Mage Manual-Chapter 620 - 498: Caught in the Rain_3

"Liss" turned the page to where the bookmark was and saw two extra woven side stories.

The first side story’s protagonist was named "Hanna Doran." fгeewёbnoѵel_cσm

...

In the underground hall, the attendees of the funeral ceremony looked at the contents of the Gospel Book. Banjee was silent, Igula sighed deeply, Harvey was ecstatic, and Hanna herself was quite calm.

"Hanna Doran"

"Also known as: Enemy Gospel, Purple Witch, Disaster Master"

"Relationship with Yayin: Enslavement Contract"

"Deeds: Hanna, through the Enslavement Contract, successfully stole a wish from the Divine Lord and wished that the Gospel could not be effective in reality. Henceforth, the Gospel Book disappeared, the leaderboards self-destructed, and the world could no longer hear the Gospel, leading to a regression in technological development by thirty years and the outbreak of a civil war, followed by an invasion from the Foreign Domain. Yayin spent his entire life repairing the chaos Hanna Doran created, even dying once along the way."

"Disposition: To be killed."

"Though I’ve also thought about whether the Kingdom of Blood Moon would be better off without the Blood Saint Clan or the Moon Shadow Clan," Igula said, "I never imagined you’d dare to do it, targeting the cornerstone of your civilization—the Gospel."

"I’m also a bit surprised," Hanna said. "I should have wished for the Gospel to disappear directly, so why did it change to ’the Gospel cannot be effective in reality’..."

"Even a Technique Spirit has its own will, let alone a Divine Being," Harvey laughed. "Besides, would the All-knowing Weaver really kill its own Divine Being just because you asked? That They were willing to fulfill your wish to such an extent, I don’t know if it’s being faithful to Their promise or if They simply don’t care about the survival of the Evangelism."

"Because the Divine Being didn’t disappear but continued to reside within Ash, so in the end, Ash became ’armored in adulthood’ by the Divine Being and stepped into a future named ’Yayin’," the Swindler sighed. "Now that you know the future developments, would you still make that wish?"

"I would," Hanna answered resolutely.

"I won’t ask you why you don’t care about Ash—what belief supports your determination?"

"Gospel despises Doran." Hanna looked at the Divine Being of light on the throne. "If the Gospel does not die, every generation of Dorans cannot live past thirty, including me. To survive, the Gospel must die."

"And, I despise the Gospel as well."

Even Harvey was a bit curious now: "Aren’t you a parasite living off the Gospel? Isn’t your office thriving because you exploit loopholes in the Gospel?"

"If only you had been chosen as the First Gospel," Hanna glanced at the Necromancer and said, "It’s precisely because I understand the core of the Gospel that I loathe it so much."

"The Gospel has not given anyone freedom, not at all," Purple Moth swept his gaze over the surrounding Legendary Mages. "Information, emotions, relationships, education—everything people can come into contact with—is under the control of the Gospel. As a nearly perfect system, it imprisons everyone in their own specialized cocoons. The cities led by different clans represent different hatching strategies: spiders, ants, bees... but they are unable to live as humans."

"People’s freedom is subject to environmental constraints," Igula reminded.

"But what if there’s no freedom of thought?" Hanna said. "The Gospel controls everything about the environment; all the choices you make are paths arranged for you by the Gospel, and you’re not even aware of it... Only those who can choose are human; those who blindly follow are merely insects."

The Swindler fell silent for a moment, looking at the contents of the Gospel Book and murmured, "What would Ash choose then..."

"He has no choice," Harvey pulled out Alice’s coffin from a Space Card. "Neither do we."

The reason they all stayed in the underground hall and did not flee right away was that they had already heard the commotion above the ground.

The surrounding Servants unanimously hid against the walls, simply because the Secret Guard who had just left had returned, bringing quite a few people with them.

Among these people, Hanna and the others recognized several; they were the Holy Sanctuary Mage guards they had encountered on the road.

"Hanna Doran, you have been identified as noise interfering with Yayin," the Secret Guard asked in a hoarse voice. "Are you willing to slit your own throat?"

"Let Ash come and say that to me, and I will," Hanna replied.

"Any contact between the noise and Yayin is considered a serious interference that jeopardizes the future," the Secret Guard said. "Starting now, eliminate the noise."

Ice-cursed pistols, Alice, Miss Donna... When all weapons were ready and battle was about to break out, Hanna suddenly felt a twinge of apology towards Ash.

I’m sorry, Ash.

There are many things I’m sorry for, but when I think that even knowing these things beforehand wouldn’t make me change, that I would still drag you down to Hell as always, then I can’t be bothered with apologies. If it comes to that, let you be above while I’m below in Hell.

But there is one thing that I truly feel sorry about because it could have been avoided.

If you hadn’t met.

Then you wouldn’t have to suffer one more time.

...

"Liss"

"Also known as: Daughter of Yayin"

"Relationship with Yayin: Enslavement Contract"

"Deeds: There exists an eternal Enslavement Contract between Liss and Yayin, hence Liss can severely disturb the will of Yayin. As long as Liss is alive, there is a possibility of desecrating Yayin."

"Disposition: To be killed"

"Liss" closed the Gospel Book and saw twenty figures appear on the city road ahead. They were so abrupt, forming individual areas unaffected by rain or wind within the veil of rain, strolling leisurely as though they were just taking a walk through the stormy weather.

Holy Sanctuary Mages.

"Liss."

Ash’s voice was firm and steady, unlike the suppressed, bewildered pain from before, clear as rain hitting the ground: "Are you scared?"

"Not scared."

"Liss" leaned against Ash’s back, her voice clearly discernible through the Rain Curtain. "Liss is not scared at all."

"Ash, you’re not afraid of the rain, and neither is Liss."

"Hold on tight to me, and don’t let go," Ash said as he drew forth the blade of sweet words and a hidden dagger from his mouth, charging towards the Holy Sanctuary Mages on his phantom motorbike.

"I won’t let you get rained on."

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