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Chapter 378: Meeting

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Half a month later, three loud consecutive knocks on Grimm’s castle door knocked him out of his meditative state of deep thought in his personal library.

His brows furrowed.

Acquainted sorcerers would typically notify the person in advance of their visit using the crystal ball. The lack thereof, meant that the visitor was most likely a stranger.

Grimm grabbed the Narrow World and replaced the tattered books which he did his best to restore, back on the shelf after which, he flew down from the third floor of his Demon-Hunter Castle. He did not forget to disable the magic-suppression barrier before opening the doors to his great castle, which creaked loudly as he did so.

“You...”

Grimm’s body shifted beneath the Mandala Robe, evident of his surprise at the sight of the Level-3 Great Sorcerer standing before him. The two-colored eyes underneath the Mask of Truth scanned this visitor up and down to confirm his identity.

A great wide sorcerer’s robe draped across his body, and that wrinkled smiling face...

How could Grimm possibly forget this Level-3 Great Sorcerer, for he was the invigilator of the Demon-Hunter Consociation who held up the severed head of the Black Sorcerer, Hattori the Hidden from three hundred and fifty years ago at the Jewel Sea!

Taking in a deep breath, Grimm forced down the stinging pain in his heart and bowed his head deeply to greet the unexpected visitor.

“May I know the reason for your sudden visit, great master?”

In the face of a higher-level sorcerer, Grimm had no choice but to forcefully swallow any traces of displeasure he held to heart and show ultimate respect as this is a fundamental law of the Sorcerer World.

“Haha, I have not been mistaken! Grimm!”

Grimm could feel the old sorcerer’s gaze burning into him. Those eyes were somehow brimming with an unspeakable sense of admiration. Though, his mouth had curled into a mischievous grin, revealing two rows of surprisingly pearly-white teeth.

While speaking, the old sorcerer presented to Grimm, a scarlet scroll using both his skinny, wrinkly hands.

“The Demon-Hunter Consociation is where the elites of Dark Sorcerers gather. You have been included in the review list when you got awarded the Rank-3 Honor Badge as a Level-1 Demon-Hunter Sorcerer. With your flawless destruction of Third Ghostpepper, Gabriel, Kuryak, Roqhiroo, Crackham, Zachine and Arunkyu’s Demon-Hunter Consociation mission, I have submitted your information to the selection committee...”

The old sorcerer’s eyes were still brimming with anticipation as he stroked the white beard beneath his chin.

“However, to my surprise, you managed to complete a Rank-1 mission in the latest Demon-Hunting Expedition and was awarded an Honor Badge! This time round, it isn’t just me who had taken notice of your achievements. The committee, from the upper echelons of the Holy Tower of the Seven Rings had explicitly paid close attention to you. We have checked every single record on you in your previous Demon-Hunting Expeditions and I must say, we were awestruck by the mere fact that a Demon-Hunter Sorcerer who had participated in only two expeditions could get awarded a Rank-1 Honor Badge!”

Grimm kept silent as the old sorcerer showered him with flattery.

With the Sabbatic Goat Staff in one hand and the scarlet scroll in another, Grimm lowered his head and averted his gaze, trying his best to mask the unbearable pain in his heart.

And yet, the old sorcerer was completely oblivious as to Grimm’s negative feelings. Worse, he mistook it as a sign of excitement at the news.

He had issued countless missions like this in the past. For a Dark Sorcerer, being included in the Demon-Hunting Consociation was comparable to a sorcerer’s apprentice’s yearning to become a Demon-Hunter Sorcerer. It was the thing that brought meaning for one to embark on the sorcerer’s path. For most, this moment called for celebration and joyful wonder.

It was akin to the feeling one would get when he wiped out all his opponents during the Holy Tower Apex Battle.

In the old sorcerer’s experience, Dark Demon-Hunters who started mumbling incomprehensibly after receiving such missions were not uncommon. In fact, a significant portion of sorcerers would be surprised to the point of their mind going blank.

The old sorcerer grinned as he continued, “Go forth, Demon-Hunter Sorcerer Grimm. Go forth and finish the mission the Demon-Hunting Consociation has bequeathed to you. Upon its completion, you would be blessed to be a member of one of the four White Robe Organizations known to the Sorcerer World, the almighty Demon-Hunter Consociation!”

The old sorcerer spoke carefreely before stepping onto a dark cluster of Elemental Cloud and leaving Grimm’s Demon-Hunting Castle.

Creak...

Slam!

The doors to Grimm’s Demon-Hunter Castle slammed shut. Silently, Grimm walked to the dissection laboratory located on the third floor of his castle. With a loud “puff”, the scarlet scroll that contained the details of his Demon-Hunter Consociation mission burst into flames.

Blessed to be a member of the Demon-Hunter Consociation?

That should be left for others to enjoy...

On the dissection table laid an Acraepoid body the length of one and a half meters. The body had been intricately carved out into parts and studied thoroughly by Grimm.

Grimm had conducted a series of detailed analysis on the Acraepoids’ biological structure, growth characteristics, physiological features, thought structure as well as its artistic culture. All this had been done through a process similar to the one he had done on a frog back when he was still a sorcerer’s apprentice.

It wasn’t only the Acraepoid’s body that went through close study by Grimm. Its spirit, sealed within an energy crystal was analyzed over and over, to the point where prototype simulations of the Power of the Infernal Spirit had been run successfully.

These were all essential pieces of information which Grimm, as a squad leader owed to his fellow teammates, Millie, Claudia, Solumn, and Wicky.

The special treatment provided by the Black Isotta Stigmata Sorcerer served as a fine prerequisite to obtaining such useful information.

Picking up the scalpel, Grimm continued his study on the Acraepoid’s wing structure. Carefully, he removed a piece of tissue located between its cartilage and epidermal layer before placing it under a microscope.

Sigh.

“Ugh...I messed it up. Why didn’t it occur to me that the secrets to the Acraepoids’ Infernal Swordsmanship were contained within their blades? Could it be that the Acraepoids’ relationship with their blade is the same as an Elemental Sorcerer’s relationship with his Symbiotic Insect?

The set of Acraepoid specimen which the Black Isotta gave to Grimm did not contain said Infernal Blades.

***

Half a month later.

After sending invitations through his crystal ball, Millie, Wicky, and Claudia visited Grimm’s Demon-Hunter Castle together with the exception of Solumn, with whom Grimm failed to contact due to the former still participating in a Demon-Hunting Expedition.

The four of them surrounded the Acraepoid body laying atop the dissection table. The three took a moment to observe the specimen closely before shifting their gaze in Grimm’s direction.

Grimm was wearing that same old gray-white swirling Mask of Truth, holding that same Sabbatic Goat Staff and wrapped around his body was the yellow sand-like Mandala Robe. Yet, they could feel that the magic signal permeating through his body was much more powerful than before.

The Sabbatic Goat Staff sank halfway into Grimm’s own body in a manner where the goat skull turned into his shoulder pad.

Grimm pointed to the Acraepoid specimen, half of which remained untouched and half of it, was dissected and neatly arranged according to its biological structure and said, “This biological specimen belongs to what you and I call the Acraepoids. The structure of their civilization lies in the art of Infernal Swordsmanship. Their World Lord possesses the ability to control soul slaves and using the spirit of foreign creatures, it has the capability of opening up World Gates, which means that it has the ability to link up with the powerful Life Spirits from the faraway Unknown World.”

“You mean, the Flame Energy involved in the Acraepoids’ Infernal Swordsmanship is derived from the Spirit’s Will?”

A pair of eyes with a deeply-troubled look questioned Grimm. The icy-blue sorcerer’s robe chilled the air around her, leading to a noticeable drop in the laboratory’s ambient temperature. Floating strands of Elemental Energy wound their way around her body like a miniature frosty cyclone.

Even after more than a hundred years since both of them last saw each other, Millie’s face remained largely unchanged. The only difference being that the frigidity emanating from her presence has become much more pronounced and intensified.

Through the link facilitated by the Ice Marrow Crystals on both of their foreheads, an unmatched compatibility between them had been established. This feeling wasn’t new to Grimm, as he had experienced this back when he did the same thing with Mina through her Body of Flame ability.

Grimm sighed in reply to Millie’s question.

“It was my mistake. For some reason, it just never occurred to me that the key point wasn’t to be found in its biological structure nor its constitution. Instead, it’s rooted within the Acraepoids’ spirit and the blades that they typically yield. While I have detailed information on their spirit at hand, I have close to none on the Infernal Blade whatsoever.”

Millie nodded her head to Grimm’s reply. She then took out the crystal ball which was handed out to every member of the team, studying it attentively.

“You know, I received quite a shock when His Excellency Grimm decided to invite me to go on a Demon-Hunter Expedition together.”

Claudia teased. Calling her a succubus isn’t exactly an overstatement, owing to her extremely arousing overall demeanor. Large patches of porcelain-white skin remain exposed, and she wore a skimpy red skirt, embroidered with a scorpion on it. Her voluptuous breasts were largely uncovered. That particular patch of snowy skin was like an avalanche that shimmered so brightly it had a blinding effect on passerbys.

Rolling her eyes, Claudia’s red lips curled into a flirtatious smile directed at Grimm.

“I remember vaguely, the absorbing show in which His Excellency wiped out all challengers from the five districts like they were nothing but small fry at the Holy Tower qualification battle. It’s hard to notice the hundreds of years that had flown by in the blink of an eye. I wonder, has His Excellency’s bloodstained glory been watered down over the years since then?”

Grimm couldn’t stop himself from smiling at Claudia’s remarks upon hearing them.

There was once a time, when Grimm was inexplicably wary of this mysterious sorceress. After serving a hundred years at the Prison of the Seven Rings however, seeing that Claudia was one of the five loyal comrades that awaited his release, his wariness towards her had gradually dissipated.

“He is naught but a mere Level-1 Dark Demon-Hunter. It matters little that he has the great Black Isotta Stigmata Sorcerer backing him up. He remains a particle of dust in comparison to the entire Demon-Hunting Expeditionary force. So, what glory are you referring to?”

On the other side.

The same old pronounced cheekbones, the same old sandpaper-like stubble that covered his lower jaw. And yet, there was something yet seen before deep within his sharp, and wise-looking gaze. It was a sense of calmness and stability. Resting atop his head of black hair was a golden crown, which was complemented by the metallic suit of armor he wore.

Wicky folded his massive, muscular arms which resembled granite as he stood. It was hard for one to deny that he exuded an intimidating atmosphere based on just his looks alone.

“Hm? It seems your achievements in the field of Anatomy Refinery has not declined Grimm.”

Wicky didn’t care too much about the biological specimen on Grimm’s laboratory table. Perhaps this was due to his gradual deviation from the path of traditional Elemental Sorcery.

Both Millie and Claudia had already made it clear to Grimm as to their interest in forming a party with Grimm in the upcoming Demon-Hunter Expedition. However, this powerful Anatomy Refinery Sorcerer who had developed his own unique branch of sorcery was only present to see whether or not he had an interest in Grimm’s proposition.

“So? Are you joining our party?”

Grimm cut to the point without hesitation.

“Hahaha!”

Wicky replied with a hearty laugh before following up with a question.

“Grimm, you said that the Black Isotta will give you special attention. And you’re saying now that if we successfully help you grab hold of the “Infernal Spirit Scriptures” from the First Acraepoid King’s holy abode, then you would pay us a hundred Sorcerer Essences each in accordance to the enforcement by the Seven-Ring Contract. What I want to know, is why on earth would the Black Isotta give you, and I quote ‘special attention’?”

Grimm’s eyes glanced at Wicky underneath the Mask of Truth as he slowly produced a scroll from his chest.

“Rank-1 Honor Badge!?”

Wicky, Millie, and Claudia all gasped in unison, seemingly unable to believe what they were seeing with their own eyes.