869: Chapter 133 Bitter Green Tea 869: Chapter 133 Bitter Green Tea “Forget it, I won’t ask anymore,” Pannis grimaced, clenching his teeth as he spoke, “But with only twenty or thirty bottles, I fear the effect will be hardly sufficient.
There should also be a diminishing effect of the potion, right?
By my calculations, that would only allow one person to search the Forest of Death for about four or five days.
Considering the millions of square kiloters that the Forest of Death spans, even if one knows the exact location, this amount of ti is nowhere near enough.
Even with the recipe, if the difficulty of concocting the potion is as high as you say, to produce a batch sufficient for two demigods to explore the Core Area, at least another year would be needed.
The problem is, we don’t have a year to wait— who knows when those two moribunds will carry out their plan.”
“Seven months from now,” Philarx said, “We got the notice not long ago, telling to hasten our plan or it would be too late.
They plan to execute their sche in November of this year; the exact day, I do not know.
As for their plan, you must have already guessed, to reopen Death’s Gate and once again usher in the Undead Tide into the Yarran World.
With the deaths of countless beings, they hope to awaken Danacus.
Then through a direct connection between the two worlds, they intend to infuse this world with Danacus’s Divine Power and turn it into a paradise for the undead.
As for the location of reopening Death’s Gate, it’s still the old place.”
“Is this really okay for you?” Even the ntion of Danacus made Pannis’s heart twinge.
However, against the current situation, Philarx’s words were outrageously discordant, prompting Pannis to react with a wry smile as he said, “Such matters should be confidential, shouldn’t they?
You just told the ti and the place.
Even if, as you say, it makes no fundantal difference to you whether or not I know, in the end, you are still allies.
It seems sowhat improper, doesn’t it?”
“What’s wrong with it?” Philarx sneered.
“A plan that is dood from the start?
I have no interest in continuing to play along with them.
Besides, it’s just mutual exploitation.
Do you think they told out of kindness?
I certainly don’t think you’re that naive.”
“Dood from the start?” Pannis dropped his facetious deanor and asked, frowning, “Why do you think their plan is dood to failure?
You wouldn’t say such a thing without reason; what do you know?”
“Although I have yet to beco a Deity, I have a deeper understanding of the rules of ti than anyone else.
Through the River of Ti, I occasionally see things that others cannot.” Philarx’s gaze shifted towards the window, speaking leisurely, “This is not prophesy, just searching for the truth in the River of Ti.”
“So, what did you see?” Pannis gripped the chair’s armrest tightly and asked earnestly, “In the World of the Dead, what exactly has beco of Danacus?
Since you say the plan is dood, you must have knowledge of it.”
“That cannot be disclosed, old friend,” Philarx said, shaking her head softly.
“Declaring it wouldn’t benefit you or .
So you should curb your Curiosity.
If there’s a future, you’ll naturally co to know.
If there isn’t, knowing will serve no purpose.
Truly, I’m not able to see whatever I wish; I only have very occasional chances to glimpse fragnts, so it’s best you don’t ask too much.”
“I understand,” Pannis sighed.
“Let’s not dwell on whether their plan will succeed or not.
You just ntioned that they’re ready to reopen Death’s Gate at the old place, no wonder they’ve placed those Marsh Stalkers in advance in the Whispering Swamp.
I suppose it’s likely that the areas around the Sighing Desert are full of their dark pawns.
Then, before reopening Death’s Gate, they’ll have them launch a collective assault to create serious chaos and divert the Demigods’ attention, preventing an early discovery of their sche.
No, wait, I get it now.
Your existence is too crucial to them; once your plan succeeds, nearly half the Kingdom of Mages and a good part of the Falar Empire will turn into barren lands.
The entire Yarran World might be thrown into turmoil because of your plan, allowing them to seize the opportunity and guide the undead onto the Butte Plateau.
After all, several kiloters of sheer drop are an impregnable barrier for the living but not entirely insurmountable for the tireless and fearless undead.
Once they manage to break through the encirclent of the Sighing Desert, sealing them in a deserted wasteland like we did over a hundred years ago will be impossible.”
“Yes, that is their plan, and they aren’t the least bit afraid of my knowing, for they well understand that I don’t care what happens to the Yarran World afterward,” Philarx scoffed.
“They’re right to think so.
It’s clear to that even though their ultimate plan is dood, opening Death’s Gate will still lead to a massive loss of life, but indeed, I don’t care, which is why I’ve been collaborating with them all this ti.
It’s a pity that you ultimately found this place.
Fortunately, upon learning that you were still alive, I prepared a second plan, and it turns out, I wasn’t overthinking it.
I know you too well, Kyle.
If you’re alive and have rallied once more, my deeds would hardly escape your notice.
And surely, you would ddle in these affairs and end up standing in my way.”
“Of course, I cannot just watch tens of millions die because of your plan,” Pannis leaned back in his chair, his face filled with regret.
“If I were to do that, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself.”
“Heh, I understand,” Philarx smiled.
“The fact that you ca to see alone already fills with joy.
Not just because my ultimate plan won’t face any discrepancies but also because it shows we are still friends, at least up to this point.”
“Of course, we’ve been friends for many years,” Pannis said, narrowing his eyes.
“So when a friend is in the wrong, I must stop him myself, not through the hands of others.
Only that way can the purity of our friendship remain untarnished.”
“You still cling to justice so passionately after all these years, despite having changed so much,” Philarx said with a rare display of emotion on her cold face, “If only that had changed too.”
“Then I wouldn’t be myself anymore,” Pannis replied without hesitation.
“Just like you wouldn’t be Philarx without your dedication to knowledge, would you?”
“Indeed, like us, we don’t easily change our nature.” Philarx laughed at himself and said, “I can still rember what you looked like when you first burst in here.”
“Hahaha, I must be the first to barge into your lab using lunch as an excuse to see you,” Pannis recalled the event and couldn’t help but burst into laughter, “It was because of those diplomatic pleasantries you exchanged with Curlee.”
“I ran into that goblin at the school research eting.
He insisted on talking constantly about you and Nellie, wanting to introduce us.
I had no choice but to respond with diplomatic niceties.
Who would have thought you’d actually take a polite platitude seriously and co to have lunch?” Philarx said with a wry smile, “You were not only the first but also the last to do so.
I rember thinking at the ti that there must be sothing wrong with your brain, and you were worth observing.”
“If I hadn’t done so, seeing you would have been difficult,” Pannis said with a smug look, tilting his head, “If I hadn’t used that thod to pique your interest, how else would I have had the chance to convince you to help?
And yet, you were so stingy with a al that you fobbed off with just a pot of tea.”
“Honestly, I never understood why you were involved with the massive eruption of Earthfire in the Eternal Frozen Wasteland,” Philarx asked, puzzled, “It was just a natural disaster.
Why did you insist on dragging the three of us there, taking risks to try and stop it, only to do nothing and leave after watching the eruption up close?”
“It wasn’t to stop it; it was to observe,” Pannis explained, “My research showed that every two to three hundred years there is a massive eruption of Earthfire in the Eternal Frozen Wasteland.
Each eruption causes a vast amount of ice and snow to lt, sending many frost spirits back into slumber.
That’s not really an issue; the frost spirits don’t care.
But the harm doesn’t end there.
With the Earthfire, lots of smoke and ash are spewed into the air and spread with the wind.
Those substances are highly damaging to living beings.
Historical records show that each eruption resulted in a large number of ordinary people dying over the following years.
So I thought I might try to stop this eruption.
Fortunately, that was only a minor eruption, so we left right after watching.
I then spent a few days playing with the frost spirits.”
“Typical, that really does sound like sothing you and Nellie would do,” Philarx said helplessly, “Always ddling in things that don’t concern you, just like how you’re standing in front of now.”
“Yes,” Pannis’ lighthearted expression faded, and he lowered his gaze, repeating softly, “just like how I’m standing in front of you now.”
The lab fell silent once more, the old friends falling into an awkward hush.
After a long pause, Philarx sighed softly, breaking the stillness, “Seems like we’ve said everything that needed to be said, and even what didn’t.
No matter how we dodge, the conversation always cos back to the present.”
Pannis smiled, though the smile was so strained it looked worse than crying, “Being able to sit down and talk like this is enough for .
We were both prepared for this from the beginning, weren’t we?”
“Yes, we were indeed prepared.
Although you’re my only friend, after this eting, still only one of us can walk out of the Magic Tower alive,” Philarx stood up and poured the last of the green leaf tea into their cups, speaking softly, “Since our friendship began with a pot of green leaf tea, let it end with one as well.”
“It’s strange; I can’t fathom why I’ve always liked green leaf tea,” Pannis squinted, using the steam from his cup to hide his eyes, “Even though it has such a bitter taste.”
“Who knows,” Philarx walked to the window, picked up his magic staff leaning against the wall, and staring out, he repeated in a dreamy voice, “Who knows.”
A thunderous roar erged from the depths of the clouds outside the window.
The storm that had been brewing for hours finally burst forth like a breached levy, the cool rain dispelling the day’s oppressive heat and restoring vitality to the entire city.
Yet, amidst the downpour, the doors of the Magic Tower were firmly closed.
(To be continued.
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