[{"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-272":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},1380793,1828,"Chapter 272: Two Out of Three","diary-of-a-dead-wizard-chapter-272",272,"\u003Cp>“It’s impossible,” Billy said darkly, “There’s no such thing as a curse that guarantees death. If there were, it would only exist in stories.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penny once again swung forward and looked at Billy, seemingly intrigued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, I was lying to you,” she giggled, appearing quite pleased with the tense looks on their faces just moments ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aren’t you trapped here just like us?” Angela couldn’t help but step forward. She’d been watching the tide outside—it was rising fast, nearly level with the windowsill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t want to waste any more time chatting with this enigmatic Penny.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The sacrifices are already in place. If you tell us how to escape, we might be able to help you get out too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re lying!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penny puffed her cheeks and deliberately leaned on her arm, causing the great bell to sway in a new direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The long, rhythmic swinging resumed, and the tip of Mochi Mochi’s shoe nearly struck Angela.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penny burst into laughter, head thrown back like a gleeful child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Angela bit her lip in anger, on the verge of unleashing the soul inside her to teach Penny a lesson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Saul raised a hand to stop her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped forward and grabbed Mochi Mochi’s swinging calf midair, halting the great bell’s movement completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penny, who was hanging from the bell, stopped as well—yet her body didn’t sway, as though inertia didn’t apply to her at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You didn’t appear out of nowhere just to mess with us. Time’s running out. Say what you want or plan to do—fast.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking down from above, Penny’s playful smile finally faded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is Brother Saul really that eager to leave Penny behind? This might be the last time we ever meet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul simply stared at her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under his steady gaze, Penny finally gave in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine,” she sighed, leaping off the bell and landing lightly on Saul’s arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His arm didn’t so much as flex, yet it held her weight with ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She landed on him like a butterfly landing softly on a flower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just ignite the soul flame of the sacrifice, and the gate of the town will open—for a brief time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had barely finished her sentence when Billy suddenly moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A black flame burst from his fingertip. With a flick of his arm, it landed on Mochi Mochi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as if the flame fell onto an oil-soaked rag—Mochi Mochi ignited instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His whole body went up in flames. Limbs that had hung limp began to tremble violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul heard a sharp, agonized wail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the sound of Mochi Mochi’s soul crying out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul’s eyes flicked toward Billy, whose expression remained unmoved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This man had just risked himself to try and save Mochi Mochi, yet the moment he learned that escaping required sacrificing him, he’d been the first to act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flames consuming Mochi Mochi’s body spread to the great bell, and from there to the roof of the clocktower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything, whether flammable or not, began to burn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Firelight pierced through the tower’s windows, casting golden light onto the blood-colored ocean outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three people inside the clocktower quickly cast protective spells around themselves, shielding from the heat and flames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And then?” Saul asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Billy’s flames were unusual—Mochi Mochi’s corpse turned to ash in no time. The copper bell began to melt and drip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the iron chain suspending the bell merely caught fire—it didn’t melt or break.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penny’s expression, however, grew worse. She looked more unstable by the second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then we wait for the cage to appear, which will point out where the door is,” she said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her body swayed as she jumped off Saul’s arm, and stumbled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She hit the ground hard, unable to stay on her feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul watched her reaction closely. Billy, meanwhile, was focused on the deformed, unrecognizable bell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CLANG!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, the melted copper bell dropped to the floor. The fire scattered like rats, fleeing in every direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some hit the apprentices’ protective shields and fizzled out with a hiss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the bell fell, it revealed something still hanging from the chain below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a crystal orb, filled with a red liquid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The liquid had already filled most of the orb and was still rising.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It looked like… a miniature version of Grind Sail Town.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is this the source of the curse?” Billy stared at the orb, visibly tempted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this was also the curse’s most potent moment. Even a true wizard might not be able to take that orb now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, a red light appeared inside the orb. It projected two beams of light onto the orb’s surface, forming two tiny red dots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the beams pierced through the orb and continued across the tower—out the window and into the churning blood sea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul followed the direction of the beams. They pointed straight at the town’s two gates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The doors are open now. But only for three minutes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go!” Billy barked. More experienced than the others, he immediately flew up, grabbing Angela to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before they could take off, Penny spoke in a chilly voice, “This escape path has a restriction. Only two people can use it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She might have been lying, but the atmosphere inside the clocktower shifted instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Billy and Saul locked eyes. Sparks practically flew between them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul knew that if it came down to a direct fight, he probably wouldn’t win against Billy. And Angela clearly mattered to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Saul had no intention of giving up his chance to escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Billy really does come after me... Saul thought, watching Angela from the corner of his eye. His fingertips began turning transparent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Angela didn’t need a warning to realize Saul would target her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She hastily maintained her defensive spells and backed away, moving behind Billy to use his body as a shield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Get in,” Billy said suddenly, cracking open his protective barrier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Angela’s eyes lit up. She knew that meant he was going to protect her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Third Rank apprentice’s barrier was far better than hers. She didn’t hesitate—she slipped inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Angela glanced smugly at Saul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So what if you’re talented? Can you beat someone who’s about to become a full-fledged wizard?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Schlk—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her gloating was cut short by a sharp pain in her abdomen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?” she gasped in disbelief, staring at Billy’s hand buried in her stomach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before she could react, he pulled his hand out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was holding a small, pale gray lump—solid, rough, and irregular like an unremarkable rock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pulled it a bit early,” Billy said, “but it should be able to reproduce on its own now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tucked it away with a quick flash—Saul barely saw it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he shoved the trembling, pain-wracked Angela out of his shield and let her collapse in agony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why...?” she groaned, unable to even lift her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Billy ignored her completely. He looked at Saul with a blank expression and said, “No need to be tense. Now it’s just the two of us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A wave surged through the window—blood tide had risen to their level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Overhead, the crystal orb began to flicker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul hadn’t been surprised by Billy’s ruthlessness, but he hadn’t expected him to act at such a critical moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was that an apology for attacking me earlier while trying to save Mochi Mochi? Saul wondered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Billy gave Saul a small nod, then turned and stepped onto the windowsill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man made decisions about gain and loss without the slightest hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul knew now wasn’t the time to settle scores. He jumped up onto the other window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the moment he saw where the gate lay, he froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the red beams from the orb pointed toward the town’s two gates, those gates had long since been submerged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To follow the beams, they would have to dive beneath the surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that crimson tide was the curse’s most lethal power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all that running and scheming… are we really going to have to dive straight into the blood sea to escape?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1324,"2026-06-05T22:22:08.872Z",1,"novelbin.me","ec76662961ba5283b8268e430ef89971bd04d3aad5d23cf40bd8a7e91cc037e9","diary-of-a-dead-wizard-chapter-273","diary-of-a-dead-wizard-chapter-271",1037,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fdiary-of-a-dead-wizard-cover.jpg"]