Don't Make Them Angry

Last night, in the Six Hells. "Why would you replace us once Hell vanishes?" Yaxiu demanded. "Or rather, could you not replace us if Hell doesn't vanish?" Leaning against a broken stone pillar, Dead Frenzy flicked the ash from her cigarette; the flakes vanished into nothing before they could even hit the ground. When Dead Frenzy had said, "We are going to replace you," Yaxiu had struck without hesitation, yet his blade slashed through empty air—Dead Frenzy did not exist in physical reality, but was a phantom only he could see. It was identical to the time he first met her back in Shattered Lake Prison. She could burn Yaxiu's palm with a cigarette butt, yet Yaxiu couldn't even touch a hair on her. "We have always been able to replace you," she said calmly. "It's merely a matter of paying a different price. "The ideal scenario would actually be waiting until all of you advance to Supreme Sovereigns of Sorcery. That would be the true harvest season. You would have reached the ceiling we had prior to our rebirth, and taking you over then would leave us free from the shackles of fate." Yaxiu's heart sank inch by inch, a bone-chilling cold piercing his spine. "You were all Supreme Sovereigns of Sorcery before your rebirth?" If Dead Frenzy and the others were merely at the level of divine lords, perhaps Yaxiu and his cohort of demigods might still stand a fighting chance. But if they were a cadre of Supreme Sovereigns of Sorcery... "You really don't need to look so shocked. It's hardly some glorious feat—in fact, it's far less difficult than wrenching half of the Supreme Holy Grail from Starry's hands." Dead Frenzy let out a light laugh. "So long as you manage to be among the final five sorcerers surviving at the end of a civilization, you too could become a Supreme Sovereign of Sorcery." The final ones surviving...? "The reason the five of us returned to the past from the future is very simple." Dead Frenzy exhaled a smoke ring and said nonchalantly, "The sorcerer civilization of our worldline was devoured by Ouroboros. We were the last five sorcerers." "Ouroboros?" Yaxiu recalled the kaleidoscopic serpent from his dream. "The World-Devouring Serpent? The monster that hunted you down all the way into Hell?" Dead Frenzy's expression shifted instantly. She stepped forward, grabbed Yaxiu by the collar, and demanded sharply, "You synchronized with the Observer?!" "I don't know what synchronization is," Yaxiu replied calmly. "But I seem to have gained his perspective and witnessed what you did." Dead Frenzy stared fixedly at him for quite a while before releasing her grip and shoving him back. "Doesn't matter. It was bound to happen sooner or later anyway." Yaxiu didn't mind her rudeness, pressing on, "What exactly is Ouroboros? Did it destroy the sorcerer civilization?" "Ouroboros is the sole Eight-Winged Sorcerer throughout all of history." Yaxiu froze. Even knowing Dead Frenzy had no reason to deceive him on such a detail, he still found it hard to believe. Only now that the Prime Angel was dead could Starry advance to a Seven-Winged Supreme. Yet how long had Starry and the others plotted just to slay the Prime Angel? Even the Starry Kingdom was built across thousands of years to stage the Cage of All Stars, all to wait for a single opportunity—an opportunity that Yaxiu had nearly ruined. What was more, countless divine lords in the past must have tried to slay the Prime Angel; Starry and her allies had stepped onto the shoulders of predecessors to orchestrate that exquisite death trap. Not to mention, the Prime Angel had been on Ruby Mountain the entire time, an utterly conspicuous target, yet it had still held off the divine lords for millennia upon millennia. If an Eight-Winged Sorcerer truly existed, it meant "the Eighth" was dead as well. But the problem was that not even the Four Pillar Gods knew where the Eighth was, let alone divine lords. Even if Ouroboros truly were an Eight-Winged Sorcerer, why would it destroy the sorcerer civilization? But none of that was the crux right now. Yaxiu asked, "Why did it follow you to our worldline?" An Eight-Winged Sorcerer emerged in your worldline—awesome! The Eight-Winged Sorcerer wanted to annihilate civilization—impressive! But what did that have to do with us? "It chased us here." Dead Frenzy didn't dodge responsibility in the slightest, looking completely nonchalant. "Ouroboros is a transdimensional entity. We once attempted to travel back to a point in time before Ouroboros was born, only for Ouroboros to pursue us from the future and destroy that worldline too. "So it's not surprising in the least that we're Supreme Sovereigns of Sorcery. How many Supreme Holy Grails do you think we've drunk from, how many world secret realms have we possessed, how much knowledge of the Void Realm have we stolen? So long as you bury enough civilizations with your own hands, you too can easily become a Supreme Sovereign of Sorcery." Yaxiu went numb. "So you were the ones who led it here?!" Dead Frenzy shrugged. "Although we surmised that Ouroboros would swallow the past, present, and future of sorcerer civilization along the timeline, and that its birth signaled the end of all things, that should have been a protracted process. So... yes, we were indeed the ones who drew it here." Facing an entity who had buried who knew how many civilizations, Yaxiu knew mere moral condemnation was pointless. He could only ask, "Since you wanted to wait until we advanced to Supreme Sovereigns of Sorcery before replacing us, why now—" "Because once Ouroboros devours Hell, it can invade this world directly." The cigarette between Dead Frenzy's fingers had burned down. She said calmly, "And this time is our very last chance to return to the past. We can't run anymore. "When it enters this world, you won't have the slightest power to fight back; you won't even be conscious of its existence. But if it's us, we can still find a way to swiftly advance to Supreme Sovereigns of Sorcery and wage a desperate, final battle against Ouroboros. "You are too weak." Dead Frenzy looked at Yaxiu. Though she appeared merely to be a mature, imposing woman, her words carried a weight of worldly vicissitudes and sheer pride capable of crushing him. "It's time to return everything to us." "Return?" Yaxiu nearly laughed from exasperation. "Of course return. From the very first second you arrived in this world, we could have replaced your existence. You've lived until now because we permitted it, not because you earned it." "Isn't that just robber logic? This is clearly my life, yet I'm supposed to thank you for allowing me to have it?" "Yet it is also the life of the Terminal Observer." Dead Frenzy cast a glance at him. "Suppose you were given a chance to return to before you transmigrated... No, suppose right now you could freely travel back and forth between the sorcerer world and your original world. Would you care that you stripped away the life of the original world's 'Yaxiu'?" Yaxiu was struck dumb. Only after a moment did he manage to force out, "Such a hypothetical is meaningless." Dead Frenzy asked, "Then suppose you faced our circumstances, and you could likewise run backward along the timeline. Would you lead the Sword Princess and the others to strip away the lives of the 'past Yaxiu' and the 'past Sonia'? It wouldn't even harm anyone else, because what disappears is merely your past self." If it were possessing another person, regardless of whether he would do it, Yaxiu could at least judge right from wrong. At worst, he could be lenient with himself and strict with others, permitting himself to do what he forbade others. But if it meant being reborn into one's past self... just as Vichy used the "Second Cycle God" to be reborn into her childhood, could one truly say she killed her Second Cycle self? Seeing Yaxiu fall silent, Dead Frenzy gave a soft chuckle. "No need to answer. Some questions don't exist for the sake of answers. I only want you to understand that our replacing you is indeed a necessity. Or to put it more bluntly... "Once the Six Hells are devoured, you will surely die anyway. You might as well hand it over to us so we can raise hell. "We don't want to replace you; we have no choice but to replace you. "Besides, even if we were to show mercy, it wouldn't help," Dead Frenzy continued. "Every layer of Hell Ouroboros devours means our worldline draws closer to yours, and we will directly erode and merge into one another. When the Six Hells vanish, either you will be remodeled into vessels for our perfect descent, or we will be remodeled into remnant souls for your perfect absorption. You're welcome to bet on the odds of the latter." A fierce glint surfaced in Yaxiu's eyes. Dead Frenzy and her companions were spacetime wanderers who had buried multiple civilizations, whereas Sonia and the others were merely young female sorcerers in their twenties. If they eroded and merged, Dead Frenzy's side would inevitably swallow Sonia and the rest whole. Only Vichy might have nothing to fear. Yaxiu would bet anything that the Vichys of both worldlines were barely distinguishable; merging would at most turn her into a Spectre Prophet with even fewer principles—assuming she had any to begin with. "...What effects will the erosion and fusion have?" "Their personalities will drift toward ours." Dead Frenzy pointed at herself and said leisurely, "As for our personalities... they're probably just a tiny bit better than Nether Demon's." Using Vichy as the benchmark is way too bizarre, isn't it?! As if hearing the roar in Yaxiu's mind, Dead Frenzy laughed. "Because between your worldline and ours, Nether Demon's personality is the only one that barely changed." "Then what about me?" Yaxiu asked suddenly. "Can I meet the Observer?" Dead Frenzy shook her head. "You wouldn't want to meet him. "Because when you two meet, only one Terminal Observer can continue to exist." Yaxiu was silent for a moment. "Then why tell me all this intelligence? Could it be... I can stop Ouroboros, save the Six Hells, and delay the time when you replace us?" "We'll save the rest of this conversation for the next time you enter the Six Hells," Dead Frenzy said. "The clues you gathered were only enough to let you linger until now. "Ouroboros invading this world ahead of schedule was unplanned. And your being able to infiltrate the Six Hells via the traces of those two companions... was also unplanned." At that thought, Dead Frenzy gave a disdainful sneer. "I originally thought you'd only be able to use this final stretch of time to enjoy the pleasures of your harem..." Yaxiu grew anxious; he still had so many questions left unasked. "What abilities does Ouroboros actually have? Why were the Six Hells erased from history? Are Igola and Harvey still alive?" "Ouroboros's ability is 'devouring true names.'" Dead Frenzy answered only this question, before changing the topic. "If you want to prevent our erosion and fusion with you, it's not entirely impossible." "What is it?" Yaxiu was overjoyed. "You yourself are unaffected, just as you didn't forget the Six Hells. But the degree to which Sonia and the others are eroded deepens little by little. If you can spot the signs as they are eroded and snuff them out in time, preventing their personalities from drifting toward ours, you can counter the effects of the erosion. Though even if you mitigate the impact, the inevitable ending will still arrive." "Sounds a bit complicated..." Yaxiu mumbled. "Looks like I'll have to study the mind faction..." "It's actually quite simple. I'll give you a secret trick," Dead Frenzy said. "Don't make them angry." *** "In other words, once Hell is devoured by the serpent, they can take everything from us with ease?" Weise summarized. "That's right." Yaxiu nodded. "So I must enter Hell again to investigate the situation, and entering Hell requires traces of Igola and Harvey." Under "Void Realm Exploration" in *Aurora's Sorcerer Handbook*, the exploration option for the Six Hells was grayed out and unselectable. Clearly, only by finding more traces could Yaxiu once again step into the Six Hells devoured by Ouroboros. "A monster capable of devouring an entire layer of the Void Realm?" Diya held Yaxiu's arm with some unease. "Can we help?" *It hasn't just devoured one layer; it has already devoured the sorcerer civilizations of several worldlines,* Yaxiu thought with a bitter smile. He hadn't disclosed every piece of intelligence. Out of his mouth, Ouroboros was merely a somewhat formidable monster that sounded roughly on par with the Starry Supreme. Nor did he mention that Dead Frenzy and her cohort could replace them at any time, sparing them the anxiety of feeling that they might vanish at any moment. Even so, the information he revealed was frightening enough, as though everyone's lives had entered a final countdown. "If Igola and Harvey truly lived in my villa and even cast sorceries there," Felix said, "then sorcery traces left behind by them ought to exist." Yaxiu nodded and said seriously, "Though we might return empty-handed, we must at least make a trip back to Jialesi." No one really objected. Even though Yaxiu couldn't produce a shred of evidence at present and it sounded like a fantastical tale, for him to fabricate something so elaborate and horrifying meant they should make the trip even if only to humor him, treating it as a vacation. A group of demigods walking the mortal realm could turn anywhere into a resort. "Also, if your emotions experience violent fluctuations, you must speak up," Yaxiu enjoined earnestly. "Erosion and fusion can be avoided. As long as we correct shifting personalities in time, we can stop you from drifting toward Dead Frenzy and the others—Vichy, you don't need to say anything; your personality isn't much different from Nether Demon's anyway." "Master, you really are..." As everyone prepared to set off, Daedalose spoke up suddenly. "Most of us here are already on Starry's blacklist, with the exception of Felix." Felix blinked, realizing a possibility. "Could it be..." "Dimi Vosloda is now the new Duke of Vosloda," Daedalose said. "Furthermore, you didn't take part in the fighting and were merely responsible for constructing sorceries in the rear, belonging to the ranks of insignificant pawns. He certainly possesses the clout to clear your name. "The Four Pillar Cult is too conspicuous a target and would hinder your movements, Observer. But Felix can continue serving as your guide. With her as a whitelisted figure, your actions in Jialesi will be much more convenient." The foremost beauty beneath the starry sky turned to the second young lady of the Vosloda family. "Felix, are you willing?" Felix instinctively glanced at Yaxiu, then nodded gently. "I... have no problem with it." "Then it is settled." Daedalose smiled slightly. "Observer, what do you think?" "I think it's great," Yaxiu said. "But I want one more person." "Who?" "You." Everyone paused in surprise. Yaxiu said calmly, "Starry Touch, you are coming along with me as well." How could he let Touch lead the Four Pillar Cult to stir up trouble across this land again? This was Sonia's homeland. He had even considered whether he should just slaughter Daedalose directly, but Daedalose had helped the Sword Princess and the others so much, and her attitude had always been pleasant, so he couldn't quite bring himself to do it. Besides, he also needed Daedalose to pass on a message. This time, Yaxiu had laid bare nearly all his secrets while deliberately keeping Felix and Daedalose present precisely because he wanted to use them to transmit information to the Starry Supreme and the Four Pillar Gods. Mortals wouldn't notice, and demigods wouldn't notice, but he refused to believe the Four Pillar Gods and the Starry Supreme would fail to notice the incongruity brought by the disappearance of the Six Hells. Yaxiu had never thought of solving the crisis alone; when there were so many entities far stronger than him, why should he be the sole savior of the world? *My life is cheap, but Starry, you spent thousands of years and immense effort just to attain the Supreme Sovereign of Sorcery. Now, before your seat has even grown warm, you're about to be devoured by Ouroboros—I refuse to believe you won't panic!* At the very least, everyone should share the blame and carry the burden together! As for whether exposing secrets would invite covetous designs, Yaxiu had long since crossed the threshold where too much debt ceased to worry him. Soul Kingdom of Heaven, Supreme Tail Feather—even if Yaxiu were to lie flat and do nothing, Starry would surely come knocking to wring him completely dry. Now, by declaring that he might in the future be replaced by "Supreme Sovereign of Sorcery, Terminal Observer, Civilization Burier, Yaxiu," it might even terrify Starry into becoming more cautious and hesitant to act rashly. Daedalose barely hesitated, breaking into a dazzling, sweet smile as she said respectfully, "I obey the Observer's command." Once Daedalose completed her arrangements, the Four Pillar Cult's motorcade parted ways here, while Yaxiu and his companions—seven in all—boarded an extended motorhome and drove toward Jialesi. Although the motorhome was large, it was still a bit cramped with so many people, so Yaxiu took the passenger seat up front, using the time to ponder their next moves. There wasn't much he could do right now, however; the most pressing matter was preventing Sonia and the others from being eroded and merged by Dead Frenzy and the rest. But a change in personality was a gradual process; if they shifted bit by bit, it would be difficult for outsiders to notice. Don't make them angry... Truth be told, even if Dead Frenzy hadn't mentioned it, Yaxiu had never intended to make them angry. He wasn't an idiot—why would he go out of his way to anger them? If keeping them happy and cheerful all the time could alleviate the erosion and fusion, nothing could be better! *As long as I am here, they will never become the first line of defense to fall!* Yaxiu resolved silently. "Move over a bit." Felix leaned in close out of nowhere, opening the glove compartment of the passenger seat. After rummaging around for a bit without finding what she wanted, she leaned in even closer to search. She was no longer deliberately concealing her gender, nor did she bind her chest anymore. Her soft body pressed against one side of Yaxiu, her cascading blonde hair spilling over his shoulder. The cab and the cabin were interconnected. Sonia, who was sorting through intelligence in the rear cabin with the others, lifted her head. Catching sight of Felix leaning close against Yaxiu, a faint, purplish-red gleam flashed across her ruby eyes.