Sorcerer's Handbook-Chapter 653: Their Own Reasons

“A strange drawing, strange people.”

A blond little boy stood puzzled in front of the whiteboard, staring at the digital drawing he had just created. In the picture, three figures were navigating a dense and intricate jungle, heading towards a distant, towering spire. The faint presence of beastly monsters and unknown mysterious lands painted a scene of a fantastical adventure.

At the back of the group was a dark-skinned, curly-haired young man wearing a trench coat and boots. He appeared unremarkable at first glance, but the faint outline of a beautiful specter clinging to him added an eerie yet vibrant allure, marking him as the ace of the team.

In the middle was a handsome blond young man, dressed impeccably in a suit with numerous pockets, despite trekking through the jungle. Holding a treasure map and gazing towards the towering spire, he was undoubtedly the soul of the team.

Leading the way was an unassuming black-haired young man, pointing ahead and turning back to the others with apparent excitement. However, he was about to trip over a tree root, his stumble suggesting he was the comedic relief of the group.

What caught the boy’s attention was a black raven perched on a tree, watching them intently. Was this a harbinger of doom?

Yet…

The boy focused on the blond young man in the drawing. Though his expression was neutral, the light in his eyes, the relaxed shoulders, and the carefree way he entrusted his back to others all indicated a mind free of worries, thoroughly enjoying the journey.

The boy knew, of course, that this blond young man was his future self.

Which made it all the more puzzling-how could he be so at ease with others around? Were the dark-skinned and comedic characters merely mental slaves under his control?

Even if they were slaves, a degree of caution was warranted. In this world, how could there be others beyond suspicion? How could there be a self worthy of complete trust?

“But… an adventure?”

The boy’s eyes sparkled with longing as he looked at the spire in the jungle. Escaping the mundane society, exploring the unknown mysteries, and commanding two subservient slaves as cannon fodder… If this was the future, perhaps growing up wasn’t so bad after all.

I thought life would always be so arduous-

At that moment, the whiteboard dissolved into a wisp of soul mist, merging into his spirit.

Moments later, Igor opened his eyes and glanced at the three light orbs that appeared beside him.

Yes, he had lied to Ash and the others; his exploration of the Specter’s Inheritance had actually progressed beyond the 30th level. With Chikara and Gwen around, he couldn’t reveal everything, even if Chikara was a slave-caution was always necessary.

Trust or not, a Con Artist was accustomed to keeping something back from everyone.

Without hesitation, Igor chose the “Rejuvenating Return” reward. This wasn’t his first time selecting this reward, so he knew that multiple Rejuvenating Returns carried risks.

This time, he returned to being 8 years old, but the last time it was 8.5, and the time before that, 9.

The more Igor engaged in Rejuvenating Return, the more he regressed, and once he crossed an age where he couldn’t care for himself, he would become a sacrificial offering in this process.

But Igor had no other choice.

He desired the Specter’s Inheritance more than anyone else because it was the only path forward for him.

Both he and Harvey had used the Cursed Rainbow Tail Feather to forcibly ascend to the Sanctuary level, a flawed shortcut that came at the cost of completely closing their spellforce channels to the fourth layer of the Virtual Realm. Simply put, even if they reached the legendary level in spellcasting, they couldn’t summon the Four-winged Spirit through virtual realm resonance, nor could they open the Gate of Truth leading to Ruby Mountain.

Their paths were blocked.

Igor had once thought he could only stop at the Sanctuary level. For a Death Row Inmate who was undergoing transformation in Shattered Lake Prison months ago, this was an unimaginable achievement. Even before his imprisonment, Igor never dreamed of becoming a sanctuary sorcerer.

However, he was a Con Artist-a greedy one, a dissatisfied one, one who was never content.

With the appearance of the Specter’s Inheritance, Igor knew it was his only chance. Even if he couldn’t break through to the legendary level, he could still wield legendary power with the Specter’s Inheritance!

Igor was different from Harvey.

He was merely a genius with some talent in the Mental Sect, while Harvey was a monster in the Necromancy Sect.

During his time in Shattered Lake Prison, Harvey might have been a slightly talented necromancer, but at some point, he unearthed a ‘treasure’ that completely transformed him, perhaps from the deepest part of the Virtual Realm or the darkest corner of his heart. Talent could no longer describe his potential; as he put it, he had become a complete lackey of Haagen-Dazs-he was no longer human.

If Harvey found a way to overcome the curse and ascend to the legendary level, Igor wouldn’t be surprised.

Even if Harvey was stuck in the Sanctuary, once he unlocked the Blood Corpse King troop type, he would naturally possess legendary power, far beyond what a Con Artist could compare to.

Igor was also different from Ash.

Or rather, Ash was different from everyone.

Igor had long realized that the seemingly foolish guy would eventually reach the pinnacle of spellcasting, and Ruby Mountain might not even be his final destination.

But what about himself?

Igor didn’t have Ash’s secrets or Harvey’s potential. His only skill was seizing opportunities.

And the Specter’s Inheritance was precisely his best opportunity.

Not to mention that the Mental Sect and Soul Sect were inherently similar, but more importantly, during the Gospel, Igor had also acquired Belldate’s Dominance Sect Inheritance!

The Dominance Sect was originally created by human sorcerers as a secondary spellcasting method to mimic the Soul Sect, which they couldn’t awaken. However, despite being a secondary spellcasting method, the Dominance Sect had developed to rival the Mental and Soul Sects, much like how all Physical Sects originated from the Fist-Claw Sect, yet the Fist-Claw Sect’s strength now ranks only in the second tier.

Igor, proficient in both Mental and Dominance, was like a fish in water within the Specter’s Inheritance.

In just a few days, he had broken through to the thirtieth level, continuously selecting “Rejuvenating Return” to enhance his Soul Talent with every opportunity.

The Con Artist wasn’t arrogant enough to think he was the fastest. There were far too many mental sorcerers in the world, not to mention the soul sorcerers-like Annan’s mother, Qenna, who was a soul sanctuary!

He was ultimately just a stowaway mental sorcerer.

In terms of strength, talent, and experience, he couldn’t compare to a true mental sanctuary.

And this Specter’s Inheritance was a trial open to all sanctuaries, with only one victor. It was only natural that he didn’t win.

But…

Igor glanced at the wall behind him. The whiteboard had vanished without a trace, yet the image seemed to linger in his eyes.

Life wouldn’t always be so tough.

So, I must keep up with them.

Gospel Kingdom, Yisuo Royal Palace.

Lise opened her eyes, sat up, and glanced at Annan beside her. Then she jumped out of bed, ran barefoot to the bathroom.

Phew-

After finishing, Lise ran back to bed barefoot, snuggling into Annan’s soft embrace for a little more sleep.

White Queen: “Lise, how many times have I told you, no going barefoot, wear your slippers!”

Lise: “Mm-hmm.”

Black Butler: “You always agree, but never change.”

Scarlet Dead Apostles: “Rebellion against authority, huh.”

Lise: “Hmph, who said I could see Dad once every five days~”

White Queen: “We’ve been tackling the Specter’s Inheritance these days, it’s too dangerous to take you.”

Lise: “I don’t care, you all see Dad every day, and I don’t even get once every five days! I don’t like you anymore! I’m running away from home!”

Witch sisters: “…?”

The more Lise thought about it, the angrier she got. She jumped out of bed, walked barefoot out of the sleeping quarters, ignoring the maid calling ‘Empress,’ and ran to the small palace door, pushing it hard: “I’m leaving!”

White Queen: “Alright, go ahead.”

Lise: “I’m really leaving!”

Black Butler: “Goodbye, not seeing you off.”

Lise: “I, I can’t push the door open.”

Scarlet Dead Apostles: “I’ll help you.”

With a thud, the small palace door was forcibly pushed open. The guards noticed the situation and, seeing through the monitors that it was the Empress taking a night stroll, naturally didn’t dare interfere.

Lise looked at the street outside the small palace door, blinked: “I, I have nowhere to stay.”

White Queen: “If you have nowhere to stay, why run away? Go back and wash your feet!”

Lise stubbornly: “I don’t like you anymore!”

Black Butler: “So, are you running away or not?”

Lise puffed up: “I, I don’t like you anymore!”

Deya: “But we like you, go back and wash your feet, and in a few days we’ll take you to see Dad, okay?”

Lise nodded, finally willing to go back obediently.

The White Queen originally wanted to use this opportunity to curb Lise’s rebellious streak; lately, Lise had been getting more and more unruly. But now that Deya had disrupted it, there was nothing to be done. Once Lise was asleep, they began to study the newly acquired spirits and test the Miracle-

Riot Spirit!

Target Spirit!

Linked Spirit!

Miracle: Rebellion against authority!

Though this was a Miracle from the Dominance Sect, it was quite peculiar because its casting target wasn’t a living being, which was precisely why the witches wanted to acquire this spellcasting inheritance!

Because its casting target was-

Spirit!

The Miracle targeted the soul, causing most of the Witches’ spirits to glow with a red light. Now, not only did these spirits appear more ferocious, but they could also withstand the pressure of upper-tier spirits and even launch attacks against them!

This was the wonder of Rebellion against authority. It allowed a sorcerer to arm lower-tier spirits and use them to beat upper-tier spirits into submission, forcing them to serve without consuming spellforce. Although an upper-tier spirit might only offer a few services a day, it ultimately enabled the sorcerer to utilize spirits beyond their level!

However, this Spellcasting Inheritance was incomplete because Rebellion against authority required another Miracle, “Seize the Monarch,” to forcibly integrate upper-tier spirits into the soul.

But Deya didn’t need this step, as the spirits she wanted for Rebellion against authority were already nestled in her soul, refusing to leave.

She looked at the spirit occupying the most space in her soul, as if it contained a small world within-the Fairy Spirit. Within the Fairy Spirit’s small world lay the Gospel Deity and the soul summoning spirit.

With a thought, Deya’s spirits surrounded the Fairy Spirit, no longer unable to approach it as before. At this moment, the Gospel Deity seemed to sense something, lifting its head slightly. Deya’s soul rippled, causing the spirits influenced by Rebellion against authority to halt their actions, unable to continue their uprising.

Though Rebellion against authority failed, the Witch sisters were not disheartened; instead, they were invigorated!

The Gospel Deity’s reaction indicated that Rebellion against authority indeed posed a threat to it; otherwise, it wouldn’t have bothered to release its aura to intimidate the other spirits!

Moreover, this was Deya’s first attempt at using Rebellion against authority, and there were many areas for improvement.

Once she perfected Rebellion against authority and successfully subdued the Gospel Deity, even if she revealed her true identity as Lise Deya and lost the protection of secrecy power, she could still restrain the Gospel Deity and prevent it from corrupting her soul!

Although Deya had no experience in the Dominance Sect, she didn’t need to research on her own.

She summoned the Gospel Book, spending a significant amount of points to inquire, “How can I utilize my resources to improve Rebellion against authority and have my spirits overpower and seize the Gospel Deity?”

The pages of the Gospel Book rippled, as if hesitating. But eventually, it provided a plan: “Invoke the Wrath Spirit, Grudge Spirit, and Death-defying Spirit… to construct a new Miracle, ‘Mutiny Rebellion against authority,’ effective against the Gospel Deity.”

It could work!

Deya couldn’t help but feel excited.

She finally saw a glimmer of hope in overcoming the Gospel Deity’s mortal threat!

The reason she could harbor the Gospel Deity without having her personality altered was due to the protection of secrecy power. But to maintain this power, she couldn’t reveal to Ash that she was Lise Deya and had to rebuild a new intimate relationship with him from scratch.

But once she conquered the Gospel Deity, she could openly confess that Lise Deya was the Witch! When Ash returned to the Gospel, she could rightfully keep him by her side!

She might even confine him, preventing him from leaving for the Stars!

White Queen: “So, the next goal, besides perfecting Rebellion against authority, is…”

Black Butler: “To seize the Blank Concept at the end of the Specter’s Inheritance, creating a rule for Ash to return from Senlo to the Gospel.”

Scarlet Dead Apostles: “Seizing the Specter’s Inheritance won’t be easy.”

Deya: “But it’s easier than snatching something from the Sword Princess.”

The Witch sisters all agreed: “Indeed.”

In the Senlo wasteland, amidst the wilderness of the grand night, a Flaming White Tiger prowled slowly, its flames scorching the darkness into retreat.

Vesser slowly opened her eyes.

She sat up, covering her face, the Choking Green collar around her neck trembling slightly. Squirrels, lizards, snakes, and Demi-Gods emerged from various places to express their concern, even the Square Cicada appeared, fluttering before her.

“I’m fine,” Vesser waved them off. “Just a bit embarrassed.”

“I never thought I’d expose my childhood side, nor did I expect him to be like Vionelle… as expected of him.”

“But, the Specter’s Inheritance…”

She looked up into the pitch-black night.

“If I could obtain the Blank Concept…” she murmured softly, “would my painting be different?”

This chapter is updat𝓮d by fre(e)webnov(l).com