In the morning, in the hotel in Black Robe Town, as soon as Ash returned from the virtual world, he reached into his pants and felt around, and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that everything was back.
"Do you need me to step aside?"
Harvey had returned to normal by now, no longer the weak and vulnerable little girl he was last night. He was looking down at a rabbit corpse, while Alice was feeding him pancakes: "If there are other people around, it would be inconvenient for you to come out, right?"
"If it was someone else, I would think he was telling a dirty joke. If it was you, I would suspect that you were talking to another corpse that you just picked up." Ash said unhappily. When he heard the sound of hot water running in the bathroom, he knew that he couldn't go to wash for the time being.
The bathroom in the hotel is very small. It was a surprise to have a bathtub, but you can't expect it to be separated into wet and dry areas.
"Why are you fiddling with the rabbit?"
Harvey looked up at him. "I'd like to tinker with the body, but the time is not right yet."
"Not yet?" Ash didn't understand.
"Rabbits, cats, large dogs, large cats. Once you get used to the sight of me conducting research, you will be able to accept me studying corpses."
Ash: "That's a good idea, but have you ever thought about this? The difference between humans and animal corpses is not just their size."
Harvey looked confused. "You mean the difference in appearance? Should I use monkeys as transitional material?"
"It's meaning and value!" Ash said seriously, "A person's body is covered with traces of time, recording the path he has walked, the pain he has experienced, and the happiness he has enjoyed. It can be said to be a condensed version of his life!"
Snap, snap, snap.
Harvey did not hesitate to applaud, "Well said, Ash, I didn't expect you to have such profound ideas!"
"Well," Ash thought he had said it well, "Thank you—"
"It's completely in line with the core idea of our necromancy faction!" Harvey said, "Precisely because corpses are full of meaning and value, we necromancers have the obligation to bring out all their potential, rather than letting them be covered by dirt and burned by flames, becoming the kingdom of scavengers or turning into worthless ashes - Ash, come and become Haagen-Dazs's lackey with me!"
Almost forgetting that these schools of magic have their own self-consistent logical system, Ash said a few perfunctory words and turned over: "I'll think about it later."
Harvey asked, "After you die, do you want to follow me or Igulla?"
Ash looked confused: "When did I become your and Igula's child? It's as if you guys are getting divorced and asking me who to be with..."
"If you die, as long as I am alive, I will definitely not bury you, but turn you into a dead spirit." The necromancer said: "If you want to follow Igula, I will control you in any way Igula can; if you want to follow me or go back to find Liz, I will take you back."
"Although I didn't ask Igula, there's no way he would go with me. As for me, you're not a necromancer, so you can't turn me into a dead spirit. You can do whatever you want with my body when the time comes."
Ash sat up and looked at Harvey with a strange look.
"Why are you suddenly so sentimental today?"
"Is this sentimentality?" Harvey said, "Yashajen told me that if he loses his special physique that makes him hate the Void Realm after his death, he wants me to turn him into a powerful undead. As long as I can ensure that he only kills bad guys, he is willing to obey my orders."
By the way, the three of them lived in one room, and Tamashi lived in another. Originally, they wanted to live together as a group of four, so that they could protect each other in case of a surprise attack, but Tamashi said that for religious reasons, he could not sleep in the same room with a heretic.
"We will return to the gospel alive."
"You met Silver Lantern on the street last night." Harvey shook his head: "If she suddenly became possessed at that time, could you two really come back? You might have made it in time, but the trickster might not."
"Besides the Silver Lantern, there are too many beings in the Senluo Wasteland who can take our lives. They may not even be magicians, but may be a legacy from the past, such as the blood in our bodies. This is not the Blood Moon, this is not the Gospel, there is no regime that can suppress chaos, and life and death are the norm."
"It's a pity that you don't study the necromancy faction." He lowered his head and continued to study the rabbit: "Otherwise, I can ask you for help after I die."
Ash blinked and a warm smile appeared on his face: "Xavi, I didn't expect you to care about us."
"Um?"
"You didn't create the undead for your own desires, but created the illusion of death to take care of the feelings of the living." Ash smiled and said, "When a friend leaves, you hope to keep his seat, as if he is still enjoying the feast of fate with us."
“…I have always said that the dead are to serve the living.”
"I remember when I first came to Gospel, you asked An Nan to help you get a corpse, and you didn't consider our feelings at all." Yaxiu glanced at the rabbit corpse: "Why do you only care about our feelings now?"
"Because there is no private room now." Harvey said, "To avoid being beaten by you."
"Let's just take it as it is." Ash shrugged, "But your worry is justified. When facing Silver Lantern in the future, just do your best. I will do my best."
"Instead of discussing arrangements after death, let's think about living. Igula has Anfer waiting for him. Where do you want to return to settle down, Harvey? Gospel or Blood Moon?"
Harvey ignored him, and Ash opened "Aurora's Sorcerer's Manual" in frustration.
As soon as he opened it, he received three messages.
"Death Mad Sword Princess' Growth Report 6.14~7.4"
"Bond level: 4 (75% experience sharing)"
"Swordsmanship Faction: Gold → Gold"
"Light Mage Faction: Silver → Silver"
"Water Buffs: Silver → Silver"
"Time Faction: Gold → Gold"
「Space Faction: 0→Silver」
"Magic Power: Golden Wings → Holy Feather"
"Training evaluation: S!"
"Because she received an S-rank evaluation, the Death Sword Princess received the job enhancement in the Sorcerer's Handbook: Death Apostle!"
"Dead Apostle Job Features: 5% chance to cause true damage to the target's soul."
"Because of the increase in magic power, the talent of the Death Sword Princess has been strengthened!"
"Because she received an S-rank evaluation, the Death Mad Sword Princess received the career assessment mission 'Dead Apostle'!"
"Dead Apostle: In the next 7 days, use the Dead Apostle characteristics to instantly kill 100 targets. After completing the task, you can solidify the Dead Apostle professional characteristics permanently! Current progress (0/100)."
There has been no growth report since Ash and Sword Princess separated in the virtual world. Until now, the reports accumulated over three weeks have appeared at once.
The characteristic of the dead apostle is extremely terrifying. The true damage cannot resist the attack reduced by means other than the sanctuary. Coupled with the sword princess's deadly fighting style, once it is triggered, it will kill instantly. However, although there are many battles in the distant airspace, the number of enemies is not large. Unlike the time continent where monsters can be spawned, it is still difficult to kill 100 targets instantly.
Fiora's talent has been upgraded from mid-range to high-range. In addition to the improvement in statistics, she will now be able to summon the phantom of the Wrathful Dragon more closely - based on past experience, once this effect is triggered, it will basically be an instant kill.
"Growth Report of the Black and White Witch 6.14~7.4"
"Bond level: 2 → 4 (75% experience sharing)"
"Psychic Faction: Silver → Silver"
"Fist and Claw Faction: Gold → Gold"
"Time Faction: Gold → Gold"
"Water Buffs: Silver → Silver"
「Space Faction: 0→Silver」
"Training evaluation: S!"
"Magic Power: Golden Wings → Holy Feather"
"Because she received an S-rank rating, the Black and White Witch received the job enhancement in the Sorcerer's Handbook: Witch!"
"Witch·Professional Features: There is a 5% chance to grant a special status to the target of attack, which lasts for 5 seconds (love, infatuation, cherishment, obsession)."
"Because her magic power has been improved, the Black and White Witch's talent has been strengthened!"
"Because she received an S-rank rating, the Black and White Witch received the job assessment mission 'Witch'!"
"Witch: In the next 7 days, make the witch's characteristics take effect 500 times. After completing the task, you can solidify the witch's professional characteristics permanently! Current progress (0/500)."
Wow, Ash exclaimed in his heart. If the Dead Apostles were to strengthen the Sword Princess's combat power to an extreme, then the Witches were to make the Witch's control ability reach a new peak. But why was this special state so strange? Shouldn't it be dizzy, blind, or knocked down?
And it is said to be four special states, but don’t they all turn the target into a witch’s dog?
The witch's talents have also changed a bit:
"Inherent Talent: Witch (High Rank): Gain an additional 200% time experience, with a low chance of gaining 10,000% time experience, and occasionally summon the help of a bronze dragon (talent levels can be unlocked after strength is increased)."
Ash remembered that it was the 'favor of the bronze dragon' before, why did it become a help now?
"Youlan Weisser's Growth Report 6.28~7.4"
"Bond level: 0 → 2 (40% experience sharing)"
"Magic power: Sanctuary Zero Feather → Sanctuary One Feather"
「Cultivation evaluation: B」
Weisser's growth report barely changed, and Ash only received a 'B' rating. After all, he was a new operator, so it was normal that he didn't grow much.
What’s more surprising is that the bond with Orchid Weiser actually increased from 0 to 2 - remember, they’ve only been together for less than a week!
This speed is faster than that of Sword Lady and Witch!
Recalling Weisser's soft and almost flattering attitude, Ash thought that he had really drawn an honest operator this time. After all, appearance can be deceiving, attitude can be deceiving, but the bond displayed by the system can never be deceiving. If Weisser didn't have enough affection for him, how could this bond be upgraded from 0 to 2?
After reading the long report, a training strategy should be set up.
However, after Ash fed them the three of them "Advanced Physical Potion", "Advanced Experience Potion", and "Advanced Career Potion", he did not go on to arrange any specific tasks.
Things are no longer the same.
When Sword Lady and Witch first came, they didn't pay much attention to magic, so Ash had to urge them to grow through training strategies. But now they are already Sanctuary Magicians and understand their own path of magic, so Ash's arrangements are better than nothing.
More importantly, not only did the Sword Lady and the Witch's bond with him increase, but vice versa.
He believes that they will make good arrangements and is willing for them to have more private time to manage their own lives. As a spectator, he only needs to provide them with logistical preparations.
As for Visser, let alone her. If Ash and the others might be lazy, how could Visser, a serious Sanctuary magician and a truth magician who is proficient in more than 20 schools of magic, be lazy in studying?
Therefore, Ash no longer set up programs such as training, learning, and entertainment, allowing the operators to develop freely.
At this time, Igula finally finished his bath and came out. Ash stretched and went in to wash up. While brushing his teeth, he asked, "Where are we going next? I can't stay in this Black Robe Town for another day."
"Didn't you listen to Mercury Trojan?" Igula wiped his hair with a towel and said, "Silver Lamp is in Black Robe Town. We can either wait for her prediction to narrow the search area, or wait for her prediction of Silver Lamp's whereabouts. In other words, no matter what, we have to stay in Black Robe Town for another night."
"No--"
…
…
In another room, Weisser looked at the three bottles of medicine on the table in front of her. She thought about it and drank the medicine without any test.
Her idea was very simple - Ash could send potions across space, so if he wanted to poison her, why not just send it directly into her stomach? There was no need to think about all these things. Before Ash expressed his opinion, she should just treat him as a resuscitator who relied on compound miracles.
When he awakens from illusion to reality, it means that he is fully recovered.
"I already know Sword Princess's experience, but according to Sword Princess, there is no reason for the witch to like the viewer - she simply cannot find an opportunity to deepen her relationship with the viewer." Weisser pondered, "The viewer's attitude towards the witch is reasonable, but the witch is unreasonable... It seems that the witch has some information that only she knows."
"Which pair should I pair up with first?"
Suddenly, a voice identical to hers came from the mirror: "You seem to be troubled by something very interesting."
Weisser turned her head and saw the quiet girl walking out of the mirror. She was a little surprised: "Has the Mirror Dragon been looking at me too often recently?"
"Maybe it's because your recent experiences are so interesting." The quiet girl smiled and said, "From your looks, you may have met Ash."
Weisser nodded and suddenly asked, "What was the Ash like when you met him in the other world?"
"It's just like what you're thinking now." The quiet girl lay on the bed, raised her legs and swayed back and forth, "Besides you and me, you're the only one who has escaped from the illusion."
Weisser couldn't help but feel a little envious: "How great! How come I met this Ash?"
She immediately told him her "fast-forward relationship plan" and asked the quiet girl for her opinion: "Do you think we should find a way to let Ash and the witch create an opportunity to cause Sword Lady's resentment; or should we go with the flow and help Sword Lady and Ash express their feelings to each other, and then let the witch mess things up?"
However, the quiet girl did not answer Weisser. She seemed to remember something and a strange smile appeared on her face.
"What are you laughing at?"
"I just remembered something interesting." The quiet girl smiled and said, "Ash in my world was married in reality."