Chapter 1027 The Phase Plane <TOC> Chapter 1029 The Looming Doom
Translator: SumTLMan
Especially the phrase from Fafnir, “We were very close, but due to a trivial matter we have not met since”, although she claimed it was trivial, Angel had a hunch that there was more to it than meets the eye, or else he wouldn’t have been chosen as the messenger.
Even though Angel was curious, he dared not to probe further, and could only ask, “Who is Odeklaes and where is he now?”
Fafnir shot him a cold glance, “Who gave you such audacity, a lowly human, to call Odeklaes by his name directly?!”
A terrible gust of wind launched Angel into the air, dozens of meters high.
Caught unprepared, Angel was taken aback. Fortunately, Fafnir didn’t follow up, he adjusted his falling body in mid-air and initiated the Dark Night Flyover boots to gently descend.
Before Fafnir could say anything, Angel hastily corrected himself, “My apologies, what I meant to say was the noble Lord Odeklaes!”
Only then did Fafnir nod in satisfaction, and then she revealed a location.
——”He resides in the Eternal Ice Valley.”
Upon hearing this name, a resounding thunder rolled in Angel’s mind. He didn’t expect that the Abyss Dragon kin that Fafnir had been speaking of, was the one from Ice Valley!
Back in the day, when Sineva had to flee from the demon’s pursuit, she escaped to Ice Valley, where she was afflicted by a terrifying frost curse, and her strength was reduced to a tenth of what it once was.
Later on, he learned from Madeline that the curse in Ice Valley was actually caused by an Abyss Dragon residing there. This Abyss Dragon was quirky in temperament but immensely powerful, allowing it to survive thousands of years beyond other Abyss Dragons. Even Lord Mengke had to address it with respect.
And he was supposed to deliver a message to such an ancient and formidable existence?
Angel, trembling in fear, said, “I’ve heard that anyone who enters the Eternal Ice Valley will be hit by a curse of chaos…”
Before Angel could finish, Fafnir interrupted coldly, “With your level of elemental mastery, I suspect you can’t even stir up a windstorm, can you? Being cursed won’t make any difference to you. Besides, as long as you please Odeklaes, he will help you dispel it.”
Please Odeklaes?
A chill ran down Angel’s spine, as he suddenly remembered something he had overlooked before: finding Odeklaes was one thing, whether he agreed to help Toby lift the curse was another matter entirely!
Angel had previously assumed that by acting as a messenger to Fafnir, Odeklaes might extend a helping hand, perhaps out of regard for Fafnir. Yet, gauging the tone of Fafnir, was he expected to win Odeklaes’ favor personally?
Fafnir’s consistent appellation echoed in Angel’s mind: he was a mere mortal. How could he possibly please a lofty Abyss Dragon?
A sense of apprehension began to drum within Angel’s heart.
Perhaps having discerned Angel’s thoughts, Fafnir coolly said, “Odeklaes had a relationship with the old creature before. It might consider that and be lenient with you. Otherwise, why do you think I would have you, an inexplicable human, deliver the message?”
Fafnir pointed to Toby, nestled in Angel’s breastplate.
Upon hearing this, Angel’s unease grew. Fafnir seemed to have always assumed that Toby was a pawn of some old creature. Still, she didn’t realize that Toby was actually living cooked dish that Gloria had created from the ‘old creature’s’ five organs.
Even if Toby’s predecessor did have some connections with Odeklaes, the moment he discovered the truth, it wouldn’t be about gaining favor. It would already be fortunate if Angel wasn’t reduced to ashes on the spot.
Despite these thoughts, Angel dared not voice them.
From the current situation, it seemed like Fafnir was sparing him because of Toby’s existence. If he revealed this secret, he suspected that he wouldn’t need to meet Odeklaes; Fafnir might take his life on the spot.
“Ice Valley is on the outermost layer of the Abyss, and given the current doom influence on Toby, I’m doubtful whether we could reach there,” Angel tried a final plea.
Fafnir replied nonchalantly, “I’ll escort you. All you need to do is deliver my message.”
Since Fafnir would be his guide, escape seemed futile. However, his predicament was severe, caught between a rock and a hard place. Defying Fafnir would likely lead to immediate death, but seeking out Odeklaes in Ice Valley wouldn’t necessarily yield a positive outcome.
Or perhaps, his encounter with Fafnir and her request to meet Odeklaes were all influenced by the “doom curse” on Toby?
If that were the case, then his odds of survival were nearly zero.
Angel felt a profound sense of despair, yet he had no choice but to proceed.
Collecting his scattered emotions, Angel posed the question, “What message does Your Excellency wish for me to convey?”
Fafnir remained silent for a considerable duration before saying, “You’ll know when the time comes.”
With this agreement reached, the man and dragon established a temporary truce within their shared space. Fafnir set the departure time for Ice Valley to be twelve hours hence, or around noon of the following day.
During this period of respite, Fafnir chose not to revert to her draconic form and continued to exist in human form.
Angel had intended to use this opportunity to coax some information about Odeklaes from Fafnir. However, after Fafnir had told Angel the time of their departure, she turned and left the deep pit.
While Fafnir’s whereabouts remained unknown, Angel dared not leave on his own accord.
Knowing Toby had been tainted by doom, if he were to depart rashly, the demons of the Gloaming Mountains alone would be enough to overwhelm him. Upon weighing his options, Whispering Wind Valley seemed to be a safer choice.
……
In the pit, the light of day dimmed.
The only source of light was the blazing fire, illuminating the darkness around them.
Angel sat quietly beside the fire, his mind in turmoil. How could he secure Odeklaes’ help, survive safely, and moreover, how could he escape the Abyss?
None of his problems seemed solvable. The only thing he could do was to take one step at a time.
In the flickering firelight, Angel seemed to see a time not long past when he was still at Watchtower Fortress. The fireplace in Sanders’ study burned just as brightly each day.
However, even though the fire seemed similar, it was not the same. Moreover, the presence of Sanders was lacking outside the fire’s light.
When thinking of Sanders, a pang of guilt echoed in Angel’s heart. The past problems with Sanders using Fragment Ephemera to open transplanar passages could likely be attributed to Toby’s influence.
How was Sanders now? Trapped in the planar passage, banished by the space, or did he successfully escape? It was difficult to determine.
However, one thing was certain. Sanders had not returned from the transplanar passage, indicating that his situation was definitely not ideal.
Angel sighed and retrieved a crystal-clear blood bead from his bracelet, shining like a gemstone.
The blood bead emitted a strong energy aura, representing Sanders’ essence blood.
If Sanders were dead, his essence blood would definitely be affected. But as of now, it seemed there was no significant change in the quality of the essence blood.
Is it safe to assume that Sanders is still alive?
With this possibility in mind, Angel feels slightly relieved. Given that Sanders is still alive, according to Angel’s speculation, he might come back to look for him.
Thinking of this, Angel decided to leave a clue here.
He came to a rock wall and left a line of information in illusionary runes: I have gone to Ice Valley.
Although he didn’t leave his name, this particular power of illusion is unique to the lineage of Phantom Island. If Sanders sees this line, he will undoubtedly understand it’s left by him.
However, when he will see it and whether he can see it is another story.
After leaving the message, Angel returned to the side of the fire, and under the light of the fire, he plunged his thoughts into the Vision Space.
Speaking of which, he had spent at least a year in that strange world and spent a long time learning to build the Gateway Model. But ever since he returned to reality, he hadn’t had time to pay attention to the Gateway Model in the Vision Space.
Now, when he refocused his gaze on the Vision Space, Angel quickly located the half-built Gateway Model through the Universal Axis.
“The Gateway Model is not fictitious. It seems that the learning journey in that strange world was real.” Angel subconsciously lowered his head and looked at the Heavenly Eye embedded in the lining. Now the Heavenly Eye has completely calmed down, no longer flickering, and looks like a common glass bead.
But after experiencing the previous strange journey, it is clearly inappropriate to put the word “common” in front of the Heavenly Eye again.
Moreover, the gains brought by that strange journey are very rich for Angel. The spell constructed by the Gateway Model contains special energy, so the specific effects are still unknown. However, based on the available information, the function of this Gateway Model is already very good.
It seems that the benefits are quite substantial.
Nevertheless, the opening of the Heavenly Eye necessitates the exotic energy that arises from the occasion of planar fusion, a phenomenon so infrequent it borders on extravagant. It must be understood that such fusion of planes might only occur once in hundreds, if not thousands, of years.
Moreover, the inaugural disturbance in the Heavenly Eye coincided with a failed attempt at planar fusion in the Devil’s Sea.
In this instance, the Heavenly Eye absorbed the unique energy of the planar fusion that occurred over the Paramjit Plateau via the transplanar passage. The question, however, remains whether or not this fusion resulted in any failures.
If this bout of planar fusion also proves to be a failure, Angel would be even more reluctant to make use of it. One or two failures might be chalked up to coincidence, but repeated mistakes could not only draw the scrutiny of the World Will but also warrant investigations by prophecy wizards.
With this in mind, Angel let out a profound sigh, hoping for a smooth process in this attempt at planar fusion.
Angel originally intended to continue working on the Gateway Model, but given his currently depleted state of magical energy, he had no choice but to temporarily leave his mental space and commence a meditation session to replenish his magic.
Around ten hours later, Angel’s magic had only been partially restored when the towering figure of Fafnir appeared at the edge of the deep pit.
On her back, she carried a massive leg of meat, still bearing skin and dripping fresh, crimson blood, indicating it had been recently slaughtered.
As soon as she landed, Fafnir placed the blood-soaked leg on the fire.
Having been in deep slumber to recover from her injuries for several centuries, Fafnir was not about to deny her ravenous appetite now that she had awakened. She had left earlier to hunt for food, but finding prey to her liking was no simple task. It took her the entire night to finally find this one.
Chapter 1027 The Phase Plane <TOC> Chapter 1029 The Looming Doom