[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-diary-of-a-dead-wizard":3,"chapter-diary-of-a-dead-wizard-diary-of-a-dead-wizard-chapter-202":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Diary of a Dead Wizard",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1380423,1828,"Chapter 202: Half a Page","diary-of-a-dead-wizard-chapter-202",202,"\u003Cp>For the second time, Saul used the method Morden had taught him to forcefully open the basement door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The magic formation layered on the door immediately gave off a ripple of magic. The ripple surged from weak to strong, then faded again, until finally, the formation lost all effect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The formation that had protected the Ralph Estate for decades now passed into history, along with its original master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul reached out and, with a slight effort, pried the door fully open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A swirl of yellow and white smoke burst out from within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul waved a hand to clear it. He had planned to wait until the smoke dispersed before entering but then noticed cracks forming on the basement walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without the protective magic, this long-abused basement was finally reaching its end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The smoke itself wasn’t particularly toxic—just reeking of oil and grease, enough to kill anyone’s appetite for days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul jumped down the entrance and landed with a splat in some sticky substance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh!” The air inside was even thicker than at the entrance. Covering his nose and mouth with a sleeve, Saul carefully stepped over to a clean spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He arrived at the formation he had prepared in advance to extract vengeful spirit and narrowed his eyes at the broken form of Ralph, no longer worm-like, collapsed at its center.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the puddle of yellow grease within the formation, Saul could just faintly make out Ralph’s twisted face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The arms that had once grown from his body were nowhere to be seen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul scanned the remains with his mental energy. There was no mental fluctuation, no magical ripple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No trace of life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Finally dead? He took a hit from a Flame Pearl and got dosed with a targeted antidote, yet he still held on this long. No wonder the diary said facing the big bug was certain death.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He squatted down and placed a magic crystal at the edge of the formation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, the formation flared to life, as though injected with a soul, igniting with a ring of white fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flames spread across the ground like flowing water, gradually filling the entire formation and covering the grease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as the white flames continued to burn, Saul’s brows furrowed deeper and deeper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing else happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s… too clean, isn’t it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no sign of Ralph’s soul. Even the souls of the ordinary people he had devoured were nowhere to be found.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It might be understandable if Ralph's soul didn't appear. He was strong-willed, and the small formation might be insufficient, but how could even the mercenaries’ souls be missing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The white fire had no prey to consume. Once the magic crystal’s energy was depleted, the fire began to sputter out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, the formation dimmed under Saul’s helpless gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Phew… I was prepared for this, but it’s still disappointing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He exhaled. It had all been for nothing—just another failed experiment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But just as Saul turned to leave before the basement collapsed completely, a streak of black light suddenly shot from a toppled shelf and flew straight into the diary on his left shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?” Saul was stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had gone to all that trouble setting up a large formation, using up a magic crystal, yet got no reaction—only to accidentally snag a soul remnant off a shelf?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The diary, aware of Saul’s thoughts, floated in front of him and opened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this time, the black page it revealed was incomplete, only half a sheet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Previous black pages were always jagged and looked much rougher than the white ones. Now I’m getting half pages? What’s next, quarter pages? Are we playing Puzzle Piece Simulator?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul complained with a groan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t the time to ask questions. With dust already falling from above, he knew he had to get out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then came another surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Saul reached the base of the basement entrance, a strange noise rang out from above the formation that had been quiet until now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instinctively, Saul turned and saw a massive, grotesque spirit floating above the formation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soul looked like a giant mass of foam formed by countless tiny bubbles, being kneaded and squeezed by invisible hands, constantly squirming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It made squelching, bubbling sounds as it moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the foamy mass, a disfigured soul emerged, its face missing most of its features.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a horrified expression, it opened its mouth at Saul, as if to say something, ut was yanked back by an irresistible force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul clearly saw the soul’s terror as it was absorbed, squeezed, and broken down into tiny bubbles by the larger foam.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What the hell is that? Could Ralph’s soul have mutated from contamination?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If that grotesque thing really was Ralph’s soul, then trying to absorb it into the diary was off the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In its current state, it had clearly lost all reason, utterly corrupted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Diary, can I try attacking that thing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Diary: Be my guest. Go die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Fair enough.” Saul immediately gave up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked up at the three-meter-high exit, hoping Little Algae would lift him out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But just as Little Algae emerged, the once-stable corrupted soul behind Saul began to convulse violently, like water about to boil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Countless wails and cries for help suddenly filled Saul’s ears, then began flooding into his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was like being punched in the brain by an invisible fist. Saul stumbled backward, completely disoriented.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cries in his head shifted again, turning into thousands of voices speaking at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Buzz… buzz… buzz…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some were rational, some deranged, some sorrowful… Saul couldn’t make out their words, but he could clearly feel their emotions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes—every single one of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BUZZ—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A violent tremor surged through him as the necklace embedded in his chest began to vibrate at a high frequency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as if something inside Saul was banging on a locked door, trying to smash it open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The puppet on his chest split open from the top, revealing the tiny flame sealed within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The voices in his head suddenly grew quieter. Most went silent, only a few still muttering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew the emergency locator had bought him time. Without a second thought, Saul turned and ran.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Little Algae shot forward like a grappling hook, latching onto the outer wall and transforming into a rope to pull Saul out of the basement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as he landed, Saul felt the ground beneath him start to collapse, spreading outward from the entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sprinted at full speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The diary hadn’t warned him that staying would be fatal, but Saul wasn’t going to risk it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The staircase was already a mess, with the steps shattered into a small mountain of rubble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Little Algae surged forward and coiled around the second-floor railing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Saul was pulled up midair, he quickly glanced over the wreckage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The staircase where Victor had been was now a deep pit, with no blood or limbs in sight. He couldn’t tell whether Victor was alive or dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Clawn’s corpse and what was left of Swan—only his upper body—had vanished. Perhaps Ralph had eaten them too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Little Algae’s help, Saul darted between beams and walls, racing against time. At last, he leapt onto the second floor just before the ground floor began sinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thunderous crash echoed behind him. Saul staggered, nearly losing his balance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the crash landed, the whispering voices in his head grew louder again. The puppet on his chest cracked further, and the tiny flame inside began to dim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clutching the puppet tightly, Saul ran unsteadily through the corridor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Little Algae led the way, smashing through the balcony window ahead. Saul ducked low and dove into the wind and rain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cold rain lashed his face and body. Cracks spread across the balcony behind him while the earth continued to sink in the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the final moment, Saul stepped onto the railing and leapt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another deafening explosion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The castle behind him caved in, dropping an entire level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The collapse unleashed a powerful shockwave that slammed into Saul’s back, pelting him with flying debris.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In midair, Little Algae flailed its tendrils desperately, finally hooking a tree branch just before Saul hit the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He twisted in midair and managed to land on his feet. With Little Algae giving him a final upward tug, he pulled off a safe landing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tucked into a roll to absorb the impact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—crack—a clear snapping sound pierced through all the noise and struck deep into Saul’s core.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Startled, he looked down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The puppet bound to him by the black string had shattered completely, its fragments tumbling off his skin—some even falling out of his collar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only a single wooden thorn remained, lodged in his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1454,"2026-06-05T22:22:08.872Z",1,"novelbin.me","7ab755dce0ec0eb801bb63e321ac434d32457f23c7deb579bbe90fbd0c14de3a","diary-of-a-dead-wizard-chapter-203","diary-of-a-dead-wizard-chapter-201",1037,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fdiary-of-a-dead-wizard-cover.jpg"]