The Sorcerer's Handbook

Chapter 164: The Villains Assemble

Since the Virtual World had practically guaranteed his escape from the Blood Moon Kingdom, Ashe had never once considered the possibility of failure. Still, he had mapped out the worst-case scenario in his mind.

In that scenario, he imagined himself blending into a group of unfamiliar adventurers, stumbling into some foreign land far worse than the Blood Moon Kingdom. The locals would treat him as an enemy. He would continue his long-standing tradition of taking the blame for everything, switching roles from cult leader to foreign invader, and live a so-called happy, free life under constant threat.

He had believed that no matter how bad the journey became, it could never be worse than that, until reality hit him like a slap to the face.

Society, it seemed, had its own message for him. "Do not underestimate me, society's idle scum!"

No, the problem wasn't society. Ashe had only imagined himself blending in with a group of unfamiliar adventurers and hadn't thought far enough ahead. Now, the consequences had manifested in the form of a terrifying figure draping an arm over his shoulders, with a lecherous grin and eyes full of mischief. Every feature screamed the kind of person who would steal candy from a child without blinking. Who else could it be but Iger, that shameless charmer?

And the one casually snacking on Moon Candy, was that not Necromancer Harvey?

As for the remaining pair sitting across them, those were unmistakably Ronna and Ronald.

Yes. The five infamous prison escapees had gathered once more.

This feeling of old companions reuniting after surviving hardships together made Ashe feel like he was about to burst into flames. Flames of rage, that was.

"Don't tell me you also chose to escape the Blood Moon through the Virtual Channel," Ashe said, barely suppressing his anger. "You're locals. Was it really necessary to squeeze into the same escape route with me?"

Harvey shrugged while chewing on the candy. "You're the head of the Four Pillars Cult. Shouldn't you be carrying on your missionary work in Caimon City and promoting the glorious traditions of the Four Pillars? Leaving just like this feels a bit disloyal."

Ronna put away his nail file and glanced at Harvey. "Once you leave the Blood Moon Kingdom and abandon its chip system, you won't be a terrifying controller anymore. You'll just be a necromancer, no different from a rat scurrying through the streets. Are you really fine with that?"

Mentioning his specialty hit Harvey's nerve. He snorted coldly. "Who knows? Maybe the other side of the channel is a great nation that worships necromancy. A place filled with corpses, where the living are freed from exhausting labor and can devote themselves to the Virtual World and research. The dead would handle all production. There'd be no conflict, resources would be abundant, and life would find elevation through death."

Iger scoffed bluntly. "That sounds about as believable as us eventually developing feelings for a Lala Fat. You should go teach toddlers at an orphanage. You might find someone there on your wavelength."

Ronald waved at Ashe, muttering, "Now you've made me hungry. What kind of Lala Fat do you like? I prefer them spicy."

Ashe clutched his head in frustration. "I like salted egg yolk flavor... wait, no. Couldn't you have chosen a different time or a different method? Did it really have to be the same moment, the same route, even the same row of the same batch?"

Ronna replied, "The longer we stay in the Blood Moon Kingdom, the more dangerous it gets. Didn't you also come because you thought this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? Once I realized you were here, there was no way I could pass it up."

Ronald nodded. "Exactly."

Harvey added, "I absolutely had to leave with Ashe."

Ashe froze. "Why?"

They fell silent and turned to look at Iger.

Iger kept smiling at Ashe. His right hand remained firmly on Ashe's shoulder, pressing down as if afraid his prey might slip away at any moment.

A chill ran down Ashe's spine. He swallowed, cleared his throat, and spoke with deliberate seriousness, "I'm not opposed to working together. We escaped prison as a team. We know each other well. There's already a foundation of trust and cooperation, which naturally makes things more efficient. But if we're comrades with a shared goal, then we should act honestly, present a united front, and stop dragging each other down. Most importantly, no backstabbing. What do you think?"

"Mm-hmm!"

"Ashe's right!"

"I expect nothing less from a cult leader. You really know how to talk."

Iger nodded along enthusiastically, looking thoroughly convinced. Then he raised three fingers. "So tell me, dear cult leader. Would you prefer to draw attention for us, create an opening for my escape, or serve as bait?"

Ashe hissed. "Don't force someone into such a cruel multiple-choice question. And aren't all three the same thing? At least give me a way to survive, considering I contributed the most during the jailbreak!"

Harvey snapped back, "Bullshit! I was the biggest contributor. Without me, how would you have controlled the prison guards?"

Ronna retorted calmly, "Necromancer, I can't pretend I didn't hear that. If I hadn't cleared out the hunters and sailors on the transport ship, how would the plan have gone so smoothly?"

Ronald cut in, "I designed the escape route. If I hadn't thoroughly investigated the area between Shattered Lake Prison and Caimon City, how could we have avoided every surveillance eye and entered the city without drawing attention?"

Iger's brow twitched violently. "Hey, hey. Haven't you all misunderstood your roles? I planned the jailbreak. Without my brilliant mind, all of you would still be rotting in Shattered Lake. You're just the hands and feet. I'm the brain. Would you ever credit a toenail over a head?"

Outside the tent, gunfire roared. Flames clashed with frost, and explosions echoed from time to time. Inside, sharp tongues collided as a group of idiots argued over who deserved the MVP title for the jailbreak.

Seeing not a shred of self-awareness among them, Ashe felt utterly hopeless about his escape.

What terrified him even more was that he could not break free from Iger's grip. Iger still held one of his wishes. If he wanted, he could order Ashe to go outside and do a handstand while shitting himself to draw attention.

What's more, that shameless charmer was capable of devising plans far more vicious than that. For instance, he could order Ashe to obstruct Ronna, Ronald, and Harvey, creating enough chaos to buy Iger time to escape.

If any crisis arose later, Iger would not hesitate to turn Ashe into a taunt minion[1] and throw him into the spotlight. That was precisely why Harvey, Ronna, and Ronald insisted on acting together with Ashe. A taunt minion should be shared, after all. Since Ashe was bound to be sacrificed, why not have him cover all three of them at once?

"The Virtual World told me I will definitely escape the Blood Moon."

The argument came to an abrupt halt.

Ashe shook off Iger's hand, swept his gaze across the group, and spoke calmly, "I participated in a Destiny Quiz. One of the questions asked how I would escape the Blood Moon Kingdom. In other words, the Virtual World believes my success is guaranteed.

"I don't mind if you want to act with me. But I suggest you abandon the idea of using me as a shield and start protecting me properly instead."

His voice hardened. "I can afford to miss this chance. I can wait for a second or even a third opportunity. But you might not be so lucky."

1. A term from MMORPGs referring to a decoy used to draw enemies' attention. ☜