Chapter 1378 The Emergence of New Potential <TOC> Chapter 1380 The Anomalies of Black Castle
Translator: SumTLMan
Fairytale World, Middle Layer World.
Angel trailed behind Sanders, soaring towards the bleak and desolate heart of the mountain ranges.
“You seem to harbor some animosity towards Taros?” remarked Sanders, as they journeyed through the dark expanse.
Angel hesitated for a moment, then nodded in acknowledgment.
Not long ago, they were in the radiant Sky Mechanical City. But in a blink, through a teleportation formation, they found themselves in Fairytale World. Their intention was to pass through Silent Hill, and then head towards Black Castle.
Upon their arrival at Silent Hill, they didn’t linger, swiftly taking their leave.
Yet, to depart from Silent Hill, they had to cross paths with a particularly talkative Two-Faced Stone Spirit.
This spirit, the gatekeeper of Silent Hill, was known as Taros.
“Once, while at Silent Hill, I was ambushed by Isabella. I tried to flee towards Taros, but he refused to open his gateway for my escape,” Angel recounted.
As a result, Angel was cornered, forced to confront Isabella head-on.
Deep down, Angel understood that Isabella was merely toying with him. Even if Taros had allowed his escape, Isabella would have likely caught up. But this understanding dawned upon Angel only later. In that desperate moment, Taros’ gateway seemed his only chance at survival. However, when Angel reached the usually chatty Taros, the stone spirit remained silent, as unresponsive as any ordinary stone.
Taros’ refusal to open the gateway made his stance clear — he wasn’t siding with Angel. In other words, Taros didn’t care if Isabella ended Angel’s life.
Having experienced such a past, when they previously took a detour through Silent Hill and passed by Taros, Angel couldn’t help but mock upon hearing Taros’ fawning chatter with Sanders, “You sure have a lot to say now. Why were you silent back then?”
It was this remark that led to the current dialogue between Sanders and him.
“I see,” said Sanders, after listening, with an indifferent tone. “Even if he knew that you were from the lineage of Phantom Island, he would not have let you go under those circumstances.”
Angel had expected Sanders to speak of the ‘hard realities,’ and indeed, Sanders started by highlighting the harsh truth of the matter.
However, Sanders abruptly shifted the conversation, “The Two-Faced Spirit Stone, though like our Three Ancestral Spirits in the Savage Grottoes and considered sentient, is only about two millennia old. Its strength isn’t that great, and while its defense might be decent, it’s rather average in other aspects. A true knowledge wizard would easily turn it to dust.”
As Sanders spoke, Angel was still trying to grasp his point.
Sanders continued, “Silent Hill might seem like a formidable wizard organization, but they’re actually one of the weakest under the jurisdiction of Fairytale Town, perhaps on par with Phantom Island. However, if Phantom Island were to have an additional true knowledge wizard, their power would certainly overshadow Silent Hill.”
By this point, Angel finally grasped Sanders’ veiled suggestion.
Sanders was insinuating that once Angel advances to become a true knowledge wizard, he could take down Taros. And even if Silent Hill sought revenge, Phantom Island would back him up!
This proposition moved Angel. However, he felt there was no real necessity to pursue such a course.
While he was angered by Taros’ obstruction, Taros had only blocked his way and hadn’t truly harmed him further. His real animosity was reserved for the true instigator of his near-death experience——Dusk Queen, Isabella.
However, the gap between his power and Isabella’s is as vast as the distance between the heavens and the earth.
Even if he truly harbors the desire for vengeance for past grievances, he’s afraid he’s not yet ready to exact it.
After the affairs with Taros were set aside, Angel no longer wished to dwell on the past events. After all, their next destination was Black Castle, and the current master of this fortress is none other than Isabella.
The more he pondered, the more dispirited he felt, so he decided it best not to dwell on it.
Angel shifted the conversation, recounting the events that transpired in Sky Mechanical City.
“Winchester and Bruen, they haven’t approached Mentor afterward, have they?” Angel inquired.
Sanders nodded, “No, they haven’t. You need not concern yourself with them. Right now, they’re even more reluctant than you to court trouble.”
Indeed, they hadn’t sought out Sanders, but he had taken the initiative to find them. Thus, he was well-aware that Bruen’s doom curse was not completely eradicated. The last thing he wanted now was more complications. As for Winchester, upon learning of Angel’s close ties with Midora, and even the possibility that Angel could influence Midora’s refined blood coagulation potion for him, he became even more reluctant to get involved in Angel’s affairs.
Thus, Angel needn’t worry about them pestering him further.
“Even though they won’t trouble you, news of your presence in Sky Mechanical City must’ve already reached the Frost Moon Alliance. It remains uncertain what their next move against you will be,” Sanders remarked.
If Mengke had already met with Odeklaes, their attention towards Angel would surely wane. However, if not, they’d likely pull out all stops to seek Angel.
It all depends on the winds of fate.
Nonetheless, no matter what course of action the Frost Moon adopts, Sanders now exudes confidence in protecting Angel. Even if Lord Mengke were to personally intervene, Sanders isn’t all that fearful.
After all, alongside the news of “Angel in Sky Mechanical City,” another piece of information has also been making the rounds.
Angel has now become a member of the Research Institute.
Even if Lord Mengke chooses to disregard the authority of the Research Institute and make a move against Angel, the Savage Grottoes wouldn’t sit idly by. The Savage Grottoes has been an alchemical wasteland for quite some time. Now, with Angel becoming a part of the Research Institute, he symbolizes a refreshing spring that can nurture this wasteland, potentially turning it into a lush oasis in the future.
Under such circumstances, everyone in the Savage Grottoes would stand up to ensure Angel’s safety.
It should be noted that before Sanders left Sky Mechanical City, Lord Rhine Mute had already contacted Angel through the Grottoes’ outpost in Mechanical City, specifically to verify matters about the Research Institute.
Having confirmed the facts, Rhine Mute already sees Angel as a key strategic component for the future development of the Savage Grottoes. They certainly wouldn’t allow any mishap to befall him.
“I had initially thought that the organization’s resources would only become significantly inclined towards you once you became a formal wizard. But it seems it has already begun,” Sanders couldn’t help but muse.
Angel, puzzled, asked, “What do you mean?”
“You’ll understand once you return to the Savage Grottoes,” replied Sanders.
…
As they crossed the dark mountain range and reached a plateau, Sanders halted and announced, “This is the place.”
“This place?” Angel looked around in confusion. The area was desolate, and, according to his estimation, they were still some distance from Black Castle.
“Let’s go.” Without further explanation, Sanders waved his hand, tearing a rift in space.
Only after crossing through the spatial rift did Angel realize with astonishment that Sanders had brought him to the Inner Layer World.
Within the tapestry of the three-layered plane, the landscapes bear a striking resemblance, the only difference being the concentration of primordial magic. Therefore, their current locale remains the barren plains they once knew.
As Angel was scanning the surroundings, the ground beneath him quaked unexpectedly.
An earthquake?
Beyond the tremors, there was a pronounced sound of gusty inhalation.
Both the origin of the tremors and the sound seemed to emanate from behind them——
Turning around, Angel observed something unfolding amidst the towering peaks in the distance.
Simultaneously, the already dim sky became consumed by a dense swarm of dark clouds. Within them, lightning serpents writhed, and the thunder roared ceaselessly.
In the ephemeral flash of a lightning strike, Angel noticed countless fragments of rocks, seemingly defying gravity, ascending towards the heavens amidst the mountains.
As Angel gazed, bewildered by this spectacle, a hand, monumental as a mountain, suddenly breached over a peak.
Following it, a colossal skull slowly emerged from between the mountains.
“Don’t stare, we must leave,” Sanders asserted without delay, tapping the ground with his toes and soaring towards the opposite side of the wasteland. “The Innermost layer of the Fairytale World harbors many ancient, primordial creatures. The reason we’ve been traveling through the Middle layer and not venturing into the Innermost layer is precisely due to the presence of this behemoth.”
“Originally, this creature was a mountain giant native to Fairytale World. However, after soaking in powerful magic for many years, it has mutated into a rough-skinned, hard-to-deal-with, gigantic magical being. Those mountains mark its territory. It’s best not to provoke it; its power is immense.”
The sincerity in Sanders’ voice was evident. Even a creature he deemed powerful might rival those of true knowledge caliber.
Only when they flew far enough to lose sight of those perilous mountains did they decelerate their pace slightly.
During their hasty retreat, Sanders briefly enlightened Angel about The Perilous Mountain Giant.
This ancient creature has its roots from the time when Fairytale World merged with the Southern Region. Although during the planar fusion, the mountain giant was merely an inconspicuous little creature, eons of nurturing have transformed it into the formidable being it is today.
While its energy hasn’t reached the pinnacle of true knowledge wizards, its destructive power and defenses far surpass the boundaries set for those elite wizards!
However, the reason behind the mountain giant’s unprecedented growth, breaking its inherent limits, primarily lies in the dense magical energy of the Inner World. Due to this special magical environment, it can only maintain its mighty stature here. It is incapable of breaking through the barriers to the Middle or Outer Worlds.
Therefore, the threat the mountain giant poses to Fairytale World is relatively insignificant. As long as one avoids entering the Inner World through those mountains, safety can be assured.
“Given this unique magical atmosphere, there aren’t many demons in the Inner World. Any that may arise here are certainly not to be trifled with.”
Fortunately, on their journey to Black Castle, this is the only creature that could jeopardize their safety.
Chapter 1378 The Emergence of New Potential <TOC> Chapter 1380 The Anomalies of Black Castle