The Sorcerer's Handbook

A conceptual incarnation was the materialization of an abstract idea. Once it died, all related spirits perished with it, rendering sorcerers unable to summon them, at least until the Virtual World could regenerate that concept from scratch.

Could something this dangerous really be within the reach of a mere Two-Winged sorcerer?

The more Ashe turned it over in his mind, the more uneasy he felt. In a nation ruled by sorcery, Miracles permeated every level of existence. Spirits were the essential foundation of life, no different from electricity or heat. They were the very blood of society.

Take, for example, the Electromagnetic Incarnation. If that concept were destroyed, the Gospel Kingdom would collapse instantly. Its entire power system relied on Electromagnetic Class sorcerers to maintain critical operations. Without those spirits, the precise, efficient energy network would disintegrate on the spot, throwing everyone back into a primitive age for the foreseeable future.

If such a catastrophe occurred, society would need decades to recover. The economic and human losses would be immeasurable, followed by years of inevitable social unrest.

And yet, a conceptual incarnation, a thing that determined the fate of an entire nation, could be accessed by a Two-Winged sorcerer?

This went far beyond ”casually buying a gun at a supermarket.” It felt more like ”ordering weapons-grade uranium online.” Forget Two-Winged Gold sorcerers. Even Legendary sorcerers shouldn’t have been qualified to hold something that governed the lives of billions. Yet, in the Continent of Time, a Hero had casually handed him one... and he had proceeded to trade it with another.

After calming his nerves, Ashe realized that while it sounded absurd, there was a certain cold logic to it.

From what he had observed, only Hero Commanders could possess conceptual incarnations, and a Two-Winged sorcerer could never hope to defeat one. The narrow victory of Ashe’s three-person team over the weakest logistics commander had been a miracle, one that might not be repeated in millions of years.

Furthermore, any commander holding an incarnation was likely a faction’s trump card. The odds of a sorcerer ambushing and successfully neutralizing one were practically zero. In other words, these incarnations were only ever meant to be transferred between Hero Commanders, all of whom served the Divine Lords. Since a conceptual incarnation significantly boosted the combat strength of its corresponding army, placing them in the second layer of the Virtual World was likely a calculated move.

Precisely because the sorcerers on the Continent of Time were so weak, the incarnations remained relatively safe.

If such things appeared in the third or fourth layers, areas where Sacred Realm and Legendary sorcerers were commonplace, the risk of loss would skyrocket. If rogue sorcerers like Ashe and the Swordswoman could wield sorcery classes, then true Legends would have integrated and refined those systems into entirely new, devastating paths. They wouldn’t even need a direct confrontation. With the right Miracles, they could steal a conceptual incarnation with ease.

Ashe suddenly recalled the description of the Conjuring spirit. Congratulations on becoming a player in this endless game, though you are not even qualified to be a piece on the board.

Compared to the Hero Commanders, sorcerers truly didn’t qualify as players. The conflicts between factions on the Continent of Time were likely just a reflection of the Divine Lords’ wagers.

But compared to the usual stakes, like gold, life, and resources, their wagers were far more terrifying. To strengthen their commanders, the Lords were willing to gamble with concepts that determined the futures of countless lives. Ashe didn’t believe for a second that enemy factions would preserve a seized incarnation. If an incarnation only enhanced specific troop types, it was useless to an outsider. That left only one outcome: destruction.

By now, the Empress Hero had likely already destroyed the Incarnation of the Stars. Ashe didn’t know if a star-aligned faction existed in this world, but if it did, every star-aligned sorcerer had just lost their livelihood.

Only then did Ashe realize he still hadn’t examined the most valuable and costly reward from their expedition, the Incarnation of Secrets.

It was valuable because of its immense power, but the price had been steep. From that moment on, they would be hunted by the Spider Tower, unable to find peace until they advanced to the Three-Winged Sacred Realm.

If Ashe had a choice, he would rather never have obtained a conceptual incarnation. He would even have given it up in exchange for a peaceful life in the Virtual World. Unfortunately, the ruthless nature of the Empress Hero had already cut off any path of retreat.

The Conjuring spirit had already absorbed the Incarnation of Secrets. This was likely another safeguard the Divine Lords set. Even if an ordinary sorcerer had encountered a conceptual incarnation, they would have no way to absorb it without the Conjuring spirit. Perhaps Legendary sorcerers could bypass that limitation...But how could a Legendary sorcerer ever appear on the Continent of Time?

Ashe glanced at the display, noting that the Conjuring Spirit remained largely unchanged. Only one new line had materialized.

[Incarnation of Secrets: You are the embodiment of the will of secrecy, holding supreme authority over the intelligence system. The Seeker of Secrets under your command can now cast the Miracle, Weaving, on both allies and enemies simultaneously. Casting time is reduced by 50%, and allied units affected by Weaving gain one additional layer of armor.]

As he had suspected, the Incarnation of Secrets was designed specifically to augment the Seeker of Secrets. But since Ashe hadn’t even unlocked that unit yet, the upgrade was functionally useless. This was a total loss. He had paid the full price and gained absolutely nothing in return.

Refusing to accept defeat, Ashe opened the Book of Gospel. ”Is there any way to utilize the Incarnation of Secrets?”

[Cost: 10,000 Gospel Points]

He tried a different angle. ”Why do Hero Commanders possess conceptual incarnations?”

[Cost: 8,000 Gospel Points]

Frustrated, Ashe sighed. ”Is there any free information today?”

[Today in Vamura, the weather will shift from sunny to cloudy. Temperature: 28°C. The reproduction success rate of elves and goblins will increase significantly; the probability of twins will also rise.]

What good was that to a disabled man like me? I could only reproduce with humans anyway.

Ashe composed himself. ”I want to improve my mental resilience and become a leader capable of bearing the weight of others’ lives. Do you have any suggestions?”

[As expected of Your Excellency. Your mental resilience is already formidable, yet you still strive for more. The Gospel has a modest proposal. Increase your real combat experience to harden your resolve.]

Ashe replied, ”I thought as much, but my options are limited right now. I plan to enter the virtual game Epic as a team leader so I can lead high-difficulty raids. What do you think?”

[An excellent idea. Entirely feasible!]

Ashe countered, ”But I haven’t invested much money into the game. Even if I did, I wouldn’t reach the top tier immediately. High-difficulty raids require elite gear and levels. Do you have a solution?”

[Cost: 5 Gospel Points.]

Ashe grumbled, ”Even this costs points?”

[Your Excellency, you will not be disappointed.]

[5 points deducted.]

[Account: ******, Password: *******. The original owner has married and retired from the world of Epic. You may use it without concern.]

Is this technically hacking? Ashe wondered.

Then again, if the Book of Gospel provided it, it was probably... fine.

Still skeptical, Ashe accessed the game interface and settled into the gaming pod. When the character screen loaded, he was stunned. The account featured a fully maxed-out character with every possible achievement unlocked. This wasn’t just a ”whale” account. This was the result of years of dedicated, flawless play.

At that moment, the negative side effect of the Concept Secret Poison flared up again. The interior of the gaming pod shifted and warped, transforming into a grotesque spider cocoon. This time, however, Ashe felt neither disgust nor fear. Instead, he felt a strange, haunting sense of familiarity.

He wanted to criticize the Gospel’s Miracles for being so grotesque, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. The book was simply treating him too well.