Sorcerer’s Handbook

Shattered Lake Prison, restaurant.

“I won 45 Contribution points, and I still have to participate in the Blood Moon Tribunal in a few days!?”

Ashe, who was in the middle of a meal, lifted his head in bewilderment, his face reflecting a sense of feeling cheated: “Isn’t it said that the more Contribution points a person has, the later their Judgment sequence will be?”

“That’s correct,”

Langna spoke while sipping milk: “But there is a premise—all Prisoners must not miss their first Blood Moon Tribunal. Only a very few can escape this fate due to special pardons and the like.”

“And it’s only after surviving their first Blood Moon Tribunal that a person’s subsequent Judgment sequence will be arranged according to their amount of Contribution points.”

“What if I die during my first Blood Moon Tribunal?”

“If that’s your worry, how about we fix a match? You can lose all your Contribution points to me.”

“In your dreams!” Ashe muttered, then after a thought, he said: “You mentioned before that only one person dies in the Blood Moon Tribunal?”

“Yes, there are eight participants, but only one will die,” Langna explained. “There’s just a 12.5% chance of death, which is actually quite low—that’s the usual case.”

“And am I usual?”

“Quite obviously, as the Leader of the Four Pillars Cult, you are not. Murder, kidnapping, imprisonment, bloody sacrifices… The number of victims because of you is at least in the thousands. Your notoriety has become household knowledge recently. If nothing unexpected happens, you will certainly be a key focus during the Blood Moon Tribunal.”

Heath flies courageously, and the blame falls on Ashe… Ashe harbored an endless grudge against Heath in his heart. A lack of brains? Then drink Six walnuts

1

, what’s with starting a Cult! And to make it so universally detested, even online loans don’t attract as much hate!

“How about it, if you’re considering giving up, why not give your Contribution points to me?” Langna said. “I’ll remember your sacrifice and live happily with my boyfriend…”

“Get lost!” Ashe snorted. “Who says I won’t survive? I won’t give up!”

“Alright then.” Langna seemed not to care about Ashe’s 95 Contribution points, saying: “Someone wants to challenge you, do you accept?”

“So that’s why you were waiting for me in the restaurant?”

“Exactly,” Langna admitted frankly. “As for the reason, just look at the amount of Contribution points they’ve staked—37 points.”

Ashe narrowed his eyes: “Someone who has fought 36 Deathmatches is challenging me? You do know I only bet 2 points of Contribution, right?”

Langna shrugged.

“That’s precisely why I came to notify you.”

“Usually, it’s Deathmatch newcomers who challenge veterans because they can win big with a small stake. Veterans challenging newcomers isn’t unheard of either; after all, even a small mosquito is meat, but it’s usually after 5 matches, otherwise veterans don’t even have the interest to earn Contribution points.”

“So, it’s surprising that a veteran is challenging you. I was curious if you had any history with them.”

“Who is it?”

“Valcas Uhl.”

Ashe shook his head: “Never heard of him.”

Of course, he hadn’t. After all, without even Heath’s memories, there was no way Ashe could know if Valcas ever had any issues with Heath.

“Sylin Dole.”

“Uh?” Ashe blinked his eyes. “Who?”

Langna waved her hand dismissively. “It’s nothing, I just remembered an acquaintance.”

“So, are you willing to accept Valcas’ challenge?”

“What weapon does Valcas use?”

“Sword.”

A thought crossed Ashe’s mind. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced to the side and saw the Swordswoman sitting at the dining table with her legs crossed, arms folded across her chest, calmly watching him. The black silk of her legs was particularly eye-catching.

She gave Ashe a sidelong glance. “Is it fun to sneak peeks at me?”

“Sorry.” Ashe turned his head and stared at the black silk, a thought suddenly popping into his mind: “Speaking of which, since you can bump into me, does that mean I can also bump into you? Cough, Swordswoman, make sure you’re clean when you go back…”

Cling! The Swordswoman drew her ornate decorative sword, and Ashe immediately sat up straight, turning to Langna and declaring, “Tell Valcas to wash his neck and wait for me tomorrow!”

“Well then, come to the Deathmatch Society tomorrow morning. I won’t disturb your meal any longer; my boyfriend is waiting for me. Goodbye.” Langna said before leaving swiftly like the wind.

Ashe had thought Langna’s boyfriend was waiting in a Couples Room, but upon closer inspection, he realized that Langna wasn’t heading toward the Couples Room. Instead, she was heading toward the Deathmatch Society… Perhaps someone had a late-night Deathmatch that would cause the Medics to work overtime to the brink of death, Ashe mused.

“Let’s go back to the dormitory,” the Swordswoman said, jumping down from the dining table. “You’ve got a busy night ahead; I’m going to take you to explore a world you’ve never understood.”

Ashe’s face turned red with anger—what does she mean by a world I’ve never understood!? Do I really look that much like a virgin!?

This woman’s words are too much; if she continues to act so arrogantly, will I not have any standing at all!?

“Why aren’t you coming over?”

“Coming~”

…

…

At 8:45 PM, inside the Deathmatch Society with no other spectators, a secret Deathmatch was underway.

“Ashe has agreed, but not because of the name you gave me. It’s because he’s looking forward to a challenge against someone with a sword—when I mentioned you use a sword, that’s when he made up his mind.”

“Thank you, this time I owe you a favor, Langna.”

“You can repay the favor right now, Valcas, just by telling me why you suddenly set your sights on our adorable Ashe. Does it have to do with that name—Sylin Dole?”

In the dimly lit spectator stands, a lean middle-aged man watched the activity on the Arena.

Yes, activity—there was no better word to describe it. Although the food moved, tried to escape, screamed, and begged for mercy, it was ultimately just food to be eaten.

“I don’t mind telling you, as long as you won’t regret it.”

“Then never mind, I’m very much in love with my boyfriend and satisfied with my life. I don’t want to get involved in the machinations of the powerful.”

Langna tore off a warm strip of meat, placed it in her mouth, and chewed thoughtfully. “But is Ashe really the Leader of the Four Pillars Cult? I pride myself on my ability to judge character, and he seems more like a student who just started working. I thought he was innocent.”

The middle-aged man snorted coldly.

“Every person who steps into this manure pit is far from innocent. The only difference is whether they’ve only gotten their skin dirty or they’ve opened their mouths to willingly swallow the stench.”

“I’m eating, Valcas, can we not talk about feces, please?”

“Then I won’t disturb you any longer, enjoy your meal.”

As the doors of the Deathmatch Society thunderously closed, the faint cries vanished into the pitch-black darkness.

Valcas walked through the corridors of the prison, every prisoner and prison guard he encountered coldly kept their distance from him.

Occasionally, a new prisoner who hadn’t been there long would look at Valcas’s ears and a schadenfreude expression would naturally appear on their face.

Because Valcas had pointed ears.

When Valcas returned to his dormitory, he found a prison guard waiting at the door.

He had anticipated this, and as he opened the door, he whispered, “Ashe Heath has agreed to a deathmatch with me.”

“Make sure to completely shatter his brain, heart, and spine, to a degree that not even a Two Wings Sorcerer could heal,” the prison guard said.

“I will do as you ask. But what about what you promised me?” Valcas opened the door but did not enter, instead turning to look at the guard.

“As long as Ashe Heath dies tomorrow, you will disappear from this prison after the next Blood Moon Tribunal concludes,” the guard said. “However, you and that child can no longer stay in Kaimon City, as per Mr. Sylin’s request.”

“I have no interest in breathing the same air as Sylin any longer,” Valcas said with a look of disgust.

“Free time is almost over, don’t stand outside, go into your cell.”

Valcas’s mouth twitched, he stepped into his room, allowing the automatic door to close behind him.

The prison guard turned and walked away, the corners of his mouth slightly curling into a cold smirk.

“A mere elven death row inmate, yet still carrying the pride of a born noble… Ha!”

Footnote:

1. Six walnuts (六个核桃):

    It’s a popular brain-nourishing beverage in China that has gained quite a reputation for its health benefits. Made from high-quality walnuts, this drink is believed to be rich in natural omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and other vital nutrients that support brain health.