In a pile of rubble, searching for the true name insignia wasn’t difficult for them. With a direct probe of spiritual power, they could discern most of it.
The only challenge was in determining whether it was a magic pattern or a true name insignia.
This was a time-consuming task for Dox, Kaier, and Vay, but for Angel and the Black Earl, it posed no difficulty.
In less than two minutes, a large heap of altar rubble was completely sifted through by Angel and the Black Earl.
The result was... nothing!
Besides shattered magic patterns that were impossible to recognize, there were no other traces.
"This is interesting. Could this Mirror Demon God be a Great Demon God, or an unparalleled Great Demon God not yet uncovered by the Wizards’ Realm?" Dox raised an eyebrow upon hearing the result.
Dox’s doubt was shared by the others, including Angel.
Angel turned to look at the Black Earl. If there was an answer to this question, the only one present who might know it would be the Black Earl.
After pondering for a few seconds, the Black Earl still shook his head: "No, at least according to my memory, no Mirror Demon God has ever appeared."
"From seeing the Mirror Demon God recorded in Uisu language until now, who knows how long has passed? The Black Earl must have pondered what needed pondering, right? Why did he need a few seconds of thought before answering—is he putting on airs, or is there something he knows but won’t say?" Only Dox dared to confront the Black Earl so directly.
Though Dox’s words might sound overly critical, upon reflection, they seemed to hold some truth.
This was the thinking of Kaier and Vay.
Angel didn’t have as many thoughts; the Black Earl had clearly stated in the light of the contract that he didn’t know the Mirror Demon God, so Angel believed the Black Earl’s words. As for Dox’s claim that the Black Earl might have remembered it along the way, that was even less likely. With the Black Earl’s current status, forgetting something and then suddenly recalling it wouldn’t be the act of a top-tier third-level wizard unless someone stronger than the Black Earl affected his memory.
Faced with Dox’s clearly provocative words, the Black Earl snorted coldly: "Sophistry."
The Black Earl only said this one sentence and displayed an attitude of complete disdain towards Dox.
"That’s it? No punishment for Dox? No anger?" This was the thought of everyone present.
Angel originally felt there was nothing wrong with the Black Earl, but his attitude now seemed rather odd. Unlike the others, Angel wasn’t puzzled why the Black Earl wasn’t angry at Dox’s provocation; rather, he wondered about the Black Earl’s obscure emotional fluctuations.
Even when rebutting Dox, his emotions remained obscure.
No highs or lows, no waves. Such emotion was more like pondering something where the contemplation held greater importance than external matters, causing him to ignore Dox’s provocation.
After thinking for a few seconds, Angel spoke up, "Could it be that the Mirror Demon God is its name from ten thousand years ago, and now it’s changed its name? Or has it fallen?"
"Impossible. A Demon God’s true name can’t be changed at will. As for having fallen, I’ve never heard of a Demon God with this true name falling." The Black Earl replied without hesitation this time.
Angel nodded, murmuring softly, "Then why is there no true name insignia now?"
Angel seemed to be in deep thought, but his mind was actually focused on the Black Earl’s reaction. The question he just asked was quickly answered by the Black Earl, indicating a signal: the Black Earl was indeed pondering something, but it should have nothing to do with the Mirror Demon God.
Angel glanced at Dox. Dox happened to look over, and they briefly exchanged glances.
The exchange of looks was brief, yet Angel read from Dox’s eyes what he’s trying to convey: the Black Earl had issues.
The Black Earl having issues was actually quite a broad statement. Frankly, anyone harboring alternative thoughts during a ruins exploration could be said to have issues, like Angel himself could also be said to have issues.
However, the degree of this issue—whether big or small—that’s the key point.
Angel pondered for a bit, then turned to the Black Earl: "Sir, do you have any thoughts?"
"What thoughts do you want to know?"
Logically speaking, Angel would naturally be asking about the true name insignia, but the Black Earl asked back directly, as if he knew Angel’s main concern wasn’t the matter of the true name insignia.
"Any thoughts will do, such as the Mirror Demon God, or about why there’s no true name insignia, and... does coming to the Underground Labyrinth feel familiar, or summoned you in any way?"
Angel’s statement started off normal but became odd later on. At this moment, Kaier and Vay felt something was amiss in the atmosphere, stepping back towards the door to stand by it. Only Dox remained unmoved, crouching on a pile of rubble and watching the odd tension between Angel and the Black Earl with sparkling eyes.
The Black Earl remained silent for a long time, the atmosphere growing increasingly heavy, yet Angel refused to back down, meeting the Black Earl’s gaze—if staring at the nostrils counted.
After a long moment, the Black Earl suddenly snorted, followed by a burst of laughter. The tense atmosphere was instantly dispelled like a punctured balloon: "There’s surely something belonging to our Noah Clan within this ruins exploration, don’t refute, you definitely know, otherwise why would you have sought that promise earlier, and now ask about ’summoning’?"
Listening to the laughter that lingered in the air, Angel suddenly thought, could it be that he’d fallen into a trap?
The Black Earl deliberately pretended to be in thought, actually attempting to probe him.
The more he thought, the more possible it seemed. When he sought that promise from the Black Earl earlier, the Black Earl must have had suspicions then; but instead of questioning directly, he awaited Angel to voluntarily step into the trap; sure enough, the Black Earl took advantage of appearing odd, causing Angel to speak about ’familiarity’ and ’summoning’—words hinting at his deeper knowledge of the ruin’s truth.
If that were the case, how cunning!
Angel fruitlessly cursed in his heart, revealing no emotion outwardly.
"I said from the start, I have some knowledge of the ruin." Angel carefully chose his words, providing a noncommittal statement.
The Black Earl merely remarked calmly, "Let me guess what you’re thinking now... You should be wondering why his behavior after entering the maze has been so strange—could it be deliberate, trying to probe you?"
Angel pursed his lips silently. Not admitting meant he wasn’t thinking that way—a testament to Angel’s stubbornness.
"I can tell you, I wasn’t probing you. When you sought my promise, I knew you had knowledge of the ruin’s truth, so there’s no need for any acting to probe you." The Black Earl: "I know what you and that red-haired kid want to know, and I can tell you. But I have one condition."
Angel remained silent while the "red-haired kid" on the other side spoke, "What condition?"
The Black Earl: "It doesn’t concern you."
With that said, the Black Earl looked at Angel: "I won’t ask you directly for the answer, I just need you to say one sentence."
"What sentence?"
"The destination of this ruins is related to the Noah Clan."
In short, the Black Earl was seeking confirmation from Angel.