Chapter 1628 Newfound Strength <TOC> Chapter 1630 Disappearance Case in the Abandoned District
Translator: SumTLMan
As Sabel gained power, he felt as if he heard the murmurs of Sharp-Toothed Sunflower whispering in his ear, “This is power. Do you feel it? Do you want more? Unleash it, then… let it go.”
Sabel’s words left Coleus momentarily puzzled. “Are you saying that Sharp-Toothed Sunflower is tempting you to unleash more power through the promise of strength?”
Sabel nodded.
It was precisely because he sensed the consciousness of Sharp-Toothed Sunflower that he tightened the channels of his power, avoiding the siren’s call of the creature.
After retracting his power, Sabel’s eyes shifted from an abyss-like darkness back to their normal black and white. Concurrently, he no longer heard the voice of Sharp-Toothed Sunflower.
Apparently, only when he unleashed his power did Sharp-Toothed Sunflower’s consciousness become active, exploiting any loosening of its seal.
“I understand. I’ll document this as a priority,” Coleus said, getting up from the ground along with other researchers. Dusting off their clothes, they left the observation room, somewhat disheveled.
Outside the observation room, Freud spoke softly, “Just like with Sharu before, although the Sinful Monster is suppressed, it knows that as soon as the Demon Hunter releases more power, its seal will weaken, eventually taking over the Demon Hunter’s body entirely. So, when Sabel unleashed his power, it immediately began to seduce and guide him.”
Angel shook his head, “If Sharp-Toothed Sunflower had clear logical consciousness, it would have been evident in prior tests, but it wasn’t. This means that before entering Sabel’s body, Sharp-Toothed Sunflower likely didn’t possess strong logical thought. The voice that Sabel sensed is probably Sharp-Toothed Sunflower using Sabel’s consciousness to think.”
“Sinful Monsters using human consciousness to think?” Researchers around them who heard their conversation expressed their astonishment and disbelief.
Angel nodded, recalling Sharu’s situation from last time, which had led him to this speculation. Now it seemed that the likelihood was incredibly high.
“This is merely the initial manifestation after the Sinful Monster has entered Sabel’s body,” Angel warned. “As time progresses, I believe the Sinful Monster’s logical thought process will undergo self-evolution. Eventually, it won’t even need to piggyback on Sabel’s consciousness to think independently.”
Angel’s words sounded like a tolling bell, reverberating in the ears of all present.
Contending with a mindless Sinful Monster was already a formidable challenge. If what Angel suggested was true — that these entities could evolve and learn — it was a terrifying prospect.
Reading the horror on everyone’s faces, Freud reassured them: “As long as Knight Sabel resists temptation and stays true to himself, maintaining control over the Sharp-Toothed Sunflower, then even if the Sinful Monster evolves a sense of logic, it will still be within our control.”
The crowd fell silent. They took Freud’s words to heart, and, in doing so, they became even more aware of the vital role of the demon hunters.
Demon hunters bore both hope and despair on their shoulders.
They were the frontline defense of their homeland, yet also the last straw that could break it.
The relationship between demon hunters and Sinful Monsters would dictate the future.
Ignoring the diversifying thoughts of the others, Angel continued, “The next step is to test the enhancement of Knight Sabel’s combat capabilities.”
Freud nodded in agreement, “His improvement is clear for all to see. However, to transform this into practical combat strength, further training is essential.”
When Freud reached this point, he looked towards Tulas, “Starting today, you will accompany Sabel in adaptation training for demon hunters.”
Reluctantly, Tulas found himself in a predicament. In the past, he would have relished the opportunity to cross swords with Sabel, seeking redemption for past humiliations. But now, Sabel had ascended to become a Demon Hunter, his power significantly amplified. Though it was framed as “adaptive training” with Sabel, Tulas felt like nothing more than a sparring partner, a potential punching bag even.
However, this was Freud’s wish, and Tulas couldn’t openly defy him. He cast a pleading look toward Angel, saying, “I can’t possibly beat that old geezer now. How about I integrate with a Sinful Monster as well?”
There was a glint of anticipation in Tulas’s eyes; he genuinely wanted to attempt merging with a Sinful Monster.
Angel shook his head unequivocally: “That’s not an option.”
Tulas, who still had a corporeal form in the physical world, wasn’t a true inhabitant of the Dream Realm. Angel wouldn’t let him take such a risk without comprehensive research.
“Then I won’t do it. If I can’t win and it’s not about self-torment, why bother?” Tulas couldn’t help but feebly protest.
Freud chimed in: “This is merely supplementary training; I trust that Knight Sabel will exercise restraint.”
Trapped between a rock and a hard place — unable to merge with a Sinful Monster and unable to refuse orders — Tulas seemed destined to serve as a punching bag for a while, at least until he could manifest his real-world capabilities.
…
Sabel had already been the leader of the demon hunting team, and his transformation into a Demon Hunter seemed fitting for his status. However, due to the importance, peril, and uncertainty associated with being a Demon Hunter, everyone hesitated to proceed with the second instance of Sinful Monster integration.
Researchers unanimously agreed that they should first gather data from Sabel, both on his new Demon Hunter abilities and any insights on Sinful Monsters. Only once they were confident in the information could they consider increasing the number of Demon Hunters.
So, for the time being, Sabel had to acclimate to his newfound powers while also undergoing routine data inspections from the researchers. Added to that were daily rounds of psychological interventions, all aimed at ensuring that he wouldn’t fall under the allure of the Sinful Monsters.
At this moment, Angel, no longer needing to suppress the Sinful Monsters, had once again become a hands-off manager, returning to reality.
However, Angel had not completely let go.
Sealing Sinful Monsters within oneself was a unique power system in the Wilderness of Dreams. Every day now, Angel and Sanders are researching how to construct an alternative power system for the Wilderness of Dreams.
Moreover, they ponder whether this newly constructed system of mysterious powers can be borne by them. After all, Freud had initially attempted to bear the “Celestial Cycle” but had failed.
To prevent the loss of such core powers, they naturally had to ensure absolute reliability.
According to Sanders’ own calculations, if they were to simply construct a system based on primitive magical power, he should be able to bear it.
However, this was only his own speculation. Who knows what the mysterious powers involved in constructing this new system would be like?
Just like the “Celestial Cycle,” initially thought to be a minor power affecting rainfall and snowfall; who knew that it also involved the Laws of All Things, the changing of seasons, and elemental laws including wind, thunder, rain, and electricity.
Therefore, many factors still needed to be considered.
Time passed, another day went by. On this day, Angel was still in his study, calculating the upper limit of bearing these mysterious powers.
Just as Angel was lost in thought, there was a knock on the door.
When Angel opened the door, he discovered that the one knocking was the Butler Number 1.
“Master Pat, someone outside is looking for you.”
“Looking for me?” Angel furrowed his brow, extending his mental force outwards across the estate. When he saw who it was, a look of realization flashed across his eyes.
After some time, in the grand hall.
Angel glanced at Gloria who was sitting across from him. “What brings you here to join the spectacle?”
Gloria, holding an unidentifiable snack in her hand and stuffing her mouth, responded, “I’m a member of the Candy House too, just here to show some concern.”
Angel: “…” He thought to himself, “I suspect you’re less about concern and more about gossip.”
Not only had Gloria arrived, but Shirley was following her as well. Fortunately, Azaz hadn’t come.
Sighing inwardly, Angel chose to ignore Gloria and her companions, turning his attention to the matter at hand——
“Do you have any news from your trip to Paradova?”
The visitor was Alan. Three days ago, upon learning that Alana might go in search of “Ocean Night Dew,” Alan had headed to Paradova alone and had been out of touch ever since.
Now that Alan had come to the estate, it was presumably concerning Alana, so Angel cut straight to the chase.
At first, Alan shook his head but then nodded. “When I got to Paradova, I did indeed find some traces of my sister. But now the trail has gone cold again…”
Alan began to elaborate.
Upon his arrival in Paradova, he immediately sought out stores that sold cosmetic stone powder, going from shop to shop inquiring. He found out that only one store in the whole of Paradova sold Ocean Night Dew. When he went to that shop, the salesperson was forthright, stating that a month ago Alana had indeed come to purchase Ocean Night Dew.
However, after buying the Ocean Night Dew, Alana left.
The salesperson wasn’t lying, leaving Alan no choice but to exit the store, pondering whether there were other places where he might find traces of Alana.
Alan spent two days searching, even leveraging official resources, and ultimately found a new lead.
The person who provided the lead was a young man.
After Alana arrived in Paradova, she immediately sought out a tour guide to take her to a cosmetic stone powder shop. This tour guide was the young man in question.
According to the young man, after purchasing the Ocean Night Dew, Alana didn’t leave right away. Instead, she had him show her around some unique attractions and stores in Paradova.
Eager to earn extra money, the young man was quite diligent, spending an entire day accompanying Alana on her leisurely strolls.
In the end, they stopped near a Desolate City.
The young man was hesitant to enter the Desolate City, as it was rife with vagabonds and frequently plagued by criminal activities. Furthermore, he was born in that very town and had enemies there. He was concerned that entering might draw unwarranted attention. Even if no one dared to act at the moment, who knows what could happen later.
The young man advised Alana against going into Desolate City, but Alana seemed particularly intrigued by it and asked him to wait for her outside while she took a look inside.
“Then, Alana disappeared. Because Alana hadn’t paid the young man’s guiding fee, he waited at the entrance for two full days before leaving. So he could confirm that Alana entered the Desolate City and never came out,” Alan paused, adding, “Therefore, I concluded that Desolate City is likely where Alana went missing.”
Alan stopped speaking at this point.
Angel pondered and said, “Based on my understanding of Alana, it’s unlikely that she would stand the young man up just for the sake of some mundane currency.”
Clearly, something must have happened to Alana that prevented her from returning to pay the young man his fee.
Initially, Angel thought Alana had disappeared somewhere en route, but now it seemed like she had vanished within this so-called Desolate City?
“What exactly is this Desolate City?” Angel had been listening all this while but still wasn’t clear about where this Desolate City was located.
Chapter 1628 Newfound Strength <TOC> Chapter 1630 Disappearance Case in the Abandoned District