Mage Manual-Chapter 1471 - 1071: Ash’s Peculiar Behavior

Ash was acting a bit strange today.

Once a presence that suppressed an era, like a nightmare enveloping all beings, silencing the weak and making the strong lament and submit, the Ghost Prophet Vishi’s insight into human nature was nearly at a ’Miracle’ level.

To Vishi, the tactics of individuals like the Sword Maiden, Witch, and Silver Lamp were akin to children playing in the mud. She could predict their mischief with ease, a confidence brought about by millennia of slaughter.

However, the changes in Ash after his return from hell left Vishi somewhat uncertain.

He seemed unchanged, yet there was an indescribable difference. For instance, the obedient kiss of ’good morning,’ or how his gaze would drift and not meet Vishi’s in the hallway, his attitude oscillating between ’intimate’ and ’distant.’

In truth, Vishi was not unfamiliar with such tactics; maintaining a delicate balance is indeed an effective strategy between men and women. In emotional relationships, humans sometimes differ little from animals, both being hunters and prey, at times endearingly close, at others distantly detached, easily making the prey feel insecure and ultimately toyed with by the hunter.

Yet Vishi believed Ash was not employing any advanced tactics.

Firstly, he wouldn’t be foolish enough to think that "such a strategy would work on the Ghost Prophet." More importantly, judging by Ash’s emotional history, his emotional intelligence wasn’t sufficient to master strategies beyond basic tactics.

While delving into Ash’s memories, Vishi also took note of his experiences, finding that aside from the Sword Maiden, the Witch and Silver Lamp were incidents where Ash put his life on the line in his pursuits—there was no talk of tactics at all. Naturally, they weren’t female mages that could be won over by mere strategies.

Sometimes Vishi found it quite intriguing, given that normally, genius mages like the Witch and Silver Lamp would never open their hearts, let alone fall for someone.

Though the Witch usually appeared foolishly naive, she had initially set Liss up to trick Ash. In terms of cunning, she surpassed Ash by far. Yet, the Witch craved familial love and unexpectedly encountered the lonely wandering knight... Ash truly treated her like a daughter, even when he himself was barely hanging on, he included raising Lissdia into his life plans... When the knight led the princess out of the Imperial Palace, it implanted a twisted love in the Witch.

As for Silver Lamp, whose fierce will could consume the world, her emotions should have long been sacrificed on the altar. She and Ash initially had an antagonistic relationship of mutual pursuit and assassination, but their repeated life-and-death encounters ignited a flame in her heart, reaching its peak in the Silent Spiral. The Senluoians had a tendency for self-destruction; Vishi strongly suspected that when Silver Lamp sacrificed herself before Ash, there might have been a sense of ’leaving Ash with a lifetime of regret’ bringing her immense satisfaction... So upon learning that Ash continued to pursue her even after her death, a satisfied Silver Lamp was willing to burn out her light for him.

Only Ash and the Sword Maiden’s long-distance relationship appeared plain and unadorned, but they seemed to be each other’s first love, their relationship entirely devoid of tactics, filled with pure affection.

Women who fell purely for Ash’s charm appeared to not be operators, such as Meiwa, Purple Moth, Ya Sha Jin, Filly... Wait, with Ash’s not particularly high emotional intelligence and not being notably handsome, how could there still be so many people who liked him?

Could it be that during my millennia of slumber, the world interbred a male Meiwa bloodline?

"Vishi?"

The maid suddenly raised her head, noticing everyone looking at her, "What’s wrong?"

Ash asked, "Do you have any objections to this distribution of wonders: ’Sword Blade Storm,’ ’Warrior Monument,’ ’Flashing Raid’ for the Sword Maiden, ’Time Lock,’ ’Thunderbird Transformation,’ ’Overturn Tower’ for the Witch, ’Soul Reflection’ and ’Soul Scream’ for you."

Though Ash notified Sonia and the others at noon, it wasn’t until afternoon that the female mages returned due to an auction in the Technique Spirit black market, showcasing many rare Technique Spirits. They naturally wouldn’t spend money to buy, nor did they have that much money, but midway through the auction, a conflict erupted with multiple Holy Sanctuary Mages storming the venue for robbery, later even a possible Legendary Mage appeared.

Despite Jiale City’s ever-excellent security standards, a Holy Domain war broke out over an underground auction. Even though the surrounding factory district was desolate, a hundred meters of land turned to scorched earth; even Ash, kilometers away, felt the tremors.

But such events were within everyone’s expectations, at most a matter of time. After all, as the Starry Sky fragments weakened, and the noble charters lost effect during the crime window period, all Star Mages temporarily broke free from the "Star Cluster of law abidance"—

They could commit crimes.

As long as crime was possible, someone would inevitably commit it. Expecting decorum and morality to restrain the mage group was less likely than hoping Lala-fat would hop into a pot to cook itself.

Emi even dared to shelter Ash’s sister, who followed the Cult Leader... Ash, after all, was a criminal designated by the Supreme Star! Without noble charters to restrain, even a mere Vosloda Duke dared to defy the Supreme of Magic for family!

The rare Technique Spirits at the auction must have been stolen from the Star Kingdom’s treasury by nobles, and the robbing Holy Sanctuary and Legendary were undoubtedly prominent Upper Nobles from Jiale City, making it even possible to pinpoint suspects—there were only a few Holy Sanctuary and Legendary, eliminating one by one could unravel them.

However, no one would expose them, for everyone participating in the underground market was breaking the law. Exposing others would require proving the information source, which was no different from confessing. Now, as the most glorious Kingdom, they still intended to seize the era’s benefits rather than foolishly lose their titles at such a time.

By erasing their crime memories, they could remain spotless Dazzling Nobles even after the noble charters reactivated. Conversely, this window period might be a once-in-a-thousand-years clearing time for the Kingdom of Stars, settling old scores and seizing opportunities; once past, there might never be another chance for crime.

Even Ash sensed that many wouldn’t make it through Jiale City’s first winter in millennia, inevitably ushering a major reshuffling among the ruling class.

However, this had little to do with Sonia and the others. Amidst the chaos, these demigods took all the Technique Spirits, even looting the treasury. As they returned, full of honors as if from hunting, seeing Ash welcoming them at the villa door, Diya and Weiser even embraced Ash together. Sonia merely huffed and waited for a kiss from Ash to brightened up again.

After dinner, the delightful time of sorting their spoils commenced.

Even though Sonia and the others were mentally prepared, watching Ash showcase one wonder after another, there was still a sense of "damn it, can’t afford to keep this little trumpet."

Coming to her senses, Vishi asked, "What wonders did you keep for yourself?"

"’Refraction Protection’ and ’Heart Hunting Throne,’" Ash said. "The former can enhance my defense, and the latter is an attack method I master easily... do you want it?"

Vishi blinked and retorted, "If I say I want it, would you give it to me?"

Ash’s lips moved slightly, he glanced at the others’ expressions, and swiftly changed the topic, taking out three potions: "Besides the wonders, I also obtained three portions of knowledge essence, which should be enough for you to condense the first Double Prison Wings."

Weiser asked, "And you?"

"I’ve already condensed Double Prison Wings, these knowledge essences aren’t very effective for me—"

"That’s nonsense." Vishi, supporting her chin lazily, said, "The only method to condense Prison Wings is by consuming specific essences... wait, Perfect Essence!?"

The maid quickly grabbed the essence, carefully examining the strange liquid that fluctuated between transparent and rainbow hues, her eyes glistening with greed: "Untainted by any magic color, the feather color of Prison Wings automatically allocated by the Demigod Realm... No one can resist drinking such a treasure. Did you catch an Alchemist Demigod to refine this for you?"

"Actually, it was thanks to this refining bottle."

In Ash’s hand appeared a glass bottle with gilded edges. He explained, "It can refine all materials into Perfect Essence without any operation. These were all refined from materials on my trip through hell. Death Mad said it’s a treasure crafted by the future Alchemist Supreme."