Previous page password is bold portion: @h3sp3#EkaB
Translator: SumTLMan
Through the inviting maw of his open store, Angel discerned in the woods outside, an increased multitude of demons peering curiously in his direction. The majority of these onlookers were half-demons, interspersed with a smattering of diminutive demons of peculiar appearance.
For a moment, Angel was confounded by this unexpected occurrence until he stretched his gaze beyond the threshold of his store.
Before his eyes, he saw the sky spectacle initiated by Prapa’s breakthrough, its serene azure glow twisting and winding above, captivated the attention of countless pairs of eyes.
“A commotion of this magnitude… surely my newly opened shop hasn’t attracted the ominous gaze of a great demon,” Angel pondered while stroking his chin. Previously, Night had cautioned him to maintain a low profile, however, it seemed that his attempts at discretion had faltered on the very first day of his venture.
“Do you think great demons have such spare time?” retorted Fafnir, hearing Angel’s mumbled concerns. “Countless minor demons are birthed every day; nobody would bother with your humble establishment.”
Having made his derisive comment, Fafnir added, “Even if a great demon truly were to pay a visit, I would not cower.”
Angel had grown accustomed to Fafnir’s sharp-tongued remarks. He knew he wouldn’t linger in La Sutherland for long; his sole purpose was to amass wealth and then make his departure. Hence, erecting a modest wooden cabin would suffice; a temporary abode to tide him over for these few days.
In the woodland beyond his doorstep, even though several demons were curiously scrutinizing his ‘Phantasmagoria’ cabin, not a single one ventured in.
All demons were content to observe from the shadows.
However, the entrance of a bewildered Prapa into the scene stirred up a minor tempest.
Was the anomaly of that breakthrough caused by Prapa?!
Prapa was fairly notorious in the vicinity, primarily known for his feebleness. But now, that weakling Prapa had achieved a breakthrough! Even though, after his breakthrough, Prapa’s power would at most match a common Phantom Imp, it was nevertheless an improvement in his prowess!
What exactly transpired? What magic did that “Phantasmagoria” storefront perform?
Thus, a demon immediately intercepted Prapa for an inquiry.
At that juncture, Prapa was somewhat befuddled. It had initially anticipated a sure downfall, doomed to spend money to ward off disaster under the trickery of that pair of male and female. Surprisingly, it had actually made a breakthrough?
Furthermore, Prapa perceived the boost in its affinity with water, the magnitude of which was alarming. It was potentially even superior to that of its progenitors!
Even when confronted by Chennuotan who was holding onto its collar… Prapa didn’t seem as terrified as before.
Chennuotan is a sand demon, also a lesser demon. Their attributes naturally counter each other. In the past, Prapa had often been the victim of Chennuotan’s bullying. Yet now, Prapa felt that the Chennuotan in front of it, even when putting on a threatening show, didn’t seem that formidable?
“Didn’t you hear my question?” Chennuotan, clutching Prapa’s collar, snarled, “What is the story with that shop?”
Prapa gazed silently at Chennuotan and responded in a manner it had never dared to before.
In front of Chennuotan, it transformed into a water state.
The formless, water state Prapa instantly slipped out of Chennuotan’s grasp. However, this action provoked Chennuotan’s fury, and its solid body dispersed abruptly, morphing into a wind and sand giant five meters tall.
In the face of the standoff, Prapa appeared significantly weaker in terms of aura. Nonetheless, unlike before, it didn’t plead for mercy and retreat but instead responded, “If you wish to know something, investigate for yourself. Don’t obstruct my path.”
To others, this statement would probably be interpreted as a plain declaration. However, for Chennuotan, who often used Prapa as a punching bag, it was a blatant challenge!
In a flare of fury, it coiled a whirlwind of sand, taking a brutal strike at Prapa.
At this juncture, in the midst of the cabin, Angel, rather spirited, was perched at the window, looking out in anticipation, “Who will emerge victorious between them? It appears as though Prapa is at a disadvantage in terms of attributes.”
“The battle lies in a delicate balance, it depends on who has the upper hand.” Fafnir interjected, “However, no matter who wins between them, the victims won’t be them.”
“Then who might it be?” As Angel queried in puzzlement, he noticed the sudden disappearance of Fafnir from the window sill behind him. Concurrently, a thunderous clamor erupted directly in front of the cabin.
Turning back, Angel saw a dust cloud forming and droplets scattering outside the door. Fafnir, who had vanished, now stood at the epicenter of this energy convergence.
A hurricane rose in front of Fafnir, hoisting Prapa and Chennuotan into the high heavens.
Fafnir pivoted his head, casting a sideways glance at Angel, his perfect profile was breathtaking against the backlight.
“Do you now understand, who will be the ones to suffer?”
Silently, Angel nodded.
Once Prapa was promoted, both demons outside were of the wizard level, any battle between them would surely impact the ‘Phantasmagoria’ shop. That sand demon deliberately moved the battlefield towards the cabin, naturally this provoked Fafnir, resulting in such a predicament.
Although it appeared that the two demons outside were the ones to suffer at the moment, if it weren’t for Fafnir, the victim would undoubtedly have been his shop.
Therefore, for those two demons outside, barely hanging on, he didn’t have an ounce of sympathy.
At this point, Fafnir also coldly snorted at the demon onlookers outside the wooden house, “Anyone who dares to cause trouble here will end up just like them!”
Chennuotan, pointed to the nose, peered at Fafnir, full of dread. On the other side, Prapa’s face was blushed with shame. With a sudden increase in strength, it thought it could defeat Chennuotan, but it never considered the ramifications this reckless action would bring to the ‘Phantasmagoria’ cabin.
If it hadn’t been for the intervention of the dark-skinned woman just now, perhaps the wooden cabin in the forest would have already been shattered into fragments.
Feeling guilty about bringing unwarranted calamity to the one who had just bestowed upon it a favor, Prapa turned its head to apologize to the young shopkeeper inside the cabin. However, it found the proprietor had already retreated into the dwelling.
After lying on the ground and recuperating for quite some time, Prapa finally came to its senses. Chennuotan had already departed, leaving only a few onlooking half-demons.
After hesitating for a moment, it headed towards the cabin. But upon nearing the wooden cabin, it noticed an additional wooden sign at the doorway, upon which were inscribed several rules.
Prominently featured as the first rule was: No fighting in the vicinity of this shop, violators will bear the consequences.
In addition to this, among these rules, Prapa also noticed one: This shop will not receive guests repeatedly. The experiential journey is only once, cherish it.
Prapa originally intended to apologize to the shopkeeper, but before it even set foot inside the cabin, it felt as if a gentle breeze was circling around its body.
It knew this was a warning. If it took another step forward, the consequences would be unpredictable.
Left with no other choice, Prapa had to depart. Although it should have been pleased about its breakthrough, the events that had just transpired left it feeling rather downcast. With this mood, it reluctantly left the confines of the ‘Phantasmagoria’ cabin, glancing back every three steps.
“If you feel remorse, you can express it to the shopkeeper in another way,” a deep voice suddenly echoed in Prapa’s ears.
It raised its head for a glance.
Without any inkling of when it had happened, the figure shrouded in a black cloak, curator Night, had materialized before it.
…
On the inaugural day of his business, Angel’s harvest was a mere eight gold coins.
He was currently distressed, the gulf between him and the funds needed to purchase materials was like a chasm as vast as a hundred thousand miles. The frozen sphere on Toby was also just about able to persist for another six days at most.
If the proceeds were to remain this paltry each day, the likelihood of amassing ten thousand demon gold coins within six days was virtually next to impossible.
Angel was pondering whether or not he should alter his strategy.
If he didn’t follow the straight and narrow path, what would be the fastest way to accumulate wealth?
“Maybe I should convince Lady Fafnir to resort to robbery?” Angel seriously considered the feasibility of this course of action in his mind, after all, the fastest way to amass wealth was nothing but highway robbery.
However, while he was more than willing to incorporate this option into his list of possible solutions, it was highly doubtful that Fafnir would agree to it. Although Fafnir always portrayed herself as the second-best after Odeklaes, in actuality, according to what Balalaika had shared, Fafnir’s abilities were hovering around the rank of third level of true knowledge, and she was yet to reach her peak.
La Sutherland, acting as the vital link between the outer and inner layers of the Abyss, may appear serene on the surface but its underlying reality was far from simple.
Legend has it that it boasts a stable planar passage that allows the major forces from the deeper layers of the Abyss to arrive effortlessly to the surface layers. It’s even possible for the Lord of the Abyss to personally make an appearance.
Therefore, it was absolutely implausible that Fafnir would challenge the authority of La Sutherland for Angel’s sake. As for Angel’s own capabilities, they were insufficient to support his ambitious aspirations.
But if he were to refrain from taking any shortcuts, how could he possibly amass wealth rapidly?
Angel was presently consumed by a feverish sense of urgency. Were he granted more time, he would even resort to alchemy for generating wealth, despite the potential exposure of his identity it might entail.
As Angel was lost in his apprehensions, footfalls suddenly echoed at the entrance of his shop.
“Welcome…” Angel instinctively donned a cordial smile, but it froze on his face when he recognized the visitor: “Ah, it’s you, Night.”
The visitor was clad in a great cloak of black, hemmed with fiery fur. Underneath, he wore nothing, baring a broad expanse of chiseled abdominals. His visage was ferocious, in part due to the luminous flame-like patterns burning into his skin, scorching half his face. When the patterns dimmed, one could discern the vestiges of striking handsomeness beneath.
This was Night, the proprietor of the Hunting Museum and, at the same time, the half-demon with the Fire Demon bloodline that Odeklaes had sent Angel to locate in the demon city.
In fact, upon Angel’s arrival in La Sutherland, Night was the first individual he had managed to locate.
When Angel explained his purpose, Night responded bluntly: “I possess the method for synthesizing the Firestone. However, my bloodline prevents me from disclosing it to you.”
The response hardly surprised Angel. Previously, Balalaika had warned that the Fire Demons fiercely guarded the Firestone synthesis method. Even slaying a Fire Demon would not reveal its secrets, and the bloodline restrictions ensured that even the most ruthless soul torture would yield no results.
Therefore, Angel was immensely relieved that he had previously sought out Balalaika and obtained a mysterious scroll from him.
When Angel shared his possession of the synthesis method, Night seemed somewhat astonished but ceased to inquire further upon learning that Balalaika was the source.
Apparently, Balalaika held a unique position in the Abyss.
Subsequently, upon discovering that Night could wield the Abyss Ghost Flame and was willing to assist him, Angel finally felt a burden lifted off his shoulders. All his energy was then devoted to his Great Scheme for Amassing Wealth.