Chapter 868 The Plant-Fused Feathered Woman <TOC> Chapter 870 Changes in the Orphanage
Translator: SumTLMan
After a while, the transaction between Angel and Piers within the stone abode was finally completed.
Originally, Piers had proposed that the members of the Ashen Time Merchant Group could escort the Demeter to Angel’s residence. After all, the Demeter was a living entity and typically could not be stored within spatial items.
However, Angel declined this offer, directly confining the Demeter within his bracelet. Upon seeing this, Piers was not particularly surprised. Given Angel’s status, owning a spatial item capable of storing living creatures was not unusual.
Yet, while Piers was unfazed, the same could not be said for everyone else.
When Angel emerged from the stone dwelling, nobody noticed the iron cage that had housed the Demeter. This led to a flurry of speculation. Almost everyone’s gaze fell upon Angel’s wrist, home to the bracelet that now contained the Demeter.
Looks of astonishment and greed flashed among the crowd. Angel, in response, merely glanced over them with apparent indifference, while making a mental note of everyone’s reactions. Ever since he learned that the Abyss Zone was the sinister shadow beneath the Peace Tower, he had been prepared for potential looting.
Whether it be Shark Disciple or anyone else, Angel had his own plans.
Angel intended to depart. However, he had been seemingly friendly with Piers earlier, so he politely bid him goodbye before leaving.
Piers didn’t attempt to keep him. Instead, he handed Angel a grey card.
“Even after we, the Ashen Time Merchant Group, leave, we’ll always have one member stationed here in the ruins. If you need anything in the future, whether it’s goods, materials, slaves, information, or even if you just want us to pass on a message, you can use this card to find our representative in Rhodes,” Piers paused, then added with a teasing tone, “If it’s you, I might even consider giving you a discount.”
Angel accepted the card, nodded at Piers in appreciation, and then, signaling to Blaire, he turned and headed towards the main street. As Angel left, Shark Disciple followed dutifully behind him, performing their duties as “servants.”
At the same time, several other customers hurriedly took their leave. Piers knew what they were planning, but he did not attempt to stop them. With their capabilities, they could not possibly pose a threat to Angel. Moreover, Rosam had already taken action.
After a while, a plume of black mist drifted towards Piers. Accompanied by a hissing sound, the mist churned and solidified into a robed figure—Rosam.
Piers glanced at Rosam. Although he appeared normal, a faint scent of blood now lingered around him.
“So, you’ve made your move?” Piers leaned against the wall of the ruins, lighting a cigarette.
“Some folks don’t heed advice; it’s necessary to make an example of them.” Rosam paused, “I noticed that Angel has already left, Captain. Have you taken any measures? Can we establish a connection with him?”
Piers exhaled a puff of smoke, hands spread out: “I’ve done nothing.”
The expression on Rosam’s face instantly darkened: “Don’t tell me, Captain, you don’t trust my judgment? If we could build a relationship with him, it would be nothing but beneficial for our Ashen Time!”
“Of course, I trust your judgment, but sometimes we need to learn to wait. We were too eager before, which has aroused Angel’s suspicion. To truly establish a strong relationship, it requires a slow and steady approach.”
Piers voiced his thoughts. His unusual decision to leave someone behind in Rhodes was specifically for Angel. He could tell that despite Angel’s approachable demeanor, he had a mental boundary.
Trying to cross that boundary and establish a good relationship with Angel at their first meeting was practically impossible, and it could even generate suspicion and resentment in Angel.
Now was not the right time, so he left everything to the unpredictable future.
Being overly eager wouldn’t help lower Angel’s guard unless Angel made the first move.
Only when Angel genuinely needed their help and came to them using that card to establish closer relations would it be the perfect time.
After hearing Piers’s words, Rosam neither agreed nor disagreed, but expressed his stance through his actions: “For the next ten years, I can stay here as a liaison.”
Piers gazed deeply at Rosam, clearly understanding that Rosam was betting heavily on Angel. If Angel indeed sought them out, Rosam would be the first to engage, making it easier to earn his goodwill.
“That’s fine.”
…
On the other side, Angel was deep in thought.
He had reached the exit of the Abyss Zone now. He looked back and saw that aside from Shark Disciple who was still dazed, there was surprisingly no one trying to stop him.
Back at the ruins, he noticed the eager glint in people’s eyes, yet they could restrain themselves from attacking him till now? Or did they plan not to make a move in Rhodes, but ambush him in the deep sea outside?
Angel pondered: there was a possibility. After all, vision in the deep sea could be compromised, and it would be easier for people to hide.
With these thoughts in mind, Angel did not dwell on those people any longer. After all, they would be dealt with during the ambush. But for now, his priority was to address the issue of Shark Disciple.
Throughout their journey, Shark Disciple was filled with existential doubts, unable to fathom how he had suddenly shifted from a hands-on plunderer to a thespian servant. Thus, after leaving the ruins, he was left in a state of confusion. Just as he was gathering his courage to face reality, he looked up to find Angel watching him with an enigmatic smile.
“Um, sir, I suppose you might find my previous actions a bit strange,” Shark Disciple began, his mind racing to find an excuse to justify his past behavior.
Angel remained silent, simply watching him, waiting for the excuses that would follow.
At this moment, countless thoughts crossed Shark Disciple’s mind, with killing and plundering Angel dominating the majority. However, considering the odd events that had transpired along their journey and even Piers’s respect for the man before him, the idea of “being outmatched” had already taken root in his mind.
But if he wasn’t to resort to violence, how could he make a safe escape?
Shark Disciple’s eyes darted around frantically, and he blurted out something not even he himself believed, “Actually, all of my actions were merely art, a kind of performative art that deeply explores oneself. And you, sir, have been chosen as my partner for this artistic performance.”
“I see,” Angel responded, nodding seriously.
Seeing this, Shark Disciple felt a surge of relief, thinking he had fooled Angel. He planned to use the excuse of searching for his next “partner” to slip away.
However, before Shark Disciple could utter these words, he saw Angel slowly raise his finger, a strange aura swirling around the tip.
Under this aura, Shark Disciple felt his vision becoming increasingly blurry…
As for Angel, he didn’t care what Shark Disciple was thinking. But the latter had indeed harbored a murderous intent towards him before they entered the ruins. That malicious intent was so tangible that Angel had never intended to let Shark Disciple live from the very beginning.
But just as Angel was weaving a deadly illusion for Shark Disciple, the Mermaid’s Chant that had been continuously playing from the Peace Tower suddenly changed its tune.
It shifted to a cool female voice, broadcasting a distress call to the people in the Waterless Zone.
“At the western gate of Rhodes, thousands of stone chrysanthemum shrimps are attacking the outskirts. If there are transcendent beings willing to assist, we will provide a certain reward.”
This broadcast echoed thrice, yet the inhabitants of the Waterless Zone remained unmoved, an air of nonchalance hanging about them. Angel, listening to the murmurings amongst the crowd, learned that the announcer was a princess of the Rogue merfolk royal family. These alerts would be broadcast regularly, and initially, some would heed the call. Yet, they soon discovered the rewards offered were mere worldly items, such as pearls and the delicate gauze shed by the Rogue merfolk during molting.
For the merfolk, these items were invaluable, yet they held no allure for transcendent beings.
From then on, no one was willing to heed the pleas coming from the Peace Tower.
When the crowd discussed these matters, their voices carried a note of schadenfreude. The stone chrysanthemum shrimps were natural enemies of the merfolk. Previous attacks on Rhodes never saw such a large number of these creatures, a mere hundred was considered a catastrophic event. But this time, thousands emerged, hinting at heavy casualties in the outer city, with perhaps half of the population at risk of perishing.
Upon reaching this point in the conversation, many set off towards the outer city with a morbid curiosity.
However, Angel found his thoughts returning to the mermaid princess he had encountered in the Blackberry Sea area — Valerie.
He had crafted the “Rhythm of the Ocean”, inspired by Valerie and her continuous incantations.
The earlier distress signal that reached all residents of the Waterless Zone was reportedly sent by a princess of the Rogue merfolk. If Angel remembered correctly, Valerie was also a princess of the Rogue merfolk, and the cool timbre of the distress signal bore a slight resemblance to her voice.
Could it really be Valerie?
Angel had no intention of asking. Regardless, he was not planning to respond to the distress signal.
However, if the one seeking help truly was Valerie, he wouldn’t mind lending a hand. Angel glanced at Shark Disciple, who still wore a puzzled expression. The half-woven illusion of death he had been crafting was easily altered by him…
This attack of stone chrysanthemum shrimps was the most severe in nearly a decade. The merfolk residing in Rhodes had resigned themselves to a grim fate, but to their surprise, a powerful transcendent being stepped forward.
Single-handedly, he repelled the advancing army of stone chrysanthemum shrimps, safeguarding the outer city of Rhodes.
Yet, once the assault of the stone chrysanthemum shrimp ceased, and the merfolk held gratitude in their hearts, the extraordinary being had once again, departed mysteriously, his whereabouts unknown.
At this time, the merfolk’s great hero found himself lurking in a shadowy corner near the Waterless Zone.
There, a corpulent male catfish merman was deeply engrossed in an erotic dream within the Spring Mirage. This merman was the one from whom Angel had previously “borrowed” the pass to the Waterless Zone. Exhausted from the illusions, he had fallen deep into slumber.
Angel returned the pass to him, and with a Magic Hand, moved the catfish merman to the main road outside, tossing him together with his bodyguards.
The spring dream leaves no trace, and when he would awaken, the catfish merman would return to his routine life.
After seeing off the catfish merman, Angel turned his attention to Shark Disciple, another hero of the merfolk.
Previously, it was Angel who, using an illusion spell, had guided Shark Disciple to aid the merfolk in repelling the stone chrysanthemum shrimp. This was a small favor he had done for the mermaid princess, who bore a resemblance to “Valerie.”
The remaining worth of Shark Disciple had been fully utilized, and Angel planned to continue weaving for him a lethal illusion.
However, this time, in recognition of Shark Disciple’s previous efforts in battle, Angel added a boundless spring dream into his deadly illusion.
Chapter 868 The Plant-Fused Feathered Woman <TOC> Chapter 870 Changes in the Orphanage