Incorrigibly Rotten

"Master, I’m afraid that won’t work."

Upon hearing Fang Mo’s request, A Xue unexpectedly shook her head.

"Why not?"

Fang Mo looked at A Xue in confusion.

"Because I’m not very skilled at barrier magic. In that forest, all barrier-related magic was handled by the liches," A Xue explained. "I can only cast an ice barrier, but its effects would turn this entire mountain range into a land of bitter cold… Master, you understand what I mean, right?"

"Oh, I get it, more or less."

Fang Mo nodded. She had made herself very clear—her ice magic would only turn this place into Twilight Glacier.

Just like the terrain where the Ice Queen lived in Twilight Forest, there would be nothing but extreme cold and solid ice. It would become true permafrost.

"By the way… Master said before that you wanted to teach JoJo magic, right?" A Xue asked. "That child has some talent. If Master truly wants to teach him magic, should we have the liches help?"

"Hm?"

Fang Mo froze for a moment at A Xue’s suggestion. "Bring the liches here? Are they really knowledgeable about that sort of thing?"

"Those liches were once true archmages when they were alive. They managed most of the barrier domains in that forest."

A Xue explained, "Their grasp of magical knowledge is extremely broad. Although they are not as powerful as me, Hydra, or that Naga thing, they are very suited to being teachers. After all… Master, you don’t actually know any magic at all, do you?"

"Ahem, your master is a melee mage…"

Fang Mo coughed awkwardly. "I watched tutorials. The internet says melee mages need to max out armor penetration, attack speed, berserk, lifesteal, dual-wielding heavy weapons, and so on. As for spells… you only need to learn a lighting spell. My weapon already comes with a fluorescent enhancement anyway, so I don’t even need that. I can just start chopping."

"…"

A Xue stared at Fang Mo for a long time, seemingly wanting to say something sarcastic. But for some reason, she ultimately gave up and sighed. "Forget it… as long as you’re happy."

"Having liches teach magic does sound pretty good."

Seeing A Xue’s expression, Fang Mo smiled and then explained a little more seriously, "But we can’t go back yet. Although the Age Book can travel between two worlds, the flow of time differs between them. If we go back for even an instant, ten years—or even a hundred—could pass here."

"Mm, is that so?"

Upon hearing this, A Xue understood. It seemed that, to her master, those previous twelve years had probably passed in an instant as well.

"Anyway, let’s teach them according to my method first."

Fang Mo waved a hand. "There are still some things I need to confirm, so we won’t be going back for now."

"Mm… all right, then."

A Xue did not say much else. She merely raised her little hand. "Since we can’t go back, we can’t set up a barrier either. We’ll just make do with this for now."

As soon as she finished speaking, a cloud of icy mist suddenly spread through the area ahead.

Then dozens of Ice Elves, floating in midair and shaped like sunflowers, flew out.

"Holy crap! Ice Nice!?"

Fang Mo cried out in surprise.

"Ice Nice?" A Xue blinked. "What does that mean? Is that a name Master specially gave these Ice Elves?"

"Uh… something like that."

Fang Mo nodded. To be honest, these little things had suddenly stirred up some old memories.

Ice Nice was a monster from Dungeon & Fighter. Back during the game’s level 60 era, all kinds of elemental monsters were ridiculously difficult to fight. He had still been in school when he played it, with no money to whale, and his Soul Bender had been poked to death by those icy bastards more times than he could count.

But back then… how should he put it? Even though he often died suddenly while grinding dungeons, he still enjoyed it endlessly.

Even now, Fang Mo remembered dying all the way from Dark Thunder Ruins to the Second Spine, getting cut down in one stroke by Ghostblade Shadow Kill in Shadow Maze, getting beaten around by the three giants in Lava Cave, crying in frustration at the Headless Knight’s healing speed, and getting gnawed on by rats in Hamlin…

And then there was Dark King Stiel from the Abyss Party, that ghostly bastard.

Didn’t someone online say before that his father had abused him with a solid steel pipe twenty centimeters thick when he was a child, so he didn’t believe in things like family affection? That guy was actually telling the truth… because Fang Mo had farmed his dad.

In any case, whether it was the story or anything else, he still remembered all of those experiences.

Unfortunately, the versions updated far too quickly afterward. First came that inexplicable Great Transfer update, then raid content suddenly appeared, and Fang Mo soon quit the game.

"Ah, if only there were an Age Book that could take me to Arad Continent."

Remembering those past experiences, Fang Mo sighed. "I wonder whether Kelly can enhance Tinkers’ Construct weapons. I really want to steal that shitty furnace of hers… then seal a few Apostles inside some weapons while I’m at it."

"Master, what are you talking about?"

Naturally, A Xue could not understand any of that and asked in confusion.

"Oh, that was a story from another world." Fang Mo casually explained, "Back then, I was an adventurer. I kept spending money to protect that world… then I finally came to my senses and left that place. That was how I became the god of the MC world."

"Spending money? Protecting the world?"

A Xue was stunned by this. "It seems… Master has never mentioned it before."

"Because it’s nothing to be proud of."

Fang Mo waved his hand despondently. "All right, enough about that. Go make me something to eat first."

"Mm."

A Xue did not ask further questions. She nodded and returned directly to the villa.

Fang Mo had brought a great deal of ingredients out of the MC world and had already put some of them in the refrigerator. A Xue had practiced cooking here for twelve years, so making a meal was easy for her.

While the little maid was busy cooking,

Fang Mo drew the Time Stop Sword and transferred the Time Tree into it.

The original Time Sword had been forged from Black Meteorite Iron, Uru, and Crystal Matrix Ingot. It was silver-black overall, with crystalline structures interwoven across its surface. It was very beautiful.

But after sealing the Twilight Time Tree within it, things like tree roots suddenly grew from the sword’s guard, winding around the handle and the lower half of the blade. At a glance, it looked as though a blade had suddenly sprouted from a sword hilt made of ancient vines.

What was worth mentioning was that an exquisite golden clock had also appeared on the guard at some point.

The clock was entwined with countless vines, making the sword appear extremely ancient, weathered, and mysterious.

Fang Mo gave the sword a simple test.

It was more or less as he had expected.

After sealing the Time Tree of Twilight Forest, the sword’s Time Stop effect had been extended again. Fang Mo roughly estimated that, based on his perceived time within the stopped world, the time stop now lasted nearly ten minutes.

That was pretty good.

For many people, ten minutes was about average.

For those guys who… well, jerked off, it would probably be even shorter.

Besides the anticipated Time Stop, Fang Mo discovered that the sword had gained an ability similar to the Time Tree’s—an ability to alter the flow of time.

Hadn’t it been said in the Shinigami world before? The Time Tree could accelerate time, and Ichigo Kurosaki had even trained his Bankai beneath its shade. But after being sealed into the Time Sword, this ability might have resonated in some unknown way with the Stillness Magatama, strengthening its original effects.

After Fang Mo tested it,

he found that as long as he planted the sword in the ground, it could distort the time field around it.

The current Time Sword could not only become a training sanctuary like the House of Time and Spirit, but could also create something like the mystical realms described in certain legends—a place where no years passed in the mountains while a thousand years passed in the world beyond.

With this discovery, Fang Mo was truly delighted.

But before Fang Mo could play around with it for long, A Xue had already prepared a large table full of sumptuous dishes, so he had no choice but to go back and eat first.

After eating, Fang Mo discussed with A Xue how they should teach those two unlucky kids tomorrow. At A Xue’s suggestion, Fang Mo began rummaging through Steve’s backpack, looking for something that could replace magic in the traditional sense.

After doing some research, more than half the night quickly passed.

Early the next morning,

Fang Mo had only just lain down when a knock on the door woke him.

"Master! Good morning!"

Jonathan Joestar’s energetic voice came from outside the door. "Dio and I came to learn magic from you! Master, are you home!?"

"What is wrong with young people these days?"

Hearing that voice, Fang Mo helplessly sat up in bed. "Do they not need sleep? When I was their age, I was practically sealed to my bed. What kind of determination did these two kids have to escape the clutches of their blankets?"

"Perhaps it’s the appeal of magic?"

A Xue had also been woken up. She gently rubbed her sleepy eyes. "Should Master make them wait for a while?"

"Oh, no need for that."

Fang Mo shook his head, then drew the Time Sword. "Watch me pull out a new trick and show you a boy’s instant morning routine."

As soon as he finished speaking, Fang Mo activated Time Stop.

A strange time field expanded outward in a sphere. In an instant, it seemed as though everything around them had lost its color. Then everything returned to normal, except the entire world had suddenly become utterly silent. Everything, including A Xue lying beside Fang Mo, had stopped in place.

"Good! From now on, it’s time to wash up…"

Fang Mo stretched, then jumped out of bed and prepared to get to work.

However, because Fang Mo had accidentally pulled back the blanket when he got up, he happened to see something quite nice, and he froze.

Looking at A Xue’s lovely face, Fang Mo suddenly fell into deep thought. "Hmm…"

How about playing a round of Bed Wars during these ten minutes?