Sorcerer’s Handbook

“Did it not catch up?”

“No, I don’t think so. It can’t swim, can it?”

“What kind of route did you lead us on? It’s downright dangerous.”

“I told you before we set off that it might be a bit risky. Who was it that just now, full of confidence like a student with a cheat sheet, said it would be no problem?”

“Is this what you call ‘a bit risky’?”

In the white mist of the Sea of Knowledge, Ashe and Sonya lay gasping for air on a small boat, their forms as faint as the surrounding mist, as if they could dissipate at any moment, their argument weak and breathless.

Just moments ago, after nearly an hour of fruitless sailing, Ashe couldn’t resist proposing to Sonya that they explore the area marked “Better not go” on the map. Sonya, new to the Virtual Realm, was brimming with confidence, and so they broke through the white mist into the Dangerous Zone.

However, instead of finding Inheritance Island in the Dangerous Zone, they encountered a giant fish with wings that capsized Ashe’s boat and could spout Water Cannons, blasting jets of water dozens of meters high.

Ashe and Sonya were merely grazed by the Water Cannon, but their bodies felt as if they had been sandpapered hundreds of times.

Fortunately, the boat was incredibly sturdy, and even after capsizing, it resiliently floated on the water’s surface. The two scrambled back aboard, paddling frantically to leave the Dangerous Zone.

The giant fish actually gave chase, even flying towards their boat. Luckily, Ashe had a stroke of genius and used “Exploration in Virtual Realm” to control the boat and accelerate away, narrowly avoiding the fish’s charging head and sparing them from shedding their first drop of blood in the Virtual Realm.

Catching their breath, Sonya looked at the drenched Ashe with a hint of curiosity in her eyes, and asked casually, “Couldn’t you have killed that Mud Fish Dragon?”

Ashe, unsuspecting, replied breathlessly, “If even you couldn’t do it, how could I?”

Are Observers really that weak?

Many thoughts flickered through Sonya’s mind, but in the end, they all settled into silence. Even if the apocalypse observer was weak, she could do nothing about it; she couldn’t kill an Observer, and she had yet to find a way to resist their control, not even Professor Trozan had noticed their presence.

However, after witnessing the apocalypse observer’s ability to navigate the Virtual Realm, Sonya’s attitude began to subtly shift.

Even though she had only recently become a virtual wing Sorcerer, Sonya understood the importance of the Virtual Realm to virtual wing Sorcerers and realized the shockingly unconventional ability of the apocalypse observer to see through the mists of the Virtual Realm.

It is well-known that no one can see through the mists of the Virtual Realm, and this is why all Sorcerers are on Equal opportunity—facing the unknown risks and rewards, everyone is equal, the mighty can fall, and the weak may rise in a single bound!

This is what is called Equal opportunity!

And now, an existence capable of seeing the unknown risks, surpassing all Sorcerers, has appeared!

The elite among Sorcerers, the apocalypse observer!

If before, Sonya’s obedience to the Observer’s orders was somewhat reluctant, now her mindset had shifted slightly, won over by the Observer’s abilities, and she even began to look forward to the wonderful life of being uplifted by the Observer, not unlike a fall from grace.

Originally, Sonya had wanted to ask the Observer why he had chosen her and what made her so special. But then it occurred to her, what if the Observer suddenly had an epiphany of “Oh right, what do I need you for?” and then turned around and abandoned Sonya? Wouldn’t she have missed the chance to rise above others?

Moreover, if it wasn’t for overwhelming strength, how could the Observer control her actions, see through the fog of the Virtual Realm, and pull her into the Dream Trial?

She must be wary of the Observer playing the underdog card!

If Sonya were to fall for this, perhaps the Observer would take the opportunity to impose even harsher punishments on her!

“By the way, what was that fish creature just now?”

Here it comes, even asking me this kind of common sense question, keep it up, just keep pretending!

Sonya played along: “The Mud Fish Dragon, one of the most common Knowledge Creatures in the Virtual Realm. Killing it can yield spirits from various Factions such as the Water Art Faction, the Earth Art Faction, and more. If that Mud Fish Dragon previously killed other Sorcerers, it might also contain the spirits of those Sorcerers.”

There are only two types of Intelligent Creatures in the Virtual Realm: Sorcerers and Knowledge Creatures.

As the name suggests, as long as a Sorcerer kills a Knowledge Creature, they can acquire the knowledge it condensed—the spirit.

Unlike the Inheritance left by Sorcerers, the spirits released by Knowledge Creatures are not fixed. Although they generally come from the same Faction, for example, a Mud Fish Dragon will not release spirits from the Fire Art Faction.

Even within the same Faction, there are many different spirits, and the spoils of Knowledge Creatures also update with the Version.

For instance, if a Sorcerer in reality invents a new knowledge system and summons a new variety of spirits, then other Sorcerers who kill Knowledge Creatures in the Virtual Realm might directly obtain the newly invented Version of spirits.

If the new knowledge system is too innovative and crazy, it could even lead to the emergence of new varieties of Knowledge Creatures, expanding the diversity of creatures in the Virtual Realm.

Just like “Equal opportunity,” this is also one of the important premises of “Equal Knowledge” among Sorcerers.

No one can monopolize knowledge forever. No matter how you guard your new inventions, other Sorcerers can still obtain your results in the Virtual Realm. If you want to maintain an advantage, you need to keep innovating.

Those who cling to the past, hoping a single invention will give them a permanent lead, are no different from fools who stay in the same place in the Virtual Realm for too long.

If you don’t take risks, the Virtual Realm will swallow you; if you don’t innovate, reality will beat you down.

After explaining about Knowledge Creatures, Sonya couldn’t help but probe: “Since you knew there was danger in the fog, couldn’t you detect what kind of creature it was?”

“I couldn’t detect it; I only knew the level of danger the fog posed to us, not the specifics of the danger.”

Sonya was slightly disappointed: “Then you probably can’t find the Golden Fish either.”

“The Golden Fish?” Ashe seemed puzzled, “What’s that?”

It’s like hearing someone ask, “What’s 1 plus 1?” Sonya pulled at the corner of her mouth, suddenly having a thought: Is he asking me these simple questions to train my Loyalty? If I resist, will he think I’m not loyal enough and then treat me with severe punishment?

With this thought in mind, Sonya became alert and seriously answered the seemingly simple question, “The Golden Fish is a fish that floats on the surface of the Sea of Knowledge. On its back is the Time Continent, which is the destination of Two Wings Sorcerers…”

“Wait, a continent?” Ashe interrupted, “How big is this fish?”

“Massive. No one has ever seen the full extent of the Golden Fish. It is said that even the smallest scales on its body are comparable to a large city that can accommodate a million people.”

“Such a huge fish should be easy to spot, shouldn’t it?”

“On the contrary, only a few lucky individuals have ever found the Golden Fish in the Sea of Knowledge, and without exception, those individuals have become renowned legendary Sorcerers.”

Ashe let out a sound of understanding, “So what’s the benefit of finding the Golden Fish?”

“By stepping onto the Time Continent, one becomes a Two Wings Sorcerer directly.”

“What?”

“You become a Two Wings Sorcerer directly.” Sonya suppressed her impatience, thinking to herself that even the children she tutored were not this clueless, “The biggest difference between a One Wing and a Two Wings Sorcerer is that One Wings are in the Sea of Knowledge, while Two Wings are on the Time Continent.”

“When a One Wing Sorcerer concentrates arcane energy to the extreme in the Sea of Knowledge and unfolds the Silver Wings, they can no longer gain more arcane energy while navigating. If they want to reach a higher realm, they must be promoted to Two Wings.”

“The normal way of promotion involves the Sorcerer delving into knowledge, summoning a high-rank spirit of Two Wings, and then finding the Gate of Truth within that spirit to transmigrate through the Virtual Realm. Then they will reach the second layer of the Virtual Realm—the Time Continent. Only on the Time Continent can a Sorcerer absorb more arcane energy and condense the second virtual wing: the Golden Wings.”

A One Wing Sorcerer navigates the Sea of Knowledge and forms the Silver Wings, while a Two Wings Sorcerer walks on the Time Continent and forms the Golden Wings… Ashe began to grasp the power system of Sorcerers, but he had a question, “Can a One Wing Sorcerer obtain a Two Wings spirit from someone else and directly reach the Time Continent?”

“Absolutely not,” Sonya shook her head, “Unless it’s a spirit summoned by oneself, the Sorcerer cannot find the Gate of Truth within it, and it’s even difficult to search within the spirit—since spirits are made of knowledge, if you don’t understand the construction of the spirit, how can you explore its secrets?”

Now Ashe understood the Sorcerers’ method of promotion: summoning a higher-rank spirit, using the spirit to transmigrate to a higher level of the Virtual Realm, then continuing to summon higher-rank spirits as one grows stronger, creating a cycle.

Due to the premises of ‘Equal Opportunity’ and ‘Equal Knowledge,’ the life of a Sorcerer is always intertwined with risk and research. No one can retire comfortably; as long as you are unwilling to give up your current benefits, you must continue to take risks and create new ones.

This process not only ensures the healthy development of the Sorcerer system but also continuously optimizes those ‘Old White Rabbits’ among the Sorcerers who stop and refuse to struggle… It sounds a bit like the KPI system! Throw in a year-end elimination, and it’s perfect!

Realizing that a Sorcerer is just another kind of worker, Ashe suddenly gained confidence: when it comes to working and facing internal competition, he has never lost to anyone!

“Wait a second, if we can find the Golden Fish in the Sea of Knowledge and land on the Time Continent, isn’t that like taking a shortcut to Promotion?”

“We prefer to call those who sneak from the lower levels to the higher levels ‘Trespassers’… That’s why all Sorcerers want to find the Golden Fish,” Sonya shrugged. “Who can resist the temptation of gaining without toiling?… So, can you find the Golden Fish?”

“I wish I could.”

“Then why are you asking me all these questions? Keep sailing,” Sonya said as she glanced at her somewhat translucent hands. “Better not go where a Battle might occur, I’m a bit tired. After sailing through one or two more regions, I’ll probably have to leave the Virtual Realm.”

Ashe nodded, feeling the onset of fatigue himself.

Sailing through the Virtual Realm is not without cost. As they pass through the white mist, it not only gathers arcane energy for them but also tempers their Souls, depleting their Soul Energy. When the Soul Energy drops to a certain level, they must exit the Virtual Realm to Rest.

Each ordinary voyage contains countless precious Miracles.

Ashe opened the ‘Exploration in Virtual Realm’ tablet, and as usual, he saw many notes of ‘waste of effort’ and ‘Better not go’.

But this time, he saw something different: a golden light was emanating from the bottom right area of the map!

The message underneath the area was startlingly clear:

“Welcome!”