Sorcerer’s Handbook

“Hey, forget about class, come to the Combat Hall! Aren’t you a huge fan of the Orange Dancer? She’s right here!”

“Can people in front please let us through? If you’re not from the Swordsmanship Department, get out of here! This is a class for the Swordsmanship Department!”

“This is the school’s Combat Hall, the ones who should roll out are you guys from the Swordsmanship Department!”

More and more students gathered inside the Combat Hall, many of them calling their friends to come and watch. The emotional entanglement between Felix, Sonya, and Sylvia was already interesting enough, and now with Lorein and Leoni, two special guest stars, joining in, the students couldn’t resist coming to see the excitement, even if it meant skipping class.

The Combat Class instructor simply stepped aside, adopting an attitude of letting them have their dispute—the squabbles between Sword Saint apprentices weren’t something he needed to meddle in. Moreover, as long as no one died, the battle was considered a legitimate form of student exchange.

If it had been a fight between two equally matched students, the teacher might have been concerned that they would get too excited and unable to stop themselves, but this was arguably the safest scenario.

Because the difference in combat power was simply too great.

Whooosh!

With a forceful shout, Sonya swung her wooden sword, sending out a whistling wind. The faint purple Sword Qi vibrated in the air, forming a curtain-like shield in front of her, acting like a wall to intercept Leoni.

Leoni commented casually, tapping the vibrating curtain with the tip of her wooden sword. Then, with a flick of her wrist, the curtain was flung away as if it were a rag. She stepped forward and swung her wrist!

Clang!

A heavy force traveled through the sword tip, and Sonya was pushed back two steps, her hands almost dropping the wooden sword.

Sweat ran down her face, smudging her makeup, her clothes were nearly soaked through, and she gasped for air with her mouth wide open, unbecomingly like a country bumpkin. However, Sonya couldn’t afford to care about her appearance; her eyes were fixed on Leoni, not daring to relax even for a second.

This was the first time she truly felt what it meant to be up against a real Sorcerer.

Both Felix and she were newbies who had just entered the Virtual Realm a few days ago, hardly worth mentioning; the gap between her and Professor Trozan was too large, and their sparring sessions were more educational without putting any real pressure on Sonya.

Coupled with her smooth sailing adventures in the Virtual Realm, Sonya had become somewhat arrogant—thinking that being a Sorcerer was not that difficult.

Her reserve was not out of humility, but rather from arrogance: she believed in a bright future for herself and was willing to endure loneliness for the time being.

It wasn’t until Leoni appeared that Sonya’s pretense of pride was torn away.

It had nothing to do with spirits; from the beginning to the present, Leoni had only used the basic three spirits ‘Slash Sword,’ ‘Thrust Sword,’ and ‘Cleave Sword’; it also wasn’t about arcane energy, as Leoni’s attacks only pressured Sonya but were not undefendable.

The truly fearsome power of a Sorcerer lay in knowledge.

Every second, with every single action, Sonya felt like all her moves were under Leoni’s control. It was as if Leoni knew every possible move Sonya could make and had countless countermeasures prepared, easily resolving whatever Sonya did.

This feeling, it’s like a child trying to fight an adult, who only has to press down on the child’s head to keep them from landing a single touch. Despite sweating profusely, the feeling of powerlessness and defeat grows within, almost enough to make one want to roar in frustration.

“Keep going, Sonya. Use whatever moves you have,” Leoni said as she slightly raised her wooden sword, “Don’t worry about hurting me.”

Her seemingly caring words were more sarcastic than any insult. Sonya gritted her teeth and took a deep breath, “Then, senior, I’m going to give it my all, be careful!”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

Sonya assumed the Sword-drawing stance, and Leoni raised an eyebrow, seemingly more interested, “A Laido sword move?”

Step, spin, swing!

A whirlwind rose abruptly, and a wave of Sword Qi swept across the battlefield. Sonya surged forward with the force of a thunderbolt, closing the distance to Leoni in the blink of an eye!

This was Sonya’s self-created technique — the Laido Vibration Sword!

“Interesting, but…”

Leoni accurately predicted Sonya’s sword path and slashed down, “Just like—”

Just then, Sonya abruptly stopped the Vibration Sword, stepping out in a strange rhythm, dodging to the side, and reorganizing her sword stance for a counterattack!

A swordsmanship skill taught by the Observer — Evade!

Clang!

The two wooden swords collided with a metallic sound, and Leoni was about to say something to Sonya when her expression suddenly changed dramatically!

Ding ding ding ding—

Sounds like the twang of steel wires rang out in quick succession. A faintly visible Feathered Armor appeared on Leoni, with five strands of moonlight formed into threads striking her chest, waist, thighs, and other areas, causing ripples to spread across the Feathered Armor.

“What kind of spirit is that…?”

“I can’t tell, but it’s definitely not from the Swordsmanship Faction, it’s from the Radiance Faction!”

“Sonya has only been a Sorcerer for a few days, how could she have such a spirit? The Hidden Hand Sword Saint hasn’t cultivated in the Radiance Faction either, right?”

“It couldn’t possibly be something she got from the Virtual Realm, could it? She’s only been there for a few days!”

While the crowd was abuzz with speculation about Sonya’s newfound spirit, Leoni suddenly changed her usual demeanor and responded with a fierce offensive to the ‘surprise’ Sonya had given her!

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

The barrage of strikes was like a violent storm, leaving Sonya gasping for air, her hands almost numb.

In her rush, she tried to use moves like ‘Moon Silk’ or Evade to block Leoni, but these unvaried attacks didn’t delay Leoni for even a second and were instantly decoded by the Orange Dancer!

“Sonya, to be honest, I was a bit angry just now,” Leoni said as she continued to strike, “When you triggered my Feathered Armor with your Radiance trap, I felt humiliated by you — a Sorcerer who has just been one for a few days managed to activate my Protective Miracle, there’s nothing more embarrassing than that.”

“If Professor Nidhogg finds out, I’m definitely in for a scolding.”

“But I quickly realized that I had no right to be angry. The one who should be angry is you. You invited me with your greatest courage to engage in a passionate Swordsmanship Duel, and I treated you with the condescension of an adult to a child, humiliating you. I was wrong, and I apologize to you.”

“The Radiance Spirit you used woke me up. It showed me that you’re different from losers like Felix — you are a true Swordcerer!”

In the midst of the beating, Sonya managed to squeeze out a few words: “You flatter me—”

“No, I owe you my most sincere apology,” Leoni said, enunciating each word clearly. “Next, I will use all my strength to respond to your burning will to fight.”

“Watch me closely, Sonya.”

Leoni suddenly drew back her wooden sword and took a step back, but before Sonya could catch her breath, Leoni’s figure disappeared from her sight!

A strong sense of crisis overwhelmed Sonya, causing goosebumps to erupt all over her body. Without time to think, she instinctively raised her wooden sword to block to the right—

Clang!

Sonya turned her head, only to see a fleeting orange afterimage!

She couldn’t capture Leoni’s figure at all!

With her eyes rendered useless, Sonya had to rely on her instincts to defend!

Clang!

Around her, Leoni’s voice rang out in surprise, “It’s not luck, but now it’s time to see real strength.”

In the next second, the feeling of crisis came crashing down like an avalanche, and Sonya felt like a little boat in front of a tsunami, where even the aftermath was enough to overturn her and lead to certain doom!

She turned and parried just in time to see a flash of Gold sword light dazzling the venue, descending like a Miracle to punish the world!

Clang!

Sonya was sent flying, hurled several meters through the air, but she immediately counterattacked with her Vibration Sword to halt her momentum, barely managing to land steadily. However, her wrists were already bruised and her body trembled uncontrollably.

And at this moment, Sonya finally realized what move Leoni had just used.

“Miracle: Melody Rhythm!”

“There it is, the real Orange Dancer! A figure so fast it’s almost impossible to catch, with just a blur of orange afterimage!”

“Has senior Leoni already learned the famous Miracle of the Rhythm Sword Saint? But wasn’t that a Miracle created by the Sword Saint after obtaining the Golden Two Wings?”

“This means that senior is not far from achieving the status of Golden Two Wings!”

Melody Rhythm, a Swordsmanship Department Miracle created by Professor Nidhogg, is simple in effect: the first two attacks store energy, and the third attack unleashes it!

It may seem unremarkable, but with the assistance of a Speed Spirit or an Invisible Spirit, Melody Rhythm becomes a deadly rhythm of harvesting, capable of easily destroying all defenses of an enemy in a short time with absolute violence!

Just like how Leoni is currently overpowering Sonya!

Clang!

Another heavy strike, not the third explosive one, but still not something an exhausted Sonya with injured hands could easily withstand. She was forced back several steps, reluctantly glancing at the Moon Silk she had cut through in the air.

“If I couldn’t keep up with the speed, I would have died in the Abyss long ago.” Leoni’s voice rang out again: “Such traps are useless against me.”

Just before, Sonya had secretly activated her Moon Silk spirit in the air, setting a trap she thought Leoni would collide with due to her high speed. But how could a Sorcerer have such an obvious survival flaw? Before attacking, Leoni had already cut through the Moon Silk.

Clang!

Sonya was pushed back several steps again. Leoni calmly said, “Lay down your sword, and it’s considered a surrender.”

Should she surrender?

But if she didn’t, the third strike of Melody Rhythm was next. Sonya knew well that she had no chance of withstanding another energy-charged blow; she would inevitably be hit so hard by Leoni that she would be knocked back over a dozen meters, losing in a very unseemly way.

No matter how she thought about it, surrendering seemed like the best choice.

Moreover, surrendering now would not be shameful for Sonya. To have fought with Leoni to this extent, not only triggering Leoni’s Protective Miracle but also forcing her to use Melody Rhythm, was an achievement in itself.

After this battle, no one would question Sonya’s qualifications as an apprentice to Professor Trozan.

After this battle, Sonya would become the most renowned Swordsmanship prodigy among the first-year students.

She had already gained so much; it was the right time to withdraw.

If she was lucky, she might even develop a relationship with senior Leoni. It was said that Leoni, in collaboration with people from Truth College, formed a team, which could be seen as a channel to connect with more influential circles.

Every rational thread in her mind knew what to do. This rationality was Sonya’s greatest asset, the reason she could leave the countryside and come to Gales — she never let emotions cloud her judgment.

However, right now, even if her hands were numb with pain, even if her body was so tired she felt she could fall asleep the next second, Sonya just couldn’t bring herself to lay down her sword!

She! Was! Not! Willing!

It wasn’t about benefits, prospects, or personal likes and dislikes!

She just wanted to win; she didn’t want to lose, that was all!

Rebellious blood was burning in every part of her body, angry thoughts at this moment overwhelmed her rationality. She seemed to turn into a sword, born from death, mad from battle!

“Observer, did you arrange all this just to enjoy my miserable defeat? I’ll tell you, I’m not here to serve you!” Sonya roared fiercely in her mind, gripping her wooden sword tightly, tears welling up in her eyes, her teeth nearly biting through her lips, her whole body tensed up, ready to face the final cadence of Melody Rhythm!

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