Chapter 1721 Scent <TOC> Chapter 1723 Gloria's Speculation
Translator: SumTLMan
Onassis proposed two custom directions: one, to craft a weapon; the second, to craft any item related to philosophy.
Angel chose the second customization direction.
It wasn’t because he was particularly passionate about “philosophy.” The main reason was the seemingly contradictory demands Onassis had for the weapon, like a “vibrantly subdued black,” “subtle yet imposing,” “sharp with a touch of smoothness,” and so on. Compared to Onassis’ demands, these seemed minor.
Even though Antonio mentioned that these unreasonable requirements could be ignored, considering it was a customization for the champion of the Novastar Competition, more thought was necessary.
Nevertheless, Angel wasn’t keen on spending time and energy researching Onassis’ requirements for the weapon. Thus, he opted for the second choice.
The second option appeared simple, encapsulated in just one sentence. However, when it came to the actual crafting, most alchemists would likely be baffled. That’s because “philosophy” is a broad concept that covers a vast spectrum — from nature to humanities, from the Law of All Things to the steady universe. As long as the philosophical thinker’s imagination is vast and their vision wide enough, all these can be termed as philosophy.
For this very reason, crafting an item related to such a grand concept was truly challenging.
Other alchemists might ponder at length and then find a specific entry point to craft an item associated with a particular branch of philosophy.
But Angel was different. What set him apart from other alchemists was his ability to create alchemical illusions. Using the power of the Nightmare illusions, he could blend a particular “concept” into the illusion, offering a moment of enlightenment to the observer.
For instance, within the illusions crafted by Angel, a single blade mark, a smoldering fire pit, or a few dried blood stains on the wall could evoke peculiar feelings, leading one to unconsciously associate with various stories. Essentially, this was a form of structuring the content within the illusion.
Thus, playing to his strengths, Angel crafted a Philosophical Debate Chamber tailored for Onassis.
“The inspiration came from the ‘House of Hearts’ I once experienced through Witch Sanye. I transformed images with a touch of the ‘philosophy’ concept into numerous books, all housed within a chamber constructed from the illusionary realm. Every time Onassis enters and flips open any book, he embarks on a philosophical contemplation.”
Angel briefly explained his crafting process. After listening, Gloria mused for a moment, “Philosophy is all-encompassing. To distill it into books for Onassis to ponder upon, the depth and foundation of philosophy required are substantial.”
Angel responded with indifference, “I don’t need that much foundation. My understanding of philosophy is quite superficial.”
“So how did you…?” manage to craft it?
Seeing Gloria’s puzzled expression, Angel gave a mysterious smile, “As I’ve said, philosophy is just a ‘concept’. Why should I exhaustively explain it?”
While making this statement, Angel emphasized the word ‘concept’, which seemed to give Gloria a hint of understanding.
“Could it be…?” Gloria abruptly turned her gaze into the distance.
They were within the illusionary realm of the Dream Twins. Every platform here resembled a distinct world. When Gloria looked into the distance from the Bathhouse, her sight was still confined within its boundaries.
However, what Gloria was focusing on was clearly not the Bathhouse. Although she couldn’t see beyond its premises, she remembered the direction of another platform she visited aboard the Catbus.
“The Mysterious Mountain!” Gloria whispered the name of that platform. It was there, on the Mysterious Mountain, where she encountered the elusive concept that enabled her breakthrough after years of stagnation.
Angel referred to it as——Mysterious Object Manifestation.
In the Dream Twins he originally created for Gloria, he left a small easter egg. However, what no one expected was that this easter egg ultimately enabled Gloria to successfully create an original spell on Phantom Island.
“You’ve integrated a concept similar to that of the Mysterious Mountain in the Philosophical Debate Chamber?” Gloria stared intently at Angel. Having experienced it herself, she fully recognized the value of such a concept.
Angel nodded, then shook his head: “Indeed, I’ve integrated a similar concept, but it doesn’t reach the level of the Mysterious Mountain.”
Angel was well aware that when confronting the lofty mountain of “philosophy,” he remained a humble entity, unqualified to interpret it.
Yet, he once ventured into the belly of Lord York’s spotted puppy in the Nightmare Plane, witnessing the rise and fall of numerous civilizations, observing various mysterious symbols and their corresponding concepts.
Even now, Angel doesn’t fully understand everything he experienced, but he can simulate a segment of that journey in the illusionary realm using intangible objects.
Angel extracted a very short segment which he believed was related to “philosophy” and incorporated it into the Debate Chamber.
Because Angel integrated only a minimal amount of the concept and deliberately scattered it in the form of various books, it can be regarded as a miniaturized version of a Mysterious Object Manifestations, but it’s still far from the genuine Mysterious Object Manifestations.
Nevertheless, this is still an incredibly powerful item. The fact that it can reach the peak of the middle-rank is evident.
With Onassis speculating within, it’s believed to be sufficient for his enlightenment.
After listening to Angel’s explanation, there was a hint of regret in Gloria’s eyes, “It’s not quite at the level of the Mysterious Mountain, huh…” Furthermore, it was related to that bothersome philosophy, which sounded quite uninteresting. She had originally thought that once the fervor of the Novastar Competition died down, she’d have someone seize the Philosophical Debate Chamber of Onassis. But now it seemed unnecessary.
Angel probably deduced Gloria’s thoughts and smiled faintly without pointing them out. Even if Gloria really decided to seize the Philosophical Debate Chamber, it would be of no use. The works he had given to Hilary and Onassis this time were inscribed with contract runes. Once bound to an owner, any external forceful attempt to seize them would only result in their self-destruction, rendering them unusable.
“Your mentor had taken great pains in the past to conceal the matter of the Mysterious Mountain for you. However, at that time, you were weak and had no say in the Wizarding World. But now, you seem to have gained some confidence,” Gloria said with a chuckle, “I’ve heard that members of the Research Institute release their unique creations. Why not present such similar works as your exclusive pieces at the Institute?”
Angel shook his head. The affairs surrounding the Mysterious Object were wide-ranging. Even with his current strength and status, he might still be blamed for possessing something so valuable. Precisely for this reason, the Philosophical Debate Chamber he created for Onassis, even if it’s far removed from the Mysterious Object, was hidden and reserved solely for Onassis to enjoy.
Thus, he could occasionally craft similar items, but he had no intention of releasing them under his identity as a member of the Research Institute.