Chapter 1238 The Young Man <TOC> Chapter 1240 Lifting the Curse
Translator: SumTLMan
According to Greaves, his youthful appearance is referred to as a semi-mature form.
It is the preliminary state of the Rune Fire Demons.
Once a Young Fire Demon matures into a Rune Fire Demon, the energy expenditure to maintain its true form is not something a newly matured Rune Fire Demon can sustain. Hence, most Rune Fire Demons activate a semi-mature state that allows for a lower energy consumption.
Not until their power has grown, their energy reserves filled, does this beginner state gradually disappear among the Rune Fire Demons.
It does sound much like the low-consumption concept in mechanical alchemy.
Once the low-consumption mode is activated, the energy loss of the entity is minimized.
Angel pondered, demons might not have developed special structures of knowledge, but many concepts from their survival philosophy have filled the missing link. Take this classic “keeping a low profile” strategy for instance.
In the subsequent period, Greaves stayed in Ice Valley to recover from his injuries.
However, Greaves didn’t stay long. After about two days, he was reasonably healed and prepared to return to the Demon Monastery.
As Greaves prepared to leave, he gave Angel a gift.
——Two Source Fires, one purple, one white.
Angel, seeing the two Source Fires floating in Greaves’ palm, asked in confusion, “Wasn’t the Source Fire the very objective of Olucia’s journey to La Sutherland? Why, you no longer want it?”
Greaves shook his head: “Lady Olucia only needed the Source Fire to activate the divine flame relic. Now that the relic has been activated and my lady has received what she wanted, she instructed me to deliver these two Source Fires to you.”
“To me?”
Greaves nodded, “Yes, Lady Olucia also asked me to pass on a message to you.”
“The characters in the script may bear similarities, yet every stage is unique. You have transcended your own stage to become my savior, this is what you deserve.”
Greaves solemnly echoed Olucia’s emphasis before reluctantly passing the purple and white Source Fires to Angel.
Angel paused for a moment, understanding that Olucia was responding to his previous “stage and character” comment. It now seemed that Olucia genuinely didn’t care about her body, letting go of the obsession with the past.
Without the bonds of the past, Angel suddenly felt that Olucia’s future might go even further than he had imagined.
Angel chuckled quietly and accepted the Source Fires from Greaves. Although these two Source Fires had been slightly consumed and were not as vigorous as his own, who would ever think having many Source Fires is too much?
After receiving the Source Fire, Greaves lingered, observing Angel. After some time passed without a word from Angel, he inquired with a touch of confusion, “Shop owner, don’t you need me to deliver a message to Lady Olucia?”
“No,” Angel paused, then continued, “However, I do have something I want to say to you.”
Greaves looked at Angel quizzically.
“I will probably leave in a few days and will not return to the Abyss unless something major happens. I hope that by the time we meet again, you’ve become a Rune Fire Demon, and furthermore, that we won’t be adversaries.”
“We won’t be adversaries,” Greaves declared with certainty.
Angel, however, avoided such definitive statements, then added, “If you ever need to contact me, you can leave a message for Vaudeurs Lord. Without unforeseen events, my next visit to the Abyss would be to fulfill a promise to him. Of course, the prerequisite is your ability to enter the Tan Continent.”
Greaves nodded, “It’s a bit difficult to enter the Tan Continent from Moliere Land, but one can get in through the void. I may not know the way, but Lady Olucia does.”
Angel gave a slight laugh upon hearing this but said no more, bidding Greaves farewell as he left Ice Valley.
There were no heartfelt goodbyes or lingering words; Greaves simply stepped away from Angel’s life, however momentarily.
Once Greaves had left, Angel sunk into contemplation.
It had nothing to do with Greaves but rather, he remembered Madeline, who had initially pursued Greaves.
Madeline had once spoken of something before leaving.
Ethel was indeed Dongola, and Ethel must have a reason for concealing her identity. Yet, her decision to reveal herself must hold some value.
The catalyst for Ethel’s disclosure was Angel.
Madeline had suspicions that Dongola might have noticed him. No, not might — she definitely had noticed Angel.
This attention was not meant ambiguously. Madeline earnestly cautioned Angel, “Dongola is a dangerous Karabian with a fascination for dissecting the bodies she’s interested in, far beyond an average person’s interest. If she’s fixated on you, she must be interested in some part of you, perhaps your skull, your body, or your limbs. You must stay alert around her and, most importantly, protect yourself.”
Often times, your worst enemy is the one who knows you best.
Back at the shores of the Silent Dead Sea, Madeline was able to discern a connection between Ethel and Dongola from the faintest of clues. Now, she’s inferred from certain details that Ethel is indeed Dongola. Clearly, Madeline’s understanding of Dongola is far superior to that of the average person.
Back at the Cold Ancient Ruins, Angel was puzzled as to why Ethel suddenly attacked him. Madeline’s explanation now forced him to take this possibility seriously.
Perhaps Dongola really had set her sights on him.
The urgency to enhance his abilities was imminent. With a slight sigh in his heart, Angel returned to Ice Valley.
…
On the eleventh day after Angel had handed the Firestone over to Odeklaes, Olucia, who had been in seclusion in the Underground Fire Crystal Mine, finally appeared in the Ice Crystal Palace.
Upon his emergence, Odeklaes’ first action was to summon Angel.
Upon Angel’s arrival at the Ice Crystal Palace, he noticed that Odeklaes was maintaining a humanoid form. Although his overall appearance remained unchanged, Angel could perceive that the faint aura of frostiness that Odeklaes typically exuded had significantly lessened.
However, the diminishing of the frost aura did not mean that Odeklaes had become warmer in demeanor.
Even when facing Angel, whom he acknowledged as a friend, Odeklaes still maintained his aloof demeanor. “I have recovered some of my strength,” he stated dispassionately, “I can now lift the curse from your bird.”
Angel twitched a corner of his mouth, ignoring the slightly odd phrasing of ‘your bird’, and promptly brought out Toby.
Odeklaes glanced at the green runes swirling around Toby. Although curious, he did not investigate further.
Levitating Toby into mid-air with an outstretched hand, he instructed, “You can now withdraw the green rune.”
Following Odeklaes’ directive, Angel retracted the green rune back into his own eyes. This act once again sparked speculation in Odeklaes’ eyes, but he refrained from inquiring further.
Suddenly, without Angel even knowing what Odeklaes did, a faint firelight surrounded Toby. This firelight not only suspended him in the air but also gradually burned away the curse of doom within him.
“Do not disturb it,” Odeklaes instructed. “In two days, its curse will be dispelled.”
With these words, Odeklaes turned to leave the palace. Angel quickly called after him, “Lord Odeklaes, may I ask you some questions?”
Odeklaes paused, turning his gaze back towards Angel. While he didn’t verbalize a response, his action implied consent.
“I wish to know more about Feng,” Angel said.
Odeklaes observed Angel in silence for several seconds, his heterochromatic eyes twinkling with a hidden light. Finally, he gave a slight nod, “You may.”
Lifting his gaze, Odeklaes walked leisurely towards the mural at the forefront of the palace. Using the mural as a starting point, he began discussing his human friend from hundreds of years ago.
Although Odeklaes’ voice was cold, it was brimming with detectable emotion.
Outside the palace, the wind howled, and snow swirled. Inside, the palace lamps burned brightly. Accompanied by that age-old, prolonged voice, a piece of unknown history was gradually being unveiled.
Even after Odeklaes finished his narration and left the Ice Crystal Palace, Angel still lingered within the story.
Not because the story was complicated, but because it contained many pieces of information that were worthy of Angel’s careful contemplation.
According to Odeklaes, Feng had sought him out of his own accord.
At that time, Bina Jonis had already experienced a drastic event, and Odeklaes was at a loss. He guarded the future of Ice Valley, which was shrouded in darkness, without hope.
Then, Feng arrived.
An ancient figure of azure, his eyes creased with mirth, said to Odeklaes before he made his move, “I am a painter. If you’d like, I can assist you in creating a masterpiece.”
Odeklaes, as if possessed by an unfathomable force, halted his actions. He declined the offer of this sage named Feng, yet found himself drawn to Feng’s artworks, hoping to acquire the ability to paint from him.
From that moment, Feng stayed within the confines of Ice Valley for a certain period of time.
The events that unfolded were ordinary, trivial even. Feng devotedly tutored Odeklaes in the art of painting, yet Odeklaes struggled to manifest the vision he held in his heart onto the canvas.
Feng proposed an alternative. He claimed to possess a method that could assist Odeklaes in bringing his imagined artwork to life. The trade-off: Odeklaes would abstain from instigating conflicts against humans in the future.
In the end, the painting was completed, and Feng left, his face adorned with a blissful grin.
This brief account merely scratches the surface of the interactions between Odeklaes and Feng. After all, Feng had spent several years here, and there were a myriad of details buried within this span of time. For instance, the reconstruction of the Ice Crystal Palace was under the guidance of Feng. Additionally, Feng shared many stories and experiences with Odeklaes.
These intricate details are what Angel had his eyes set on.
Angel noted that among the myriad of topics discussed between Feng and Odeklaes, a considerable portion was dedicated to the subject of human wizards. For instance, Feng outlined the tripartite structure of human wizardry, expounded on what the system constitutes, and explained the unwritten rules of wizards.
The reason Odeklaes handed the mission of the Firestone crafting to Angel was due to Angel’s claim of being an alchemist. Feng, in his time, had shared the lore of alchemy with him.
Beyond the matters concerning human wizards, Feng discussed seemingly trivial affairs that held little apparent significance.
When it came to divulging personal matters, Feng was the most reserved.
Chapter 1238 The Young Man <TOC> Chapter 1240 Lifting the Curse