Chapter 1138 The Puppeteer Behind the Curtain <TOC> Chapter 1140 Speculations on the Floating Iceberg
Translator: SumTLMan
Angel was deep in contemplation.
The words Hai had uttered before contained a wealth of information.
The entity giving orders to Gruda must undoubtedly be a demon, and a higher-ranking one at that. Therefore, in the current context of La Sutherland, only the seven seats of the Void Obelisk remained possible.
Excluding Baphomet, who had already perished, this leaves only six seats.
If one took Hai’s words into account, suggesting the mastermind was a high-ranking demon unrelated to her, then both Iadase and Eudecernos would also need to be dismissed.
Nor did Angel believe that Minotaur, who was severely injured not long ago, could recover in such a short time and control so many lesser demons to intercept him. If Minotaur were also to be removed from the equation, only three remained.
Nythotep, Komodo, and Iuppiter.
Of these three, logically, Nythotep was the most likely. After all, she was a sea demon, and based on that attribute, the Rhythm of the Ocean would likely be somewhat effective for her.
However, Nythotep was currently in the Void Obelisk. And not long ago, Angel had observed her situation through a thread of wind; she did not seem to pay any attention to him from start to finish. Thus, Angel did not believe it was her.
As for Iuppiter, according to Canaan’s original words, it was a demon interested only in consuming things, so it seemed an unlikely candidate.
Therefore, only one option remained.
——Komodo.
If it truly were Komodo, Angel found it utterly absurd, as among the seven seats of the Void Obelisk, only Komodo was a pure Fire Demon.
Or was it that his deductions were wrong?
Angel softly voiced his conjectures. Upon hearing them, Canaan also fell into deep thought, while Fafnir, who was leading the way, suddenly halted.
“Sometimes, the more absurd and unbridled, the more likely it is,” Fafnir said, casting a Domain of Wind around Angel, then turned her gaze to an empty expanse.
Following Fafnir’s gaze, Canaan saw no one.
At first glance, it was an open and unoccupied land. Apart from the faint outlines of distant buildings, there was nothing else in sight.
However, Angel felt something subtly wrong about this vacant square.
Angel scrutinized the spot that felt peculiar. Suddenly, he noticed a ripple distorting the space.
Like a wave on the water, it spread out of nowhere.
At the very heart of the watery formation, a hand began to slowly reach out, or rather… a forelimb covered in black and red scales.
With the emergence of this hand, a rift cracked open at the center of the water pattern.
A foot stepped out too, identical to the hand, entirely covered in black and red scales. Perhaps it would be better to say it was a pure black scale with a network of fiery red patterns flowing across it.
When it stepped fully out of the rift, a sense of bizarre familiarity arose in Angel’s heart.
It was a towering demon, its body covered in glossy black scales that looked as though they trapped molten lava of fiery red beneath them, flowing and morphing with every movement it made. Although it was just black and red, Angel saw an illusion of iridescent lights dancing around.
It was streamlined from head to toe, with a long tail on its back, like a lizard’s.
Angel was certain that this was a terrifying demon he had never encountered before. Its size was comparable to the titan Gruda that he had met earlier. However, facing this demon, he was overwhelmed by an uncanny sense of familiarity.
Especially its skull, the protruding bony teeth conjured up the image of a certain creature in his mind.
A salamander.
At that moment, the rift on the demon’s back started to close slowly. Just before it fully closed, Angel vaguely spotted what looked like a crimson pool of blood behind the demon, filled with endless white bones.
When the rift closed, the demon brought a sinister smile to its face. The next second, a terrifying aura emanated from it, enveloping everything within several miles.
Even though the Domain of Wind was able to offset this terrifying aura, Angel knew that he had become a bird trapped in a cage.
Once he left the Domain of Wind, he would inevitably be immobilized by that terrifying aura. Even with the Gravity Lines, escape would be impossible.
“So it’s you, Komodo,” said Fafnir, her face expressionless, unaffected by the intimidating aura.
Angel and Canaan were both stunned. Was this creature Komodo? Although its skull bore a faint resemblance to a salamander, overall, it looked nothing like Komodo.
Komodo was a demon adept at controlling fire, visibly weaker in close combat. When previously faced with ‘Black Dragon’ Essex, Komodo would avoid close contact. But this demon before them seemed more proficient in physical combat?!
“Fafnir, eh… hehe, hahaha…” Komodo’s laughter was peculiar, its gaze flickering, at times gloomy, at times manic.
“This shouldn’t be your true form,” Fafnir responded coldly, “I smell the scent of the Horned Demon, and another nauseating smell of flesh. Did you devour those two blood cocoons?”
“Devour? No, no, no, I just integrated the minor advantages they had into myself with a small spell. Since La Sutherland was about to be destroyed, whether those two fools lived or not was meaningless. They might as well serve to benefit me.” Komodo didn’t deny it, its laughter exuding arrogance.
At this moment, Angel finally understood why Komodo seemed somewhat different from before. It turned out it had fused with the blood cocoons of Eudecernos and Minotaur?
However, this spell that can fuse the “advantages” of other demons, Angel, while sounding somewhat similar to the bloodline fusion, Komodo wouldn’t extract bloodlines, would it? After all, the fusion of bloodlines necessitates a considerable repertoire of compatible spells and materials.
Could it be some demon’s arcane secret?
“Indeed so,” Fafnir exhibited no surprise, instead casting a pitiful glance at Komodo. “Although your strength has seen a rapid upsurge, the issues you’ve overlooked will forever haunt you.”
The sudden change in Komodo’s character, taking on a paradoxically sly nature, is precisely one such issue. After all, both Eudecernos and Minotaur are formidable Great Demons. Their power was on par with Komodo’s prior to injury. Even if Komodo forcibly absorbed them, their intrinsic qualities continue to influence him.
If such lingering troubles aren’t addressed, Komodo could eventually undergo drastic personality shifts. Its preferences, thought processes, even memories could change. By then, whether Komodo remains Komodo is anyone’s guess.
“Overlooked?” Komodo smirked eerily. “Oversights naturally occur. However, am I not here to rectify them?”
As Komodo spoke, its gaze slowly shifted onto Angel.
It was certainly aware of these lingering troubles, but to attain the Source Fire and bolster its power, it had no choice but to proceed. Moreover, Komodo had considered remedies for these troubles, the foremost being awakening.
Once it undergoes the Abyssal Awakening, its issues will undoubtedly be resolved due to the profound transformative power. Moreover, it would integrate the strengths of those two fools, becoming even more formidable.
However, a demon’s awakening isn’t a straightforward task, hence Komodo had set its sights on Angel.
Though it had previously heard the rules of the Phantasmagoria Cabin and had been told by a quite confident demon that the Voyage of Experience only works for water-affinity beings, Komodo didn’t believe it.
Komodo, by nature, was narrow-minded and stubborn. Unless it tried personally, it would never trust a one-sided story.
Moreover, even if Angel’s Voyage of Experience proves ineffective, Komodo isn’t worried.
Once the Source Fire is within its grasp, given its mysterious properties, the problems of lingering troubles can be solved.
However, while Komodo was confident about seizing the Source Fire, given Olucia’s unique status, it’s possible he might encounter some unforeseen strategy and face defeat. Therefore, Komodo hadn’t given up on Angel.
At the very least, it needed to have Angel within its grasp!
…
Komodo’s gaze spoke volumes.
While Angel didn’t know why Komodo thought it could alleviate its issues, he figured it might have something to do with the Voyage of Experience.
While he inwardly sighed, he explained, “The Voyage of Experience from the Rhythm of the Ocean, for those without water affinity…”
After Angel finished speaking, Komodo showed no reaction. It continued to gaze at itself with burning eyes.
Was it not clear what he had explained? Did Komodo not possess the ability to discern the truth?
Komodo ignored Angel’s bewildered expression, instead focusing its attention on Fafnir. It understood that in order to secure Angel, it must first confront Fafnir.
In the past, Komodo might not have been able to overcome Fafnir. However, now, having fused with the blood cocoons of two Great Demons and absorbed countless demon blood, its power had surged tremendously.
It was brimming with confidence, convinced that even if it couldn’t defeat Fafnir in a short period, it certainly wouldn’t lose!
When Komodo turned its gaze on Fafnir, even without uttering a word, Fafnir had already discerned its intentions from the clash of their eyes.
Fafnir understood Komodo’s stubbornness; even if she stated directly that the Voyage of Experience was of no use to it, Komodo would likely not believe it. So she refrained from saying more, merely stating calmly, “He carries a mission from Odeklaes, I cannot possibly let you take him away.”
Facing Fafnir’s refusal, Komodo curled the corner of its lips, “Nothing is absolute. How about we make a deal?”
The standoff between Fafnir and Komodo not only drew the attention of the surrounding demons in secret, but even the humans above the floating iceberg had taken notice.
Time rewinds to a short while ago.
When Popoca activated the master rune node, La Sutherland seemed calm, but significant changes had already taken place. It was at this moment, on the surface of the floating iceberg, that “Pendulum Clock” Lucci, had an unsettling premonition of impending darkness, sending his mind into chaos.
He communicated his forebodings to Mengke. Mengke, too, felt a growing unease, the source of which was the Void Obelisk.
When the shadowy zone first appeared, they had dispatched puppets to investigate. Although many of these puppets disappeared in the shadowy zone, a portion had merely hovered nearby without entering.
Now, with the disappearance of the shadowy zone, Mengke had these puppets investigate the area around it.
Upon investigation, they had not penetrated into the Void Obelisk, but they had detected some unusual activity among the demons.
After carefully observing the demons’ movements, Mengke noticed that they all seemed to share a common target.
Angel!
Chapter 1138 The Puppeteer Behind the Curtain <TOC> Chapter 1140 Speculations on the Floating Iceberg