Chapter 299 Re-encounter with Baruba <TOC> Chapter 301 Rolling Dark Clouds
Translator: SumTLMan
As Nausica was feeling a sense of loss, Baruba, who was beside her, also put down his pen. His eyes were filled with surprise, relief, and a hint of confusion. Especially when he saw the draft paper left by Angel, his eyes darkened considerably.
The universal text written by Angel was like orderly squares, devoid of the flamboyant flair of mainstream cursive script, exuding a restrained and meticulous precision.
Baruba stared at the draft paper for a long time, his eyes filled with a hint of loss. He whispered to himself in a voice only he could hear, “So it was you.”
……
In the following days, Angel entered a truly busy period.
The energy stabilizer was tinkered with by Angel early the next morning. Due to the lack of proper consideration for the materials, he failed three times. It was not until the sky was about to brighten that he managed to make the energy stabilizer.
The energy stabilizer, as Angel had envisioned, was small, exquisite, and easy to carry. He embedded it into the internal space of the experimental table, leaving only two elongated tubes: the left tube for placing magic crystals, and the right tube for releasing magical power.
The energy stabilizer originally had other functions, but for now, Angel only needed it as a magical power generator. Therefore, the energy stabilizer was tucked away in a hidden compartment without even seeing the light of day.
After making the energy stabilizer, Angel did not rest immediately but hurried to make a music box.
His magical power had been exhausted while making the energy stabilizer. Therefore, during the production of the music box, he relied entirely on the magical power produced by the energy stabilizer, also to test the effectiveness of the stabilizer.
It took him more than half a day to make the music box, and his face turned dark.
At the time, Promi had mentioned that using the “energy stabilizer” to produce stable magical power was costly.
Angel didn’t realize it at the time, but after he actually started working with it, he truly experienced what it meant to burn money. A single magic crystal contains a lot of magical power, but most of it is unstable raw magical power. When the stable magical power is extracted, there’s only a tiny amount left, barely enough to release a level 0 trick.
Angel spent a total of 37 magic crystals to make the music box! If this isn’t burning money, what is?!
With a hint of heartache, Angel silently carried the music box back to his bedroom and placed it beside Toby’s small bed.
Angel had not rested for nearly two days. When he finally woke up, he faintly heard the melody of —Castle in the Sky— coming from the living room.
Upon stepping out, they saw Toby sitting blankly on the living room table, with the music box beside him playing music but not releasing any illusions.
The night outside was serene, and they had slept until evening. Angel placed some dry rations in front of Toby.
“Chirp chirp.” Toby gestured listlessly with his wings, his eyes devoid of luster.
“Don’t worry, I’ve inquired. The No-Eyed Man was taken by Lady Lydia of the ‘Red Lotus.’ Once we both grow up, whether through stealing or buying, we’ll get the No-Eyed Man back for you.”
Angel then recounted the events from the auction, concealing the nightmare and mentioning that Sanders had saved them.
“Our relationship with Twilight has now reached its freezing point. Though others have agreed to settle for 100,000 magic crystals, I doubt that Twilight woman will let us off so easily. So, we probably can’t go to the Twilight Deep Well anymore,” Angel sighed and continued with a mournful expression, “In these two weeks, I need to figure out how to repay the 100,000 magic crystals. You just behave yourself and stay at home. Don’t cause any more trouble. Can you do that?”
Toby flew onto Angel’s shoulder, rubbing his furry little head against Angel’s cheek.
Toby nodded, “Chirp chirp.” Thank you for forgiving my impulsiveness.
Angel glanced at the music box, “As for your little friend, don’t go looking for him alone. After half a month, when I finish up things here, we’ll go find him and settle the score together!”
Toby’s eyes darkened, but ultimately he nodded. He now understood the consequences of his impulsiveness at the time. No longer the cherished treasure of Gloria, and with Angel’s power ranking at the bottom in the wizarding world, Toby could no longer afford to be willful.
To indulge as Angel said, one must grow, in both strength and mindset.
Toby suddenly recalled waking up in Angel’s room, with dry rations, water, and the music box beside him. Though Angel lacked the power to let him do as he pleased, Angel had placed everything he could offer before him. Moreover, Angel never blamed him for it.
Toby continued rubbing against Angel’s cheek, “Chirp chirp.” Meeting you has been the most wonderful thing.
Angel hadn’t anticipated Toby’s change of heart, but since he was behaving, Angel decided to share the news about Gloria: “Last time, I concealed the news of Lady Gloria’s disappearance due to my selfishness. I won’t hide anything from you anymore, but you mustn’t be impulsive.”
Upon mentioning Gloria, Toby’s movements stiffened, and then he nodded.
Angel smiled, placing Toby in his palm and lowered his head to converse with him at eye level, “I received some information from Lord Sanders. Lady Gloria might not be dead…”
Angel then told the story of Felicia’s journey to the Light Domain and the invitation for a prophetic Grand Wizard to visit the Holy Plane.
Although Angel had eavesdropped on the news, Sanders thought he was in a comatose state due to merging with the nightmare realm and discussed it with Flora. However, although unconscious, Angel could actually hear everything from the outside world. It was precisely because he had overheard it that Angel believed the information to be very reliable.
Toby’s reaction was just as Angel had anticipated—surprise and disbelief, with his low spirits instantly restored to their fullest.
After comforting Toby, Angel continued to devote himself to the alchemical cause.
Having completed the energy stabilizer, Angel felt somewhat confident in completing the engraving of the “Prelude of Death.” To fulfill his promise and make money, Angel placed the task of crafting the alchemical weapon engraved with the “Prelude of Death” second in his list of priorities.
However, before starting the process, Angel sought out David.
Led by David, Angel arrived at the cave at the edge of the Apprentice Town, where Promi resided.
Stepping into the brightly lit cave, Angel immediately saw Promi, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, diligently writing something.
Aside from Promi, Angel noticed a pile of discarded alchemical weapons, among which the “hand crossbow” raised his eyebrows.
Although it was just a glimpse, the shape of the “hand crossbow” was quite similar to his “mechanical wrist crossbow.”
Angel decided to ignore it, taking a glance and shifting his focus back to Promi. Similar appearances didn’t matter, as Promi practiced the path of concoction, which was vastly different from his enchantment. Moreover, his “mechanical wrist crossbow” contained intricate mechanisms due to its mechanical alchemy. In contrast, the “hand crossbow” crafted by Promi was a pure crossbow without any mechanical enhancements, making its damage and initial velocity incomparable to the “mechanical wrist crossbow.”
Promi put down his gold-rimmed glasses and greeted Angel with a smile, “Oh, Angel, what brings you here?”
Angel responded with a faint smile, “I came to consult with the master about the design of long-range weapons.”
A glint of excitement flashed in Promi’s eyes, “Do you mean you’re now able to engrave the ‘Prelude of Death’?”
As he spoke, Promi used his magical hand to fetch a chair from the depths of the cave and placed it opposite his desk, gesturing for Angel to sit and talk.
After taking a seat, Angel said, “I’m not entirely sure, but I borrowed an energy stabilizer from my mentor and plan to try engraving it. If all goes well, I should be able to complete it.”
Unable to contain his elation, Promi sensed a confidence radiating from within Angel, despite the uncertainty in his words.
If they could create an alchemical weapon engraved with the “Prelude of Death,” they would indeed make a fortune!
Rune enchantment and magical array enchantment were entirely different concepts. Rune enchantment mainly provided passive effects, such as sharpness, sturdiness, fire, frost, and so on. In contrast, magical array enchantment reached an effect comparable to permanent spells. Moreover, as long as there was power, it could be used continuously. Compared to the limited use of permanent spells, magical array enchantment held even greater value!
Furthermore, alchemical items with magical array enchantment were definitely of intermediate level or higher!
If Angel were to successfully complete this alchemy task, he would undoubtedly become an intermediate alchemy apprentice. If he could consistently produce intermediate alchemy tools, he might even be promoted to a high-level alchemy apprentice!
Most importantly, Angel was not yet 16 years old! For the first time, Promi felt a deep sense of threat from Angel. Fortunately, Angel was currently learning enchantment instead of concocting.
“So… shall we begin?” Suppressing his jealousy and emotions, Promi asked Angel.
Selecting the design for a long-range weapon, the process didn’t differentiate between enchantment and concocting. It was purely about choosing materials from a design perspective and employing ergonomics.
Typically, it would take Promi a long time, possibly even years, to finalize a blueprint.
However, this time, he was once again astounded by Angel’s extraordinary talents.
Since picking up the draft paper, Angel’s pen hadn’t stopped, creating various intricate designs. The ingenious concepts impressed Promi not only for their exceptional nature but also for the many insights he gained from them.
This was a clash of thoughts and a competition of creativity.
In this battle of blueprint design, Promi suffered a resounding defeat.
What does it mean to be unconstrained by convention? What does it mean to be a work of divine skill? What does it mean to be ingeniously simple? These phrases describe Angel’s blueprints.
Some of these blueprints were inspired by Earth’s weapons, while most were alternative designs deduced by combining two different civilizations.
While sketching, Angel naturally hid his skill, only drawing the rough outlines and mentioning the general concept. The truly perfected blueprint was kept in his heart, a secret among alchemists that couldn’t be revealed indiscriminately.
This, however, tormented Promi. He adored every single blueprint, each sparking new ideas and yielding even more creativity. Yet the complete designs were all locked away in Angel’s mind. Following the unspoken rules of the alchemy world, he couldn’t ask for them. All he could do was lament in his heart, mourning his own foolishness and marveling at Angel’s exceptional talent.
Some time later, Angel put down his pen, “Master, do you have any opinions?”
Promi looked deeply into Angel’s eyes, “I have no opinions. Moreover, in front of you, I cannot bear to be called ‘Master.’ I am truly ashamed.”
Chapter 299 Re-encounter with Baruba <TOC> Chapter 301 Rolling Dark Clouds