Chapter 981 The Immortal Brigade <TOC> Chapter 983 Descent of the Phantom Master
Translator: SumTLMan
The reason Angel cried out, “Wait!” was born out of the truly perilous predicament they found themselves in.
The risk of opening a planar passage was immense, with no guarantee of survival.
Hence, he conceived an alternative.
Back when he was still a mere mortal, he first encountered Toby aboard the Bohemia. A dew-kissed beverage later, Toby bestowed upon him a Gold Card. Later, at Gloria’s Barbie Restaurant, he exchanged the Gold Card for a ‘Cooked Dish’ that he hadn’t utilized to date.
Indeed, it was Fragment Ephemera.
Fragment Ephemera, a miraculous treasure cooked by Gloria, could open a two-way passage to another world.
Using Fragment Ephemera had three constraints: firstly, it could only open a one-time two-way passage; secondly, it had to be used within a “stable plane”; thirdly, an understanding of the anchor of the other world one wished to connect to was required.
Given their current circumstances, all these conditions could be fulfilled.
Speaking of a “stable plane,” despite the high risks that wizards faced in using a planar passage in the Abyss Plane, that was due to traversing the passage. This risk of encountering unstable space and falling was not an issue when simply opening a two-way passage, fulfilling the condition of a “stable plane”.
Moreover, for the “anchor of another world,” one reason Angel hadn’t used Fragment Ephemera in the past was his lack of power and knowledge of the anchor. However, given the myriad wizards present, identifying the anchor was child’s play.
Therefore, with all conditions met and his life at risk, he cried out, “Wait!” and decided to share his idea of using Fragment Ephemera.
However, just as he probed his bracelet with mental energy, ready to produce Fragment Ephemera, he encountered a bizarre occurrence.
Inside his bracelet, something was emitting a faint red light.
That was the cause of Angel’s sudden change in expression.
“What’s the matter?” Seeing Angel’s peculiar expression and prolonged silence, Madeline asked with a furrowed brow.
Sineva also looked over coldly, “If you have an opinion, say it quickly. Don’t waste time.”
Angel hesitated momentarily, not producing Fragment Ephemera. Instead, he took out the glowing object, placing it in his palm for everyone to see——
It was a droplet of blood that had coalesced into a bead, radiant as burning embers and shimmering like glazed porcelain, exuding an intense aura of pure knowledge.
Sineva detected a familiar scent emanating from this droplet of blood.
“Could this be…?” Sineva seemed to grasp something as her pupils contracted sharply, “Sanders’ essence blood?!”
Angel nodded, “Just now, I noticed that the essence blood Mentor left me began to glow in a way it never did before.”
Sineva observed the flickering red light of the essence blood and shot Angel a profound look.
“Sanders is pinpointing your current location through his essence blood.” Sineva paused before continuing, “There have always been rumors that Sanders is indifferent and unfeeling. Now it seems, there is room for debate…”
At present, Sanders was also in the third layer of the Abyss. His attempt to locate Angel signified his intention to approach Angel.
Angel was taken aback. If it was as Sineva stated, that there was a powerful being that had achieved third-level true knowledge present in the tavern, then Sanders’ arrival would be of little significance; it could potentially lead to an additional victim.
After Angel expressed his doubts, Sineva simply shook her head.
Seeing Angel’s confusion, Madeline suggested, “If Phantom Master could get here, we might actually stand a chance of escaping…”
Once Sanders got close to Angel, he could contact Angel through his essence blood. By then, they could have Sanders find stable coordinates from outside and cooperate to carry out a short-range spatial leap.
In doing so, they could avoid the risk of “unstable spatial energy” and escape this sealed otherworldly space.
“In that case, let’s not rush to create a planar passage. With Sanders’ speed, it shouldn’t take him long to arrive.” Sineva’s expression lightened slightly; unless absolutely necessary, she was reluctant to use the planar passage.
“Who would have thought that we’d get a break at such a critical moment?” Bruen looked at Angel with curiosity. No one had expected that their last hope of escape would come from an apprentice.
Just as Bruen was about to say something more, the clanging sound of iron boots striking the ground echoed from a distance once again.
It was the Tomb Knight who had finally caught up with them.
“If that’s the case, we should stall for some more time.” Madeline’s eyes flashed with a chilly gleam as she extended her palms, unleashing countless green thorns that took root in the ground. As the first group of knights arrived, the thorns sprung up from the ground, forming a green wall of defense.
Velite nodded in agreement, “As long as the folks in the tavern don’t take action, these Tomb Knights shouldn’t be able to harm us.”
Yet, would the patrons of the tavern truly abstain from the conflict? This remained the only uncertainty amongst the crowd.
Thus, to err on the side of caution, Bruen remained stationed on Duchess Bel’s back. Firstly, to safeguard Angel and the other apprentices, and secondly, to Prepare an Escape Route. If any powerful individual in the tavern showed signs of wanting to intervene, irrespective of the circumstance, an immediate planar passage would be initiated!
Ahead, Sineva and her crew were mounting a resistance.
Upon Duchess Bel, Angel, with the flickering essence blood in hand, was visibly on edge.
As time slipped away, and moments of fatigue befell some, Bruen would take the stage to substitute. Just like that, a full hour had passed.
Despite their unwillingness to engage in battle, opting for a defensive stall instead, they still managed to vanquish several Tomb Knights. When the tenth Tomb Knight was dragged into the deep recesses of the earth by emerging thorns, the door of the tavern situated at the cemetery’s heart was abruptly pushed open.
In the heat of battle, the “crrreeaak” of the door opening drew the attention of everyone present.
Bruen’s face went pale, promptly retrieving the materials needed to initiate a planar passage.
However, when he saw who had emerged, Bruen’s anxiety lessened slightly.
The one who appeared was not the woman from the tavern, but the armored knight who had initially crawled out of the coffin. He seemed much more relaxed compared to the other Tomb Knights, with a noticeably thinner frame. There was no red glow flashing beneath his helmet, making him appear just like an ordinary knight.
He gradually made his way towards the heart of the conflict.
At first, Sineva and her comrades didn’t pay much heed to him. However, as he approached, all the Tomb Knights and skeletons around retreated to one side. All the knights, with swords in both hands, pressed them to the ground, performing a knightly salute.
Clearly, this knight held a higher rank than the rest.
It was then that the crowd refrained from their previous contempt.
He walked to the center of the conflict, facing Sineva and her group directly. Unlike the other knights, he did not rush in to attack, but instead stood still, and said in the Common Language:
“Though the Immortal Brigade lies buried in foreign soil, it was our choice to venture forth, and our choice to die here. We are not humans, and we do not adhere to the custom of returning to our homeland after death. To journey to a place, and be buried there, is in itself a form of honor for the Brigade.”
His voice was deep and masculine. Even though his Common Language wasn’t standard, he was the second person they had encountered in the cemetery who they could communicate with.
His response evidently was a counter to Sineva’s previous proposition, “take the bones away.”
Sineva interjected, “Perhaps my earlier choice of words was unfortunate. However, it surely doesn’t warrant such treatment, does it?”
“There’s no fault in your words,” responded the knight, methodically raising his right hand over his shoulder to clutch the hilt of the colossal sword strapped to his back. “Regrettably, her sentiment towards humans is far from amiable. Therefore, it’s inevitable that we ask you to join us in eternal rest in the land of peace—”
As the phrase “eternal rest” was spoken, the knight unsheathed his sword, slicing it with commanding force into the expanse before him.
The scale of his prowess surged instantaneously from “null” to “true knowledge.”
This strike bore tremendous power. However, Sineva, with her formidable strength, could easily evade it. Yet, should she dodge, Duchess Bel, standing behind her, would inevitably bear the brunt of the attack. The pupils under the tutelage of Duchess Bel would likewise face unavoidable peril.
Thus, Sineva had no choice but to cast a protective spell, the fiery runes on her body flickering as she offered her own body as a shield!
Though the curse of the Ice Valley had significantly diminished Sineva’s abilities, her power level of “true knowledge” coupled with her bloodline’s prowess, made parrying this strike not much of a challenge.
However, in any combat, the onslaught is continuous—it’s never a turn-based game of one move followed by a single counter. As Sineva just managed to deflect this attack, her life force still reeling from the impact, the knight’s subsequent assault was already in motion.
Wizard-class, true knowledge, first level true knowledge peak… second level true knowledge!
The knight’s power level was escalating ceaselessly, astonishingly reaching the pinnacle of second level true knowledge!
Under the relentless onslaught that surged like tidal waves, for the first time, Sineva was sent flying backward.
Meanwhile, a battle of true knowledge magnitude was something Madeline and Velite couldn’t intervene in; they could only look on anxiously as Sineva fought.
Within the swirling dust, Sineva rose again, her countenance had turned grim and aloof. Simultaneously, her body started to expand—
Massive fleshy wings emerged from her back. A third eye appeared on her forehead.
Her hands morphed into the shape of scythes.
Hovering mid-air, each flap of her wings brought with it a gust of fierce wind.
In comparison, the lean knight seemed rather human, whereas Sineva, when her bloodline formation was activated, appeared as a fearsome abyssal demon.
As Sineva started taking the situation seriously, the tides of battle entered a new phase at this very moment.
Simultaneously, on Duchess Bel’s back, Angel, who had been anxiously awaiting the echo in the essence blood, finally received a response.
“Angel?”
The familiar raspy voice traveled through the blood and reached Angel’s ears. Even though it was a simple inquiry, it stirred an immense excitement within Angel.
As Bruen turned to look at him, Angel nodded and then suppressed his turbulent emotions:
“Mentor, it’s me.”
After a pause, the voice from the other end came again, “How did you end up in the Abyss?”
Chapter 981 The Immortal Brigade <TOC> Chapter 983 Descent of the Phantom Master