Chapter 324 The Nest <TOC> Chapter 326 Repaying Debts
Translator: SumTLMan
Deidweia was a towering, fierce-looking old man cloaked in a black robe, standing in front of the main table in the hall.
“Angel Pat, I have long heard of your name, and indeed, you live up to the reputation your mentor often mentions,” Deidweia said with a smile, but his gaze at Angel was extremely complex.
Angel hadn’t forgotten that it was Deidweia who had ordered punishment and resolved the auction issue last time. Therefore, Deidweia’s current words of praise must be insincere.
However, that did not prevent Angel from pretending to be flattered.
As a wizard on the path of true knowledge, Angel had to suppress his impatience and engage in polite conversation, even if he felt irritated. Deidweia’s aura was profound, his speech full of authority, and even his every movement influenced the flow of magical power. Angel did not dare to retort.
“The parasitic incident has been clarified by Lord Phantom Master, and it is indeed unrelated to you,” Deidweia said, a trace of gloom flashing in his eyes but his expression unchanged. “Moreover, after the parasitic event, everyone’s constitution has improved, which can be considered a blessing to all.”
Deidweia spoke insincerely while Angel wore a fake smile. Sanders sat to the side with a faint smile, enjoying this awkward exchange.
Eventually, Deidweia couldn’t continue and turned to Sanders, “Lord Phantom Master, since Angel has arrived, why not resolve the fog issue now?”
Sanders: “Are you in such a hurry?”
Deidweia said helplessly, “It’s been nearly two weeks without an auction, and many time-sensitive items have piled up and are wilting. Moreover, after this ordeal, I don’t know how many wizards will be willing to come to Twilight. I have to discuss countermeasures with the other two families to prevent Twilight from disappearing like the market on the Paramjit Plateau.”
Sanders nodded, “Indeed, this matter should be handled sooner rather than later. However, as you know, Angel and I must act simultaneously. I have no problem on my end, but with Angel’s current strength, it may be difficult for him to manage.”
Sanders hesitated, “Unfortunately, we cannot send wizards to protect him, as other wizards will be targeted by the parasites. So…”
At this point, Deidweia knew what Sanders was trying to say and sighed, “Lord Phantom Master, rest assured, I will prepare some protective items for Angel.”
With that, Deidweia shook his head and left. However, he did not know that a smile burst from the corner of Angel’s mouth as soon as he left.
“Thank you, Mentor!” Angel knew full well that Sanders’ previous words were actually seeking benefits for him. With his special circumstances, why would he need to break through to get close to the passage? He could just stroll over.
“You could consider this as saving the common people. Since you don’t want fame, take some souvenirs instead,” Sanders joked.
Saving the common people? Angel was not that optimistic. Even though Sanders had comforted him, he still felt embarrassed whenever he thought of his impulsiveness being the cause. He was even more reluctant to wear the title of “savior of the common people.”
“Come on, while Daedweia is fetching something, let me tell you about our plan,” Sanders gestured to Angel to move into a separate area.
“Parasitism is a minor issue; to completely solve this incident, we must dispel the mist…”
As long as the mist passages are closed, the rest is just clean-up work. Angel’s task is to cooperate with Sanders to close the passages.
The Colorful Dragonfly Nests have two passages that produce mist. One of them is the female bathhouse nest Angel had previously visited, and the other is located in the inner hall of Twilight Auction House, where not only the Colorful Dragonfly nest is present, but also Frogg, the Frog Chanter, Foxx, the Red Fox with a musical instrument, and the Joker Card.
“I’ll close the passage in the auction’s inner hall, you close the one in the female bathhouse. Only when both passages are closed simultaneously will the mist’s source be completely eliminated; otherwise, a spatial backlash will occur, and even if one side is closed, it will reopen after a while.”
The key is to close them “simultaneously,” and only Angel and Sanders can accomplish this in the entire Twilight.
“The passages are connected to the Nightmare Plane, but they should only be connected to the outer areas of the Nightmare Plane. The Nightmare Plane’s aura coming through is very thin,” Sanders added, “And without the Nightmare Plane acting as a filter, the monsters inside cannot come out, only a little bit of their atmosphere can.”
“As for the method to close the passages…” When Sanders mentioned the method, he directly used thought synchronization. This involved the secret of his lineage’s Nightmare Illusion, so even if there were no people around, it must be treated seriously.
The reason why only he and Sanders could solve this problem in the entire Twilight was because closing the passages required cooperation with the Nightmare Domain. Although Flora also had a Nightmare Domain, she couldn’t control it. Therefore, only Angel and Sanders could truly close the passages.
As he spoke, Sanders handed Angel several pieces of shattered stones, varying in size; the largest was similar to a baby’s fist, and the smallest was the size of a grain of sand.
Angel looked at these shattered stones, which emitted a faint aura that felt inexplicably familiar.
“This is a Nightmare Stone,” Sanders said, “Once you merge your Nightmare Domain with the mist passage, toss the Nightmare Stone into it, and the rest will take care of itself; it will automatically repair the fragile spatial passage.”
A Nightmare Stone? An image suddenly flashed through Angel’s mind: a statue of a praying girl.
He had traveled from the Old Land to prosperous mainland and had boarded the Bohemia ship before boarding the Cloud Whale. The ship’s figurehead was a praying girl, and a Nightmare Stone was embedded in her forehead.
Angel still remembered that the Nightmare Stone seemed to create illusions, but he never expected it could also repair spatial passages.
“Nightmare Stones mostly come from the Nightmare Plane. They can seal the connection between the Nightmare Domain and the Nightmare Plane, but only if the connection isn’t deep,” Sanders explained, “The passage in the female bathhouse isn’t big, so you won’t need many Nightmare Stones; just use what you see fit. Keep the remaining Nightmare Stones; many illusion techniques in the Nightmare Domain require the use of Nightmare Stones to achieve their maximum effect.”
“In the future, when you encounter Nightmare Stones outside, try to acquire more of them. Although they’re not cheap, if you put in some effort, you should be able to afford them,” Sanders said, somewhat envious of Angel’s alchemy talent. When he first explored the Nightmare Plane, he started from scratch, spending countless effort learning that Nightmare Stones could be used in his Domain. The stones were expensive, with a tiny grain costing hundreds of magic crystals, and he would often use a single stone for several years.
However, Angel was different. Not only did he avoid the pitfalls Sanders encountered while exploring the Nightmare Plane, but his money-making skills were also exceptional. In the Savage Grottoes, it was likely that many official wizards wouldn’t be able to surpass him.
With magic crystals at hand, many things would be much easier.
“I got it, I’ll buy Nightmare Stones whenever I see them!” Angel acted like a wealthy landowner, showing a nonchalant expression regarding magic crystals.
Sanders smiled, recalling how not long ago, Angel had been scavenging in the women’s bathhouse walls. People say a girl’s mind is as deep as the ocean, but a boy’s mind can be just as unpredictable.
“By the way, Mentor, could the situation at Twilight Auction House be serious? If so, I could go there. I remember that Frogg and Foxx respected Shava quite a bit,” Angel said.
With an emotionless face, Sanders asked, “Are you doubting my abilities?”
“No, I just think that with Shava’s identity, I should be fine closing the passage there. And I’m also curious about why Frogg and Foxx returned to Twilight Auction House,” Angel replied.
Sanders silently stared at Angel for a while before sighing and ruffling Angel’s hair, “Don’t overthink it. You don’t know who Shava is, right? So don’t get too engrossed in this unknown identity. If one day you truly believe you are Shava, then Shava might truly appear. ‘He’ is just a virtual identity now, and whether he will replace you when he appears is still unknown.”
“So, at least until you understand who Shava is, don’t continue to indulge in Shava’s wonderful dreams.” He paused, “And try to avoid contact with magical creatures that recognize you as Shava. This may be Shava’s beauty or perhaps Shava’s conspiracy.”
“Leave the matters of Twilight Auction House to me. The situation there is more complicated than you imagine.” Sanders narrowed his eyes. After all, some wizards had already died at the entrance of the auction house, and with Angel’s strength, he didn’t even qualify to enter. However, Sanders didn’t say this to avoid damaging Angel’s confidence.
……
A while later, Daedweia brought a magic rune parchment and a brand new black and white checkered windbreaker to Angel.
“The magic rune parchment depicts the ‘Grand Novaguard’ magic array, which can withstand attacks of the wizard level. When the energy is depleted, it will vanish automatically,” Daedweia handed the magic rune parchment to Angel.
As Angel took it, he noticed that Daedweia’s hand seemed to be transplanted, covered in scales.
“This garment solidifies the Magic Barrier.” Daedweia handed the windbreaker to Angel with a hint of heartache, “Although the Magic Barrier is only a Level 1 trick, as an alchemist, you should know its value. I won’t go into details… Sigh, I just hope you can succeed this time and not let our expectations down.”
Magic Barrier, a level 1 trick, is a common defensive trick used by alchemy apprentices. It is specifically designed for alchemists to prevent accidental explosions during the alchemy process.
Though it’s only a level 1 trick, its defensive power can actually rival that of a level 2 trick. However, due to its long casting time and short duration, it is somewhat impractical. Many alchemists prefer to invest in bloodlines rather than learn this trick.
But once used as a solidified spell, the Magic Barrier’s effectiveness can be maximized, providing maximum defense during alchemy or everyday battles!
Angel also noticed that besides solidifying the Magic Barrier, the cloak had a low-level isolation spell to prevent snooping. However, it could only prevent those of equal rank from spying.
The cloak was indeed good, but the only thing that bothered Angel was… the color was a bit too flashy, right?
It’s true that black and white are the most low-key colors, and the black and white checkered pattern is a classic combination.
However, the knee-length cloak for someone of Angel’s height was not simply a black and white checkered pattern. With the central button as the boundary, the left side had the checkered pattern, but the right side was pure black. What kind of design is this? Was it meant to torment those with OCD due to its asymmetry?
Not only was the clothing design peculiar, but the button was also mischievous.
A pure black round button with two white dots and a white curved line formed a bizarre smiling face with a black background and white edges.
A button with a smiling face? And such a creepy smile at that?
Who was the designer?! Why would such an effective cloak be designed like this?
Angel recalled the first time he saw other apprentices in Apprentice Town, most of them dressed in bizarre outfits. Even in the Sky Tower competition, one could see the odd attire, with someone named Hobson even wearing a white bear costume.
Angel silently complained in his heart, wondering if the designers in the Southern Wizarding World had gone astray, believing that wizards were unique and their attire should be unconventional as well.