Chapter 1009 Origin and Reason <TOC> Chapter 1011 Toby's Dream
Translator: SumTLMan
Within the Shadowy Caverns, the unexpected happenings didn’t warrant any further investigation from Sanders, considering their imminent departure on the following day.
After somewhat clearing up that Angel was rather blameless in this situation, Sanders refrained from saying anything else: as long as Angel hadn’t intentionally stirred up trouble, that was all that mattered.
Sanders, accompanied by Angel, made their way into the Gravity Garden, where the colossal carcass of the serpent still lay exposed to the elements.
Sanders implied that, despite being the one to slay the beast, it was Angel who lured it out in the first place. He brought Angel in to ask if there were any particular parts of the beast he desired.
After a moment’s hesitation, Angel pointed to the blood oozing from the serpent’s wound, “Is this blood of any use?”
Sanders replied, nonchalantly, “Due to the emotional field of the serpent, its blood has been affected. Aside from being used to make blood ink, it doesn’t have much use.”
Upon hearing this, Angel was slightly disappointed. He had originally wondered if the serpent’s blood could substitute for Akeso’s blood to feed the Softworms. However, since it was affected by the serpent’s emotions, it clearly couldn’t be used for feeding.
Aside from the serpent’s blood, Angel was indifferent to the rest of its parts. In the end, Sanders offered Angel the snake’s scaled skin and a venom-coated fang, both remarkable parts of the serpent.
Sanders’ intention was clear: Angel could employ his alchemy skills to craft the serpent’s skin for defense and fang for offense. Both parts were the essence of the serpent, incredibly valuable. This could be seen as Sanders’ profound regard for Angel.
Once the distribution was complete, Angel seized the opportunity to mention the matter of Akeso’s essence blood.
Previously, Canter had deduced that Akeso’s essence blood contained limitless vitality. For wizards, it might be a poison, but for ordinary beings or lesser life forms, it was the holy grail of eternal life.
What Angel wanted to inquire was whether Akeso’s essence blood could be beneficial to Jon.
Sanders had heard about Akeso’s essence blood from Canter. Although he didn’t know where Angel had obtained such vigorously vibrant essence blood, he didn’t pry further. He simply answered Angel’s question, “I have yet to see Jon, so it’s hard to say. However, given his current condition, any potion with too much vitality would harm him. Moreover, the essence blood you’re talking about comes from a wizard-level creature.”
After leaving the Gravity Garden, Angel initially planned to return to his room to check on Toby’s condition.
However, as Angel found himself mid-journey, he suddenly paused, as if an insight had just sparked within him.
From the confines of his bracelet, he produced a ceramic bottle brimming with water and extended it forth. “For you, Mentor,” he murmured.
Depositing the ceramic bottle on the desk, Angel departed without another word, leaving Sanders alone.
Initially, a playful smile danced at the corners of Sanders’ mouth. He quietly commended the boy for remembering to pay respects to his elder. But as his gaze fell upon the ceramic bottle, that smile froze on his lips.
Illuminated by the glow of the fireplace, the ceramic bottle cast a serene ripple of light across the table. In this fluctuating shimmer, three prawn-like creatures huddled together, their silver scales trembling with fear.
Observing the prawn-like creatures inside the bottle, Sanders felt a vein on his forehead twitch involuntarily.
“Silver Torrent Shrimps, huh?” Sanders’ voice turned frosty, as he gave an ambiguous hum. Casting a penetrating look outside the study, he finally pocketed the bottle, his heart heavy with complex emotions.
Meanwhile, Angel, who had already left the study, felt an icy chill creep up his spine. Silver Torrent Shrimps could benefit men tremendously… Mentor should perceive his good intentions, right?
Once Angel returned to his own room, he transferred Toby from his pocket to a plush little bed.
In the chaotic scramble to escape the colossal serpent earlier, the checkup on Toby’s health was rather hasty. Angel decided to conduct a more thorough examination.
Before long, Angel meticulously inspected Toby, and after confirming the creature was merely exhausted and devoid of any external injuries, he let out a sigh of relief.
Angel was curious about what Toby had encountered in the Shadowy Caverns. However, with Toby still unconscious, Angel decided to wait for it to wake up before probing further.
Yet, this waiting stretched on until the dawn of the next day.
Snow continued to fall outside, the whooshing winter winds carrying the desolate sound of the fortress’s horn.
The horn’s call stirred the fortress from its slumber. The apprentices, idle for several days, shook off their lax demeanor, their faces now tinged with trepidation and uncertainty about the future as they emerged from their respective rooms.
Today was the day they were to be transferred to the front lines, and the call of the horn was the signal to assemble.
“It is time to depart,” came Sanders’ voice from outside the door.
Angel gazed at the slumbering Toby, at a loss for what to do. In the interim, he had no choice but to carefully nestle Toby’s tiny bed into his own bracelet, while gingerly stowing the bird into his coat pocket.
Unaware of his circumstances, Toby was quite comfortable in his new abode, rolling about contentedly in his sleep.
They bade Farewell to the Fortress as the sound of the departing horn echoed around them.
For this relocation, Angel had initially presumed Duchess Bel would see them off. However, Samantha had somehow managed to procure a ‘Wings of Cold Frost’. While it wasn’t as grand as the vessel Angel had previously ridden in the Wizarding World, it was still a substantial creation.
Nevertheless, even with the ‘Wings of Cold Frost’, Watchtower Fortress was packed with individuals. In the end, only the Frost Moon Guards and the apprentices managed to secure a place on board, while the remaining wizards took their respective vehicles.
As soon as Sanders cast his gaze upon him, Angel instinctively brought out the Gondola. Not long after its launch, Canter, with a grin stretching ear to ear, hitched a ride, to which Angel, naturally, offered no objection.
However, his focus was not on the ship at the moment, but rather within the fortress.
During their journey to the Abyss, Madeline had been particularly caring towards him and had also traveled on his Gondola. Therefore, before departing, Angel naturally intended to invite Madeline along.
Yet, after a full sweep of his surroundings, it appeared as if Madeline was nowhere to be found.
Expressing his confusion, Sanders, perhaps still disgruntled about the gift he had received the day before, chose not to answer. Instead, he adopted an aloof attitude and shot Angel a glance.
On the other hand, Canter, with a smirk, elucidated, “Madeline has already departed.”
After hearing the convoluted tale, Angel couldn’t help but feel a wave of emotions. It was unexpected that Madeline’s choice to come to Watchtower Fortress was driven by her vendetta against Dongola. The previous encounter had been an unequal battle, with Madeline standing virtually no chance of victory. However, due to the Harbinger of Doom’s intervention, Madeline now saw a ray of hope for her revenge.
In a cascade of contemplation, Angel graciously retrieved a mysterious porcelain flask, hosting the Silver Torrent Shrimps, from his bracelet, intending to bequeath it to Canter.
His initial plan had indeed been to gift it to Canter, and it now served a dual purpose as a token of appreciation for the elucidation provided.
Upon receiving the flask, Canter’s features froze in a moment of surprise, before he finally found his voice, a tone of discomfort seeping into his words, “Ahem, actually, I don’t really require this…”
As Angel was about to express that the item was simply a representation of his gratitude, the ever-reserved Sanders broke his stoic silence, noting in an offhand manner, “Angel certainly meant well, this object is indeed more fitting for Canter.”
Sanders placed a rather heavy emphasis on the word ‘more’.
In the wake of Sanders’ pointed statement, Angel only then registered an inkling of something amiss about his intended gift of Silver Torrent Shrimp.
Indeed, ever since last night, Sanders’ demeanor had been subtly off-kilter. However, at this juncture, Angel found himself incapable of clarifying that his intentions were not meant to undermine their capabilities. After all, how could he elucidate, “I didn’t mean that you weren’t up to par, but that the Silver Torrent Shrimp could enhance your performance!”
Caught amidst this conundrum, Angel felt the unease of his position, with Canter adamantly resisting the gift to affirm his own capabilities. On the sidelines, Sanders subtly fanned the flames, appearing to encourage Canter’s acceptance of the bottle while implicitly communicating his dissatisfaction to Angel about the item in question.
This peculiar atmosphere persisted until the commencement of their departure.
As the call of the horn ceased, the Wings of Cold Frost unfurled their icy plumage, departing the colossal fortress sculpted from steel and stone amidst a palpable tension.
Even though Angel’s time within Watchtower Fortress had been brief, witnessing such an iron behemoth, standing resolute amidst the frigid wilderness, being reluctantly abandoned due to an unforeseen visit from a ‘Harbinger of Doom’ evoked a tinge of regret and introspection.
Simultaneously, he gained a newfound understanding of the unpredictable nature of the Abyss. It was akin to watching a towering edifice rise one moment and crumble the next — the cycle of fortune was as elusive as a fleeting moment.
The forefront of this expedition was the Kodo Port near the Dark Depths Ocean Whirlpool. Their path would wind westward along the dimly-lit mountain range. Initially, they could have traveled down the silent mountain river through the Shadowy Hills, but according to intelligence, the middle and lower sections of the river were frequently swarmed by hordes of demons, and the river itself housed a myriad of terrifying creatures. Thus, they had no choice but to deviate from the initial path.
Nevertheless, this bore no relevance to Lord Sanders and his disciple.
Instead of venturing to Kodo Port, they planned to deviate mid-journey. Sanders intended to seize this opportunity to guide Angel back to the Savage Grottoes, albeit he must choose an area of stable spatial energy. And, conveniently, such a location existed within their impending destination, the Gloaming Mountains.
Owing to the large number of apprentices, the Wings of Cold Frost didn’t cruise at high speed. Anticipatedly, it would take half a day to infiltrate the Gloaming Mountains from the periphery of Downfallen Forest.
However, they encountered a succession of mishaps en route.
Not to mention the sporadic disturbance by demonic creatures, the most critical incident involved an encounter with a band of cursed monks from the Demon Monastery.
Despite making a successful escape, a considerable portion of apprentices suffered from the curse. Tragically, numerous apprentices even perished in the process.
A journey originally intended to span half a day stretched until dawn before they finally glimpsed the undulating silhouette of the Gloaming Mountains.
Canter sighed, “We chose the safest route, yet unexpected incidents still occurred.”
Sanders retorted, “In the Abyss, there’s no such thing as the ‘safest route’. Furthermore, given the current tense situation, variables lurk everywhere.”
As their dialogue unfolded, Angel, seated next to Sanders, gradually grew more serious.
His worry didn’t stem from the encountered incidents along the way. Instead, he noticed something amiss with Toby.
Could it be that, despite striving his best, he’d been unconscious for two days and still showed no signs of waking?
What concerned him the most was that, during their encounter with the cursed monks, there was a perilously close call. Sanders and Canter were engaged in fending off the enemy, while a formidable half-demon suddenly emerged on Angel’s side. Its blood-streaked claws aimed at his chest, poised to strike. In the urgency of the moment, Angel had no choice but to abandon his body and carry Toby away in his soul form, narrowly evading catastrophe.
Subsequently, as a precaution, Angel planned to awaken Toby.
But no matter how much he tried to rouse him, Toby remained in a deep slumber. This unusual occurrence drew Angel’s attention to Toby’s abnormal condition.
Chapter 1009 Origin and Reason <TOC> Chapter 1011 Toby's Dream