Sorcerer’s Handbook

In the Stars Kingdom, within the girls' dormitory of Swordflower College, Adelle lay on her bed, anxiously scrolling through the school forum.

"Details of the Specter Seer's Resurrection Event"

"Four Sanctuaries Have Fallen"

"Eternal City Entry Forbidden! Suspected New City Lord Elected! Stay Tuned!"

"We Still Don't Know Who Obtained the Lake Inheritance"

These four pinned and highlighted posts dominated the forum, each one a sensational piece of news over the past two days. Even Adelle, a typical college student who wasn't a sorcerer, was eagerly following the updates.

The most eye-catching of all was undoubtedly the Specter Seer's resurrection event.

Although most people had no chance to partake in the Specter's Inheritance, the "Specter Handbook" had become the best-selling book in Galaxia. In the past month's book sales ranking list in Galaxia, the "Specter Handbook," "Time Handbook," and "Lake Handbook" occupied the top three spots. After all, books like these, filled with intrigue yet free from copyright fees, were a publisher's dream.

The sales of the "Specter Handbook" were several times that of the other two combined, and rumors circulated that the Thousand Star Business Association was already planning a TV drama about the Specter Seer. With keywords like 'rebirth,' 'ruthlessness,' 'cunning,' and 'revenge,' the Specter Seer was a magnet for directors and screenwriters.

Moreover, the resurrection of the Specter Seer wasn't a distant event; four Sanctuaries in Stars had already perished due to his resurrection, and this number was far from final. Many Sanctuaries preferred solitary research, and assessing their survival status would take time.

The pinned post detailing the resurrection event was essentially the 'official version' circulated by the Sanctuary professors of Truth College. Additionally, other Sanctuaries had released embellished versions, offering various perspectives on the perilous journey through the Dreaming Celestium.

The dissemination of this news was no accident: when the four Inheritances first appeared, the House of Nobles had launched a forum dedicated to Inheritances and established an information scoring system. All valid information regarding Inheritances could be exchanged for nobility points on the forum, accelerating the process of gaining titles or redeeming various rewards, and this information was freely available to any browser.

Due to the inertia of information sharing, when the Sanctuaries returned to reality, they naturally rushed to the forum to discuss the Specter Seer's resurrection event-especially since they had been in the Virtual Realm for nearly a day and night. Sanctuaries were the backbone of society, and their collective disappearance had already attracted widespread attention.

Initially, Adelle had been enjoying following the updates, but now, as she looked at the forum, she was trembling with anger, gritting her teeth, wishing she could drag the posters out through the Holographic Screen and give them a good beating.

"Rhythm Sword Saint, Invisible Sword Saint, and Other Sanctuary Professors Are Safe!"

"Ms. Therave Hasn't Appeared for Over 60 Hours; All Sanctuaries Should Have Returned to Reality 24 Hours Ago"

"Weapon Master Mentioned Seeing the Red-Haired Sword Princess in the Dreaming Celestium"

"When the Tide Recedes, You Discover Who's Swimming Naked"

"Has there been absolutely no news about Therave? After all the effort to bring forth a Swordflower that eclipsed even Truth itself, and she just falls like this?"

"The ones who should return have already returned; those who shouldn't, can't."

Adelle clicked into the forum post to read the responses, and was so infuriated that she rolled on the bed, her legs almost kicking the ceiling. "What are you ranting about now?" Lois asked. "Those people on the forum are all being sarcastic and cursing Sonya!" Adelle said, sounding as though the curses were directed at her.

Of course, that couldn't actually be the case. Although freedom of speech exists, cursing someone to death clearly violates moral and legal standards-in a world filled with the Miracles of sorcerers, such remarks that could become part of the Ritual Track are especially scrutinized. But the creativity of the masses is boundless, not to mention that the main users of a university forum are the most intellectually developed and also the most idle group of people. While they can't curse others to death, they can bless them to live.

Adelle opened posts mentioning Sonya, each feigning concern for her situation, with comments like 'hope she's alright,' 'if it's true, then I hope it's false,' and 'a meteor fleeting yet brilliant,' followed by various emoticons. If anyone accused them of being sarcastic, they could even turn it around and report others for cursing the sword Princess… They've clearly mastered the mechanics of the forum.

Of course, these people only dared to be sarcastic now. If Sonya were still around, she would have forum admin privileges herself. The Stretching Paw sword saint wouldn't ban these people, but would directly expose their real identities in the forum-and she had already done this once; every account she named ended up deleting itself.

Now, the problem is, she isn't here.

Adelle now dares not even open her messaging app, because members of the Stretch Paw Club keep bombarding her with messages, asking if there is any news about the sword Princess.

Previously, Adelle could still muster up some encouragement for them, going to forums to argue with others, but now even she has become listless, only daring to hug her stuffed toy and sulk.

Just 12 hours ago, when Truth College announced the details of the Specter Seer's resurrection, everyone realized something had happened to Sonya. Accompanying the announcement was a list from the House of Nobles of Galaxia's Sanctuary, which could not verify the life or death status of two Sanctuary sorcerers.

Sonya Therave was one of them, and the other was a recluse of the Sanctuary. But six hours ago, the recluse was confirmed to have fallen, becoming one of the four victims of the Specter Seer incident.

Everyone knows, those who should have appeared, should have done so by now. Those who haven't appeared, can only be waited for.

Today everyone has classes, but no one goes; they all wait in the dormitory, not even sure what they're waiting for.

"Just the other day, I heard that a few senior brothers died," Engulite suddenly said. "Their souls perished in the Eternal City, their bodies died in the Meditation Building, and were only discovered after they had decomposed."

"Exploring the Virtual Realm is fraught with dangers, and every year sorcerers perish unexpectedly within it, let alone those who engage in the competition for Inheritance. Even the safest, like the Lake Inheritance, has a risk of death, let alone the Specter's Inheritance."

"I know, I know!" Adelle exclaimed, "I'm just really upset about why so many people are hoping for Sonya's demise!"

"If she really were gone, people would only mourn and remember her. Swordflower College would hold a memorial for her, and her image and statue would remain in the school," Lois said calmly. "Right now, it's just some people who can't wait to mourn, eager to show their presence on the forum."

"That's what I don't understand," Adelle questioned. "It's one thing not to like Sonya, but why do so many people hate her? She hasn't offended them or touched their interests."

Leaning back against her chair, Lois gazed at the ceiling and said, "If I weren't so close to her, I might dislike her too."

"She hasn't wronged me, nor do we have any conflicting interests, but I constantly hear her name. The school praises her, the forum discusses her, and even when I turn on the Holographic Screen, I might see her endorsements… and she's my peer."

"Some people will admire her for her excellence, but others will find her annoying and dislike her," Lois said indifferently. "She makes me anxious, makes me jealous, and more importantly, she's not flawless."

"She's not like Dimy, who comes from nobility; she's just a village girl from a small town. She went from becoming a sorcerer to advancing to Sanctuary in just a few months, and the process was shrouded in mystery… Even Dimy is disliked by many Truth students, so how could someone like Sonya possibly be loved by everyone?"

"Do those people on the forum really hate Sonya? How could they? Most of them haven't even met her; they're just going with the flow," Lois looked at Adelle. "If you're bored, come down and pick a TV drama to watch with me. I could use a break anyway."

Adelle nodded silently, came down in her pajamas, pulled up a chair next to Lois, and after selecting a TV drama on the Holographic Screen, she suddenly asked, "Do you think she might not come back?"

After a brief silence, Engulite, who was doing inverted sit-ups with her legs hanging off the bed, jumped down. She was steaming with heat, her workout shirt completely soaked. She took a sip of water and said, "Should we go look for her?"

"The school has already checked the Meditation Building; she's not there," Lois replied. "Do you know anywhere else she might spend the night?"

"Her boyfriend's place?"

"Are you answering a riddle with another riddle?" Lois retorted bluntly. "We can't even be sure her boyfriend actually exists."

"So we're just supposed to wait here?" Adelle's voice was filled with exhaustion. "Isn't there anything I can do?"

"Study," Lois suggested. "Studying is never a mistake."

"At a time like this, how can I focus on studying!"

"Don't act like you usually manage to study anyway…"

"Is it just my delusion," Engulite suddenly said, "or are you really not that nervous, Lois?"

"It's probably because I watched her the longest," Lois said calmly. "From the first day we shared a dorm, we were at odds, and the more we fought, the prettier and more popular she became. Eventually, she became a sorcerer, defeating those who looked down on her, and swept through the Meteor Trial competition like a dazzling spark of lightning, quickly becoming the brightest star in the night sky…"

"How could I ever believe that such a brilliant, unique person could just fall from grace?"

After a pause, Lois tapped the Holographic Screen to start watching the TV drama, adding with the background music playing, "But maybe, deep down, I was also hoping she would just disappear."

Engulite went to change her clothes, then moved a chair over to join them in watching the TV drama. Just as the drama was reaching its first climax, the sound of keys turning in the lock was heard.

The three turned to stare blankly at the door, but instead of the Red-Haired Sword Princess, six strangers in black uniforms appeared before them.

It was evident that these six were also surprised by their presence.

The leading male and female exchanged a glance, then flashed their badges and said, "We are from the school administration office, and we are here on a task. Please vacate the dormitory temporarily."

They glanced over and indeed recognized the two as the male and female deputy directors from the administrative office.

Adelle let out an "Oh," and stood up to change her clothes, but Engulite and Lois were puzzled.

"What task does the administrative office have that requires sneaking in with a spare key to open a student dormitory?" Lois asked calmly. "It's class time, theoretically we shouldn't even be here. Were you planning to steal something while we were out?"

"Students are becoming increasingly disrespectful," the female deputy retorted sharply. "The student dormitories are school property, and the administrative office has the right to manage them!"

"Then you could have informed us and asked for our cooperation," Lois argued. "What is it that you can't let us know about?"

"There are many things students shouldn't know," the female deputy said disdainfully. "Who do you think you are? A sanctuary sorcerer?"

"No comment." Compared to the female deputy, the male deputy was more reserved and beyond reproach. "Students are obliged to cooperate with the school's operations. Please leave immediately."

Engulite started, "But how can you prove-"

"Fine."

Lois cut her off, standing up to prepare to leave, "We'll change our clothes and then leave-"

"No need for that," the male deputy blocked the door with his foot. "You just need to go to another dormitory or stay downstairs for a while. You'll be able to return soon."

Lois sighed in resignation, "Then we can take a few books downstairs to study, right?"

She turned and gave Adelle and Engulite a meaningful look, "Grab a few books, the most important ones."

Engulite still looked confused, but Adelle quickly dashed to Sonya's desk, pulling open a drawer and pretending to search for something, "Just a moment, I'll find and burn it-"

"What are you doing?!"

As the administrative staff burst through the door in shock and anger, Lois suddenly stepped aside and shot a Riptide at the ground, while at the same time Engulite kicked a chair hard, sending it flying like a cannonball at the intruders!

"I knew it," Lois sneered. "You came to steal."