Chapter 2702: Chapter 2703: Revealing the True Body

After revealing the logos on the gloves and the pendant, Angel’s entire story was more or less complete.

However, for the sake of rigor, Angel added: "All of the above are deductions I’ve made based on the clues I’ve found, and whether or not this is the case still requires the Wood Spirit to explain itself."

After speaking, Angel knocked on the vine on his staff again, indicating it should say a few words.

However, the Wood Spirit remained in a state of pretending to be dead.

Angel said: "Think about it, clearly it’s your own little crown, clearly it’s a beautiful pendant worn on your body, yet it was snatched by the Ghosteye Witch. Doesn’t it bother you?"

The Wood Spirit trembled slightly, but then calmed down.

Angel continued: "Do you know, when I saw that Ghosteye Witch, it placed the pendant in the most conspicuous position on its body, making it the most eye-catching existence among all Ghosteye Witches? It was a sight at first glance, and at the same time, that beautiful pendant could be seen at first glance. Though a Ghosteye Witch, it was unusually beautiful; with the pendant, it was beyond compare..."

The more Angel praised the Ghosteye Witch, the more violently the vine trembled, though the Wood Spirit still remained silent.

But the Wood Spirit expressed its weak protest in another way.

It extended a slender vine, spelling out a word on the table—"Mine."

Perhaps to strengthen its tone, the Wood Spirit let three buds with a faint glow sprout at the end of the vine, like three exclamation marks.

The expression of words was full of mystery. If viewed simply from the word on the table, "Mine!!!", one might feel how domineering the Wood Spirit was.

But in reality, it still left everyone at a loss for words.

However, the Wood Spirit dared to respond in writing, which was already considered a kind of progress.

Taking advantage of the situation, Angel said: "I know this pendant is yours, the crown is also yours, everything is yours. But now I want you to answer: is there a discrepancy between the story I just told and the facts?"

In Angel’s view, any life form actually faces some degree of dilemma. This dilemma could be survival, inferiority, environment, social interaction... etc. Some of these dilemmas are inherent to the species and are insurmountable; but more are spiritual, and they can be overcome.

Once the first breakthrough is made, the second one becomes relatively easy.

This is also what Angel expected from the Wood Spirit.

Since the Wood Spirit had expressed itself in writing for the first time, the second time should follow naturally, right?

Angel looked at the Wood Spirit enthusiastically, but he still underestimated its character flaw. Time passed second by second... two minutes later, the Wood Spirit still gave no feedback.

Instead, the "Mine!!!" on the table slowly retracted.

Just as the vine was about to coil back around the staff, Angel seized the end of the vine: "Don’t forget our agreement."

The so-called agreement, of course, was for the Wood Spirit to meet its "master," Sanders.

Although Angel mentioned the agreement, he said nothing, it seemed like a simple, emotionless statement, but the Wood Spirit heard the threat within.

After hesitating for a long time, the Wood Spirit reluctantly extended the vine again, spelling out a word on the table: "Discrepancy."

"Discrepancy? Where’s the difference?" Angel continued to ask.

Perhaps the threat was still effective; the Wood Spirit hesitated for a moment but still continued to answer. However, the Wood Spirit seemed very dissatisfied with Angel’s threat, and its answers always came out word by word.

After a long time, Angel finally pieced together where the so-called "discrepancy" was.

Actually, the story Angel recounted was already almost complete. However, there were some differences in detail: the crown and the engraved pendant had indeed been snatched by the beauty-seeking Ghosteye Witch. But the Ghosteye Witch looked down on the remaining two rings, so it didn’t take them. It wasn’t as Angel described, taking them and then discarding them.

To the Wood Spirit at the time, the remaining two rings were naturally treasured. For this reason, the Wood Spirit gathered the courage to shift to a hiding place.

But unfortunately, there were too many Ghosteye Witches in that area. Later, the Wood Spirit encountered another Ghosteye Witch, and perhaps that Ghosteye Witch wanted to please the beauty-loving Ghosteye Witch, so it took another ring from it.

Now, the Wood Spirit had only one ring left.

Treasured possessions were snatched away, but upon reflection, the Wood Spirit finally resolved to leave. As a result, it encountered Cicia...

The whole story was summarized like this. To others, it sounded almost identical to Angel’s speculation. However, to the Wood Spirit, the difference was huge, after all, it was the one involved, and the four lost ornaments were its heart’s treasures.

The Wood Spirit recounted its experience word by word using the vine, and seeing that Angel had no further inquiries, it immediately shrank back onto the staff, once again serving as the entwined vine decoration.

Angel lifted his head and looked at the wise sovereign opposite him: "Now the story is clear, I don’t have foresight. I collected these ornaments only because of my mentor; initially, I didn’t even think they were related to the Wood Spirit. But later, when I got the last silver ring from Miss Cicia and compared it with the other silver rings, only then did I make the connection. I guessed that they all belonged to the Wood Spirit."

"At the same time, I had another guess."

Angel didn’t state his other guess, but the wise sovereign spoke up: "The Wood Spirit emerged from the staff, and the staff belonged to your mentor."

Angel nodded: "That’s right."

The wise sovereign fell into thought, as this matter, in his view, was just too coincidental. But after the Wood Spirit’s account and Angel’s review, the logic within indeed held up.

Most importantly, if it really wasn’t a coincidence, then this would be at least a hundred-year-long arrangement, even considering the birth spirit, the beauty-seeking Ghosteye Witch... and so on.

A hundred-year arrangement isn’t a difficult feat. But accomplishing such a thing certainly requires support from a powerful Prophet Wizard. Among today’s Southern Domain Wizards, probably only "Immortal Coronastar" Lapuye and "The Judge of Olden Days" Hastar could manage it.

But what reason would such high-level Prophet Wizards have to arrange this here?

As the wise sovereign’s thoughts grew ever deeper, Angel spoke: "Does the wise sovereign find it very coincidental? I do too. Who would have thought that hundreds of years ago, my then-apprentice mentor, on his first visit to the underground aqueduct ruins, would face the pursuit of Ghosteye Witches and lose his staff."

Angel intentionally mentioned that when his mentor lost the staff, he was an "apprentice."

What kind of arrangement could an apprentice make, what kind of energy could he harness to affect developments hundreds of years later?

Moreover, Angel also mentioned the loss of the staff was due to the pursuit by Ghosteye Witches.

And who nurtured those Ghosteye Witches there? ... The wise sovereign himself.

So, if it were to be called a coincidence, the wise sovereign should be counted in too.

"Even more coincidental, the staff actually birthed a spiritual body." Angel sighed: "All of this is indeed very coincidental, but it really is just coincidence."

The wise sovereign understood Angel’s meaning. He looked up at Angel: "All the coincidences you mentioned, I can believe they are coincidences. However, your appearance here, I find it hard to believe is a coincidence."

Angel paused for a moment, then chuckled lightly: "Has the wise sovereign forgotten the first sentence I wrote in the True Words Tome? I am merely a guest, not a returning one."

Yet the wise sovereign simply stared quietly at Angel. Indeed, that sentence was in the True Words Tome, but Angel’s writing was ambiguous, leaving room for manipulation.

"I can provide a complete explanation for this question, but it doesn’t belong to these two questions." Angel said: "Shall we return to the two questions the wise sovereign initially inquired about?"

The wise sovereign did not refuse and nodded.

"Regarding the second question, how did I get the Wood Spirit to come with me? Now, I believe the Wise Sovereign should have the answer."

"The true form of the Wood Spirit is the staff my Mentor lost. I promised to take it to see my Mentor, and that’s why the Wood Spirit came with me."

The facts are laid out, and the Wise Sovereign had no objections. This is the logical truth.

"Now, let me answer the first question: How did I find the Wood Spirit?"

Angel: "I suppose I don’t need to answer that, right? I’m wearing the gloves my Mentor gave me, holding the staff exactly the same as my Mentor’s, and the staff body was crafted from the Wood Spirit’s derivatives. Naturally, the Wood Spirit would wonder upon seeing me."

"What I said before on the Void Road was not false. The Wood Spirit was indeed talking to me then. It reached out to me, and all I needed to do was explain the situation roughly."

From the entire process, things seem to be just as Angel described.

But there’s still a question that Angel hasn’t explained: "How did you know about the crossroads?"

Faced with the Wise Sovereign’s inquiry, Angel appeared helpless: "The crossroads being fishy was something the Sovereign only reminded me of; I had no idea at the time."

Under the Wise Sovereign’s suspicious gaze, Angel recounted how, upon entering the second level, the staff sensed two coordinate points.

And how he deduced from these two coordinate points that the Wood Spirit was at the crossroads.

"After the Wood Spirit contacted me, it suddenly fell silent. I guessed it had chickened out again, so I went to the place where the Wood Spirit most frequently appeared: the crossroads, and called for the Wood Spirit there."

"As for the trickery at the crossroads you mentioned, I was completely unaware."

After Angel finished speaking, to prove he wasn’t lying, he wrote directly in the True Words Tome: The trickery at the crossroads was something the Wise Sovereign reminded me of; I was completely unaware before that.

The words didn’t disappear, indicating that Angel was speaking the truth.

By deliberately writing this sentence, he clearly had an underlying intention...

The Wise Sovereign understood this, realizing that Angel was not only self-validating but also hinting at him not to overthink things. Many times, the answer is just that simple, and overcomplicating it is one’s own problem.

The Wise Sovereign looked at the words in the True Words Tome, remaining silent.

Even if Angel hadn’t written it down, he would have believed it. Because it matched Angel’s various strange behaviors after reaching the second floor, such as heading into the void riddled with spatial rifts and only pursuing two points, all orchestrated by the Wood Spirit behind the scenes.

Understanding this, the Wise Sovereign felt a rare embarrassment.

The area he was most concerned about turned out to be a complete misunderstanding. He had even imagined various secret dealings between Angel and the Goddess.

Now, with the truth laid bare in the True Words Tome, visible to all, the Wise Sovereign felt even more embarrassed.

He regretted using the True Words Tome; there were other methods he could have employed.

After a long silence, the Wise Sovereign finally composed himself to face Angel again: "I accept the answers to both questions. However, it seems you’ve left something out."

Angel sighed inwardly: Here it comes, here it comes, the moment of unmasking.

As expected, the next words from the Wise Sovereign were indeed about having Angel reveal the true identity, specifically his Mentor’s true identity.

"As the Wood Spirit’s teacher, I can respect its decision to see its former master. However, I need to know about him, assess the situation, before I can make a decision."

Angel wanted to say: The choice should be the Wood Spirit’s freedom.

However, considering the reality, this was impossible. In the Southern Domain Wizard World, achieving absolute freedom of choice was challenging; moreover, the Wood Spirit had significant personality flaws. In a sense, treating it like a patient in need of care and companionship was justified.

And the Wise Sovereign, having cared for and guided the Wood Spirit for centuries, indeed had the right to make decisions for it.

Understanding this, Angel chose not to argue with the Wise Sovereign on this point. However, the thought of being unmasked made him feel slightly complicated.

Under the Wise Sovereign’s gaze, Angel finally revealed his Mentor’s name.

– "Sanders Iguro."

The Wise Sovereign contemplated: "So it’s him..."

Angel: "Wise Sovereign, do you know my Mentor?"

Wise Sovereign: "Though it’s been some time since I went out, I still have channels for outside information. The Illusion Master and Southern Domain’s War God, as he’s called, has gained considerable fame in recent years. I’ve heard his techniques are uniquely his own; seeing your illusion techniques, they are indeed intriguing."

After a pause, the Wise Sovereign looked at Angel again: "However, in the information I’ve received, among Sanders’s students, the one inheriting his illusion techniques is an Official Wizard named Sumishe."

Since he’d already been exposed, Angel didn’t bother to hide anymore and said bluntly, "Sumishe is now a True Knowledge Wizard and can be considered my senior. I became my Mentor’s disciple only a few years ago."

"Do I need to formally introduce myself? I’m Angel Pat, from the Barbarian Cave."

Dox muttered nearby, "Rumor has it he was snatched up by His Excellency the Illusion Master."

Angel smiled without refuting. Everyone knew that anyway; explanations were unnecessary.

The Wise Sovereign’s focus wasn’t on Sanders snatching up Angel but rather that Angel had indeed only become a Transcendent in recent years... This kind of supernova was extremely rare, even millennia ago.

Leaving aside Angel’s uniqueness, speaking of his background in Barbarian Cave alone.

Now the Wise Sovereign understood why Angel had such a deep foundation, supported by such a massive entity. The Barbarian Cave, even millennia ago, was a super large Witcher Organization; even Naraku City’s foundation couldn’t compare. Because, Legendary Wizards birthed by Barbarian Cave were widespread across the Pan-Dimensional Plane; millennia ago, if you came from Barbarian Cave, you’d inevitably find a place in some Wizard-gathered world.

Even in today’s era where legends are fading, the Barbarian Cave remains a super large Witcher Organization.

Moreover, the spirit known millennia ago by countless people—the Book Elder—still exists, guarding the knowledge inheritance of the Barbarian Cave.

Hence, cultivating someone like Angel wasn’t surprising.

However, since Angel is from the Barbarian Cave, some previous speculations might indeed be incorrect.

Things like a century-long plot would be utterly impossible.

He was well aware of the Barbarian Cave’s situation centuries ago—a comprehensive Witcher Organization with strong representatives in three major structures, yet lacking two types: Gourmet Sorcerers and Prophet Wizards.

Without the strong backing of a Prophet Wizard to dispel mist and reduce variables, plotting for a century would be impossible.

Besides, the Barbarian Cave was far from here, and no core figures had traveled to the Underground Aqueduct for many years. If they harbored any covetous intentions toward Naraku City, the Wise Sovereign wouldn’t believe it.

The Barbarian Cave’s foundation far exceeded the underground aqueduct; having their own palatial hall, who would crave a shabby leaky hut?

The Wise Sovereign had resolved his confusion regarding the Wood Spirit, Sanders’s staff, and other questions.

But there remained one doubt, still persistent: Was Angel’s arrival truly, as he claimed, a coincidence?

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