Angor encountered more than one group of apprentices and wizards, who meant to stop “visitors” from going to the city. They were all from different organizations other than Sleepless City. Even someone from Brute Cavern was among them.
They all spoke of the same phrase—”Danger ahead, do not approach.”
Anyone who at least learned about the incident could see what these people were up to. Even so, Angor did not meet with any real threat. The moment they saw Sunders, all the lookouts moved as far away from Toby as possible.
Toby proceeded smoothly until they reached the inner city. There were several dozen people waiting at a plaza area. Despite the smaller number, these people were the “main force” who might solve the problem, compared to the wandering apprentices outside.
Toby touched down and began to circle around Sunders while tweeting anxiously—he knew Sunders was the “man in charge” if they wished to rescue Greya.
Sunders waved the bird away impatiently like chasing a fly.
Toby returned to Angor’s shoulder with a sad look and huddled against Angor’s neck.
Angor comforted Toby gently and followed behind Sunders closely.
“Are we going to enter that place, professor?” Angor glanced at the giant, gloomy barrier that had covered the outer city. He already sensed nightmare energy coming from it.
This was not all. There was another energy signature that confused him for good.
The particular energy of a Mystery item.
Different Mystery items might have different properties. However, anyone who interacted with Mystery items before could always recognize the unparalleled feel of it, either good or bad.
And no matter what the item was intended for, it was always something that couldn’t be comprehended and did not blend in with the rules of this world.
The other wizards here had no problem telling that a Mystery item was nearby because of the “mysterious and incomprehensible power”. Yet Angor was different. As someone who almost created one such item, there was more information that he could tell from the energy.
He didn’t know why, but he felt something familiar mixed within the Mystery energy. Also, the energy was apparently more powerful compared to the strange energy that gathered outside Dark Castle. Here, it was even able to travel through the “dome barrier” and could be sensed all the way out here.
“Not now. We’re talking to Filo first,” said Sunders.
Filo was a wizard from Brute Cavern who was stationed at Sleepless City, and the one who sent the message about the incident.
Angor wondered whether he should tell what he felt to Sunders.
“Sir, there’s something about this Mystery energy—”
Immediately, the wizards around them pricked up their ears to listen.
Angor thought about using Voice Transmission spell instead, but he believed wizards had many ways to listen in.
Sunders quickly established a Spirit Bond between them. This was a safer approach compared to Angor’s cantrip. If anyone were to invade their “connection”, Sunders would be able to notice it.
The other wizards frowned at Sunders’ attempt.
To common apprentices, Angor’s story in which he almost crafted a Mystery item was a big joke. Wizards, however, had more means of ascertaining the info they wished to learn. And they knew that the rumor was very likely to be true.
This was why they wanted to hear what this young alchemist had to say about the matter as it might help them to find the Mystery item easier.
But it seemed that Sunders would disagree.
“Don’t mind them. These people know you meant business, so they’ll pay close attention to your words,” Sunders mentally sent his message through the Spirit Bond spell.
Angor nodded and explained his idea while maintaining his poker face in front of others.
“You sensed a Mystery spirit like last time?” Sunders held his chin and pondered. “When I got Filo’s message, I thought he was referring to the harp. But now... it might not be the case anymore. Perhaps there is a brand new Mystery item that we don’t know about.”
Angor hesitated before voicing his opinion, “... I don’t think so.”
Sunders stopped walking and waited for Angor to finish.
“I don’t know... It’s just, a hunch, but I can’t put it into words.”
“Perhaps your ‘hunch’ is correct.”
This was about the Nightmare Realm, and Sunders would trust Angor’s instinct.
He doesn’t think so, which means the source of the Mystery energy is not a new Mystery item? What then?
And what does it have to do with a nightmare tunnel? Is there a more powerful nightmare monster who came and brought a treasure to the wizarding world?
A group of wizards, including several individuals who displayed the mighty aura of truth-finders, moved to greet Sunders.
While minding his manners, Sunders introduced these people to Angor through their Spirit Bond.
“Manbo Chuko from Tower of Hurricane, Tulouch from Utopi Academy, Veanne of Foreboding Forest, ‘Evil Dragon’ Harris from Edge of Night...”
Most of the wizards except for those who knew Sunders well only showed minimal courtesy. During this, Angor heard the different names of at least a dozen wizard organizations, including both major and smaller ones.
It had only been two days since the darkness descended upon Sleepless City. Since the message indicating the presence of a Mystery item was spread out, there were probably more wizards on their way here.
However, not everyone was interested in the item.
“We met so soon, Mister Phantom.” An old man approached them and said, “I was planning to invite you to Sleepless City and hopefully learn something about that Travel In Dreamland of yours!”
Angor looked at the black-robed figure who had a long white beard that reached all the way to his chest.
“If you wish to learn the content,” replied Sunders, “I can always create a copy and trade with you.”
Angor wondered if this stranger also attended Sky Auction.
“This is ‘Lord of Evernight’ Qetesh, one of the three controllers of Sleepless City,” Sunders spoke through Spirit Bond again while dealing with Qetesh at the same time. “He’s been to the Nightmare Realm before. Guess he smelled some clues already.”
As expected, Qetesh tried to divert the topic and find out whether Sunders came for the Mystery item or the nightmare tunnel.
Sunders perfectly dodged all the questions and brushed Qetesh away.
“While it is true that a Mystery item will attract countless wizards, a tunnel to Nightmare Realm is even more so,” Sunders told Angor. “I think the presence of a tunnel is not known by most people yet. Otherwise, we’ll be seeing way more people here.
“One of the many reasons why only a few people entered the Nightmare Realm before is that each time a tunnel appears, it only remains open for a short period of time.”
Sunders glanced toward the outer city and wondered whether his assumption was true. Only a nightmare tunnel could explain the unstable dimensional energy lurking around Sleepless City.
Yet something told him that the situation was more complicated.
...
Filo was floating in the sky while gazing intensively at the outer city with a hungry look.
“Mister Phantom.” He saw Sunders coming and landed on the ground.
“Tell me what happened when you were inside. What is making this place so volatile?” Sunders asked.
Filo glanced at Angor and frowned.
Since Sunders did not say anything, Filo explained, “The darkness started from the tip of the Eternal Radiance barrier and spread from there. It didn’t take very long for the abnormality to cover up the entire outer city. I heard... music. It was nothing special at first, but then it began to create a mental corruption that enlarged people’s desire and dark thoughts.
“Next, by uniting everyone’s strength, we opened up a plane passageway and escaped. Just after we got to safety, the source of the darkness, which is a black vortex, started to spin faster and faster until it completely destroyed the balance of space around here. Nobody can use plane passageways to travel around now.”
Most of Filo’s description was already known by others after some people got the message out. Sunders wished to learn what details Filo might have overlooked and maybe figure out what happened after the survivors escaped from the darkness.