Chapter 2230 A Dark Passage Reappears <TOC> Chapter 2232 The Luminous Path Once Again
Translator: SumTLMan
Of course, the floating rune was merely an example cited by Angel; the runes actually inscribed on the wall were not floating runes but a rune related to energy expression.
This energy expression rune is divided into three steps: energy interface, energy transformation, and energy output.
Merely discussing the energy interface and energy output steps, which are almost universal for any “energy source” with a fixed effect, is hardly worth mentioning.
What truly captivated Angel, and what he found utterly incomprehensible, was the second step——energy transformation.
The reason this magical cottage could endure for a millennium was not, as Angel had previously guessed, due to a magic crystal but rather the wind.
The island harnesses an inexhaustible power of wind, converting it into energy capable of powering runes, thereby sustaining the magical cottage for a thousand years.
This sounds somewhat plausible, but in practice, it is extremely challenging.
The topic of “energy transformation” has always been a hot research subject in the Wizarding World. During his time teaching at Achillea Comprehensive College, Angel heard that several mechanical alchemy teams were attempting to tackle this issue, but with minimal success. They did manage to produce many by-products, such as energy stabilizers.
Even when Angel initially met with one of the three great ancestral spirits of the Savage Grottoes, Book Ancestor, the latter was researching energy transformation topics.
This indicates that the subject of energy transformation is widespread throughout the Wizarding World.
Energy transformation is not impossible, but managing it is exceedingly difficult, especially when trying to express it through “machinery” or “runes.” At least, Angel had never heard of a similar precedent before.
Therefore, when Angel saw the step of energy transformation within these runes, he was utterly astonished.
Initially, he approached the observation and learning of this step in the runes with excitement and admiration.
However, after a careful examination, only one thought crossed his mind: What in the world is this!
As with the previously mentioned example of floating runes, the rune bearing corner for the “energy transformation” step was so rudely simplistic that it was almost insulting.
Stripping away some irrelevant details, it all boils down to three rune bearing corners: wind, conversion, magic power.
In Angel’s mind, related to energy transformation, shouldn’t there be thousands of expressions to honor the research efforts of countless predecessors in the Wizarding World?
Just three runes, seemingly scribbled down by a rune novice, are supposed to transform wind power into a source of energy that sustains a magical cottage for a millennium? It must be a joke!
Angel’s eyes were wide with disbelief. The “energy transformation” he had hoped to understand was this answer?
If you told him it was the work of a rune novice, Angel would have believed it because the expression was too superficial and crude.
But if it was indeed the work of a novice, why was it successful?
Yes, no matter how much Angel doubted or found it absurd, the reality is——
This rune works and has been operating steadily for thousands of years until now.
“Could it be that my previous thoughts were wrong, and in fact, energy transformation only requires these three rune bearing corners ‘wind, conversion, magic power’?” Angel pondered silently, feeling the steady and continuous supply of magic power in the rune’s final “energy output” expression.
Judging by the results, the rune is undoubtedly successful. Since it is successful, the three rune bearing corners related to energy transformation must be correct.
However, this conclusion can only be reached through result-based reasoning. If anyone with a slight understanding of runes were to examine the composition of these three rune bearing corners, they would realize how absurd it is.
Angel falls into the latter category. At this moment, his heart is divided into two parts, where 99% of him does not believe that these three rune bearing corners can express energy transformation, and only 1% of him is slightly hesitant, wondering if there are other undiscovered hidden runes.
After verification, that 1% of speculation is deemed impossible by Angel, so the only answer remains the former.
The essence of a wizard is actually that of a researcher. As a researcher, relying solely on speculation is difficult to substantiate, so Angel decides to conduct an experiment himself.
He takes out a piece of magic leather paper that is relatively good at conducting energy, along with a carving pen specialized for runes, and an energy guiding stabilizer. He plans to directly replicate the runes on the wall onto the sheepskin paper to further confirm their effects.
Even though the runes on the wall seem very rudimentary to Angel, even the “energy interface” carving step seems crude; Angel does not make any modifications or optimizations to the runes, strictly replicating them exactly as they are on the wall.
When the final stroke is made, the magic sheepskin paper bursts open without warning, scattering into countless fragmented pieces.
This indicates that the engraving has failed.
To make this experiment more authoritative, he tries several more times, even optimizing the runes he deems rudimentary.
But no matter how many attempts are made, the outcome is always failure.
Angel is not surprised by this result. It aligns with his initial thoughts that these three rune bearing corners are insufficient to express “energy transformation.”
Upon further reflection, it’s clear: if it were that simple, wouldn’t it diminish the intelligence of countless wizards who have dedicated years to studying energy transformation?
However, the experimental results match Angel’s thoughts, but in reality, this energy transformation actually works. What secret does this hold?
Angel sits back in front of the wall, looking at the runes on the wall, and reorganizes his research from the beginning.
This time, he observes every millimeter with the attitude of looking through a microscope. After spending more than twenty hours, Angel finally comes to a… conjecture.
Based solely on the expression of the runes, it’s impossible to make a rational distinction because there are too many errors, and it feels like everything is wrong.
But setting aside the expression of the runes and simply sensing other abnormalities, Angel quickly locks onto the rune bearing corner related to “transformation.”
This rune bearing corner is actually the core of the entire set of runes, the key to the transformation of the power of wind into magical power.
Angel does not concern himself with the quality of the drawing of the rune bearing corner, nor does he consider the inherent meaning of the rune bearing corner, but rather views it as a whole to sense this particular rune bearing corner.
It is then that he notices an anomaly.
This rune bearing corner emits a very strong mysterious aura.
This means that the source of the mysterious aura Angel has been sensing is not some half-step mysterious work, but is released from this rune bearing corner.
Based on this, Angel speculates: the reason why the rune expression on the wall can succeed, and the power of wind can be transformed, is not due to the runes themselves, but is influenced by a mysterious power.
Mysterious powers have always been illogical and defy common sense.
Only such an atypical power could make those crudely drawn runes truly exhibit an expression of magic that countless wizard predecessors have failed to achieve.
Although Angel labels it as a conjecture, from previous experiments and various anomalies observed on site, he is already certain in his heart that this is indeed the truth.
However, that being said.
Why does one bearing corner of the rune contain mysterious power?
It is almost impossible for humans to directly harness mysterious power, so there may only be one answer: this rune was inscribed here through an external medium.
Only something inherently mysterious could possibly leave a mysterious aura on the bearing corner of a rune.
Angel speculated, perhaps it was a mysterious pen?
The reason for this speculation is because the magical cottage was built by Feng.
Setting aside the identity of a wizard, Feng’s profession could be called: painter.
For a painter, the most important external item is actually a drawing instrument. At the level of the Magic Painter Wizard, having a mysterious pen seems plausible.
With the enhancement of the mysterious pen, the Magic Painter Wizard was able to use his poor rune level to construct such a millennia-lasting magical cottage.
Having realized this, Angel sighed with some disappointment.
He had thought that he might find a “treasure” here, or gain some compensation, but now it seems all to be wishful thinking. There were no treasures here, nor did he find anything of value.
As for “energy transformation,” if this were usable knowledge, Angel would certainly be very pleased, but an effect relying on mysterious power, with no knowledge foundation and unrepeatable, what use would it be?
Overall, Angel’s only gain was guessing that Feng might have a mysterious pen, which is nearly useless information.
It’s as if he gained nothing in this dark passage, just wasting over thirty hours of his life.
With full disappointment, Angel reluctantly turned to leave the dark passage. Along the way, he thought of simply taking the magical cottage as a sort of consolation, but then remembered that the cottage required wind to maintain its stability. Even if he packed it up and took it away, he couldn’t meet the continuous wind supply requirement. Besides, the magical cottage itself was not visually appealing nor had any other special features, so what use would it be?
In the end, Angel could only curse Feng silently in his heart and then leave helplessly.
After emerging from the dark passage and returning to the palace, Angel was met with an extremely surprised “o” mouthed expression.
“Are you… Cupid?” Angel glanced over and noticed this pink, flying little pig that had intruded into the palace, sitting next to Arnoldo’s sand cage, apparently silently communicating with Dangros.
Cupid obediently nodded: “Yes.”
“How did you get here?” Angel asked casually.
Cupid glanced at the portrait of Gentle Wind Uranos behind Angel, then said, “The sage sent me here, saying if sir has any commands or wishes to go somewhere, I could serve… This is also the punishment the sage gave me.”
Angel wanted to say, wasn’t this Arnoldo’s task?
But after thinking about it, he didn’t speak up. It seems Camus had sent Cupid over specially to get him to take Cupid away.
Angel didn’t send Cupid away because it was almost time for him to leave Wind Island, and having Cupid around for this period wasn’t a big deal.
As for whether to take Cupid away, Angel had not yet decided.
Angel nodded to Cupid and didn’t say anything else. He went to the other side, found Toby snoring, put him into his pocket, and prepared to explore the palace.
Previously, his attention was entirely drawn by the mysterious aura, and he hadn’t carefully observed the palace’s condition. He planned to take a serious look around, as this place was once inhabited by Feng, and there might be some important information left behind.
While Angel was observing the palace, he also noticed Cupid secretly inquiring Dangros and Arnoldo about the hidden passage depicted in the painting. However, Dangros and Arnoldo were clueless about the specifics, each responding with ignorance. Seizing the moment when Angel was elsewhere, Cupid sneaked closer to the painting, showing intense curiosity about the hidden passage.
Angel was not bothered by Cupid’s sneaky actions. Instead, he was surprised by how quickly Cupid, Dangros, and Arnoldo seemed to get along in such a short time.
It was understandable that Dangros found a good companion in Cupid due to their compatible personalities. Arnoldo, however, was different. Known for his reclusive nature and sensitive, fragile mind, Cupid’s ability to get along well with Arnoldo spoke volumes of his high emotional intelligence.
Why would a child with such high emotional intelligence encourage his peers to engage in playful mischief upon Angel’s arrival at Wind Island?
Glancing at Cupid, who seemed somewhat serene from afar, Angel pondered if Cupid might harbor a different inner world.
Shaking his head, Angel decided not to dwell on these thoughts any further.
The palace’s interior was not particularly large, but it was filled with numerous items. Besides the prominent painting of Gentle Wind Uranos at the front, there were other paintings within the palace.
These were not murals but framed oil paintings similar to those found in an exhibition hall.
However, these paintings were created with special pigments that, despite the ravages of time, did not alter the texture of the images. Instead, they seemed to embody a sense of being timelessly renewed.
The painting, presumably left by Feng, might contain some leftover information.
Angel began to examine each painting closely.
An hour later, having reviewed ninety percent of the artworks and judging purely from the standpoint of technique and artistic value, the quality was exceptionally high.
Although these were ordinary paintings with no transcendent significance, placing them in an auction within Sky Mechanical City could fetch a considerable price solely based on Feng’s signature.
The added value was largely cultural, and from the content of the painting alone, there was little information to be gleaned.
Most were landscapes, not even depicting the Tidal Realm. Among them were scenes from the Vast Continent and various overseas locations, including one of Dread Mountain, hundreds of kilometers away from Pat Manor.
Angel found no secrets in these landscape paintings.
Nevertheless, since they were painted by Feng, he took them seriously, noting them down for a future exhibition in the Wilderness of Dreams. Perhaps his mentor, Lord Rhine, and others could discover something in these paintings.
After a while longer, Angel stopped in front of a particular painting.
Chapter 2230 A Dark Passage Reappears <TOC> Chapter 2232 The Luminous Path Once Again