Chapter 1038: Section 1039: Ukrainian and Polish
Baltica set down the Monument of the Strange Loop and remained expressionless, yet inside her, she was far from as calm as she appeared.
It had to be said, this second Monument of the Strange Loop was quite remarkable.
Due to certain rules and restrictions, Baltica could not leave the Land of Repose, and over the centuries, aside from her slumbers, most of her time was rather dull.
This Monument of the Strange Loop just happened to hit her weak spot; it was very intriguing and could completely alleviate the loneliness of her prolonged stay in the night.
Baltica cast a sidelong glance at Angel, her heart filled with some suspicion.
At first, she thought that having remembered the music box meant she had benefited, but now, having come to her senses, was it set up on purpose by this fellow in response to her interests?
She liked music, and the first thing he placed on top was music. After giving her a taste of sweetness, and satisfying her spiritually, he brought out the Monument of the Strange Loop to enrich her life.
Moreover, it was apparent that both the music box and the Monument of the Strange Loop, despite their ingenuity, were not particularly valuable items.
Any way she looked at it, it seemed like a deliberate arrangement, trying to win a chance to bargain with her using these clever trinkets.
However, Baltica did not inquire about it; the targeted giving by Angel was actually not displeasing to her. At least, from her heart, she felt that Angel was carefully preparing. Compared to that half-blood demon outside who tried to gain advantage through shamelessness, wanting to reap without sowing, she personally was very willing to accept someone trying to win with thoughtfulness.
She shifted her gaze to the third item, a ring depicting a serpent biting its own tail.
The first two items had already piqued her interest. Following Angel’s logic of risking little to gain much, this ring probably wasn’t some treasured trinket, either.
From a straightforward impression, all three ornaments did not seem too valuable, but the effect, as it turned out, was quite good. Therefore, Baltica felt a faint anticipation toward the third ring.
She wanted to see what other surprises Angel had prepared.
“This ring is called Ouroboros. It symbolizes eternity and immortality through the serpent biting its own tail,” Angel explained softly.
Indeed, the symbol of a serpent biting its tail often appears in Earth’s culture, but in fact, it is not uncommon in the Wizards’ Realm. Moreover, its imagery is closely related to Alchemy.
The serpent bites its own tail, creating a symbol in the minds of ancient alchemists of self-consumption, transforming oneself into a cyclical process. This feedback process is also a symbol of immortality and represents the concepts of cycles, eternity, and Samsara in Alchemy.
The ring appeared to be a delicate representation of the Ouroboros, but in fact… Angel designed it as an Ouroboros simply because he did not want to waste time thinking about the shape. If placed in the Wizards’ Realm, it was likely that alchemists would criticize him for lacking any sense of alchemical aesthetics.
“Heh,” Baltica chuckled softly, not making any comment on Angel’s explanation and proceeded to activate the ring.
While Baltica was testing the Ouroboros, Angel was quite nervous. The first two ornaments were indeed just clever trinkets that even if they were made known, they would not attract much attention.
But this third item, the Ouroboros, was different.
It was the Alchemical Illusion that Sanders had once strictly ordered him not to divulge, as it contained—mysterious artifacts!
Sanders worried that if the Wizards’ Realm discovered the “enlightening” effect of these mysterious artifacts, Angel would not be able to live in peace.
When Greya had created laws, mysterious artifacts had played a part in aiding her, although the main reason was still that Greya’s accumulation had been sufficient.
Sanders himself had used mysterious artifacts too and had created several interesting tricks as a result.
This spoke to the powerful “enlightening” effect of the mysterious artifacts.
Especially for those wizards with a richer accumulation of knowledge, broader experience, and deeper insights—the impact of these mysterious artifacts was even stronger.
Therefore, Sanders instructed Angel not to disclose such Alchemical Illusions until he reached a level of power where he had “a certain degree of influence” within the Wizards’ Realm.
Now, the very reason he offered it to Baltica was because he genuinely did not know what else could move her.
He thought that since Baltica was not of the Wizards’ Realm, trading the Ouroboros with her was harmless. He hadn’t said that these three alchemical ornaments came from his own hand, and if Baltica inquired, he could deflect by claiming they were made by someone else and came into his possession by chance.
There was another point; Sanders had once said that before the entity slumbering in the depths of that sea awoke, Baltica would not leave the Land of Repose.
As long as she did not leave the Land of Repose, the matter regarding the mysterious artifacts, even if it did reach the Wizards’ Realm, could be a distant issue. By then, perhaps his power would have reached that of an Official Wizard, strong enough to handle the consequences brought by the mysterious artifacts.
Angel’s thoughts were spinning rapidly, but suddenly, he heard a stir from Baltica across from him.
He saw that Baltica had already exited the Alchemical Illusion and had placed the ring back on the table.
“`
Of the three alchemy ornaments, this was the one that took Baltica the least amount of time, probably not even five minutes.
Her expression was very calm, and Angel could not discern any clues from her demeanor.
Could it be that she did not like the Ouroboros? Or perhaps, non-wizard extraordinary beings had no feelings for mystical artifacts?
Angel’s brows were tightly furrowed, and in those brief seconds, he had already begun to wonder if Baltica didn’t take a liking to the Ouroboros, did he have anything else to trade with her?
If nothing else worked, he still had the Ocean Rhythm. After all, he could not cut off his right hand, nor could he hand over Toby.
While Angel was having various thoughts, what he did not know was that Baltica inside was already experiencing tremendous upheavals.
For Baltica, the first two ornaments were intriguing items to alleviate her boredom, and she liked them very much, even thinking that if the third one could also please her, she wouldn’t mind giving Angel a chance to trade.
But who would have known, what she thought would be another similarly intriguing curio turned out to be a thunderous revelation.
The Ouroboros was not on the same level as the first two items! If the crystal harp and the Monument of the Strange Loop were like little demons, then the Ouroboros was on the level of a Demon God.
The Ouroboros brought Baltica an immense shock; she had lived for many years, and she had experienced countless times the edge of life and death, developing an almost prescient “sense of foreboding.”
When she activated the Ouroboros and perceived an odd concept within it, Baltica had a thought: if she fully grasped this odd concept, it would be of tremendous help to her! Even, it could take her a step further!
Having stayed in the Land of Repose for so long, her powers had improved extremely slowly, but this strange concept could take her to the next level, and that astonished her.
She had actually already decided to make this deal with Angel; the reason she kept a calm facade was actually to gain more benefits from this trade—
“These three trinkets are quite interesting, full of cunning, it seems you came specifically for me.” Baltica said with a smile, her words laced with a playful complaint, and coupled with her extremely beautiful voice, it also made Angel’s heart waver.
Angel now understood why Sanders once said, Baltica was a more charming existence than a Succubus. Her every move was elegant, her looks conveying allure, and her voice, coy and flirtatious, showcased her unique charm in every aspect.
“Music soothes my defenses, games relieve my boredom, and this…” Baltica picked up the serpent-biting-tail ring, shaking it between her fingers: “this piques my curiosity to explore.”
“Each one is very targeted, making me quite fond of them.”
Angel finally regained his senses from that beautiful voice. When Baltica said they were targeted, it wasn’t really wrong. He had already planned what to do on his way to the Land of Repose, though targeting specifically wasn’t his intention, as all three ornaments were previously crafted by him.
If he had indeed targeted her, Angel would certainly have crafted a new one related to the Land of Repose or Baltica – an Alchemical Illusion.
“I am very honored that Miss Baltica likes them,” Angel responded softly, pausing before adding, “Then, may I know if Miss Baltica is willing to make this trade with me?”
“I indeed like these three little ornaments, but they are just trinkets, after all…” Baltica paused here, while conjuring a captivating smile and gently exhaling a puff of smoke.
Her actions were simply an attempt to downgrade the value of the Ouroboros to the same level as the previous two. Then she could demand her next request: she would agree to the exchange only if she got all three together.
However, Angel hadn’t anticipated Baltica’s tactful moves. He was just pondering inwardly, wondering if mystical artifacts like these couldn’t win the favor of other extraordinary beings?
He struggled internally, wondering if he should switch to the Ocean Rhythm?
The Ocean Rhythm was a high-ranking creation praised by both the Tree Spirit and Lord Rhein. It could even be ranked among the top of its kind, and for trading, Baltica should be satisfied with it.
Thinking this, Angel reached out to collect the three ornaments, the first one he grabbed was the Ouroboros.
“If that’s the case, then I can only…”
Angel was about to take the Ouroboros back, when Baltica suddenly grabbed it, clenching it in her palm.
With her brows tightly knit, Baltica thought, does this young man even know how to trade? I haven’t even started to negotiate the price, and he’s already ready to back out?
And he reached for the Ouroboros first.
Baltica already saw the Ouroboros as her own, how could she possibly let Angel take it back. Even if Angel now relented and said he would not trade, she would force the trade to be completed, if necessary.
With this in mind, Baltica decided not to play games anymore and said directly, “Okay, the deal is on!”
Baltica didn’t care about Angel’s expression and provocatively slid the Ouroboros onto her little finger.
Seeing how eager Baltica was, Angel could then understand Baltica’s intention.