Sorcerer's Handbook-Chapter 606: True and False Kill

“Vesser,” Ashe apologized, “Could you perhaps…”

“Of course, no problem, Captain.”

Vesser feigned surprise as she pushed open the door and moved to another room. Yet, deep down, she had anticipated tonight’s events for quite some time. Or rather, this was her original plan.

From the moment they met, Vesser knew that the Sword Princess and the Witch could never coexist peacefully. Previously, because Ashe was in danger, they refrained from arguing to avoid adding to his burdens, as if they were under the “lover without benefits” affix, growing closer to Ashe without any quarrels.

If everyone acted purely rationally, this situation might have continued indefinitely. After all, beyond emotions, there were pursuits like ‘spellcasting,’ ‘future,’ and ‘power’ that held more significance in realizing life’s meaning, with the Virtual Realm team being their most steadfast chain of interests.

The best-case scenario was for the Sword Princess and the Witch to maintain an ambiguous relationship with Ashe, with the team atmosphere being competitive yet unbroken; Ashe shamelessly enjoying this bittersweet dilemma, gradually becoming the leader of the team.

However, the Sword Princess and the Witch were not purely rational beings. More importantly, Ashe couldn’t bring himself to act in such a manner.

When leaving Nightfall, Vesser had predicted tonight’s events, though she hadn’t expected them to unfold so quickly. She thought Ashe and the Sword Princess and Witch could endure for about a month, but it only took five days to reach the final stage.

Even if she couldn’t witness the scene, Vesser knew what kind of conflict and opposition was about to erupt. After all, this was the trap she had planned countless times from the start, the most crucial step in tearing apart the team.

Regardless of the outcome, it would inevitably destroy the team, causing Ashe to lose the Virtual Realm team, his most important bond and support.

Yet…

She sat by the door, gently biting her finger. She could have tormented Ashe further, but for some reason, she felt uneasy and a bit heartbroken.

Ashe sat in the corner, with Sonya on his left and Deya on his right. Even the usually lively Deya was sitting quietly now. She was inexperienced but not foolish, and even if she were, the White Queen and Black Butler would remedy it. So when Ashe calmly said he wanted to talk, she knew something was amiss, her hair showing hints of color from nervousness.

If anyone in the team wanted to maintain the current atmosphere, it was undoubtedly Deya. This way, she could continue to act spoiled around Ashe without restraint. More importantly, she knew Ashe’s feelings for her weren’t as deep as those for the Sword Princess, meaning if it came down to choosing one, she’d likely be the one left behind.

So she looked at Ashe pitifully, her eyes welling up with tears, her fingers lightly touching Ashe’s, making a final effort.

Sonya, on the other hand, remained calm, not out of arrogance from having the upper hand, but more like she had made up her mind.

“Do you remember Annan?” Ashe unexpectedly brought up someone not present.

Deya hesitated, while Sonya said, “The woman who dominated you in the Gospel Kingdom?”

Ashe nodded, “Although our initial encounter was akin to a slave meeting a master, as we got to know each other better during our adventures, our relationship gradually improved.”

“Before attempting to assassinate the Gospel Princess, we were in Nabistin’s underground city gathering Intelligence. One night, while discussing the future, she said she wanted to paint a picture for me, mimicking the Gospel Ranking.”

Ashe briefly recounted that night’s events, “…Due to the Pact, I couldn’t control my body and had to go along with her…”

“Did you two…?” Sonya asked calmly.

“No,” Ashe shook his head, “We were interrupted.”

Deya blinked.

However, Ashe continued, “But if we hadn’t been forcibly transported to the Senlo wasteland, perhaps…”

He paused, then said, “A few days ago, during the final Trial with the Silver Lantern, I triggered a special mechanism and was engulfed by the Golden Flow.”

“…Because the Blood Seed nearly turned me into her prey, I lost most of my ability to resist her…”

Though Ashe only briefly mentioned the events in the Golden Flow, he didn’t omit important details, including the bloody kiss, which made Deya blush.

Sonya listened quietly and asked, “And then?”

“There are a few more,” Ashe hesitated, “But they’re not as significant as these two.”

“These two events don’t really matter,” Sonya lowered her gaze, “You were forced, beyond your control.”

“Yeah, yeah!” Deya nodded repeatedly, “Honestly, weren’t those two bad women’s fault?”

“Exactly, honestly, I did nothing wrong,” Ashe agreed, looking at them, “But why are you talking about honesty?”

Sonya gazed at him, her right hand gently resting on her sword hilt.

Deya also stopped smiling, pursing her lips, her hair color becoming more complex.

Ashe’s lips curled slightly, but the light in his eyes dimmed, and he chuckled softly, “I don’t know any Sword Princess or Witch who talks about honesty.”

“Besides, if those were instances of being controlled, I’m free to act now.” Ashe held their hands, his fingers slowly intertwining with theirs until their fingers were tightly clasped, “I should have responded to you both that night.”

“Instead of dragging it out until now without giving an answer.”

Deya placed Ashe’s hand on her chest, her eyes brimming with tears, “It’s okay,” she said, “No matter what happens, I’ll accept you, I won’t get angry, just like… even if you don’t choose me, I won’t give up.”

“But I am angry.”

The Red-Haired Sword Princess held his hand, placing it on her sword hilt, as if borrowing his hand to suppress the urge to draw her sword, “Especially seeing you willing to hold the Witch’s hand now, I’ve killed you both a thousand times in my mind. I thought I could endure this for you, but I can’t.”

Deya immediately said, “Sword Princess, I’m sorry.”

Though Deya spoke sincerely and anxiously, as if the words had been buried in her heart for a long time, she still didn’t let go of Ashe’s hand, showing her stance through her actions.

“Do you know what I’ve given up for you?” Sonya said, her hand trembling on the sword hilt, “Do you know what I’ve been thinking these past nights seeing you close with the Witch? Do you know-“

“I don’t know,” Ashe still managed to smile, “That’s why I know I can’t drag this on.”

“I’ve been thinking about whether there’s a way not to hurt either of you. But the Silver Lantern made me realize I might be hurting more than just you two.”

“I promised Annan I’d return, so what will I face her with? Warmth, joy? What will I face you with? Anxiety, guilt?”

“I’ve been restless these past few days because I feel a strong sense of guilt.”

“I even sought counseling from a mental sorcerer yesterday, thinking I hid it well, but he saw through me, or he wouldn’t have suddenly proposed changing the schedule today.” Ashe sighed, “My problem is quite simple.”

“Because I’ve lost so much, when someone sincerely loves me, I passionately reciprocate. Because I have no home, when someone offers to be my home, I cling to it.”

“Because if I lose you both, I’ll be left with nothing again,” Ashe said dejectedly, “I can’t bring myself to hurt those who love me.”

Ashe’s vulnerability at that moment left Sonya and Deya momentarily stunned. In Deya’s eyes, Ashe was always the lazy, carefree kin, the knight who helped her escape the Royal Palace; in Sonya’s eyes, the Observer was someone who faced life-and-death situations without flinching, a strong figure who had survived Prison Breaks and deadly battles.

In their moment of distraction, a peculiar thought crossed their minds: If he had no home and was left with nothing, what would he become?

Sonya asked, “You don’t dare hurt us, so do you want us to hurt you?”

Deya immediately replied, “I won’t.”

“But I will.”

Sonya said softly, “Do you know, I’ve been very afraid lately. Afraid of seeing you and the Witch close, afraid my efforts won’t be reciprocated, afraid… I’ll hate you.”

“You know, I’m the type to resent the world if I can’t have what I want,” she said, “I know all my achievements are thanks to your help, and I’m grateful to have met you. But when I see myself losing more opportunities, when I remember what I’ve given up for you, I’m afraid I’ll think-would it have been better if I only saw you as a teammate?”

“I know,” Ashe smiled, “Even though those things have nothing to do with me… but you’re just not someone who talks about honesty.”

“Yes, I’m just that unreasonable,” Sonya looked at him, “Even if you’ve given me 100%, if I give you 110%, you need to give me back 1000% for it to count.”

“And that 1000% has to be your all, even if you have extra, you can’t give it to anyone else. Not the Witch, not Annan, not anyone you meet in the future.”

The Red-Haired Sword Princess’s eyes welled up with tears as she held Ashe’s hand tightly, her heart filled with bitterness, “But you can’t promise that, can you?”

Ashe didn’t speak, only tightened his grip on her hand, his face showing a prepared expression.

Sonya pursed her lips, tilting her head slightly back, then said, “Why didn’t you pretend to be oblivious, pretend not to notice my and the Witch’s feelings, pretend to know nothing, and drag it out until we become legends, until we’re so deeply entangled we can’t extricate ourselves, until we all become yours?”

“Why couldn’t you… deceive us for a lifetime?”

Ashe blinked, showing an expression of surprise as if saying, ‘Oh, there’s that option too.’

But he quickly smiled, “But I can’t pretend not to see you both in pain.”

The village girl’s tears flowed uncontrollably, but she took a deep breath, her face showing determination, and then-

Click!

In a distant place, the gears of fate turned once more.

The room began to dissolve, scents twisted, lights danced, and everything started to reorganize.

“True and False Kill: A gaze from the peak of Ruby Mountain attempts to shatter the Tactile Sense of the Four Pillars. All outsiders’ positions are scrambled, and sorcerer projections identical to the outsiders are randomly spawned, with the projections consciously disguising themselves. If an outsider dies, they suffer severe soul damage and must kill over ten sorcerer projections and survive for 30 minutes to leave this Phantom.”

Ashe immediately stood up, but the room was already devoid of others.

Bang!

The door suddenly swung open, and Ashe turned to see the ‘Sword Princess’ entering.

“Show me the collection I equipped you with!” Ashe immediately said.

The ‘Sword Princess’ extended her hand, revealing a projection of a pair of crystal shoes: “Golden Collection: Ice Crystal Shoes, each stomp creates a patch of frost, and staying on the frost for over three seconds results in an ice strike.”

Is it real? Or can this curse affix even replicate collections?

Many thoughts raced through Ashe’s mind as he discreetly opened the virtual realm map, only to find it changing every second. The curse affix’s influence might not target the virtual realm map directly but could be a comprehensive defense against prophecy-like Miracles.

Ashe said, “Alright, now it’s your turn to verify me.”

“No need.”

The ‘Sword Princess’ drew her sword, “Whether you’re real or fake, since this curse affix has conveniently set us against each other…”

“Let me kill you to vent my anger.”