Chapter 1457 The Unpredictability of Fate <TOC> Chapter 1459 A Solution
Translator: SumTLMan
Gloria began by sharing her experiences during this recent period.
Initially, after creating her new spell on Phantom Island, Gloria chose to temporarily stay in the Savage Grottoes. Even when Sanders ventured into the Abyss and Angel returned to the Old Land Continent, she remained.
That is, until an apprentice was dispatched from Black Castle to find her on Phantom Island.
Though sent by Black Castle, it was actually Felicia who had called for the apprentice to be dispatched.
Black Castle was undergoing a ghostly transformation, and the first person Isabella, the Dusk Queen, had invited for help was Felicia. Felicia owed Isabella a favor from when she and Gloria had stayed at the castle, so she honored her obligation by arriving and promising to tackle the rampant ghost issue plaguing Black Castle.
Though Felicia was a powerful figure, her capabilities alone were limited. Hence, she thought of Gloria and summoned her from Phantom Island to the castle.
With their combined strength, slaying a ghost or two wasn’t a difficult feat. However, eradicating the root cause was a different challenge altogether.
What Black Castle needed most urgently was a fundamental transformation.
After nearly six months of consultations within Black Castle, Gloria and Felicia finally agreed upon a plan: The Feast of Purification.
Black Castle had undergone a millennium of negative energy accumulation, so much so that the lingering resentments of the ghosts had transcended from the energy realm to the material world. This had not only left the earth barren but had also resulted in the complete desiccation of trees. The series of changes in the land had caused a chain reaction, influencing the weather and shrouding the once clear sky with dark clouds.
The myriad alterations in climate, landscape, and environment, along with the pervasive mournful energy emanating from countless corpses, had turned this area into a natural breeding ground for ghosts, a sanctuary that ghosts found immensely appealing.
Even ghosts who had not perished in Black Castle were drawn to this place by its inherently haunted atmosphere, gradually assembling in great numbers.
Over the years, the number of ghosts here has grown beyond imagination.
In the past, these ghosts might have acted as a natural barrier for Black Castle, deterring intruders and keeping the fortress safe from prying eyes. However, now that Isabelle and Kimberly have returned, there’s no longer a need for this spectral layer of protection.
So, why not initiate a change?
The Feast of Purification is designed for this very purpose. It doesn’t aim to exterminate the ghosts, but to alter the energy field of Black Castle. The idea is to root out the gathering of malevolent spirits from the get-go.
Gloria points to a hazy orb floating in mid-air. “This is the Feast of Purification,” she says.
Angel scrutinizes the mist-shrouded sphere. Frankly, he doesn’t get any sense of a ‘Feast’ from it.
Gloria, seemingly reading Angel’s skepticism, smiles and asks, “Do you think a gourmet wizard’s creations are solely meant for humans to consume?”
Humans are just one of many guests in a gourmet wizard’s repertoire, and arguably the least remarkable.
A gourmet wizard’s creations aren’t limited to humans. They can also feed other beings, including elemental life forms. Even non-living entities such as continents, worlds, or cosmic stars can be recipients, all falling under the gourmet wizard’s scope.
And when it comes to ‘feeding,’ the process is not confined to ‘eating’ in the traditional sense.
The Feast of Purification that Gloria and Felicia have co-created serves to ‘feed’ the land soaked in gloomy resentment and the space permeated with icy, negative energy. The goal is to dissipate and cleanse the adverse forces, thereby transforming the energy field of this area.
After listening, Angel can’t help but marvel. His previous understanding of gourmet wizards had been overly simplistic, often likening their gourmet creations to alchemical potions. But now, he realizes that the purview of a gourmet wizard is far more expansive and nuanced.
However, the scope of a gourmet wizard is actually not smaller than any other specialization.
“Lady Gloria, by the looks of it, has the Feast of Purification been a success?” Angel sensed the intense light energy in the air and asked Gloria.
“You’re a formal wizard now, there’s no need to address me so formally anymore. Just call me by my name,” Gloria replied, correcting Angel’s formality before answering the original question: “As for whether it has been successful or not, that’s difficult to say.”
Gloria shrugged: “At the very least, we’ve done our best. Whether or not we can change Black Castle will have to be seen in due time.”
With that, Gloria took out a plate and a very uniquely designed metal utensil that somewhat resembled a spoon… let’s just call it tableware for now. She gently scooped something with it.
The sphere filled with terrifying energy was captured on the plate, like a meatball.
Upon seeing this, Felicia promptly took out a lid intricately carved with mysterious runes and placed it over the misty sphere.
There was a crackling sound from under the lid. A large amount of gray smoke began to emerge from the crevice between the lid and the plate… After a while, the commotion gradually subsided.
Felicia then stored the now-stabilized “Feast of Purification” into a pocket dimension.
As the energy sphere disappeared, the strong energy in the air also began to slowly dissipate.
“Originally, our plan was to directly integrate the Feast of Purification into this space, but the chances of success were not high,” Gloria paused, “I heard from Lady Kimberly that you caught the root cause of the chaos in Black Castle, and are now using the Prelude of Reincarnation to purge the ghosts. So we thought, once the ghosts are nearly gone, initiating this feast then would likely have a better effect.”
Indeed, in such a manner, the probability of success would be significantly boosted.
Angel could envision that if the Feast of Purification were initiated and proved successful, Black Castle might truly undergo a profound transformation.
Without necessarily blooming into a paradise of birdsong and gentle sunlight, the environment would at least cease to be as harsh as it currently is.
For his part, Angel eagerly looked forward to witnessing that day.
After Gloria finished recounting her experiences and they discussed the Feast of Purification, the conversation eventually shifted towards Sanders and Angel.
Sanders had come to see Gloria with a clear purpose: to discuss the matter they had previously agreed upon, recovering Gloria’s physical body from the Nightmare Plane. However, this was a topic that needed long-term planning and didn’t require immediate elaboration.
That left matters concerning Angel.
With great caution, Angel dispelled the residual energy in the air and brought out Toby, placing him on the table.
Gloria’s gaze was instantly captured by Toby.
Toby lay quietly on a soft little bed, his chest rising and falling normally as if he were sleeping.
However, as the creator of Toby, Gloria knew him exceptionally well. With just a faint perception, she realized something was wrong.
Gloria cradled Toby in her hands, light particles falling from her fingers. As these particles integrated into Toby’s body, a surge of dark mist began to emanate from him.
The dark mist vanished in a matter of seconds, but Gloria’s expression was one of profound surprise, sinking her into deep contemplation.
After an undetermined period, Gloria snapped out of her thoughts.
Unable to contain his anticipation, Angel urgently asked, “How is Toby’s condition now? Is he undergoing a tribulation?”
Gloria scrutinized Angel with a perplexing gaze for a moment before finally sighing, “I’ve said before that perhaps I’ve been too indulgent with Toby. He’s been with me for years without any change. So when he decided to follow you, I let him go in the hopes that you could catalyze some form of transformation in him, or perhaps that he could grow alongside you.”
“The effect is indeed extraordinary. The last time I saw Toby, he not only faced a tribulation but also navigated it safely, dispelling his pent-up rage.”
“The current situation, as you’ve speculated, is indeed another tribulation.”
Gloria truly hoped for Toby to grow; after all, he was the only extraordinary being she’d ever created using her spell of creation. However, his rate of growth has exceeded her wildest imaginations.
Surviving the Tribulation of Rage only to face another tribulation so soon? Is this a roller coaster of calamities?
Toby left Barbie Restaurant just a few years ago, and he’s already faced two tribulations?
A curiosity flickered in Gloria’s eyes, “What in the world have you done that Toby is facing another tribulation so soon?”
“What have I done?” Angel sighed, “Actually, I haven’t done much. Toby simply consumed something.”
“He ate something? An ingredient?” The moment the topic switched to food, Gloria’s interest peaked.
“Yes,” Angel nodded, “It was Olaf Tentacle Crab.”
Olaf Tentacle Crab? As a gourmet witch, Gloria was no stranger to this peculiar crab species covered with sea anemones. It was discovered in the Abyss by a wizard named Olaf, thus the name.
Indeed, Olaf Tentacle Crab is an ingredient. From Gloria’s perspective as a gourmet wizard, however, the most delectable part is not the crab meat itself but the parasitic sea anemones on its back.
Upon reflection, Gloria reasoned that while the energy from the Olaf Tentacle Crab might be rather overwhelming, this should only apply to ordinary beings. For an extraordinary being like Toby, consuming it should bear no adverse effects.
So why did Angel mention the Olaf Tentacle Crab?
With a sigh, Angel recounted the circumstances succinctly.
“This all began with the Misfortune Pilgrim…”
Chapter 1457 The Unpredictability of Fate <TOC> Chapter 1459 A Solution