NOVEL WEB Chapter 1000: Followed
Vale considered Sabrina's offer seriously…
If he didn't get the Shadow Celestial Art that he wanted, he might have to take up her offer to get those Spell Models that he needed.
However, he hadn't tried everything he could to find those Spell Models yet.
After all, if he decided to stop being careful and ignore the possibility of confronting stronger Immortals, he could actually just extract other Shadow Immortals for their Spell Models.
He could target criminals, target some lone Immortals, or perhaps, he could even forcefully extract the Corpses in the Auction and just hope that no one would actually realize his ability to extract.
But, of course, he would've only done that if he were already desperate.
"That's a tempting offer, Sabrina. But I'll have to hold onto that for now. I just want more information about this Arcanthus guy." He replied.
"Very well. You have to pay me later… I just got more information about the old Immortal. It seems that he has been rebuilding the Congregation... He might be the weakest Earth Immortal but he's still feared—especially with his Corpse Alchemy... They say he trades in 'breathing cadavers.' You know what that means."
"Walking corpses with consciousness…" Vale muttered.
It was actually a classic evil Dark Arts Practitioner.
"Exactly. He probably wanted that body for something more perverse than you did."
Vale didn't respond immediately. His gaze turned once again to Arcanthus.
The old man's eyes looked really crazy at times.
Still, thanks to the information that Sabrina gave, Vale could now understand his behavior.
He was a man clinging to faded glory.
He was bitter, wounded, and dangerous. But he was also vulnerable in ways only someone like Vale—armed with the Divine Extraction System—could exploit.
"I'll deal with him after the auction… You mentioned it's not a big deal, right?." Vale finally said.
"It's not a big deal. It's not like he didn't have other crimes. The rules of Immortals are obscured, and no one was desperate enough to fight an Earth Immortal. Injuries caused by Divinity were not easy to heal, after all... As long as we don't involve ordinary people, it won't bring any bad karma and could just be seen as Immortal's Right of Revenge… So, do you need help?" Sabrina replied.
Vale was shocked as he didn't expect how lenient they were. Still, it was quite understandable since Immortals could be considered the peak of existence for all Arcane Practitioners.
"Thank you for the offer… But I'll deal with him myself." Vale said, his voice sharp.
"But if you want me to keep informed. That would be great."
Sabrina chuckled at this and cut the connection.
***
The auction continued with little fanfare compared to the earlier bids.
The remaining corpses still drew significant attention, but Vale had already made peace with what he had secured.
He didn't need to outbid everyone.
He only needed value. And the seventh corpse, along with the partial acquisition of the fourth through Sabrina, had already given him that.
"Immortal Corpse #3. Opening bid: 360,000 Arcane Crystals and 2,000 Divine Crystals."
He barely paid attention now.
His Divine Sense kept drifting toward Arcanthus, who remained still and unreadable.
Still, he was a bit surprised that this old Immortal actually won the bidding war with the final Immortal Corpse #1. It seemed that during his previous loss, he was able to borrow some Divine Crystals from others and accumulated plenty enough to win an Immortal Corpse.
"I guess that's good for me." Vale muttered to himself.
Soon, the announcer's voice faded into the background.
Then, the auction hall's formations dimmed, signaling the close of the event.
"Thank you, esteemed guests. May the stars of the Shadow Realm bless your endeavors…" the auctioneer declared.
The crowd began to disperse as doors opened to the outer chambers, and the protective formation covering the venue slowly began to lift.
Vale also rose from his private booth.
He didn't rush. He followed one of the attendants as he needed to collect his item. Soon, he was brought to the sealed glass casket of Immortal Corpse #7 surrounded by more auction assistants.
The corpse had been wrapped in multiple formation arts, ensuring it couldn't leak divinity or residual energy.
"I'll take it now then." Vale said after paying the bidding price.
He stored it carefully within a secure Storage Ring layered with his own Formation Arts…
Then, he calmly exited the auction hall, confirming that no one bothered to follow him.
Most of the crowd headed toward their airships, teleportation circles, or beast mounts.
Vale's eyes, on the other hand, searched only for one figure.
And there he was.
Arcanthus Velgroth.
The old Immortal had already left the inner area and now walked slowly through the exit passage. He held an elaborate staff topped with a silver bone, and his long black robes seemed to be made of Shadow itself.
Arcanthus was unhurried in his movement, and he seemed to be wary of some other people following his movements.
Vale, on the other hand, just trailed him from a safe distance, wrapping himself in his various Spells…
He activated three of his concealment techniques, and it seemed to be enough to deal with this.
No Divine Sense would detect him now—at least, not unless Arcanthus was actively searching for his aura.
Still, the old man looked too pleased with himself. His cracked lips curled into a faint grin as if savoring the aftermath of the auction.
'Alright… Enjoy it for now.' Vale thought coldly as he decided that even if he didn't kill this man, he had to extract his precious Spell Models, Divinity, and even Important memories."
Soon, Arcanthus reached a dark levitating carriage with two skeletal beasts pulling them.
'I see… Is that Lunar Ash Congregation's emblem?' Vale mused as he saw the insignia outside the carriage.
Before entering, Arcanthus suddenly turned and glanced at the area behind him.
Vale stopped his movements.
However, the old man narrowed his eyes. He looked straight ahead, then chuckled softly to himself.
"Hmph. Thought I felt something…" Arcanthus muttered, then waved it off and boarded the carriage.
Vale remained in the shadows, watching the doors shut and the carriage lift off silently into the sky.
But he had already marked it.
It might be dangerous to mark an Immortal stronger than him, but it's different with the things around it.
He wouldn't lose the old man now.