Sorcerer’s Handbook

“But you still haven’t resolved your most pressing crisis.”

Sonya propped her chin, “From what you’re saying, the Blood Moon Tribunal on the 27th is bound to claim many lives. What if you end up on the Judgment Roster? It feels like some kind of omen— the more perfect your plan, the less likely you’ll live to see the day it’s carried out.”

She didn’t actually stretch her long legs out; after all, lying on a boat is hardly comfortable, it’s not a bed. She was just feeling playful, wanting to tease the Observer a bit, to test his tolerance of her.

The result was, of course, very satisfactory.

Ashe, oblivious to Sonya’s sly thoughts, stared at the Virtual Realm Map on the Holographic Screen, saying, “Then we’ll just have to launch the plan and incite a massive prison riot.”

“But without a boat—”

“Even without a boat, there are other ways to transmigrate through the finger shark-infested waters of Shattered Lake, though it may get a bit bloody. The real trouble without a boat is the inability to make a safe Landing. Hunters will undoubtedly surround the shore to pursue the escaping death row inmates. Although escaping is nearly impossible, it’s still better than sitting ducks at the Blood Moon Tribunal.”

Sonya nodded; this indeed was the best possible method under the worst circumstances. However, she slightly revised her opinion of the Observer. After last night’s ‘coquettish behavior,’ she had thought the Observer was a person of delicate and indecisive thoughts. To her surprise, when it was time to be resolute and ruthless, the Observer didn’t hesitate.

Despite Sonya’s ability to speak her mind freely in front of the Observer, if she were the one incarcerated in Shattered Lake Prison, facing the heavily defended and Chip-controlled fortress, she doubted she could resolve to escape from prison, let alone plan a riot.

Escape from prison is not merely an act of fleeing; it’s a challenge to state authority and the ruling class. Even if one manages to escape, they face endless pursuits and bounties. Every time their eyes open, they must confront the pervasive malice around them. No corner of the vast city offers a safe haven for them.

Compared to death, perhaps the suffocating pressure is even more terrifying.

However, the Observer sometimes shows weakness, but he is unequivocal about the escape. He is well aware of the might of the Blood Moon Kingdom, having been captured by the Blood Mad Hunter himself. He also knows the strong grip the Blood Moon Kingdom has over society and that a precarious life awaits him after the escape.

Yet in his speech, he never betrays a hint of fear towards the Blood Moon Kingdom.

Sonya could only attribute it to the confidence gained from being a ‘revived Legend Sorcerer,’ or maybe…

It was simply his nature to be fearless.

“There’s a Slaying Fish-Dragon ahead, in its Growth Stage. Shall we engage?”

“Let’s do it! I have a brilliant opening move that might knock out the Slaying Fish-Dragon in one hit.”

As the Boat pierced through the white mist, Sonya also began to sense fragments: the sound of fish scales scraping the sandy bottom, the bubbles from the Fish-Dragon, the taste of the sea… Though she was not like the Observer, who could distinguish Knowledge Creatures from a distance, the ‘Eviction Secret Poison’ allowed Sonya to gather biological information from the Knowledge Creature through the mist, preparing her for the upcoming battle as she lightly gripped the hilt of her sword.

“Huh?”

The Boat suddenly veered, deflating Sonya’s built-up momentum. She asked in dissatisfaction, “What are you doing?”

Ashe’s voice held a hint of excitement: “I spotted something strange behind the Slaying Fish-Dragon. It could be a Miracle Isle.”

He saw on the “Virtual Realm Map” that an area right behind the Slaying Fish-Dragon was emitting dazzling silver light, forming a shimmering hint:

“Quick, come!”

“Have we encountered a Miracle Isle again?” Sonya straightened up, her determination clear. “This time we’ve got to capture all the spirits. Not one should escape!”

However, as they approached the target Area, both Ashe and Sonya sensed something was amiss—the white mist was so dense it resembled milky white soup, with visibility so low that even on the Boat, Ashe and Sonya could not see each other!

They felt an increasing flow of knowledge into their consciousness. Ashe was coping, but for Sonya, it was as if sparks of inspiration were flashing repeatedly. She felt as though she was breaking through one Swordsmanship barrier after another, quickly resolving all the confusion she had encountered. She was just waiting to return to reality to practice and validate her thoughts and ideas.

Navigating the Virtual Realm and absorbing the white mist inherently increases experience in one’s Magical Factions. Although Ashe and Sonya had already deployed their Silver Wings and could no longer gather arcane energy, their Magical Factions, yet to reach the Gold Tier, could still gain experience from absorbing the mist.

However, this white mist experience is subtle and often only manifests during Sorcerer Battles or research. Dense mist like this, which allows a Sorcerer to make consecutive Breakthroughs, could almost rival an Experience Orb!

Click.

As the Boat came to a halt, the white mist in front of them suddenly dispersed, revealing an isle hidden within.

The next second, Ashe and Sonya’s expressions changed dramatically!

If the isle had Knowledge Creatures, Sorcerer Projections, or other Sorcerers, they wouldn’t have been so surprised.

However, what they saw were two chairs!

Two chairs!

They exchanged glances, and Ashe asked in a hushed tone, “Do you know what this place is?”

“No idea.” Sonya’s voice betrayed a hint of fear. “Maybe we should leave?”

Their fear was understandable—if it were just one chair, they might not have been so concerned, but two chairs implied that the isle was expecting two visitors!

The problem was that aside from the two of them, all Sorcerers in the Virtual Realm traveled solo!

It was like finding a hundred-dollar bill while touring an unfamiliar city, only to look closer and see it had a message: “Hello Ashe, spend this.”

The chilling sensation of being watched by an unknown entity and the fear it inspired was something anyone would dread.

Ashe glanced again at the “Virtual Realm Map,” confirmed it read “Quick, come,” and made up his mind to set foot on the isle: “Don’t be afraid. The worst-case scenario is losing our First Blood in the Virtual Realm. Since we’ve activated the Silver Wings, even if we die, there’s no real loss.”

“But what if it’s a certain death trap like the ‘Eviction Secret Poison’?”

“Trust me!”

Seeing Sonya still hesitant, Ashe grabbed her hand and led her onto the isle—he was scared too, but it was better to have someone else to rely on.

The chairs were ordinary. They exchanged a look, took a deep breath, and sat down together.

Nothing special happened; the chairs didn’t sprout tentacles to bind them.

After a moment, they sensed something and looked down to see a piece of paper on their thighs that hadn’t been there before.

The moment they picked up the paper, they understood the rules of the game: answer the questions that appeared, fail and the game ends immediately, answer correctly to continue. If the number of correct answers was one or more, the respondent earned the right to ask questions.

When Sonya looked at the paper, several lines of text appeared:

“Question Multiple Choice: What is the fundamental reason for the rupture between the Swordswoman and the Observer?”

“① The Swordswoman’s hatred for the Observer’s indifference.”

“② The Observer’s belief that the Swordswoman is uncontrollable.”

“③ Unequal Division of Spoils.”

“④ All of the Above.”

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