Chapter 498: Drenched in Rain

The violet spiderwebs in the night sky burned away completely, and the rising air currents they created condensed the moisture into towering rain clouds. Drizzling raindrops struck the windows, colliding with the glass in a series of sharp, fragmented taps.

At this moment, rain was falling across the entire Gospel Kingdom. This was no ordinary downpour. It was a ritual symbolizing the celestial spiderweb descending and spreading into every corner of the Gospel Kingdom.

The moment Ashe noticed the rain outside, information he should never have known surfaced in his mind. When I inherit the throne of the Gospel's First, this sacred rite shall awaken. It shall become the extension of my divine will, and my commands shall traverse the vast dominion of the Gospel, carried upon the breath of fate itself.

It was an extraordinarily strange sensation, as if an iceberg lay hidden within his mind. Whenever he looked at something, the corresponding portion of the iceberg melted away, instantly granting him an understanding of all its underlying causes and consequences.

He did not doubt that once this iceberg completely melted, he would come infinitely close to achieving omniscience and omnipotence. Yet the enormous waves created by the melting iceberg would also drown his entire sense of self. He had no means of stopping it.

The Divine Spirit wearing his face was currently prying open his skull bit by bit, stirring his brain, tearing open his chest, and kneading his heart. Eventually, it would wear Ashe's skin and step into the future known as Aine.

This final period of transition was both cruel and merciful. Its cruelty lay in forcing him to watch helplessly as his own will was crushed and assimilated by a greater existence, like an executioner slowly carving apart a condemned prisoner. Its mercy lay in ensuring he did not disappear in ignorance; he was acutely aware that this was neither accident nor misfortune, but the inevitable threshold of fate.

His death served a purpose. Perhaps that in itself was another form of cruelty, one that stemmed directly from the Incarnation of Secrets.

The selection of Gospel's First was, in truth, a search for the mortal vessel best suited to wield a Divine Spirit. A mortal soul could never perfectly contain divinity, much like a wooden barrel could never withstand raw acid. The Gospel could only hunt for the hardest vessel available, one capable of delaying the inevitable decay for as long as possible. In this light, the "purest, most innocent, and kindest girl" was the sturdiest barrel.

Yet even the purest soul could not accommodate just any divine entity. Each Divine Spirit demanded distinct qualities from its container.

The reason the Isa Imperial Family had survived for seven hundred years, with every generation's princess becoming the Gospel's First, was that they knew both the hidden requirements and how to raise a princess who met them. By securing the core qualifications while locking down every possible edge, they effortlessly crushed the competition and kept the title firmly in their grasp.

If everything had proceeded normally, this generation's Gospel's First should have already belonged to the Isa Imperial Family.

After Ashe obtained the Incarnation of Secrets, however, the Gospel suddenly struck upon a new idea. It found a more suitable candidate.

A conceptual incarnation acted like a protective film covering a wooden barrel. It could greatly reduce the damage that Divine Spirits of the same sorcery class inflicted upon the soul, thereby extending the barrel's lifespan.

While the altered present had robbed Harvey of his chance, the Gospel had already discovered during the events at the Mermaid Palace that his future capacity to wield a Divine Spirit was no mere coincidence. Harvey was destined to acquire a concept incarnation bound to necromancy, a crucial buffer that would allow him to withstand the corrosion of the Divine Spirit.

Once Harvey eventually became a Legendary necromancer, his four virtual wings and soul-strengthening Miracles would synergize with his concept incarnation. Together, these factors would allow him to contain a Divine Spirit flawlessly.

This proved that no matter how sturdy a barrel was, it could never compare to a barrel protected by a protective lining. Moreover, Divine Spirits were not always passive and still. When activated, they inflicted terrible strain upon the soul. Therefore, the power of a Divine Spirit had to be restricted within strict limits. Otherwise, it would consume the host's remaining lifespan at a far faster rate.

A soul protected by a conceptual incarnation offered far more than merely a longer lifespan; it meant the Divine Spirit could unleash greater power.

Metaphorically speaking, if a Divine Spirit were looking for a new place to live, it faced two clear choices. It could move into a rickety wooden house, where it might last fifty years at most. The materials were cheap, rotted easily, and threatened to collapse beneath the slightest pressure.

Or, it could move into a fully furnished villa. This option promised a far longer lifespan, resisted daily wear and tear, and could effortlessly withstand the occasional round of heavy exercise, indoor barbecuing, or fireworks.

The Gospel was simply far too realistic and materialistic. No matter how pure, innocent, kind, and wonderful the Princess of Isa was, she could never compare to Aine, a candidate who arrived with a ready-made dowry.

Therefore, from the moment Ashe obtained the Incarnation of Secrets, he was destined never to escape the Gospel's grasp.

The Incarnation of Secrets was a conceptual incarnation Ashe had looted from the Spider Tower's Hero Commander. Coincidentally, the Spider Tower served under the Omniscient Weaver, giving this specific conceptual incarnation an extraordinarily high compatibility with the Gospel.

A sudden realization struck Ashe. If only I knew the Gospel Ranking was selecting a vessel for a Divine Spirit... If only I had returned the Incarnation of Secrets to the Hero Commander sooner... If only...

In that exact moment, within his mind, Gospel Ashe struck down his original self once more. His legs gave out, and he slid down against the wall, collapsing onto the floor.

Lys quickly rushed over, tightly gripping his hand with deep worry. "Are you scared?"

"No. I'm not scared at all," Ashe replied, keeping his voice as casual as possible.

He reached out and pulled Lys into an embrace, gently patting her back to pass his own composure to her.

Yet deep within his soul, his focus narrowed. He located the Conjuring spirit that took the shape of a crystalline octahedron, wrapped it tightly in his mana, and issued a ruthless command through sheer force of will. Destroy it!

It was the only logical move. If the Divine Spirit favoured him solely because he possessed the Incarnation of Secrets, shattering it would solve everything.

The Incarnation of Secrets was invaluable, but compared to his own survival, it was worthless.

Besides, Ashe had already smuggled himself into the Distant Sky Domain. The importance of both the Incarnation of Secrets and the spirit itself had greatly decreased. Losing them would have no real impact on him.

Once he lost the Incarnation of Secrets, his luxurious villa would immediately crumble into a half-built doghouse. After all, he failed to fulfill even one requirement of being the "purest, most innocent, kindest, and most wonderful girl."

No matter how the Divine Spirit calculated things, it would never force itself to live in Ashe's doghouse. Instead, it would settle for the next best option and move into the Princess of Isa's small wooden cottage.

Then, Ashe would naturally be saved.

As for the consequences of destroying a conceptual incarnation, Ashe no longer had the luxury to care. In any case, he did not possess any spirit related to Secrets himself, so destroying it shouldn't cause him any harm.

However, this also meant Annan's plan would completely fall apart. If he had to face Annan's wrath afterward, so be it. His only lingering regret was forfeiting his one chance to have the Omniscient Weaver grant his wish.

Ashe waited expectantly. Yet the Conjuring spirit continued swimming peacefully within his soul, completely untouched. When he tried to use his mana to damage it, his power suddenly ceased to function. It was almost as if a contract bound it.

Ashe's pupils dilated. This is impossible!

The contract with the Empress explicitly restricted him from destroying the Conjuring spirit. However, he had already stepped into the third layer of the Virtual World, fulfilling the condition for the contract's automatic termination. How could the contract still be active?

Unless the Empress had slipped a trap into the wording from the very beginning.

Directing his focus inward, the details of the original contract appeared within his mind. From the very first clause, he identified the problem.

Clause 1:

When the Celestial Chariot Ox enters the Spider Tower region, Party B must remain in the Spider Tower region for more than three hours.

There it was. "When the Celestial Chariot Ox enters." It stood as the absolute prerequisite for the entire contract. Because that trigger condition was never met, none of the subsequent clauses, including the termination clause, could ever take effect.

In other words, the contract remained active even after Ashe entered the Distant Sky Domain. It would only terminate once the Celestial Chariot Ox entered the Spider Tower Region.

When would the Celestial Chariot Ox enter that region? Other sorcerers were left in the dark, but Ashe had the Virtual World Map for reference. By his calculations, the next entry would happen tomorrow morning.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

The rain outside grew heavier, and Ashe's heart sank lower.

Standing a single step away from survival felt far worse than a direct death sentence. It was a cruel joke, a display of power from the Omniscient Weaver, and a mockery by fate itself.

He had stolen the Spider Tower's Incarnation of Secrets during his time in the Gospel Kingdom. Escape was impossible. The Spider Tower hunted him across the Virtual World, while the Gospel plotted against him in reality. One way or another, the Incarnation of Secrets would fall into the hands of the Omniscient Weaver. It was only a matter of how it would be used.

Perhaps the Omniscient Weaver high above the heavens never bothered to glance down at him. Perhaps it was the flawless cooperation between the Gospel and the Spider Tower that ruthlessly crushed every glimmer of hope. He was merely an insect trapped in a spiderweb, stripped of any chance to break free.

The iceberg continued melting, and his soul seemed to die along with it.

At that moment, a warm little creature wriggled around in his arms and reached out to pinch his cheek. Lys looked at him seriously. "Ashe, we need to run. Leave Nabistin. Leave the Gospel Kingdom entirely. As long as we escape far enough, you won't be captured and turned into Witch Aine."

Run.

This option had never appeared in Ashe's thoughts. This was the imperial palace of Nabistin, and the Divine Spirit had burrowed directly into his mind, tearing him apart. Where could he run? It seemed like a futile, pathetic struggle before death.

Yet, looking at the earnest Lys in front of him, Ashe smiled and nodded. "Alright. We'll escape. I refuse to become the Gospel's First."

Ashe skipped the stairs entirely. He leapt straight through the window and used the Bidirectional Rush to teleport outside Lake Yalan. Then, he took out Pankey's spatial storage card and pulled out the Raven Aerial Motorbike.

The assassination plan against the princess had always included an escape strategy. Everyone carried a motorcycle in their cards, ready to bolt from the palace and flee Nabistin at a moment's notice.

Vroom!

The mechanical beast roared to life, spitting flames from its engine.

Staring into the endless deluge ahead, Ashe felt a sudden wave of familiarity, as if he were back on the Continent of Time. The chaos inside his mind grew quiet. He pulled a dark-red trench coat from the card and wrapped it around Lys, who was shivering like a drowned puppy.

Clinging to his waist from behind, Lys tightened her small arms around him. "I'm not cold. You wear it."

Ashe smiled. "The rain is too heavy. It won't help me anyway."

Vroom!

The Raven Aerial Motorbike shot forward instantly. Tearing across the palace's stone pathways at full speed, it burst through several gates and escaped the imperial palace without encountering any resistance.

Then, the Book of Gospel appeared before them once again. Its purple glowing bookmark shone brightly through the curtain of rain. Having already become one-third Aine, Ashe understood the updated contents as soon as the book refreshed.

Lys flipped open the marked page. Two new woven side stories had appeared, with the protagonist of the first story named Annan Dolan.

In the underground hall, the Funeral Agency squad stared at the updated contents of the Book of Gospel.

Pankey fell into a heavy silence. Iger let out a long sigh, while Harvey could barely contain his delight.

As for Annan herself, she remained surprisingly calm.

***

[Annan Dolan]

Aliases: Anti-Gospel, Purple Witch, Lord of Calamity

Relationship with Aine: Enslavement Contract

Achievements: Using the Enslavement Contract, Annan successfully stole the Omniscient Weaver's wish and requested that the Gospel could no longer take effect in reality. From that moment on, the Book of Gospel disappeared, the Rankings destroyed themselves, and the world lost its connection to the Gospel. This setback reverted technological development by thirty years and ignited a civil war, which was swiftly followed by an invasion from beyond the domain. For the rest of his life, Aine struggled to repair the chaos Annan created, dying once in the process.

Disposition: Eliminate

"I once wondered whether the Blood Moon Kingdom would improve without the Blood Saints or the Moon Shadow Clan, but I never expected you to execute it," Iger said. "Your target was the very foundation of your entire civilization, the Gospel."

Annan frowned slightly. "I find it strange myself. My original wish was for the Gospel to disappear completely. Why did it turn into 'the Gospel can no longer take effect in reality' instead?"

Harvey laughed. "Spirits possess their own will, so why wouldn't a Divine Spirit? Besides, would the Omniscient Weaver really destroy its own divine spirit just because you asked? The fact that it fulfilled your wish as much as possible... I cannot say if that means it keeps its promises, or if it simply does not care about the survival of the Gospel Kingdom."

The fraudster sighed. "It means the Divine Spirit did not disappear. It remained inside Ashe, allowing him to eventually become armored by the Divine Spirit and step into the future as Aine. Knowing how the future develops, would you still make that wish?"

"Yes," Annan answered without hesitation.

Iger stared at her. "Setting aside your disregard for Ashe's suffering, what fuels your determination?"

Annan looked at the divine figure sitting upon the throne. "The Gospel rejects the Dolans. If the Gospel survives, no member of the Dolan family can live past thirty. I am no exception. For us to survive, the Gospel must die. Besides..."

She paused for a moment. "I despise the Gospel as well."

At this point, even Harvey grew curious. The necromancer tilted his head. "Aren't you just a parasite living off the Gospel? Your business relies entirely on exploiting its loopholes."

Annan glanced at him. "If only the Gospel had chosen you as the Gospel's First. Understanding the Gospel's true essence is precisely why I hate it. The Gospel has never given anyone freedom. Never."

The Purple Moth swept her gaze across the Legendary sorcerers surrounding the throne. "Information, emotions, relationships, education, everything human beings contact is controlled by the Gospel. As a near-perfect system, it imprisons everyone inside personalized cocoons. The cities governed by different families represent different cultivation methods. Spiders. Ants. Bees... None of them will ever experience what it truly means to feel human."

Iger reminded her. "Human freedom is always restricted by the environment."

"What if even freedom of thought is taken away? The Gospel controls every aspect of your environment. Every choice you make is merely a path arranged by the Gospel, and you remain entirely unaware. Only people capable of making real choices are truly human. People blindly following orders are nothing more than insects."

The fraudster fell silent for a moment. Looking at the contents of the Book of Gospel, he murmured, "Then what choice will Ashe make?"

Harvey drew Alice's coffin from his storage card. "He has no choice. Neither do we."

They remained in the underground hall instead of immediately escaping because the commotion above had already reached their ears.

The nearby servants had silently retreated, pressing themselves against the walls.

The Secret Guard left earlier had returned, accompanied by reinforcements. Among them, Annan and the others recognized several Sacred Realm guards encountered along the way.

The Secret Guard spoke in a hoarse voice, "Annan Dolan, you are identified as noise interfering with Aine. Are you willing to end yourself?"

"I will, on the condition that you bring Ashe here and let him say those words to me," Annan replied calmly.

The Secret Guard raised a weapon. "Any contact between noise and Aine severely interferes with the future. Commencing elimination of noise."

Frost-Infused Twin Pistols, Alice, and Second Mistress Donna were drawn.

As weapons cleared their sheaths and the battle drew near, a trace of guilt toward Ashe surfaced in Annan's heart. Sorry, Ashe. I owe you so many apologies. Still, knowing I wouldn't change my decision even if I had to drag you down to hell, saying sorry feels completely meaningless.

At worst, when we finally burn in hell, I'll let you take the top, and I will take the bottom. If there is one thing that I truly regret, however, it's that this could have been avoided entirely. If you two had never met, you would not have to endure another heartbreak now.

***

[Lys」

Alias: Daughter of Aine

Relationship with Aine: Enslavement Contract

Achievements: Lys possesses an eternal Enslavement Contract with Aine, granting her the power to severely interfere with Aine's will. As long as Lys remains alive, the possibility of blaspheming Aine exists.

Disposition: Eliminate

Looking ahead, she saw twenty figures appear on the city road.

They looked strikingly out of place. Within the sheet of rain, each person formed an isolated space untouched by wind or water. Walking through the storm, they seemed as relaxed as if taking a casual stroll.

Sacred Realm sorcerers.

Replacing his previous uncontrollable pain and confusion, Ashe's voice was now firm and steady. It sounded clear and crisp, like raindrops striking the ground. "Lys, are you afraid?"

Lys rested against Ashe's back. "No."

Her voice remained clear despite the torrential downpour. "Not at all. Ashe, you are not afraid of the rain, so I will not be afraid either."

"Hold on tight. Do not let go."

Ashe pulled the Honeyed Tongue Sword from his mouth. Riding the Raven Aerial Motorbike, he charged toward the Sacred Realm sorcerers ahead. "I will not let you get wet."