Chapter 2641 Cecia the Person <TOC> Chapter 2643 Ring of the Wood Spirit
Translator: SumTLMan
Cecia narrowed her eyes and reassessed Angel: “The source of your information is truly confusing. You even know about the Sovereign of Wisdom, that reclusive old fellow. I’m really curious, where did you find out that the Sovereign is from the Three-Eyed Blue Demon race?”
Angel said: “Have you ever heard of Book Ancestor? Or perhaps, have you heard of Mirror Lady and Tree Spirit?”
Cecia arched a brow: “The three great Ancestral Spirits of the Savage Grottoes were quite famous even back when I was alive.”
“So you’re saying it was these Ancestral Spirits who told you?”
Angel replied: “I come from the Savage Grottoes myself, and I get along well with the Ancestral Spirits. If you’d like to meet them, I could arrange it later. However, Mirror Lady is currently asleep, and Book Ancestor is in the library and best not disturbed. The only one who could meet you right now is Tree Spirit.”
Cecia let out a snort through her nose: “Cunning fellow, not giving me a direct answer at all. You’re deceiving me.”
Angel’s expression remained unchanged, but he was taken aback in his heart. Had Cecia’s intelligence returned to normal?
Cecia waved a hand: “But it doesn’t matter. If I truly want to know that old fellow’s identity, it’s not entirely impossible. Even though he never leaves his realm, he frequently sends out underlings to gather information outside and even contributes articles to certain magazines.”
Angel asked: “He actually writes articles?”
Cecia replied: “Surprised? Frankly, I was also surprised when I first heard about it, and it did sound somewhat absurd. But indeed, he does submit his work for publication and, through some indirect methods, communicates with other wizards. By the way, this place’s magic formation has been running continuously for a long time also because of his unceasing modifications and additions. I’ve heard that’s the result of his exchanges.”
Angel wore a look of sudden realization: “No wonder he is called the Wise One. He knows how crucial perception and communication are. Alchemy keeps evolving; if you don’t keep pace, the new era will discard you as part of the old days.”
Cecia said: “Judging by your expression, you didn’t learn about him through his writings? Forget it. If you don’t want to say, I won’t ask.”
By now, Cecia’s attitude had done a three-hundred-sixty-degree turn. Although her expression remained aloof, her words and actions had become much more cordial.
“Right, I recall he published a book all on his own before, something to do with research. He even specially sent me a copy.” Cecia said: “But I have no interest in it; the topic was just too boring.”
As Cecia spoke, she casually pulled out a booklet from who-knows-where and tossed it in the air. It traced a parabolic arc before landing in Angel’s hand.
“If you like it, it’s yours.”
Angel asked: “Aren’t you revealing the Sovereign of Wisdom’s pen name this way? Won’t he mind?”
Cecia tilted her head, letting her black hair cover half of her face in a gesture of complete indifference: “He never forbade me from passing on his writings. Besides, keeping this stuff around only pollutes my box.”
One could plainly see Cecia’s intense distaste.
Angel muttered softly in his heart: “Does it warrant such a reaction? Even if an alchemist’s book is lacking…”
He stopped muttering halfway, because upon opening the booklet, he saw its contents… well, something very familiar. Extremely so. Not long ago, Angel had even manifested it with illusion for others to read.
Yes, it was that —Record of Different Postures in Wizard Eye Ghost Fusion—!
Author: Blue Fatty.
At the time, Angel had never made any connection between the Three-Eyed Blue Demon and the author of this book. But now, having learned the truth and working backward, it really did seem to fit.
For instance, to compile this offbeat —Wizard Eye Ghost Observation Diary—, one would need to find a place brimming with Wizard Eye Ghosts, otherwise how would one observe the various ways they fuse?
And indeed, outside in the work area, there were plenty of Wizard Eye Ghosts. Most important of all, those Wizard Eye Ghosts had originally been cultivated by the Three-Eyed Blue Demon.
Moreover, the author’s pen name apparently hinted at something, too.
Blue Fatty… Blue Fatty…
Isn’t the Three-Eyed Blue Demon basically just a massive Blue Fatty? Or you could call him a big mound of blue flesh.
Once you think about it like that, it’s all perfectly logical and consistent.
But a conclusion is just a conclusion. It would be strange if it didn’t align once you already knew the answer.
Noticing Angel’s expression, Cecia asked: “What, you’ve read his book?”
Angel nodded: “I had the honor of reading it.”
Cecia scoffed: “Then your standards aren’t that high.”
Angel automatically answered with a familiar tone: “Ignorant as I am, I naturally need to supplement every sort of knowledge. After all, I’m not even twenty——”
“Shut. Your. Mouth.” Cecia had her hand pressed to her forehead, blue veins faintly showing.
Angel silenced himself, looking at Cecia in puzzlement.
“That’s enough, you’ve said plenty about it. I already know you’re under twenty. You don’t need to keep repeating it over and over.” Cecia added: “You know what topic women hate the most? That’s right, age. I don’t want to hear another word about age out of your mouth.”
Angel stared at the somewhat disgruntled Cecia for two seconds, then shrugged: “Alright.”
“Pardon my lapse in composure. Go on, ask what you wanted.” Cecia brushed aside the disheveled strands of hair by her ear and regained her composure.
“My second question is still about the Sovereign of Wisdom.”
Cecia glanced at Angel with a hint of curiosity: “Earlier, you mentioned you have another purpose in coming here, so you’re not after him, are you? Let me be frank: although he’s not all that formidable in direct combat, in the underground sewer, he’s unbeatable. With that team of yours, you shouldn’t bother trying to challenge him. If you provoke him, you’ll never even know how you died.”
Angel explained: “He’s not our target. We just need to pass through the main hall where the Sovereign of Wisdom resides to get to another path. To avoid provoking him, while still making it through safely, we asked the Demon Soul outside for information. We heard the Sovereign of Wisdom is quite fond of a certain Wood Spirit from the Hanging Prison Stairs, and so we thought of seeking out that Wood Spirit to present to him.”
Once Angel briefly described their plan, Cecia showed a look of understanding: “So the reason you came to the Hanging Prison Stairs is for that timid, gutless Wood Spirit?”
Angel asked: “You’ve seen it, Cecia?”
Cecia nodded. Recalling that Wood Spirit made her expression indescribable: “I’ve encountered it once. I’ve never seen such an odd Spirit: not only timid and cowardly, but unbelievably stingy. The rules here dictate that you must exchange something valuable for a ticket. In the end, I was so annoyed, I didn’t even demand its most valuable item. I said it could just give me something random so it could leave. But it was still clinging onto its things for dear life. I ended up forcibly prying something off it, or it probably would’ve just pretended to be dead in my place for a few decades.”
It was indeed rather safe inside the Box of Cecia, and that Wood Spirit had apparently pretended to be dead for many years among flocks of Wizard Eye Ghosts, so playing dead for decades in Cecia’s box seemed perfectly in line with its character.
While Angel pondered this, the image of that Wood Spirit gradually grew more vivid in his mind.
Yet at the same time, Angel felt a small doubt: “Given how strange that Wood Spirit’s personality is, what exactly did the Sovereign of Wisdom fancy about it?”
Cecia answered: “I’m curious about that as well. Perhaps they share the same rotten taste? Once you meet the Sovereign of Wisdom, you can ask him yourself. Tell me next time we meet.”
She paused, lowering her eyes: “Then again, maybe we won’t meet again. When the Sovereign of Wisdom visits me next time, I can ask him myself.”
Angel blinked: “There’s no telling if we won’t meet again. Perhaps we’ll see each other frequently?”
Cecia asked: “What, are you planning to carry off the Box of Cecia? I’ll tell you now, that’s impossible. I’m not leaving here unless…”
Angel asked: “Unless what?”
Cecia held a finger to her lips in a hush gesture: “I can’t say.”
Though verbally stating “I can’t say,” Cecia employed the black mist swirling around her to conjure a brief scene.
Its content was simple, one concept in a single phrase: dead wood blossoming anew.
Angel speculated that Cecia was hinting that for the renewal of the physical shell of Nightfall City to be able to leave, this “withered wood” would need renewed life.
He did not ask outright, as Cecia was bound by the Merck Soul Source Oath. Her hint was already the utmost she could give. If Angel spelled it out plainly, it might trigger the oath’s penalty.
Angel said: “Maybe there’s a way to meet often without carrying off your physical form.”
Cecia replied: “Alright, I look forward to you bringing me the reason why the Sovereign of Wisdom is so taken with the Wood Spirit next time we meet.”
Cecia simply assumed Angel meant that he’d be coming to this ruin frequently, so they could see each other often.
In truth, Angel had no intention of returning to these ruins anytime soon, unless it was the version in the Nightmare Plane: Nightfall City within the Nightmare Plane.
What Angel had in mind by “we might see each other often” was undoubtedly referencing the Wilderness of Dreams.
The grand announcement of the Wilderness of Dreams was imminent, and there wasn’t much harm in giving Cecia a chance in advance. Besides, hardly anyone visited her place for centuries, so there was no way for her to leak anything.
Moreover, Angel still wanted to observe her more thoroughly to ensure she wouldn’t develop sinister intentions, as he intended to have her mentor Totoro.
And how would he observe her? By bringing her into the Wilderness of Dreams, he could monitor her around the clock.
“Now you know my short-term objective. Cecia, might you have any recommendations for me? Whether on finding the Wood Spirit or any other means of bypassing the Sovereign of Wisdom’s hall?”
Cecia contemplated for a moment: “Going back ten thousand years, passing by the Sovereign of Wisdom’s hall was quite difficult. I think only the warden’s daughter ever received any preferential treatment from him.”
“Speaking of which, originally, paths ran unimpeded on both sides of that main hall. Then the Sovereign of Wisdom went and built his home on one route, which is pretty baffling. I don’t know exactly where you want to go, but the underground sewer extends in all directions. You could try looking for another entrance, so you wouldn’t have to pass his hall.”
Angel said: “Now the outside is mostly ruins, and deeper entrances are difficult to find…”
Cecia shrugged: “Then I can’t help you. I never pay attention to directions.”
Angel pressed on: “If I don’t take a detour and insist on using the Hanging Prison Stairs, then?”
“Then there’s no other way,” Cecia said: “Aside from winning his favor, as you proposed, by offering the Wood Spirit, I can’t think of anything else.”
“What if I run into the Sovereign of Wisdom, and tell him that I come recommended by Cecia? Would that help?”
Cecia rolled her eyes: “Don’t go boasting my name out there. Besides, even if you mention me, it’s unlikely he’ll let you pass. So you’d better stick to your own plan and find the Wood Spirit.”
“And do you know where that Wood Spirit is?” Angel asked.
Cecia answered: “How would I know? I’ve never been outside.”
Angel fell silent. So all that buildup for nothing, his question had no real answer.
Cecia added: “Anyway, it’s somewhere within the Hanging Prison Stairs. I’ve never gone there, so I don’t know the specifics, but you definitely won’t find it in the higher levels of the Hanging Prison Stairs.”
Angel asked: “Is that because the upper levels of the Hanging Prison Stairs have collapsed?”
“Did you learn that from the Demon Soul outside?” Cecia changed her posture as she spoke. She crossed her left leg over her right, the starry crystal high heel on her foot gently swaying up and down: “Indeed, the higher part of the Hanging Prison Stairs has collapsed, but even if it hadn’t, do you think that coward would dare venture up there?”
“Some formidable monsters remain sealed in the upper floors, and even ten thousand years ago, there were countless traps. Now spatial rifts are everywhere. That wimp definitely wouldn’t dare climb up. I doubt it’s gone beyond the third floor.”
Before, Day had also said that the Wood Spirit wouldn’t go to the upper floors because those areas were fractured. Cecia’s explanation reflected the same conclusion as Day’s, only more detailed.
After all, Day had only heard rumors of the Wood Spirit’s cowardice, while Cecia had personally witnessed it.
“If it hasn’t gone above the third floor, it should be easy enough to find,” Angel murmured quietly.
“Easy to find on the first three floors? From the way you talk, you’ve been to the Hanging Prison Stairs?” Cecia inquired.
Naturally, Angel wouldn’t admit it. He casually concocted a story: “Even though Nightfall City is in ruins, there are still some beings who remember the old days and continue living. I learned a few things from them. It’s said the Hanging Prison Stairs has at least twenty floors. The higher the level, the vaster the space. Since you said the Wood Spirit is within the first three floors, each floor likely only has a handful of cells. Searching shouldn’t be too difficult.”
Back in the Nightmare Plane, Angel had once ascended to the summit of the Hanging Prison Stairs, though he hadn’t counted the floors.
One couldn’t blame him, since many floors intersected and overlapped, like a complex, illusory space. It was nearly impossible to determine whether you’d moved a single floor or multiple floors. Moreover, Angel hadn’t explored many areas, so he had no idea about any branching sections.
Based on his personal experience, there might be anywhere from twenty to forty floors in total.
Cecia said: “Every time you mention your information source, you always spin a lengthy tale, all vague and suspicious… But anyway, it doesn’t matter. No matter where you heard it, the point is that the floors you’re talking about are just what’s on the surface. Some special floors also connect to expanded prison spaces. Altogether, there are likely well over a hundred floors.”
“But if you’re only searching for the Wood Spirit, you needn’t worry about those. They’re generally in the middle or upper sections. The first three floors don’t have extended prison spaces.”
Angel nodded. He vaguely recalled that the first three floors were basically single-room cells, with not much space. If the Wood Spirit truly was hiding somewhere in those first three floors, it probably wouldn’t be that hard to locate… maybe?
“Cecia, can you give me any other advice on finding the Wood Spirit?”
Cecia absentmindedly twisted the end of her hair around her finger while leisurely crossing her legs, deep in thought.
After a while, Cecia spoke: “I remember the Sovereign of Wisdom mentioned that because there’s no significant danger in the first few floors, the Wood Spirit doesn’t deliberately hide but still remains inconspicuous.”
“If you really can’t find it, you can simply destroy everything. Once it’s frightened enough, it will surely come out.”
Angel: “…That’s quite the solution… but not really.”
“…Is there a more gentle way? Since we actually want to bring the Wood Spirit to meet the Sovereign of Wisdom, and the Sovereign of Wisdom didn’t forcibly capture it either. If we do so by violence, he might become even more displeased.”
Coming back to her senses, Cecia snapped her fingers as if to say “Oh, right.” “True, you have a point.”
Angel resisted the urge to roll his eyes and continued: “So, Cecia, do you have any other method? Something gentler, since we don’t intend to harm the Wood Spirit.”
Originally, Angel didn’t harbor much hope, but it seemed Cecia’s occasionally absent intellect was back online.
Cecia said: “Yes.”
“If there’s someone in your group who knows prophecy spells, they can use a tracking spell by focusing on it as a target to pinpoint its whereabouts.”
Angel asked: “A tracking spell?”
Cecia nodded: “I told you I ripped something from it, then let it go. That item came from the Wood Spirit. By using it as the medium for a tracking spell, it wouldn’t be difficult to find it.”
Angel’s eyes lit up. That did sound promising. Even if they didn’t know tracking magic, they might identify its energy waves or aura. That alone could lead them to the Wood Spirit.
“Cecia, would you let me see what the Wood Spirit left behind?”
Chapter 2641 Cecia the Person <TOC> Chapter 2643 Ring of the Wood Spirit