Dangross, however, laughed and said, "What smartness? Isn’t it just your Sage implying it?"
Jack: "The Sage never implied anything, just instructed me to scout the situation on Wind Island."
Dangross: "Think about it. Would your Sage send you to relay a meaningless message for no reason? It might not have explicitly stated it, but having you come to seek us is in itself a hint, guiding you to think that way?"
Angel gave Dangross a slightly surprised look. Previously, in the realm of fire, he only thought it was a straightforward fool, but after spending time together these days, he found Dangross to be quite clever.
What Dangross said coincidentally matched Angel’s thoughts.
Perhaps the Sage indeed did not explicitly ask Jack to "hitch a ride," but the hint was quite obvious.
"Is it really like that?" Jack still had some doubt, but Dangross’s analysis made some sense. In addition, the previous hint from Dangross, about the numbers after three, made Jack think this peculiar severed hand might be wiser than it, so it had some suspicion.
"It’s definitely like that. Your Sage also knows clearly that in your situation, you definitely can’t get into Wind Island. Only by following our ship, using our mission to return Arnott as an excuse, do you have a chance to enter Wind Island. So, this is definitely a hint."
"Then I won’t hitch a ride on your ship." Jack didn’t know the truth, but it vaguely felt that if it was indeed being hinted at, continuing to hitch the ride wasn’t good. So, it immediately chose to get off the ship.
"Forget it, just come along." Angel said indifferently.
He could see that the Royal Plains’ Sage might have anticipated Jack’s subsequent actions, including the current situation, by sending such a "simple" Jack.
Such a simple calculation Jack couldn’t think of, but the Sage surely understood; they should see through it.
This Sage not only wants to explore the situation of Wind Island but probably also wants to probe their bottom line.
Whether he refused Jack’s boarding or allowed it actually revealed a certain attitude. If Angel were to really go to the core area of the Royal Plains in the future — Lake of Birth, his current attitude would become how the Sage would treat him.
Perhaps that Sage guessed he was not an elemental creature, suspected he had some plot, and wanted to test him. Angel couldn’t care less because sending the Illusionary Realm Shadow Box to various places was already his utmost endeavor. The Tidal World would eventually open; this is an irreversible trend. All tests won’t change the outcome of the Tidal World, just the ultimate fate of the elemental creatures here, which has little to do with Angel.
Therefore, Angel was too lazy to analyze the outcome the Sage hoped to see; it didn’t matter to him.
All he wanted to do now was to meet Gentle Breeze Uranos and inquire about Feng.
As for whether to let Jack board, Angel felt it didn’t matter, entirely up to his own preference.
Since Jack provided a fare and seemed quite simple, Angel agreed to let Jack board.
However, he only agreed to let Jack board. Once they reached Wind Island, whether to let Jack explore the specific situation on Wind Island was another matter. At least, Angel first wanted to meet Gentle Breeze Uranos, ask for his opinion, then make a decision.
After all, compared to the Royal Plains Sage’s attitude, Angel cared more about Gentle Breeze Uranos’s attitude.
After agreeing to let Jack board, Angel accepted the fare it offered — the Magic Bean.
He carefully examined it and found this Magic Bean had a very peculiar form. It had a form in the Material Realm, but itself was an elemental aggregation, as if some power connected it with both the Material and Energy Realms, giving it a form in both.
Perhaps this is Jack’s ability?
Angel asked about it, and sure enough, it was indeed Jack’s ability.
Jack can convert natural forces into pods on its body and can replenish energy by eating the Magic Beans in the pods when its energy is depleted.
In short, these are actually the fruits Jack produces.
It can be considered a special demonic material. Although low-level, it’s very pure and can replace many wooden materials.
Of course, it can also "replenish magic" for a Nature Witch or be used as casting material, as its natural power is very pure and a good consumable for a Nature Witch.
Angel also liked these Magic Beans quite a bit. After all, although these Magic Beans were low-level materials, Jack could produce and consume them itself. If abundant, they could even undergo a qualitative change.
Angel inquired about Jack regarding the Magic Bean’s production capacity.
However, Jack’s answer somewhat disappointed Angel. Producing pods consumed a lot of energy, and it took a long time to produce one, with a low magic replenishment ratio, being used only as non-combat material reserves.
Only in the World’s Harmony, the Elemental Tide, does Jack have a chance to produce more pods.
Moreover, Jack loved the crispy taste of Magic Beans. It usually didn’t accumulate them. Whenever there was a surplus, it would crunch it up. This Magic Bean was stored for a long time, prepared to be eaten later, and was offered because it wanted to hitch a ride.
Realizing that Magic Bean production wasn’t easy, Angel had to temporarily shelve his idea of exchanging for some Magic Beans.
However, Angel still planned to maintain a good relationship with Jack. Such pure natural fruits were rare. After the Tidal World opens, he might be able to do business with Jack in the name of himself or Illusion Demon Island to increase revenue.
...
The Gondola continued to fly through the clouds.
Five hours after flying, Angel was already approaching the core area of White Cloud Village.
If the clouds elsewhere were compared to inland lakes, what he saw before him was the real sea.
It was a vast sea of clouds that stretched for countless miles.
The clouds varied between thin and thick, but the middle never broke, extending to the edge of his vision.
This is the true White Cloud Village, a place of wind entirely composed of clouds.
And Wind Island lies deep within this sea of clouds.
Angel marveled at the grandeur of the sea of clouds but did not stop. The Gondola surged forward at full speed, turning into a white arc, and plunged directly into the sea of clouds.
The closer to the core of White Cloud Village, the more Angel felt the density of wind elements around him.
Moreover, these winds blew entirely against the direction of the Gondola’s flight.