Chapter 1478 The Identity of the Writer <TOC> Chapter 1480 The Testing Ground
Translator: SumTLMan
Guided by a semi-mechanical being, Angel arrived in the grand hall where Kimberly resided.
Kimberly’s chamber was surprisingly unadorned, containing little more than basic furniture.
The semi-mechanical maid said, “Lord Pat, please wait for a moment. The lady is currently in the workshop but should emerge shortly.”
As her voice trailed off, a door materialized from thin air directly across from Angel. The door’s facade was adorned with antique bronze bearings, gears, and chains.
This was the door to the alchemy workshop.
As the door, which was a clear symbol of “mechanical alchemy,” swung open, Kimberly sauntered out, her hair styled as an enchanted forest as she emerged.
Kimberly waved her hand to dispel the scent of burnt metal clinging to her and then took her seat.
With a smile that perplexed Angel, Kimberly said, “You know, I should actually thank you today.”
“Thank me? What do you mean?”
Kimberly explained, “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have thought that so soon after returning to the Southern Region, I’d encounter the elusive Lord Muse.”
In the power hierarchy of the Wizarding World, Muse, who was self-described as a “mediocre” individual, was indeed somewhat less powerful than Kimberly. However, the honorific she spontaneously used indicated her genuine excitement.
“Are you saying that it was Director Muse who contacted me?” Angel inquired, a bit surprised.
Kimberly nodded, “Yes, precisely. The Director of the Research Institute, Lord Muse. Moreover, the Beast King was also with him.”
“Lord Rosen is here too?” Angel asked, somewhat puzzled. “What do they want with me?”
The Beast King, also known as the “Mechanical Beast King Rosen,” is a name that holds sway alongside Muse in Sky Mechanical City. If Muse governs the Research Institute, representing the pillar of creativity, then Rosen, who is responsible for the main city area, serves as the pillar of combat power.
Together, the two lords uphold the miraculous sky of the Gloriosa Kingdom.
“I’m not sure about that. Besides leveraging your reputation to make my presence known in front of Muse, I haven’t pried into anything else,” Kimberly shrugged. “If you want to know, you’ll have to ask them yourself.”
Angel came this time specifically to understand the purpose of the Research Institute. Being able to personally get in touch with them is naturally not a bad thing.
Kimberly: “Then come with me; I can’t facilitate interplanar long-distance communication here.”
Kimberly stood up and led Angel outside, explaining the long-distance communication system as they walked.
In reality, it’s a signal tower situated at the core of the Soul Domain, identical to what Angel saw at the White Shell Branch of Moonset Nation on the Feran Continent.
Originally, this signal tower was controlled by Isabella. However, as Isabella is now forcibly “under house arrest” and Isabelle, who spends most of her time in the Living Soul Garden, Kimberly has temporarily taken over Isabella’s duties to coordinate with Black Castle’s outposts around the world.
“Since the ghost surge a few years back, I’ve not paid attention to the signal tower. Isabella is also not doing her job, only sporadically in touch with Rosen and neglecting Black Castle outposts. Now that I’ve taken over, I’m swamped, spending all my time restarting communications with various outposts, having no time for alchemy,” Kimberly griped candidly. “I had planned to resume our unfinished alchemy discussions, but these trivial matters have left me with no time.”
As Kimberly rambled on, Angel got a fairly good understanding of the situation. No wonder Sanders, who went to Black Castle outpost when they were in Sky Mechanical City, couldn’t communicate with Black Castle.
Navigating through the intricate corridors of the Soul Domain, Kimberly eventually led Angel to the heart of this mystical domain. Here, they encountered a wizard tower that struck Angel as oddly familiar.
“Does it feel familiar?” Kimberly sneered. “Isabella built this tower to be an exact replica of the one she constructed in the Living Soul Garden, right down to the furnishings.”
Upon reflection, Angel found this to be true. The tower was identical to the one he had visited in the Living Soul Garden.
Isabella’s mentor-obsession manifested in the most unexpected places.
“The signal tower is on the top floor. Come in,” said Kimberly, pushing open the grand doors of the wizard tower. Angel walked through a corridor adorned with familiar statues. Just as Kimberly had said, even the arrangement of the grand hall was identical to the one in the Living Soul Garden.
As they ascended to the signal tower, Kimberly unflinchingly produced nearly a hundred magic crystals as a power source.
Angel recalled his experience at the White Shell branch, where only three crystals were used for a message to Sky Mechanical City. Now, the requirement has skyrocketed by more than thirty-fold. It showed the staggering energy cost of interplanar communication.
Moreover, this “interplanar” referred to sub-worlds within the Southern Region, not entirely different dimensions.
Angel knew that a signal tower capable of actual cross-dimensional contact had not yet been developed by Sky Mechanical City. If it were, even formal wizards would balk at the energy costs.
It made sense that Isabella had abruptly severed communication with various outposts. Beyond the upheaval caused by the ghosts, the draining consumption of magic crystals was likely another factor.
After all, not everyone was an alchemist like Kimberly, who could produce handfuls of magic crystals at will.
Kimberly quickly completed the settings of the signal tower. As the light screen gradually materialized, so did the display.
“Kimberly?” A voice laced with a metallic chill echoed from the other end.
“It’s me.” Kimberly glanced at the screen, where the face of a striking man in a black suit was displayed.
Failing to see Muse, a hint of disappointment unconsciously crossed her lips. Just before the man on the other end narrowed his eyes, a thumb-sized illusionary spirit darted out from the magical forest entangled in Kimberly’s hair, bowing politely toward the screen as a form of greeting.
The man on the screen was none other than “Mechanical Beast King,” Rosen.
Rosen didn’t pay attention to Kimberly’s strange hair; instead, he shifted his gaze to another person standing beside her——
“Lord Rosen,” Angel greeted respectfully.
Sizing up Angel from head to toe, Rosen’s usually icy eyes flickered with a complex emotion, which disappeared as quickly as it had appeared: “Wizard Pat, your progress in such a short time exceeds my expectations.”
From Rosen’s reference to Angel, it was clear that he was already aware of Angel’s advancement.
Angel: “A bit of luck and some serendipity.”
“Regardless, it’s still a testament to your abilities; you can…” Rosen was cut off midsentence by a crisp voice tinged with a touch of laziness coming from behind him: “Is it Angel? You’ve finally shown up… tsk, tsk, I never expected you to make such a grand entrance.”
A face with a hint of a lazy smile emerged from behind Rosen, cheerfully waving at Angel.
This was none other than the Director of the research institute, the self-proclaimed “Mediocre” Muse, who stood at the pinnacle of the alchemical world in the Southern Region.
“Director Muse,” Angel bowed, “I just heard from Lady Kimberly that you were looking for me?”
“Let’s leave the trivialities for later; why don’t we talk about you first?” Muse said with a broad smile.
“Talk about me? What is there to discuss?”
“There’s so much to talk about. You’re currently the most talked-about person in Sky Mechanical City,” Muse pointed at Angel, “You should know, I’ve even heard rumors about you in the Enchanted Mechanical City.”
“Back when you were in the Research Institute, I didn’t see any indication that you were planning to advance. How did you manage to do so quietly? I wouldn’t have believed it if it weren’t for Lady Kimberly’s confirmation.”
Muse’s words burst forth like a string of firecrackers, finally circling back to the original question, “So, how did you manage to advance?”
“Unexpected events and sheer luck,” Angel’s answer remained the same.
Muse seemed skeptical but, seeing that Angel was unwilling to elaborate, ultimately sighed, “Alright, if you don’t want to share, I won’t press you.”
Finally, after a monologue of trivialities, Muse returned to the matter at hand.
When Muse revealed the reason for seeking out Angel, a momentary glaze passed over Angel’s eyes, “You’re saying, you want me to be a judge for the Novastar Competition?”
“To be precise, a Special Guest Judge. There are no specific obligations on your part.”
In essence, it’s about judging the outcome. Given that the final rounds of the Novastar Competition require unbiased evaluation, there are multiple judges. Muse is asking Angel to serve as a special guest judge, where he can include his own opinions or simply refrain from doing anything, as there are other judges present.
While it didn’t sound like a challenging task, Angel couldn’t help but wonder why he was being considered.
Isn’t the Novastar Competition hosted by Sky Mechanical City? Is it appropriate for an outsider like him to serve as a judge?
“There are several special guest judges, including two who aren’t from Sky Mechanical City. If you agree, you’ll just be one among them,” Muse seemed to read Angel’s confusion and explained.
“Why did you choose me?” Angel inquired.
“Your fame has been growing recently, hasn’t it?” Muse said with a grin. “Of course, I’m just joking. But you’ve just become a member of the Research Institute; you should make an appearance, shouldn’t you? Besides, this is a mission from the institute. While it’s not mandatory, it offers a significant amount of points.”
The points from the Research Institute can be exchanged for special materials and are considered a perk for its members.
“As for that,” Muse continued, “I’ve heard that recently, various magazines from Sky Mechanical City are scrambling to get in touch with Black Castle, wanting to confirm your promotion. Your role as a special guest judge would put an end to this ongoing commotion.”
“Additionally, you haven’t confirmed your title yet. This public appearance could serve as an occasion to finalize it.”
“Most importantly, I’m quite curious to see how those who were once your peers, self-proclaimed geniuses, will react when they see you,” Muse concluded, a mischievous smile curling up her lips.
Angel had a feeling that the last reason was Muse’s true motivation.
Chapter 1478 The Identity of the Writer <TOC> Chapter 1480 The Testing Ground