Chapter 2657 Spirit Transformations <TOC> Chapter 2659 Shattered
Translator: SumTLMan
The group continued their trek upon the dark, empty Hanging Prison Stairs.
With each step they took, a red mark glimmered momentarily, solidifying the step beneath their feet. Once they proceeded to the next step, the previous one gradually turned into a hazy outline, eventually disappearing into the darkness.
It felt as though they were walking up a stairway to heaven with no possibility of return.
By now, they had been traveling for nearly a quarter of an hour since leaving the platform where the Box of Cecia had been, yet they still had not seen any end to these stairs.
Moreover, the stairway sometimes spiraled upward; sometimes it dropped dozens of meters as though plunging straight down; sometimes it flipped or turned upside down altogether. Those changes had already become standard.
Were it not for the red mark continuously guiding them, they might have begun suspecting that they had taken a wrong path.
At present, they were traversing a massive looping portion of the stairs. Occasionally they were upright, occasionally upside down. The gravity here was thoroughly chaotic; even in the upside-down stretches, they felt no sense of falling.
Halfway along this great loop, Kael abruptly asked in puzzlement: “Why is my mark flying in a different direction from yours?”
Because Kael was at the rear, nobody had noticed anything unusual until they heard his voice through their mental connection. At his words, they glanced back.
They saw Kael standing there, dazed, on a step about ten meters away. The red mark before him was flashing in another direction, and there, in that direction, a corresponding outline of stairs emerged.
“Could these tickets actually lead to different routes?” Daus asked, turning to Angel.
Angel, who had spent the most time conversing with Cecia, presumably knew more than anyone else, yet he, too, looked a bit confused: “I asked about these red marks. Cecia only mentioned that they’re part of the laws of this alternate dimension space: only by possessing a red mark can we safely reach the exit. She never said that we’d have to split up along the way.”
At that moment, the Black Count spoke up as well: “I asked something similar and received basically the same answer Angel did.”
“So what now for Kael? Should I head back and pull him over here?” Daus wondered aloud.
Angel replied: “Once a mark is activated, it only moves forward. If you’re skeptical, try stepping back a bit.”
Overflowing with the urge to test it, Daus immediately put a foot on the step behind him. Sure enough, as Angel had claimed, the red mark remained motionless and unlit; it did not follow him backward. Meanwhile, that step beneath Daus’ foot instantly turned into an insubstantial mirage.
Daus, being his usual rebellious self, thought it was only a few meters; he wanted to grab Kael first and worry about the rest later. Whether Kael would lose the red mark, Daus never even considered. If worst came to worst, he figured, he could stash Kael in his Exile Space.
Yet just as Daus prepared to rush toward Kael, Kael, face aghast, frantically shook his head in warning.
Puzzled, Daus had no time to dwell on it before a cold dread rippled through his heart.
Not only Daus but the others as well sensed something was very off.
“Speedling, hurry and pull Daus back!” The instant Angel detected that chill of danger, he ordered Speedling to conjure a powerful whirlwind. The vortex seized Daus, who was now both feet off the step, and dragged him back onto the stair.
Daus, back on solid footing, gasped for breath, his face still pallid: “W-what was that? What happened just then?” he asked, looking around in confusion.
But nobody else had actually seen anything; all they felt was a momentary wave of foreboding.
Kael’s voice then filtered through their mental connection: “A shadow. The second Lord Red Sword stepped away from the stair, I saw a colossal black shape rise out of the void below.”
“A massive shadow? In darkness like this, are you sure you weren’t mistaken?” Angel asked.
“I’m certain,” Kael answered: “Its color was distinctly different from the pitch black all around us….”
“And where is that shadow now?” Daus asked anxiously, worried that some malevolent force might be lurking, waiting for him.
“The moment Lord Red Sword returned to the area illuminated by the red mark, the shadow sank away and vanished,” Kael said.
Hearing that, everyone finally understood why Angel had warned that the red mark would only allow forward movement, not retreat.
The moment you take a step back, you invite whatever dread presence awaits in the shadows.
Angel remarked: “Cecia did mention that dangers lurk in the void; who would have thought they’d appear so soon? Once you leave the stairway, that shadow starts looming right over your head….”
The Black Count said: “No typical alternate dimension space would be designed to be this bizarre, especially one that apparently keeps a demon in the void.”
“A demon kept here?” Angel repeated questioningly.
The Black Count nodded: “I can’t imagine any other possibility. This alternate dimension space’s layout is unnatural… I have the feeling that something unknown is hidden deep in this void.”
As he gazed into the blackness, a trace of inquisitiveness flickered in the Black Count’s eyes.
“If there’s something secret here, there might be secrets concealed in the Hanging Prison Stairs, too. Their circumstances look very similar,” Angel observed after a moment’s thought: “Still, even if there are hidden truths, they likely have no bearing on our current objective.”
It wasn’t that Angel lacked curiosity regarding these “secrets.” Rather, anything of that magnitude was likely bound up with the Hanging Prison Stairs or the higher echelons of Nightfall City, certainly not something he could meddle in now.
And Angel had no desire to complicate this expedition unnecessarily.
“Indeed, it’s probably unrelated,” the Black Count said, offering no contradiction to Angel’s conclusion: “We can shelve that for now.”
“These mysteries are well beyond our immediate concerns. But Kael’s dilemma is urgent and calls for a solution,” Daus pointed out.
The Black Count shrugged lightly: “What is there to solve? Wherever Kael’s red mark leads, that’s the path he should take. Since Cecia said that the red mark will see each of us safely out of here, we’re bound to reunite. In fact, we may all wind up taking different roads sooner or later.”
Kael, who had remained at a distance, replied first: “Right. If there were only one path, then buying multiple tickets in the first place wouldn’t make sense. Each of us having a ticket likely means each of us will end up on a different route.”
He paused, then concluded in a resolute tone: “I’ll keep following the red mark. I’ll be walking alone.”
There was a touch of determination in his voice. Daus considered this, then said softly: “That might not be a bad thing… traveling solo is pretty common.”
“Well, not completely alone,” Kael said with a quick scratch of his head: “Our mental connection is still up, right? Once I start walking, I’ll keep you all updated on how it’s going!”
And so, after taking a long breath, Kael followed the direction the red mark indicated.
They watched Kael’s figure fade, eventually swallowed by the blackness. Only once he vanished altogether did they turn around and carry on along the big looping stairs.
Kael stuck to his word: every so often, he would report back, letting everyone know he was safe.
A few minutes later, once they reached the apex of the loop, a fork in the path materialized for Daus as well.
This time, Daus said little. He gave a simple nod to the group and set off alone toward the dark unknown.
After Daus disappeared, Vai sighed: “Looks like the ancestor was right: we each have our own road….”
“Everyone has their own path in life. That’s why, when you decided to remain in Somiya, I never stopped you,” the Black Count remarked: “You made a choice. It was your path to walk.”
Vai could only reply with an awkward laugh. Inside, he was a bit chagrined that his ancestor took this chance to lecture him again.
Clearly, the ‘road’ in question wasn’t exactly the same kind of path.
Vai’s disappointment was short-lived, however, because the red mark leading the Black Count pulled him away in another direction.
The Black Count departed with no further words.
That left only Angel and Vai.
The notion of strolling in solitude with his idol lit Vai’s heart with unexpected joy, and even the darkness around them felt a bit brighter.
Yet while he was thrilled, Vai couldn’t think what to say. Would Angel even share his interests, or would that lead to awkward chatter?
Just as Vai was fretting in silence, Angel spoke first: “Earlier, you mentioned you wanted to commission a crystal ball. Are you sure it has to be a crystal ball? Are there other possibilities you’d prefer? And what effects do you need? Do you have any constraints on materials or shape?”
Vai hurriedly answered: “Yes, it has to be a crystal ball. Because of my ability, I can harness the inherent properties of a crystal ball more effectively… also, let’s be honest, it just looks more professional for fortune-telling.”
“As for restrictions or functions, I mainly want its energy infusion to be smooth and for its power capacity to be high. Most of all, it has to remain safe from corrosion by death aura….”
Angel’s brow rose: “Death aura, hmm?”
Vai reflexively said: “Yes, death aura,” but then noticed the meaning behind Angel’s gaze. After thinking it through, he asked: “Lord, you’ve already noticed…?”
“I’m well aware of how death aura works. Yours may appear to be death aura on the surface, but at its core, it’s infused with something else, an essence that is entirely the opposite. In other words, it’s an aura of ‘rebirth from death.’”
Vai looked astonished, yet his eyes sparkled with excitement: “You truly live up to your name, lord. It’s hidden so well, yet you still perceived it! My ancestor said that unless a wizard’s soul path leans heavily toward death, no one else would be able to detect it, at least, not unless they reach true knowledge.”
“Daus never even had a clue.”
Gazing at Angel in unmasked admiration, Vai looked utterly starstruck. Angel, feeling a bit self-conscious under that adoring stare, knew privately that the Black Count was correct, he himself hadn’t directly perceived it and had only pieced it together from Cecia’s hints.
Still, he had his reasons for bringing it up.
“You could treat this alternate form of death aura like regular death aura, using the bones of the departed, soul soothing stones, spirit separating crystals, and so on to prevent it from corroding alchemy items. However, it differs from pure death aura. If I can sense it directly, I can craft something more precisely suited to your needs.”
He paused briefly, then added: “I’m not sure if you understand, but as a newer member of the Research Institute, I need every item I craft to be high rank… I won’t go into why. Let’s just say I refuse to allow any blemish on my record in alchemy.”
Those words, from the direct explanation to the gentle persuasiveness, capped with a slightly emotional note, were enough to sweep Vai right along.
Suddenly brimming with enthusiasm, Vai said: “Lord, if you need to study my Death Scent ability, I can cut off my nose for you!”
Angel: “…”
What was it with the Noah family and their habit of dismantling body parts? The Death Scent was a bloodline gift inherited from the Black Count; the nose was just the pathway.
Outwardly, Angel simply shook his head, unruffled: “That’s not necessary. If there’s anything similar to that crystal ball you had before, letting me sense its aura would be more than sufficient.”
“Something like my crystal ball?” Vai thought, but came up empty.
Seeing Vai’s confusion, Angel prompted him again: “Tell me, are you the only descendant of Noah to have awakened Death Scent, or were there others before you?”
Realizing what Angel meant, Vai’s eyes lit up: “That’s right! It just dawned on me, my ancestor once owned a crystal ball that he received from an old friend. But later on, he said it was ugly and didn’t use it anymore. I always thought that a crystal ball actually fit perfectly with Death Scent, and besides, it looks impressive. Customers would trust it more at a fortune-telling shop.”
He prattled on a bit, then promised eagerly: “Whenever you need it after we leave here, I’ll bring that crystal ball right to you!”
Angel nodded: “Any time after we’re out of here is fine.”
That straightforward reply touched Vai, who surmised that, as a member of the Research Institute, Angel must have plenty of other crafting requests lined up, yet he was willing to move Vai’s request to the top of the queue. Surely, that was to help Vai get his shop up and running as soon as possible.
So thoughtful!
Seeing Vai’s eyes glimmering with gratitude, Angel was puzzled. Why was he getting so emotional? Was his mood always this mercurial?
Angel was just about to say something consoling when Vai suddenly exclaimed, all fired up: “I, I promise I won’t disappoint your kindness, lord!”
Angel: “? ? ?”
He had no time to decipher Vai’s sudden fervor before the red mark before him began dancing, guiding him toward another route.
Noticing the newly forming outline of a staircase ahead, Angel said: “It seems we are on Diverging Paths here. I’m off, then. I’ll see you at the exit to the Hanging Prison Stairs.”
With a parting wave, Angel headed toward that other path.
Vai watched Angel leave, longing in his gaze, until Angel’s silhouette gradually receded into darkness.
Angel left so straightforwardly because he had shared everything he needed to, enough hints that Vai might acquire the Black Count’s crystal ball for him. Whether or not that ultimately happened would hinge on Vai’s diligence.
Still… Vai mentioned that the Black Count’s crystal ball was originally a gift from an old friend?
The Black Count’s friend? A crystal ball? Those two details stirred certain suspicions in Angel’s mind.
He couldn’t shake the distinct sense that this friend of the Black Count… might just be someone Angel already knew.
Chapter 2657 Spirit Transformations <TOC> Chapter 2659 Shattered