Translator: SumTLMan
Angel’s initial endeavor met with failure.
And not just any failure — it was one that emerged not long after the onset of his venture.
The cause was not a flaw in the alchemical process but simply Angel himself. An error crept into his control of strength, leading to a fracture in the fragment of Firestone he intended to synthesize.
Although only a minor crack was formed, Angel could easily have replaced the Firestone fragment. Yet, he chose to extinguish his fire and temporarily discard the materials already consumed.
Such decisive action was driven by the desire to avoid future regret after depleting precious resources.
Control of strength, although never prioritized by alchemists, is like humans needing to breathe. It’s an instinct, seemingly unimportant but as essential as marrow in the bones.
Thus, Angel paused.
Fortunately, he noticed the error early enough; the consumed materials were not too numerous, allowing for some degree of caprice.
After this pause, Angel didn’t immediately resume his alchemy but embarked on targeted strength training, hoping to master his upgraded physical strength sooner.
In no time, two days had passed. Through these two days of training, Angel was able to stabilize the control of strength in his hands. It was then he realized just how substantial the enhancement of his physical strength had been.
Compared to his past self, the increase was immeasurable. Previously, his mental strength surpassed the physical, although not by much. Now, his physical strength far outweighed his mental strength by a large margin.
Converted into energy level, Angel estimated it to be at least equivalent to the standard of a bloodline wizard!
However, this was only in terms of strength. When it came to skill… Angel was virtually clueless. Reflecting on his previous battle with Zefal, it was clear he was merely bluffing his way through, and it was only due to Zefal’s unpreparedness that Angel managed to attack him at close range. Otherwise, Angel would definitely not have been a match for Zefal.
Fortunately, skills can be learned, but physical standards are not easy to breach.
That Angel has achieved such a physical standard can be attributed to his higher starting point compared to other apprentices. It should be noted that many non-bloodline wizards only reach Angel’s current physical standard after advancing to a second level wizard or breaking through the true knowledge level!
And Angel is still an apprentice, which means he has even more room for growth and breakthroughs!
Having recorded additional information about his situation on the page of his notebook related to ‘Projection Bloodline’, Angel then shifted his gaze back to the materials at hand.
Having already lost two days, he had no intention of further wasting time.
After a detailed examination of his hand strength, ensuring there were no errors, Angel promptly commenced his alchemy.
With the flames soaring, the alchemical process to synthesize the Firestone was officially restarted.
This round of alchemy was noticeably smoother than the previous one, flowing like a river without any mistakes. However, three hours into Angel’s alchemy, he suddenly felt the essence blood of Sanders in his pocket starting to heat up…
Sanders stood outside Ice Valley, in front of him was the cursed Valley of Snowstorms.
He didn’t rashly venture in, even though if he did, given Odeklaes’s personality, he probably wouldn’t pay any attention. However, removing a curse was no small feat.
Sanders decided to try to contact Angel through his essence blood first.
Previously, when Fafnir was with Angel, it was very difficult to use the essence blood as a medium to contact Angel, so he assumed it would be troublesome this time too. Surprisingly, the connection through the essence blood was very smooth.
However, despite Sanders repeatedly calling, he didn’t receive a response from Angel.
“Could it be that Angel encountered some disaster? Or perhaps his essence blood is not on him, but has been picked up by someone else?” As Sanders imagined all sorts of scenarios, after a long wait, the essence blood finally sent a reply.
“I’m busy with alchemy, mentor, will reply later.”
Sanders: “…” Reply later? What kind of term is that? It’s a strange new term!
The tone on the other side was very hurried, but Angel’s voice was distinctive, and Sanders realized that the person on the other side must be Angel.
Though his wording was peculiar, the message was clear.
——He was busy with alchemy and could not be disturbed for the moment.
The reason sounded legitimate, but… it was rather frustrating! He was worried about Angel and rushed over as soon as he could, only to get a curt “will reply later” from him!
Sanders rubbed his throbbing temples, trying to soothe his emotions. What could he do, after all, he couldn’t just barge in.
Doing so would not only curse him, Angel would still be engrossed in his alchemy. It was a lose-lose situation.
Sanders always felt that one day, his apprentices would be the death of him, especially Angel, who he initially thought would be the least trouble but turned out to be the most headache inducing.
After a long while, Sanders let out a long sigh: “Never mind, at least he is safe now.”
…
Angel was unaware of Sanders’s predicament. Once he confirmed that Sanders was near Ice Valley, his previously uneasy mood settled down.
He proceeded with his alchemy with even more focus.
The alchemy this time took a full three days, without a single misstep on the journey. Angel had successfully arrived at the moment of final item creation.
During the process of alchemy, Angel felt the terrifying energy held within the Firestone. He then realized why the Firestone was referred to as the “treasure of legends” in the Abyss, enjoying a renowned reputation even in the Wizarding World.
From the fluctuations produced by the semi-finished Firestone, Angel could already ascertain that among all his creations, the Firestone undoubtedly possessed the highest energy!
So, as the moment to produce the final product drew close, Angel began to feel anxious.
He was unsure how terrifying the alchemy omen of such a high-energy item would be. Angel started to worry if he would be able to cross the Vision Space trial.
At this point, signs of omens had started appearing in the external world.
Clouds gathered in the sky, and amidst the snowstorm of Ice Valley, faint sparks occasionally fluttered down.
Even though they were but tiny sparks, in the Eternal Ice Valley, unless Odeklaes intervened, such a broad presence of fire element was almost impossible to witness.
Simultaneously, Odeklaes, standing in front of Bina Jonis’ mural, also slowly turned his head to look outside.
A rare hint of surprise appeared on his eternally indifferent face.
He had always held doubts about whether Angel could create the Firestone. How precious the Firestone was, Odeklaes was well aware. This pure energy of fire was the pursuit of all fire-related beings in the Abyss. Even the Lord of Fire who had broken through that realm, if they obtained the Firestone, could use it as a reserve of energy.
This showcased the value of the Firestone.
The deal Odeklaes initially proposed to Angel was completely unequal, and he didn’t believe Angel could accomplish it. Yet, he held a sliver of hope: what if a miracle really happened?
Unexpectedly, it seemed like Angel might have really done it?
A rare delight surfaced in Odeklaes’ eyes. Because of Bina Jonis’ condition, Odeklaes was reluctant to leave Ice Valley. However, staying here, he would be damaged by the frigid conditions, causing his powers to greatly wane over the years. It wasn’t that Odeklaes didn’t pursue power, rather, external forces didn’t allow him to. But if he had the Firestone, considering its restorative properties, his powers could not only return to their peak, but also he wouldn’t have to worry about a decrease in power in the future, even if he stayed in Ice Valley!
Perhaps, there could be even further possibilities!
With these thoughts, Odeklaes’ heart, frozen for many years, seemed to gradually warm up.
Odeklaes deeply gazed outside, then turned to look at the mural on the wall. In a moment of remembrance, he seemed to witness the scene when the painting was originally created.
That human named “Feng”, instructing him on how to paint, stroke by stroke.
No matter how hard he tried to paint, it seemed he couldn’t portray Bina Jonis more vividly.
During a moment of despondency in Odeklaes’ life, Feng suddenly proposed, “I can impart to you a method that will allow you to pour your innermost sentiments — your thoughts, your yearnings, your fond remembrances — onto paper with a pen, and even, to enshrine her spirit within a painting.”
Upon voicing this, Feng tantalized Odeklaes’ intrigue, then shifted the conversation, stating, “However, I require a pledge from you.”
“You must vow not to harm humans unless they provoke you first.”
It was precisely because of this pact with Feng that Odeklaes refrained from harming humans for many years and ultimately crossed paths with Angel, centuries later.
“So, is this the cyclic nature of gains and losses you referred to?” Odeklaes turned to the mural, and for the first time in many years, a touch of warmth seeped into his otherwise impassive gaze.
……
In the instant the finished product manifested.
A surge of crimson light erupted, the whistling blizzard outside morphed into a flurry of flames in the blink of an eye.
Witnessing this spectacle, both Odeklaes and Popoca understood that Angel had succeeded. The legendary treasure had materialized here and now!
Odeklaes had even teleported directly outside Angel’s door without knocking, basking in the fiery wind, patiently awaiting what was to come.
Meanwhile, Angel inside the room was draped in puzzlement.
The alchemy omen sign he had been waiting for did indeed faintly appear outside, but it was not as grand as he had imagined, not even as significant as the vision when he was crafting “Reincarnation” for Promi.
Moreover, he did experience the so-called Vision Space.
It was simply a test of will against a sea of fire, a journey through a fiery expanse, to reach a distant mountain peak. What’s more, this sea of fire wasn’t a complete inferno, as many parts were void, hence even an average person, given they didn’t fear the heat and had a strong will, could traverse it — and Angel had certainly done so.
When Angel reached the distant mountain peak, he thought it would be like the time when he crafted “Blood Night Sanctuary”, expecting a harsher, deeper vision awaiting his challenge. Yet…the Vision Space simply vanished.
Angel, holding a stone radiating a red glow, was utterly flummoxed at the Vanishing Omen.
“Is this… the end?”