244 - 252
Chapter 244: Getting Ready (1)
Translator: Leo Editor: Frappe
"What happened?" Angele asked Nancy to take the two kids to the house first.
Shiva started explaining after the kids left.
"I think the unstable forcefield was the reason but I haven't gotten the report yet. If you have time, you can go check it out."
Angele narrowed his eyes and thought for a second. "I know the force field is unstable but I don't think it'll explode on its own. I'll go take a look later. Was any wizard there when it exploded?"
"Not sure. It has just happened." Shiva shrugged.
"Alright. We can talk about this later." Angele led Shiva into the house.
The two sat in the living room and talked about the research Shiva was doing recently. The two kids played with the dwarf knight around the house and they caught some fish from the lake.
When the sun started setting, Shiva and his grandchildren left the house after having dinner with Angele.
Angele changed into another robe after the three left and headed toward the school right away by means of the flying mount.
He landed on top of the mushroom building after traveling across the border of the Six Ring area.
There were several other eagles already parked on the platform, there must be other wizards who were contacted about the explosion of the World Stone.
Angele walked straight to the lab area after leaving the mushroom building.
He saw several wizards chatting beside the mushroom building above the World Stone lab.
They glanced at Angele for a second but they did not greet him and they just continued their conversation with their brows furrowed.
Angele only had two friends in the school, Sherry and Glue, while the other wizards formed their own research groups. Although he knew their names and backgrounds, he barely talked to them.
He pursed his lips and walked past them, entering the door of the mushroom building. He walked down the stairs and quickly arrived at the gate of the World Stone lab.
The gate was wide open, and Angele saw the blue pool.
He stepped into the gate and felt the warm wind blowing over his face.
'Check if the air is normal,' he ordered.
Several rows of data appeared on the left side of his sight.
'You're being affected by the polluting radiation. 18.15 degrees per second.'
The number started increasing rapidly as Angele advanced further.
It felt like walking toward a humongous stove. His skin started burning as he got closer.
He unleashed frigid wind to reduce the temperature of the metal barrier that covered his body.
'Build the forcefield model for the World Stone.'
'Task created…Analyzing the force field and radiation energy around you…' Zero reported right away.
Blue light dots flashed in front of Angele's eyes, he stood beside the pool and stopped advancing. The radiation was too strong for him to handle.
About ten minutes later.
The blue light dots disappeared.
'Analysis stopped, more mentality needed…' Zero reported back.
'How much mentality do I need?'
'More than 75.'
Angele stood by the pool quietly staring at the exploded gate on the other side. There were stone pieces everywhere.
He could see that most of the object was destroyed through the broken gate and the World Stone was surrounded by some black fog.
Several minutes later, Angele heard footsteps coming from behind.
He turned his head around.
It was Glue, the Gas stage wizard with blue eyes and blue hair. He walked to Angele and put up a blue light barrier to help reduce the radiation.
"How's the situation?" Glue asked.
"No idea. I got the information not so long ago." Angele shook his head. "According to Shiva, the stone exploded about two days ago."
"It too happened to the one in the Six Ring's school area," Glue muttered as he stared at the World Stone through the broken door.
Angele looked at Glue. "So what happened to that one?"
"The unstable forcefield and radiation pollution lasted for 12 years. The World Stone became extremely unstable after that and it was sealed in the lab by the wizards from the school." Glue knitted his eyebrows.
Angele bit his lips. If it needed that much time to recover, his plan would have to be halted.
"Where's Sherry?" he questioned.
"She's the one who told me about this actually. Sherry was sent to the Monti Empire by her family. She will be back in three years." Glue shook his head. "Well, the only thing we can do is to wait right now. No one has expected the explosion."
Angele nodded. "Yeah. Master Shiva said that the explosion injured three wizards that were in the lab and they are now being treated by wizard Marina. We'll have to stop our study."
"Alright, I'll be leaving now. Talk to you later." Glue shook his head and left.
"I'm leaving too." Angele sighed with mixed feelings and left with Glue.
The chip could not do the analysis him as his mentality was not high enough and it was impossible for him to determine the reason why the World Stone exploded at the moment.
Angele saw two men with black hair waiting for them as he stepped out of the door of the mushroom building.
"Greetings, master Glue." The two bowed to Glue.
They saw Angele standing beside Glue and bowed to him as well.
"Professor, Fir just told us that you're here."
The two were Angele's students, Glenn and Baren, and they were from the other side of the Gem Sea as well.
"Yeah, how are your missions?" Angele asked a random question as he walked alongside them.
"Pretty good. We're here to talk to you," Glenn lowered his head and responded politely. "I want to purchase the basic knowledge of the Fundamentals of Negative Energy Particles from you, master."
"I want to purchase the basic knowledge for Electric Energy Particles," Baren spoke after Glenn.
"So the reward for the missions was pretty good?" Angele slightly nodded and smiled.
"Just enough magic stones for the knowledge."
"Alright, come with me." Angele left the lab area with them.
There were not many students in the school. Most of the wizard apprentices were either out for missions or studying in the dorms, so the place was quiet and empty.
The wizards or wizard apprentices he met on the path were all walking quickly, not wanting to dally around.
Angele led the two wizard apprentices to his office in the mushroom building of the teaching area. Each of them paid 20 regular magic stones for the basic knowledge they wanted. The price was discounted as they were Angele's students. He stored the required information in two crystal orbs and gave them to the students.
Using crystal orbs to store information was common among the wizards and wizard apprentices. Transferring the knowledge into the crystal only required a small amount of mentality and the information would disappear after about two years. If a wizard wanted to keep the information for a longer duration, he would have to purchase special potions, but those potions were expensive and could only be used once.
After saying goodbye to the two wizard apprentices, Angele went straight to the underground library.
The library was what brought the Cross fame in Nola.
Angele had already scanned a large number of books into the database using the chip. Although Zero filtered out the duplicated or falsified information, it would still take him a long time to completely study all of them.
If he could record all the books into the database, his future research might become much easier.
There were no spell books in the library but he had found the knowledge of enchantment, crafting, potion concoction, arts, music, and philosophy. The knowledge helped Angele understand the culture of the world better.
He finally finished scanning all the books after three days.
Angele left the school right away and returned to his territory.
He started doing experiments on ancient bloodlines again. He was also waiting for the news on the World Stone.
Sadly, nothing changed after about one month. The forcefield around the World Stone was still unstable. Angele visited the school twice during the time and taught one public class but he still could not get close to the World Stone.
Time flew by. Angele received a message that he did not expect while waiting for the World Stone to stabilize.
***********************
Warm water was splashing over Angele's head.
He was taking a shower in the bathroom. He raised his head and tried to clean his brown hair.
The water dripped down his chin and hit the stone floor.
The bathroom was small and it was filled up with steam.
*Thud thud*
Someone suddenly knocked on the door.
"Master Green, here's a letter for you." Alice's voice came from outside the door.
"Huh? Is it in a cylinder?" Angele questioned.
"Yes, and it's from the east." Angele could barely hear Alice's voice.
He had built the shower room by himself using Metal Mastery. The water it let out came from a special showerhead on the ceiling. With a flick of his finger, the water stopped.
Angele grabbed a white towel that was hanging on the wall and wiped the remaining water off his body. He then quickly covered his private part with the towel and opened the door.
Alice was wearing a white one piece with her long black hair trailing over her shoulders. The twin's bodies had already stopped growing after several years. Their bodies were well balanced, and they had long legs, slim waists, and average-sized breasts.
Angele stepped out of the bathroom and took the black wooden cylinder that Alice handed to him. He glanced at Alice and then patted her head.
"You look great, Alice. Thank you for bringing me the letter. You may leave now."
"Yes, master." Alice blushed. She then turned around and walked away quickly.
Angele opened the wooden cylinder carefully after Alice left.
Inside it was a translucent crystal orb and there was a black rune flowing in the center.
Chapter 245: Getting Ready (2)
Translator: Leo Editor: Frappe
Angele threw the crystal orb in the air.
The orb floated above him and released several rays of white light that created a white screen in the front.
The image became distorted for a second and slowly displayed the scene.
In a dark forest, white mist was expanding in the air and the shadows under the trees were silent but horrifying.
One of the shadows suddenly flashed for a second and stood up, turning into a black, human-shaped living being.
*Ka*
The black robe covering the man turned into a cloak and dropped to the ground.
It was an old woman with wrinkles all over her face. One of her eyes was replaced by a bronze pocket watch. Her face, neck, and hands were connected by countless strings. She looked like a dead body that was brought back to life.
"Long time no see, Angele."
"It has been a while, master Liliana." Although it was just a recorded message, Angele still responded to her. He never expected for a letter to come from master Liliana.
Liliana stopped for a second and continued.
"I have learned that you're now a member of the Six Ring High Tower from one of my students. To be honest, I didn't have high expectations for you. However, you're now one of the strongest students I have.
"I spent years recovering from my injury. Within that span of time, my students have helped me create an organization called the Night's Hand. We're now part of the underground world, and I'm no longer associated with Ramsoda. I have a favor to ask. I want you to help the members of Night's Hand in Nola if possible. I'll send you rare resources from the underground world. I'm certain you'll need them."
Liliana stored the address of the Night's Hand in the orb using a special encryption and she also told Angele how to enter the underground world.
The light from the crystal orb slowly faded away and the orb started dropping.
Angele caught the orb before it hit the ground and he noticed that the black rune inside was breaking.
After about ten seconds, the black rune completely disappeared.
He held the crystal orb in his hand and started thinking.
It seemed that master Liliana was somewhat related to the underground world. However, the unique resources of the underground world were extremely hard for him to get under normal circumstances. If Angele managed to fulfill her request, he could earn a lot of money by selling those materials in the black market.
Angele had already acquired the basic knowledge for body modification but there were several things that needed to be prepared first.
He had also successfully modified two relatively helpful spells in order to aid him during possible fights. One or two strong spells would be much more useful than five weak spells.
If he wanted to keep progressing to the next stage, he would have to start modifying his body. Increasing the attributes and resistances was required before Angele could advance to the Crystal stage. His body must be able to handle the extra mentality brought by the Crystal stage and he needed to do many calculations before trying to increase his mentality level.
The major difference between a Liquid stage wizard and a Crystal stage wizard was the mentality level. The spell power would increase as the mentality level increased. However, Crystal stage wizards harnessed higher rank spells.
Most of the Crystal stage wizards were strong because they lived much longer than the average wizards. They had many practical experiences and possessed many high-level enchanted items or even magic devices. Crystal stage dark wizards could cast level 2 damage spells and the power was incredible.
It was nearly impossible for any rank 1 wizard to kill a Crystal stage wizard using just one or two spells even if it was a sneak attack. And if the Crystal stage wizard survived the initial attack, he would fight back using the unpredictable level two spells.
Angele knew that a small difference between mentality level would not affect the outcome of a battle. Rather, it was the high-level spell that the high-rank wizards could cast.
Angele needed to figure out how high his attributes and mentality should be before making any attempt to advance to the Crystal stage.
"I don't really need the resources from the underground world at the moment, so I'll leave that aside…But my mentality is not increasing at all using the current technique. Do I have to rely on rare items and potions?" Angele muttered.
He never switched the meditation technique after becoming a formal wizard. Angele checked with other wizards before, but it seemed that they all stuck with what they were using when they were still apprentices. Most of them were relying on low-level potions or rare enchanted items to speed up the mentality increasing process during meditation. However, they failed to find the required rare resources after reaching the Gas stage and they just stopped progressing.
The higher a wizard's rank was, the more expensive resources he would need.
Angele found that ideology a bit unreasonable.
He was certain that there must be another way for wizards to increase their mentality as he had read from the books that there were advanced meditation techniques for wizards.
Angele thought for a while, then he changed into a long white robe.
He opened the door and stepped into the living room.
A glass of warm milk was prepared for him on the table beside the sofa.
Angele walked to the sofa and was about to have some milk but suddenly a white light flashed upon the back of his right hand. It was coming from a communication rune that looked like a flower.
"Green, I have a great news for you." Ander's voice was transmitted to his ears.
Angele modified his communication rune so it would display the message right after receiving.
Majority of wizards only check their messages once a day so that they would not be disturbed while doing research.
"What's the good news?" He sat down and responded right away.
"Our organization is sending wizards to the headquarters next year. I put your name up for the recommendation."
"The headquarters?" Angele was surprised. "Where is it?"
"Somewhere far from here. I'm sure you've never been there. The divisions need to send high-quality magic stones and many other rare resources to the headquarters each year and only 30 people will be selected this time. I have one recommendation slot. I thought of you right away," Ander was speaking in a strange tone.
"I appreciate it…a lot." Angele knew that if he was sent to the headquarters, Ander would be freed from doing tasks for him. And although the relationship of the two had improved recently, Ander still wanted to make sure Angele did not spread any rumor in Nola.
"One more thing, Green, don't you think that normal mediation techniques are no longer effective to us?" Ander asked this question that Angele was similarly thinking about just several minutes ago.
"Do you why there are so many wizards researching on ancient bloodline in the west coast? We want to find out how the ancient wizards were not affected by the bottleneck. The ancient wizards with ancient bloodline in their bodies could progress without worrying about limitations."
"What does it have to do with the headquarters?" Angele wondered.
"There are several high-rank wizards on the west coast. However, the secrets of the ancient wizards became history and rank 2 wizards are almost considered the top brass right now. Most importantly, the rumor says that the method to activate the World Stone is stored somewhere in Omandis, the center of this land, and the headquarters of Six Ring High Tower is located there. You'll find rank 2, rank 3, rank 4, and even rank 5 wizards in that area. Although they're weaker than the ancient wizards that were at the same rank, they're still much stronger than those wizards in the divisions.
"We can only build resource points by ourselves but at the headquarters, they can simply gather those rare resources in the area. The quality and quantity of the resources are much higher than what we have here. The headquarters also has advanced meditation techniques, so the wizards there are not progressing just simply by using rare resources. The wizards sent to the headquarters by the divisions will have access to those privileges. The only problem is the high mountains between the east and the west. The magical beasts, mutated creatures, and natural disasters are stopping people from crossing the line, so the only way to get there is to use the flying mounts. If you want to speed up your progress, accepting the offer is your best choice." Ander gave a long explanation. Clearly enough, he really wanted to send Angele to the headquarters.
Angele himself had never expected such a great opportunity to come to him. He remained silent and started thinking.
Ander waited for his response patiently.
Angele sighed after thinking for a long time.
"I still need some time."
"For sure, just reply to me by January." Ander chuckled and cut the connection. He knew that Angele had the intention to accept the offer.
It was a great opportunity for Angele if it was true. Angele hesitated because he wanted to dig deeper into this since old man Ander never mentioned any disadvantages of being sent to the headquarters.
Chapter 246: Settle an Old Grudge (1)
Translator: Leo Editor: Frappe
Angele lowered his hand as the flower-shaped rune disappeared.
He sat on the sofa, then he brought the glass to his mouth and sipped some milk. The warm white liquid left a sweet and creamy taste on his tongue.
"Alice, grab me the pen and paper," he yelled at the door.
"Got it," Alice had no problem hearing Angele's voice outside the house.
Several minutes later, Alice brought him a yellow leather scroll, a bottle of ink, and a feather pen.
Angele grabbed the feather pen, opened the ink bottle, and dipped the pen in it. He flattened the scroll and started writing a reply to master Liliana's letter.
He accepted Liliana's offer and showed that he was happy about her recovery. Angele also wrote that he wanted to talk to Liliana directly using the telescope.
He wrote down the address on the bottom of the scroll and encrypted it.
Half an hour later, he rolled the scroll up and tapped on it, then a black twisted snake pattern flashed on its surface for a second.
Alice had already brought him the wooden cylinder, so Angele threw the scroll into the cylinder and sealed it with wax.
"Take it to the postal office and tell them to just drop it at the proper location. Someone will pick it up." Angele handed the cylinder to Alice.
"Understood."
"Thanks."
"I'll be leaving now."
Angele stood up after Alice stepped out of the door.
He walked to the second floor and entered the study, then took out a black telescope from a black case under the desk.
He put the telescope on the bookshelf and used several silver strings to bind it in one of the slots.
*CHI*
The telescope pointed at the floor and released a ray of white light.
It stopped moving after releasing the light.
Angele waited for the response patiently.
About ten minutes later, a tall person walked into the light and their body took form.
That person was wearing a long yellow robe with long black hair trailing over her shoulders. It was Isabel.
"What's the matter?" Isabel asked in a light tone. "We just talked to each other not so long ago."
"Well, how's your life? In the White Tooth Castle?" Angele stared at Isabel calmly.
"Raymond is treating me very well." Isabel had a gentle smile on her face.
"Good then. I have just one question. Do you know that Six Ring High Tower's headquarters will recruit wizards from the divisions?" Angele went straight to the question.
"To the headquarters?" The smile disappeared from Isabel's face.
"Oh, are you being sent to the headquarters?" Suddenly, a feminine voice joined the conversation. A blonde lady wearing a white silky shirt entered the scene.
It was a lady with a clean face. She had a confident smile on her face and she was scratching her head.
"I'm Raymond. So, you're the only friend Isabel has? You don't look…special."
She was mocking Angele.
Angele stayed calm and observed the woman called Raymond. He did not expect to talk to her during his conversation with Isabel.
"You're Raymond?" His eyebrow furrowed. "Don't you think that interrupting our conversation is rude?"
"Huh? Did you just say that I'm rude?" Raymond chuckled. "Ha, people don't usually talk to me like that. I thought you were just using Isabel for her resources. It seems like you have guts."
"I don't care what you think about me." Angele remained calm. Although Raymond was Isabel's partner, he never liked her. The challenges that Raymond had put Isabel through were ridiculous.
Angele also thought that Raymond was just playing with Isabel. But never had she expected Isabel to treat the relationship seriously. However, Isabel passed through all the impossible challenges Raymond set up and Raymond decided to pay her back. That was the reason why Raymond fell in love with Isabel.
Angele remembered the days that Isabel supported him with all the resources she had. It moved him a lot.
"Well, I apologize for what I just said. I'm just curious about you." Raymond bowed slightly. "I can tell you about the headquarters of the Six Ring High Tower."
"Huh? Thanks, master Raymond." Angele shook his head and smiled.
He knew that Raymond's intention was just to see what Isabel's only friend looked like. Also, it was very likely that Isabel had already told her about the rhino blood.
"The headquarters of the Six Ring High Tower sits in the center of the land, Omandis. The road to Omandis is blocked by mountains. You can only travel to that place with flying mounts. It'll cost people a lot of money and time, so the headquarters only communicates with the divisions when necessary."
"Only a few of the wizards that were sent to the headquarters returned to the divisions. They caught the opportunity and wanted to advance to the next rank or division. You can find much better resources in Omandis. There were wizards that declined the offer because they wanted to save money and enjoy their lives in Nola."
Raymond stopped for a second, then she continued, "Most importantly, there are many dangerous creatures living in the mountains. You may get killed even if you're on a flying mount. You need to prepare for that if you want to go there."
"Is there anything else I need to be careful with?" Angele knew the trip would not be easy.
"You'll be guarding the resources that are sent to the headquarters on your way there so you need to protect the resources. Ah, also…" Raymond pursed her lips. "You know the Perfect Wizard, right? The talented male wizard named Reyline is selected too. He's a bi*ch. I fought with him multiple times."
"Alright, I'll keep that in mind."
"That's all I know. The headquarters of Six Ring High Tower is a mystery since they barely make any announcements to the public. You're a member of their division but the wizards in the headquarters will just treat you like a stranger." Raymond shrugged and cut off the communication.
*PA*
The light disappeared from the floor.
Angele closed his eyes and rethought the words Raymond said. He took down the telescope and returned it to the case.
He then took out a bronze telescope from the drawer.
Angele tapped on the telescope after stabilizing it with silver strings.
*CHI*
The white light was released from the telescope right away and an old man in a white robe appeared in the light. He was standing in front of a large table and it seemed like he was drawing something.
The old man turned around after hearing the noise.
"Green, I'm doing an enchantment experiment right now. Say it quickly if you want something," Shiva raised his head and said, his hands not stopping.
"Sure, I just want to ask you about the headquarters of Six Ring High Tower." Angele got straight to the point.
"The headquarters? You want to go to Omandis?" Shiva was surprised. He stopped drawing runes and stared at Angele.
"I'm considering it. It seems like a great opportunity for me."
"Well, he's not your friend then. He wants you gone." Shiva shook his head. "A trip to the headquarters may sound exciting but weak wizards will die on the way there. You're not safe in the sky. Rumor says that only half of the wizards will make it to Omandis."
"I heard that Reyline will be going there too. He's the Perfect Wizard, right?"
"Reyline, huh? Well…it's dangerous. Just think twice before you make the decision. If the team is strong enough, you'll be able to survive the mountains. If the team is too weak, the magical creatures will target you." Shiva's expression turned serious. "I suggest you stay in Nola. It's nice and peaceful. The bastards in the headquarters won't treat you well."
"I understand. Thanks." Angele smiled but he did not argue with Shiva. It seemed that Shiva hated the headquarter for some reason and the trip was indeed dangerous.
"You won't be traveling there using flying mounts. They use hot air balloons. There'll be three balloons if there are enough members in the team. Don't pick the same balloon as Reyline. He has a short temper and he won't help you if you're in danger. I know him when he was still at the school. He's young but he's already ruling his family's hunting team. If you already made the decision, I have some advice for you. Be selfish and be careful. The ones you help may not pay you back when you're attacked. Don't die, Green. My grandchildren still want to play with you."
"I'll try to survive the trip. Don't worry." Angele chuckled. "Alright, thanks for the help."
Chapter 247: Settle an Old Grudge (2)
Translator: Leo Editor: Frappe
"Just come back in one piece, okay? I have never been to Omandis. Record some information using the crystal orb and bring it back to me if possible," Shiva muttered as he started drawing runes again.
The light from the telescope faded as Shiva cut the connection off. Angele carefully returned it to the drawer.
"I need to make sure that the people in my territory become settled." He walked to the window and looked down. Nancy and several guards were chatting beside a watchtower.
The communication rune he gave to the other wizards or wizard apprentices would not disappear as long as he was still alive so people would not invade his territory in a while.
Shiva, Glue, and several other people he knew could help take care of the matters in his territory if he asked. That was one benefit of having friends in Nola.
However, there was one more organization he needed to deal with.
Angele narrowed his eyes.
He barely knew anything about Wisp's organization. Although they had been doing businesses with each other for a long time, he did not even know the name of the organization.
Wisp's organization offered him a position in their potions department but if Angele decided to go to Omandis, he had to make sure that the mysterious organization did not go after him.
Wisp had helped him a lot before he advanced to the Liquid stage and the organization gave him many precious crystal leaves. Angele was worried that if he did not pay them back, the organization would attack him and the people around him.
Angele must make sure everything was dealt with.
It was possible that the organization had the power to remove him from the team to Omandis.
Furthermore, he had not contacted with Wisp in a while.
*****************************
In a sea of maple trees, the noon sunlight went past through the gaps between the maple leaves and illuminated on the ground.
Between those trees, there was a small lake and the flaming red tree leaves reflected upon its silky-smooth surface. In the center of the lake was a small area with a brown wooden house built upon it. There was no path leading to the house around the lake and it just sat there quietly.
The gentle wind blew over the maple trees. Some dried leaves dropped to the surface of the water, creating ripples.
A young man with brown hair was walking toward the lake slowly.
His eyes were surrounded by a golden glow and there was a metallic silver glint on his skin.
The man raised his right head and a black raven rune flashed on the nail of his middle finger. The rune released a gentle red light and it was barely visible in the sunlight.
"Name is Green," the young man said in a low voice.
A lot of green vines emerged out of the red mud as soon as he finished speaking.
The vines twisted and moved toward the wooden house in the center of the lake, creating a path for him to walk on.
Angele stepped onto the vine bridge calmly and headed to the wooden house.
*Kreek*
The door opened itself as Angele approached.
He entered the house and closed the door.
It was a small place. There were only a brown wooden table and two chairs. There was no wood in the fireplace on the wall and the only decoration in the house was a dried-up wreath.
Under the dim light, Angele saw a man in a black robe. He was wearing a hood with his head lowered.
"Green, welcome to my place."
Angele walked to the table and sat down on the opposite side.
"Where's Wisp?"
"He's dead," the man answered with a high-pitched male voice.
"Dead?" Angele was surprised. "Can you tell me what happened?"
"Sure. He was killed during a mission. It was an accident. His opponents were much stronger than he had thought." The man raised his head and removed the hood. It was a man with the head of a raven.
Black feathers, black eyes, and a human body. The raven man was surrounded by a mysterious aura.
The raven man shook its head slightly. His voice sounded just like a male human.
"That's…sad. Wisp has helped me a lot. How about his students?" Angele questioned.
"Who knows? They're on a mission to avenge their master. Come back in one piece or die during the mission. There are only two possibilities."
"How about his family?"
"Nothing has changed. Our organization will take care of the dead wizards' families for 200 years. Don't worry about it," the raven man explained in a light tone.
"Sounds good." Angele nodded.
"So you're the new representative? What should I call you?" Angele wanted to tell Wisp that he made the decision to go to Omandis but it seemed that his initial plan needed to be changed.
"My name is Nowi, you can just call me Raven," the raven man answered calmly. "I'm here to replace Wisp. You're here to inform us that you'll be going to the headquarters of Six Ring High Tower, right?"
"You already know?" Angele was surprised for a second but he understood the situation quickly. "Don't tell me you helped Ander to secure the position for me without him knowing it…"
"You're smart. Our headquarters is in Omandis as well.
"You're also worrying about your territory and the people close to you, right?"
"Yeah, you're right." Angele nodded as he had nothing to hide.
"Wizards are selfish. It's impossible for us to maintain a long relationship. Isabel will change, Nancy will change, and I will change. I don't remember every face I see and one day the people around won't stay there for me forever."
"Absolutely. So your best choice is to join us and we'll take care of your people for you," Raven said in a light tone.
"I didn't expect your headquarters to be in Omandis as well. If that's really the case, I'll accept the offer." Angele was not worried that the organization would threaten him through his friends. A dark wizard like him would never be compromised. He would always try to find the way to fight back.
"You're not joining us as a combatant but you need to complete one mission to show us that you're really a dark wizard." The Raven opened its beak and it looked he was smiling.
Angele narrowed his eyes but remained calm. "Interesting. How did you even find out that I'm a dark wizard? Tell me the mission then but I won't just kill people for no reason whatsoever."
"Everything has already been prepared for you. It's an easy mission. I'm sure you're interested."
"Huh? Tell me about it." Angele slightly nodded.
Raven stared at Angele in his eyes.
"Kill Red Beard."
Angele pursed his lips after hearing the word.
"What are you talking about? Red Beard is one of the three elders from the Labyrinth College. He's a Crystal stage wizard and he's getting close to rank 2. You want me to kill him?"
"No one will stop you." Raven cleared his throat. "I mean, no one can stop you."
"Why are you so sure?" Angele shook his head.
"The name of our organization is the Dark Wizard Tower."
Angele lowered his head. He was trying to search the name using the database.
"But how can I kill him? I'm not confident that I can defeat him in a one versus one situation."
"Well, you probably can't when he's at his optimal state. But what if he's betrayed by his own people and is severely injured?" Raven chuckled.
"Are you setting everything up for me? It doesn't sound possible."
"You'll understand when the day comes."
***********************
Half a month later…
Outside Nola, the Mist Forest.
Angele was overlooking the green sea of trees on a tall cliff, wearing a black leather armor suit.
The forest was endless, the only thing in his sight was the tree.
It was early in the morning and the sunlight had not yet brought the warmth to the land.
Angele scratched his head and turned around.
A blonde man with curly hair stepped forward and stood beside Angele, he was wearing a black swordsman's suit.
"According to our intel, Red Beard has been injured by the president of Labyrinth College, Narry, and he is hiding in the forest below us. I'll leave the job to you," the man spoke in a calm tone.
"Is he alone?" Angele wondered.
"There should be two people with him. A zombie he created and one of his students," the man explained. "Red Beard failed a mission and did some permanent damage to his organization…"
"Is he part of the Dark Wizard Tower?" Angele suddenly questioned.
"No, but Narry is."
"So the organization wants him gone? Why?"
The man shook his head. "The situation is complicated and I don't know how to explain it to you. Just go. There are other people going after him. There's a Crystal stage wizard named Olive that wants Red Beard dead. He and three other Liquid stage wizards have already been in pursuit of him for four days. Red Beard has many enemies and they all heard the information that he was hurt."
"Interesting, so I'm not the only one here?" Angele asked. "I thought you already cleared the path for me."
"Well, you're definitely not the only one here. We did try to clear the path for you but the situation changed."
The man took out a black plate from his pouch and handed it over to Angele.
"You can track the Red Beard down using the plate."
Angele looked at the plate, it was about the size of a palm. Its surface was smooth like a mirror. There was a white dot being displayed in the center and a red dot was slowly moving on the left side.
"Thanks." He held the plate with his left hand and raised his right arm, creating a long silver sword in his hand.
Angele checked the red dot on the plate and walked down the cliff.
Chapter 248: Magic Device (1)
Translator: Leo Editor: Frappe
Angele vanished into the forest after rushing down the cliff.
The trees were tall and large, its leaves almost blocking the sky. On the ground, there were many tiny green bushes and white mist was floating in the air.
Angele advanced slowly on the narrow path and made some noise between the bushes.
Angele could feel cold and wet grasses through his boots. An unpleasant smell permeated the air.
He held the black plate in hand and confirmed the location of the Red Beard, then he started heading toward that location quickly.
The red dot on the plate blinked as it moved and it also stopped several times.
Angele advanced for about ten minutes and heard incinerating sounds ahead of him.
The area that was about ten meters away from him was lit. The furious flames were still expanding. Branches were being burnt and trees were falling down.
The light from the flames brightened up the surroundings.
Angele checked the fire and glanced around. No one was here.
He crouched as blue light dots flashed in front of his eyes.
Angele slashed down the bush in front and saw multiple footprints lying around. Whoever left them here was clearly in a hurry.
'They were here not so long ago. The patterns on their shoes indicated that they did not want to enter the Mist Forest. The fire is here to stop the people that are chasing after them.'
He came to this conclusion quickly.
Angele stood up and glanced around. He suddenly walked to another bush. The grasses here had been stomped on by people.
'They must be the one chasing after Red Beard.' Angele decided to proceed with caution. 'I need to hurry up or he'll be dead before I can reach him.'
He turned around and started running to the right.
After about one minute, he reached the edge of the burning area and headed to the deep forest.
He was not hiding his footsteps at all. Several minutes later, he heard people yelling and things exploding ahead.
Angele held his sword tight and increased his speed.
"Who's there?!"
Someone yelled ahead. It was a deep male voice.
The trees left Angele's sight, revealing a large empty area in the front.
Several trees were brought down by the explosion and surrounded the place.
A middle-aged man wearing a tight blue suit was standing in the center of the place and he supported his body with a large black mace. No one else, however, was around.
The man was deeply wounded and his left arm was broken.
The man stared at Angele as he walked out of the forest.
"Who are you?"
Angele glared at him and using the chip to scan his mentality wave. It showed that the man was a Gas stage wizard.
"Are you going after Red Beard?" He stepped forward and asked.
"You too? Head into that direction then, they just left." The man pointed at the right.
Angele nodded. Red Beard had only injured a Gas stage wizard. It seemed that his injury was getting worse every minute. It was great news for him.
He checked the black plate again. The red dot was very close and it already stopped moving.
He rushed to the red dot and heard someone screaming.
The scream stopped within a second. Angele saw a woman in a red robe that got pinned down by a tree. Her whole body was frozen in a large chunk of ice.
The woman had died right away.
He walked to the ice block and tapped on it.
*Dang*
The metal barrier around Angele's hand did not leave any crack on the ice.
He suddenly heard people chatting between the bushes.
"That's it, Lando. You're a dead man. Give me that thing and I'll free you from your suffering," a woman was shouting.
Angele narrowed his eyes.
He checked the plate again. The red dot was very close to the white dot.
He put the plate into a pouch and grabbed some gray dust.
"Wind…heed my call…" he chanted in a whisper.
Several thin green strings appeared in the air and started spinning around Angele.
The strings vanished into the air after several seconds and everything returned to normal.
Gentle wind was blowing over his face and Angele threw the gray dust into the air. The shiny dust looked like silver light dots that were blown away by the wind quickly.
The wind stopped after all the dust was gone.
Angele grabbed a silver scimitar from his back. The scimitar had a sharp wavy blade and it was coated with a green glow. He twisted the handle of the scimitar slightly and a blade of similar length popped out of the bottom of the handle.
'Let me see what this cursed scimitar can do.' Angele spun the scimitar several times and tied it to his belt.
Angele held the long silver sword in hand and stepped forward.
Red Beard was sitting beside a large tree with blood leaking out of his mouth. Two corpses were lying in front of him, both cut into half from their waists. It was a terrible way of dying.
An old man with a white beard was staring at Red Beard calmly. He was wearing a red robe with a cane in hand.
A muscular woman wearing a black armor piece was standing behind the old man. The woman had messy blond hair and there was a black lightning pattern on her forehead. Her weapon was a red greatsword.
The three looked at Angele at the same time as he left the bush. No one looked surprised. They had noticed Angele's presence a while ago.
"Olive, I can give you the magic device, but it seems that this young man is interested too." Red Beard laughed.
Angele blinked his eyes. The magic device's power was higher than the high-rank enchanted item. It could help the owner cast certain spells instantly.
Red Beard brought up the magic device and wanted to see if the two would try to finish Angele off first.
Wizards would do anything to get their hands on the magic devices. Red Beard's plan was obvious but it was still effective.
"Friend, it's none of your business. I have just one advice for you. Leave! Now!" The woman with a greatsword yelled at Angele. She noticed that his expression changed after hearing about the magic device.
"It's a serious personal matter. I need to talk to the Red Beard first. Do you really think that I'll leave just because you said it?" Angele shook his head.
"Kill him then," The old man named Olive suddenly turned to Angele and said.
The woman nodded slightly and started walking toward Angele. She lowered her greatsword and prepared to fight.
"Actually, I don't care about the magic device. I just want Red Beard dead." Angele remained calm. "Red Beard is the strongest Crystal stage wizard I know. We should kill him first before he recovers."
He was not afraid of a fight. Angele was certain that he could slay Red Beard by himself as long as the old man did not have enough mentality to cast a level 2 spell. The biggest problem to him was Olive.
He tracked down the Red Beard and he must be a strong Crystal stage wizard.
"And I'm just a Gas stage wizard. I can't do anything to you, don't you think?" Angele shrugged and took two steps back.
"Master, I think he's right. We have already violated many rules recently. Let's just kill Red Beard." The woman turned her head around and talked to Olive.
"I don't carry the magic device with me. I already hid it in somewhere safe. If I die, you'll never be able to find it." Red Beard smiled.
Olive shook his head. "You have played too many tricks. My patience is running out."
"You know me for so many years. I have already proved myself back in Maple City…" Red Beard chuckled. He slightly shook his right index finger as he talked. The nail on the finger broke into pieces and vivid red blood dropped to the grasses.
Olive stopped for a second and continued, "Whatever. I'll let you leave if you give me the magic device. I have said it several times."
"Master Olive, obviously, Red Beard is not going to hand you the magic device. I advise you to kill him immediately. He's just wasting our time. It's possible that he can still fight back," Angele spoke quickly. "I also sensed some energy fluctuations around him while you two were talking."
Red Beard's expression changed.
Olive stared at Red Beard and raised his arm.
*BOOM*
A distorted wave appeared around Red Beard. It almost looked like the air around him was turned into jelly. Angele's sight blurred and he could barely see what was going on.
*Crack*
The large tree fell to the ground but it failed to hit Red Beard. Only a large hole was left beside the tree stump.
"Again!" Olive held the cane tight. "Track him down!" He yelled and rushed forward.
The woman followed after Olive and held her greatsword tight.
Angele walked to the tree stump and checked the hole. He took out the black plate and saw the red dot moving again.
He turned around and started running toward Red Beard's current location.
Angele saw Red Beard stopped by another large tree right away. Olive and the woman were standing right beside him.
"Well, it seems like my plan failed." Red Beard sighed and wiped the blood off his mouth. "Turning myself into pure energy will never be a good idea."
"Your mentality wave is interrupted by my spell." Olive sneered. "You can't trick me twice with the same crap."
"Well, you'll have a much easier time talking to him if you hit him harder." Angele smiled.
Olive and the woman looked at him at the same time after hearing him speak.
Chapter 249: Magic Device (2)
Translator: Leo Editor: Frappe
The two knew that it was the best choice they had but none of them were willing to attack first.
Red Beard was one of the strongest Crystal stage wizards and if he still had enough mentality to cast a level 2 spell, none of the three would be able to take it without dying.
Even Olive was not so confident with his force barrier.
Their original plan was to chase Red Beard down and force him to waste mentality on defensive spells.
"It's a great suggestion. You had some personal matters with Red Beard, right? Why don't you go beat him up?" The woman chuckled.
"Well, I'll pass. I want him dead but it's fine if you want to do the job for me." Angele coughed and stepped back.
Olive and the woman shook their heads. They did not think Angele was treating the situation seriously.
The three remained silent as they surrounded Red Beard.
After several minutes, Angele heard footsteps coming from behind.
"Right there! Hurry up! I'll take out that old bastard myself!" It sounded like an old man.
"More people are coming. Why are we still waiting? There's no time for us to hesitate." Angele was trying to stir things up.
Olive glared at Angele as his brow furrowed but he did not say anything.
Red Beard supported himself using the tree. His face was pale and his condition was getting worse.
Three old men wearing black robes jumped out of the bush. The old man in front walked straight toward Red Beard and threw a white ball toward him.
"You shall pay for what you have done!"
"Die!"
The two old men rushed toward Red Beard as well. A blue glow surrounded the man on the left and two dark fireballs appeared on the palms of the man on the right.
The three old men jumped onto Red Beard before Angele could do anything.
Olive and the woman stepped back right away.
The white ball turned into a huge web that surrounded Red Beard and the trees around him. A blue spider appeared from nowhere and it jumped onto Red Beard with two dark fireballs behind it.
Red Beard's expression changed. He raised both of his arms and conjured a golden plate in front of him.
The plate was covered in complicated runes.
Angele, Olive, and the woman just watched the attack from the side.
The three old wizards kept releasing white spider webs which stopped Red Beard from escaping. The flames from the fireballs were burning everything under the web while the blue spider moving toward Red Beard.
However, the golden plate in front of Red Beard blocked most of the attack.
Angele smiled as he watched the three old men keep casting spells.
"Masters, you're doing this wrong. The golden plate is absorbing the fire energy from the dark flames. It uses the energy to defend against the blue spiders. He has barely used any mentality. My suggestion is to break the golden plate first," he yelled.
*BAM*
A black fireball flew toward him.
Angele's expression changed and he took several steps backed and dodged the attack.
"It's just a suggestion. Why are you mad?"
"Shut up!" One of them turned around and glared at Angele.
"Alright, alright…" Angele shrugged. "It's just my honest opinion."
The black flames extinguished after several seconds. The smell of dead body permeated the air. Angele inhaled some of the polluted air that made his head dizzy.
He stepped back again to avoid the polluted area. The remaining flames around were still sparking.
"You don't want the magic device anymore?" Red Beard's voice came from under the white webs.
Olive pursed his lips and stared at the three dark wizards without saying anything. Those wizards were preparing some magic circles. The muscular woman behind him was observing the situation on the battlefield.
There was a gentle smile on Angele's face. He focused on the golden plate created by Red Beard.
Suddenly, rays of golden light were released from the center of the plate. All the white webs, blue spiders, and dark flames were cleansed by the light.
Angele's sight was blinded for a second. He could feel the searing heat on his skin. He leaped to the left and stayed away from the golden light immediately.
"The Golden Amulet," Olive shouted in surprise.
He raised his hand and pointed at Red Beard.
*BOOM*
A distorted energy wave exploded.
Blood spurted out of the three dark wizards' bodies. They were severely injured.
The distorted energy wave was preventing the golden light from spreading.
*CHI*
A high-pitched noise echoed in the area as the two spells conflicted.
*Crack*
The golden light suddenly faded.
"Ha…You want the magic device, right? Go for it!" Red Beard laughed.
He raised his arm and a white object was thrown into the forest at full speed.
"Hurry!" Olive bit his lips and rushed toward the white object. The three dark wizards struggled and stood up, then they started running toward the object as well.
It only took several seconds for them to reach the object.
"The Light of Thorns!" Red Beard sneered and shouted.
A golden light energy wave exploded around the white object.
The light brightened up the whole area. Countless rays of golden light penetrated the white mist and illuminated on the ground.
Angele held the sword in his hand and watched the energy wave explode. The three dark wizards were burnt into ashes within a second. It almost looked like they perished in an invisible flame.
The strong woman failed to dodge the attack as well. She created a light blue barrier in the front but the golden light went through the barrier and hit her body directly. Angele watched her fall to the ground and white smoke rose from her body.
Only Olive survived the attack. The distorted energy barrier around his body blocked all the golden light.
He walked out of the bush slowly with a white chest armor in hand and he looked disappointed.
Red Beard stood beside the tree and sneered.
"What do you think? You now have the Light of Thorns. Although I used up all the stored energy in the armor, it's still a great magic device. Isn't this what you're looking for?"
A golden magic circle appeared below his feet and the runes on the circle started slowly spinning.
"Master Olive! He's trying to escape!" Angele yelled from the side.
Olive dropped the 'magic device' to the ground. "Give me the real one, you bastard!" He was enraged. "And you!" He turned around and pointed at Angele. "One more word and I'll kill you!"
With a flick of his finger, the magic circle under Red Beard's feet was destroyed.
"Ha, calm down." Angele shook his head and stopped talking.
After several minutes, the muscular woman slowly stood up and her damaged body parts started to recover at an unbelievable speed.
The three old dark wizards recreated their body from a dark fog.
However, all of them looked much weaker than before.
They surrounded Red Beard again.
Red Beard raised his right hand and there was a white rune ring on the middle finger.
"This is the real Light of Thorns. I no longer want it." He smiled as he cut off his middle finger and threw it into the air.
The ring and the finger drew a silver arc in the air.
The wizards all stared at the dropping ring.
"This is the real one. The energy wave around it is incredible." Olive eyed the strong woman and they went for the ring at the same time.
The three dark wizards also rushed to the ring.
Red Beard caught this chance to transform his body into a ray of golden light and vanish into the forest on the right. Angele followed after him right away.
***************
Angele held the silver sword tight in hand. Red Beard's body returned to its original shape but he was still surrounded by a golden glow.
The chilling wind was blowing over Angele's face. The gap between the two was continuously shortening.
He suddenly slashed forward and the length of the blade increased.
*CHI*
The tip of the sword hit the back of Red Beard.
The old man grunted and some blood spurted out of his long robe. He quickly stopped and raised his right hand.
*KA*
A golden shield appeared in front of him.
Red Beard then quickly took out a triangular wooden amulet and threw it to the ground.
Something exploded behind Angele. He turned his head around and saw a humongous Golem that was created using the dark mud here. The Golem was about two meters tall. It held its fists tight and there was a golden flame burning on its head.
The Golem wasted no time as it struck Angele with its right fist.
Red Beard's face turned pale. He struggled for a while and took a deep breath. It seemed like creating the Golem cost him a lot of mentality and mana. He turned around and started running again.
*BAM*
Angele leaped to the right and dodged the Golem's strike. The fist left a one-meter-deep hole in the ground.
He quickly turned around and stabbed the Golem in the arm. Angele went around the golden shield and started chasing after the old man again.
*CHI*
The Golem stopped moving after being hit by the sword. It was being petrified for some reason. It then turned into a gray stone statue after several seconds.
Finally, Angele caught the old man beside a small lake.
"Do you remember me? Red Beard?" Angele smiled and stared at Red Beard. The old man was lying on the ground.
"Who're you? I have too many enemies." Red Beard pursed his lips. "I have known that this day will come. I knew it from the beginning…Just kill me. That magic device was the last valuable thing I had."
"However, why didn't you go for the magic device? I'm impressed," he added.
"The reason is simple. I need to kill you first." Angele walked to the old man slowly.
"The magic device is right there. They're already fighting for it. Someone else will take it before you can finish me off," Red Beard, who had lost his calm, said quickly.
"Don't worry. I have plenty of time. I can kill you first and go back for that." Angele shook his head.
Chapter 250: Leaving (1)
Translator: Leo Editor: Frappe
He untied the cursed scimitar from the belt, twisted its handle, and swung it like a silver metal fan.
Red Beard's expression changed after seeing the cursed scimitar. He raised his right hand and hit the ground.
*BAM*
White steam rose from the mud and blocked Angele's sight. The old man started running to the left.
His face was pale and he was struggling to run in a straight line.
*CHI*
Suddenly, he stopped moving and the silver blade pierced through his chest brutally. Blood spurted out of the wound right away.
Red Beard's body was ignited and he was turned into a human torch. The old man was melting like a candle in the yellow flames.
Angele pulled the scimitar out of Red Beard's body and took two steps back, watching the old man melt.
"It's over. You know who I am but it doesn't matter anymore," he spoke in a light tone.
He raised the scimitar high and cut off Red Beard's head.
"Ah!"
Suddenly, the head of the old man started screaming. Golden liquid was leaking out his mouth, eyes, ears. This viscous liquid created a tiny puddle on the ground.
There was a metallic glint on the surface of the pool. The screaming never stopped, and the face that looked like a younger Red Beard appeared in the golden puddle.
"Storm and Eclipse!" The face opened its mouth and chanted the incantation.
Red Beard's head rolled several times on the ground. Angele decided to leap away as he heard the incantation.
*CHI*
Suddenly, a black iron arrow hit the golden face in the pool.
The face stopped invoking the incantation right away.
*BOOM*
The golden liquid slowly disappeared and turned into golden energy waves.
The iron arrow released some strong wind and blew all the energy waves away. Some tree leaves were caught in the wind and dropped to the ground. The only thing left there was a dead body with no head.
Angele remained calm. He walked to the dead body, then crouched and started searching. After about ten minutes, he found a black pouch with several crystal cards inside.
Red Beard was indeed telling the truth. The magic device was truly the last valuable thing he had.
Angele stood up, then he turned around and glared at the cliff.
Through the gaps between the trees, he could see a blonde man with curly hair waving his longbow at him.
Angele grabbed the iron arrow and pulled it out of the ground.
He could feel an intense heat coming from the surface of the arrow.
It was covered in complicated runes and there were two tiny bat wings on both sides of the arrow. He also noticed that the fletching was melting.
"Definitely not an ordinary iron arrow…" Angele rubbed the arrow with his hands and detected the remaining energy from the enchantment. It must be a special arrow that was prepared for stopping the last strike from the Red Beard.
He held the cursed scimitar tight and stabbed into Red Beard's melting body.
*CHI*
The noise sounded like the scimitar was sucking his flesh dry.
Angele could feel the mentality and energy being transferred into his body through the handle of the scimitar.
The energy was different from any types of energy particles that were stored in his body. It felt like there was a fire blazing in the center of his chest. He could feel that his body was filled up with this unfamiliar power.
His skin was being strengthened and his strength was increasing.
Angele raised his right arm and realized that his muscle size had almost doubled.
The Red Beard's corpse dried up and turned black.
The noise made by the scimitar slowly disappeared.
Angele stood up and pulled the blade out of the dead body.
'Zero, check my body condition.'
'Attributes have changed on a large scale.'
'Analyzing…'
'Done…Angele Rio: Strength, 7. Agility, 6.5. Stamina, 10. Mentality, 44. Mana, 31.'
Angele was surprised. He himself knew that his attributes increased, but the disparity was far greater than what he had expected.
The Strength stat increased from 4 to 7, the Agility increased by 1.5, the Stamina increased by 2, and the Mentality increased by 0.9.
The cursed scimitar had absorbed the power from a dead Crystal stage wizard. Although Red Beard was severely injured, the result was still incredible.
Kuirman must have killed many wizards to gain such horrifying attributes.
Angele swung the scimitar carefully.
*CHI*
The blade drew a silver arc in the air.
He tied the scimitar to the belt again and started walking back. There was still something he wanted.
Angele killed a Crystal stage wizard easily as everything was set up and the blonde man helped him dodge the final strike. He wondered what he could do if someday the same thing happened to him.
Suddenly, the black iron arrow cracked in his hand.
*KA*
It sounded like glasses being cracked.
The iron arrow broke into many pieces and dropped to the ground.
Angele looked at the broken arrow. The black metal pieces started melting and turned into black smoke, vanishing into the air.
Several seconds later, the whole arrow disappeared from the ground.
He wiped his hand with a piece of cloth and kept walking.
**************************************
*BAM*
A distorted wave exploded in the area.
Large trees were hit by the wave and cut down. They fell to the ground and there were broken pieces of branches everywhere.
Black smoke was hit by the wave, which then turned into an old man in a black robe. The old man was blown away by the impact and he rolled away on the grasses.
The dark wizard's face turned pale. He lay on the ground and watched Olive walk toward him.
Olive held the cane in hand. There was a blank expression on his face. The old man did not look like a cruel dark wizard. Instead, he looked like a great scholar from a wizard tower.
The muscular woman's greatsword broke in half. There was a deep wound around her waist. The wound was being healed by some white light. Her wound looked better each time the white light flashed. The woman just stood there and waited.
"The other two has already returned to the Palace of the Great Abyss. You're the last one. Give me the magic device and I won't make you suffer." A silver glow surrounded Olive's eyes and there were two distorted invisible balls floating over his shoulders. The balls were creating a strange static noise.
"I'll be revived in the Northland Alliance! My seed is there. You can't kill me and my brothers!" The dark wizard sneered.
"Insects…It'll take you more than ten years to recover to your energy form. Your mentality will be halved and you'll have become useless by then." Olive stayed calm and shook his head.
"Give me the magic device. You know you don't stand a chance against me."
"There's no turning back. I won't just hand it over to you!" The dark wizard sneered again and hit the ground with his hand.
A small protrusion rose from the mud and moved toward the forest quickly.
*BOOM*
Olive's spell failed to stop the moving protruding mud.
*CHI*
The bump cracked open and a white ring blasted out of it. The ring was then caught by a man in the bushes.
Angele had caught the ring without realizing it. He was still walking and he did not sense any energy wave from the object flying toward him.
Before he could check what was in his hand, a dangerous energy fluctuation appeared in front of him.
*BOOM*
*DANG*
Countless tree leaves dropped to the ground and the trees around were in a mess.
Angele untied the scimitar and blocked the strike. His face turned pale.
'The buff from the scimitar is really incredible. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to block this attack.' However, Angele's organs were slightly hurt and it would take him some time to recover. The power of the strike was over 40 degrees. He had the ability to handle 30 to 35 degrees of power but an unexpected strike with over 40 degrees of power still almost killed him.
"You're pretty good." A surprised voice came from the front.
Olive and the woman walked to Angele, looking surprised.
"Give me the ring and I'll let you leave in one piece."
Angele looked at the two strong wizards in front with no fear in his eyes. He felt like there was a fire burning in his mind. The dangerous situation was making him excited for some reason. It was a feeling he never had before.
Angele smiled as he could feel his blood boiling.
He had not fought a real battle in a long time. Nola was too peaceful and the light wizards there were weak like ants. No one would break the rules in Nola.
Finally, a chance had come. He wanted to test his new abilities.
Olive was weaker than Red Beard but he was still a Crystal stage wizard and the muscular woman was a strong Liquid stage wizard. They might be the strongest enemies Angele had ever met.
"You want the ring?" He smiled. The sunlight illuminated on the left side of his face. "Why should I give it to you?"
"You're just looking for trouble!" Olive raised his hand and waved at Angele.
Three silver scars appeared on the left side of Angele's face. He raised his hand and waved at Olive as well.
*BOOM*
Two energy waves clashed in the air.
The translucent wave balls hit Angele's silver metal particles.
*CHI*
The static noise mixed with the high-pitched noise created metal sounds like a car hitting a pole.
Translucent distorted waves spread into the air from Olive's body and blocked the countless silver needles flying toward him.
The earth started shaking as the two strong energy waves hit each other. The only thing Angele could hear was the high-pitched noise.
A translucent cylinder was blocking all of Angele's metal attacks.
He kept releasing the silver strings from his body. Those strings gathered together and formed a large shield. Invisible black patterns slowly appeared on the surface of his skin and they were spreading the illusion field in the area.
The muscular woman took several steps back. She held the broken greatsword tight in hand. The clash of the forcefields was a bit too much for her to handle that she could barely open her eyes.
"F*cking hell!" she cursed. The woman had initially thought Angele was just a weak wizard that only knew how to talk crap. It turned out that the young man was their strongest enemy.
She stomped on the ground and covered her legs with blue ice barriers. The ice barriers formed a pair of strong leg armor within seconds.
She raised the broken greatsword in the air and roared.
*BAM*
The woman disappeared and appeared behind Angele. The greatsword in her hand was shining and she slashed forward with no hesitation.
Angele used his free hand to control the cursed scimitar and tried to block the strike.
He also threw the silver longsword to the back using the forcefield.
*DANG*
The scimitar clashed with the broken greatsword and made a clean impact.
Chapter 251: Leaving (2)
Translator: Leo Editor: Frappe
*DANG*
The woman created ice shields to block the incoming silver sword, but she did not notice the twisted black rune on the blade.
*CHI*
The ice shield got petrified and turned into stone. The sword penetrated the stone easily and it went for the woman's neck.
The woman's expression changed. A blue rune flashed between her brow and blue flames appeared around her eyes.
She opened her mouth and was about to invoke the incantation, but Angele threw a tiny fireball toward her.
The incantation almost made it out of her mouth.
However, it was just one second late.
*BOOM*
The fireball exploded.
The woman was blown away by the impact and her body sank into a large tree behind her. She fainted as her body was being petrified, starting from the neck.
Angele lowered his hand as the red glow disappeared. The cursed scimitar and the silver sword floated around his body. Countless metal strings were fighting against Olive's distorted forcefield.
Several seconds later, the metal strings were now coated with a green glow. They looked like tiny snakes flying around.
'The wind buff is great. After modification, it can increase my speed by 40%, including the metals under my control.
It took a lot of mana and mentality to cast all the spells, but Angele did not mind doing so.
*KA*
Suddenly, all the silver metal strings and needles were crushed.
He grasped the scimitar with his right and the sword with his left, leaping to the side afterward.
*BOOM*
A distorted energy ball went past his body and exploded about ten meters behind. The translucent energy waves were released from the center of the explosion and several large trees fell to the ground.
He quickly looked to the other side. Olive's body was surrounded by the translucent shield and there were silver flames burning in his eyes. The old man looked like a devil from the hell, who then raised his hands in the air, and it seemed like he was starting a ritual.
Olive suddenly lowered his head and stared at Angele.
*Crack*
Angele narrowed his eyes. It felt as though he was trapped inside a large glass ball. The invisible energy waves were about to tear him apart with the ball, but he quickly raised both of his weapons and tried to block the waves.
Countless metal strings were unleashed out of his body and created a huge silver shield in the front.
*BAM*
The noise sounded like glass being shattered with force.
Angele's body trembled as he was hit by the energy waves from all angles. The metal shield in the front only lasted for a second. The scimitar and the sword were pushed away like nothing.
His face turned pale and a twisted black rune flashed in his eyes. Angele was pushed back by the remaining force and he finally stopped after hitting a tree. Two deep holes made by his feet were left on the ground.
Olive sneered, and his burning eyes ferociously glared at Angele again. A huge amount of distorted energy waves surrounded him, and they were getting closer to Angele.
Angele had no mentality left.
His body was empty, and he felt dizzy, but he remained calm. There was still one thing he could rely on.
The evolved illusion signet could trap people in a nightmare. He had never fully activated the signet after its evolution, but he was certain that the effects would be incredible.
Angele assumed that the signet was somewhat related to the Nightmare Realm, as it was capable of turning illusions into reality.
This was the reason why he remained calm although he could no longer cast any spells.
The temperature around Angele increased as the energy waves approached. He knew that Olive needed to channel the spell and if he could fully activate the signet, the energy waves would stop. In reality, he still had another method to save himself in case of emergencies.
However, he was still waiting for the right time.
Angele raised his left hand. A black shadow started swinging its wings on the center of his palm. Several blurry shadows appeared around the wings. They looked like translucent birds mixed with some flies.
The rotated around the signet slowly.
*KA*
The energy wave stopped right before hitting Angele's body.
A gentle smile appeared on his face as he looked at Olive.
"It's over. Master Olive." He lowered his left hand and deactivated the signet.
Angele turned around and saw the blonde man by a large tree with a black longbow in his hand waiting for him.
"I was going to help you." He lowered the black bow.
"You helped once already. The magic device is just a bonus of the mission. I can handle it myself." Angele smiled.
The two slowly vanished into the deep forest.
Olive stared at the back of the two. His upper body was still burning in silver flames, but his lower body had already been petrified and now had the texture of a stone statue.
The silver flames were slowly helping him recover but the speed was slow. He had used most of his energy to stop the petrification from spreading.
That was why Olive had stopped attacking. He would not have enough energy particles to stop the petrification if he did not stop controlling the translucent energy waves. The old man did not want to take the risk. Moreover, he was not sure what Angele did to him.
The old dark wizard had disappeared a while ago. He escaped the fight by turning his body into black smoke. The only thing left on the ground was a long black robe.
********************************
The golden sunlight penetrated the thick cloud in the air.
On a high platform of Six Ring area in Nola, a brown wooden house sat silently in the middle of the grasses.
The gentle wind was making the vivid greenery dance.
Three black gondolas were located beneath the three enormous envelopes. They floated in the air above the platform.
Three white airstairs made of wood were built on the platform and were used to help people get aboard.
It was crowded around the airstairs. Many strong centaur slaves and muscular men were carrying the baggage of the wizards to the boat. There were also many cargos that were filled with magic stones waiting to be transported.
The overseer kept yelling at the slaves in an attempt to make them move faster.
Some light wizards were climbing up the airstairs slowly.
Some wizards were still saying goodbye to their friends and family members on the ground.
The entire platform was covered with people.
Angele was wearing a white robe with a white belt. He was chatting with Shiva, Sherry, and Glue. Nancy was patiently waiting behind him.
"Please take care of Nancy for me if possible. She'll be my representative in Nola."
Angele grabbed Nancy's hand. They finally had sex last night and Angele had told her about his future plans.
But they were not real lovers. Their relationship was only based on reciprocity. Angele provided her a shelter while she wanted a strong master. Nancy was not really downcast about Angele's departure after hearing his explanation.
"Not a problem. I'll take care of her." Shiva nodded.
Glue looked at Angele. "We met each other not so long ago, but I believe you will survive the trip."
"Thanks. I'll try my best." Angele smiled.
Sherry handed over a brown notebook to him. The notebook had a leather cover and the edges were painted with rose patterns.
"It's a map I acquired from my family. I hope it will help you on the way there." Sherry came back from the border just to say goodbye.
"Much appreciated." Angele grabbed the notebook.
The three talked about the world stone for a while to lighten up the mood a bit.
Suddenly, the crowd got noisy.
"It's the three team captains." Shiva lowered his voice.
Angele turned his head around and glanced around.
Two white robes and a red robe walked toward the crowd. Everyone bowed to them as they walked passed.
At the front of the group was a handsome young wizard. His long white robe's edge was decorated with gold. There was a blank expression on his face.
There were two wizards behind him. The one on the right was a middle-aged woman wearing a white robe. Her long black hair trailed over her shoulders. There was a strange swelling on her right arm, but it was covered by the sleeve.
The other one was a man wearing a red robe. There were two white scimitars embroidered on his chest. The man had a long face with two long sharp ears, making him somehow look like an elf. However, unlike the pretty elves, his skin was rough, and his face was average.
The three walked to three different wooden airstairs.
"Reyline!" Suddenly, a crispy female voice came from the crowd.
Reyline already had one hand on the handle. He turned around after hearing someone calling his name.
A blonde girl wearing a white one piece. There was a long silver hairpin on her hair. She stared at Reyline as she yelled.
"You'll come back for me, right? You promised me!" the girl shouted.
Reyline looked at her with his brows furrowed.
"Sorry, but who are you?"
The smile disappeared from the girl's face. She covered her face with her hands and started crying. The girl then turned around and ran down the platform quickly.
The wizards, slaves, and family members started laughing after watching the scene.
Reyline watched the girl leave, then he sighed and shook his head as he climbed up the ladder.
"He didn't want the girl to wait for him since he could die on this trip. Maybe my thoughts about him are wrong…" Shiva looked at Reyline and sighed.
"It's about time. I'll be boarding the airship too."
Angele shook his head slightly and walked to the third airship.
"Don't forget about us!" Shiva yelled from behind.
"I won't." Angele waved his right hand.
The three just stood there quietly and watched Angele climb up the airstairs.
Angele stood by the railings after getting on the airship. He overlooked the crowd and put on the hood to cover his face.
He had already organized everything before leaving. Isabel would help him contact master Liliana. It seemed that the White Tooth Castle had no problem doing business with the underground world.
He waited for the wizards to board the boat. The chilling wind was blowing the lower hem of his robe into the air. It was early in the morning and the sunlight was not even warm.
Nola was a nice and peaceful place but for a better future, he chose to leave.
Chapter 252: Critical Period (1)
Translator: Leo Editor: Frappe
*WOOO*
The steam whistles coming from the humongous airships echoed in the sky.
The three wooden airstairs were disconnected from the airships and dropped to the ground as soon as all the wizards completely boarded the boats.
The airships slowly flew away from the platform, leaving a trail of green energy particles behind.
They started moving toward the north of Nola. All the wizards were standing beside the railings without saying a word, looking at their friends and families that were still on the platform.
They just stood there. The only noise Angele could hear was due to the green energy particle flows that helped in propelling the airship upward.
The platform gradually looked smaller as the airship's altitude increased. The people standing on it now looked like countless tiny black dots.
Angele was standing beside the railings as well.
The platform was now the size of his palm in his eyes.
One of the six white signal obelisks was right up ahead that looked like a slim stick that was stabbed into the ground from the boat.
There was a relatively large city called Alava beside the obelisk, with about eight trading towers built around it. From the sky, its entirety looked like a piece of nail. (ED Note: Nailed it.)
The city was surrounded by a sea of vivid trees.
Angele looked to the north and saw the trees there that were covered by white snow.
Frigid gusts of wind blew across his face and the airship he was in had nearly reached the maximum altitude it could sustain.
He turned around and started observing the gondola.
The gondola was connected from below the envelope. It was painted in black and its size was average.
The gondola's appearance looked identical to the ones used by the fish men.
The cabins were built under the deck. Only wizards were allowed to board the airship, as others wouldn't be able to handle the radiation from the strong defensive magic matrix. Mortals, wizard apprentices, and even knights could easily die in the airship.
It was a problem brought by the extremely dense energy particles.
The deck was about 15 meters long and its surface was elastic for some reason.
There were several wizards standing beside him, including the tall slim man. His long sharp ears were eye-catching. He was standing at the right side of Angele.
The man was talking to a young female wizard using energy particles. The female wizard was very polite to him. It seemed like she was just answering the questions that he had asked.
"Three airships. Ten wizards on each airship. You're looking at the captain of our boat, master Baron." A deep male voice came from the left side.
Angele turned to the left quickly.
It was a middle-aged man with a long white beard. The man was about two meters away from him.
The man had a gentle smile on his face. He was wearing a thick white coat with a cloak on the back. His messy brown hair looked like a bird's nest.
"Master Baron?" Angele repeated the name twice. "Is he stubborn? I'm just judging him by the serious expression on his face."
"Stubborn? No, not just stubborn. The man's mind is dead, he won't accept any change." The man shook his head and communicated with Angele using energy particles.
"My name is Perry. I think we can be friends." He smiled at Angele and stopped using energy particles to communicate. "This trip is dangerous and not many wizards will survive it. We need to help each other so the chances of us making it to the other side will be higher, don't you think so?"
Angele glanced around. There were two other light wizards standing by the railings. One was male and the other was female.
Blue light dots flashed in front of his eyes.
'Scanning the mentality waves…'
Rows of data were displayed beside the three people in Angele's sight.
He looked at Perry first.
'Wizard. Weak force field. Breaking the forcefield for detailed information.'
The female wizard also did not reach the Gas stage, but the male one was at the Gas stage. However, Zero could not provide details due to the force shield. Nevertheless, he acquired the basic information by analyzing the mentality waves they were releasing.
"Nice to meet you." Angele put his right hand over the chest politely.
"Nice to meet you, too." Perry smiled. "Why don't you come have a chat with us? If you have time."
"For sure, thanks."
The two walked to the two light wizards.
They were chatting about how to increase the spell casting speed. They stopped talking as they saw Angele walking to them.
"Coach." The female wizard slightly nodded.
"I'm Nopel." The male wizard introduced himself as well.
Perry introduced Angele to them and the four wizards started chatting about simple spell models by the railings. They also exchanged information about the trip.
Angele was glancing toward the other wizards on the deck as they chatted.
The captain named Baron was still chatting with the female wizard.
There was also a couple on the opposite side that were communicating using energy particles.
The number did not add up to 10. Some might have already gone back to the cabins.
"Master Perry, I have a question, what if the airship is destroyed by some strong creature? Even the wizards can't survive a height like this," Coach asked in a low voice. "Sorry, I really don't know too much about those things. I just broke the limit about 40 years ago.
Coach was wearing a long white robe and a v-neck shirt, revealing her charming breast. Although the lady had an average-looking face, her sexy body was still eye-catching. Most of the female wizards would modify their bodies to fit their needs after breaking through, especially the light wizards. Dark wizards, on the other hand, would rather spend the time learning high-damage spells.
Perry smiled. "Don't worry about it. The envelopes were built with the best materials you can find in Nola and they are enhanced with multiple spells. Even the beaks of the strongest eagles can't penetrate them."
Perry looked like a gentleman with a handsome face. His long white beard made him look like a leader of a noble family.
"However, we still need to be careful if the Cloud Bees attack us," Nopel interrupted. "The envelopes will be fine, but we need to stay alert."
"Cloud Bees? What are those?" Angele had never heard of such creature.
"Let me explain." Perry turned to him. "There are five dangerous points during our trip. The Cloud Bees are the first one. They usually hunt birds in the sky and they appear in groups. A Cloud Bee is about two meters tall and one meter wide. They will attack with freezing breath and sonic waves. Cloud Bees are horrifying. It was created by the ancient wizards using the power from other realms by accident."
"Wait, there are five dangerous points? Is this the best route?" Nopel scrunched his eyebrows.
"Yes. This is already the safest route. You'll meet the vipers on most of the other routes. Trust me, you don't want to meet any of them," Perry explained in a light tone.
"The vipers…" Coach and Perry gasped at the same time.
Angele's expression turned serious as well.
"You mean the ones that live in the acid swamps on the mountains? They have black scales and they have only one eye on their foreheads."
"You're correct. That's the viper we're talking about." Perry nodded. "I read it on a book in my family library. They changed the route once and encountered a whole group of vipers. The viper had the size of a boat and its talent ability was to poison everything within its range. It's like firing countless acid bombs at you. Good thing is that they retreated successfully without anyone getting hurt. After that, the route has then been restricted to the one we're using now."
"They can wipe out the whole team easily, I believe." Angele nodded slightly.
His silver string strike could deal about 67 degrees of damage to one target and his defensive shield could take about 60 degrees of damage. Angele survived the fight against the Crystal stage wizard named Olive back in the forest and he injured the old man severely with the signet. He would lose the fight if he did not activate the signet at the right time. The amount of mentality and mana the Crystal stage wizards had was unbelievable.
The petrification caught Olive off guard. The old man had to use the energy particles to stop his body from being petrified. He did not even cast a level 2 spell yet. Angele doubted if a fully activated signet could help him win the fight.
He did not want the people from Dark Wizard Tower to find out about his secret, so he deactivated the signet quickly. The signet still had many limitations and the great harpy was losing its power. Entering the Nightmare Realm consumed the energy of the ancient bloodline.
"The vipers won't be a problem to us for now, but we need to prepare for the fight against the Cloud Bees," Perry advised. "One Cloud Bee by itself is weak but a whole swarm of Cloud Bees will be a huge problem. Those creatures also have the advantage since we're not familiar with the sky."
Coach took out a crystal orb from one of her pouches and threw it in the air.
*CHI*
The crystal orb floated in the air and started spinning, creating a light screen in front of the four.
A map with a twisted route marked on it slowly appeared in the image.
Most areas on the map were white. Snow covered most of the trees. The route in the center was flashing and there were five black dots on it. Tiny characters were written beside each of the black dots.