Chapter 1266 The Novastar Competition <TOC> Chapter 1268 Recent Updates of Friends
Translator: SumTLMan
As the audience began to disperse, Baruba turned his head, his eyes drooping to conceal the sadness within. “David is probably still backstage. Shall we go find him now?”
Angel simply nodded. Together, they moved towards the stage without uttering a word. Angel understood Baruba’s disposition. Instead of comforting him and exposing the wound that would cause more discomfort, it was better to pretend he didn’t see it and give Baruba a private garden in which to nurse his sorrows.
Often, reopening old wounds might be the very act that allows scars to fade and new flesh to grow. But this is only true if there’s a solution to heal those scars. Without one, revisiting pain only amplifies it.
The player’s backstage wasn’t connected to the audience area. To enter, they’d have to jump into the arena passageway.
As they attempted the leap, two individuals dressed in Sky Tower uniforms stopped them.
“This is for players only. Non-players are not allowed.”
Baruba thought for a moment and then pulled out a crystal-clear card from his pocket. The staff glanced at it and exchanged a look. “A Level 7 access.”
They were puzzled why a Level 7 player would come to Level 4, but since Baruba met the criteria, they nodded in agreement, signaling he could proceed.
With Baruba cleared, their attention shifted to Angel.
“The gentleman can enter. However, if you wish to go in, you need to present your player’s ID card.”
Angel certainly had one, but revealing it would expose an embarrassing title. He hesitated for a long moment. Just when the staff seemed ready to send him away, he reluctantly presented his card.
But, Angel was clever enough to cover the name with his fingers.
Initially, the staff thought Angel wasn’t qualified. However, upon closer inspection, they realized the truth was even more astonishing than they imagined.
“Level 15… access! You, are you a Sky Tower conqueror?”
Angel simply nodded, a hint of impatience evident as he retrieved his card. “Shouldn’t you let me through now?”
The staff were a tad skeptical. They had a rough idea of Sky Tower’s conquerors. Was this man truly one of them? But the legitimacy of the card was indisputable… How they wished they could see the name on it.
Amidst the hustle and bustle, the staff members refrained from complicating matters, even when Angel held an identity card belonging to someone else — it was a testament to his skill. After all, they were just low-ranking staff, lacking the authority to intervene.
They effortlessly made their way into the players’ backstage, an area buzzing with activity. Indeed, each level housed ten arenas, filled with contestants either preparing for, engaging in, or wrapping up their matches.
Despite the constant foot traffic, they didn’t need to rely on their eyes to locate someone. Angel quickly honed in on a familiar presence, guiding Baruba towards it.
At that moment, David sat tucked away in a corner, diligently wiping the goggles perched on his forehead.
As he polished the lenses to clarity, a sudden shadow overtook him. Glancing up, his gaze met Baruba’s. His eyes sparkled in recognition as he warmly inquired, “I thought you said you weren’t coming?”
“He’s with me,” Angel chimed in, stepping forward. David scrutinized the weary, familiar middle-aged face in front of him. Realization dawned, and he asked in disbelief, “Is that you, Angel?”
Angel touched his face, causing ripples to form across his features, before reverting to its previous state.
Though his true face remained hidden, that transient ripple revealed the man’s masquerade. David recalled that Angel once used this very visage to seek him out.
Factoring in that only someone deeply respected by the stubborn Baruba could convince him to visit Sky Tower, the identity of the man in front of David became apparent.
“Thank goodness you’re back!” An elated David embraced Angel, exclaiming, “The Abyss has been silent for months — too silent. I feared the worst. Now, seeing you eases my worries.”
After his outburst, David looked at Angel with a hint of suspicion, “You seem… different. How?”
“Do I?”
“It’s a subtle difference, perhaps only an illusion, but I can’t quite pinpoint it,” David mused, turning to Baruba for insight.
“His aura, it’s powerful,” Baruba noted. He had felt an almost overwhelming presence the first time they’d met in the alchemy shop. However, Angel had since toned it down.
“That seems right…” David conceded with a nod. After a moment’s reflection, he sighed in resignation, “Lately, my mentor’s been pushing me to train incessantly. I thought I was nearing your caliber, yet here I am, lagging further behind. It seems, a fish out of water should remain hanging on a tree, basking under the sun.”
With an air of resignation, David wore a helpless expression.
Angel didn’t offer any solace, understanding that words of comfort now would be rubbing salt into David’s wounds.
Murmuring to himself for quite some time, David garnered the attention of nearby competitors. Eventually reining in his disheartened demeanor, he remarked, “My competition for today has ended. Let’s head back to the shop.”
“That’s perfect,” Angel responded, “I need to purchase some magical materials.” With David’s connections, even the most treasured magical components could potentially be procured through the likes of Promi or Liana.
David responded with a hint of annoyance, “I knew you wouldn’t seek me out without reason. Let’s move.”
The trio made their way towards the exit designated for competitors. From there, they could take a cable car to a station closer to the alchemy shop. All the while, David continued to share recent events with Angel.
The general gist was filled with lamentations. David claimed that Liana consistently pushed him for training, and rumors suggested that he was deeply engrossed in new alchemy projects, thus the scarcity in crafting his usual swords. But the truth was, he was being coerced into training — alchemy being just a fragment of it. A large portion was dedicated to personal strength enhancement.
Although David’s tone was filled with complaints, Angel discerned an underlying acceptance, if not enthusiasm. Liana’s relentless pushing was a sign of her high expectations. If she was indifferent, as Flora had been towards Baruba, that would truly signify abandonment.
As they neared the exit, Angel unexpectedly recognized two familiar faces.
“With Diavolo gone, Sky Mechanical City loses its allure. Staying here, I can still benefit from my mentor’s teachings,” uttered a teenager adorned with skeletal ornaments, the very same who previously sat beside Angel.
Facing him was an elderly man with a small braided beard.
Upon sighting this elder, Angel’s pupils slightly contracted.
He recognized the man.
Baroque, the current overseer of the Underground Market’s Sky Tower.
Judging by the teenager’s tone, this Baroque appeared to be his mentor. Moreover, he mentioned Diavolo, Bogula’s disciple. Could it be that he and Shadow were acquainted?
Angel shot them a fleeting glance. Despite the burgeoning questions in his mind, he didn’t halt, continuing towards the exit with David.
However, as he brushed past Baroque, the elder’s voice rang out, “Wait.”
David halted in his tracks, a puzzled expression on his face as he glanced back at Baroque. “Is he beckoning us?”
However, Baroque’s gaze was not on David but intently fixed on Angel, sizing him up from head to toe before remarking with a wry smile, “It’s been quite a while, hasn’t it?”
The young boy, with a flair for the dramatic, looked at Angel, “Weren’t you the one who…?”
He had initially thought of the term ‘country bumpkin’, but seeing his mentor Baroque’s familiarity with Angel, perhaps they knew each other?
Addressing the older man formally, Angel replied with a composed demeanor, “Indeed, it’s been a long time, Lord Baroque. I recall the last time we met, you and Manager Melanctha were plotting to have Parasite Mother kill me. As I’ve heard, Manager Melanctha has since returned to Sky Mechanical City. I’m surprised to see you still lingering here.”
Although Angel’s response was measured, the undercurrent of sarcasm did not go unnoticed by those present.
The theatrically inclined boy was taken aback. He couldn’t believe that Angel would address his mentor in such a tone.
A heavy silence enveloped the group.
All anticipated Baroque to react with fury. However, after a brief pause, Baroque responded with the same mischievous grin, “Isn’t it all just a misunderstanding? Bygones should be bygones.”
Baroque’s seemingly submissive attitude only deepened the boy’s astonishment. Who exactly was this disheveled and downcast-looking middle-aged man?
Angel hadn’t expected Baroque to remain so placid either. His words had, in fact, been intended to provoke Baroque.
Provoking Baroque might appear to be fruitless. Besides the apparent disadvantage in terms of power, it could even endanger his companions, Baruba and David. But Angel’s perception was nuanced. During his separation from Sanders, he had felt the subtle gaze of Tree Spirit.
Angel was well aware that the wizards of the Savage Grottoes held no particular fondness for outsiders like Baroque. The likes of Baroque had always sought ways to drive him out, although previously, without any substantial reason and often overlooked.
Yet, under the watchful gaze of Tree Spirit, should Baroque act with aggression — not even causing harm, but merely harboring the intent — Tree Spirit could banish him, and with undeniable justification.
However, Baroque’s response exuded an air of seeking no contention.
Angel discerned that since Baroque had chosen to yield, any attempt on his part to further mock or provoke, regardless of the choice of words, would probably be in vain. Instead, it might paint him as the instigator.
With such circumstances at hand, Angel had little desire to tarry any longer. Strangely enough, his animosity toward Baroque ran deeper than toward that enigmatic Chilledin. “Out of sight, out of mind,” he mused.
“Let’s depart,” Angel stated, hinting at his intention to exit alongside David.
At that juncture, Baroque suddenly presented a pale rose-hued card, saying, “This is an anonymous Novastar qualification card, allowing access to the Infinite Corridor. Consider it a token of restitution from me. Acceptable?”
This unexpected gesture by Baroque filled the young boy’s gaze with a blend of bewilderment and suspicion as he looked towards Angel. To think, he himself lacked such a Novastar qualification, even pondering the idea of ingratiating himself to his mentor for one. Yet here was the mentor offering it up so freely to another!
Who could this man be?
Why was Mentor’s demeanor so peculiar?
The young boy longed to ask but just then, Angel shifted his gaze back to Baroque and retrieved an item from his bracelet. “With this, I presume I’ll gain entry to the Infinite Corridor?”
Baroque, eyes widening in barely concealed astonishment, studied the item in Angel’s grasp. He swallowed hard, murmuring, “This is… from the research institute…”
Baroque lapsed into silence. Angel, without further ado, turned to leave.
Only after Angel’s departure did the young boy voice his bubbling curiosity, “Mentor, who, truly, is he?”
Yet, Baroque simply responded with a melancholic whisper, “I should’ve heeded Melanctha’s counsel back then, taking more care in my decisions. A minor oversight, leading to such unforeseen circumstances. Mending bridges now seems like an insurmountable task.”
After a brief pause, Baroque directed his gaze towards the young boy.
“Who is he? Did you not journey to the Savage Grottoes with the sole intention of meeting him?”
Chapter 1266 The Novastar Competition <TOC> Chapter 1268 Recent Updates of Friends