Sorcerer’s Handbook

“Actually, on land, is there really a need to keep using a vehicle? We’re not in the sea. Wouldn’t it be better to get out and walk to deal with emergencies?”

As the sports car hummed to life, Sonya suddenly felt that the car might be somewhat superfluous.

On the Sea of Knowledge, a boat was truly essential. After all, swimming was too troublesome, and they were not aquatic animals. They gained no bonuses in the sea; staying in the water only played into the Observer’s hands. But on the Time Continent, the situation was reversed; they were land creatures, and most battles required them to stand on solid ground. The car could actually hinder their ability to charge at a moment’s notice.

“Did you also have a vehicle in the Sea of Knowledge?” Deya detected some clues.

“Yes, a boat,” Sonya complained. “A very small boat that could barely fit two people. Any sudden move, and it would capsize. Thankfully, the Observer controlled it, so no rowing was necessary…”

“That sounds nice. I wish I could ride a boat in the Sea of Knowledge,” Deya said wistfully. “If only I had met the Observer sooner, but I guess it’s not too late now.”

Sonya pulled a wry smile: “Yeah, I’m really glad I was chosen by the Observer—”

“Hey, the person in question is right here.” Ashe shifted his gaze from the Virtual Realm map, “Swordswoman, you clearly disliked me at first, always complaining about whether you could cut down on your training intensity!”

“You’ve got it wrong!” The Red-haired Swordswoman retorted loudly. “I am a genius Female Swordsman. Training to me is as natural as breathing. I itch all over if I don’t train for a day. How could I possibly complain to you?”

“Swordswoman, are you practicing the arts of the Destiny Faction? You just so casually rewrote history, impressive.”

“So the Observer arranges your training? That’s nice.” Deya sighed. “He insists on arranging Entertainment for me. I can’t even study if I wanted to. I understand the Observer has good intentions, but it’s a bit too autocratic…”

Sonya whipped her head around to stare intently at Ashe, silent, her face as foreboding as the calm before a storm, clearly expressing ‘why does she get preferential treatment’, an expression terrifying in its intensity.

Ashe felt as if he were being scrutinized by a Titan Executioner, and explained somewhat helplessly, “The Witch is in a unique state, with training efficiency reduced by 75%. It just so happens that I’ve recently acquired a new treasure which allows one to gain some training benefits even while engaged in Entertainment, and it also avoids negative states…”

“Why don’t I have that—”

“Didn’t you say you are a Genius Female Swordsman, for whom training is as natural as breathing, and that you get itchy if you don’t train for a day? The best outcome of Entertainment is only equivalent to the poorest training result. Unlike the Witch with her negative state, training is the most cost-effective choice for you.”

Sonya realized she had trapped herself with her own words. In the past, she would have simply reneged on the spot; if the Observer wanted to argue, she would just accuse him of yelling at her.

However, with the Witch right beside her, Sonya wanted to maintain her image as an excellent Senior and couldn’t resort to whining or throwing a tantrum.

But she was even less willing to let the Witch be the only one receiving preferential treatment.

So, she looked at Ashe with a pitiful expression, her mouth pouted enough to hang a teapot, and her eyes almost shifting to vertical slits. Ashe clicked his tongue, “The plan for this week is already set, but next week I’ll arrange for an Entertainment activity to see.”

The triumph in Sonya’s eyes flashed by, and then with disdain, she turned back, “Hmph, I thought about it and training is more suitable for me, but if you insist on disturbing my tight training schedule, there’s nothing I can do. You are the Observer, after all.”

Ashe was so irritated that he kicked her chair.

Bang!

Suddenly, a loud noise erupted as the sports car plowed through two large trees ahead, arrogantly crossing onto the grass path in front, and continued to buzz forward. The collision seemed to have no effect on the car; Ashe and the others felt as if they had hit tofu, except the car became much more transparent. It was clear that such collisions were not meant to be frequent.

“Hmm, riding in a car does make sense after all,” Deya suddenly said. “It’s different from walking on the Time Continent. Sitting in the car not only allows us to absorb the arcane energy from the Reverse Golden Rain, but it also consumes hardly any Soul Energy.”

Sonya asked, “Does walking consume energy?”

“It consumes about the same amount as swimming in the Sea of Knowledge,” Deya pointed to the ground cover, “the Time Continent has no roads at all; everywhere is overgrown with weeds and shrubs, plus there are muddy grounds, aquatic grass areas, mountains, forests, and all sorts of terrains. Every step takes quite a bit of effort. I don’t know about others, but I’ve used up almost half of my Soul Energy just on walking during my month of exploration on the Time Continent.”

Ashe and Sonya immediately understood—with the sports car as their means of transportation, they would have virtually no loss of energy from walking. Although absorbing arcane energy also consumes Soul Energy, their exploration efficiency each night would at least be 50% higher than that of the average sorcerer.

Moreover, it wasn’t just about exploration efficiency. Other sorcerers were like commuters from the outskirts, spending two hours on transportation every day; while Ashe and company were like locals living near the office, gaining two extra hours of free time each day. Even if they didn’t use it for anything serious, the sheer energy savings were quite satisfying!

“Observer, you know which direction we should move in, right?” Deya asked.

“Mhm,” Ashe lifted his head to look at the slowly moving column of light on the horizon, “we need to keep pace with the White Bull, right?”

“Correct. Our current location should be in the front area of the White Bull; as long as we keep moving, we don’t have to worry about falling into the Static Domain.” Deya cocked her head to look at Ashe, “Observer, do you know what I’m thinking?”

Ashe scratched his head, “How would I know what you’re thinking?”

So, in the Virtual Realm, the Observer can’t hear my Inner Voice… Deya revealed a warm smile, “This is the first time I’ve felt so at ease in the Virtual Realm. I’m thinking, it’s really nice to be exploring the Virtual Realm with the Observer. Thank you for inviting me.”

Sonya was so irritated she felt like grinding her teeth.

Damn it… The Witch is so good at this!

Why am I so slow? I’m clearly also a Female Sorcerer who is very good at making men fall for me with just a few words, so why now…

And it’s just that the Observer brought a sports car…

It’s just…

Sonya had a nagging feeling that something was off.

Although the Observer had always treated her with a jesting attitude, forcing her into Training, Battle, and Ritual summonings of spirits, the results spoke for themselves—Sonya reaped substantial benefits each time with virtually no loss to herself.

A month ago, she was just a poor college student with a modest reputation in the Water Department. Now, she had become the leading Genius of the Swordflower Academy, a seed of a Sword saint that Gales had to take seriously, and a formidable opponent that Truth College had to prepare for with caution… All these changes stemmed from her pulling the longsword out of the Observer’s chest in a dream.

While the Observer kept talking about a sacred Bond between them, suggesting that as she grew stronger, he would also benefit, Sonya, having experienced the wonders of the Sorcerer world, felt he might be telling the truth. Her increase in power could indeed be a significant help to the Observer. However, this did not mean she was entirely at ease accepting this gift.

She was well aware of whom she should be thankful to, but the Observer’s jesting manner made it hard for her to express gratitude. Over time, this became the norm, even something she took for granted.

Perhaps this sense of gratitude would only show in a crisis. For instance, in a life-or-death situation, Sonya couldn’t guarantee that she’d be willing to sacrifice her life for the Observer, but she could at least ensure that she would hesitate for a second or two before fleeing.

But just as one should loudly proclaim their contributions to be acknowledged, gratitude should also be expressed loudly to let others know you are a gentle, kind, and grateful person… She knew this principle all too well and abided by it with everyone else. Why, then, did she forget it when it came to the Observer?

She could always be kind to those she didn’t care about, so why did she show her most unreasonable and spoiled side only to the Observer?

If it weren’t for the Witch’s arrival, Sonya might never have realized this problem. Perhaps it wasn’t a problem now, but a Bond is like a Blade: initially sharp, resilient, and invincible, but if not carefully maintained, the Blade will rust. Once rusted, it becomes brittle and may shatter completely under a possibly not so strong impact.

At that moment, Sonya suddenly recalled the question posed to her during Destiny’s Inquiry: “What is the fundamental reason for the rift between the Red-haired Swordswoman and the Observer?”

Sonya exhaled gently and turned toward Ashe, “Observer.”

“Hmm?”

“Thank you for the Pure Radiance Special Drink,” Sonya said earnestly. “Without the Potion you gave me, my Soul wound wouldn’t have healed so quickly, and I wouldn’t be able to join you in Exploring the Virtual Realm tonight… Thank you.”

A Potion that heals Soul wounds? Interest flickered in Deya’s eyes.

The Cult Leader stared at the Red-haired Swordswoman, then kicked her chair with his foot.

“What are you doing!” Sonya almost raised her longsword in anger. “I thank you, and you kick me?”

“It’s because you thanked me that I kicked you,” said Ashe. “I wasn’t kind to you for gratitude. Your getting stronger is the best repayment for me.”

“And if you thank me so formally, then should I thank you when you fight the hardest in the Virtual Realm? Should I thank you when you protect me? Should I thank you when you execute a brilliant maneuver?”

Ashe looked at the Map of the Virtual Realm, muttering, “Besides, what’s the point of such gratuitous verbal thanks? It’s troublesome. We’re not strangers.”

Sonya stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly burst out laughing, “Then from now on, I’ll accept your gifts without any guilt!”

“Don’t be too complacent,” Ashe said, looking at Deya. “You should put more effort into Training too. And Witch, you don’t need to thank me like that. Everything I do is for a future return; I’m not some great benefactor.”

“But my gratitude comes from the heart,” the White Queen said lazily, stretching and flashing a smile. “What’s everyday for you is a Miracle for me. Other than words of thanks, I don’t know how else to express my gratitude.”

“Hmm, you make a good point, Witch,” Ashe pondered. “If you really insist on thanking me… then you can…”

“Can?”

“You can…” Ashe glanced sideways at the cascading Golden Rain, feigning nonchalance, “… give me a hug and praise me a few times. And if you really insist on a kiss, I wouldn’t mind. After all, gratitude should come with some tangible benefits, right?”

Both blinked, and then the Red-haired Swordswoman fixed an icy stare on the White Witch, while the White Queen gently shook her head, with the Red-haired Swordswoman nodding in agreement.

Without further words, they reached a consensus through their gaze—they must not indulge the Observer’s wishes; at most, they would offer verbal praise, but they would not enter the Whirlpool of Internal competition!

If today he dares to ask for hugs and kisses, who knows what he would dare to ask for tomorrow!

Such a precedent must not be set!

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!