Chapter 383 Mentor of Shadow <TOC> Chapter 385 Soul Source
Next page password is bold portion: Th@phEt9oS2
Translator: SumTLMan
The so-called next step plan was actually to rely on Angel’s illusion magic to bewilder the Kulakuka tribe. He could then silently pass through the teleportation formation and unknowingly enter the inner world.
This plan originally did not require attacking Fiona; they only needed to sneak in when she was not at the altar. However, Fiona’s presence was a variable, and no one knew whether this variable would introduce new variables; thus, they decided to temporarily control Fiona after weighing their options. They would release her once the plan succeeded.
“Fiona is temporarily in your hands.” Shadow said to Angel, pointing at the puppet-like Fiona.
Angel nodded. According to the plan, he just needed to keep Fiona indoors and not leave. They would deal with other matters after Shadow returned.
After sending Fiona to her residence, Angel followed Shadow to the sacred mountain altar.
The festival was to be celebrated for three days and nights, so the scene at the foot of the sacred mountain was still lively and bustling.
The crowd reveling outside the altar could be temporarily ignored. However, the Kulakuka knights guarding near the teleportation formation at the top of the altar needed to be dealt with.
Since there were people near the altar, Angel could not get close and could only cast spells from a distance. This was a significant challenge for him, as it was the first time he had set up an illusion from such a distance.
Fortunately, everyone here was a mortal. Apart from Shadow, no one could detect the continuous release of the nightmare aura from Angel.
After a while, a light-blocking formation was set up at the top of the altar, and all the guarding knights fell into the “Festival Illusion” Angel had woven.
“It should be safe to use the teleportation formation now.” Angel paused: “Be mindful of the time. If you haven’t returned before the end of the festival, I will leave this garden immediately, use Fiona to replace you, activate the magic formation, and return to the outer world.”
“Don’t worry, I have a sense for that thing. If nothing goes wrong, I will definitely return before the festival ends.” Shadow paused: “If you could come to the inner world to help me, maybe we could finish faster.”
“Isabella might not have any killing intent towards you, but she does towards me… Besides, that place is her stronghold. Even if she isn’t at Black Castle right now, who knows if she has left any consciousness behind, so let’s forget it.” Angel thought of Isabella’s inexplicable killing intent towards him earlier and felt it was somewhat suspicious.
Shadow had some guesses about Isabella’s attitude towards Angel, but since the matter involved his mentor, he couldn’t say anything and just nodded to Angel: “Alright, while I’m gone, you can take the opportunity to investigate clues about soul purification here. Maybe when I come back with that item, we’ll have double good fortune.”
With that, Shadow prepared to fly to the altar.
Suddenly, he hesitated and said to Angel, who looked puzzled: “Actually, Fiona is quite attractive, especially her long golden hair. Why don’t you take advantage of these few days and do something with her? I guarantee that even if she wakes up, she won’t find anything amiss.”
Regarding Shadow’s teasing, Angel replied with a single word: “Scram.”
Shadow laughed and arrived in front of the teleportation formation. Before disconnecting the mental link, he continued: “Do you know why Fiona is nicknamed the Forgiving Witch? It’s because no matter what you do, she will forgive you! Go for it boldly!”
Having said that, Shadow severed the mental link and disappeared above the altar in a teleportation light, unseen by anyone.
It was not until Shadow vanished that Angel slowly let his face fall.
Shadow seemed to be joking with him in an intimate tone, but Angel was well aware that there were still irreconcilable contradictions between them. However, under the binding of the contract, they had no choice but to act sincere.
After sending Shadow away, Angel planned to check on Fiona first, then explore the temple.
But as he turned to leave, he noticed the bald, white-bearded High Priest atop the temple, quietly watching him.
He didn’t know how long the priest had been watching.
Angel paused, and the two stared at each other across the distance for a few seconds.
Angel’s expression was inquisitive, while the High Priest’s gaze remained calm as always. But Angel felt that his eyes were like a calm sea without wind or waves – seemingly peaceful, but beneath the surface hid strong currents and undercurrents.
“Did you see it?” Angel silently mouthed.
The High Priest lowered his eyes, shook his head, and walked back into the temple with a faltering step.
Angel didn’t understand his meaning, but he had a vague feeling that the High Priest must have seen their actions. Why didn’t he stop them?
Being unable to stop them might be one reason, but Angel didn’t believe that the High Priest had no way to contact Black Castle. He had always lived in the temple, and the people of Black Castle would undoubtedly contact him to keep track of the Source of Laws.
But he chose to remain silent, which was interesting.
Angel took a deep look at the temple’s location and turned away from the sacred mountain.
…
In a corner of the plains south of Ciporak, there was a magnificent, exquisitely built dome-shaped hall, with intricate carvings on almost every meter of the outer walls, and colorful window decorations, making it look dazzling and splendid.
This hall was named: Centennial.
It was a temporary residence built for the Holy Castle’s advent by the Kulakuka clan.
Pushing open the tall crescent-moon bronze gate of the Centennial Hall, the interior was exquisitely furnished and brightly lit by candles. However, the lack of people made it seem desolate and cold.
At the long table in the center of the hall, Fiona sat expressionlessly in a chair, her face pale and her mouth adorned with the eerie smile characteristic of a puppet.
Angel released his magic hand and moved Fiona from the hall to the bedroom on the second floor.
He planned to rest here for a couple of days, but he didn’t intend to face the eerie and gloomy puppet face all the time. As for what Shadow said about taking care of Fiona while she was being controlled… that was a completely absurd idea. Not to mention whether Angel himself would be willing, just looking at Fiona’s creepy, bizarre expression would wilt anyone’s appetite, except for those with a particular taste, of course.
After moving Fiona back to her bedroom, Angel took advantage of the break to release Toby from the spatial bracelet.
It had been more than a week since Toby had fallen unconscious.
Angel was initially worried, but later deduced that Toby was likely advancing, and gradually put his mind at ease.
Since it was an advancement, keeping him in the bracelet was not a solution. Angel learned that magical beasts’ advancements could have various abnormal manifestations. If the changes were too intense, the items stored in his bracelet could be damaged.
Therefore, it was better to keep Toby outside.
Just as Angel had settled Toby, a sound came from outside the hall.
Before long, a voice suddenly came from the loudspeaker at the door: “Lady Fiona, the choir has gathered. When can we begin the selection?”
Selection? Angel was taken aback. Could this selection be the Sky Choir selection that Babaya mentioned?
Damn! He had almost forgotten about that!
The priest outside the door didn’t receive a response for a long time and asked again.
Angel rubbed his temples, feeling annoyed.
In the thought space, a model emerged, and the ethereal illusion enveloped the priest outside the door.
Although mimicking male and female voices could be done by simply changing the frequency, he had never heard Fiona’s voice, so he couldn’t imitate it without a reference. With no other option, he had to use the illusion to directly block the group’s ability to recognize the voice.
“Tonight.” Angel replied in his original voice, but none of the priests outside the door noticed anything strange.
“Do you want to change the selection location?” the priest continued to ask.
According to past experience, the selection location was at the foot of the sacred mountain, and it had not changed for nearly a thousand years. It didn’t matter whether they asked or not, but out of respect and procedure, they still asked.
“Just here.” Angel, not knowing the selection location, could only vaguely answer.
“Lady Fiona, do you mean to change the selection to this place?” The priests looked at each other, confused. Wasn’t it a customary rule? Why change the location suddenly?
“Yes, change it to here. I’m a little tired today and want some peace and quiet.” Angel said.
The priests gestured anxiously outside the door, discussing with each other. Angel, however, observed their behavior using his mental tendrils.
Isn’t it just selecting a choir and changing the location? Why are these youngsters starting to use sign language?
Angel wondered if there was something fishy going on.
As Angel was deep in thought, the priests outside seemed to have reached a conclusion: “Alright, we’ll immediately get to work on changing the location. Lady Fiona, we’ll take our leave now.”
After the priests left, Angel was still puzzled.
What is the significance of selecting a choir?
Do the people of Black Castle select a choir every time there’s an advent? Or is this time special?
Angel couldn’t understand what purpose a choir would serve. Could it be that Isabella and Lydia share a fondness for music?
As one flower blooms on each branch, on the other side, the priest, who learned that the location was to be changed, hurriedly returned to the sacred mountain.
After dismounting from the hummingbirds, the priests rushed to enter the temple, but they were intercepted by the guards. The temple was a restricted area, and only the High Priest and two serving priests were allowed in on ordinary days.
“Orders are orders. No entry.”
“We have urgent matters to report to the High Priest.” the priests anxiously explained.
The guards, however, were unyielding and coldly executed the High Priest’s orders.
Thus, a group of priests who wanted to enter the temple and the unwaveringly loyal guards began a long stalemate.
The commotion outside eventually caught the attention of the High Priest. After arguing for a long time, the High Priest, leaning on his cane, slowly emerged from the inner sanctum.
“It’s the High Priest! Thank goodness, you’ve finally come out!”