Chapter 1308 Tulas's Duel <TOC> Chapter 1310 The Solid Colored Softworm
Translator: SumTLMan
In the heart of the Eternal Night Forest, the gathering place of the flower fairies——Genoa.
At the headquarters of the City Firefly’s Night Whisper, Rivetta was hunched over a piece of paper, writing with a fervent speed using her pen. Dark ink adorned the white sheet, with two names distinctly inscribed at either end.
On one side was Angel, and on the other, the Flameless Lord.
After some thought, Rivetta added another name in between the two: Odeklaes.
“Angel lives on, Odeklaes offers friendship, and the Flameless Lord has fallen,” Rivetta whispered to herself. These headlines were monumental, each capable of standing alone. Yet, when combined, they represented a seismic shift in understanding!
Such was Rivetta’s excitement that her pen-holding hand trembled with emotion.
She was almost certain of the impact the upcoming edition would have on the Southern Region Wizarding World. The City Firefly’s Night Whisper would surely elevate its standing among wizardry publications!
While it couldn’t surpass the Forest of Time from the City of Truth in terms of authoritative knowledge, when wizards spoke of timely updates and news coverage in the future, they would likely think of the City Firefly’s Night Whisper first.
With bright eyes, Rivetta gazed at the three names on the paper. To her, they symbolized hope.
Knock, knock, knock——
The window sounded. Pulling aside the rose-embroidered curtains, Rivetta saw, through the clear glass, a Winter Sun Flower Fairy, half her size, flapping its golden wings, bowing politely outside.
Opening the window, a refreshing and subtle aroma greeted her — a warmth that felt like the gentle sun shining during a chilly winter.
The distinct aroma is a signature of the Winter Sun Flower.
“Honorable Lady Rivetta,” a voice, gender ambiguous and incredibly captivating, came from the Winter Sun Flower Fairy, “The Sample Publication from the printing house has already been printed.”
“The sample has been produced?” Rivetta’s eyes sparkled, “Excellent, I will head there immediately. Oh, and did you inform Chief Editor Dietrich?”
The Winter Sun Flower Fairy nodded, “Whisperwind has already seen Lord Dietrich. He’s swifter than me, so perhaps Lord Dietrich might have already reached the printing house.”
A short while later, Rivetta arrived at the eastern outskirts of Genoa. There stood a printing house infused with the fragrance of blossoms. As soon as she opened the grand doors of the printing house, she noticed a tall, imposing figure standing in the distance.
Without thinking, Rivetta adjusted her slightly slouched pointed witch’s hat and took a deep breath before approaching, “Chief Editor Dietrich.”
The tall figure turned his face, revealing a rather handsome profile. However, the eyes beneath his messy hair looked somewhat weary, with pronounced dark circles underneath.
“You’ve arrived, Rivetta,” Dietrich began in a languid tone, “I’ve seen the sample. This time, you’ve brought back quite the scoop.”
A smile formed at the corner of Rivetta’s lips, “Does the chief editor now think the sky-high contract I signed with Wallace is worth its weight in gold?”
“Absolutely worth it,” Dietrich chuckled, “The advance you provided to Wallace will be compensated back to you.”
Rivetta’s smile grew even brighter.
Dietrich, holding the sample which was yet to have its cover but had its basic layout fixed, flipped through the pages. The more he read, the more his expression conveyed astonishment. It remained uncertain whether the marvel was for the content within or the anticipated response once it would be released.
“Angel, Odeklaes, and the Flameless Lord…” Dietrich whispered, a sparkle flashing in his eyes.
As the chief editor of the —City Firefly’s Night Whisper—, and also a wizard of true knowledge, Dietrich had an acute sense for news in the Wizarding World. He was familiar with many promising individuals, even those who remained unsung.
For instance, if asked to list potential contenders for the upcoming Novastar Competition, Dietrich could reel off dozens of names in a breath.
Angel was, of course, known to him. It wasn’t just the news brought back by Rivetta about Angel. Even before that, Dietrich had already recognized Angel and had ranked his potential among the top ten of the young generation.
Yet, after recent events, Dietrich couldn’t help but feel he had underestimated him.
How significant an impact would the names Angel, Odeklaes, and the Flameless Lord make in the near future? Dietrich knew well, but he hadn’t anticipated that Angel would so quickly be spoken of in the same breath as the other two, shining just as brightly, if not brighter.
“Indeed, the depth of large wizard organizations is truly unparalleled,” sighed Dietrich.
He turned to Rivetta, saying, “The sample publication looks excellent. Your writing this time, avoiding flamboyance and embracing a genuine narrative, is more touching and resonates deeper. The way you’ve arranged the flow of information for the readers is commendable, it’s practically ready to be finalized.”
“For the honor of topping with —City Firefly’s Night Whisper—, I dare not adorn with excessive flair now,” Rivetta responded with a smile.
“Very well, once we finalize the cover and choose the scented ink, we can proceed with the printing,” declared Dietrich.
But as the printing house geared up, a rift suddenly tore across the sky above Genoa. The chaotic spatial energy frightened the surrounding flower fairies in flight, causing them to scatter.
Dietrich, who had been overseeing the printing, now furrowed his brow and exchanged a glance with Rivetta. “Let’s go take a look.”
Upon stepping outside, the duo had scarcely ascended when they felt the piercing gaze of an aggressive force upon them.
“We’ve been spotted.” A deep, resonating voice reached their ears simultaneously.
Rivetta’s expression darkened. She turned to Dietrich, “That voice is…?”
Dietrich responded, “Essex.”
Before the words had fully left his lips, a dark-skinned man bearing a faint draconic pattern descended from the heavens. This individual was none other than the Frost Moon Alliance’s second level true knowledge wizard——’Black Dragon’ Essex.
Yet Essex was not alone. As he landed, another figure touched down beside him.
If Essex embodied brutality and aggression, this second figure was the embodiment of mystery and contradiction.
His face bore the softness of youth, his skin as clear as an infant’s. Yet, his eyes held the wearied depths of time, and his hair, white and brittle as overgrown weeds, betrayed his age.
Time seemed to have painted a paradox upon him.
Twelve distinct clocks adorned his robe, each unique, even down to the hands that ticked upon their faces.
Though perhaps not as formidable as Essex in raw power, this man held Dietrich’s utmost attention.
“Pendulum Clock Lucci,” Dietrich murmured.
Bypassing the Black Dragon Essex, Lucci approached Dietrich with deliberate steps, offering a slight bow, “Lord Dietrich, it’s been a century since our encounter in the Dwarf Mound Plane. I heard of your ascent to a true knowledge wizard and decision to stay in Genoa. To this day, I still reminisce about the thrill of battling under your command.”
Dietrich had ventured to the Dwarf Mound Plane during the Demon Blood War to gather firsthand intelligence. The tumultuous nature of the war soon drew him into its fold. It was amidst this chaos that Dietrich achieved true knowledge and found his path.
Gazing upon Lucci’s faint smile, Dietrich remarked with a poker face, “It has indeed been quite some time, Lucci. You’ve now ascended to the rank of a formal wizard, I presume the path to true knowledge isn’t far off for you.”
After a brief pause, Dietrich queried, “Considering the lengths you’ve traveled, surely you aren’t here just for pleasantries?”
Lucci exchanged a glance with Essex, chuckling lightly, “In truth, during my venture into the Abyss, I glimpsed a fragment of the future. It hinted that the answer to a long-standing conundrum of ours might lie within…”
Lucci shifted his gaze towards Rivetta, continuing, “It suggested that Rivetta may hold the key. Hence, we made haste from the Abyss back here.”
With the conversation having reached this point, how could Rivetta be oblivious to their intentions?
She deduced it must be regarding Angel.
Lucci couldn’t divine anything about the Savage Grottoes, as their profound secrets stood evident. For a prophecy wizard to pierce through the grand web woven by Mirror Lady and Tree Spirit was no easy feat.
However, Genoa wasn’t concealed within the Night Whisper Forest and was an unguarded city, making it unsurprising that Lucci’s foresight had caught a glimpse of it.
Yet what Rivetta hadn’t anticipated was that shortly after returning from the Savage Grottoes, envoys from the Frost Moon Alliance would come knocking.
Rivetta cast a glance at Dietrich, who after a moment’s contemplation, nodded subtly, “Show them. In any case, it won’t be long before the new issue is published.”
Facing the formidable Black Dragon, accompanied by a mysterious prophecy wizard, Dietrich, weighing the odds, chose to make a concession under the real threat.
Rivetta was somewhat irritated. However, when pitted against the behemoth that was the Frost Moon Alliance, her hands were tied.
She reluctantly handed over the sample publication to Lucci.
Upon receiving it, Lucci promptly employed a reading spell, skimming swiftly through. In less than a minute, every news piece in the sample had been imprinted upon Lucci’s mind.
Lucci’s expression shifted continually, like a chameleon under a kaleidoscope, revealing an unexpected revelation that startled him beyond belief.
Angel is still alive? Like a phoenix rising from the ashes?
On the contrary, it’s the Flameless Lord’s True Spirit that has been extinguished, as if a bright star had suddenly vanished from the night sky!
Witnessing Lucci’s apparent bewilderment, Essex voiced his confusion with the curiosity of a child uncovering a mystery, “What’s the matter? Is this news fabricated?”
Lucci delicately activated a clock adorning him. An enchanting rhythm danced around, making it seem as if everyone, for a brief moment, stood beneath the shadow of a colossal timepiece, reminiscent of the grandeur of ancient monuments.
This surreal spectacle, like a fleeting meteor, lasted for but a moment before it gradually faded.
“No, all of this is true,” Lucci asserted, his voice as unshakable as a mountain’s foundation.
Turning to Rivetta, he inquired, “Do you plan to feature this in the next edition of —City Firefly’s Night Whisper—?”
“Yes,” Rivetta affirmed, her tone as clear and crisp as a morning bell.
Aware of the gravity of this news, Lucci delicately ventured, “Might it be possible to postpone this issue? We can offer alternate news in exchange, and all you’d need to do is delay a few publications.”
Rivetta’s face darkened like storm clouds gathering on the horizon. To already reveal this was a begrudging necessity; a further delay was like salt on an open wound. However, being no fool and recognizing the turbulent tides of the current situation, she was unwilling to let sparks fly.
“We can delay,” she began with the patience of a seasoned negotiator, “but in no more than two weeks, —Mirror— magazine from the Savage Grottoes will print this story. I secured this news from Wallace at a hefty cost, earning the privilege of early publication. You may hinder me, but can you thwart Wallace’s intentions?”
The Night Forest Whisper might cease its publications due to the weight of oppression, but the Savage Grottoes, a behemoth of comparable size as Frost Moon, would they be threatened by you, Lucci?
Even without prophecy, Lucci can discern that Rivetta isn’t weaving tales of deception.
If the —Mirror— publication truly intends to proceed, then indeed, they are unstoppable in their course.
Pondering this, Lucci suddenly felt adrift in uncertainty… With Angel entangled in this matter, not only did the Savage Grottoes not hide, but they boldly revealed their stance. What are they hinting at?
Chapter 1308 Tulas's Duel <TOC> Chapter 1310 The Solid Colored Softworm