Published at 11th of February 2026 8:20 am

Chapter 2545: Dagger

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"Hey, what are you guys talking about? What short sword, what key?" Dox had been trying hard to listen for a long time but still couldn’t understand the charade they were playing.

Angel: "Simply put, this alchemy blueprint refines a special short sword. This sword is the key that can open a hidden space."

Dox turned to look at Kaier, who nodded: "Chaowei is right."

Dox frowned slightly: "So you’re saying this could be the key to a treasure."

Kaier stroked his chin and nodded solemnly: "That’s a possibility."

Dox said quietly: "I said before that I wanted to avoid it, and you said this alchemy blueprint wasn’t precious..."

Kaier spread his hands: "It’s indeed not precious. Even if there is treasure, having only a key and not knowing where it goes is useless."

Dox questioned: "Didn’t you mention before that it was mentioned in Gaia’s travelogue?"

Kaier: "The hidden space mentioned by Gaia Wizard in the travelogue is not the same place as the space corresponding to the key."

"The place mentioned by Gaia Wizard is actually considered a legacy treasure as well. I got quite a few things there..."

At this point, Kaier paused noticeably, not mentioning what exactly he obtained.

Seeing Kaier’s uneasy expression, both Dox and Angel understood he deliberately blurred some parts when talking about Gaia’s travelogue, probably because of this.

Kaier must have gotten good things there, even ones coveted by official wizards. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so uneasy.

However, though Dox and Angel understood this, they didn’t ask. Angel had plenty of good things himself and didn’t care what Kaier got; Dox was somewhat interested, but figured Kaier must have told Lord Esos, and that made him lose interest.

Kaier saw neither of them asked, sighed in relief, and continued: "Among what I obtained was this alchemy blueprint. I and my mentor have looked at it, and though we know it’s a key, we don’t know where it opens."

Dox: "What’s said about this alchemy blueprint in Gaia’s travelogue then?"

Kaier shook his head: "Not much, just mentioned briefly that the tool refined from the blueprint might be a key, perhaps to open some hidden area. That’s why my mentor and I knew it was originally not a short sword but a key."

"However, Gaia Wizard seemed uninterested and didn’t even take this alchemy blueprint."

Which is to say, Gaia’s travelogue didn’t mention the space corresponding to the key either.

After Kaier finished, the air fell into silence.

After a while, Dox and Kaier simultaneously turned their gaze to Angel.

From the conversation between Angel and Kaier, it was clear Angel knew something; he even saw at a glance that the short sword was actually a key.

So might Angel know where that hidden place is?

Facing their doubting gazes, Angel feigned innocence: "Why are you looking at me?"

Kaier, because of differing status, didn’t dare to ask, but Dox didn’t mind and directly asked: "How did you tell it was a key? Wouldn’t normal people think it was a short sword?"

Angel didn’t answer Dox’s question but looked at Kaier: "Since you don’t know where the key corresponds, why must you refine it?"

Kaier replied seriously: "This was my mentor’s suggestion. There’s a certain connection between a key and a door. After refining the short sword, maybe we’ll find the hidden door through this connection."

"Additionally, the mentor mentioned the enchantment magic patterns on this short sword are complex, at least composed of seven or more patterns forming an alchemist’s mana array. In itself, it’s an excellent weapon. Even if it can’t find the door, it’s still useful for defense."

Overall, it’s better to be prepared.

If the door is found, the key ensures success. If not, then as a weapon, it won’t be a loss.

"Lord Esos certainly thought this through." Angel sighed and then looked at Dox: "Your earlier question was inherently inaccurate."

"The presumption that normal people would see the blueprint as a short sword rather than a key is fundamentally wrong." Angel: "By that logic, how did Gaia Wizard see it as a key?"

Dox scratched his nose, unable to respond. When he asked earlier, he hadn’t accounted for Gaia Wizard’s perspective.

Dox: "So you mean it’s a matter of knowledge and experience?"

Angel wouldn’t take that bait, knowing Lord Esos also hadn’t seen it was a key. Agreeing would imply placing himself above Lord Esos.

"It’s not a matter of knowledge; it’s a matter of specialization." Angel: "As an alchemist, even if I haven’t seen the specific mana array on the short sword, the magic tattoo horns protruding enough let me read a lot of information."

"So, you determined it was a key through the magic patterns?"

Angel nodded noncommittally.

Dox showed a disappointed expression; he thought Angel knew where the space corresponding to the key was, but the answer lay in expertise.

As Dox felt disappointed, Kaier weakly asked: "Then how did you know the alchemy blueprint came from the labyrinth?"

Though Kaier was asking, his voice was low, his stance humble, fearing to annoy Angel.

Dox didn’t know what "labyrinth" they mentioned was but understood Kaier’s meaning: how did Angel know the blueprint came from the labyrinth?

Facing their curious eyes, Angel lazily said: "I’d best not comment on that. However, if you’re seeking the door corresponding to the key, I might offer a bit of help."

Dox and Kaier’s eyes suddenly lit up.

"You really know the space corresponding to the key!" Dox said firmly.

This time, Angel did not refute: "I’ve only seen records of it in some secret lore. But since that place has turned into ruins, whether that door still exists needs to be verified."

Angel spoke tactfully, but everyone understood the real meaning: if you want my help, then I’ll need to join the ’treasure hunt’ party.

Kaier barely hesitated and nodded, "We’ll follow your instructions, my lord."

Dox knocked on Kaier’s head: "Aren’t you afraid he’ll lead you astray?"

Covering the sore spot, Kaier weakly responded, "My mentor wrote in his letter to follow all of Chaowei’s instructions. I trust my mentor’s judgment."

Since Kaier even mentioned Lord Esos, Dox had nothing more to say.

However, Kaier also understood that while his mentor advised him to follow Angel’s arrangements, it was meant for everything related to alchemy, not the door.

But Kaier didn’t mind; as a research enthusiast, he was quite interested in researching relics, and the door corresponding to the key had been a longstanding wish of his.

Besides, without Angel’s help, he definitely couldn’t find the path. So let Angel join; even if Angel gets the treasure first, Kaier believes that for the sake of Lord Esos, Angel wouldn’t let him leave empty-handed.

Even if there’s really nothing to gain, studying the relics would be a form of reward.

After getting a satisfactory response, Angel said, "I still have other matters in Barbarian Cave, and time is scarce, so I’ll begin decrypting the alchemy blueprints now."

After speaking, Angel glanced at Kaier and Dox, then looked at the distant passage of the Earth Cavern, the implication clear.

Kaier: "Then I’ll take my leave first. If you have any instructions, you can touch the nearby space nodes, and I’ll come at once."

The entire Earth Cavern had space nodes set up by Kaier, serving as a defense measure, but also acting like alarm bells. Once triggered, Kaier would immediately sense it.

Angel nodded and looked at Dox.

Dox gave Angel a deep look, said nothing more, and left with Kaier.

When only Angel remained in the Earth Cavern, he slowly sat down and reopened the stack of thick parchment.

As soon as the parchment was opened, Dangross on his shoulder began spinning dizzily.

"Why don’t you return to the bracelet for now?" Angel suggested.

Dangross shook his head quickly: "No, Heideland is mute. I don’t want to face it."

Angel: "..." You’re mistaken, Heideland isn’t mute, it’s just dumb—a trait inherent to the Void Traveler.

Dangross pointed to the quenched liquid in his hand: "I want to find a place to soak this."

Angel thought for a moment, took out the Geometric Lock, isolated the spiritual power assault of the parchment, and then laid out a concave fireproof stone ore inside the Geometric Lock, which served as a bath for Dangross by pouring the quenched liquid into it.

After solving Dangross’s problem, Angel sent Speedy to guard the door and refocused his attention on the parchment.

Angel could feel the spiritual power surge emanating from the parchment. However, since Angel had once endured the same nature but even more violent spiritual power surges, he had developed a certain immunity.

That is from the first time Angel entered the Nightmare Abyss City in the Nightmare Realm, where in the Underground Labyrinth, he encountered that mysterious wall and was forced to endure a spiritual power surge.

If it weren’t for the help from the Maneater Flower King, Angel might have died on the spot.

The spiritual power surge from this alchemy blueprint was almost identical to the surge he encountered from that wall in the Nightmare Realm.

Because of this, Angel inquired Kaier whether it came from The Garden Labyrinth.

There was no way Kaier could have gone to the Nightmare Realm, so having the same nature meant it could only be a counterpart from the real-world Garden Labyrinth.

Sure enough, that was the case.

Upon receiving this answer, Angel had a strong premonition that the short sword crafted from this alchemy blueprint was definitely related to the wall in Naraku City of the Nightmare Realm. It might even be capable of opening that wall.

However, the wall in the Nightmare Realm was extremely mysterious and terrifying. According to Sanders, he didn’t even have the privilege to approach and witness the wall. Angel was purely lucky and had a significant identity in the Nightmare Realm that allowed him to enter that corridor and see the wall.

Angel still dared not touch the wall in the Nightmare Realm, but if there was a similar wall in reality, he could investigate it first.

This is why he hinted that he could provide help in finding the door corresponding to the key.

Firstly, he himself wanted to explore it to prepare for that wall in the future Nightmare Abyss City. Secondly, even without his help, with the connection between the key and the door, they might find a Prophet Wizard to locate it.

Since a Prophet Wizard might find it, he simply mentioned it before they thought of this layer.

It turned out to be the right move.

Angel successfully joined the ’treasure hunt’ team.

It’s just uncertain if there truly exists such a wall in reality, like in Naraku City of the Nightmare Realm.

Angel shook his head, ceased pondering, and began to decrypt at his desk.

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