"Why don’t we take a detour?" Vay suggested.
"A detour? How do you detour if it’s hiding?" Dox sneered. "The premise of a detour is you have to find it. We’re currently unaware of its hidden ability, so implementing it specifically is entirely unclear. Even if we can find it, if the You Nu hides on the path we must take, like the entrance of the Hall of Wisdom, how do we detour there?"
Although Vay wanted to retort, he had to admit Dox’s point was plausible, and indeed very likely.
If ’she’ truly intended to deal with them, there’s no way she would leave such a serious flaw, not giving them the opportunity to detour. The place occupied by the You Nu is definitely a path they can’t bypass.
Angel added, "As far as I know, on the way to the Hall of Wisdom, although there are side paths, they all lead to dead ends. There’s only one way to the Hall of Wisdom."
So taking a detour was impossible.
The group fell into silence again; not only couldn’t they deal with the You Nu, they also had to face this bizarre creature directly, with no way to detour. They were indeed in a difficult position.
"Only one way, but there are side paths?" The Black Earl suddenly spoke.
"Yes." Angel nodded, recalling his previous experiences in Nightmare Abyss City. "There should be only one side path, but whether it’s a three-way crossing or an intersection, I don’t know."
Actually, Angel did know the specifics of that side path. After all, he had been chased there by the projection of young Sanders in the Nightmare Realm.
But he couldn’t disclose all these details. If the so-called "intelligence source" knew such detailed matters, that source would be very suspicious. Although now, discussing his intelligence, people already found it suspicious...
"Only one side path, that makes it even clearer." The Black Earl mused.
"Clearer? Clearer about what?" Vay asked, puzzled.
"The location of the so-called ’test’."
As soon as the Black Earl spoke, the group quickly realized that if the one behind the scenes, ’she,’ wanted to arrange an interception, she would certainly find a way that didn’t allow for a detour and minimized retreat options.
Therefore, this location is highly likely to be the side path. Here, they couldn’t take a detour and might even be forced into a dead-end.
Vay understood now and, imagining the situation in his mind, couldn’t help but shiver: "If there’s pursuit from behind and an ambush in front, we wouldn’t even have the option to retreat."
Black Earl remarked, "Whether the retreat route is under attack is not the point of discussion now. At least we have now ascertained the You Nu’s location. Even if it’s camouflaged, we roughly have a range it could be in."
Dox commented, "With the position known, you’d think it would help, but it feels even harder to get through."
Vay and Kaier nodded in agreement, the clearer the analysis, the greater the pressure.
Unlike the despondent apprentice squad, the Black Earl remained unflustered, calmly analyzing. After all, at worst, he’d just die, then his true self could show up and help resolve the crisis.
"Previously, the Wise Sovereign hinted at many things, for example, to deal with the You Nu, space mages must cooperate. This suggests the You Nu’s true body might not be in the real world."
"Moreover, when it came to passing through the You Nu’s area and not harming it, the Wise Sovereign had given an answer."
At this point, the Black Earl turned to Angel: "It likely requires your cooperation."
The group recalled Dox earlier querying the You Nu’s weakness, to which the Black Earl had replied: "This is your test."
Even though Dox asked, Black Earl was looking at Angel when answering and even ignored others, indicating it was Angel’s test.
Black Earl further explicated, "The Wise Sovereign’s meaning was clear: How to find the weakness, he’s unsure if we can achieve it, but you certainly can."
Dox speculated, "Is it something only Angel can do, like an illusion? Or...alchemy?"
Angel pondered briefly, then replied, "It should be the Magical Energy Array."
In fact, Angel had been contemplating the Wise Sovereign’s earlier words, which highlighted his own trial, suggesting a unique skill only Angel had demonstrated.
The showcased skills to the Wise Sovereign were illusion techniques, alchemy, and the Magical Energy Array.
Alchemy could likely be ruled out. While the Wise Sovereign was aware Angel possessed alchemy skills, the extent was unknown. Although Angel showed alchemy by creating a wood spirit staff, it wasn’t profound, akin to something non-alchemists could accomplish.
Thus, alchemy was excluded, leaving illusions and the Magical Energy Array, with Angel leaning more toward the latter.
Illusions focus more on control, deception, and psychological tactics, none effective against the You Nu. As the Black Earl analyzed, the You Nu does not pursue; it merely waits at the side path, holding the utter advantage.
With its mouth open, passing through would have one swallowed.
Confusing it with illusions? You’d first need to locate the real body. Though Angel possessed some spatial knowledge, this was unknown to the Wise Sovereign, who couldn’t factor it in. He explicitly stated that targeting the You Nu’s true form would provoke its offspring, making illusionary tactics futile for Angel in finding the You Nu.
This left the Magical Energy Array.
The Black Earl agreed, "Your judgment is likely correct; leveraging the Magical Energy Array might be the approach. The entire underground sewer is shrouded by the Magical Energy Array, and the You Nu can’t evade its confinement. However, leveraging it to restrain the You Nu might require your consideration."
Concluding, the Black Earl cast an apologetic glance at Angel. In his view, ’she’ targeted them as Noah’s descendants. The test was his to spearhead, now pushed onto an outsider, which left the Black Earl remorseful.
Angel didn’t overthink it, even matching the Black Earl in his resolve to venture to the legacy land. Hence, he’d tackle any obstacle in his path with utmost effort.
The puzzle remained—how to utilize the Magical Energy Array to achieve the goal?
Angel sank into thought.
The group respected his contemplation, ceasing their Mind Ribbon communication, quietly waiting for Angel’s return to focus.
Soon, Angel abruptly lifted his head, eyes locking onto the Wise Sovereign seated across.
He recalled something he needed to verify.
"Did the Wise Sovereign mention Little One-Eye came to report our whereabouts?"
The Wise Sovereign, who was observing the wood spirit, turned to Angel after his query: "Indeed."
Angel questioned, "Through the Spell of Whispering?"
The Wise Sovereign shook his head, "I never mentioned the Spell of Whispering. It approached me directly...Little One-Eye is still lively, unlike its more sedentary brothers. It enjoys roaming around, thus becoming my link with the outside world’s magazines."
Angel: "..." Really, no need to explain again, it seems you care quite a bit about your pen name."