Chapter 377: Will of Resistance
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
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With the massive distorting pressure gradually dying down, the hatch to the giant silkworm cocoon opened up. Awaiting outside the cocoon was a soft-bodied soul slave, whose leathery skin was rosy-red.
“O great Demon-Hunter Sorcerers, welcome back to the Holy Tower of the Seven Rings of the Sorcerer World.”
The Dark-Demon Hunters inside the giant silkworm cocoon rose up one by one from their seats. Despite each of them possessing distinct mannerisms, they all exited the vessel with the same cold, indifferent expression.
Grimm tightened his grip on the Sabbatic Goat Staff before his figure broke down into a floating, blurry pile of yellow-sand. The two-colored eyes beneath the gray-white swirling Mask of Truth glanced at the gigantic Six Asterism Magical Array before shifting its gaze towards the walls that wound its way around the massive square.
The size of this circular square was many times larger than the one Grimm had returned to from the Shadow Enigmatic World or should he say, the Pyrodust World.
Grimm, alongside many other Dark Demon-Hunters took flight and left the massive chimney-like structure in every direction.
Grimm had been mentally prepared for what was about to happen next.
First, Grimm went to the Underground Ant Nest square, where he sold off the batch of enslaved creatures he had captured from the expedition.
Then, he proceeded to the mercantile shop of the Purple Tulip family to collect his share of Magic Stones from the Love Vials deal. Upon collecting his payment, under Myna’s constant barrage of pleading, Grimm surrendered and flew towards the direction of Delicacy Avenue.
After flying one full circle around Delicacy Avenue.
“Little Myna, it seems bonito fish aren’t available for sale here in the Holy Tower of the Seven Rings. Was your petty squabble with Garnigel really necessary back then? Look, how about I treat you with something else?”
Upon hearing Grimm’s suggestion, Myna shot a look of grievance back at him.
“Oh Young Master, you yourself have said that if bonito fish weren’t for sale at the Holy Tower of the Seven Rings, you’d plead for forgiveness from your mentor. Promises made must be kept my master!”
Complained Myna, whose tears were on the brink of rolling down its dark, beady eyes.
Grimm grinned at Myna’s act before while gritting his teeth in irritation.
“Alright, alright, alright! After all, I am going back to the academy to entrust to the Arcane Sorcerers there with the task of constructing the second ‘Eternal Destructive Energy Observation Meter’. While I’m there, I’ll check to see if Valor’s returned or not. In fact, I’m probably going to call up the remaining sorcerers from the Deathsail Alliance who have yet been contacted. Yeah, and mentor’s time working at Black Isotta Sorcerer Academy should be up too!”
Grimm kept quiet for a brief moment, as if calculating something in his mind before continuing in a lower voice, “I should go back to check on the Demon-Hunter Castle as well as other miscellaneous matters there. I’ll embark for the Seven-Ring World a month later to meet the Guardian of Winter at the World-Core alongside the Celestial Cordillera for my Honor Badge. Will you go with me?”
“I’d rather look for Angelis.”
Myna replied bluntly. Evidently, it had been longing to meet its old pal for a very long time.
After becoming a member of the Dawn Sages, Angelis’ residence had been moved to the Holy Tower of the Seven Rings. When it came to Demon-Hunter Sorcerers like Grimm, only those whose status was Level-3 and above had the rights to live in that holy sanctuary.
Grimm thought about it for a moment.
“Fine, I’ll call you when I get to the Seven-Ring World a month later.”
Wasting no time, Grimm opened up the Dimensional Gap to retrieve the Starfall Reconnaissance Craft. With the eerie cackle of the Bloodlust Doll, the metallic cabin door popped open, allowing Grimm to slide inside before he directed the Bloodlust Doll to fly towards the direction of his Demon-Hunter Castle.
“Very well, caw caw caw caw, Young Master don’t you dare slack off under my watch.”
Myna announced in satisfaction before flying off in the opposite direction towards the Tree of Life.
Grimm couldn’t help but shake his head at Myna’s childishness. Turning into a mirage, the Starfall Reconnaissance Craft zipped tore through the sky with an incredible speed.
In the sky, there were a myriad of enslaved creatures, as well as flying crafts of different shapes and sizes. Some Demon-Hunter Sorcerers rode on broomsticks while some sat in bubbles that floated across the sky. The only constant was their surprised reactions to the sight of Grimm’s Starfall Reconnaissance Craft. Fearing the risk of collision at such speed, they all had to make way for Grimm’s craft to pass through.
The Starfall Reconnaissance Craft slowly descended onto the grassfield in front of Grimm’s Demon-Hunter Castle.
Squeak!
The cabin door of the Starfall Reconnaissance Craft popped open, out of which Grimm floated and onto the ground he descended with his craft.
Oink, oink…
An old sorceress out walking a pink piglet passed by Grimm’s Demon-Hunter Castle and her eyes instantly widened at the sight of the Starfall Reconnaissance Craft.
Sensing Grimm’s death stare from underneath the gray-white swirling Mask of Truth, his formidable magic wave as well as the vague signals from his Demon-Hunter’s Honor Badge, the sorceress quickly smiled apologetically before making haste.
The pink little piglet’s buttocks bounced with every step. That, coupled with its curled up little tail and its high-pitched squeals made it extremely cuddly.
“Hm? Is that… an Amonro?!”
Grimm’s jaw hung low at the amusing sight. This old sorceress managed to change a bloodthirsty Amonro into the form of a cute little pet. Just how silly could Bright Sorcerers get?
Not fully recovered from the surprise, Grimm tucked away the Starfall Reconnaissance Craft into the Dimensional Gap. With a loud creak, he pushed the massive doors to the Demon-Hunter Castle open.
The castle floor was covered in a thick layer of dust.
Grimm wanted to look for a soul slave who would guard his dwelling and tend to its condition whenever he was away but in actuality this was impossible due to the risk of its soul going berserk.
Now that he thought about it, he really should not have been such a penny pincher back then. If only he had lengthened the lifespan of old Gnaw, it would have saved him quite the trouble now.
In the future…
Grimm’s brows furrowed as he got lost in his thoughts. He had spent a considerable period of time with Master Peranos as well as second master-brother Valor during his assigned task at the Isotta Tower. The next time he returns from the upcoming Demon-Hunting Expedition, he would have to proceed to the Netherheart Sorcerer Academy to meet the Stigmata Sorcerer as the third disciple of Master Peranos.
Perhaps, Master Peranos was planning to further his career as an academy dean over at the sorcerer academy of that newly-ordained Stigmata Sorcerer alongside Master Orton?
Or was he going to seclude himself for a long time in search for a chance to become a Stigmata Sorcerer.
Considering the time Master Peranos had remaining, if he doesn’t become a Stigmata Sorcerer soon, he would not live to see the war with the “Metal Destroyer” civilization.
Around thirty years later.
The construction of the second ‘Eternal Destructive Energy Observation Meter’ at the Isotta Tower should be completed by then. That leaves around seventy years remaining after coming back before Grimm would have to leave for the next expedition to the Infernal Spirit World.
Hm, perhaps he should find an Umbra Sorcerer and perform Hematology Sorcery mutation in exchange for tending to his castle for the seventy remaining years?
Performing Hematology Sorcery should be approached much more carefully when done on a human than when done on soul slaves, whose only purpose was to act as cannon fodder.
While such thoughts raced through his mind, Grimm had arrived at the Demon-Hunter Altar at the top of his castle.
***
“Impossible! This…this black-colored World Aperture?!”
“It is recorded in the classics, that this is the evil sorcerer that has sought to corrupt our beautiful Raindew Flower Spirit world. Everyone, do not fear. Our ancestors have defeated him hundreds of years ago, ending his occupation on our realm. Now that we are stronger, we can do the same!”
“But the Ancestral Spirit of the Raindew Flower had once said that this evil sorcerer had claws of a demon and a pair of wings with shimmering feathers which allowed it to leap across different realms. Its sword-like claws can tear through anything we throw at him, not to mention its ugly mouth, we simply cannot fight it…”
More than a thousand Raindew Flower Spirits, each the size of a thumbnail made a tiny ruckus.
Each of them held a Breedsnot Leaf as a weapon as if it could somehow deter Grimm’s advance. Their life signals to Grimm’s perception was that of an extremely weak lifeform’s.
“Wow, you have reproduced so much?”
Grimm muttered to himself on the World Aperture. Brushing away a strand of energy that floated around the World Aperture from his eyes, a wave of the Sabbatic Goat Staff removed most of the other strands that blocked his way like a spider’s web.
“Ah… our world seal has been destroyed by the evil sorcerer! We can no longer stop his advance now!”
“Everyone, do not panic. The prophet who prays to the World Tree shall bring the devil down to his knees, for he is no match for the World Tree!”
As Grimm stepped into his own World Fragment.
A large pile of Raindew Flower Spirits flung themselves towards him with a single leaf as their weapon. Another crowd of them surrounded the first Golden Breedsnot Tree and began praying.
This scene…
Grimm was dumbfounded, as if he had suddenly been enlightened.
A surge of Elemental Shock stunned all the attacking Raindew Flower Spirits into unconsciousness. Slowly, Grimm made his way to the third Golden Breedsnot Tree, which was the tallest among the trees on the island.
“Was it your growth over time that moulded the laws of this tiny sliver of land, leading to the development of the Will of Resistance? A shame that you aren’t strong enough…”
Saying this, Grimm unceremoniously plucked all the crying Golden Breedsnot Fruit from the tree, storing them in a bundle.
Walking around the World Laboratory, Grimm checked on the Camphoragate Worms as well as his other biological specimens before his figure gradually disappeared from this world fragment.
Grimm’s Golden Breedsnot Trees have been carefully cultivated since his apprenticeship from when it was just a mere seedling.
And now, Grimm had finally harvested the first batch of fruits from said tree. In comparison to the single Golden Breedsnot Fruit he could swallow whole, his pickings today were more than ten times greater and the harvests to come will only grow ever greater.
This is the fruit of his forward-looking wisdom.
Once Grimm obtains a hundred of these Golden Breedsnot Fruits, he could patch the Life Code Ruptures and thus, Grimm’s Great Three Esoteric Spells could become the Great Four Esoteric Spells.
Grimm’s Great Three Esoteric Spells belong to a unique branch of sorcery after he delved into research of the Life Code many years ago.
This Esoteric Spell was created by the copying of other sorcerers’ innate abilities to form the basis for further growth in Grimm’s own powers.
At the moment, the three Esoteric spells were Mina’s Body of Flame, Millie’s Ice Marrow Crystallization and the late Kyrie’s Advanced Boundary of Relative Space.
About the fourth ability…
Four directions.
The first one being Anatomy Refinery, the second, Spirit, the third, Thunder and the fourth being perception.