Mage Manual
Chapter 480 - 396: Crossing the Flowing Gold River

Chapter 480: Chapter 396: Crossing the Flowing Gold River

Outside the Rain Curtain, silence enveloped the land as if the Heroic Soul Army had vanished without a trace.

"You’re afraid I’ll crash and burn."

Ash said with absolute conviction, "Sure, the Contract stipulates that I can’t abandon or destroy the ’Soul Summoning’ Technique Spirit, but the enforcement of this Contract is that the Void Realm would immediately punish me. That is to say, once I believe I can bear the risk of punishment from the Void Realm, this Contract is nothing more than a piece of useless paper to me—can’t even wipe my ass with it."

"The Void Realm can only punish after the fact; it cannot intervene midway. At most, it can only kill me after everything has settled. But if destroying the ’Soul Summoning’ Technique Spirit means death, and being captured by you means death, then I would definitely prefer to die by the hand of the Void Realm rather than be completely devoured by you, my lover."

All was quiet between heaven and earth as the Reverse Sun golden rain silently fell towards the sky. Moments later, Denzel’s voice rose slowly, "There’s just one thing that needs to be corrected."

"In the ’generous offer’ I prepared for you, there is only one spot remaining to leave alive."

Ash furrowed his brows, a chilly expression on his face, "I’m certainly going to die, which means..."

"You have to personally choose someone to die." Denzel’s voice was brimming with laughter he could no longer hide, "One alive, one half-dead, one completely dead—that’s the end I’ve prepared for you. Do you like it?"

"...I heard that an Empress’ Soul can only gradually recover its emotions by retrieving soul fragments from Hell." Ash said, "I’m curious, this repulsive demeanor of yours that makes one want to vomit, does it carry even a fraction of the charm from your heyday?"

"You know quite a bit about us, ha. If I had to put a number on it, one-sixth," Denzel chirped cheerfully, "Have you decided who you’re choosing to die? Is it your lover, or is it your sister?"

"By the way, just a reminder, if you personally kill a companion, it means you’re letting her exit the Void Realm ahead of time, breaking the condition of ’staying in the Void Realm for three hours,’ which will lead to her being killed by the Void Realm. That kind of death I simply won’t acknowledge, oh no! You must leave it to us; I want you to watch with your own eyes as your companion is torn limb from limb and devoured by my adorable minions."

"...Was your Gospel incarnation found in a trash bin?" Ash spoke with disgust, "Thank goodness you’re in love with a god. If it had been people you fancied, they would probably have been broken by you long ago. Whether liked or loathed by you, it seems both are disasters."

"Hey now, I’m not that great," Denzel laughed, "Just a little extra thought—I like the smart ones who know the score, and I dislike idiots who say ’No, I refuse to let you have your way even if I die.’"

"So... are you a smart man or a fool?" the Empress’ voice dripped with arrogance, "What does it matter if you figure out my plan? Do you even have a choice?"

Yes.

Ash’s predicament had not improved the slightest despite his keen intelligence. It was a transparent plot: if Ash were intimidated by the Empress into mental breakdown, he would naturally make an emotional choice for the latter; and if Ash were clever enough to see through the Empress’ schemes, he would still make a rational choice for the latter.

When there are only two options, there’s no freedom of choice; everyone simply has to choose the less terrible one.

As Ash fell silent, both the Sword Maiden and the Witch turned to look at him.

Especially the Witch, whose hair color rapidly dirtied, the water lines between her fingers flickering in and out of visibility, the emotions in her eyes growing increasingly turbid, much like a cat bristling all over. If Ash showed any sign of irregularity, she would surely react violently on the spot.

"It’s hard to make a choice, isn’t it? After all, it’s your own companion, and you must verbally sentence them to death," Denzel suddenly said in a warm tone, "Actually, I’m not a bad person, my little lover, let me help you out."

"You’re probably considering the possibility of a frontal breakthrough, right? How about this: during your breakout, I’ll have my minions focus their attacks on your two companions. You just need to give a look, make a gesture to indicate which companion you wish to abandon, and my adorable minions will take care of it for you, tearing and devouring the one you’ve chosen to leave behind. Your companion will think they simply died in battle, and you can console yourself that it was merely the outcome of a failed escape plan—not what you wanted at all."

At these words, the Witch’s shoulders trembled slightly.

Though she immediately turned her head away to hide her expression from her teammates, Ash and Sonia knew the breakout plan had been completely aborted.

On one hand, the speechcraft of the Empress’ Soul had almost reached the degree of a Spirit Miracle, effortlessly tearing at the bonds between them; on the other hand, the bonds between the Witch and them had ultimately not reached a level where they could trust each other unconditionally.

A chill rose within him, and Ash finally realized the caliber of enemy he was up against. Though they were only facing three Mages, the Empress’ Soul had spared no expense in deploying a vast army, also leveraging the terrain to corner them into a dead end, and continued to dig into the cracks in their relationships to increase their chances of victory by a sliver... Although they had yet to formally engage and Ash had not even seen her army, he knew they had already lost.

The battle between the Mages had ended before it had even begun.

Ash exhaled a murky breath, "Witch."

"Hmm?"

"I know nothing I say will make a difference because you think I’m closer to the Sword Maiden and because you know there isn’t a bond between us yet that allows for unconditional trust—maybe there never will be. After all, bonds are a matter of fate."

"Hmm."

"But I need you to trust me," Ash said earnestly. "We must work together if we’re going to—"

"Is there any point to saying all this?" Sonia suddenly interrupted Ash. "Witch, wrap a thread around my neck."

"Hmm?"

"If you feel the Observer has abandoned you, then immediately cut my throat. Such a grievous injury will take me straight to the Void Realm, resulting in a violation of the Contract and a punishment by the Void Realm." Sonia spoke seriously, "I’m not asking you to trust the Observer like I do. If you think he will only save me, then I’m entrusting my life in your hands."

"Make that one for me too," Ash suddenly said, his tone as casual as if he were asking for a cigarette.

Diya looked at them and nodded emphatically, "Hmm!"

The Witch kept her word, and two transparent watery threads wound around their necks, the Witch holding one in each hand as though leading two head balloons. Although Ash and Sonia felt no discomfort, there was always the unsettling illusion that their heads were not quite stable.

"Alright." Sonia took a deep breath and gripped the hilt of her sword. "Then let’s fight our way out—"

"Who said we were going to fight our way out?"

The Witch and the Sword Maiden were taken aback as the sports car suddenly sprang into action, the strong sensation of acceleration driving away all other thoughts.

Denzel’s voice, enraged and astonished, boomed like thunder, "My lover, come back, are you trying to kill yourself?"

"No, even if I die, I won’t make it easy for you!"

Ash droned in response as he drove the sports car into the Flowing Gold River area amidst the roaring charge of the Heroic Soul Army.

The moment they crossed the Rain Curtain, the car’s "Refraction Curtain" rapidly disintegrated, and even the car itself began to decay and fall apart. At that moment, Ash extended his hands backward, and the Sword Witch immediately understood and grabbed them.

Red and blue hues lit up on the bodies of the Mages, forming armors that looked like they were scribbled with crayons, as if in a Fairy Tale.

Armored Breed · Dual Color Anchor!

As the car crumbled to bits, the three of them leapt forward in unison, the dense golden flow of time harshly scouring their souls. Ash and his companions only felt as though their souls were plummeting like lead, their cognitive abilities rusting and slowing.

However, when they tumbled to the edge of the Flowing Gold River, a great joy simultaneously blossomed in their hearts.

Anchor activated!

[Anchor: Whenever you encounter any external influence (physical attack, Spiritual Shock, curse weakening, etc.) or voluntarily change yourself (consume Magic Power, enhance yourself, etc.), there is a chance to trigger the Anchor effect. Once triggered, for the next 5 seconds you cannot be affected by the external world, nor can you affect it.]

Though there was only a 20% chance, every instant in the Flowing Gold River area hastened a Mage’s aging!

In their ’Anchor’ state, they could no longer feel the corrosion of time. The Flowing Gold River vividly appeared before their eyes, the golden waters stirring the waves of history. The Technique Spirits of time, who bathed and swam in the Flowing Gold River, curiously gathered around the uninvited guests. Rare Technique Spirits such as ’Reverse Sun’, ’Moon Listener’, ’Year Setter’, even from afar, couldn’t resist poking their heads out of the water, fearless of the Mages.

"Let’s go." Ash found his voice growing more magnetic. "We have to cross the Flowing Gold River."