Chapter 1543
Chapter 1543: Section 1544: Millennium Chapter 1543: Section 1544: Millennium Though this theatrical play is merely an Illusionary Realm, the story itself is not fictional.
That is to say, Alex truly existed.
Although Nail Granny didn't know who the Alex in the story was, she had an inexplicable premonition in her heart. Even if Alex wasn't the same person as “him,” they must be related in some way.
“Can you tell me where the story occurred? And the protagonist, Alex, where is he now?” Nail Granny's voice was soft, and although no significant emotional fluctuations could be heard, Angel sensed a sense of urgency yet cautiousness in her inquiry.
Under Nail Granny's expectant gaze, Angel shook his head: “I don't know either.”
His answer left Nail Granny struggling to hide her disappointment: “Then how did you come to know of this story? And how can you confirm that he's real?”
Angel quietly stared at Nail Granny.
In his mind, Nail Granny was surrounded by layers of Mist, a calm, powerful, and mysterious witch.
He had never seen such a range of emotions on Nail Granny before.
This sparked even more curiosity in Angel, and after some contemplation, he responded: “Before I answer these questions, may I know why Nail Granny is so concerned about Alex?”
He paused, then whispered, “Do you know him?”
Nail Granny fell into silence as if pondering whether to tell Angel. It was only after the castle-shaped mechanical clock nearby ticked away three revolutions of its second hand that she finally broke the stagnant air.
However, the first thing Nail Granny said was unrelated to Angel's question.
“Vifette should have agreed to trade with you, right?”
Angel was dazed for a while before realizing that Nail Granny was referring to the Scroll of Fortune in Vifette's possession.
Angel nodded: “Sort of. Why does Nail Granny bring this up?”
Nail Granny: “Do you remember what I warned you about when you asked me about the Scroll of Fortune?”
Angel had indeed inquired about the Scroll of Fortune from Nail Granny, who at the time had revealed a solemn expression and gravely cautioned him.
“I remember. You warned me that luck isn't truly fortunate, but merely compresses some potentially bad choices into fewer options. Among the remaining options, even those that seem positive may not be suitable; the discarded bad options may not necessarily be unsuitable. After all, good and bad should not be generalized, as they are part of a chain reaction.”
Nail Granny spoke softly, eyes downcast: “And there was one more crucial thing.”
Angel paused, then voiced the statement: “Especially when used in mysterious alchemy.”
That was Nail Granny's warning to Angel, advising him to avoid using the Scroll of Fortune in alchemy, especially in mysterious alchemy.
At that time Angel was somewhat puzzled. Was Nail Granny's grave warning because something had happened before?
Unfortunately, Nail Granny did not explain at the time, only offered that conclusion.
Nail Granny: “The reason I brought up the Scroll of Fortune is that its appearance marked the beginning of his disaster.”
Angel caught on that Nail Granny mentioned a “he.”
Could this “he” possibly be Alex?
After a sigh, Nail Granny continued: “You are now an Official Wizard and have joined the Research and Development Institute, so you are entitled to know about this.”
“The event occurred over a thousand years ago–”
Nail Granny's gaze became distant, as if returning to those midnight reveries she always saw, an era both familiar yet far removed.
As Nail Granny recounted her tale, Angel's expression shifted from initial surprise to curiosity, and finally settled into deep contemplation.
Beyond herself, another figure appeared in Nail Granny's story–a man.
Nail Granny didn't go into much detail, but Angel could tell from her tender tone that this gentleman shared a profound connection with Nail Granny; perhaps he was her closest friend, or even an intimate lover.
Like Nail Granny, this man was also an Alchemist, and his talent was not just formidable; his Alchemy Technique was nearly at its peak. He was arguably the strongest Alchemist in the Research and Development Institute at that time.
When one reaches the pinnacle of their profession, they inevitably yearn for higher pursuits. He was no different; he wished to breakthrough his Alchemy Technique to seek a loftier realm–Mystery.
Yet, the realm of Mystery has no shortcuts nor any direct entrance.
After many years of research, he had some insights, but due to poor timing, he was always turned away at the door of Mystery. If he continued down this path, there was a chance he could fulfill his aspirations in the future. It was likely due to youthful recklessness and an urgent desire for success that he grew impatient with his current situation and decided to blaze a new trail by taking an unconventional approach.
So, he thought of something–the Scroll of Fortune.
He laid out a plan to refine a Mysterious Object using the Scroll of Fortune as an aid, and after repeated verification, the probability of success was extremely high.
Excited, he shared this news with Nail Granny and invited her to be his Alchemy assistant and help him in refining the Mysterious Object.
Back then, Nail Granny was young too and hadn't thought everything through. Hearing his convincing description of a bright future and his assurances that the outcome would undoubtedly be flawless, she was persuaded and agreed to assist him in the refinement.
In the end, just as he predicted, they indeed succeeded.
However, as Nail Granny had previously warned Angel, success isn't always a good thing, especially when it comes to refining Mysterious Objects.
Although they succeeded, the moment of their success was when the nightmare descended. The refined Mysterious Object was distinctly different from others–upon its creation, it began to erode the surrounding world, changing its Laws, ignoring them, and creating new ones.
Almost instantly, the nearby space began to show signs of crumbling and collapsing.
With the breakdown of Laws, all things withered, and all life's essence vanished for eternity!
At that moment, he couldn't believe what was happening; success had been achieved, so why were these strange changes occurring? At this most critical juncture, he exhausted all his strength to send Nail Granny away from the devastating world.
He himself, however, fell into a sealed space, plunging into an endless abyss.
This was the story told by Nail Granny, and it was also the reason she had sternly warned Angel when she first learned he was searching for the Scroll of Fortune.
The reason for Angel's initial surprise was the impact this story had on him.
But later, his expression turned from surprise to curiosity because after Nail Granny finished her story, she finally unveiled the mystery.
The man of significant relation to her in the story was named–
Ivor Schubert.
For Angel, Ivor Schubert was not an unfamiliar name. Every time he visited the Fantasy Mechanical City of the Research and Development Institute, he would see an empty display case.
This display case was supposed to show a Mysterious Object, but since the object had disappeared, all that was left was a case to declare that the Institute had once refined such an object.
This Mysterious Object was temporarily named the Reincarnation Casket, and Ivor Schubert was the one who refined it.
The name “Reincarnation Casket,” after all, was uncannily similar to “Reincarnation Casket of the Undead” as told by Frost. That's why Angel had always been curious about it.
During his last visit to the Fantasy Mechanical City, Angel had even asked the Water Pattern Witch to tell him the story of the Reincarnation Casket and its refiner Ivor, but unfortunately, the Water Pattern Witch didn't know much. However, she suggested Angel consult the “person directly involved.”
The “person directly involved” she mentioned was none other than Nail Granny herself.
Angel originally intended to seize the opportunity to ask Nail Granny about it, yet fate led her to share the story with him first, quite unexpectedly.