Sorcerer’s Handbook

“Although a good-cop, bad-cop negotiation tactic is indeed very practical, your performance was simply too poor, a bit too restrained.”

The seasoned Con Artist commented, “If that Elf could make a few holes in my companion, we might feel a bit of tension. But your conversation is so stiff, not daring to properly spice things up with my companion, it just ends up being an awkward chat, which actually reassures me.”

“I’m not your companion, am I?” Ashe inquired.

“Definitely not mine,” Harvey said somberly. “My companions don’t breathe.”

Not to mention Igor, the scammer thriving on the tax of stupidity, and the Necromancer who’d been immersed in the underworld since childhood, even Ashe, a naive young man new to the world, could see through their act. How could he possibly be fooled?

Cleos burst into tears, “Not catching Selina is bad enough… to be mocked by People from the Exotic Lands… sob…”

Ashe was dumbfounded, “Come on, sister, it’s not that bad. And could you please raise the gun a bit when you cry? I’m afraid you might lose control…”

The Purple-clad Girl laughed, “You’re quite brave. But if it were me, I’d feign ignorance and gratefully sign the Contract—your lives are in my hands, do you think you have any bargaining power?”

“We do.”

Igor spoke calmly, “While I’m not sure of the specific value, there’s no doubt you need us ‘People from the Exotic Lands’. If I’m not mistaken, we are quite rare here, and we three might just be the only bargaining chips you can catch.”

“That means we’re priceless. If you want to make use of us, you’ll have to consider our opinions, otherwise, you’ll find no substitutes.”

“Forget about that kind of Slave Contract, state your real needs.”

“You’re not wrong,” the Purple-clad Girl smiled. “People like you who can quickly grasp the situation but haven’t been indoctrinated with the Gospel from a young age will inevitably become a serious threat.”

“Thanks for the exaggeration.”

“But it seems you’ve forgotten one thing,” the Purple-clad Girl said with a wicked smile. “I do need People from the Exotic Lands, but now I have three to choose from—I still have a choice.”

She pulled out a piece of Contract Fabric and tore it in half: “I think I should only need one not-so-smart new Slave. Pretty girl, you’re out.”

Igor’s mouth twitched with anger: “I’m a man!”

“So,” the Purple-clad Girl pulled out a second piece of Contract Fabric, making a gesture as if to tear it, “while I only need one new Slave, I wouldn’t mind having two—should someone be wise enough to understand.”

Still, no one responded.

Ashe and Harvey calmly watched her, their faces devoid of fear, as if they were watching a poorly staged play. Even the Purple-clad Girl couldn’t maintain her composure and gritted her teeth: “Are you some sort of die-hard brothers?”

“They just see through your bluster,” Igor said softly. “If you really only need one Person from the Exotic Lands, why not let that Elf open my skull with Shot Bullets to see what’s inside?”

“Setting everything else aside, I agree with that statement,” Ashe said. “I’m curious if his brain is dark enough to ooze juice.”

The Purple-clad Girl looked at them coldly, her stunning face filled with a chill, and the atmosphere grew heavier. Just when Ashe thought she was about to lose her temper and lash out to save face, the cries of children being rescued broke the silence.

She sighed, “What kind of corrupt Kingdom cultivates such cunning devils as you?”

“I’d rather call it wisdom,” Igor said indifferently.

The Purple-clad Girl took out another intact piece of Contract Fabric from her bosom, gave it a light pat, and immediately lines of text appeared.

“This is my bottom line,” she said. “Sign it, or die here.”

Cleos fired three shots, releasing the Miracle chains from around Ashe and his companions without harming them in the slightest.

Trespassers showed no intent to resist; not only were they surrounded by a dozen Red Caps, but they still wore Arcane Lock Collars around their necks. Moreover, the weeping female Elf alone was enough to dissuade them from any bold ideas—they might not have captured Selina, but it was highly likely that the Elf was also a Sorcerer from the Tri-wing Sanctuary!

With a Cult Leader of Ashe’s caliber having Gerard at his service, it was obvious that Selina was of a higher rank in every aspect compared to Ashe. Cleos, responsible for capturing Selina, couldn’t possibly be inferior to Gerard. Besides, Cleos was ranked tenth on the Red Cap Total Ranking, and it was odd that she didn’t have Rainbow Wings.

As for why a Tri-wing Sorcerer couldn’t capture a seemingly weak Cult Leader… with Ashe as a clear example, Igor and Harvey considered it a normal occurrence.

They obediently picked up the Contract to read it and immediately showed puzzled expressions, exchanging glances without a word.

This time, the Purple-clad Girl was really angry, and her green pupils almost turned into vertical slits filled with Killing Intent: “Are you trying to push your luck?”

Ashe raised his hand and said, “No, we just have a small request.”

“What is it?”

“Could you give us a dictionary?” he lifted the Contract: “There are some words here we don’t understand.”

In truth, not understanding some words was an understatement for Ashe—almost half of the text was completely incomprehensible to them, with a difference not like that between simplified and traditional characters, but more like that between modern text and Martian script!

Interestingly, the other half of the text was identical to the language of the Blood Moon Kingdom.

After all, for different kingdoms with almost no contact, even if their languages and scripts shared the same origin, they would inevitably evolve into two entirely different systems over time. The fact that Ashe and his companions could barely understand the language here was already quite lucky; it was perfectly reasonable that they could only comprehend half of the written text.

Ashe suddenly remembered that the Swordswoman’s accent was a bit odd, but then he heard she came from the countryside, and he thought it was just a charming quirk of her character…

“Ah, my apologies, that was my oversight.”

With a snap of her fingers, the Purple-clad Girl summoned a book bound in exquisite purple amethyst, which materialized in front of her. Perhaps due to the frequency of its mention today or the book’s own peculiar allure, Ashe and his companions instantly recognized its name—the “Gospel.”

“One Point each, my treat,” declared the Purple-clad Girl as she tossed three golden seeds to them. Igor rubbed one between his fingers, finding its texture gelatinous, “What is this?”

“The Gospel for mortals, the medium of knowledge, the foundation of omniscience, the bane of ignorance, the seeds of wisdom,” the Purple-clad Girl said with a smile. “These are the Seeds of Wisdom. Eat them, and you’ll immediately master our language.”

In the suburbs of Kaimon City, Blood Moon Kingdom.

“It’s a shame we can’t go up to the waterfall…” Adra sat on a small stool, gazing at the crimson waterfall bathed in the blood moon’s light, her face etched with regret.

“Camping here is just as good,” Freya was more easy-going. She lifted the pot lid with tongs and declared, “The river delicacy pot is ready! I’m starving, didn’t think we’d only get to eat when the sky turned red, all because Adra can’t fish…”

“It’s your fault for not being able to start a fire!”

Despite their bickering, the two were efficient in scooping up the food, blowing on it to cool before satisfyingly munching away.

Clearly, they were camping—albeit not in the traditional sense. The proper way to camp, according to Sorcerer training, would be to camp alone since it’s a preliminary part of a Sorcerer’s regimen.

Upon entering the Virtual Realm, a Sorcerer must journey through the Sea of Knowledge alone, facing challenges such as loneliness, fear, and silence. For humans, who are social creatures, new Sorcerers often need considerable time to adapt to the adventures of the Virtual Realm. Therefore, to forge the will of Sorcerers, Apprentices can engage in various activities in reality to simulate the experience of Virtual Realm Adventure.

Camping, for instance, serves as an excellent means of experience. Wilderness survival is quite similar to Virtual Realm Adventure, and most college students go camping to get a taste of independent living, which also means a not-so-low probability of encountering bad elements and untimely demise.

But this is precisely one of the necessary elements of camping: without the risk to life, there would be no experiential value!

So, the way Freya and Adra were camping was incorrect—they couldn’t possibly travel in pairs in the Virtual Realm, and camping together held no value for training!

After eating her fill, Adra’s gaze still longingly drifted toward the upstream of the waterfall: “What happened there, why is it sealed off as a restricted Area?”

They had originally planned to camp upstream of the waterfall, an Area rumored to be frequented by bears, wolves, and dogs, brimming with danger. Adra, who loved the thrill of gambling, had prepared her Handgun and various weapons, ready for a night vigil to play a game of ‘who’s the Hunter’ with the animals. However, upon arrival, they discovered that the entire Area had been sealed by the Sin Hunter’s Hall, with no entry allowed for non-authorized individuals.

“Maybe there’s a Virtual Realm Passage,” Freya suggested while stripping off her clothes.

“…You’re in the mood just after eating?”

“No, I’m going to bathe.” The Bewitcher pointed towards the nearby river and said, “Don’t worry, I can hold off for a night or two.”

“And what about three nights?”

“Can you go three days without gambling?”

“Wow, you’re strong.” Adra admired: “I can only abstain from gambling for one day.”

Watching the Bewitcher playfully jump into the crimson river, Adra secretly let out a sigh.

The last time, Adra had intended to invite Freya to relax, but it turned out to be a relaxation trip for herself. She felt a bit guilty, but seeing that even beauty couldn’t tempt the Bewitcher, Adra became even more convinced that Freya must have a serious problem.

After much thought, Adra decided to take her camping to experience nature, and the reasoning was perfectly legitimate. Camping, along with the risks of being harassed or even murdered by vagrants, was an essential part of college life that had to be experienced.

Wait, she’s gone to bathe, then who’s going to wash the dishes and the pot?

Muttering to herself, Adra still obediently picked up the utensils and headed to the river slightly upstream from Freya to clean them, trying to annoy the Bewitcher with the greasy mess. Freya, seeing from afar that her plot was uncovered, swam over in an appeasing manner: “Oops, let me help you wash a dish—”

Splash!

Both turned their gaze toward the waterfall as Adra asked, “Did you hear that?”

“I did,” Freya nodded: “It sounded like something fell into the waterfall. A rock?”

“I don’t think so…”

Under their anxious scrutiny, a pitiable figure in a black dress, petite and doll-like, appeared before them, carried by the current like a discarded child.

“Kind big sister, considerate big sister,” the drenched puppet girl said pitifully: “Can you save Selina?”