Mage Manual
Chapter 533 - 433: The Final Rankings

Chapter 533: Chapter 433: The Final Rankings

In Hanna’s plan, the struggle for rankings on the list was only a means; their ultimate goal had always been the Divine Lord’s Wish.

The great All-knowing Weaver personally fulfilled the wisher’s desires.

Even outsiders like Ash, Igula, and Harvey, who didn’t have much respect for the All-knowing Weaver, dared not underestimate the weight of this wish.

Perhaps the Divine Lord certainly had limits, but to mortals like them, these Divine Lords who governed kingdoms were barely distinguishable from omnipotence—just like ants, exhausting their imagination, could only wish for a larger and stronger body or sweeter and tastier treats. With the understanding of people like Ash, they simply were not allowed to wish for something beyond the Divine Lord’s capability.

They were well aware that a Divine Lord was but a higher form of a Mage’s sublimation. Since there were multiple Divine Lords, it’s likely that they each specialized in different areas and were not truly all-knowing and all-powerful, much like Mages favor certain Magic Factions.

However, even if a Mage excelled in only one Magic Faction, they could reflect All Techniques with that singular mastery. Take Ash’s expertise for example: his swordsmanship could sever negative status ("Cut Me"), Instant Teleportation ("To Run"), and defend (Sword Barrier). If in the future, swordsmanship could cut through chemical bonds to harness nuclear energy, Ash wouldn’t be surprised.

Moreover, over the long years, even if through sheer attrition, Divine Lords could master nearly all Magic Factions. The Miracles and Wonders they wielded were beyond the imaginations of mortals. The Rusted Crow had spent so many years and so much effort just to resurrect a person, but on the Time Continent, Divine Lords openly priced their resurrection services for Heroic Soul Commanders.

The most preposterous demand a mortal could make was perhaps ’let me become a Divine Lord’ and so on. But the All-knowing Weaver was not an artificial dimwit like those of the Gospel; it’s likely that you’d be transformed into ’Divine Lord Happy Fat (a new variety of its creation)’ to fulfill your wish, all while enriching the culinary repertoire of the Kingdom of Gospel.

But a slightly lesser wish, such as becoming an Angel, resurrecting someone, ruling the Gospel, or having unlimited Gospel Points, should be feasible. Hence, possessing the Divine Lord’s Wish, if not satisfying all desires, could at least solve all problems.

And in Hanna’s original plan to obtain the Divine Lord’s Wish, the process was like this: Residents of the Exotic Realm were to vie for future rankings on the list as much as possible; the Resonator with the greatest number of top-tier rankings would likely be granted priority for the Divine Lord’s Wish.

This was why Hanna was insistent, refusing to relent, determined to lock them into Slave Contracts from the start: without absolute control over them, if they gained the Divine Lord’s Wish, Hanna would have no way of wresting it from their grasp!

And now, the Resonator with the most substantial rankings and highest weight turned out to be Hanna himself!

No middleman to profit from the spread!

Ash exhaled a breath of stale air, glancing at Liss, "That’s probably for the best."

Liss’s eyes flickered, and she simply lowered her head to eat her grilled lamb chop without saying a word, but Ash knew it wasn’t that simple—he hadn’t forgotten that Liss had wanted to conspire with him to seize the Divine Lord’s Wish on their first night.

Now, Ash didn’t believe that Liss was just some lost little girl picked up by the Four Pillars God Sect, and while he doubted Liss could truly snatch the Divine Lord’s Wish from their hands, less trouble was always preferred.

Moreover, his recent relationship with Hanna had dramatically improved, so Ash was quite clear: Hanna absolutely would not let go. And as the epitome of greed and madness, Igula and Harvey had been restless for a long time.

Even Ash himself found it hard to resist such temptation. Drifting in a strange place, tumbling through wayward Fate, with nothing left, didn’t Ash yearn for the dream of happiness just once?

Do not tempt human nature, nor your own, lest you become the Abyss, you become the Evil Dragon.

They could still work together, in harmony, enjoying the evening meal, but as the end neared, the current cooperation, no matter how splendid, predicated future betrayal’s cruelty.

This desecration that began with deceit would inevitably conclude with deceit.

Therefore, upon hearing that Hanna had secured the wish slot, Ash felt a tinge of disappointment, but even more so, a sense of relief.

If the qualifications were in the hands of Ash and the others, they might still have a chance to resist, but with the qualifications in Hanna’s hands, Ash and his group had no hope of taking them away—they were still one hundred percent obedient slaves to Hanna.

Harvey finished scraping the cream sauce on his plate with the bread, seemingly unconcerned about Hanna securing the victory ahead of time; Igula’s gaze wandered between Ash and Liss, his eyelids drooping in contemplation.

"If I truly gain the Divine Lord’s wish, I will keep our original promise and help realize your wishes," Hanna said earnestly. "Harvey, I will help you obtain the inheritance of the Necromancy Angel, and will provide ample resources for you."

"Igula, I will give you money if you want it, freedom if you prefer it, and on the day the Contract ends, you can choose your life."

"Ash, Liss," Hanna looked at them, "trust me, I will make you happy."

Ash blinked—why does it sound so strange when it comes to me and Liss, is it to accommodate Liss’s literacy level?

"I don’t know if more than thirty days was enough for you to see me clearly, but I can only offer such a pale assurance: I will never fail you," Purple Moth paused, "as long as I succeed in securing the Divine Lord’s wish."

Igula caught the subtext of the miss’s words, "Do you mean you still have competitors?"

"Assuming that the future lists are all invalidated, then I am indeed the first Resonator in line," Hanna said. "But the problem is, the last list will definitely not be invalidated."

"Not only will it not be invalidated, but the number one on this list will have been determined before the Weaving Festival even begins."

Liss finished eating and came over to Ash to act spoiled. Ash wiped her mouth with a handkerchief while asking, puzzled, "But that’s just a number one spot, and you have 1+10, right?"

"But what if I told you that for the past ten editions of the Weaving Festival, the Divine Lord’s wish has always been granted to that number one?"

The outsiders were slightly taken aback, and Igula immediately understood, "Does this list possess the highest influencing weight?"

Hanna nodded, "In the past ten editions of the Weaving Festival, there have been ’Legend Lists,’ ’Combat Power Lists,’ and even ’Great People Lists,’ but no matter which list’s number one, none have received the Divine Lord’s wish. Meanwhile, during the many editions of the festival, the first nine lists have always changed, but the last list has never changed, and the Divine Lord’s wish has also only been granted to the number one on the last list."

Ash asked, "So what list is that? The All-knowing Weaver’s bastard list? Do we have a chance to get on it? ...What’s wrong?"

Liss gently bit Ash’s finger. When he looked at her, she turned her head away. Ash thought she was just being playful and didn’t take it too seriously.

"It’s not a bastard list, but we have no chance of getting on it," Hanna said. "It’s called the ’Gospel List,’ and its requirements for inclusion are—"

"Only the purest, most naïve, kindest, and loveliest girls can be included in this list."

Everyone was stunned, and Igula incredulously asked, "Men are not allowed?"

"There’s no precedent for it," Hanna said. "So you see why you can’t be on the list, right?"

"Because we’re not women?"

"No, if it were just gender, that barrier could perhaps be crossed," Hanna said, spreading her hands. "It’s mainly because the Gospel truly has never encountered a naïve Swindler, a pure Necromancer, and a kind Disaster Mage."