Sorcerer’s Handbook - Chapter 306: Girl of Peeping
“Wait!”
Sonya asked, “Are you sure these four paintings are of different people? Not four paintings of the same person?”
“It’s our turn to ask questions,” Swordswoman stated calmly. “We will not, cannot, and do not wish to answer any questions regarding the topic.”
Ashe inquired, “What does ‘becoming reality’ mean? If they answer correctly, is the reward fulfilling their wishes by letting them die with the character they chose?”
Witch made a ghost face: “It might not even be about getting the answer right—”
“Witch!” Swordswoman snapped.
“Anyway, you can look forward to it with great anticipation,” Witch giggled.
Deya kept staring at the four paintings, murmuring softly to herself, unsure who she was communicating with: “Is it you? No? But besides you, there can’t be anyone else who looks so much like me… I think that one looks a bit like you…”
Ashe watched her worriedly, bringing his hand close to her mouth: “Don’t just look, take a bite.”
Deya gently bit Ashe’s hand, tasting it very modestly.
Despite suddenly seeing four portraits of herself, Deya did not seem to be mentally impacted; instead, she found it rather amusing.
It was like seeing a photo of herself with her sisters as children; she and her sisters began trying to identify each of them from their clothes, expressions, and appearances. Everyone was enjoying themselves immensely; there was no cause for arguments.
Mainly because Ashe was there, a human stress-relief tool, Deya felt much braver.
Had it been earlier, she would have shrunk to a corner and covered her ears upon hearing her sisters discussing, suffering in silence as the sisters argued; but now, being able to bite Ashe whenever stressed, Deya mustered the courage to actively engage with her sisters.
Many things are just a matter of flipping between 0 and 1. Once Deya tried to accept them, she realized they weren’t so frightening. Taking that first step made the journey ahead much less daunting.
With the four paintings as a common topic, Deya even dared to actively argue with her sisters, only needing to bite Ashe when their voices became too loud. This action wasn’t even about relieving stress, but rather a more subtle way of pleading, “Please, don’t be so loud.”
If Deya were to directly express her dislike, one of her sisters, dressed in a black butler’s outfit, would likely mock her sarcastically, and then another sister, wearing white, would start arguing with her. This back-and-forth could easily overwhelm Deya.
However, with Ashe’s hand as a signal aid, those unspoken humble requests could more easily touch hearts. Whenever Deya bit or licked his hand, the volume in her mind would quickly decrease, and her sisters would reconsider their points, thus reducing the intensity of the argument.
“How can we tell them apart…” Sonya complained. “These four all look exactly the same… So do I have to choose Knight now?”
“Why don’t you think about it again?” Ashe was somewhat nervous. “The question is ‘who do you want to die with,’ I think—”
“Isn’t that very logical?” Sonya retorted. “According to you, you and I are lovers who have known each other for many years, and because our relationship has become idle, you went off to meet and become infatuated with a new paramour, but I still love you in my heart… In this situation, if I were to die, I definitely wouldn’t leave you alive to enjoy life!”
Ashe’s eyes widened. “Isn’t there an option ‘I hope you find happiness after I die’?”
Sonya thought seriously for a moment: “No, absolutely not. To make sure beyond a doubt, I think I would even prefer to see you die before me, so I can leave in peace.”
If Ashe was just doubting his assumption before, now he was certain he had guessed wrong—she definitely wasn’t his lover!
At least I pray she isn’t!
At that moment, Ashe noticed Danzel staring intently at one of the paintings. Following her gaze, he saw she was looking at the painting of the Masked Girl and asked, “paramour, do you have any clues?”
Danzel glanced at him and originally did not want to speak, but considering he might be her beloved, she confessed, “I think I know why I entered this cabin.”
At her words, everyone looked at her, and Ashe asked, “How do you know?”
“Because of her.” Danzel pointed to the spiderweb mask. “Seeing this spiderweb mask reminded me that I possess a power that allows me to see through illusions and weave reality. Even if I lose my memory, I can still obtain the correct answers directly through this ability.”
“I knew I could pass the trial here, that’s why I came.”
Without waiting for Ashe and the others to ask further, Danzel stepped back, and a dark blue magic circle with a spider pattern appeared under her feet. White spider silk extended from the circle, weaving up her legs.
In just a few seconds, a transformed Danzel stood before them—all traces of her loose, all-encompassing Spiderweb Cloak had vanished, replaced by a garment woven from white spider silk.
Her attire, with silk bindings only revealing her toes, a spider silk skirt highlighting her thighs, and a chest wrap that accentuated rather than suppressed, forming a trembling curve. Her hands were wrapped with flowing ribbons, and her hair was casually tied back in a ponytail.
And just like in the painting, she also wore a spiderweb mask, adding an unapproachable air of mystery to her dignified and sacred presence.
She came over and sat next to Ashe, the soft chair dipping slightly under her. At this moment, Ashe reaffirmed his belief—my guess was right, she is definitely my paramour! Absolutely!
Ashe, eagerly anticipating the day they would leave the cabin and regain their memories, quickly asked, “What ability is this?”
Facing her lover’s inquiry, Danzel did not hide the truth: “The sixth warrior type of Spider Pavilion, the Girl of Peeping.”
“Spider Pavilion Girl of Peeping: Any attack deals +40% Soul Damage. Equipped with 4 layers of armor, humanoid creature, and comes with special miracles ‘Peeping’, ‘Weaving’, and ‘Concealment’. Each use consumes 15 points of Soul Power.”
[Peeping: No secrets can hide from the eyes of the Girl of Peeping. She can access all information about a target’s abilities, including but not limited to command skills, Soul Power, miracles, and types of armed forces.]
[Weaving: Destiny is the thread of the Girl of Peeping. When used on allies, it grants enhancements such as luck enhancement, arrow protection, increased critical hit chances, ensuring any damage taken is minimized, and enemies becoming involuntary shields, among other benefits. When used on enemies, it causes luck reduction, increased hit probability, increased mortality rate, ensuring the lowest damage output from attacks, and tripping over flat surfaces, among other debuffs. The casting time ranges from 1 to 60 seconds, with effects strengthening over time.]
[Concealment: When other Spider Pavilion warriors are present, the Girl of Peeping is not the primary target of attacks. Enemies must eliminate other Spider Pavilion warriors before noticing the presence of the Girl of Peeping.]
“Can you make us into the Girl of Peeping as well?” Sonya immediately asked.
Danzel shook her head.
It wasn’t that she couldn’t, but—
“Why would I make you into the Girl of Peeping?”
Everyone was taken aback.
“If the knight’s guess is correct, and I am his paramour, and you are his sister and lover, and if you hold a grudge against me, then my current strategy should be…”
Danzel slipped her arms under Ashe’s armpits and hugged him, her strength surprisingly great as she pulled him several steps backward, her voice calm and clear: “To keep you here forever, while the knight and I leave alone.”