Mage Manual-Chapter 1413 - 1034: Unreasonable and Double Standards (Part 3)

"Yes, from the start, I planned to gather intelligence and see if I could set a trap to catch this persistent group of trackers." Weiser spread his hands, crossed his legs, and laughed, "Didn’t expect to fall into it myself."

"Looks like I’m the only one who hasn’t seen it yet." Vishi gritted her teeth and said, "But if I’m not mistaken, this ruby chain... it’s probably a ’gift’ from my future self!"

Vishi had long suspected this possibility, after all, as a soul demigod, even if she couldn’t resist a Divine Lord-level control Miracle, at the very least she could figure out the casting traces, but the ruby chain showed no signs at all, as if Vishi was naturally meant to wear this chain and become Ash’s prisoner.

The Divine Lord definitely couldn’t reach this level, only she herself could!

Damn, you made yourself a dog chain, don’t wear it yourself, and use it to trap the past me!?

Weiser suddenly asked, "The Observer phantom you saw, is it very different from Ash in personality?"

Sonia and Diya exchanged a glance and shook their heads: "Not much difference."

Ash was a bit puzzled: "But I remember the Sword Maiden phantom and the Witch phantom I saw before were somewhat different from you. It’s just that I didn’t think of this possibility at the time, so I didn’t look into it further."

"In other words, the phantoms Ash saw might reflect true personalities, but the Observer phantoms you saw must be role-playing." Vishi analyzed, "If they really have returned from rebirth, it’s at least a matter of years or even decades later, and you all are still young, your personalities wouldn’t remain the same for decades."

"Moreover, if I’m not mistaken, the mastermind behind this multiple rebirth plan should be the future Ash. Only this scenario can explain why my future self would prepare a chain to control me for Ash."

Although furious to the point of burning through her gut, Vishi had to admit that if she were to use her past self to rebirth, she would certainly also craft a chain capable of controlling herself.

No one understands better than she does how unruly and unscrupulous she is; reasoning, persuasion, or threats have no effect, only an absolute chain can ensure she follows orders.

Even if "Future Vishi" appeared before Vishi, Vishi would definitely not listen to any nonsense from her, but instead think of ways to bind her soul and slowly search her memory. Because even she knows she wouldn’t help anyone — not even her past self — her only reason for rebirth is to seize her past body and challenge the Supreme of Magic again!

"If your future selves have been reborn." Felix, who had been silent, suddenly interrupted: "Why haven’t they directly replaced you? Just like the Ghost Prophet."

Indeed, the reason everyone could so quickly accept this ’future self reborn’ situation was primarily because of Vishi — she really was a Reborn One! Including resurrection, she’s already lived her third life!

Vishi had some guesses in her heart, exchanged a glance with Ash, and Ash nodded slightly: "Each of us is like a drop of water in the Flowing Gold River, and our course is what’s called fate, but our course is uncertain because ’the future’ hasn’t happened yet. Even Prophecy Wonders can only predict our possible paths."

"But the Reborn Ones are different. They return to the past with their own predefined path. In the eyes of time and fate, Reborn Ones’ courses are already set. If weaving all beings’ futures were an exam, then a Mage reborn to the past brings fate a ’reference answer.’"

"A mage’s rebirth doesn’t just represent themselves but also includes the millions they’ve interacted with. It’s even said that if a mage returns from 100 years in the future to now, through her experiences, fate can directly weave everyone’s paths in the next 100 years."

"If the Reborn Ones don’t act according to their original path, fate will make them yearn and be unsatisfied, unable to let go of attachments or resentments, all to revert them to the ’reference answer.’

"Fate also tends to be lazy. If it completes its work 100 years in advance, it won’t allow you to ruin that answer."

"On this point." Ash glanced at Vishi: "Ghost Prophet, you should feel this the most."

Vishi’s face was no longer playful, as calm as a lake.

Although her second rebirth’s early days were more successful than her first life, her achievements in the second life didn’t even surpass her first life. In her first life, she managed to find ’Second Cycle Divine Being’ to rebirth, but in her second life, she couldn’t touch any Divine Being.

Oddly, after being resurrected after thousands of years, the Lord of Wind, Rain, and Snow immediately gave her the opportunity to steal a Divine Being and almost succeeded, resulting in the Flame Divine Being being demoted to a Technique Spirit.

It was only while preparing for resurrection that she realized rebirth is not a shortcut, but a detour. If rebirth could really mend all regrets, the Lord of Time should be the strongest Divine Lord, and the Time Faction should be the strongest Magic, but reality is otherwise.

"No wonder..." she murmured, "after my rebirth, the number and strength of Prophet Mages have greatly increased. It turns out my rebirth made the future more certain..."

"Rebirth can’t change anything either." Dedarose softly said, "It’s just like predestined fate; it’s not a Miracle at all."

"Fate, Fate Compulsion, you’ve heard many names for it." Ash said, "But normally, the world doesn’t have such a thing. It’s an appendage of rebirth. When you choose rebirth, you bring future destiny to the past world."

"Initially, everything is unknown until someone brings destiny back from the future."

The Witch suddenly realized: "So the reason the Observer hasn’t directly replaced us is because they don’t want us to be confined by destiny?"

"Feels a bit strange," Sonia said, "I might get confused hearing ’Observer’..."

"Observer, Death Mad, Black Demon, Youmo, Lord of Mirrors, these are what they call each other, so let’s call them that too." Ash chuckled, "Final Observer is a code name the Gods of Four Pillars gave me, I have no sentimental attachment to it."

"But I still like calling you Sword Maiden."

"But I still want you to call me Sword Maiden."

Both Ash and Sonia, speaking at the same time, suddenly paused, exchanging amused glances. Sitting beside Ash, Diya immediately raised her small hand: "Me too, I want you to call me Her Majesty!"

Ash looked at her helplessly, nodding with respect: "As you command, my Her Majesty."

Diya didn’t expect Ash to comply, but seeing Ash’s respectful demeanor didn’t make her happy. She didn’t lack subjects calling her Her Majesty back in Gospel, they were everywhere, what she truly wanted was...

"... You should call me daughter instead."

"Hmm?" Ash gave her a subtle glance, "Are you sure?"

Diya instantly recalled that Chaotic Evil dream, her face flushing to her ears, shaking her head repeatedly: "No, no, no, call me Witch instead."

Weiser asked, "Then when Death Mad appeared before you, and revealed they’re the Reborn Ones, what purpose did they have?"

"I don’t know about others, but if I were to be reborn again, my goal definitely wouldn’t be to help my past self reach the peak." Vishi tugged at her collar, not hiding her resentment at all: "There’s no better evidence than this chain."

"Simply put, when Level Six of Hell completely disappears."

Ash deliberately said each word: "That’s when they’ll take our places."