The Righteous Player(s)

Chapter 444: Never-sleeping Reflection

“Only one Sage’s Stone and only me.” Annan said thoughtfully, “If you want to help, concoct me some suitable reagents. Silver Sire has provided me with instant teleportation, so our time is not so tight. We can wait for me to finish the ritual, and everything is ready. I will depart before sunrise tomorrow.

“Before that, I’ll ask you to stay up late and help me work on the logistics.” When he learned that what he could give was not enough for Silver Sire to intervene directly, Annan had already decided to attend to this matter personally.

Annan was at Silver Rank. Different from his previous state as Bronze Rank, he had gained a new truth.

If Sage’s Stone were injected in again, it would grant him a more substantial combat power than the battle with the Rotten Man that day. There was a chance of defeating Bernardino.

At the same time, only the last bottle of Sage’s Stone was left.

And that was Annan’s excuse for rejecting Salvatore.

Salvatore, who did not use Sage’s Stone, could not go head-to-head with Bernardino.

If Annan didn’t know about this, Salvatore would use the bottle of Sage’s Stone.

He felt sorry for the newly admitted students as he violated the oath when enrolling and could not secure the orthodox Black Tower inheritance. However, he was resolved to seek his destiny at the Swamp’s Black Tower.

If Salvatore learned about this matter privately, he would stop involving Annan and head over secretly.

However, he found out about the situation along with Annan.

Then, things were different.

In the battle with Rotten Man, he clearly realized that compared with Annan, letting himself use Sage’s Stone was a waste. Even if he handed his body over to the Shadow, what he could do was probably limited.

Annan was able to tie the Rotten Man even in Bronze Rank!

At least he remained undefeated for three minutes!

Even though the Rotten Man wasn’t much stronger than the Truth Rank transcender.

At the same time, Annan had the protection of the upright deity.

Salvatore still did not know what Silver Sire wanted to do with Annan. However, for upright deities, they would not have to beat around the bushes if they had malicious intent. It was not a complicated technology in this world to alter the mind, modify memory, or even directly enslave the mind.

Annan wouldn’t die even if he failed with the Silver Sire’s protection.

Salvatore was not a passionate suicide squad either.

He wanted to save the tower master and take back the senior’s soul. It was better to take revenge on Bernardino. Instead of rushing head-on and getting slaughtered by Bernardino.

Salvatore was confident that Annan was much stronger than him.

Then, he could only give this opportunity to Annan.

Thinking of this, Salvatore regretted it a lot.

Why did I only make three bottles of Sage’s Stone at the time?

If it’s four bottles, I can fight side by side with Annan!

“I understand.” Salvatore nodded reluctantly.

When he first advanced into an [Alchemist], he thought that he could provide more help to Annan.

But he never imagined that there would be times when something happened to him, and he needed Annan to stand up for him.

When something happened to my family, I could only watch from the sidelines, but my friends are working hard for me. How can things go on like this?

I can’t let this happen again.

At this time, Salvatore regretted his choice of profession.

If he attained the exclusive profession “Sacred Fire Envoy” as he became the son of the tower at that time, he could fight side by side with the tower master and use his soul to fuel and heal the tower master.

“Go back, Salvatore.” The Shadow’s cold and hoarse voice came, “Don’t waste your time. Head back to Geraint’s house and borrow their best Alteration Lab.

“Then, give me the body. I will make the reagent for Annan myself.”

“Alright.”

For the first time, Salvatore allowed the Shadow to borrow his body.

“If you have anything else you want to say to Annan, tell him immediately,” Salvatore said in his heart and closed his eyes.

After a few seconds, he fell asleep on the spot.

Immediately afterward, dense black runes filled with an evil aura emerged from his body, transpiring with a disturbing thick black smoke that wrapped him in it. His eyes became two blood-red crescents, glowing faintly in the black smoke.

The title “the Shadow Demon” seemed more suitable for him than Kafni.

“What do you need, Annan?”

“Salvatore” asked directly.

“Potions that increase will’s power, those that increase Constitution attributes, or those that increase damage resistance. I don’t need potions that increase Strength and Agility. It’s better to suppress my Strength and Agility appropriately. These are my orders.

“Secondly, I need a potion that temporarily increases the Perception attribute and a concoction that increases my capability to kill spirits. I will give you my sword. If possible, apply those effects to my sword. After that, some healing potions. How far can these be achieved?”

“Don’t underestimate me. I will finish those conditions within twelve hours. No, I will finish it for you in ten hours.”

“Salvatore” sneered and said coldly, “I’m not that wastrel. Bring me the sword. You want potions that suppress the Strength and Agility attributes and put those effects in the potion that increases your Will’s power, right? Are there any other requirements?”

“No, that’s all.” Annan nodded.

“Then, there are two bottles of custom reagents: one to increase Will’s power while reducing Strength and Agility slightly, and the other is a reagent that greatly improves survivability. After that, I will make you a bottle of spirit resistance reagent, one bottle of Stoneskin reagent, one bottle of Spiritual Fortitude reagent, three bottles of Whisperer’s Elixir, one Mind-purifying Elixir, one Mind-deflecting Ring, one Anti-spirit enchantment, and one dozen of vigorous healing reagents. Am I correct?”

“Salvatore” recited Annan’s order with a deadpan expression.

After hearing this, Annan became a little worried, “Why are there so many things? Are you sure you can finish the task?”

“Heh, don’t underestimate me. I’m Salvatore’s Shadow.”

“Salvatore” sneered and replied coldly, “Go and do your ritual. Before you leave, I will come with something.”

After saying that, she bit her thumb.

[TN: Salvatore’s Shadow has a female persona.]

Annan had no idea how she did it.

“Salvatore” turned into a black wind, flying away like a demonic beast in Journey to the West.

At least Annan could be sure that Salvatore could not do this.

“They’re not very happy,” commented Silver Sire slowly.

Annan nodded and said nothing.

How Swamp’s Black Tower ended up had nothing to do with Annan. Annan was not acquainted with them.

But, he was a close friend of Salvatore.

If Annan did not stop Salvatore, he would die. Annan understood the senior and also the Shadow well. Salvatore was a rational and soft person. He would realize that his resistance was meaningless to the enemy and that he couldn’t save anyone.

But the Shadow was different.

Shadow never did “what you should do”, but “what you want to do”. She was Salvatore’s most primitive desire, the embodiment of his desire for pleasure, revenge, and rage: the source of all his driving forces.

Salvatore’s behavior was constrained by morality, law, rules, and reason. What he did must take into account the benefit and the opinion of others. The relationship between Shadow and Salvatore was similar to the conflict between the “id” and the “superego” on the personality level.

Salvatore acted with reason and will to contain the Shadow. But now, his reasoning and will were on the verge of collapse. At this time, he would eventually act according to Shadow’s train of thought.

This was the essence of his curse, [Never-Sleeping Reflection].

An ever-present mirror of self. At the same time, it was also a defense mechanism based on Salvatore’s way of doing things.

When Salvatore encountered an event that he could not handle, the Shadow would appear to resolve it. Salvatore was a person who would not give up easily. When it was necessary to do something, the Shadow would come out to take the blame and lead the body to fulfill its will.

That was the so-called “temptation by the demon”.

It was not just Annan who realized this.

With Pope Benjamin’s wisdom, he should have long understood the essence of Salvatore’s curse.

That was why he taught Salvatore to strictly control himself, constantly strengthen his self-discipline, and do his best to resist the possibility of the “Shadow” occupying his body.

In fact, this approach strengthened the “Shadow” to ensure that the Shadow could do things Salvatore was afraid to do and unwilling to do at the critical moment.

The Shadow was his reflection in the water.

The more rational Salvatore was, the crazier the Shadow; the more innocent Salvatore was, the darker the Shadow; the more Salvatore thought for others, the more selfish the Shadow would be.

The seal imposed by Benjamin Pope was to protect his student.

It was not just to keep his life safe.

It also gave him an excuse he had to make when faced with the choice that contradicted his heart — and the blame tailored for the shadow.

That would maintain the integrity of Salvatore’s personality so as not to leave him with regrets.

“Pope Benjamin liked him as a student.” Annan sighed.

Silver Sire looked at Annan, smiled gently, and shook His head silently.

He did not say much but simply urged, “It’s time to do your ritual. If it’s two hours late, the ice cubes won’t necessarily melt.”

“Then, can you give me a ride?”

“Why not?” Silver Sire laughed, raised His hand, and a newly created silver coin appeared between His fingers.

He threw the silver coin at Annan casually and said casually, “Then, let the silver coin open a path for you—”

At the moment of being hit by the silver coin, Annan was in a trance as if a bridge made of silver coins appeared, floating in thin air.

Without waiting for him to move forward, the bridge moved independently.

In the blink of an eye, Annan reached the other side.

When Annan opened his eyes again, he was already in the Frost Tower.

Geraint and Salvatore had not yet arrived home.