Chapter 2399: Chapter 2400: Phantasmal Shadow Demon

After listening to Angel’s explanation, which was so brief it could be summarized in one sentence, both Nis and Kanter fell silent.

"The information inside the Mind Ribbon can’t be transmitted because the Magical Energy Array has a layer-to-layer isolation effect. I found the control node of the Magical Energy Array and temporarily turned off this isolation effect."

This was Angel’s explanation.

It sounded as if he could just find a switch to flick and reveal the current situation. But Nis and Kanter weren’t fools; their rich experience was enough for them to understand the vast and complex nature of this Magical Energy Array.

For Angel to find the control node so quickly and even manage to control it in such a short time was a true demonstration of his deep knowledge of Magic Patterns. If it were someone else, even some Magic Pattern Masters, it would be difficult to succeed. This laboratory’s Magical Energy Array didn’t just involve Magic Patterns but also the realm of Mechanical Alchemy; only someone like Angel, who had a deep understanding of Magic Patterns and was also an Alchemy Master, could achieve this level.

"Angel’s growth speed is simply beyond my imagination," Kanter lamented.

"Yes, such a good seedling, how did Sanders end up being so lucky," Nis said enviously.

The two of them were speaking without using the Mind Ribbon, so Angel didn’t hear their sentiments. But even if he did, he wouldn’t care, as Greya said similar things almost daily.

At this time, Angel was talking with Reynaud about their current situation.

Faced with Angel’s concern, Reynaud felt slightly touched. After all, the two Wizards with him weren’t exactly reliable. So when Angel asked about their situation, Reynaud didn’t hide anything and recounted in detail what happened after they went down to the second level.

The situation on the second floor was roughly the same as the first floor; they didn’t encounter anyone, and the experimental center was empty.

Thus, Nis decided to follow the same plan as the first floor and go check the Exhibition Room first.

On the way to the Exhibition Room, they were ambushed.

The attacker was a Shadow Demon.

As soon as the Shadow Demon appeared, it rushed towards Reynaud with claws bared. Reynaud was quickly invaded by the Shadow Demon’s power, and in order to swiftly rescue Reynaud, Kanter directly blew up the Shadow Demon’s head.

This led to their earlier conversation in the Mind Ribbon.

"You encountered no one on the way, and the only one you met was an attacker... Have you been discovered?" Angel asked after hearing this.

This was also a question in Nis’s mind: "I also think it’s strange. Reynaud himself said we didn’t trigger any mechanisms. Yet the Shadow Demon appeared, and from its movements, it seemed like an ambush. In other words, it was lying in wait for us."

"Could it be we really have been discovered? Because when we triggered the hunting sequence on the first floor?"

After Nis said this, everyone’s expression turned somber, and no one spoke, plunging the Mind Ribbon into a brief silence.

After over ten seconds, Kanter was the first to break the silence: "It’s just a guess for now, but I have an idea."

Pausing briefly, Kanter continued: "Since Angel, you are already at the control node on the first floor, can you find out if we triggered the Magical Energy Array?"

Nis’s eyes lit up at this point; what Kanter said was indeed a method.

Angel: "Sure, give me a moment."

In fact, Angel originally contacted them with a similar intention. Their movements within the Magical Energy Array might be somewhat restricted, but with his understanding of the array, Angel could help them avoid danger to a certain extent.

A moment later, Angel’s voice reappeared in the Mind Ribbon: "No, you didn’t activate the Magical Energy Array on the first floor. As for the second floor, I wouldn’t know... Oh, right, while I was checking the control nodes, I found an interesting block."

Nis: "What interesting block?"

Angel: "You’ll find out soon."

With that, Angel’s voice vanished from the Mind Ribbon. No matter how much Nis called, Angel didn’t respond, clearly having blocked outside information again.

When contacting Angel wasn’t possible, Nis simply gave up and turned to Kanter: "What do you think, Lord of Night?"

Kanter: "The only place we might have triggered the Magical Energy Array after entering the laboratory was the hunting sequence in the first floor Exhibition Room. Since Angel confirmed that we didn’t trigger the Magical Energy Array on the first floor, the likelihood of us being discovered should be low."

"Moreover, Angel’s confirmation also ruled out a key point for us: the absence of people on the first two floors shouldn’t be related to our infiltration of the laboratory."

Nis nodded in agreement with the points Kanter made: "But how do we explain the Shadow Demon?"

Kanter: "As for why we encountered the Shadow Demon’s ambush here, my personal view is that the Shadow Demon might have been placed here quite some time ago. It’s not to ambush us but for..."

At this point, Kanter’s gaze shifted to Reynaud.

Nis seemed to think of something as well and squinted his eyes: "I remember, after the Shadow Demon appeared, it ignored everyone else and went straight for Reynaud, didn’t it?"

When the Shadow Demon appeared, their positions were: The Bone-armored Knight was in the front, Reynaud second, with Nis and Kanter at the back.

Logically speaking, the Shadow Demon should have ambushed the Bone-armored Knight, but it bypassed the knight and headed straight for Reynaud.

If the Shadow Demon were here to attack an energy body, the interior of the Bone-armored Knight also held a soul; it shouldn’t ignore this close target. As for picking on the weak, that didn’t make sense either, as the weakest aura there was Nis and Kanter, both of whom didn’t release any aura. Given the Shadow Demon’s low intelligence and weak perception power, if it wanted to pick on the weak, it should have chosen Nis and Kanter, not Reynaud.

Thus, upon clarifying, the Shadow Demon’s target is already very clear. It doesn’t exist to ambush others; it exists to deal with Reynaud.

Kanter: "Do you remember the Shadow Demon’s abilities?"

Nis nodded.

The Shadow Demon can hide in the shadows of creatures, absorbing the energy within to survive and gradually invade the organism until it eventually controls the organism... until it replaces the organism.

But if the Shadow Demon invades an energy body, such as a soul, it doesn’t need to wait long to directly achieve control of the soul.

"In other words, once the Shadow Demon invades Reynaud’s Soul Body, it means it can control Reynaud."

"Its intention is to manipulate Reynaud’s soul... perhaps eventually return to his flesh and completely replace Reynaud."

Kanter nodded in agreement with Nis’s statement: "Moreover, this road is the common path on the second layer; whether going to the Exhibition Room or the third layer, one will pass through here. In other words, if Reynaud returns to the laboratory, he will inevitably pass through this corridor, so it makes sense for the Shadow Demon to be ambushed here."

Overall, it seems the Shadow Demon is indeed not here for them but solely to ambush Reynaud.

Of course, this is a hypothesis. Moreover, to make this hypothesis reasonable, there must be a premise: Reynaud has something special that the person controlling the Shadow Demon values.

Otherwise, the other party wouldn’t dispatch such a precious Shadow Demon to ambush Reynaud.

As for whether Reynaud has something special? Yes, he does.

Kanter hasn’t been in contact with Reynaud for long enough to understand, but Nis has experienced it several times: Reynaud possesses the "John’s Revenge" template.

Luck, a mysterious concept. Aside from Prophecy Wizards, most wizards scoff at it because it’s too elusive and hard to define clearly or trace.

But in Reynaud, luck seems like a constant talent, occasionally surfacing.

If the person manipulating the Shadow Demon knows Reynaud has a "luck" talent... No, not if; the other party definitely knows. After all, Reynaud has lived in the laboratory for decades.

So, dealing with Reynaud becomes reasonable.

No one would pass up on such a Lucky person; even if one cannot use them, keeping them around as a mascot couldn’t hurt.

Even Nis himself wishes he could take Reynaud back to Soul Valley.

On the other side of the analysis by Nis and Kanter, Reynaud feels it might truly be targeting him; based on his past experience, Shadow Demons shouldn’t appear here.

But upon deeper thought, he finds it incorrect: "If it’s truly an ambush on my necessary path, the first layer would suffice."

Nis: "Why do you want to return to the laboratory?"

"For my body."

"And where is your body?"

"In the deeper layer."

Nis: "There you have it. They perhaps cannot confirm whether you’ll return, but if you do, you’ll definitely go to the deep layer to find your physical body. So, wherever they ambush you is very normal. Regarding why not the first layer, it might be to relax your guard."

Kanter: "There’s another possibility; they originally planned to capture you on the first layer. The second layer’s Shadow Demon might just be a secondary plan in case of an emergency."

"As for who would capture you on the first layer, the answer is pretty clear..."

Reynaud paused, a graceful witch figure emerged in his mind, and on her face, one side etched with a 0, the other a 3.

Number 03.

Perhaps, originally the person to capture Reynaud was Number 03, but the appearance of Ferro and others delayed Number 03.

"Regardless of whether this guess is true, you’ve certainly caught their attention." Kanter patted Reynaud on the shoulder, his gaze filled with pity.

Nis: "Being noticed is not bad; I hope on the next road, there’ll be more Shadow Demons ambushing."

"Enough! Don’t waste time here; let’s head to the Exhibition Room on the second layer."

This time Reynaud was placed between Nis and Kanter. During the journey, Reynaud’s expression was still somewhat dazed: "The laboratory people know I understand the internal routes. If they really were to ambush me, would they change the routes too..."

"You’re not that important for them to change the laboratory’s internal routes, rest assured. At most, they’ll send some people or Magical Creatures to track you." Nis replied, clearly eager to face possible ambushers ahead.

Unfortunately, they walked all the way to the Exhibition Room’s door on the second layer without encountering any other ambushers.

Nis’s heart yearned for more Shadow Demons, but they didn’t appear again.

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