Chapter 864 Rhodes <TOC> Chapter 866 Lady Silai
Translator: SumTLMan
If it were merely a strictly guarded entrance, with Angel mustering all his energy to activate Boundless Silence, he would go unnoticed.
However, Angel discerned that there was an energy membrane at the entryway. Whenever a living creature entered, the energy membrane would reverberate momentarily.
“Setting aside the energy membrane, are there actually transcendents stationed here as guards?” Angel looked at the two merfolk behind the door, astonishment flickering in his eyes.
At that moment, he was concealed within the shadows of a corner room. He gave Blaire a pat, “What exactly is the situation inside? Why have even transcendent beings been deployed as sentinels?”
Blaire replied, “Actually, the construction of the Waterless Zone was undertaken by some transcendent beings from the Vast Continent. The value of the mermaid shells has attracted numerous wizard organizations and wizard families to establish outposts here, all for the sake of procuring mermaid shells at a low price. Consequently, there’s a considerable gathering of transcendents in the Waterless Zone. It can essentially be viewed as a miniature wizards’ market.”
Given the wizards’ pursuit of profit, the mermaid shells indeed warranted such a value.
In any wizard’s market, the task of guarding would be executed by transcendent beings. With this in mind, it seemed to make sense.
Yet, because the guards were transcendents, he couldn’t infiltrate in a conventional manner.
“So, is this your master’s so-called perfect plan? Not even providing a pass?” Angel couldn’t help but express his complaints.
Blaire, however, looked as if it was a matter of course, “Whenever my previous master brought me here, he would use the planar passage to directly reach the Waterless Zone. There was no need for a pass from the outside at all.”
Angel could predict that Blaire’s response would be something of this nature. Ignoring Blaire’s incessant chatter, he focused his attention on the entrance to the Waterless Zone, contemplating his method of entry.
Should he just barge in directly? Then activate the gravity lines, moving swiftly. Even if the guards discovered him, they wouldn’t be able to keep up with his speed… Angel was pondering covertly and found this plan to be quite feasible.
However, just as Angel resolved to charge in, he noticed a group of merfolk approaching from the main road. Leading the group was an arrogant, fat, black-tailed male merman.
Two catfish-like black whiskers swayed back and forth, hinting at a showy demeanor. His eyes were squinted into a line due to his plump cheeks. He was adorned in gaudy gold accessories, exuding a taste of vulgarity, as if intentionally showcasing his wealth.
The reason Angel noticed him was due to the pass in his hand.
Observing that pass, Angel’s eyes narrowed slightly.
A while later, Angel strolled into the Waterless Zone holding a pass, flaunting an air of nonchalance. However, he had used an illusion transformation spell to alter his appearance to mimic that of the male merman he had seen earlier.
At this very moment, the Merfolk man had lost himself in a mesmerizing, captivating illusion, incapable of pulling himself back to reality.
Angel, too, wouldn’t stay in Rhodes for too long. Once he acquired the object he desired, he’d take his leave. Therefore, he decided to inconspicuously “borrow” a pass, intending to return it when he departs.
As for the Merfolk man, he wasn’t at a loss. The illusion of a beautiful woman was intoxicating, an endless spring of allure; particularly when the woman was crafted by the spell of nightmare illusions, the sheer tactile sensation was enough to send him into an exhilarated stupor.
“I’ll gift you a splendid spring dream, and all I ask in return is to borrow your pass for a few hours. What a fair trade.” Angel contemplated, rather pleased with himself.
The Waterless Zone. It resembled more of a terrestrial city, with crisscrossing architecture bathed in vibrant, dazzling colors. If not for the corals and seashells adorning the streets, one could hardly imagine this place was nestled thousands of meters under the sea.
The species in the Waterless Zone were a diverse mix, as Blaire had mentioned. It was home to many humans and non-marine humanoids. The merfolk here carried a distinct air of nobility — only merfolk nobles would consciously restrain and prohibit consumption of humans.
Finding a shadowy corner, Angel changed his appearance and emerged as a human.
Though there were many humans here, Angel, to err on the side of caution, activated the Boundless Silence to diminish his presence. Only then did he ask Blaire, “Where is this Ashen Time Merchant Group you mentioned?”
“First, head to the Abyss Zone.”
“The Abyss Zone? Where’s that?”
Blaire pointed towards the center of the Waterless Zone, where a white tower that resembled a floating garden stood, a landmark of the entire district. “The Abyss Zone is located in the shadow of the Peace Tower.”
The symbol of the Waterless Zone — the Peace Tower, was constructed by the Rogue Merfolk Royal family, signifying peace and unity amongst the races. Ironically, peace was far from achieved within the same race, let alone between different races.
Especially humans, nearly every human who laid eyes on the Peace Tower would mockingly explain the lofty “dream of peace” to those around them.
Even more ironically, within the shadow of the Peace Tower resided the largest and most chaotic dark market in all of Rhodes — the Abyss Zone. This area was governed by the law of the jungle, rife with death, fear, and sin.
Thus, many residents of the Waterless Zone had another name for the Abyss Zone: the Tower of Sin.
The Tower of Sin represented the “reality,” while the Peace Tower was merely a sugarcoated facade.
As Angel stepped into the Abyss Zone, the change in atmosphere was immediate. The potent stench of blood aside, the brazen acts of murder and robbery happening not too far away led Angel’s eyes to darken considerably.
The scene depicted an apprentice in his nascent stages, teetering on the cusp of a first-level peak. His hands were clutching a pouch, haphazardly constructed from fish skin, as he scrambled towards the boundary of the Abyss Zone. However, mere steps away from the haven of light, a burly man sporting a green vest swooped down from above, kicking him ruthlessly back into the Abyss.
“Kid, you think you can escape the Tower of Sin without paying your dues? You’re dreaming,” the muscular man sneered, knuckles white as he advanced on the trembling apprentice.
“Ta-take this…” Overwhelmed by the disparity in strength, the apprentice reluctantly surrendered his pouch to the towering figure.
“Finally seeing reason, I see,” the burly man retorted, rifling through the pouch. Yet, instead of departing, he only drew closer to the apprentice, a cruel smile playing on his lips. “I can guarantee your exit from the Tower of Sin, but this… this just won’t cut it.”
A dreadful scream filled the air, soon stifled. The apprentice’s severed head was hurled from the Tower of Sin, while his body was unceremoniously dumped into a trash bin by the burly man. As onlookers turned their heads, he jeered, “See? I kept my promise. A part of him did leave the Tower of Sin, didn’t it?”
The spectacle was nothing out of the ordinary for those dwelling in the Abyss. No one batted an eye at the apprentice’s demise, nor did anyone condemn the brutish man. Many even clambered onto rooftops for a better view as he disposed of the body.
The sheer magnitude of the malevolence and chaos present in the Abyss surpassed Angel’s wildest imaginings.
Angel glanced back at the Peace Tower, where faint strains of a gentle melody could still be heard, then at the malevolence unfolding in the shadows. He finally grasped why everyone’s faces bore traces of irony when they mentioned the Peace Tower.
Everywhere in the world, where there is light, there is also darkness. Usually, there’s a gray area, a buffer zone that separates these two extremes. But in Rhodes, there was no such gray area. The dichotomy between light and dark was so stark, it was unnerving.
The burly man, having disposed of the apprentice’s body, sauntered back along the path he’d come, his ill-gotten gains in tow. Midway, he bumped into Angel, who’d remained motionless throughout the ordeal.
“Huh, how’d I miss this one?” he wondered aloud, sizing Angel up from head to toe.
“Energy’s weak, probably a first-level apprentice,” he mused, “Nothing of value on him. Probably a newbie on a sightseeing trip.”
As the burly man deliberated whether to deal with Angel, the latter merely shot him a sidelong glance before continuing his trek deeper into the Abyss.
The burly man watched Angel head towards the trading area, his eyes lighting up with a newfound idea. “Set a long line to catch a big fish,” he murmured under his breath.
With that, he strode forth without hesitation, hot on Angel’s trail.
The burly man naively presumed his voice was a mere whisper, but given Angel’s current physical prowess, he could effortlessly discern the chirping of insects scores of meters away, let alone the burly man who was merely five or six meters from him.
“Fishing? It remains to be seen who is angling whom,” Blaire, soaring high in the sky, observed the burly man’s antics with a trace of intrigue twinkling in her eyes.
The burly man followed Angel and quickly reached the trading zone. Unbeknownst to him, everyone else seemed oblivious to Angel’s presence. Instead, his peculiar conduct drew the attention of several bystanders.
Upon reaching a pitch-black alley, Angel paused and cast his gaze skyward.
Hovering in the area, Blaire ceaselessly circled, indicating the location of the Ashen Time Merchant Group within.
Angel glanced at the burly man trailing behind him out of the corner of his eye, and without any hesitation, ventured into the dark recesses of the alley.
Inwardly, the burly man was beginning to harbor some doubts. However, his reservations weren’t stemming from Angel’s gaze, but rather the ominous alley. He had recently heard rumors of an emerging caravan called the Ashen Time within the ruins of this alley, reputed for their exquisite goods. Alas, the number of people who could afford such luxuries was scant.
The man he was trailing had entered the territory of the Ashen Time Merchant Group. Could it be that he intended to make a purchase?
If that was the case, it would be a lucrative robbery indeed!
Yet, anyone able to afford the offerings of the Ashen Time Merchant Group must possess a substantial background. If he were to rob this man, would it invite unnecessary trouble? This was the quandary that gave the burly man pause.
After a period of contemplation, the burly man resolved to persist in his pursuit.
If he managed to pull off this heist, the rewards would far outweigh the risks. Even if it did present a problem, his strength as a peak second-level apprentice would be sufficient to suppress it.
Once he had confirmed the burly man was following, Angel continued his trek into the inky depths of the alley.
Upon reaching the end, Angel found himself before a cluster of ruins. Simultaneously, he noticed a group of individuals cloaked in black, stationed in the heart of the ruins, each standing near an iron cage.