Elsewhere—
Time rewound to half an hour earlier.
Wise Sovereign had been observing Angel and the others' movements through the core node of the magic energy array.
However, all he could observe were everyone's approximate locations and the intensity of their energy reactions. As for what exactly was happening, he did not know.
At first, Wise Sovereign had worried that Adanis would personally deal with Angel. But once Olao appeared, that possibility was gone.
Still, Wise Sovereign did not believe Adanis would simply let the matter rest. She certainly had other means.
Wise Sovereign was watching the magic energy array precisely to ensure that Adanis's methods would not exceed what Angel and the others could handle. If something truly impossible to withstand appeared, Wise Sovereign would take over the magic energy array and create a route of retreat for Angel and the others.
This was Wise Sovereign's promise to Angel and the others, and also the escape route he had left for himself.
Savage Cave and the Noah Family—one was a leading organization among wizard organizations, while the other was one of the strongest wizard families in the Southern Region. Perhaps a sliver of hope for saving Abyss City could also be found through them?
Although Wise Sovereign deeply disliked relying on outsiders, what if the Divine Maiden had been right? What if Naraka truly never returned?
Wise Sovereign had been unwilling to consider it before because he still harbored hope. But he did not have much time left... Reality had to be faced eventually. Just as he hoped Angel would become an unforeseen variable and shatter the tangled chessboard that was Clear Sky Poem Room in the Underground Waterway, it was because he had begun preparing for the worst, preparing to face the outcome he had least wished to