Chapter 509: The Fairy-Tale Spirit

An Angel's wish?

Having developed a basic understanding of the Weaver's notion of "good conduct," Ashe and Dia felt far from happy when they heard the Bell-Attuned Angel's offer of goodwill, even instinctively taking a few steps back. "No..."

"Very well. I have heard your wish."

The Bell-Attuned Angel appeared behind Dia almost as soon as she finished the second half of her sentence. The retreating girl crashed straight into her exposed navel.

A single chime rang out.

In that instant, Ashe and Dia became fully immobilized. They could only watch helplessly as the Bell-Attuned Angel removed her exquisite obsidian headphones and gently placed them over Dia's ears, thoughtfully adjusting the tightness for her.

Then, she moved the bell.

The bell swayed once, producing the sound of flames scorching the air. Above Dia's head, a sphere appeared. It was a golden orb condensed to the size of a fist, dazzling like the sun itself. In truth, it was a miniature sun.

The bell swayed twice, producing the sound of water vapor freezing into frost. Beneath Dia's feet, a spiderweb of ice instantly spread out and transformed into an endless frozen river stretching thousands of miles. Dark frost filled their entire field of vision. Peering down, they could only see an abyss-like frozen sea so deep that the bottom remained hidden. Merely looking at it filled their hearts with suffocating fear.

The bell swayed three times, producing the sound of a gentle breeze. The air throughout all of Heaven seemed to collapse downward. Flowing from above, the breeze penetrated every inch of their skin, as if to scatter and dissolve them completely.

The bell swayed four times, producing the sound of falling flower petals. Across the endless frozen plains, countless blue roses suddenly bloomed. Their delicate, ice-crystal petals glistened with life as they gently swayed, twisting the light around them.

The bell stopped ringing. Those four chimes were more than enough for Ashe and Dia to glimpse the tip of the Bell-Attuned Angel's power. She was using sound itself as a medium to perform a symphony of sorcery! By replicating the sounds of Divine Miracles, she could directly recreate those phenomena themselves. Perhaps she had simply memorized them, or perhaps she had stored those sounds when witnessing others perform them. Regardless, releasing these sounds allowed her to unleash the corresponding Miracles.

Sorcerers had long believed that beings like Angels and Divine Lords, even if not versed in every sorcery class, had elevated their proficiency in one art so far that it allowed them to grasp the essence of all others, ensuring they never possessed a fatal weakness. Through the Bell-Attuned Angel, Ashe and Dia finally understood the enormous gap between true omnipotence and mere expertise.

This is just the Bell-Attuned Angel, an existence a tier below the Omniscient Weaver... What kind of presence is the Omniscient Weaver, exactly?!

Just then, the Bell-Attuned Angel pulled out something resembling a conductor's baton, and her entire demeanour suddenly changed. Describing an Angel as confident was an understatement. If Iger had been here, he would have used far more extravagant words to describe this scene. She possessed the composure of someone standing before an orchestra filled with masters of their craft, arrogantly yet elegantly waving her baton to guide the world itself through a magnificent symphony.

In that instant, Ashe and Dia heard the blazing sun singing its grand song, the fallen winds whispering their low melodies, the blooming flowers joining in harmony, and the deep ocean playing its profound notes.

Then, Rin pointed at Dia. Divine Miracle, World Fusion!

Everything instantly shrank in equal proportion, merging into Dia's soul as a small world that enveloped the Gospel Divine Spirit and the Conjuring spirit in its arms. Within this tiny world existed gardens, the sun, flowing winds, glaciers, and frozen earth. The Gospel and Conjuring spirits quietly remained inside it.

At the same time, Dia's other spirits seemed to let out a sigh of relief. They no longer clung to the edges of her soul while trembling in fear. Instead, they returned to their usual state, chasing and playing with each other.

From what Dia could sense, the Gospel Divine Spirit and Conjuring spirit had suddenly vanished, leaving behind only an unknown Three-Winged spirit.

Rin's voice came through the headphones. "World Fusion can temporarily merge multiple of your spirits into one, preventing them from leaking their aura or being detected while still allowing them to continue functioning. If they were ordinary spirits, they would gradually fuse into a new spirit, but Gospel is clearly an exception. It will not be assimilated. To it, this is merely moving to a more comfortable place."

Dia never expected this to be the Angel's wish, yet it was exactly what she needed. Ashe possessed the ability to inspect an operator's spirits. Now that the Bell-Attuned Angel was concealing her Gospel Divine Spirit, Conjuring spirit, and Incarnation of Secrets, Dia no longer carried a fatal weakness that could expose her identity.

Still, a thought crossed her mind. If you can do this, why not directly increase my mental resistance and Divine Spirit adaptation to 100% so I can stop hiding my identity? Are you deliberately bullying me?

"How strange. This is the first time I have seen a sorcerer wanting to hand their soul over to an Angel for manipulation," the Bell-Attuned Angel's voice carried a teasing tone. "The authority of a conceptual incarnation cannot be replaced by an ordinary Divine Miracle. If you want your soul to become strong enough to contain a Divine Spirit, wishing to become an Angel yourself would not be much different. The entire spider web must be burned to ashes before such a thing could happen.

"The Bronze Dragon's blessing only increased your compatibility by thirteen percent. It wasn't deliberately shortchanging you. On the contrary, it was doing everything it could to reward you. Under normal circumstances, a mere temporal Bronze Dragon would only be capable of boosting your compatibility with Time Class Divine Spirits."

Dia froze as she recalled the scene after receiving the Bronze Dragon's blessing, remembering the way it had quickly faded away afterward.

"I, on the other hand, mean it in every way when I bully you. By the way, give your new spirit a name."

A name? Almost instinctively, a thought surfaced in Dia's mind. "Fairy Tale."

"The Gospel Princess who knows everything, imprisoned within a secret garden... That does sound like a fairy tale, which leaves me wondering... Will you become the witch seeking something forever unattainable in that story, or the princess living happily ever after? I look forward to seeing which path you choose."

Following Rin's words, the small world containing both the Gospel and Conjuring spirit received a new name: the Fairy Tale spirit.

Rin retrieved her headphones, adjusted the fit, and placed them back over her ears. She smiled. "Alright. You may thank me now."

The moment Ashe regained control of his body, he stepped to the left and shielded Dia.

However, the white-haired girl gently took his hand, gave it a soft squeeze, and nodded toward Rin. "Thank you."

Rin accepted the gratitude without hesitation. "You may return now. However..."

She paused, letting a brief silence hang in the air before continuing.

"You still have a chance to change your mind. I cannot remove the Gospel Divine Spirit from your soul. The rules dictate that the Gospel's First must remain in reality. Still, you may make another wish. You can separate your personality and consciousness from your physical form. That way, your body remains in reality while your mind stays in Heaven. There, you can enjoy eternal happiness and reunite with loved ones who have passed away."

For a moment, Dia felt tempted. Accepting the offer meant she no longer needed to hide her identity or worry about the world outside. Most importantly, she could keep Ashe by her side forever in endless paradise.

Soon, she shook her head. "No. Send us back."

She had fought for her freedom to escape the tower in the first place. She refused to force that same fate on Ashe by effectively trapping him in Heaven.

Life within the tower offered peace and happiness, yet the future she truly desired existed only on the outside.

Thinking of this, Dia glanced at Ashe, only to notice he was still watching Rin with intense vigilance.

Having worked for years while exposed to countless anti-fraud campaigns, Ashe had long since stopped believing in empty promises from high-ranking figures. Whenever he encountered a scam message, he asked himself three questions.

Will a beautiful woman really throw herself at you? Ashe, look in the mirror!

A business guaranteeing profit with zero risk? Why would they choose you?

A lucky draw winner? Do you really think you deserve it?

The Bell-Attuned Angel had no reason to deceive him. The gap in their strength was so vast that if she wanted to crush him, he could only submit.

True to its name, the Heaven of Omniscience was indeed a paradise. Yet, looking at the people of Vanmura, the Montphera residents, the underground inhabitants of Nabistin, and the Gospel citizens, Ashe knew they all lived in engineered contentment. They believed they were happy because the system decided it for them.

For a man preferring to slack off, remaining in such a paradise felt like an extremely tempting choice. At the very least, he would no longer need to teach his substitute how to work. Still, he questioned if that pre-packaged contentment was the happiness he actually wanted, or if the Omniscient Weaver could ever truly grant his deepest desires.

In reality, the Heaven of Omniscience could never satisfy his appetite. As a greedy mud-born sorcerer, Ashe refused to settle for individual peace. He wanted to bring happiness to others alongside himself.

Ultimately, happiness resembled a video game. Clear victory was impossible if someone simply handed over a perfect save file and a maxed-out account. Players had to experience the journey themselves to understand the ending they truly wanted.

Reality was a grueling tower-climbing game demanding endless grinding and investment. Nevertheless, Ashe had no intention of quitting because he still had comrades fighting beside him.

Rin smiled faintly. "Fascinating. To think I would come across a mortal who refused this invitation."

With a gentle wave of her right hand, she sliced open a spatial rift. "Go. Return to that vivid, cunning reality where sorrow and joy interweave."

The next moment, the rift swallowed the two Gospel bearers.

Rin stared at the spot where they vanished, lost in thought.

At that moment, another figure appeared above the spiderweb. She wore a metal mask resembling aluminum alloy, kept both hands tucked into her coat pockets, and tied her hair into a high ponytail shaped like a kamaitachi tail. She was tall and completely silent.

"You came at the perfect time, Yan," Rin said. "Are you responsible for creating the Mask of Distortion?"

Yan nodded.

"The Mask of Distortion shouldn't block my hearing, right? Within five meters, at least."

Yan shook her head.

Rin rested her chin on her hand, deep in thought. "Interesting. Why can't I hear his voice at all? The same thing happened with the Gospel's First. I can hear her, but only a little. That voice sounds completely different from her usual self.

"She possesses other personalities. That voice feels aware of my listening, deliberately throwing me a few scraps to chase after. Yet the inability to hear it is a form of hearing in itself. Could it be the Four Pillar Deities? Or the Dramatic Poet? Who is writing the score for them?"

Yan raised a hand, seemingly warning her.

Rin immediately shook her head. "Of course I won't interfere. One is a priceless treasure, and the other is a product. I wouldn't dare ruin Lord Omniscient Weaver's business."

***

By the time Ashe and Dia regained consciousness, they were back in the banquet hall of Nabistin Palace.

However, the atmosphere had shifted. Many more people filled the hall, looking at the suddenly reappearing pair with awe and excitement.

Ashe felt confused. "Why are all of you here?"

Besides the Funeral Agency, the Senheiser and Belldet sisters were also present. In other words, everyone who had attempted to cause trouble last night was here.

Quinna crossed her arms and glanced at Dia holding Ashe's hand. A strange glimmer flashed in her eyes. "Her Majesty Dine asked us to gather here and say goodbye to you."

Evelyn stood with hands on her hips. "I came for the same reason."

Standing behind her, a head taller, was her younger sister, Anphel. "She mentioned you two would leave the Gospel Kingdom today and might never return. So... did you just meet Lord Omniscient Weaver?"

Before Ashe could answer, Iger strode forward, grabbed Ash by the collar, and stared at him sternly. "Ashe! When we first met, where did I get hit? Answer within three seconds! Hurry!"

Ashe froze. "What? Uh... your nose. I didn't actually hit it! The prison restricted my attack intent!"

"What do you still owe me?"

"A wish! I still owe you one wish!"

"The falsely accused idiot and the genuine cult leader... Which side do you belong to?"

"The falsely accused... I am not an idiot!"

Iger pushed him away and explained to everyone, "He hasn't been replaced. He's still the same Ashe obsessed with eating and sleeping."

Ashe clicked his tongue. "Was it necessary to say it like that? Once my soul recovers, I won't oversleep anymore!"

"How do you know I was calling you useless, sleepy, forgetful, and gluttonous?"

"Obviously! You only say nice things to me when we are two seconds from dying or when you are lying to my face."

Annan stepped between them, stopping the argument. "Enough, both of you."

She looked toward the cult leader. "Ashe."

Ashe met her gaze. "Yeah."

They had been separated for only a single night. Annan and the others had followed the Secret Guards deep into the palace while he went to the tower with Lys. Yet meeting again felt like a reunion after a lifetime apart.

Suddenly, Annan hugged him tightly, taking a deep breath to feel his warmth.

Dia narrowed her eyes slightly.

Annan released Ashe after a moment. "Did you two make a wish in the Heaven of Omniscience? We waited for you for a long time. When we came in, the hall was empty. The Book of Gospel then told us you were still inside."

"A wish..." Ashe exchanged a glance with Dia and shrugged. "If you put it that way... Yes, we did make one."

Curious, Annan asked, "What wish did you make?"

The others focused their attention on him.

Ashe answered, "World peace. Happiness for all living beings."