Translator: SumTLMan
Daus’ face showed no signs of hesitation. Instead, he looked left and right, seemingly earnestly comparing the two different forks in the road.
But in reality, Angel and the Black Count both knew that Daus was undoubtedly caught in a dilemma at this moment.
However, contrary to their expectations, Daus made his choice quite swiftly.
Angel could even sense Daus’ turbulent emotions; before his feelings had settled, Daus had already made his decision.
“Let’s take that alley,” Daus said with firm conviction.
Although Angel was somewhat puzzled, he didn’t question it. Instead, he nodded and said to everyone: “Let’s go, follow his lead.”
Daus sidled up to Angel and asked curiously: “You really trust me wholeheartedly?”
Angel replied: “Anyway, if something goes wrong, you’ll take the blame.”
Daus curled his lips: “Don’t forget, you’re the leader.”
Angel retorted: “Since you say so, why don’t we listen to me? Let’s turn back immediately and take the path by the twin towers; it’s not far anyway.”
Daus rubbed his nose: “No need for that; we’ve already come this far.”
Angel said: “If we don’t turn back and something happens, you’ll bear the responsibility.”
Daus opened his mouth, muttered a few unintelligible words, and finally nodded: “Fine, we’ll go with my choice!”
Angel knew very well that Daus was currently wrestling with his inspiration; any retreat would be a voluntary concession, which he absolutely couldn’t accept at this moment.
However, Angel was still a bit curious: This time, did Daus go against his inspiration, or did he follow it?
Angel and the Black Count communicated privately, and the Black Count was also uncertain.
Just when they were unsure, Kael, the “Sleeping Dragon”, suddenly chimed in.
Although Kael was following the group, his face was full of reluctance: “Why do we have to take the dark alley? The little garden over there is well-lit and hardly has any Wizard Eye Ghosts.”
Kael’s complaint was something Angel and the Black Count hesitated to respond to, but another “Young Phoenix” couldn’t resist.
Vai said: “I think so too; the little garden is definitely the better choice. Who knows what’s gotten into Daus, insisting on taking the dark alley.”
Kael and Vai’s duet left Daus feeling a bit embarrassed.
Daus approached and first addressed Kael: “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to. You saw it, didn’t you? There are several stone tablets in that little garden; you’re thinking of going over to record the inscriptions, right?”
Kael replied: “Even if I have that thought, I can just use a memory stone in passing; it’s not like we’ll have to stop.”
Daus said: “I don’t care; you have your own agenda anyway.”
After finishing with Kael, Daus turned to Vai: “As for you…”
Vai puffed out his chest and raised his head: “I have no ulterior motives; I just think the little garden is better than this dark alley.”
Looking at Vai’s critical expression, Daus’ initial irritation gradually dissipated, and he returned to his lazy tone: “Kid, don’t tell me you’re afraid of the dark?”
Vai rolled his eyes. In Mesomiya, he ran the Noah Divination Shop, and to enhance the atmosphere of life and death, the interior was pitch black. Would he be afraid of the dark? Daus clearly knew this and was deliberately provoking him.
Vai said: “If you don’t give a reason, today I will…”
Daus asked: “You’ll what?”
Vai declared: “I will… I will go with Kael through the little garden.”
Vai had thought it through carefully. The little garden’s end was visible at a glance; there shouldn’t be any significant danger. Even if they did encounter Wizard Eye Ghosts, he and Kael together wouldn’t be afraid. Even if there were many Wizard Eye Ghosts, they could fight their way through and meet up with the others at the end, and the adults would naturally handle any subsequent issues.
Kael was initially somewhat hesitant, but after considering it, he felt that going with Vai to the little garden wasn’t a big deal. He had explored many ruins on his own and wasn’t afraid of venturing alone.
“Alright,” Kael agreed without hesitation, supporting Vai.
Vai immediately lifted his head and looked at Daus.
Because of this verbal dispute, everyone had stopped.
Daus glanced at Angel: “Aren’t you going to say something?”
Angel said: “What can I say? It’s normal for them to have differing opinions. If it were up to me, I would also prefer the little garden. But, well, taking the dark alley is fine too. Either path works for me.”
What Angel said was almost equivalent to saying nothing; he didn’t take sides.
Daus sighed helplessly and said to Vai: “I don’t have any reason; I just feel that there’s something subtly off about the little garden.”
When Daus uttered these words, Angel and the Black Count exchanged glances, and they both arrived at an understanding.
This time, Daus probably didn’t go against his inspiration.
But if he didn’t go against his inspiration, what was his reason?
Just as Angel was pondering: “Young Phoenix” Vai chimed in again: “Something’s off? What’s off?”
Daus replied: “It’s true we didn’t see any Wizard Eye Ghosts in the little garden, but it’s precisely the absence of them that feels strange. Think about it carefully: Wizard Eye Ghosts dislike light, but they’re not so afraid of it that they’d avoid it entirely. They could easily destroy the firefly stones illuminating the garden, yet they haven’t done so. Isn’t that peculiar behavior?”
Vai countered: “If they don’t like light, they can simply avoid it. Why must they destroy anything? This place is vast enough to accommodate the living space of Wizard Eye Ghosts.”
Vai’s argument actually had some merit. Daus scratched his head and conceded: “You have a point, but I still feel uneasy. Let’s choose the other path then. As Angel mentioned earlier, both routes are viable for us anyway.”
Daus laid out all of Angel’s points, leaving Vai with little room to argue further.
Indeed, both paths were acceptable, and Vai had provided a “seemingly plausible” reason. So… they decided to take the dark alley.
The two apprentices ceased their quibbling, and everyone finally stepped into the dark alley.
“Do you think the reason Daus gave was influenced by his inspiration?” The Black Count’s whispered question arrived right on cue.
“I don’t know, but Daus made his decision very swiftly this time. Maybe it was because of that reason, or perhaps there were other factors. After all, human nature is complex. In the moment of making a choice, sometimes we consider many things; other times, it’s as simple as an inexplicable driving force.”
The Black Count asked: “The driving force you’re referring to, is it inspiration?”
“Inspiration, instinct, or perhaps an indescribable feeling that blends with inspiration.”
Angel said this because he was certain that when Daus made the decision, his emotions were still in turmoil; it didn’t seem like a carefully considered choice.
Since it wasn’t a well-thought-out decision, it’s possible that some other driving force led him to choose.
They had previously personified inspiration too much. In reality, inspiration itself lacks thought; it’s Daus who truly thinks. Daus is the main actor in everything.
The Black Count said: “Your understanding is quite interesting; perhaps you’re correct.”
Angel asked: “Then how do you interpret it, lord?”
The Black Count replied: “The same as you.”
The Black Count’s tone carried a hint of amusement; obviously, he had other thoughts but didn’t intend to share them. Angel didn’t press further, fearing that the Black Count’s level of understanding was too profound, potentially leading him into a high-level trap.
Although the Black Count currently existed only as a nose and his power wasn’t high, his profound knowledge remained unchanged. Sometimes, when lower-level wizards forcibly attempt to peek into or comprehend the words of higher-level wizards, they can easily fall into high-level traps. It’s not the fault of the higher-level wizard; it’s the lower-level wizard overestimating themselves.
Therefore, Angel rarely delved into deep knowledge topics when conversing with the Black Count. And the Black Count didn’t elevate the level of understanding too much, which made their interactions quite harmonious.
On the path through the dark alley, they had barely taken a few steps before encountering a strange scene.
Five Wizard Eye Ghosts were circling in a ring, spinning continuously.
Wizard Eye Ghosts inherently possess the ability to transform into shadows; at first glance, it looked like a mass of shadows spinning around.
“Is this some sort of habit of the Wizard Eye Ghosts?” Vai looked at Kael. Although Kael hadn’t recognized the Wizard Eye Ghosts immediately when outside, once he learned they were facing such creatures, he had plenty to say about their habits.
This was the hallmark of the academic faction.
Kael pondered for a moment and said uncertainly: “Perhaps they’re cultivating?”
“Cultivating?” Vai looked at the swirling mass of shadows that made him dizzy just by watching: “What kind of bizarre cultivation method is that?”
Kael explained: “As far as we know, among shadow elemental magical creatures, Wizard Eye Ghosts are rare in being social. According to records, their method of cultivation is through the merging of shadows.”
“So it’s a case of big fish eating small fish? These Wizard Eye Ghosts aren’t playing; they’re fighting? When they catch up, they devour the shadow ahead?”
Kael shook his head: “Wizard Eye Ghosts seldom kill each other. Their shadow merging is similar to our conferences or tea parties, where they exchange certain special energies, or information within their shadows, to improve themselves.”
“As for the method of merging, the books don’t provide specifics, because how they merge depends entirely on the Wizard Eye Ghosts’ mood. I guess this might be one of their merging methods for cultivation?”
Kael wasn’t certain either and could only look toward Daus.
Daus’ eyes darted around, and he whistled a little tune. Clearly, Daus didn’t know what was going on either.
Ultimately, it was the Black Count who settled the matter with a decisive word: “What Kael said is basically correct. Although Wizard Eye Ghosts are low-level magical creatures, through the fusion of shadows, they continuously refine themselves. In the end, perhaps a perfect, highly intelligent life form may emerge.”
Kael asked: “Then the wizard-level Wizard Eye Ghosts in the twin towers, aren’t they…?”
The Black Count replied: “Wizard-level Wizard Eye Ghosts are rare, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t appeared. wizard-level is still far from perfection, but their intelligence has increased considerably. A truly perfect Wizard Eye Ghost is flawless in the academic world, having perfectly exchanged information with all other Wizard Eye Ghosts, discarding the dross and selecting the essence, achieving a state of omniscience in the shadow world.
“Of course, this is an academic hypothesis. No one has seen a perfect Wizard Eye Ghost yet.
“And the way Wizard Eye Ghosts merge is similar to what Kael said, it’s based on their mood. However, the more times they merge, the higher their intelligence may become, and thus the more varied their merging methods will be.”
As soon as the Black Count finished speaking, Daus immediately chimed in: “I see, I see! The more experience they have, the more tricks they know.”
After Daus finished speaking, he cast a lewd grin at Angel. Angel merely raised an eyebrow, prompting Daus to silently turn his gaze toward another person——Kael.
“It’s like comparing me and Kael. I have a whole repertoire of tricks; I can handle all kinds of positions. As for Kael… do you have any tricks?”
Kael remained silent.
Seeing this, Daus burst into hearty laughter, as if he had just won a fierce competition.
But Daus hadn’t laughed for long before he suddenly realized that he couldn’t open his mouth.
He reached up to touch it, only to find that an “X”-shaped tape had materialized over his mouth.
Without a doubt, this was the handiwork of the Black Count.
One could easily guess the reason. The Black Count was earnestly explaining, while Daus was making lewd jokes on the side. If this were elsewhere, say, at a formal symposium, Daus would have been blasted into oblivion.
However, Daus being unable to speak was only temporary. After all, the Black Count, relying solely on his nose, didn’t have enough energy to completely silence Daus.
But being able to enjoy a moment of peace was a good thing for everyone.
“How do we get through now?” Once the world finally quieted down, Vai asked the most pragmatic question.
Five Wizard Eye Ghosts weren’t many, but unfortunately, the alley was narrow. They were spinning around, just blocking the path.
Vai suggested: “Should we… kill them all?”
“No need,” Angel responded nobly. He extended the moving illusion realm, quietly enveloping the five Wizard Eye Ghosts.
Next, Angel simulated the surrounding environment, causing the spinning Wizard Eye Ghosts to be completely unaware that they had entered the illusion.
The final step: Speedling silently manipulated the Wizard Eye Ghosts to float into mid-air.
In this process, making the Wizard Eye Ghosts unaware of the changes in their situation was no easy task. However, Angel’s illusion realm could influence the perceptions of creatures within the illusion to some extent regarding the outside world.
They continued spinning, completely oblivious to the fact that they had been lifted into the air by the wind.
Now, the path ahead was unobstructed; they could proceed smoothly.
As everyone passed beneath the Wizard Eye Ghosts, Vai felt somewhat awkward: “Lord, since you can lift them up, why don’t we just fly over directly?”
“A matter of choice,” Angel replied righteously: “What I can do alone, there’s no need for all of you to do as well.”
Angel’s answer was high-sounding, not only dispelling Vai’s doubts but also making Vai feel that Angel was considerate of everyone’s situation, further admiring his idol’s greatness.
However, at this moment, Vai was unaware that a snide remark from the Black Count was echoing in Angel’s ear.
“In terms of hypocrisy, you’re quite like your mentor.”
The Black Count knew all too well why Angel chose to make the Wizard Eye Ghosts fly instead of them. The answer was simple: the moving illusion realm couldn’t fly.
Or rather, the moving illusion realm couldn’t fly here.
Because The Main Axis of the moving illusion realm was Eremy.