A legacy?
Yaxiu glanced at the Square-Round Cicada resting on his shoulder. After Weise had willingly sent the Square Cicada over, the Round Cicada had reunited with it once more.
By rights, now that Yaxiu had become a legendary sorcerer, he should have been able to subdue the Four-Wing sorcery spirit that was the Square-Round Cicada. But judging from the behavior of White Dove, Fire Cat, and Blue Bird, gods ascended from grand laws harbored intense rebellion toward their sorcerer masters. Thus, the Square-Round Cicada, a sorcery spirit transformed from a grand law, would likely be no friendlier to a sorcerer master.
As long as the Square-Round Cicada stayed by his side, Yaxiu saw no need to force its submission.
Aside from the Square-Round Cicada, more than ten sorcery spirits, including Thousand Machines, were in Yaxiu's possession. Knowing full well she was doomed, Weise had had no interest in dragging those sorcery spirits down to the grave with her, so she had gifted them all to Yaxiu for free.
Not only that, she had even given herself to him:
The Silver Lantern god.
Yaxiu gazed at the silver mass before him and reached out to stroke its head. The silver mass immediately began to flow and ripple, and cheerful melodies resonated through the surrounding air.
From soul to body, from sorcery spirit to god, everything that was Yulanweise was already at Yaxiu's side. What other legacy could *Aurora's Sorcerer Handbook* possibly give him?
Yaxiu tapped "Yes." Instantly, a slot machine materialized before his eyes, its reels filled with portraits of individuals Yaxiu mostly did not recognize.
Needing no tutorial, Yaxiu struck the virtual button directly with his hand, and the slot machine's reels spun into motion.
*Clang!* The first reel stopped on Weise playing with fire.
*Clang!* The second reel stopped on Weise executing a high kick.
*Clang!* The third reel stopped on Weise clad in gorgeous Ice Curse Robes.
"Three-in-a-row of 'Illusion Mirror Dragon's Illusion'! Congratulations, you obtained 'Yulanweise's Doll'!"
"Yulanweise's Doll": *Every time Yulanweise finishes looking into a mirror, the Illusion Mirror Dragon crafts a doll out of the reflection in the glass. Anyone who holds this doll will suffer terrible misfortune until death. Amusingly, whenever Yulanweise received these dolls, she would often gift them to those closest to her. Use to expand Bond functions.*
Yaxiu froze. Wasn't this an item for max potential and resonance? But the operator was already gone, so what was the point of giving him this now?
The doll materialized straight into Yaxiu's hands. Looking down at it, he saw that while it was designed in a cute, chibi style, one could still tell at a glance that it was Weise.
The legacy draw was not over yet; the counter above the slot machine shifted from (3/3) to (2/3). He still had two chances remaining.
*Clang!* The first reel landed on a woman Yaxiu did not recognize.
*Clang!* The second reel, identical to the first.
*Clang!* The third reel, identical to the first.
"Three-in-a-row of 'Vionet'! Congratulations, you obtained 'Yulanweise's Watercolor Pens'!"
"Yulanweise's Watercolor Pens": *A set of watercolor pens given to her by her mother, Vionet. Yulanweise could never bear to use them, and later, she could never find them again. Though Vionet gave her another set afterward, by then Yulanweise was no longer in the mood to draw. Use to expand Bond functions.*
Looking at the box of watercolor pens, Yaxiu voiced no complaints and simply set it down beside the doll.
*Clang!* The first reel stopped on the character-art version of Yulanweise!
*Clang!* The second reel stopped on the Silver Lantern version of Yulanweise!
*Clang!* The third reel stopped on... Yaxiu!
Just as Yaxiu felt a pang of disappointment at failing to match three identical portraits, he watched as the icon on the third reel suddenly shook, reset on its own, and with a resounding *clang*, displayed Yulanweise wearing a fox mask!
*La↓ la↑ la↑ la↓!*
"Three-in-a-row of 'Yulanweise'! Congratulations, you obtained 'Yulanweise's Sorcerer Handbook'!"
A booklet dropped into Yaxiu's hands. The legacy draw interface dissolved into thin air, and even the game interface tactfully receded from view. Yaxiu stared blankly at the Sorcerer Handbook in his hands, no longer knowing what expression to wear as an overwhelming sense of absurdity washed over him.
Ever since he had learned about the Sorcerer Handbook mechanism, Yaxiu had wondered whether he would one day read the handbook of someone he knew. He simply had not expected this moment to come so quickly, so inopportune, and with such painful awkwardness.
Pressing down the bitter cocktail of emotions surging within him, he opened and read a Sorcerer Handbook in reality for the very first time.
Yulanweise's Sorcerer Handbook differed from any he had seen before. Inside her handbook were several books.
Though called books, they in truth consisted only of titles, covers, synopses, and outlines, with very little actual content. As for the authors, each book was credited to a different name.
The first was a fairy tale titled *Mr. Fox and Mr. Bird*, authored by "The Smartest Little Girl in Dust Calamitous Fire." The cover depicted a young girl chatting with animals, and the story told of a little girl who wished to learn how to read from a fox and learn how to sing from a bird so she could surprise her older sister upon her return. But neither the fox nor the bird was willing to teach her. With the help of a lynx and other animals, the girl successfully persuaded them through a series of comedic episodes.
The second was an adventure story titled *The Elixir of Immortality*, authored by "Glazed Flower · Weise · Iridescent Light." The cover depicted a little girl picking flowers amidst ruins, and the story followed a young girl who ventured into ancient ruins in search of an elixir of immortality to save her sister, braving numerous traps and thrilling perils along the way.
The third was a tale of political intrigue titled *Calamitous Fire*, authored by "Yulanweise · Dust Calamitous Fire." The cover showed a young woman reading a book, and the content detailed a girl's journey to reach the sect's upper echelons by systematically manufacturing opportunities, rooting out dissidents, and weaving cunning conspiracies.
The fourth was a fantasy titled *Eternal Void Realm*, authored by "Anonymous." The cover portrayed a young woman walking through a magnificent kingdom, and the story recounted a girl who accidentally wandered into the final resting place of all living beings—the Eternal Void Realm—while asleep. There, she saw humanity establish a great domain where strife had ceased, everyone was well-fed and warm, spiritual entertainment was abundant, ideals could be pursued freely, people were kind to one another, and society lived in peace and joy. There, the girl saw the sister she had not seen in so long. After their long-awaited reunion, she reluctantly departed the Eternal Void Realm to return to reality and continue striving.
The fifth was a guidebook titled *Forty Precautions for World Destruction*, authored by "Anonymous." The cover featured a scene of apocalyptic thunder and earth-fire, and its pages contained preparations prior to destroying the world, such as finding ways to obscure one's true name to resist the prophecy faction, preparing multiple safe houses, and so forth.
The sixth was a strategy guide titled *The Self-Cultivation of a Strategist*, authored by "Yulanweise." The cover showed Yaxiu, Sword Princess, and Witch walking ahead while chatting and laughing, while Weise followed quietly behind, watching them. When Yaxiu flipped open the pages, dark lines instantly covered his forehead.
*"...The Captain likes to slack off in the back. Do not point it out. You can invite him to observe together, providing him with opportunities to slack off. When the Captain's competence is questioned, speak up in his support at the right moment, but take care to determine whether they are merely flirting..."*
*"...Do not steal the Sword Saint's thunder. If you devise a strategy, inform the Sword Saint first. If the strategy allows for coordination, assist the Sword Saint in defeating the enemy. When a disagreement arises between the Sword Saint and the Captain, prioritize siding with the Sword Saint..."*
*"...Chat often with the Hookmaster. If you devise a strategy, coordinate closely with the Hookmaster. When a disagreement arises between the Hookmaster and the Sword Saint, side with the Captain; as for when a disagreement arises between the Hookmaster and the Captain, that has not yet been observed."*
*"Handle personal hygiene before 10:45; log in punctually at 11:00..."*
*"Do not get involved in romantic disputes. Remember this well, remember this well, remember this well."*
"To think she analyzed us so thoroughly without saying a word, really..." Yaxiu clicked his tongue repeatedly while reading with utmost seriousness, committing every countermeasure regarding Sword Princess and Witch to memory so he could put them into practical application later.
This should have been the end; only one page remained after it. Yet when Yaxiu turned the page, he discovered a seventh book.
*The Happy Life of a Strategist*, authored by "Silver Lantern · Yulanweise." The cover depicted Yaxiu, Weise, Sword Princess, and Witch walking together, laughing and bantering. Not only the other three, but even Weise was smiling as she joined in the discussion. Out of sight from the others, her hand stealthily reached out to clutch Yaxiu's sleeve.
Yet it was only a single page. There was no synopsis, no outline, no content.
She had only just settled on the title before everything came to an end.
Yaxiu lowered his eyes, finding this legacy mechanism utterly infuriating. What was the use of seeing the traces of someone's life only after they had died? Expressing those unspoken wishes in such a manner produced not the slightest sound, serving only to pluck at the rawest, most dissonant chord in his heart.
He lifted his head to gaze at the multicolored sky above for a moment, slowly exhaling a long breath. Tucking the doll and the watercolor pens into the silver mass before him, he sat down beside her, opened Yulanweise's Sorcerer Handbook, and began:
"Yulanweise loved to learn from a very young age..."
Yaxiu truly knew very little about Weise, and he was hardly a gifted storyteller. Even with the Sorcerer Handbook filling in the gaps, it took him only a few minutes to recount the tumultuous, grand life of this world-destroying rebel. "...In the end, Yulanweise sacrificed herself, transforming into a grand law, and promptly ascended into godhood, becoming the Silver Lantern god."
The silver mass visibly trembled, and a sunken question mark formed across its surface.
"That's right," Yaxiu nodded firmly, handing the Sorcerer Handbook to the silver mass. "Silver Lantern, you are Yulanweise."
Taking the Sorcerer Handbook, the silver mass oscillated violently, shifting between gas, liquid, and solid. Gradually, however, Yaxiu noticed the surrounding colors settling into fixed shapes: the pitch-black void reformed into a collapsing sky, the dark crimson solidified into cracked earth, and the world began to regain its normal appearance.
Before Yaxiu sat little Silver Lantern, calm and composed. She sat cross-legged on the ground with the doll and watercolor pens resting on her lap, holding the Sorcerer Handbook in both hands. Slowly turning the pages one by one, she whispered softly, "I am Yulanweise..."
It had worked.
Yaxiu had not anticipated it would be this easy. He had merely had a vague feeling that to deceive the Four Pillar Gods' automated mechanism, he had to work through Silver Lantern. As for whether recounting Yulanweise's past to Silver Lantern would actually accomplish anything, he had had no certainty whatsoever. But even if it had been an exercise in futility, he would have done it nonetheless.
It seemed that once Silver Lantern identified herself as Yulanweise—even if only by adopting the name—the Four Pillar Gods' mechanism registered her as having revived, even though she was now a god.
Having successfully duped the mechanism, Yaxiu slipped out from beneath the Four Pillar Gods' gaze once more.
"I've wasted quite a bit of time..." Yaxiu stood up and glanced around. "I need to find a way back up."
Suddenly, Yaxiu caught sight of a door appearing in the sky. It was nowhere near the spatial fractures, boasting sharp, clean edges—an appearance so abrupt it felt like a miracle.
A dark figure leapt down from the doorway. Without unfurling wings or invoking miracles, he plummeted straight toward the ground, crashing down with a resounding boom that shook the earth like a comet striking the moon. Yaxiu stared in astonishment, and an unspeakable joy surged through his chest along with the pounding of his heart, revitalizing his battle-weary body as though it were being pumped full of energy once more.
Unfurling his wings, he flew straight over. From afar, he spotted a beauty clad in tattered black-feathered garments. In his right arm, he carried the bandage-swathed swindler; over his left shoulder, he bore a coffin, from which the necromancer's right hand dangled limp over the edge.
"Igola," Yaxiu landed before them, his voice cautious and soft, as though afraid of popping a fragile bubble. "Tamashi? Harvey?"
"Keep it down a little. Your voice is rattling my fifth broken rib," Igola wheezed, his breath faint as gossamer. "I'm not a Black Crow who can set his own bones."
Yaxiu asked, "This isn't an illusion?"
The coffin was lowered to the ground. Harvey signaled the ghoul Alice to lift him up, then rasped, "Most likely not, seeing as you've probably never seen such a stunning Alice before."
Yaxiu looked at them blankly. Before tears could blur his vision, he had already lunged forward to wrap his arms around all three of them. Igola had prepared an entire bellyful of 'choice words' for Yaxiu, but faced with this sight, he could only turn his head away and mutter, "You could squeeze a little harder. That way, my last unbroken rib can finally join the pulverized family."
"I thought..." Yaxiu took a deep breath, his voice catching with a choke. "I'm so glad you're still alive..."
"We are still alive." No longer disguising his voice, Tamashi spoke in tones melodious as a bird's song. He gently patted Yaxiu on the back. "We are all still alive."
Carrying the doll, watercolor pens, and Sorcerer Handbook, little Silver Lantern walked over. Watching the four battered, broken men embracing tightly, she tilted her head, then looked down and flipped open the very last page of the Sorcerer Handbook.
Chapter 745