Chapter 2443 Captive <TOC> Chapter 2445 Mysterious Born
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Translator: SumTLMan
“Why did you return?”
Angel was inching forward when a familiar, aged voice reached his ears.
Turning his head, he saw the Enforcer, who had appeared around him at some unknown time.
With the arrival of the Enforcer, a familiar sense of distortion enveloped Angel, and this distortion, in combination with the domain, instantly reduced the attraction of the fruit to its lowest.
“Lord.” Angel bowed his head respectfully and saluted.
“Answer my question, why did you come back?” The Enforcer’s eyebrows were tightly furrowed, his expression clearly conveying surprise.
Angel was silent for two seconds before he spoke: “I have my reasons for returning.”
“Reasons? Do you also covet the Mysterious Object? Your ambition, it seems, is too great.”
“I am merely curious about the Mysterious Object, I have never thought of seizing it,” Angel said. “My return this time is…”
Angel suddenly paused, somewhat at a loss for words, clearly unable to tell the truth. But to lie was also not an option; for a being beyond legendary, discerning the truth from lies was simple.
As Angel pondered his response, the Enforcer’s brows furrowed even more, the phrase “you are seeking death” almost leaping from his throat.
“It’s the choice of destiny.” Angel suddenly raised his head and used the classic line of White Bear, “Destiny guides me to make the choice to return.”
Such a mysterious response normally holds no weight, but to someone like the Enforcer, who can vaguely glimpse the realm of Miracles, it carried a certain significance.
“It’s a hard-to-describe feeling…” Seeing the Enforcer did not immediately refute, Angel quickly repeated what he had said to Sanders before.
After listening, the Enforcer immediately reacted: “The Time Thief? You’ve seen the Time Thief?”
Angel nodded: “Yes, I once encountered the Time Thief in a vision while crafting an item. He introduced himself as… Cassini…”
Angel briefly recounted his first encounter with the Time Thief.
When Angel mentioned that the Time Thief’s real name included “Cassini,” the Enforcer had already confirmed that Angel was not lying. This wasn’t surprising; many were marked by the Time Thief, and it was normal for Angel, a wizard with exceptional talent, to be marked. It would have been more surprising if the Time Thief had not taken notice of him.
Since he wasn’t lying, the “sense of destiny” he described could indeed be real.
With this thought, the Enforcer’s eyes sparkled with light, and the Distortion Domain spread out.
Angel himself didn’t feel it, but the Enforcer, lurking behind Angel, faintly saw an illusion of a clock shimmering with a soft golden light.
The illusion of the clock signified that Angel was indeed marked by the Time Thief.
And the clock’s emission of golden light meant that not long ago, Angel had been under the scrutiny of the Time Thief.
Putting these observations together, the Enforcer was convinced that Angel was speaking the truth.
Moreover, the fact that even the Time Thief had taken notice indicated that Angel’s decision this time was not a trivial matter; it was very likely a “choice of destiny.”
To leave, or to return.
Angel chose to return.
As to whether Angel’s decision to return was right or wrong, leading to whichever direction destiny would take, the Enforcer couldn’t judge. Or rather, even the Time Thief couldn’t judge; otherwise, he wouldn’t be so keen on stealing others’ choices.
“I can understand the so-called ‘choice of destiny’ you’re facing. But I’m still very curious, how did you come to the decision to return?” the Enforcer looked at Angel.
“I want to witness the process of the birth of the disorderly object. I feel that this process will be very important to me.” After some buildup, Angel then revealed his subsequent reasoning.
At this point, the Enforcer already believed in the notion of a “choice of destiny,” and recalling Angel’s previous touch upon the mysterious realm, as well as his original regret over Angel’s decision to leave, the convergence of different choices and thoughts made him very confident in Angel’s answer.
Angel is an alchemist who is committed to stepping into the mysterious realm, possessing great courage and determination, willing to face terrifying situations without giving up any chance of progress.
This was the Enforcer’s conclusion.
However, the real Angel obviously didn’t think so.
The Enforcer’s conclusion only took Angel’s personal circumstances into account, neglecting the external reasons that compelled Angel to return.
——A certain void existence wanted Angel to come back to help with its positioning.
Undoubtedly, this void existence could only be Woof Woof, the leader of the Void Travelers.
Of course, Angel definitely wouldn’t risk returning just for Woof Woof; it was another ‘existence’ that requested him, which was the main reason Angel decided to return.
These matters were definitely not something Angel could tell the Enforcer, so Angel began to portray his persona——a fearless, dream-chasing alchemist.
There were certainly traces of this performance, and the Enforcer noticed some clues, but because he had a preconceived filter, the Enforcer only thought that Angel was trying to perform to win his favor.
It’s completely normal for a lower-level wizard to desire the favor of a higher-level wizard for benefits.
No harm done.
So, the Enforcer was temporarily deceived by Angel, who even went to drive him away.
Even because of Angel’s “performance”, the Enforcer really gave him a bit of benefit.
The Enforcer said indifferently, “For the sake of Frost, I can offer you a little convenience. As long as you do nothing superfluous, I permit you to stay by my side.”
Due to the constraints of the oath, the Enforcer would not directly protect Angel, but if Angel could always stay by the Enforcer’s side, he could avoid many risks.
At least, for the time being, he didn’t have to worry about the problem of the fruit’s attraction.
This was actually another form of protection, just unspoken.
“Thank you, Lord Enforcer.” Angel immediately expressed his gratitude. He had been wondering how to survive in this perilous situation and whether to seek the Enforcer’s protection. Now that the Enforcer had approached him, he certainly wouldn’t refuse.
Following the Enforcer, Angel certainly wouldn’t obtain that fruit, but he hadn’t thought about getting that fruit in the first place.
What he needed to do was only to help Woof Woof with positioning and then observe the orderly to disorderly process. Both of these tasks could be accomplished by the Enforcer’s side, and safety was assured.
Angel couldn’t help but silently praise “Frost” in his heart, thankful for having met this Mysterious Hunter before, or else things definitely wouldn’t have gone so smoothly.
Indeed, as Mentor Jon had said, connections are very important.
After following the Enforcer, life became much easier for Angel. He no longer had to continue moving forward like a snail but could boldly follow the Enforcer to a higher vantage point.
From here, not only could he see Number 03 above the wave crests but also Magnificus De Pawel standing under the starry sky nearby… as well as Number 01.
Number 01 not being dead didn’t surprise Angel. Number 01 himself sought death, hoping to escape with his soul body by taking advantage of the moment when the Qwest World and the Southern Region were connected. Pawel, seeing Number 01’s intention, certainly wouldn’t let him die so easily.
Either capturing Number 01 or directly tearing his soul apart. Evidently, Pawel chose the former.
Perhaps sensing Angel’s gaze, Pawel also looked over.
Pawel’s gaze wasn’t majestic but was as pure and clean as its soft and mushy appearance, even giving Angel a slight smile.
Angel subconsciously returned the smile.
“Don’t be deceived by Pawel’s appearance; it’s very famous in the Source World,” the Enforcer’s voice came at this moment.
Angel retracted his gaze.
“It’s also called Magnificus De Pawel. The reason it has the prefix ‘Magnificus’ is because Gruz De Weld pampered it to the extreme, leaving it all sorts of wonderful things. Its treasury is magnificent and splendid. Growing up so pampered, Pawel never knows hardship, is spoiled and proud, and neither good nor evil can judge it.”
Its appearance is that of a child, and so is its heart. However, the former manifests the innocence and purity of a child, while the latter displays a child’s recklessness, naughtiness, and ignorance of right and wrong.
When the Enforcer made this statement, he noticed that the eyes of Magnificus De Pawel, similar to sapphires, were fixed on Angel, hinting at a trace of interest.
“You shouldn’t have stared at it earlier; it seems to have taken an interest in you. Being the focus of its attention is not good. In its eyes, apart from companions from the City of Phantasm, all others are… toys.”
The attitude of a child towards toys can change swiftly; one moment they are cherished, and the next, they might be discarded like worn-out shoes, or even destroyed and dismembered. This is also how Magnificus De Pawel treats its toys.
Therefore, being targeted by it carries great risk.
“Do you mean it will attack me?” Angel also noticed that Magnificus De Pawel had been watching him.
The Enforcer: “In the Southern Region, it probably won’t attack you. Moreover, it now has a new target, and regardless of whether it gets the fruit, it will eventually leave…”
Magnificus De Pawel also shares a childlike trait of forgetfulness. As long as Angel does not actively approach it in the future, it is unlikely to seek him out specifically to confront him in the Southern Region.
Of course, this is the Enforcer’s assessment. Whether it’s true depends on what Magnificus De Pawel thinks.
However, the Enforcer can be certain that Angel has nothing to worry about for the time being.
As the Enforcer spoke, Angel was thinking about something else: since Magnificus De Pawel might attack him, should he ask Woof Woof if there’s a chance to kill it?
Although Woof Woof did not explain why it targeted Magnificus De Pawel, the words conveyed from Woof Woof carried a sense of anger.
Given the anger, there is malice, suggesting a strategy could be devised to incite Woof Woof to collaborate in killing it.
“Are you worried that Magnificus De Pawel might attack you?” Seeing that Angel remained silent, the Enforcer thought he was concerned.
Angel coughed slightly: “A little.”
“Don’t worry, as long as you don’t act rashly, it’s safe near me.”
“I understand, thank you.”
The conversation paused, and Angel’s attention returned to the fruit, which was still in its accumulation phase, with a multitude of sea beasts serving as sacrifices to nurture its maturity. For the moment, it was hard to discern anything significant.
In the midst of The Wait, the Enforcer suddenly broke the silence.
“You once asked me about Reynolds, but due to certain reasons, I couldn’t provide an answer then. Would you still like to know now?”
Angel was momentarily stunned but nodded without hesitation.
He remembered that due to Sanders’ sudden arrival, the Enforcer was interrupted, and Angel thought it would be a while before he could get an answer. Unexpectedly, the Enforcer brought it up again at this time.
In the mind of the Enforcer, his thoughts diverged from what Angel presumed. Indeed, it was Sanders who arrived, interrupting their conversation. However, even without Sanders’ interruption, the Enforcer might not have responded to Angel’s question at that moment.
Primarily, from his perspective, this was a form of knowledge. Even within the Orderly Guild, where the conditions for exchanging such knowledge weren’t particularly stringent, it wasn’t meant to be shared unconditionally. He didn’t wish to disclose this type of information to Angel without any compensation.
The reason he changed his mind later was because he owed Angel a favor, essentially engaging in a compensatory exchange.
Having accepted the monocle for accessing the Wilderness of Dreams from Angel, a device he still had not used and thus couldn’t assess its value, meant he had agreed to this compensatory exchange.
Therefore, he planned to use this knowledge as a way to partially repay the favor.
Of course, whether the value was equivalent would only be determined after he had utilized the monocle. If its additional value surpassed the knowledge shared, he would certainly make further compensation in the future, as a “compensatory exchange” isn’t just a matter of intent but also a bounded commitment.
“Since you wish to hear it, and we have nothing else pressing now, then I shall share with you,” the Enforcer slowly began: “Does a talent for luck exist? I don’t know, maybe it does, or maybe it doesn’t. But at least in my experience, I have never heard of such a concept as a talent for luck.”
“Therefore, I won’t consider Reynolds’ situation as a case of talent for luck.”
“As for why Reynolds’ luck is so peculiar, I cannot provide a precise answer at this moment. However, I can share with you one of my speculations.”
Instead of directly providing an answer to his speculation, the Enforcer narrated a real story that had occurred.
Years ago, in a mundane kingdom within the Western Lands Wizarding World, a very famous individual emerged.
His name was Charles.
He was born into a family of poverty, a family without anything noteworthy before Charles’ birth. However, after Charles was born, this impoverished family slowly transformed into a legendary household.
Charles’ parents, along with his brothers and sisters, inexplicably began to experience good fortune following his birth.
Initially, the good luck was minor: finding rabbits that had bumped into trees when hungry, finding fruits dropped by birds when thirsty, always having clear weather when going out to harvest crops, and yields always being slightly better than the previous year.
They didn’t pay much attention to these small fortunes at first. But as Charles grew older, their luck improved dramatically.
It wasn’t just minor fortunes anymore but had progressed to more significant ones:
Walking on the road and finding money.
Randomly purchasing a market stall item, only to discover it was a royal antique thousands of years old.
When confronted by robbers, the robbers would accidentally fall over themselves, allowing his family to capture them and receive a hefty reward.
This stroke of luck enveloped Charles’ family, and in just a few years, transformed them from poor farmers into well-known wealthy merchants.
Moreover, becoming wealthy wasn’t the result of starting from scratch… none of them knew anything about business; they literally started from “nothing.”
Despite having no foundation, various coincidences and strokes of luck turned them into influential magnates.