Angel didn’t have a strong impression of the second floor because its internal layout was similar to the first floor, just with a few more small rooms. Moreover, he didn’t find anything like a thin book on the second floor either.
However, Angel could confirm that there were absolutely no invisible paths hidden in the void on the second floor.
The change in layout here was probably due to the blessings of the Spatial Tempest.
Since there were no other paths, Angel didn’t hesitate and directly stepped onto this invisible path.
They walked about tens of meters before seeing the first room floating in the void... or rather, the remains of a room.
Without walls or a ceiling, only scattered fragments of the floor remained.
These floor fragments were mostly separated, wandering in a small area, occasionally closing together, much like the moving floorboards when they first entered the hanging stairs.
"Should we go up there?" Kaier looked at the constantly moving floor remnants with some hesitation.
"What, are you scared?"
A slightly teasing voice came from the side, and Kaier didn’t need to turn his head to know it was Dox speaking.
"No." Kaier shook his head. He wasn’t scared, but seeing Vay fall into the void earlier left a shadow in his mind, making him instinctively want to resist when he saw the more scattered floor fragments.
"It’s okay to admit you’re scared. After all, it’s well-known that the Academy Faction is afraid of death. I won’t laugh at you."
Before Kaier could say anything, Vay whispered from the side, "There’s more than one from the Academy Faction here, you know."
Dox paused for a moment, looked back, but Angel ignored him, and The Sage observed Dox and Kaier with curious eyes.
Dox "clicked" his tongue in his heart, wondering if this old monster was from the Academy Faction.
The Sage, the Sage... Usually, they’re from the Academy Faction, right?
Dox smirked but didn’t say anything in the end.
Kaier then spoke, "I was just thinking, will these broken floorboards always float nearby? If it happens that we stand on them and they float far away, then won’t we..."
Vay swallowed nervously and continued, "...just disappear."
Watching the two apprentices echo each other, Dox said irritably, "Can’t you judge the safe distance yourself? Even if these floorboards float far, do you think Jin would watch you die with open eyes?"
Vay’s exaggerated expression immediately ceased, "That’s true."
Dox: "True for what? You’re not even using your true body to enter. Believe it or not, if you jump down here crying, Jin won’t save you... You should be grateful that I’m coming in with you, not Jin!"
Vay pouted, "If even the adults can’t find it, you coming in is just a waste of time."
Dox’s eyes widened, ready to retort, but before he could, The Sage chuckled and said, "I think he’s right. Now it’s like all of you are looking together, and if so many people can’t find it, what makes you think you can find it alone?"
"Even if I can’t find it, I have to try," Dox retorted, but his confidence was clearly lacking.
The Sage nonchalantly said, "If you can’t find the Wood Spirit, you should at least take something else out, right? Like the Porodense Stone?"
Dox was silent. If anyone else had said it, he could have stubbornly argued back, but since it was The Sage saying it, he didn’t want to risk slipping up.
While they bantered with Dox, Angel and the Black Earl had already flown onto the floor remnants.
Angel roughly surveyed around — there wasn’t much information left on these floor remnants, not even the furniture, which was mostly shattered.
The only thing remaining on the floor was fluorite-made light tubes, but even those were broken into bits and pieces.
Despite moving between several floors, Angel still had no clues. He glanced at the Black Earl, who also shook the slate side to side.
The Black Earl had been here before to search, but he hadn’t found any clues either.
Angel sighed and looked at the others. At this moment, Dox had also flown onto the wooden boards, occasionally looking around or touching things, but from what he touched, it was evident he wasn’t looking for the Wood Spirit; he was simply interested in some aspects of the remnants’ material.
The Sage and Vay stayed on the Void Path; Vay was worried his presence would increase Angel’s computing power, while The Sage was simply there to watch the spectacle.
However, when Angel met eyes with The Sage, the latter didn’t remain uninvolved. He smiled and said, "If you have questions, feel free to ask me. For example, whether the Wood Spirit is here or not. While I don’t know its exact location, I can give you a general judgment."
"But asking questions is still reciprocal. If I answer your question, you must answer one of mine."
Previously, outside, the questioning session with The Sage had ended, but now he mentioned it again, evidently filled with curiosity about Angel’s series of actions after entering the Hanging Jail Stairway.
Seeing The Sage’s brightening eyes, Angel softly stated, "If I need to, I’ll definitely consult The Wise Sovereign."
Conversely, the same.
The Sage shrugged indifferently, even if Angel decided not to ask, he could still seek answers to his questions through observation or other means.
Bypassed The Sage, Angel’s gaze then turned to the only real person present besides him: Kaier.
At this moment, Kaier was carefully observing each broken fragment on the edge of the floor.
As Angel approached, he discovered Kaier was holding a Photostone in one hand and some observation instrument similar to a microscope in the other, conducting an in-depth study of a nearby broken floor piece.
"Still worried about them floating away?" Angel: "Don’t worry, although the floor is in fragments, they’re kept within bounds by the Magical Energy Array, they’ll only move nearby, not float away."
Seeing Angel come over, Kaier quickly stood up, "No, no, it’s not that. I just have a hypothesis."
Angel: "A hypothesis? If it’s related to the Wood Spirit, feel free to share it."
Kaier: "I once read a book about a Heavy Armored Knight on an exile story."
Angel raised an eyebrow, "A Heavy Armored Knight... A novel like ’Dragoknight and The Devil Castle’?"
Kaier was momentarily stunned, his eyes widened, "You’ve read it too, my lord?"
Angel: "I’ve only read one book starring a Heavy Armored Knight, but it seemed more about dropping into some demonic realm rather than going into exile..."