Mage Manual

Chapter 1675 - 1234: The Final Gamble

"This is your spiritual world, theoretically you can resurrect indefinitely. Plus the 10000:1 time flow rate, you have at least a dozen hours to try. But the Black Demon is the Supreme of Magic, in terms of combat skills she’s just slightly inferior to me... If you can suppress her, then there’s actually no need to pay 1/4 to obtain her power, because only the Supreme of Magic can possibly defeat her."

"Moreover, to the Black Demon, you’re a substitute for the Observer, her malicious and cruel intentions can’t be used on the Observer, so you become the perfect vessel for her rage."

"So I have another plan," Death Mad glanced at him: "I’ll suppress her."

Ash opened his mouth, after a moment he asked: "What do I have to pay?"

"Theoretically, if I intervene you’d need to pay the final 1/4, but this time it’s just activities in the spiritual world, so you can keep the final 1/4... As the price, you must pay with the memory of Sonia."

"Can’t you—"

"Can’t." Death Mad shook his head: "Both I and the Black Demon are fleeting thoughts like candles in the wind, now she’s descending into reality by burning your thoughts of Lissdia. To deal with her I must also burn your thoughts of Sonia... This is the cost price."

Two options: one is to find a way to suppress the Black Demon yourself, but there’s absolutely no chance of success, the Black Demon is truly the Supreme of Magic, he’s not even a Divine Lord now; the other is to pay with Sonia’s memory to have Death Mad intervene.

There’s also a final option, which is to do nothing, let the Black Demon rampage and completely break the situation that Dazzling Star painstakingly maintains, pressing the gas pedal on this train plummeting quickly, rushing the whole world into the snake’s kiss of Uroboros.

"Why didn’t you warn me before..." Ash looked down at the pitch-black seabed, his voice like a wail squeezed out from the folds of his soul.

"Have you ever considered," Death Mad said calmly, "that maybe I also hate you and Sonia?"

Ash looked up at her, opened his mouth wanting to retort, but slowly closed it. Just now, Death Mad described the Black Demon’s thoughts so meticulously, with such sincerity, you can’t be sure if she truly understood the Black Demon, or if she was using the Black Demon to voice words long pressed under her tongue.

Although Death Mad is very focused on him and Sonia, seeming to like the two of them, there’s no rule saying you can’t simultaneously hold both liking and hatred... More often, love and hate appear as companions hand in hand, hatred doesn’t breed love, but love often leads to hate.

Ash said nothing, Death Mad quietly puffed smoke beside him.

The Black Demon felt she had no chance to survive and wanted to bury Lissdia together, actually Death Mad had a similar thought. She certainly has no expectation to live on, so she fervently hopes Ash and Sonia can find happiness, both because she witnessed this romance all along, and because she wants to make up for some regrets through Sonia... Seeing Sonia living happily and fully, equals her own life having happiness.

"I can’t suppress the Black Demon."

Death Mad looked at Ash, Ash said seriously: "But I also don’t want to pay the memory of Sonia."

"Help me, Death Mad."

"Didn’t you understand what I just said?" Death Mad said: "Or do you think this world is kind enough to let you have your way?"

"Help me, Death Mad." Ash reiterated.

"If you want my help, then pay Sonia’s memory," Death Mad said: "You should be starting to forget Lissdia’s memory now, soon you’ll even forget the name ’Lissdia’. You’ve already forgotten so many people, so many things, why not forget Sonia too? Are you so biased that you can forget the Witch, Silver Lamp, Vishi, but can’t give up Sonia?"

"Helpless sacrifice and thoughtless reliance are different." Ash stared directly at Death Mad: "If there’s even a slight possibility, I wouldn’t want to pay this price... Help me, Death Mad."

"Sonia is a helpless sacrifice too—"

"Help me." Ash just kept repeating this phrase, bowing his head: "Help me."

Death Mad’s eyes showed complex emotions, asking coldly: "But why should I help you? Why?"

This kind of tone and response indicates rejection in any era, any country, but Ash seemed encouraged, he stared tightly at Death Mad, his eyes shined in this pitch-black deep sea.

"Because I’m betting hope on myself, I’m betting that I will win." Ash said: "Isn’t this worth your gamble? Win or lose, I’m your life’s final gamble."

Death Mad froze, laughed uncontrollably: "Your arrogance... is a bit like the Observer."

"You know everything about me, those words I’ve voiced, those I’ve failed to voice, you know them all. I don’t know how to convince you, but if even you won’t bet hope on me, it only shows I’ve lived too poorly." Ash said softly: "If every Mage’s life is a Mage’s Handbook, you’re my first reader... A book that can’t even conquer its first reader must be poorly written."

"Or maybe just because the protagonist is a trash can."

Death Mad sneered, staring at the white smoke rising from the sea, suddenly reaching out and placing the cigarette in Ash’s mouth.

"I still want to take Sonia’s memory." Death Mad said, "But I can take just a little... So I can guide you with ideas on how to deal with the Black Demon during your battle."

"But you have to think about it, even with my guidance, you can’t defeat the Black Demon all at once, it may take dozens or even hundreds of attempts to suppress the Supreme of Magic... Every time you fail means the Black Demon has a new toy... Are you ready?"

Ash felt relieved, politely took a puff of the cigarette, "Thank you."

"I’m not pinning all my hopes on you,"

Death Mad glanced at him sideways and took back the cigarette to continue puffing clouds:

"It’s just a casual bet in the last gamble."

...

...

On the Fantasy Hell battlefield, the Divine Lords were busy engaging with Uroboros, with no time to spare for the rear.

At this moment, the Extreme Master of Blood Moon suddenly felt a chill running down his spine, a strong Death Intuition triggered his blood to go mad, every cell in his body roaring for immediate escape! He didn’t have time to react, only managing to protect himself with the Blood Moon Barrier—

Boom!

The Extreme Master of Blood Moon, along with the Heavenly Kingdom, was penetrated, half of his body exploding into blood mist. Although he quickly recovered as before, the delay caused his defense line to instantly fail!

And it’s not just him, the All-knowing Weaver, Imaginary Music Master, and Lord of Infinite Abyss all suffered attacks!

The Divine Lords’ thousands of years’ effort in maintaining the "Spider Web Barrier," "World Tree Screen," and "Infinite Path" were all penetrated, and they were subjected to overwhelming attacks. Although not fatal, they all inevitably fell into a brief chaos, creating gaps in the defense line!

They watched the formidable Seven-winged figure rampage on the battlefield, their eyes wide with rage yet powerless. Since the Battle of Senluo, they had tried to overestimate his strength, but it turned out they still underestimated him—now they were very close to their peak strength with the Heavenly Kingdom borrowed from Heaven, yet they were still effortlessly defeated by him!

They had actually noticed Ash’s figure earlier, but besides being too busy to deal with him, the main reason was they believed he wasn’t qualified to participate in this highest stakes battlefield concerning the fate of the world. But they hadn’t expected that a month later, Ash had become even more profound, exceeding the Six-winged God and infinitely close—

It’s bad.

The All-knowing Weaver’s voice instantly transmitted, "Beware of Ash!"

Meanwhile, noticing the chaos among the ants, Uroboros did not take the opportunity to expand its victory but instead locked all its eyes on Dazzling Star. It instinctively realized this particular ant was the most powerful one, and now, with the four Divine Lords unable to share the burden, it aimed to annihilate the Supreme ant!

Dazzling Star flew across the sky with her twin swords, although she noticed the unabashed hatred behind her, the attack from Uroboros in front was even more demanding of her attention.

Facing the offensive from the Eight-winged creature and the Seven-winged Supreme, she did not seem as effortlessly graceful as she appeared and had to focus all her efforts on defending against one side... The front or the back?

In a flash of decision, Dazzling Star made her choice.

Boom!

Boom!

The view of magic and the resonance of sword light explosively clashed, Uroboros’s body slightly trembled, surprisingly retreating a bit. The four Divine Lords looked at the two figures standing in front, their previously tense hearts finally relaxed, then couldn’t help but ironically remark—They had become degraded enough to be watching others’ backs.

"You look like you’ve just crawled out of Hell," Dazzling Star shifted to the right, crossing her twin swords, the Star Blue tail gently swaying, "To grasp a power that doesn’t belong to you, what price have you paid this time?"

Beside Dazzling Star was Ash, who turned to the left. His hair almost turned pure white, yet with the change of time and angle, it would gradually appear multicolored, like a dazzling white.

He held twin swords, his youthful face revealing an extreme fatigue and weariness, but his eyes were exceptionally bright and sharp, like the cold glow of steel forged through countless trials.

"No," Ash said calmly, "I haven’t paid any additional price."