Chapter 2602 Exit <TOC> Chapter 2604 Self-Doubt
Translator: SumTLMan
At first glance at the fountain, Angel immediately noticed the humanoid Statue within it.
The statues erected on the vast squares of residential areas always carry some meaning; perhaps from the identity of the statue, some clues could be obtained.
With this thought in mind, Angel walked over to take a closer look.
When the lady in the statue revealed her true appearance, Angel was momentarily lost in thought. Without a doubt, this was a statue of a goddess, for the halo behind her head that symbolized divinity highlighted her identity.
But who was she? Which religion’s deity was she? Why had Nightfall City allowed a statue of a deity to be built in the residential area back then?
These questions instantly flooded Angel’s mind.
However, as the cleaning work continued, those previous questions were all thrown to the back of his mind. Because he saw the naked child on the right side of the scale.
In that instant, a string in Angel’s heart was plucked, and memories of his experiences in the Nightmare Plane’s Nightfall City surfaced in his mind.
He was eager to know whether this child was the same as that… child from before.
Fortunately, the statue’s head had only fallen into the fountain and was not broken.
When the child’s head was reattached, the doubts in Angel’s heart finally had an answer.
Exactly the same!
The face was exactly the same as that of the statue of the peeing boy at the entrance of the Hanging Prison Stairs!
…
“Did you notice anything strange?” Vai leaned over to Kael and asked. He knew that Kael enjoyed exploring various ruins and might know something.
Kael pondered and said: “If there’s something strange, it’s the object held in the left hand of the statue, and the child on the scale in the right hand.”
“From the grip of the left hand, does it seem that the statue once held a sword?” After saying this, Kael looked at Daus. Daus was the only one present who wielded a sword.
Daus nodded: “Indeed, it’s a sword-gripping posture. Judging from the grip, the hilt should be wider at the front and narrower at the back… Hmm, this shouldn’t be a rapier. Also, the only missing part of the entire statue is this sword. I reckon that the sword was not a stone carving but an actual weapon with combat capabilities. Unfortunately, it has been taken by those who came later.”
Daus sighed: “I really wish I could see what this sword looked like.”
As a swordsman, it was normal for Daus to have such feelings, but Kael could not empathize. After learning that the left hand indeed held a sword, his expression became slightly strange.
“Setting aside the child statue, just looking at this goddess statue holding a sword in one hand and a scale in the other… don’t you find it looks very familiar?” Kael said softly.
Kael’s words reminded everyone, a name was about to surface.
“You mean, the Goddess of Judgment?” The two apprentices didn’t dare to call her name directly, but Daus didn’t care. Not only did he say her name directly, he also stroked his chin and pondered: “According to your description, it does have some of the Goddess of Judgment’s aura, just lacking a bit of majesty.”
The Goddess of Judgment, calling her a goddess is not incorrect. But she doesn’t have a real form; you can even regard her as… the World Will.
Yes, exactly, the World Will.
Because the name “Goddess of Judgment,” as well as her statue, is placed in the Heretic Judgment Court of the Extreme Sect.
It can be said that the Extreme Sect, carrying the banner of the World Will, deified a God of Judgment themselves, and in the name of the Goddess of Judgment, punished all things that came from other worlds.
“Could it be that this place is also related to the Extreme Sect?” Daus pondered with a frown.
Everyone remained silent but turned their gazes toward the Black Count and Angel.
These two hadn’t spoken from the beginning; the Black Count had only a nose, making it hard to discern any emotion. Angel, however, had genuinely been frowning and contemplating for quite a while. Had he discovered something?
In fact, if the Black Count had materialized a body now, he would also, like the others, be looking at Angel.
He was also seeing this statue for the first time, but that child with black and white wings made him think of some things. However, he did not speak immediately, wanting to hear what Angel would say.
Angel, who had been stared at for so long, could not fail to notice everyone’s gaze.
He sighed softly and, under everyone’s gaze, said: “This is also my first time seeing this statue. I heard your earlier guesses and think they make sense.”
Daus: “…That’s it?”
Angel shrugged: “What else can I say if that’s not it? Kael’s speculation does make sense. Holding a sword in one hand and a scale in the other, it’s very similar to the Goddess of Judgment.”
“You have no other additions? You’ve been standing there frowning for so long, and that’s all you’ve been thinking about?” Daus looked incredulous.
Angel thought for a moment and said: “However, saying she resembles the Goddess of Judgment, I actually think she looks more like the Spirit of the Seal Canon.”
“Spirit of the Seal Canon? What kind of deity is that? How come I’ve never heard of her?” Daus asked, puzzled.
Angel replied: “A spirit created by a friend of mine.”
Daus’ eyes lit up: “A spirit created by your friend? Who is that friend of yours? Could it be an Elder from the Abyss?”
Angel said: “Don’t try to pry; I’m not familiar with any Elder. The friend I’m talking about is a peer who entered the Savage Grottoes with me. His name is Shalem. Not long ago, at the Novastar Competition, he used a very powerful spirit method to transform a Seal Canon in his hand into a goddess who judges the sins of the world.”
“Her posture is also holding a sword in one hand and a scale in the other, very similar to the Goddess of Judgment of the Extreme Sect. However, the Spirit of the Seal Canon has her eyes covered with a black cloth, symbolizing absolute justice.”
As Angel spoke, he also used illusion to present the scene from the Novastar Competition at that time.
When everyone saw the Spirit of the Seal Canon transformed by Shalem and compared it with the statue before them, it indeed resembled the statue more than the Goddess of Judgment.
Because this goddess statue, although not covered with a black cloth, had her eyes closed.
The Goddess of Judgment needs to directly see all the sins of the world, more like a deity of slaughter.
But the Spirit of the Seal Canon is like a judge sitting in a courtroom, passing the most appropriate sentences with absolute justice.
“So it was just made by an apprentice; I thought it was some actual deity. However, what you say makes sense. In terms of temperament, this goddess before us doesn’t seem like a deity of slaughter, but more like the Spirit of the Seal Canon who holds the laws.” After Daus finished speaking, he pointed to the naked child on the right side of the scales: “If we’re talking about a deity of slaughter, he seems more fitting. On the left is the bow, and on the right, he holds an arrow to enforce the law, while the goddess only needs to give the verdict.”
Daus was originally just making a joke, but the more he spoke, the more he felt that this interpretation might actually be correct.
The goddess delivers the judgment; the child carries out the slaughter. The black and white wings represent justice and evil. The bow and arrow are the weapons of enforcement.
This logic is self-consistent!
Daus looked at everyone and said: “Don’t you think what I said makes sense?”
Kael and Vai silently nodded in agreement; even Angel didn’t object. Only the Black Count remained unmoved… because his attention was elsewhere.
“Your friend must possess a unique physique or bloodline, correct? This Spirit of the Seal Canon already exhibits the embryonic form of a Law Domain; ordinary apprentices cannot withstand such power,” the Black Count remarked, his gaze still fixed upon the illusion.
Angel nodded: “Indeed, he possesses the Sage Body.”
“The Sage Body? That’s quite rare. No wonder he can wield laws as weapons. However, judging by his combat style, his Sage Body is incomplete, isn’t it? This battle should be his swan song. The Law Domain is beyond his reach at this stage; the Spirit of the Seal Canon’s final judgment will be upon himself.”
Angel nodded again: “You are absolutely correct, lord. After that battle, Black Canon vanished, and he fell into despair.”
Angel turned to the Black Count: “Lord, since you’re suddenly concerned about Shalem, do you have a way to save him?”
The Black Count replied: “I do, but in exchange…”
At the mention of “in exchange,” Angel’s brows knitted together.
The Black Count chuckled softly: “Simply share what you were contemplating while standing before the fountain earlier. Of course, you may disclose as much as you wish, but you must ensure that what you say is the truth.”
“That’s all?” Angel was momentarily taken aback; he had thought the Black Count would once again bring up the matter of the Noah family.
The Black Count nodded: “That’s all. After all, I’m quite intrigued by your friend’s physique.”
Angel asked: “My lord is curious about the Sage Body?”
The Black Count responded: “No, I’m curious about how he managed to survive the fusion with the Deep Blue Bloodline… There’s no need to look at me like that. Since I can discern that his Sage Body is flawed, I can naturally deduce that he wasn’t born with it. The Southern Region lacks the conditions to produce a Sage Body. He must have extracted the Deep Blue Bloodline from other beings to achieve it.”
“And the Deep Blue Bloodline isn’t easily integrated. I’m very curious about how he accomplished it.”
Angel contemplated for a moment and felt that this exchange was quite fair, for even without the Black Count’s urging, he would have discussed the Hanging Prison Stairs in due time.
As for the predicament with Black Canon, if left unresolved, Shalem might truly be utterly ruined.
Whether Shalem is willing to have his Deep Blue Bloodline researched can be left to his own discretion. Regardless of his decision, at least it’s an opportunity.
“Very well, I can share what I was thinking just now. However, it might disappoint you all.”
No sooner had Angel spoken than Daus interjected: “You’re not thinking the same as me, are you? Let me tell you, I was the first to mention the Goddess of Judgment and the Child of Enforcement.”
Angel turned and smiled at Daus: “Rest assured, our trains of thought are unlikely to ever intersect.”
“That’s a relief…” Daus patted his chest in solace, but upon brief reflection, he sensed that there was something wrong in Angel’s words.
However, before Daus could mull it over, Angel had already begun discussing the statue.
“My focus isn’t on the statue of the Goddess, but on this child statue.” As Angel spoke, he traced a circle in the air with his short staff.
An illusion of a bare-bottomed child with black and white wings, holding a drawn bow, materialized before everyone.
They were puzzled, the statue stood right beside them, so why conjure an illusion?
But soon, they noticed the difference. The bare-bottomed child suddenly descended from his flying posture, retracted his wings into his back, and then, under everyone’s gaze, lifted the thin veil around his waist, revealing a charming little bird.
Then, still under their watchful eyes, the little bird released a graceful, shimmering arc of water.
The arc traced through the air, landing squarely on Daus’ face.
Caught off guard, Daus initially thought it was merely an illusion and didn’t bother to dodge. But when the watery arc touched his cheek, a warm, moist sensation spread across his skin.
Startled, Daus leaped back several steps, his eyes widening as he glared at Angel: “What in the world are you doing?”
“Just trying to make it more authentic,” Angel replied calmly: “Don’t worry, it’s not the boy’s urine, just warm water to help you snap out of it.”
Even though Angel explained that it was merely water, Daus still felt a twinge of indignation: “Why do I need waking up? I’m sharp as a razor. If anyone needs a wake-up call, it’s… Vai. Ever since we entered these ruins, he’s been acting like a completely different person. No, you need to be fair, give him a dose too.”
Angel sensed that Daus was genuinely angry, but his method of appeasing his friend’s irritation was characteristically his own.
He simply dragged his companion into sharing the “treatment.”
“If you want to splash water, do it yourself,” Angel said, turning away and resuming his serious demeanor.
The Black Count seized the moment to ask: “That little peeing boy, is he the same as the child on the scale?”
“Unless I’m mistaken, he should be,” Angel replied.
In truth, the facial features of young children aren’t fully developed, making it hard to assert with absolute certainty. However, these two images bore striking similarities.
Whether it was the boy perched on the scale or the one depicted relieving himself, their expressions were virtually identical.
They appeared to be laughing innocently, yet there was an inexplicable glint of mischief and mockery in their eyes. It was a feeling difficult to articulate, for outwardly, nothing seemed wrong. Their eyes were adorably round, their cheeks plump and rosy, the very picture of cherubic innocence.
But when you gazed upon him, it was as if you could see beyond that angelic facade, glimpsing the prankster and cynic lurking within his heart.
Moreover, much like the statue of the goddess, he exuded an air of aloofness. Even while engaged in the act of urination, there was a sense of him looking down upon all beings, as if he held the world in contempt.
This impression wasn’t unique to Angel; the Black Count perceived it as well.
“Where did you see this peeing boy?” The Black Count inquired.
“That’s a question I cannot answer,” Angel said thoughtfully: “However, I can help you rephrase it. For instance: where is this peeing boy’s statue located?”
From Angel’s deliberate rephrasing, the Black Count began to piece together some suspicions. However, it was irrelevant to the matter at hand, and he wasn’t so unwise as to press further at this moment.
“Very well then, where is his statue?” The Black Count followed Angel’s lead.
“Outside the Hanging Prison Stairs,” Angel replied. Seeing the puzzled expressions on everyone’s faces, he elaborated: “The Hanging Prison Stairs is a structure within the underground labyrinth, or perhaps more accurately, an official institution, whose purpose is to incarcerate criminals.”
“Are we heading to the Hanging Prison Stairs?” someone asked.
Angel nodded: “Yes. But we’re not going there to explore; rather, because it’s the landmark I’m seeking. Once we find it, we’ll be close to our target location.”
He gazed thoughtfully at the statue before him, then turned to look at the towering walls of the labyrinth behind them.
“The presence of this statue indicates that… we’re already not far from the Hanging Prison Stairs.”