Chapter 1013 The Olaf Tentacle Crab <TOC> Chapter 1015 Race Against Time
Next page password is bold portion: 5$UswiGLWR?
Translator: SumTLMan
With a bemused expression, Sanders glanced over at Angel, “When did I say I was planning on crossing layers?”
“Eh? It’s not about crossing layers?”
Before they left Watchtower Fortress, Angel had inquired with the Frost Moon Guards. Indeed, deep within the Gloaming Mountains, there was a Translayer Gate leading to the second layer of the Abyss.
Angel had always assumed that their journey to the Gloaming Mountains was to locate this Translayer Gate.
“Of course not.”
“Then, what brings us to the Gloaming Mountains?” Angel asked, confusion lining his voice.
Sanders responded, “I mentioned earlier that there’s a region deep within the Gloaming Mountains where the space is stable. If I am to take you back to the Wizarding World, naturally, we need to find a place where space is stable.”
From Sanders’ tone, it seemed like he intended to directly return to the Wizarding World from here.
Could it be that Sanders had no intention of using Frost Moon Alliance’s planar passage?
After all, within the Abyss, only the Frost Moon Alliance possessed a fixed passageway. No other wizard organization had this capability, right? Even if there were, given the tumultuous changes in the Abyss, they surely wouldn’t be open to outsiders.
With this in mind, why did Sanders sound so certain?
A possibility suddenly struck Angel: the Fragment Ephemera! Back at Gloria’s Barbie Restaurant, it wasn’t just Angel who had received a Fragment Ephemera, Sanders also had one.
Could it be that Sanders was planning to use the Fragment Ephemera to forge a direct path back to the Wizarding World?
Sanders confirmed this with an affirmative response, adding in an as-a-matter-of-fact tone, “The planar passage of Frost Moon had just been opened recently, it wouldn’t be possible to open it for me alone. If you want to leave, naturally, we have to use the Fragment Ephemera.”
“Besides, I’ve calculated the timing. It just so happens that these few days mark the end of the planar fusion over the Paramjit Plateau. Using such a precious Fragment Ephemera to bring you back to Savage Grottoes, naturally, we need to find another place to make up for the journey.”
Sanders originally had no intention of meddling with the planar fusion. However, since he needed to take Angel back to the Wizarding World, it wouldn’t hurt to partake in this grand event.
Even though the gains at the end of planar fusion were limited, there were still some benefits to be had. No matter how small, it would compensate for the use of the Fragment Ephemera.
Sanders had it all planned out well. Yet, when Angel learned of Sanders’ intention to meddle with the planar fusion, a drum of apprehension began to beat in his heart.
When Angel initially elected to retreat to the Savage Grottoes and subsequently delve into the Abyss, his actions weren’t solely aimed at tracking down Sanders. In truth, he also sought to evade the impending fusion of planes at the Paramjit Plateau.
He found himself wondering, would his presence alongside Sanders returning to the plateau at this time potentially incite a reaction from the Heavenly Eye?
While Angel had given Sanders a rough outline of Jon’s circumstances, he had no intention of revealing the secrets of the Heavenly Eye. It wasn’t that he was unwilling to disclose it, rather, Jon had expressly forbidden him to.
According to Jon, if the Heavenly Eye could transport him from Earth to the Wizarding World, then it could potentially hold the coordinates of Earth. If this fell into the hands of wizards for whom plundering is second nature, then it was entirely possible that they could use the Heavenly Eye to locate Earth. Such a scenario would spell nothing less than catastrophe for Earth.
Jon would rather rest in foreign soil than bring such calamity to his homeland.
It was a testament to his character, his relentless determination.
Angel, having grown up at the crossroads of two civilizations, understood Jon’s rationale. As such, he could not possibly risk exposing any irregularities of the Heavenly Eye without being certain of the repercussions.
However, now that Sanders has chosen to return to the Savage Grottoes, precisely at the end of the fusion of the two planes, what if they return to the Wizarding World and something does indeed go wrong with the Heavenly Eye?
Trepidation and anxiety began to surge in Angel’s heart.
“We can’t linger here much longer, it’s time to leave. We’re not far from a location with stable space — if we hurry, we should get there in two hours.” Sanders got to his feet, preparing to depart.
Angel hesitated for a moment, “With the outer world finally calming down, why not rest a little longer?”
“The calmer it seems, the more likely it is that something is wrong.” Sanders donned his white gloves, looking towards the oppressive darkness of the sky outside the cave, feeling a sense of unease.
The persistent tranquility was suspicious when compared to the high frequency of attacks they faced upon their arrival. Something was definitely amiss.
Perhaps, a significant change was about to take place in the Gloaming Mountains.
For their safety, it was best to make an early departure.
Seeing Sanders’ resolution, Angel could come up with no other excuse. He sighed, extinguished the fire, tucked Toby back into his pouch, and followed Sanders out of the cave.
“Complacency often ushers in the fiercest storms,” Sanders, without probing into Angel’s thoughts, simply made a judgement based on common sense, assuming that Angel was simply too comfortable in his present situation.
Angel was following Sanders at a steady pace, offering the occasional grunt of acknowledgment. However, he wasn’t really listening to Sanders’ words but was rather lost in his own thoughts.
He was considering whether there was any plausible excuse to delay Sanders for a couple of days.
It would be ideal if he could delay his return until after the planar fusion was completed.
Caught in his contemplation, Angel was taken aback when Sanders suddenly announced, “A tempest is brewing——”
A tempest? Angel looked up in confusion, only to spot a flock of Bone Wing Demons that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere in the sky.
Although Bone Wing Demons were minor demons, they were considerably powerful among their rank. They could exert formidable pressure even against a formal wizard.
Even an experienced formal wizard would likely lose in a one-on-one confrontation with such a demon.
The appearance of a flock of these demons suggested they possessed the power to pose a threat even to a wizard of true knowledge.
Gazing at the Bone Wing Demons soaring in the sky, Angel’s eyes suddenly lit up. If Sanders had to confront these demons directly, even a victory would likely require a significant amount of time, wouldn’t it?
For the first time, Angel found himself hoping to encounter a demon on his journey.
Ideally, it would be a demon that Sanders could vanquish, but one that would be time-consuming to deal with.
The Bone Wing Demons were a perfect example!
Angel’s eyes gleamed, and he whispered, “Mentor, I have already initiated Boundless Silence…”
His implication was clear: You don’t need to worry about me, go ahead and fight them head-on!
But Sanders, unexpectedly, shushed Angel and established a mental link with him. Through this mental link, he instructed Angel, “Keep quiet. They haven’t detected us. Hide behind that rock and don’t make a move.”
Angel could hardly believe it. Sanders, who had been solving problems with his fists all the way, was actually suggesting they avoid a confrontation?
Sanders noted the surprise in Angel’s eyes. Through their mental link, he said grumpily, “Something is very off about the Gloaming Mountains right now. We shouldn’t waste any time if we can help it.”
Angel sighed inwardly. It seemed his plan to buy more time had failed.
Angel could hardly risk attracting the Bone Wing Demons intentionally. So, he had no choice but to comply with Sanders, remaining silent and hidden, quietly waiting for the “storm” to pass.
Ten minutes later, the Bone Wing Demons embarked on their journey to other regions, and Sanders, without further ado, sprinted along the predetermined route.
Along the way, Angel’s horizons were considerably broadened.
The Bone Wing Demons weren’t even the proverbial “storm” on this journey, they barely even qualified as “drizzle.” Further along the path, mid-level demons began to manifest, even including significant demons whose power closely rivaled Sanders. In the event of an altercation, Sanders would be fully engaged in the conflict, completely incapable of guarding Angel.
Thus, Angel now understood how absurd and childish his previous anticipation of encountering demons had been.
The demons were numerous and tightly clustered, reminiscent of a tinderbox waiting for a spark. When that time comes, and the demons encircle them, even if Sanders possessed the strength of a thousand men, he wouldn’t be able to cope.
Therefore, their silent evasion was, paradoxically, their best course of action.
Moreover, upon witnessing such a multitude of adversaries appear within the Gloaming Mountains, Angel began to trust Sanders’ judgment. Perhaps there was indeed some imminent upheaval within these mountain ranges.
Amid the hide-and-seek, what was originally planned as a “two-hour” journey, in the end, morphed into half a day. Only then did they arrive at the most spatially stable region within the Gloaming Mountains — the Whispering Wind Valley.
Although it’s referred to as a valley, the area is far from narrow. It’s more accurately a low-lying plain nestled among several towering mountains.
This place, with its flora and water channels, offers a rare glimpse of verdant scenery within the Abyss.
“Whispering Wind Valley is often used by wizards as a spatial anchor point. When Samantha was delivering messages to Sky Island, she also used this place as a stepping-stone,” Sanders explained while leading Angel to a secluded passage at the northern end of the valley. This passage connects to a network of underground caves.
According to Sanders, not only is the Whispering Wind Valley spatially stable, but it also rarely sees the presence of demons, making it a potential sanctuary.
The subterranean cavern bore significant evidence of human activity, largely due to its protective characteristics.
If it were not for the teeming demons within the third layer of the Abyss that impeded any establishment of a stronghold, the Whispering Wind Valley might have been considered a prospective bastion.
Angel followed Sanders into the hushed, faintly damp air of the cavern beneath the Whispering Wind Valley.
“The sole entrance to the cavern is through the path we’ve taken, and there are no offshoots within the cavern, hence it’s relatively safe,” Sanders paused before continuing, “I intend to utilize the Fragment Ephemera here.”
At this point, Angel could do nothing but acquiesce.
His only hope now was that Sanders would not set their destination as the Paramjit Plateau.
“Given the current instability of spatial energy at the Paramjit Plateau, perhaps you should consider setting our marker farther away, such as the Arelle Principality, for instance?”
Sanders unflinchingly rejected Angel’s suggestion.
“While the spatial energy of the Paramjit Plateau is indeed unstable, I’m certain that the space coordinates near the Savage Grottoes are stable. I will set our exit point near Windmill Town.”
Windmill Town was the closest underground settlement to the mirror world within the Savage Grottoes. Geographically, it was part of the Shadow Demon Nation.
However, in reality, it was mainly inhabited by the relatives of transcendents from the Savage Grottoes. Furthermore, the steam airships from the Grottoes docked at Windmill Town.
After receiving Sanders’ response, all Angel could do was offer a dry chuckle, while his mind was already preoccupied with the potential explanations he would need to concoct should the Heavenly Eye exhibit unusual behavior upon their return to the Wizarding World.
Chapter 1013 The Olaf Tentacle Crab <TOC> Chapter 1015 Race Against Time