Chapter 1250 The Mask <TOC> Chapter 1252 Sanctuary of Distant Thoughts
Translator: SumTLMan
Sanders, with a thin squint in his eyes, silently observed Angel’s actions.
Suddenly, Angel’s demeanor changed completely; his eyes glittered, dispersing a green rune.
Sanders felt a subtle sense of foreboding.
All of a sudden, Angel’s gaze fastened onto Sanders. In a flash, a bizarre feeling of oppression spread outward from Angel, radiating like ripples in a pond.
Sanders’ pupils constricted slightly as he found himself influenced by this oppressive aura!
Not only that, but he also discerned a faint phantom behind Angel.
The phantom’s appearance remained elusive, but one could vaguely discern that it towered over Angel. With long golden hair, an indistinct face, the only illuminated place was its right eye position!
Gazing at that luminous right eye, Sanders felt a sudden flash of danger.
As the phantom’s glowing right eye gradually overlapped with Angel’s right eye, the feeling of oppression escalated to an unprecedented level! This oppressive sensation was even more intense than before!
Even though he could still move his body, heart, and soul, there was a sense of sluggishness as if time had been slowed down!
“Incredible!” A ripple of astonishment ran through Sanders. Could the ability of an apprentice affect a true knowledge wizard?! This was beyond possible unless one had the highest level of talent.
As for such top-notch talent, even if an apprentice could tap into it fully, it would at most cause a momentary inconvenience to a true knowledge wizard. Against Sanders, it would have no effect at all. Yet, Angel’s power felt genuinely threatening!
At the moment when this oppression was amplified to its maximum, Angel suddenly sprang into action.
He transformed into a phantom and rushed towards Sanders at a lightning-fast speed, his eyes shimmering with a hidden excitement.
Like a comet flashing across the sky, Angel swiftly appeared before Sanders without a hint of warning, his fists recoiled, aiming directly at Sanders!
Judging by Angel’s demeanor and actions, it was clear he was holding a grudge from their previous encounter outside Ice Valley.
A flicker of amusement flashed through Sanders’ eyes.
Indeed, that was precisely what Angel was thinking. Caught off guard during the previous test outside Ice Valley, he was now ready to return the favor. His plan was to retaliate during the activation of his right eye, in order to settle the old score.
Angel’s thought process was rather straightforward. He knew winning was out of the question, but as long as he could land a hit on Sanders, it would restore his dignity. If he could manage to slightly injure Sanders, that would be even better.
With this thought in mind, Angel’s movements became even more agile. Seeing Sanders remaining still under the influence of his right eye, he couldn’t help feeling a triumphant joy in his heart: “This time, I am the victor!”
Yet, after a moment, Angel’s movements suddenly froze.
Why wasn’t he feeling any physical impact? His punches and kicks felt as if they were striking air!
With confusion in his eyes, Angel lifted his gaze. He was now mere inches away from Sanders and could clearly see the slight smirk tugging at the corners of Sanders’ mouth, his eyes filled with mischief.
Simultaneously, Sanders’ figure started to gradually blur from solidity.
“An… illusion?” Shock filled Angel’s eyes, “How is this possible?! When did the switch occur?”
“The moment you harbored ulterior motives,” Sanders’ voice came from behind him.
Angel turned around, only to see Sanders, wearing a cold smirk, standing behind him. At this moment, the light in Angel’s right eye had dimmed. His accumulated Nightmare Plane aura was too scarce to sustain anything beyond that brief instance.
Without the aid of his right eye and facing Sanders’ close quarters trickery, his fate was predictable.
After a while, Angel, in a daze, could only feel himself getting thoroughly thrashed by Sanders.
Only when he regained his senses did he realize that he had been ensnared within the illusion realm. Sanders, his serene gaze fixed on him, was standing by the desk.
“Arise when you’ve had your fill of this diversion. Our discourse isn’t concluded yet; let’s proceed,” Sanders spoke with an unaffected voice, yet his tone bore a hint of ease it had lacked before.
He had yearned to thrash Angel for a while now, so this opportunity was a welcomed gift. However, knowing there were many matters that required Angel’s explanation, he refrained from physically striking him and instead conjured an illusion.
Having finally escaped from the illusion of being brutally beaten, Angel still felt somewhat dazed. It was with great effort that he managed to stand up.
Once he had somewhat regained his senses, Angel peered at Sanders with bewildered eyes, evidently still ignorant of the series of events that had just unfolded.
“The signs before your attack were all too conspicuous,” Sanders stated succinctly, highlighting the reason behind Angel’s failure.
The deliberate posturing, the sly gaze; these might have ensnared others, but given Sanders’ understanding of Angel, he could guess his intentions from his every movement and utterance.
It was only then that Angel understood where he had erred.
“However, disregarding these external factors and focusing solely on your surprise attack, it was a commendable strategy. Under such pressure, even a formal wizard might have fallen prey. Nevertheless, your methods of ambush require further refinement,” Sanders, although effortlessly breaking Angel’s tactics, had to admit, he genuinely felt threatened facing the pressure from Angel’s right eye.
“Your right eye’s capability isn’t fully developed, is it?” Sanders inquired.
Angel nodded, his expression tinged with disappointment. “As of now, I only know that it can seemingly generate an intimidating aura. However, it drains my nightmare aura drastically. Even if I accumulate energy in the green rune of my right hand for half a month, I could probably only maintain it for a few seconds.”
If this were translated into Nightmare Stone values, it would be truly terrifying.
“It’s not the oppressive sensation of sheer force, but rather, the room for maneuvering is larger when compared to coercion, allowing ample potential for exploration,” Sanders paused, “It seems you have managed to find a silver lining in your predicament this time.”
The Projection Bloodline has reinforced the physical body, granting not only inherited talents through the bloodline but also a skill of terrifying power. Although the energy consumption is substantial, with Angel’s current rudimentary level of development and concealed strength, the ability to influence a wizard of true knowledge implies an incredible potential for future growth!
“Whether it’s a blessing or a curse, I can’t discern,” Angel sighed softly, “I always feel that the more my bloodline tends to resemble him, the stronger this sense of alienation becomes.”
Sanders spoke, “His strength has reached inscrutable levels. He wouldn’t act without purpose. Clearly, you are of some use to him. What that use is, remains unknown.”
“However, given his realm of power, at least for a short time, you won’t be able to reach him. Which means, even if you are of use to him, it’s not the present moment.”
“Perhaps only when you ascend to the legendary realm or higher, will you understand his intent. But until then, you should be safe.”
…
“There is indeed an Undercurrent of Future Worry. But for now, no amount of pondering will yield an answer. It’s like an ant trying to understand the mind of a human. The level is different, and even trying to think about it is laughable.” Having concluded his point, Sanders shifted the topic, “Go on, I understand the matter of the Projection Bloodline. What’s next? The power of the True Spirit, there must be many people coveting it, right?”
Angel nodded, “When he left, he bestowed upon me a set of memories. These memories encapsulate everything that transpired. Simultaneously, they caution me that countless gazes are now fixed on the Tan Continent. Although I am not certain of the origin of these gazes, they are undoubtedly lusting after the power of the True Spirit.”
“The power of the True Spirit was still bound into a tree by the green rune. At that moment, I had but one choice — to release it to the Original Tan Continent, which was on the brink of overturning. Such an act could beckon the Will of the Abyss, making the situation within the Original Tan Continent undetectable to outsiders for a short time. This could buy me time to make my escape.”
Upon hearing this, even though Sanders winced at the idea of losing such vast spiritual power, he could not deny that it was probably the best choice at that moment.
From last night till the break of dawn, he had been analyzing the situation. His greatest worry was the fall of the Demon God’s True Spirit, which would inevitably attract the attention of the Abyss powerhouses towards Angel.
Now, he finally felt relieved. From Angel’s choice to him standing in front of Sanders alive and well, it was clear he had successfully evaded those prying eyes.
Apparently, the memories ‘he’ left for Angel had taken into account all the circumstances Angel would be in.
Angel: “Next, I dispersed the power of the True Spirit to the Original Tan Continent. Then, when the Will of the Abyss descended, I began looking for an exit.”
“And what about the others? The soul of Olucia and that Young Fire Demon, did you let them go?”
Angel nodded, sharing how Greaves had saved Toby before.
“If it weren’t for Greaves, Toby might have already vanished into the void. So…”
Sanders nodded. He knew what place Toby held in Angel’s heart. As for the soul of Olucia, even though it was valuable, it was still not comparable to her body.
But Angel just let Olucia go without fearing future retribution. She even held onto two Source Fires. Sanders couldn’t help but feel a little heartbroken.
“You have to take responsibility for your decisions. I hope you won’t regret it,” Sanders didn’t continue to probe into the topic, only offering this reminder.
At this point, Sanders finally began to relax. In his mind, Angel’s shenanigans should have ended.
In the aftermath, it would presumably be a pedestrian endeavor of locating an exit, then departing from the expansive Tan Continent. At most, there might be a few intriguing happenstances, such as obtaining Kurland’s black feather.
Following that, until he sought out Angel, the interval was merely a matter of days. During this period, Angel appeared to be unscathed, hinting at a journey that likely progressed smoothly.
However, when Angel began to recount his experiences, he realized that his assumptions had been incorrect.
“At the other end of the continent, someone was calling me.”
Angel’s opening statement immediately brought a crease of intensity to Sanders’ gaze. It led him to a hasty inference — could it be that the events unfolding here were being watched by someone else, apart from Greaves and Popoca?
Setting aside Popoca, who was temporarily under their control, and owing to a certain dangerous equilibrium, it was unlikely that Greaves and Olucia would disclose the matters occurring here.
But if there were others in the know, then the likelihood of Angel being exposed would surge dramatically!
Chapter 1250 The Mask <TOC> Chapter 1252 Sanctuary of Distant Thoughts