Chapter 1499 Gateway of Fantasy <TOC> Chapter 1501 Slimy Snot Insect
Translator: SumTLMan
Sparrow Blossom’s curiosity was clearly stronger than Popoca’s. She floated over, scrutinizing the small box in Angel’s palm.
The box was roughly the size of a chicken egg and peculiarly shaped. At the center of its square surface, adorned with cloud-like patterns, was a metallic decoration resembling a trumpet flower.
“What is this, big brother?” Sparrow Blossom curiously inquired, sensing a mysterious energy from the box that seemed to resonate with Angel’s own essence. She had no idea what it actually was.
Though tired, Popoca also turned his gaze, intrigued.
“It’s a special miniature theatrical apparatus,” Angel said, his eyes twinkling.
Angel remembered that Popoca had once said he always wanted to take Sparrow Blossom to a theater but kept putting it off, thinking there would be plenty of time. He regretted it deeply only after Sparrow Blossom was kidnapped.
“Would you like to see it?”
The word “theater” made Sparrow Blossom’s eyes light up instantly. “Can I?”
Angel nodded, the corners of his mouth curling into a subtle smile. “It would be a good way for you both to relax.”
Sparrow Blossom was elated. Popoca, however, looked at Angel, a strange feeling rising within him. He felt as if Angel’s smile held some deeper significance.
With Sparrow Blossom’s nod of agreement, Angel gently caressed the trumpet flower on the box.
A haunting melody suddenly began to play.
Sparrow Blossom, initially delighted, was startled by the eerie music, her smile abruptly fading away.
Off to the side, Popoca shivered. The eerie music reminded him of the night he lost Sparrow Blossom — a night of torrential rain, dark skies, and a sense of foreboding…
“Big brother, what… what is this?”
Angel was still smiling. “It’s the sound of a special musical instrument called a water harp. Don’t be afraid. Watch. This is a very unique theatrical performance.”
Sparrow Blossom felt Angel’s voice become more and more ethereal, until eventually, she couldn’t hear anything. It was as if she had become weightless, plummeting from the clouds to the earth below.
When Sparrow Blossom regained her senses, she found herself in a small town shrouded in the darkness of night.
At first glance, the town appeared ordinary, but its lack of streetlights imbued it with an inexplicable sense of foreboding under the starless night. The only illuminated spot was a somewhat dilapidated church.
The scene shifted, and Sparrow Blossom realized her perspective had changed from an aerial view of the town to the interior of the church.
The church wasn’t large and housed only a few worshippers reciting unknown religious texts.
Off to one side, an elderly priest was softly conversing with a white-haired young man. Drawn by curiosity, Sparrow Blossom moved closer and overheard the old priest advising the young man, “Everything should stem from the teachings of the holy scripture. Your thought processes and logical proofs should also be guided by the doctrines of the Father God.”
Sparrow Blossom listened for a while but didn’t fully comprehend the dialogue. She only gathered that the elderly priest was named Bertrand, and the handsome white-haired youth was called Alex.
She took a lap around the church without noticing anything wrong, but found that the church’s main door was locked and unyielding to her push.
Recalling what Angel had said earlier about this being a unique theatrical performance, she wondered, “So, is this church the setting for the play?” Otherwise, it made no sense for the door to be locked.
However, if this was an indoor drama, why was she initially given an aerial view of the entire town?
Sparrow Blossom was filled with curiosity. However, she found the experience of this “special theater performance” rather intriguing. She felt as if she were genuinely part of the cast, able to observe every nuance — a truly wondrous sensation.
Sparrow Blossom meandered with keen interest, knowing that the actors couldn’t see her anyway. She could even overhear other people’s whispered conversations.
However, after waiting for several minutes, she noticed that the theater performance was not progressing.
Just as Sparrow Blossom began to feel puzzled, a door she thought could never open suddenly swung ajar. A man with a panicked expression walked in, muttering, “Dead… someone’s dead.”
Father Bertrand stepped forward: “What happened?”
“The person is dead… the serial killer has struck again. The victim this time is… Knight Reven.”
No sooner had the man finished speaking than the scene shifted again.
The clatter of hooves reverberated in the dark night. A formation of torch-wielding knights, astride fully-armored steeds, galloped along the turbulent riverbank.
“Whoa,” said the captain of the knight guard, pulling on the reins to halt the horses: “This is where the victim’s skull was found!”
Above the raging river stood a stone bridge, crowded with people near one of its piers.
At this point, Sparrow Blossom was standing behind the knight guard. She had initially thought this was a limited-scope theater performance. Little did she know it would actually extend beyond the town into a wilderness area.
The deep night, the dismemberment case, the damp air — along with the re-emerging sound of a water harp — made Sparrow Blossom shiver involuntarily.
Even though she was already dead, even though she had seen countless corpses, when the eerie atmosphere combined with haunting music, the theatrical experience sent an unprecedented chill down her spine.
Sparrow Blossom didn’t dare to approach and look at the victim’s skull, hoping that the camera angle would quickly shift.
The visual scene seemed frozen in place, and the music became increasingly haunting. It felt like the universe was telling Sparrow Blossom that the skull of the deceased was the very purpose of this performance.
Left with no other choice, Sparrow Blossom mustered her courage, maneuvered through the crowd, and reached beneath the bridge pier.
The pale, lifeless skull of Knight Reven instantly caught her eye.
Perhaps the existence of this scene was to compel Sparrow Blossom to witness the skull of Knight Reven. As she took in every detail of his face, the scene suddenly transitioned.
She found herself back inside the church.
Inside, Father Bertrand was in conversation with Lady Connie, the mother of Knight Reven. After a while, Father Bertrand announced that he was heading to the cemetery to conduct Knight Reven’s memorial service, asking the young man with white hair, Alex, to console Lady Connie.
From this, Sparrow Blossom had a general idea of how this theatrical spectacle operated — the scene shifts signaled either a change in space or in time.
Was the overarching theme of this stage play solving the mystery of Knight Reven’s death?
The main characters seemed to be the two individuals inside the church. However, Father Bertrand didn’t appear to have a significant role; Alex was likely the protagonist of the drama.
As she processed this information, Sparrow Blossom was intrigued despite her fear. Slowly, she was drawn into the unfolding narrative, speculating internally on who the culprit could be.
…
Roughly three hours later, Sparrow Blossom and Popoca gradually awakened from their immersive theatrical experience.
Popoca’s eyes were filled with complexity. He now understood why Angel’s faint smile earlier seemed so meaningful… What was this about us having a relaxing Immersive Experience? A light-hearted stage play? It was anything but!
The drama was imbued with a bizarre and dark ambiance.
Especially in the development of the main character, Alex, there’s a sense of absurdity that serves as a testament to the highs and lows of human relationships.
This isn’t your typical stage play, but one can discern the complexity and struggle in each character.
Before becoming a wizard, Popoca would never have allowed Sparrow Blossom to watch such a play. However, as he is on the brink of descending into the Bottomless Abyss orchestrated by the Profound Lord, leaving Sparrow Blossom alone in this savage world might mean that watching this play could serve as a cautionary tale for her.
Moreover, although Alex’s character may seem overly aloof, such a disposition is actually quite suitable for life in the Wizarding World. If Alex were a real person endowed with talents, he could very well become an exceptional wizard.
This could potentially benefit Sparrow Blossom in her future life within the Wizarding World.
Aside from the impact on Sparrow Blossom and the thoughtful content and characters of the play, what Popoca despises the most is——
“Big brother, what is the ending?” As soon as Sparrow Blossom woke up from the play, she rushed anxiously to Angel’s side to ask.
Yes, what Popoca hates the most is that the play doesn’t have an ending!
Sparrow Blossom looked expectantly at Angel, and Popoca also pricked up his ears, wanting to know the final conclusion of the play from Angel.
Initially thought to be a play unraveling a murder mystery, it unexpectedly took a divine turn. Though it seemed bizarre, what they really wanted to know now was whether that love-hate main character ultimately killed the crazed dark nun or not.
After contemplating for a moment, Angel said to Sparrow Blossom, “This play is based on a true story.”
Sparrow Blossom paused. Despite her young age, she’s read quite a lot. She knows that adaptations for stage plays usually contain elements of truth. However, this particular play involves “Cages,” “Ghosts,” and “Space of the Dead,” among other extraordinary elements. If it’s said to be a true story, then it must involve some mysterious secrets of the Wizarding World, right?
“While this is based on a true story, I’ve taken some liberties to add dramatic elements,” Angel explained. He used the immersive cinema technology available on the holographic tablet for his overall planning. Many experiences he’d never personally lived through were simulated through illusionary techniques.
To ramp up the narrative tension and conflict, he made appropriate adjustments to some of the characters’ dialogues.
So naturally, it deviates from his own real-life experiences, but the backbone of the story remains unchanged.
“As for the story’s conclusion you’re curious about, I honestly don’t know. I can’t say whether Alex killed the nun, nor do I know the fate of the stranger who assisted Alex; I certainly don’t know if Alex ever broke free from his cage,” Angel shrugged, “So I can’t provide you with a definitive answer.”
Sparrow Blossom felt a tinge of regret upon hearing this.
“However, since I did say this is a true story, perhaps your prophetic abilities could reveal the story’s conclusion,” Angel said with a twinkle in his eye. “Then, it would be my turn to ask you about how the story ends.”
The reason Angel adapted his experiences into this unique theatrical production was twofold. Firstly, he hoped that this method would help identify the location of the “cage.” The information about this location was crucial for studying the Gateway of Fantasy.
Secondly, he was also curious about Alex’s fate. And he reckoned that probably only a prophetic wizard like Sparrow Blossom could assist him in that regard. That’s why he invited Sparrow Blossom to watch the performance, considering her strong prophetic abilities.”
Chapter 1499 Gateway of Fantasy <TOC> Chapter 1501 Slimy Snot Insect