Chapter 1252 Sanctuary of Distant Thoughts <TOC> Chapter 1254 Shepherd City Beneath the Thick Fog
Translator: SumTLMan
If one were to denote the stronghold cities of the original Tan Continent as “headquarters”, then the Phase Gateway would undoubtedly serve as the “transportation”.
For lower-level apprentices, the Phase Gateway is essentially futile. However, for any high-level combatant, the Phase Gateway represents an escape route. It leads to the other Phase Planes of the Abyss and, from there, provides a passage to the corresponding Wizarding World!
Traditionally, if a wizard wished to reach other wizarding domains, they would have to cross vast spatial-temporal distances, a journey that could span several decades or even centuries.
But if one could depart via the Phase Gateway, a significant amount of time would be conserved!
Even if, as Angel suggested, one has to pay a certain price and trade with Vaudeurs Lord for permission to use it, it would still prove irresistible to wizards! It must be noted, the Phase Gateway was once held in the hands of the elite Demon Lord, untouchable by human beings!
One could argue that if they knew about the existence of such a Phase Gateway in Cold Ancient City, and that it only required a deal to be used, probably all the wizard organizations in the Southern Region would be driven mad!
Although Sanders currently has no intention of leaving the Southern Region, upon hearing about the Phase Gateway, he was still moved. Because not leaving now doesn’t mean he would always stay in the Southern Region. The limitations of the Southern Region are too restrictive, and the true core for a wizard is the Source World! Through the Phase Gateway, one can reach other Wizarding Realms and set foot in the Source World!
After a moment of trance, Sanders glanced deeply at Angel, at a loss for words.
The surprises, or rather, shocks Angel has brought in these two days were simply one after another.
Thinking back, when Angel initially mentioned his enlightenment mentor was a human from another world… what’s the big deal about that? The situations he has stirred up since then, each one is more significant than that.
Sanders massaged his throbbing temples: “This matter is of great importance, let’s keep it a secret for now. No one should speak of it.”
Angel responded, “Coincidentally, even if humans settle in the original Tan Continent, they’re forbidden to go to the fort city. So, for the time being, only we know about this.”
Sanders gave a curt nod, refraining from any further comment. The revelations of the day had been a seismic shock to him, he needed a moment to regain his bearings.
However, this time Sanders did not send Angel away, instead, he exited the Gravity Garden with him. Urgent matters were now stacked one upon another, they could ill afford to dally any longer in Shepherd City.
“We’ll head back to the Savage Grottoes first, everything else can wait until we return,” declared Sanders, taking the lead and exiting the room.
Angel followed him in silence.
They traversed the corridors and on their way to the foyer, Sanders still seemed somewhat dazed.
It was only when Angel spoke up that Sanders came back to himself.
“Mentor, should we pay a visit to Sridhar before we leave?” They were at a crossroads leading to the antique store and the exit, prompting Angel’s question.
Sanders pondered for a moment before nodding, “Might as well, we can say our goodbyes before we leave.”
Before they could get close to the main hall of the antique store, they could hear the voice of Sridhar emanating from within. Unlike when they had conversed with him earlier, Sridhar’s voice now carried an alluring charm. It was seemingly gentle, yet every word was imbued with subtle persuasion, reminiscent of an old trickster trying to lure a child with candy.
Angel looked at Sanders, who moved his lips slightly, whispering, “Seems like the old fellow is once again playing the role of the ‘demon’.”
“Shall we still go in?” Angel glanced towards the nearby door, which stood ajar. A crimson curtain was the only barrier. From the edges of the curtain, the radiance of multiple silhouettes could be seen, indicating Sridhar’s guests.
“We’ll wait,” Sanders suggested, not wanting to disrupt his old friend, Sridhar.
Although they decided not to enter, Angel, driven by curiosity, peeked through the gap in the curtain. From Sanders’ previous story, —The Florist Who Danced For Sin—, Sridhar was a demon who brought both hope and despair to the protagonist. The story’s inciting incident was the protagonist striking a deal with Sridhar. Was Sridhar making a deal now?
“Since you have followed the intuition of your heart and found your way to me, it seems you are ready for a trade,” The voice of Sridhar is peculiar, bearing a ‘seductive’ flavor. The last time Angel experienced this sensation was from the Panaces Succubus ‘Hai’.
“Yes,” responds a young, refined lady, her opulent dress adorned with a pattern of violet orchids. Alongside her impeccable demeanor, she exudes an aura of grace.
“Last time, you traded your offspring with me to become the mistress of the Commerce Association. Are you considering another trade with me now?” Sridhar speaks lightly.
“I didn’t expect him to detect my poison on his deathbed, and secretly leave a will with his lawyers, leaving all his property to his ex-wife. On the brink of death, he still struggles! The will has been notarized and I have no way around it. Hence, I can only request your assistance, noble Sridhar.” The lady bows elegantly, “As long as I can secure the Commerce Association, all the antiques obtained by the association from various countries in the future will be offered to you.”
“That’s not enough.” A dim light flashes in Sridhar’s eyes, as he half-closes his eyelids, “At present, the Commerce Association does not belong to you, so these are only future promises. In my view, their value is not high. Therefore, you need to offer something more.”
The lady frowns slightly, “Noble Sridhar, you should be aware of what I can offer. What do you desire?”
“Your youth, your lifespan, or perhaps… your other offspring.”
Sridhar’s words cause the lady to stagger. She wants to take control of the Commerce Association, but how could she offer her life? When a person dies, all becomes nothing. Absolutely not!
But when it comes to her youthful beauty and her eight-year-old son, how should she choose?
She doesn’t want to part with her child, yet the thought of sacrificing her youth and beauty feels like a knife twisting in her heart.
The lady bites her pearl-like teeth, hesitating.
What she doesn’t see is that above her, a human-like mechanical puppet is floating. Its eyeballs are blood-red, watching her with a cold, ghostly gaze.
After an eternity, the noble lady seemed to have made her decision: “Fine, I’ll trade my youth, no… I’ll trade… my offspring!”
After uttering these words, she appeared to have lost all her strength.
Yet, she still mumbled in a low voice, “It’s fine if I lose my child, I can have another one. Don’t blame your mother, I am innocent. It’s this demon, he is the one trying to steal you away!”
Sridhar naturally heard her murmurings, but offered no reaction, instead nodding with a smile: “Deal. You may leave now. Within three days, you will have what you desire.”
The noble lady nodded, her departure marked by a sense of disgrace.
At this moment, the sound of mechanical gears humming filled the air from behind. The noble lady turned in puzzlement, discovering a mechanical puppet floating in the air, its hands stirring the void and generating the noise.
For some reason, looking at this mechanical puppet, she felt a sense of familiarity… Was it perhaps similar to her firstborn?
The noble lady shook her head vigorously, beginning to hypnotize herself: “No, it’s not. I must have seen it wrong.”
Sridhar glanced at the hovering mechanical puppet, and smiled at the young noblewoman, “You’re probably the only one who has made two trades with me, and is still intact. You should be thankful. You have given birth to two extraordinary children.”
As he spoke, Sridhar stroked the head of the mechanical puppet, which responded by rubbing affectionately against his hand.
“I…” The noblewoman swallowed, at a loss for words.
“Depart, I anticipate the next time a guest graces my doorstep. I wonder, what will the guest bring for me next time?”
The noble lady shook her head vehemently, “You are a demon, I… I will not come again.”
Sridhar’s smile deepened, his eyes curving into crescents: “Fate is indeed strange, who can say for certain?”
The dignified lady, caught in the ruffles of her own dress, spun around to depart. Her movements were hasty, causing her to stumble and leave a shoe behind on the ground. Without sparing a glance for her lost footwear, she dashed outwards in a flurry of clumsiness.
Lifting the drapery, she darted past Sanders and Angel without so much as a glance, her earlier poise a stark contrast to her present state of disarray.
It wasn’t until this moment that Angel and Sanders exchanged a knowing look, striding into the antique shop.
Upon their entrance, Sridhar’s countenance shifted dramatically. Gone was his previous air of mystique, replaced with a respectful mien towards Sanders. “Fortunate that Lord Phantom Master refrained from intervening earlier; else, my play would’ve been prematurely concluded,” he admitted.
“Ever the same, you are. Your unwavering adherence to the principle of equivalent exchange, even when dealing with mortals, is commendable,” Sanders offhandedly remarked.
Shrugging, Sridhar replied, “That’s my Alchemy Rule, after all. I intended to use this as a trial walk on the path of true knowledge. How could I forsake it so easily? By the way, has Lord Phantom Master come today to resume our unfinished conversation from yesterday?”
While Sanders and Sridhar engaged in their dialogue, Angel’s gaze drifted to the mechanical puppet floating mid-air.
He hadn’t noticed it yesterday, but upon closer examination, he realized the puppet was incredibly agile, especially its eyes, which exhibited no trace of rigidity. Now, the mechanical puppet was gazing blankly at the ground in the distance where a high heel — the one dropped by the departing lady earlier — was lying.
Upon learning that Sanders came to bid farewell, Sridhar kept his comments brief. After all, for them, parting was a common occurrence. His only regret was the lost opportunity to share experiences with Angel, the rising star of the alchemy world.
Thinking about this, Sridhar cast a glance at Angel and noted his gaze focused on the mechanical puppet.
A spark flickered in Sridhar’s eyes: “It appears Angel has discovered it?”
“Does it… carry a human soul?” Angel pointed towards the mechanical puppet. “Is it the child of the woman who just left?”
Sridhar nodded affirmatively: “Indeed, it is her elder twin, a child bearing a unique soul.”
“Her other child also possesses a unique soul?” Angel contemplated the previous transaction between Sridhar and the noble lady, inquiring without suppression.
“Indeed.”
Upon hearing this, Angel abstained from any comments, though an insidious feeling of repulsion rippled within his heart.
Sridhar, seemingly perceptive of Angel’s thoughts, calmly uttered, “Even if the twins have unique souls, they lack the aptitude for cultivation and would ultimately face death. However, as cores of mechanical puppets, they can not only retain their conscious souls, but as long as I remain alive, they will persist eternally. Could this not be seen as a beautiful ending?”
Angel did not wish to dispute. Whether it was beautiful or not was not within his jurisdiction to adjudicate.
Stroking the mechanical puppet’s head, Sridhar directed, “Go ahead. You can keep those high heels you fancy, no need to seek my permission.”
The mechanical puppet squinted at Sridhar, joyfully nodding its head before running off to fetch the high heels.
The child treasured the mother’s belongings with such solemnity, yet the mother cast them aside without a hint of remorse.
As a witness to this familial tragedy, Angel was filled with a profound sense of melancholy.
Chapter 1252 Sanctuary of Distant Thoughts <TOC> Chapter 1254 Shepherd City Beneath the Thick Fog
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