Mage Manual

Chapter 1673 - 1232: The Arrival of the Black Demon

Ash turned to look at Igula: "Are you really letting him research such evil inventions that wouldn’t be absolved even after burning in hell for tens of thousands of years?"

"You talk as if you pay attention to what he researches normally. I thought he caught mosquitoes to give Alice a snack," Igula replied irritably. "Enough with the complaints. He once approached me, proudly showing off a whole swarm of mosquitoes. From afar, I thought he had invented some black cloud miracle... That idiot even broke through my Holy Domain just to show off the mosquitoes’ armor-piercing capability, so I beat him up."

"I think ’beat up’ might be an understatement for turning half my body into mush," Harvey gave a thumbs up. "But it’s okay, I healed myself with the blood-injection effect of the Aedes mosquito!"

"Haha, seems like your hellish life is quite colorful," Ash said expressionlessly.

"Here," Igula tossed a Technique Spirit amber to him. Ash glanced at the insect-shaped Technique Spirit inside, looking complicated: "After mosquitoes, it’s insects now? How many surprises do you have for me?"

"This is an ’Enchantment’ Technique Spirit," Igula explained. "A support attack Technique Spirit; you can add emotions to your attacks. As long as the enemy doesn’t have a special mental barrier, emotion infiltration is almost unavoidable. Once the emotions accumulate to a certain level, you can confuse the enemy’s mind to gain a tactical advantage."

"Although it’s not a one-time use Technique Spirit, to affect a demigod, the Enchantment Technique Spirit needs ’pre-stored emotion,’ that is, storing enough emotion in advance within it. The only storable emotion is love, because ’love is the most beguiling.’ Moreover, it’s hard for a normal person to produce love in battle, so the basic usage is to pre-store love before a fight and unleash it during battle."

"Besides producing it yourself, you can also absorb others’ love. Love produced by demigods is especially effective." Igula glanced at Ash: "This should be easy for you, right? Anyway, there’s so much love, it’d be a waste not to use it."

Ash gazed at Igula with an odd expression.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You say the Enchantment Technique Spirit needs pre-stored love, and you know how to use it, so you...?"

"Did you forget I’m a Spirit Mage?" Igula said calmly: "If I wanted, I could even fall in love with a refrigerator."

Ash looked at the two Technique Spirits in his hand, then at the two of them: "Why are you giving me these Technique Spirits?"

"Actually, I wanted to give it to you the last time we met," Harvey shrugged. "Now I finally have the time."

"Just take it. If you don’t want to use it, store it in your Space Ring. It won’t take up much space." Igula said: "Consider it as us showing off our achievements to you. And you? Six months have passed, do you have no accomplishments to show for it?"

Ash thought for a moment and said: "Does having four lovers count?"

"You didn’t even spare Felix?" Igula frowned: "How many times are you going to enact this liking-a-substitute scenario—"

"Not Felix, it’s Vishi."

This time, it wasn’t just Igula. Even Harvey had a subtle expression. Ash glanced at them and said, "No objections allowed."

"I wasn’t planning on objecting, it’s just..." Harvey sighed. "I once thought highly of Vishi, believed she had the best chance to escape your clutches. I even had a bet with Igula... Damn, I lost the bet."

"See, you still don’t know Ash well enough," Igula laughed.

"You bastards..." Ash grinded his teeth in anger, then helplessly sighed, "One gives me the most evil mosquitoes, another teaches me to weaponize love... Thinking about how saving the world means letting people like you survive, I suddenly lose motivation."

"Then don’t bother with saving it," the Swindler found a broken stone pillar to sit on, "We’ve been through so many adventures, witnessed so many major events. Even if we take a break, who’s qualified to criticize us?"

"I’m curious about what happened to you these six months," the Necromancer smiled. "Did you have a wedding? Not being able to gift you a coffin at your wedding is one of my few regrets."

"You can probably stay a while longer?" Igula said: "Last time we didn’t have a chance to properly chat, now we finally have time. I bet these past six months haven’t been peaceful for you either... You always say you want a quiet life, but you can’t help getting caught up in the whirlpool of fate."

"Let’s talk next time we get the chance," Ash smiled.

Igula and Harvey were taken aback, Harvey asked: "Are you going back?"

Ash didn’t respond, but asked, "If I save the world, will you clap for me?"

"You’re relying on us to applaud if you save the world?" Igula pointed to himself: "You’d be better off hoping the Sword Maiden and others will be extremely moved by your exploits and willing to serve you together; that’s a more reasonable reason for saving the world."

"Of course, I have a tiny bit of such a delusion, but just a tiny bit. Anymore and I’d look down on myself," Ash chuckled. "But I applauded for you just now."

"Huh?"

"You’re staying in hell to protect the world..." Ash patted their shoulders, "I was really touched seeing that... I didn’t expect you’d fight so hard to protect a world with me in it."

Igula’s expression was disgusted, like Ash had fed him something foul, he muttered: "It’s just the world, stop saying ’a world with you’..."

"Even if I only get applause from you guys..." Ash closed his eyes, chuckling softly: "It wouldn’t be worthless."

"Of course, if the Sword Maiden and others like me more because of it, all the better."

He opened his eyes and accessed "Aurora’s Mage Manual" - "Operator Search," using 3 Source Crystals for a search.

The interface lit up with murky black light, dirty colors slowly emerged in the darkest of darkness, as if a deep sea lay within. When the hidden monsters rise, they stir waves, reflecting the ocean’s heaviest filth.

An unprecedented chill ran down Ash’s spine, different from the oppressive aura of the Youmo, the purity of the Mirror Demon. Now he felt a deeper, heavier emotion... like magma buried deep underground.

The darkness sketched a girl’s silhouette, quickly followed by red, yellow, orange... Various colors sketching the same girl, until seventeen girls of different colors appeared on the interface, their black eyes lock gazes with Ash through the screen.

Teehee.

Their mouths pulled into exaggerated, mischievous smiles. Ash watched them, and his mouth gradually stretched into a similar arc.

"Black Demon King"

"Abnormality: Will you give up 25% mind for Abnormality Synchronization?"

In Igula and Harvey’s eyes, Ash stood still after saying strange things, but his aura slowly became chaotic. If Ash was once a clear, shallow stream, he’s now a roaring ocean. Both the Swindler and Necromancer sensed a massive entity about to burst from within him.

Before they could say anything, Ash took action first.

Boom!

Bam!

Igula was split in half by a leg, Harvey’s upper body exploded from a punch; their demigod defensive barriers torn like paper by Ash. They couldn’t react quickly, suffering the worst injuries since entering hell, instantly buried deep in the ruins of Cloud City, slipping into a near-death state!

Ash covered his head, his hair shifting from black to white, then to red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple... every strand existed simultaneously in multicolors per second. The rapid changes made it appear like a dazzling black.

"I’ve finally come out..."

He let out a pained moan, biting his thumb harshly until it bled, drawing a bloody line down his cheek like tears of blood.

"Save the world? Hehe, hahaha..." He laughed softly at first, then burst into wild laughter, like a child entering an amusement park. When finally tired, his expression turned gloomy, eyes brimming with hatred and killing intent as if becoming tangible. Glaring at the backs of Dazzling Star and others battling Uroboros, his mouth curled into a maniacal and malevolent smile!

The Death Mad watched him, recalling their earlier conversation. People caught in the rain fall into two types: those who’d knock everyone else’s umbrellas down to let all drenched, and those willing to hold an umbrella for others...

Ash’s acquaintance, Lissdia, might be the latter, but the Black Demon she knew could only be the former.

"Everyone must die," Ash, or rather the Black Demon’s voice harmonized seventeen times: "Including me!"