Mage Manual-Chapter 1439 - 1050: Multiple Choice Question

Second floor of the villa, study room.

Ash sat on a brown soft chair near the window, holding a comic book. A crescent-shaped lamp next to him cast a gentle light, illuminating the fantastical world on the pages. Outside, the snowstorm howled, the cold wind clattering against the windows, but inside the study, only faint sounds could be heard, accentuating the tranquility.

Igula didn’t actually like reading books. His tastes leaned more towards those of a housewife, particularly enjoying those melodramatic, high-conflict family dramas at prime time, and he even watched them at thirty-two times speed. Although he claimed that "such popular shows can accurately reflect social realities and moral values," Ash noticed that he even watched those shows while soaking in the bath to pass the time, making all his excuses seem pale.

But he needed to force himself to read, since when you have a fool who only reads comic books and a necromancer whose brain is soaked in preservatives on your team, it’s hard not to take on the responsibility of gathering more information.

It’s like a group project where the two teammates openly state, "we’re just here for the presentation," leaving the one who wants to stay alive to do most of the work.

To be precise, Ash and his team only stayed one night in the villa. The next day, the three of them were captured and taken to the Allstars Prison. But Ash still remembers that when he opened the study the next day, he found Igula sitting where he is now, leafing through a hefty history book he would never touch.

During the trips to Gospel and Senluo, the Swindler often sat quietly by the side, reading books, collecting seemingly useless information. Yet, they never got lost on their journeys. Igula might not provide the right answers, but he knew which direction to head in.

Lost ones remain lost, those meant to meet will still meet.

"This is the first time we’ve been apart for so long." Ash chuckled to himself, "I always thought I’d find you two under some bridge in a cardboard box."

Though that sounded a bit like abducting small animals, come to think of it, didn’t he find those two idiots in the big cage of Blood Moon Prison? One was a black-hearted ragdoll cat, and the other was a scarred husky. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Although they certainly thought they had found Ash.

At this moment, the light slightly flickered, as the warm glow subtly shifted to the cool silver light. When Ash noticed the change in the environment, a pair of hands gently wrapped around his neck, his head resting against two soft, supple mounds, like the world’s most exquisite pillow.

"Any progress?" Weiser asked.

"Not yet." Ash gently patted the back of her hand, "Looking for me for something?"

"Can’t I bother you if there’s nothing?"

"Because I’m busy searching for traces now, and you never disturb me when I’m focused."

"Because I’m not a Sword Witch." Weiser whispered, "They have the right to act spoiled with you, I don’t."

"I can’t say you’re all of equal standing in my heart," Ash glanced at her, "but you certainly have the right to be ’naughty’ with me."

"Do you like me being a little mischievous?" Weiser winked at him, a trace of charm flowing from the corners of her eyes: "Like in the library?"

"So, is there something you need?" Ash closed the comic book, "Tonight I have to carefully inspect the villa, I might not have time to sleep."

Weiser hummed, "Even if you can’t find any traces, you still won’t give up, will you?"

"Of course." Ash replied firmly, "It’s not just for those two, it’s for you all. If we don’t stop the devouring World Snake, sooner or later we’ll be replaced, and before that happens, you’ll continually experience personality shifts—"

"That’s the point."

Weiser moved to face Ash, straddling his lap, her hands resting on his shoulders, earnestly saying, "I suspect Death Mad deceived you."

With the Silver Lamp straightening her back, she almost looked down at Ash, so directly in front of him was the azure bow tied at her chest. And being so close, Ash not only didn’t know where to direct his gaze, he also didn’t know where to put his head.

Yet Weiser’s words immediately captured all his attention: "She deceived me? Are you saying... all of it?"

Ash felt a slight unease. He naturally did not fully trust Death Mad, but if Weiser were to question all the information provided by Death Mad, it would be more of a doubt on her than on him—if what Death Mad said was false, why wasn’t Death Mad something Ash fabricated?

"Of course not."

Noticing Ash’s unease, Weiser gently hugged his head, pulling him into her embrace: "We were all part of the team exploring the Void Realm with you. While we might not fully trust your memory, we will at least give you enough patience until you prove or abandon it."

"I believe most of what Death Mad said is true, except for one lie."

"What?"

"Personality shift." Weiser stated seriously, "This past week, I collaborated with the Witch and Vishi to develop the ’Personality Analysis Model,’ trying to analyze if we are experiencing personality shifts."

"What were the results?" Ash asked with curiosity, "Is there none?"

"No, there is." Weiser’s response was unexpected: "And we are experiencing it every moment."