Sorcerer’s Handbook

The harrowing and bizarre adventure that unfolded throughout the night finally came to an end.

Consciousness returned from the Virtual Realm, and Sonya’s Soul revived within the young girl’s body. She opened her eyes and looked around the small Meditation Room, feeling an odd sense of unfamiliar familiarity.

It seemed as if the last time she returned to reality was a story from a previous lifetime.

Of course, that’s a rather poetic way to put it. If one were to describe it plainly, Sonya felt as if she had taken a long nap, waking to find the sky a faint blue, unable to discern whether it was early morning or late evening—the world ambiguous like a dream.

However, when Sonya stepped out of the Meditation Tower, seeing the light of three Radiant Stars dancing among the dust particles, and hearing the innocent golden notes softly singing in her ears, her syndrome of the Virtual Realm was completely cured.

This syndrome, typically found in Sanctuary Sorcerers, arises when a Sorcerer’s time in the Virtual Realm exceeds that in reality, causing a reversal in the perception of “reality” and “illusion.” Over time, this can lead to a confusion between reality and the Virtual Realm, and in severe cases, even lead to mistaking real people for monsters to attack.

The remedy is simple—reduce the time spent in the Virtual Realm.

This is why universities have established Meditation Towers. Not only do they greatly benefit Sorcerers in their Exploration in Virtual Realm, but they also help in monitoring the Virtual Realm online time of Sorcerers. If they notice a Sorcerer nearing the addiction threshold, they take drastic measures to force them to socialize—arranging blind dates or dance parties to remind them that reality is harsher than the Virtual Realm.

For someone with mild symptoms like Sonya, a bit of sunlight was sufficient.

In fact, this journey into the Virtual Realm wasn’t longer than previous ones, but the experience in the cabin was like a dollop of cream forcefully stuffed into Sonya’s simple slice-of-bread life. Although the slice of bread remained a slice, with the addition of the cream, it was on its way to becoming a sandwich.

Now, recalling the events that took place in the cabin felt like recalling a clear yet distant dream, ethereal as a bubble ready to burst at a touch.

Sonya groggily made her way back to the dormitory, accidentally bumping into Engulite who was preparing for her morning run as she opened the door. Caught off guard, she couldn’t outmaneuver the Swordsmanship enthusiast, and instead found herself knocked to the concrete floor.

This was no Virtual Realm—falling on concrete was painfully real.

Watching the president of the Stretching Claws Club rub her sore spot, Engulite couldn’t help but laugh, reaching out to help her up: “Is this the first time I’ve actually managed to hurt you?”

Sonya’s Battle prowess needs no further mention, but what truly astonishes is her seemingly innate ability to perceive the Circulation of everything around her, tracking incoming attacks whether she sees them or not. Unless overwhelmed by sheer speed, strength, or other factors leaving her no room to dodge or defend, she could always counter stealth attacks with her exceptional insight and reflexes.

Having sparred with Sonya so many times, Engulite had never managed to best her, let alone injure her.

Aside from Battle scenarios, Sonya was always on high alert. Although her relationship with her roommates had improved recently, just a month ago they were practically at war. Lois, who wouldn’t resort to tactics like spreading thumbtacks or wetting clothes anymore—having tried last semester only to have Sonya turn the situation into a campus-wide spectacle. Plus, as a competitor capable of earning a Scholarship, Sonya’s academic prowess was well recognized, prompting Swordflower College to severely reprimand Lois. Nevertheless, Lois never ceased her covert attempts to embarrass the rustic girl, seizing every opportunity to make her look foolish.

In theory, with her financial resources and social connections, Lois should have been able to dominate Sonya, making it clear who was in charge of the dormitory.

However, the outcome was always Sonya coming out on top, leaving Lois bullied to the point of hiding in the Restroom, seeking advice on anonymous online forums, only to be humiliated a second time by replies from the “president of the Stretching Claws Club.”

Back then, Sonya wasn’t showcasing any extraordinary Talent in Swordsmanship; she was just a plain rustic girl, a diligent student who consistently used the rules to suppress the local elite, relying on what seemed like her miraculous automatic insight.

Seeing Sonya so dazed today, much like Adelle, was a first for Engulite.

Sonya seemed not to hear Engulite’s teasing as she returned to her seat, neither reading nor browsing forums. Instead, she just crossed her legs and stared blankly at the wall adorned with a poster of Delarose.

At this time, Lois had already gotten up and was reading. Noting that Sonya did not greet her upon returning, she silently decided that the next time she came back to the dormitory, she would not greet the rustic girl either.

Soon after, the alarm of Adelle, the Swordswoman with the pink hair, went off. She yawned, got out of bed, washed her face, brushed her teeth, and took a hot shower to wake up. Then she returned to her seat to blow-dry her hair, followed by her daily skincare routine and applying a simple, light makeup.

Apart from Engulite, Adelle spent the least effort on her makeup in the dormitory. However, she was the type who could afford to indulge herself. She usually indulged in good food and drink, binge-watched shows all night, and lay in bed without exercising—her muscles barely worked except when she needed the restroom. Yet, she managed to maintain her wealthy and beautiful status with skin as soft as vanilla ice cream.

It was only in comparison with Sonya and Lois that Adelle seemed unremarkable. If she were placed in the entire Water Department of Swordflower… well, she would still be unremarkable, as the Water Department of Swordflower was famously filled with beauties.

While others had to rely on makeup and quality sleep to keep up, Adelle’s case of squandering her natural gifts was incomparable. If she took her appearance seriously, even if she couldn’t catch up with Sonya and Lois, the two powerhouses in their arms race, she could at least rank fifth in the “Top Four Beauties of Swordflower” Ranking List.

“Is today the History and Public Affairs class?”

“Yes, today we should be covering the last unit of the semester, the Stars noble system and the birth of the Noble Act.”

“Ugh, I hate History class so much. As long as the toilet works, why do we need to learn the history of its creation?”

“…Your statement unexpectedly shows quite a bit of political awareness.”

Once Adelle was ready for class, she noticed that Sonya was still sitting motionless in her chair. She nudged the rustic girl, “Time for class! Or are you planning to exercise the Chief’s privilege to skip classes openly today?”

“A Chief skipping class isn’t really skipping,” Lois said indifferently. “How could the Chief make a mistake? She must have submitted a Leave Request to the Professor, who probably lost it. If the Professor notices the Chief is absent, he should conscientiously issue a new Leave Request for her.”

“Damn, is this the power that comes with dominating the top of the academy?” Adelle gritted her teeth. “How can I make the Professor realize that I’m Sonya’s lackey, and offending me is offending Chief Sonya?”

“Ah, is it time for class?” Sonya, as if awakening from a dream, casually picked up her bag, ready to follow them to class.

However, neither of them moved, making Sonya look at them curiously, “Why aren’t we going?”

Adelle pointed at Sonya’s Sword bag, “Are you planning to smash the history Professor’s head so he won’t have a chance to check our homework? Sonya, my savior!”

Only then did Sonya realize she had mistakenly grabbed her Sword bag and quickly switched it for her backpack.

As they walked out of the dormitory, Lois kept glancing at Sonya, and soon Adelle noticed Sonya’s oddity too. “Miss Red-haired Swordswoman, your bare-faced look today… seems a bit too bare, doesn’t it?”

Adelle pushed Lois next to Sonya, then pulled out a handheld mirror to compare the two.

At first glance, Sonya and Lois seemed similar, both showcasing the beauty of bare faces. However, upon closer inspection, many differences became apparent: Lois’s lips were primed and glossy, while Sonya’s were just naturally colored; Lois’s eyes, with curled lashes and a base, appeared deeply set and dimensional, whereas Sonya’s lashes were loose; Lois’s skin, covered with a bare-face cream, was genuinely bright and glowing, unlike Sonya’s lacking that ‘sparkling’ effect; Lois even had a beauty mark at the corner of her eye, perfectly embodying the pure desire of bare-face makeup, while Sonya clearly had none.

These differences were noticeable at a glance, not to mention finer details like pores, all pointing to one conclusion—Sonya had left the dorm without any makeup.

For Sonya, it was an unimaginable situation. Both she and Lois were appearance enthusiasts who believed in “no makeup = nudity”; they would rather miss class than compromise their immaculate appearance. Sometimes, Sonya would even feign rushing to the classroom in a disheveled state, making others believe she woke up looking effortlessly beautiful, unaware that this hurried beauty was a meticulously crafted facade.

Adelle, whose makeup could be done quickly in five minutes, often had traces of haste that were easily noticeable.

“Is there no one left in the College that you care about?” Adelle speculated.

“Did something happen in the Virtual Realm?” Lois, more on the mark, realized that Sonya had been acting strange since returning from the Virtual Realm. “If you’re feeling upset, maybe you shouldn’t go to class.”

Sonya shook her head without saying anything and did not plan to return to the dormitory; she headed straight for the classroom. Her two roommates exchanged glances and walked alongside her.

The history lecture was a large class held in the biggest lecture hall at Swordflower College. The trio made their way to the back corner when suddenly, a mocking voice came from nearby, “Hey, why does it smell like mud here? Let’s move somewhere else.”

They looked over to see a few well-dressed Noble students picking up their books to leave.

It seemed they weren’t directly targeting Sonya, but the disdain in their eyes was unmistakable.

Swordflower College strictly enforced rules against overt bullying and insults, but this type of sarcastic remark fell outside their jurisdiction. Sonya’s humble origins were no secret, and those who were hostile towards her, unable to criticize her academic performance, naturally attacked her immutable flaws.

Adelle could almost predict how Sonya would retaliate, with witty comebacks like, “Wow, it stinks. Who’s spouting nonsense this early?” or “True to Swordflower College, even the rear ends here can talk,” or “With such a keen nose, ever considered a career as a police dog?” In online forums, Sonya was a force to be reckoned with; anyone who tried to mock her would end up cursing out of frustration and getting themselves banned.

However, Sonya remained silent.

She didn’t even retort; instead, she directly took a seat where the Noble students had just vacated. After a moment, she noticed the Nobles were still standing nearby. She slightly nodded her head and said “thank you” as if they had intentionally given up their seats for her.

This seemingly indifferent attitude infuriated the Noble students, turning their faces red and then pale. Unable to utter a word and under the mocking gaze of those around, they fled like a dog with its tail between its legs.

It wouldn’t be long before the School Forum was buzzing with rumors that “Noble students voluntarily gave up their seats to the Red-haired Swordswoman,” leading everyone to believe that Sonya had reached a Realm where she could disdain to argue with trash yet still make them bow their heads without a fight.

Yet Lois and Adelle knew that wasn’t the case.

Sonya hadn’t heard their provocations at all; she was still lost in her own Kingdom of thoughts.

This left the two girls wondering what could possibly occupy Sonya’s mind so completely that she couldn’t spare even a little attention for reality?

…

“Am I still your lover?”

“Let’s break up.”

“We have amnesia; we need to cultivate our feelings again~”

“Funny, I just happen to like bad guys!”

“So you don’t want to get back together with me, right?”

It was as if a storm was raging in Sonya’s mind, with countless memories raining down like Shot Bullets, creating rhythmic ripples in the sea of her heart. Each wave reflected her coy demeanor from the previous night, and each splash revealed the playful affection in her eyes.

“Why did I say those things to the Observer after losing my memory?! Ahhh, I want to die, I want to be drowned in Gold Coins, I wish the Observer would trip and smash his head open right now…”

Amid her embarrassment, the young girl was overwhelmed.

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