Chapter 2197 Bortia <TOC> Chapter 2199 New Version
Translator: SumTLMan
After hearing Bortia’s account, Angel’s expression remained unchanged, yet there was a slight tinge of regret in his heart.
Bortia’s understanding of Feng was even less than what Magu knew, and the information Bortia had was almost identical to Magu’s, leaving Angel without much new insight.
However, it reaffirmed that Feng’s longest associations were with Gentle Wind Uranos, Frost Iseth, and Verdant Nemeti. To glean more information, it seemed he would have to seek it from these three.
With a sense of regret, Angel bid farewell to Bortia.
Having completed his inquiries and handed over the Drama Shadow Box as planned, Angel intended to leave the Wild Stone Wasteland and head to his next destination.
However, Dangros, a sprite still in its growth phase, was utterly exhausted after enduring the entire day. Coupled with Bortia’s insistence, Angel decided to rest in Rubi Cave for the night before departing the next day.
The night passed without incident.
Come morning, Dangros was back to its usual energetic self.
After awakening from meditation and stretching his somewhat stiff limbs, Angel sliced some Magic Nourish Meat and drank a cup of frozen milk fruit juice. He then prepared to leave the cave.
As he stepped out of the small stone chamber, the ground beneath him trembled slightly, and an orange stone shot up from the earth, landing firmly in Angel’s palm.
The stone rolled around in Angel’s palm before finally pointing in the direction of Bortia’s stone temple, seemingly guiding Angel’s way.
Hesitating momentarily, Angel followed the stone’s direction towards the deeper part of the cave, the stone temple.
Upon arriving at the temple, Angel saw Bortia again.
This time, however, Bortia was not alone; beside him stood a small stone figure covered in parts with moss.
At first glance, it resembled the Patrol Angel had encountered before, but it was much smaller, barely reaching Angel’s waist. Moreover, this small stone figure had several cracks from which numerous tiny flowers sprouted, alongside the moss, creating a somewhat picturesque scene of ruin.
Angel greeted Bortia with a bow.
Bortia: “Do you plan to leave today?”
Angel confirmed: “Yes, sir. Is there something you needed?”
Bortia: “Indeed, there is… I heard you’re heading to White Cloud Hamlet next, so your next destination must be the Toothpull Desert?”
Angel nodded, confirming his route would take him through the Toothpull Desert on his way to White Cloud Hamlet.
“Why not take Lorca with you?” Bortia suggested, pointing to the moss and flower-covered small stone figure beside him. “Lorca was enlightened by me, a successor nurtured by Lord Cerny, and also a student of the sage Kuplatinum of the Toothpull Desert.”
“The character of Sandstorm Sandestorm is stubborn, making it difficult for you to meet it. Only through Kuplatinum might you stand a chance. With Lorca’s assistance, your journey could be much smoother… Besides, Lorca is also preparing to continue its studies with Kuplatinum.”
After Bortia finished, he gently patted the small Lorca.
Lorca, a bit shy, said to Angel: “This one has been looking forward to meeting you ever since the lord mentioned you yesterday.”
Angel managed a calm smile, though internally he mused: “As expected of a successor nurtured by Cerny, even the narration is inherited. At least Lorca mostly uses the correct terms, unlike Cerny, who often narrates.”
Bortia asked, “What do you think, Mr. Pat?”
Angel pondered for barely two seconds before nodding in agreement.
He could discern that Bortia’s arrangement was, in essence, for his own good.
From the Sandstorm Travel Troupe, he had already garnered some inside information about the Toothpull Desert; encountering Sandstorm Sandestorm was challenging, and Aguado had also advised Angel to start with the sage. However, according to Aguado’s description, meeting this sage was not so straightforward.
Even though Aguado had provided various “strategy” methods for tackling the ordeal with Kuplatinum, there were still many variables, and convincing the sage to trust an outsider like him was still a considerable challenge.
Now, with Bortia’s arrangement, it saved him a lot of effort.
Not just because Lorca was a student of Kuplatinum, but also because the Toothpull Desert and the Wild Stone Wasteland were extremely close allies, even more so than the Fire Domain and the Wild Stone Wasteland, since they both belong to the lineage of earth elemental creatures.
Angel had already experienced the power of “diplomatic relations” in the Wild Stone Wasteland, and now with Lorca mediating, he could once again experience what it means to have allies. This approach was much more reliable than their dry attempts to visit and strategize on winning over Kuplatinum.
Therefore, Angel had no reason to refuse.
After agreeing to have Lorca accompany them, Angel inquired about their current feedback on the Shadow Box Trilogy from Bortia.
Bortia sighed: “The passage to the Tidal Realm is about to open, and humans might swarm in, which would be a groundbreaking change for the entire elemental creature realm. Highness and I pondered over it for a night, unsure of how best to respond. We eventually decided to first contact sage Magu from the Fire Domain to see the choices of other monarchs before making a decision.”
Angel nodded in understanding. After all, not all elemental creatures are as decisive as Magu, and making the best choice so suddenly after just one night upon hearing startling news is not easy.
Angel did not inquire further about the Shadow Box but instead discussed the situations in the Toothpull Desert and White Cloud Hamlet with Bortia.
Putting aside the situation in the Toothpull Desert, the state of White Cloud Hamlet was as described by the Sandstorm Travel Troupe; Gentle Wind Uranos was amiable, and as long as one approached with friendliness, it would not be stingy in granting an audience. The only caution was the wind elemental sprites, or wind elementals, known for their mischievous nature and love for pranks. Due to their territorial advantage, they were more likely to cause injuries and fatalities compared to elementals from other regions.
After a thorough discussion with Bortia, Angel proposed to depart.
Bortia did not hold them back, wishing Angel a smooth journey before letting them leave the cave.
With Lorca following closely, they encountered no obstruction from any earth elemental creatures, nor did they see any pranks from the earth elementals.
Outside the cave, Angel took out the Gondola, indicating for Lorca to board.
The moment Lorca stepped onto the flying vessel, Angel could feel the Gondola sink a bit, a phenomenon that had never happened before. This indicated that despite Lorca’s small stature, its weight far exceeded that of any previous passengers of the Gondola.
Fortunately, when Angel had crafted the Gondola, he had set high requirements for its load-bearing capacity. Lorca’s addition, although close to the Gondola’s maximum load capacity, did not exceed it.
It could still fly, albeit slightly slower than before.
Angel did not inform Lorca of this situation, as under Jon’s guidance, he understood that a girl’s weight was a secret not to be inquired about… Although Angel also knew that elemental creatures did not differentiate between genders, Lorca was adorned with moss and small flowers, leading him to silently acknowledge that a little princess lived in Lorca’s heart.
Lorca, seemingly experiencing air travel for the first time, looked around curiously. Both the Gondola and the high altitude filled it with a sense of novelty.
However, as Lorca and Angel were still acquaintances, even if Lorca had many questions, it did not ask.
The silent atmosphere continued for over half an hour.
Later, when Toby woke up from its slumber, the silence was finally broken.
Dangros talked incessantly, showering Toby with all manner of praises. On the other side, Lorca, after a period of adaptation, became slightly less tense, leisurely listening to Dangros’s solo performance.
After babbling on for over ten minutes, Toby yawned and chirped twice: “Chirp chirp.”
Dangros immediately became excited and performed an even more spectacular series of praises, causing Angel to feel a tickling in his ears, while Toby seemed quite content to bear it.
However, soon Dangros shifted from excitement to anxiety and despondence: “Alas, I cannot understand what Master Toby is saying… Is it praising me, or does it find me tedious?”
Angel remained silent by the side. If Dangros knew the truth behind Toby’s chirps, he would likely feel even more disheartened.
“He confides in Mr. Pat, hoping to hear Dangros’s voice again before going to sleep,” Lorca, who had been silent till then, spoke up.
Angel glanced at Lorca with some surprise. Setting aside the mistaken words, purely in terms of what was meant, Lorca wasn’t wrong at all.
Toby’s yawn-filled chirps were not in response to Dangros, but rather telling Angel that Dangros’s voice was so soporific, it would be perfect to listen to before sleep, better than any lullaby.
Having spent a long time with Toby, Angel could understand Toby’s meanings from the nuances and frequencies of its sounds.
Lorca was seeing Toby for the first time and being a stone person, how could it understand Toby’s words?
Even Toby looked at Lorca with a surprised gaze, as if seeing a ghost.
Dangros looked from Angel to Toby, understanding that Lorca’s words were not mistaken, his eyes lighting up: “You can understand Master Toby’s words? Wonderful! Did it just say it wishes to hear my voice before sleeping? Ah, is this an affirmation of me? I’m so delighted!”
Lorca opened its mouth to explain but saw Angel, sitting behind Dangros, gently waving his hand.
Lorca, about to speak, eventually swallowed its explanation.
Seeing Lorca’s respectful demeanor, Angel inwardly nodded in approval: Setting aside the occasional misuse of words, Lorca indeed seemed more understanding than Fallen Earth Cerny.
“If you don’t mind, could you tell me how you understood Toby’s meaning?” Angel asked curiously.
Lorca hesitated for a moment, then pointed to two small pink flowers growing by his ears: “They told me.”
“Oh?”
Through Lorca’s explanation, Angel understood that Lorca was not purely an earth elemental creature; it also had a mix of wood properties, which is why it could flower.
Pure stone people certainly could not awaken abilities like “speech of animals.”
But Lorca’s wood properties belonged to nature.
Among nature wizards, there exists a spell called “Voice of All Things,” capable of listening to nature’s sounds, including birdsong and insect noises.
Lorca’s natural powers might have awakened an ability similar to the Voice of All Things, allowing it to easily understand Toby’s chirps. However, compared to the original “Voice of All Things” that could understand heartbeats, Lorca’s power was evidently weaker, perhaps because Lorca had not fully matured.
Once it passes through its sprite phase, Lorca might gain the true Voice of All Things, not just hearing nature’s echo but even catching whispers of the heart.
If this speculation is true, Lorca’s future is indeed promising.
Furthermore, with Lorca’s primary attribute being earth, its earth abilities are undoubtedly even stronger.
Upon reflection, Lorca seems an ideal target for persuasion. Even though Angel does not have a significant need for earth elemental creatures, a desire for Lorca emerges nonetheless.
However, this desire quickly fades as Lorca’s identity makes deception difficult.
Moreover, compared to the urgent need for fire elemental creatures, Angel’s need for earth elemental creatures is lesser. It would be more appropriate to persuade Kolokcro in the Fire Domain after this mission ends.
Suppressing his emotions, Angel acknowledges Lorca’s abilities. Dangros even splits his efforts in two, hoping Lorca would assist in understanding Toby’s intentions, allowing his flattery to more precisely hit Toby’s heart.
Due to this episode, Lorca’s restraint gradually fades under Dangros’s enthusiastic efforts, and Lorca begins to talk more, even smiling more freely on its stiff face.
As time passes in leisurely laughter, four hours later, the Gondola is about to fly out of the center of the Savage Grottoes.
At this moment, Angel feels a deep part of his mental space, where the Power Tree stands in the dark void of consciousness, tremble and send him a message.
Upon receiving the message, Angel pauses momentarily.
He immediately slows down the Gondola’s speed. Dangros and Lorca feel nothing unusual, but Toby instantly notices. With a puzzled look from Toby, Angel whispers, “I need to rest for a while. If anything happens outside, remember to wake me up.”
This statement seems normal at first, but only Toby understands that Angel’s idea of “resting for a while” is not actually about resting, but about preparing to enter the Wilderness of Dreams through Dream Entry.
Toby nods with a, “Chirp,” in agreement.
Angel affectionately ruffles the soft feathers on Toby’s head, then turns to Dangros and Lorca opposite him, “I’ve been meditating all night and didn’t sleep well. I’m a bit tired now and need to rest a bit.”
Understanding the feeling of fatigue as beings in their prime, Dangros and Lorca think nothing more of it, nodding in agreement and even lowering their voices out of consideration.
Angel then secretly instructs Eremy to stay alert before closing his eyes to enter the Dream Bridge.