Chapter 1237: Section 1238: Youthful Appearance
Come in haste and leave in haste. Angel had wanted to ask about Madeline’s subsequent arrangements and when she planned to return to the Southern Domain, but all Madeline did was toss out a sentence that she would spend a few years researching the Black Thorn of Thorn Ridge and wouldn’t return anytime soon before her figure had already disappeared from sight.
She didn’t say anything more, nor did she express any surprise at Angel’s appearance here, nor did she bother to inquire about how Angel came to know Greerwu.
There were many things occupying her mind; with her own affairs not yet settled, there was no need to be curious about others’ matters.
“Shopkeeper, who is that crazy woman…” Only after Madeline had completely vanished, did Greerwu emerge from behind him, trembling as he asked.
“A very distinctive witch,” Angel said softly.
“Distinctive?” Greerwu seemed somewhat puzzled.
“Anyway, it was all a misunderstanding, and now that it has been resolved, let it be. Come on, I’ll take you into Ice Valley,” Angel turned and began walking toward Ice Valley.
Though Greerwu still harbored some resentment in his heart, since the shopkeeper had spoken thus, he could only choke down the injustice he felt.
Guiding Greerwu through the wind and snow, they entered the depths of Ice Valley.
Odeclass still hadn’t emerged from his seclusion; however, Angel had more or less figured out his attitude. As long as outsiders who entered Ice Valley didn’t provoke him, Odeclass always turned a blind eye.
Just like with Popota, Odeclass completely treated him like air.
It was precisely because of this temperament that Angel dared to bring Greerwu in. Still, since it was Odeclass’s territory, Angel cautioned Greerwu not to run around recklessly.
Angel led Greerwu all the way to the temporary residence area.
Confronted with the ice crystal palace, Greerwu obviously felt uncomfortable; after all, ice and fire struggled to coexist. It was only after transforming from his true form to a human-like one did he begin to feel a bit better.
“Have you settled things with Aoluxiya?” Angel asked casually upon entering the house, initially only expecting a yes or no answer. Greerwu, however, spilled the beans about everything that had happened over the past half-month, big and small.
Aoluxiya had now obtained a body, found in a branch of the Demon Monastery.
The body seemed to have been sleeping for many years, guarded by a Sheep Demon. Aoluxiya killed the Sheep Demon and then took over the body.
However, there seemed to be something peculiar about the body; Aoluxiya had to spend a considerable amount of time every day on spirit and flesh integration, so much so that he spent most of his time in slumber, only awakening for a short while each day.
Since there were no other threats near the Demon Monastery, Aoluxiya, seeing that Greerwu was bored to tears, told him that he didn’t need to stay by his side all the time and could go out for a stroll.
Currently, Aoluxiya had indeed recovered some strength and had contacted some of his former subordinates through covert channels.
“…I thought that Lord Aoluxiya wouldn’t encounter any more accidents, so I came to look for you,” Greerwu said, then suddenly looked at Angel with an intense gaze.
Angel had been pondering the “Sheep Demon” and “branch of the Demon Monastery” mentioned by Greerwu, which sounded oddly familiar—could it be the Sheep Demon that had chased after Sinafa before? But the moment he turned around, he met Greerwu’s burning eyes.
Angel immediately understood that Greerwu intended to cut to the chase.
Angel had intended to ask about the Demon Monastery, but after a second thought, decided to let it go. After all, he had firmly resolved not to entangle himself with Aoluxiya anymore.
“Shopkeeper, you promised me last time… a trial experience,” Greerwu’s eyes shone with eagerness.
Angel took out the Ocean Rhythm from his bracelet; Greerwu’s eyes lit up even more upon seeing this.
Seeing his reaction, Angel let out a soft sigh: “Actually, what Aoluxiya told you before wasn’t wrong. The trial experience is only beneficial for water system beings. If you use it, it could quite possibly do you harm.”
“Are you sure you want to use it?”
Greerwu hesitated for a moment but still nodded: “I understand, but I still want to try it.”
Having spent some time together, Angel actually understood that, although Greerwu might be a bit foolish, it had its own logic to its actions. Moreover, even though Greerwu appeared to be a little boy, he was, in terms of age, many times older than Angel. Perhaps because of his young demon form, his mentality was not fully matured, but time had already granted him independent thinking and discernment abilities.
Since Greerwu was set on using it, Angel didn’t plan to stop him.
After all, at most, it would only cause harm, and furthermore, Angel had promised Greerwu he would let him participate in the trial experience and naturally wouldn’t go back on his word.
“Are you ready?”
Angel looked at Greerwu, who appeared determined, and then activated the Ocean Rhythm. A faint blue light flashed, and Greerwu slowly closed his eyes.
Angel stood by silently watching.
Greerwu, like all other trial participants, behaved differently. At first, his facial expression was calm, but it quickly changed as his entire body began to tremble, and his expression twisted in pain.
The muscles and bones in his body twitched continuously, and his complexion gradually turned pale.
It seemed as if he was enduring some immense agony.
As time trickled by, Greerwu had already been in the illusion for nearly three minutes. At the same time, Greerwu’s transformation became even more apparent, flames began seeping out of his body.
Before long, Greerwu had utterly turned into a fiery figure.
Maintaining the “fiery figure” pose for roughly two minutes, Angel began to wonder whether to forcibly awaken Greerwu. However, before he could act, a slight change seemed to occur in the facial features of Greerwu within the flames.
Angel was startled for a moment, feeling as though Greerwu’s small stature had seemingly stretched a little in the flickering illusion.
Angel thought he was mistaken, so he rubbed his eyes and looked closely. In the roaring flames, the figure inside had clearly grown significantly taller, and that delicate and adorable boyish face was also undergoing metamorphosis.
It transformed into the visage of a youth hinting at sharpness, brimming with a cutting energy. Handsome and compelling, with full resolve.
Especially those upward slanting eyebrows, which were now burning with an orange-red fierce flame, looking overwhelmingly powerful.
“Did he really… grow up?” Angel watched the youth in the flames with surprise and doubt. Was this what Greerwu would look like when he was older?
Could the Ocean Rhythms actually accelerate the maturation of fire-related life? Angel’s face was full of confusion. As an alchemist, how could he not be aware of such a function?
Another minute passed.
The flames gradually dissipated, and to Angel’s surprise, the youth in the fire began to shrink at a visible rate. When the flames had completely vanished, Greerwu had once again reverted to his boyish appearance.
Then, Greerwu opened his eyes.
Angel was about to inquire about Greerwu’s condition when, upon opening his eyes, Greerwu’s pupils looked lifeless, his body swayed, and then he collapsed on the ground, unconscious.
Angel immediately went forward to check on Greerwu and found that his breath was disordered, his complexion pale, and his whole body burning hot.
Just as he was worried that there was something wrong with Greerwu’s organs, he heard a faint snoring sound coming from Greerwu’s nostrils.
Angel: “…” Was he simply asleep?
Greerwu slept through what seemed like an eternal night; by the time he awoke, it was already the next day.
Greerwu felt as if his body had been hollowed out, his limbs were sore and swollen, and he was extremely weak. Just making a movement, he couldn’t help but gasp in pain.
“This is the consequence of your forced participation in the experience journey,” a faint voice reached Greerwu’s ears. Looking up, he saw the shopkeeper sitting not far away, playing with a fire-red orb in his hand.
“Shopkeeper,” Greerwu greeted, with a somewhat hoarse voice.
Angel casually tossed the orb in his hand to Greerwu, “This is all I have left, make do with it.”
Greerwu took a look and saw that it was a fragment of the Fire Transmission Stone, containing some fire energy. For witches, it couldn’t be used directly, as the fire energy was full of the Abyss’s violence and chaos. But for Greerwu, he could directly use it to replenish his depleted energy.
“Thank you.” After crushing the Fire Transmission Stone fragment and absorbing the fire energy into his body, Greerwu finally felt a bit more comfortable.
“So, did you gain anything from this experience journey?” Angel asked, seeing that Greerwu had regained a bit of strength.
Greerwu pondered for a moment and nodded firmly.
Back on the Continent of Yuantan, Greerwu had absorbed part of the Demon God’s True Spirit’s power, and he had vaguely felt as if a certain inner power was being leveraged.
Greerwu immediately deduced that this hidden power within might just be the key to the “maturation” he’d been searching for.
Next, Greerwu tried every possible way to release that power, but although he could sense it, he couldn’t quite mobilize it.
During his time at the Demon Monastery, he racked his brains for a long time without an answer, eventually deciding to seek out the shopkeeper for the experience journey.
Having witnessed the marvels of the experience journey in Lassudral, Greerwu was intensely curious about it. Even if it turned out, as Lord Aoluxiya said, that the experience journey might not be of much benefit to him, Greerwu decided to try it anyway, to see if using the contradictory Water Element could reverse trigger that hidden force within him.
Listening to Greerwu’s account, Angel couldn’t help but recall the youth he had seen in the fire.
“It seems you’ve succeeded.”
Greerwu nodded somewhat sheepishly, “I only sensed that hidden power for a moment. Although I haven’t truly mobilized it yet, I feel that I won’t be too far off from that day.”
“Then keep working hard,” Angel said with a smile, patting Greerwu on the shoulder—a pat that sent Greerwu tumbling to the ground.
“Ouch, ouch—” Greerwu gasped in pain, crying out repeatedly.
Although Greerwu had found the answer he’d been seeking, the price paid was the internal injuries he now bore.