Translator: SumTLMan
With flying boots on his feet, Angel streaked across the sky, leaving behind a trail of golden runes that seamlessly blended into the boundless night. He traversed more than half of Moonset City without alerting anyone.
In no time, he found himself hovering above a corner of Baskwood Boulevard.
From high above, Gurman’s elegant and delicate courtyard came into view, along with a two-story pointed-roof pavilion and several lattice windows emanating a soft glow.
The window of a second-floor study had been left open. A robed figure, aided by the candlelight from the windowsill, was engrossed in a stack of documents— the very same documents about Lucas that Gurman had shown Angel just days ago.
The robed figure, likely one of the first to have inquired about Lucas, emanated a faint energy fluctuation that Angel could sense clearly. Judging by the energy level, the figure was probably a junior apprentice, having only recently begun his studies.
Before long, the robed figure finished examining the documents, his expression a mix of anger and dissatisfaction. He questioned Gurman, clearly unhappy with the information provided.
Gurman offered a few explanations, and from what Angel could hear, Gurman’s response to the robed figure was the same as what he had told Angel before: that to obtain more information about Lucas, one would need to visit Anru Dynasty.
After asking a few more questions about Anru Dynasty, the robed figure, still scowling, tossed a clanging bag of coins to Gurman and left.
Angel instructed Toby to follow the robed figure, while he himself slowly descended.
As Angel hovered by the second-floor window, he could see Gurman happily pouring the contents of the bag onto the desk, revealing dozens of gold coins.
Angel knocked on the window, and Gurman looked up with a puzzled expression.
As Gurman’s gaze met the figure outside the window, his clouded eyes momentarily flashed with a hint of bewilderment.
Moments later, Gurman shuddered and exclaimed, “Oh! How did I leave the window open? No wonder it feels so chilly.”
Gurman hobbled over with his cane and closed the window. As he returned to his seat, a trace of confusion crossed his eyes, “Why do I feel like I’ve forgotten something?”
“Never mind, never mind. My memory gets more and more muddled as I age,” Gurman shook his head and returned to counting his newly acquired gold coins.
Meanwhile, high in the sky, Angel was deep in thought.
He had just inquired about the robed figure’s visit with Gurman, and the events unfolded much as he had anticipated. The figure had taken the documents about Lucas, vented his dissatisfaction, and left.
However, it was worth noting that the robed figure had asked Gurman if anyone else had inquired about Lucas.
Gurman only mentioned the purple-haired woman.
Upon hearing this, the man in the black robe did not express anything, but simply sneered and said, “So, even the Basket Witch is involved now…”
Angel was unsure whether it was the “Basket Witch” or something with similar syllables.
Beyond that, the man in the black robe said nothing more.
Angel stroked his chin, pondering the “Basket Witch” mentioned by the man in the black robe. He had never heard of this name before; could it be referring to the purple-haired woman?
Angel’s thoughts did not last long. Although he was curious about the identity and background of the purple-haired woman, he was more concerned about the identity of the man in the black robe.
Angel glanced at the dark sky, sensing Toby’s energy fluctuations, and then flew towards the northwest.
In a short while, Angel found Toby, who was monitoring the man in the black robe from high above.
Listening to the sound of the rolling tide in the distance and watching the bustling crowd below still working under the bright lights late at night, Angel raised his eyebrows slightly. He was not unfamiliar with the man in the black robe’s current location.
—Moonset Port.
When they arrived in Moonset City earlier, it was here that they disembarked. Angel even spotted the Cloud Conch among the stacked cargo ships.
So, this man in the black robe had come to the port? Was he planning to take a ship to Anru Dynasty?
Since the man in the black robe was not very powerful, Angel initially planned to capture him directly for interrogation about Lucas. However, when he saw the man in the black robe looking around cautiously, Angel decided to wait a bit longer.
Judging by the man in the black robe’s expression, it seemed like he was looking for someone. Could it be that searching for Lucas was not solely his idea, but there were others behind it as well?
Angel observed the man in the black robe, who after walking around the port for a while, suddenly went to a secluded spot.
There were trees shielding the area, so the people in the port could not see him. However, Angel, who was in the sky, had a clear view of his actions.
The man in the black robe arrived at a hidden pier by the shore and walked to the end of it. With no railings on either side, this place was usually frequented by the townspeople for fishing and leisure. Now, however, the man in the black robe stood at the end, casting a speck of light, like a firefly, from his wide sleeve into the water.
Soon, the sea began to churn.
A white dolphin appeared on the surface of the water, and the man in the black robe jumped onto it, speeding off towards the open sea.
“Is he an apprentice of the summoning school?” Angel pondered, “Or is it his magical companion?”
This white dolphin indeed had a faint shimmer of energy, clearly distinguishing it from ordinary marine creatures. However, whether it was a native or contracted creature was difficult to determine.
From this dolphin, Angel could infer some information.
The robed figure must have a team or organization behind him because it is almost impossible for a wandering wizard or a wilderness wizard to acquire a magical creature during their apprentice stage.
“Is seeking Lucas a directive from the organization or a decision of his own?” Angel wondered, continuing to follow the robed figure.
The robed figure sped across the sea for about half an hour, finally stopping at a location hundreds of miles from the coastline.
Surrounded by the vast ocean, with no islands or any foundation, Angel questioned what he was doing here.
As Angel pondered, a strange frequency emitted from the seafloor: Hum—
Under the soft moonlight and starry sky, the shimmering waves suddenly began to sway, and then the waves rose high. To Angel’s astonishment, an enormous blue whale emerged from the ocean surface.
When Angel saw the horn on the whale’s head, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
There are countless extraordinary creatures in the world of wizards, and Angel could not possibly remember all their names. But he recognized this whale—Unicorn Abyssal Whale.
Just last year, Angel had seen this type of whale in the Purification Garden. At that time, the owner of the Unicorn Abyssal Whale was Jiebo, a disciple of “Sea God” Florence.
An adult Unicorn Abyssal Whale is a magical creature with spatial properties, its value rivaling that of the Cloud Whale. The appearance of a Unicorn Abyssal Whale here clearly meant something, and Angel knew precisely what it was.
Now, he regretted not capturing the robed figure at the port when he had the chance, realizing the significant power behind him. Taking action now would be troublesome.
Under layers of waves, the robed figure remained steady, effortlessly leaping onto the back of the Unicorn Abyssal Whale with the help of the dolphin beneath him.
Angel expected the mastermind controlling the Unicorn Abyssal Whale to appear, but instead, the robed figure stood still, muttering words.
The Unicorn Abyssal Whale flicked its tail and ascended into mid-air.
Its position was precisely where Angel was hiding in the thin clouds. His expression changed in an instant—had he been discovered?
Angel quickly turned around and retreated hundreds of meters away.
As he moved, a cold voice came from behind, “Since you’ve followed this far, why the hurry to leave?”
With these words, pillars of water rose from the sea, aimed directly at Angel’s position.
Angel’s boots shimmered with dark gold runes as he stepped in midair, dodging the sea pillars effortlessly. Meanwhile, Toby charged at the cloaked figure, his body shrouded in a gray mist. With the force of a thousand pounds, Toby knocked the figure to the ground without any resistance.
Angel recalled Toby and eyed the unmoving figure lying on the whale’s back, his brow furrowed.
Had he dealt with the figure this easily?
And why wasn’t the Unicorn Abyssal Whale reacting?
Angel had a nagging feeling that something was off.
Suddenly, the cloaked figure stood up, head twisted at an odd angle, while simultaneously, Angel sensed a subtle flow of water vapor around him.
Before Angel could determine if the water vapor was from the sea or elsewhere, the mist transformed into a blue-glowing water bubble that encapsulated him.
The bubble was incredibly resilient; Angel couldn’t break free with physical strength alone.
A trick flashed through his mind as flames ignited around him, forming an intricate formation. The fire began to slowly burn the water bubble.
However, Angel realized that although the fire was effective against the bubble, the water vapor was seemingly endless on the open sea. Even if a hole was burned in the bubble, it would heal faster than the fire could damage it.
There was no way he could burn an escape route fast enough given the bubble’s resilience and rapid regeneration.
“Stop struggling. In an environment abundant with water, you can’t break free,” the cloaked figure’s voice echoed.
Angel glanced at the figure, whose head was twisted grotesquely, as if lacking a spine, creating a sinister appearance.
“Your living essence disappeared just a moment ago,” Angel frowned. “Are you an alchemical puppet?”
“You know quite a bit, it seems you have a legacy,” the cloaked figure responded with a creepy laugh. “Are you with the Basket Witch? But I’ve never heard of that old hag taking in a man.”
“Basket Witch? Who is she?”
At Angel’s question, the figure ceased laughing, his gaze cold. “Since you’re not with the Basket Witch, then farewell…”
Thick water vapor began pouring into the bubble.
The figure sneered as he saw Angel still attempting to burn the bubble. “It’s useless. You can’t escape.”
“Really?”
Suddenly, the figure’s eyes widened in shock as a flaming beast materialized within the bubble. In an instant, the surrounding bubble shattered. Before the water vapor could replenish, the beast carried Angel and charged forward at an incredible speed.
“Killing an alchemical puppet may not yield much, but at least the Unicorn Abyssal Whale’s horn is a valuable alchemy material.”