Chapter 989 Mundane Affairs <TOC> Chapter 991 Wasteland of Dreams
Translator: SumTLMan
“Why do you inquire about Dongola?” Canter was puzzled, “What, are you planning to stand up for Madeline?”
Upon seeing Madeline’s name appear on the list this time, Canter had basically ascertained Madeline’s target. After all, the infamous genocide committed by Dongola was still being widely discussed in the Southern Region even till today.
Being the sole survivor of that horrific event, Madeline’s presence at Watchtower Fortress, and her intentions were quite self-explanatory.
Canter said in a serious tone, “You’d best not meddle in this matter. If you stay out of it, Madeline might show some restraint. But if you get involved, neither Madeline nor Dongola will hold back.”
“If I don’t get involved, do you think Madeline would be able to do anything to Dongola?” Sanders retorted.
In terms of power, Dongola stood on a higher level than Madeline and had even embarked on the path of true knowledge. Her power even surpassed Canter’s.
Madeline stood no chance against Dongola.
“So, you’re determined to meddle?” Canter frowned.
Sanders neither affirmed nor denied, “Rest assured, I won’t actually intervene in their conflict, but since Madeline has joined the Savage Grottoes, at the very least, I need to ensure that she won’t be killed.”
In addition to this, what Sanders needed to do was to keep Dongola and Angel apart as much as possible.
Even though Dongola was a second level wizard of true knowledge and considered one of the top figures in the Southern Region, her jealousy knew no bounds, from legends to ordinary people, there was virtually no limit.
Some of her jealousy was completely unreasonable. Sanders even suspected that she was indulging in killing.
Moreover, Dongola was the infamous “Grafting Lunatic.” To avoid Angel waking up with animal parts replacing his own, this was a necessary measure.
“As long as you’re aware of the stakes.” After a pause, Canter said, “As for Dongola’s whereabouts, she’s currently not in the fortress. It’s said that she has gone to the inner layers in search of new demonic materials.”
The fact that Dongola was currently absent was also good news.
“Let’s go, we need to find Sineva first.”
An hour later, Sanders, furrowing his brows, walked out of the council hall. Although Sineva didn’t state it explicitly during the previous meeting, it was highly probable that the reason behind the demon city’s lockdown was the Descendant of the Demon God.
Furthermore, Sineva brought an unsettling update.
The demon city was under an unprecedented martial law, reaching as far as the entire Blackwater Basin under Downfallen Forest, now teeming with demons of all sizes. Some wizards were still trapped there. On her trip to the demon city for intelligence, Samantha was also tasked with rescuing those stranded.
“From what we’ve gathered, the situation is quite dire indeed. Who’d have thought we could be the unlucky ones, out of the eight frontlines, why Watchtower Fortress?” Canter sighed.
Sanders, however, furrowed his brow. “Actually, I’m not so sure that the Demon God’s Descendant would necessarily take this route.”
“Why’s that?” asked Canter, bemused.
Sanders didn’t reply but recalled a recent conversation with Balalaika at the Resting Ground. The information he was seeking in his trade with the Resurrection Witch was closely tied to that Demon God. According to Balalaika, considering his temperament, he wouldn’t be one to make a grand entrance.
Still, this was only Sanders’ conjecture.
When Sanders and Canter reached a crossroads, they were ready to part ways. However, Canter suddenly looked in one direction.
“What’s up?” asked Sanders, puzzled.
“I have a strange feeling,” Canter said, furrowing his brow.
A strange feeling? Sanders followed Canter’s gaze to his temporary residence. From afar, nothing seemed out of place, save for the fluttering leaves of the Floating Star Tree at the entrance.
It seemed the wind was picking up.
…
Time rewinds a little.
After Sanders left, Angel was unsure what to do and took a stroll around. Then, he noticed something unusual — within several hundred meters around Sanders’ house, there were no signs of human life.
Or rather, the population in the whole Watchtower Fortress was sparse.
Most apprentices were outside constructing defensive structures. And even in a place like this, wizards had their own territories.
As the most powerful wizard in the fortress, Sanders naturally possessed a large territory.
After confirming that nobody was around, an idea began to brew in Angel’s mind.
Previously, following his descent into the Abyss, he had attempted to enter the Wilderness of Dreams through Dream Initiation, but ultimately he failed. At the time, he hypothesized that perhaps the radiant range of the Wilderness of Dreams had not reached the Abyss.
Next, he pondered on a thought. If he were to use the Dream Conch here, would it transport him to the Dream Realm?
The reason for such contemplation was based on his understanding that whenever he utilized the Dream Conch, it had never truly transported objects into the Dream Realm.
The first time he employed the Dream Conch was in the Royal Silver Heron Palace. In that instance, he had used the Dream Conch to pull a table into the dream, almost inviting the wrath of Sirius in the process.
Back then, it was a minor incident, soon forgotten by Angel.
However, it was only later, when Angel discovered the Wilderness of Dreams and gained a deeper understanding of it, that he realized the table he had drawn into the dream from the Silver Heron Royal Palace was actually located within the Wilderness of Dreams.
Afterward, Angel sought insights from Freud on his previous experiences with the Dream Conch.
According to Freud, when he used the Dream Conch to pull objects into dreams, he was transported to the Dream Realm, not the Wilderness of Dreams.
From this, Angel was able to form a vague hypothesis.
Perhaps, the birth of the Wilderness of Dreams had some correlation with the Dream Conch? Maybe the activation of the Dream Conch using his Nightmare Powers, had led to the creation of an interstitial space between the Dream Realm and the Nightmare Domain due to the mysterious powers of the Dream Conch.
And this interstitial space was the Wilderness of Dreams.
However, this was only a conjecture Angel made in the past. After all, when he first discovered the interstitial space, the Wilderness of Dreams was already born. Therefore, he could not verify this fact.
But now, having journeyed from the Wizarding World to the Abyss, and unable to perceive the Wilderness of Dreams here, he can perform a small experiment to verify the correctness of his hypothesis.
He planned to use the Dream Conch to randomly pull an object into the dream realm.
Conveniently, no one was around, and the mysterious aura could be suppressed by the Geometric Lock. Even if it were discovered, it wouldn’t matter. After all, this was Sanders’ residence, and Sanders himself possessed mysterious objects…
With this in mind, Angel began his experiment.
Firstly, he needed to choose an experimental object to pull into the dream. After looking around, Angel finally selected the large bookshelf in the study as his experimental object.
Angel carefully brought out the Geometric Lock and Dream Conch, activating both alchemical items simultaneously. While suppressing the mysterious fluctuations, he also pulled the large bookshelf into the dream realm.
In what seemed an inconsequential gesture, Angel believed he had caused no ripples in the calm pool of reality. Unbeknownst to him, Canter, endowed with a keen intuition, had taken note of his action.
Moreover, in an unfathomably deep abyss perpetually cloaked in darkness, a majestic entity stirred from its slumber.
“A Trace of Dream?” A murmuring voice echoed through the void, “Elusive… something obscures it… no matter, the dream realm and the Abyss are of no consequence to each other.”
The voice gradually fell to a whisper and the luminous eyes, akin to a pair of resplendent stars, closed once again in the consuming darkness.
Having transported the bookshelf into his dreams, Angel was poised to carry out another experiment with Dream Initiation. However, before he could commence his experiment, the sounds of footsteps in the corridor made him pause. Startled, Angel hastily pulled out his notebook, feigning focus on jotting down some notes.
In no time, Sanders and Canter strode into the room and proceeded straight into the study.
Upon entering the study, both Canter and Sanders felt an inexplicable sense of peculiarity.
Lifting his gaze from his ostensible note-taking, Angel put on an innocently puzzled expression, “Ah, you’re back, Mentor? Good afternoon, Lord Canter.”
For some reason, the sight of Angel’s seemingly insincere countenance, coupled with the odd atmosphere in the study, and Canter’s inexplicable premonition earlier—
Sanders felt a pang of anxiety.
Surely, Angel hadn’t been up to his tricks again in the brief hour Sanders was away attending to his duties?
Sanders hesitated for a moment, “You haven’t been up to anything while I was gone, have you?”
Angel immediately shook his head, “I did nothing of the sort, I was merely documenting a previous experiment.”
Sanders wore a puzzled expression on his face.
On the other hand, Canter was less invested in the conversation between Sanders and Angel, instead focusing on the peculiar ambiance of the study. The sensation from before struck him as rather odd.
After a moment’s consideration, a glint appeared in Canter’s eyes.
First level wizard spell, Truth Seer.
With the subtlest of clues as a guide, he sought to uncover the hidden reality.
A little while later, Canter suddenly expressed his puzzlement, “Huh, why is there a mysterious fluctuation?”
A mysterious fluctuation? Sanders attentively scrutinized the situation, and in no time, he directed his investigative gaze towards Angel.
Being scrutinized simultaneously by two wizards of true knowledge, Angel felt immense pressure. After hesitating for a moment, he finally admitted, “I was indeed experimenting with a Mysterious Object before…”
After a pause, Canter and Sanders both examined the Dream Conch.
Canter was sympathetic to Angel’s situation, considering the rumors that Angel had once been infinitely close to the mystery realm. Hence, his desire to study the Mysterious Object seemed justified. However, the Mysterious Object is not something that could be easily obtained; its value has always been high, and to use it expressly for research was not a wise move.
As for the “Dream Conch of the Moonlit Coast,” a universally acknowledged trivial Mysterious Object, it was perfectly suited for researching the powers of mystery.
Canter patted Angel on the shoulder, “I hope that one day, you’ll truly be able to craft a Mysterious Object. When that day comes, even if it means giving Cherie to you in marriage, there will be no issue.”
With a puzzled expression, Angel wondered what scenario Canter was fantasizing about.
Having said his piece, Canter addressed Sanders, “I won’t intrude further. I’m supposed to be supervising work today, so I’ll keep an eye on things outside.”
After Canter’s departure, only Angel and Sanders were left in the study.
With a cold smile playing at the corner of his mouth, Sanders scrutinized Angel, who continued to feign innocence, “Spill it, what were you really up to earlier? Researching this Dream Conch? I don’t believe that for a second.”
Chapter 989 Mundane Affairs <TOC> Chapter 991 Wasteland of Dreams