Sorcerer’s Handbook

Sometimes, having no way out isn't necessarily a bad thing. Take Shattered Lake Prison, for example. If Heath hadn't committed heinous crimes, if Sylin hadn't pushed him to the brink, Ashe wouldn't have resolved to stage a Prison Break. If he didn't feel certain he'd be executed during the Blood Moon Tribunal, he might have contentedly retired in Shattered Lake Prison-spending his evenings chatting with the Sword Princess, his days idly bantering with Healers. Wouldn't that be a far more pleasant life than braving the storms outside with a couple of men?

Of course, having a way out isn't necessarily a bad thing either. For instance, because Lise was already the Empress of Gospel, Ashe and his companions were filled with drive to search for a way to time travel across Kingdoms. Even when thrown into the wasteland-a place where reincarnation was ill-advised-they weren't too disheartened. After all, they knew that if they made it back, wealth and glory were a given. Ashe, for one, might even try out advanced "perks" like manipulating the court or forming a harem.

The meaning of a way out lies in granting you the right to tell life, "Little Trumpet, I'm done playing with you."

It's not that I lost. I just don't want to play anymore.

But what if… you've already lost?

Ashe glanced at Silver Lantern, then at Vichy, who was holding Fire Cat in his grip. His eyes burned with bloodshot fury, his teeth clenched so tightly he almost shattered them in rage and frustration!

He wished he had no way out, so he could fight the Specter Seer to the bitter end without hesitation. Even if it meant mutual destruction, he wouldn't flinch. If Hell truly existed, it would only mark the beginning of a new journey. And Ashe wouldn't be lonely-many would accompany him to raise hell all over again.

He had never hated anyone so much as he hated Vichy now. Vichy had destroyed everything. The earlier scenario had been the best possible outcome: the Three Gods sealed within to plug the Doomsday breach. Though many of the Senlo people had died, countless more could have survived by migrating elsewhere.

Most importantly, that had been Ashe's last hope-the only chance to save Igor and the others!

But Vichy, out of selfishness, had seized Fire Cat, forcibly interrupting the Ritual. Now, Doomsday would inevitably descend upon Senlo.

Moments ago, Ashe had been too consumed by battle fervor to think. But now, as his thoughts caught up, the flood of boundless rage, grief, and guilt overwhelmed his mind. His heart felt as though it were being crushed, as if someone were squeezing it to extract the raw ingredients for a cure to regret.

It was he who had insisted on coming to save Tamashi!

It was he who had sought to stop Silver Lantern from ending the world!

That's why they had split up, why he had been trapped on the eighteenth floor of the Silent Spiral, unable to rescue the others!

If, in the instant Doomsday arrived, he had dragged everyone into the Wishflux Celestium… Or, even earlier-if he'd killed Silver Lantern during the Divine Fire Trial Cicada Lurk…

Unconsciously, Ashe gripped Vesser's wrist in reverse. The veins on his hand bulged, leaving dark purple marks on her pale skin. Vesser said nothing, quietly withdrawing her hand from his grasp.

The pain… perhaps from old wounds yet to heal, or new ones freshly inflicted, tore through Ashe like shards shredding his organs. It left him gasping for breath. He had thought that as long as he maintained an indifferent facade, the world couldn't truly hurt him. He had believed he always had a way out, and that way out was death.

What if I'm a Cult Leader from the moment I crossed into this world? What if I was sentenced to death within days? What if I can't go back? The world doesn't love me, but I never planned to love it either.

But he did care. That rainy night in the Yisuo Royal Palace was the first time. Now was the second. He didn't particularly like this world, but this world had people who liked him. So, in turn, this world had come to matter to him.

Love gave him armor, but also left him vulnerable.

Igor, Harvey, Tamashi, Chikara, Gwen… Ashe could disregard the lives of the Senlo people he didn't know, but he couldn't ignore those who had shared life and death with him. Especially when he had had the chance to save them!

Particularly the Con Artist and the necromancer. Ashe always felt like he had gotten the short end of the stick. Shattered Lake Prison was merely the starting point of this chapter in his life, but for those two, it was just a minor detour. To them, Ashe might only be a casual friend-not even one they'd lend money to. But to Ashe, those two bastards were his entire new life. Almost every major event he'd experienced had involved them.

Ashe had thought he'd long since prepared himself for their departure. After all, Harvey always wore the face of a dead man ready for his own funeral-he'd even prepared his coffin. And it wouldn't be surprising if Igor disappeared without a word, rising through the underworld to become an uncrowned king. As Igor himself put it, if a Con Artist bothers to say goodbye, it's only because they're planning to con you one last time.

The Cult Leader had often complained about how none of his friends were remotely normal. While someone as upright as Tamashi wasn't ideal, surely, friends who didn't introduce corpse trivia at dinner or wield cutting wit with surgical precision would be better.

Now Ashe couldn't even look at a corpse without feeling hungry, and he couldn't speak without a hint of sarcasm. He figured he was beyond saving.

But this was his life, and these were his friends. What could he do? Igor might never be a good person, and Harvey had successfully ruined his sense of smell, but Ashe still didn't want to lose them. Even if they were garbage, they were garbage Ashe couldn't bear to part with.

So why would Ashe be willing to live in cowardice? Everyone might be waiting for him in hell.

However…

"Go!" Vesser summoned a Fog Gate beside him, pulling him forcefully: "You can go back to find the others, just go!"

"You're not thinking of staying here to die with someone like me, are you?" she said coldly, "Instead of spending your life with the one you love?"

At this moment, Ashe truly understood Tamashi's thoughts. Tamashi was so willing to sacrifice himself for revenge, not because he truly wanted to die, but because everything he had was in hell, and he simply didn't want others to wait for him too long.

But unlike Tamashi, Ashe hadn't lost everything yet. He still had a home to return to, people waiting for him.

Staying behind would only serve the purpose of avenging Vichy, which was meaningless now. Senlo's Doomsday couldn't be stopped, the world was about to perish, and revenge was far too costly for Ashe at this moment.

Moreover, could they really deal with the Specter Seer possessing the Fire Cat? It would be better to leave first, come back when stronger to seek revenge, wait until… until… later…

Vesser watched Ashe's shoulders tremble, hearing him inexplicably apologize to someone in a low voice: "Tamashi, I'm sorry, and thank you."

"I will leave," Ashe turned to look at Vesser, releasing her hand, his eyes like fire: "If I have to die."

Vesser was taken aback, almost laughing in anger: "Do you think Vichy will just happen to strike you into near-death? And you can seize that opportunity? You're gambling with your life now?"

"How else to make him lose everything?" Ashe gripped the Honey Sword tightly, gritting his teeth: "Winning the gamble at least lets me vent some anger, losing it… then I'll die with you."

"Madman!" Vesser cursed under her breath, exerting force with both hands, pushing him directly towards the Fog Gate. Although Ashe could still return to the eighteenth layer, at least it would calm him down-

However, when Ashe was pushed against the Fog Gate, he didn't pass through.

Both were surprised, staring at the Fog Gate, Ashe's face showing relief, Vesser's expression somewhat complex.

At this time, the surrounding mist thickened again, Vichy's voice leisurely echoed in the sky: "I haven't mentioned why the Fire Cat suddenly burned itself out. What happened in the future that forced the Knowing Guard Fire deity to willingly destroy itself?"

"In the future I dreamt of, you were truly formidable. Although the Three Deities also performed the sealing Ritual, you didn't attack them, because if the Three Deities suffered unbearable injuries, they would automatically interrupt the Ritual, and with their learning ability, they would naturally know to clear all living beings on the eighteenth layer to perform the sealing Ritual."

"You chose the method: make the Three Deities too late to seal!"

"You seemed to dominate the Four Pillars Cult, through a series of operations, causing 50% of Senlo's population to be near the Silent Spiral. Once Doomsday was triggered, more than half of Senlo's people perished."

"The sealing speed of the Three Deities couldn't keep up with the death speed of Senlo's people!"

"So the Knowing Guard Fire deity sacrificed itself, fully unleashing its power to turn the eighteenth layer into a sea of fire, temporarily plugging the Doomsday loophole! In this way, the Three Deities were reduced to two, much easier to deal with."

Ashe and Vesser ignored Vichy's randomly altered future, extracting only the most crucial Intelligence, then raised their heads to look at the sky's fissure.

However, the scene they expected did not appear, although much sparser, the rain of people still fell!

"Hahaha, look at your expressions, so funny." Vichy giggled: "Pay attention, only the sacrifice of the Knowing Guard Fire can completely guard the eighteenth layer, but I stopped her after she burned most of it, how could it plug the loophole? However, it's easy to prevent spatial movement."

"Before this fire, which could burn for years, is extinguished, don't think about running away, except-me." Vichy sneered: "Once I fully grasp the Knowing Guard Fire, I'll slowly deal with you. Dagger Qing Ji and Wish-Granting are already in my pocket, and you two… seem to have had quite a few Adventures, we have plenty of time to chat slowly. Trust me, when you become wraiths, you'll be quite talkative."

"Is… that so?!"

Vesser's Assault Gun suddenly roared, dozens of bullets exploded at the edge of the deep pit, blowing away the dense fog instantly, revealing Vichy holding the Fire Cat inside! Her eyes almost turned into transparent glass beads, clearly transformed into the strongest Reconnaissance Spirit-X-ray Spirit!

At the same time, Square Cicada appeared on her shoulder, its chirping resonating, the power of Golden Flow causing all of Vesser's attacks in the next three seconds to descend upon Vichy in this very second!

Future Kill: Three Seconds Cicada Transformation!

Miracle: Rage Sword!

No need for spirit transformation of emotions, Ashe exploded with the maximum power of Rage Sword as soon as he moved, the sword light almost instantly traversed dozens of meters, aiming for Vichy's neck!

But the greatest threat to Vichy wasn't the two sorcerers.

It was a cane.

Dagger Qing Ji's cane!

Dove broke through the mist, raising the cane unremarkably towards Vichy. Yet this ordinary thrust caused Vichy to be pinned in place, even actively moving his head towards the tip of the cane!

Vichy was right, deities indeed learn. And now they knew, everything else could be ignored, the first thing to do was to kill this pest, Vichy!