Sorcerer’s Handbook

“Ha, ha…”

Ashe had just escaped the golden mist of the Area when he collapsed to his knees on the grass, gasping for breath.

He watched as his withered arm slowly regained its flesh tone, his breathing, once like a broken bellows, became smooth, and his sluggish thoughts sharpened as if rust had been removed, feeling a sense of relief like escaping from the jaws of death.

Only now did he realize how blissful it was to be able to think continuously and seriously about an idea.

When the Soul ages, thinking becomes a luxurious indulgence. Your mind is like a severely lagging machine; not only is executing a task process a challenge, but even attempting to summon the task manager to organize your thoughts only reveals that the task manager is stuck as well.

After trying it once, even Ashe couldn’t help but feel a touch of fear.

Aging is truly an indescribable terror.

Suddenly, footsteps approached from behind. Just as Ashe was about to look back, he heard a hoarse, aged voice scream, “Don’t look back!”

Ashe obediently stared at the grass for a few seconds before hearing the Swordswoman’s voice, “It’s okay now.”

“Actually, I wouldn’t mind seeing you aged,” Ashe shrugged. “On the contrary, I’m quite curious.”

“But! I! Mind!” Sonya said through gritted teeth. “I’m never going back! The books are all lies, who says you can get rich picking through trash on the Time Continent? Whoever wants that money can have it!”

Ashe and the others had just entered one of the most famous Adventure areas of the Time Continent—the River of Flowing Gold. The vicinity of the River of Flowing Gold is home to Wild Time Spirits, including rare varieties such as ‘Retrograde Year,’ ‘Fixed Month,’ and ‘Listening the Day.’

‘Retrograde Year,’ as mentioned before, can reverse a person’s bodily time by one year, essentially a life extension without side effects, always a priceless treasure.

Fixed Month is an enchantment that locks the current physical state of one’s body for a month. Although one can still be injured, aspects like skin, appearance, and hair quality remain unaffected by external factors. When combined with beauty miracles such as “Bare-Faced Level Makeup,” “Radiant Glow,” and “Lustrous Hair,” one can effortlessly maintain a top-tier appearance for a full month, impervious to the elements and even able to bathe or dive without issue. It is acclaimed as the ultimate in cosmetic products.

The Time Spirits of the Listening the Day series are even more formidable, but let’s not delve into that for the moment.

In summary, the River of Flowing Gold is a place on the Time Continent specifically designed for bestowing fortunes, an Adventure spot of sorts. And the Time Spirits nearby do not flee; instead, they approach Sorcerers—the invading species—with less caution than a kitten would, actively seeking affection.

Logically, such a prime location would have Sorcerers digging deep and reaching high, reluctant to leave once they find it. Yet, Ashe and his companions fled in less than ten seconds, and even a fearless rustic girl warrior like Sonya now looks back at the golden mist surrounding the River of Flowing Gold with fear in her eyes.

Had they been any slower, they might have collapsed by the riverbank, aged to death in real-time.

The River of Flowing Gold is able to gather and nurture so many Time Spirits because the Area around it has the characteristic of accelerated time.

For Time Spirits, the River of Flowing Gold is akin to an all-you-can-eat-and-play hydrotherapy buffet, with the accelerated time acting like a Thai spa massage. Not only do they enjoy top-tier indulgence by staying there, but over time they can even evolve into Two Wings Time Spirits, making it something of a spa resort for them.

For Sorcerers, however, the River of Flowing Gold is more like a branch of hell on the Time Continent.

Just as the Areas without the River of Flowing Gold are known as Static Domains—where the stillness of time crystallizes a Sorcerer into a painting—the Areas near the River are called Dynamic Domains. Sorcerers bold enough to enter the Dynamic Domain age and wither under the acceleration of time, which can range from ten thousand to a hundred million times the normal rate. The tumultuous time in the Dynamic Domain decomposes a Sorcerer into dust.

And unlike the silent and dignified death of the Static Domain, death in the Dynamic Domain is vivid and merciless.

If the normal passage of time is like a drug test, then the accelerated time near the River of Flowing Gold is akin to a dam gushing open. Sorcerer’s souls are nearly shattered by this rampage of time, leading to the physical decay, difficulty breathing, and sluggish thinking that are the hallmarks of aging, much as steel rusts when corroded by air.

That’s why Ashe and the others were so terrified.

Because this time, they truly smelled the scent of death.

They had come to understand many forms of death, such as being killed by a Knowledge Creature, struck down by a Sorcerer Projection, drowning at sea, or becoming petrified in the Static Domain. But these are all unnatural deaths, unlikely to occur in reality, and even if they did, they believed in their ability to avoid them.

Aging is different because all that exists will eventually decay, stars will one day burn out; this is the Rules of all things. Even the likes of the Blood Saint Moonshadow, with their extended lifespans, will see their souls reach an endpoint.

As Ashe looked at his own fair and strong arm, his mind couldn’t help but return to the withered, decayed hands he’d seen moments before. He knew that if he was lucky enough to live long enough, he would inevitably see those hands again.

Aging represents an unstoppable death. They are like ants before a rolling wheel, only able to watch helplessly as the juggernaut of time approaches.

It is this inability to struggle, this vulnerability, that is the source of their deepest fear.

“Feeling any better?”

Ashe and Sonya’s hands were taken up by another pair of soft hands. Turning around, they saw Deya looking at them with a gentle smile.

Feeling the warmth in her hands, their fear quickly dissipated.

They had only been momentarily frightened by the illusion of aging, like school children just starting summer break who dream of being caught by their teacher for not doing their homework. But Deya’s tenderness was like a friend calling early in the morning to invite them out to play, reminding them that they still have wonderful days ahead, pulling them out of the mire of fear. Even if the day to face the teacher’s scolding inevitably comes, it’s not a concern for the present. For now, the priority is to relish in their youthful moments.

Ashe asked, “Witch, have you been to the River of Flowing Gold before?”

“This is my third time,” Deya nodded. “The first time I escaped from the River of Flowing Gold, my complexion was even worse than yours. Aging is indeed terrifying, and time deserves our respect, but there’s no need to feel inferior or to give up because of it.”

“We are Sorcerers, born to conquer everything. And there are those who have successfully conquered time.”

Divine Master!

The term simultaneously sprang to mind for both Ashe and Sonya—as the supreme beings who control the destinies of countless lives, whose will becomes the heavens’ decree, who create and rule over various Kingdoms, the lifespan of a Divine Master surely exceeds the existence of any Kingdom, perhaps living for thousands or even tens of thousands of years.

If there were Sorcerers who have conquered time, the Divine Master would certainly be one of them.

A desire that could only be described as a wild fantasy began to quietly sprout in their hearts.

Not just for Sonya, the rustic girl who inherently craved fame and wealth, but also for Ashe, the office worker who had been softened by society into cotton candy, it was as if they were back to the days just after graduating from college, filled with impractical dreams of making it big in the city and buying an apartment with their own efforts.

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