Sorcerer's Handbook-Chapter 684: Bewitching Inheritance

Virtual Realm, Time Continent, Eternal City. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

The layout of Eternal City is remarkably unique. If one could observe it from outside, they’d notice that every side view of the city forms a triangle: the outermost walls are the shortest, and as one moves toward the central area, the buildings rise higher, with the Time Tower at the core being the tallest structure in the entire city.

Moreover, the buildings are not standalone; all the high-rise structures are interconnected by bridges, making the entire Eternal City a three-dimensional labyrinth.

What troubles sorcerers the most is the constant shifting of bridges, walls, and even the city’s roads-every hour, Eternal City transforms into something new!

This is why, for a month now, not only has no one managed to seize the Inheritance of Time, but not even a complete strategy guide has been compiled-the intricate structure of Eternal City makes its exploration far more extensive than imagined.

Not to mention, encountering other sorcerers in Eternal City is as common as breathing, with battles, alliances, betrayals, and the drama of valor and ugliness unfolding every moment within its walls.

The operation of Eternal City is powered by the continuous supply from the Golden Flow. Its tributaries spread like veins throughout the city, with the excess Golden Flow Water turning into golden mist that permeates every corner. Every adventurer who enters the city breathes in this mist, which settles in their souls and weighs heavily on their hearts, turning the kind suspicious, the suspicious ruthless, the ruthless greedy, and the greedy insane.

Yet, the immense allure of the Inheritance compels sorcerers to willingly enter this bloody grindstone, despite knowing its dangers.

Interestingly, Eternal City does not prohibit spirits, and two-wings sorcerers, who are just beginning to form their spirit system without Sanctuary defenses, find themselves in a high-attack, low-defense power tier. Eternal City merely needs to provide the right stage, and they naturally respond with a dance of death under the gaze of the King of Time.

Elegant, brutal, sinister, indifferent.

The phantom of the King of Time stood tall atop the Tower, observing the chaotic and grotesque drama enacted by the sorcerers.

The Time Handbook did not mention whether the King of Time was proficient in the Prophecy Sect or the Mental Sect, but these hair-raising designs of Inheritance were enough to prove his insight and disdain for human nature.

At this moment, his gaze shifted to the nearby aerial platform.

“Watch out, it’s coming!”

A colossal alchemical golem stood on the platform, facing the assault of three female sorcerers. Suddenly, it ceased its attack, slammed its arms down, and inserted them into the grooves on the ground!

Beneath the grooves were pipelines connected to the tributaries of the Golden Flow-it was absorbing Golden Flow Water to recharge!

Boom! Countless golden runes appeared on the platform, and simultaneously, Annan, Sivirin, and Freya noticed a new link on their bodies, connecting them to phantoms identical to themselves!

They sighed with relief-during their last challenge against the alchemical golem, their inability to see their phantoms led to a crushing defeat. If not for their timely escape, they might have been killed by the golem. Through exploration and research, they discovered that to overcome the golem, they must first acquire the key Inheritance, the “Eye of the Future,” to possibly unravel this Miracle!

Freya saw a massive golden Greatsword pierce through her moving phantom!

Sivirin saw her phantom suddenly halt, getting completely shredded by stationary gears!

Annan saw her phantom unharmed, but the surrounding space suddenly collapsed!

This was the divine intervention of Predestined Death!

After confirming their respective futures, Annan immediately ran to the edge of the platform, while Sivirin and Freya moved to the opposite corners. The Bewitcher and little bat were spaced two positions apart, with the Bewitcher standing still and the little bat moving erratically.

Three seconds later, Predestined Death descended, causing a large area centered around Annan to collapse into a spatial implosion. Any sorcerer without Sanctuary caught in it would perish, but the Bewitcher and little bat, standing at the farthest points, narrowly avoided the affected area.

A golden Greatsword pierced Freya, but since Freya remained still, it caused no harm;

Countless stationary gears appeared around Sivirin, but because she was moving erratically, the gears did not harm her.

If it were true Predestined Death, there would be no countermeasures. However, this was merely an alchemical golem, and to unleash such divine intervention was already impressive. Moreover, the King of Time ultimately left behind Inheritance, not a truly fatal obstacle.

Predestined Death was the most challenging mechanism, and the subsequent threefold ground fire was easily overcome by the trio. With a resounding explosion of shattered gears, the alchemical golem collapsed, and the aerial pathway to the Tower was unsealed.

The female sorcerers panted, staring blankly at the fallen alchemical golem.

After a while, Sivirin plopped down on the ground, letting out a long sigh, “We made it through!”

The Bewitcher excitedly jumped up and hugged the nearby Purple Moth, who happily spun around with her. But soon, Freya broke free from Annan’s embrace, crossed her arms, scoffed, and turned away from Annan.

Annan exchanged a glance with Sivirin, shrugged, and gave a wry smile.

“Is there a reward?”

“No, it just opened the path to the Tower.”

“The Inheritance of Time is too stingy, defeating an elite enemy and getting nothing…”

While the Purple Moth and little bat were discussing, the Bewitcher had already stepped onto the aerial passage, calmly stating, “Let’s go, it’s time for the next challenge.”

“Not taking a break?” Sivirin asked.

“What’s there to rest for?” Freya pouted, saying sourly, “I don’t have a man to play with…”

Sivirin glanced at Annan, who sighed and went over to tug at the Bewitcher’s hand. When she didn’t budge, Annan leaned in and wrapped her arm around the Bewitcher’s, “Are you still mad at me?”

“Of course not,” Freya immediately retorted, puffing up, “Back then, I had nothing to do with you or him, so why would I be mad at you?”

Watching Bewitcher pout like a little girl, Annan couldn’t help but laugh and cry. Recently, Ashe had finally updated his journal with the plot involving Nabistin, or more directly, the night he almost got “devoured” by Annan.

Since then, Bewitcher had started to clash with Annan, even though they still explored the Eternal City together every night. However, she was no longer as affectionate as before, and if Annan tried to talk to her, Bewitcher would often ignore her.

Aren’t the people of Blood Moon supposed to be mature? Isn’t a Bewitcher supposed to be astute like Igor? Annan thought all Bewitchers were like Igor, but Freya had taught her otherwise-she had to deal with little girls like Lise in reality, and pamper yet another little girl, Freya, in the Virtual Realm!

“It’s not really like what’s written in the journal,” Annan said. “You misunderstood!”

“If Ashe wrote it that way, it must be true! You must have used a slave pact to control him and forced him to kiss you!”

“Let me explain.”

“Alright, explain!”

“Actually, we did more than just kiss, but Ashe didn’t write that part.”

Bewitcher paused, staring blankly at her.

Annan playfully smacked Bewitcher’s bottom, making a satisfying smack sound. Bewitcher covered her bottom, turned around, and looked at Annan with a pout.

Purple Moth strode past her, heading toward the Tower, and casually said, “Aren’t we supposed to continue exploring? Hurry up!”

Dealing with someone as immature as Freya, who hadn’t even graduated from kindergarten, meant not always indulging her whims. Sometimes, standing up to her was necessary to maintain control.

Sivirin patted her bottom and followed along, with Freya nervously trailing behind Annan, asking, “You’re definitely lying to me, right? Aren’t you, Annan, you trickster?”

“Maybe~”

“What did you guys do? How was it? Was he, he, impressive? “

“Who knows~”

As they spoke, the trio entered the interior of the Tower, only to find themselves in a grand and impressive study-if not for the overly conspicuous desk, it could even be mistaken for a library.

“Is this challenge supposed to take place in a study? ” Sivirin analyzed. “Then it’s not a combat challenge. The Inheritance of Time doesn’t want us to damage a single blade of grass in the Eternal City. “

“This is not a test, ” said a golden phantom appearing on a throne behind the desk. It had five silver virtual wings and one patched golden virtual wing. It had no pupils, but the female sorcerers felt it watching them.

“This is your final destination, ” it said. “Your adventure in the Inheritance of Time will conclude here. “

Freya immediately assumed a combat stance, “Are you going to kill us?”

“Idiot! “

Sivirin yanked on Bewitcher’s cheek, “The King of Time means we’ve received the ultimate Inheritance-we can now inherit all the heritage of the King of Time!”

“What? ” Bewitcher blinked. “It’s over already? “

The King of Time gently waved his hand, and three red leather chairs moved on their own towards the female sorcerers, “Please sit, inheritors. “

The three exchanged glances, understanding that if the King of Time harbored any malice, they would be powerless to resist. So, they obediently sat down, their rounded hips sinking into the padding.

“This place was originally named Nesser, the office of the Eternal City’s ruler,” the King of Time said, raising his head to gaze at the magnificent Firmament. “It’s said to be the origin of the world worshipped by Ancient Sprites, though no one knows what the term represents anymore. Naming the ruler’s office after it was meant to inspire the ruler of the Eternal City to always walk the path of Truth, seeking knowledge and mystery.”

“After I became the ruler, I renamed it Windmill. Do you know why?”

Annan and Sivirin remained silent, but Freya pondered for a moment, “Windmill? I remember there’s a huge windmill tower next to the Garden main city-“

“That was meant to be our Elf city!”

Suddenly, the King of Time’s aura exploded, a powerful Vibration sweeping through their hair, causing the entire Eternal City to tremble slightly!

Even though the King of Time was emotionally charged, Freya dared to respond, “But now, not only does no one know that was your city, even the Eternal City is unknown-if not for the Inheritance of Time appearing, no one would know that Ancient Sprites once inhabited the Time Continent!”

Annan stared wide-eyed at Sivirin, who nodded seriously-once offline, she would storm Freya’s house and teach this Bewitcher a lesson, making her understand that it’s not always appropriate to speak up.

If they ever had the chance to go offline…

However, the King of Time, instead of getting angry, withdrew his aura and lowered his head, dispirited. “Yes, we are… history.”

Seeing the King of Time in such a state, Freya felt a bit embarrassed and shrank her head. “Sorry… but even though your race is extinct, the appearance of the Inheritance of Time and the Eternal City will surely attract many modern Elves to follow your path. You may be gone, but not completely, and you can definitely rise from the ashes!”

“Freya!” Sivirin pinched the Bewitcher’s plump thigh in frustration. “Can you stop talking?”

“The great Eternal City, reduced to mere embers…” the King of Time laughed self-deprecatingly. “When I was young, our Elves and sorcerers fought a war in the windmill area, known as the Windmill Battle. Our upper-tier sorcerers suffered heavy casualties, and the Eternal City fell into decline.”

“I renamed this place Windmill to remind myself of the failure of the Windmill Battle, to restore the glory of the Elves, and to cleanse the shame of the windmill!”

“But in the end,” the King of Time looked at the three of them, “you’ve seen the outcome.”

After speaking, the King of Time fell into a long silence, and the sorcerers dared not speak. Even the most oblivious Freya realized that the decision the King of Time was about to make could become a crossroads in their lives.

After an indeterminate amount of time, the King of Time continued, “I originally intended to choose a legitimate Elf as my successor, imprinting the thought of ‘restoring Elf glory’ in their mind, so they would inherit the Eternal City and bear our Elves’ millennial mission.”

“But you…”

The King of Time glanced at the three of them, “Not only are you not Elves, but you also spoke disrespectfully…”

Freya sat up straight, as if the King of Time wasn’t referring to her.

“So, I have a new idea.”

The King of Time said, “As you mentioned, we are already the embers of history, at most only capable of rising from the ashes… ha ha, rising from the ashes!”

“Embers, how can they rise again!”

“Rather than letting the Eternal City linger like a slum, allowing the glory of the Elves to be humiliated once again by those Blood Moon Stars bastards, it would be better to go out with a bang! If the Elves are extinct, what meaning does the Eternal City hold?”

“I can’t lead the Eternal City to a grand prosperity, but I can ensure its glorious demise!”

“I want those who occupy the Elven city to know,” the King of Time turned his gaze, as if looking through walls to a distant place, “If I don’t give you the Elven treasures, you can’t take them!”

“So, I’ve changed my mind.” He turned back to the female sorcerers, “The Eternal City, I won’t let you inherit it. But no one else will inherit it either, because soon the Eternal City will host a grand funeral, making the earth wail, making the Divine Sovereign rage!”

“I want you sorcerers to remember, the Eternal City may not be eternal…” the King of Time declared proudly, “But the glory of the Elves never fades!”

What could Freya and the others say? They could only nod repeatedly.

“Of course, you won’t leave empty-handed,” the King of Time looked at them, “I will give you the rewards you deserve…”

“Wait!” Freya suddenly interjected, “What about the Blank Concept? I just want that, I want to make a wish!”

“…You don’t need to make a wish,” the King of Time replied, “Once I recognized you as victors, the Blank Concept already read your desires, forming the prototype of a new law.”

“How can that be!” Bewitcher was dumbfounded, “But, but everyone agreed to give me the Blank Concept! What if it read someone else’s wish, what if it read mine when I was thinking about something else-“

“I don’t actually understand the workings of the Blank Concept,” the King of Time admitted, “And proportionally, the Blank Concept from the Inheritance of Time only accounts for two-tenths of the total share, even if you got it, it wouldn’t greatly affect the final outcome.”

Bewitcher wilted instantly, sulking in Sivirin’s embrace. Sivirin stroked her hair and asked, “Then what do you plan to reward us with?”

“Blood Moon’s little brat, disgusting stench…” the King of Time spoke coldly to Sivirin, “We Elves are particularly skilled at utilizing the Golden Flow Water, which involves many advanced miracles from the Water Sect. Within the Unmatched Inheritance of the Eternal City, there is a water spell inheritance, perfectly suited for someone like you.”

With that, he gestured lightly, and a glass book shimmering like water flew from the bookshelf behind, landing in Sivirin’s hands.

Sivirin’s face fell, but she still replied, “Thank you.”

“As for you,” the King of Time turned his gaze to Annan, “You possess a faint Elf bloodline, along with a certain talent for soul and time. Although your main focus is on a unique weapon unfamiliar to me, this Golden Flow Inheritance, compiled by generations of Elves, is sufficient to guide you to Ruby Mountain.”

A golden tome leapt from the desk, landing in Annan’s hands. She felt its weight and nodded solemnly, “I won’t disappoint the King of Time’s expectations.”

“And you, the impudent one…”

The King of Time looked at Freya, “Your talents in soul and time are mediocre at best. It seems you haven’t even been a sorcerer for a year, yet somehow you managed to make it here…”

“However, your Elf blood concentration is the highest among all the adventurers.”

“What?” Annan, Sivirin, and Freya were all taken aback.

“Are you sure you’re not seeing things?” Freya asked directly, “I’m a Bewitcher!”

The King of Time remained silent, his form gradually blurring into an elegant figure: long pointed ears, black hair resembling serpents, golden vertical pupils, and a ring of light purple fur on his arm!

Soon, he reverted to a golden phantom, but his message was clear: pointed ears, serpent-haired, vertical pupils, and Bewitcher traits are all characteristics of Ancient Sprites!

“Though you lack time talent, your mental talent is quite promising,” the King of Time remarked, “Coincidentally, I am a Demigod specializing in the Mental Sect.”

“Wait!” Even Annan couldn’t hold back, “Aren’t you a Demigod of Time?”

“That’s what everyone believes, but I realized early on that Demigods of Time have a fatal flaw-over-reliance on the Golden Flow,” the King of Time explained, “Without the Golden Flow, the power of Time Miracles diminishes to less than one-fifth. To address this, I eventually shifted to the Mental Sect.”

“In places devoid of the Golden Flow, Time Miracles can only consume the Golden Flow Water produced by the sorcerer, leading to weakened miracles due to scarce production. But what if I could utilize the Golden Flow Water produced by my enemies?”

“Thus, I needed to bewilder my foes, tricking their bodies into believing time was accelerating, thereby generating copious amounts of Golden Flow Water, which would amplify my miracles… If I lack the Golden Flow, then let everyone become my Golden Flow!”

“Upon entering the Divine Dominion, I even bewildered all things, harnessing the Golden Flow Water they produced, enabling me to command the Golden Flow anywhere!”

“Mastering the thoughts of all beings allows mastery over their time! Bewildering all things enables bewilderment of the Golden Flow!”

“When you can bewilder yourself, preventing your Spirit Body from producing Golden Flow Water, you are not far from immortality.”

The King of Time opened a drawer in his desk, extracting a book enveloped in pink mist. He fondly stroked the cover, gently handing it over, transforming it into a cloud of mist that settled into Freya’s hands.

“This is the Bewitching Inheritance I personally compiled during my lifetime.”