Sorcerer’s Handbook

Medic 222 was right.

The Blood Moon Tribunal was indeed the only chance for a death row inmate to trade spirits.

Ashe gazed at the three spirits in his hand, as if he could still see Valcas’s gaunt, sinister face.

The sword that pierced his throat contained five spirits that Valcas had just released from their contracts.

Had Ashe moved a bit slower, had his consciousness faded a tad quicker, these three spirits would have fled at the first opportunity. Even though Ashe had been as fast as possible, two spirits had still managed to escape. Who knows, they might be riding finger sharks in the Shattered Lake, enjoying their newfound freedom to surf.

There were many reasons why Valcas might have done this.

Because Ashe had defeated him,

Because he wanted to retaliate against Professor Sylin,

Because he was grateful for Ashe’s care in his final moments,

An Elf on the brink of death was unpredictable, and Ashe would not have been surprised by any action, except for the fact that Valcas had pierced his throat—a clear sign that Valcas held a grudge for being throat-cut in a deathmatch.

This, however, presented Ashe with a dilemma.

Even though he hadn’t been transmigrated for long, Ashe was acutely aware of how out of place he felt in this world.

But he had no intention of blending in.

He couldn’t change the world of the sorcerers, nor did he want it to change him.

There were no family members here for him, and all he would encounter in the future were strangers.

Despite the unpredictable and wondrous powers of the sorcerers, Ashe did not hold out hope for a miraculous spirit that could send him home.

He wasn’t the kind of person who needed to cling to hope to survive.

Add to that the life-threatening nature of the Blood Moon Tribunal, as well as the suffocating absolute control of Shattered Lake Prison, Ashe had always harbored the subtle mindset of ‘live for the day.’

Besides, if he could transmigrate once, who’s to say he couldn’t do it again? This time he had arrived in the world of sorcerers; next time, he might end up in the world of technicians. Ashe was blindly optimistic about his transmigration journey.

Perhaps it was this optimism, born from the sudden absence of work obligations, that made Ashe approach everyone with the mindset of an ‘Observer.’ He would empathize with others’ plights, lament their lives and deaths, but then forget them as soon as he turned away, as if he had just watched a movie.

Observer was, in fact, a fitting title for him.

To watch but not act, to hear but not speak, to remember but not hold on.

He was like a wandering skiff, adrift with the waves, daunted at the sight of the mainland.

But now, the skiff had an extra burden, a mark etched into his memory.

Though sorcerers didn’t need to sleep, when midnight dreams visited, Ashe felt certain he’d dream of Valcas’s final gaze.

Of course, Ashe didn’t think he owed anything for Valcas’s death, but Valcas’s last gift made Ashe feel obliged to do something in return.

He didn’t like others owing him, nor did he like owing others.

He had to escape from prison, had to find Professor Sylin, had to survive.

Otherwise, it would feel like a disservice to Valcas’s goodwill, a disservice to the three spirits he gifted.

Perhaps, this was his true revenge?

To use his life as the price, death as the Ritual, silence as the curse, and spirits as the bait, Valcas exhausted everything to curse Ashe with the obligation to survive.

For those of us in Shattered Lake Prison on death row, there is no more vicious curse than ‘survive.’

“He was a true Swordcerer.”

After hearing about Ashe’s bizarre experience with the Blood Moon Tribunal tonight, Sonya couldn’t help but remark, then added, “And a generous Elf at that.”

“He was generous, but definitely not a good Elf; he was in Shattered Lake Prison on solid merit,” Ashe said. “But whether Elves or Humans, it’s not right to simply classify them as ‘good’ or ‘bad.’ Only gods or demons possess purely good or evil natures… It’s humans who fluctuate in between.”

“So much reflection, is this the first time you’ve seen a dead person since your amnesia?”

Amnesia? Right, Heath had indeed caused many deaths before… Ashe nodded: “You could say, this is the first time I’ve seen someone die right before me.”

“So you don’t have any information on the Heart Sword stance either?”

“Of course not.”

“Damn it!” Sonya looked at the Heart Sword spirit in Ashe’s hand resentfully. “Such a good spirit, wasted in your hands… But this way, aren’t you just one spirit short of completing your Slay Me Miracle?”

“That’s right, with some luck, maybe I’ll gather the required spirits tonight.”

Ashe exhaled softly: “That would give me a tiny glimmer of hope for escaping prison.”

The Slay Me Miracle requires three types of spirits, and each type has multiple subordinate options—it’s not specific to a particular spirit. Most miracles can be achieved by substituting similar types of spirits to produce a comparable effect, with the only differences being in power and range.

If spirits are like building blocks, then a Miracle is like a specific architectural structure. As long as you can assemble that structure, whether you use cubes, triangles, or cones, you have achieved the Miracle.

Heart Sword and Substitute are both suitable spirits, with Substitute being standard, while the Heart Sword is like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, probably beyond the imagination of whoever created the Slay Me Miracle that someone would be extravagant enough to use one of the ‘Peerless Secret Sword of the Five Spirits’ as a component.

Once he finds the last type of spirit, Ashe will be able to use the Slay Me Miracle to Purify the neck chip.

“Escape from prison…” Sonya murmured: “So, your real body is in a prison in the Blood Moon Kingdom, under the threat of the Blood Moon Tribunal, and without your previous memories…”

No previous memories? Indeed, he did not have Heath’s past memories.

Ashe looked at her curiously: “Didn’t you know that already? My real body was identified as a Cult Leader of the Four Pillars, captured by Hunters during an illegal gathering in the basement. But this body is so frail; it must be a Substitute.”

Yes, the Observer had mentioned before that he was imprisoned somewhere, and Sonya had thought it was some sort of secret divine prison. She hadn’t expected it to be a prison in the Blood Moon Kingdom—a term so obscure it only existed in books, but at least it was a term she had heard of, which made Sonya feel like ‘it wasn’t anything special.’

“With your strength, you can’t escape from a prison in the Blood Moon Kingdom?”

“What do you mean ‘with my strength’—do you not realize I’m useless?”

“Heh, useless? Someone who forced me to challenge Leoni is useless? Then what does that make me, a pathetic worm controlled by the useless? A toy that could be betrayed to death by you at any moment?”

Although Sonya had learned the Water Moon Miracle as a blessing in disguise, she was still infuriated inside.

The last challenge against Felix was one thing—after all, Felix wasn’t much stronger than her, and there was a slight chance of victory. But this time, the gap between Leoni and her was ridiculously wide. If Leoni hadn’t intentionally held back, Sonya wouldn’t have had the chance to use the Water Moon Miracle at all.

What if she wasn’t so lucky next time?

Or the time after that?

Among the group of Sorcerers, there were plenty of ruthless and powerful individuals. Young Sorcerers like students were one thing, but many older Sorcerers, having experienced too much danger and death in their long and lonely Exploration in Virtual Realm, had their hearts shaped into gruesome forms by the cold winds of the Sea of Knowledge.

They gradually failed to distinguish between reality and the virtual realm, instinctively showing no mercy to their enemies, as if thinking that killing an opponent would yield loot. Some even became ‘fallen demons,’ treating reality as the virtual realm and going on a rampage.

Although Sonya had her reservations about Forced Training, she at least felt it was for her own good and could convince herself to accept it. But now, the Observer had actually asked her to actively participate in dangerous Battles, and Sonya could only convince herself not to be the first to explode the Observer’s head—because it seemed she might not be able to beat him.

“Is it really that serious…” Ashe tried to brush it off.

“I’m the one who will be fighting for my life, getting hurt, and hanging by a thread. Only I have the right to say how serious it is!” Sonya tried to suppress her anger: “Do you have to see me become a corpse before you lament ‘I might have made a mistake’?”

It’s not that serious, you won’t die… As Ashe thought this nonchalantly, an idea suddenly crossed his mind: Will the Swordswoman really not die?

There have been precedents of game characters dying in battles in mobile games. If it’s to force players to Pay-to-Win, the company might indeed implement such a setting and then sell something like resurrection coins to tease the players.

Moreover, the Swordswoman had repeatedly stated that she did not exist solely because of Ashe. She had her own life, her university, her friends—she was a real existence… and reality is the term farthest from immortality.

Even if the Swordswoman could be resurrected after dying in battle, would the resurrected Swordswoman still be the same one he had known for many days?

Ashe couldn’t afford the risk of losing the Swordswoman.

Not just because of the power.

But because the Swordswoman was the only one he could truly trust and confide in.

Even the smallest boat feels too spacious for one person to ride alone.

“Alright, you make a good point, I apologize,” Ashe carefully chose his words. “But you should know that I’m doing this for your own good. If it weren’t for my arrangements, would you have been able to create the Water Moon Miracle so quickly?”

“What does that have to do with your arrangements—”

“Because I knew that when you fought with what’s-her-name Leoni, the huge gap in strength would push you into an Awakening State, allowing you to create your own Miracle. And you wouldn’t be in any danger. Everything was within my plan.”

“You didn’t even remember her name right, it’s Leoni!”

“That’s not important—The point is I’m confident that I can ensure you only pay a small price for a significant benefit.”

Seeing that the Swordswoman was still not reassured, Ashe thought for a moment and then said, “How about this, if I ever want to arrange for you to participate in a Battle that’s a bit more dangerous, I’ll consult with you first, how’s that?”

That’s more like it.

Seeing that the Observer was finally willing to compromise, Sonya was quite satisfied. In fact, even if the Observer had insisted on troubling her, she would have been powerless against him. But the first concession would lead to a second, and eventually, Sonya believed she could have the Observer completely under control.

Sonya felt reassured by the Observer’s promise. Although he usually acted carelessly, he was still reliable in his actions, and with the foundation of a suspected Legend reborn, his judgment should be sound.

If Sonya knew that Ashe’s method of assessing danger was simply looking at the description on event cards, and that the duel with Leoni was only rated as medium danger, perhaps she would never be able to relax in the future.

“By the way, how did you find me?” Sonya suddenly remembered this detail.

“I entered the Exploration in Virtual Realm through the Gate of Truth you left behind, and then I just followed the trail to find you.”

Ashe returned to his dormitory and opened the Holographic Screen, discovering that the Swordswoman indeed hadn’t waited for him. Her status was ‘Exploring in Virtual Realm.’

Ashe had thought he missed the opportunity, but luckily there was the option to ‘Join Midway.’ However, it wasn’t a direct drop-in next to the Swordswoman; instead, he appeared at the initial Area where the Swordswoman had entered the Virtual Realm that evening.

Entering and exiting the Virtual Realm had to be done through the Gate of Truth; that was the rule. If not for the Bond between them, Ashe wouldn’t have been able to use the Gate of Truth left by the Swordswoman to enter the Virtual Realm.

Sonya wasn’t surprised that the Observer could know where she was, but she had one question: “But I’ve been exploring in the Virtual Realm for nearly two hours, how did you catch up so quickly?”

“Two hours? But you’re only one Area away from the starting point, I found you in just over a minute of sailing.”

“How is that possible!?”

“Why would I lie to you? Wait, you said you’ve been exploring for two hours, could it be that you… have just been circling around this vicinity?”

Sonya blinked, calmly sat down, and looked sideways at the distant white mist, saying, “I just felt that you wouldn’t miss this for no reason, so I kept exploring nearby.”

If you weren’t blushing to the tips of your ears, I might have believed you.

Ashe chuckled and, under Sonya’s resentful gaze, opened the Map of the Virtual Realm.

Now equipped with the Virtual Realm Telescope, Ashe could observe information about the surrounding 24 Areas. Most of them were a “waste of effort,” but there was one that was “Worth a visit.” Ashe wasn’t in a hurry and decided to sail around leisurely for a while.

“What about the Miracle you used just now?” Sonya suddenly remembered, “Valcas gave you a spirit, but he didn’t give you the Procedure for the Miracle, did he?”

Ashe casually replied, “I saw him use it once before; he combined the Earth Sword with the Wind Barrier and just created it. But I’m not a Two Wings Sorcerer, so the defense is far less than the genuine version he conjured.”

Just watched once, combined them, and created it?

Is the Miracle that simple?

The Earth Sword is from the Swordsmanship Department, and the Wind Barrier is from the Wind Department. Cross-Faction Miracles have always been quite challenging…

Sonya felt something was off when Ashe spotted a sparkling golden legend hint on the Map— “Whirlpool.”

“Do you know what a Whirlpool means?”

Sonya was taken aback, “You found a Whirlpool?”

“It seems like—”

“Hurry, go over there!” Sonya immediately rushed up, grabbed Ashe, and shook him excitedly as if she had found a winning lottery ticket in the Restroom: “If we’re lucky, we might be able to condense the Silver Wings tonight!”

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!