Sorcerer's Handbook-Chapter 616: Saints, Monsters, and Ordinary People

“I don’t know.”

The fire spell Sanctuary sorcerer had calmed down completely. “We’re all trapped in the Dead City. Are we really supposed to follow Mercury Trojan Horse’s orders and fight Silver Lantern to the death? Silver Lantern is probably trying to leave the Dead City just like us.”

Igor chuckled. “You’ve switched from calling her ‘Your Excellency’ to ‘Mercury Trojan Horse.’ It seems the Four Pillars Cult’s faith isn’t that strict if a mere threat of death makes you lose respect for your leader.”

“That so-called leader is just nonsense,” the fire spell Sanctuary sorcerer replied dismissively. “She’s merely a mouthpiece for the Four Pillars. We respect the Four Pillars, not her.”

Ashe and the others exchanged glances.

Come to think of it, this was the first time they’d heard the inner thoughts of a Four Pillars Cult member. Outside, any member could be remotely controlled by Mercury Trojan Horse, so they were never foolish enough to have heart-to-heart talks with cult members.

But now, with Mercury Trojan Horse unable to infiltrate the Dead City and the fire spell Sanctuary sorcerers filled with resentment due to the threat of death, it was the perfect opportunity to delve into the minds of the Four Pillars Cult followers.

“There’s no point in lingering here,” Igor suggested. “Why don’t we search the city together for any other anomalies?”

Unconsciously, Igor included everyone under the term ‘we,’ even encompassing the fire spell Sanctuary sorcerers. But the latter didn’t object. After all, the Dead City was perilous, and moving together at least provided some warning. Besides, with everyone having a Sanctuary, they weren’t afraid of being backstabbed.

But the thing about authority is, once you give a little, you won’t mind giving a little more. And inch by inch, subtly and imperceptibly, blurring the lines between right and wrong, is as simple as breathing for a con artist.

They flew over the Dead City, using various illumination abilities to survey the ruins below.

“It’s said that most corpses in the Dead City have no wounds,” Igor initiated the conversation. “Perhaps it’s some form of mental attack.”

“The spellforce is also acting strange,” Ashe suddenly remarked. “It hasn’t recovered at all.”

Enough time had passed since the battle, and the Sanctuary sorcerers naturally noticed that the spellforce they’d expended had barely replenished.

Spirits could be used, and spellforce wasn’t sealed, but the Demi-God and Divine Hosting were blocked?

This situation left everyone feeling a bit bewildered, but Ashe and the others expressed a willingness to exchange intelligence. The wind spell Sanctuary sorcerer reciprocated, calmly stating, “The night has fallen, but the Choking Green hasn’t appeared.”

Ashe and the others were taken aback, realizing there was no Choking Green around their necks.

When camping outdoors, as soon as night fell, glowing green tendrils resembling nooses would wrap around their necks. Those with weak wills would be strangled by the Choking Green and transformed into beasts.

Ashe and the others didn’t camp outdoors often, so they hadn’t immediately noticed. Compared to the anomalies with spellforce and the Demi-God, the absence of Choking Green was even more peculiar-it almost defied the natural laws of Senlo.

“Didn’t Mercury Trojan Horse tell you anything about the Dead City before you acted?” Igor asked, holding Gwen. “Compared to this two-wings sorcerer, you, as Sanctuary sorcerers, would be more valued by Mercury Trojan Horse.”

The fire spell Sanctuary sorcerers understood this logic, but their earlier agitation had prevented them from thinking clearly. After a moment of silence, the fire spell Sanctuary sorcerer said, “She only told us to trap Silver Lantern and that we could retreat with thirty minutes left; she had other plans.”

“Indeed, she had other plans,” Ashe remarked, his tone more contemplative than mocking.

“Facing something as dangerous as Silver Lantern and entering the Dead City, you didn’t have to listen to her. You’re Sanctuary sorcerers; you don’t have to risk your lives for her. You could join the Qinyi Alliance, where many cults would welcome you,” Igor said, steering the conversation in a different direction with just a few words.

“But aren’t all cults the same?” the spear spell Sanctuary sorcerer couldn’t help but say. “Equally great, equally noble, equally unattainable…”

Ashe commented, “Isn’t that what ideals are?”

“Yes, that’s what ideals are,” the spear spell Sanctuary sorcerer replied. “That’s why we stayed with the Four Pillars Cult. We don’t need to fill ourselves with empty ideals; we just need to live honestly.”

“The Four Pillars Cult destroyed their cult and broke their spirit,” Raven, perched on Ashe’s back, said calmly. “The Demi-God’s destruction made them feel they could never reach their ideals, so they fled into reality, willingly becoming mediocre, powerless, and corrupt, and they dismiss others’ ideals as ‘meaningless’ to comfort their fragile egos.”

“They, even the most powerful sorcerers in Senlo, have lost the qualification to become a Demi-God.”

Igor felt a stir in his heart but didn’t stop Raven’s insults.

However, the spear spell Sanctuary sorcerer didn’t start a fight. He merely glanced coldly at Raven. “I know you, the remnant of Raven Annihilation, still clinging to its doctrine after its fall… just like countless saints who founded cults in the past.” Ꞧ𝘼ɴóBĚȿ

“But to me, you’re the most pathetic one.”

“Do you know the purpose of the Demi-God’s existence? Do you know the truth of the divine era?” he asked. “Do you know that other Kingdoms are completely different from Senlo, with no Demi-God and far fewer cults?”

“Senlo has divine era competition and Demi-God ascension only to nurture powerful deities!”

“The Chasm Sovereign of Senlo treats this Kingdom as a coliseum, where only the fiercest and strongest beasts that survive can become the deities it needs! The ideals you shed blood for are just rotten meat to incite the beasts to fight!”

“You said I have no chance to become a Demi-God. Do you think I care about becoming a beast after death, participating in this endless battle, striving to be a deity used by the Chasm Sovereign of Senlo?” the spear spell Sanctuary sorcerer shook his head, his expression cold. “No, I don’t care at all.”

“And if it weren’t for the many Demi-God and countless cults, Senlo would have restored the era of civilization long ago, instead of remaining a war-torn wonderland of cults.”

“So, remnant of Raven Annihilation,” he stared at Raven, “Senlo hasn’t unified in two hundred years because there are too many people like you with devout faith.”

Ashe and the others exchanged glances.

The Four Pillars Cult spread like a virus across the Land of Senlo because the soil was fertile enough. What the spear spell Sanctuary sorcerer said wasn’t a secret; it was even a wasteland consensus, and it was all true.

The wasteland persisted, the Chasm Sovereign of Senlo’s poison was endless.

“Because pursuing ideals is harmful, you give up on ideals, is that what you mean?” Raven’s distorted voice was full of mockery. “Then you shouldn’t be alive because living brings pain, so you should commit suicide right away.”

“Have you forgotten that the food you eat comes from the technology of the Gray Fox Divine Era; the spellcasting you learn comes from the remnants of the Gray Fox Divine Era; even you yourself crawled out of the Gray Fox heritage ‘Infant Incubator.’”

“Other Kingdoms aren’t as special as Senlo, but Senlo’s level of civilization surpasses other Kingdoms, right?” At this point, Raven was a bit unsure and looked down at Ashe, who nodded in affirmation.

“Your life is the culmination of countless past ideals. You only need to look down to see the brilliance paved by the divine era, yet you look up at the darkness of the night and decide nothing is worth it, forgetting you’re still walking on a path of light.”

“Of course, I know that Demi-God ascension leads to becoming a deity, and I know the root of the wasteland chaos is the Demi-God itself,” Raven said. “But life is about pros and cons. You, as a sorcerer, are less sensible than a child-a child wouldn’t be so unreasonable as to only want the good and not the bad.”

“Not to mention the Fire Cat Divine Era has already designed the divine fire system. As long as civilization is restored and the divine fire system restarted, the next wasteland era can be avoided.”

This string of words left the spear spell Sanctuary sorcerer momentarily speechless, but he quickly retorted, “But your Demi-God is dead.”

“So what?” Raven said. “Faith may not grant me anything, but it allows me to cross the night without fear.”

Clap. Clap. Clap.

The fiery-tempered fire spell Sanctuary sorcerer was actually clapping softly. “Well said, truly well said.”

“I used to think the same way,” he said. “When Silver Lantern destroyed our cult, I didn’t immediately join the Four Pillars Cult. I wanted to follow in the footsteps of the saints and rebuild the Tribulation Fire Temple.”

Although Ashe had vaguely anticipated it earlier, he hadn’t expected this person to actually be a Sanctuary sorcerer from the Tribulation Fire Temple, no wonder he was so fiery-tempered; he must have been an enthusiastic participant in raiding and looting.

“It’s just that I found I couldn’t persist,” the fire spell Sanctuary sorcerer looked at Raven. “Does someone without ideals not have the right to live? Should they be strangled by the Choking Green and become a fallen monster?”

Raven was taken aback.

“Before the Four Pillars Cult appeared, Senlo only had saints and monsters,” the fire spell Sanctuary sorcerer said. “Now, at least I can be a selfish ordinary person and feel at ease in the night.”

For a Sanctuary sorcerer to claim to be an ordinary person was a bit shameless, but everyone understood what he meant.

In the silence, Ashe and the others returned to the area where Silver Lantern had been confined. He glanced around and suggested, “Why don’t we see if Silver Lantern left any clues?”

No one objected, and they descended to the ground to search for traces of Silver Lantern.

Igor took a few steps and noticed the prisoner clinging to his sleeve hadn’t followed. Turning, he saw Gwen standing still, wondering if she was finally planning to escape. But upon closer inspection, he saw she was tearing her clothes to bandage her wounds.

Those wounds were caused by Harvey and Igor, though they had targeted Mercury Trojan Horse, the consequences were borne by this female sorcerer… However, Gwen should have known this outcome, and judging by the Sanctuary sorcerers’ attitude towards her, she was highly respected in the Four Pillars Cult due to her position as a proxy, hardly deserving of pity.

Still, Igor walked back and asked, “Don’t you have a Healing Spirit?”

Gwen nodded, then shook her head.

“If your mouth is useless, sew it shut.”

“My previous healing miracle required a Star spirit,” she whispered. “Two months ago, the spirit was gone.”

Igor remembered that Mercury Trojan Horse had sent her on a suicide mission because she was a useless Star sorcerer.

What a bother… But Igor himself didn’t have a Healing Spirit, so he turned and called out, “Ashe, heal her.”

“What?” Ashe deliberately replied in a harsh tone. “Why heal a prisoner? It’s already good enough not to break her arms and legs! But since you asked-“

“Hurry up,” Igor wasn’t interested in playing role-playing games with Ashe.

Gwen quickly stood up. “No need, the wounds aren’t bleeding anymore. I have a foundation in the Physical Sect, so I can recover quickly-“

As she stood, she aggravated her wounds, and with a thud, she fell to the ground, hitting her forehead on a stone and bleeding.

Igor casually kicked the stone away and helped her up.

But soon, Igor’s gaze shifted from Gwen, and he called out loudly, “Ashe!”

“Coming, coming, didn’t expect you to be so eager…” Ashe hurried over and applied a “Joy Sword” to Gwen. “You’ll recover soon.”

“Look over there.”

Following Igor’s finger, Ashe saw a stone suspended in mid-air.

Yes, suspended, as if frozen.

The two exchanged glances, and Ashe reached out to touch it. No problem, he picked it up, no problem.

Ashe tossed the stone away-

About a meter away, the stone stopped mid-air again.

Igor threw a handful of stones, and they all froze in mid-air.

As if time itself had stopped.

The entire city seemed frozen, except for them.

“Time stopped?” Igor immediately thought of the most coveted divine intervention of the Time Sect.

“No, it’s not stopped. If time had stopped, our vision would be completely dark, as light would also stop and not reflect onto our retinas to form images,” Ashe murmured. “This isn’t a stop.”

“It’s a slowdown.”

“The ‘Sanctuary’ hasn’t failed,” he said. “It’s just that the slowdown has been magnified to infinity.”