Sorcerer’s Handbook

Stars Kingdom, 10 PM, Galaxia National Sports Arena.

Within the arena resembling a town alleyway, a two-story building suddenly collapsed. As Sonya retreated, she abruptly noticed time slowing down. The debris suspended in mid-air moved lethargically past her ears, and the announcer’s enthusiastic voice stretched into an electronic echo. The entire world seemed motionless. She immediately realized she had triggered her passive blessing—”Mortal Danger Sense!”

This dual blessing, combining prophecy and the Time Sect, warned her of imminent peril by slowing time!

“Mortal Danger Sense” only activates at the moment before a lethal attack, which means that before she can deploy a Defensive Miracle, the village girl would be struck down and the Death-Prevention miracle would be triggered, resulting in her defeat!

But even now, she had no idea where the danger was coming from!

If her guess was correct, the attack she hadn’t seen but could kill her instantly was likely another contestant’s Gunmanship miracle. At that moment, the lethal bullet had already left the barrel, cutting through the thick air with a supersonic path. Was it aiming for her head, heart, or throat?

The only thing Sonya could do at this moment seemed to be to alter her trajectory, trying to avoid critical injuries.

However…

“Sword Princess, I specifically selected the Mortal Danger Sense blessing for you.”

“What are you talking about? I mean, this blessing will really help you in combat.”

“It’s helpful in the Witch’s battles too…”

“No, no, no. Just as the Witch excels in creating personality doubles, you actually have a special ability called ‘Dark Insight.’”

“That doesn’t sound like a good thing… How come I don’t know about it?”

“Because ‘Dark Insight’ allows you to preemptively eliminate threats before they fully materialize. But your life has been so fulfilling lately that you’ve only been bullying others, and no one has bullied you. Of course you wouldn’t notice it.”

“I don’t bully others. I’m not that kind of girl!”

“It’s good that you haven’t had to use that ability, but one can’t win all the time. Everyone gets beaten up once in a while, so I chose this blessing specifically for you. In a Mortal Danger Sense situation, if you find yourself at a loss, you can choose to trust your heart.”

“Does it really work?”

“I hope it will.”

Sonya closed her eyes, gripping the sword’s hilt tightly with her right hand. Oddly, despite every cell in her body sounding the alarm, her thoughts wandered back to someone not present in the arena, and she then seemed to truly sense the incoming malice.

Miracle: Evil Light Slash!

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Clang!

She swung her wooden sword upwards, sending out a killing intent-infused Evil Light Slash. There was a sharp sound in the air, and the resulting shockwave demolished the wall behind her, showcasing its immense destructive power!

While Sonya’s thoughts felt stretched, in reality, it all happened in an instant. The announcer, who had just declared Miss Therave to be in danger, now stood up in astonishment: “Therave has actually slashed through Hubert’s miracle bullet!? What kind of miracle power is this?”

Many in the audience hadn’t quite grasped what just happened until the announcer mentioned that Sonya had cut through the bullet. Adelle then led the Swordflower students in a cheer!

“Sword Princess! Sword Princess!”

“Stretch Paw Club is number one!”

“She didn’t just slice a bullet; she sliced my heart!”

“Sword Princess, I want to be your dog!”

Amidst the chaotic clamoring, the Sanctuary sorcerers narrowed their eyes one by one.

“A Reflection Miracle similar to the Nunchaku Sect’s One-Arm Domain?”

“No, Reflection Miracles require active casting. Hubert timed his strike perfectly. Therave had just been dodging the collapsing building, and her body and mind were in a hurried evasive state. She didn’t have any chance to cast a miracle; she should’ve been out of the competition.” Ȓ

“Pure talent?… Truth College has indeed encountered a formidable opponent this year.”

No wonder even the Sanctuary sorcerers were astounded. After all, the contestant who had just taken a shot at the village girl was a fourth-year student from Truth College, a two-wings Gunmanship sorcerer!

The Gunmanship Sect has made a remarkable ascent within just a century, becoming the largest and most prominent battle sect. This success is primarily due to its near-dominance in causing massive destruction at the low-level sorcerer realm. A well-timed shot can almost instantly incapacitate any low-level sorcerer, while only Sanctuary sorcerers can reliably counteract assassination gunshots due to their Sanctuary’s absolute protection.

Except for a few rare cases, most two-wings Defensive Miracles cannot withstand the penetrating force of a two-wings Gunmanship miracle. This means that if a gun sorcerer lands a hit, victory is almost certain. Consequently, low-level sorcerers have only two strategies against gun sorcerers: dodge or counterattack!

The majority of sorcerers can only choose to dodge since counterattacks are feasible only for certain sects that have developed corresponding Reflection Miracles. For instance, the Nunchaku Sect’s One-Arm Domain allows sorcerers to instantly deflect all bullets entering their attack range. The pinnacle of counterattack mastery is to send the bullet back to the gun sorcerer from whence it came.

Throughout the entire match so far, Sonya had been using the complex terrain of the town to dodge the gunfire. This, however, made it difficult for her to approach the gunman. Facing a seemingly unavoidable deadly predicament, she suddenly executed a counterattack, which, to the knowledgeable audience, was an absolute spectacle.

Even more terrifying was that she didn’t rely on a miracle to counterattack, but rather seemed to rely on a Flash of Insight… ‘Rhythm Sword Saint’ Nidhogg couldn’t help but ask Trozan next to him, “Did you teach her?”

“Not exactly,” Trozan replied casually, “Sparring with me often might naturally lead to such reflexes.”

However, even Trozan was deeply puzzled internally.

Forget about two-wings golden level; even she couldn’t slash a bullet in a natural state!

Dodging is one thing since Sanctuary sorcerers can perceive the bullet’s trajectory. However, counterattacking operates on an entirely different level. Facing a miracle bullet, simply placing the sword in its path would result in the miracle bullet shattering the sword blade effortlessly. Even if the sword was reinforced, the shattered bullet fragments could easily harm the sorcerer. Thus, true counterattacking demands that the sorcerer must strike the bullet precisely and with full force, requiring reflexes in the supersonic realm—in short, achievable only through a miracle.

Therefore, to ordinary people and low-level sorcerers alike, it seemed like Sonya was performing a miracle.

However, Sanctuary sorcerers were all pondering why Sonya hadn’t used a miracle. Could this be a true miracle?

The external astonishment and accolades didn’t affect the contestants’ mindsets. After successfully executing the counterattack, Sonya continued to move between the buildings, never exposing herself in the open.

Unlike her, a so-called “newbie,” the other contestants had at least three years of virtual realm exploration experience. Some had honed their skills multiple times in the Abyss. Their spirit compositions and miracle functionalities far exceeded hers. For instance, Sonya currently only mastered Offensive Miracles, whereas the other contestants had balanced their capabilities across offensive, defensive, mobility, healing, and reconnaissance miracles—they had to wander the virtual realm alone, unlike Sonya, who treated it like returning home.

But this also meant that in a prolonged battle, the odds would swing in favor of the other sorcerers. When only three contestants remained, Sonya found it nearly impossible to approach the gun sorcerer Hubert, who could pinpoint her location, indicating he possessed a Reconnaissance Miracle. Even though she kept running, she still narrowly avoided his ambush sniper shots.

Sonya’s counterattack was awe-inspiring but didn’t improve her predicament.

In fact, before the contestant list was announced, most people didn’t have high expectations for Sonya. Adelle even prepared a “Swordflower’s First Loss” PR plan in advance. If Sonya lost, Adelle would lead the Stretch Paw Club to flood the school forum with posts emphasizing Sonya’s status as a freshman, her brave participation, her glorious three-match winning streak, and the opportunity she still had in the Revival Match.

Even if she lost, Sonya would only garner encouragement and sympathy, possibly increasing her fan base!

Honestly, as a first-year student, Sonya’s achievements had already broken Swordflower’s College League records. In the future, she could proudly claim, “Swordflower College should be proud of me,” not to mention that she still had three more potential College League participations, marking her as someone with great potential.

But she didn’t want to lose!

Because her supportive classmates were watching her, and the pesky Little Trumpets who disliked her were watching too;

Because Galaxia was watching her, and the entire Stars realm was watching her.

Because her mother was watching her, and those Little Trumpets who used to look down on her and her mother were watching her;

Because she wanted the Observer to watch her;

Most importantly, because she didn’t want to lose!

Suffering has no inherent meaning; otherwise, every homeless person would be considered a great person. Failure does not breed success—it often leads to depression. Sonya didn’t want to hear others try to comfort her; she only wanted praise, envy, and love!

No one can win forever? But I have been losing since the day I was born. I’ve endured enough suffering and contempt. Having finally spent all my luck meeting you, from now on, I want to win for the rest of my life—whether it’s in competitions, battles, life, study, career, or love!

Suddenly, the distant sound of gunfire roared, and the host’s voice pierced through the arena: “Contestant Nob is leveling all the buildings in a straight line, using a Movement Miracle to charge directly at contestant Hubert… Hubert reacts quickly, trying to create distance with a Movement Miracle but it’s ineffective, Nob catches up, and a Defensive Miracle is useless! Nob’s sword strike triggers ‘Death-Prevention’—Hubert is out!”

The audience erupted in chaos, and the expressions on the faces of Truth College’s supporters were grim—Hubert was considered one of their top three contestants this year, aiming for a top-three finish, but now he had lost in the Top Eight Tournament!

Though the Revival Match offers another chance, the rules mean that Hubert will have to battle another contestant from Truth College. Ultimately, Truth College will struggle to secure a top-three position!

With the gun sorcerer eliminated, Sonya no longer needed to hide. She walked to the open ground in the center of the arena. This area hadn’t been open ground initially, but the buildings had been leveled in the ensuing battles.

A towering sorcerer, standing over two meters tall, emerged from the ruins. He held a greatsword as tall as himself, wearing a modest yet imposing black combat attire. This was Nob, a fourth-year student at Berserk College and the favorite to win this year’s tournament.

Although both were swordcerers, Nob and Sonya practiced entirely different spellcasting styles. Nob followed the greatsword path, which favored brute strength over skillful precision. Greatswordcerers were a distinctive sect of Berserk College. Compared to spellcasting tournaments, greatswordcerers were highly advantageous in the Abyss or Virtual Realm. After all, greatswords were designed to slay large monsters rather than humanoid creatures.

However, this didn’t mean greatswordcerers were ill-suited for spellcasting tournaments. On the contrary, their win rate in these competitions was among the highest.

The number of greatswordcerers was relatively low primarily because most people had to first train in the Physical Sect to build the strength needed to wield a greatsword. While learning spellcasting feels like a challenge to human nature, undergoing Physical Sect training is downright grueling. With the comfort and ease of life under the Stars, normal people simply cannot endure the rigorous demands of the Physical Sect.

Thus, every greatswordcerer’s physical conditioning far surpassed their peers, and this strength could be transformed into devastating destructive power—

Boom!

Suddenly, Nob performed a sweeping slash, sending a grey-white sword light slicing through the air towards Sonya! The sword light was thick, sharp, and wide-ranging, beyond the resistance of ordinary Miracles. The village girl had no choice but to unleash her strongest single-target Miracle—

Blood Moon, Shattered Lake!

The red sword light and the grey sword light clashed, grinding against each other and neutralizing one another. The impact generated a massive shockwave, sending debris flying and clearing the battleground for the two competitors!

“Sorry, the greatsword isn’t adept at close combat, so I’ll just use the ‘Wind of Ash Erosion’ to crush you,” Nob said, his steady voice laced with a hint of apology. “Please don’t blame me for being ruthless.”

Indeed, greatswordcerers weren’t suited for close combat. Their long reach due to their arm length plus the sword’s length made mid-range their optimal attack distance. Once engaged up close by a close combat sorcerer, they were little more than punching bags.

Thus, in spellcasting tournaments, the way greatswordcerers fought was the most straightforward—using sword energy directly!

They would use thicker, longer, and harder sword energy to forcibly crush all enemies!

Though it might seem simplistic, it was incredibly effective. The energy of the ‘sword energy’ spirit originated from the sorcerer’s own strength. This meant that the greater the sorcerer’s strength, the stronger the sword energy, perfectly aligning with the qualifications for a greatswordcerer!

At the beginning of the Top Eight’s Meteor Trial, a sorcerer’s Defensive Miracle was brutally shattered by Nob’s sword energy. His power was undeniable!

By rights, Sonya’s best strategy was to enter Nob’s close combat range, forcing him to defend where he was less effective. However, she nodded and said, “No problem, I want to finish quickly too… I have something to do tonight.”

“Good!” Nob roared and swung the Greatsword once more!

Blood and grey clashed fiercely on the battlefield, sending waves of energy rippling outward!

“Daring to compete in Miracles against Nob—Therave is being overly impulsive,” commented Arsenault, the host. He couldn’t help but offer his perspective, “According to the player profiles, Nob entered the Time Continent back in his third year, meaning he has spent a year exploring it. Despite multiple deaths along the way, his Golden Wings must be halfway to completion.”

“Nob’s ‘Wind of Ash Erosion’ is a mid-tier Radiant Golden Miracle, known for its high damage and large area of effect, but it doesn’t consume much spellforce. Since the damage of ‘Wind of Ash Erosion’ scales with the sorcerer’s strength, it’s essentially Nob’s go-to Miracle, allowing him to use it repeatedly.”

“This extravagant Miracle duel has become a contest of spellforce. The one with more spellforce reserves will emerge victorious. However, Therave has been in the Time Continent for less than a month, and although her new Miracle, ‘Blood Moon, Shattered Lake,’ isn’t yet listed in the Star Miracles Directory, it clearly consumes a significant amount of spellforce…”

“Does she really have enough spellforce reserves to sustain this battle?”