The Sorcerer's Handbook

Ashe opened his eyes and realized that he was already outside Shattered Lake Prison. Yes, he was.

A message had even appeared on his light screen.

[Notice: You have now exited the Shattered Lake Prison Special Service Area. Welcome to the Caimon Service Area. Reply ”CM” to this message to receive the latest Caimon City travel information.]

He was outside, but only just. Shattered Lake Prison remained ten steps behind him.

That might not sound like much, but as mentioned before, the key reason Shattered Lake Prison had become a luxury hotel exclusively for death-row inmates was its absolute isolation.

That isolation came from the prison’s location. It was a waterborne facility, suspended in the middle of a remote inland sea. When Ashe looked down at the blood moon reflected on the pitch-black water tens of meters below, the surreal beauty struck him like a dream. Its vast magnificence made him feel unbearably small.

It should have been a moment to inspire romantic thoughts or contemplation. But all Ashe felt were his trembling legs.

The reaction was only natural. Anyone would shake when all they could stand on was a single square meter while being tens of meters above the water.

A death row inmate nearby screamed in terror. ”Ah! Ahhh! How did I end up here? Let me go back! I want to go back!

The other inmates followed suit.

”I was just walking out of the dining hall, wasn’t I?”

”This isn’t the Blood Moon Tribunal venue!”

”I’m going to file a complaint with the council! You’re violating our rights!”

As the inmates shouted, a terrifying voice they knew all too well echoed from behind them.

”Ladies and gentlemen, death-row inmates, good evening. It is currently 8:00 p.m., Caimon time. I am tonight’s supervisor, Nagu Machmillan.”

They turned around and saw the observation deck behind them. Brilliant lights flooded the platform. Nagu stood at the edge, but his gaze was not on the prisoners. Instead, he stared at six burning eyes suspended in midair.

Ashe had never seen them before, but he could more or less guess that those eyes were the world’s surveillance devices.

”As you can see, the Blood Moon Tribunal has begun,” Nagu said calmly. ”Spectators wishing to view detailed profiles of the inmates may focus on their faces. To change your viewing angle, focus on the camera eyes to the left. Anyone may watch the tribunal live by silently reciting ’Caimon Channel One.’ On the right side of your display, you will find the rules and information for tonight’s trial.”

Anyone, huh.

Ashe focused and silently recited, Caimon Channel One.

His light screen immediately switched to a live broadcast.

Through it, he saw a strangely comical scene. Someone was tilting his head back to sneak a look. That person was himself.

Nagu continued, ”Tonight’s mode is the newly introduced Confessions on a Steel Wire. The detailed rules are as follows.

”First of all, it is currently the breeding season of Finger Sharks in Shattered Lake. Historical records show that during this period, thirty-five thousand Finger Sharks gather in the lake. Any animal that falls into the water will be reduced to frothing blood within seconds. The Fishing Association reminds all members that due to the proliferation of Finger Sharks this month, catches of this species will not be counted in the monthly fishing competition.”

As he spoke, Nagu kicked a dead pig into the lake.

The instant it touched the water, hundreds of finger-sized sharks surged upward, turning the surface into a boiling frenzy.

Two seconds later, the pig vanished completely. No flesh remained. No bones. Nothing.

Ashe’s legs went from trembling to nearly giving out.

”Secondly, the weather sorcerers have declared tonight a Storm-class spirit uprising. The northeastern region of Caimon has been designated a temporary no-fly zone. The Sorcerer Association advises Storm Class sorcerers to take precautions and to remove all metal items before entering the Virtual World.”

Nagu took out a piece of iron and tossed it into the sky.

Crack!

A bolt of lightning split the night and shattered the iron into fragments.

”The third thing to note is that when the tribunal voting begins, an Executioner will appear on the platform where each death-row inmate currently stands. Tonight’s Executioner wields the Purging Flame of Atonement. The flame will engulf the Executioner. It won’t hurt anyone physically. It only burns away the sins and misdeeds of the wicked.

”Don’t worry, inmates. If you are innocent, or truly repentant, the Purging Flame will not affect you.”

Got it. So I’d either have to jump and become shark bait, or stay put and die a slow, agonizing death...

Ashe suddenly realized a loophole. I almost got carried away... Yes! I’m not even the real Ashe Heath. I’m just a pure, innocent wandering soul from another world. I have no sins at all!

”Next up, in front of each inmate is a steel wire that leads to a distant platform stocked with weapons.”

The lights swept across the area, and Ashe finally spotted the thin steel wire beneath his feet. It looked sharp enough to slice a person in two. At the far end of the hundred-meter span was a large platform, with weapons like swords, spears, guns, and even cannons scattered across it.

”Last but not least, the usual Blood Moon rules still apply. When voting ends, the inmate with the most votes earns the chance for atonement tonight. If any inmate reaches 50% of the votes ahead of time, the voting phase ends immediately, and the execution phase begins.

”The Executioner grows stronger with each additional vote. An Executioner fueled by the collective sense of justice of countless spectators will execute the inmate and deliver their soul to the Blood Moon Heaven, where the benevolent Blood Moon Lord may forgive their sins.”

”These are the rules of tonight’s Blood Moon Tribunal,” Nagu turned to the inmates and snapped his fingers. ”Now, Central Control, release the eight redeemed inmates from their restrictions.”

As soon as Nagu finished his announcement, dozens of notifications popped up on Ashe’s light screen.

[Virtual World Access Granted], [Mana Output Enabled], [Attack Restrictions Lifted].

Hundreds of similar messages followed. He felt his body lighten, as if he had been relieved of some burden that had previously bound him. This was exactly what No.222 had mentioned. ”The only time a death-row inmate could regain full freedom is during the Blood Moon Tribunal, when most prison restrictions were lifted.”

”Now, sinners, repent sincerely. Under the light of the Blood Moon, repentance is your only path to salvation.”

Nagu smiled faintly. He spread his hands wide and called out loudly. ”The voting begins! Viewers, cast your solemn votes. Let them become the power that upholds justice and the kindness that redeems the guilty. The time of judgment has arrived!”

A chill ran down Ashe’s spine. He felt as though the temperature around him had dropped ten degrees. He looked down and saw the moonlight on the platform twist and writhe like living vines, forming a blood-red, spiked monstrosity behind him. Ghostly blue flames wreathed its body, illuminating the terror etched across his face.

Ashe instinctively stepped back, only to find that he was already on the edge of the platform! If he hadn’t adjusted his balance in time, he would have plummeted straight into the lake, becoming a midnight snack for the Finger Sharks.

Ashe muttered inwardly the question that any unlucky person would ask. Why me?

At that moment, a notification appeared in the top-left corner of his live feed, answering his question.

[Current Highest Vote: Ashe Heath, 49 votes.]