Chapter 1557 Dormancy <TOC> Chapter 1559 Left Hand? Right Hand?
Translator: SumTLMan
Apart from the Number 1 and Shining New Star match of the Novastar Competition, spectators also intensely discussed another individual.
A contender known by the nickname “The Philosopher.”
The real name of “The Philosopher” is Onassis, and he hails from Uto Academy.
This is a name that’s almost universally unknown; even among those from Uto Academy, the majority have little understanding of who Onassis actually is. Rumors circulate that Onassis usually spends his time at Uto Academy’s Philosophical Debate Club, primarily as an audience member. He’s a fringe figure with a fervent interest in philosophy.
The reason he’s become the focal point of discussion is that the progression of each of his matches is nothing short of baffling.
So far, he has been on a five-match winning streak, and each victory has occurred so surreptitiously that the audience is entirely unaware of what has transpired by the time the match concludes.
Even the panel of judges often find themselves lost in a fog of confusion. As a result, every one of Onassis’s matches eventually comes under the scrutiny of wizard level judges to provide a comprehensive evaluation of him.
Eventually, even a few special judges would attend, including an Observer from Crown Star Cathedral named Hydra, as well as the Water Ripple Witch.
Hydra first attended the third match and has not missed the fourth and fifth, which speaks volumes about how seriously he takes him.
Though the exact nature of “The Philosopher’s” mystique remains unknown, these details alone indicate that his abilities are not to be underestimated. He could well be a dark horse emerging from the shadows.
After listening to their casual conversation, Angel took out his communication device to look at the internal rankings given by the resident judges for the contenders. He discovered that not too long ago, this “Philosopher” was ranked beyond the 200th position. But within just a few days, he skyrocketed through the ranks, climbing more than forty spots with each match. As of now, he has ascended to the eighth position!
It’s important to note that those ranked ahead of him are Jiebo, Suyatutai, Carvelyn… generally hot favorites for the championship.
There’s no doubt, he’s the proverbial dark horse that emerged from the pack.
However, upon seeing his moniker, Angel felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity, as if the shadow of someone he knew was looming in the recesses of his mind.
…
Shalem woke up the day after returning to the Bliss Pavilion.
Upon waking, he learned that Black Canon had entered into a state of dormancy, and he was consequently enveloped in an atmosphere of gloom. In the past, nobody who met Shalem would ever associate him with being an apprentice of dark arts, but now, the dark energy emanating from him was palpable to anyone who saw him.
Two days after Shalem closed himself off, Angel went to have a chat with him.
In truth, Shalem didn’t regret the choice he made that day; however, he was blaming himself. Even though he physique is of the Sage Body, the merging of his Deep Blue Bloodline did not conform to complete standards, making his Sage Body only partially complete.
Initially, when Shalem was activating the —Black Secret Seal Canon—, the imperfection in his Sage Body physique prevented Black Canon from becoming its true essence——the Spirit of Seal Canon.
This led to a cascade of hesitations and internal conflicts that followed.
Had Shalem possessed a complete Sage Body, his activation would have directly transformed Black Canon into its complete form, avoiding this indefinite period of dormancy.
Shalem’s self-blame was rooted primarily in his concern for Black Canon, as well as his lack of trust in it.
All Angel could do was to faithfully recount to Shalem what Black Canon had originally conveyed.
“Black Canon is a Book Spirit, and its insights inevitably surpass those of ordinary people. If it’s willing to take this step, it signifies that it has already perceived an Omen Sign. So, if even Black Canon itself is willing to move forward, why don’t you try to trust it?”
“Black Canon has said that it will return. You should firmly believe that it will definitely come back.”
Angel wasn’t sure if his words had any effect, but in the days that followed, Shalem indeed seemed to regain much of his former demeanor. However, there was a subtle difference. After Black Canon had transformed into a Book Spirit, Shalem had seldom held his beloved hardcover book. Now, he was back to how Angel had initially met him years ago, keeping Black Canon with him at all times, never taking his eyes off it.
…
As the Novastar Competition approached its final moments and the contest became increasingly intense, Angel finally finished his last lecture at Achillea Comprehensive College.
Angel’s original plan was to give ten lectures, scoring at least two points per class to accumulate twenty points.
In reality, however, his average score for each class was above four points.
Angel himself was somewhat surprised. Being new to the Institute, he didn’t think his teaching was particularly outstanding. So why were the scores so high?
The Water Ripple Witch later cleared up his confusion.
The main reason his scores were so high was actually his teaching approach. Similar to Master Midora, he focused on teaching people how to fish rather than just feeding them fish. He was willing to answer any question, even if unrelated to the current subject matter, providing thorough explanations — characteristic of the “academic” teaching style.
The academic approach to teaching consistently receives the highest ratings at Achillea Comprehensive College.
In addition to this, Angel also filled a role that was exceedingly rare at Achillea, and even currently absent, that of——an Enchantment Instructor.
Summing it all up, Angel’s score has significantly increased.
Angel ultimately taught six classes and received 25 points. Adding the 10 points for serving as a special judge… actually, it’s only 9 points right now, because Angel will only receive the full 10 points after participating in the Novastar Competition finals as a special judge.
While the points from serving as a special judge are not yet sufficient, his current accumulated score has already reached 34 points.
Exchanging for the “White-Cheeked Domain Demon’s Forehead Eye” only requires 30 points, so Angel can proceed with the exchange now.
After concluding his final class, Angel, disregarding the students who were reluctant to see him go, directly left Achillea Comprehensive College and arrived at Enchanted Mechanical City.
Guided by Antonio, he once again entered the Magic Materials Library.
Following a sequence of operations, a line of text appeared on the screen in front of the teleportation wall: “White-Cheeked Domain Demon’s Forehead Eye, Unexaminable, Remaining Quantity: 3; Exchange Points: 30.”
The remaining quantity hasn’t changed, indicating that no one has exchanged for it recently. This is actually normal, as the rare materials in the Library are only accessible for exchange by members of the Research Institute and those who have made special contributions, and there are only a handful of such Institute members currently in Sky Mechanical City.
“Lord Pat, would you like to confirm the exchange?” Antonio, emanating a soft blue glow, quietly inquired.
Without any hesitation, Angel nodded, “Exchange.”
As his words settled, Antonio’s figure dived into the teleportation wall. Shortly thereafter, a mass of deep-black chaotic energy emerged from within the wall, hovering in front of Angel.
Antonio also emerged from the teleportation wall, standing beside Angel, “This is the ‘White-Cheeked Domain Demon’s Forehead Eye.'”
As it appeared, the exchange quantity on the screen changed from 3 to 2.
“The best environment for preserving this magical material is within a vacuum filled with void air. Hence, the chaotic air currents you see around it actually serve as its protective shell. Utilizing a current-diverting bottle, you can guide away the layer of air that surrounds it. If you don’t plan on using it for now, I recommend keeping it stored in that void air, using a magic energy bottle designed to hold gases as the containment vessel.”
Angel nodded in agreement. This magical material was intended for a trade with Velite for a Scroll of Luck; it had no immediate use for him, so storing it in a magic energy bottle was the best course of action.
After placing the “White-Cheeked Domain Demon’s Forehead Eye” into the magic energy bottle, Angel began to inquire about the whereabouts of the Water Ripple Witch from Antonio.
He didn’t have Velite’s contact details, so he had to rely on the Water Ripple Witch once again.
“The Water Ripple Witch is currently at the Creation Hall,” Antonio paused before continuing, “Speaking of which, the Director knew you had arrived in Enchanted Mechanical City and just sent a message. If you have some free time, you might want to pay a visit to the Creation Hall.”
Chapter 1557 Dormancy <TOC> Chapter 1559 Left Hand? Right Hand?