The Sorcerer's Handbook

In Shattered Lake Prison.

If it hurts enough, grip with both hands,

Cut it open, let yesterday’s curse expand.

Through endless night and day it flows,

Leaving behind only scars that show.

Ashe was lost in thought as he stared at the recharge interface on the light screen.

Yesterday’s exploration of the Virtual World had yielded little. After finally discovering a region marked Worth a Visit, he had run straight into a Fish-Slaying Dragon lurking within.

He and Sonya fought with everything they had, yet still failed to kill it. In the end, the cunning creature struck a self-destruct pose and dove into the water. Before escaping, it let out two loud farts. Worse still, those farts contained spirits.

With no way to counter it, Ashe and the Swordswoman were forced to endure the Fish-Slaying Dragon’s humiliating assault. All they could do was watch helplessly as it vanished into the white mist.

The attack dealt more insult than actual harm.

Once again, the Virtual World taught Ashe a harsh lesson about how brutal a sorcerer’s survival environment was. It’s no wonder death row inmates barely cared about being banned from the Virtual World. This was a place where effort never guaranteed success, while giving up offered immediate relief.

That was the difference between reality and the Virtual World. Reality was a pay-to-win trash game dominated by the wealthy, while the Virtual World was a luck-driven trash game. The only fate that awaited ordinary sorcerers was to be beaten senseless by reality first and then trampled again within the Virtual World, perfectly showing how unfair the world could be.

The two spirits released by the Fish-Slaying Dragon were unimpressive, so Ashe claimed them for himself, planning to use them for recharge bonuses. A player who started reality on hell mode had only one way to turn the odds in his favor, by spending money.

The problem arose when he tried to recharge the Aurora Sorcerer’s Handbook. He noticed that a One-Winged spirit was now worth only eight points. Just a few days ago, it had still been worth ten.

What’s going on? Has the system fixed the Mapple payment channel and quietly slipped in a new tax?

Five spirits barely earned him forty points. That was a full twenty percent less than before.

Ashe couldn’t complain or ask for clarification. Not because the complaint module was broken, but because the game simply didn’t have one.

Still, he had a vague suspicion that the change was tied to his own strength.

After passing through the Whirlpool, half of his Silver Wing had already taken shape. As his mana increased, the quality of the spirits he unleashed naturally improved as well. Exploration became easier for him and the Swordswoman. Areas marked Worth a Visit or A Bit Troublesome appeared more frequently, while Certain Death showed up only occasionally.

Once the Silver Wing fully unfolded, Ashe could potentially summon spirits freely. Harvesting seven or eight spirits every night would be a trivial matter for him. He could easily overwhelm the system, then wake up every morning to roll a ten-pull and test his luck.

But clearly, that was impossible. Even after years as a corporate drone dulled his imagination, and most of his mental energy went into deciding what to eat for lunch, Ashe knew better. The system would never leave such an obvious loophole.

To prevent numerical collapse, it had clearly reduced his rewards. Or perhaps this was a tax mechanism. He guessed that once he reached Gold Wing, a One-Winged spirit would be worth five points at most. At Three Wings, its value might drop so low that he wouldn’t even bother picking it up.

The game likely advertised “no spending required, all spirits reclaimable” to give players the illusion of generosity. But as players grew stronger, low-level spirits would lose their value. To earn more, the sorcerers would need higher-level spirits until everyone’s daily income evened out.

And when everyone earns the same, it’s equivalent to no one earning anything.

The tax system was simply an extension of the daily sign-in bonus, designed to stretch player engagement and keep them online longer.

Ashe let out a sigh. “So the stronger you are, the heavier the tax...”

With that realization, he went out for breakfast. As for the forty new points, he left them untouched. He had already purchased the thirty-point worth Bundle of Source Crystals and missed the first-recharge bonus. His next small goal was the ninety-eight-point worth Pile of Source Crystals.

When he reached the central hall, Ashe was surprised to find it crowded. Some inmates were even arguing with the guards.

He couldn’t help grinning. Is a prison riot really about to break out?

Pushing forward, he saw a light screen broadcasting the news.

[Warm congratulations to Caimon City for being rated the kingdom’s safest region. Mayor Fernandez attended the press conference and expressed gratitude for everyone’s irreplaceable contributions...]

Damn. The irony is painful. What kind of death row inmate would care about this?

Ashe looked closer and noticed a notice posted beside the screen.

[Special Task Volunteer Recruitment]

Requirements: Combat-type sorcerers of Two Wings or above.

Rewards: Completion of the special task would commute a prisoner’s sentence from Redemption to Suspended for Five Years. Volunteers would also receive a public office in the Administrative Department, a residence in Caimon City, and a one-time grant of 800 Gold Coins.

Number of recruits: Unlimited.

“I-I’m a Two-Winged Composite Sorcerer! My Gold Wing is fully unfolded, and I have complete mastery over Fire and Wind sorcery. I can even perform the Miracle, Dragon Annihilation Hymn! Why wouldn’t you choose me?”

“And me! I’m a Two-Winged Gun Sorcerer, a former Blood Moon Hunter with an outstanding record! I only ended up in Shattered Lake Prison because of one brief mistake! Surely someone like me, a former hunter, should be selected!”

“Even if you reject me, at least give me a reason! There’s no limit on numbers. Why won’t you allow me to volunteer?”

“I don’t even care about getting out. I just want to contribute to society. Why stop me from serving my country?”

The guard at the registration desk remained icy and unbothered, ignoring the applicants’ pleas. He said coldly, “Next.”

Ashe wanted to register as well, but he wasn’t even a Two-Winged sorcerer, so he didn’t qualify. Still, he refused to leave. Instead, he stood aside and watched anxiously, though he wasn’t sure what he was waiting for.

Iger teased, “What a great opportunity. It’s a shame you can’t seize it. Right now, you look like a vulgar man who knows he’s unworthy of love, but still hopes some beautiful lady will suddenly go blind and spend the night with him,”

Ashe glanced at Iger. “Aren’t you signing up?”

“I did, but I wasn’t selected,” Iger said, shaking his head as he looked at the crowded registration desk. “Honestly, it’s probably for the best. I have no confidence I’d survive this special task.”

“Do you know what the special task is?”

“No, but I can guess. From what I’ve observed, most of those selected tend to specialize in Water, Earth, Wind, or Light sorcery.”

“What’s special about those sorcery classes?”

Let me put it plainly. The death row inmates who get selected almost always have the same traits in their criminal records, including repeated refusals to surrender, long-term evasion, extensive criminal experience, and crimes spanning multiple cities.

Multiple refusals, long-term evasion? Ashe recalled the Bloodrage Hunters of the Heresy Court and realized something. “Are they really good at escaping?”

Iger nodded. “Exactly. This special task probably doesn’t require combat or social skills. It needs volunteers with experience in evasion and survival. No matter how you look at it, it’s an extremely dangerous reconnaissance mission. In Caimon City, the only people who meet these criteria are all in Shattered Lake Prison.”

“Wow... I didn’t know there are tasks that could pardon death row inmates,” Ashe said. “Does this happen often? Have any prisoners ever officially left through these tasks?”

“Impossible. I’ve been here over a year, and this is the first time I’ve seen it. I even asked some veteran inmates. They’ve never heard of a task that could pardon a death row prisoner. Normally, special tasks at most reward a few Contribution Points.”

Iger narrowed his eyes slightly. “And even if a proposal to pardon death row inmates existed, it would never pass the Order Doctrine Committee. The council would drag it out forever. Whatever interest is behind this must be enormous for the Order Doctrine Committee to approve such a dangerous plan.”

“The Order Doctrine Committee?” Ashe repeated, intrigued.

“It’s a faction in the council that opposes the Human Rights Association. The Human Rights Association prioritizes people, insisting that laws protect humans and that no one should be treated as expendable. The Order Doctrine Committee pursues absolute order, enforcing laws strictly and disregarding individual concerns. Most proposals must secure the support of both sides to pass.

“Take the Blood Moon Tribunal as an example. It took years of negotiation between the factions to reach its current form. The Order Doctrine Committee wanted death row inmates executed as quickly as possible, while the Human Rights Association believed in the possibility of reform. The Blood Moon Tribunal allows some inmates to contribute to society while giving judgment power to the citizens, which gained unanimous council approval.”

Iger glanced at Ashe. “For that enhanced Blood Moon Tribunal you saw the other day, the Order Doctrine Committee certainly played a major role. Oh, and Professor Syrin, a city council member, is also part of that committee.”

Hearing this, Ashe’s desire to escape burned hotter. With a major political villain involved, the law could no longer shield him.

“So what exactly is this special task?” Ashe asked.

Iger said, “It’s a mission that would silence the Order Doctrine Committee, recruiting volunteers skilled in evasion and survival. Add the fact that it’s late spring and approaching summer... There’s really only one possibility. A stable Virtual Channel may have appeared in Caimon City, possibly linking to other nations. If someone could find a stable Virtual Channel, it would be a feat impressive enough to earn the Blood Moon’s recognition.”

***

At Sword and Roses University of Cailleach.

Except for Angelica, who had gone out for her morning run, the other three remained in the dorm.

Seeing Adele still hugging her plush toy, Louisa got out of bed and splashed her face with ice-cold spring water, snapping herself awake. It was practically a cruel wake-up skincare routine.

Sonya was already in the shower. Louisa washed her face first, applied a thick jelly mask, and squeezed in some study time. She couldn’t use sheet masks, or the essence would drip onto her chin.

To regain the Stream spirit from Sonya and become a Water Sorcerer faster, Louisa had to shorten her skincare and makeup routine to make room for training. At times like this, Louisa would feel a mix of envy and admiration toward Sonya. How could someone so calculating still manage to dress, study, and train so efficiently?

Suddenly, her Miracle Bracelet vibrated. Louisa checked it and saw a message from the Weather Station.

[Announcement from the Weather Sorcerer: This week is Virtual World Turbulence Week. The probability of Virtual WoChannels appearing around Cailleach is increasing. Report any discovered channels or unknown individuals to the Police Department immediately.]