Mage Manual

"But why?"

Ash wasn’t asking Dazzling Star, but the Drama Poet: "Why were you threatened by Dazzling Star, willingly stepping into the cage to be interrogated? Aren’t you the eighth one?"

It’s simply logical that Dazzling Star would use any means necessary to threaten the Drama Poet, she is a monster clad in starlight. The question is, why did the Drama Poet take the bait?

"I don’t recall ever saying I’m the eighth one, did I?"

Ash and Dazzling Star simultaneously showed surprise, as in their eyes, the mysterious Drama Poet was certainly transcendent above all, a unique existence on the same tier as the Source Angel, even more terrifying — the Source Angel might fall into traps and get hurt, always residing at Ruby Mountain. She only masters all magic techniques in the world, theoretically the most powerful mage, but at least an understandable kind of powerful; the Drama Poet, not only roams the world, causing no harm to anyone, cannot be harmed by anyone either, tantamount to an "unselectable" target.

Say nothing of harming or capturing him; if he willingly stands before you, you might not even notice!

A presence of such extraordinary caliber, apart from the predecessors of the Five Pillar Gods, the origins of the Void Realm, the initial creation Life "the eight," could it be anyone else?

"Actually, it’s quite awkward for me when you say I’m the eighth one, like a father calling his grandson grandfather."

Though spoken so, the Drama Poet showed no hint of embarrassment: "Actually, your previous guess that the eighth is the devourer of the World Snake isn’t wrong, because the eighth left until the end is the ultimate victor of this war, and will devour everyone’s corpses, restoring the world or shaping it as desired."

Ash felt a stirring: "War?"

"Haven’t you heard? The Gods of Four Pillars’ oracle." The Drama Poet laughed: "I don’t know much, only that long ago, when the world wasn’t stratified yet, physical laws unmodified, magic concepts unformed, everything moved by predetermined rules, was plain, ordinary, devoid of any miracles, it was a..."

"A universe boring to the point of frustration."

"Then one day, ’the first’ died, its corpse lying in a pool of blood, the blood formed an ocean, a mist arose. Nobody knew why it died, but it was certainly murdered. Fortunately, even dead, they turn into pillars, once ’the first’ became a pillar, it would be known who acted."

"But the next day, about to become a pillar, ’the first’ died again, now even unable to become a pillar, merely transforming into a fish, endlessly wandering above the mist, hoping spirit and flesh might reunite for revival one day."

"Suspicion swirled, knowing a killer among them, yet unknown who. Then ’the second’ said it won’t stay near the killer, went far away alone."

"Then ’the second’ died, its corpse lay atop the first’s, perhaps for transport, its blood drained, but from the wound below emerged a small white soul, seemingly poised to form a pillar."

"They guarded beside ’the second,’ awaiting its transformation into a pillar. But then, arguments arose, accusations flew of being the killer, amid chaotic fighting, ’the second’s soul died again, unable to become a pillar, merely becoming a little bull, treading upon the fish, propping up ’the second’s corpse."

"Amidst the chaos, the bravest ’the third’ perished, its soul consumed by ’the fifth,’ its corpse successfully escaped, later becoming the tyrant;"

"The smartest ’the fourth’ also died, its corpse transformed into the Ruby Mountain range, soul morphing into the traitor;"

"’The fifth’ rested upon Ruby Mountain, ’the sixth’ believed ’the fifth’ was the killer, attempted an ambush but was killed instead, its body divided into six parts borne by ’the fifth,’ but the soul escaped becoming the Merciful Father;"

"Trying to escape, ’the seventh’ ultimately slain by ’the fifth,’ its corpse divided into eight parts, yet one part escaped, turning into the prince of pleasure."

"’The eighth’ vanished early on."

"So, a question for you."

The Drama Poet clasped his hands together: "Who killed the first and second ones?"

"The eighth!"

Ash and Dazzling Star spoke almost simultaneously.

Though the victorious fifth is suspicious, the absent eighth, quietly witnessing the self-destruction, is undoubtedly the mastermind behind it all!

"Correct answer," The Drama Poet smiled: "So, who indeed is the eighth?"

Who indeed is the eighth?

It never appeared, even ’the fifth’ Source Angel couldn’t find it, yet it alone survived, while all others perished. Nevertheless, it is the devourer of the World Snake, and we can infer the answer...

In a flash of enlightenment, Ash brushed aside the fog of memory and found several sealed memories:

"We are also the touch of The Gods of Four Pillars..."

"We are the touch of the Void Realm."

"Once The Gods of Four Pillars arises, we, as their touch, will become new Gods of Four Pillars."

All along, Ash had a suspicion in his heart. The Gods of Four Pillars were often brainwashing domination mages, yet in terms of specific duties, the Gods of Four Pillars and mages were often equals.

The Gods of Four Pillars could perceive the outside world through mages, and mages could perceive reality through the organs of the Gods of Four Pillars. Despite the vast differences in their lifespans, the Gods of Four Pillars never forcibly coerced mages, always enticing them to fall, much like the mischievous students always dragging you off to play during school.

Ash turned his head to look at Dazzling Star, noticing that Dazzling Star furrowed his brows slightly, with an aura both fierce and noble, like a beam of moonlight penetrating through the forest, or akin to the radiance connecting heaven and earth.

Noticing Ash’s gaze, Dazzling Star asked, "What’s wrong?"

"Nothing," Ash responded. "Just suddenly realizing that we are indeed equals with the Gods of Four Pillars... We are also silently holding up the world’s pillars."

Dazzling Star instantly understood, "We are the eighth’s..."

"Corpse, successor, inheritor, whatever word you prefer." The Drama Poet pulled out a bottle of beer from somewhere and gulped it down, appearing very hot: "The eighth completely disintegrated itself into the faintest particles, integrating into the universe, and then Technique Spirit appeared in this world, along with mages."

"The eighth is all the mages. Because each mage contains an eighth fragment, you can recklessly absorb the nutrients of the Void Realm—because devouring the Void Realm’s corpse is inherently your mission!"

Dazzling Star asked, "Then why do you know mages so well, why are you willing to travel for the Six-winged Trial of Divine Lords, valuing the life of mages so highly, and establishing numerous facilities for new mages within the Void Realm?"

"Because I am a mage." The Drama Poet replied.

Ash and Dazzling Star were bewildered for a moment, as everyone here was a mage, and they didn’t remember mages as a moral competence assessment... But soon they understood the Drama Poet’s meaning.

"Are you... a concept of mage?" Dazzling Star asked seriously. "Or a Divine Being of mage?"

"Just a concept of mage, real Divine Beings of mages can only bear such titles after devouring the World Snake." The Drama Poet shrugged, "So, whatever harm you inflict upon me is useless. I am merely the audience beneath your stage, the listener as you sing, the reflection in your eyes... Unless you destroy the concept of mage, any action against me is meaningless."

"No wonder you care so much about mages..."

"It’s not all due to the responsibility brought by the concept; I also like helping mages." The Drama Poet laughed, "I remember when Dazzling Star first came to my lighthouse in the Sea of Knowledge, you dismantled the roof, picked up the telescope to look upward, and discovered the Golden Fish Poison..."

"Any normal mage would use it that way." Dazzling Star said calmly. "The lighthouse was far over-specification."

"So I subsequently removed the lighthouse," The Drama Poet sighed, "Back then, Dazzling Star, you were probably only six years old, such a tiny thing, and in the blink of an eye, so many years have passed—"

Clang! A streak of starlight swept across the Drama Poet’s head, exploding the beer in his hand, prompting the Drama Poet to quickly change the subject, unwilling to cross lines: "The eighth has long been dead, you are its corpse, and I am your derivative... In other words, you are actually my..."

"Don’t say that word!" Ash immediately interrupted, "I don’t want to be called dad by someone so much older than me!"

Dazzling Star suddenly looked at him inexplicably, and Ash, stunned, immediately realized something, blushing to the point of dripping blood, thinking that he must enhance the soundproof barriers tens of times in his Heavenly Kingdom sleeping palace when he returned.

"Well... since you all know all the circumstances now, little drama, I’ll be going first, contact me if needed—"

"You haven’t said how to solve the devouring World Snake yet!" Ash reached out to hold him back: "Even if you don’t know, you must at least discuss and come up with a specific direction—"

"I know."

"I just said you didn’t know... you know?"

"Yes." The Drama Poet still wore a smiling face, seemingly speaking about dinner tonight: "The method to solve the devouring World Snake once and for all, I know it."

PS: Sorry, these past few days have been too busy and too exciting traveling, adding up to several days of interruption in updates. I’m doing some writing rehab today, and I’ll normally update from now on, aiming to increase the update volume as much as possible to finish the book this month, let’s go go go!