The Sorcerer's Handbook

”They should have seen my message by now...”

Seated in the back of Annan’s luxury car, Ashe turned the ring on his finger, summoned his Book of Gospel, and opened the Sorcerer’s Handbook. Under Virtual World Exploration, he checked the team’s status.

Team Composition

- Death Maniac Swordswoman, Black-White Witch

Location

- Continent of Time

Status

- Exploring

Before leaving home, Ashe had already arranged for the two of them to continue exploring the Virtual World.

Of course, even without his instructions, they would have gone anyway. With his approval, the Swordswoman and the Witch could use his sports car. The map, however, seemed bound to his system and could not be shared.

Just like with the Swordswoman’s Leave Request, even if Ashe stayed out of the team, he still received a portion of their gains. Thirty percent of the mana experience they earned flowed back to him, and certain special mechanics they encountered could also trigger on his side.

Unlike ordinary operators, Ashe could take unlimited leave. If he wanted, he could remain outside the Virtual World indefinitely and grow stronger simply by relying on the Swordswoman and the Witch.

However, the moment he confirmed he would skip tonight’s exploration, the system displayed a reminder.

[Interacting with operators is an important way to maintain bonds. If operators believe you are avoiding contact, their favorability toward you will gradually decrease, leading to a drop in bond level.]

Only then did Ashe realize that favorability was not fixed. It fluctuated. Taking leave once or twice posed no issue, but if he avoided the team for too long, dissatisfaction would naturally build.

Most people probably work just for the income. Me, on the other hand, I come into the Virtual World mainly to strengthen my bonds with the operators. Honestly, it feels less like work and more like team-building.

The thought alone made him reluctant to log in.

A soft hum broke his train of thought.

The hovering car shifted lanes with a faint vibration. Ashe remained steady in his seat and turned his gaze toward Annan in the driver’s seat.

Harvey and Iger had revealed nothing, but Ashe could easily guess the nature of their work. Anything involving people like them rarely strayed beyond gang vendettas, fraud, kidnapping, robbery, or theft. Their profession was narrow enough that a single criminal code could define it.

Despite his calm exterior, Ashe had quietly investigated Azura’s underworld. He gathered most of his information through online games, where enthusiastic locals proved more than willing to share. From what he learned, Azura’s underworld consisted of ten major forces, divided into one palace, two agencies, three families, and four corporations.

The ”one palace” referred to the Mermaid Palace. The sea witches were known as the sewer royalty of the Gospel Kingdom. Their establishments spread across every major city. Murder, smuggling, illegal drugs, even slave trafficking, almost all of it required their approval. They stood as the undisputed rulers of the underworld.

The ”two agencies” were firms ranked among the top two locally and within the kingdom’s top ten. Compared to them, smaller offices like Annan’s, already pushed out of the top ten, could only handle what the larger firms left behind.

The ”three families” were ancient clans that had taken root in Azura generations ago. Ashe did not remember their names or crests, only that they intermarried and held deep ties within major institutions such as Bluebeard, Red Hats, and the Administrative Departments. Even the mayor came from one of these families.

The ”four corporations” controlled more than seventy-five percent of Azura’s total economic output and ranked among the nation’s leading enterprises. They were too large to fail. Despite being closely tied to the three families and often backed by them, the relationship remained tense. Capital did not submit easily to feudal control. Anyone who believed early investment alone could secure dominance over a successful corporation underestimated how capital evolved.

As Ashe sat in Annan’s car, he wondered which of the ten forces they were about to face.

When they arrived, even with his mind braced, he still felt a jolt of surprise at the sight before him. The name Azura Fourth Secondary Education Base stretched across the front of the building.

”Where are we?” Ashe asked.

Annan replied, ”Fourth High, or just call it No. 4.”

She stepped out and pressed her key. The hovering car moved off on its own to find a parking space.

Despite the name, No. 4 looked less like a school and more like a commercial complex. Warm, bright lights spilled from every floor. Glass revolving doors stood open, unguarded, with no security checks or staff in sight.

When Ashe followed Annan inside, his impression shifted once more. There were neither classrooms nor any sounds of teaching. Rows of fully enclosed pods filled the space, each resembling a coffin. Holographic displays hovered above, showing the occupant’s name and information.

Rather than a school, it resembled an experimental facility running human trials. Ashe felt a pang of recognition. Weren’t these...

”They look like the virtual gaming pods you use, don’t they?” Annan said, anticipating his thought. ”Or rather, those gaming pods were modeled after these.”

Ashe paused, then nodded. ”That makes sense. If consciousness-immersion tech is already used in commercial games, then critical fields like education, medicine, and research must have adopted it long ago.”

Annan continued, ”Long before I was born, virtual education pods had become the foundation of basic schooling. Except for sorcerer universities, which still have teachers, primary and secondary education no longer requires them. Most children enter a customized learning program at the age of five. They say it’s a wonderful experience. Each student is paired with a teacher perfectly matched to them in every way. The teacher understands their thoughts and uses the most effective methods and environments to make learning enjoyable.

”By the time students reach secondary education, the system begins to identify and nurture their talents. From string tricks to marksmanship, from hairstyling to fashion design, from biological research to civil engineering... Even if you’ve never encountered these fields before, the pods push you to explore your limits within just a few years.”

Ashe frowned. ”Wait. You mean each pod tailors education to the individual?”

”Exactly. The pods rely on the Book of Gospel’s big data analysis. Don’t be surprised. Most high-tech enterprises depend on it. The perfectly synchronized traffic we passed earlier and the orderly drone formations in the sky all rely on the Gospel’s data. That is why this city flows like a work of art.”

She glanced at him. ”Pankey mentioned you, and Mr. Harvey questioned our education system. You worry that families without points will fall far behind those with reserves.”

Annan gestured at the room filled with hundreds of pods. ”The truth is, until your talent reaches a level the Virtual World recognizes, the Gospel won’t charge a single coin for tuition.”

Ashe caught a word from her earlier explanation. ”Wait... I heard you mention ’they say’ just now.”

”Yes,” Annan replied, flicking her amethyst earring. ”I never went to school. Most wealthy families don’t participate in the basic education system the Gospel Kingdom provides.”

”Why not?”

”Because basic education isn’t entirely free. To access it, you have to sign a contract and pay a price.”

”What price?”

”Lifetime education.”

Ashe froze, genuinely at a loss this time. ”Lifetime education... is that the price?”

Annan nodded, gesturing toward a nearby room where a mature woman had just stepped out of an education pod. ”Each person has a set number of required study hours per year, which varies by age. During youth, the hours are at their maximum. You’re essentially in class every day. After entering the workforce, the required hours drop significantly, but even adults must complete at least sixty hours of coursework each month.

”Adult courses offer a great deal of freedom. You can study anything, like building blocks, harmonica, makeup, or even film appreciation... As long as your mind absorbs new knowledge, it counts toward your required hours.”

Ashe blinked. ”Isn’t that... a good thing?”

Annan gave a polite nod to the woman passing by and began walking up the stairs. ”I never said it wasn’t. The Gospel Kingdom sustained a technological boom for thirty years, and the lifetime education system played a major role in that.”

”Then why don’t wealthy people participate in basic education?” Ashe asked.

Annan countered with a raised brow, ”Then why are you unwilling to accept lifetime employment from me, insisting instead on a mere 101 days?”

Ashe shot back. ”That’s not a fair comparison. Working like a beast for you and receiving a lifetime education are completely different. One is like eating dirt; the other is like enjoying a proper meal.”

Annan arched a brow. ”You don’t look like someone being forced to eat dirt right now. Are you saying I’m the dirt?”

”No, no. I’m the dirt. You’re the one eating,” Ashe replied quickly.

Annan burst into laughter, momentarily losing her train of thought. After a pause, she continued, ”Just like you reject a lifelong contract, we wouldn’t accept lifelong restraints either. My family would rather have Pankey tutor me than sign a contract for basic education.

”By the way, the Gospel Kingdom offers another lifetime contract, or rather, a benefit: lifetime employment. Sign with the Labor Security Bureau, and you receive an average social salary even when unemployed. In return, the Bureau assigns you suitable work.

”All assignments follow three principles: high pay, low workload, and proximity to home. They also match your interests perfectly, since the assignments rely on the Gospel’s data analysis. If no suitable work exists, the system would rather let you stay home and collect unemployment benefits.

”Still, long-term unemployment is rare. Every company must follow the Bureau’s workforce planning. That means only ten percent of employees can be directly hired, while the remaining ninety percent must come from the Bureau. This system has worked well to this day, which proves that those ninety percent are likely more capable than the ten percent companies hire independently.”

Lifetime education. Lifetime employment. Then...

Ashe’s expression twisted slightly. ”Don’t tell me there’s also a lifetime love contract?”

Annan shook her head, smiling. ”Of course not... Sure, the Gospel can help you find the perfect match, but only if you’ve saved the world in a past life.”

”Most of the time, the Gospel can uncover treasures buried deep underground, measure the weight of the sun, and calculate the rhythm of the moon. Yet even it cannot grant us a perfect love.”

A faint smile curved at the corner of Annan’s lips. ”Still... if you are only choosing the most suitable partner from among people you already know, the Gospel can help.

”Love is a luxury. Marriage is not. Lifetime marriages are very common here. They are not mandatory, but most people, after finishing secondary education at seventeen, choose the most compatible partner within their social circle. Then, guided by the Book of Gospel, they have children at the optimal time, ensuring the healthiest outcomes... and in practice, those who follow this path do find happiness.

”A suitable education, a suitable job, and a suitable partner. If life had difficulty settings, then signing all three lifetime contracts would place you in easy mode. All you need to do is listen quietly to the Book of Gospel, and the world will show you its most forgiving side.”

To uncover hidden talents, to secure a job that might not be perfect yet still gives life meaning, to have a partner who may not be ideal yet can share a steady life... Just imagining it made Ashe feel a little envious. He would need to read a few more of those motivational articles the manager forwarded before he could shake it off. And all of this was nothing more than the baseline guarantee for ordinary citizens in the Gospel Kingdom.

If people here lived on easy mode, then his previous life had at least been on hard mode, the kind developers warned new players to avoid. This life felt even worse, as if he had enabled a ”harder start” modifier, strengthening every enemy across the board.

Looking back now, getting pierced through at the very beginning by the Three-Winged Sacred Realm sorcerer Gerard felt like a brutal wake-up call from a max-level boss. If any game started like that, players would demand a refund within two hours. And yet...

Ashe frowned. ”Doesn’t all of that sound pretty good? What exactly are you dissatisfied with, Miss?”

Annan smiled. ”I’m not dissatisfied at all. In fact, I’m grateful for this system. It is precisely because the Gospel’s melody is so beautiful that a discordant note like me stands out so sharply.

”We’re here.”

They reached the third floor and stopped outside a room. Annan pointed inside at Education Pod No. 15. ”That is my target. A beastman. He is a production-type sorcerer with no combat ability. The rest is up to you, Ashe.”

Ashe glanced around. ”You want me to kill someone in a school?”

Annan responded, ”Of course not. Our firm abides by the law. Go in, drag him out, beat him up, and make him leave. I prepared this task specifically for you.”

”What? Why is my task like this?”

”Because your other two companions don’t look like the type to stop once they start. They are better suited for... more thorough work.”

For once, Ashe couldn’t find an immediate rebuttal. After a moment, he recalled the Tough Hide spirit he had obtained in the Virtual World. At a glance, he recognized it as a Brute Body Class spirit. Once activated, it boosted his durability for a short time. Thinking it could come in handy, he kept it instead of feeding it into the system.

He activated it, and a faint bronze tint spread across his fair skin. Then he put on the mask Iger had given him. With that combination, he looked like a street thug with nothing better to do.

Ashe asked, ”Is he a bad person?”

”Not really,” Annan said, glancing at him. ”Just someone who cares too much about appearances.”

Ashe said nothing more. He stepped into the room and noticed an emergency call button beside the pod. He pressed it, and Pod No. 15 slid open.

A medium-built beastman stepped out, staring at him in confusion. ”Who are you?”

Ashe: ”******”

The beastman’s face lit up with surprise and delight. ”Really? My father passed away a few years ago, and my mother hasn’t found a new partner since. She would definitely like you.”

Ashe: ”******”

The beastman scratched his head. ”Haha, yes, I’m not very bright. Even here, I focus more on technical skills. I can’t really understand the theory.”

Silence fell.

After a moment, Ashe rose onto his toes and patted the beastman on the head. ”Why aren’t you wearing a hat?”