Sorcerer’s Handbook

“Will this ‘Revelation’ state persist indefinitely?” Ashe glanced at everyone. “Also, none of your next steps seem to include work… So, are we disbanding our Funeral Firm on the spot?”

“It’s not about work right now; it’s about daily interactions to strengthen our bonds,” Annan responded. “Also, ‘Revelation’ isn’t on all the time. In the lower city, it only lasts for five minutes every hour.”

Just as Annan finished speaking, Harvey finally ‘puffed’ his catnip cigarette alight. It was like a signal of liberation. Igor instantly relaxed and returned to normal, Banjeet closed his notebook and exited his code-writing mode, and Annan released Ashe’s hand but remained seated beside him.

Only Lise kept her head buried in his arms, adopting an ostrich-like posture, too shy to face anyone.

“How are you feeling?” Ashe asked.

“Honestly, I feel pretty good.” The necromancer exhaled a smoke ring towards the underground city and said, “An irresistible craving is suppressed by a higher form of rationality, absolute will reigning over all hormones… It feels like the easygoing days before prison.”

“Indeed,” Banjeet couldn’t help nodding. “It’s like a clogged sewer suddenly cleared. Thoughts flow smoothly with perfect clarity. The name ‘Revelation’ is well deserved. Unlike Vamora’s ‘white mist,’ which forces physiological satisfaction through stimulants, ‘Revelation’ offers mental fulfillment. If there are five minutes of such bliss every hour, it’s no wonder so many people want to stay in the underground city.”

“Sounds pretty good,” Ashe looked at the Con Artist. “But why do you look so miserable, Igor? Just act according to your instincts.”

Igor glared fiercely at the Cult Leader. “Who do you think caused this?!”

The Con Artist took a deep breath and turned his head, saying, “As a well-prepared mental spellcaster, I’ve already made my own choices. I don’t need ‘Revelation’ to help me determine what’s best!”

“Ashe,” Annan suddenly asked, “didn’t you enter Revelation just now?”

“I didn’t feel any different,” Ashe pondered. “Maybe it’s because I’m already intelligent enough to be on par with Revelation?”

Harvey instantly choked on his smoke, Igor’s mouth twitched, Banjeet spilled some tea, Annan burst into tears while trying to hold back her laughter, and Lise shook with laughter on Ashe’s shoulder.

Seeing this, Ashe got angry. Unable to deal with the others, he decided to bully Lise a bit more and continued to playfully mess with her hair.

However, no one was surprised that Ashe didn’t experience Revelation. After all, in the Gospel, Ashe is classified as a “Disrupter of Fate.” This means that Ashe isn’t even considered an external laborer; he’s more like a highly threatening invasive species. Naturally, he wouldn’t be entitled to enjoy citizen benefits like Revelation.

“Alright,” Annan stood up and said, “Whether it’s the Yisuo Royal Family or anyone else, whoever is imitating Ashe’s crimes is insignificant. Our goal remains the Divine Sovereign’s Wish, and the ‘Assassinate the Princess’ plan must not change due to these minor incidents. Let’s go; my appointment time is near.”

“Where are we going?”

“To Nabistin, the person most likely to know where the princess resides.”

Outside the sewer entrance, Ashe watched as Banjeet stuffed three Crow’s Non-Aerial Motorcycles into a suitcase. Unable to hold back, he said to Igor and Harvey, “Why don’t you two have such great ranking rewards?”

“My ranking reward is superb,” Harvey said. “The Ghost King Shackles allow me to transform directly into an undead being. This reward is as significant to me as turning into your favorite game character would be to you.”

Perhaps due to the aftereffects of Revelation, Harvey’s eloquence suddenly surged, leaving Ashe speechless and unable to retort. He turned to Igor. Igor raised an eyebrow and said, “My ranking reward is a Kingdom Coin that protects my mental will. I gave it to Anfel for—”

“Sorry,” Ashe immediately apologized.

“What are you apologizing for—”

“Sorry, I was too arrogant and dared to inquire about your tokens of affection.”

At this moment, Annan signaled them to enter. The group from the Funeral Firm ventured deeper into the underground city’s sewers. Though they were sewers, they weren’t dirty or foul-smelling. However, under the dim lighting, they could hardly be called clear. Unlike normal sewers, the walking area was in the middle of the waterway, with water on both sides, where armed Sirens watched them vigilantly.

Walking through this, Ashe and the others felt like Lala Fatty voluntarily walking onto the dining table, an inexplicable sense of dread gnawing at them.

With a Siren leading the way, they reached the end of the sewer, the Mermaid Palace of Nabistin. Like the outside service industry, the palace was divided into various business areas labeled “People,” “Events,” “Factions,” and “Spellcasting.” Apart from them, there were also numerous cloaked men, anonymously handling their affairs while exercising.

Seeing such a formal service facility, everyone couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. However, Annan asked at this moment, “Aren’t we going to the ‘People’ area?”

“Please follow me,” the Siren didn’t answer, merely continued leading them deeper into the Mermaid Palace. When they reached a conference room, she gestured for them to enter.

The Funeral Firm members exchanged glances, sensing something amiss. However, with Siren guards in the surrounding waters, they had no room to back out.

Annan pushed open the conference room door. Inside the bright room was a long table, but instead of chairs around it, there were water channels. Ten Sirens were swimming in the channels, and various exercise equipment was placed around. Their clingy, damp gazes unabashedly scanned the Funeral Firm members.

“Sirimoro?” Purple Moth spotted a familiar face immediately. “What brings you to Nabistin?”

Sirimoro was the Sea Witch of the Azura Sewers. When Annan initially fabricated fake résumés for Ashe and others, she enlisted Sirimoro’s help, even consuming a favor she earned helping Sirimoro become a Sea Witch—a favor that saved the Funeral Firm thousands of Gospel points each year.

“The night you left Azura, I was also recalled to Nabistin,” Sirimoro shrugged, looking at the Sea Witch seated at the head. “But I’m not the one in charge here.”

Annan also glanced over and thought that this Sea Witch looked somewhat familiar. “I made a reservation for Mermaid services as a regular customer. Do regular customers now get to enjoy the personal care of ten Sea Witches?”

“Regular customers certainly don’t qualify,” the Sea Witch at the head said. “But the presence of Purple Moth, Rust Crow, Ghost King, and Demon Lord warrants the highest level of hospitality from us.”

“You foresaw our arrival?”

“Water knows everything,” the Sea Witch extended her hand. “You also know our rules. Please choose the exercise equipment you prefer.”

The Sirens have a peculiar hobby: watching people exercise. Especially when conducting business or discussing collaborations, if you’re not drenched in sweat, the Sirens feel disrespected. Ashe and the others were aware of this custom beforehand, so they weren’t surprised and each began using an exercise machine.

The least fit, Igor, chose the elliptical machine. Harvey went for the parallel bars, Banjeet picked the horizontal bar, Ashe and Annan chose bicycles, and Lise opted for jump rope.

Once they all started exercising, the Sea Witch said, “Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Speaker of the Ten Sea Witches Council, a member of the Nabistin lower level Decision-making Committee, and the overall head of the Mermaid Palace of Nabistin—

“The First Sea Witch, Helephes.”

The Funeral Firm members were slightly stunned but then underwent a dramatic change in expression, instantly drawing their weapons—

Click!

Gun turrets rapidly emerged from the ceilings and walls, their cold steel aiming menacingly at the guests who dared to act out on someone else’s turf.

However, Ashe and the others had no choice because the person before them was Helephes!

Ranked second on the Evil Arts Ranking, the ‘Chaotic Witch,’ Helephes!

Although the ranking already indicated that Helephes was a Siren, there were many Sirens in the Gospel, with each city hosting several. The Six Heraldry families also had their fair share. Who would have thought that they would just come to purchase some intelligence and end up running into Helephes? Moreover, Helephes was the leader of the Mermaids!

It was like going out to buy a pack of cigarettes only to run into an enemy who wants to devour Ashe!

Information about the names of the Underworld’s organizational leaders isn’t disclosed unless they unveil them themselves. Annan couldn’t gather it on her own!

If the meeting had taken place before dusk, Ashe and the others wouldn’t have been so on edge. But with Roger, ranked fifth on the Evil Arts Ranking, having just committed suicide, they found themselves face to face with Helephes, ranked second. By putting themselves in her shoes, they all felt like they were there to stir up trouble!

As the atmosphere grew increasingly tense, Helephes raised her hand, and all the gun turrets retracted.

She said, “Are you still planning to do business? Life is about movement, and for Sirens, it’s all about fluidity. If you want to negotiate, don’t stop exercising.”

The Funeral members exchanged glances. Annan gave a slight nod, and they all put away their weapons, continuing their exercise with extreme caution.

“Let me take a guess,” Helephes said, propping her chin on her hand. “I’m guessing the intelligence you seek is the whereabouts of the next Yisuo Empress, the princess set to become the First Gospel, correct?”

“Do you know where she is?” Annan asked.

“Yes, I do,” Helephes replied.