Sorcerer’s Handbook

"Did it chase after us?"

"No...I don't think so? It can't swim right?"

"What kind of route did you take us on? This is downright dangerous!"

"I warned you beforehand that it would be a bit risky. Who was the one earlier who confidently said it would be no problem, like a student with a cheat sheet?"

"You call this just a bit dangerous!?"

In the misty Sea of Knowledge, Ashe and Sonya lay gasping for breath on a small boat, their figures as faint as the surrounding mist, as if they could dissipate at any moment. Even their bickering was weak and listless.

Just moments ago, after nearly an hour of fruitless sailing, Ashe couldn't resist suggesting to Sonya that they explore the "Best to Avoid" areas on the map. Sonya, a novice to the Virtual World brimming with confidence, agreed. So the two of them broke through the mist into the dangerous zone.

However, not only were there no legacy islands in the dangerous zone, there was a giant winged fish that directly overturned Ashe's small boat and could spit water cannons, sending fountains of water dozens of meters high into the air.

Merely grazing the water cannon had worn away Ashe and Sonya's bodies as if they had been sanded hundreds of times.

Fortunately the small boat was very sturdy, and though overturned it still floated firmly on the water's surface. The two of them crawled and tumbled back into the boat, paddling with their hands to hastily leave the dangerous area.

That giant fish could actually chase them, even flying to ram the small boat. It was only by Ashe's quick thinking to use "Virtual Exploration" to accelerate the boat and narrowly avoid the charging fish's head, without surrendering their first drop of virtual world blood.

Catching their breath, Sonya looked at the drenched Ashe, a glint of puzzlement flashing in her beautiful eyes as she asked casually, "You don't have a way to kill that mud carp dragon?"

Ashe, unsuspecting, panted, "If even you can't do it, how could I possibly?"

The Observer is this weak?

Various thoughts flashed through Sonya's mind, but ultimately sank into silence. Even if the Apocalypse Observer was very weak, she was powerless. She had no way to kill the Observer, and still hadn't found a way to resist the Observer's control over her actions and insight through the virtual world mist, even Professor Trotzam hadn't noticed the Observer's existence.

Moreover, after the Observer had displayed the ability to explore the virtual world, Sonya's attitude had subtly shifted, awed by the Observer's capabilities, even starting to anticipate the bright future under the Observer's lead, verging on corruption.

Originally Sonya had wanted to ask the Observer why she had been chosen, what made her special, but she thought better of it: What if the Observer suddenly realized "Oh right, what do I need you for," and then abandoned Sonya? Then wouldn't she have missed an opportunity to become superior to others?

Also, if the Observer didn't have formidable abilities, how had he controlled her actions, seen through the virtual world mist, and pulled her into the dream trials?

She had to be wary of the Observer feigning weakness!

If Sonya fell for it, the Observer might take advantage to arrange even harsher punishments and mistreat her!

"Speaking of which, what kind of creature was that fish earlier?"

Here it comes, asking me common sense questions, pretending, just pretending with all his might!

Sonya played along cooperatively: "A mud carp dragon, one of the most common knowledge creatures in the virtual world. Killing it can obtain water mage or earth mage arcane spirits, and if that mud carp dragon had previously killed other mages, it may also contain their arcane spirits."

There were only two kinds of intelligent creatures in the virtual world, mages and knowledge creatures.

As the name suggested, as long as a mage killed a knowledge creature, they could obtain the creature's condensed knowledge—arcane spirits.

Unlike a mage's legacy, the arcane spirits dropped by knowledge creatures were not fixed. Although they would basically drop spirits of the same school of magic, like how a mud carp dragon would not drop fire mage arcane spirits, the various arcane spirits of the same school could be different. The knowledge creatures' loot would also change along with version updates.

For example, if a real-life mage invented a new knowledge system and summoned new varieties of arcane spirits, then when other mages in the virtual world killed knowledge creatures, they could directly get drops of the newly invented versions of arcane spirits.

If the new knowledge system was extremely novel and outrageous, it could even directly spawn new varieties of knowledge creatures, expanding the diversity of life forms in the virtual world.

Like "equal opportunity," this was another important premise for mage equality: "equal knowledge."

No one could forever monopolize knowledge. No matter how you guarded your newly invented knowledge, other mages could still obtain your achievements in the virtual world. If you wanted to maintain an advantage, you had to keep innovating.

Those who clung to the past, hoping a single invention would grant them permanent leading superiority, were no different than the fools who lingered too long in one place in the virtual world.

If you didn't take risks, the virtual world would swallow you; if you didn't innovate, reality would beat you down.

After explaining knowledge creatures, Sonya couldn't resist probing, "Since you know there's danger in the mist, can't you detect what kind of creature it is?"

"I can't detect it. I only know the level of danger to us in the mist, but I can't know exactly what the danger is."

Sonya was a little disappointed. "Then I guess you also can't find that golden fish."

"Golden fish?" Ashe was confused. "What's that?"

As if asked by someone "What's 1 plus 1," Sonya twisted her lips. A thought suddenly popped into her head: Is he trying to cultivate my obedience by asking me moronic questions? If I rebel against him, will he feel my loyalty is insufficient and then mistreat me with harsh punishments?

With this thought, Sonya became alert and earnestly answered the moronic question: "The golden fish floats on the Sea of Knowledge's surface. Its back is the Temporal Continent, and the Temporal Continent is where two-wing mages go..."

"Wait, continent?" Ashe interrupted. "How big is this fish then?"

"Very big. No one has ever seen the golden fish's full form. It's said even the smallest scale on the golden fish is comparable to a great city that can hold millions of people."

"Shouldn't such a huge fish be very easy to find?"

"On the contrary, only extremely few lucky people have found the golden fish in the Sea of Knowledge, and without exception those lucky people all became famed legendary mages."

Ashe uttered an "Oh," then asked, "What's the benefit of finding the golden fish then?"

"Boarding the Temporal Continent and directly becoming a two-wing mage."

"What?"

"Becoming a two-wing mage directly." Sonya forcefully suppressed her impatience. She thought even the children she had tutored hadn't been this moronic: "The biggest difference between one-wing and two-wing mages is that one-wing mages are in the Sea of Knowledge while two-wing mages are on the Temporal Continent."

"When a one-wing mage's arcane power reaches the extreme in the Sea of Knowledge, transforming into Silver Wings, then they can no longer obtain more arcane power while sailing. If they want to ascend to a higher realm, they must promote to two-wing.

"The normal promotion path is for a mage to research knowledge, summon two-wing arcane spirits, then find the Gate of Truth within the two-wing arcane spirit to cross through the virtual world. Then they would arrive at the second layer of the virtual world—the Temporal Continent. Only on the Temporal Continent can mages absorb more arcane power and condense their second virtual wings: Golden Wings."

One-wing mages sail the Sea of Knowledge, condensing Silver Wings. Two-wing mages walk the Temporal Continent, condensing Golden Wings... Ashe initially grasped the mages' power system, but had a question: "Can one-wing mages directly get to the Temporal Continent if they obtain someone else's two-wing arcane spirit?"

"Absolutely impossible." Sonya shook her head. "Unless it's an arcane spirit you personally summoned, a mage cannot find the Gate of Truth within it. It's very difficult to even search another's arcane spirit—arcane spirits are formed from knowledge. If you don't understand the arcane spirit's composition, how can you explore its secrets?"

Now Ashe understood the mages' promotion path: summoning higher-tier arcane spirits, using the arcane spirits to cross into higher virtual world realms, becoming stronger, then continuing to summon higher-tier arcane spirits in a cycle.

Because of the two premises of "equal opportunity" and "equal knowledge," adventure and research permeated a mage's entire life. No one could comfortably retire. As long as you were unwilling to give up current benefits, you had to keep adventuring and creating benefits.

This process not only ensured the mage system's healthy development, it also continually optimized any mage who stopped striving...kind of resembling a KPI system! It would be perfect with an elimination system at the end!

Discovering that mages were just another kind of corporate drone, Ashe immediately became more confident: when it came to working and struggling, he had never lost to anyone!

"Wait, if we can find the golden fish in the Sea of Knowledge and board the Temporal Continent, wouldn't we be taking a backdoor shortcut to promotion?"

"We prefer to call that kind of bottom-to-top boarding 'stowaways'...which is why all mages want to find the golden fish." Sonya shrugged. "Who can resist the temptation of unearned rewards? ...So can you find the golden fish?"

"I wish I could."

"Then why ask me so much? Keep sailing." Sonya looked at her somewhat illusory palm. "Don't go to places that will have battles. I'm a bit tired. Sailing one or two more areas and we'll probably have to leave the virtual world."

Ashe nodded. He also felt exhausted.

Sailing the virtual world wasn't without cost. Passing through the mist condensed arcane power for them, but also tempered their spirits at the same time, draining their soul energy. When soul energy decreased to a certain level, they would have to exit the virtual world to rest.

Every ordinary voyage contained countless precious miracles.

Ashe opened "Virtual Exploration" and as expected saw many more "Waste of Effort" and "Best Avoided."

But this time, he actually saw the area in the bottom right corner of the map light up with golden radiance!

The prompt below the area clearly read:

"Welcome"!