Chapter 331 - 152: Master of Death
"The Ghost Soul School? Annoying bastards. If it was them, I’m not the least bit surprised they’d pull something like this..."
Just as Wei’en arrived at the base of the Transfer Area tower, he saw that the area was bustling with people—far more than the last time he had been here.
’Is the Blood Spirit School collecting corpses again?’
He scanned his surroundings and found Flanta in the crowd. ’His Origin is already at twenty-eight. Not bad progress.’
"Hiss... Fifty-one?"
"An Extraordinary from the Director’s Area..."
"Terrifying. He completely outclasses Extraordinaries like us whose Origin is only in the teens..."
Wei’en ignored the stares from the surrounding Extraordinaries, whose Origin values averaged around fifteen. That was only because he was holding back. If he revealed his true Origin, or went so far as to convert most of his basic attributes into it... he’d likely scare them to death.
With that thought, he walked straight over to Flanta.
"Long time no see."
"Y-Your Excellency Faceless?" Flanta stammered when he saw the number on Wei’en’s forehead. Two blurry black spheres bulged abruptly from his illusory face.
Wei’en said, "It’s me."
’With my current stats, I can justifiably accept his reverence.’
"Flanta, who is this...?" a nearby Blood Spirit School Wizard asked, looking at Wei’en with curiosity. Director-level Extraordinaries weren’t uncommon, but few were worthy of a Wizard’s notice.
"This doesn’t concern you. You’d better hurry up with the collection. Maybe you’ll manage to get one. Otherwise, when I get back..."
With that, Flanta turned to Wei’en. "His Excellency Faceless, please follow me."
"Alright."
Wei’en nodded and followed him toward the tower, asking as they walked, "Has anything major happened recently? Um, I mean, besides that incident with Caster."
"You’ve heard about it too?" Flanta was a bit surprised. He thought that with such a great increase in strength, His Excellency Faceless wouldn’t have had time to pay attention to outside events.
"Yes, very clearly."
’As one of the main figures in the incident, how could I not be aware?’
"Besides that, there is actually one other piece of news."
Flanta led him to the members of the Nightmare Sect. After paying one gold pound to enter the trade area, he finally spoke. "The date for the next gathering has been set."
Wei’en asked in confusion, "It hasn’t been long since the last gathering ended, right? Why is the next one starting so soon?"
"I don’t know the specific reason. The two upperclassmen who traded with you last time were the ones who notified me."
"When is it?"
"In five days," Flanta said, glancing at the number on Wei’en’s forehead from time to time. "However, the one from the Ghost Soul School announced the gathering’s theme in advance."
"What’s the theme?" Wei’en’s interest was piqued. He still remembered the last gathering’s theme was a discussion on Mutated Mages, including how to choose certain corruption-type characteristics.
"It’s magic-related. To be precise, it’s about the Elemental Magic, Blink Spell. Hmm... it also involves some knowledge of runology."
"The Blink Spell? Was that theme proposed by the Tren Mage?"
"Yes. I heard her research project has hit a bottleneck, and she hopes to find some solutions, or even just some new ideas, through the gathering."
Wei’en said thoughtfully, "Sounds like a task."
"My upperclassman said the same thing," Flanta agreed. "His exact words were, ’It has little to do with us. No Wizard in the Blood Spirit School would research Elemental Magic.’"
"Also, there was a little incident regarding this theme."
"Oh?"
"I hear the Spiritual Mystery School Wizards have already contacted the Ghost Soul School. They harshly criticized them for neglecting their duties and shamelessly dabbling in Elemental Magic. Isn’t that interesting?"
"Ah..." Wei’en rubbed his nose. "That is interesting, indeed."
’I suppose only the Ghost Soul School would get called out like that by the other schools.’
’After all, they’re the only ones who’ve managed to "borrow"—or rather, plagiarize—so much knowledge without being beaten to death for it...’
"Will you be attending?" Flanta said with a smile. "My two upperclassmen still hope to thank you in person."
"I’ll come if I have time." Wei’en didn’t turn him down. ’I still have a few days. I’ll see how my journey goes.’ "Is there any other news?"
Flanta thought for a moment. "The Heroic Saintess from the Dawn Church seems to have left the Eastern Continent. I heard she’s going to the Southern Continent to visit the Shadow School."
"The Southern Continent, the Shadow School?" Wei’en felt it sounded familiar and asked uncertainly, "Is this related to the intelligence that Wizard from the Shadow School was asking about last time?"
"There should be some connection, but I haven’t been able to verify it with anyone else. I’m not even sure if the Saintess has really left the Eastern Continent..."
Flanta chuckled sheepishly. "Besides these few items, everything else is just trivial."
"Alright," Wei’en didn’t press further. "Let’s trade. This time I only brought a few bottles of Aberration-Suppressing Potions. I’ll make other Magic Potions next time I have a chance."
"Aberration-Suppressing Potions? Are there any perfect-grade ones?" Flanta moved in close, his voice filled with excitement.
Wei’en smiled. "I was pretty lucky this time. There are seven perfect-grade and three fine-grade."
"S-seven bottles?"
"Is that too many?"
"No, not at all!" Flanta waved his hands and pleaded, "Please, you must trade them to me! I’ll need them by next year at the latest, so I have to prepare in advance..."
Wei’en nodded. "Alright. If it’s convenient for you, just trade me the materials for making the Aberration-Suppressing Potions. It’ll be a good chance to brew a few more bottles and see if my luck holds out."
"No problem! Leave the materials to me!"
The thought of even more perfect-grade Aberration-Suppressing Potions made Flanta’s heart pound with excitement. Even if he couldn’t use them all, he wouldn’t lose anything by reselling them.
In the Blood Spirit School, Aberration-Suppressing Potions were a currency even harder than gold pounds!
"Let’s sign the trade contract first," Wei’en said, looking up at the tower. "I want to go check out the Captain’s Area later. Which way is it?"
"The Captain’s Area? With your strength, you’re more than qualified for the Director’s Area..." Flanta said with no small amount of envy. "It’s just outside the tower; you just have to keep heading in the other direction. If my Origin wasn’t so low, I’d definitely lead the way for you."
"Don’t trouble yourself. I’ll go have a look on my own."
"Farewell, His Excellency Faceless."
Wei’en smiled, turned and left the tower, and walked toward the other side of it.
After a short while, he felt himself pass through a membrane, and the scene before his eyes changed in an instant.
’This place?!’
What appeared before Wei’en’s eyes were floating islands of various sizes.
These floating islands had different styles. Some were made entirely of metal, covered in traces of assembled gears, looking more like mechanical fortresses.
Some islands had magnificent golden palaces, just like what he had seen before in the Illusion Realm of the Spring of Dawn Faith—very beautiful and spectacular.
However, most were barren, like empty squares. Only some broken walls, crumbling ruins, and a few patches of overgrown plants attested to their former glory.
And Wei’en’s current position was below the floating islands, with a suspension bridge in front of him connecting to the nearest one.
"They’re beautiful, aren’t they?"
At that moment, a voice came from beside him.
"Yes."
Wei’en looked over and saw a dark figure completely shrouded in a black robe. "And spectacular."
It had to be said, compared to the tower from before, these floating islands were indeed more stunning to him.
Especially those islands that looked like mechanical fortresses. It was hard to imagine what allowed such behemoths to float.
"If I told you they all really existed once, would you find it even more incredible?" the dark figure asked, as if able to read his expression.
"Really existed?"
Wei’en was stunned for a moment. ’How much blood, sweat, and tears, and how much knowledge, would it take to create such terrifying machines?’
’Besides, if something like this truly existed, it’s not something the average person would ever get to see, right?’
"I said *if*, haha."
Wei’en: "...That’s not very funny."
"Sorry, sorry,"
The dark figure chuckled a few times before pointing at the floating islands. "Those are all illusions created by the Nightmare Sect. Don’t you dare associate them with reality. Someone once tried to build one..."
PS: Pleading for the guaranteed monthly tickets. After this Chapter, I’m now 13 Chapters behind.