Chapter 977 Duchess Bel <TOC> Chapter 979 Silent Shore
Translator: SumTLMan
Wandering through the ruins, time seemed to stretch into a monotonous nothingness. However, the expansion of time did not guarantee absolute safety; on the contrary, it might have created more variables due to its elongation.
Traveling along Silent Shore, for now, whether danger would be encountered remained a matter of conjecture. Furthermore, during Duchess Bel’s previous visit, there had been no impending threats, right?
“By the way, when did Duchess Bel pass Silent Shore?” Bruen suddenly inquired.
“According to her, it was two weeks ago,” responded Sineva.
The group fell into silence.
Indeed, Watchtower Fortress was a great distance from Nielgard Winter Palace. If one were to measure this journey with human cognition, one might have to stride for years before even considering arriving.
However, for a phantom beast like Duchess Bel, the path along Silent Shore from Watchtower Fortress to Nielgard Winter Palace, even at a leisurely pace, a week would suffice.
Yet, Duchess Bel took a whole fortnight from Silent Shore to Nielgard Winter Palace!
It was evident how languid she was!
“Given the two-week time frame, even if a powerful being had descended, they would have likely left by now,” Bruen continued, “It’s highly improbable that such a powerful entity would choose to stay in a desolate and barren place like Silent Shore.”
“In the third layer of the Abyss, the most likely powerful entities are demons. If it were a demon, its goal certainly wouldn’t be to stay on Silent Shore, they might head to the Demon Monastery at the other end of Silent Shore,” Velite added at this point.
Sineva had such a conjecture as well, but everything comes with a risk. Predicting and discussing potential dangers before they manifest is always a more prudent approach than scrambling for solutions when danger presents itself.
After a thorough discussion, they decided to continue their journey along Silent Shore.
If they truly encounter a formidable foe, Bruen had previously extracted the “Boiling Blood” from the Behemoth beast. In a worst-case scenario, they could inject it into Duchess Bel. The resultant frenzy should give her a temporary attribute boost. With her speed surpassing even a true knowledge wizard, Duchess Bel should be able to break free from any constraints.
Upon finalizing their plan, the pace at which they journeyed began to steadily escalate. However, Duchess Bel was constantly tempted by the desire to rest—in her view, diligence cost fat, while idleness bred plumpness.
Even though Duchess Bel craved to accumulate more flesh, it eventually capitulated under the forceful prodding of Sineva.
Across the snowy plains, their travel went unimpeded. Ironically, as they were about to leave this expanse, they encountered a Snowstorm Banshee.
The snowy plain would give way to an expansive range of mountains. The narrow crevice between two snow-clad peaks was where they encountered the Snowstorm Banshee.
Alongside the howling wind, a banshee, its lower half enveloped in a whirlwind of snow and emanating an aura of frost, barricaded the only passageway.
The perennially dark sky obscured her visage, yet her frost-tinted hair, dancing wildly in the wind, briefly made the group feel as if they were seeing another Sineva.
“Shall we proceed?” The droning voice came from Duchess Bel, “She seems formidable. How about we find a place to rest a bit, and continue on our path once she’s gone?”
“Continue.” Sineva issued the command to advance emotionlessly, “Kill her outright.”
“She hasn’t made a move, why waste energy?” Duchess Bel furthered its argument.
“She indeed hasn’t made a move, but don’t tell me you can’t sense her malicious intent?” Sineva retorted, exasperated.
Duchess Bel fell silent. As opposed to humans, its ability to perceive emotions was remarkably acute. From afar, it sensed the malicious intent emanating from the banshee—a common occurrence with creatures from the Abyss.
The comparison was akin to the Extreme Sect of the Wizarding World who wielded the banner of justice, exterminating any otherworldly creatures that infiltrated their world, backed by the will of the world.
Likewise, the will of the Abyss harboured animosity towards the wizards, invaders who undermined their world. The manifestation of this animosity was the malevolent intent the majority of abyssal creatures harbored towards outsiders.
“How about this, you guys move in after I engage?” Duchess Bel was still haggling. While exterminating a Snowstorm Banshee wouldn’t pose much difficulty, every bit of energy wasted would result in a decrease of its body fat, making the trade-off not worth it.
“Enough prattle, once we reach Silent Shore, I’ll send you plunging into the sea,” Sineva’s voice seethed through gritted teeth, clearly at the end of her tether.
Duchess Bel was well aware of the chilling hazards of Silent Dead Sea. Breaking out in a cold sweat, it didn’t dare to retort Sineva again, instead setting off at a sprint, intent on delivering a fatal blow to the Snowstorm Banshee.
As Duchess Bel moved swiftly, the cathedral bell atop chimed crisply. Duchess Bel’s previously languid demeanor abruptly transformed into one of grim determination, her eyes locking onto the banshee’s location.
Angel, too, was just outside the Ice Frost Church. As Duchess Bel closed in on the banshee, Angel’s observant gaze followed closely.
The lower half of the Snowstorm Banshee was a whirlwind intermingled with snowflakes, while her upper half was humanoid, her frosty hair sporting icy horns, her face hideously ferocious, a glint of malevolence twinkling in her eyes.
A flash of white light erupted, a storm of shattered ice materialized around Duchess Bel, furiously hurtling towards the banshee.
The banshee emitted an indescribable noise. The shards of ice bombarding her simply vanished without a trace, failing to inflict any damage.
Seeing its first attempt go awry, Duchess Bel promptly leapt up, its gigantic bear paw aimed directly at the banshee. With lightning-fast speed, the banshee failed to evade and was trampled into fragments.
However, the fragments evaporated into mist and shortly afterwards reconstituted into the form of the banshee beside Duchess Bel.
The banshee let out a bizarre, shrill laugh, a blizzard swiftly descending, temporarily obscuring everyone’s vision.
With a frown etched on his face, Angel was contemplating what had just transpired when a sudden sense of impending doom gripped him. An icy murderous intent, hidden amongst the drifting snow, suddenly manifested behind him.
To the observers, the banshee seemed to appear out of thin air with the wind, materializing suddenly. Her malevolence erupting instantly, her gruesome expression targeted Angel!
The Snowstorm Banshee shifted her target to Angel, who, paradoxically, became an obvious choice due to his apparent weakness. Among the visible wizards on Duchess Bel’s back, Angel appeared to be the most vulnerable.
Unable to defeat Duchess Bel in the short term and with other wizards proving to be formidable opponents, the banshee decided to first take down the seemingly weakest member, and then either flee or fight. So, she singled out Angel.
In the midst of the blizzard, the banshee’s camouflage ability even deceived Sineva and she appeared directly behind Angel.
“Be careful!” With a swift flash, Madeline immediately positioned herself by Angel’s side.
Nevertheless, Madeline’s speed was inevitably a fraction too late. The phantom of the banshee, her razor-sharp nails spiraling with the tempestuous wind, seemed on the verge of piercing Angel’s body.
Just as a sense of impending disaster settled in everyone’s hearts, Angel’s silhouette abruptly vanished from the spot, reappearing on the opposite side of the cathedral. At the same time, a fiery blaze burst into existence where he had once stood.
The energy level of the inferno was relatively low, paling in comparison to the banshee’s icy chill. Thus, it quickly dissipated.
However, the complexity of what transpired elicited side glances of admiration and curiosity from the bystanders. Not only did Angel dodge the attack, but he also retaliated within that split second.
Could they, if put in his shoes, accomplish the same feat? Bruen pondered, clutching his heart. If it were him, he would likely opt to unleash the defensive power inherent in his bloodline. While he would not get hurt, achieving a flawless dodge might be beyond his grasp.
Angel’s speed was exceptionally high; aside from Sineva, no one else got a clear glimpse of his actions.
Even Sineva was somewhat unsure of exactly what Angel accomplished in that split second.
“Soul astral projection, gravity lines, fire spell, soul retraction.” Sineva mentally arranged these steps. It wasn’t a secret that Angel possessed the ability to manipulate gravity lines. Ever since his music box sold at the astronomical price of two hundred thousand magic crystals, various details about Angel had been unearthed and published by magazines.
Some even speculated that Angel could only utilize gravity lines after projecting his soul astrally.
However, using a trick while astrally projecting one’s soul was a much more difficult feat. If Angel were a full-fledged wizard, it wouldn’t be extraordinary, as he could learn the Path of the Soul Realm—a common soul spell that most wizards strive to study.
But Angel was a mere apprentice. At this point, he should only be dabbling in the realm of tricks, so how could he have learned the Path of the Soul Realm?
Sineva was puzzled. From her keen observation, Angel had not made use of any external tools; it was purely his own power at work.
Could it be, she pondered, that there existed some method enabling the use of elemental tricks without learning the Path of the Soul Realm?
While Sineva was engrossed in contemplation, Madeline’s onslaught had already materialized behind the Snowstorm Banshee. If the Banshee had taken flight earlier, well and good, but now, under the focus of an official wizard, escape had become a Herculean task.
A ruddy glow flickered, and fiery brambles bound the banshee, as if the talons of an incandescent phoenix had seized her.
Under the scorching caress of the inferno, the banshee barely withstood for ten seconds before dissolving into the ether.
Upon the Banshee’s absolute demise, Madeline, wearing an expression of perplexity, approached Angel. She originally intended to inquire about Angel’s earlier evasion and counterattack, but the inquisitive gaze of the others surrounding them made her hold her tongue. Instead, with a deft change of topic, she asked, “Are you alright?”
“I’m unscathed.”
Madeline gave a nod, refraining from further questioning. This left Bruen and others with a tinge of disappointment on their faces. However, this was but a minor interlude; they weren’t really going to pursue Angel with probing questions.
“You see, you managed to resolve the situation swiftly; I wasn’t required at all,” Duchess Bel said.
“I’ve never seen anyone use an ice shattering spell against an elemental creature made of snowstorm. Simultaneously, using pure physical assault on an elemental creature, perhaps only a mind like yours could conjure such a foolish act,” Sineva’s taunting voice, carried by the snowflakes, landed in Duchess Bel’s ears.
A dejected Duchess Bel responded, “I’ve never encountered elemental creatures before…”
While Duchess Bel and Sineva were engrossed in their dialogue, a puzzled look crossed Angel’s face.
The previous Snowstorm Banshee was an elemental creature?
He had encountered elemental spirits created by wizards before, but he was seeing a naturally born elemental creature for the first time.
Mention of the elemental creature made him unwittingly recall the map he had seen previously in the Shannon Royal Family’s palace.