Sorcerer’s Handbook

“Have we transmigrated to some formidable Kingdom?”

Ashe pressed himself against the floor-to-ceiling glass, overlooking the city that never slept below. A dim moon hung in the night sky like a dulled jade plate, powerfully asserting that they had lost their chance to participate in the live-action adventure of the Blood Moon Tribunal.

Skyscrapers towered, neon lights dangled high above, and the self-driving cars on the highways—forgive Ashe’s limited science fiction vocabulary—were like a tightly programmed collective. The distance between each vehicle was consistent, their speeds nearly identical. When one car veered off into a branch road, another swiftly took its place. There were no traffic lights or pedestrian crossings on the roads, yet the vehicles seemed to possess a superior ability to self-manage.

Moreover, countless drones shuttled through the night. They, too, were meticulously planned, navigating the skies with efficiency and speed, even capable of point-to-point services—as they had just witnessed when a drone suddenly zipped into their room, dropped off a few pairs of underwear, and left just as quickly.

Because Harvey preferred briefs, Ashe liked boxer shorts, and Igor preferred to go commando, but only briefs were provided here.

Upon hearing their needs, the young Butler Banjeet said, “I will fulfill your requirements as soon as possible.” They hadn’t expected, however, that ‘as soon as possible’ would mean new underwear delivered right after their shower.

It was then that Ashe and his companions discovered a delivery hatch in the room reserved for drone entry, just the right size to allow a drone to pass through but too narrow to stick an arm into.

Compared to the grandeur of the cityscape, it was precisely these inconspicuous architectural features and integrated services, these heartwarming little designs, that filled the three foreign workers with trepidation—had the productivity here flourished to the point where one could save even the last minute of receiving a delivery?

If Ashe had to choose one word to describe the city, it would be ‘alive.’

This city was like a living machine, operating with precision and efficiency, everything fast yet orderly, like a skilled conductor leading an orchestra, where every note fits perfectly, without any superfluous noise, everything so pleasing to the ear.

Ashe initially thought Blood Moon Kaimon City was impressive, but compared to the city beneath his feet, Kaimon City might as well have been dubbed ‘death metal’, not just connected to the earth, but to hell itself.

Indeed, Ashe wasn’t surveying the city from a high-rise building; quite the contrary, he was looking out from Level -51, the lowest level of the structure.

Below the floor he stood on was not a foundation, but a Terrace.

And beneath that Terrace was a city on ground level.

A skyscraper that reached up to 80 stories tall faced Ashe’s Level -51 spot with less than 100 meters of clear space between them. Ashe had observed this scene from the car earlier, feeling as if stalactites were staring back at him, or as if the sky and earth were locked in a kiss.

This was a fantasy city so mad it made one tremble; the ground level was a regular city, but the second level was an inverted city—with all buildings constructed facing downward, the ground of the second level was actually at the highest point.

“Hopefully, the corpse management system here is a bit more relaxed…” Harvey, swinging his recently healed left arm and sucking on Moon Sugar, lazily said from his seat: “Civilizations that know how to utilize corpses are the good ones.”

“No wonder those Red Caps, who seemed like the security forces, let us off so easily.”

Igor, watching the drones traverse the night sky, said, “Just mount guns and cannons on those machines, and they would be sufficient to encircle and slaughter a common Sorcerer legion. The automated aerial security system, still under research in Blood Moon Kingdom, is already a reality here.”

“Unless a Level 3 or higher Virtual Realm Passage is opened by Sorcerers from the Sanctuary leading a Hunting Festival, it’s impossible to create any ripples in this Civilized Kingdom.”

“To them, we who come from a Level 2 Virtual Realm Passage are but lowly pawns. Though considered evil outsiders that must be eradicated, we’re at most seen as cockroaches, not even worthy of being called centipedes.”

At this point, Igor couldn’t help but feel a bit resentful: “In such a well-regulated Civilized Kingdom, if we manage to hide for three days until the countdown disappears, we’ll definitely find a way to become official citizens here, enjoying social benefits, instead of being forced to become that woman’s hundred-day Slaves—”

“The social welfare system in Blood Moon Kingdom is actually quite comprehensive,” Ashe suddenly said. “The only requirement is the implantation of a neck chip. If Blood Moon were willing to waive your punishments, but on the condition that you get the chip implanted again, would you be willing?”

“No,” Harvey spread his hands. “The Research Institute has a monopoly on the corpse industry. Small operators like me can’t survive. Even if it wasn’t for escaping from prison, I’d definitely leave the internally competitive Red Ocean of Blood Moon… Ah, where exactly is the Blue Ocean of corpses that belongs to me?”

“I don’t like to answer hypothetical questions,” Igor said calmly.

“Although there’s no evidence, I feel that this Civilized Kingdom may not be as great as it seems to our eyes,” Ashe picked up a cream-filled cookie from the snack plate. “If everyone here really lived and worked in peace and contentment, why would the Four Pillars Cult here be more prosperous than the one in Kaimon City?”

“Have you not considered that this could be due to a significant gap in the capabilities between the leaders of the two organizations?” Igor replied disdainfully.

“Moreover, being employed by Annan isn’t entirely bad,” Ashe continued. “Being used isn’t scary; what’s scary is not being of use. Even if we, as you say, Bewitcher, could slowly assimilate into this world from the bottom up, how long would that take? Would the risk cost be high? Can a group of penniless outsiders really find their footing in a well-organized Civilized Kingdom? I’m afraid even sleeping under a bridge would get us chased away for ‘affecting the city’s appearance.’”

“Annan knows the advantages of our Race, advantages even we’re not aware of. She doesn’t just know them; she’s even willing to pay a price to utilize those advantages… Igor, if I were to discover a Talent you have in a certain Magical Faction, and the price was for you to lick me thoroughly without dead angles for the next hundred days, would you be willing?”

“As I said, I don’t like answering hypothetical questions,” Igor replied coldly. “Besides, I couldn’t pay that price. At most, after three minutes I’d probably die from severe dehydration due to vomiting caused by intense nausea.”

While Ashe said that, everyone understood the subtext—these hundred days weren’t just about Annan using them; they could also use Annan.

With the help of Annan, a native, not only could Ashe and the others quickly integrate into this world, but Annan would also help them uncover unknown values they were not even aware of.

Even if Annan took a large share or even all of the value they provided, at least they would know their unique Talents. It was akin to receiving vocational training, though at the cost of selling themselves into servitude.

“But don’t forget who sold us to the Four Pillars Cult as Sacrifices.”

Harvey abruptly stretched his left arm, his bones making a crisp sound, clearly healed. The habitual laziness on his face was gone. Narrowing his eyes slightly, his dark visage took on the coldness befitting Kaimon City’s premier killer and a Controller.

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