Chapter 861 Tenderness <TOC> Chapter 863 Mermaid Shell
Translator: SumTLMan
Beneath the azure, cloudless sky, the weather was so clear that the sea’s horizon seemed to blend seamlessly into the sky.
Under such radiant sunshine, an airship skimmed across the sky, trailing a misty wake that resembled ripples of seafoam.
At this moment, Angel sat expressionlessly in the airship, his gaze settling on the owl perched at the tip of the Gondola’s prow.
The owl fluttered its wings, indicating a direction, “This way, got it? This way! Are you dense? This way!”
Angel cast a glance at the boundless ocean, silently contemplating the method of roasting an owl in his mind, but nonetheless, he altered his course as instructed.
“You won’t even admit you’re directionally challenged. Even with a sea chart, you’d still go astray. It’s a good thing your master arranged for this inspector to accompany you; otherwise, you’d never reach Rhodes in your lifetime,” The owl tilted its head high, proud of its significant role.
Angel didn’t argue whether the course was correct or not. He knew that he was indeed prone to losing his way at sea. However, in response to the owl’s condescending attitude, he retorted icily:
“This isn’t the Old Land Continent, and it’s definitely not the Pat Manor. If I kill you here, no one will know, and no one will come to your rescue. So, keep your arrogance in check, or else…” Angel scoffed coldly, sending shivers down the owl’s spine.
The owl, known as Blaire, looked fearfully at Angel. Under his icy stare, it was cowed. Its initially fluffed-up feathers slowly closed, and it drooped, like an eggplant battered by frost.
Nevertheless, it grumbled under its breath, “When you broke my monocle, I didn’t blame you, and yet you’re threatening me…”
This owl was the Watcher from the entrance of the Pat Manor and Eureka’s magical pet.
The place they were heading to was called Rhodes, a city that was practically inaccessible to mortals as it was built under the sea—an authentic city of merfolk.
The location of Rhodes was at the edge of the Whale Whisker Sea, near the boundary of the Blackberry Sea Area.
The reason Angel was heading to Rhodes was to do a favor for Eureka…
A day earlier, Angel was summoned by Eureka to the stilt building.
Upon Angel’s arrival, Eureka said to him, “I need you to make a trip to Rhodes for me, to find someone and bring something back.”
Upon hearing this, Angel responded almost immediately, “I don’t have the time.”
After listening to him, Eureka merely said indifferently, “I have no intention of negotiating conditions with you. You don’t have a choice.”
Angel’s response was silence. He had just returned to the Pat Manor, just learned to enter dreams, and had just met Jon in the dream once. He truly didn’t want to leave at all, even though at that time, he didn’t know what kind of place Rhodes was.
Perched leisurely by the window with her legs crossed, Eureka nonchalantly snapped her fingers towards the vista beyond. In the following moment, the owl familiar, Blaire, fluttered its wings and swooped over.
“I’ll have Blaire accompany you. It knows where to find those people. Since there are quite a few items this time, they can only fit into your spatial bracelet,” Eureka finished, her gaze straying to Angel’s bracelet. A glimmer of curiosity flickered in her eyes, her mind filled with questions about the peculiarities of the bracelet and how Angel, a mere apprentice, could possess an intermediate spatial item. However, she refrained from voicing her thoughts.
“Why don’t you go yourself?” Angel broke the silence with a question.
Eureka’s response was a cryptic smile laden with unspoken meaning.
Only then did Angel realize the folly of his query. Eureka was currently a wanted individual; it would be impossible for her to make a personal appearance.
Nevertheless, that was not a justification for her to order him around, or so Angel mused.
Eureka seemed to detect Angel’s silent defiance. She didn’t resort to threats of violence as Angel might have expected, as her hand of cards, though not extensive, was certainly sufficient to keep him in check.
For instance…
“Remember when you asked me to help stabilize Jon’s Three-State Balance? That was a request, wasn’t it? I didn’t raise any objections at the time, so according to the principle of equivalent exchange, wouldn’t you owe me a favor in return?” Eureka proposed.
Upon hearing Eureka’s words, Angel couldn’t help but retort, “The Three-State Balance was a mess you created!”
Eureka countered, “Without the Three-State Balance, Jon would have been dead before you returned. Therefore, you should be thanking me.”
Eureka’s words, though sharp, held a bitter truth that Angel couldn’t deny, which only served to further his annoyance. He had saved Jon, an act which aligned with Eureka’s own principles. Jon was a rare and valuable specimen for Eureka, so her using this as a bargaining chip against him was nothing short of infuriating.
Observing Angel’s frustration, Eureka decided not to prod further with her words, instead opting for the proverbial carrot after the stick.
“Rhodes is in Whale Whisker Sea, not far from here. If you use your flying ship, it’ll be a round trip of at most two weeks. If you travel via the Gravity Lines, it’ll take even less time. It won’t interfere with your schedule,” Eureka paused for a moment before adding, “Isn’t Jon your primary concern? Rest assured, he’ll be fine.”
Despite Eureka’s reassurances, Angel remained reluctant. That was until Eureka made her final proposition:
“Haven’t you always wanted to save Jon? If you come up with a plan and need my help in the future, I’ll consider lending a hand.”
Eureka did not wish for Jon’s demise. Making this promise would not only benefit her but also win her a favor, a win-win situation in her eyes.
Angel discerned the situation, but he had no choice but to engage in the predicament that Eureka had created. Regardless of the method he employed to aid Jon, the inevitable obstacle was the Three-State Balance. He could maintain this balance, but if it were to shift, Eureka’s assistance would be imperative.
Moreover, Eureka’s words reflected her stance: to a certain extent, she would lend a hand in matters concerning Jon.
Taking all of these circumstances into account, Angel finally inquired, “What is Rhodes? What do you want me to retrieve?”
…
The previous occasion when Angel passed by Whale Whisker Sea was when he was preparing to return to the Old Land Continent. Now, he was once again approaching this sea region, but this time, he was headed for a city that, in mortal literature, existed only in legendary tales.
As the climate warmed, the routes through Whale Whisker Sea were clear, and Angel occasionally spotted cargo ships from his vantage point in mid-air.
However, Angel had no desire to interact with these cargo ships. Instead, he quietly steered his flying boat towards Rhodes. The people on the cargo ships, however, did catch a glimpse of the flying boat. Not long after, stories of the beautiful star and moon ship over Whale Whisker Sea began to circulate and were even considered a good omen for a time. But that is a story for another time.
At this moment, Angel was lost in thought amidst the thin mist and clouds.
Entering Jon’s dream, Angel gained insights into numerous details that Jon had never previously disclosed. He also understood that Jon’s attitude towards the Wizarding World and Earth had remained unchanged.
Jon yearned for his homeland and his family, yet he didn’t despise the Wizarding World, despite the World Will’s violation against him.
His lack of resentment towards the Wizarding World was not only because Angel was there, but also because Jon was a scientist. His curiosity and desire to explore were always stirred by this unknown world.
In his dream, Angel felt Jon’s regrets, sorrow, separation, and longing, but there was no sense of remorse, which was telling.
Although Jon didn’t regret coming to the Wizarding World, Angel hoped that one day, he could help Jon find the way back to Earth. Even if they were worlds apart, even if the cosmos separated them, if Jon could come here, naturally there would be a way back.
Angel’s envisioned future for himself now had an additional goal. Not only did he aim to tread the path of truth, but he also sought to uncover the secrets of the cosmos and trace the trajectory of Jon’s transmigration.
For others, studying the cosmos and dimensions might seem like baseless dreams. However, for Angel, he was not without clues. The Heavenly Eye was indeed the pivotal element.
Nevertheless, without reaching the official wizard level and without understanding space, Angel dared not truly touch the Heavenly Eye.
Having witnessed the Earth’s “Montauk Project,” where scientists risked their lives, stimulating the Heavenly Eye through various methods only to lose it and trigger a spatial collapse with catastrophic fatalities, Angel treaded carefully. He wouldn’t recklessly provoke the Heavenly Eye. His goal was to understand and safely reboot this celestial entity.
This, undeniably, would be a long-term research project. However, with a clear direction, he believed he would eventually find the exit from this intricate labyrinth.
Of course, the future was a nebulous concept, and Angel knew he needed to focus on the present.
For instance, how could he save Jon?
This was a medium-term vision, for which he currently had no solution. One of his short-term goals, however, was already achieved – Dream Entry. Next, Angel hoped to communicate with Jon in dreams. Therefore, while working on his medium-term vision, he wanted to learn a new trick – the Dream Reading Spell.
However, Angel was yet unversed in this trick. Considering his upcoming proximity to the Blackberry Sea area, he decided to seize the opportunity to look for Freud in the Revelation Continent.
Before Freud’s demise, he was known as the “Dream Reader.” Presumably, not only was he proficient in Dream Reading, but he also likely possessed a profound understanding of this art.
Yet, the Revelation Continent was somewhat distant. Even at his airship’s speed, it would consume nearly half a month’s time. And before that, he needed to visit Rhodes.
Suddenly, Angel patted Toby: “Transform into a Griffin.”
Baffled, Toby transformed into a massive Griffin. The terrifying, flaming figure scared the owl, Blaire, causing her to tremble.
Angel jumped onto Toby’s back, stowed away the Gondola, and beckoned Blaire to join them.
“We must prepare to travel.”
Terror-stricken, Blaire, unwilling to be left behind, shakily flew onto Toby’s back, clutching onto the mane around his neck.
The next second, Toby, enveloped in a grey aura, vanished from the spot.
Following this, Toby intermittently transformed into a Griffin during their journey, carrying Angel towards Rhodes. When his energy was depleted, they would switch to the Gondola. Occasionally, Angel would also astral project to cover a certain distance.
A journey that would have ordinarily taken two weeks was accomplished in a mere two days, bringing them to their destination – the Senna Trench.
If Toby’s transformation duration could have been longer, and their internal Gravity Lines were more abundant, they could have arrived here in less than half a day, demonstrating the terrifying speed of the Gravity Lines. Angel’s calm and confident demeanor when confronting Eureka was due to the fact that, in the absence of Eureka’s pressure, he could easily escape her control using the Gravity Lines.