Chapter 1810 Ritual Studies <TOC> Chapter 1812 Changes in Windmill Town
Translator: SumTLMan
During the flight, Azaz stumbled upon several ruins. Some appeared as mere entrances, while others almost fully revealed their entirety. For instance, beneath them on a small mound of earth, there lay an ancient architectural complex shimmering in radiant halos. This was clearly an exposed ruin.
Visible signs indicated human activity near this ancient complex.
Having observed these varied ruins, Azaz gradually transitioned from initial astonishment to a more composed demeanor.
While ruins in other places might be considered precious, there were simply too many on the Paramjit Plateau. Moreover, it seemed each of these ruins had been explored before, rendering them essentially devoid of any significant value.
Half an hour later, the Gondola officially entered the central area of the Paramjit Plateau. At that moment, Sanders lifted his head, his expression intense, scanning the surroundings, searching for any anomalies mentioned by Sridhar.
A refreshing breeze swept the wandering clouds. The sky was as blue as a flawless gemstone.
The ambient spatial energy wasn’t overly chaotic, and the primordial magical power remained at a normal level. Everything appeared calm, showing no signs of irregularities.
Sanders shifted his gaze to the ground below. On the high-altitude plains, apart from the barren lands and cold-resistant vegetation, there were vast expanses of cold-colored stones.
On some open terrains, there were visible wheel tracks and animal hoof prints, suggesting that people had traversed the area recently.
Closing his eyes momentarily, Sanders projected his mental power, piercing through the surface. Beneath the ground, he observed the tracks for subterranean steam trains. These should be the railways leading from Shadow Demon City to various underground towns. Traces of oil were present on the tracks, indicating that at least within the last day, a steam train had thundered past this location.
Above ground or below, everything appeared calm and peaceful. Sanders mused to himself that his observations seemed to diverge slightly from the dire warnings given by Sridhar. Could it be that the hazards of the Savage Grottoes had already been dealt with? Or perhaps the true dangers lurked in even more covert and unknown locations?
Sanders was uncertain, but he continued to watch quietly.
However, even when the Gondola arrived at the massive chasm on the Paramjit Plateau, everything seemed in order.
Entering the chasm would lead them to their destination——the entrance to the Mirror World.
“It seems I might have overthought things,” Sanders contemplated in silence.
On the other hand, Gloria had ceased her conversation with Angel. She stretched lazily and donned her crimson heart-shaped sunglasses once more. “We’re finally here,” she remarked. “I heard at a small tea party before leaving Sky Mechanical City that Liana might have returned to the Savage Grottoes. Perhaps later, we can visit the Rose Garden, have tea with her, and discuss plans for the next major tea event.”
As she spoke, Gloria gestured to Azaz to descend with the Gondola.
As the Gondola hovered above the chasm, Azaz gazed down at the dark abyss below. He felt a chilling sensation, as though they were about to plummet into the gaping maw of the abyss.
However, with Gloria’s urging beside him, Azaz dared not hesitate and continued piloting the Gondola downward. They went from skimming the surface to gradually submerging below, descending deep into the massive pit.
About ten seconds into the descent, Gloria’s brow furrowed. “Something doesn’t feel right,” she remarked.
It wasn’t that Gloria sensed any imminent danger. Rather, given their rate of descent, their surroundings shouldn’t be this dark. In this vicinity was an airship dock of Windmill Town.
That meant they should be able to see the lights of the dock on the cliffside. It shouldn’t be as it was now, as though they’d completely entered an eternally darkened cavern.
Before Gloria’s words had even fully settled, Sanders had already sensed that something was amiss. He immediately extended his psychic energy into the cliffside, his vision shifting rapidly, soon arriving near the airship dock of Windmill Town.
“It seems the airship dock of Windmill Town is closed today; I spotted a maintenance sign near the port,” Angel’s voice chimed in.
Sanders glanced at Angel, nodding in confirmation of his statement.
Gloria: “I see…” Gloria signaled to Azaz to continue their descent, then looked across the way. Although enshrouded in darkness, she knew she was facing Angel.
“Is it common for the airship dock to undergo maintenance?”
Angel: “I’m not entirely certain about that.”
Sanders: “They do perform maintenance. Typically, it’s set on the seventh day of the first half of each month. This is when Windmill Town is in its restful moment, and no one would be traveling.”
Gloria: “But today isn’t within that scheduled time. Has there been some sort of unexpected event? For instance, damage to the airship dock, or has something occurred in Windmill Town?”
No sooner had she spoken than Gloria immediately doubted her own speculation.
It’s unlikely anything adverse would happen, especially given Windmill Town’s close proximity to the Savage Grottoes. Any minor incident in Windmill Town would be linked to the situation in the Savage Grottoes. With the backing of such a vast wizard organization, it would be a slap in the face to the Savage Grottoes if anything happened in Windmill Town.
Hence, it’s nearly impossible for anything to go awry in Windmill Town.
Sure enough, as the Gondola was about to reach the bottom of the pit, dim yellow lights appeared on both sides of the cavern walls, accompanied by various entrances, winding paths, and bustling crowds.
These individuals lead ordinary lives in Windmill Town. Utilizing a transport rail system, they carry food and daily necessities, delivering them for sale within the Savage Grottoes.
Such is the way of life for the inhabitants of Windmill Town.
The continued movement of these individuals indicates that life within the Savage Grottoes still remains stable.
However, Angel noticed a distinct change. Although the actions of these townsfolk were similar to the past, their expressions appeared significantly more serious than before. In previous instances when Angel emerged from the Mirror World, he would hear occasional laughter and jests. Now, the atmosphere felt palpably heavier.
Had the ambiance truly shifted? Or could it be the influence of Sridhar, causing them to subconsciously imagine the worst?
Angel couldn’t deduce the answer at the moment. But he didn’t need to deliberately ponder it either. After all, they were already at the Savage Grottoes. Once they returned, everything would become clear.
When they were just over ten meters from the Mirror World in the pit, Angel retracted the Gondola.
They plunged downward, yet as they neared the mirrored surface, each individual transformed as if into a feather, landing on the mirror with gentle stability.
Angel surveyed the surroundings. There were no sudden puffs of white smoke or emerging figures, indicating that the Mirror Lady had yet to awaken.
“Let’s go in.” Sanders took out his staff and gently tapped the mirror. Immediately, light began to radiate, revealing a pathway before them.
As they prepared to enter the passage, a startled cry echoed from the cave entrance in the cliffside.
“Ah! Why is Iva here, how did he escape!”
“Hurry! Restrain him quickly!”
“No, we mustn’t touch him!”
“The entrance is nearby. Let’s seek out the senior wizard!”
As they spoke, several men, drenched in sweat, charged out from the cave in the cliff. The first figures they laid their eyes upon upon emerging were Angel and his companions.
These ordinary folk naturally wouldn’t recognize Angel and his group. Yet, the shimmering reflection from a surface signaled their identities as extraordinary beings.
“Thank heavens! It’s the esteemed wizards!”
Chapter 1810 Ritual Studies <TOC> Chapter 1812 Changes in Windmill Town