Free Web NovelChapter 300: Watcher, You've Truly Become Despicable
Let the Celestial Chariot Ox take a few steps back, returning to the moment when Ashe brushed past Amodo.
Once again, they had dragged an unlucky sorcerer into trouble, yet Ashe and the others felt no guilt at all. They had clearly seen the man cast a Miracle in an attempt to attack them. With that "instant rapport," they left the rearguard to him without hesitation.
Along the way, they had encountered several sorcerers one after another. Almost without exception, each raised a hand to attack the moment they saw them. Ashe and his group worried about the general standard of the sorcerers, but they simply floored the accelerator and sped off, deciding not to waste time engaging.
The village girl heard the thunderous rumble of the legion behind them, which showed no sign of slowing down. She scratched her head in frustration. "Why are they still chasing us? Didn't they say beasts stop once they've got a meal, no matter who it is?"
Ashe replied casually. "The Heroes aren't natural beasts. They're part of a civilization, and the essence of civilization lies in purging the outsider rather than in showing mercy. But that raises another question. The Legions of Hero don't deliberately hunt sorcerers unless they're provoked. We've been running this fast, so why won't they give up? We haven't even insulted them."
The witch, Dia, offered a guess. "Could it be because Sonya and I are too beautiful and they want to take us away? Like a dragon kidnapping a princess..."
Sonya said calmly, "They do want to take someone, but not us. Their target should be the Watcher."
"Me?"
"Didn't you say a powerful Hero Commander tried to reincarnate into you just now, only to be absorbed instead? That's like a little rabbit fleeing a fox, only to jump straight onto someone picking mushrooms."
"Are you especially good at cooking rabbit meat, Swordswoman?"
Sonya's eyes flickered as she spoke in a grave tone. "Anyway, the fox behind us is after the rabbit, not us. It just doesn't know the rabbit has already been swallowed whole by the Watcher. So the only solution now is to hand the Watcher over."
Dia nodded. "That's right."
Her hair split into black and white while her voice resonated with a smooth, dual harmony. "The fox won't listen to explanations. It only wants to bite the rabbit to death. As for who the rabbit is, it doesn't care."
"Then there's no other way..."
"Yeah, yeah..."
As the two agents calmly discussed how to package him up and sell him off, Ashe remained composed. He even began offering suggestions.
"I'll check if there's a River of Flowing Gold nearby. If there is, I'll dive in and draw their attention while the two of you drive off. If not, there's probably a mining site around here where I can hide and stall for time. If they catch up, you can both get out immediately, sever the connection to the Virtual World, and return to reality. I'll drive straight back into them. That should buy at least twenty seconds."
He paused, then added, "Still... I'm a bit afraid of getting torn apart by Virtual World creatures. You two could just kill me instead. Didn't you say injuries sustained upon death in the Virtual World affect the real body? Then aim for my abdomen. I've been eating a bit too much lately, so this could help me lose some weight..."
As Ashe continued to calmly plan his own death, Sonya and Dia exchanged a glance, both seeing the same sense of defeat in each other's eyes.
"That's enough," Sonya said, suddenly losing interest. "You know we'd never abandon you, so stop showing off your so-called noble sacrifice."
Ashe replied, "I'm not. Selling me off really is the best option here. If this continues, we'll all be wiped out. It is better for one person to die than all three. You're my operators, so your survival is worth more than mine, and I'm the root of the problem anyway. If it's to protect you, dying once is a price I can accept."
Sonya had only meant to emphasize that this crisis stemmed entirely from the Watcher, so she could display her unwavering loyalty. She wanted him to feel deeply moved, making him feel indebted for life to the Swordswoman's brilliance. She had not expected him to see through her scheme and turn it around so easily, which irritated her. This not only failed to make him feel touched, but it also caused her own favor toward him to rise instead.
The village girl chopped the cult leader sharply on the neck. "You won't actually die if you die in the Virtual World! Why make it sound so serious? Are you trying to make us feel grateful enough to devote ourselves to you, or guilty enough to serve you in the Virtual World every night, so you can lean back into my lap for a temple massage or stretch out your legs for the witch to press your calves... until every night in the Virtual World feels like a vacation?"
"You can fantasize all you want, but there's no need to go into that much detail—"
Dia let out a soft sigh, cutting Ashe off. "Watcher, you've truly become despicable."
Ashe rolled his eyes. He had no intention of currying favor with the two of them. He genuinely believed sacrificing himself offered the highest payoff. After all, he never liked coming to the Virtual World in the first place. If he could take a legitimate break, stay home, and play games without being blamed, then why not?
Besides, his death wouldn't be much of a loss. He would still receive a portion of the gains from the Witch and the Swordswoman. If they died instead, that would be a real loss. He would be like a failing investment, unable to enter the Virtual World alone and with no one left to exploit. His progress would come to a complete halt.
"Is there any chance of escape?" the village girl asked.
Ashe opened the map of the Virtual World and shook his head. "The fox has deliberately driven us into a dead end."
When the chase had just begun, Ashe's first instinct had been to drive straight toward the Star Hall region. He figured that since Bledo was a Star Hall commander, and their pursuer clearly belonged to an opposing faction, the Star Hall territory might offer sanctuary. He didn't know if the Continent of Time had its own version of a Homeland Security Act, but he was certain the enemy would hesitate to cross that border.
However, every time he tried to turn north, long-range attacks rained down from above to block his path. Rather than making progress toward the Star Hall, the distance between them and the pursuing legion actually shrank. The enemy had clearly anticipated his movements and deployed interception forces. Compared to these tactically brilliant Legions of Hero, Knowledge Creatures like the Fish-Slaying Dragon seemed like nothing more than naïve, docile Lala Fats.
"Since you refuse my generous offer of self-sacrifice, we have three options left. First option. You two follow me into the Static Zone and wait for death, or we just commit suicide here. It still ends in a total wipe, but at least it minimizes soul damage. I'll track down some soul-healing potions afterward. At most, we'll only need ten days to recover before we can return to the Virtual World.
"Second option. Destroy the Conjuring spirit. We don't know which part of the rabbit the fox is after, but throwing the whole rabbit away should solve the problem."
At this, both the Swordswoman and the Witch shook their heads. Had it been the old version of the Conjuring spirit, they might have abandoned it without a second thought. But after hearing Ashe describe the newly unlocked unit types, there was no way they were letting it go.
Both the Star Prayer Devotees and the Starshot Warriors possessed power that far exceeded the limits of a Two-Winged sorcerer. Whether they could rival Three-Winged sorcerers remained to be seen, but on the Continent of Time, a sorcerer equipped with these troops could practically roam the land unchecked. Slaughtering Fish-Slaying Dragons would become as easy as killing chickens.
Moreover, these high-tier units were incredibly rare. Take Bledo, for example, a high-ranking commander with a massive retinue who could arm himself as a Starshot Warrior. If a low-ranking Hero Commander like Demilo had forced the three of them to exhaust every trick in their arsenal just to survive, then defeating someone on Bledo's level was simply out of the question. Even a group of sorcerers wouldn't stand a chance.
Without an extraordinary stroke of luck, Ashe would never unlock these advanced units again. In fact, advancing to a Three-Winged Sacred Realm sorcerer would be easier than killing another Hero Commander. They didn't know why the Conjuring spirit was so powerful, but they knew for sure that if they lost it now, they would likely never see another one again. Compared to losing such a rare opportunity, they would rather watch the Watcher kill himself.
Sonya suggested, "It might not even be the spirit. It could be the Commander's Handbook you just absorbed. By the way, what skill did you pick?"
Ashe replied, "I doubt it. I chose Financial Management."
The village girl stared at him in shock. "Why?! Isn't Offense Command better? It increases experience gain for all your sorcery classes! We don't even have enough soul energy to arm troops right now! What exactly are you managing with your finances, thin air?!"
By the time she finished, she was so incensed that her rural dialect had completely slipped out.
Ashe defended himself. "But it's Financial Management! Managing finances means investing in the future! Who could resist the temptation of investing in the future?"
