Chapter 32: Wings and Swords: A High-Flying Mission

Having left the counter, we sought out an inconspicuous corner to deliberate our next course of action.

“It’s no wonder this delivery mission remains unclaimed; the destination is simply too far,” Angelina grumbled, her gaze fixed on the mission card. “The village lies two cities away, requiring a journey of at least 200 kilometers on foot, yet the reward is a mere 400 Sira.” The card, she noted, even thoughtfully provided a rudimentary map indicating the approximate distance.

Given that horse-drawn carriages remained the primary mode of transportation, such a distance would undoubtedly consume several days, rendering a few hundred Sira an utterly impractical reward.

“Naturally, most people would steer clear of such a thankless task,” I remarked, leaning closer to examine the card’s details. A flicker of understanding dawned on me regarding Angelina’s choice. “However, for us, it might be a different story entirely.”

“Precisely!” Angelina beamed, a triumphant smile gracing her lips as she realized I had grasped her reasoning.

Indeed, we possessed the ability to fly!

With the delivery mission’s strategy settled, there was no need for haste; we could now turn our attention to my own task.

“What about your mission?” I inquired.

Angelina took the card from my hand, her eyes scanning its contents.

“A magical beast frequently preying on travelers?”

Her brow furrowed slightly as she recited the mission’s summary.

“This one might prove tricky; it could hinge entirely on luck,” she mused. “If we fail to ambush it, we’ll be in trouble.”

“Yet, it doesn’t require traveling far,” I countered. “It’s located on the mountain road near the capital, Navareli.”

My focus was squarely on the advantage of its proximity.

“In that case, let’s tackle your mission first,” Angelina agreed with a nod. Given the minimum requirement of Tier 2, the magical beast couldn’t be overly formidable, making it a task we could likely complete with ease.

“Perhaps we should prioritize the delivery mission instead,” I suggested, offering an alternative.

“Why?” Angelina asked, her expression puzzled.

Angelina momentarily failed to grasp my reasoning, as her conventional approach involved clearing nearby tasks before venturing to distant cities.

“Observe this,” I instructed.

My finger traced the mission requirements on the card as I spoke to her.

“It requires the submission of an identifiable body part from the magical beast.”

“To be frank, this usually entails severing its head and bringing it back. Such repeated entries and exits from the city would undoubtedly consume considerable time. Therefore, it would be more efficient to complete the delivery first, especially since we’ll be returning here regardless.”

“You do have a point there,” Angelina conceded.

After hearing my logic, Angelina had no choice but to concur, acknowledging that my plan was indeed far more efficient than hunting the magical beast first.

With that settled, we wasted no further time, quickly making our way out of the city.

****

On a hillside just beyond the outskirts of Navareli, Angelina and I halted our steps.

“This spot should suffice; there’s no one in sight anymore.”

Angelina was the first to extend her wings, unfurling the two pairs of pristine white feathers from her back.

I nodded in agreement, then followed suit, dispelling my own concealment.

“You haven’t seemed to fly very high before, have you?” Angelina remarked, fanning her wings as she ascended into the sky, speaking to me who followed closely behind her.

“Is that right?” I mused, casting my mind back. It seemed she was correct; indeed, since my transformation into an angel, opportunities for flight had been sparse. This marked my inaugural experience using wings for transportation.

As our altitude steadily increased, the landscape beneath us began to recede, gradually expanding our panoramic view.

A sudden memory surfaced: ascending to the summit of an eighty-story skyscraper with Ren Yunkong during our high school days. The vista unfolding before my eyes now bore a striking resemblance to that cherished moment.

“Ren Yunkong, do you recall that towering building near my home from years ago?” I called out, using her former name, hoping to jog her memory.

“Huh… you said… what?” Angelina responded, a gesture indicating she couldn’t quite catch my words. The wind at such an altitude was formidable, carrying away all but fragmented syllables, leaving only a sustained ‘whoosh’ in its wake.

Deciding against repeating myself, I shook my head with a touch of regret, signaling that it was unimportant. In response, Angelina ceased her ascent, pivoted, and with a powerful beat of her wings, surged forward with remarkable speed.

“Wait…” I called out, momentarily stunned by her practiced maneuver, and quickly scrambled to keep pace behind her.

“I can truly fly!”

As the trees and houses beneath me ceaselessly receded, I instinctively spread my arms wide, an excited shout escaping my lips. The sensation of soaring at such an altitude, gazing down upon the sprawling earth, was utterly exhilarating.

While I had taken to the air during my confrontation with Minos, that had been low-altitude combat, and in my heart, it had not truly counted as genuine flight.

Flight was, after all, a profound human dream, one that eventually manifested in the invention of airplanes.

Yet, my own inaugural flight had been achieved as an angel in an entirely different world, for I had never even stepped foot on an airplane prior to my transmigration.

“How does it feel?”

Angelina slowed her pace, drifting back to fly parallel with me, and shouted her question. Being sufficiently close, her voice, though somewhat muted by the wind, was still faintly audible.

“It’s magnificent!” I exclaimed, offering the highest praise without reservation. Had I not feared disrupting the rhythm of my wings with erratic movements, I might have already been dancing with glee.

“But haven’t you ridden on an airplane before?” I asked, a hint of confusion in my voice, seeing her own face alight with a joyful, excited smile.

“That’s completely different!” Angelina declared, emphasizing that the sensations were entirely distinct. “Airplanes confine you within a metal box; it’s a world apart!”

“By that logic, this counts as your first true flight as well,” I remarked.

Witnessing her unbridled joy, I, too, chuckled, then offered a belated query. “So, how does it feel?”

“If you absolutely insist on knowing my current sentiments…” Angelina replied, a wide smile gracing her face as she looked ahead.

“It’s absolutely—exhilarating!”

The destination village for our delivery had an actual road distance exceeding 200 kilometers; however, due to several intervening mountains and lakes, the direct aerial distance was considerably shorter, barely over 100 kilometers. Consequently, we reached it in under two hours.

This speed, it must be noted, was tempered by the strong winds that made it difficult to keep our eyes open, preventing us from flying at maximum velocity. Had we been able to exert our full power, our journey would have been significantly swifter.

After landing in the nearby wilderness, we proceeded into the village and knocked upon the door of the recipient’s address. An old man emerged, his hands trembling slightly as he accepted the delivered letter. Under my direction, he then pressed his handprint onto the mission card, thereby officially confirming its completion. With this done, we only needed to return and submit the card to claim our reward.

“Thank you for your trouble; that will be all,” Angelina said.

Having thanked the recipient, Angelina and I turned to depart, soaring back into the sky to begin our return journey.

Our return flight seemed even swifter. After another hour, we found ourselves once more in the skies outside Navareli.

“Let’s head straight for the second mission,” Angelina suggested.

Angelina cautioned against entering the city just yet, and together, we altered our course towards the designated location for the magical beast-hunting quest.

This particular spot was a minor path leading to the royal capital. Though not an officially constructed main road, it saw a considerable number of travelers daily due to persistent traffic issues on larger routes.

According to the mission brief, the very ground beneath our feet was a known haunt where magical beasts frequently ambushed unsuspecting travelers.

“Let’s descend and scout the area first,” I proposed.

With those words, I was the first to land, settling into the dense thicket beside the narrow path.

“If you intend to keep your wings visible, it would be wise to avoid the immediate vicinity of the road,” Angelina advised.

Even though the path was currently deserted, Angelina offered the reminder as a precaution against any unforeseen sightings.

I nodded, then a thought suddenly occurred to me.

“Why don’t you bring out your Qi-Condensed Sword first?” I suggested.

While it was merely a low-tier magical beast, the greatest folly lay in underestimating one’s opponent or encountering unforeseen complications. Thus, approaching the task with full earnestness was paramount.

Furthermore, being out in the wilderness meant there was no fear of anyone discovering us wielding a divine artifact.

“Then watch closely,” Angelina said with a flourish.

Hearing my suggestion, Angelina immediately sensed that her weapon finally had a purpose. With an air of dramatic flair, she unfurled her palm and summoned the Qi-Condensed Sword.

Despite having witnessed the weapon’s emergence before, seeing it materialize once more still struck me with a profound sense of awe.

‘That’s so chuunibyou,’ I thought.

I pursed my lips, reluctant to admit just how undeniably cool her display had been.

“You’re just jealous!” Angelina retorted, a hint of displeasure in her voice. However, she also seemed to recognize the slight childishness of her earlier display, prompting her to scratch her head and offer the sword to me.

“Given your evident envy, I suppose I’ll reluctantly allow you to try it out first,” she stated.

“Hmph, it’s not as if I haven’t wielded it already,” I scoffed.

With a disdainful expression, I accepted the sword and swung it a few times. Whether due to my own considerable strength or the sword’s inherent weightlessness, it felt as though I were merely slashing through empty air.

“Speaking of which, could you forge another one?” I asked, a sudden idea blossoming in my mind as I noticed her empty hands.

“You’re right!” she exclaimed, seemingly never having considered the possibility. Upon hearing my suggestion, she immediately began to attempt it.

Alas, her attempt proved unsuccessful. As the blade of the sword was only halfway formed, it abruptly disintegrated into a shower of crystalline dust.

“What happened? Did it fail?” I asked, my voice tinged with concern.

“I couldn’t control it…” Angelina replied, her complexion somewhat pale. She took a breath and sat down on a nearby stone.

“Are you alright?” I asked, instantly regretting my suggestion upon seeing her significant exhaustion. We hadn’t even encountered the magical beast yet; any issues now would be problematic.

“Perhaps my current strength isn’t sufficient,” Angelina concluded after a moment of thought. “Halfway through creating the second sword, I simply couldn’t maintain its form any longer.”

“Then don’t push yourself,” I quickly advised. Seeing her recover somewhat after a brief rest, I finally felt a wave of relief.

“We can try again once you’re stronger.”

Angelina nodded in agreement, though a look of regret still clouded her face.

“It’s a pity. If we each had a sword, we could probably instantly defeat many powerful opponents.”

“By the way, is it fashioned from light elements?” I asked, a sudden question sparking in my mind after hearing her explanation. “Perhaps you could teach me the method, and I could attempt to create one?”