Translator: SumTLMan
After admiring the Gondola, Angel was satisfied and stored it in his bracelet. Now was not the time or place for experimenting.
He planned to design and create the illusionary item commissioned by Gloria in one go.
Gloria’s requirements for Angel were only two — the theme had to be Toby and it needed to have tactile perception.
In fact, a simple illusionary environment like Hana’s boudoir could be created. However, to make it portable and easily activated, it had to be achieved through alchemy.
Before crafting, he needed to design the appearance.
In fact, using the shell of “Journey to the Heavens” would be the easiest, but since he had already revealed its shape in the illusion, it would be inappropriate to continue using it. Gloria might not mind, but he felt it would be dishonest.
So, Angel planned to choose a new appearance. In addition to this, he needed to design the theme and overall direction of the illusionary environment.
Creating an illusionary environment themed around Toby was not difficult, but deciding on the design was another matter.
Both tasks required time for design. Angel took out paper and pen, drew his ideas, and immersed himself in the world of weaving illusions.
As Angel was making preparations for crafting,
At the same time, countless miles away,
A dazzling light ring suddenly appeared somewhere on the Paramjit Plateau. With a flash of yellow light, a sexy woman exuding a powerful aura, stretching her enchanting figure, appeared within the light ring.
Following that, in the Savage Grottoes, the Central Plaza of the Mirror World’s Tree Spirit Court suddenly issued an evacuation notice, ordering all personnel to leave the central plaza.
Death clearance would take place in two minutes.
As the notice fell, the apprentices in the central plaza showed panic on their faces. Some flew away on their vehicles, others ran on their legs, and some teleported away. Everyone scattered.
Within a minute, the central plaza was deserted.
Then, a huge cover descended from the sky. Specialty wizards performed the Death Whisper outside the cover, clearing all living beings within the cover.
After a while, the area within the cover was silent, with even the sounds of insects and birds no longer audible.
At that moment, a gap opened in the cover, and led by Silencer Rhine Mute, dozens of official-level wizards slowly entered the plaza, among them, standing beside Rhine Mute, was none other than Sanders.
“She’s here.” Rhine’s mouth didn’t move, but his voice eerily reached Sanders’ ears.
Sanders was still dressed as a gentleman in a black hat, black coat, and black boots, lagging half a step behind Rhine to show respect.
“I sense her.” Sanders looked towards a certain spot, his gaze seemingly able to penetrate layers of barriers to see the sensual woman who suddenly appeared on the Pamiji Plateau.
As Sanders looked over, the sensual woman seemed to notice his gaze as well. They looked at each other from hundreds of miles apart, staring across the distance.
“Hey, long time no see.” The sensual woman slightly opened her lips and murmured silently.
Her lip color was like shattered crystal blue glass, with glass-like cracks and gradient colors. This lip color was not only visually striking but also created an enchanting aura for her.
Sanders withdrew his gaze and whispered to Rhine: “Still as annoying as ever.”
Rhine gave a helpless bitter smile: “It’s my fault… I owe too much to her.”
Sanders didn’t comment further and continued to walk forward. Eventually, they arrived at the center of Tree Spirit Courtyard.
They stood there, no one saying anything unnecessary, all silent.
Flora, floating in midair, slowly drifted to Sanders’ side, and then gently descended.
“Any movement from them?” Sanders asked.
Flora shook her head: “No, they are still in the underground market, no actions for now. However, Melanctha has disappeared from the first floor of Sky Tower, apparently to find Baroque.”
Sanders nodded and a cold smile appeared at the corner of his mouth: “Lurking here for so many years, only to find the peach was picked by someone else, I’d love to see their faces now, probably furious and stomping their feet?”
As they discussed Baroque, at the top floor of Sky Tower in the underground market, Baroque was indeed pacing back and forth angrily, just as Sanders had said. With each step, the floor sunk a little, constantly muttering “Damn” and “That old man actually deceived me”…
“Lord Baroque, please calm down. The contestants are still competing downstairs. If you stomp the magic array to collapse, it will lead to a chain reaction.” The speaker was a voluptuous middle-aged woman dressed in a tight black uniform.
The old man with braids, Baroque, cursed angrily: “I don’t care if they die, I just want to vent my anger by killing them all now. Melanctha, whose side are you on?!”
Although Melanctha’s face was also not good, she still insisted on her duty: “Of course, I stand by your side, my lord, but I also stand by the side of Sky Mechanical City. The long-established foundation of Sky Mechanical City should not be destroyed in an instant due to your momentary anger.”
“I lost my temper for a moment? Do you know that Samantha has already reached the entrance to the Savage Cave?”
“I know. But wasn’t this foreseen by Your Excellency early this morning?” Melanctha said indifferently: “I remember telling Your Excellency half a year ago that the place had been closed because Samantha sent her magic servants there.”
Upon hearing this, Baroque seemed deflated, and his whole demeanor wilted: “I thought it was Lord Mengke who sent Samantha on the mission, using Rhine Mute’s warning to Sanders as a last resort.”
Melanctha raised an eyebrow: “Isn’t that the fact?”
“It is.” Baroque clenched his fist: “But I didn’t expect them to target that place as well! That’s the Soul Garden, one of the top magical gardens in the Southern Region! I revealed my purpose for coming here to Rhine Mute from the beginning, and he had agreed! Now he’s gone back on his word.”
Melanctha fell silent as well, knowing that Baroque had come to the Savage Grottoes for the Soul Garden, hoping to break through his longstanding bottleneck and even humbling himself before his former enemy, Rhine Mute.
Unexpectedly, in the end, he failed to pick the fruit, only to have it picked by the Frost Moon Alliance.
“If I were in Rhine Mute’s position, I might have made the same choice,” Melanctha said after pondering for a moment: “If Lord Mengke can break through his shackles and reach the legendary level with the help of the Demigod’s descendants, Rhine Mute would also see hope. After all, he’s not far from that step either.”
“Moreover, what Lord Rhine sacrifices is not only your interests but also the interests of the entire next generation of the Savage Grottoes. However, in exchange for a chance to glimpse into the future, it’s not a bad deal.”
Melanctha’s information was accurate, and if she could see the truth in this situation, how could Baroque not?
But even if he saw through it, it was hard for him to accept it.
“It’s not just about glimpsing the future.” Baroque seemed to age several years: “There’s also Samantha, I should have known. He must repay Samantha’s favor, but I didn’t expect him to use the Soul Garden as the bargaining chip. I thought it would be Sanders…”
“Never mind, there are more ways to break through the bottleneck,” Melanctha advised.
Baroque shook his head despondently without responding.
Melanctha bowed to Baroque and turned to leave.
As she opened the door, Baroque suddenly asked: “Are you going back to Sky Mechanical City now?”
Melanctha nodded: “Yes, it’s time.”
“Purifying in the garden is an opportunity, and the souls of elite apprentices are a delicacy,” Baroque said indifferently.
Melanctha smiled, and in fact, everyone was the same. This was true for both the Savage Grottoes and the Sky Mechanical City.
…
In the central plaza of Tree Spirit Court, a witch who seemed to have a rose rain backdrop approached Flora.
—‘Rose Crown’ Liana was the only remaining alchemist in the Savage Grottoes. However, her crafting focused more on the aromatic aspects of potion-making, so she always carried a faint fragrance wherever she went.
As one of the few female witches in the Savage Grottoes, she and Flora were close sisters but also had a sense of competition and rivalry.
“Smelling your scent reminds me of someone,” Flora said, rubbing her nose as she saw Liana approaching.
“Angel?” Liana sighed suddenly: “Thanks to your help back then, I made a fortune. I originally planned to share some with you, but Phantom Master intercepted me halfway.”
At this point, Liana secretly glanced at Sanders and found that he had no expression, and he didn’t even look at her.
Liana quietly pointed at Sanders and made a rolling-eyes expression to Flora.
Flora couldn’t help but smile.
Liana pouted, leaned closer to Flora’s ear, and whispered: “Phantom Master seems to value Angel a lot, even ordering me to free up hundreds of hours to teach him alchemy?”
Flora shrugged: “I heard Angel has great talent in alchemy.”
“I’ve heard the rumors too, but it’s just two intermediate-level items,” Liana didn’t think much of it. After all, with her current level of alchemy, every crafting attempt was met with an Omen Sign: “But since Phantom Master has spoken, I have no choice but to comply.”
Liana deliberately spoke loudly, trying to provoke Sanders with her words. However, Sanders still didn’t turn around and say anything.
“By the way, I rushed back from the Manlo plane just to give my worthless apprentices invitations to the Purification Garden.” Liana said this and seemed to remember something: “I recall that you also have an apprentice, how is he? Did you give him an invitation?”
Flora said irritably: “You know as well as I do that he’s a mixed-blood from another world. An invitation to the Purification Garden? I’m not that kind-hearted.”
At this point, Flora suddenly leaned in front of Sanders: “Mentor, do you think Angel will go to the Purification Garden this time?”