Published at 23rd of February 2026 6:36 am

Chapter 2581: A Promise

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

"What if I refuse to say?"

As the words fell, the air suddenly became silent. Although the Black Earl did nothing, everyone felt an overwhelming pressure coming at them.

This wasn’t a suppression, nor was there any energy fluctuation. It was purely the sense of oppression created when a wizard’s power reaches a certain height, leveraging the momentum of the World Will.

And to be able to leverage the momentum of the World Will, one must have already advanced quite far on the path of laws. This is a path towards Legend.

The Black Earl’s sudden action was clearly a reminder to everyone that although he was very cooperative before, they shouldn’t take his cooperation for granted. Don’t forget, he is a wizard only a step away from Legend.

Angel, being closest to the Black Earl, felt it the most deeply. Moreover, the Black Earl was indeed targeting Angel.

However, the Black Earl had no intent to harm, so Angel wasn’t injured, though his face turned a bit pale.

The Black Earl, in a calm tone, repeated once more, "What if I don’t speak, then what?"

Before Angel could reply, the sound of footsteps reached his ears.

Turning his head, he saw Dox walking in with a solemn expression, his eyes cautiously fixated on the stone slab floating in midair.

Seeing Dox’s expression, Angel knew what he meant.

Though the Black Earl was terrifying, this was still just a nose. If Dox and Angel teamed up, they might not take him down, but they certainly wouldn’t be at a disadvantage.

This plan had been discussed between Dox and Angel prior to this; if a confrontation really arose, they would face the Black Earl together.

Looking at the determined Dox, Angel sighed inwardly: Is this guy’s head filled only with thoughts of fighting?

The Black Earl hasn’t even done anything, and they haven’t even entered the Underground Labyrinth, yet he’s already eager to draw swords. This guy is just causing trouble, isn’t he?

Angel quickly signaled Dox with his eyes to stop advancing, and said, "If you want to suffer contract backlash again, then come in. Otherwise, leave."

Upon hearing that, Dox immediately stopped. He had some self-awareness and believed that Angel definitely had ways to trick him into lying under the contract’s barrier.

Moreover, Angel stopping him also meant that it wasn’t time to tear down the facade yet. Dox wasn’t stupid, so he chuckled: "You guys continue your discussion."

Dox then sheepishly left the contract barrier.

Even without a face, Angel could feel that the Black Earl was definitely sizing up Dox just now, probably speculating about the secret pact between them.

However, the Black Earl didn’t say anything, clearly accustomed to being guarded against by others.

"My lord, of course, you have the freedom not to speak. Just like I have secrets about this relic that I haven’t disclosed. However, I can confirm that the secrets I’m hiding won’t affect the exploration."

Black Earl: "So, do you still wish for me to reveal whether it affects the exploration?"

Angel shook his head: "Whether my lord wants to speak or not is up to you. However, I do wish for a promise from you."

Black Earl: "Are you making demands of me?"

Angel: "Not a demand, but a promise that must be made for the safety of team members as the leader."

After a moment of contemplation, the Black Earl said: "Go ahead."

In the Black Earl’s thoughts, Angel most likely wanted a promise that there would be no internal conflict. He had already made such a promise before coming, ensuring at least their safety, so he didn’t mind saying it again.

However, what Angel said next caught the Black Earl by surprise.

"I hope that regardless of what happens next, what you see, or what intelligence you acquire, you won’t communicate with other parts of your body in any way, nor summon them, nor arrive in your true body."

"Moreover, this relic can’t withstand your true body either."

Angel’s request even surprised Dox a bit... Is Angel anticipating something? Is this relic very important to the Noah Clan? So important that their true bodies might have to come.

The Black Earl didn’t answer immediately and said softly, "You seem to know more about this relic than I imagined? Is this relic related to our Noah Clan?"

"I don’t know." Angel replied, "But since Lord Black Earl brought it up, I have my suspicions."

Angel’s response didn’t trigger any contract backlash, indicating that he truly didn’t know if the relic was related to the Noah Clan.

The Black Earl pondered: Could it really be intuition?

Whether it was intuition could be set aside for now. Should he agree to Angel’s request?

If this truly was closely tied to the Noah Clan, then this part of him might indeed be at a disadvantage...

Angel: "Is your hesitation due to a lack of confidence in yourself?"

The Black Earl understood that Angel was using provocation. Normally, it wouldn’t be effective, but under the contract’s barrier, he was somewhat handicapped.

Because he couldn’t be sure if saying "I am confident" would invoke the contract’s backlash.

After weighing his options, the Black Earl sighed inwardly and finally nodded: "Alright, I promise you."

Angel had been ready to reveal his trump cards; truth be told, his backup resources were not inferior to the Black Earl’s. Under the contract’s barrier, Angel could prove his words, putting pressure on the Black Earl.

But now, it seemed Dox’s words were correct - the contract’s barrier inadvertently entrapped the Black Earl.

Of course, there was also the fact that it was the Black Earl’s nose that came. If it had been his brain or limbs, it might have been different. After all, a mind was always quicker than a nose.

Thinking of this, Angel beamed a bright smile: "Since my lord has agreed, whether you choose to speak or not is entirely your freedom."

The Black Earl felt that Angel’s smile was somewhat glaring, so he turned the stone slab away, not wanting to look at him.

Angel didn’t mind, instead continuing to ask: "My lord, have you really not considered revealing what information you’ve been hiding?"

The Black Earl snorted coldly but did not answer. He had already agreed to one promise, so why should he reveal the hidden information?

Angel: "It’s your freedom not to speak, sir, but perhaps I can make a guess?"

"It should be information related to the Noah Clan, right?"

The Black Earl snorted coldly again. Anyone sensible who had heard their previous conversation could definitely guess that the information he was withholding was related to the Noah Clan.

"The Noah Clan truly deserves to be called a great family, with a heritage stretching so far back in time." Angel remarked. "But it’s strange, isn’t it? Why would these believers of the Mirror Demon God carve information related to the Noah Clan on the table?"

Dox: "Maybe the dominator of the institution those believers mentioned is an ancestor of the Noah Clan?"

Angel was certain that Dox’s statement lacked any added inspiration. He didn’t even dare to respond because he knew that the ancestor of the Noah Clan was probably Augustine, who was definitely no dominator.

If he responded, he’d definitely be exposed under the contract light cover.

Angel remained silent, pretending to think.

In reality, he truly was contemplating.

He remembered that from the information obtained in Nightmare Abyss City, Augustine seemed to have a romantic interest in a lady named Margaret, who also showed some interest in Augustine.

And Margaret’s father, Franklin, was the warden of the Hanging Jail Stairway.

Hanging Jail Stairway... prison... warden...

The Hanging Jail Stairway should be considered an important institution in Naraku City, right? And Franklin, as the warden, could be a dominator?

Thinking of this, Angel had a bold guess in his heart.

Perhaps, the institution these Mirror Demon God believers sought to challenge was the Hanging Jail Stairway! Otherwise, why mysteriously mention the Noah Clan? At that time, the Noah Clan, and Augustine, were not the massive entity they are now.

And the most related to Augustine was the Hanging Jail Stairway where Margaret resided.

Regardless of whether this guess is correct or not, Angel temporarily kept it to himself. Once they found the entrance, the truth would be revealed. According to the Black Earl’s translation, the followers of the Mirror Demon God mentioned that the Underground Church was not far from that institution.

If it really is the Hanging Jail Stairway, then Angel is quite lucky. He’s unfamiliar with other parts of the Underground Labyrinth, but he knows the Hanging Jail Stairway very well; his guiding method practice was obtained there.

While Angel was pondering, the Black Earl spoke: "I’ve translated everything I should; now it’s your turn. This spot in the middle of the table, it should be magic patterns, right?"

The Black Earl could see some magic patterns, but it still felt somewhat off, as if the patterns were fragmented, like a series of interrupted lines. So, he used the uncertain tone of "should be magic patterns."

Everyone looked at Angel; they understood the characters, but the entrance hadn’t been mentioned. Perhaps there is some hint within this pattern.

"These are indeed magic patterns, but they’re not flat magic patterns; they’re a kind of solid magic pattern embedded inside the table." Angel pointed to what appeared to be a "fragmented" part of the pattern: "The entire magic pattern is engraved inside the table, so looking at the surface, it seems like only a piece."

Upon hearing that it was a solid magic pattern, everyone reacted. They too had heard of this method of patterning, which is relatively complex and hidden.

Dox: "I’ve heard solid magic patterns are not difficult for magic rune mages to discern if there’s a physical object, but the physical object is gone now. Can you figure it out?"

Angel instinctively wanted to say, "I don’t know, but I can try, I’ll do my best," a humble response, but as the words reached his lips, he sensed the contract power surging around him. His heart sank; contract power doesn’t care if you’re modest; it only listens to the truth or falsehood. So Angel quickly changed his tone: "I can figure it out; give me some time."

After a pause, Angel said: "This isn’t the best place to decode magic patterns; we should go back to the Underground Church. According to the characters, if nothing unexpected occurs, the entrance should be right there in the Underground Church."

The Black Earl agreed as well. If the entrance isn’t in the Underground Church, those demon god followers wouldn’t have bothered to set up here.

They decided to move immediately.

The Black Earl retracted the contract light cover and then headed down the corridor to the Underground Church.

At this time, the Underground Church was brightly lit, coinciding with meal preparation time; in every room, there was the scent of food and the fragrance of meat permeating the air, making the ambiance even more lively than before.

"Have these people completely ignored air circulation?" Vay seemed averse to the smell of burnt food, frowning as he spoke: "If they had considered it, they wouldn’t have missed that inscription card."

"How do you know they didn’t consider it? Sometimes, being a little muddled is good." Dox countered casually.

Although it was a retort, Angel thought Dox might be right. Don’t be fooled by the endless old man’s always cheerful demeanor; that’s just a facade. You should know other people showed terror in the face of transcendents, whereas the endless old man was calm, and his respectful manner is purely formal. You can tell from his eyes that he’s definitely a wise and steady man.

A wise man in charge wouldn’t disregard ventilation. Impossible.

He must know something, just pretending to be muddled.

Unlike Vay, Dox seemed to enjoy lively scenes and wasn’t bothered by the smell, walking up happily and getting a roasted meat leg from someone.

While eating, Dox mused aloud: "The traveling merchant organization is quite generous to these adventure groups; the meat is good, the vegetables aren’t scarce. If they had wine, it would be even better."

Dox’s musings were particularly loud, seemingly directed at others around.

Moments later, the endless old man came over, smiling: "Sir, there are a few bottles of elderberry wine in the supplies room; would you like to try some?"

Dox murmured: "Elderberry wine, isn’t that a girl’s drink... Whatever, as long as there’s wine; where’s the supplies room? Let’s go, let’s go!"

Ignoring the others entirely, Dox happily followed the endless old man.

Angel couldn’t be bothered with what Dox was up to, turning to the others: "If my guess is correct, since the tabletop magic patterns are solid, you might want to look for what looks like patterns, but are fragmented places. Here, it might hide a magical energy array composed of solid magic patterns."

The group thought it made sense; earlier when they were searching, they focused only on complete patterns, naturally finding nothing. But if it’s a solid magic pattern, with only a small segment exposed, there might indeed be something.

With that thought, the group each picked a direction and began searching.

As for Angel, after giving instructions to the others, he returned to the podium on the first floor hall.

Using illusion techniques, he created a replica of the lecture desk that once stood there.

He quietly observed the patterns on the desk, his mind already constructing a three-dimensional simulation...

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