The Sorcerer's Handbook

”Virtual Turbulence? Virtual Channels?”

Since this was an obscure topic, Iger wasn’t surprised that Ashe was unfamiliar with it. He explained, ”This is a rare sorcerer-related disaster. When a sorcerer connects to the Virtual World through the Door of Truth, some unstable regions can reverse-flow knowledge, causing foreign information to seep into reality and alter it.”

He gestured with his hands. ”Imagine the Virtual World as a giant jelly. A sorcerer can pass through it safely, like sipping through a straw. But if a part of the jelly rots, the liquid leaks through the straw into the real world, corroding reality itself... That’s Virtual Turbulence.”

”And a Virtual Channel?” Ashe asked.

”That happens when knowledge flowing into reality tries to return to the Virtual World. Most turbulence disperses quickly, but a portion of the denser flows solidify into a channel, attempting to find their way back.

”Since unclaimed knowledge isn’t capable of opening the Door of Truth, it lingers outside, forming what we call a half-Virtual Channel.”

”Half-virtual?” Ashe frowned. ”How does it become a full channel?”

”Remember the rotting jelly? Turbulence doesn’t happen just once. It occurs in batches worldwide. Every sorcerer passing through a rotted area can trigger local turbulence, creating multiple half-channels. These half-channels have target coordinates corresponding to the Door of Truth. The closer two half-channels’ targets are, the more likely they are to merge into a full channel that can transport matter between reality and the Virtual World.”

It sounded complicated, but Ashe pictured it using his limited knowledge of geometry. Suppose half-channel A aims for point C in the Virtual World, forming an AC path. At the same time, half-channel B also targets C, creating a BC path. But with the Door of Truth still closed, C never appears.

When A and B meet outside, the two stranded half-channels abandon their original target and merge into a complete AB channel, finally getting their ”happy ending.”

”So, the closer two sorcerers open the Gates of Truth, the easier it is to form a Virtual Channel?” Ashe asked.

Iger nodded. ”In principle, yes. But in reality, it’s nearly impossible to create one intentionally.”

Ashe’s expression darkened. ”Then sorcerers are truly at risk. If someone opens a Door of Truth in a rotted area, their body could be swept up in the turbulence, right?”

”No. Virtual World’s knowledge never harms sorcerers.”

”Why not?”

Iger shrugged. ”They’re afraid of us. Even spirits run at the sight of a sorcerer. Why would the knowledge that creates them dare to attack one?

”There’s an interesting theory that for the Virtual World, we sorcerers are like predators, while knowledge leaking into reality behaves like refugees entering enemy territory. They can barely escape fast enough. How could they possibly dare to challenge such ruthless predators?

”Virtual World’s knowledge often escapes to areas with few sorcerers, like underground or the skies. It mutates space as it tries to return to the Virtual World and form turbulence or channels in the process.”

Iger’s description made the disaster seem weak and harmless. Ashe glanced at the bustling registration desk. ”So exploring a Virtual Channel is dangerous?”

Iger admitted, ”I don’t know. Not all Virtual Channels are complete. What do you think would happen to someone who enters a half-channel? Still, if they manage to find a channel leading to another nation and return safely, that achievement could outweigh even a death sentence.”

Ashe raised his eyebrows. ”That doesn’t sound too hard. They just go there, take a look, and come back. Seems like pure luck. Why would survival skills even matter?”

Iger shook her head. ”If the channel leads to an uninhabited zone, sure, you could return immediately. But if it opens into another country, volunteers definitely can’t come back right away.”

”Why? Customs?” Ashe asked, half-joking.

”Try looking at it from another angle,” Iger said. ”Enemies from unknown nations could also find a Virtual Channel leading into the Blood Moon Kingdom. Wouldn’t you want defenses prepared in advance?”

Ashe was about to ask how anyone could defend against enemies they didn’t even know existed, but stopped short. In the world of sorcerers, filled with miracles, the only certainty was uncertainty itself.

What seemed nearly impossible to Ashe could be as trivial as eating a meal for a high-level sorcerer. The knowledge gap carved an unbridgeable chasm between them. Even now, Ashe still couldn’t understand how the chip embedded at the back of his neck allowed him to hold in a fart outside a bathroom.

Iger folded his arms and said, ”The Blood Moon Kingdom has a Miracle that operates as a kingdom-wide surveillance system. The moment an outsider appears, the Church immediately notifies the nearest Heresy Court. At the same time, a curse descends upon the kingdom. For the next forty-eight hours, outsiders are unable to perform any spatial transfer or transmit information.”

He paused, then added, ”When I was seven, an outsider appeared in Dreamveil City. They fled to somewhere near my orphanage, and the Bloodrage Hunters practically turned the entire place upside down.”

”You’re not from Caimon City?” Ashe asked.

Iger shrugged. ”Once the fools in Dreamveil City have been fooled enough, they have no choice but to open a new market.”

There was no doubt that Virtual Channels could drastically change the situation. But to the prison break squad, they meant little. If anything, they only made recruitment harder.

Right now, the prisoners were consumed by a single thought. What if the prison sought volunteers again tomorrow?Maybe then, we could finally earn a chance to return to society with honor.

This sudden recruitment struck hard at the morale of these determined escapees. How are we supposed to keep convincing people after this?

As Ashe stood there at a loss and considered whether grabbing a snack might spark some inspiration, chaos suddenly erupted at the registration desk.

”Pick me! Please, pick me! I’m the Woodpecker gang’s Golden Mouth! I’m skilled in all kinds of murder techniques! I really want to volunteer! Please, pick me, sob sob—”

The examiner said flatly, ”Water, Gun, Light, Earth, explosive magic, and trap-type Miracles. Your magic types meet the requirements, but you are only a One-Winged sorcerer, which falls below the minimum threshold. Sorry.”

At that, everyone turned in surprise toward the tall man kneeling on the ground.

Iger explained softly, ”Golden Mouth is the Woodpecker gang’s top assassin. His targets include well-known figures, council members, politicians, and businessmen. The difficulty of his missions is no lower than assassinating a Two-Winged sorcerer. For a One-Winged sorcerer to earn that title, his skills must be exceptional.”

Ashe recognized him at once. ”Isn’t that Ronald Wade? Ronna’s... ’friend?’”

”Yes. He’s also a newcomer this month,” Iger said with a faint smile. ”Otherwise, he wouldn’t have approached Ronna. It looks like he’s realized something and is doing everything he can to save himself.”

”Save himself?” Ashe frowned. ”Is he in danger?”

”Do you know Ronna’s nickname?”

”Yes. Gourmet Ronna. It comes from his... peculiar tastes, right?”

Ronna’s tastes were strange, but this prison was already a den of extremes. There was even an ogre standing nearby. At this point, Ashe felt barely anything when he mentioned Ronna’s little hobby.

Iger raised a finger. ”Most people only see the surface. It goes far beyond that. Ronna doesn’t spare the inside either.”

”What do you mean?”

”Very different. Don’t be fooled by the fact that Ronald looks unharmed. What’s inside him has already been eaten by Ronna.”

”Is this some kind of grotesque joke?”

Iger said calmly, ”Ashe, the way you speak and act makes me think the Four Pillars Cult is just a club of greasy middle-aged men unwinding after work. Keeping you alive only makes food more expensive.”

He revealed Ronna’s shocking and bizarre secret without so much as a change in tone. In contrast, Ashe’s eyes grew brighter with every new detail.

He looked at Ronald, still causing a fuss at the registration desk, and said, ”Maybe... we’ve found our teammate.”