The Sorcerer's Handbook

The audience erupted into thunderous cheers. It wasn’t just the two universities making noise. The other spectators joined in, applauding in unison. Amidst the roaring crowd, Felix stood out, perfectly calm and composed. He quietly gripped his gloved left hand with his right.

A handsome, blond young man clad in white-and-gold battle armor stepped into the arena, looking every bit like a prince making a grand entrance. In fact, as the eldest son of the Starforger Duke, he practically was one. He waved to the stands, instantly drawing a wave of passionate cheers and applause.

This was Damian. A fourth-year student at Truth University, vice president of the Student Council, and heir to the Vlozrada family. In last year’s intercollegiate league, he had personally claimed the Meteor Calamity, led his team to secure the Constellation Calamity, and represented his university to win the Star Palace Calamity. He was the only winner of all Three Calamities in the past decade. For every university student in Cailleach over the last four years, Damian was an insurmountable nightmare, a towering wall they could only look up at, a distant figure they could never hope to catch.

Compared to Damian, Nagus looked like he had just been dragged out of a river. His hair hung in wet, noodle-like strands, and he lacked proper battle armor, wearing only a worn Abyssal Guard suit. Yet, nobody underestimated him. As the fourth-place finisher who had narrowly lost to Damian in last year’s Meteor Calamity, even if he had shown up in slippers, people would have just assumed he was flaunting his own unique style.

”Long time no see, Nagus. I heard your team recently conquered the Molten Steel Abyss on the fifth layer. Impressive.”

A collective gasp rippled through the audience, including Louisa and Angelica. What?!

Adele looked confused. ”Is the Molten Steel Abyss really that dangerous?”

”It’s not just a matter of being dangerous... You definitely slept through Abyss Common Knowledge class, didn’t you?” Louisa sighed. ”The Molten Steel Abyss is the most dangerous region on the fifth layer. The entire area is flooded with boiling molten steel exceeding 1,500 degrees Celsius. To clear it, you have to kill the guardian at the center of a molten lake.”

Adele froze. ”Then... wouldn’t they have to fly out and fight it from the air?”

”The Abyss Guardian isn’t stupid,” Angelica explained from beside them. ”If a sorcerer attacks from above, it immediately summons a tsunami of molten steel to drown the invader. Usually, challengers have to plunge directly into the lake and fight the guardian head-on.”

”But the temperature is insane! Wouldn’t they burn to ash the second they touch it?!”

Louisa said grimly, ”Worse than that. Their bodies would instantly trigger a liquid-phase explosion. Molten steel is seven times denser than the human body. Whatever ash is left after the explosion just floats on the surface...”

She paused, softening her tone. ”But it’s precisely because the heat is so extreme that Water Class sorcerers actually stand a chance of crossing it.”

”Why?”

”I’ll spare you the heavy theory. Simply put, when water hits something vastly hotter than its boiling point, a fraction of it rapidly vaporizes, creating a protective cushion of steam that separates the two extremes. It’s the Leidenfrost effect. If managed perfectly, a sorcerer can use that vapor barrier to safely navigate the molten lake. That’s why Water Class sorcerers are the only ones qualified to challenge that Abyss.”

”But the guardian is no pushover,” Angelica added, her eyes shining with admiration. ”A single Water Class sorcerer can’t defeat it alone. They need the absolute support of their team. Not only did Senior Nagus have complete faith in his own abilities, but his teammates literally entrusted their lives to him. That is the only way they could have conquered the Molten Steel Abyss!”

The roaring of the crowd could not penetrate the suffocating tension on the battlefield.

Nagus stared at Damian, his expression cold and unreadable. ”You certainly know a lot.”

Damian replied casually, ”You’re my opponent. Of course I did my homework. How could I afford to overlook a single detail?”

”Then why didn’t you participate in the Constellation Calamity this time?”

Damian shrugged. ”My teammates had their own paths to follow. We couldn’t all gather together anymore. Honestly, I think your team had a top-four shot in this year’s Constellation Calamity. You might have even swept the whole thing.”

He smiled faintly. ”But you’d better watch out for my juniors’ team. They might be cute, but they are certainly no pushovers.”

Nagus sneered. ”Hmph. I couldn’t care less about those insignificant small fry. My only target is you, Damian. I originally planned to take my revenge during the Meteor Calamity. But since this opportunity fell into my lap early, I’ll just have to make you taste defeat twice in a row.”

”I’m looking forward to it,” Damian said, his smile never wavering. ”I’m sure you won’t disappoint.”

The moment the announcer signaled the start of the match, Damian rested his hand lightly on the hilt of his sword. He didn’t take a single step forward.

A flash of pure rage crossed Nagus’ face. ”Still this arrogant, are we?”

He gritted his teeth. ”Leisurely waiting for me to strike first, planning to break my spells and crush me right at the end? Your disgusting habit of showing off makes me sick... But this time, I won’t give you the chance.”

Nagus crossed his arms and violently tore them apart. The razor-sharp ring on his index finger sliced clean through the artery of his opposite wrist. Blood sprayed from the wound like water from a burst pipe.

Up in the stands, Nagus’ mentor, the Rainstorm Singer Valentin, knit his brows. Blood Class...

No academy in the Starry Kingdom taught blood-related magic. It was practically an exclusive art of the Blood Moon Kingdom. Could it be a vampire inheritance he salvaged from the Virtual World?

Within moments, a massive volume of blood flooded the arena. With a sharp shout from Nagus, the crimson liquid defied gravity, rising into the air and condensing into countless floating blood swords. They blanketed the sky, blotting out the light. Countless blades locked together in a seamless, suffocating canopy, all pointed directly at Damian.

Damian looked up, his expression one of mild curiosity. ”Swords forged from blood... Judging by the edges, they don’t seem designed to cut.”

Nagus grinned, a manic edge to his voice. ”Of course they aren’t. This is a Blood-Water Composite Miracle. My spirits might have conjured this blood, but ultimately, it’s still my own. My control over it completely eclipses regular water.”

Damian nodded in appreciation. ”Blood and Water elements really do possess an extraordinary affinit—”

”Don’t interrupt me!” Nagus snapped, his grin widening. ”Because of that perfect control, any high-damage Miracle of mine that normally requires close physical contact can be channeled directly through these blood swords. Take a guess. What miracle did I fuse into them?”

Damian casually swept his eyes across the crimson canopy. ”I take it it’s your absolute favorite, the Crimson Lotus Vapor Explosion? In other words, if even a single blade grazes me, the water inside my body will instantaneously boil, my flesh will incinerate, and I’ll bloom like a gory crimson lotus.”

He paused, looking entirely unbothered. ”Though I suppose the arena’s Death Prohibition Miracle will at least keep my head and heart intact.”

Nagus’ voice went dead silent. ”Has anyone ever told you that your smart-aleck routine is incredibly grating? By the way, a select few of these blades are also laced with High-Frequency Water Blades. Even the strongest defensive Miracles will be sliced to ribbons.

Nagus raised his arms, commanding the sky. ”Damian. This is the grand feast I prepared just for you. ”Crimson Lotus Sword Formation, twenty-five-meter radius!

”Now, pay the price for your arrogance!”

***

As Nagus laid bare the mechanics of his Miracle, a wave of shock rippled through the stadium, moving not only the massive crowd but even the Sacred Realm sorcerers in attendance.

”So powerful...” Sonya murmured, unable to suppress a sharp intake of breath. ”If I were to defeat Senior Nagus, I’d have to do so before he deploys this technique. The moment it’s successfully activated, my only option left would be to surrender.”

Professor Trosan noted from beside her, ”If this Miracle were cataloged in the Starry Miracle Catalog, it would rank at the Upper-True Rainbow tier at the very least. It might even touch the Lower-Glorious Rainbow tier.”

Sonya clicked her tongue in sheer amazement. Glorious Rainbow tier!

She had also recently developed her own technique, Blood Moon Shattered Lake. However, it was merely classified as a Lower-Glorious Gold Miracle. A Glorious Rainbow Miracle, on the other hand, represented a pinnacle-level technique that even full-fledged Sacred Realm sorcerers coveted!

And the true absurdity of it all? Nagus was currently only a Two-Winged sorcerer!

A mere Two-Winged sorcerer, conceiving a Glorious Rainbow Miracle. Witnessing such staggering talent completely shattered Sonya’s recent overconfidence. It served as a stark, humbling reminder that there would always be a higher peak to climb. Any lingering traces of restless arrogance in her heart were instantly buried deep down.

Her thoughts turning, Sonya shifted her gaze toward Nagus’ opponent.

Truth be told, she found herself far more intrigued by Damian. Beyond his status as Felix’s older brother and the most celebrated noble heir in Cailleach, he was a swordsman specializing in Wave Sword style.

As a village girl who considered herself a rogue practitioner of Wave Swordsmanship, she was burning with curiosity to see the true power of the system the Vlozrada main lineage inherited. She wanted to know what hidden techniques the orthodox bloodline possessed.

Yet, judging by the horrific spectacle unfolding in the arena, Damian was about to be utterly obliterated in a single strike.

”Wait...” Sonya suddenly realized something, her eyes widening. ”If we win the Center Battle and the Chief Battle... doesn’t that mean Truth University loses the entire match?”

If they claimed victory in the Chief Battle, Sword and Roses University’s score would jump to eight points (3 + 5 = 8), completely overtaking Truth University’s seven points (1 + 2 + 4 = 7).

That meant Truth University, the reigning titans who had dominated the Star Palace Calamity for the past decade, was on the verge of being knocked out in the quarterfinals by Sword and Roses University!

The realization spread through the rest of the Sword and Roses roster, sparking a wave of ecstatic murmurs.

”No way... are we actually about to pull this off?”

”Hahaha! That’s what they get for looking down on Senior Nagus!”

”Truth University, looks like your streak ends today!”

Amidst the bubbling celebration, Professor Trosan’s expression remained grim. She didn’t join in the laughter. Instead, her eyes were locked firmly on the battlefield.

Trosan warned softly. ”Do not celebrate just yet. I suspect it won’t be that simple.”

Damian smiled. ”You truly haven’t disappointed me, Nagus. In that case, I will also give this my all. I certainly won’t let your expectations down.”

Nagus roared, ”Enough with the pretty words! Scream! Howl in agony! Then go to hell! One hundred and forty-four Crimson Lotus Swords! Destroy our enemy!”

The moment the storm of blood swords surged toward him, the blond swordsman finally gripped his hilt. Then, he swung.

Clang!

Like the distant tolling of a bell from the other side of the world, every spectator felt a sudden, heavy strike against their very heart.

Then, they saw it.

It was a sphere, a crystalline spatial sphere that enveloped the entire arena. It looked as though space itself had been carved out, completely severing the inside from the outside world. Within that sphere, all one hundred and forty-four blood swords were instantly annihilated. The entire surface of the battlefield was shaved away by an inch, leaving countless jagged sword marks gouged deep into the stone.

Snap!

The moment space snapped back to normal, blood erupted from countless wounds across Nagus’s body. However, a protective glow enveloped his head and heart, signaling that the arena’s Death Prohibition Miracle had been triggered.

The audience fell deathly silent. The entire stadium grew completely, utterly quiet until a single, cautious voice finally cracked the stillness. ”Inversion Annihilation Wave?”

Sonya was completely stunned. She turned to Trosan, her voice trembling. ”Professor, that was...”

Trosan’s expression was incredibly grim. ”The Inversion Annihilation Wave. It is an Upper-Glorious Rainbow Miracle inherited by the Vlozrada family. It looks as though he only swung his sword a single time, but in reality, he compressed the entire space into a single line, cutting through every single position within that space simultaneously.”

She paused, a heavy weight in her tone. ”Because it requires cutting through space itself, the minimum requirement is Silver Rank mastery in Space Class sorcery. Therefore, theoretically, only Sacred Realm sorcerers can ever master it.”

Just as the Continent of Time was the only place one could study Time Class sorcery, the officially designated zone for mastering Space Class sorcery within the Virtual World was the Third Layer, the Distant Sky Domain. No matter how naturally gifted someone was with spatial arts, they had to wait until they reached the Distant Sky Domain to even begin learning the Space Class. But that also meant...

Drenched in blood, Nagus endured the agonizing pain and forced his head up. He stared blankly at Damian, who was already walking calmly toward him. ”To think that you... You’re actually... no longer a Two-Winged sorcerer...”

Damian lifted him over his shoulder, carrying him toward the emergency medical station at the edge of the arena. With a casual smile, he replied, ”Two-Winged? I am long past that.”