Chapter 974 The Vanishing Apprentice <TOC> Chapter 976 Nielgard Winter Palace
Translator: SumTLMan
“And then what happened?” Madeline asked inquisitively.
Bruen shrugged, “After Lord Mengke visited, he explicitly stated that no fort city could be built here. He also decreed that we may pass through, but under no circumstance should we linger for too long.”
“As for what Lord Mengke discovered, he did not divulge.”
“Many have explored this place afterward, but none made any significant findings.”
Madeline frowned, “Is this what you meant by ‘there’s more to it’? It sounds no different than before; as if you’ve spoken yet said nothing.”
“Of course there’s more,” Bruen retorted, “apart from people disappearing, there’s another subtle detail, which the companion of that Gusia mentioned earlier.” Bruen paused.
Recalling the words of the middle-aged man from before, Angel asked quietly, “Lord, are you referring to the illusion of hysteria?”
Gusia said that at first, he only heard someone calling out to him. But later, he claimed that he saw the person calling out to him.
Had Sineva realized Gusia’s condition at the time, she would have asked him who he saw. However, Sineva said nothing, which implies that the Frost Moon Alliance knew about this “calling person.”
Bruen nodded, “Indeed, this condition of Gusia’s is what we refer to as an irreversible induction mark. We’ve conducted research on individuals marked this way, and found that those marked are almost inescapable from the fate of disappearance. Moreover, all those who’ve been marked claimed to have seen the person who was calling out to them before they vanished.”
“After extensive research, it’s concluded that the person they see before disappearing is someone dressed in a raven black cloak. According to our records, this individual is known as ‘Kurland’ among the natives of the Abyss, supposedly a death guide from the Bottomless Abyss, or in other words, the god of death they worship.”
“The Bottomless Abyss refers to the inner layer of the Abyss, an area where we dare not venture. This Kurland, as per speculation, could potentially be a Demon God who presides over death, with followers of its own.”
After he finished speaking, Bruen took out a bottle of black rye rum from his space and gulped it down.
After a moment of deep thought, Madeline responded with disbelief, “Are you suggesting that the Cold Ancient Ruins could potentially have some connection to the Abyss… and a Demon God?”
Bruen spread his hands, “Who knows, all I can say for certain is that the place is dangerous. If Lord Mengke advised against lingering there, he must have his reasons.”
Angel couldn’t help but ask, “Is there really a ruins site there?”
Bruen gave Angel a long, meaningful look, “Perhaps, but it would be best if you reined in your curiosity. More knowledge does not always equate to a good thing.”
In truth, none of these matters were particularly clandestine, yet Frost Moon chose to conceal them, largely out of concern for certain transcendent beings whose curiosity might become dangerously inflated.
While curiosity is indeed an essential virtue for a wizard, it is critical to always act within one’s abilities. After all, curiosity is not only the potential downfall of the cat, but may also prove perilous to an entire clowder of cats.
When it comes to the Bottomless Abyss or the Demon God, these are by no means trifling matters.
They ceased further inquiries about the Cold Ancient Ruins, turning the conversation towards other topics as if the previous discussion had never transpired.
Despite their silence on the matter, Angel felt a faint sense of trepidation about the Cold Ancient Ruins. At the same time, he held a deep respect for the pioneers who had managed to establish strongholds amidst the omnipresent dangers of the Abyss.
Madeline and Bruen’s conversation wandered from pole to pole, occasionally touching upon secrets and rumors, providing Angel with an enlightening experience. However, as they left the jurisdiction of the Cold Ancient Ruins, their conversation started to wane.
The Cold Ancient Ruins, for an unknown reason, were almost devoid of demons. But once they stepped out of its boundaries, the ensuing journey was far from predictable.
After a period of silent travel, Madeline suddenly asked, “If Goat Demons have already appeared on the surface, does this mean Frost Moon has started to make significant moves?”
Madeline’s question took Bruen aback.
“I am only responsible for research, I don’t know about such things.” Bruen shrugged.
“Hmph.” Madeline snorted derisively, seeming both skeptical and sarcastic. But Bruen remained unruffled, showing no sign of offence, and instead responded cheerfully, “Regardless of any major moves, it doesn’t affect you, after all, your purpose in coming to the Abyss isn’t tied to this.”
Madeline’s gaze hardened, she shared a deep look with Bruen, and they tacitly dropped the topic.
Throughout the journey, everyone was on edge, particularly since Sineva’s power had significantly waned. If they encountered a formidable enemy like the Goat Demon, they would likely struggle to defend themselves.
Fortunately, from their departure from the Cold Ancient Ruins all the way to the Gray Layer Zone, no unexpected incidents occurred.
Minor demon incursions happened occasionally, but they were merely minnows in the sea. Even a group of apprentices could easily deal with them.
It was only upon entering the Gray Layer Zone that Bruen heaved a sigh of relief, “This is what we should have expected, after all, this is the safe route we have been developing for hundreds of years… encountering the Goat Demon should just be an anomaly.”
The previous six supply teams encountered no problems from the surface to the frontlines, and they were led by ordinary wizards at the time.
Now that Sineva is here, a minor twist in the tale has occurred.
“Could this be the Law of Conservation of Fortune?” Bruen mumbled under his breath, “Does our strength dictate the variables we must bear? Because Sineva’s power was so immense, it resulted in a positive extremity, thereby summoning the Goat Demon… Now that Sineva’s power has decreased, our path seems smoother in contrast.”
This pseudo-knowledge spouted by Bruen was blithely ignored by Madeline and Angel.
At present, what concerned Angel more was the Gray Layer Zone. What exactly was it like?
He had read much on the subject, knowing that the Abyss was divided into an outer and inner domain. The outer three layers were also known as the periphery of the Abyss, where ordinary monsters and indigenous inhabitants roamed. As for the inner layer, few humans ever ventured there, hence the scarcity of information. Their destination, the frontline, was actually near the inner part of the Abyss’s outer rim.
To traverse between layers, one method Angel had learned of involved passing through the Gray Layer Zone.
However, the knowledge acquired from books is, after all, just words. The real situation must be experienced firsthand to truly comprehend.
The moment Angel entered the Gray Layer Zone, he felt the surrounding spatial energy to be exceedingly active. Logically, layered active energy would surely stir the material world.
But the spatial energy here was strange; although you could feel its vivacity, it seemed as if it was bound by something, preventing it from becoming a runaway horse. It didn’t create a profusion of spatial rifts due to instability.
The most significant characteristic here was the flora.
The plants here were even more abundant than in the Cold Ancient Ruins, and their growth was in no way hindered. Plants would be impossible in an area of spatial instability.
“If there were a space wizard here, they would probably reap significant benefits,” Angel murmured.
“Not necessarily. Space wizards would need to analyze spatial energy to benefit from it. While the spatial energy here seems ubiquitous, you can’t analyze it because it is restrained by the Translayer Gate. Only high-level space wizards may be able to forcibly analyze it, but that would cause the Translayer Gate here to dissipate entirely,” Madeline explained upon hearing Angel’s murmuring.
Angel felt slightly embarrassed; he had jumped to conclusions too quickly.
Setting aside his embarrassment, Angel asked, “Is the Translayer Gate the entrance to the second layer of the Abyss?”
“Not the second layer of the Abyss, but straight to the third.” Madeline paused for a moment, “The surface of the Abyss is vast, likely on par with the Southern Region in size. There are many ways to enter the inner layers, and other areas have ways to lead to the second layer. But the Translayer Gate here can lead directly to the third.”
As Madeline spoke, she suddenly pointed towards the mountains ahead.
“Once we cross these mountains, we should be able to see the Translayer Gate.”
Before they even reached the top of the mountain range, Angel already felt a vast and imposing aura emanating from the other side. This aura was strikingly similar to the World Will of the Wizarding World.
“The origin of the spatial energy binding lies there.”
Upon reaching the top of the mountain range, Angel looked down and his eyes flashed with surprise.
The Translayer Gate, he thought it was merely a figurative term, a ‘gate’ being something else in reality. However, to his surprise, this Translayer Gate was truly a “gate”.
This Monumental Gate, towering tens of meters high, stood amidst the clouds of a canyon.
The gate was entirely black in color, its material indiscernible, yet it carried a bone-like smoothness. Carved onto its surface were various bizarre creatures: fire-worshipping natives, stoic gargoyle statues in quiet vigil, a sky-covering, earth-blanketing abyss dragon…
Most peculiar of all was a single, solitary eye at the top of the gate, shrouded in black mist, surveying this expanse of heaven and earth.
“This… is the Translayer Gate.” Madeline spoke with a sense of awe, regardless of how many times she’d seen this gate, she was always humbled by its towering majesty.
Angel was also extremely stunned, but more than that, his mind was riddled with questions.
“Why does this gate stand here? Who erected it? The aura above it resembles that of the World Will, could it have been installed by the World Will of the Abyss?” Angel’s mind was a whirlwind of questions.
In response, Madeline replied, “I don’t know why there is a gate. As for who erected it, according to some research, it is likely not the World Will but an ancient Demon God of the Abyss. The solitary eye at the top of the gate is the mark of that Demon God.”
“That’s correct.” Bruen added, “On the outskirts of the Abyss, there are more than one Translayer Gates, each bearing the mark of this ancient Demon God.”
“So, if we enter the Translayer Gate, won’t we be under his gaze?”
“No, because this ancient Demon God has long vanished into the annals of time.”
Chapter 974 The Vanishing Apprentice <TOC> Chapter 976 Nielgard Winter Palace