Chapter 2689 Performance <TOC> Chapter 2691 Curtain Call
Translator: SumTLMan
Calling it a wooden figure isn’t exactly right, because it only has four bamboo-joint-like limbs, no distinct head, and no neck.
It looks more like a larger “Stick Figure” composed of five rods.
One rod serves as its body, while the other four rods are its limbs.
Setting aside the peculiarity of this “stick figure’s” appearance, its reaction alone left Angel somewhat puzzled.
He had turned around suddenly and spotted a stick figure nearby. He should have been the one startled, so why was the stick figure trembling in all four limbs?
Indeed, at that moment the stick figure’s four rods, which made up its limbs, went from rigid to limp, as if it had leapt into midair in a large “X” shape, with its limbs turning wavy in a fright.
Terrified, the stick figure began waving its two arms in a small circular motion, its movements undulating like waves.
Meanwhile, the air rang out with a series of trembling “ah” sounds, where the initial quaver started at a high pitch, then began to slide lower and lower…
Eventually, as the stick figure vanished from sight, its voice faded away as well.
As Angel stood there watching the space return to silence, his mind was still reeling.
When had it appeared?
And when had it left? How did it leave? Why was it that he had no sense of its movements at all, as though it had materialized and then disappeared into thin air?
Most crucially: who was it?
Clearly it had shown up and followed behind him, yet he had been entirely unaware of its presence.
If he hadn’t actually seen it running away before his eyes, Angel would have suspected it was simply a sophisticated illusion.
But now he was sure it truly existed, it just possessed an incredibly powerful means of staying hidden. Which meant its identity was practically obvious.
“Is it the Wood Spirit?” Angel turned to look in the direction of the Sovereign of Wisdom.
At that moment, the Sovereign of Wisdom was still frozen in astonishment. In fact, everyone “watching the broadcast” was likewise stuck in place, as though ensnared by a binding spell, this included the only other on-site observer, Kael.
Although at first only the Sovereign of Wisdom and Kael saw the Wood Spirit, as Kael described what he was witnessing through the mind link, and Angel, after turning around to spot the stick figure, resumed updating the illusion, everyone was able to see what had happened.
A while later, the Sovereign of Wisdom finally came back to his senses: “It…how…how did you get it to come out?”
“I didn’t do anything at all,” Angel said innocently: “So it really was the Wood Spirit?”
The Sovereign of Wisdom was silent for a moment before nodding: “Yes.”
He truly believed Angel had done nothing. Through the magic formation, he could directly observe Angel’s actions. Angel really hadn’t done anything, he had simply said a bunch of vague, sentimental words.
And to the Sovereign of Wisdom’s ears, those sentimental words were just pleasant talk with no real substance.
Yet strangely enough, the Wood Spirit really did appear and then cautiously, step by step, followed Angel for quite some distance.
Even if the Sovereign of Wisdom came to the Hanging Prison Stairs in search of the Wood Spirit, it would never voluntarily follow him. First, it was timid; second, it would worry that if it left its “safety zone,” the Sovereign of Wisdom might forcibly remove it from the Hanging Prison Stairs.
But what the Sovereign of Wisdom failed to achieve, Angel had somehow accomplished. The Wood Spirit even willingly ventured out of its safety zone, following Angel forward.
If Angel hadn’t turned around, the Wood Spirit might very well have followed him all the way out of the Hanging Prison Stairs.
This was beyond the Sovereign of Wisdom’s imagination.
He had given that “bonus condition”, finding the Wood Spirit and taking it away, without expecting them to fulfill it. In his view, they had a 99% chance of failing to locate the Wood Spirit; even if they did find it, the odds of taking it away were minuscule, far below 1%.
Yet now events had taken a completely unforeseen turn.
Not only had they found the Wood Spirit, they had nearly brought it out.
How did they pull it off? By simply talking? But the words weren’t even especially moving, some charlatans have far more stirring lines than those platitudes.
So maybe…was he completely off the mark? Could it be that the Wood Spirit was actually influenced by this sort of carefully crafted talk?
Then again, upon reflection, something seemed off. Over the years, the Sovereign of Wisdom hadn’t taught the Wood Spirit much about extraordinary knowledge. He had, instead, focused on teaching it a broader understanding of the world.
He had also brought it many books, most of them were mundane texts, because in order to cultivate a genuine view of the world, the Wood Spirit needed wide exposure. The Sovereign of Wisdom didn’t filter these books too rigidly, so inevitably some were refined and lofty while others were common and crude.
From this, one could see the Sovereign of Wisdom truly wanted to mentor the Wood Spirit as a successor, without forcing definitions on it. Instead, the Wood Spirit would read and then debate various perspectives with him.
Many insights become clearer through debate.
During this process, the Sovereign of Wisdom also gained an understanding of the Wood Spirit’s reading preferences.
Among the books were quite a few resembling those inspirational collections of “meaningful quotes,” but the Wood Spirit had no interest in them. What it loved reading about most were topics related to “nobility”, from accounts of noble etiquette and political intrigue to the love stories of noble ladies.
This proved that the Wood Spirit preferred lofty, elegant themes over more plain, ordinary ones.
So how could this Wood Spirit have been swayed by a few simple lines from Angel?
The Sovereign of Wisdom genuinely couldn’t fathom it…unless Angel had done something behind the scenes. Had he threatened the Wood Spirit?
But when Angel turned around, the Wood Spirit was so scared it ran wildly in all directions. The Sovereign of Wisdom, being well acquainted with the Wood Spirit, recognized that as a completely instinctive reaction, no sign of coercion was evident.
It seemed far more like the Wood Spirit had approached Angel of its own accord, only to be frightened out of its wits when he unexpectedly looked back.
“So, did you do something in secret?” the Sovereign of Wisdom asked again, still skeptical of Angel’s claim of doing nothing.
Angel replied, exasperated: “What could I have done? Clearly I was the one startled, how does that imply I did something to it?”
The Sovereign of Wisdom said: “If you truly did nothing, then how did you know it was hiding here?”
“I assumed the bonus condition was simply to find the Wood Spirit and bring it out, by any means,” Angel said: “I didn’t realize I’d have to report exactly how I found it.”
Implied in Angel’s words was: “If you only want results, then let me give you the results. Don’t ask about my methods. But if you want methods as well as results, why didn’t you specify from the beginning? Many techniques involve personal privacy or unique abilities. If you demand I reveal them, I simply wouldn’t have used them in the first place.”
The Sovereign of Wisdom recognized he was a bit out of line, yet he was reluctant to retract his question.
He even considered simply using force: after all, this was his domain, and they were just ordinary wizards…
But he was convinced Angel’s background was no trifling matter. If they managed to escape, the consequences might be devastating.
Weighing his options, the Sovereign of Wisdom said: “I know why you came here. I also know you intend to head to the ‘ruin site.’ I can share information about that place with you in exchange.”
Angel arched his brow: “But you said yourself that I’m not part of the Noah bloodline. If I’m not one of the Noahs, do I really need anything from that ruin site? Don’t you think so?”
Angel had a point.
The Sovereign of Wisdom was essentially certain that Angel didn’t belong to the Noah family. Since he wasn’t a Noah, was a ruin left by the Noah lineage truly Angel’s purpose?
Moreover, the Sovereign of Wisdom knew a secret: not everyone can enter that ruin site. If anyone could enter, the Sovereign of Wisdom would have gone in personally long ago.
Only someone who carries Noah blood or has been recognized by the one who created the site can go in.
That recognition doesn’t mean acknowledgment by the Noah family itself, but by either Augustine or Margaret, the two who fashioned the ruin. Only they can grant entry.
Clearly, Angel wasn’t recognized by either of them, and he didn’t have Noah heritage, so his need for the ruin paled compared to that of a true Noah descendant.
Realizing this, the Sovereign of Wisdom was stumped about how to tempt him.
After a moment’s silence, the Sovereign of Wisdom spoke again: “In that case, how do you wish to make an exchange?”
The fact that the Sovereign of Wisdom was bargaining at all came as a surprise to everyone present. It meant he was conceding something, effectively acknowledging Angel’s argument, and acknowledging that the ruin site wasn’t of great use to non-Noah individuals.
Though going to extremes with such equivalences can sometimes be flawed, in the present context, and given the Sovereign of Wisdom’s intractable nature, it was likely true that the ruin site held limited value for those outside the Noah bloodline.
Angel realized this as well, and he felt a bit disappointed.
If that ruin site truly was just set up for the Noah family, then the area behind that wall in the Nightmare Plane might never be accessible, unless he took someone with Noah lineage along.
While Angel was pondering this, the Black Count, off to the side, felt a jolt of alarm.
If the ruin site had no value for Angel, would Angel decide not to go any further? Though they were already close, and perhaps the site could be found without him, the key was still in Angel’s possession!
The Black Count hadn’t even seen it yet, only knew from Red Sword Daus’ stories that it was an extraordinarily special key. Aside from Angel, no one else could craft it; the usage of the key was also highly peculiar, requiring Angel’s operation.
If Daus had described anyone else in this way, the Black Count might not have believed it. But since it was Angel, someone from the Research Institute, he had to take it seriously.
From what had transpired, Angel was clearly no mere fluke; in the field of enchantment, at least, he was a true master.
So Angel had the skill and confidence to claim that only he could craft the key, and only he could open the ruin site.
But if Angel was losing interest in the ruin, that would be bad news for the Black Count.
Putting himself in Angel’s shoes, there was no reason for Angel to toil away for someone else’s benefit.
Moreover, the Black Count recognized his own position: he and Vai had forcibly inserted themselves into this venture halfway through. Originally, their common interest overlapped, but if that was gone, Angel could well decide to abandon the search for the ruin.
If that happened, the entire endeavor would fail.
To put it plainly, Angel was the one who crafted and held the key, and was the only person who could actually open the ruin site; Kael was the rightful owner of the key; Red Sword Daus could serve as a guardian. Those three together could complete this exploration on their own, no problem.
Meanwhile, the Black Count and Vai were basically “add-ons” to this operation, useful but not indispensable.
Now, however, the situation had changed. The rightful owner, the holder, and the protector of the key likely had no stake in the ruin’s content, while these two “add-ons” would benefit most if it were opened. Anyone would find that arrangement distasteful.
Seeing it from that angle, the Black Count worried Angel might quit altogether.
Most importantly, the Black Count now wanted to reach the ruin site more than ever. At first, he hadn’t cared, but now that he knew it was left by his Noah ancestor, it might contain something crucial to the Noah family.
He had turned the ruin site into his primary short-term goal. Letting go was out of the question.
So, among everyone present, the Sovereign of Wisdom’s statement actually alarmed the Black Count the most.
He understood that he had to do something, at least offer Angel some compensation to keep him from dropping out.
With that in mind, the Black Count spoke up: “If the Sovereign of Wisdom wants an exchange, you should at least put some real terms on the table. When I trade with others, I always show what I can give, perhaps a share of spells, the inheritance of some unique secret arts, or other items of real value. If you offer nothing, are you not asking for too much?”
Though he seemed to be speaking to the Sovereign of Wisdom, the Black Count’s real intent was to communicate with Angel. Indeed, Angel understood at once.
He recalled how, earlier, he had praised the Black Count’s avatar-splitting secret art, and the Black Count had mentioned the possibility of exchanging knowledge. However, at that time, neither of them had taken it seriously. After all, secret arts aren’t typically shared on a whim.
But now, the Black Count was openly talking about an exchange involving unique secret arts, obviously hinting to Angel in earnest, tying back to their previous conversation.
Initially, Angel wondered why the Black Count suddenly brought this up. But considering the current situation, he realized the Count feared Angel would drop the ruin expedition, so he was offering compensation to keep him interested.
What the Black Count didn’t know was that Angel intended to visit that ruin site no matter what.
From the start, Angel’s interest wasn’t in the ruin’s spoils, but in its structure, seeing how it corresponded to the Nightmare Plane and giving him a more concrete framework.
Still, Angel had no reason to reject the benefits being offered.
He understood people like the Black Count place more stock in tangible gains than in sentiments. Accepting this gesture could prove more useful than declining.
“Exactly, I agree with the Black Count on this. If you’re not going to present terms, how can we trade?” Angel said.
So Angel and the Black Count both addressed the Sovereign of Wisdom, effectively forcing him to serve as a go-between.
The Sovereign of Wisdom found their manner of talking somewhat odd, but he couldn’t pinpoint how.
Ultimately, he let it go and replied: “I don’t know what you desire, but if you seek an exchange of knowledge or skills, I’m willing to oblige, and I can also lend you my personal notes to read, on the condition that you give me a truthful answer.”
Pausing, the Sovereign of Wisdom revisited his initial query: “How exactly did you discover the Wood Spirit?”