According to fairy tale logic, such a crucial checkpoint must have a powerful final BOSS.
And that BOSS is none other than the pursuing Red Tea Duke.
Even wearing a hat made from the fur of the guiding hare, Cha Cha, with magical powers, Louis is still no match for the Red Tea Duke.
After a stormy assault, Louis quickly fell into the inferior position.
The powerful abilities of the Red Tea Duke were enough to knock Louis out of the black hat state back to the white hat state.
In his weakened, near-death state, Louis saw a guiding hare appear near the Royal Tea Path.
The guiding hare is Cha Cha, who can lead outsiders into Teapot Country.
Louis remembered that Cha Cha once told him that guiding hares have a trait that when their own blood or the blood of their kind contaminates their fur, they go mad.
After all, it’s just a fairy tale, so whether this setting is reasonable or logically coherent, let’s set aside for the moment. But in desperate moments, the protagonist has a spark of genius to devise a strategy, which indeed feels very fairy-tale-like.
Louis dashed to the guiding hare, cut it with a knife, and soaked his hat in its blood.
The hat’s color changed to blood-red.
Subsequently, naturally, the protagonist triumphantly fights all around, finally knocking the Red Tea Duke’s head full of bumps, and successfully brings his wife out of Teapot Country.
"Although this is merely a plot in a story, but since a blood-red hat appears, caution is advised."
"If during the use of the mysterious magic pattern, a red hat coronation truly happens, it may portend more terrifying drawbacks beyond just cumbersome information. The specifics of such drawbacks, having not been experienced, are difficult to predict."
Feng said at this point: "However, you need not overly worry; there is a significant chance that the mysterious magic pattern won’t produce a red hat. After all, the red hat comes from being stained with blood, not from the color of the hat itself."
"Or even if the red hat does appear, it’s likely not when controllable levels are achieved."
Not when controllable levels are achieved? Angel: "Do you mean... that it only appears when disorder occurs?"
Feng nodded: "This is also a conjecture, regardless of whether the blood-red hat will appear, at the very least you must know of its existence."
Angel understood and nodded, this truly is preemptively forestalling issues.
"As for the third drawback..."
Angel gasped: "There’s another drawback?"
Feng: "Indeed. Often, this isn’t a drawback for us, but for you, it needs attention as a drawback."
"Just like the first drawback, this third drawback is not intrinsic to the mysterious magic pattern." After pausing, Feng brought up the final drawback—
"Its presence is extremely high, which easily attracts calamity to you."
Feng at this point gestured to Angel to look at several magic rune scrolls he engraved on the table. Whether it’s the Unsullied Magic Pattern, the Sunlight Garden, or the Sunlight Sanctuary, all emit an unmistakable mysterious aura.
Wizards’ pursuit of mysterious objects doesn’t need further elaboration. With such conspicuous mysterious aura exuding from the scrolls, they undeniably proclaim themselves.
Once exposed to people, suspicion is inevitable.
"This magical energy array of the Sunlight Sanctuary is fine, as the mysterious aura stems from the pattern beneath the magical energy array, rather than from the magic tattoo horn itself." Feng: "However, for the Unsullied Magic Pattern and the Sunlight Garden, these magic patterns crowned by white hats, the mysterious aura originates entirely from the ’transformation’ magic tattoo horn within. Any experienced Mystic Hunter can easily spot the clues."
"Even if mysterious magic patterns are present in the Origin World, they are extremely rare, making them very prone to disputes. So, before your strength and rank reach a certain level, it’s best not to casually expose the scrolls made with mysterious magic patterns or the objects refined."
"Even if you truly wish to reveal them, it’s best to show black hat crowned items since those won’t lead people to think of mysterious magic patterns, and more likely people will believe you’re lucky and obtained a half-step mysterious object."
Angel nodded thoughtfully, as he had already considered this beforehand. Just like sensing that hint of mysterious aura in the studio at White Cloud Village, he deduced Feng likely possessed something like a mysterious engraving pen.
So, for his own safety, he ought to avoid exposing the presence of mysterious magic patterns.
"Of course, if you know someone capable of refining mysterious objects... even if not mysterious objects, but at least capable of refining half-step mysterious objects as an Alchemist, you wouldn’t need to mind all these complications as you could attribute the source of all these black hat crowned items to them." Feng said with a self-mocking shake of his head: "Why am I telling you this, how could such an Alchemist possibly exist in the Southern Domain now."
As Feng was lamenting, Angel’s expression became rather peculiar.
Feng: "Why the hesitant look? If there’s something to say, just speak out."
Angel hesitated for a moment before speaking: "Actually, I have refined a half-step mysterious object."
"Oh, I thought it was something else, turns out you have refined..."
Feng paused mid-sentence, his eyes changing from normal to full of shock and suspicion.
Angel filled in what he left unspoken: "Yes, I have refined a half-step mysterious object."
"???!!!" Feng shook his head in disbelief: "Impossible, how could you have refined a half-step mysterious object?"
"Do you know what this means? It means you’ve tapped into the mysterious layers! Even in the Origin World, only a very, very small number of Alchemists have a way to touch mystery."
"How could you possibly? Don’t lie."
While speaking, Feng observed Angel’s expression, noticing that Angel remained composed to the point even capable of executing authenticity verification magic techniques.
Seeing Angel’s demeanor, Feng’s certainty began to waver.
He hesitated briefly and said: "Repeat what you just said."
Upon finishing, Angel could feel a certain magical fluctuation surrounding him.
Though unaware of the exact magic, presumably it serves to determine truth.
As Angel wasn’t lying, he effortlessly said: "Although that half-step mysterious object is no longer with me, I did indeed refine a half-step mysterious object."