Chapter 884 Dirge of the Undertaker <TOC> Chapter 886 The Pink Imps
Translator: SumTLMan
Having journeyed a while deeper into the shadowy depths of the Senna Trench, Angel finally arrived at the breathtakingly beautiful underwater city that had lingered in his memory.
He hadn’t expected to be standing here again so soon, the vivid memory of his last visit to Rhodes still fresh in his mind. Yet here he was, drawn back quicker than he’d anticipated.
After blending into the Waterless Zone without a hitch, he quickly reached the location of Peace Tower. In his hand, he held a card of ash grey, bearing an inscription crafted with a special spell: “Ashen Time.”
He had thought that there’d be no occasion where he’d need to utilize this card, but to his surprise, an exception had been made so soon. Shaking his head slightly, Angel walked into the shadow of the Peace Tower—the Abyss Zone.
Though the Abyss Zone still reeked of sin and bloodshed as before, Angel turned a blind eye to all external factors, making his way to the ruins, the usual location of the Ashen Time traders.
In the enveloping silence, he smoothly arrived at the ruins. They were as he remembered, though some elements were missing—like the iron cages, the customers who had once gathered around them, appraising their contents, and of course, the members of Ashen Time, draped in their black cloaks.
Angel walked a full circle around the ruins with his card but didn’t encounter anyone. It seemed that the slave trader Piers’ information—that there would always be someone available for contact—was inaccurate.
With a sigh, he chastised himself for trusting a slave trader’s words. Fortunately, the journey from the Revelation Continent hadn’t been too long, so not much time was wasted.
As for the materials he sought, it appeared he needed to devise a new plan… or perhaps he could return to the Vast Continent with Drew first?
Lost in thought, Angel started to make his way out. But as he prepared to exit the ruins through a narrow alley, he noticed a flickering spark at the alley’s end, growing closer and closer.
The sound of steady footsteps echoed in his ears—”Thud, thud, thud.”
As the light from above the ruins illuminated the figure approaching through the alley, Angel’s expression paused. The man puffing on a pipe was producing the intermittent sparks, dressed in a black cloak, with his hood down revealing a face of terror.
His face was covered in lizard-like scales, and his right eye was a vertical pupil, snake-like.
“Sir Rosam, we meet again,” Angel recognized the man. It was the deputy captain of the Ashen Time, the same man who had personally attended to him during his last visit.
“You?” Rosam blinked in surprise. His face remained inscrutable, but within, a flicker of excitement stirred.
Back then, when he told Captain Piers that he planned to stay here for the next decade solely to forge a rapport with Angel, he had resigned himself to a potentially fruitless endeavor. Yet, to his surprise, barely a month later, Angel had actively sought him out!
“It’s me,” Angel politely nodded at him, proffering the grey card as a token of his intentions.
Rosam, struggling to contain his excitement, accepted the grey card. “Esteemed guest, are you interested in… purchasing a batch of materials?”
Angel nodded, “I have an urgent need, hence I thought, could you perhaps assist in delivering them to me? If not, I would have no choice but to make a trip back to the Vast Continent.”
“Of course, that’s no problem at all!” Rosam responded without hesitation, fearing that Angel might change his mind.
Perhaps his response was too quick, Angel cast him a questioning look. Clearing his throat, Rosam elaborated, “What I mean is, any material that’s available in the market, even precious magical ones, we might be able to procure for our guests through our merchant group’s network.”
“Including potions for mental energy recovery?” Angel raised an eyebrow playfully.
Faced with Angel’s jest, Rosam shrugged, “We truly did our best with Lady Silai’s goods the last time. However, if it’s for you, even if we have to plead with the Master of Potions, we would make it happen.”
Angel turned to regard Rosam, “I found your keenness somewhat excessive when I came last time. Do you know me?”
Rosam nodded, frankly admitting it.
“Master Angel’s name is currently a hot topic in the Southern Region. I have many magazines in my possession, some of which have even dedicated sections to you.”
Unaware of his sudden surge in fame since he didn’t return to the Vast Continent, Angel had been gleaning bits and pieces from Eniya, Rosam, and the Witch Midnight previously.
“You might as well stop calling me ‘master.’ I can’t live up to that title.” Angel was well aware that he was still far from reaching Master Midora’s level. Being addressed as ‘master’ at this stage felt as if he was on par with the common masses; it had a déjà vu of monkeys being addressed as kings, “Just call me Angel.”
A wave of delight washed over Rosam. Calling him by his name—could this signify a step closer in their relationship?
“I wonder what materials you need this time, Angel? I’ll report it to the captain immediately and make sure your goods are prepared as soon as possible.” Rosam swiftly seized the opportunity.
Angel questioned, “Can you connect with Captain Piers?”
Rosam nodded, “Our merchant group has its own channels for information relay.”
Angel didn’t probe into the nature of these channels. Instead, he asked, “So, even if you’re here, you’re able to keep track of the happenings in the outside world? For instance, news from the Feran Continent?”
Confirming with a nod, Rosam responded, “What kind of news do you wish to know? If it’s general information, I can share it without charge.”
“Information about the Abyss, is that free as well?”
Rosam paused for a moment before answering, “It depends on the depth of your inquiry. If you simply want an overview of the Abyss, I can certainly provide that. But if you are interested in the specifics of Lord Mengke’s plan, that might require a consultation fee.”
“You’re aware of Lord Mengke’s plan too?” Angel expressed his surprise. It seemed the Ashen Time indeed had efficient news channels. “I’m not particularly interested in that, but I would like to know about my mentor.”
“You mean Phantom Master? We don’t have detailed updates on frontline matters like that. However, I’ve heard that the Phantom Master has been quite active on the front.”
Upon hearing Rosam’s response, Angel sighed. Witch Midnight seemed to have been right; Sanders hadn’t returned.
It looked as if Rosam had a thought, “By the way, I received some news a few days ago. It seems that Lord Sumesh, also known as ‘The Faceless One’, has gone to the Abyss, apparently to locate Phantom Master.”
Angel had originally considered that if anything went wrong while severing the Interstitial Space, he could seek assistance from Sumesh, a senior from his lineage whom he’d never met. But it appeared that there was little hope for that now.
As for Flora, even though she also had a Nightmare Domain, it was a special case and was under the control of Little Red. Since she wasn’t a practitioner of illusion spells, her ability to aid Angel was limited.
“It seems I can’t rely on external aid. I’ll have to attempt this myself,” Angel concluded in his mind.
Rosam led him to the small room where he’d previously conducted a trade with Captain Piers. The room had become more lively now, furnished with tables, chairs, and food, and even had a bookshelf.
According to Rosam, this was his temporary residence.
Based on Rosam’s attitude towards him, Angel had a rough idea why Rosam stayed here alone. However, they both had an unspoken agreement to leave things unsaid.
“Here is a list of the materials I need,” Angel handed Rosam a meticulously prepared list, writing down extra quantities of each material, just in case.
The Domain Lapis Lazuli, the primary ingredient, is a semi-finished alchemy product, thus allowing Angel the luxury of crafting it himself. This leads him to predominantly purchase Space Domain Ores. Though the cost of each ore is significantly less than the Domain Lapis Lazuli, the sheer volume purchased ends up making the total sum quite substantial.
Rosam originally hoped that Angel would request for some rare materials, and in that scenario, Ash Time could demonstrate their vast network and connections, potentially fostering a closer relationship with him. However, upon examining the list, Rosam couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Even though the overall value was indeed high, the most expensive item, the “Diluted Liquid Fragment of Constants,” did not even reach the rarity level he had expected.
“There’s no issue with these materials. We have a considerable amount in stock,” said Rosam.
Anxious, Angel quickly asked, “When can they be delivered?”
Noticing Angel’s eagerness, Rosam suggested, “If you are in a hurry, we could ask Captain Piers to expedite the delivery through creating a planar passage.”
“Creating a planar passage… wouldn’t that be too much trouble for Captain Piers?” Angel was aware that creating a planar passage involved substantial costs, including specific spell materials. Generally, unless pressed for time, wizards would prefer to fly at their own leisure than utilize the planar passage.
“No trouble at all. Didn’t Captain Piers mention last time that he wished to befriend you? Naturally, he wouldn’t mind fulfilling a request from a friend,” Rosam assured.
Angel caught Rosam’s drift. It was similar to Jiebo’s previous attempt to foster a relationship through offering materials. However, Rosam was more subtle about it. Angel contemplated this and concluded that developing a relationship with a formal wizard wouldn’t be a detriment.
“I’d like to express my gratitude to Captain Piers in advance then. The materials needed for creating the planar passage shall be provided by me.”
It didn’t take long for Rosam to reach out to Piers through a special channel. Once Piers learned of Angel’s request, he promptly agreed. However, gathering the materials would require some time.
Consequently, Angel decided to stay in Rhodes for the time being.
Rosam played the perfect host, diligently fostering a good relationship with Angel. Angel didn’t refuse his hospitality either. In just a few days, Angel and Rosam seemed to have grown closer.
At least, that’s how it appeared on the surface.
Angel spent four days in the enchanting underwater metropolis of Rhodes, basking in its breathtaking, otherworldly beauty distinct from anything on land. During this time, he indulged in a selection of deep-sea cuisine, his stay was, by all accounts, rather leisurely.
However, a lingering concern for Jon gnawed at his tranquillity, instilling a tinge of guilt amidst his respite.
On the fourth evening, Captain Piers, laden with materials, arrived in Rhodes. Perhaps privy to Rosam’s actions, he did not lavish Angel with excessive hospitality. Instead, he politely handed the materials to Angel.
Upon departure, however, Piers left behind an intriguing remark, indicating that he was ready to lend Angel a hand should the need arise. As he said this, Piers deliberately placed a green fruit in front of Angel.
Familiar to Angel, this fruit, about the size of an apple and exuding an ethereal aroma, was a Croc Fragrance Fruit from the Mirelurk Swamp. It’s a magical plant used in the crafting of potions for mental injury recovery.
Piers’ suggestive placement of this fruit forced Angel to associate it with Eureka. It seemed that their interactions during his previous visit with Blaire had not escaped Piers’ attention.
It was likely that Piers had inferred some conflict between Angel and Blaire’s master, thus leading to this gesture. It was no wonder Eureka had previously described Piers as a crafty schemer.
Although Piers subtly suggested his readiness to assist Angel against Eureka, Angel harbored no such intentions. At least for the time being, Eureka’s attitude towards Jon was acceptable. If Piers were to discover Jon, Angel held no faith in the integrity of this slaver.
Having paid over 50,000 magic crystals in material costs, Angel took his leave from Rhodes.
Chapter 884 Dirge of the Undertaker <TOC> Chapter 886 The Pink Imps