Sorcerer’s Handbook

“You’re sweating. Here, let me wipe it for you.”

“Tired? Want me to carry you for a bit? Here, have a candy to boost your energy!”

“Need a massage? I learned a muscle relaxation technique from Harvey. It should work on the living too!”

After a brief internal struggle, Ashe finally accepted the Observer’s kindness.

Deep down, Ashe knew that the phantom Banjeet was just a hastily created Copy, and he was prepared to eliminate him without hesitation, refusing to let past memories soften his resolve.

Perhaps it was because he had been thrust into the dire situation of Shattered Lake Prison upon his time travel, or perhaps it was because his companions had always been societal outcasts like Igor and Harvey, but Ashe had unwittingly adapted to the rules of this world-or rather, he had flexibly adjusted his moral boundaries.

He had come to accept the necessity of killing, for fate was more unpredictable than any drama. Even a sorcerer blessed with Miracles would sometimes face the choice of “either harm others or perish.”

What stood before them now was merely a Copy. Ashe was not so weak that he couldn’t wield his sword.

Yet, it was like having a Lala Fatty you’ve raised for a long time. You know its purpose in life is to be turned into a delicious meal, and you desperately need it to satisfy your hunger. But if possible, you’d rather not be the one to do the deed.

So this is what it means to keep a gentleman away from the kitchen, Ashe thought, gaining a new understanding of the saying.

The Trial Copies were even more troubling because they possessed intelligence, desires, and the ability to communicate-indistinguishable from normal people. Yet, they were also people Ashe knew, making it impossible for him to treat them as strangers. He couldn’t even deceive himself into doing so.

He could have fought his way through, but Ashe would likely need to book a psychological therapy session with Igor afterward.

A mental sorcerer is truly an essential companion for both home and travel…

Now that the Observer had volunteered to handle this dilemma alone, how could Ashe refuse? However, when the battle began, he actively distanced himself, crouching against a wall with his ears covered, only catching up when he saw the Trial count on his wristband change.

But the entire journey had been the Observer doing the work while Ashe touched fish. Even Ashe felt a bit embarrassed, so he went out of his way to offer thoughtful gestures, practically waving a cheerleading baton to boost his contribution to the team.

Even someone as composed and inscrutable as the Observer was visibly irritated by him, and with a swift chop to the forehead, the passageway finally fell silent.

When the Trial countdown reached its final minute, Ashe spoke up, “Remember, the people who appear next are merely Copies of those we know, created temporarily for the Trial. They might not even last a day or an hour, like summer cicadas, mayflies in the water, or clouds in the sky… But since you’ve never met the real them, just treat them as phantoms.”

Ashe had been repeating this speech before every Trial today. It was unclear whether he was trying to comfort the Observer or himself. His words were filled with assumptions, offering various justifications for killing the Copies, as if they were in a courtroom trying to convince the judge of fate to absolve them of guilt.

The Observer, of course, had no need for such weak and foolish self-reassurance, but he didn’t stop Ashe from repeating it over and over.

Long ago, he had often heard similar words, always from someone trying hard to find reasons to prove he was right, that those he killed deserved it, that the bad things he did were actually good, that his enemies were despicable scoundrels, as if he were an absolutely righteous and blameless person… Though he still found such arguments meaningless, perhaps out of habit, he didn’t dislike them.

At that moment, the Observer suddenly froze.

That’s right.

Someone without guilt wouldn’t need such excuses. Death Maniac, Mirror Master, and Black Mage-they would never utter such weak words.

So, was she comforting me, or herself?

Seeing the Trial count increase by one, Ashe quickly caught up to the Observer, glancing at the corpse on the ground out of the corner of his eye. Like the previous Trial Copies, the body was intact, with no visible wounds, and it lay face down, making it impossible to identify.

“When we get to the Cicada Transformation Hall, remember to leave the final strike to me. I want to secure the kill,” Ashe declared confidently. “My sword blade is thirsting for action!”

“Alright.”

“But it’s going to be a tough fight,” Ashe said, looking at his hands. “The rewards from the Trials in this final stretch are getting more terrifying. Not only is my physical condition improving, but my senses have become so sharp that I can detect traces of things beyond reality. Sometimes, I can even see your afterimage, almost like…”

“Foreseeing the future.”

“Exactly,” Ashe nodded emphatically. “You must have felt it during the battle too, right? Time seemed to transform into an observable axis, and I could even faintly smell the scent of Golden Flow Water… it was like the aroma of a Red Flame Lala Fatty.”

That’s probably just because you’re hungry… The Observer quickened his pace in silence.

“Silver Lantern and her group are definitely strong too. It might come down to a brutal fight to determine the winner,” Ashe said. “But once Silver Lantern is dead, our journey in Senlo will come to an end.”

“Hey, what are your plans after we get out of here?” Ashe asked. “I’m thinking of finding a way back to Gospel first. I promised them I’d return, after all. And then… no matter what, I’ll visit the Stars Kingdom.”

“If I’m lucky, maybe I’ll be able to settle down in reality. If not, I’ll strive to become a legend and keep searching until I find a…” He opened his palm and then clenched it, “…Miracle that can reunite us in reality.”

“Though it sounds simple, just traveling between kingdoms is a hassle,” Ashe scratched his head. “Getting from Gospel to the Stars Kingdom might be easier, since Lise is now the Empress of Yisuo. Asking Gospel to let me travel once shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

“But how do we get from Senlo back to Gospel? Through a virtual realm passage? Or using the gray fox heritage?”

Ashe pondered for a while, then shook off these worries and turned to the Observer. “That’s my plan. Do you want to stick with me, or do you have other ideas?”

“I’ll stick with you,” the Observer replied perfunctorily.

“Great!” Ashe exclaimed, happily slinging an arm around the Observer’s shoulders. “I can’t wait to see Igor’s reaction when he meets you-it’s going to be hilarious!”

“Igor will probably try to distinguish us by asking a bunch of questions, then pull me aside to warn me about you. It’ll take him a while to accept you. As for Harvey, he’ll probably tell us apart at a glance. I always feel like he can see things that aren’t quite… clean.”

“Then we’ll search Senlo for any gray fox heritage that can help us travel between kingdoms. If we can, we might as well take down the Four Pillars Cult. The best way to avoid becoming a regional dealer like Tactile Sense is to shut down the branch office…”

“Seems like there’s no rest for us,” Ashe sighed. “I really want to go home soon.”

Hearing this word that didn’t belong to a time traveler, the Observer raised an eyebrow. “Home?”

“Yeah, the Yisuo Royal Palace?” Ashe blinked. “Even if I can’t live in the palace, I should at least be able to stay in Nabistin, right?”

“Have you ever thought-“

“That Lise, now the Empress, might turn her back on the hardships we shared, and I’d be treated like a poor relative showing up uninvited, chased away with sticks? Of course, I’ve thought about it,” Ashe chuckled. “But home isn’t just about the other person missing you-it’s also about you missing them.”

“At least for now, I miss Lise deeply. So wherever she is, that’s the home I want to return to.”

Ashe glanced at the Observer. “It’s the same for you. You’re nothing like me in personality. You’ll definitely have your own path and goals, not like me, who’s always thinking about how to make my Substitute work harder… But no matter when, as long as you miss me, you can always come home.”

As he said this, a smile crept onto Ashe’s face. “It’s like how my older brother stayed back home to take care of our parents. If I ever get fired, I’ll have a place to return to.”

The Observer didn’t respond. He simply brushed off Ashe’s hand from his shoulder and walked ahead in silence. Ashe was used to his aloofness and continued walking, pondering his life plans after the Trial ended.

After several Trials, they arrived at the light gate earlier than before. Ashe drew his Honey Sword in advance, while the Observer merely rested his hand on the hilt of his sword. Without another word, they stepped through the light gate together.

In the Cicada Transformation Hall, Vesser and Yolan had been waiting for some time.

This wasn’t surprising, since they were a team of two, while Ashe only had the Observer fighting solo, which naturally made them slightly less efficient.

The moment all the Trial Takers gathered, the hall’s lighting flickered, and circular patterns on both sides of the hall began to emit steam, revealing strange, individual lift chambers.

At the same time, detailed Trial information popped up on their wrist devices:

“Hibernation: Trial Takers must enter the divine fire abyss by riding individual Cicada Transformation Chambers. Once a chamber is activated, both chambers will fully close and descend within 30 seconds.”

“Cicada Transformation: Trial Takers will undergo the final stage of cicada evolution within the chambers. However, the hall must retain Trial bodies of equivalent evolution levels as the final consumables for the transformation process.”

As Ashe processed this information, his face turned pale as he realized the true nature of the cicada transformation. But when he looked up, he saw Silver Lantern had already entered the chamber closest to her and pressed the close button. The chamber door sealed shut, and a red light lit up.

Even through the glass window, he could see the cold pupils behind her fox mask.

Sometimes, you can’t keep living without hurting others.

She had already made her choice.

Ashe felt as if he could hear Silver Lantern’s whisper: ‘Now, it’s your turn to choose.’

His wrist device displayed a countdown: 29 seconds remaining.