Angel: "I can offer you a chance, in exchange for you sending us to His Highness Frostbite’s doorstep."
"A chance? I don’t think you have any chance worth me doing this."
Angel smiled, and took out an item from his bracelet.
An unusual yet cordial vibration emanated from the item in Angel’s hand.
Troysa looked over in surprise and found it was a figurine of a Mermaid embracing a tower-shaped shell. It seemed ordinary, but inexplicably attracted her.
"You intend to give it to me?"
Angel: "This object is called the Ocean Melody. It doesn’t belong to me, so I cannot give it to you. But, I can let you experience it."
Troysa: "Is this the so-called chance you want to trade?"
Angel nodded: "If you’re willing, we can start now. If not, then we will leave immediately."
Troysa felt that irresistible attraction, and after a moment said, "Are you sure you want to trade with me? I can tell you directly, even without borrowing my glacier, it’s not hard for you to reach His Highness’s palace, maybe just a day or two delay."
"I’m sure." Angel naturally knew that this transaction now seemed like he was offering something for nothing, but some things weren’t calculated that way.
As far as he knew, Troysa was the only Water System creature among the three glacier dominators, meaning it was the most capable of sensing the essence of Oceanic Rhythm.
Once Troysa experienced the Oceanic Rhythm, it would naturally know this transaction was unequal, that it got a huge advantage.
As the advantaged party, Troysa would naturally lean toward Angel.
This is actually based on the psychological compensation effect due to guilt.
Even though Angel had clearly said this was a fair "transaction," this psychological compensation still existed. The other party would feel even more ashamed thinking they got a huge advantage under the guise of a "transaction" without needing compensation.
Of course, the above situation only applies to ordinary people not deeply scheming. For those cunning minds and for Wizards, a transaction is a transaction, final with one hit, even if one side gets a huge advantage, they don’t think compensation is needed.
Angel was willing to try this because he saw that although Troysa always maintained a high posture, in truth, like most elemental creatures, it was a clean slate, susceptible to such simple psychological effects.
Even stepping back a thousand steps, if Troysa didn’t develop the guilt psychological compensation, it wouldn’t matter.
After all, opening the Oceanic Rhythm just cost a bit of negligible energy.
In Angel’s eyes, spending a little bit of energy in exchange for saving a day or two of travel wasn’t a significant loss.
The twists and turns in Angel’s heart, Troysa naturally didn’t know. All its faculties were currently attracted by the Oceanic Rhythm, so when Angel nodded, it immediately agreed to the transaction without pretending to be reserved.
Angel didn’t hesitate, directly activating the Oceanic Rhythm, enveloping Troysa in a wondrous illusionary realm.
Three minutes later, Troysa opened its eyes.
Compared to before, externally, there was no noticeable change in Troysa, but its eyes were clearer and more transparent, and the turbulent aura around its body became much calmer. And this calmness didn’t signify deathly stillness; instead, it hid the surging waves deeper within the abyssal sea.
Outsiders would find it difficult to judge, only Troysa knew how much advantage it gained this time.
Although regretfully, it didn’t survive until the end in the world of Oceanic Rhythm; even so, its gains were enough to push it to heights unimaginable before.
Given time, it even felt it could become a monarch candidate.
Of course, this was just a feeling.
Yet even so, it was extremely terrifying.
Precisely because Troysa knew it got a huge advantage this time, the look in its eyes toward Angel was noticeably less alienated and more intimate.
With time as Troysa digests the opportunity brought by Oceanic Rhythm, this sense of closeness would continue to increase daily.
This was the long-term and gradually deepening relationship Angel gained from trading with Troysa.
And he only sacrificed a little bit of energy.
"Thank you, sir." Troysa restrained its excitement and nodded gently at Angel.
Angel, having already put away the Oceanic Rhythm, calmly said to Troysa, "This was just a transaction."
Troysa didn’t say anything, but thought to itself: for it, this was a transcendence and baptism, so it wasn’t just a transaction.
Angel could guess what Troysa was thinking, but he pretended not to know, still showing a "fair transaction" demeanor, making Troysa feel even more it got the better end, unconsciously amplifying the guilt compensation effect.
Angel: "Since the transaction is concluded, then..."
Troysa quickly said, "I will now take you to His Highness Frostbite’s palace."
With that, Troysa gently pointed, causing the ice surface to crack open, revealing the dark bottomless icy river below.
In this icy river emerged a large circular bubble, and Troysa gestured for Angel to enter the bubble.
Angel, with a nonchalant demeanor, walked inside, and with a gurgling sound, the bubble was pushed forward by a strong current, rushing at an amazing speed into the dark icy river.
...
The journey beneath the glacier continued.
Although it was pitch black all around, and occasionally strange water sounds echoed, Angel wasn’t the least bit afraid; instead, he leisurely looked at the glowing... mermaid outside the bubble.
Yes, it was indeed a mermaid.
This was Troysa’s true form, an elemental creature in a mermaid form.
Compared to its normal upper body, its tail was incredibly long, reaching over ten meters. The scales shimmered white tinted with blue, embodying the gentle of water and the sharp edge of ice.
Because of its tail, it could be said this was the simplest yet most elegant mermaid form Angel had ever seen.
Such a form, likely achievable only by elemental creatures, was rarely seen in reality.
After admiring it for a while, Angel spoke to Troysa "guarding" beside the bubble, "I’ve had a question for a long time, I wonder if you can clarify it for me?"
Troysa nodded without hesitation, even using a respectful term: "Please, sir."
"I want to know, why are you interested in Dangross?"
Since Troysa knew Dangross, it naturally should understand Dangross’s special nature. Why would Troysa want to take Dangross away? And moreover, Dangross was an elemental sprite.
Hence, Angel was curious, why did Troysa want Dangross?
Dangross, hearing a question concerning itself, although not daring to poke its head out to see Troysa, perked up its ears, wanting to hear the answer.
Troysa remained silent for a moment, then softly said, "Because I have great admiration for Lord Kalomchis."
"When I heard that a Fire Element creature named Dangross was born from the remains of the Lord, I have always wanted to meet Dangross."
Dangross mused: To meet me? Could it be... from afar... admiring?
Troysa: "I want to see if it truly has the qualification to call itself the descendant of Lord Kalomchis."
Angel: "Is this the reason for your interest in Dangross?"
Troysa nodded: "Yes."
Angel: "And now your answer? Do you think Dangross has the qualification to claim as Lord Kalomchis’s descendant?"
Dangross also curiously poked out its palm, secretly looking at Troysa.
Troysa merely glanced at Dangross, snorted disdainfully.
Although it didn’t answer directly, seeing Dangross’s eyes turn red with anger, the answer was already clear without words.