The Devil’s Cage - Chapter 168

Chapter 168

Nikorei approached Morenderke with small steps .

As she walked, everything around her returned to normal .

The bones disappeared, and the ground became flat again .

The souls wandering in mid-air dissipated, allowing the sunlight to shine through again .

By the time Nikorei had reached Morenderke's side, the whole garden had returned to its former liveliness . She was like an eraser wiping away the mistakes in a drawing .

"What in the world…"

Kieran opened his mouth in an effort to finish his sentence, but he could not find any words to describe what he had seen .

He would not be surprised if Nikorei and Morenderke were to fight a devastating battle . He could see how strong Nikorei was .

However, the scene before him had no depth whatsoever . It was like a peaceful lake . Anyone who wanted to discover its depth would drown .

"Nikorei is the strongest shaman on the West Coast . If it wasn’t for a specific reason, she would have been the strongest shaman in the world!" a voice behind Kieran said .

It was Simones . He was wearing casual clothes and holding a pipe in his hand as he approached Kieran .

He was also waving goodbye at Nikorei .

Nikorei whispered something to Morenderke, and then turned around and waved to Kieran and co .

Suddenly, the space around Nikorei and Morenderke started to distort, and within an instant, both of them had disappeared right before Kieran’s eyes .

Tiki had also been with Nikorei when they'd disappeared . Kieran had gotten an odd feeling before Tiki had left . He had felt the cat staring at him teasingly .

Kieran frowned .

Ever since Tiki had displayed a hidden supernatural strength during the confrontation with the Night Demon, he had not been able to treat her like a normal cat anymore .

Tiki still behaved like a cat though . She liked eating, she hated work, and she was overly fond of cat teasers .

"What's on your mind?" Simones asked as he smoked his pipe .

Ever since Kieran had saved his life back in the passageway, he had been nothing but grateful .

After he had regained his senses, he had taken out Nikorei’s package and helped Kieran finish his Sub Mission [The Shaman’s Package] . As a result, Kieran had reappraised Simones as a native .

He was no longer the useless native Kieran had thought he was .

Plus, Simones was a special individual, so Kieran wanted to develop a better relationship with him .

Other than Nikorei, he was the person closest to Kieran at 1st Black Street .

Elli had completely immersed herself in Nikorei’s assignment . Except for dinner time, when she would make an appearance in the kitchen, most of the time she was locked up in her room .

Raul and Cidney had left the city when Raul’s wounds had gotten better .

Even though Nikorei had urged them to stay, the two of them had expressed their wish to lead a more peaceful life after they had gotten their revenge . They wanted to start over somewhere new .

"Nothing in particular . " Kieran shook his head and headed to the study .

Most of the books there were impossible to read because of the restricted level of his [Mystical Knowledge], yet others remained valuable for his research .

It was the only choice Kieran had, considering Nikorei was no longer around to teach him more .

He had also decided to keep Tiki’s supernatural strength a secret . Nikorei had asked him to, and he had no reason to disobey her .

"You know, theories and knowledge are useless, unless you put them to practical use . I still have some potions left in my garden . If you help me move my equipment to the house, I could teach you about Potionology, too! My knowledge is not on the same level as Nikorei's, but it would be sufficient for a couple of lessons!" Simones said as he blew out a ring of smoke .

Kieran halted when he heard him .

"Really?" he asked .

Nikorei had already said that she would be away for a week or ten days, so if there was someone else able to fill her spot as his teacher, Kieran would be extremely glad .

Simones had found out why he wanted to learn about Potionology during their conversations, so Kieran was eager to learn from him .

"Of course! Only the basics of Potionology though . Nothing related to those traditional prescriptions! Ferad, we need a car . Best be a Picard!" Simones shrugged a little before voicing his request .

"Very well!" Ferad wrote .

. . .

Even though they had been left without any care for a week, the plants at the Celestial Garden were still as lively as ever . They showed no signs of withering .

The outer room was still covered in plants, and the frosted glass was blocking the view from the outside .

However, it was for a different purpose this time . Kieran was still being vigilant of their surroundings, but his feelings were different .

He was more relaxed compared to the anxious, disturbed feeling he'd had when he'd faced the Dark Star Society .

Simones was humming an unknown melody as they entered the shop .

"Relax, my friend! Nikorei has settled everything, both with the Dark Star and the Night Demon Society! Everything is fine now!"

Simones was like a cart driving down a familiar road . He quickly reached the room where his plantations and potions were kept .

It was beside his sleeping quarters, right before the passage at the back .

Neither Carlos nor Wilco had been interested in anything like that, so everything was still intact .

Kieran saw dozens of weird-looking plants, and eventually his eyes landed on a platform in the corner . It was a two-meter long, one-meter wide, and one-and-a-half-meter tall crafting platform .

The platform was made of wood, and there were three drawers on each of its four sides .

Countless runes and symbols were carved on it, and on its surface were dozens of flasks, measuring pots, a beaker and a crucible .

"Is this a Potion Crafting Platform?" KIeran asked .

"Yes, pure handcrafted beauty . The alchemy enchantment ensures the freshness of the potions! Come on, let’s move everything here!"

Simones was placing odd-looking plants on the platform as he spoke . Then he walked to the side of the platform and tried to move it .

Kieran had already promised Simones he would help, and he had no problem being ordered around . Plus, he would be getting something from all that hard work .

He moved to the opposite side of the platform and got ready to lift it up with Simones .

Truth be told, considering Kieran's C- Strength, he would have been able to carry it to the car by himself . However, the two of them would ensure a steadier, smoother move .

They lifted the Potion Crafting Platform toward the entrance, but before they could even approach it, a roaring engine sound was heard from outside .

The thundering roar was produced by a dozen horse-powered vehicles . The sound was getting closer by the second .

It seemed to be heading towards the Celestial Garden!