Mage Manual

Chapter 1660 - 1221: The Fortress That Will Never Fall

The cost of transferring the World Secret Domain was truly too great, so much so that Sonia and Diya were a bit reluctant. However, they had no qualms about Vishi and both suggested Ash take Vishi’s Sky Garden.

They don’t mind Vishi dragging themselves down, but they mind even less about Vishi’s future collapsing.

The willingness to harbor a viper and extract its venom is not at all conflicting. Even if Ash doesn’t need the World Secret Domain, they would still suggest taking away Vishi’s Sky Garden—to cut off all of Vishi’s aspirations and ensure her lifetime as a compliant maid, which benefits everyone.

Vishi was so anxious that she bit her lips until they bled, but remained silent, glaring fiercely at Ash like a kitten being deprived of food. Ash eventually vetoed this proposal, stating that his reason was he would not participate in combat, so having the World Secret Domain was of little impact.

Everyone knew he was merely expressing his stance toward Vishi, but Sonia seemed to catch a loophole in his wording, earnestly asking: "Are you really not going to participate in combat?"

"Unless it’s an unavoidable fight..."

"That means as long as there’s any possibility, you won’t proactively step into danger?" Sonia stared into Ash’s eyes: "No matter what happens, you’ll choose to prioritize your own safety?"

Weiser also asked: "Even if it’s for our sake, you’ll try your best to return unscathed, right?"

"What you promised me," Diya clenched her fist, "You have to come back and fulfill it!"

Even Vishi said: "...You should learn some cruelty as well."

...

...

They are all very intelligent mages.

Ash actually never fantasized about being able to keep it hidden from them; his combat prowess displayed during the Senluo Divine War was too abnormal, with too much disparity before and after. Sonia and the others could figure out there was something amiss just by contemplating with their nail polish.

Because Ash didn’t proactively speak out, they didn’t ask. Ash gave them the highest trust, and they reciprocated with utmost understanding, from the greediest Vishi to the most curious Witch, all kept their silence with tacit understanding.

But the truth is actually easy to guess: Ash, who could single-handedly devastate three Divine Lords, would only unleash his potential when he was at the very last resort—this clearly indicates that it is a trump card with a cost so high he dares not use it lightly.

Therefore, upon Ash reentering Hell, the girls finally couldn’t sit still. They subtly tried to entice him with chicken soup and suggestions just to get a promise.

A promise that Ash wouldn’t use this trump card for the sake of others.

If there was a one in ten thousand possibility, Ash also naturally wouldn’t want to sell out his soul. He had used up two of four chances, leaving only the last two, and the final five-member group’s coming progress bar had already reached 50%.

He has already halfway crossed the Death Veil.

The fourth time is death; the third chance will be the last margin of error. Logically, Ash should save the third for an unavoidable crisis, like when the Supreme Star descends to capture him... This was also the Sword Maiden’s thoughts; the most crucial trump card should, logically, be used to protect oneself.

Sonia and the others worried that Ash would protect others regardless of the cost.

To prevent him, the habitual offender, from repeating his actions, Sonia even used herself as leverage on the scales, nearly morally coercing Ash—so many beautiful girls are waiting for you to return, don’t meddle in Hell, come back swiftly so they can watch me and you get close, isn’t that good?

So Death Mad asked, if they were a step slower, would Ash be able to sigh in relief.

If the Hell Demigods had already lost, if Igula and Harvey were already dead...

Ash never thought about such things before because he never had a choice, only able to fight desperately, grab whatever he could, bear what he could, what significance is there to cherish an empty life? But unknowingly, he is no longer the rootless driftwood of Shattered Lake; as an empty vessel, he is already filled to the brim, even considering... abandoning some less important pasts.

If possible, anyone would want to bear all vital things on their journey forward. But the journey is not always smooth; there are times you need to lighten the burden, you always have to discern what is important, what is more important.

This is unrelated to morality; this is merely fate.

Ash followed Death Mad in a daze, not even noticing when the latter stopped, directly walking through her phantom. Death Mad hooked Ash’s neck from behind, a supple form instantly pinning him to the ground, gritting her teeth: "Didn’t you hear me calling for you to hide!?"

Ash awoke as if from a dream, raising his head only to find they had reached the end of the snowy land. On the far horizon, he saw hundreds of thousands of black dots densely gathered, like a swarm covering the sky.

"Is that... the Forgotten?" Ash held his breath: "This quantity... even if all the Demigod Mages ever born in the Mage World were amassed as cannon fodder, it wouldn’t be this many, would it?"

"One world line isn’t enough; add dozens together and you have it."

Death Mad whispered: "On the eve of the apocalypse, it is often an era where strong figures arise; it’s normal for tens of thousands of demigods and dozens of Divine Lords to emerge in just a few decades... But ultimately, they all ended up in Uroboros’s stomach, serving as the Forgotten to conquer civilization for it."

"Even the reserved Forgotten ones are being spewed out; it seems Uroboros has grown impatient."

No matter how far apart they were, Ash didn’t dare breathe heavily, afraid of being noticed. Even if a fraction of the Forgotten ones were to fight him, Ash would be left scrambling.

"Hundreds of thousands of the Forgotten ones..."

Ash mumbled, "How did the Hell Demigods last until now? Even in a war of attrition, their Source Power Source Crystals should be exhausted by now, right?"

The Forgotten ones’ strength is indistinguishable from their former lives, with merely one added trait: infinite Source Power! Every Forgotten one is an indefinitely sustainable soldier; duels can rapidly wipe them out, but gathered together in large army formations, they will inevitably crush and drain any demigod force!

"What era are we in, still using traditional combat methods?" Death Mad chuckled lightly, leaning close to Ash’s ear and said: "You’ve borrowed the Gospel’s Wonder, haven’t you? Look inside to see the situation."

Ash nodded, and a book suddenly appeared before him. As the Source Power was intensely consumed, a scene from afar emerged on the book’s pages.

Wonder · Gospel Book!

A colossal Black Curtain stretched before the Forgotten army, other sequences frantically bombarding it, while the foremost thousands of Vanguard opened various Defense Miracle Wonders, forming an indestructible moving fortress that inch by inch invaded the Black Curtain.

But at the breach where they invaded the Black Curtain, an exceedingly brilliant white light burst forth, and the Vanguard disintegrated, melted like snow in the summer, fading away one after another. Thousands of demigods forming the Vanguard were thus silently obliterated here, without stirring even a ripple!

"This is..." Ash was thrilled beyond belief.

"World Secret Domain." Death Mad said: "And it’s a newly established Light Dark World Secret Domain within this month, I’ve seen it in other world lines, named ’Dawn Morning Star’... This kind of World Secret Domain has no productivity strength, all its power is concentrated in destructive harm, it’s a true Killing Secret Realm."

"This is the combat approach to deal with the Forgotten ones; no need to waste Source Power Source Crystals, since the Forgotten ones will send themselves to death continuously, use the Killing Secret Domain as walls, watch them crash to death one by one!"

Ash glimpsed other scenes from the edge of the Gospel Book: the Vanguard swiftly soared past the ’Dawn Morning Star’ but were soon teleported back to the previous position, unable to progress regardless of attempts, akin to mosquitoes that couldn’t break through mosquito nets.

"’Sky’s Edge’, Space Killing Secret Domain." Death Mad said: "The Hell Demigods have gathered all resources this month to urgently create five Killing Secret Domains, using them to construct defenses, while they themselves hide inside, continuing to seek ways to increase and reinforce the powers of the Killing Secret Domains."

"What you’re witnessing is the gods of Hell’s last desperate stand." She said, "But simultaneously it’s Hell’s pride, their ultimate masterpiece—"

"The Unyielding Fortress."