Sorcerer’s Handbook

Ashe lifted the towel off his face and propped himself up with his hands to sit.

His first reaction was to feel his neck, but he found no wounds.

“That’s odd, you didn’t use me as a guinea pig for your procedures.”

“It’s done.”

The Medic, sitting at the foot of the bed, didn’t even lift his head, his eyes fixed on the book in his hands as the Crow Mask quivered.

“It’s all finished, the procedure was a success, and you’re quite the looker now.”

“What!”

Ashe scrambled to find a mirror, but there were none around. The Medic snickered, “Just kidding. Actually, repairing your throat was too simple, hardly took any time at all, so I went ahead and did a few minor procedures on you while you were out. Nothing major, you didn’t even wake up.”

Ashe sighed with relief.

“Well, the Daffy Procedure for the corners of your eyes, the Eibo Procedure to adjust your brow bones, the Lozha Procedure for your chin, the Elaras Procedure to give you naturally curled eyelashes, and…”

The more Ashe heard, the more bewildered he became.

“How much do I still resemble my old self?”

“You should look quite similar; after all, it’s still two eyes, one mouth, one nose.”

“This is what you call ‘nothing major’? Does ‘major’ involve swapping out my entire head?”

“Not quite that far. Changing heads is still quite risky.” The Medic gestured, “The more popular major operations among Sorcerers would, at most, involve changing all your facial features, like swapping your eyes for those of a swift hawk, your teeth for those of a transforming shark, your nose for that of a fang wolf, and your ears for those of a bat demon… Replacing limbs and organs isn’t uncommon either, and lately, mechanical prosthetics are a very hot trend in bio-modification.”

Good grief, so the Sorcerers have started on the bio-modification tech tree?

No wonder Ashe saw a composite man with rabbit ears and boar tusks in the Prison, and he had thought, could rabbits and boars cross the species barrier to interbreed?

Turns out it wasn’t the wildness of the beasts, but the wildness of the Sorcerers.

Curious, Ashe looked at the Medic, “Have you ever undergone such a major transformation?”

The Medic hesitated for a moment, “Somewhat.”

“Oh~” Ashe stared at the Medic’s Crow Mask, “I see…”

The Medic, knowing what Ashe was thinking, put her hands on her hips and said, “I’m not as unfortunate looking as you. My face has always been perfect; no need for changes.”

“Oh, so it’s not the face you’ve changed.” Ashe’s gaze swept over the Medic’s body, but the Medic was wearing a voluminous robe, making it impossible to discern any contours.

“What are you looking at?”

“I’m wondering if your fingers can extend a Phillips screwdriver.”

“No screwdriver, just an ear spoon. Want to give it a try?”

“Sure.”

“Enough chit-chat, here.”

The Medic pulled out ten silver coins from her purse and placed them on the bedside table, waving her hand dismissively.

Ashe pointed at the pile of silver coins, “Why?”

“Didn’t we agree? You let me practice my Procedures, and I pay you. I practiced ten Procedures, so you get ten silver coins. It’s only fair.”

“No, what I meant was, didn’t we use Gold Coins before?”

“I went back and asked some other Medics, and they all said that people don’t get paid for practicing Procedures, at most they get Silver Coins, no one gives out Gold Coins!”

“You’re just too indecisive. You can’t just go along with what everyone else says. You’ve got to stand firm in your own beliefs. Otherwise, if others eat crap, are you going to eat it too?”

“You make a good point. I really didn’t want to give you any money in the first place, I can’t be swayed by you again—”

“But occasionally taking advice from others is also a virtue.” Ashe quickly scooped up the Silver Coins.

The Medic wanted to laugh but quickly suppressed the urge, “You’ve really made a name for yourself this time. You’re the only Prisoner in the history of Kaimon City to be injured in the Blood Moon Tribunal and survive.”

“The only one? There weren’t any Death row inmates who were accidentally injured during the Tribunal?”

“There were, but none could be saved, they were all torn apart by the Executioner. Your case, being killed by another death row inmate but with wounds so superficial that not saving you would be tantamount to violating the ‘Life Saving Act’, is truly unique.”

Ashe still couldn’t get used to this world’s categorization of wounds. Injuries that nearly decapitated him were considered minor enough to be healed with just a Band-Aid.

“Once you get out, remember to find ways to earn more Contribution points, so you’re not selected for the next Blood Moon Tribunal. There won’t be any Elves to block for you next time.”

Ashe looked at the Medic curiously, “So concerned about me? Have you grown attached from treating me?”

“You come to the Treatment room almost every day. If the prison had a few more exemplary Prisoners like you, I might be able to leave this place in another month or two.”

The Medic shrugged, “Thanks to you, I’ve become quite proficient at many Procedures.”

“When you leave, could you take me with you? I’ll agree to be your test subject for three years, isn’t that a good deal?”

“Sure.”

“Really?”

“If you don’t mind being carried out in three different boxes, I have no problem with it, and the prison would probably allow it.”

Ashe smacked his lips, “Can you put me back together afterward?”

“If I were a Legend Sorcerer with Quadruple wings, I could probably do it, and even add some upgrades for you.”

“Are you?”

“If I were, I wouldn’t have time to be talking nonsense with you.”

The Medic crossed her arms, “And you’re still thinking about escaping from prison, tsk tsk tsk, even after going through the Blood Moon Tribunal, you still haven’t given up such a naive thought?”

“A young man in his prime, who doesn’t think about escaping every day? And after witnessing the Blood Moon Tribunal firsthand, who could stand to stay here?” Ashe clenched his fist, “I’m determined to escape this prison!”

“Good luck with that. Just remember to stay safe when you escape, and it’s best to keep the body intact, okay?”

Ashe leaned in close to the Medic, “Do you have any good ideas for escaping?”

The Medic glared at him, “Don’t think I won’t report you just because I made you a bit more handsome.”

“Don’t be so tense. After what you’ve done to me, let’s just consider this post-procedure chat time.” Ashe said nonchalantly, “Think of it as a puzzle game. If you were falsely accused and locked up in Shattered Lake Prison, how would you plan to escape from prison?”

“But I wouldn’t be falsely accused.”

“Why are you so sure?”

“Because of the Memory Masters. A quick look into my memories by a Memory Master would show I’m innocent.”

Ashe also remembered this and couldn’t help but ask, “Don’t you think that’s… bad?”

The Medic looked puzzled, “What’s bad about it?”

“Having someone search your memories. Don’t you think memories are a very important privacy that shouldn’t be searched?”

“And you say you’re innocent? Isn’t that just libertarian terrorism?”

“Ah?”

“Only terrorists with malicious intent who are up to no good would want to cancel the Memory Censorship System. Some even have more outrageous demands, like removing the Miracle Chip binding, allowing pregnant women the right to choose abortion, or even making public the records of reproductive pairing… Why do you look so nervous?”

Ashe swallowed hard, “Pregnant women can’t choose abortion?”

“Of course not. If any congenital disease or hereditary defect is detected in the fetus, abortion is mandatory.”

“Mandatory?”

“Mandatory.”

“What if the fetus is healthy?”

“Then you definitely have to give birth.”

“Without asking for the pregnant woman’s opinion?”

“Why should we ask?” The Medic found it strange, “Would a pregnant woman refuse? Each childbirth subsidy is almost equivalent to three years’ salary of a medium Occupation, varying slightly depending on the Race. If you’re a Female Sorcerer, even more subsidies are provided. There’s a 100% bonus for the first childbirth and an additional 50% bonus for giving birth at the guided age.”

“Unless she’s an exceptionally talented Female Sorcerer who doesn’t want to waste a minute, most women will have their first child at the guided age. Whether there’s a second or third depends on their personal nightlife. After all, it’s only a bit troublesome during pregnancy. After the birth, the baby is sent to the Nursery, and the mother can receive her due childbirth fund the same day.”

Ashe was deeply shocked and suddenly looked at the Medic with a strange gaze, “What about you?”

“Me what?”

“Did you… receive the childbirth fund?”

The Medic hesitated for a moment, “I can’t have children.”

Ashe quickly apologized, “I’m sorry.”

The Medic waved it off, “There’s nothing to apologize for. I don’t lack that money. But, you actually support the right of pregnant women to choose abortion? You’re on the more radical side even among libertarian terrorists.”

Ashe wiped the sweat from his forehead, “Is that considered radical?”

“Of course,” the Medic said matter-of-factly, “Supporting the right to choose abortion equates to promoting a decrease in birth rates. It’s one thing for Races like Humans and Orcs, but those with persistently low birth rates, like Elves and Bewitchers, despise this kind of statement the most. A councilor who proposed this idea was quickly scandalized and ousted from office within days.”

“Supporting the cancellation of the Memory Censorship System is equivalent to increasing the difficulty of criminal investigations and creating a breeding ground for illegal activities. Only those who wish to commit crimes would support such rhetoric, not even a councilor would propose such attention-seeking statements.”

“Likewise, supporting the removal of Miracle Chip bindings is tantamount to supporting the removal of shackles from a Prisoner’s neck, which only increases the difficulty of capturing prisoners and the likelihood of them committing further crimes…”

Ashe asked, “But if you all have the Miracle Chip, doesn’t that mean you’re all wearing shackles? Aren’t you afraid?”

“You speak as if you’re not one of us.”

The Medic looked at Ashe with a puzzled glance.

“Moreover, we don’t commit crimes, so why should we be afraid? Only those who disrupt public order and commit crimes would be.”

Ashe found the logic sound and couldn’t refute it.

He realized that in the Blood Moon Kingdom, the Medic’s perception was the common perception. Since they all accepted this system of social supervision, it indicated that their approach was relatively correct. The incorrect ones were the death row inmates in prison, Ashe himself.

I never expected that I, a law-abiding, regulation-supporting taxpayer in my previous life, would transmigrate here and become a libertarian terrorist…

“We’ve strayed from the point. Pretend you’re like me, falsely accused of being the Leader of the Four Pillars Cult. The Sin Hunter’s Hall doesn’t dare to search your memories, and you’re locked up in Shattered Lake Prison. How would you plan your escape from prison?”

“Are you really falsely accused…?”

“It’s a game, just treat it as a thought experiment! But I’ve heard that Medics aren’t particularly strong in logical thinking. Maybe this game is too difficult for you?”

“Do you think I’ll fall for such childish tricks? Do you take me for a child?” The Medic turned her head away with a snort, “But isn’t the way to escape from prison obvious? It’s only you who wouldn’t realize it.”

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