"Do you think the reason Dox gave is why he went with his inspiration?" came the Black Earl’s usual whisper.
"I don’t know, but Dox made his decision very quickly this time. Perhaps because of that reason, or perhaps for other reasons. After all, human nature is complex. In the moment of choice, sometimes we consider many things, sometimes it’s as simple as an inexplicable drive."
Black Earl: "The drive you’re talking about, is it intuition?"
"Intuition, instinct, or maybe just some indescribable feeling mixed with inspiration."
Angel spoke this because he was sure Dox made his decision while his emotions were still turbulent, not like it was a calculated decision.
Since it wasn’t a well-thought-out decision, it’s possible that other driving forces influenced his choice.
They previously overly personified inspiration, but inspiration itself lacks thought; Dox is the one who truly thinks. Dox is the main subject of everything.
Black Earl: "Your understanding is quite interesting; perhaps you are right."
Angel: "Then how do you understand it, sir?"
Black Earl: "Same as you."
Black Earl’s tone had a hint of amusement, obviously having another idea but not planning to share it. Angel didn’t ask further, fearing Black Earl’s understanding was too advanced and might lead him into a high-level trap.
Even though Black Earl is now just a nose, not very powerful, his knowledge foundation hasn’t changed. Sometimes, when low-level Wizards forcefully probe or comprehend the words of high-level Wizards, they might fall into high-level traps. It’s not the fault of high-level Wizards; it’s that low-level Wizards overestimate themselves.
So, when Angel converses with Black Earl, they rarely touch on knowledge. And Black Earl doesn’t elevate the understanding level too much, making their exchange quite harmonious.
The dark alley path had barely been traversed when a strange scene appeared.
Five Ghosteye Witches formed a circle, continuously rotating.
Ghosteye Witches inherently have shadow transformation abilities, so at first glance, it looked like a bunch of shadows circling.
"Is this some kind of habit of the Ghosteye Witches?" Vay looked at Kaier. Although outside, Kaier didn’t immediately recognize the Ghosteye Witches, but after realizing the monster they encountered was a Ghosteye Witch, Kaier shared much about its habits.
This was typical of the Academy Faction approach.
Kaier pondered for a moment and said uncertainly, "Is it cultivation?"
"Cultivation?" Vay looked at the swirling shadows, feeling somewhat dizzy. What kind of weird cultivation method is this?
Kaier: "Based on current knowledge, among magical creatures related to shadows, Ghosteye Witches are rare in being communal. According to records, their cultivation method is the merging of shadows."
Vay: "So it’s big fish devouring small fish? These Ghosteye Witches aren’t playing; they’re fighting? Catching up to swallow each other’s shadows?"
Kaier shook his head: "Ghosteye Witches rarely slaughter each other. Their shadow merging is akin to our networking events or tea parties, exchanging some special energy... or information within their shadows to perfect themselves."
"As for the merging method, the books don’t specify. How they merge depends entirely on the mood of the Ghosteye Witches. I guess this might be one of their merging methods used for cultivation?"
Kaier wasn’t sure and looked towards Dox.
Dox’s eyes darted around, humming a little tune. Clearly, Dox didn’t know what was going on either.
In the end, Black Earl resolved it: "Kaier is mostly right. Although Ghosteye Witches are low-level monsters, through shadow merging and continuous improvement, there may eventually emerge a perfect high-intelligence life."
Kaier: "Then the Wizard-level Ghosteye Witches in the Gemini Towers are..."
Black Earl: "Wizard-level Ghosteye Witches are rare but not nonexistent. Wizard-level is still far from perfect, but the intelligence has indeed improved significantly. The truly perfect Ghosteye Witch has no flaws in academia, perfectly exchanging all other Ghosteye Witch information, discarding the dross, extracting the essence, achieving omniscience in the shadow world."
"Of course, this is academic speculation. No one has seen a perfect Ghosteye Witch yet."
"And the merging method of Ghosteye Witches is similar to what Kaier said; it depends on their mood. But the more the merges, the higher the intelligence might be, and the merging effects might diversify."
As soon as Black Earl finished, Dox chimed in, "Understood, understood, the more experience, the more variety."
Dox said this with a sly smile at Angel. Angel merely raised an eyebrow, causing Dox to silently turn his attention to another—Kaier.
"It’s like comparing me and Kaier; my variety is abundant, and I can do it in all sorts of ways. As for Kaier, do you have variety?"
Kaier stayed silent.
Seeing this, Dox laughed heartily, as if he had won a fierce contest.
But just as Dox was laughing, he suddenly found he couldn’t open his mouth.
Upon touching, he discovered a tangible "X" tape on his mouth.
Undoubtedly, it was Black Earl’s doing.
It’s easy to guess the reason, as Black Earl was seriously disseminating knowledge, while Dox was making indecent remarks on the side. In other places, like formal conferences, Dox would have been utterly destroyed.
However, being unable to speak is temporary for Dox, as Black Earl’s power from just a nose isn’t enough to completely prohibit him.
But having some quiet time was a good thing for everyone.
"How do we proceed now?" Vay asked the most practical question once peace was restored.
Five Ghosteye Witches wasn’t a lot, but in the narrow alley, their circling just blocked the path.
Vay: "Should we just... kill them all?"
"No need." After Angel spoke, the Moving Mirage expanded and quietly surrounded the five Ghosteye Witches.
Then, Angel simulated the nearby environment, making the circling Ghosteye Witches completely unaware that they had entered an environment.
The final step, Speedy silently manipulated the Ghosteye Witches to float high into the air.
During this process, making the Ghosteye Witches unaware of the change in their situation wasn’t easy. But Angel’s Nightmare Illusion happens to influence creatures’ judgment of the outside world within the illusionary realm to a certain extent.
They continued circling, entirely unaware they had been lifted into the air by the wind.
With the path unobstructed, they could easily pass.
When the group passed beneath the Ghosteye Witches, Vay felt somewhat awkward: "Sir, since you can lift them, why don’t we just fly over?"
"Choice matter, what I can do alone doesn’t need the rest to do again."
Angel’s answer was grand; it not only dispelled Vay’s doubts but also made Vay feel that Angel truly considered everyone’s situation, making him admire his idol even more.
Yet, Vay was unaware of Black Earl’s criticism echoing in Angel’s head.
"In terms of pretentiousness, you indeed resemble your mentor."
Black Earl knew very well why Angel chose to lift the Ghosteye Witches rather than fly over them. The answer is simple: the Moving Mirage cannot fly.
Or rather, the Moving Mirage cannot fly here.
Because the central axis of the Moving Mirage is Earl Mi.