Chapter 1247 The Present Circumstances <TOC> Chapter 1249 Ponder
Translator: SumTLMan
Popoca cast a glance at Angel. He had only heard of Sanders through rumours and was unfamiliar with the man’s specific circumstances. Equally, he did not trust him.
The only one he could trust now was Angel.
Noticing Angel’s nod, Popoca mulled over his words for a moment before he began to tell his tale.
Sanders naturally noticed this exchange but wore no trace of displeasure. On the contrary, he inwardly approved of such behaviour. It reflected indirectly that Angel was gradually undergoing a transformation.
As Popoca spoke, no one interjected. In the tranquil outdoor study, besides the gentle rustle of the wind and the swaying of grass and trees, there was only Popoca’s hoarse voice, which was inexplicably moving.
Popoca started from the tragedy of the past and continued till the tumult he stirred in La Sutherland.
However, in the end, Popoca was defeated. His downfall was due to his incomplete understanding of the Profound Lord and the sinister tricks of the Demon God.
As Sanders listened, his emotions remained relatively stable. Back in the time of the Void Obelisk, Angel had already figured out a good portion of Popoca’s story. What Popoca narrated now merely filled in the last pieces of the puzzle.
Even though Sanders was indifferent, he could understand from a humanistic perspective why Popoca did what he did.
Regrettably, without power, one is but a castle in the sky. Having no authority and no strength was the original sin.
This wasn’t just about Popoca but also encompassed the series of actions he represented, including the downfall of the Laudsourcians. Weren’t all these instances a classic case of the possession of a treasure leading to one’s own calamity?
After all, the Wizarding World is not a society of order, nor is it a world where gods observe the land from above, setting clear orders and red lines.
From the narration of Popoca, Sanders gleaned many secret fortunes that he had not heard of before. For instance, a question that plagues all wizards: where exactly did the Laudsourcians hide the Source Fire? The answer to this, Popoca provided——The Ancestral Laudsourcian Altar.
Popoca’s account continued until he brought Angel and others to the Tan Continent, omitting the remaining matters that involved the Demon God and some of Angel’s secrets.
“Now your strength has fallen, and your physical form is teetering on the brink of collapse. It seems that your plans have failed,” Sanders paused for a moment, “But there is not much sorrow in your eyes, which indicates that your obsession has not yet reached a total defeat. So, the one who resolved your obsession, must be… Angel, isn’t it?”
Popoca gently nodded in affirmation.
Sanders refrained from commenting further, but instead tapped lightly on the table with his index finger, producing a crisp sound. It seemed like a tranquil action, yet a ripple slowly diffused with the sound. When the ripple covered Popoca, his gaze suddenly started to become confused.
Before long, Popoca slumped dizzily to the ground, unconscious.
“I have a basic understanding of his situation. The events that followed should be connected with you, right?” Sanders looked towards Angel. Seeing Angel nod in affirmation, he asked curiously, “Why did Popoca think you could help him?”
Angel demonstrated the answer with his actions.
Angel remained standing still in his place, but the Mark of Flame on his earlobe radiated a bright light!
Sanders only felt a blur before his eyes, a strange yet familiar rhythm was suddenly captured by Sanders. When he took a closer look, he discovered a faint yellow flame crawling out from the Mark of Flame. As if alive, it meandered around Angel.
This flame looked ordinary, but it was filled with a strange rhythm that inspired a desire to prostrate in worship.
This was the primordial fire, the flame that burned at the birth of civilization, the common belief of all fire-worshipping tribes——Source Fire!
Sanders could only feel his heart beating rapidly, as he stared at the Source Fire, his eyes inevitably flashing with greed.
After a considerable moment, Sanders managed to suppress the urge to lunge forward and seize the object. He closed his eyes, restraining his tone, “I understand, you may put it away now.”
Only when the fluctuations of the Source Fire had dissipated did Sanders open his eyes again. After subduing the greed in his heart, his mind became much clearer, allowing him to observe this pale yellow Source Fire from an impartial standpoint.
He was very aware that this pale yellow Source Fire was probably the one that had finally drifted out of that painting and had chosen Angel as its host.
At that time, the others were unable to move, and it was acceptable that the Source Fire chose Angel. But as Angel was taken away by Popoca, it made no sense for it to continuously linger by Angel’s side. Not only was Popoca, who was then in a delirious state, desperately in need of it, but the Flameless Lord who had followed would not have let such a treasure slip by.
Yet now, the Source Fire was still with Angel, which seemed to imply something… a frightening prospect upon deeper reflection.
Temporarily setting aside the multitude of doubts in his heart, Sanders continued to inquire about Popoca’s matter, “Are you planning to use the Source Fire to help Popoca, to ignite the Ancestral Altar of the Laudsourcians?”
“Yes,” Angel admitted without any attempt at concealment.
Sanders’ eyes reflected deep implications, “Are you aware of what kind of existence the Source Fire holds for a wizard?”
“I’m aware, but I’m not exactly helping Popoca. Given Popoca’s current strength, he is not capable of sensing the existence of the Ancestral Laudsourcian Altar.”
“I plan on aiding Totoro.”
A look of sudden realization dawned on Sanders. Totoro was also a Laudsourcian, a piece of information he naturally knew.
Considering Totoro’s performance and his reverence towards Angel, it was safe to classify Totoro under Angel’s faction. This implied that Totoro was also part of the lineage of the Phantom Island.
Totoro’s prophecy abilities were extremely powerful, proving invaluable not only for Phantom Island but also for the entire Savage Grottoes.
Totoro and Angel have always shared an intimate bond. Their relationship was strengthened further when Angel allowed Totoro to ignite the Ancestral Laudsourcian Altar, effectively tying Totoro’s fate to theirs. This was indeed beneficial for Angel, and by extension, Phantom Island.
Though the Source Fire is exceptional, its enhancement was best suited for beings of the fire element.
When Angel passed the Source Fire to Totoro, it was akin to bestowing an immeasurable grace upon the Laudsourcian tribe. Currently, the tribe consists only of Totoro and Popoca, but the future remains unpredictable.
If the Laudsourcian tribe rises again, having this favor on record will undeniably position Phantom Island as the grand beneficiary.
Pondering over this, Sanders started to accept Angel’s approach. However, the thought of spending such a precious Source Fire, even though it was not his, made Sanders wince. After all, the Source Fire was a treasure difficult to come by!
Angel, on the other hand, did not think as far ahead as Sanders. He was not on a grand mission to restore the Laudsourcian tribe, nor did he foresee reaping extensive benefits years down the line. His motivation was simply his desire to help Totoro, nothing more.
Besides, Angel had more than one Source Fire. He still had the purple and white Source Fire tucked away in his bracelet.
But he didn’t disclose the existence of the purple and white Source Fire to anyone. Not even Popoca was aware of it. It was his trump card, kept close to his chest.
As for revealing the corpses of Olucia and the Demon God later on? Angel would not hesitate to deny. The matter was of significant importance and laid the foundation for a series of revelations to follow. As Popoca was already aware of the corpses, there was no possibility of concealment.
“Handing it to Totoro sounds reasonable. However, he’s still a ways off from becoming a formal wizard. You might want to hold onto this Source Fire for now. Use this time to study it, it might help with your fire spells.” Sanders nodded in agreement with Angel’s approach.
Pausing for a moment, Sanders set aside the question of how to use the Source Fire and began to ask why it remained with Angel.
Sanders’ tone was cautious; he had a premonition that from this point forward, they were about to take a roller coaster ride of revelations.
Angel: “The reason why the Source Fire wasn’t snatched away by Popoca is because someone ambushed us on the way.”
A glimmer of anticipation shone in Sanders’ eyes: “The Flameless Lord?”
Angel, lost in thought, nodded: “Indeed, it’s the Flameless Lord.”
“Is the sudden fall of Popoca’s strength also due to the Flameless Lord?” Sanders queried.
“The main reason is the Flameless Lord, but the deeper reason lies in his misjudgment of the Profound Lord.” Angel proceeded to narrate the initial battle between Popoca and the Flameless Lord, elaborating on the subsequent incident where Popoca requested for descent but achieved nothing.
“Demon Gods too are creatures driven by benefits; they wouldn’t launch an attack against another powerful being without an advantageous circumstance. Popoca made a mistake when he chose the Profound Lord as his backing,” Sanders reflected.
Having said that, looking back, without the Profound Lord, could Popoca have muddied the waters of La Sutherland with his strength alone? Perhaps choosing the Profound Lord was indeed a mistake, but considering Popoca’s position, his choices were indeed limited.
“And then? Did the Flameless Lord ignore the Source Fire within you after defeating Popoca?”
“I am not sure whether it cared about the Source Fire within me because it was at this time that Olucia woke up.”
Angel paused, not leaving him in suspense, and continued, “Olucia fought against the Flameless Lord, and she lost.”
This answer was not beyond Sanders’ expectation. Even though Angel mentioned that the Flameless Lord didn’t descend in its True Form, but used an Avatar instead, it still completely overpowered Olucia in terms of vision and experience.
“And then?”
“After that, I had a fight with the Flameless Lord.”
Angel’s expression was calm and his eyes were devoid of any ripples, yet he revealed a fact that sounded like a fantastical tale to Sanders.
Sanders swallowed hard. Since Angel had fought the Flameless Lord, there had to be an outcome. He was unaware of what happened to the Flameless Lord, but Angel was right in front of him, alive and well.
Sanders hesitated and asked, “What happened then?”
“I won.”
Sanders, “? ? ?”
Chapter 1247 The Present Circumstances <TOC> Chapter 1249 Ponder