Translator: SumTLMan
The main reason Angel chose Summer Dew Ridge was that he trusted the judgment of the two captains. Moreover, the survival rate when taking the Summer Dew Ridge route was evidently the highest.
If they were to forcibly sail against the wind, Angel and Toby might not be able to absolutely protect the Cloud Conch, allowing it to safely enter Frostbound Passage. If an accident occurred midway, the Cloud Conch might be blown into dangerous waters. According to the information he had gathered and the records of the —Devil’s Sea— he had seen from Roman, many of the sea areas even had strange occurrences that even official wizards couldn’t resolve. If the Cloud Conch were to unfortunately enter such a place, not only ordinary people but perhaps even he himself might fall there.
Thus, for safety’s sake, it was better to take the more familiar Summer Dew Ridge.
Perhaps Summer Dew Witch, seeing the Cloud Conch as a familiar sight, would let them pass.
If they were truly unlucky and angered Summer Dew Witch, causing the downfall of the Cloud Conch, Angel would still have a way out. He and Toby could each abduct someone, take Helen and Alvin with them, and escape using the Gravity Lines.
With the speed of Gravity Lines, even an official wizard like Summer Dew Witch might not be able to catch up. Moreover, Angel didn’t think that Summer Dew Witch would personally come out to deal with them as soon as they entered Summer Dew Ridge. Even if she took action, it would probably be her servants who would do it.
At that time, they could just run, and the others would definitely not be able to catch up. Then, riding the Gondola, letting Helen and Alvin guide the way, they could reach the Feran Continent faster and more safely.
If it weren’t for the lives of the sailors on board, Angel would have thought of this plan long ago.
…
The hurricane arrived as expected.
Angel returned to the third-floor balcony and had Toby lay a layer of Gravity Lines on them to maintain their balance. Then, he quietly watched the apocalyptic disaster scene.
The sea, which had been silent for nearly half a month, seemed to come alive. The sleeping dragon began to open its blood-stained mouth, revealing its horrifying and ferocious fangs.
The Cloud Conch was like a roller coaster, with waves ranging from several meters to tens of meters high, and there was no sign of the waves stopping.
Angel saw sailors, even though they were tied with safety ropes, being thrown high into the air and then plummeting down. More than one person was injured and bleeding, their screams of pain being completely drowned out by the roar of the hurricane. Blood and seawater rushed in, making the Cloud Conch appear as if it were on the verge of sinking.
Angel’s gaze was locked on Alvin and Helen, ready to abduct them and retreat at any moment if an accident occurred with the Cloud Conch.
However, Alvin and Helen were still calmly dealing with the situation. Despite facing such terrifying natural power, they still displayed the wisdom of ordinary people. With the Cloud Conch as their weapon in hand, they maneuvered through the howling waves and violent hurricane.
Time and again, they emerged victorious in their struggle against nature.
Sometimes, Angel felt that the Cloud Conch might not be able to hold on, but the two captains still displayed a calm demeanor even in the face of disaster, dancing on the edge of a knife, and ultimately wrestling a way out.
“The power of ordinary people is not weak at all,” Angel murmured softly.
After several adjustments, at last, the sails caught the wind, propelling the ship in the predetermined direction with vigor.
Even though some sailors were injured and preoccupied, they couldn’t help but cheer when they saw their ship narrowly escape danger.
“It’s not over yet; we have only temporarily escaped danger. We are still some distance from Summer Dew Ridge. We must take advantage of the wind and charge in with full force!” Helen shouted, conveying her message to everyone on the ship through the loudspeaker.
“No problem! Smooth sailing, victory belongs to us!” The sailors shouted in unison, their youthful faces brimming with confidence.
Angel, who had secretly placed his mental energy on the Gondola in his bracelet, also smiled and withdrew his mental power. With such high morale and the excellent control over the ship by the two captains, today’s hurricane would likely become another conquered challenge.
Angel shook his head and turned to enter the cabin. He had been tanning animal hides when he encountered the hurricane, and the previous huge waves had washed seawater into the cabin, causing things inside to be in disarray. He planned to tidy up first.
But before entering, he felt a surge of powerful energy emanating behind him. At the same time, Toby nearby suddenly rushed forward.
Angel looked back in surprise, only to see a row of more than a dozen people wearing gray linen wizard robes appearing in the sky out of nowhere. The energy wave that had reached the peak of the apprentice level came from this group. The energy wave was full of destructive power, targeting none other than their ship, the Cloud Conch!
Toby leaped forward, releasing a gray wall-like Gravity Line barrier that directly blocked the attack.
Under the astonished gazes of the opposing group, the Gravity Lines shook, and all the absorbed energy was reflected back at them.
For a moment, the figures in the sky scattered to avoid the energy they had initially unleashed.
“Sir, who are they?” Although the attack’s energy didn’t reach the Cloud Conch, nearly everyone on the ship saw the scene and realized that the group was hostile.
A cold glint flashed in Angel’s eyes: “A bunch of insignificant pests. You don’t have to worry about them, just continue steering the ship. Leave this to me.”
Angel released an energy marker on the Cloud Conch, then leaped into the air.
“Toby, transform into a griffin!” Angel shouted, and Toby looked back. An orange-yellow flame flickered, and under the watchful eyes of all, he transformed into a massive beast that was half lion, half eagle.
Angel jumped onto Toby’s back and slowly flew into the sky, leveling with the gray-robed apprentices.
At that moment, a stir arose on the deck of the Cloud Conch, which was bobbing on the sea’s surface.
“Deputy Captain Helen, what should we do now?” The sailor squad leader, Nagi, asked Helen, “Now that the wizard has left the ship, should we wait here?”
Helen’s expression darkened as she glanced back at the captain’s cabin, where Alvin’s face also appeared quite troubled. One issue barely resolved, another arose; this was the worst kind of situation for those who made their living at sea.
Helen sighed, removed her wet hat, and tied her hair into a ponytail in one swift motion before putting the hat back on and waving her hand to give orders: “Continue sailing!”
“But what do we do if we encounter sea beasts and don’t have a guardian on board?” a sailor urgently inquired.
“There’s no ‘if.’ This is also what Sir Pat said earlier: let us leave first! I believe Sir Pat will find us,” Helen spoke with diminishing confidence. Could he really handle all the formidable-looking wizards alone?
Helen suppressed her worries and instructed the crew to resume their tasks.
Noticing the sailors’ lingering concerns, Captain Alvin’s voice came through the loudspeaker: “Let’s fix the leaks first, and then worry about other matters. Whether it will rain all night or not depends on whether the Sea God favors us.”
…
In the midst of the hurricane, the inky clouds obscured the starry sky.
Angel faced off against the group opposite him. Judging by their energy fluctuations, they were a motley crew of apprentices, ranging from second to third levels.
A total of thirteen people, all with their faces hidden under hoods.
“Is this guy Sanders’ disciple?”
“He doesn’t look like it. Wasn’t it said that he’s not even twenty years old? How come he looks older than me?”
“Hey, are you blind? He must have used some sort of transformation trick. Don’t be fooled by him. Look at that bird… uh, now it’s turned into a bizarre creature. That’s Angel’s magical pet. Just lock onto it, and you’ll find him for sure.”
“Damn it, we’re dealing with a hurricane, and it’s all because of that Song of the Deep Sea group! Otherwise, we wouldn’t have had to chase him so far.”
“…”
The thirteen people opposite him all spoke casually, appearing quite laid-back. However, Angel could tell that they were all on high alert, with their energy locked onto the monstrous creature that Toby had transformed into, and they clearly harbored some apprehension.
“Big brother, should we attack now?” someone asked at that moment, and all eyes turned to the person in the middle.
He was a hunchbacked, frail-looking individual. In a sinister voice, he addressed Angel: “So, you’re Angel, huh? If you don’t want to die, just surrender and come with us. Don’t worry, as long as you cooperate, we won’t harm you, given your alchemical abilities. But if you refuse…”
An eerie laugh escaped from his mouth.
With a sidelong glance, Angel saw that the Cloud Conch ship had sailed into the distance, carried by the wind. Once he was sure that it was out of the attack range, he slowly raised his head to look at the people opposite him.
“Is this how little confidence the Rat Ant Underground Society has in me?” Angel’s voice sounded cold and detached, yet devoid of any trace of nervousness.
From the moment he laid eyes on this group of people, he had discerned their identity. The gray, coarse robes they wore were made of real gray coarse cloth, a material not considered expensive even in the mundane world.
Dressed in such shabby clothes and with their energy fluctuations so concealed, it was easy to tell they were either wild apprentices or wandering apprentices.
And the Rat Ant Underground Society was the place these wanderers loved to frequent.
Angel had no doubt about their identity.
“What do you mean?” The hunched man’s expression darkened.
“Sending this group of people to attack me, don’t you think that’s a bit insulting?” Angel smirked slightly, and in the midst of the bewildered exclamations from the others, the surroundings began to change slowly…
The hurricane had not subsided, but a dense white fog suddenly engulfed everyone.
The rapidly shifting fog instantly obscured their vision.
“When did he set up the illusion? Why didn’t I feel any energy fluctuations?”
“Quick, find the illusion nodes! Otherwise, we’ll be at a disadvantage!”
As everyone searched for the illusion nodes, a scream suddenly came from the back right.
“Little Twelve, what’s wrong?”
“He’s attacking me, right in front of me!”
In the fog, the hunched man felt a sudden sense of foreboding. He hurriedly cautioned the others, “Be careful when you attack, and beware of deception.”
But his words were too late. Several fierce attacks had already been launched. At the same time, an even more chilling scream came directly in front of the source of “Little Twelve’s” voice. Everyone could tell that the voice did not belong to Angel.