Sorcerer’s Handbook

Ashe had almost forgotten that Sorcerer Handbook was a game that allowed recharging.

He thought the source crystals he obtained from daily check-ins were the only source for summoning, not expecting there was recognized currency in this world.

Regardless of the value being high or low, this discovery motivated Ashe again – like when your boss tells you “work hard and I’ll promote you next time”, even knowing the hope is slim, at least there’s still a glimmer.

But he didn’t dare recharge with the medals right away, because he could tell these medals were the transcendental foundation and source of power sorcerers desperately sought in this world – spirit arts!

“Do you want this spirit art?” he asked.

To Ashe's surprise, Sonya didn’t seem very interested in this spirit art: “If you want it, then take it.”

Now Ashe was the curious one: “But this is a spirit art, don’t you want it?”

“It’s neither a sword spirit art, nor a universal one. I have no use for it and it would just waste my money.”

“What does money have to do with it?” Ashe asked, confused.

Sonya gave Ashe a strange look. The observer was subtly mocking her for being poor. After all, the observer could sail a small ship in the virtual world, how could he not understand such basic sorcerer knowledge?

Or was the observer a rich nobleman who was simply ignorant of common sense? There were often such comical tropes in novels about “rich nobles lacking common sense”. She didn't expect to encounter this nearly extinct species in real life!

With Sonya's explanation, Ashe realized the ecosystem of spirit arts in this world was far more complex than he imagined.

Firstly, spirit arts needed to be fed, and circulating currency was used to feed them!

Silver coins, gold coins, those were the main staples for spirit arts. One-wing spirit arts required silver coins, two-wing spirit arts required gold coins. Spirit arts without proper feeding would dissipate on their own. Some poor sorcerers really could inadvertently starve their spirit arts to death!

In addition to currency, spirit arts could also be fed with other materials, but each spirit art needed different feeding materials, which was extremely troublesome to find. Silver and gold coins were universal feeding staples for all spirit arts, so over time, sorcerers didn't even know how to properly feed their own spirit arts. As long as they stuffed money down the spirits' throats, the job was done.

On top of that, the mere existence of spirit arts consumed sorcerers' mental strength. Sorcerers with many spirit arts were like men with many girlfriends - their wallets and even their bodies couldn't handle it.

Therefore, for low-level sorcerers, especially those with fine proletariat traditions, more spirit arts was definitely not better. They had to be selective in choosing suitable spirit arts for themselves. 'Fewer but better' was the developmental strategy for most low-level sorcerers.

Secondly, there were usage restrictions on spirit arts.

Based on restrictions, spirit arts were divided into factions, such as sword factions requiring swords, gun factions requiring guns, masochist factions requiring strong physique, fist factions relying on fists, and so on. Spirit arts with high requirements for the sorcerer were specific faction arts, also known as specialized arts, such as 'Vibration Sword', which required a sword to invoke.

Spirit arts without particular requirements, or with easily met requirements for the vast majority of sorcerers, were called universal arts, such as 'Eagle Eyes', which any sorcerer with eyes could invoke.

Generally speaking, a sorcerer's spirit arts consisted of specialized and universal arts. It was best for specialized arts to not exceed two factions, while the number of universal arts depended on compatibility, avoiding unnecessary spirits.

Even if Sonya took this 'Rapid Fire' art, she would surely sell it instead of wasting her money keeping it.

And the reason Sonya had zero interest in this art was because 'Rapid Fire' wasn't valuable.

"'Rapid Fire' was a product of the flintlock era from hundreds of years ago. It's the automatic rifle and automatic pistol era now. Handguns can already unleash seven bullets per second, there's no need for 'Rapid Fire' anymore." Sonya spread her hands helplessly, "Although 'Rapid Fire' can also be used on mortars and naval guns, there are better spirit art options that won't use 'Rapid Fire'."

"Outdated spirit arts like this, schools purchase them for at most one silver coin - also the minimum purchase price for a one-wing spirit art."

Ashe already knew the swordswoman attended school, but he didn't pay it much attention, thinking it was just game setting.

"Then I'll take it!"

"Go ahead, go ahead." Sonya didn't care.

Ashe silently incanted, and the medal in his hand dissipated into white mist. A message popped up in game: "Recharge successful! You obtained 10 points."

The lowest purchase option in game was 6 points for 1 source crystal, so this 'Rapid Fire' art was only worth 1.5 source crystals. A single summon required 3 source crystals, meaning two one-wing spirits equaled one summon.

Spirit arts were transcendental powers after all, how could their price be as pitiful as a college graduate's... Ashe clicked his tongue and looked down at the Hunting Notes in hand: "What about this notebook then?"

"A sorcerer handbook!" Sonya gave Ashe a strange look.

"Sorcerer handbook?" Ashe was startled.

Sonya nodded.

"The sorcerer handbook summarizes a sorcerer's life in some way. For example, this handbook recorded information on the hunting targets of this gunmage's life, indicating hunting was the most important part of his life. Well, it's basically the sorcerer's diary."

"But this isn't a diary the sorcerer voluntarily wrote. After a sorcerer's death, their soul automatically returns to the virtual world and becomes a sorcerer projection. Then their life's memories precipitate into a book - like birth, old age, sickness and death, this is an unavoidable natural law."

"We collectively call this book the sorcerer handbook."

"If the virtual world is the sorcerer's graveyard, then the sorcerer handbook is their tombstone."

Only then did Ashe realize the hunter from earlier was a dead person's projection. He thought it was a living person!

But even if it was alive he wouldn't have shown mercy, after all death wasn't truly death in the virtual world.

Sonya said, "Like medals, sorcerer handbooks can also be used. You can directly absorb the handbook with your consciousness, gaining one random skill from the handbook owner not belonging to any spellcasting factions - completely random."

Ashe asked, "Do you want it then?"

"I don't want it, reading a few pages already tired me out." Sonya shook her head, "But you read the entire handbook, absorbing it definitely won't contaminate you."

"Contaminate?"

"Sorcerer handbooks have contaminating effects. Generally, sorcerers can only read handbooks with similar worldviews, values, and outlooks on life to avoid contamination. Forcibly absorbing unsuitable sorcerer handbooks can damage the soul, even causing mental fragmentation."

"That serious?"

"It's serious, but easily preventable since you'll feel unwell while reading the sorcerer handbook if absorbing it would be problematic."

Speaking of which, Sonya was also curious: "From what I've heard, the average sorcerer encountering ten handbooks would be lucky to absorb two or three. Many sorcerers don't even encounter absorbable handbooks in their lifetime... How do you directly absorb any random sorcerer handbook you pick up without contamination?"

Ashe naturally couldn't answer this. Following Sonya's instructions, he guided his consciousness to touch the Hunting Notes in hand.

The Hunting Notes turned into a light smoke entering his body. Before long, Ashe felt like a block of ice in his mind melted, suddenly gaining a lot of indescribable knowledge.

He opened the Operator Management in game, discovering he had gained a new skill.

Anti-reconnaissance Expertise

As a jungle hunter and war soldier, even if Cabin Storley never formally studied anti-reconnaissance, he must have honed this survival skill through war. For Ashe who planned to escape, anti-reconnaissance could come in handy.

After Ashe absorbed the Hunting Notes, they discovered the small island was sinking. They hurried back to the ship, and before long the island completely vanished. The sea surface was tranquil and serene, as if nothing had ever happened.

"That's the strangeness of the virtual world - fleeting encounters, only for inheritance." Sonya sighed sentimentally, "The sea of knowledge contains countless islands of inheritance, quietly waiting for newborn sorcerers to discover them. Once sorcerers take the inheritance, the islands naturally return to the sea... Some say the islands are materializations of sorcerers' obsessions, traces they hope future generations will remember them by, so they leave their inheritance on the sea's surface."

"All sorcerers' traces of life are deeply engraved in the virtual world. We'll encounter the inheritance of countless predecessors here, battle gunmages from hundreds of years ago, converse with sages from thousands of years ago, everything is possible... And our traces will also be engraved in the virtual world. Hundreds of years later when some sorcerer tears through the white fog, they will also encounter the challenges we left behind."

"That sounds romantic."

"Does it? Do you think you can unreservedly pass down your life for future generations to admire your grand achievements?"

Ashe immediately felt it wasn't romantic: "Can sorcerers delete some life records before they die? Like Learning Materials, Art and Life, and stuff like that..."

"How to die with dignity and how to live shamefully have always been the two major important research projects for sorcerers."

Although Sonya got nothing good while Ashe took everything, she was very relaxed. She stretched lazily on the ship: "Where to next? You decide, I'll listen to you."

The island battle could hardly be called thrilling. If Ashe could always find these inheritance islands, Sonya was very willing to take risks.

As long as they encountered a sword spirit art or suitable sorcerer handbook even once, she would profit tremendously.

Many sorcerers only hoped to safely explore the virtual world. Forget encountering virtual world inheritance, not running into danger was already enough to delight and satisfy them.

"Let me see..."

Ashe opened Virtual World Exploration to check the surrounding grid conditions:

Waste of effort, Waste of effort, Waste of effort, Waste of effort, Better not go, Waste of effort, Waste of effort, Waste of effort.

"Huh?"