Chapter 948 Nausica's Letter <TOC> Chapter 950 News from the Fertile Kingdom
Translator: SumTLMan
After departing from the Rose Garden, Angel made his airborne journey back to Tree Spirit Court.
Given that he had arrived at Tree Spirit Court, he took a detour to the Resource Hall, collecting the rewards for the Guide Mission. Although the spoils were scanty, they were still better than nothing.
Next, he returned to the Flowing Source, primarily with the aim to pay a visit to Iron Armor Granny.
In Angel’s perspective, among the inhabitants of the Savage Grottoes, there weren’t many he genuinely held in high esteem. Yet, Iron Armor Granny was indeed one of them.
Iron Armor Granny, as always, was exquisitely attired, her silver locks perfectly untangled, glistening with elegance.
A pot of floral tea, its aroma wafting through the air, lay on the table. Upon spotting Angel, she didn’t show any surprise and simply gestured him to take a seat with a graceful smile.
As they sat facing each other, they savored the tea, immersed in a serene tranquility.
Once the aroma of the floral tea had thoroughly suffused the air, Iron Armor Granny broke the comfortable silence, “I heard from Rhine Mute that you’ve decided to head to the Abyss.”
“I have reasons that leave me with no choice.”
Iron Armor Granny replied, “I didn’t plan to dissuade you. Each choice you make, you must bear its consequences. However, I still feel compelled to caution you, the Abyss is even more brutal than the Wizarding World. Moreover, even the superficial layers of the Abyss have begun to witness patrolling demons. Even on the outer three layers, don’t let your guard down.”
Acknowledging her words with a nod, Angel conveyed his understanding.
“I hope your decision ushers in a brighter future for you.”
Iron Armor Granny refrained from saying anything further. Instead, she chatted about trivial matters with Angel, with much of the conversation revolving around Sumesh.
“Sumesh keeps praising the Morning Dew After Rain that you left with me. I estimate the next time you encounter him, he’ll surely request some from you.”
“Coincidentally, I do have some with me.” Angel finished his sentence, retrieved a box of ready-made tea from his bracelet, and handed it to Iron Armor Granny, “This time, I brought back quite a lot from my manor.”
Iron Armor Granny didn’t refuse, but with a beaming smile, accepted the tea, promptly brewing it on the spot, “Among your Phantom lineage, you are the one who best understands the ways of the world. That youngster Sumesh, despite having been away for decades, never thought to bring back anything for me.”
Angel’s face bore an air of sheepishness.
Iron Armor Granny brewed tea, yet she didn’t partake. Instead, she extended a finger, gently wiping away the droplets clinging to the rim of the cup, her fingertips glistening with faint aqueous light.
Following this, she let a droplet of water from her fingertip delicately fall onto Angel’s hand.
“What’s given is received, consider this droplet my token of appreciation.”
A droplet as a gift of gratitude?
Angel looked curiously at his hand, the droplet that had tumbled from Iron Armor Granny’s finger hadn’t spread out, but instead, rolled about his hand like a translucent pearl.
Intrigued, he reached out with his mental tendrils and discovered that this minuscule droplet harbored an immense force within, teeming with vitality, radiant and comforting.
Although Angel was uncertain of what it was, he could perceive its functionality.
The energy contained within the droplet was restorative in nature, its total potency equivalent to casting a first-level wizard spell — the Resurgence of Life.
As long as Angel didn’t sustain fatal injuries, this droplet could restore him instantly. However, the droplet’s effect was a one-time miracle.
Upon understanding its functionality, Angel looked at Iron Armor Granny with a touch of astonishment.
He had an inkling that Iron Armor Granny’s strength was considerably formidable; after all, she referred to everyone other than the three ancestral spirits as “youngsters.” This attested to Iron Armor Granny’s age being immeasurably long.
Longevity often goes hand in hand with significant strength.
However, witnessing Iron Armor Granny imbue a droplet with such potent vitality so effortlessly, he was still taken aback.
It appeared that he had underestimated Iron Armor Granny’s power.
Upon emerging from the Flowing Source, Angel felt somewhat dazed. He had stepped out today with the sole intention of paying visits, but he hadn’t expected that both Liana and Iron Armor Granny would bestow upon him such invaluable treasures.
In the quiet confines of his thoughts, Angel murmured, “I remember Mentor once said that once you reach the core of the organization, a wealth of resources would gravitate towards you. Could this be the embodiment of that statement?”
Angel was heading in the right direction, but unbeknownst to him, the specter of Rhine Mute lurked in the background. As the sole individual from the Savage Grottoes with a shot at becoming a Mysterious Alchemist, Rhine Mute respected Angel’s choices, even permitting his journey into the Abyss. But he wouldn’t completely turn a blind eye, whether it was the droplet from Iron Armor Granny or Liana’s Kunsha flower fragrance; both carried traces of his orchestration.
With thoughts swirling in his head, Angel found himself at the Tree Vine Bus Station.
His initial plan was to fly back to Phantom Island, but on emerging from the Flowing Source, he happened to witness a Vine Bus gliding towards him along the vine.
Ever since Angel returned from the Purification Garden, he hadn’t set foot on a Vine Bus. Having wrapped up his tasks for the day, he felt a yearning to revisit those past memories.
However, no sooner had he settled into his seat on the bus, regret came knocking.
Initially, the bus was empty, but a few stops later, it started to fill up with apprentices.
The two apprentices seated beside him were whispering about their progress in their training and newest tricks. Despite the glaring holes in their theories and formulas, Angel could still bear with it.
However, the group opposite him, who had begun to hurl veiled barbs at each other upon boarding the bus, engaged in a battle of wits that escalated into a noisy ruckus. Their clamor left Angel feeling as if he had wandered into a fish market.
Some transcendents always deemed themselves superior, looking down on ordinary humans. Yet, observing the scene unfolding before him, it was evident that the inherent flaws of humanity were ever-present, regardless of where you were, and these flaws weren’t erased just because one had gained transcendent abilities.
After a painstakingly long ten minutes, they finally arrived at the Vine Leaf Platform, and Angel disembarked the bus, eager to escape the commotion.
To the north of the Vine Leaf Platform was the Sky Bridge, which led straight to Phantom Island. However, Angel was not in a hurry to return, instead, he cast his gaze south towards the towering high dome.
There lay a vast field of Cloud Soil, bustling with transcendents.
Due to the distance, the buildings on the Cloud Soil were barely discernible. But there was a faint glimmer of gold, emanating from the Cloud Soil.
“That is… High Cloud Library,” he murmured softly.
Five minutes later, almost as if guided by an unseen force, Angel found himself standing before the grand and awe-inspiring doors of the library, their surfaces glittering with a golden aura.
He was drawn here by a lingering thought.
Nausica, at least, had managed to send a letter in return, but no word has been heard from Shalem for almost a year and a half. Prior to this, Nausica had mentioned that there could be someone who knows Shalem’s whereabouts, and that person was—Book Ancestor.
Shalem had a thick-bound book that he always carried with him. His obsessive attachment to this book led him to cross paths with Book Ancestor. Book Ancestor told him that in order to awaken the spirit within the thick-bound book, he needed to become a vessel of wisdom. This was the very reason why Shalem clung so tenaciously to the idea of the Deep Blue Bloodline, willing to go to any lengths, even at great cost, to integrate this bloodline.
So, if anyone would indeed know anything about Shalem, it would probably be Book Ancestor.
However, even though Book Ancestor habitually resided in High Cloud Library, he seldom made an appearance. Even when he did, it was not guaranteed that he would pay heed to you.
Angel’s visit to High Cloud Library was an attempt to push his luck.
The interior of High Cloud Library was vast, with the inclusion of a space expansion rune adding to its enormity. With a total of 8329 sections devoted to books, the chances of bumping into Book Ancestor among such vastness were akin to striking it lucky. Not to mention, Book Ancestor might not even choose to appear.
Angel could still remember that the last time he encountered Book Ancestor was in the 7925th section, where Book Ancestor met him while he was engrossed in studying energy conversion.
He decided to check out the same place again.
With a mindset of “it’s good if we meet, it’s okay if we miss each other”, Angel did not particularly go out of his way searching for Book Ancestor. Instead, he enjoyed browsing the books around him on his way.
Looking at the plethora of books, Angel felt an itch in his heart. If only he could transport all these books to the Wilderness of Dreams… However, reality proved to be more challenging than wishful thinking.
If he used the Dream Conch here, even with the restraint of the Geometric Lock, it would undoubtedly draw attention.
How would he explain himself then? He surely couldn’t claim that he came here to experiment with the Dream Conch. If he dared to make such a claim, it would surely raise suspicions.
Moreover, the most crucial point was that the library interior was set up with a magic formation. Any use of anomalous energy would instantly transport him in front of the official wizard on duty.
Having meandered from 7925 to 7950, Angel found himself in a scarcely trodden part of the city, devoid of the presence of Book Ancestor. Continuing his aimless wander would be futile, for crossing paths with him seemed unlikely. Thus, Angel decided to retreat.
On Initial Heart City, Decaywood Street Number 1.
Decaywood Street Number 1, in fact, housed the Mushroom House, the residence of Freud, Sunny, and Alda. Now, Angel was also here. A smoldering furnace faced him, wrapping the cabin in a mist thick with the aroma of fruit.
Shortly, the warm fruit stew on the furnace was ready.
Sunny and Alda eagerly reached out to grab it, but were reprimanded by Freud, “The Lord is here, show some respect!”
Freud, having said that, turned to Angel with a sheepish smile, “These two can only taste food in the Wilderness of Dreams, so they tend to get impatient. I hope you can forgive them, Lord.”
Angel nodded nonchalantly. He was indifferent to the food, but he was curious about how bodies in the Wilderness of Dreams could enable even the departed souls to taste. Nonetheless, Freud had already begun researching the discrepancies between reality and the Wilderness of Dreams, so Angel was not overly concerned; he would simply wait for the results.
“Lord, when will you embark towards the Abyss?” asked Freud.
“In two days. The escort team of Frost Moon Alliance will reach the Savage Grottoes then, and I will depart.”
“Two days, huh.” Freud muttered under his breath, “I wonder if he can make it in time.”
“What are you referring to?” Angel looked at Freud questioningly.
Freud explained, “Yesterday, I got in touch with Rosam from Ashen Time Merchant Group. He said he would contact Captain Piers immediately. From his tone, it seemed like Piers would go to the Savage Grottoes to find you as soon as possible. I am not sure if he can make it to the Grottoes before you leave.”
Upon hearing this, Angel’s brow furrowed. To this day, he still didn’t know what Piers was seeking him for. Initially, Rosam said that Piers had some news to trade with him and would tell him about Cassini.
These could have been directly conveyed to Freud, but Piers insisted on a face-to-face meeting with Angel. Was there more to this than meets the eye?
Chapter 948 Nausica's Letter <TOC> Chapter 950 News from the Fertile Kingdom