Sorcerer's Handbook-Chapter 668: Revert

Thud!

In the golden hall, as a burst of light exploded before him, Ash felt as if his body had been struck by a massive hammer, causing him to tremble all over.

Even though his soul body wouldn’t bleed, he experienced a wave of dizziness, as if five hundred Lala Fatty were screaming in his ears, and his vision was filled with overlapping images.

Six Four-winged Spirits fell to the ground, visibly exhausted and too drained to even muster the strength to fly. The failed Spirit Convergence had not only dealt a severe blow to Ash but also left the spirits overwhelmed.

In the hall, aside from Vesser, who seemed in slightly better condition, everyone else appeared as if they hadn’t fully awakened, their expressions drowsy and puppet-like. Though they still looked beautiful, there was a withering aura about them.

They had been working continuously for twelve hours.

As they embarked on Godsmithing, they quickly understood why only Truth sorcerers could possibly complete a Virtual Divinity.

The creation of a Virtual Divinity was deceptively simple yet incredibly complex, as it involved only one step-Spirit Convergence.

It had been mentioned before that while there were single-sect spirits like the “slash sword,” more often, there were composite-sect spirits like the “Vibration Sword,” which belonged to Swordsmanship but also contained elements of light spells, wind spells, and other sects, albeit in varying proportions.

Spirit Convergence involved extracting the same sect elements from different spirits and then piecing them together into fragments of a Virtual Divinity!

The nightmare had cast “Oneiric Schism” on them not merely to coerce them, but because “Oneiric Schism” was filled with Nightmare contamination, enhancing their sensitivity to Nightmare forces, allowing them to clearly discern the Nightmare power within different spirits.

To illustrate, it was like they were graduates entering a Nightmare company, and when they saw keywords like “young and energetic team,” “afternoon tea, snacks, and gym provided,” “fast-paced work environment,” and “salary negotiable,” they knew just how nightmarish the company was.

Ash and the others needed to simultaneously manipulate multiple spirits, separating the “Nightmare” elements within them one by one, then blending them into fragments to be inserted into the Virtual Divinity maintained by the nightmare. It sounded like a slow and meticulous task, but the problem was that a single fragment was often composed of several, dozens, or even scores of smaller fragments!

Separation was inherently mentally taxing, and if the separation wasn’t pure and contained impure elements, it would trigger a Spirit Convergence explosion! However, if too few elements were separated, preventing the formation of sufficiently large fragments, they would have to start over!

Essentially, Spirit Convergence was akin to a Miracle composed of multiple spirits, and failure in Spirit Convergence equated to a Miracle backlash, making severe injury unsurprising. The core capability required for Spirit Convergence was computational processing ability. Truth sorcerers excelled in this area, and their sensitivity to spirit elements was far superior to other sorcerers. Ash and his group had triggered dozens of Spirit Convergence explosions due to impure separation, whereas Vesser had only triggered two!

It’s worth noting that Ash and his group could only handle fewer than ten fragments, while Vesser consistently managed over ten large fragments, with a work efficiency more than four times theirs, highlighting the innate advantage of Truth sorcerers in this aspect.

Although it was extremely arduous, this valuable experience allowed them to grasp the wonders of the Virtual Divinity School-simply put, it’s like stacking blocks.

Spirits are the building blocks, factors are the colors of the blocks, and by assembling them together to form a divinity, then infusing a concept, one can breathe life into the creation, crafting a deity that resembles the blocks perfectly. The principle isn’t complex, but designing the blueprint and determining which spirits are needed is something only sorcerers who have entered the Divine Dominion might comprehend.

Compared to the Soul Divinity School, the Virtual Divinity School indeed has its advantages-firstly, it can be completed by an individual; secondly, it doesn’t have strict requirements for materials, as all spirits can be substituted; thirdly, it avoids the curse of the Virtual Realm!

From the final step of the Static Deity Ritual Track, which requires spending a cycle in the static domain, it’s evident that the curse of the Virtual Realm faced by the Soul Divinity School is a natural disaster that ordinary sorcerers cannot overcome-even having the chance to overcome it is unlikely, as the static domain is exclusive to the Time Continent.

Not to mention the difficulty for a Demigod to return to the lower Virtual Realm, as seen from the nightmare angel’s experience, the greatest obstacle to Godsmithing in the Virtual Realm is other sorcerers!

It’s worth noting that Ash unknowingly found himself entering the Truth Sect, clearly because the Spirit Convergence work accumulates Truth experience, which others share with him, coupled with Vesser constantly sharing her experience with him, reaching the silver level was a natural progression.

But it was also the limit.

Ash exchanged glances with the operators and said, “Nightmare, we need to rest. Even if we restore our soul energy, we can’t keep going.”

Sonya, Deya, and Vesser all paused, quietly watching the nightmare.

The nightmare had been continuously helping them restore soul energy; otherwise, they would have been exhausted and expelled from the Virtual Realm long ago. But restoring soul energy isn’t universal; twelve hours of intense, monotonous work without any breaks was enough to cause severe psychological discomfort.

Their souls remained strong, but the light in their eyes gradually dimmed.

However, faced with such a reasonable request, the nightmare firmly shook its head, “No, I need Source Crystals to maintain the Virtual Divinity, and stopping midway would cause significant waste. Of course, the originals have prepared a Miracle to restore your spirits-“

“But I need to return to reality for a moment,” Deya said, “I’ll be back after I explain-“

“No, you may not.”

Suddenly, as if their bodies were pierced with needles and then rolled on the ground, intense pain shot through their souls, causing them to bend over and gasp, nearly losing consciousness!

“No one is allowed to leave here, no one may return to reality,” the nightmare said firmly, “Until Godsmithing is complete, no one is allowed to leave.”

Ash glanced at the operators, then stared at the nightmare and said, “But we have the Oneiric Schism curse. I can stay as a hostage, and even if they don’t return, you can-“

“But you might leak information to the outside, causing the Godsmithing to fail,” the nightmare replied, “The mistakes made by the originals cannot be repeated.”

“As for your lack of focus and other issues, I will resolve them immediately.”

The nightmare pointed at Deya, and then a boiling wave surged over her, streams of energy flowing along the Oneiric Schism connection into the other three. Ash felt a burst of thoughts exploding in his mind, his spirit invigorated, as if the entire world had become crystal clear.

But the price was that the Witch nearly collapsed to the ground, her shoulders trembling with pain!

“Stop!” Ash stood up, positioning himself between the nightmare and the Witch, shouting, “What are you doing!?”

“The Oneiric Schism transformation procedure,” the nightmare replied. “This technique can link enemies, allies, or even both. When linking allies, it consumes one person’s soul to provide a powerful enhancement to the entire group.”

“Essentially, it depletes the target’s soul capacity to increase others’. So, the target’s soul can’t return to normal immediately. But sacrificing one to benefit all is a fair trade.”

Sonya went over to hold the Witch, lowering her head to hide her angry gaze, and said coldly, “So, can we get back to work now?”

“No,” the nightmare said. “Even if you don’t say it, when the Truth sorcerers reach their fatigue phase, I will use this Miracle to enhance her soul. Your role is to ensure the Truth sorcerers can last till the end.”

“Stop it,” Ash said. “Let me take her place.”

Deya, trembling, bit her lip and said, “Observer, I, I didn’t-“

“Are you sure?” the nightmare asked. “I confirmed she has the highest soul capacity among you, which is why I chose her first.”

It wasn’t surprising that the Witch had the highest soul capacity. With multiple personalities honing her day and night, she had reached twenty-five Human Souls upon entering the Sanctuary, and now she was at forty.

“I’m sure.”

Ash quickly spent 30 points to purchase a set of Source Crystals, then equipped the Soul Theft Handbook, activating the ‘Soul Ignite Chart’!

With a roaring gust, his soul capacity surged from thirty to three hundred Human Souls, making his soul body more solid and defined, even his hair became more distinct.

The nightmare showed no surprise, merely nodding before pointing at Ash.

Boom!

A massive pressure bent Ash’s back, and the pain, like countless small knives slicing him, filled his soul. If a soul body could sweat, he would be drenched!

He covered his mouth to endure, trying to straighten his back to resist, but it only made the pain more acute.

Soon, his consciousness began to fade, his mind blanking out, replaced by a cold, bone-chilling calm and countless clashing thoughts.

The correct use of Oneiric Schism was likely to link an enemy and oneself, then unleash the schism on oneself, causing the enemy to be cursed by the Nightmare as well. But clearly, the Nightmare Angel could resist nightmares…

The Nightmare Angel failed because it was betrayed, which is why the program left by it for the nightmare emphasized not leaving the Virtual Realm… frёeωebɳovel.com

The nightmare had never attacked before, probably because ‘leaving’ triggered its built-in program, so there must be other dangerous or even deadly keywords…

Vesser watched as Ash’s pained expression gradually turned serene, his shoulders no longer trembling, a slight smile forming at the corners of his mouth, and the light in his eyes becoming deep and inscrutable. She immediately recognized this as the Observer Ash she had longed for.

A being colder, calmer, and more perfect than herself!

Vesser never imagined that the hope she had almost entirely abandoned would reappear before her eyes. Almost instinctively, she couldn’t help but wonder-what if Ash really changed?

In the Virtual Realm, having a perfect Observer Ash leading the team would yield double or even ten times the benefits! No one understood the power of a perfect Ash better than Vesser; he had never fully tapped into his potential when he was normal!

In reality, if Ash changed, she wouldn’t need to consider his psychological endurance; she could simply be honest with him, and he would become her ally. Moreover, although he might not like her, he wouldn’t favor the sword Princess or the Witch either. As long as she could keep him by her side… as long as…

Vesser’s breathing quickened, but she soon steadied her gaze and pressed her lips firmly together, standing up to walk towards Ash.

Even though Ash was now more fearless and stronger than before, Vesser felt a pang of heartache, unable to suppress the irrational thought-

Don’t change!

Turn back!

So she rushed forward, wanting to reach out-

“Observer!”

Sonya held Ash in her arms, whispering softly in his ear, affectionately brushing against his cheek. Deya, having recovered from her earlier pain, could only hold Ash’s hand, anxious and unsure of how to help.

Vesser, a step too late, stopped outside, watching Ash’s expression gradually regain vitality, even a hint of pain mixed with joy, finally realizing-

Of course.

Ash’s experiences in Blood Moon and Gospel were no safer than those in Senlo, even more brutal and bloody-Ash was a sanctuary sorcerer in Senlo, but a death row inmate in Blood Moon, and a slave in Gospel.

He had plenty of reasons to change in the past; if he were to change, he would have done so long ago.

But just as he pulled back the fallen sword Princess and protected the crazed Witch, the sword Princess and Witch likewise pulled him back from the brink of the Abyss.

They were a mutually redemptive relationship, leaving no room for anyone else to intervene.

She actually thought she could take Ash away from them…

Suddenly, Vesser saw the sword Princess beckoning her over. When she approached, the sword Princess held her hand tightly, as if to demonstrate their unity.

That hand had just touched Ash’s face…

While Vesser was momentarily distracted, she noticed the sword Princess writing on her palm.

It was the word “danger.”

Vesser looked at Ash, who was enduring pain, resting his head on the sword Princess’s chest, and he gave her a meaningful glance.

The Nightmare Inheritance posed significant danger.

Although Ash had left his long-lost Observer state, the thoughts from that state hadn’t dissipated. He suddenly realized a crucial point-the Nightmare Angel was an Evil Sorcerer!

Look at the other two Evil Sorcerers, the King of Time and the Specter Seer. The former, despite opening the Eternal City, didn’t prohibit spirits or spellforce, but added a new rule: sorcerers within the Eternal City cannot destroy spirits and cannot leave the Virtual Realm.

In simple terms, even if a sorcerer obtained the Inheritance of Time, they must leave the Eternal City the same way they entered to return to reality. If they died in the process, their spirit would be guaranteed to drop, and they couldn’t destroy their own spirit to prevent benefiting their enemies!

The Eternal City was a place of relentless conflict, and its inherent challenges were no small feat. Over the past month alone, it’s estimated that nearly ten thousand two-wings sorcerers have perished there. This was precisely what the King of Time desired-after all, he wasn’t a being of the real world but an Ancient Sprite with a deep-seated hatred for sorcerers. Though his reasons for leaving an Inheritance remain unknown, it’s clear he hoped for significant casualties among the sorcerers.

The Specter Seer was even more blatant in his intentions. He deceitfully offered the ‘specter key,’ an artifact for escape, but once sorcerers dared to venture deeper, they would encounter deadly traps like ‘Soul’s Obsession’ and ‘Rejuvenating Return,’ from which there was no escape.

The Specter Seer knew that sanctuary sorcerers were shrewd. To lure them into danger, he dangled tempting rewards, ensuring that those who followed would meet a grim fate. This was typical of Evil Sorcerers, who were inherently self-serving. They would only leave behind an Inheritance when they had no other choice, and even then, they would ensure it wasn’t easy for their successors. The reasoning was simple: why should they die while someone else reaps the benefits of their life’s work? They left their Inheritance begrudgingly, and they wanted their successors to suffer to vent their resentment.

In stark contrast, the Nightmare’s Inheritance seemed surprisingly lenient. There were no trials; simply arriving was a reward in itself, with gifts of deities and Celestium. It was almost too generous, though the longing for power was brutal, it was directed at outsiders, not the Nightmare Angel. But just as Ash began to wonder if the Nightmare Angel had a change of heart before death, the recent actions of the Nightmare shattered that hope.

The Nightmare Angel had set up torturous keywords, consuming their souls to sustain the Truth sorcerer. These actions proved that even in death, the Nightmare Angel remained malevolent, unable to bear the thought of sorcerers prospering, and quick to inflict pain and suffering.

If the Nightmare Angel had been benevolent, even if Deya misspoke, a warning would have sufficed. Why resort to torture? If the Nightmare Angel retained the Evil Sorcerer’s twisted kindness, they could have taken someone from the Specter’s Inheritance as a soul fueler. Instead, they treated them as mere expendables.

Throughout, the Nightmare never regarded them as true successors, only as ‘Truth sorcerers and expendable artifacts,’ with promises that were never meant to be fulfilled. The Nightmare Angel’s generosity and cruelty could only mean one thing-this Inheritance was a trap.

At the very least, they were not the true beneficiaries of the Nightmare’s Inheritance. This explained the Nightmare Angel’s seemingly generous yet brutal behavior-tools were given freely to those who were to be used and driven mercilessly.

If they naively pursued Godsmithing, at best, they would toil in vain; at worst, they would be eradicated by the Nightmare. But Ash couldn’t voice this aloud; the Nightmare Angel likely set up keywords that, if triggered, would doom them.

Vesser pondered for a moment, glancing at Ash’s hand resting on the sword Princess’s thigh, but ultimately wrote a few words in the sword Princess’s palm.

Sonya, slightly puzzled, relayed the message to Ash. He frowned slightly, then relaxed and extended his hand to Vesser. They clasped hands, with Sonya sitting between them, placing her hand on top. Deya, finding it amusing, joined in.

Moments later, the Nightmare suddenly spoke, “Five minutes are up, back to work.”

Sonya looked at Ash in her arms, her ruby eyes questioning-what’s going on? You stopped hurting five minutes ago?

Ash shamelessly hugged her, taking a deep breath against her neck. It was the first time he had shown such affection in front of everyone. The stretching paw sword saint blushed with embarrassment but returned the embrace. However, when Ash also hugged the Witch, the smile on the village girl’s face quickly faded.

Just then, the golden hall shook slightly. Everyone looked up at the ceiling, their expressions changing drastically. The Nightmare, expressionless, urged again, “Get back to work.”

Outside, Igor, having rested, returned to the Distant Sky Domain. He observed the dense cluster of black dots surrounding the golden Phantom, his expression grave: “Is this all the time we have left?”

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