Chapter 1366 A Chance Encounter <TOC> Chapter 1368 Research Institute
Translator: SumTLMan
Though in his recollection, Bruen was a hefty man, he had also glimpsed the leaner side of Bruen. So, when Angel felt eyes upon him, he turned and instantly identified Bruen and Winchester.
However, his puzzle was why Bruen, seemingly not recognizing him, allowed Winchester to remain fixated on him. Had he pierced through the nightmare illusion transformation?
It was only now that he truly comprehended.
Winchester’s gaze was locked onto his earlobe, and as a fire elemental wizard, what he recognized wasn’t Angel himself, but the flame mark on his earlobe.
Bruen looked from Angel to Winchester, baffled. “What in the world are you talking about?”
“Don’t you feel it?” Winchester said, staring intently at Angel. “Although the fluctuation is minuscule, I’ve felt it distinctly in La Sutherland. Even if it’s masked to the utmost, I can still perceive it clearly.”
Bruen was still in a daze, unsure of what Winchester was getting at. But the mention of “La Sutherland” tightened his expression.
“This is the fluctuation of the Source Fire.”
At the drop of Winchester’s revelation, Bruen’s eyes widened in surprise, staring at Angel, “Could you be…”
Before he could utter ‘Angel’s’ name, a formidable pressure emanated from him. Whether or not it truly was Angel in front of him, taking control was the prudent decision.
Under a palpable tension, over ninety percent of the crowd in Monsignor Magic Material Street crumpled, trembling and looking towards the source of the immense pressure.
Others merely felt the periphery of this force, but for Angel, he was its epicenter.
Yet, Angel remained unaffected, not even a flicker in his expression betraying any distress.
Behind Angel, Nausica managed not to fall but was kneeling, her will to fight completely sapped, despite her best efforts to resist.
As for Leon… out of the corner of Angel’s eye, he spotted Leon not only collapsed but also bleeding profusely.
The faint, metallic scent of blood reached Angel, and a shadow passed over his gaze.
Bruen was left pondering why, despite being at the heart of this pressure, he seemed untouched. But when he noticed the change in Angel’s eyes, a sense of foreboding flashed through him.
Given his recurring premonitions due to the persistent doom curse, Bruen was no stranger to such feelings.
What baffled him, though, was why a mere shift in gaze could trigger such an ominous premonition?
“Isn’t this still within the jurisdiction of Sky Mechanical City’s law enforcement? Aren’t you afraid of their intervention?” A chilly voice sliced through the silence, catching Bruen’s attention.
Those affected by the pressure, yet still able to move, turned their eyes towards the source of the voice.
There, confronting Bruen was a middle-aged man, his form wavering like mist stirred by wind.
As the mist cleared, the unkempt and greasy appearance vanished, revealing a young man dressed in noble attire, impeccable in every detail.
Everyone who witnessed this transformation was left utterly dumbstruck.
Though they were stifled by the overpowering presence and couldn’t speak, their expressions were deeply etched with astonishment and disbelief.
During this period, two topics dominated the conversations in Sky Mechanical City. The first was the Novastar Competition, and the second central figure extensively covered by —City Firefly’s Night Whisper— was——Angel.
And at this moment, the middle-aged man who appeared before them was none other than Angel!
“Is that truly Angel?” “Why is Angel in Sky Mechanical City?” “And who are the two confronting him?”
Countless questions bubbled up in their minds. However, the majority harbored deep reservations about Angel’s current predicament.
After all, the pressure exuded was by a formal wizard!
Yet, as they fretted for Angel, the very same Angel’s lips began to quiver. Without uttering a word, he used a voice-transmission spell to relay a message to Nausica standing behind him, “Take Leon back to Bliss Pavilion later. I’ll come and find you shortly.”
Before Nausica could respond, Angel’s voice resonated again. This time, however, it wasn’t directed at her but at Bruen. In a tone dripping with cold detachment, he said, “Since the law enforcer has yet to arrive, I’ll step in and enforce the law this once!”
As his words echoed, Bruen’s heart raced. He had sensed Angel using the voice-transmission spell and had been plagued by an uneasy premonition. How could Angel, at the heart of such an overwhelming pressure, remain unaffected and even manage to employ such spells?
At this juncture, Bruen’s foreboding reached its zenith.
Bruen was on the brink of speaking when, all of a sudden, Angel’s figure vanished from sight not far away.
“Swift as the wind!” As this thought flashed across Bruen’s mind, he immediately sensed something wrong. He swiftly turned his head, only to find Angel had silently appeared behind him.
Almost instinctively, Bruen tried to activate his bloodline, but before he could, Angel’s fist was already aimed at his heart.
An overpowering sense of imminent danger made Bruen dodge with all his might. However, while the punch missed his heart, it landed squarely on his stomach.
Like the sudden roar of spring thunder, a muffled boom resonated. Bruen was sent flying as if he were a cannonball.
Only after traveling several meters did he crash down, raising a thick cloud of dust.
At the same time, the oppressive aura Bruen had unleashed evaporated. Still, even without it, nobody dared to utter a word or even move a muscle.
All eyes, filled with astonishment, were fixed on Angel. Among them were those who had felt envious of Angel, even secretly hoping he’d be punished by Bruen. But now, no one dared to harbor such thoughts, let alone meet Angel’s gaze directly.
Why could Angel knock down a formal wizard like Bruen? Could it be that he had already become a formal wizard himself?
Whispers of thought circulated among everyone, including Bolie.
During the earlier conversation between Bruen and Winchester, Bolie finally recognized who Bruen was. The title of “Black Sugar Servant” was renowned in the alchemy circles, but it was the first time Bolie saw such a vulnerable side of Bruen.
Knowing Bruen’s identity naturally made Bolie worry for Angel.
After all, Bruen was from the Frost Moon Alliance. The Alliance is now actively searching for Angel. Though they gently phrase it as “inviting Angel,” everyone knows that what they offer is likely not a sweet deal.
In this era, as fate would have it, Bruen and Angel find themselves on a collision course. Could it be that Angel will be forcibly taken away?
Yet, what Bolie hadn’t anticipated was the twist in the tale. Confronted by Bruen, Angel not only stood unafraid but with a single blow, sent Bruen flying. Could this truly be the same Angel rumored to be merely an apprentice?
How can an apprentice break through the Great Barrier and pose a threat to a fully-fledged wizard?
Bolie’s eyes widened in astonishment at Angel, a myriad of thoughts rushing through her mind.
At that moment, Angel seemed indifferent to the opinions of others, readying himself to pursue Bruen. But just as he was about to act, Winchester suddenly stood in his way.
“Angel, this is A Misunderstanding. We just want to talk to you…”
Before Winchester could finish, Angel transformed into a sharp arrow, harnessing boundless energy and charging straight ahead.
If Winchester doesn’t step aside, Angel has no qualms about dealing with him first.
True to form, Winchester didn’t yield. In truth, he wasn’t keen on clashing with Angel; rather, he sought a peaceful resolution. Naturally, if he could study the Source Fire for a few days, that would be ideal.
However, now that Angel had initiated the conflict, Winchester had no choice but to retaliate.
In Winchester’s mind, Angel’s prior successful blow was merely a fortuitous coincidence combined with Bruen’s doom curse. But when he truly engaged with Angel, he realized that was far from the truth.
Winchester refrained from using his oppressive aura, sensing its negligible effect on Angel. Using such a force would drain the caster more than the recipient.
Given the circumstances, a direct confrontation was inevitable.
But as the battle ensued, Winchester grew increasingly uneasy.
As a fire elemental side wizard, he naturally holds an edge over wizards of the three major structures. Yet, for some reason, his spells seem barely effective against Angel.
The crux of the matter lies in the flame mark on Angel’s earlobe — a symbol of the elite, capable of absorbing the brunt of most fiery assaults.
Winchester’s initial strategy was to leverage his innate power to alter the nature of this flame mark. But upon testing, he realized his efforts were in vain. The Source Fire nurtured that mark or, more precisely, shielded it.
While Winchester could modify the essence of fire, he was powerless before the primeval Source Fire.
In fact, when he channeled his fire spell onto Angel, its potency was considerably diminished.
In essence, confronting Angel, Winchester’s strength was inherently halved.
Furthermore, Angel seemed to have integrated a mysterious bloodline, rendering his physique so robust that Winchester couldn’t breach it. Compounded by Winchester’s intermittent coughing up of blood, affecting his combat efficacy, he was clearly at a disadvantage against Angel.
However, though Angel boasted an imposing physique, his offensive tactics were relatively limited, thus failing to inflict substantial damage on Winchester in the short term.
As a result, their duel momentarily reached a stalemate.
As they clashed, bystanders finally mustered the courage to move. However, they merely sought refuge in safer zones, their eyes fixed on the combatants with a mix of awe and anticipation.
Nausica, on the other hand, cast a deep gaze at the two elusive figures in Sky before hastily departing Magic Material Street with Leon.
Previously, during her time in Infinite Battle Tower, she had yearned to witness Angel unveil his might. She had once believed she might match him, but now it became evident that Angel had held back then.
The chasm between them now might be so vast that it defies easy description, like trying to bridge a great canyon with a single step.
Yet, Nausica wasn’t disheartened. She rejoiced in Angel’s growing strength. However, she led her own life and her aspirations diverged from Angel’s. Hence, there was no reason for her to draw parallel comparisons.
Witnessing Nausica’s departure, a weight was lifted off Angel’s shoulders. His rash act against Bruen was partly because Bruen exerted his oppressive aura first, and also because his brother, Leon, was inadvertently caught in the epicenter of Bruen’s intimidation.
Such provocation irritated Angel, prompting him to retaliate first.
With Nausica and Leon now out of the picture, Angel’s sole concern evaporated, bringing a sense of relief.
Now, whether to engage in battle or to retreat, the choice was his.
Meanwhile, Bruen, who had been knocked down by Angel earlier, was gradually regaining his composure. His gaze, fixed on Angel who was now entangled with Winchester, was a blend of astonishment and mounting irritation.
After a moment’s reflection, he decided to unleash an alchemical creature from his workshop, a recent fusion of his…
But before Bruen could act, someone tapped his shoulder, startling him. Turning around, he was met with an imposing figure standing behind him.
“You are… Mad Bear Sabo?!”
Chapter 1366 A Chance Encounter <TOC> Chapter 1368 Research Institute