Chapter 1039: Section 1040 Transaction Completed
Angel’s hand paused in mid-air as the corner of his mouth twitched.
Well, it seemed that his previous conclusion was wrong.
The allure of the mystical artifact was just as strong for Transcendent beings outside of the Wizard system.
After Baltica put on the Uyu Poros, her gaze towards the crystal harp and the Monument of the Strange Loop carried a hint of regret. She had intended to deceive and obtain them as well, but now it seemed impossible.
“The deal is sealed, so tell me, what do you want to get from me?” Baltica changed her pose, leaning on the bar with her elbow, her slender fingers adorned with Uyu Poros casually playing with a long-stemmed pipe, in the midst of smoke rings, her youthfulness could hardly be concealed.
Angel had initially thought that Baltica would inquire about the origin of Uyu Poros, but contrary to his expectations, she said nothing, seemingly uninterested in its background.
Indeed, Baltica had never thought to question the origins of these things—were there not too many wonders in the world to want to know about everything, which would be exhausting? Besides, she wouldn’t leave the Land of Repose; even if she knew, what could she do about it?
“Any trade will do.” Baltica drew the stem of the pipe slowly across the back of Angel’s hand as though tickling him, gently drawing a circle.
The itchiness on his hand, combined with Baltica’s purposefully lowered, suggestive tone, caused a momentary flicker in Angel’s heart. However, the flicker subsided as soon as he reminded himself of Baltica’s ident.i.ty, and he regained his composure.
Angel withdrew his hand expressionlessly.
“I’ve come to Miss Baltica this time hoping you could help me solve a problem.”
“Murder?” Baltica asked with a nonchalant frivolity in her voice as she spoke about something cruel.
Angel shook his head and carefully took Toby out of the bracelet, placing him on the bar.
Baltica glanced at Toby, encased in the ice, and a fleeting look of distraction crossed her eyes.
“The Icebound Hex of Binaqionse, the Calamity of the Pilgrim of Misfortune…” Baltica glanced again at the Flame Mark on Angel’s earlobe while nonchalantly eyeing a dark-skinned woman outside the bar: “What a complex aura.”
This ice puck was a result of Binaqionse’s Icebound Hex? Angel mused inwardly. He had been puzzled, as an Odecla.s.s was a Flame Dragon, how could it possess the art of icebound; it turned out it was not Odecla.s.s’s doing.
But, was Binaqionse also in the Ice Valley?
Angel didn’t delve deeper but stated his purpose: “My dear friend has been struck by the Calamity Curse of the Pilgrim of Misfortune. I wonder, Miss Baltica, can you lift it from him?”
The true form of the Pilgrim of Misfortune was actually not far away, in the Quiet Dead Sea, even neighboring Baltica. Privately, Angel thought Baltica should be able to lift Toby’s curse.
As long as Toby’s curse was lifted, he would then be able to decide whether to complete the task given by Odecla.s.s of his own accord, free from any time constraints.
This was why Angel had made a detour to the Land of Repose.
Angel looked on eagerly, even offering Uyu Poros, only wis.h.i.+ng for an affirmative response. However, after a moment of silence, Baltica shook her head at Angel.
“I’m not proficient in curses. To unravel the calamity on its body, you’ve actually already found the right person,” Baltica said with regret. “Odecla.s.s is more proficient in these matters than I am.”
“Is there really no other way?” Angel asked, disappointed.
“Below the ranks of Demon Lord, perhaps only Odecla.s.s can help you,” Baltica paused and then added, “You could also try seeking a Fire Element Wizard.”
Angel shook his head helplessly. All the phase gates were guarded by Demon Lords; it was impossible for him to access other phase planes.
Angel thought for a moment: “Then do you have a Fire Transmission Stone?”
Angel had previously proudly claimed in front of Odecla.s.s that he was an Alchemist, and with a method for Fusion of a Fire Transmission Stone, he might be able to create one. However, Angel wasn’t completely sure of this.
If Baltica had a Fire Transmission Stone, it would save him a lot of trouble.
But, Baltica shook her head again.
“I had one a thousand years ago, but then I gave it to a client,” Baltica shrugged her shoulders, again with regret.
Disappointment showed on Angel’s face again. He thought for a while and hesitantly said, “Then, do you have the method for synthesizing a Fire Transmission Stone?”
This was Angel’s last hope. If Baltica didn’t have it, his journey would be in vain.
Angel looked at Baltica with hopeful eyes, and finally, after several previous head shakes, Baltica nodded at last.
“Once, a Fire Transmission Demon traded with me the method for synthesizing a Fire Transmission Stone,” Baltica’s eyes reflected a moment of realization, for that particular trade had not gone smoothly, and she hadn’t needed the method for synthesizing the stone. However, the Fire Transmission Demon had said —
“The method for synthesizing the Fire Transmission Stone is the most closely guarded secret of our Fire Transmission Demons, sealed within our bloodline. Unless we choose to speak it ourselves, no one else can obtain it. And our bloodline also restricts us from divulging this secret,” the Fire Transmission Demon said while producing a piece of tattered parchment: “This parchment, which I received by chance, has the method for synthesizing the Fire Transmission Stone. I do not know where it comes from, but I can trade it with you, and thus not be bound by the restrictions of my bloodline. And this might be the only piece of parchment with the method for synthesizing a Fire Transmission Stone that has ever been circulated.”
Baltica’s response was, “But, I don’t need it.”
“You are a tradesperson, what if someone needs it in the future? Perhaps, a Controller with fire affinity will need it. It is the only one of its kind.”
It was because of that phrase from the Fire Transmission Demon that Baltica’s mind swayed at that moment, and she agreed to the transaction. Unfortunately, the deal was not pleasant; she received a piece of parchment that was useless to her, while trading away an extremely valuable message.
After so many years, Baltica had always felt that her fleeting thought at that time might have been a moment of madness.
Yet unexpectedly, a casual act from years ago had led to today’s transaction.
Baltica could tell that if Angel didn’t get the synthesis method for the Fire Transmission Stone, the trade would likely fail. The Uyuropolos were of utmost importance to her, and she wouldn’t allow the trade to fail. If it really came to that, she would scheme a forced exchange, but that would greatly damage her reputation as a merchant.
Therefore, it would be best if the trade went smoothly.
Now, it seemed her luck was not bad, as the words of that Fire Transmission Demon had come true.
And it proved that she hadn’t lost her mind back then.
“…According to the Fire Transmission Demon I traded with back then, you might find it difficult to find a second leaked synthesis method,” Baltica said as she rummaged under the counter and pulled out a worn piece of parchment, “The method to synthesize the Fire Transmission Stone is recorded on this parchment.”
Eagerly, Angel took the parchment only to be dumbfounded upon looking at it—it was all written in strange characters.
And the more he looked, the dizzier he felt in his brain.
“This is ancient Demon Language,” Baltica said.
Ancient Demon Language is an elegant linguistic system, and the very characters themselves contain mysterious and unknown powers, spoken exclusively by great Demons or above. Great Demons are at least of True Knowledge Level and above. Angel couldn’t even recognize the ordinary Demon Language, let alone this more abstruse ancient Demon Language.
Angel looked at Baltica with a pitiful expression.
Seeing Angel’s wrinkled, dumpling-like face, Baltica couldn’t help but laugh. Among her customers over the years, this human seemed to be the most sincere.
In response to Angel’s plea for help, Baltica pointed to the other side of the parchment with her long-stemmed smoking pipe and said, “Look at the back yourself.”
Angel quickly flipped over the parchment, only to find that the back was recorded in human common language. Furthermore, judging by the antiquity of the writing and the use of vocabulary, it was clearly not a recording method from this age.
In fact, similar expressions could be found in some ancient texts.
“That was originally on the parchment; I’ve read it too. Some annotations are not very clear, but the translations are quite accurate,” Baltica remarked.
Baltica’s words made Angel realize something: It seems he was not the first to brave the waters; there had actually been humans who obtained the synthesis method for the Fire Transmission Stone a long time ago.
But who could it have been? Angel carefully looked at the back of the parchment and found no signature.
Perhaps it was just an unnamed predecessor, maybe lost to the pa.s.sage of time or become a surfer in the River of Fate, which actually had nothing to do with him anymore.
Now, all of Angel’s thoughts were focused on this piece of parchment. Although he hadn’t obtained anything tangible, acquiring the synthesis method for the Fire Transmission Stone had saved him the journey to La.s.sudral, the Demon City.
While Angel was reading, Baltica didn’t rush him but simply picked up her tall winegla.s.s and savored her drink alone.
About three hours later, Angel lifted his head from his intense scrutiny.
At this moment, his brows were deeply furrowed because the content recorded on the parchment was quite peculiar.
He had finished reading about the synthesis method in only half an hour. The reason he kept contemplating was that he was looking at the annotations made by his predecessor.
It must be said, the predecessor who recorded them in the common language was very diligent, perhaps an Alchemist himself. This person had explained the synthesis method of the Fire Transmission Stone using the language of Alchemy, saving Angel a lot of trouble.
Just this interpretation alone was actually quite a good deal. Even if Angel went to Demon City to find the Half-Blood Demon, he might not have received such a complete Alchemical interpretation.
The original synthesis method of the Fire Transmission Stone was serendipitously discovered by an ancestor of the Fire Transmission Demons. The process was very broad and bold; the materials used were not measured and thus the success rate of synthesizing the Fire Transmission Stone was not high.
As times changed, the success rate of synthesizing the Fire Transmission Stone gradually increased, yet it was still not very high.
But this predecessor, in the language of Alchemy, made rational a.n.a.lyses and pointed out the disadvantages of the “primitive synthesis” by the Fire Transmission Demons. Although it didn’t specify solutions, it could greatly improve the success rate.
However, Angel was still frowning after reading because almost 90% of the materials recorded here were unknown to him.
Fortunately, the predecessor who translated it into the common language had written out the effects of the majority of these oddly named materials, as well as other subst.i.tute materials.
——Alchemical principles were such; they were never bound to one recipe.
Angel was also considering these subst.i.tutes; he had reserves for many of the subst.i.tute materials. However, there were three materials for which the predecessor did not write subst.i.tutes, meaning they were irreplaceable.
And these three materials were Earth Vein Firestone that had settled for over a thousand years, the undying burning bones of the Dark Gold Nightmare, and the most important of all… the White Ash Fire Solvent refined by the h.e.l.lish ghost fire.