Chapter 288: Gabriel
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
On the 79th level of Black Isotta.
As soon as Master Peranos opened the door he saw Grimm standing outside. Lowering his head, Grimm spoke in a trembling voice, “Master, I am in need of your help.”
Help?
“… Grimm, please come inside.”
After being momentarily stunned, Master Peranos invited Grimm into his living quarters. At the lobby, his wife Alice was combing Garnigel’s fur.
“Oh, It’s Grimm! Welcome. Have a seat.” Alice smiled kindly as she beckoned Grimm to their sofa.
After nodding politely to Alice, Grimm sat on the sofa opposite of Alice’s.
Garnigel stretched its body on Alice’s lap and asked, “So, what’s going on with you, Grimm? I thought you went out to find your dear little lover. Why are you back?”
Master Peranos sat next to Alice and gave Grimm a concerned look. “Grimm, it’s alright. Tell us. What happened? What can I do for you?”
Master Peranos knew something was off. Grimm was now a full-fledged Dark Sorcerer, and he knew how Grimm was an immensely independent sorcerer. Thus, it was unusual for him to come seeking aid like this.
Due to the long journey, Grimm was still gasping for air—trying to recover the Magic Power that he had used up on the way. As his body started to recover, various elements were starting to accumulate around him.
Seeing this, Garnigel realized it was a matter so urgent that Grimm had to hurry over.
Using all the breath he could muster, Grimm uttered his request through his dry lips, “It’s my wife Lefay. Hattori the Hidden, the Black Sorcerer who is currently being hunted by the Seven Rings, had implanted Symbiotic Insects in her. I need the academy to send out mission requests to seek out Hattori and have him extract the insects from my wife’s body.”
Pausing momentarily, Grimm continued on.
“I am willing to accept any of his conditions.”
Grimm had not revealed just how far he was willing to concede with Hattori.
Master Peranos’ wrinkled face twitched after hearing this. “Striking a deal with a Black Sorcerer? Grimm, are you sure?!”
“Please, Master! Please help me!”
Grimm lowered his head and started to beg.
Garnigel jumped off from Alice’s lap and landed on the tea table in front of them—its emerald eyes staring at Grimm. “Grimm, your request is unusually difficult. Due to the attention Hattori has drawn to himself, the Demon Hunter Consociation had issued a demon-hunting mission to deal with him!”
Demon Hunter Consociation?
Grimm suddenly realized something. Unlike the Bright Sorcerers, who had formed the Dawn Sages after the First Civilization War, the Dark Sorcerers only formed their demon-hunting organization after the Second Civilization War.
The Dawn Sages followed the mindset of the sorcerers during and before the First Civilization War—they would only expand from within and would not resort to conflict unless for self-defense.
As for Demon Hunters, they aimed to train sorcerers that were specialized in invading Foreign Worlds. The most famous and renown members were the Level 3 Reconnaissance Sorcerers.
Grimm’s eldest apprentice-sister Quiet Spring was one of the Demon Hunter Consociation.
The Demon Hunters Consociation usually assigned missions to Level 1 to Level 3 Demon Hunters at random; and through completing these missions repeatedly, the high achievers then got to join their ranks.
As for Grimm, even he had acquired the qualification to join them—as he had now acquired a Rank 3 Honor Badge.
Lowering his head, Grimm said determinedly, “No matter how difficult… I will do my best to save Lefay.”
“Hmph…”
Master Peranos coldly replied, “Grimm, so you’re determined to break the law of the Seven Rings and make dealings with a Black Sorcerer? Are you sure you won’t regret later?”
“Yes.”
Grimm’s determined eyes could be seen through his Mask of Truth. Master Peranos’ words did not shake his determination at all.
On the other hand, Master Peranos’ solemn face was now starting to loosen up. Looking at the water in a glass sitting on the tea table, he seemed to be recalling a memory from a distant past…
After a long while, Master Peranos stood up and patted Grimm’s shoulder. Then, to Grimm’s surprise, Peranos sighed. “As your teacher, I should warn you… no, stop you from doing this foolish act. To ensure you not leaving Black Isotta before Hattori dies. Well, that’s perhaps if it’s hundreds of years ago. Now…”
A short pause later, Master Peranos appeared to feel slight relief.
“Yet, as a Level 3 Great Sorcerer, I have this to say. Go, go out there and give it your all. Live your life to the fullest.”
Grimm’s eyes widened.
He realized what Master Peranos was trying to convey—he was now not the little Grimm who lived under the shadow of Quiet Spring anymore.
In his teachers’ eyes, he was already an independent sorcerer with great potential.
“Meow, Grimm. If one day you rank up as a Stigmata Sorcerer, I suppose you won’t have any issue dealing with your inner demons. You’ve got a good head on your shoulders.”
Garnigel scratched itself a while before continuing, “Regardless, after this whole thing passes, get prepared to stay in the Seven Rings Prison for a few hundred years. The Holy Tower will never let you off lightly after dealing with a Black Sorcerer.”
To atone and allow Lefay to live out her final decade in joy, a few hundred years off his lifespan was nothing to Grimm.
In the eyes of the wise and intelligent Dark Sorcerers, Grimm’s decision was utterly foolish.
In fact, even Grimm was still a little hesitant despite his iron-willed determination.
This would be an agonizing decision.
A good head on his shoulders?
After ranking up as a full-fledged sorcerer, Grimm had completely gotten used to the perspective of being a sorcerer. Indeed, he had the brains for it.
One minute… two minutes… three minutes…
After a total of fifteen minutes, Grimm raised his head and said, painfully and yet determinedly, “Yes, I’ve decided. This is the decision of my life!”
After saying it out loud, Grimm felt as if a heavy weight was lifted off of him.
It felt as though after a long and weary fight between the cells of his entire body with his soul. It couldn’t be helped—it was just an evolutionary process for them to lean towards the selfish route.
If Grimm was determined to proceed with this decision, it was almost certain that he would be imprisoned. It would then affect these cells severely in their evolutionary process. Thus, they were fighting and resisting with all their might.
Yet, Grimm’s soul was telling him that this decision would determine just what his very existence would mean.
If a living being was always choosing the “right path” and ignore his sentimental side, he would then not be a being that could determine his own destiny. He would just be trapped in the endless Lazy Susan of the universe’s logics, law, and order. He would just be a tiny gear that “followed the rules”.
And self-determined destiny was uncertain. And yet, it was this uncertainty that led to endless possibilities—touching on a law that was higher than the universe’s law.
“Haha! Good! Grimm, perhaps you’re not really suited to be a Dark Sorcerer after all. Perhaps, your soul is closer than that of a Bright Sorcerer. One day, I believe you will surpass me and Quiet Spring and venture into the realms of Stigmata Sorcerers!”
Master Peranos laughed aloud while still looking at Grimm with relieved eyes.
Although Grimm was now supposed to be on the same level as Master Peranos in terms of perspective in life, he still could not understand what his teacher meant.
After all, Grimm had only just entered the field of sorcerer while Master Peranos was an acclaimed sorcerer for years.
“Grimm, come on. I’ll bring you to the old hag downstairs. Let’s get her to give you every intel you need on Hattori the Hidden. These days, her apprentice Gabriel had acquired a lot of information about him.”
Moments later.
Knock knock knock.
On the 78th level of Black Isotta.
Master Peranos knocked on a door with Grimm standing next to him.
Creeaaak…
The wooden door creaked open and an infant-like face reached out from within. The head of the academy looked at Master Peranos first then threw a surprised look at Grimm.
“Grimm?”
After acquiring the first place in the Holy Tower Qualification Battle, Grimm had the opportunity to meet her before. So, she too remembered Grimm.
“Master.”
Right after Grimm gave his bow, the head of the academy waved them into her living quarters.
Hmm?
There’s someone here…
Grimm saw a black-robed sorcerer on the sofa. He then stared at Grimm while observing his Demon Hunter Badge. His keen eyes also noticed that Grimm possessed superb Constitution of a Level 1 Sorcerer.
Master Peranos sat on the sofa and pointed at Grimm, “This is my apprentice Grimm. He doesn’t have any interest in this demon-hunting mission. However, he needs intel about Hattori the Hidden from the academy. You know, to gain more experience.”
Master Peranos withheld some details as he spoke.
The head of the academy and Gabriel looked at one another…
A moment later, Gabriel smiled after whispering with the head of the academy as he looked towards Grimm. Grimm was wearing a gray robe and Mask of Truth—there was nothing unusual and unique about him on the appearance.
“Since you’re a high achiever in the academy and, according to Master Peranos, you don’t intend to rival anyone in this demon-hunting mission… then we’re not each other’s competition. Come with me a few days later.”
As he finished, Gabriel flashed his sorcerer badges in front of Grimm—two rows of Rank 3 Demon Hunter Honor Badges.