed down the body from decaying."
5984
5985Angele was a disciple of master Liliana and knew several tricks that could help in studying dead bodies.
5986
5987"So, all of the Two Head Sect’s members died inside the ruin a long time ago." Angele shook his head. "I should’ve kept Kuirman’s body in one piece, but he was way too strong… What should I do to acquire more information..?"
5988
5989BOOM
5990
5991Suddenly, something exploded inside the dark tunnel.
5992
5993A man’s voice echoed in the air, sounding nervous. "Master Isabel! Run!"
5994
5995"Retreat! Everyone!" It was Isabel. "I have this item that can protect us temporarily… Ah!"
5996
5997She screamed, and Angele heard something crash.
5998
5999"Just run!"
6000
6001"No!"
6002
6003People were shouting and screaming.
6004
6005Angele’s expression changed, and he was not sure if he should go check what was happening.
6006
6007The intense footsteps approached, a ray of white light shot through the dark tunnel, and a female wizard wearing a white robe appeared, holding a glowing stone in her hands. She was running to the gate while checking the situation behind her.
6008
6009Isabel’s black hair was messy. She was wounded, and Angele saw the blood dripping down her robe. She turned her head around and shouted, but there was no one behind her. It seemed like she was also trapped in the illusion.
6010
6011Angele stepped back and Isabel realized who was in front of her.
6012
6013"Green!" she yelled out. "Run!"
6014
6015Angele pursed his lips. "Master Isabel, calm down!"
6016
6017He raised his left hand and waved it several times. The signet was heated up, trying to eliminate the force field that brought the illusions.
6018
6019The wings on Angele’s palm were swinging quickly, and it worked just as he had expected.
6020
6021Isabel went down on her knees in front of Angele as he lowered his hand.
6022
6023Angele helped her to get up quickly.
6024
6025"Isabel, there’s nothing chasing you. Are you alright?" he asked calmly.
6026
6027Isabel’s soul had not yet been swallowed by the illusions, but tears were running down her cheeks. The lady looked helpless and terrified.
6028
6029"I’m back! I’m back…"
6030
6031She quickly glanced around while trembling. A smile appeared on her face as she cried.
6032
6033Angele knew something was not right, and he was in a dire need of information.
6034
6035"Isabel, listen to me, are you alright?" he asked again in a light tone.
6036
6037Isabel raised her head and looked at Angele. She then quickly wiped the tears off her face and straightened her back.
6038
6039"We need to leave. The curse of the Axis of Time has been released and low-rank wizards like us will stand no chance against it!" she sputtered. "Let’s leave this area first, I’ll explain everything to you later."
6040
6041Her face was still shaky.
6042
6043"Got it."
6044
6045Angele nodded.
6046
6047Chapter 186: Escape (1)
6048
6049
6050The sky above the island was covered by dark clouds; the weather was changing.
6051
6052On the cliff of a high mountain.
6053
6054On the gray sundial, there were three translucent entrances that could disappear anytime.
6055
6056PA
6057
6058Suddenly, a hand grabbed the edge of one of the entrances.
6059
6060Two people jumped out of the tunnel together.
6061
6062The one standing in the front was a young man with brown hair. That hair was wet from sweat and stuck to his forehead. The young man had a pair of sharp blue eye and a gray robe that looked a bit too large for his size.
6063
6064A lady wearing a white robe followed after the young man. Her long black hair trailed down to her shoulders, and there were several scars on her pretty face.
6065
6066Angele and Isabel finally left the tunnel after running like crazy for several minutes.
6067
6068"Don’t stop! Our boat should be safe, I left several people there guarding it. We need to leave the island!" Isabell yelled. She looked anxious as she rushed to the stairs that led to the foot of the mountain.
6069
6070Angele nodded but did not say anything. He took one final glance at the tunnel and followed after Isabel.
6071
6072The three entrances slowly disappeared from the sundial and everything returned to normal.
6073
6074The gnomon of the sundial turned white after several seconds.
6075
6076CHI
6077
6078A ray of white light shot from the tip of the gnomon and streaked into the sky.
6079
6080The white string connected the cliff and the sky.
6081
6082Angele noticed what happened to the sundial and hastened his steps.
6083
6084The two kept running down the hill. They turned several times on the way to take short-cuts.
6085
6086Ten minutes later they returned to the beach that the boat was secured in.
6087
6088"Impossible! Where’s the boat?"
6089
6090Isabel stared at the empty shore, looking surprised.
6091
6092It was as if the boat had taken the team and completely disappeared, leaving no trace on the surface of the sea.
6093
6094Blue waves were hitting the yellow beach from time to time, but besides them, the place was deadly silent.
6095
6096The water from the sea was circling between the gaps of the reefs.
6097
6098"Where’s the boat?!"
6099
6100Isabel started panicking, she ran into the sea and circled around the area where the boat was anchored, but found nothing.
6101
6102"Damn."
6103
6104Angele’s expression turned serious.
6105
6106They guessed that the missing boat was part of the series of mysterious happenings in the ruin. If the blue wizard illusions destroyed the boat, it would be a huge problem.
6107
6108Angele stopped by the edge of the beach and started checking the surroundings.
6109
6110"Is there a way that you can get in contact with the people on the ship?" he asked, turning his head toward her.
6111
6112Isabel took a deep breath and calmed down. She looked different, her face was no longer emotionless. She quickly took out a small golden ball from the pouch after Angele’s words.
6113
6114Clank
6115
6116Several black needles rose from the surface of the ball.
6117
6118Isabel picked one of the needles and twisted it.
6119
6120CHI
6121
6122The golden ball disappeared from her palm, drew a golden line in the air, and flew into the air.
6123
6124The needles soared through the air and flew in different directions, then all disappeared after several seconds.
6125
6126"Har-rim-las!" Isabel chanted the incantation in a loud voice. The word she said meant ‘the mother of light’ in Anmag.
6127
6128They waited for a while until they saw a golden line coming from the left; it connected itself to the ball in the air.
6129
6130"That direction!" Isabel yelled and started running.
6131
6132Angele nodded and followed after her.
6133
6134The two ran along the coastline and found their boat under a stone cliff after about ten minutes.
6135
6136The small black boat was stuck between reefs, and there was a golden string on the sail.
6137
6138The wind and the waves were getting stronger and stronger.
6139
6140The clouds in the sky were getting darker, completely blocking the sunlight. It was noon but it looked like evening.
6141
6142Angele and Isabel stepped into the water and ran to the boat.
6143
6144Isabel rubbed on the white ring she had and a white magic circle appeared under her feet. The magic circle slowly lifted her up and she easily jumped onto the deck after several seconds.
6145
6146Angele pointed at the boat and a long silver metal string left the tip of his finger, embedding itself into the railing. He pulled the string, jumped to the railing, and climbed onto the deck as well.
6147
6148The boat was deadly silent. He could not see anyone around.
6149
6150Isabel went straight to the cabin after stepping on to the deck.
6151
6152After several minutes, she dragged two men outside.
6153
6154The two were wearing dark red leather armor and both were unconscious. Angele saw the weapons in their hands, blood dripping down the blades.
6155
6156"One of them was Ainphent’s follower, and they were both assailed by the illusions. The illusion made them think that the two of them were enemies. The curse is way too strong, we must go," Isabel said calmly. She took a deep breath again and tried to figure out a plan of what to do next.
6157
6158"Don’t worry too much about it. The curse only affects the targeted population I believe. Also, I have a special way to deal with it."
6159
6160Angele pursed his lips to a smile. He had already tested the power of the signet several times and was certain that he could help the people around him.
6161
6162"Well, I know you probably lifted the curse for me temporarily, but the thing is more complicated than you think," Isabel said, her voice low.
6163
6164"Look at this."
6165
6166She turned her head to the left and pulled the collar to the right, revealing her clean, white shoulder.
6167
6168Angele saw a sundial-shaped black pattern on Isabel’s shoulder which looked like a tattoo.
6169
6170"This pattern means that the curse is not completely lifted and this is just one of the many patterns that appeared on my body." Isabel shook her head. "We need to drive the boat to the original location and wait for Melissa’s group. If they don’t come back in half an hour, we’ll have to leave."
6171
6172Angele was a bit surprised after seeing the pattern. He slightly rubbed his left hand—it seemed like the signet could only completely lift the curse for its owner.
6173
6174The blood from ancient harpies worked. They were the masters of controlling the illusions, and they could resist most of the illusion spells.
6175
6176Angele heard someone screaming when he was about to talk.
6177
6178"It’s Melissa!" Isabel shouted. She raised her head and looked at the sky. "Oh! God!"
6179
6180She covered her mouth with the right hand. It seemed like she could not believe what was happening.
6181
6182Angele heard Isabel’s word and quickly raised his head to check the situation.
6183
6184Above the dark mountain, there was an enormous translucent silver plate rotating slowly, and a blurred white shadow floated in the middle of the plate. It was Melissa, her arms wide open and countless white roots growing from her back. Those roots climbed to the edge of the white plate and white energy particles were being injected into the plate.
6185
6186"That’s… the Final Purge…" Isabel muttered. "It’s the strongest purifying spell master Melissa knows and it’s also… her last spell to use…"
6187
6188Angele scrunched his eyebrows. He could sense the presence of countless energy particles. They were howling like the wind that was about to brush the negative energy particles off his body.
6189
6190The silver plate was slowly rotating and more than ten thousand different white runes were flashing upon it.
6191
6192"I shall cleanse this island with the purest power," Melissa’s voice echoed in the sky. It was loud and deep.
6193
6194The bright light from the plate shined upon the whole island. That light was gentle and clean, even the dark clouds now looked white. Distorted waves spread through the air and changed the air flow around the island.
6195
6196The wind brought by the plate sent warmth to every corner of the island. Angele felt relaxed and his mind became peaceful.
6197
6198It was a large-scale spell, and spells like this were usually casted during wars. Their single-target damage was usually low, but their range was incredible.
6199
6200Roar
6201
6202Suddenly, a huge mouth appeared and bit the plate. The creature swung its head and swallowed the whole thing.
6203
6204The noise it made while swallowing sounded like thunder striking the ground.
6205
6206Melissa was swallowed together with the plate before she could react.
6207
6208A glowing blue sea serpent had appeared from nowhere. Its ears looked like bat wings, and there were two rays of light coming out of its eyes. It almost looked like the eyeballs were replaced by burning flames.
6209
6210Angele and Isabel could not understand what had just happened.
6211
6212After several seconds, Angele shouted.
6213
6214"Run!"
6215
6216Isabel was woken up by Angele’s voice and they quickly released the sails.
6217
6218Angele went to control the helm as Isabel took out a yellow pouch and poured something into the air. Green dust spread onto the main sail and turned into a small tornado.
6219
6220The boat shook several times and moved through the reefs. It started advancing to the opposite side of the island quickly.
6221
6222CHI
6223
6224A circle of green light appeared above the boat and quickly spread onto its body.
6225
6226The speed of the boat was greatly increased. It was moving away from the island like an arrow leaving a bowstring.
6227
6228The serpent was more than 1000 meters long. It slowly twisted around the island and raised its head. The strong sound coming from its mouth sounded like a beast roaring.
6229
6230Rumble
6231
6232The lightning flashed upon the island and the dark clouds blocked the last ray of light. The whole area sank into darkness.
6233
6234The blue serpent’s glowing body was the last visible thing above the sea.
6235
6236Chapter 187: Escape (2)
6237
6238
6239The strong sea waves surrounding the island crashed onto the shore as the serpent roared.
6240
6241Their boat was pushed away by the furious waves and was almost destroyed.
6242
6243The water of the sea stomped on the surface of the deck like a heavy rain.
6244
6245Angele stood by the helm and prevented the water from going into his eyes with his hands. The metal string he created helped him in standing still.
6246
6247The whole boat was shaking, Angele was trying his best to keep the boat balanced.
6248
6249The huge wave behind them was about ten meters tall that looked like an enormous blue wall and was about to capsize the boat.
6250
6251Angele turned his head around and looked up into the sky.
6252
6253The tall blue screen hovered overhead and its shadow covered the whole boat.
6254
6255BAM
6256
6257The water from the sea splashed onto the dock and started bubbling on the surface of the deck.
6258
6259The mast of the boat was crushed into pieces and sank into the sea within seconds.
6260
6261Angele did not block the water with the forcefield, so his robe was completely wet. It felt cold and uncomfortable; the water was also dripping down his hair.
6262
6263"Are you ready yet?!" Angele used the energy particles to send his words to the stern, but the strange energy flow around the island was interrupting the message.
6264
6265"Done!" Isabel responded after several seconds.
6266
6267Suddenly, white light flashed upon the stern.
6268
6269Starting from the deck, the water on the boat froze into ice quickly.
6270
6271The cabin, the stairs, and the broken mast — everything was coated with the glowing ice.
6272
6273The ice barrier was created by Isabel and it provided protection for the body of the boat.
6274
6275The surface of the sea became peaceful after the wave dropped onto the boat. Angele tried to use the Fire energy particles to dry his clothes.
6276
6277ROAR
6278
6279However, the snake moved its body again before he could do anything.
6280
6281Another enormous wave started rushing toward the boat.
6282
6283The wave chased after the boat after pushing it forward a bit.
6284
6285BAM
6286
6287The water splashed on the boat again. However, this time, the ice barrier absorbed most of the damage.
6288
6289The boat finally left the danger zone. Angele stood by the railings and surveyed the island. The metal strings returned into his body.
6290
6291Isabel walked to Angele. There was a flashing blue magic circle under her feet.
6292
6293Angele sighed. He felt relieved. "Can you keep the barrier up?"
6294
6295Isabel nodded. Her robe was soaked in water, revealing her sexy body, but she did not seem concerned.
6296
6297"The ice barrier will keep the boat stable. Any creature with an intention to attack it will take Ice damage. They’ll be frozen into ice cubes unless they have enough magic resistance."
6298
6299"Range and duration?" Angele wiped the dirt off his robe and started drying his clothes with the Fire energy particles as steam rose from his body.
6300
6301"I can keep it up for 15 days. After that, I need to recover my mentality. The range is within 50 meters." Isabel responded, "The spell should be cast on people… It’s my first time doing something like this."
6302
6303Angele nodded. Without the ice barrier, the boat would not be able to survive the second wave. They both turned around and stared at the island that already turned into a small black dot in their sights.
6304
6305"Only you and me now… I heard that Melissa and Ainphent already explored the ruin several times. Something must’ve surprised them this time…" Isabel shook her head. "Thanks for… helping me. Sadly, I didn’t find the heart of the tree for you. Don’t worry, I’ll ask my family to look for the heart, and I’ll send it to you if we find it."
6306
6307She waved her hand, "Margarita, bring me the…" Isabel stopped after realizing there was no one around. The only two surviving followers still had not woken up yet.
6308
6309Isabel’s expression changed. She looked depressed.
6310
6311"What happened in the ruin? How did you get hurt?" Angele changed the topic.
6312
6313Isabel hesitated for a second and then started explaining.
6314
6315"We were trapped in the darkness. The only thing I could see was the stone staircase… We could only advance as the stairs behind kept disappearing. It felt like walking on floating stairs in a space without any light." Isabel lowered her voice, "After that, strange monster-like shadows appeared in front of us. They started attacking us from all angles, and no matter how many spells I cast, they never left…"
6316
6317"Same thing happened to me." Angele rubbed his chin, not mentioning that he did not see any beasts.
6318
6319"The tunnels were shifting. I thought I was around the entrance, but in the next second, I saw a deep dark tunnel in front of me. A few moments later, I somehow returned to the stone staircase."
6320
6321"That’s just an illusion…" Angele’s brows furrowed.
6322
6323"I thought it was an illusion too, but I almost died… and I’m sure those monsters hurt me directly," Isabel spoke with a serious expression.
6324
6325She suddenly stopped and stared at Angele.
6326
6327"Green, what’s your first name?"
6328
6329"It’s Angele, why?" Angele answered.
6330
6331"How did you get me out of the illusion? You helped me, right?" She shook her head again. "Never mind, I need some rest, I hope the room is not messed up."
6332
6333Angele watched her walking into the cabin.
6334
6335"I shall have some rest…"
6336
6337Isabel repeated her words. She sounded exhausted.
6338
6339He pursed his lips after Isabel walked down the wooden stairs and returned to her cabin.
6340
6341Angele did not want to go to the cabin. The whole boat was frozen, and it must be cold down there.
6342
6343He stayed on the deck and took the keys down his belt.
6344
6345There were about 10 keys on the ring and Angele found them in the compartment of the laboratory.
6346
6347‘I don’t think I’ll be using any of them in a while.’ There was a bitter smile on Angele’s face. He was close to the Area 4, but he had to retreat, and it seemed like a wise decision.
6348
6349If he did not meet Isabel, he might’ve failed to escape in time. Angele still had no idea where that serpent came from, but he was certain that no heart bomb would deal any damage to the monster.
6350
6351Angele shook his head again. There were many mysteries to solve, but he did not think he would come back here anytime soon.
6352
6353Inside the tunnels of the ruin.
6354
6355The laboratory.
6356
6357A man slowly stepped into the room and walked to one of the glowing sapphires in the corner.
6358
6359He raised his hand and pressed on the surface of the sapphire. It was a bleeding hand with no skin attached to it. The red flesh and white muscle were exposed to the air, giving the impression of an anatomical model.
6360
6361KA
6362
6363The sapphire loosened and started moving left, revealing a square compartment.
6364
6365The diary and the keys were no longer there, what was left was a pile of black ash.
6366
6367The man stood in front of the compartment until the sapphire returned to its original position.
6368
6369Crack
6370
6371Suddenly, all the glowing sapphires in the room broke into pieces.
6372
6373The light extinguished from the room and the laboratory sank into darkness.
6374
6375Angele threw the keys into the air and caught them with both hands. He decided to tie them to the belt again.
6376
6377The black keys suddenly started glowing.
6378
6379They turned into a black string and went into the signet on his left palm.
6380
6381"Huh?" The pain in his left palm was intense. Angele raised his left hand and saw the black string twisting in the center of the signet like a snake.
6382
6383"What’s going on?!"
6384
6385His sight blurred and saw the black keys lying on the palm quietly.
6386
6387"That was an illusion…? Interesting." Angele thought that he acquired something incredible and he wanted to know what those keys were made from.
6388
6389He threw the keys into the air again, and the signet on the left palm heated up. It meant the keys were the source of the illusion.
6390
6391Angele’s back numbed. He could hear a beast breathing behind him close to his neck.
6392
6393Again, the illusion disappeared after his sight blurred.
6394
6395It made Angele even more interested in the keys.
6396
6397He threw the keys into the air one more time.
6398
6399ROAR
6400
6401The beast got even closer. Angele leaned to the side and something chilly passed by the side of his face.
6402
6403It felt like his cheek was lacerated by a blade, and the illusion disappeared again.
6404
6405"Wait… I’ve read about something like this in the books…" There was only one possibility. His eyes shone.
6406
6407However, something was dripping down his chin. He rubbed his cheek with his right hand; there was a wound.
6408
6409Angele’s expression changed. He looked at his hand.
6410
6411His fingers were covered in blood.
6412
6413"The tale was true… I need to start the experiment after I get back," Angele muttered.
6414
6415‘Zero, why didn’t you warn me about the attack?’ Angele questioned.
6416
6417‘No threat was detected.’ Zero’s mechanical voice echoed in his head.
6418
6419‘Scan and analyze those keys for me.’ Angele carefully held the keys in his hand. He decided to be cautious this time.
6420
6421Blue light dots flashed in front of Angele’s eyes, and after several seconds, rows of information were listed beside the hologram of the black keys. That information list was being refreshed every second.
6422
6423Angele skipped most of the unnecessary information and stared at the most important data.
6424
6425‘Weight of the keys, 0g.’
6426
6427‘Forcefield detected.’
6428
6429‘Mentality wave detected.’
6430
6431‘Its structure can’t be scanned.’
6432
6433‘Zero?’ Angele could feel the weight of the keys. It was about 500 grams, yet the chip said it was zero grams.
6434
6435The information of the keys was still being refreshed in Angele’s sight. After about two minutes, the analysis was finally completed.
6436
6437The last row indicated the material used to craft those keys.
6438
6439Chapter 188: Lost (1)
6440
6441
6442‘Possible Materials: The possibility of the keys being made from Nightmare stone is 78%, from Kata Alloy, 62%, and from Dire Alloy, 51%.’
6443
6444Angele rubbed his chin. The results were based on the data he had already collected, and the listed materials all had high possibilities of being the right one.
6445
6446The Nightmare Stone originated from the ancient void world. The energy wave it released would affect the human world and create illusions.
6447
6448The Kata Alloy was developed by a high-rank Wizard named Katavader from the ancient times. The alloy was ‘alive’, as it would grow over time and its mentality would create illusions in the area around.
6449
6450The Dire Alloy originated from the Dire World. It was the essence of a special gold ore, and the curse dwelling in the alloy turned the energy into a force field that would create illusions.
6451
6452It was almost impossible to find such materials in the world now after the Wizards lost their method to contact with the different worlds.
6453
6454Angele had no idea how many different worlds were there. He doubted if all those worlds had time and space. Some of them might have not even been discovered by the ancient Wizards.
6455
6456However, most of the Wizards did not know that the mysterious power that was still hidden in this world, the ancient Wizards had spent centuries looking for the rare materials and information. Angele assumed those materials were made into different enchanted items or objects by their descendants and the keys were likely one of those items.
6457
6458Angele narrowed his eyes.
6459
6460‘Three possibilities… I need more detailed information to accurately identify those keys. There’s nothing I can do at the moment. I guess I’ll put it on my schedule.’
6461
6462Angele grabbed the keys and created a silver metal ball from his left hand.
6463
6464The silver ball slowly rose from his palm. He pushed the keys into the silver ball and sealed them inside.
6465
6466Angele threw the fist-sized metal ball into the air, nothing happened. The keys did not make any noise. He was satisfied with the result.
6467
6468He pushed the metal ball onto the back of his hand and ball quickly sank into his skin.
6469
6470A small bump was left on Angele’s hand, and it was quickly traveling along his arm.
6471
6472The silver ball stopped after reaching his right shoulder.
6473
6474Angele pressed on his shoulder and made sure that people could not see the ball when covered by the robe.
6475
6476‘Alright, time to check the cursed scimitar now.’
6477
6478He took the scimitar down the belt.
6479
6480The silver curvy blade was sharp and clean. The battles left no dent on it.
6481
6482Angele held the scimitar in hand carefully and flicked the blade with his finger.
6483
6484Clank
6485
6486A clean sound echoed.
6487
6488‘Zero, scan the scimitar for me.’ Angele ordered.
6489
6490‘The blade is protected by a force field. The task can’t be completed until the forcefield is damaged,’ Zero reported right away.
6491
6492‘Huh? The scimitar is protected by a forcefield?’ Angele pursed his lips.
6493
6494Angele remembered what Melissa mentioned when he was fighting with Kuirman. She said that Kuirman’s incredible power came from the buff of the scimitar.
6495
6496He started observing the scimitar carefully.
6497
6498There was nothing special about the blade. However, he saw countless strange runes engraved onto the surface of the handle.
6499
6500The black strings twisted into small vortex-shaped patterns and the largest one looked like a human’s face from the side.
6501
6502The man’s face was wide. His expression indicated that he was suffering from great pain. Big holes formed the eyes and mouth of the face; Angele did not find anything that resembled its ears. Angele felt uncomfortable from just looking at those patterns.
6503
6504The handle was coated in black paint and the strings were similarly covered in paint. Most people would think that those patterns were there for anti skip purposes. In addition to that, the runes could only be found when observed closely.
6505
6506Angele could sense that the mentality wave around the scimitar came from its handle.
6507
6508He glanced around. The chilling gust blew over his face, yet the ice on the surface of the deck was cold no longer.
6509
6510Fog shrouded the area ahead. The thick mist just stayed there, as if the strong wind was not blowing them away.
6511
6512It was the same fog Angele saw on their way to the island. They must go through the fog before returning to the safe area.
6513
6514Angele swung the scimitar several times. It was surprisingly light, and the two silver arcs the blade drew in the air were beautiful.
6515
6516He tried to control the scimitar with his own forcefield, but the handle resisted it.
6517
6518‘I hope I can do some test on the handle as soon as possible… I need more materials to concoct the potions that will help identify its quality. If I try to break through the forcefield now, I might destroy the buff itself…’ Angele shook his head. He tied the scimitar to the belt. Although he could not trigger the buff at the moment, it was still a high-quality weapon.
6519
6520The last thing he wanted to check was the signet on his left palm.
6521
6522Angele turned his left hand around and stared at the signet.
6523
6524The illusion signet initially looked like a dark beast with two wings, but after the incident in the ruin, a long tail was added to its body. The whole signet looked elegant and mysterious.
6525
6526Angele rubbed the signet with his right hand. Blue light dots started flashing in front of his eyes.
6527
6528‘Checking body condition… Checking the illusion signet…’
6529
6530‘The signet absorbed unknown energy and is evolving. The result will require individual analysis.’
6531
6532‘Task completed. The strength of the illusion waved doubled. A weak force field was created.’
6533
6534‘The evolved signet brought a minor, unknown negative effect to your body.’
6535
6536Zero displayed the rotating hologram of the signet in front of Angele’s eyes. The linked muscles and nerves were displayed under the hologram.
6537
6538Angele hands, bones, and details of the signet were all displayed in the hologram. He could even see the transmissions of the nerve signals.
6539
6540The signet rooted itself in the veins and muscles, which seemed quite strange when seen on the translucent blue hologram. Angele could see the weak waves it was releasing.
6541
6542Zero was still scanning the signet, and Angele ordered it to provide all the important data.
6543
6544On the side of the hologram, rows of data were flashing.
6545
6546‘The signet increased your resistance to the illusions.’
6547
6548‘Do you need the data for the evolved signet?’ Zero asked.
6549
6550Although all the calculations were done inside Angele’s brain, he could still see everything through the hologram.
6551
6552However, the chip did the calculations and analyses extremely fast. An average human being would never be able to do that.
6553
6554With the high attributes, Angele could catch the details of the calculation process. However, he still could not finish all the necessary work in such a short duration, thus letting Zero handle such task for him was a better decision.
6555
6556‘Yes, I need the data. Start the scan.’ Angele gave the permission to the chip.
6557
6558The hologram in the front zoomed in quickly.
6559
6560The roots connecting the signet with the nervous system were displayed in Angele’s vision.
6561
6562The hologram kept zooming in until it locked onto one of the roots in the center.
6563
6564The root looked like a tentacle from an octopus. Countless suckers were moving on its surface while spouting out a translucent liquid. It looked like a shower head spraying water onto the root’s surrounding areas.
6565
6566Some more information was displayed beside the root.
6567
6568The zooming area changed several times around the roots during the scan process.
6569
6570After about ten minutes, the chip finally displayed the results.
6571
6572‘Task completed. The signet has already started evolving, and a different path was chosen. The Bloodline Signet of Socrat’s Great Harpy has been determined. Estimated time required for completion, 12 hours and 45 minutes.’
6573
6574Angele was surprised. "Socrat’s Great Harpy?"
6575
6576He had only read about this creature once. In the records, the Socrat’s Great Harpy was a branch of the ancient harpy race. These great harpies ingested a serpent from an unknown world, which resulted into a mutation that turned the bottom half of their bodies into long snake tails. It was said that their tails were much longer than their upper bodies.
6577
6578After the mutation, these great harpies gained the ability to drag living beings into the world of illusions. Normal creatures would never be able to escape the illusions without help. They would witness their most deeply-rooted fears in their minds coming to life until death came. Only the ones with resistance or strong power would be able to wake up from the nightmare after several hours.
6579
6580During the ancient wars, these great harpies slaughtered countless humans, as their ability was hard to counter. Every living creature who had heard their whispers would start seeing illusions.
6581
6582Ancient Wizards realized by then that they had to cleanse the world after many countries were attacked by the great harpies. After several days of genocide, this specific branch of the ancient harpy race became history.
6583
6584Angele recalled the data and realized how incredible this ability could be. The ancient harpy race had several branches, but he did not expect that the signet to evolve. He wasn’t certain whether it was a good thing or not, and he needed to determine if the signet still had the usage limit.
6585
6586‘Basically, the evolving of the signet improved its power, I think. I need to collect more ancient blood when I get the chance. It’s time for me to prepare for the next stage, and after reaching Liquid stage, I’ll be able to modify my body…’ Angele thought.
6587
6588‘Also, Zero, check my bloodline.’ Angele noticed the negative effect the chip mentioned a while ago. He wanted to know what was going on.
6589
6590‘Bloodline: Human, 87%. Tree Elf, 9%. Socrat’s Great Harpy, 3%. Impurity, 1%. Suggestion, the blood of the great harpies is invasive and shares the ability to create illusions with the tree elf’s blood. They’re trying to merge, you should stop or slow them down as soon as possible.’
6591
6592Zero gave this conclusion.
6593
6594‘What if I don’t?’
6595
6596‘The changes can’t be predicted.’
6597
6598Chapter 189: Lost (2)
6599
6600
6601Actually, Angele was not concerned about the bloodline of the tree elf. He wanted to know if the merging of the two bloodlines would damage his genes permanently. Moreover, if his genes were damaged, his genetic strand might break as well, resulting in serious consequences. If that happened, he would not be able to recover from the damage as a Gas stage Wizard. The only way to heal the damage on the genes was to convert his physical body into pure energy. However, such a feat could only be accomplished by Liquid stage Wizards.
6602
6603‘Try to stop the two bloodlines from merging, Zero. Radiate the invasive energy particles from the bloodline of the great harpies. The radiation energy might be able to help.’ Angele gave the order to the chip.
6604
6605‘I need to find a way to expel the harpy blood out of my body.’ Angele started thinking with his eyebrows furrowed. ‘There’s a technique I read about in a book. I can probably remove the signet’s roots from my nervous system by performing surgeries on my hand… but I need more information…’
6606
6607However, the biological experiment was partially forbidden in the Wizards of Light’s territories and doing it on a live human being was almost impossible. Most of the larger organizations still had their hidden laboratories that were used to conduct such surgeries, but none of them was publicized.
6608
6609Especially the experiments involving surgeries on living human beings, including the demihumans, they were considered as evil by the Wizards of Light. Only Dark Wizards would try to capture living subjects in their own territories. However, if they went any closer to the Wizards of Light’s territories, they would be hunted down.
6610
6611The chip already started absorbing the negative necromantic energy particles from Angele’s body and would use them on the signet’s roots later.
6612
6613There were many different types of energy particles stored in Angele’s body, most of them being the Wind and Fire energy particles. His forcefield from the Talent Spell was supported by those two types of energy particles. The necromantic energy particles would damage his organs over time, so he only kept the minimum amount in his body.
6614
6615It seemed like the number of negative energy particles required by the chip was more than the amount he had. Angele had to do some meditation and try to absorb some more necromantic energy particles in the environment.
6616
6617After about half an hour later, he opened his eyes again.
6618
6619‘That’s 30 degrees of necromantic energy particles… should be good for ten more days. Sadly, I have to empty the energy storage space in the chip when it tries to stop the invasive energy particles. No instant-cast Lesser Fireball for me now. The good thing is, I still have some heart bombs left.’
6620
6621After the battles in the ruins, Angele noticed that he relied too much on enchanted items, and he could barely cast any spells during intense fights. The heart bombs and the signet all had limitations, so he had to use them wisely.
6622
6623The signet needed to be activated, which would take about one second. His opponent might use this period of time to counterattack.
6624
6625For the heart bombs, once his opponent realized that Angele was about to use the bombs, they could dodge the attack easily by simply buffing their speed. Kuirman had underestimated the power of Angele’s bombs, thinking that his high attributes could reduce the damage to the minimum.
6626
6627A regular heart bomb only contained about 20 to 30 degrees of power and would not deal any actual damage to Kuirman’s body. He might feel the pain for a second, but his high Stamina would help him recover quickly.
6628
6629However, the heart bombs Angele detonated had over 50 degrees of power. Kuirman used the cursed energy stored in the blade to block the explosion, but his attributes were greatly decreased after that. He failed to dodge the following explosions and died in Angele’s final strike.
6630
6631Angele knew such plan would only work on close-combat wizards like Kuirman. Dark Wizards who knew how to fight from a distance could destroy him easily, and they probably had much more ways to deal with the bombs than Kuirman.
6632
6633He also knew that some stronger Wizards mastered the defensive spell called Spell Reflection, Angele could only control the place he detonated the bomb, so if the explosion was reflected, he would take a lot of damage.
6634
6635Fighting an average Wizard of Light might be easy, but in the world of Dark Wizards, Angele needed to find more ways to strengthen his battle skills. The more versatile a Wizard was, the higher the chance he could survive the battles. The opponents would never know how and where his attack would come from.
6636
6637Also, for Wizards at the same stage, they needed to be careful with the choice they made during the battles, but when a Crystal stage Wizard made an attempt to kill a Gas stage Wizard, it would be easy an achievement. They could simply pressure the Wizard at the lower rank with their intense mentality waves. The Gas stage Wizard would need to keep their forcefield to cast spells under situations like this.
6638
6639The boat passed through the fog three days later, but without Melissa pointing directions for them, it was hard to find the right route to the land. There were enough water and food on the boat, but Angele still had no clue about where they were heading to.
6640
6641It was early in the morning and the sky was still dark.
6642
6643Angele woke up early and left his room. He started scanning for close lands using the chip on the deck. He had been doing this for days.
6644
6645The two followers already recovered. They were wearing the leather armor suits, and Isabel was talking to them in a low voice.
6646
6647It looked like Isabel was questioning them about something.
6648
6649Angele walked toward the three slowly.
6650
6651"What’s going on? Any news?" he asked.
6652
6653Isabel heard Angele’s word and nodded. "I’m asking about Ainphent’s background, but he hired this guy from another Wizard and the man knew nothing about his background."
6654
6655Angele’s brow furrowed. He turned to the two Grand Knights on the side.
6656
6657The man in the front had a serious expression on his face. His hair and eyes were both black.
6658
6659The one behind him had a white, messy hair. He looked old, and there was a goatee on his chin.
6660
6661"Master Green, my name is Gill, I was hired by master Ainphent. I’m a follower of Wizard Grace," the old man spoke first in a polite tone.
6662
6663The man in the front lowered his head and introduced himself as well. "Master Green, my name is Rivail, a follower of master Isabel."
6664
6665"Go rest now, we have something to discuss." Isabel waved her hand.
6666
6667The two Grand Knights put their right fists over their chests and bowed to the two Wizards. It was how they showed their respect and honesty to the people they serve.
6668
6669"I’ll try to catch some fish. We’re getting low on food supply." Gill lowered his voice.
6670
6671"Go ahead." Isabel nodded.
6672
6673Angele walked to Isabel and put his hands on the railing after the two followers left.
6674
6675The sea looked dark and muddy under the gray sky. He wondered if a storm was coming.
6676
6677"I don’t know how long we will spend on the sea," Isabel spoke calmly. Her voice was low, sounding as though she was talking to herself. "I never knew that the mission would be so dangerous. I read about the curse of Axis of Time. The rumors sounded horrifying, however, I didn’t take it too seriously. I thought I could just enter the ruin and take what I needed…"
6678
6679"Are all the ancient ruins dangerous? And yeah, it was an… unpleasant experience." Angele muttered, "It’s my second time exploring those mysterious places and the last time… didn’t end very well too. I almost lost my life."
6680
6681"Not all of them, but the chance is definitely high. What attracts the Wizards are the treasures and rare materials left in the ancient ruins. If the exploration is successful, the reward will be incredible. I should’ve done more research about the ruin, but when I can’t find the resource I need anywhere else, I’ll have to take the chance," Isabel answered in a light tone.
6682
6683"It’s quite interesting actually." Angele smiled. "The last time, I survived with a female Wizard apprentice, and this time, it’s a female wizard."
6684
6685"And two followers, they survived the mission too." Isabel pursed her lips. "Where are you from?"
6686
6687"The other side of the Gem Sea." Angele had nothing to hide. "I spent more than ten years there, my father… well, I was a spoiled kid."
6688
6689"What a nice childhood you had there. Much better than mine at least." Isabel sighed. She was not emotionless anymore. "I needed to memorize all types of basic knowledge. I needed to meditate, study, learn to dance and sing, every single day. I didn’t have any free time. Mother said I was their only hope after they realized I had the talent… The only thing she wanted was a high position in the family."
6690
6691"Where are your friends?" Angele shook his head. He could understand how frustrating her life was. No wonder she looked like an emotionless machine when they first met.
6692
6693"I don’t have friends. I’m a future Wizard, no one wants to get close to me. Even if they can, my mother won’t let me talk to them. Children with talents studied together, but the only thing we did was to study. We had no time to talk to each other at all." Isabel looked a bit depressed.
6694
6695"You know what? It’s the first time I left my castle… believe it or not, I’m more than a hundred years old…" She looked at the sky. Angele was not sure what she was thinking.
6696
6697He did not know how to make her feel better. He could not even imagine what living in the same place for more than a hundred years felt like.
6698
6699Isabel looked at Angele. "I’m the hope of my mother and I became what she wanted me to become. Everything I do is monitored by the maids and servants. They watched me eat, sleep, and finish homework, they just wouldn’t let me breathe. My mother recorded my daily life and they checked my body condition every week. They wanted to make sure that I was not ill, physically and mentally."
6700
6701"Did you gain anything from it?" Angele felt speechless.
6702
6703"Well… At least, I’m healthy." Isabel smiled. Angele had never seen such a pure and beautiful smile.
6704
6705He remained silent.
6706
6707Isabel continued, "I tried, haha. Is my smile weird? My mother blamed me for smiling when I was happy about what I accomplished in my Wizard career, and after that, I barely smiled. However, now she is telling to make friends for some reason, and that’s one of the reasons why I left the castle."
6708
6709She glanced around and shook her head. "Why don’t you say anything? Am I talking too much? I don’t know why, but I just want to tell you about my life."
6710
6711"Don’t worry. It’s good that you’re willing to talk." Angele smiled. "I thought you would never smile the first time I saw you. Change is good sometimes."
6712
6713Isabel nodded slightly. "You’re right…" She stopped smiling and her expression disappeared again.
6714
6715"Umm… Take this." She suddenly took out something from the pouch and put it onto Angele’s palm.
6716
6717"I can assume that we are friends now, right?" she questioned in a whisper.
6718
6719"Of course, you’re my friend." Angele chuckled.
6720
6721"Thank you." Isabel nodded again. A hint of happiness flashed in her eyes.
6722
6723Angele watched her return to her cabin, and he checked the item he just got after. It was a silver ring with no engraved patterns on it, but he could sense the intense energy waves the ring was releasing.
6724
6725"For real? Such high quality… Its energy wave is actually affecting me…" Angele did not expect Isabel to give him a rare enchanted item as a gift. Low-rank enchanted items did not release energy waves, and even if it did, the energy waves would not affect wizards. The ring Isabel gave Angele must be rare and had certain special effects.
6726
6727It seemed like Isabel only knew how to deal with strangers and her followers. She had no idea what a friend was, but she looked happy when Angele said that they became friends.
6728
6729Perhaps Isabel was trying to maintain her friendship with Angele by gifting him this rare enchanted item.
6730
6731Chapter 190: Knell Beetle (1)
6732
6733
6734A bolt of lightning crackled through the sky, followed by the thunder seaming to crack the air.
6735
6736RUMBLE
6737
6738Heavy rain fell down from the dark sky. The boat slowed down and was still advancing in the endless sea.
6739
6740Under the night sky, the boat looked as if it was a small piece of a leaf floating on the intense waves in desolation.
6741
6742Angele stayed in his cabin and walked to the window. He stared at the surface of the sea through the heavy downpour. Raindrops were hitting the deck, sounding as if they were about to crack the boat open.
6743
6744Crackle
6745
6746Another bolt of lightning rushed through the sky, brightening up the cabin for a second.
6747
6748The flame on the candle was dancing, as the waves struck against the boat again. Wax was slowly dripping down the silver candle stand, and it created a small pool on the brown wooden desk.
6749
6750Isabel sat beside the desk, carefully taking the silver dust out of a black leather pouch and sprinkling them onto the surface.
6751
6752She had changed to a tight white leather suit, revealing the contours of her breasts. She looked like an elegant royal musician. Isabel had tied her long black hair in a ponytail and let it trail over her chest.
6753
6754She focused on making the silver dust into a specific shape.
6755
6756After several minutes, the twisted strings drawn using the dust turned into a large, complicated rune.
6757
6758Angele stopped staring at the sea and turned around.
6759
6760"Are you ready?" he questioned with a low voice.
6761
6762"Almost." Isabel nodded.
6763
6764"I’m counting on you now. None of my spells work in this situation. I already tried, but I can’t find the route back to the land." Angele already did what he could.
6765
6766Isabel spoke as her brows furrowed, "Well, this spell is a combination of prophecy and tracking. Although it has a great range, I still can’t promise you anything. Also, if there are other islands in the middle, the result will be inaccurate. The energy particles in the Gem Sea is dense. I need to make sure the spell is cast properly with the support material."
6767
6768"Much better than drifting in the sea…" Angele pursed his lips. "Shall we begin?"
6769
6770Isabel nodded.
6771
6772She touched the rune with her right hand’s index finger.
6773
6774The bright white light was released from the rune. It turned into a distorted white screen.
6775
6776A familiar island appeared in the center of the screen slowly.
6777
6778The armies, the ships at the dock, the gray watchtower by the shore, and a triangle flag with a silver string painted on its center — everything looked familiar to them.
6779
6780"That’s where we departed!" Although Isabel had a blank expression on her face, Angele still caught the excitement in her eyes.
6781
6782"How far is it from us?" Angele walked to the desk quickly. The white light cast a reflection upon the two’s faces.
6783
6784Isabel realized what she should do and drew a rune in the air with her finger. The rune turned into a ray of white light and sank into the screen.
6785
6786The screen blurred for several seconds, but nothing happened.
6787
6788Angele noticed that the scene displayed on the screen was blurry. He could not hear any sound either.
6789
6790"The screen can’t be zoomed in and the sound can’t be transferred… It means we’re still far away from the island…" Isabel’s expression changed. ‘There’s still a long way to go. I think the island is in the maximum range the spell can reach."
6791
6792"What’s the maximum range then?" Angele questioned in a deep voice.
6793
6794"About 3000 nautical miles…" Isabel answered.
6795
6796"What?! 3000 nautical miles?" Angele was surprised. That was about the distance from Alaska to New York on Earth, approximately more than 5000 kilometers. With a boat like this, it would take months for them to return to that island.
6797
6798"Even if we buff the boat with spells, we’ll spend at least 15 more days on the sea." Isabel calmed down and tried to figure out a plan. "Anything on your mind? Master Green?"
6799
6800"No…" Angele scrunched up his brows. "Also, we’re friends now, just call me Green. No point in being too… formal."
6801
6802"Huh? Can I?" Isabel hesitated.
6803
6804"For sure." Angele nodded. "We lost the mast and the sail, and the boat is traveling at its lowest speed. We need to find a way to increase the speed. Otherwise, we’ll die before we can reach the island." Without the mast, the boat could at about two nautical miles per hour.
6805
6806"That’s not a problem, I think. At least, we can cast spells to buff the speed. The problem is we have already left the merfolk’s territory, which means, we’re now sailing in a dangerous zone around the edge of the Gem Sea. It’s a zone that even the merfolk fear." Isabel stared at the screen. "Well, at least I know how to turn sea water into drinkable water. We’re really running low on supplies."
6807
6808"Well, great, I was worried about our water supply. I don’t want to drink the water created by Water category spells. Water like that will damage our body with all the impurities it contains." Angele stopped for a second. "So, how do you buff the speed of the boat?"
6809
6810Isabel bit her lips and started thinking.
6811
6812The white screen on the desk suddenly flashed and the scene changed.
6813
6814They saw gray reefs and an empty beach. Only several sea turtles were moving on the yellow sand. It was a small island with black trees. Angele doubted if there was any person living there.
6815
6816Several seconds later, the scene changed again.
6817
6818It looked like the surface of the sea.
6819
6820Isabel quickly tapped on the desk and waved her hand.
6821
6822The picture on the screen started shuffling quickly. All Angele saw was the sea. It seemed like there was no other land within the range of the spell.
6823
6824"That’s it, we have to go for it." Isabel looked at Angele.
6825
6826"Let’s find the proper way to buff the boat’s speed first. It’ll take us months to reach the island at the current speed. We don’t have that much supply left, and we need to return to land as soon as possible." Angele pursed his lips.
6827
6828Isabel nodded.
6829
6830They stopped talking. The two had just escaped the dangerous ruin, and then they got lost in the sea.
6831
6832The rain was hitting the deck; lightning and thunder were still raging in the sky. The howling wind went through the gaps of the cabin and made the doors shake.
6833
6834The room remained silent, Angele and Isabel were still thinking.
6835
6836"Where are the two Grand Knights?" Angele suddenly questioned.
6837
6838"They’re making sure the water doesn’t stay on the deck," Isabel responded. The white screen on the desk slowly vanished into the air. It seemed that the time was up.
6839
6840What was left on the desk was the silver dust Isabel sprinkled on it earlier. The complicated rune was now messed up, white smoke rose from the silver strings, and some of the dust merged together.
6841
6842Isabel carefully waved her hand over the desk. All the silver dust was absorbed into the center of her palm. It looked like iron dust being attracted to a magnet.
6843
6844She sighed, and asked in a low voice, "Green, do you find the sea… charming?"
6845
6846Angele was thinking if he could rebuild the sail and the mast using his Metal Mastery, then he heard Isabel’s word and leaned forward a bit.
6847
6848"Why do you ask?"
6849
6850Isabel’s sight fell upon the surface of the desk. She slowly lowered her hand, and her palm was coated with the silver dust.
6851
6852"I have dreamed of wandering around the endless Gem Sea alone. I have wanted to explore this world and see the different people. The tales of the ancient Wizards have always attracted me. I have imagined my own adventure, on a lone ship traveling in a storm, just like this one. It feels like we are the only people left in this world, and the boat will be the only thing that will bring us warmth."
6853
6854Angele could see the loneliness in her eyes. The silver dust on her palm sublimated after several seconds and turned into white steam. "I want to stay away from everything, then find my own little place. A place that brings me warmth in the storm. I enjoy listening to the howling wind and the falling rain, do you understand… my feelings?"
6855
6856"Umm…" Angele was not sure how he should answer Isabel’s question.
6857
6858"Well, it seems like you love reading poems and novels."
6859
6860"You’re right. There are many scenes similar to what I have just described in poems." Isabel nodded. "I’m tired of meditating and collecting resources. I’ve been doing them for more than 100 years in the castle. I want to live a colorful life."
6861
6862"You mean a peaceful life. You don’t have to stay in a remote place. Just rent a house in a nice city and have some good rest," Angele calmly responded.
6863
6864Angele knew that if it was not for her family, Isabel would probably not choose to become a Wizard. A Wizard had to keep progressing. The words that she had just spoken indicated that she was losing her motivation.
6865
6866Isabel muttered, "I’m… tired."
6867
6868Angele did not say anything.
6869
6870Isabel was beautiful and charming, but Angele had no desire to conquer her heart. The two were alone in a small cabin, but the only thing Angele wanted to do was to comfort her.
6871
6872It felt like the intimacy between two close friends.
6873
6874After the day Angele talked to Isabel on the deck, he became attracted to her in a platonic way.
6875
6876Isabel was being controlled by her family in a special way, and Angele had returned to his land only to see his family treating him like an outsider. The loneliness they experienced was similar. It was something that would not get washed away.
6877
6878For that reason, Angele could understand what Isabel was trying to tell him. He assumed that Isabel would understand him too, if he decided to tell her about his situation.
6879
6880"Isabel, there’s still a long way to go." Angele stared at Isabel in her eyes.
6881
6882Isabel did not respond to his words.
6883
6884"Well, I’ll go check the situation on the deck." Angele put on his gray hood and opened the door. Raindrops mixed with the chilling wind went inside the cabin.
6885
6886Creak
6887
6888The door was closed again.
6889
6890The rain kept falling onto Angele’s robe; he pulled his collar up slightly. The surface of his gray robe was coated with a thin layer of silver metal. All the rain drops were sliding down to the floor, his clothes not at all wet.
6891
6892Chapter 191: Knell Beetle (2)
6893
6894
6895The boat was slightly shaking. A glass oil lamp had been tied to the broken mast and was the only source of light on the deck.
6896
6897The oil lamp was made with a thick cylindrical glass. The only opening was at the bottom. It could easily handle the rain, as long as it did not get blown to the floor by the wind.
6898
6899The two Grand Knights were working on both sides of the deck. Both of them lowered their bodies by the railings and tied themselves to the broken mast with ropes.
6900
6901Under the dim light, the freezing raindrops were hitting Angele’s face. He narrowed his eyes and took a glance at the surface of the sea. The visibility was low, but he could still see the intense waves.
6902
6903For some reason, Angele felt like something was not right. He decided to check the surroundings.
6904
6905The followers saw Angele walking on the deck and bowed to him.
6906
6907"Master Green, the storm is going strong. I would suggest you stay in the cabin. We’ll take care of the deck!" Isabel’s follower, the Grand Knight named Rivail, shouted.
6908
6909The old man Gill added, "Yeah, it’s just a storm. We can handle it for you. Just go back to the cabin."
6910
6911Angele’s brow furrowed. "Something’s not right here. I need to do some checking." After practicing the mentality compression technique, his senses had become much keener than before.
6912
6913Creak
6914
6915The door of the cabin was opened again, and Isabel too walked to the deck.
6916
6917"What’s going on? You found something?" she questioned.
6918
6919"It’s coming!" Angele pointed at the right side of the boat.
6920
6921The others looked at the direction he was pointing at.
6922
6923A black shadow with the height of a human being was quickly rushing to the boat from the right side. It was a creature with two large wings swinging so fast that they blurred.
6924
6925"A… beetle?" Gill untied the black hammer from his belt and held it tight in his hands.
6926
6927Rivail drew the double-edged silver axe from his back, preparing for a possible fight.
6928
6929Angele finally had a clear view of the creature as it got closer.
6930
6931It was a large black beetle; there was a strange bell-shaped mouth on its head. The two wings over its back were swinging incessantly. The beetle kept circling above the boat.
6932
6933The light from the oil lamp cast a reflection on the beetle’s six razor sharp legs.
6934
6935The noise made by its wings echoed in the sky.
6936
6937"Wait! Don’t attack it!" Isabel yelled, "That’s a knell beetle! They come in groups. They won’t attack us on their own!"
6938
6939The two followers heard Isabel’s words and thus lowered their weapons. They stood by the railing and watched the beetle flying around in the sky.
6940
6941Angele’s expression turned serious. He had read about the knell beetles in a Wizard’s encyclopedia. They were described as a relatively aggressive wild creature.
6942
6943"Why are they here? I thought they only existed in the books," Angele asked in a loud voice.
6944
6945"This is a dangerous zone. I already told you, anything is possible," Isabel quickly explained, "Even the king of the sea, the merfolk, can’t terrorize this area. You can expect strong aggressive wild creatures and mutated fishes here."
6946
6947Isabel raised her head and added, "But I don’t know why they are coming to us. Knell beetles won’t do anything if we’re not considered as threats."
6948
6949"Maybe it’s the light on the deck." Angele lowered his voice.
6950
6951They stopped chatting and watched the beetle flying around in the air quietly.
6952
6953Blue light dots flashed in front of Angele’s eyes.
6954
6955Rows of data were being refreshed beside the beetle’s body in his sight.
6956
6957‘No forcefield detected. Scanning for attributes information.’
6958
6959‘Knell Beetle: Strength higher than 7. Agility higher than 11. Stamina higher than 13. Mentality higher than 9. Checking the database… Ability: Shock wave. Sound wave resistance.’
6960
6961‘Comparing the attributes… Higher than average Grand Knights. Lower than an average formal Wizard.’
6962
6963The chip quickly reported the results back.
6964
6965Angele felt a bit relieved. It was just one knell beetle, and it was not a threat.
6966
6967Knell beetles mutated because of the pollution from the ancient Wizards’ experiments. Although it was an ancient species, its ancient blood was not valuable.
6968
6969Not all ancient creatures had strong abilities.
6970
6971"Knell beetle is usually found on the land… Why did it come to the sea?" Isabel wondered.
6972
6973"Well, there’s one possibility…" Angele pointed at the further side on the right before finishing his sentence.
6974
6975There was a large black ship approaching the boat in the rain.
6976
6977The ship looked like a ghost ship from the tales. There was no sail and its body was broken. Angele did not see any person on the deck, but the ship was surrounded by countless dark shadows.
6978
6979The ship was getting closer and closer.
6980
6981The dark shadows looked like bees dancing around their nest. Angele’s expression changed after realizing that it was a whole group of knell beetles.
6982
6983"It’s their nest!" Angele shouted, "More than a hundred knell beetles!"
6984
6985Isabel bit her lips after hearing Angele’s words.
6986
6987The power of a knell beetle nest could easily destroy their boat. If the knell beetles were enraged, they would release shockwaves. The damage those waves could inflict was immeasurable. Angele wondered if the brood mother was in the nest. According to the data, the knell beetle’s brood mother had a similar power level to that of a Gas stage Wizard. If the four lost their boat, they would die on the sea sooner or later.
6988
6989"Wait, it’s a ship? Is that you? Wizard Milano?" Isabel suddenly shouted. She sent her words to the large black ship using energy particles.
6990
6991However, there was no response from the ship.
6992
6993The beetle over the boat slowly flew away and returned to the nest.
6994
6995"They probably just built the nest in the ship," Angele stared at the knell beetle’s nest and said.
6996
6997"Yeah…’ Isabel nodded. "I thought they were the pet of a Wizard I know."
6998
6999"It’s good news to us actually. Knell beetles will lead us to land, as they won’t stay on the sea for too long. The only thing we need to do is follow after them," she added.
7000
7001"Are you sure about this? Won’t they get provoked if we decide to follow their nest…?" Angele asked while his brows were furrowed.
7002
7003"They won’t, I think. Knell beetles are not valuable to us and Wizards never hunted them. Also, most importantly, they don’t like the taste of human flesh…"
7004
7005"So, the problem becomes how we can follow the speed of that ship." Angele asked, "Right?"
7006
7007Isabel stared at the nest of the beetles and started thinking. She took a glance at Angele. This man had saved her for no reason. They had met during a mission, but for some reason, Isabel enjoyed the time she was spending with Angele.
7008
7009However, Isabel needed to return to her family after the mission was finished. There was hardly any chance that she would develop a deep relationship with Angele.
7010
7011Isabel had mixed feelings about the situation and she wanted to stay with Angele for a bit longer.
7012
7013She slowly took down a dark crystal orb from her belt and threw it into the air. The fist-sized orb floated in the sky and turned into a black bird.
7014
7015The bird had no eyes, mouth, or feathers. It was just a bird-shaped shadow with a pair of black wings.
7016
7017Isabel raised her hand and pointed at the ship.
7018
7019The black bird flew around in the air for several seconds and flew to the beetle’s nest.
7020
7021"What is this?" Angele was curious. "A magical puppet?"
7022
7023Isabel nodded, "It’s an alchemical creature. I call it the Shadow Sparrow. This creature can attack anything in my sight. Technically speaking, it’s created with metal." Isabel turned around and looked at Angele.
7024
7025"Wait, do you have a familiar?" she questioned.
7026
7027Angele shook his head. "I haven’t found one yet. The familiar will become one of my weak points if it’s not strong enough, but I’m trying to acquire a suitable one. "
7028
7029"Is that so…" Isabel stopped asking.
7030
7031She chanted some incantation and a blue glow covered her eyes.
7032
7033The glow lasted for several seconds before disappearing.
7034
7035"I already sent my sparrow to the nest. Knight Rivail, please get all the ropes you can find here," Isabel turned to Rivail and ordered him.
7036
7037"Understood." Rivail bowed and untied the rope from his waist. He returned to the cabin and started collecting ropes.
7038
7039Gill stayed on the side awaiting further orders. Angele took out the ring Isabel gifted him. It was still covered in the white glow.
7040
7041He discovered that the ring had many different functions. It could keep its owner’s body temperature at a safe range, and the runes engraved on it could warn the owner about illnesses or organ injuries. Those runes would only reveal themselves after the ring was put on the finger.
7042
7043Despite its simple appearance, this silver ring was an extremely rare enchanted item. The ring could increase a Wizard’s resistances and help them in dangerous situations.
7044
7045Angele handed the ring over to Isabel.
7046
7047"Take it. You need it more than I do." Isabel was trembling in the freezing wind. Her clothes were soaked wet.
7048
7049Isabel looked at the ring and pursed her lips.
7050
7051"I’m fine. Don’t worry."
7052
7053"We’re friends, right? Come on." Angele insisted.
7054
7055Isabel raised her head and stared Angele in the eyes.
7056
7057Angele put the ring on the center of her right palm.
7058
7059CHI
7060
7061A thin layer of white glow flashed on Isabel’s body.
7062
7063She opened her mouth but failed to utter any words.
7064
7065Angele smiled. "Don’t worry. I like it a lot as a gift, but I just think you need it right now. You see, my robe is still dry, and I’m not cold. Take it."
7066
7067"Got it." Isabel lowered her head.
7068
7069Chapter 192: Ashore (1)
7070
7071
7072The beetle nest was advancing slowly in the front. With Isabel’s speed buff spell, the boat successfully followed after the ship. The distance between the two was about a hundred meters.
7073
7074The knell beetles had horrifying appearances. However, it seemed like they did not care that their own nest was being followed by humans, and the beetles showed no intention to attack.
7075
7076Three weeks later, Angele finally saw land and changed the boat’s route.
7077
7078In the afternoon, the four stood on the deck, watching the land getting closer.
7079
7080It was dark and cloudy outside. The rain could fall anytime.
7081
7082"It’s a small island," Isabel said as her brows knitted. "I already checked our location. We can try to find another boat here, and head to our destination later. The two islands are close."
7083
7084"Thanks to those beetles." Angele stood on the side. "Isabel, you can stop channeling the spell now."
7085
7086Isabel nodded.
7087
7088She raised her right hand and pointed her finger in the air.
7089
7090PA
7091
7092Something exploded in the air, and white waves appeared under her head, which vanished into the air after several seconds.
7093
7094At the same time, a small black bird flew away from the ship and landed on Isabel’s right shoulder. She carefully grabbed the bird’s feet, reverted it into a small black ball, and returned the ball to her pouch.
7095
7096The boat was approaching the island ahead.
7097
7098Angele could see the golden beach and the coconut trees by the shore. Several seagulls landed on the sand and started looking for food.
7099
7100They flew into the air after seeing the boat.
7101
7102The noise of swinging wings mixed with their chirps was loud and annoying.
7103
7104Gill jumped down to the beach after the boat docked by the shore. He was wearing a silver armor suit with a short sword and black wooden shield in hands.
7105
7106"I’ll go check the surroundings first," Gill turned his head around and shouted.
7107
7108Rivail jumped off the boat too. He walked around the beach and checked the trails left on the sand.
7109
7110Angele and Isabel climbed down the boarding ladder slowly.
7111
7112Angele walked to the side and overlooked the sea. A black ship was slowly sailing away, continuously becoming blurred in his sight.
7113
7114It was the nest of the knell beetles.
7115
7116"Interesting. I never expected to see a nest of an ancient creature on the sea, and it’s… a mobile nest. Wait, but why did the beetles build the nest in an abandoned ship…?" Angele muttered.
7117
7118"It’s my first time seeing a moving beetle nest on the sea, too. Normal creatures will never mess with those knell beetles. They prefer rotten and poisonous food, but they don’t attack human beings if not provoked. Wizards call them the ‘Scavenger of the Land’, but I heard their numbers had been reducing recently. Those beetles helped us a lot. We wouldn’t be able to find this island if they didn’t come to us." Isabel sighed with emotion.
7119
7120The two stood by the boat and chatted for a while. Angele kept his adventure in the ruin as a secret and told Isabel nothing about it. She had no idea that Angele killed Kuirman and she still thought Angele was just an average Gas stage Wizard that could barely handle Kuirman’s attack.
7121
7122Gill and Rivail finished their investigations and returned to the boat.
7123
7124Blood was dripping down the blade of Gill’s short sword.
7125
7126"I found a wooden house that was invaded by wild beasts. I think this island is used as a supply storage for certain ships. The only thing we need to do is wait here and the other ships will come by soon or later." Gill looked relieved. "Also, I found plenty of food and water in the house. We can certainly use that."
7127
7128"Great." Isabel nodded and turned to Rivail. "How about you?"
7129
7130Rivail nodded as well.
7131
7132"Master, the traces left here indicates that the shore is modified by humans. I agree with what Gill just said."
7133
7134"Nice, let’s wait for the ship on the island then," Angele said.
7135
7136The night came, then a white ship finally appeared in their sights, approaching the island quickly.
7137
7138The white ship was fully-armored and packed with cannons.
7139
7140One of the guards on the ship was Rivail’s friend, which made things easier. The captain of the ship was a strong man with a red beard. A fully equipped ship like that usually robbed small merchant groups on the sea when they were short on money. Ships disappeared on the sea all the time, and no one would know what happened if there was no other ship around.
7141
7142When the four boarded the ship, the captain decided not to rob them upon realizing that it was two Grand Knights and two formal Wizards. Angele asked him to sail back to the public dock at Nola. Although the captain looked annoyed, he still nodded his head.
7143
7144One week later, the clean public dock finally appeared in Angele’s sight.
7145
7146Angele stood inside his cabin and stared at the approaching land through the window.
7147
7148Knock knock
7149
7150Someone knocked on the door.
7151
7152"Come in, please. Captain Hawk. The door is not locked." Angele turned around.
7153
7154A man with a red beard pushed the door open. He was wearing a messy noble suit with a black pirate hat over his head. Hawk looked drunk. Angele’s brow knitted after smelling the stench coming from the man’s clothes.
7155
7156"What happened?" he asked calmly.
7157
7158"Master Green, we’ll arrive at the public dock soon." Captain Hawk knew that most Wizards were short-tempered. He knew he should act politely in front of them, as those cold-blooded killers could kill him without being noticed easily.
7159
7160He had heard of those rumors from the merchants he had businesses with, but he did not want to risk anything.
7161
7162"Great." Angele nodded. "Let’s gather the others on the deck first."
7163
7164The two left the cabin and stepped onto the deck. Angele saw Isabel and the two Grand Knights already standing by the railings. He noticed a man in a gray robe mixed in with the sailors. There was a silver badge on the left side of the robe and had the shape of a crescent moon.
7165
7166The man was a Wizard apprentice from a small organization called Silver Moon. He was one step away from becoming a formal Wizard, but this one last step was the nightmare of most rank 3 Wizard apprentices.
7167
7168The man quickly stepped forward after seeing Angele walking to him.
7169
7170"Master Green, you’re here." The Wizard apprentice’s name was Miller, and he was a slick talker. The man’s eyes and hair were all black. Angele sensed something familiar from him.
7171
7172"Yeah, what’s going on? It’ll still take several minutes before we can dock." Angele noticed that the sailors were staring at something on the surface of the sea. Isabel turned around to greet him and then looked at the sea as well.
7173
7174The atmosphere on the deck was intense. Angele was confused at this scene, so he quickly walked to the railing and tried to find out what was going on.
7175
7176A small black dot was moving fast on the blue sea. It was being chased by five dolphin-looking creatures. Half-naked merfolk with light blue skin were riding on the dolphins’ backs.
7177
7178Angele took a closer look and understood the situation.
7179
7180A Wizard in a black robe was being chased down by the merfolk Wizards.
7181
7182The Dark Wizard looked weak and tired. The merfolk Wizards behind him were increasing their speed. They were releasing blue water waves, but all of them were blocked by the Dark Wizard.
7183
7184It seemed like the Dark Wizard had noticed the ship. He turned around and started running toward the ship, traveling at full speed.
7185
7186As the Dark Wizard got closer, Angele realized that it was a young woman. She was wounded, and Angele could see the scars on her face. The woman’s dark red hair was flying in the wind; her chest was larger and her waist slim. The woman’s body was sexy and attractive.
7187
7188"The merfolk is hunting down a Dark Wizard. It seemed like the Dark Wizard is heading toward us. What should we do?" Isabel looked at Angele and sent a message using energy particles.
7189
7190Angele creased his eyebrows and looked at the female Dark Wizard. The woman was making him aroused for some reason.
7191
7192"Drive her away. No point in taking the risk," Angele responded calmly.
7193
7194Isabel hesitated. "Why? Although she’s a black robe, I don’t think she has bad intentions."
7195
7196Angele narrowed his eyes, "You’re a girl so you didn’t notice that she was channeling the seduction spell."
7197
7198Isabel bit her lips and nodded.
7199
7200CHI
7201
7202They released their mentality waves at the same time. The translucent waves were spreading to all angles from the boat.
7203
7204Isabel was a Liquid stage Wizard. Her mentality waves were strong, but toward the mortals, they had no side effects.
7205
7206The female Dark Wizard and the merfolk Wizards slowed down after being impacted by two different type of strong mentality waves.
7207
7208Angele was trying to send out a message. He did not know the female Dark Wizard and he did not care what the merfolk did to her.
7209
7210The female Dark Wizard was just a Gas stage Wizard and the merfolk Wizards were probably even weaker. Their mentality levels were not high enough to handle the pressure from the strong mentality waves.
7211
7212The female Dark Wizard shook her head and started increasing her speed again. She started crying and it looked like she was begging Angele for help.
7213
7214The merfolk Wizards were not sure how they should proceed, so they just slowed down. The leader was an old merfolk with a black tattoo on the left side of his face. He opened his mouth and started chatting with the other merfolk Wizards, as though they were trying to figure out a plan.
7215
7216On the deck.
7217
7218"She’s coming toward us. Masters, what should we do?" The rank 3 Wizard apprentice, Miller, was asking Angele and Isabel in a low voice.
7219
7220"Take her down," Angele said in a calm tone, but the people around were surprised by his decision.
7221
7222Isabel heard Angele’s words, then she nodded.
7223
7224Chapter 193: Ashore (2)
7225
7226
7227Isabel raised her right hand with her palm facing upside.
7228
7229"Yaomuse…Tera…The Ice Devil!" She invoked the incantation in a low voice.
7230
7231A small blue vortex slowly appeared on top of her palm spinning, with a red spot of light flashing in the center of the vortex.
7232
7233The dim light illuminated Isabel’s pretty face. She grabbed some red dust from the pouch by her belt and sprinkled it onto the vortex.
7234
7235CHI
7236
7237After the dust was poured into the vortex, the air flow changed and the dust turned into three, small triangular crystals.
7238
7239The three crystals formed a circle above her palm and started spinning.
7240
7241Isabel raised her hand and threw the three spinning red crystals toward Angele.
7242
7243Angele raised his arms. Within seconds, a two-meter-long silver bow was conjured in his hands. He carefully attached the bowstring to the bow and a long black arrow made out the negative energy particles appeared on it quickly.
7244
7245The three red crystals quickly flew to the tip of the arrow and rotated several times, it almost looked like they stuck to the surface of the tip. The black arrow looked elegant and mysterious with glowing crystals on its tip.
7246
7247Angele raised the bow and aimed at the sky.
7248
7249CHI
7250
7251The arrow was unleashed from the bowstring.
7252
7253A blue wave slowly spread into the air as Angele lowered his longbow.
7254
7255On the sea, the female Dark Wizard screamed and started running backward after realizing she was being attacked.
7256
7257The arrow soared through the air and caught up with the woman in a black robe. Suddenly, the arrow turned into a humongous silhouette of a centaur. The centaur roared and charged toward the woman.
7258
7259The distorted centaur shadow was about two meters tall. It had long gray fur and white skin, two long white horns on its head, the torso of an adult human male, and the lower body of a strong stallion. In its hands were two flamberges. The eyeballs that should’ve been there were replaced by two small spheres of blue flame.
7260
7261"Ice…" The blurry centaur shadow shouted in an ancient language.
7262
7263BOOM
7264
7265The distorted shadow powerfully struck the woman.
7266
7267An intense white glow flashed in the air. Unprepared for it, Angele reflexively closed his eyes in response. Then, he saw the left side of the female Dark Wizard’s body frozen, while her body’s right side was engulfed in dark flames—a scene with such contrast that looked horrifying and strange.
7268
7269Layers of glowing barriers surrounded the woman’s body: black ones, red ones, and green ones. More than ten barriers were trying to subvert the damage dealt.
7270
7271The frozen area on her body expanded and eventually stopped the flame from burning continuously.
7272
7273The woman raised her head and groaned.
7274
7275Angele stood on the deck and shook his head. "It’s over," he muttered.
7276
7277Isabel walked to Angele and showed a big smile to him.
7278
7279"Your archery skill is impressive, and the energy arrow is powerful. With the help of my ice buff spell, it broke two of her barriers easily…" Isabel stared at the female Dark Wizard and spoke light-heartedly.
7280
7281"Her mentality wave is packed with evil. We warned her already, but it seems like she fears those merfolk Wizards more than us." Angele nodded. "Isabel, the spell you cast is called Ice Devil, right? I’m surprised that this woman had so many layers of barriers."
7282
7283"Yeah, that was unexpected." Isabel responded in a low voice, "That woman has a bunch of low-level enchanted items and tried to activate all of them to help herself defend against the arrow, but it was just a waste of time and mana."
7284
7285"That was 15 layers of barriers from the enchanted items. However, they were too weak…" Angele pursed his lips. "She’s burning the negative energy stored in her body to resist the ice damage. I doubt she can survive this time…The necromantic negative energy is strong indeed, but the side-effects will be severe." Angele recalled the way he used the necromantic energy particles not so long ago. Although he controlled the amount and time, some of his organs were still permanently damaged.
7286
7287It seemed like this woman had a lot of negative energy particles stored in her body.
7288
7289The woman on the sea was still struggling. She turned around and charged toward the merfolk Wizards.
7290
7291The water under her feet froze as she advanced.
7292
7293The merfolk Wizards had serious expressions on their faces. The old leader glanced at the ship and shouted in a language that Angele could not understand. He was not sure if the old Wizard was talking to him or the woman.
7294
7295The female Dark Wizard did not seem to care. Her face was completely contorted due to the intense pain coming from her body.
7296
7297BOOM
7298
7299The woman exploded as she got closer to the merfolk Wizards.
7300
7301Her body broke into pieces like ice shards, splattering everywhere.
7302
7303The ice shards vanished into the air and turned into dark bloody mist amid Angele’s sight. The mist surrounded the area around the merfolk Wizards. They had not expected the woman to turn back on them before dying.
7304
7305"I knew it." Angele sneered and watched the merfolk Wizards get trapped in the mist. "The woman carried some evil enchanted item with her and triggered it right before she died."
7306
7307The merfolk Wizards’ bodies and their dolphin-like mounts started melting in the blood mist. They turned into strange, dark red liquid within seconds that looked like slimy wax.
7308
7309After the blood mist was blown away by the wind quickly, the only thing Angele could see was a hint of red mixed in the blue water.
7310
7311Isabel turned to Angele and stared at him.
7312
7313"We’re getting close to our destination. What’s your plan? Still want to join the Six Ring High Tower?"
7314
7315She started questioning about Angele’s future plans after the elimination of the threat. It seemed like Isabel had no interest in the incident’s background.
7316
7317"Yeah, that’s my only choice now. I must find the item I need." Angele nodded. "Six Ring High Tower is my best bet, but before that, I need to have some rest."
7318
7319The conversation ended here.
7320
7321The ship was now approaching the dock. However, the people on the ship were still shocked. The way Angele and Isabel took out the female Dark Wizard surprised them. Even the rank 3 Wizard apprentice envied the two formal Wizards’ power, yet at the same time, he feared how they dealt with matters. The sailors distanced themselves from the two, as they didn’t wish to offend them in any way.
7322
7323The ship remained in silence. The people were now just preparing to dock. Ten minutes later, the sailing speed began decreasing.
7324
7325Angele saw people standing by the shore. In front of the crowd, several Wizards of Light were standing amid them, looking at the arriving ship. Behind them, there were many fully armored guards.
7326
7327"They’re my family members." Isabel had no expression on her face.
7328
7329Angele nodded but did not respond.
7330
7331Isabel must have already sent messages regarding the situation to her mother as they got closer to the island and Wizard of their family were sent to the dock to welcome Isabel’s return.
7332
7333Wizards had their secret means of transmitting messages to others without being noticed.
7334
7335The ship slowly docked by the shore. Isabel stepped forward and waited for the sailors to drop the ladder.
7336
7337She turned around and glanced at Angele.
7338
7339"Contact me with the sigil." She sent the message using energy particles and carefully climbed down the ladder.
7340
7341The two Grand Knights bowed to Angele and followed after Isabel.
7342
7343Angele walked to the railing and looked down.
7344
7345Isabel was talking to the Wizards of Light in a low voice.
7346
7347"Uncle Daeron, why are you here? Did my mother send you?"
7348
7349A middle-aged Wizard of Light with a large nose glared at Angele with his brow knitted.
7350
7351"Miss Isabel, your mother is not happy with what you did this time… You boarded the ship and went to a ruin without permission. This is not going to end well for you."
7352
7353"I’ll explain to her myself, don’t worry." Isabel responded in an emotionless tone, "Let’s get back to the castle first."
7354
7355"Sure." Daeron nodded. "Was that Wizard Green on the deck? Why are you two staying together? You didn’t mention this part in the message."
7356
7357Daeron probably saw Isabel talking to Angele earlier.
7358
7359"Well, he’s the first friend I made. I don’t think I need to report everything to you." Isabel stared at Daeron.
7360
7361Daeron pursed his lips and was about to say something else, but Isabel turned around and walked straight to the carriage parked by the street.
7362
7363He looked at Angele again and narrowed his eyes.
7364
7365It was hard for a Wizard to reach the next stage as the chance of failure was high. He knew Wizards like Angele were all having trouble advancing to the next stage.
7366
7367Most of the Wizards from other areas stopped progressing after reaching the Gas stage, and without the support of a large organization, barely any of them could advance to the Liquid stage.
7368
7369Wizards had long life expectancy, but it did not mean they would not die from trying to advance to the next stage. Some important resources were just difficult to acquire.
7370
7371However, for the Wizards with pure bloodlines in Nola, advancing would be much easier. There were plenty rare resources for them to purchase, and the families would try their best to support the inheritors.
7372
7373Daeron assumed that the Wizard named Green would stay at the Gas stage for more than a hundred years and the chance of him advancing was low. Isabel only needed about ten more years to reach the next stage and become a Crystal stage Wizard. After reaching the Crystal stage, it would be possible for her to try to advance to the next rank. Rank 2 Wizards were extremely rare nowadays.
7374
7375Daeron shook his head. The gap between Green and Isabel was huge. It would get even larger as the time passed. After Isabel reached the next stage, she could spend hundred years doing experiments and researches, but by that time, Angele probably had already passed away.
7376
7377He knew Isabel was attracted to the Wizard Green. Sadly, it would be hard for them to become close friends. Isabel would have to inherit the family after reaching the next rank.
7378
7379Chapter 194: The Six Ring Area (1)
7380
7381
7382"However, if Isabel fails to reach the next stage within 100 years, she’ll have to convert her body into energy form…" Daeron shook his head. The possibility of failing was way too low, he thought. Reaching rank 2 might be hard, but Isabel’s talent level and the resources that her family could provide would help in advancing to Crystal stage.
7383
7384Before entering the carriage, Isabel suddenly turned around and whispered to Daeron. She asked Daeron to give Angele a wooden token that would grant him the trading rights in the area, including the right to purchasing resources and knowledge. Furthermore, Angele could even become a resident of the Six Ring area with this small piece of wood.
7385
7386Isabel passed some more information to Angele using energy particles before leaving in the carriage.
7387
7388Angele stood on the deck and watched Isabel leaving with her family members. He slowly climbed down the ladder and stepped onto the ground.
7389
7390"I wish I could help her." Isabel had told Angele about her situation in the messages she sent. Isabel did not tell her family about her body condition and the usage of the rhino blood. The family thought that she could still live for about 100 years, but the truth was she only had about 20 years left. She asked Angele to keep purifying the rhino blood for her, so she could at least try to reach Crystal stage. The fate of Isabel’s family would change if things went south.
7391
7392‘Her mother will find out about the truth soon or later.’
7393
7394Angele thought for a while and shook his head. The soothing wind was blowing on his face.
7395
7396The shore became empty after Isabel’s crew left.
7397
7398He glanced around; the only people he saw were several sailors that had just finished unloading the ship.
7399
7400"So, master Green, can we leave now?" Captain Haw shouted from the deck, trying his best to be polite.
7401
7402The rank 3 Wizard apprentice and the sailors all stood beside the railing and stared at Angele.
7403
7404"Sure." Angele nodded. He obviously knew that those people fear his power.
7405
7406Captain Hawk looked relieved after hearing Angele’s response. They pulled up the ladder and started their preparations for sailing.
7407
7408The ship left slowly after several minutes.
7409
7410Angele stretched his back and pulled up the collar, walking to the street on the opposite side of the dock.
7411
7412After about half an hour, a forked road appeared ahead and there was a road sign in the middle. The road toward west led to the public trading area and the way toward the east to the Six Ring High Tower.
7413
7414Angele checked the sign and turned right immediately.
7415
7416Although Kuirman was a Wizard of Six Ring High Tower, he still doubted if anyone knew the man was also a member of the cult. People who had known of Angele killing Kuirman all died on the island, so he had nothing to fear.
7417
7418Even if the organization tried to track Kuirman down, the strange forcefield surrounding the ruin would deter prophecy spells of any type. Not many people knew about the exact location of that island, to boot.
7419
7420With Isabel’s token, there was no point in him worrying about being accused as a murderer at present.
7421
7422Nola was a huge area.
7423
7424The Six Ring High Tower’s territory was about the size of a province. Several large cities were being controlled by several Wizard families. Some small towns were assigned to contracted Wizards.
7425
7426The situation was similar for the two other major organizations.
7427
7428Each of the major organization was operating like a small country, also using the public area as a haven in communications.
7429
7430Angele walked for about an hour. Vibrant trees stood silently on both sides of the road. Tall black city walls appeared ahead, blocking the path like a long, twisted snake. Angele glanced around, neither could he see the end of the wall nor did he find any entrance on its surface.
7431
7432By the end of the road, there was a black bunker with a smoking chimney on the top.
7433
7434Two old men wearing gray robes sat outside the door of the bunker playing chess on a white rectangular table.
7435
7436It was cold and cloudy; the chilling wind was blowing the old men’s long messy hair to the side.
7437
7438At the right side of the bunker was a large, empty ground. Several white and black carriages with different engravings were parked there.
7439
7440Angele saw the bunker and walked straight to it.
7441
7442This place did not look like the entrance of a major Wizard organization.
7443
7444The two old men noticed his presence and stood up at the same time.
7445
7446"This is the back door of the Six Ring High Tower. Who’re you and why are you here?" one of the old men questioned, looking confused.
7447
7448Usually, the members would enter the organizations from the private dock since the public dock only led to the back door. That was the reason why there were not many people around.
7449
7450Angele’s original plan was to join the Six Ring High Tower. However, he decided to only trade for rare resources with the organization after obtaining the token from Isabel.
7451
7452"I’m a Wizard associated with the Jones family." Angele took out the brown wooden token. The character ‘S’ was painted on its surface with two twisted strings above and below it.
7453
7454The old men checked the wooden token.
7455
7456The wooden sign started glowing after being stared at. The ‘S’ pattern on its surface twisted slightly like a living snake.
7457
7458The two old men were just rank 3 Wizard apprentices. They quickly bowed to Angele after ascertaining the authenticity of the token.
7459
7460"Can I enter now?" Angele nodded.
7461
7462"Of course."
7463
7464The old man responded, untied a short white wand from his belt, and pointed at the empty wall.
7465
7466CHI
7467
7468A large arched gate appeared on the black wall. Angele could see the green grass on the other side.
7469
7470Angele kept the wooden token into the pouch and walked to the gate.
7471
7472More than ten different energy waves rushed through his body as he entered the gate, disappearing after the wooden token glowed again.
7473
7474‘Interesting. I doubt people can enter the back door by force, the defense here is great.’ Angele slightly nodded.
7475
7476At the other side of the wall was an endless dark green sea.
7477
7478Between the trees, there was a narrow white path leading to the deeper area. It was long and twisted.
7479
7480Angele was already inside the Six Ring High Tower’s territory.
7481
7482Through the gaps between the trees, Angele could see a white obelisk far ahead, barely visible in the fog. However, it seemed like the obelisk was not the one he had seen earlier in the public trading area; this one was different.
7483
7484Suddenly, he heard the noise made by birds flapping their wings in the sky.
7485
7486Angele raised his head and saw about ten humongous eagles flying over his head. Gray robes sat upon the backs of those eagles. It seemed like they had not become formal Wizards yet.
7487
7488They were not concerned about Angele’s presence, but he waited till this group disappeared in his sight before advancing.
7489
7490Based on the advice given by Isabel, there were many unpopulated areas in the Six Ring High Tower, and by entering the territory from the back door, he could reach one of the trading towers quickly by walking down the path.
7491
7492The trading towers were Wizards’ favorite spots, as they were mainly used for the trading of knowledge and resources. There were two requirements for building a trading tower.
7493
7494First, a strong organization to help maintain the fairness of the trade.
7495
7496Second, a huge diamond-shaped crystal for public communication.
7497
7498Several carriages and horses passed by Angele as he headed to the tower.
7499
7500Some Wizards of Light were riding horses and some were riding strange beasts that had the body of a bull and the feet of a goat. All of them were traveling at full speed.
7501
7502Angele also saw Wizards riding flying mounts in the sky heading to the other areas from time to time.
7503
7504Angele, wearing a gray robe, went past several crossroads as the road widened. More and more Wizards appeared ahead.
7505
7506He finally had a clear view of the white obelisk standing by the side of the road quietly.
7507
7508Several carriages were parked on the empty ground in front of the obelisk.
7509
7510The white obelisk was more than ten meters tall and was surrounded by metal railings. It almost looked like the obelisk had sunk into the grass.
7511
7512Wizards stood around the tower; Angele was not sure what they were doing. Some of them looked excited but the rest looked disappointed.
7513
7514There were also several Wizards pressing their palms against the body of the tower with eyes closed for some reason.
7515
7516Angele slowly walked to the obelisk, still trying to figure out what was going on while checking the surroundings constantly. His behavior attracted some attention.
7517
7518Three young Wizard apprentices chatting near the tower noticed Angele. One of them whispered to his friend, turned around, and walked to Angele quickly.
7519
7520"Is this the first time you visit the tower?" the man asked, "Do you need any help?"
7521
7522Angele glanced around. He tried to show that he knew how the tower worked, yet it seemed like there were many people here acted just like him.
7523
7524Two other newcomers behind him were being welcomed by Wizard apprentices as well.
7525
7526He pursed his lips and looked at the Wizard apprentice in front of him. The man was a rank 2 Wizard apprentice. Based on the energy wave he was releasing, Angele determined that this guy advanced to rank 2 not so long ago.
7527
7528Yellow skin, black hair, and black eyes. The young Wizard apprentice had an average-looking face and probably would not attract any attention in the crowd.
7529
7530"Who are you?" Angele looked at him and questioned.
7531
7532The young man bowed and started explaining.
7533
7534"I’m in charge of this trading tower. Don’t worry, I’m one of the apprentices sent here by the organization. I’ll explain how to use the tower for you. Also, if you don’t mind, I can provide you with many other services." His voice sounded young and energetic.
7535
7536"Huh?" Angele looked at the people around the obelisk. "So, they’re sending messages to communicate? I think I’m capable of doing that."
7537
7538"You’re correct. Let me introduce myself first, my name is Ivan." The young man smiled. "If you know how to send and receive the messages, please follow me to the rank 3 Wizard apprentices. They’ll guide you through the trading process here including how to the specific wave channels."
7539
7540Chapter 195: The Six Ring Area (2)
7541
7542
7543The Wizard apprentice turned around and walked to the other side of the obelisk.
7544
7545Angele hesitated for a second then followed him.
7546
7547They arrived at a large empty ground covered by vibrant green grass.
7548
7549He saw several other people waiting there already. There were five of them, three light Wizards and two Wizard apprentices. They were brought here by other Wizard apprentices from Six Ring High Tower.
7550
7551The Wizard apprentices were chatting with those people, trying the best to lighten up the mood here.
7552
7553Angele followed after Ivan. He glared at the three formal Wizards quickly.
7554
7555There were two female Wizards and one male Wizard.
7556
7557The two female Wizards stood close to each other, giving the impression that they were friends. Their white robes were tightened up by belts, Angele walked closer and realized the two were probably sisters. Their faces looked identical with sun tanned skin and they all had dark red curly hair.
7558
7559The male Wizard was having a conversation with the female Wizard apprentice that led him here. He was checking the girl’s body out while talking. Although the man had an average-looking face, his blonde shiny hair still caught some attention.
7560
7561The girl looked clean and pretty, but it seemed like she was having trouble dealing with the talkative Wizard.
7562
7563Angele waited for a while after reaching the grassy ground.
7564
7565Two more Wizards were brought here by the Wizard apprentices and all the people here were outsiders.
7566
7567The one on the left was a thin man with a goatee and the one on the right was a middle-aged woman with a depressed look on her face. They were all wearing green robes that shared the same patterns. It seemed like they were from the same organization. Angele still had not figured out what the green robes represented yet.
7568
7569After everyone arrived, a young man with red hair walked to the front.
7570
7571"Greetings, ladies and gentlemen. I’m a year 1 apprentice from the Six Ring College. I’m in charge of explaining how to use the tower to you."
7572
7573He wasted no time and showed how to properly release the mentality wave. Also, he mentioned the specific wave channel and a simple application of energy particles required to activate the tower.
7574
7575The young man demonstrated the necessary steps and walked away after.
7576
7577The other Wizard apprentices started to explain the available services to the people they brought here.
7578
7579"If you need a few resources or knowledge, you can get them from the trading tower. However, if you need a larger number of items, you can ask me to do it for you. I’ll hire trusted companies to transport them to you. The fee I’ll ask for won’t be too high. Also…not sure if you’re interested, I can also connect you with the girls…female apprentices and female Knights…A formal Wizard like you will be attractive to them." Ivan turned to Angele and said, "You know, this is the land of Wizards, the richest area on the west coast. We’re the ones with the most power. If you have enough money, we can even get you the beauties from other races."
7580
7581Angele was not interested in the girls, but he wanted to know more about this area.
7582
7583"Let’s exchange our communication runes then," he spoke in a light tone.
7584
7585Ivan chuckled, quickly drew a complicated rune in the air, and pushed it forward.
7586
7587Angele raised his right hand and the rune sank into his palm.
7588
7589"Also, I think you’ll need a place to stay, right? I can find you one in the forest," Ivan added.
7590
7591"I’ll talk to you later." Angele nodded. "I need to check out the trading tower first."
7592
7593"For sure." Ivan bowed and walked away.
7594
7595Angele turned around and walked to the obelisk. He found a gap between the Wizards around the tower and put his palms against on its surface.
7596
7597CHI
7598
7599Strange noise echoed in his ears.
7600
7601A strong mentality wave stroke Angele’s body. The wave was weak and slow, and would not inflict any damage to a formal Wizard.
7602
7603Angele then released his own mentality wave. However, the wave from the tower was not making any contact with his.
7604
7605He recalled the wave channel the young man mentioned and modified his wave slightly.
7606
7607Suddenly, a huge information screen appeared on the surface of the obelisk. Rows of trade information were listed on it.
7608
7609Angele glanced around making sure that he was the only one reading the screen, and nodded slightly.
7610
7611‘Golden Ring Flower, 25 grams, looking to trade for Armored Beetles.
7612
7613The blood of snake pterosaur, 30 grams, looking to trade for two tons of bronze.
7614
7615Maragas lion’s egg, meet up and discuss the details.
7616
7617Eyeball of a hundred-eyed ghost, looking to trade for the essence of a magic ore.
7618
7619…
7620
7621…’
7622
7623Information flooded the whole screen.
7624
7625Angele noticed a button at the bottom of the screen that was used for turning the pages.
7626
7627There were more than a thousand pages and each page listed more than 100 different trading information.
7628
7629He started thinking; his utmost priority was to obtain the heart of the tree and the formula to help increase his mentality. These two items were extremely hard to find. Isabel had asked her family to search the heart for him, but he still needed to acquire the formula by himself.
7630
7631Angele kept turning the pages.
7632
7633‘I hope I can filter it to formula only…’ he thought.
7634
7635Suddenly, the screen blurred and white light flashed at its edges.
7636
7637Quickly, the page number reduced to two pages and the view became clear again.
7638
7639Trade information about the formulas was left on the screen.
7640
7641‘Original formula of the Giant Potion, looking to trade for a thousand-eyed spider.
7642
7643Original formula of the Burning Blood, looking to trade for a heart of the earth.
7644
7645Copy of the Arcane Potion, looking to trade for liquid gold, the amount can be discussed later.
7646
7647Pages of high-level potion, Dragonize Potion, meet up and discuss.’
7648
7649Angele checked the names of the formulas carefully.
7650
7651The newer listed formulas would be at the top. There were many potions he had never heard of. Only several of them could help him increase mentality. He spent about half an hour to figure out which ones might be helpful.
7652
7653The first one was Oasman’s Enhancement. The owner was asking for a phoenix flower.
7654
7655The phoenix flower was hard to procure. It usually grew deep in the molten magma. Angele had no idea where he could find one.
7656
7657The other one was named the Illusionary Garden and the owner was asking for a live three-headed bird. It was a much easier requirement to fulfill, but the three-headed bird was an aggressive creature. The bird was about ten meters long and was the king of the sky. Angele was not sure how dangerous the bird was, but from what he read in the book, the creature was capable of slaying a formal Wizard. He was only a Gas stage Wizard and not sure if it was worth a try.
7658
7659From the more than two hundred different formulas, he only found two potions that would help increase his mentality.
7660
7661Angele was a bit speechless. He pursed his lips and decided to search for something else.
7662
7663‘Show me cursed weapons.’
7664
7665The screen blurred again.
7666
7667Several seconds later, filtered information showed up.
7668
7669‘Calatrava Cross Greatsword. Two-meter attack range. Poison damage. Can damage spirits. Looking to trade for cursed dual short swords.
7670
7671Cursed weapon crafting. Must provide materials. Looking for two icy butterflies.
7672
7673Blueprint for the Speedy Knives. Looking to trade for 1.3 kilograms of Dragon Scale Flower.’
7674
7675Angele stopped there realizing how valuable cursed weapons were. Kuirman’s cursed scimitar probably was much more expensive than he had thought. Just a blueprint could already be traded for more than one kilogram of Dragon Scale Flower.
7676
7677One Dragon Scale Flower was about 20 grams and this guy was asking for 1.3 kilograms.
7678
7679Angele was impressed by the convenience of the trading system in the area, but people were asking for rare resources as if they were easy to find.
7680
7681He decided to search for the information related to enchantment after checking the weapons and the formulas.
7682
7683Angele checked the descriptions and found a book named as Fire Enchantment of the Giants, but the owner requested a meetup.
7684
7685He pressed on the row with the book using his finger carefully.
7686
7687The information was zoomed in and the introduction of the item appeared on the bottom of the page.
7688
7689About ten minutes later, a different mentality wave appeared on the information.
7690
7691Angele closed his eyes and modified the wave channel again.
7692
7693"You want my book, Fire Enchantment of the Giants, right?" A deep male voice was transmitted into Angele’s ears.
7694
7695"Yes. What are you asking for?" Angele responded.
7696
7697"Magic stone cards, rare materials, potions, anything, as long as they are valuable. Now tell me, what can you offer?"
7698
7699"How about the formula of the Ghost Voice?"
7700
7701"Ghost Voice? Interesting. Sure, what location will work for you? I’m not giving you the physical copy, we can just use the orbs. Ghost Voice is an ancient formula, it’s probably worth more than my book, I’ll add something else to the trade to make it fairer for you," the man responded politely.
7702
7703"Sounds great."
7704
7705"We can meet up on the first day of next month. Name the location."
7706
7707"Sure, just come to this obelisk," Angele responded.
7708
7709The two agreed on the location and time and described their appearances before cutting off the communication.
7710
7711Angele lowered his hands, opened his eyes, and walked to the other side of the obelisk.
7712
7713Ivan was politely waiting on the side.
7714
7715"Master, do you want to check the residential areas?"
7716
7717"I have many places to recommend, we can go check them out now if you have the time."
7718
7719"Sure, lead the way."
7720
7721Angele nodded and left the obelisk with Ivan.
7722
7723After about three hours, Angele picked a two-story house built beside a small lake.
7724
7725The house was painted in white with a red roof. In front of the house itself, there was a garden surrounded by fences. The whole place was hidden in the forest.
7726
7727"Good choice. A Wizard who loves quiet places built this house a long time ago. He sold it to my family before leaving the area," Ivan introduced the history of the house as he opened the fence gate.
7728
7729The place was covered in tall grasses. Even the path connecting the gate with the house was blocked.
7730
7731The two entered the house and Ivan showed Angele the rooms.
7732
7733"The place is good enough, I’ll take it." Angele made the decision. "Also, get me a map of the Six Ring area, the place is huge."
7734
7735"Sure," Ivan responded politely.
7736
7737"Two healing potions for the house, right?" Angele took out two small glass tubes with green liquid inside.
7738
7739"Of course, that’s more than enough." Ivan smiled. He grabbed the two potions Angele was handing over to him, opened the stoppers and checked if they were real.
7740
7741"From now on, you’re the owner of this house. A low-level magic circle was set up by the gate that’ll prevent insects from entering the garden. It’s a nice and cozy place. Also, you can ask me for daily supplies, I’ll ask workers to deliver them to you as soon as possible."
7742
7743"Umm…" Ivan hesitated for a second. "Actually, there are many other Wizards living around here. I hope you’ll get along with them."
7744
7745Angele nodded.
7746
7747"Great, I’ll stop bothering you then." Ivan bowed to Angele. "Don’t hesitate to contact me if you need anything. I and my family will try our best to fulfill your request. The only thing you need to do is to message me using the communication rune."
7748
7749"Sure, thanks."
7750
7751Ivan left right after finishing his words. After about 30 minutes, a young rank 1 Wizard apprentice knocked on the door and told him that she was in charge of delivering him the daily supplies.
7752
7753This girl was the ‘worker’ Ivan talked about. Her talent level was low and she started meditating a bit too late. Angele doubted if she had the ability to advance to the next rank.
7754
7755Angele stayed in the house and studied the cursed scimitar he acquired from Kuirman. Also, he wanted to know what exactly happened to the signet. He went to the trading tower several times but did not find any newly listed formulas.
7756
7757After Ivan sent him the map, he sent Isabel his location using the communication rune.
7758
7759Angele needed some time to check the items he had acquired in the ruin. In addition to that, he finally had the time to modify the older spell models. With the mentality compression techniques, it would not be a problem to him.
7760
7761Chapter 196: Change is Good (1)
7762
7763
7764BAM
7765
7766Bright lightning flashed outside the window followed by the rumbling thunder.
7767
7768The light illuminated Angele’s face.
7769
7770He sat near the table beside the window, focusing on the notes he was writing down.
7771
7772A black slim neck vase was standing on the table quietly. Its ceramic surface was clean and smooth. On top of the vase, there was a fist-sized glowing crystal that brought light to the room.
7773
7774The light from the crystal was gentle and bright.
7775
7776BAM
7777
7778The thunder shook the ground again.
7779
7780Angele put down his notebook on the table, stood up, and walked to the window.
7781
7782It was noon. He had stayed in the house for about ten days and discovered that a storm would strike the area every three days. The weather here was quite queer.
7783
7784Angele kept studying the spells he learned recently and once again he was certain that his mentality would not increase just by meditating every day.
7785
7786He also did not see any people selling advanced meditation techniques, as those techniques could only be acquired through joining powerful schools. Without needed resources, it was extremely hard for wizards to progress.
7787
7788Modifying spell models was a long-term task; he needed to spend years on the project. Angele had learned many spells over the years. He purchased dozens of low-level spells when he was in Ramsoda, and his goal was to complete the modification for all of them.
7789
7790Angele thought for a while and sighed with complicated feelings.
7791
7792Through the window, he could see the branches dancing in the wind. The screen created by the downfall was hitting the surface of the lake. The water in the lake looked muddy after the soil on the side was brushed down by the storm.
7793
7794He saw two pedestrians passing by the further side of the forest. The only path around his house lay there. The two people were wearing long raincoats walking fast in the heavy rain.
7795
7796Angele turned around and looked around. He was in the study. Two tall bookshelves were filled up with books, random notes and data sheets covered the table along with several small glass bottles with spell materials.
7797
7798In the corner of the room, there was a black statue of a flying eagle standing in the corner. The eyes of the eagle were two glowing amethysts.
7799
7800In the center of the white wool carpet, there was a dark Calatrava cross surrounded by a circle.
7801
7802It was a beautiful house but the place was empty.
7803
7804Angele glanced around knowing that he was the only person in the room. Raindrops were still hitting his roof and windows furiously.
7805
7806Loneliness filled up his mind again.
7807
7808"Well…" Angele sighed slowly, then checked the time. "It’s about time."
7809
7810The study was on the second floor. Through the window, Angele saw blue steam rising from outside the fences and a tiny white pigeon appear in the intense steam.
7811
7812He opened the window. The white pigeon slowly landed on the windowsill and shook the water off its feathers.
7813
7814"Master Green, your transactions at the trading tower have new responses." The pigeon’s high-pitched voice echoed in the room, sounding like a young girl.
7815
7816"Thanks, got it." Angele grabbed some black beans from his pouch and threw them on the windowsill.
7817
7818The pigeon lowered its head and quickly finished all the beans.
7819
7820"Also, master Green, please be careful with your belongings. We have multiple reports of wizards’ houses getting robbed when they were out. Many rare materials were lost. I think it’s a good idea to hire some guards or followers. Do you need any recommendations?" The pigeon raised its head after finishing the food.
7821
7822"Thefts?" Angele was surprised. "Who’s doing this? Why are they targeting wizards?"
7823
7824"It’s quite common here, you know, some races are gifted with such skills. If they become wizards, they’ll get even better," the pigeon said sarcastically.
7825
7826"So, who are you recommending then? I do need to build some small guarding posts around the house." Angele would be staying in this area for a while. Nola was safe and rich and also a great place to collect knowledge and rare resources.
7827
7828"What type of guards do you need?" Pigeons like this were trained by Ivan’s family members. They were great at delivering messages from a long distance.
7829
7830"Give me 3 Knights and 3 Wizard apprentices. That’ll be better. Apprentices can check the unknown energy waves and Knights can help with daily issues…" Angele nodded.
7831
7832"Sure, I’ll send you a list of those who are available. The guard posts will be built soon for you too." The pigeon slight shook its wings.
7833
7834"Now, if you’ll excuse me." The pigeon turned around and flew into the air. It became a ball of blue steam and vanished into the rain quickly.
7835
7836Angele closed the window. With a flick of his fingers, the carpet and windowsill were dried up within seconds by the Fire energy particles.
7837
7838He then covered the crystal lamp with a piece of black cloth. Angele pushed the door open, walked down the stairs, and put on his rain cloak.
7839
7840He left the garden through the fence gate.
7841
7842The rain hit his gray cloak hard. The howling wind was brushing on his face.
7843
7844Angele put on his hood, lowered his head, and walked toward the trading tower along the narrow path.
7845
7846Visibility was low in the heavy rain. He could barely see the road several meters ahead.
7847
7848After about 20 minutes, the trading tower Angele visited before appeared in his sight.
7849
7850Only five people were using the tower in the rain. Two white robes were chatting by a carriage.
7851
7852Also, several white robes and green robes stood by the path. It seemed like they were waiting for their trading partners.
7853
7854Angele glanced around. His sight fell upon a green robe with a blank expression on his face. The man had a scorpion-shaped scar on his forehead and an eye patch covering his right eye.
7855
7856He noticed Angele’s presence and stepped forward after checking Angele’s appearance.
7857
7858"Gray worm?" he questioned in Anmag with a low voice.
7859
7860"Wisp?" Angele responded.
7861
7862The green robe pursed his lips and shook his head, thinking that he should have given Angele a better codename.
7863
7864"Well, let’s find a quiet place." He sent Angele a message using the energy particles.
7865
7866Angele nodded, turned around, and led the man to the shadow of a large tree.
7867
7868They stood under the shadow and stared at each other.
7869
7870The one-eyed man took out a fist-sized translucent orb from a pouch.
7871
7872"Let’s do the trade then."
7873
7874Angele nodded his head and the man tapped the surface of the orb with the index finger.
7875
7876A ray of flame came out of the orb and stopped in front of Angele. It floated in the air, slowly solidified, and turned into a crystallized strange rune.
7877
7878The rune looked like a red ruby with a dot in the middle that slowly rotated in the middle of the air. The rain was dropping through it. Obviously, it was created with pure energy.
7879
7880"You can read some to check the book." The man looked at Angele.
7881
7882Angele nodded and pointed at the red glowing rune.
7883
7884CHI
7885
7886The rune turned into a red cloud. Information was being transferred into Angele’s brain directly.
7887
7888After several seconds, Angele lowered his finger, and the red cloud returned into the orb.
7889
7890"Great, that’s the information I needed." He only had a peek at what was inside the book, but he had already gained some helpful information about the whole enchantment system. Also, he was certain that he made the right choice.
7891
7892"Shall we start then?" The man lowered his voice and let the orb float in the air. He pressed his hands against the orb and closed his eyes.
7893
7894Angele raised his hands and put them on the orb with his eyes closed as well.
7895
7896The orb floated in the air. Green and red glows appeared inside. Each of the colors controlled half of the orb.
7897
7898After about ten seconds, the two moved their hands away from the orb at the same time.
7899
7900They remained silent for a while.
7901
7902The man in green robe suddenly raised his head. "I’ll assume the formula you gave is legit."
7903
7904"Well, there’s no point in me giving you a fake one. Also, I hope you didn’t remove any chapter in the book." Angele stared at the man.
7905
7906"I’ll never do that. I’ve been selling books like that for years and never had any complaints. If you find something that doesn’t seem right, you can come find me, I’ll do my best to make sure the book you get is proper," The man shook his head and explained.
7907
7908"Good then." Blue light dots flashed in front of his eyes. Zero had already checked the content of the book and reported that there was a 90% of chance that the book was real.
7909
7910"Alright, let’s exchange our communication runes then. If there’s a problem, we’ll be able to talk to each other." The man drew and flower shaped rune in the air as he spoke.
7911
7912Angele drew his black rune in the air and the rune from the man sank into his hand.
7913
7914"Great. See you then." The man turned around and walked away quickly.
7915
7916Angele watched the man disappear into the rain. He then pulled up his collar and started heading back.
7917
7918Trading like this was usually not protected by any organization. It took time to test the materials or the knowledge people got and that increased the risk of trading with strangers.
7919
7920However, the Six Ring High Tower would record each of the tradings conducted using the trading tower. People needed to leave their unique communication runes in the system and if anything happened, the organization would track down the one who provided fake items. Even if he escaped, his family would have to take the responsibility.
7921
7922The wooden token Isabel had given had a similar function. If Angele did anything wrong during the trade and ran away, Isabel’s family would be deemed responsible for his behavior.
7923
7924Angele started checking the enchantment knowledge he just acquired after returning to the house.
7925
7926He finished the lunch brought by the Wizard apprentice and studied until the sun started setting.
7927
7928Angele sat in the reading room alone, the rain outside already stopped.
7929
7930"Several important points were missing but the basics are there." Angele felt relieved, the first trade he did was successful.
7931
7932‘Zero, how’s my body condition? Is my mentality still increasing?’
7933
7934‘Checking…’
7935
7936‘Angele Rio. Strength 3.6. Agility 5.3. Stamina 6.2. Mentality 23.4. Mana 22.7. Genetic limit reached. Healthy.’
7937
7938‘How’s the illusion signet?’ Angele questioned.
7939
7940‘The great harpy’s bloodline is affecting your body…Your resistance to illusions has increased.’
7941
7942Angele felt disappointed, as his attributes were not increasing. He had no idea how long he needed to increase the mentality to 40, but the potion formulas that would help increase mentality was expensive and hard to find, even in an area with rich resources like Nola.
7943
7944Chapter 197: Change is Good (2)
7945
7946
7947The potions gave Angele a tremendous help when he was still a Wizard apprentice. However, after he became a formal Wizard, only high-level potions would increase his mentality. The Potion of Tranquility and the Awakening Potion were no longer effective. He needed high-level potion formulas and to collect the rare materials required for the concoction of such potions.
7948
7949He quietly sat at the table for a while, yet he couldn’t figure out a better option as the main problem was the lack of resources.
7950
7951"So that’s why Wizards spend hundred years looking for ways to advance. The gap between each stage is huge. No wonder they can’t reach the next rank. I must gather an enormous amount of resources for me to gain mentality quickly…but how did the ancient Wizards rank up so easily…What did they learn from the other worlds…?"
7952
7953Angele muttered.
7954
7955He was certain that Master Liliana and the old Wizards he had met before all needed an immense number of resources to progress.
7956
7957Based on the knowledge he had, the increase of mentality required a physical body. That was the reason why converting oneself into energy form would be the last thing a Wizard wanted to do. Once he lost his physical body, it would be impossible for him to progress further, as his mentality would remain at a certain level.
7958
7959A Wizard’s rank was determined by the level of spells one could cast, and casting high-level spells required a high mentality level. In other words, mentality level could be used in determining a Wizard’s rank.
7960
7961Angele thought for a while but did not reach any valuable conclusion, so he decided to visit more ruins that were left by the ancient wizards when he had the chance.
7962
7963The ruin Angele had entered was built thousands of years ago. However, he wanted to explore the ancient ones that were underground or in the dangerous zone of the Gem Sea. If he could manage to find those ancient ruins, it would be possible for him to uncover the secret of the ancient wizards.
7964
7965He removed the black cloth covering the crystal lamp.
7966
7967Under the dim light, Angele raised his right arm and a small bump appeared on his shoulder, moving quickly toward the center of his palm. A crack appeared on the surface of his skin, revealing a chain of keys.
7968
7969Angele held the keys in his hand and tapped them with his left hand.
7970
7971CHI
7972
7973Light flashed upon the keys surrounded by a white glow.
7974
7975‘Prepare to test the source of the illusions.’ Angele ordered.
7976
7977‘Test no. 324, test preparation, ready,’ Zero reported right away.
7978
7979Angele narrowed his eyes and shook the keys with his right hand.
7980
7981CLANK
7982
7983The noise made by the key hitting each other echoed in the room.
7984
7985Intense heat hit his palm as Angele closed his eyes.
7986
7987He was surrounded by darkness after opening his eyes again.
7988
7989Angele was still sitting on the same chair at the same location, but he could not see anything in the room.
7990
7991ROAR
7992
7993He heard beasts roaring from all angles.
7994
7995Angele stood up quickly. Three silver metal scars appeared on his face and blue light dots flashed in front of his eyes. Those light dots became the only source of light in the room.
7996
7997He suddenly stepped forward.
7998
7999Kata-kata
8000
8001Clear footsteps kept echoing in the darkness.
8002
8003Many red dots of light were spreading to all angles. Angele was in the center of it. They looked like wide-open eyes searching for something specific.
8004
8005The light dots kept moving around and disappeared into the endless abyss.
8006
8007CHI
8008
8009Angele’s right arm was suddenly slashed by something. Fresh blood was dripping down his hand.
8010
8011‘So this is the first stage?’ Angele slowly raised his left hand. The signet in the center of his palm was glowing.
8012
8013CHI
8014
8015A strange noise appeared from behind.
8016
8017KA
8018
8019The energy wave from the signet blocked the strike. Angele could feel the intense heat coming from the center of his palm.
8020
8021One of the light dots extinguished as the attack missed.
8022
8023CHI CHI CHI
8024
8025The noise sounded like arrows leaving the bow; the beast roar echoed in the space.
8026
8027Lines of black strings were stabbing Angele quickly, but the energy wave from the signet kept blocking in the incoming projectiles for him.
8028
8029The number of red dots of light reduced as the time passed.
8030
8031PA
8032
8033The place became silent again as the last light dot disappeared.
8034
8035Angele was breathing heavily. Sweat from his forehead was dripping down his chin. Bloody wounds were left on his face and arms. He closed his eyes again after calming down.
8036
8037He returned to his chair again after reopening his eyes.
8038
8039The surroundings were still same. However, the table, crystal lamp, bookshelves, and the carpet were decaying slowly, including the wall and the floor.
8040
8041The objects were aging, almost as if they traveled in time.
8042
8043The surface of the wooden table was covered in white dust. Its red color turned darker, and some cracks appeared on the edges.
8044
8045The light from the crystal lamp darkened and slowly extinguished.
8046
8047The floor, the carpet, and the walls, all lost their color and became rough.
8048
8049Angele sat on the chair with a blank expression on the face.
8050
8051"Stage two…" He raised his right hand.
8052
8053The silver glint on his skin disappeared slowly. Wrinkles climbed up the back of his hand with dots of dark age spots.
8054
8055"I shall not fail this time!" Angele’s expression turned serious.
8056
8057He slowly stood up, raising the left hand in the air, and slightly waved.
8058
8059"Hades! Mophillia!" Angele shouted.
8060
8061A dark light ball was released from the illusion signet and strange noises echoed in the whole room.
8062
8063The light ball was expanding; something was about to rip it open from the inside.
8064
8065Time passed; wrinkles showed up on Angele’s face as well. His appearance changed from a young man to a dying man within minutes, but he was still channeling the spell with his left arm raised in the air.
8066
8067CHI
8068
8069The dark light ball was finally ripped open from the middle.
8070
8071An enormous creature slowly moved out of the dark glow.
8072
8073The creature had the body of a female human, the wings of an eagle, and a long snake tail.
8074
8075The creature’s body was covered in metallic black scales and the noise made by her tongue sounded just like a snake. Her seven-meter-long body twisted around Angele slowly. It almost felt like the creature had bones.
8076
8077Angele rubbed the great harpy’s head carefully and the life energy power returned into his body. The wrinkles disappeared within seconds.
8078
8079The golden eyes of the creature narrowed slightly. Her long snake tail formed a circle around Angele and trapped him in the center.
8080
8081The great harpy had a beautiful face. Her skin had a dark metallic color, giving off the impression that she was covered in armor. Instead of hair, Angele saw black twisting tentacles over her head. Under the black eagle wings, he did not see any arms, and the feathers were coated with dark energy particles.
8082
8083CHI
8084
8085The harpy was excitedly moving around Angele, trying to please him like she was a pet.
8086
8087Angele raised left arm and the creature’s body started shrinking. She transformed into a strange snake that was about one meter long and twisted around Angele’s left arm, her tail still wiggling.
8088
8089"Finally…I succeeded…" A relieved smile slowly appeared on Angele’s face.
8090
8091He left the table, walked to the window, and carefully pushed it open.
8092
8093The same forest and the same lake, but it was already late afternoon; everything looked golden under the setting sun.
8094
8095The world outside the window was deadly silent.
8096
8097"This, is the illusion world the keys led me to? Or…the great harpy’s bloodline opened it for me?" Angele muttered.
8098
8099"Tell me, where is this place?" He turned his head to the harpy on the arm.
8100
8101"Ha…Night…mare…" The harpy’s voice was hard to hear.
8102
8103"The Nightmare Realm?" Angele was surprised. He just realized that he was probably walking on the same path the ancient wizards walked on.
8104
8105Recently, Angele kept testing the evolved illusion signet and the keys. Zero tested the chip from inside the keys and slowly developed a method to strengthen the signet. Although he had not yet understood the principles, the method still worked.
8106
8107He thought the illusions were from the strengthened signet, but it seemed like…
8108
8109"The great harpy has the ability to communicate with the Nightmare Realm…so I’m considered as the inheritor of the harpy’s bloodline…" Angele quickly connected everything together and found a plausible explanation.
8110
8111Legends spoke that great harpy could pull creatures into the illusion world, but no one knew that the illusion world was the Nightmare Realm.
8112
8113There were no rules in the mysterious Nightmare Realm. It was one of the ancient worlds discovered by the ancient wizards.
8114
8115The creatures from the Nightmare Realm still had many bloodlines left in this world.
8116
8117The records in the book were true.
8118
8119Angele slowly rubbed the harpy’s body. Flows of information were transferred into his mind and the information explained the connection between the Nightmare Realm and this world. It was the hidden treasure in the great harpy’s bloodline.
8120
8121"I need to go back first. I need to collect more information about this world before proceeding." Angele barely had any intel on this realm. He could imagine how cautious the ancient wizards were when they entered an unknown world for the first time. The natural laws of different worlds varied. It was possible that his spell had a different effect here. Angele was not sure if he could protect himself from the attack of strange creatures.
8122
8123Angele raised his left hand and pushed forward.
8124
8125BAM
8126
8127A circle of a translucent wave was released from the center of his palm.
8128
8129His sight blurred for a second and finally returned to his real house.
8130
8131"The Nightmare Realm…" A clean smooth metal mirror suddenly appeared in front of him.
8132
8133The reflection of his face looked unfamiliar. His blue eyes turned golden, which was the color of the great harpy’s eyes.
8134
8135"Amazing…" Angele looked at the signet on his palm. The color of the signet had darkened, like a distorted crack that led to the unknown abyss.
8136
8137Chapter 198: Peace (1)
8138
8139
8140‘The effect of the ancient blood turned me into an inheritor of the great harpy…’ Angele waved his left hand and the metal mirror sank into his skin.
8141
8142He turned to his shoulder and saw nothing there. It seemed like the great harpy stayed in the Nightmare Realm.
8143
8144Angele could feel that a small part of his soul was left in somewhere far away from here, it was the place the great harpy stayed at. They could sense each other’s presences, but there was no way for them to communicate.
8145
8146"So, can I take things out of the Nightmare Realm? Or…was my physical being actually there…?" Angele wondered while rubbing his chin.
8147
8148‘Zero, show me the recording. I need to do some investigation.’ He sat down.
8149
8150‘Searching…Transferring the scene to your brain…’
8151
8152The events that happened not so long ago visualized in front of Angele’s eyes.
8153
8154He used his mentality to monitor the changes happened to his energy wave and body condition. Furthermore, Zero displayed the detailed body data in Angele’s sight.
8155
8156Ten minutes later, the blue lights dots around his eyes vanished into the air.
8157
8158‘I was right. It was only a small part of my soul that was taken into the Nightmare Realm.’ Angele finally understood what happened. ‘The great harpy from the signet was not complete…She existed because I was in that world all the time. The ancient blood in the signet was weak and the creature I saw is just…an incomplete illusion.’
8159
8160The ancient great harpies and the regular ancient harpies had low intelligence…They communicated through basic methods and were living by their instinct. Those chaos creatures had the brains of one-year-old kids. Although they were strong, they had no way to control themselves. That was why the ancient great harpies were wiped out by the ancient Wizards. Their power, however, was still incredible.
8161
8162Angele thought for a while.
8163
8164‘So I need to double check if the world really is the Nightmare Realm. I need to be more cautious if it’s the real one. Nightmare Realm is one of the countless worlds the ancient Wizards spent a long time investigating…Chances of finding rare resources are very high, also…’
8165
8166Angele narrowed his eyes slightly. ‘The special abilities the great harpy has…With its ancient bloodline, I was able to enter an ancient world. That might be the reason why so many Wizards were trying to extract the pure ancient blood. I shall keep the method as a secret and look for more notes left by ancient Wizards.’
8167
8168It was possible that someone was spying on him. The pigeon said there were thieves with special techniques around here. Angele carefully created a thin layer of silver metal to cover up the signet on the center of his palm.
8169
8170‘Alright, I’ll check what effect the signet has on me.’
8171
8172Three days later.
8173
8174Angele stayed in the small house beside the lake. He spent the whole time trying to test the abilities of the evolved signet. He had not yet got the chance to read the Fire enhancement method he acquired not so long ago.
8175
8176The illusion from the keys was no longer a threat to him. Shadow beasts would attack him during the first stage, but Angele could easily dodge their strikes. With the help of the great harpy’s ancient blood, the shadow beasts stopped attacking him after about 15 times of tests. They were not concerned about Angele entering their space anymore.
8177
8178Angele did some experiments and realized that there were more than 1000 shadow beasts in the illusion space. Their attacks could penetrate any physical barriers, but they could be damaged by energy attacks. The shadow beasts would revive after being killed after about three hours. It seemed like they were being trapped in another dimension by the keys.
8179
8180Angele assumed that those beasts were related to the Wizards from Axis of Time. If a Wizard was immobilized in the dark space, no matter how strong he was, the beasts would be able to kill him sooner or later as they would keep spawning. However, it was nearly impossible to stop a strong Wizard from moving around.
8181
8182Also, the beasts would only strike when the keys hit each other. They were sensitive about human blood and flesh.
8183
8184Angele’s signet and ancient blood of harpy helped him enter the dark space anytime he wanted.
8185
8186The Nightmare Realm was the second stage, but it seemed like there was an internal cooldown timer. Angele tried many times after the first time, but it seemed like the great harpy was resting while collecting energy to take him into that world. He had no idea how long it was going to take.
8187
8188Angele decided to check on the harpy later as there was nothing he could do at the moment.
8189
8190By the end of that day, Isabel sent someone from her family to Angele’s house.
8191
8192"You must be Wizard Green?" In front of the door, there was a middle-aged man in a white robe with a silver owl sewn on his right chest asking politely.
8193
8194Angele nodded. "Did master Isabel send you here?"
8195
8196The male Wizard nodded as well. "Yes. My name is Rossi and I’m master Isabel’s follower. I’ve been working for her for about 20 years already."
8197
8198"Come in, please." Angele turned around and led Rossi to the living room. "Take a seat. I just came here not so long ago, so my apologies as I don’t have the time to decorate the room."
8199
8200"That’s totally fine. Thanks."
8201
8202Rossi walked into the living room but did not sit down. He just stood by the table and slightly bowed to Angele.
8203
8204"Wizard Green, Isabel asked me to bring you the resource you asked for. Please take a look."
8205
8206Angele rubbed his chin. "Ah…I forgot to check master Isabel’s communication rune. I’ve been really busy recently." He pursed his lips to an apologetic smile.
8207
8208A light blue glint appeared on his nails as Angele raised his right hand. Blue smoke rose from the back of his hand and it looked like something being ignited.
8209
8210Several seconds later.
8211
8212The blue glint disappeared from his nails, instead, a pattern with a flying bird was drawn by flowing blue energy strings in the air. It almost looked like there was water on those strings.
8213
8214Angele raised the other hand and carefully tapped on the pattern.
8215
8216His skull numbed for a second and a female voice was transmitted into his brain directly.
8217
8218"Green, we found the heart of the tree. It’s included in this delivery. Also, I added some other items to that. You saved me back in the ruin, so I want to show my gratitude. I hope you can accept them." Isabel’s voice sounded tired. "Also, Rossi is someone you can trust. I’ve known him for more than 20 years, so there’s no point in hiding our relationship in front of him. One more thing, you know the amount of rhino blood I need, right? Can you prepare it for me? If you need any other rare materials, just tell me, I’ll try my best to find them for you. Rossi will be in charge of delivering them to you."
8219
8220Angele released some mentality waves and quickly created a small complicated rune model in the air. After the model was completed, he focused the wave on the rune.
8221
8222‘For sure. Also, it’ll be great if you can find me some formulas of potions that help increase mentality. You know what I needed, I owe you one.’ He opened his mouth but no voice came out.
8223
8224All his voice was collected by the communication rune and his words were delivered to Isabel.
8225
8226The communication rune worked like a voice mailbox. When it was activated, he would be able to hear the messages delivered to him. It had a range limit, but it was convenient to use.
8227
8228After replying to Isabel’s message, Angele waved his hands, and the blue strings vanished into air.
8229
8230"I’ll ask the workers to carry the items inside." Rossi saw Angele finish checking the messages.
8231
8232"Sure." Angele stood up and nodded.
8233
8234Rossi clapped his hands.
8235
8236A group of short men wearing black coats carried white boxes into the living room.
8237
8238They breathed heavily as they lined up the white boxes on the floor carefully.
8239
8240Those men had messy hair and large noses. Their skin was dark and their bodies were muscular.
8241
8242Also, all the men had black beards on their chins, with length varying. They finished their work quickly while keeping everything in order.
8243
8244A short man with the longest beard walked to Rossi and Angele, then bowed politely.
8245
8246"Sir, everything is here. Do you need us to do anything else for you?" His voice was deep.
8247
8248"That’s all. You guys can go have some rest now." Rossi smiled.
8249
8250"We’ll stay outside the house. Just let me know if you need us to do something," the short man nodded and responded.
8251
8252Angele looked at the man. The man’s head was around his waist, but they carried the heavy boxes into the living room easily.
8253
8254"Dwarves or Gnomes?" Angele asked after all the short men left the house.
8255
8256"They are dwarves, forest dwarves. They’re born with magic resistance, so they can stay in Nola." Rossi explained, "Forest dwarves enjoy peaceful lives. They came to Nola about 30 years ago. Most of them are working as farmers or workers. They earn good money here. Even if they decide to go back to their hometown, the amount of money they have will be enough for the rest of their lives."
8257
8258Angele felt a bit speechless. "Are there other races like them here?"
8259
8260"Well…yeah. The ghost pigeons, I think you have already seen them around, they are in charge of delivering public messages. Also, the dryads in the Snake Bird Cliff’s territory have the ability to purify the air. The older the dryads are, the better they can increase the air quality. The dryads created an area with the best air in Nola. People who want to live in the area will be charged a monthly fee. The area is under Snake Bird Cliff’s control." Rossi chuckled. "They found themselves a great way to make money actually. Their business is growing well."
8261
8262Angele shook his head and smiled.
8263
8264"Dwarves, ghost pigeons, and dryads are the main races living here. There are also many races with much less population, but I’ll have to prepare a long list for you if you really want to know more about them. If you have time, you can go check the area they live in. It’s marked on the map with a red circle," Rossi added.
8265
8266"Got it. Nola is a great place. Everything is new to me." Angele smiled again.
8267
8268"Oh, one more thing. If you want to go to that area, I suggest you hire some centaur warriors. They are honest and reliable. There was one time that I left a piece of ice tongue scale on the ground and one of the centaur warriors returned it to me after picking it up. If he had decided to sell it, he could easily purchase a full set of high-quality gear with the money he’d get."
8269
8270Rossi recalled the event and smiled. "You know that ice tongue scale is nearly impossible to track, right? That thing has no smell and it’s translucent. If the warrior decided to keep it for himself, there’ll be nothing I can do about it."
8271
8272"I’ll think about it. Honesty is welcomed anywhere on this land." Angele slight nodded.
8273
8274"Alright, let’s check the items now." Rossi raised his right hand and pointed at the boxes on the floor.
8275
8276Each of the boxes was about a meter wide. They were heavy and stable. The boxes’ edges were covered by silver iron strips with rivets.
8277
8278Angele grabbed the key Rossi handed over to him and crouched in front of one of the boxes. He opened it quickly after unlocking the lock.
8279
8280Inside, there were pieces of yellow wood with various sizes. Some were large like a human’s head but some only had the size of a fist. Angele noticed some blood stain on the inner walls of the box.
8281
8282The fragrance of flower mixed with the smell of blood permeated the air as Angele picked up one of the wood pieces.
8283
8284He held the wood piece in hand and started scanning it using the chip. Blue light dots flashed in front of his eyes.
8285
8286"How many boxes of the heart of the tree are here?" Angele stood up and questioned.
8287
8288"18 boxes. The other five boxes have different items inside," Rossi replied.
8289
8290"Sounds great." Angele smiled. "Thanks for delivering those to me, Rossi."
8291
8292"It’s my pleasure to work for you and master Isabel," Rossi bowed and said politely, "Now if you’ll excuse me…"
8293
8294"Sure, I’ll see you later."
8295
8296Chapter 199: Peace (2)
8297
8298
8299Angele opened the five boxes one by one after Rossi left.
8300
8301In each of the first four boxes, there was a huge white egg and bits of wood filled up the rest of the space to prevent it from breaking. The egg was about one meter long and half a meter wide.
8302
8303On the surface of the egg, there was a blinking silver rune, most likely used to store the information about those eggs.
8304
8305Angele checked all the runes and finally understood what those humongous eggs were.
8306
8307They were the gift Isabel mentioned in the message. These four rhino eggs were the ones she acquired while collecting the rhino blood.
8308
8309All the eggs were about to hatch. The only thing Angele needed to do was to remove the silver runes. The baby rhinos would consider the first person they saw as their owners after breaking out of the egg.
8310
8311The rhino had the similar size as the glowing elephants, but their strength was stronger and their stamina was higher. The creature had a slow speed, but it could draw life energy from the earth and recover extremely fast from physical injuries.
8312
8313Rhinos were popular as they could endure a certain amount of damage for their owners. Isabel gifted Angele four rhino’s eggs. Even if Angele decided to trade them for other rare resources, it would bring him a great profit.
8314
8315Although there were ten boxes of the heart of the tree, there was only one heart. The heart’s size was enormous and had to be cut into pieces for delivery.
8316
8317The last box was filled up with magic stones. There were also several crystal cards lying in the middle with some rhino blood samples.
8318
8319The members of the Bennies Family knocked on the door as soon as Angele finished carrying all the boxes to the storage room.
8320
8321It was Ivan, the Wizard apprentice that helped Angele back at the trading tower.
8322
8323"Master Green, here is the list of available guards and apprentices." He clapped his hands and two strong men carried a huge square book into the living room.
8324
8325The book had a black cover; the length of its side was about one meter and was about half a meter thick.
8326
8327BAM
8328
8329The book was dropped onto the floor. It sounded like a large stone hitting the ground. The two men bowed to Angele and Ivan before leaving.
8330
8331Angele walked to the book and opened the cover. Inside, he could only see high-quality pictures of people. The information of the person on the page was slowly transferred to his brain through a special force field.
8332
8333The Knights were listed on the first half of the book and the Wizard apprentices were listed in the second half. Some of the Knights already served in Nola for years and Angele knew that the radiation of energy would have negative impacts on their body. There was a limitation on how many years they could stay in Nola, so he decided to look for the ones that came to Nola recently.
8334
8335Angele spent a while to check the list and picked five Knights that came from the other side of the Gem Sea. Three men and two women, they arrived at Nola not so long ago. According to the information from the book, all of them had no relatives and they could stay in Nola for at least 20 years.
8336
8337The Wizard apprentices listed in the book all reached at least rank 2 and under their pictures were communication runes. If the rune was no longer glowing, it meant that other wizards had already signed a contract with them. There were probably several wizards reading the list at the same time.
8338
8339Angele listened to Ivan’s explanation as he read through the information of the apprentices.
8340
8341"This is the complete list of apprentices that entered the land through the Sea Hawk Dock. I would suggest you make the decision quickly if you see someone you want…"
8342
8343CHI
8344
8345Angele finally found someone he was interested in and decided to send the contract, but the apprentice’s communication rune stopped glowing as Angele was about to put his finger on it.
8346
8347Angele shook his head and stared at Ivan.
8348
8349"Does this happen often? I was about to send a contract to this guy."
8350
8351Ivan shrugged, brows knitted. "Well, yeah…Wizards know who they need. Some apprentices are stronger and have better family backgrounds. They are quite popular, you know."
8352
8353"It’s a different story for Knights. The list was made by the master wizards of the Six Ring High Tower. All the apprentices or Knights on the list all registered at the obelisk and were asking to be hired. There are many lists like this in the three major organizations, but the names in the book may vary. Still, you need to be fast if you want to hire a good apprentice."
8354
8355"Knights are usually not that popular." He added, "They’re weak and have many limitations. Apprentices can assist you in the experiments and some of them are capable of handling the materials."
8356
8357"Yeah, I can understand that." Angele nodded and kept reading the list.
8358
8359About half an hour later…
8360
8361"Huh?" Angele suddenly stopped at a page.
8362
8363The rank 3 female apprentice’s picture looked familiar. There was a serious expression on her pretty face. The blond ponytail was hanging behind her head.
8364
8365Angele confirmed his assumption after reading the information transferred to his brain.
8366
8367‘Nancy Aria. Age 22. From Labyrinth College. Rank 3 Wizard apprentice.
8368
8369Language: Anmag.
8370
8371Proficiency: Wizardry books scribe. Combat expert.
8372
8373Service History: None.
8374
8375Family Condition: Unknown. Relatives were lost during the war.
8376
8377Risk of Hiring: Situation in Labyrinth College is complicated. Think twice before sending the contract. She is certainly talented but sadly caught in the fight between two strong families.
8378
8379Information Provider: Marry Rodler (Snake Bird Cliff).’
8380
8381The communication rune under the picture was still glowing. It seemed like no one had sent a contract to her yet.
8382
8383Obviously, the information on the hiring risk was the main problem, as no one wanted trouble.
8384
8385‘Nancy is from Andes Alliance and she’s the daughter of the Duke, right? A war is going on in Andes Alliance?’ Angele wondered. His family and professor Adolf were still living in the alliance. If there was a war, he would have to return to that land again.
8386
8387Angele did not join any organization and was not sure what was going on with Ramsoda. It would be hard for him to send letters overseas.
8388
8389He thought for a while and finally put his finger on Nancy’s communication rune.
8390
8391CHI
8392
8393The rune’s glimmer became faint and the light was absorbed into Angele’s finger.
8394
8395Nancy was 16 years old when Angele met her for the first time on the boat. According to the information, she was 22 years old already, but Angele was not sure if the data was correct.
8396
8397Many years had passed. Nancy’s face was still beautiful, but she was no longer a teen.
8398
8399Angele recalled the day he cured Nancy’s wound using saliva and wood bits. She probably still remembered that.
8400
8401The memory made Angele smile.
8402
8403Hiring Nancy was the best option for him at the moment. First, he knew the girl, and he wanted to ask her about the situation in Andes Alliance. For the risk, he already had problems with Miloshine Family, White Mist Forest, and Labyrinth College. The two Liquid stage wizards Angele killed earlier were related to the old wizard with a red beard and there was still a price on his head.
8404
8405After sending out a contract, Angele kept turning the pages and sent contracts to four more apprentices, two females and two males. They were all about 20 years old and all of them were good at handling materials.
8406
8407It took Angele about two hours to finish the whole process.
8408
8409Ivan waited patiently beside the sofa with a smile on his face the whole time.
8410
8411Once he saw Angele close the book, he stepped forward.
8412
8413"Master Green, are you done?"
8414
8415"Yeah." Angele nodded and responded, "Can you also send someone to the public area and tell an apprentice named Asuna from the River Arrow…umm…never mind." He suddenly stopped, realizing that there was no point in bothering the girl.
8416
8417"Help me locate an apprentice named Yuri from the White Tooth Castle. I need to know his situation. I heard he was sent to the border several years ago."
8418
8419"The border? Are you sure it’s the border of the White Tooth Castle?" Ivan looked surprised.
8420
8421"Why?" Angele stared at him, looking confused.
8422
8423"Two years ago, all the apprentices and wizards guarding the border for the White Tooth Castle all died for an unknown reason. The Northland Alliance and White Tooth Castle sent a sentry team there together but nothing was found. Last year, the apprentices that were sent to the border all died again, and White Tooth Castle decided to quarantine the area around the border to do further investigations," Ivan explained.
8424
8425"Is that so?" Angele felt depressed. Yuri was the only friend that had sent a letter to him, yet it seemed like he lost his life at the border.
8426
8427"Yeah, sorry. I need to leave soon, let’s confirm the people you selected." Ivan walked to the book, closed his eyes, and pressed his hands against the cover.
8428
8429Ten seconds later, Ivan opened his eyes.
8430
8431"So, five Knight and five apprentices. The Knights are all available since they are still on the list. For the salary, two magic stones per year for each Knight. If they advance during the contract period, you need to add one magic stone per year. Well, if they somehow become Grand Knights, the contract must be modified. Rank 2 apprentices will cost you 20 regular magic stones or mid-level magic stones per year and rank 3 apprentices will cost you 40 regular magic stones per year. If the apprentice has some special skills, the price might increase," Ivan explained politely.
8432
8433"Not a problem." Angele just acquired a whole box of magic stones from Isabel. He also had several crystal cards and magic stones that were more than enough for daily use. The total number of the regular magic stones in that box was more than 10,000.
8434
8435"I’ll ask them to come to you after the contract is signed. What time will work for you?"
8436
8437"How long do you need to send messages to all of them?"
8438
8439"Two days. Ghost pigeons are fast. The only problem is those people live in different areas, so it may take some time for some of them to get here. Also, I heard that you need guard posts?" Ivan questioned.
8440
8441"Yeah, bring your workers here and finish the job as soon as possible. I’ll pay for everything. Use high-quality stones if possible. You can arrange that for me, right? After the guard posts are finished, ask the Knights and the apprentices to come here."
8442
8443"Sure." Ivan smiled.