Chapter 337: Can’t I Just Stay?
In the Northern Region, while the Snow Fox Tribe had not yet reached Miya, Fisher had already made considerable preparations in advance, roughly divided into three aspects: reading the Soul Supplement Handbook, inscribing magic, and communicating with Kexiening, the Slime species.
Regarding the Soul Supplement Handbook, its assistance to Fisher was evident. Although reading it was comparatively dangerous, after the frightening and seductive experience he had previously, Fisher frequently heard numerous illusory whispers in his ears while reading the handbook. Even though he had already been cautious, the whispers would occasionally transform into the voices of familiar people, such as Raphael, Jasmine, and Elizabeth.
Every time he heard these voices imitating those he knew, Fisher would immediately stop reading, clearly finding the whispers extremely seductive and hard to guard against.
In the Soul Supplement Handbook, Jahl Uzz’s writing remained as it always was. In the past few days, Fisher had been following him through the Dragon Court within the Southern Continent. Only in his writing could Fisher clearly feel the grandeur of the Dragon Court throughout history. In Jahl’s descriptions, the Dragon Court had established a very comprehensive centralized management system. They not only divided the Southern Continent into clearly distinct administrative structures but also set up comprehensive household registration, medical, and educational institutions.
Within the Dragon Court’s realm, the inequality between races became extremely unnoticeable, and situations of mixed races living together were common. Of course, Jahl Uzz, who sought a way back home, did not find a clear path here; he remained confused and could only continuously refine his research on souls under the guidance of some voice in his mind.
“During that period, with the help of that strange demon, my understanding of the soul deepened. I could deeply sense the existence of the Spirit Realm and see how magic manipulated that realm. Here, if you are clever enough, I think you have found a problem from my previous statements: what kind of entity is the Spirit Realm?”
“Many wise individuals within the Dragon Court are aware that it is a strange world filled with countless turbid souls. It completely overlaps with our existing reality. However, I want to tell you that the Spirit Realm does not refer to the world of souls; it is the ‘deep layer’ of this world, the ‘base color’ of this world. Everything you see is built upon it, yet no one, no god, dares to probe what lies within.”
“There are many ancient legends circulating in the Southern Continent, including those of certain gods. I am not referring to Feima Baharon. According to the demons I encountered, although Feima Baharon has reached the pinnacle of his rank, he is still not a true god who transcends ranks but rather a creation of a certain powerful deity.”
“The deities I speak of are Ramastia, the God of Life; Anebatos, the God of Fate; Dalasgon, the God of Doors; and Ouyun, the God of Creation. You will find that, although they are all too powerful to be described in words and each governs the fundamental rules of this world’s operation, none of them has ever dared to touch the Spirit Realm. Even Dalasgon, who is closest to the Spirit Realm, only serves as a door that separates reality from the Spirit Realm. They cannot tread upon the Spirit Realm; that is an absolute prohibition.”
“The president’s research is more in-depth than mine; no one can rival her in this knowledge. She is renowned for her powerful magic. Although it seems to have a significant gap in level compared to other fields of knowledge, in a certain sense, magic can also be understood as the Spirit Realm’s echo to the world. The knowledge the president studies is entirely about the Spirit Realm. So why does the disturbance caused by the Spirit Realm allow the real world to experience such violent fluctuations?”
“I present two conclusions for readers to discuss and refer to. They do not necessarily guarantee complete accuracy, as I have never entered the Spirit Realm. The conditions for entering are strict; one must first break through the constraints of the ‘door’ and also possess enough ability to survive within it. There are few living beings in this world capable of achieving this, so I hope you do not take my conclusions as truth, after all, I have yet to reach the ultimate truth.”
“Conclusion one: The Spirit Realm does not operate according to the existing rules of this world because even those gods who govern and create the rules cannot tread upon the Spirit Realm; it is an absolute forbidden zone for the gods. Conclusion two: The Spirit Realm may contain the ultimate truth. The creators of the handbook within the Creation Society have clearly felt that the whispers guiding us come from the Spirit Realm, and the more you study, the more you will discover that this knowledge is entirely incompatible with the existing world, exceeding the order and rules established by the gods.”
“The paths of all members of the society ultimately lead to that elusive Spirit Realm. I always believe that it holds my hope for returning home. It’s somewhat laughable; after so many years, I have nearly forgotten the appearance of my wife and daughter, yet I have always fervently wished to return home. Perhaps the knowledge I have studied has seduced me, or perhaps my companions in the society have influenced me; in any case, I have no road to turn back.”
“I have roughly finalized my plan to seek the truth and find my way home in the Spirit Realm. As the first person to set out from the society, I will immediately head back to the Southern Continent, ignited by the mythical war, as soon as I finish this handbook.”
“Jahl Uzz, left at the end of Chapter Four of the Soul Supplement Handbook.”
Fisher finished reading Chapter Four of the Soul Supplement Handbook; he had spread the content over five days. Even so, the impact it had on him was still formidable. First, his soul’s shape had changed into a form he did not recognize; in other words, it was entirely different from humans and the subhumans he had encountered before. That twisted yet solid circuit looked like a deformed creation that gave Fisher a headache.
At night, the overwhelming quality of his soul and the vision of the Spirit Realm caused him considerable trouble. He frequently saw souls wandering outside, all from various races, retaining the appearance they had before death. Sometimes he would feel countless gazes staring at him and whispering, making it hard for him to sleep at night.
In exchange for the ability to counter Erwind directly, Fisher had to do this. Now, with the strength of his soul, his efficiency in inscribing magic far exceeded that of his teacher Heilson, moving at an astonishing speed.
“Fisher.”
Just as Fisher silently closed the Soul Supplement Handbook, a familiar voice suddenly reached his ears. The voice was as rich as fine wine, instantly reminding him of the black-haired sorceress who often had a teasing smile.
“Renee?”
Fisher did not turn around because he knew that the one speaking to him was an illusion brought about by reading the handbook; however, this time it emerged only after finishing reading, indicating that the impact of the Soul Supplement Handbook had begun to spread.
“Ah, long time no see! Surely there haven’t been any naughty kids missing me while I’ve been gone? Have you thought of me at all?”
“No.”
“How heartless! I’ve been gone for so long! Not even a little?”
Renee’s affected crying tone remained unchanged. If he guessed correctly, she was likely pretending to cover her face while secretly peeking through her fingers to see his reaction.
“…A little bit.”
Now, she should be smiling and lowering her hands, poking herself, but the question in her mouth remained full of sorrow.
“Just a little bit?”
Fisher was amused by Renee’s mournful tone. He paused for a while before speaking the truth.
“…I miss you a lot.”
“Hmph, that’s more like it.”
For the first time, listening to that familiar female voice, Fisher could not resist the temptation to speak, even if just to hear one more word from her. Several months had passed since Renee left Nali, and such a prolonged silence was unprecedented for her. That elusive feeling had filled Fisher’s heart, causing him to regret letting her leave Saint Nali that day.
He should have been more straightforward, and not let her find her home in Cardu. If, during their farewell, he had told her, “This will be your home from now on,” would she have stayed?
“Wow, it’s really strange. What’s wrong with you? Are you sick? Overwhelmed with papers? Or short on cash? Seriously, how can you not take care of yourself when I’m not around? You’re such a big fool! You seem to have said less lately; aren’t you supposed to be annoyed with me and tell me not to bother you at times like this? Or have you, in fact, been so charmed by me that you can’t speak?”
Hearing the teasing tone in her words, Fisher opened his mouth, fell silent for a long time, and suddenly said,
“Renee.”
“Mm-hmm, what is it?”
“…Can you not leave anymore?”
“…”
The illusory voice came to an abrupt stop. The sincere words Fisher had hesitated to say did not receive a response from the sorceress because, at that moment, the door to his room was suddenly opened, revealing Haidilin with a sour face carrying a meal, along with Emhart, who was chattering on her shoulder.
“I’m telling you, this guy really has no taste! He talks about ladies and subhumans all day long. It’s so annoying! I didn’t think Miss Haidilin liked music so much. Hey, Fisher, are you inscribing magic? Why are all your circuits glowing so brightly?”
Interrupted, Fisher suddenly felt a surge of anger inside him, as he was so close to getting a response from the sorceress. Yet, one second later, he stiffened up as he realized he hadn’t seen the cheeky sorceress among Haidilin and Emhart standing at the door.
Previously, he had used the reason of inscribing magic to send Emhart to find Haidilin to deliver meals. Otherwise, Emhart would have gone mad slamming his head when Fisher was about to open the Soul Supplement Handbook, worrying that the knowledge might seduce Fisher or harm his own body. That was why he had been adamant about not letting Fisher see the Soul Supplement Handbook, and Fisher had secretly read it after dismissing him these days.
Fisher stared blankly for several seconds before finally coming to his senses and answering,
“…Yes, I was just inscribing magic. Thank you, Miss Haidilin, for bringing me food.”
Haidilin placed the food on Fisher’s table, somewhat disgustedly clapped her hands, and tossed the square-shaped book-like relic back to Fisher.
“Let’s skip the pleasantries. I really didn’t expect the gentlemen of Nali to be such lazy men who won’t even lift their butts to eat. I finally had a chance to rest and listen to some music, and your broken book comes over to say you want to eat. Do you want to check what time it is now? Next time, if you miss breakfast and lunch because of inscribing magic, don’t blame me for being heartless. That’s what Miss Valentina said.”
Haidilin, who had just been somewhat angry, had her tone turn a bit coy by the end, especially when she saw Fisher’s somewhat distracted state. She seemed to hesitate to make her “take care of yourself” words sound so harsh, adding in Miss Valentina’s name at last.
Although Valentina was indeed worried about him burning himself out from inscribing magic all day and wanted him to take care of himself, whether Haidilin herself also harbored concerns was unclear.
Fisher sniffed the food brought by Haidilin, the appetizing aroma immediately stirring his hunger. He swallowed a mouthful of saliva and then suddenly realized something, turning to Haidilin and asking,
“You made this food yourself?”
Haidilin huffed, rolling her eyes.
“Of course! Who else would cook for you at this time? Are you expecting Lady Valentina to cook for you?”
Right, since that day she revealed a bit of herself and somewhat expressed trust in him, she had straightforwardly stopped pretending in front of Fisher. The quiet, smiling maid figure she wore earlier had long since faded; the current Haidilin, with her disgusted face and bad temper, was her real self.
“How honored! I didn’t expect to eat the meal you personally prepared.”
Fisher held the knife and fork and happily ate several bites of the food on his plate. Haidilin snuck a glance at his gluttonous demeanor, unconsciously sighed, and turned to look around the room filled with flashing magical rings and other items. She exclaimed,
“Is this for real? You inscribed so much? You’re really not human, are you? Haldor took all night to inscribe just a few, but you’re just a magical machine hiding in human skin?”
“Yes, I’ve said this guy’s magical talent is ridiculous. Even the great Sir Book has to admit that few can match this guy in magic.”
Emhart sat on Fisher’s shoulder, looking at the room filled with magical items and also expressed some surprise. Although humanity is the ancestral user of magic, inscribing this many—were they preparing for battle?
“These… are still not enough. Just give me a few more days; the magic materials that Valentina provided me are still remaining.”
“Better not. If you keep inscribing, I suspect you will die right here in this room. How long has it been since you went out to see anything? And there won’t be a chance now; news came from home that the Snow Fox Tribe will arrive at Miya tomorrow morning. They will come here immediately, so you better take a good rest tonight to avoid making Miss Valentina negotiate alone tomorrow. Don’t forget, you said yourself that you would help her.”
While eating, Fisher paused, and it suddenly dawned on him that so much time had passed. In the past few days, he had started researching the Slime species, nearly advancing them to the second phase of their progress. In the following three days, he had been inscribing magic daily, sending Emhart out to do errands, and then reading the Soul Supplement Handbook.
Busy as a spinning top, Fisher sighed and swallowed the food in his mouth. He indeed needed to restore his schedule. Preparation was necessary, but since Erwind had yet to make a move, he also needed to enter the Parasol Tree. He shouldn’t remain so quiet; thus, Fisher suspected that he might have already grasped the means to enter the Parasol Tree.
So, did he want to tail himself and Valentina into the Parasol Tree, or did he want to forcefully take the token to enter? Erwind was a Fourteenth Rank monster; those trolls probably wouldn’t be able to stop him at all.
As Fisher was pondering, Haidilin suddenly noticed something, reaching out and pointing at Fisher’s face, making him pause and touch his own face.
“What’s wrong?”
“Not your nose…”
Fisher furrowed his brows and followed Haidilin’s reminder, reaching under his nose. When he drew his hand back, there was a trace of slightly glowing blood, almost as if proving the changes occurring in his body.
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(End of Chapter)
