Chapter 2612 Sovereign of Wisdom <TOC> Chapter 2614 Three-Eyed
Translator: SumTLMan
“This kind of question doesn’t seem like something you’d ask,” Day remarked after hearing Angel’s inquiry. His gaze swept lightly over the only two apprentices present: “I suppose it was these two lads who asked, wasn’t it?”
Angel replied: “That doesn’t matter. Besides, I might very well ask such a question myself.”
With a cold snort, Day: “With a Demon as your shield, a strong wind at your back, and illusions cloaking you, if you still need to ask such a question, then you’re as timid as a mouse.”
“Prudence in the face of the unknown is no fault,” Angel countered.
As Day and Angel exchanged words, Vai, who had posed the question, had already lowered his head in embarrassment. If he had known it would cause his idol to be ridiculed by that half-demon, he shouldn’t have asked. Yet, being defended by his idol felt rather heartening…
While Vai’s thoughts were in turmoil, on the other side, after a bout of scornful remarks, Day finally answered the question.
“For you, there’s nothing particularly dangerous ahead. Just a group of Wizard Eye Ghosts that go mad at the sight of blood. If you can’t even handle Wizard Eye Ghosts, then there’s no need to face that existence.”
Setting aside his sarcastic tone, Day’s answer was quite similar to what Angel had surmised.
Sure enough, where there are Wizard Eye Ghosts, the Hanging Prison Stairs cannot be far.
Yet, Angel was still somewhat puzzled: “As guards, don’t you stop those Wizard Eye Ghosts?”
“No need to stop them. They’ve existed for a long time,” Day hesitated for a moment before continuing: “They were raised by that existence, supposedly to study certain characteristics of Wizard Eye Ghosts.”
After Day finished speaking, he paused, seemingly sensing feedback from the contract. Confirming there was no violation, he let out a long sigh of relief: “In those days, Wizard Eye Ghosts often roamed near the Hanging Prison Stairs. Since they couldn’t enter the true prison, they were treated like watchdogs. However, as time passed, the number of these hounds multiplied like rabbits.”
As Day’s words faded, Angel heard Daus’ sarcastic voice in the mental connection: “Raised for experimentation yet allowed to wander freely… That existence is truly capricious. But more importantly, others saw it and didn’t bat an eye, directly treating Wizard Eye Ghosts as ‘guard dogs’? I can only imagine how chaotic the Hanging Prison Stairs must have been back then.”
Angel agreed with Daus but kept these thoughts to himself. Facing Day, he remained as calm as still water.
“Then, besides the Wizard Eye Ghosts, are there other dangers? Aren’t magical creatures imprisoned within the Hanging Prison Stairs?” Angel asked.
“As long as you don’t enter the Hanging Prison Stairs, the only danger you face is the Wizard Eye Ghosts. As for entering the Hanging Prison Stairs…” Day paused briefly: “I can’t say.”
Everyone: “…”
Day continued: “However, I can tell you that the Hanging Prison Stairs have been severed. You cannot reach the upper levels. As for the lower levels, even in those days, there wasn’t much danger.”
Once again, Daus’ voice echoed in the mental connection: “Can’t reach the upper levels? As long as it’s still within the ruins, I find that hard to believe!”
Angel silently replied: “There’s no need for you to comment on every word Day says. Besides, the Hanging Prison Stairs may not even be within the ruins.”
Daus was momentarily stunned: “What do you mean?”
“Alternate dimension space,” Angel explained.
“When the ladder in the alternate dimension space is severed between upper and lower levels, the broken segment can drift into any spatial rift. So, what Day said isn’t actually incorrect.”
On the other side, after Day declared the ladder was broken, he remained silent for a while before saying: “I’ve told you everything I can about this question. If you have other questions, ask them now. It’s better if you don’t. If you must, at least make them less trivial than this.”
Angel, taking Day’s cue, promptly posed a question that was more meaningful and mature.
Specifically, it was Kael’s question.
What ill intentions could Kael possibly harbor? He merely wished to uncover the history of Nightfall City; even gleaning a few scraps from the periphery would satisfy him.
Yet, after hearing Angel’s inquiry, Day pondered for quite some time before reluctantly responding: “This question certainly didn’t originate from you.”
Angel smiled lightly and confessed: “Among my companions, there’s one who is quite passionate about archaeology.”
Day replied: “I cannot answer that question. Moreover, I retract my previous statement; I now permit you to ask some tedious and insignificant questions.”
Angel had anticipated that Day wouldn’t be able to answer Kael’s question. However, witnessing Day forced to swallow his own words, wearing that aggrieved yet vivid expression, Angel felt that the question was worth its weight in gold.
“In that case, I’ll pose another question; this one is also from a companion of mine.” This time, Angel did not conceal the identity of the questioner and directly pulled Daus into the fray.
“This companion of mine has a penchant for scavenging the remains of predecessors and delights in collecting valuable treasures. I wonder, Day, do you have any advice for him?”
Day glanced at Daus, who had been suddenly thrust into the spotlight and appeared somewhat confused, and sneered: “What you just said is quite accurate; there are no predecessors here, only bandits.”
Having said that, Day did not continue to ridicule Daus. Those who come here, are any not in pursuit of profit? Day thought not.
Therefore, though he mocked Daus with a quip, in his heart, he felt that Daus might actually be the most genuine among this group.
“There’s no shame in seeking profit. Unfortunately, the spoils you can obtain ahead are scant. If you’re interested in the corpses of Wizard Eye Ghosts, you might as well slay some. If memory serves, there are two formal wizard-level Wizard Eye Ghosts inside. Even at prices from a bygone era, these two would fetch a king’s ransom.”
Daus silently added to himself: Now, they’re worth even more!
Formal wizard-level magical creatures have become as rare as hen’s teeth in the Southern Region. To acquire them, one must venture to other worlds. For wandering wizards like Daus, they don’t mind which world they traverse. However, the means to reach other worlds, besides knowing the coordinates and braving the void, are limited to utilizing large-scale teleportation channels, which are monopolized by major organizations and the Extreme Sect. Securing access to these channels is an uphill battle for Daus.
Even if he managed to obtain passage, upon returning, should the Extreme Sect decide to inspect otherworldly items, lacking any backing, he’d have to accept his fate.
This state of affairs has rendered the corpses of formal wizard-level magical creatures astronomically valuable. Moreover, Wizard Eye Ghosts are low-level magical creatures that seldom evolve to the formal wizard level! Placed on the auction block, they’d undoubtedly be among the star attractions.
With this in mind, Daus began plotting… How to convince Angel to slay those two Wizard Eye Ghosts.
If push comes to shove, he’d have to weigh the pros and cons of breaking away from the group versus sticking with them before making a decision.
However, before Daus could persuade Angel or even begin his deliberations, Day added a crucial remark: “By the way, those two formal wizard-level Wizard Eye Ghosts were originally raised by that being, the only two still alive. Although that being hasn’t tended to them much over the years, if you kill them, you might incur its wrath.”
Daus ventured: “…What if we slay them and then make a swift exit?”
This time, Day didn’t mind Daus’ interruption: “If that being truly cares about the lives of those two Wizard Eye Ghosts, even if you open a planar passage, you won’t escape its reach. If it doesn’t care, then feel free to kill them and continue your wanderings here.”
In other words, it’s a roll of the dice.
Slay them, and you might meet your doom, or perhaps not.
Confronted with such a choice, Daus, without batting an eye, chose… not to kill.
Even if there’s only a ten percent chance of death, once it happens, it’s certain doom. For long-lived wizards, gambling with their lives is something they won’t do unless absolutely necessary.
The Southern Region is so vast, and there are so many worlds. If they can’t profit here, they’ll just go elsewhere. There’s no need to stake everything here.
“Besides the Wizard Eye Ghosts, what about the remains of the predecessors? Are there no other good things in the Hanging Prison Stairs?”
Day: “Those early explorers’ remains have long been torn apart and devoured by the Wizard Eye Ghosts. As for what they left behind, perhaps it’s in the stomach of some Wizard Eye Ghost? Or maybe in some corner inside. If you spend some time searching carefully, you might find something.”
“As for the Hanging Prison Stairs…”
When Day said this, he paused for a long time, muttering to himself. From the occasional whispers, it was evident that Day was testing the limits of his contract.
After a while, Day raised his head: “There are indeed some usable items inside the Hanging Prison Stairs, but without the cooperation of a formal wizard specialized in space, it’s basically unattainable. And I can’t say where exactly they are.”
There is a space wizard present, but Kael is still an apprentice, obviously not meeting the conditions Day mentioned.
“However, there is one thing you are qualified to take. If you can get it, it will be of great benefit to you.” When Day said this, his gaze fell on Angel. The “you all” was changed to a singular “you.”
“What do you mean?” Angel asked.
“Aren’t you looking for that one? There’s something in the Hanging Prison Stairs that it really likes. As long as you get it and bring it before it, it might fulfill your wish.”
After hearing Day’s words, Angel showed no emotional response, because Day’s answer was full of temptation.
As if eager to urge Angel to do this.
Usually, when encountering such situations, it’s not a good thing, so thought Angel, who was often tempted in similar ways by Jon when he was young.
Day also noticed Angel’s wary eyes. After some thought, he roughly understood why Angel had suddenly become vigilant.
Day chuckled softly: “You think I’m tricking you?”
Angel didn’t speak, but Daus chimed in: “This is obviously a trap. Even that existence you mentioned couldn’t get it. How can we get it?”
Day: “You don’t understand the situation.”
In the next few minutes, Day briefly explained the ins and outs of the matter.
In the lower level of the Hanging Prison Stairs, there is a “spirit”——not a soul, but a spirit born from all things, like Mirror Lady and Tree Spirit.
This spirit hasn’t been around for long, just a few hundred years.
It’s a Wood Spirit.
Perhaps because it hasn’t interacted with the outside world and wasn’t properly taught after being discovered, this Wood Spirit has a very peculiar personality.
It’s very… timid.
Its place of birth was originally outside the Hanging Prison Stairs. At that time, there were many Wizard Eye Ghosts outside. When it saw so many cruel and ugly monsters, it was directly… scared unconscious.
When it woke up again, it pretended to be dead for more than half a year, simply out of fear of being torn apart by the Wizard Eye Ghosts. Interestingly, while it was playing dead, neither Day nor the other guardians discovered it. Its concealment ability is very strong, probably honed during that time.
As its spirit grew stronger, it rushed into the Hanging Prison Stairs at the first opportunity.
It was only then that the guardians discovered its existence. However, due to their limited range of action, they couldn’t leave here and couldn’t observe the specific situation inside the Hanging Prison Stairs.
A century ago, that being known as the Sage was wandering through the underground labyrinth when he happened to drift near Day.
Day told him about the matter; at the time, Day didn’t think much of it. But later, Day discovered that the Sage had developed an immense curiosity about that spirit.
Time and again, he ventured to the Hanging Prison Stairs, but unfortunately, each time he returned empty-handed.
At first, Day thought that the Sage hadn’t found the Wood Spirit, but after inquiring, he learned that, in fact, on his very first visit, the Sage had already discovered the Wood Spirit.
At that time, the Wood Spirit was disguised as the prison’s railing; if one didn’t pay close attention, it was indeed difficult to notice. However, the Sage’s realm far surpassed that of the Wood Spirit, so he easily perceived it.
After numerous exchanges, the Sage found that this Wood Spirit was truly exceedingly timid, so timid that at the beginning, it didn’t even dare to respond to the Sage’s words.
Even after many years had passed and the Sage had taught the Wood Spirit much knowledge, this Wood Spirit still did not trust and was very wary of the Sage, because the Sage’s appearance… was even more terrifying than a Wizard Eye Ghost.
“That being is very fond of this Wood Spirit, even regards it as a successor. But the Wood Spirit just doesn’t trust him, and that being is also very courteous; without the Wood Spirit’s consent, he would not bring the Wood Spirit out. Therefore, that Wood Spirit is still inside the Hanging Prison Stairs to this day.” Day paused for a moment: “If you can gain its approval and bring it out, I believe that when that being sees it, he won’t make things too difficult for you.”
After listening to Day’s entire narration, Angel roughly understood the situation.
If it’s true, perhaps it’s worth a try. Wood Spirit, Wood Spirit… He had met Tree Spirit before and had interacted with Tree Spirit for a long time; he even carried a leaf from Tree Spirit. Perhaps he could use this to gain the Wood Spirit’s trust.
Seeing that Angel was somewhat moved, Day added: “However, if you fail to obtain its approval and still attempt to forcibly take it away… that being will inevitably appear.”
Daus said: “So, the being you mentioned has been watching over the Wood Spirit all along? If we go there, won’t we also be discovered by him?”
Day replied: “As I mentioned earlier, that being regards the Wood Spirit as a successor and would naturally grant appropriate protective items. As for monitoring the Wood Spirit, that’s impossible.”
Day did not explain why it was impossible to monitor the Wood Spirit, but Angel explained it to Daus through the mental connection.
And this explanation was concise and straightforward: “Alternate dimension space.”
Previously, Angel had already mentioned that the Hanging Prison Stairs is an alternate dimension space, but Daus obviously hadn’t paid attention.
“Can you tell me more about that Wood Spirit?”
Angel was already intrigued and decided to meet this special Wood Spirit. If he could rely on the Wood Spirit to pass through that being’s hall, that would naturally be ideal.
If it didn’t work out, then they could only leave and try their luck with another entrance.
Of course, Angel also had a final backup plan, which was the “Summoning Spell.” However, if he summoned Iron Armor Granny over, it’s likely that the Black Count would also summon his true body here. In the end, where the fate of this ruin would lead would be hard to say.
Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, Angel would not resort to this move.
Chapter 2612 Sovereign of Wisdom <TOC> Chapter 2614 Three-Eyed