The Sorcerer's Handbook

Silence befell the area beyond the sheets of rain. It was as though the Legion of Heroes had vanished without a trace.

Ashe said confidently, "You're afraid I'll flip the board and drag everything down with me. Yes, the contract states explicitly that I can't discard or destroy the Conjuring spirit. But it only punishes me once it's done, instead of preventing it. In other words, if I'm willing to take the hit, this contract is nothing but scrap paper...

"The Virtual World can only punish a violation after it happens. It cannot stop me in the moment. The most it could do is kill me once everything is over. "But if destroying the Conjuring spirit or being captured by you means death either way, I would rather die at the hands of the Virtual World than let you devour me piece by piece."

The world fell into a heavy stillness. The Ascending Golden Rain streamed soundlessly toward the sky. After a tense silence, Denzel's voice echoed once more. "There is just one thing you need to correct."

A sickening note of amusement laced the voice. "In the 'generous offer' I have prepared for you, there is only room for a single person to leave alive."

Ashe frowned, his expression turning icy. "I am definitely going to die. Which means..."

The smile in Denzel's voice could no longer be contained. "You will have to choose which person dies by your own hands. One lives, the other is left half-dead, while the last one dies for good. That is the ending I have crafted for you. Do you like it?"

"I've heard that Heroes recover their emotions piece by piece, by retrieving fragments of their souls from hell," Ashe said, his tone dripping with disdain. "I'm curious. This disgusting attitude of yours right now, how much of your former self does it actually reflect?"

Denzel sounded thoroughly delighted. "You know quite a bit about us. If we're talking proportions, about one-sixth. So, have you decided who gets to die? Is it gonna be your lover, or your little sister?

"Oh, and a quick reminder. If you kill your companion yourself, it counts as forcing them to exit the Virtual World early, which violates the condition of staying in the Spider Tower region for more than three hours. The Virtual World will execute them for that, and I won't accept such a waste of a death. No, it has to be done by us. I want you to watch with your own eyes as my lovely followers tear your companions apart and devour them completely."

"Did the Gospel Incarnation pull you out of a trash heap?" Ashe said, unable to mask his revulsion. "It's a good thing the one you love is a god. If it were a human, you would have broken them long ago. Whether you love someone or hate them, it's a disaster either way."

Denzel laughed. "Oh, you flatter me. By the way, I like clever people who know when to yield. I despise fools who say, 'Even if I die, I won't let you have your way.'"

Her tone brimmed with supreme arrogance. "So... which are you? Even if you've seen through my plan, what does it change? Do you think you still have a choice?"

She was right. Ashe's situation had not improved in the slightest despite his insight. This was an open scheme. If fear shattered his reason, he would choose based on raw emotion. If he stayed rational enough to see through her trap, he would still end up picking the exact same option.

With only two agonizing choices ahead of him, he was utterly cornered. Anyone in his position would simply be forced to settle for the slightly better of two terrible outcomes.

As Ashe fell silent, the Swordswoman and the Witch both turned to look at him.

The Witch, in particular, was visibly unraveling. The vibrant color of her hair rapidly dulled, and the Aqua Lines woven between her fingers flickered erratically in and out of sight. The emotions swirling in her eyes grew increasingly muddled, like a cat with its fur standing on end. If Ashe showed even the slightest sign of wavering, she would snap.

Denzel's tone suddenly softened, adopting a mocking gentleness. "Hard to decide, isn't it? They are your companions, after all, and you have to pronounce their death sentence personally. I'm not entirely cruel, you know. My dear, let me help you.

"I'm sure you're considering a frontal breakout, right? Fine. When you attempt to break through, I will order my followers to focus their attacks on your two companions. All you have to do is give me a look, a tiny gesture, to signal which one you are abandoning. My lovely followers will take care of the rest, tearing apart and devouring the one you discard. Your companion will think they simply fell in battle, and you can comfort yourself with the lie that it was just a failed escape plan."

At those words, the Witch trembled. She quickly turned her head away to hide her expression from her teammates, but Ashe and Sonya both knew the truth. The breakout plan was already dead.

Denzel's words acted like a Mind Class Miracle, effortlessly driving a wedge of doubt between them. Furthermore, the bond between the Witch and the rest of the group had not yet reached the level of unconditional, blind trust.

A cold chill crept up Ashe's spine. It was then that he realized the caliber of the enemy they were up against. Against a mere trio of sorcerers, the Empress Hero had mobilized an entire legion, utilized the terrain to back them into a corner, and relentlessly probed for cracks in their relationships to squeeze out even the slightest advantage. The battle was over before it had even begun. They hadn't even clashed yet. Ashe hadn't so much as seen her army with his own eyes, and yet, he already knew. They had lost.

Ashe exhaled a long, heavy breath. "Witch."

"Hm?"

"I know anything I say won't matter," Ashe said. "You think I'm closer to the Swordswoman, and that our bond isn't strong enough for unconditional trust. Maybe you're right. Maybe it never will be. Bonds are a matter of fate, after all."

"Mmhmm," the Witch murmured.

"But I need you to trust me," Ashe continued, his voice dead serious. "We have to work together—"

Sonya suddenly cut him off. "What's the point of all that talk? Witch, tie an Aqua Line around my neck."

"Huh?"

"If you think the Watcher has abandoned you, just cut my throat. An injury like that is enough to force me out of the Virtual World, which will trigger the system's punishment for breaking the contract," Sonya said, her tone terrifyingly calm. "I won't ask you to trust the Watcher like I do. So if you think he'll only save me, then my life is yours to take."

"Give me one too," Ashe chimed in, his tone as casual as if he were asking for a cigarette.

Dia looked at them and nodded firmly. "Mmhmm!"

The Witch kept her word. Two transparent Aqua Lines wrapped around their necks. She held one in each hand, looking as though she were holding the strings to two human-shaped balloons. Ashe and Sonya felt no physical discomfort, save for the eerie sensation that their heads felt disconnected from their bodies.[1]

Sonya took a deep breath and gripped the hilt of her sword. "Good. Then we'll carve our way out—"

"Who said anything about fighting our way out?"

The Witch and the Swordswoman froze. Suddenly, the sports car's engine roared to life, and a violent surge of acceleration wiped their minds completely blank.

Denzel's furious voice boomed across the battlefield like thunder. "Little lover, come back! Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"No," Ashe called back lazily. "But even if I die, I won't let you have your way."

As the Legion of Heroes charged, Ashe floored the accelerator, driving the car straight toward the River of Flowing Gold.

The moment they breached the curtain of rising rain, the car's Refractive Barrier collapsed instantly. Even the chassis itself began to decay, rusted away by time. Right as the vehicle disintegrated, Ashe stretched both hands backward. Catching the hint immediately, the Swordswoman and the Witch grabbed hold of him.

Red and blue light surged across their bodies, weaving together into fairy-tale-inspired armor with the textured look of crude crayon strokes.

Twin-Colored Anchor!

The instant the car fell apart beneath them, all three leapt forward into the void. The heavy, temporal weight of the river washed over their souls. It felt as though their souls were sinking into liquid lead, their thoughts rusting and slowing to a crawl.

Yet the moment they plummeted toward the river's edge, an immense wave of relief surged through them.

[Anchor Activated.]

Anchor: When subjected to any external influence, such as physical attacks, mental shocks, curses, or debuffs, or when altering oneself through consuming mana or applying buffs, there is a chance to trigger Anchor. Once triggered, for the next five seconds, you cannot be affected by external forces, nor can you affect anything external.

The activation rate was a mere twenty percent, but the River of Flowing Gold inflicted aging at every microsecond. Under the relentless barrage of the river's debuffs, Anchor triggered instantly. The terrifying erosion of time vanished.

The River of Flowing Gold unfolded vividly before their eyes, its golden waters churning with the literal tides of history. Time Class spirits, bathing and swimming within the currents, curiously observed the intruders. Rare entities like Reverse Day, Heard Month, and Fixed Year kept their distance, yet still peeked their heads above the water, showing not the slightest hint of fear towards the sorcerers.

"Let's go," Ashe said, noticing his voice had taken on a rich, commanding resonance.

1. The raw mentions that their head feels unsteady or wobbly, but I don't think that fits as well as "disconnected." Given that there are threads wrapped around the neck, I wouldn't describe it as a wobbling sensation. Instead, I would interpret it more as a feeling of lightness or detachment in the head. ☜