Chapter 998 Prophecies and the Unexpected Visitor <TOC> Chapter 1000 The Ancient Demon
Translator: SumTLMan
“Lord Phantom Master.” The caller leaned gently on his cane, bending a respectful bow to Sanders seated before the desk.
Sanders gazed at the uninvited visitor at the entrance, his brow subtly furrowing, “Velite, what brings you here?”
The old man with white eyebrows and a hunched figure was Velite from Western Demos.
Velite’s peripheral vision caught Angel holding a copy of the —Frost Moon Confidential— by the study’s side, his eyes flickered for a moment, before addressing Sanders, “Lord Phantom Master, there are a few questions I wish to consult you on.”
Upon hearing this, Angel immediately excused himself from Sanders, having vaguely guessed that Velite’s visit likely concerned the recent changes in Eternal Night Kingdom.
Once Angel had left the study, he settled into a comfortable position in the grand hall, continuing to immerse himself in his book.
Inside the study, Sanders nonchalantly tapped his fingertip against the desk, and in a blink, a chair materialized in front of Velite.
Velite settled into the chair, Sanders glanced at him, “Speak up. What do you want to ask?”
“Seems like Angel hasn’t disclosed my purpose for visiting to you.” Velite’s saggy-skinned face wore a wry smile while his hand stroked the desert rat that had hopped onto his lap, “Perhaps he hasn’t forgiven me yet. I admit, I was rather hasty back on the Wings of Cold Frost.”
Sanders watched, Velite’s act was somewhat contrived, but he didn’t obstruct him, he was rather curious about why Velite and Angel had a falling out.
However, Velite did not elaborate, instead he sighed softly, “After all, the name Cassini truly shocked me, causing my lapse in manners.”
Having spoken, Velite eyed Sanders’ reaction out of the corner of his eye.
But Sanders had his brows lowered, his thoughts unreadable. However, his fingers, which had been tapping on the desk rhythmically, creating a crisp sequence of notes, abruptly came to a halt upon hearing the name Cassini.
A few beats of silence later, Sanders suddenly lifted his head, addressing Velite, “Let’s put trivial matters aside for now. Tell me, what is it that you came here to inquire about?”
Meanwhile, Angel, engrossed in reading outside, suddenly felt a chill creeping up his spine.
“Huh, why does it feel a bit chilly?” Angel shuddered, temporarily setting aside his book and moving to the window, casting his gaze onto the snowflakes drifting down from the sky.
For some reason, the oppressively dark sky and the wild snowstorm that nearly blocked all vision, gave Angel an inexplicable sense of suppression, simultaneously stirring up some unease in his heart.
Does my heart carry a premonition? Could it be that an unfortunate event is taking its course?
Engulfed in contemplation, Angel felt as though he had overlooked something vital.
After an elongated pause, Angel abruptly lifted his head: Could it be Toby?
He realized that it had been almost a day and a half since he had last seen Toby. Could something have happened to him? Is that the reason behind the forewarning in his heart?
However, Toby possessed the Dark Feather and was protected by the Gravity Lines, so it seemed unlikely that any misfortune could have befallen him. Nevertheless, to be safe rather than sorry, Angel walked to the door intending to venture out and locate Toby.
But just as Angel was about to open the door, the entrance to the study at the other end of the hall swung open, and Sanders and Velite emerged.
At the doorway, Velite turned to Sanders with respect, “I am indebted for your assistance today, Lord Phantom Master. I have gleaned much.”
Pausing for a moment, Velite swiveled his gaze towards Angel who was still lingering at the door, “My earlier promise still stands.”
Promise? Angel was momentarily puzzled until Velite whispered “Lucky Scroll”, which triggered his memory.
Velite nodded at Angel, then stepped out of the door, disappearing into the depth of the snowstorm. Eventually, he was merely a black dot, fully assimilated into the pitch-black backdrop.
After Velite had completely vanished, Sanders, who was leaning against the doorway with his arms folded, raised an eyebrow, “Oh? You seem ready to step out?”
“I suddenly felt uneasy and was worried that something might have happened to Toby, so I was just about to go and check…” As Angel’s voice trailed off, he looked up to see a complex emotion smoldering in Sanders’ eyes. It was as if suppressed anger was steadily mounting, soon to erupt in a brilliant flare.
“Is that so?” Sanders scoffed, “I think this ominous premonition has less to do with Toby and more to do with you.”
A look of puzzlement crossed Angel’s face.
Sanders merely huffed, “Come with me. I have a few questions for you.”
A while later, Angel was sitting obediently across from Sanders.
Sanders began, “Tell me, what’s the story between you and Velite?”
Upon hearing this, Angel had a sudden epiphany, and he remembered the thing he had neglected before.
“Nothing much,” Angel managed to say, a bit dryly.
“Then can you explain what happened with Cassini?” Sanders’ brow furrowed as he tapped his knuckles on the table, exerting a subtle pressure, “Don’t tell me, have you met Cassini?
Sanders held Angel in his gaze, and when he noticed a faint nod from Angel, he couldn’t help but curse aloud. Sanders was well aware that upon meeting the Time Thief and ascertaining his true name, Angel would inevitably be marked.
To others, being marked by the Time Thief might seem a blessing, but Sanders knew all too well that once you’ve caught the eye of that creature, he will interfere with any critical decision you make in the future. Regardless of the choices you make, the Time Thief will pilfer the alternatives to feed his own needs. That is, until he deems you unworthy of treading the Path of Truth, at which point he will cast you aside.
Is this a blessing? Perhaps to those who are short-sighted, for the Time Thief compensates you generously for every choice he steals. But for a truth-seeking wizard like Sanders, the Time Thief is nothing short of a scoundrel!
His transgressions aren’t merely in pilfering your choices, but in using his own standards to judge the decisions of others. Once you’re ensnared in the web spun by the Time Thief, disaster is imminent!
In the distant past, the most mysterious of the three ancestral spirits of the Savage Grottoes, Book Ancestor, once documented the Time Thief. Book Ancestor questioned whether the choices stolen by the Time Thief were indeed correct? It’s a hard judgment to make since making a decision collapses variables into a singular path, but at the same time, it generates an infinity of new variables. Hence, to judge right or wrong according to the Time Thief’s standards is merely the path he has chosen for himself, and every wizard’s path differs.
If you fall prey to the Time Thief’s machinations, basking in the rewards he doles out based on his own judgment, and start doubting your own path, that’s the deadliest mistake you could make.
Moreover, Sanders couldn’t convey these concerns to Angel. Revealing such information would plant a seed of doubt in Angel’s mind, causing hesitance and bias in his future decisions, which may not reflect his true desires. By the time this seed had rooted deeply within his heart, it would be too late for adjustments.
All of this, Angel needed to understand on his own.
Looking at the baffled expression on Angel’s face, Sanders suppressed his resentment. He could almost hear the mocking laughter of that scoundrel, concealed behind the Wheel of Time.
With an earnest expression, Sanders spoke to Angel, “Regarding the Time Thief, I only have one piece of advice for you. He isn’t omnipotent or omniscient, and there is a good reason he is known as a thief. You must remember this.”
Maybe there truly are omnipotent and omniscient beings in this world, but the Time Thief certainly isn’t one of them!
In the Southern Region, it is often stated, “being favored by the Time Thief.” To Sanders, such an assertion was nothing more than a derisive jest. Nonetheless, to the vast majority of wizards who had no brush with the true knowledge, this so-called “compliment” was uttered with genuine sentiment.
Seeing Sanders’ transition from indifference, to suppressed anger, and now to tranquility, Angel felt a sense of intrigue stirring within. However, he knew there was a purpose behind Sanders’ words. He nodded, and etched those words deep into his memory, repeating them like a mantra.
“How did you come across him?” inquired Sanders.
Without any hint of deceit, Angel narrated the circumstances he found himself in while he was crafting the Blood Night Sanctuary. Upon learning that Angel had indeed created an alchemic creation that could shield prophecy spells, Sanders could not help but express astonishment.
However, when Angel started to talk about the decision he had made in the vision space of the alchemical anomaly, Sanders fell into a solemn silence.
“Would you rather be trapped in the body as a parasitic phantom for years, even decades, or fuse with him and descend into madness?” Sanders pondered, seeing a remarkable resemblance between this predicament and the situation he had found himself in when he first encountered the Time Thief.
In truth, this somewhat echoed the infamous choice among apprentices between becoming a “white wizard” or a “black wizard”.
Back in the day, Sanders chose the path of the “black wizard”.
“Indeed, the cards played by Cassini have remained unaltered for a millennium, steering the alignment and autonomy of wizards from the very beginning,” Sanders scoffed coldly.
Once Angel had finished his account, Sanders nodded. He was not keen on further discussing the Time Thief. Instead, he started to talk about the Blood Night Sanctuary: “This prophesy-shielding cloak is rather impressive. Especially considering how the Wilderness of Dreams tends to expose itself easily, I suggest you refrain from taking it off as much as possible.”
After wrapping up his statement, Sanders suddenly recalled the time when Angel had been crafting the Blood Night Sanctuary.
That was actually about half a year ago.
Sanders recalled a time half a year ago when he had dreamt of the Time Thief himself. He had even had a chat with Canter about it, who had asked, “Why did you suddenly dream of the Time Thief?”
Sanders recalled his response: “Maybe some poor soul has attracted his attention…”
To think that the “poor soul” who eventually appeared before him would turn out to be Angel!
Sanders sighed. He didn’t know whether to chalk this up to fate or a karmic bond.
But no matter, Angel doesn’t need to consider the matter of the Time Thief until he reaches the third rank of the legendary phase.
And just as most wizards in the Southern Region had hoped, at least for now, Cassini seemed to be more of a boon than a bane for Angel.
Chapter 998 Prophecies and the Unexpected Visitor <TOC> Chapter 1000 The Ancient Demon