"Sir, do we need to check this place again?"
Kael was the one who asked the question. The place he pointed to was a pile of debris. However, they had already searched the area once before and didn't find any clues.
According to convention, they shouldn't have searched the place a second time. But since Angor already decided not to go to the third level and was certain that the wood spirit was on the second level, Kael believed that they should search the second level again.
However, Angor didn't seem to be going to the second level at all. Kael asked again.
"No need. We've already searched this place, so we don't need to go there again."
"Then we're not looking for the wood spirit?"
"Of course. We're looking for it, aren't we? " In order to make his words more believable, Angor even looked around as if he was going to do a thorough search.
However, there was nothing but empty space around them, which only made them feel … perfunctory.
Kael didn't ask any more questions. As far as he was concerned, Angor had already given up on searching.
Maybe he's just tired of it?
Kael didn't know what else to say. He could only hope that Dorcas and Wai would find something useful.
…
"Are you sure you don't want to keep looking?"
The others had already given up on persuading Angor. Dorcas was already rubbing his hands together as if he was ready to show up at any moment. At this moment, the Sovereign of Wisdom, who had been planning on remaining silent, couldn't help but speak up.
"I'm looking for it." Angor didn't change his answer.
"Maybe I'll believe you if you don't look so lazy." The Wise Overseer raised an eyebrow.
"Is that so? But I don't think you'll believe me no matter what I do, Overseer. "
"You can't see the bottom of the murky water, and you can't tell whether the shadow is a crocodile or a rock."
"Even if the water is so clear that you can see the bottom, the Lord of Wisdom will still wonder whether the rock under the water is a real one or a fake one with a hidden mechanism."
What the Wise Overseer was trying to say was that Angor was too mysterious. Only by clearing up the murky water would he be able to convince others.
What Angor meant was that conspiracy theorists only saw schemes. Wise people who were too suspicious would never trust others, especially outsiders like them.
It was hard to say who was right and who was wrong. Their words were all expressed from their own standpoint, so they naturally leaned towards self-interest.
It was quite difficult to reach a consensus on the issue of their positions.
Unless one side completely surrendered to the other and agreed to all of the other's conditions, it was possible for them to reach an agreement. However, neither Angor nor the Wise Overseer was going to yield.
There was no way the Wise Ruler would submit to Angor's whims, especially since he was in his own territory.
As for Angor, he didn't really care whether he submitted or not. Before leaving the Old Earth, Jon once warned him that in a world where the strong preyed on the weak, pride was the most unnecessary thing. This was because one's self-esteem was the easiest to trample on. If one treated their self-esteem as a divine tablet and worshipped it, it would only rise up after being trampled on. Besides, pride could easily lead to death.
There was always a plot in novels where a powerful person would admire a protagonist who would rather die than submit, and in the end, they would let the protagonist go. However, such plots were only used by protagonists. More often than not, the protagonist would not be respected, but angered. The anger of a powerful person could only be appeased by death.
This was why Jon told Angor that self-esteem was fine, but most of the time, it was better to adapt to circumstances and reach an agreement with the other party. This was the only way to live longer.
Angor was a very pragmatic person. Back when he met Sunders, if he pretended to die rather than submit and insisted on going to White Coral Floating Island Academy, he would probably end up dead.
Angor didn't really care if he submitted or not.
However, he couldn't do that when facing the Wise Overseer. The reason was simple. The Wise Overseer wasn't someone who would accept someone just because they surrendered.
As Angor said, conspiracy theorists only saw schemes.
When you were shrouded in mystery, the Wise Overseer would doubt your identity. If you revealed your identity, the Wise Overseer would doubt your purpose. If you told him your purpose, the Wise Overseer would doubt your motives.
Giving in to such a person would only push yourself to the edge. Even if you showed your soul to the Wise Overseer, the Wise Overseer would still find fault with it.
Therefore, Angor could never give in to the Wise Overseer, whether it was his standpoint or his will.
However, they couldn't always be at each other's throats. As Dodoro said, Angor had to reach an agreement with the Wise Overseer if he wanted to achieve his goal.
But if they didn't intend to submit, how could they reach an agreement?
Brute Cavern should be able to suppress the Wise Overseer by force. However, this was the worst way to go if he wanted to continue exploring the ruin without worrying about other people's opinions.
Apart from outside help, Angor could only think of one thing: common interests.
As long as there was a common interest, perhaps both sides could take a step back and reach a balance on the issue of their positions. Even if they still couldn't agree with the Wise Overseer's position, they could at least accept that the Wise Overseer's position meant something.
Just like the Dark Earl.
Angor and Black Earl maintained the same balance between the two of them. Angor had shown a lot of suspicious points during this trip. At first, the Dark Earl would ask about it, but later, the Overseer stopped asking. There was no reason for them to turn against each other because they shared a common interest. Both Count Black and Angor had vested interests in this matter.
If the Dark Earl could agree, so could the Wise Overseer.
However, there was another question. What kind of common interest did he have with the Wise Overseer?
Angor didn't have an answer yet. Or rather, he wasn't sure yet.
However, this was only because the Wise Overseer didn't reveal his "purpose". Angor believed that as long as the Wise Overseer knew the Wise Overseer's attitude toward Noah's descendants, they would definitely find a common interest.
Angor was confident because the Wise Overseer wouldn't waste so much time talking to them without a common interest.
As for how to find out the Wise Overseer's purpose?
That was what Angor was doing right now.
Once the Wise Sovereign had completed his so-called bonus conditions and conditions, he would naturally reveal his true intentions after observing enough information about them.
Angor wasn't afraid of going against the Wise Overseer now because he already knew what was going on.
Besides, only when both sides made their positions clear would there be a need to talk. Otherwise, there would be no need to talk at all. It would be tantamount to yielding.
…
Angor's "conspiracy theorists are always blinded" response was the same as directly confronting the Wise Overseer.
They looked at each other — no, five eyes.
When their eyes met, the atmosphere became stagnant, and the air became austere.
The Wise Overseer's expression was getting darker and darker. Everyone felt uneasy as if they were about to draw their swords at each other's throats.
But to their surprise, the Wise Overseer's gloomy expression suddenly brightened up.
The Wise Overseer gave Angor a meaningful look and spoke in a soft voice, "Let's put aside the question of whether the water is clear or not. Are you sure you don't want to look for the Wood Spirit? "
"If you decide to give up the quest, you won't be able to get the bonus points."
Angor said, "That can wait until after I leave the Stairs of Hanging Prison. I'm still 'looking' for it."
At this time, Dorcas interrupted, "Did you forget about me? What do you mean the bonus points are gone? I haven't looked for it yet. Maybe I'll find it in the end? "
The Wise Overseer glanced at Dorcas, then … looked at Angor again.
"Then I'll look forward to your 'finding' the Wood Spirit."
It sounded like he was responding to Dorcas, but the Wise Overseer's gaze was fixed on Angor. There was no doubt that he was talking to Angor. Dorcas was once again ignored.
"Insincere expectations," Angor muttered. He then spoke in a serious tone, "Then I'll try my best to live up to your expectations."
The Wise Overseer naturally heard Angor's words, but he didn't care. Angor was telling the truth. His "expectation" was nothing but empty words.
Among everyone here, Count Black was the most likely to find the Wood Spirit. But Count Black had already returned in defeat. There was no hope left.
The Wise Overseer didn't believe Angor could find the Wood Spirit.
As for Angor's confident claim that the Wood Spirit was on the second level, the Wise Overseer completely ignored it. He only took it as Angor's last attempt to save face.
…
As they continued to walk back, the scene was the same as before. Only the drifting ruins would occasionally move to the side. Angor didn't plan to explore the ruins at all. He didn't even bother to say that he was looking for the Wood Spirit anymore.
Seeing this, everyone's last doubt was extinguished. They all knew that Angor wasn't going to look for the Wood Spirit anymore.
"Young people are always so impulsive. Let your emotions get the better of you. "Dorcas sighed." Looks like I'm still your only hope. "
Before Dorcas could finish, he heard Wai's cold snort beside him.
Dorcas turned around and saw Wai glaring at him angrily. Before he could figure out what was going on, he heard the Wise Overseer's voice again.
"Young and impulsive? He's younger than you? "
Dorcas was taken aback. He suddenly realized that he just revealed some information about Angor.
Dorcas howled in his heart, but on the surface, he said indifferently, "Yes, younger than me."
"I see." The Wise Overseer muttered to himself, "You're about eighty years old. There aren't many wizards younger than you in the southern wizardry region. Moreover, from your tone, he should be much younger than you, perhaps under 50 years old. Such a young wizard who knows illusions and alchemy. This information should be enough to confirm his identity. "
Due to the nightmare illusion, Elmi's precautions, and Black Earl's Earth Barrier, the Wise Overseer couldn't determine Angor's age.
When the Wise Overseer left the live illusion, he ordered Dorcas and Black Earl to return to the real world and prepare for the worst. Without Angor controlling the illusions, the Wise Overseer was able to see Dorcas's real body.
It wasn't difficult for the Wise Overseer to figure out Dorcas's age. Thus, the Wise Sovereign knew that Dorcas was eighty years old. He was an extremely young and talented Magus.
Now that Dorcas accidentally revealed that Angor was younger than him, the Wise Overseer naturally knew about Angor's age range.
Dorcas looked at the Sovereign Sage, who had a look of 'I believe you' on his face, and was even seriously analyzing the situation. This made him feel a bit awkward.
He did that on purpose so that the Wise Overseer would doubt his words and Angor's age.
But he didn't expect the Wise Overseer to believe him!
Didn't Angor say that the Wise Overseer didn't trust people? Why did the Wise Overseer believe him now?
It seemed that he couldn't change the Wise Overseer's mind.
Dorcas looked at Angor with a sad expression and tried to apologize.
But when he looked at Angor, he realized that Angor wasn't looking at them at all. Instead, he closed his eyes and began to scan the area, as if he was looking for a wood spirit.
Is he acting again?
Dorcas thought Angor was just trying to brush him off. But when he took a closer look, he saw Angor's serious expression.
The energy in the area was also changing according to Angor's senses.
"What's going on?" Wail was still angry at Dorcas for exposing Angor's information, but now he was also attracted by Angor's movement.
Even the Wise Overseer was looking at him in confusion, not knowing what he was doing.
When the energy in the area reached a certain extreme, it suddenly stopped.
At the same time, Angor opened his eyes.
He let out a long sigh and finally noticed that everyone was looking at him.
"What's the matter?" Angor asked without realizing it himself.
"We should be the ones asking you that," Dorcas replied.
"Weren't you talking about my age? What's wrong with that?"
Dorcas avoided Angor's gaze. "Ahem, age … well, it's not that important. We're focusing on you now. Aren't we asking you what you're doing? "
Angor shrugged. "Nothing."
Angor paused for a moment before he continued, "I'm just thinking about how to make the little guy show up on his own."
Little guy hiding in the dark?
Who was he talking about? Was it the wood spirit? Did Angor already find it?
While everyone was still wondering, Angor turned around and looked into the darkness.
"Hey, there are only two of us here. Are you sure you don't want to come out?"
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