Chapter 479: A Painting?
Chapter 479: A Painting?
This man appeared extremely unkempt, his beard matted with filthy hair, reeking of pungent odors. Had he wandered the Empire below, all would’ve mistaken him for a beggar. Yet here, none dared slight him—for he stood among Floating City’s last three Grand Arcane Masters: Ancient One Aks!
“Aks?”
Zuo Meng frowned. For any Arcane Master, cleanliness required mere trifling effort. A basic cleansing spell sufficed, child’s play for Aks’s caliber. Memories from Aige depicted Aks as fastidious, even obsessive—daily grooming kept him sharp and dignified, radiating intellect.
The disheveled wreck before him shattered that image, making Zuo Meng question if this truly was Aks.
*Ding!*
Task completed.
Lifespan +100
The system’s confirmation eased Zuo Meng’s doubts. Yet new questions arose—why had this task lured him here? Finding Aks seemed its sole purpose.
“Seems truly mad now.”
Owl Jones tilted his head. Normally unworthy of Ancient Ones’ notice, the owl found himself studying history’s living relic—a thousand-year-old being. But this Ancient One acted bizarrely, ignoring intruders after one vacant glance.
*Did his own cryptic message break him?*
Zuo Meng reasoned. As Floating City’s mightiest Grand Arcane Master, little could endanger Aks. But truth-seekers often courted peril—had Aks uncovered some soul-shattering revelation during his research?
“I’m Aige. Remember me?”
No response. Owl Jones fluttered onto Aks’s greasy hair, pecking lightly. Still no reaction—as if the body housed empty air.
“His consciousness hasn’t fled to other planes.”
Arcane Masters often abandoned flesh to wander dimensions, as the asylum nurse hinted. Yet Aks’s spirit lingered within, stubbornly mute.
“Enough. We’re done here.”
With his objective met, Zuo Meng turned to leave. Reaching Floating City meant pursuing every life-extending method Arcane Masters offered. Owl Jones resumed his perch as they departed, forged documents nearing expiration.
“What if you learned you lived inside a painting?”
Aks’s rasp stopped them at the threshold—voice frayed by decades of silence.
“What did you witness?”
Zuo Meng wheeled around. Madness didn’t explain this—Aks had glimpsed truths warping the Entire World’s perception, branding him lunatic.
Tragic irony.
“Our greatest summits? Mere brushstrokes to another.”
Aks’s milky eyes glinted. “Survive. You’re… different.”
“The era is also a painting.”
Aks spoke three sentences consecutively before shutting his mouth, reverting to his earlier vacant expression.
Who was he guarding against?
This thought emerged in Zuo Meng’s mind and grew increasingly intense. He vaguely sensed a hidden world within his consciousness where countless beings called out to him. But when he tried to listen again after a brief mental haze, nothing remained.
Strange!
Zuo Meng cast a final glance at Aks before turning back the way he came.
The door gradually closed in the room.
Through the narrowing gap, Aks watched Zuo Meng’s retreating figure as the light dimmed…
No incidents occurred during his departure from the asylum.
Even the main gate permitted direct exit – patients truly held the highest privileges here. Most Arcane Masters had grown accustomed to asylum life, with few wanting to leave.
Back in Floating City.
With his stolen funds, Zuo Meng no longer needed to sleep on park benches. He brought Owl Jones to a hotel and paid upfront for half a month’s stay.
Money changed everything. Zuo Meng’s suite boasted elegant decor – besides the antique Arcane Echo Machine, there were magic fish and shimmering light particles. A simple thought could alter the room’s entire style, a sign of how Arcane permeated daily life.
“Decadent extravagance! What waste!”
Owl Jones flopped onto the bed and rolled across it like a human.
“Money’s meant for spending.”
Zuo Meng pulled a book from the corner shelf. The biography of Floating City’s first Speaker Baigu overflowed with council-approved flattery. Other volumes proved equally trivial – nothing but lightweight biographies.
“Real knowledge requires the Library of Wisdom.”
Owl Jones fluttered to a side table, snatching a fruit with his beak.
Mmm, delicious!
“Not returning to the park?” Zuo Meng eyed the shamelessly familiar owl.
“We’re hardship-sharing comrades! How heartless to banish friends to parks!”
No owl relinquished a reliable food source. Clan survival codes demanded clinging to any available benefactor – regrets followed missed opportunities.
“Suit yourself.”
Zuo Meng stopped arguing. The owl’s Floating City knowledge might prove useful anyway.