Chapter 927 Gathering Information <TOC> Chapter 929 Velite and the Phantom Figure
Translator: SumTLMan
In the midst of Rosam’s narrative, Angel was initially astounded by the gathering storm of events at the Devil’s Sea and engrossed by the grandiose, roller-coaster-like journey of Sanders.
However, as the narrative unfolded, Angel found himself lost in contemplation.
Was the anomaly in the Heavenly Eye truly related to these proceedings?
He could still recall that the anomaly in the Heavenly Eye manifested on the very night when Sanders and Flora returned to the Cloud Whale. If Rosam’s account held water, Sanders’ return was intended to evade the onslaught from the stowaways brought by Sirius.
Shortly after Sanders’ return to the Cloud Whale, the Heavenly Eye showed signs of odd changes. Concurrently, the anticipated fusion of planes that many wizards had been eyeing failed.
In Rosam’s own words: “After the initial phase, there’s no known instance of a planar fusion failing.”
Yet, that very instance of assured success in planar fusion had, against all odds, failed.
Given the timing, could it be the Heavenly Eye’s mischief at play?
If indeed this was the catalyst for the aberration in the Heavenly Eye, it suggested that the Heavenly Eye had succeeded in snatching sustenance from the maw of the World Will.
“Besides that, were there any other anomalies in the Devil’s Sea at that time?” Angel inquired once again.
Rosam mentioned a few minor incidents, mostly regular occurrences in the Devil’s Sea such as “ship disappearances” and “sea beast sightings”. Angel deduced that these events were likely unrelated to the Heavenly Eye.
Considering this, the fusion of planes could indeed be the cause of the abnormal fluctuations in the Heavenly Eye.
Even more so, the Heavenly Eye might have had a significant role in causing the failure of the planar fusion.
Angel made a silent decision in his heart: when his strength was not yet sufficient, he would keep a safe distance from planar fusions in the future.
This information was crucial for Angel. Firstly, it could prevent future anomalies in the Heavenly Eye, and secondly, when he inevitably conducted research on the Heavenly Eye in the future, this could serve as a solid piece of evidence.
“Since there are no other anomalies, I’ll accept this message,” Angel declared, “how much for this information in magic crystals?”
“This information isn’t particularly valuable, and considering your status, Angel, I assume the Phantom Master wouldn’t hide this from you,” Rosam paused, “This isn’t exactly a gift, but the most recent edition of —Forest of Time— has the details recorded as well.”
Rosam pondered for a moment, “How about this: it seems like you have more questions to ask, why not ask everything now and we can settle the cost afterwards?”
“Agreed.”
Without prying into why Angel was interested in the previous topic, Rosam responded cheerfully, “So, besides the information just mentioned, any other questions?”
Angel said, “I would like to acquire a rune scroll that can enhance luck attributes.”
Rosam was slightly taken aback, “Enhancing luck attributes? Are you referring to the ‘Ask the Bell’ prophecy school’s doctrine of ‘Choose One of Two Fortunes’, or the adjustment of variable thresholds called ‘Luck’?”
The so-called ‘Choose One of Two Fortunes’ is essentially a Luck spell. However, it’s not about increasing luck attributes, instead, it provides you with a preferred choice between two options. In other words, it’s like processing big data and offering you a recommendation that aligns with your personal information, without any prophecy element involved.
“The latter,” replied Angel.
“Well, the former would be manageable, but for the latter…” Rosam laughed ruefully, “Scrolls that can enhance luck attributes are a lost art. No current spell crafter can create them. We, the Ashen Time Merchant Group, simply don’t have such items.”
Angel foresaw this predicament, the Ashen Time Merchant Group was not particularly large after all. He mulled it over and asked, “Then, could I change my request? Could you help me inquire where I could purchase such a rune scroll?”
Rosam nodded, “We could certainly do that, is there a time constraint?”
“As long as I don’t cancel the request, please continue the search until it’s found,” Angel was determined to get a hold of this rune scroll to increase luck; it was crucial for the future of the Wilderness of Dreams!
“Very well, if we happen to glean this information, how shall we reach out to you?”
Angel relayed Freud’s whereabouts, “You may contact him, and he will pass the message onto me.”
Rosam nodded, his eyes nearly overflowing with elation. While the news wasn’t of extraordinary value, it could serve as a way to slowly forge a relationship with Angel and even establish a channel of communication with him.
For him, this was indeed exclusive news.
Although Rosam was delighted, he did not forget to caution: “Pardon my directness, but these rune scrolls for enhancing luck are one-time-use, and their effect lasts for an extremely short duration, at most a second or two. Moreover, the boost they offer is unpredictable. Once the effect wears off, new variables could surface within two seconds, potentially leading to adverse outcomes. Using them for alchemy doesn’t really serve much purpose.”
Angel smiled appreciatively, “Thank you for the heads up, I’m aware of this. I plan to use it only in crucial moments.”
Angel discerned that Rosam had wrongly assumed he intended to use it for alchemy, but he didn’t bother to correct Rosam’s presumption.
“That’s good then,” Rosam suddenly chuckled, “The first piece of information you asked me was worthless. The second is an unknown at the moment. If you don’t have something substantial for your third question, I’m afraid I’ll only symbolically charge you a magic crystal.”
The third question.
To be frank, Angel hadn’t given this much thought. He had only come with the first two queries in mind.
“Could it be that I’m right? You came solely for these two pieces of information?” Rosam raised an eyebrow.
Angel responded, “Perhaps I should ask about my mentor symbolically?”
Rosam burst out laughing, “Fine, I’ll symbolically answer then. The esteemed Phantom Master is still in the Abyss, but the Faceless One has left the Abyss.”
Angel nodded, the news about Sanders was as he had expected. It seemed that once he returned to the Savage Grottoes, his first task would be to find a way to communicate with Sanders.
“It appears that you’re out of even symbolic questions, so I guess we’ll leave it at that. I’ll symbolically charge you one magic crystal? Or perhaps, we could just round things off and consider it a gift from me. You don’t have to give me anything.”
Even a single magic crystal was valuable. If he genuinely accepted this free gift, wouldn’t it equate to owing a favor worth a magic crystal? Paying back such a favor would undoubtedly prove far more challenging than repaying a crystal.
As he was preparing to hand over a magic crystal to Rosam, Angel was struck by a sudden realization.
“Wait, there’s something that’s been on my mind that I’d like to inquire about.” Angel’s mind flashed back to a peculiar shadowy figure he had encountered in the Vision Space while crafting the Black Night Sanctuary.
The figure had stated: As I mentioned earlier, you chose to wait instead of fusing… Since you chose to wait, I’ll take away the other choice.”
This statement of the shadow taking one of his choices left Angel in deep contemplation. Who was this individual? Was he merely a ‘virtual character’ within the Vision Space, or did he truly exist?
Moreover, after the figure claimed his choice, the Black Night Sanctuary astonishingly manifested an additional remarkable effect.
Could this be connected to him?
Angel had originally intended to ask Master Midora about this quandary the next time he was preparing a “magic potion”. However, since the figure had popped into his mind just now, he decided to ask directly.
“I’d like to ask about a particular individual.”
“Ah, acquiring information about people is one of our specialties in the merchant group. If the individual’s power isn’t too immense, we can even bring them in for you to question directly!” Rosam replied with a showy tone.
“I am uncertain of his strength, but I believe you might find it challenging to bring him in.” After a pause, Angel mentioned the name: “I wonder, have you ever heard of someone named Cassini?”
“Cassini?” Rosam looked puzzled as he searched through his memory for this name. However, after sifting through countless recollections, he came up empty-handed.
“His real name is likely much longer, Cassini might be just a portion of it,” Angel speculated.
Rosam asked, “Any other information? Male or female? Alias? Strength?”
Angel shrugged, spreading his hands in admission: “I know nothing else.”
Angel chose not to divulge the issue of Cassini taking away his choice. If he were to talk about it, he would inevitably have to reveal what choice was taken away. This could lead to a snowball effect where the secret of the effect he had crafted into the ‘Black Night Sanctuary’ would be exposed, which was certainly not ideal.
“In that case, let me contact Captain Piers. He might know something.”
Angel considered this for a moment before waving it off, “Never mind. It was just a casual inquiry. There’s no need to disturb Captain Piers.”
With that said, Angel retrieved a magic crystal from his bracelet and handed it to Rosam: “The transaction is complete, and it’s time for me to take my leave.”
Once Angel had gone, wrapping up the bill for their meal on his way out, Rosam remained in the private booth. He idly toyed with the magic crystal in his hand, a slow grin spreading across his face. “Luck’s been on my side lately,” he mused. “Could it be the blessing of the Time Thief?”
After a while, Rosam managed to connect with Piers.
To Piers’ surprise, he exclaimed, “Angel came to see you again? Wasn’t it to deal with Silai?”
“No, he just came to purchase information from me.” Rosam relayed the two pieces of information Angel had inquired about to Piers. “I have no idea why he wanted to know the first bit. As for the second, you might need to arrange for someone to keep an eye out.”
“I see. Rune scrolls enhancing luck haven’t been seen for a while. I’ve heard that a few old-timers might have them, but I doubt they’d be willing to part with them,” Piers shook his head in resignation. While such luck-enhancing scrolls only offer a fleeting boost of two or three seconds—a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment for apprentices—for wizards, that short span could make a world of difference. Naturally, these scrolls were treasured.
“Well, it just so happens that I’m near Western Demos right now, and there’s an old fellow here who has one of these scrolls. I’ll try to find out more,” offered Piers.
“Sounds good. I’ll stay in Rhodes and wait for your news,” Rosam replied.
Piers nodded, preparing to shut down the secret communicator—this device that connected them, consuming vast amounts of energy every second.
Suddenly, as if recalling something, Rosam interjected, “Oh right, Angel also asked about someone. But I’ve never heard of them, and he didn’t seem to mind much.”
“Inquiring about a person? Who?” Piers asked, curiosity piqued.
“A person named Cassini.”
Chapter 927 Gathering Information <TOC> Chapter 929 Velite and the Phantom Figure