Angel and Laplace, led by Kuntela, arrived at Rock Hall.
Rock Hall lay deep within the dense forest, its appearance resembling the rainforest ruins so beloved by adventurers.
A magnificent, dazzling palace stood upon an island in the middle of a lake. From afar, it looked plain enough, but up close, one could make out all manner of patterns imbued with geometric beauty.
Unlike the understated exterior of the palace, its interior was exceedingly exquisite. Crystal murals and gemstone sculptures were everywhere. If Luigi had been here, he probably would have loved it—the place brimmed with artistic beauty.
They proceeded down a corridor lined with sculptures of unknown creatures and eventually arrived in a hall bathed in halos of light.
There was no one in the hall. Only a Crystal Book even larger than Angel's body rested at its center, illuminated by beams of many colors. Every arrangement here proclaimed that the most important and crucial thing in this hall was that Crystal Book.
As Kuntela approached, the Crystal Book began turning its own pages without any wind.
Once the Crystal Book opened, the phantom of an old man with a full beard emerged halfway from within its pages.
Angel could sense no soul power stirring around them, nor was there any trace of illusion. This bearded old man was probably not a soul.
Yet he gave Angel a strangely familiar sense of déjà vu, somewhat like the feeling he got when facing the Tree Spirit or Wood Spirit.
"A book spirit?" Angel murmured softly.
The bearded old man glanced at Angel. As though responding to him, he snorted through his nostrils. "Hmph, a human wizard."
After speaking, the bearded old man looked at Laplace beside Angel. After sizing her up and down, he said suspiciously, "A Time Doppelgänger?"
Laplace