Chapter 382: Chapter 323: The Swindler’s Psychological Therapy_2

“I told the maid here that no one answered the door, and you might already be dead in the Void Realm, your soul’s head bitten off by a Fish-Slicing Dragon, turned into a vegetable at the mercy of others. So, she opened the door to let me in to check if you had any accidents.”

Ash sat on a small stool, “It really is feudal decadence, to still have maids. This family system is truly a tumor of civilization, but the maid’s uniform is quite cute.”

“Aren’t we under house arrest and not allowed to leave the room?”

“I don’t know. I tried the door when I got up and found the lock had been opened. Maybe the young miss pleaded with our mother last night while we were away?”

“Let’s not dwell on those trivial matters,” Igula fixed his gaze on Ash and said, “Have you not noticed that I am taking a bath?”

Ash blinked in sudden realization, went to close the glass door, then sat back down on the small stool: “Sorry, I forgot to close the door.”

“You also forgot to lock yourself out.” Igula splashed some water on his face, completely giving up entering an idiotic state, and went back to business mode: “Speak, what do you want from me?”

“Can’t I find you just to chat? Am I the type of person who seeks you out only when I need something from you?”

“Of course not, you are the type who still bothers me when taking a bath even if you’ve got nothing to ask for.” The Swindler tugged at the corner of his mouth: “To use borrowing money as an analogy, at least others are arrogant after they borrow money, but you’re already arrogant before even asking.”

“I do have something I’d like to consult you about,” Ash scratched his head and said: “After all, you seem to have a wealth of experience.”

“You’re consulting a Swindler?” Igula raised his eyebrows: “A Believer seeking comfort from a Priest could not be more apt.”

“When you carry the lives of others, and every move you make could lead to those who trust you dying a tragic death, would you be scared?”

“…If this psychological pressure is because of the trust we placed in you during the escape, then your nervous reflex should be able to loop around the Time Continent.”

“No, I’ve never had any intention of being responsible for you during the escape.” Ash shook his head: “Because you never trusted me, and I never trusted you. We trusted our own judgments and were responsible for ourselves.”

“What I am talking about is when others trust you unconditionally, willing to put their lives in your hands as a bet, do you feel anything special when you gamble?”

The Swindler squinted his eyes: “They chose to trust me, which means they’ve made their own judgments, I don’t need–”

“Really don’t need to?” Ash cut him off, his gaze piercing through the mist, trying to find the truth in the Swindler’s eyes: “If I put my life in your hands, could you bet without the slightest hesitation?”

The steam rose slowly, dressing the silence in a coat.

“I understand.” Igula splashed his face with water: “You’re not here for advice, you’re seeking comfort.”

A direct hit.

When confronting Denzel, Ash could make rational judgments, choose life over death with staunch determination, and be an uncompromising hero. But after leaving the Void Realm and calming down in reality, only then did Ash realize what he had done–he had put the lives of the Witch and the Sword Maiden on the betting table.

Not to mention that he didn’t regard them as private property, a long time ago the Sword Maiden said that even if Ash died, she could still continue to live in her own world. The operators did not exist solely because of Ash; they had their own emotions, their own parents and friends, and their own lives.

Similarly, if an operator died, they were probably truly dead. Their avatars would turn completely gray, leaving only a name in the manual.

Whether during the escape or fleeing the Blood Moon, when it was time to bet his own life, Ash never felt any psychological pressure.

But after betting on the Witch and the Sword Maiden as well, he suddenly became afraid.

He was afraid they would die, and even more afraid that he might survive while the others died.

They were still far from the Three-winged Holy Realm, but in the meantime, they had to enter the Void Realm at every Spider Tower round, engaging in life-and-death races against the Heroic Soul Army.

Although they had a car, and they could escape once, twice, three times, ten times, could they escape a hundred times?

If they failed just once, if there was one mistake, if Fate just stumbled them slightly…

Ash closed his eyes, as if he could see the scene of them being torn apart.

Moreover, this was no longer an issue that could be resolved by Ash’s death alone.

Even if Ash fell first in battle, the Contract with the Sword Maiden and the Witch would not dissolve. Unless they climbed to a higher layer of the Void Realm, they would still have to flee for their lives there–as opposed to settling for enough, the Empress’ Soul seemed more like the type to chase to the bitter end.

Although the Witch and the Sword Maiden had no objections, and at that time Ash’s response was indeed the correct one.

But, but…

He was scared.

Suddenly, Ash remembered his second-last question and couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh.

Sacrificing worlds and billions of lives, bearing the millennium wishes to save the world… Now, he couldn’t even bring himself to say ‘entrust your lives to me’ without feeling conflicted.

The rapidly expanding psychological burden soon made it hard for him to breathe. If it had been before, Ash would have chosen to bear this painful trust alone, pretending it was nothing. After all, that was the education he had received from childhood: expressing grievances would only cause worry to others, and no one wants to swallow your blood and tears.