[{"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-270":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},1380791,1828,"Chapter 270: Crying Face, Smiling Face","diary-of-a-dead-wizard-chapter-270",270,"\u003Cp>Not long after, the three of them, moving swiftly, followed the main road and arrived beneath the bell tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind them, the crimson tide surged forward relentlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bell continued to toll above their heads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each toll sounded like a death knell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, even at such close range, they still couldn’t see who was ringing the bell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without hesitation, the three began to climb the wall of the bell tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blood tide crashed against the tower’s base, sending up massive splashes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Angela was carried by Billy in one hand, the two flying upward together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Little Algae didn’t need Saul to remind it. It lashed out a tendrils, hooked the spire of the bell tower, and pulled them up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Steadying himself, Saul looked back at the town streets and found it had become a vast red ocean.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the tide struck stone, it produced the same rushing sound he had heard earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Was I standing in blood the whole time…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul turned back and saw that Billy had already approached the massive, swaying bell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Angela glanced around, hesitated for a moment, then stood at Saul’s side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether she feared some hidden danger—or Billy himself—was unclear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tsk.” Billy suddenly clicked his tongue, then turned around. Amid the loud tolling, he shouted to Saul, “Did you say earlier you came in here with Mochi Mochi?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment Saul heard this, he immediately reacted. Eyebrows raised in disbelief, he quickly walked to Billy’s side and bent down to look inside the bronze bell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hss…” He gasped in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bronze bell was only half a person tall and as thick as a man’s arms around, yet someone was crammed tightly inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was none other than Mochi Mochi, who had separated from Saul shortly after entering the town!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After they parted, Mochi Mochi had never contacted Saul again, and Saul, facing constant danger, hadn’t used that ancient coin either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who would have thought their reunion would be like this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mochi Mochi’s long, thin body had been twisted cruelly like a pretzel and shoved into the bronze bell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His tilted head, hands, and feet were all squashed against the outer edge, while the rest of his body was crammed inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s dead?” Saul muttered in disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mochi Mochi was a Third Rank apprentice who had guarded a Wizard Tower outpost for ages—how could he die so easily?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But with his body twisted like this, could he possibly still be alive?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Almost, but not yet,” Billy replied, arms crossed, eyes fixed on Mochi Mochi. Who knew what he was thinking?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Mochi Mochi’s stiff eyeballs suddenly twitched and, with difficulty, turned toward Saul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His lips parted slightly, and a ancient coin fell from his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clink!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Metal clattered against stone, ringing out clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the coin bounced on the ground, Saul noticed it looked just like the one Mochi Mochi had given him before—except the faces on both sides were crying instead of smiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior…?” Saul frowned at the coin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, from the corner of his eye, he saw Billy move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A second later, a powerful magical surge came from behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the magic wasn’t aimed at Mochi Mochi—it was aimed at him!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Already on edge, Saul’s Soul Armor spell activated instantly, blocking the oncoming Mage Hand at the last possible moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next moment, the Mage Hand shifted from a grab to a palm strike, slamming against the translucent barrier of Soul Armor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mage Hand and Soul Armor—both basic magic applications—collided with full force, releasing a burst of pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul staggered back two steps, nearly colliding with the bell that held Mochi Mochi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, the swaying bell abruptly stilled. The tolling stopped, but the sound of the tide outside grew louder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyone peeking out the window would see that in mere moments, the red tide had flooded over most of the low buildings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a true world-ending deluge, it was about to engulf everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Saul had no time to worry about that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Billy had suddenly attacked, Saul hadn’t been completely unprepared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Billy had used only a Zero Tier spell—Mage Hand—which couldn’t inflict much damage. All it did was push Saul closer to the bell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, something fell from Saul’s body too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clink—his own ancient coin hit the ground and collided with the one dropped by Mochi Mochi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two coins seemed to attract each other, and the moment they met, their edges stuck together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that instant, Saul, Billy, and even the distant Angela all fixed their eyes on the coins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before their very eyes, the two coins suddenly flipped—smiling faces became crying, crying became smiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mochi Mochi, who’d been crammed inside the bell, suddenly dropped out!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, Saul felt a powerful force trying to pull him into the bell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Angela’s beautiful eyes darted back and forth between Saul and Mochi Mochi, stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t know the exact function of the coins, but from their transformation and interaction, she could tell things weren’t looking good for Saul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her left hand twitched slightly, as if something, or someone was trying to persuade her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But her gaze wavered, and in the end, she chose to merely watch, cold-eyed, not interfering in the clash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul’s face contorted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bell’s pull—especially on his head—was growing stronger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He braced his legs against the floor, and Little Algae sprang into action, anchoring itself to the bell tower window frame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul resisted the pull with all his might while keeping an eye on the others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Billy simply leaned against the wall, arms crossed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Angela remained uncertain, avoiding Saul’s gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, the collapsed Mochi Mochi was slowly recovering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lifted his head with difficulty and looked at Saul, “Sorry… to open the gate here… we needed a sacrifice.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t even glance at Saul’s expression—he knew no words would improve the situation. Instead, he turned to Billy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you waiting for?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Billy still leaned against the wall, “I’m not going through, only to get double-crossed and become the next sacrifice.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still resisting the pull, Saul gritted his teeth, “You two… knew the curse’s nature from the start?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mochi Mochi was surprised Saul could still talk calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Scratching his head, he replied honestly, “Actually, I only figured out the rules after reaching the bell tower. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have ended up trapped inside.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Billy looked at the struggling Saul with a flicker of surprise and said, “I realized when I saw Mochi Mochi. But… maybe I made my judgment too early.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another ambiguous line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the still-weakened Mochi Mochi suddenly sensed something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned toward Saul just in time to see him relax.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hands in his pockets, Saul stood up casually and tilted his head at him, eyes gleaming with icy detachment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Forgot to mention—I’m not just good with souls. I’m especially skilled at analyzing runes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, Mochi Mochi felt a massive force pulling down from above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still weak and mentally drained, he could only stare blankly upward—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And saw the massive bell rushing toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His final thought, just before being sucked back into the bell—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was a glimpse of the two ancient coins on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The coin that belonged to him had somehow turned back into a crying face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1207,"2026-06-05T22:22:08.872Z",1,"novelbin.me","b4a18c014be892fb170c51353f002130142bbb0ea8ad2820924afe979568d49c","diary-of-a-dead-wizard-chapter-271","diary-of-a-dead-wizard-chapter-269",1037,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fdiary-of-a-dead-wizard-cover.jpg"]