Chapter 441: That Makes Us Family

The sorcerers looked at one another in silence. So, you can actually force a spirit into compliance?

Sonya said hesitantly, "In spirit-lore theory, spirits do possess a baseline level of intelligence. But the idea that they only yield their abilities when threatened is... rather..."

"Annoying as hell," Ashe concluded flatly.

They wasted no time. Ashe summoned the Conjuring spirit. In the next moment, the trio unleashed their respective techniques in rapid succession. While their contractual limitations prevented them from actually destroying the spirit, the attacks carried an unmistakable, lethal intent. The raw fury of the Sword of Rage and the sheer killing intent behind the Darklight Slash poured unreservedly into the tricolored crystal.

Inside the crystal, countless tiny black silhouettes began to scatter in panic, looking like an entire miniature civilization trapped within. A sudden influx of information soon flooded Ashe's mind.

[Mysterious Authority: You are veiled in absolute mystery. No one can discern your true identity, allowing you to assume any role, gender, or persona. Your existence becomes whatever it needs to be.]

[Unit Trait · Mystery: Units under your command are treated as neutral by all entities within the Virtual World. They will only be recognized as hostile once they cross into an enemy's detection range.]

After Ashe relayed the new traits to his teammates, a sudden realization struck them all.

It wasn't just the Incarnation of Secrets. The Incarnation of the Stars had likely concealed its true authority as well, revealing only its basic enhancement for the Star Prayer Devotees.

In hindsight, everything made sense. Both were legions of the same tier, yet why had the Empress Hero been able to completely annihilate the Star Hall Commander? And why had the latter been unable to escape, even when hopelessly outmatched?

It had to be the work of the Mysterious Authority. By disguising the Empress's army as neutral units, it allowed them to close the distance undetected and strike at point-blank range, instantly stripping the Star Hall Commander's forces of any chance to react.

Frankly speaking, the Mysterious Authority was powerful, but it felt somewhat underwhelming for their current needs. Given their current strength, outside of the Legions of Heroes themselves, very little on the Continent of Time posed a genuine threat to them. They hardly needed to rely on disguises just to get by.

However, once they used their second question to ask about the Rainbow Tail, they realized the authority would soon become indispensable.

When they had previously inquired about the Golden Fish, Ashe and Sonya had twisted their minds into knots trying to frame the question as a complex, bulletproof logic puzzle, only to discover later that the Golden Fish was simply floating in the sky. It had felt absurd, like bringing a scientific calculator to a literature exam.

This time, they chose to keep it simple.

Dia asked directly, "What should we do next to find the Rainbow Tail?"

The Virtual World provided its answer:

[Obtain the complete map of the Continent of Time.]

Any ordinary sorcerer would have been left utterly bewildered. Many wouldn't even know such a map existed. But Ashe and his companions knew exactly how to acquire it: by hunting down the commanders of the Legions of Heroes across the different regions and plundering their maps.

Sonya frowned, processing the information. "Why would the Rainbow Tail be linked to a complete map? Is its location physically marked on it?"

Dia guessed. "Maybe it's an architectural pattern. What if the capitals of the six nations are arranged in a shape that resembles a tail, and we have to find the edge of that pattern?"

Ashe reminded them, "Don't forget, this answer is the reward for the Witch's correct guess. The Virtual World most likely wouldn't have given a straightforward answer. Securing the full map is just a means to an end, and it might not even be the actual key. Regardless, it's still a step forward."

Sonya sighed. "But the Legions of Heroes have already pulled back to fortify their cities. We can't even find them roaming the wild anymore. Are we supposed to just storm a capital?"

"Yes."

Sonya's eyes widened as she caught on to his train of thought. "Wait. You want to use the Mysterious Authority to disguise all of us so we can infiltrate a capital? But even then, the moment we get too close to the Legions of Heroes, we'll be detected. Once a battle starts, the capital will deploy overwhelming reinforcements..."

Her voice gradually trailed off as she went on.

At the same time, the broader picture clicked for Dia as well. She asked, "You're trying to recreate the battle at the Oasis capital?"

"Exactly," Ashe said with a sharp glint in his eye. "As long as I carry the Incarnation of Secrets and draw the aggression across the other capitals, the Spider Tower forces will inevitably follow and plunge the areas into chaos. Then, we can simply harvest the battlefield while everything is in utter disarray."

The cult leader smiled faintly. "Even if the plan fails, we only lose the soul energy of a few units, and we can easily take a detour to escape. But if it works... I've been looking for an opportunity to feed you guys Commander's Handbooks. They are far more effective than Experience Orbs."

***

Back in reality, Ashe woke up and sat upright in bed, shaking his head slightly to clear his thoughts. He checked his Book of Gospel and saw it was just past four in the morning.

The bunk above him creaked with strange, skeletal noises, like dry bones grinding against one another. Still, Ashe was simply grateful that no cockroaches met his eyes the moment he opened them. At this point, he didn't have the energy to ask for anything more.

Iger wasn't in his bed. From the bathroom outside came the faint sound of running water. Ashe suddenly felt like soaking in the tub, too. He figured he'd tell Iger not to drain the water afterward, just to save the hassle of refilling it. Across the room, Pankey sat propped against the wall, typing away on a laptop. Noticing Ashe's gaze, the young butler offered a quiet smile in greeting.

Ashe slipped out of bed to get a glass of water. When he pulled the door open, he found Lys standing just outside.

"Can't sleep?"

"Mmhmm."

After a moment's thought, Ashe brewed two cups of hot tea instead. Together, they stepped out onto the balcony.

Cats were yowling somewhere in the distance. At the intersection below, a few drunk goblins were making a scene. A cool breeze slipped through the narrow gaps between the high-rise slum buildings. The night in Fedela was anything but quiet, but compared to the eerie, foggy nights of Vanmura or the overwhelming grandeur of Montphera, Ashe found he actually preferred this gritty kind of noise.

"Have you been happy these past few days?" Ashe asked suddenly.

Lys paused, then gave a firm nod.

"I'm happy too," Ashe said. "Even if the room is cramped, it's still so much more comfortable than Vanmura or Montphera. Just watching you study, watching the substitute work, sunbathing, watching shows... if only we could just spend the rest of the Woven Festival like this..."

He set his cup on the balcony railing and crouched down slightly to meet her eyes. "We're going to Nabistin next to assassinate the princess. You're worried about it, aren't you? That's why you couldn't sleep and came looking for me."

Lys blinked, then set her cup down as well and took his hand. "Mmhmm."

"Don't worry," Ashe murmured, squeezing her hand. "Annan is smart. She won't act without full confidence, so we won't be in much danger. And even if things go sideways, you and I are bound by a contract. I'll protect you."

Ashe hesitated for a moment, his tone turning slightly uncertain. "There's actually something I've been meaning to ask you..."

Does he know? Did something get exposed? Or did Iger figure something out?

Lys trembled slightly, but she forced herself to suppress her rising panic. "What is it?"

Ashe took her by the shoulders and looked at her seriously. "After the Woven Festival ends, would you still be willing to live with me?"

Lys stared at him blankly, her large eyes quickly turning misty. Tears welled at the corners of her eyes as she pressed her lips tightly together, her face flushing crimson. The sight of her reaction made Ashe chuckle softly. "Why do you look like I'm bullying you?"

"You are bullying me," Lys sniffed, throwing her arms around his neck. "That's so unfair..."

Ashe patted her head. "What are you even talking about? I'll take that as a yes. After the Woven Festival ends, we'll be a family."

Lys suddenly remembered something and quickly wiped away her tears. "You need to be careful of Aunt Perskin!"

Ashe's expression turned strange. "Oh? Why?"

Lys said with absolute seriousness, "He's already mastered Control Class sorcery! He'll definitely try to control you! If you fall under his spell, he might turn you into a mindless, heat-driven beast that only knows how to—"

"Thank you, Miss Lys, for your deep concern regarding my work. That's very helpful advice. I'll definitely give it a try if the opportunity arises."

Iger walked past the living room, casually drying his hair with a towel. He cast a freezing glance at the surface-level father-and-daughter duo.

Lys froze.

So did Ashe. "Hey, aren't you going to defend yourself? Answer me properly! You're actually terrifying me right now!"