The Sorcerer's Handbook

By the time every item from the chest was laid out on the table, no one could tear their eyes away from it. Felix was no exception. Each piece of his mother’s inheritance reminded him, once again, of the depth of her love.

”According to the rules, I get to choose first.”

”Go ahead,” Sonya said.

The sealed-membrane contracts had already outlined the method of distribution. If only a single treasure existed, Felix would compensate Sonya with a large sum of money. If there were two, they would split them evenly. If there were more, Felix would take the first item, Sonya the second and third, Felix the fourth and fifth, and so on.

Felix’s total number of treasures had to equal or exceed Sonya’s, and the wooden chest itself would belong to him.

Sonya had wanted to contest ownership of the chest. A container capable of transporting items between the real world and the Virtual World would allow her to trade resources with the Watcher, benefitting them both immensely. But the contract had already specified that the chest belonged to Felix, and with his firm refusal, Sonya had no choice but to yield. After all, no one could have expected the box holding the treasure to be more valuable than the treasure itself.

She could only let it go for now. This inheritance had never been hers to begin with. Her involvement in this had been nothing more than a stroke of luck. It was reasonable that Felix received the larger share.

If Sonya hadn’t obtained the Killing Intent spirit, Felix would never have invited her in the first place. Somewhere deep down, she also suspected that her Killing Intent spirit had once belonged to him.

Felix had never said it outright, but the fact that he could identify her spirit through the flow of killing intent suggested that he had once possessed a similar spirit himself, most likely the Killing Intent spirit. Otherwise, he would be like a fool holding a bottle of wine and a glass without a corkscrew. Even if he truly were that foolish, his mother, capable of leaving a legacy within the Virtual World, would never have made such a mistake.

More importantly, the heavily wounded Fish-Slaying Dragon that Sonya and the Watcher had fought yesterday bore injuries matching those caused by the Wave spirit. She hadn’t thought much of it at the time, since the wounds alone weren’t enough to prove anything. But now, with all the pieces in place, Sonya was fully convinced her theory was correct.

Felix’s half-formed Silver Wing, the Virtual World treasure requiring the Killing Intent spirit, and the Fish-Slaying Dragon, gravely injured by the Wave spirit, had made everything clear. Felix had also encountered a Whirlpool the previous night. After passing through it, he had been attacked by the Fish-Slaying Dragon. He fought with all his strength and inflicted severe wounds, but in the end, he still perished and lost the Killing Intent spirit. What followed was simply Sonya and the Watcher passing through the Whirlpool to claim the rewards.

Seen in this light, Sonya hadn’t just picked up someone else’s Killing Intent spirit; she had even used it to claim a share of that person’s inheritance. The thought made her cheeks flush and her heart race.

She lowered her gaze, afraid anyone might notice her trembling smile. This is incredible... Is this what a win-win situation feels like? First, I won by getting the Killing Intent spirit... and then I won again by using it to split Felix’s inheritance. All hail, Watcher! May that little trumpet enjoy good health.

”Sonya, it’s your turn.”

Sonya drew a deep breath, forced down her grin, and looked into the chest. As expected, Felix had chosen the only real-world object inside, a locket.

At first glance, it seemed unremarkable, but it was most likely an important keepsake from his mother, perhaps tied to the next inheritance. Sonya had no intention of competing for something she had no right to claim.

She scanned the remaining items and decisively selected the Fission spirit and the Swordsmanship Orb. The Fission spirit wasn’t the strongest option, but it suited her perfectly. Combined with the Wave spirit, she could execute the formidable Miracle, Fission Wave Slash.

If Sonya intended to summon the Fission spirit herself, it would have taken at least half a year. Obtaining it now not only saved time but also accelerated her progress in exploring the Virtual World.

During last night’s battle, Sonya had clearly recognized her own shortcomings. The Water Moon Miracle was powerful, but it was passive, requiring enemies to strike first. Its short range and heavy mana consumption further limited its effectiveness. She urgently needed an active offensive Miracle that could work in tandem with the Watcher. Among all the available options, the Fission Wave Slash Miracle was her optimal choice for now.

Felix also possessed the Wave spirit, so, out of worry he might snatch it away, Sonya had been careful to claim the Fission spirit first. As for the Swordsmanship Orb, that was a no-brainer. Any rational swordsman wouldn’t pass up such a treasure.

Felix’s following choice surprised everyone. He took the Poison Orb and the Wind Orb. The Wind Orb was still understandable. It at least belonged to a legitimate sorcery class. Poison, on the other hand, was an extremely rare discipline. There were no university courses, no self-study manuals, and likely only a few specialized departments even referenced it.

Moreover, as the second young master of the Vlozrada family, Felix’s status practically forbade him from using poison. No noble house would tolerate behavior that might tarnish its reputation.

It was Sonya’s turn again. Under the watchful eyes of her roommates, she quickly assessed the options and selected the highest-value spirits, Stream and Water Therapy. Felix chose the Malice and Bloody Wind spirits.

Only two spirits remained. According to the distribution rules, Felix had to claim more than Sonya, so she could only choose one.

”Which one do you want?” Sonya asked.

”Either one,” he replied casually. ”I don’t mind.”

”Then I won’t hold back.”

She took the spirit of limited practical use but immense value, the Weakling spirit. It activated only when a sorcerer faced a stronger opponent and granted enhancements across all attributes, including strength, agility, mana, processing speed, and more.

The larger the power gap, the stronger the boost.

It sounded useful on paper, but in reality, the boost was rarely enough to overcome a meaningful gap in strength. If both sides were evenly matched, it offered no advantage at all, and if the opponent was far stronger, it still wouldn’t be able to turn the tide. Instead, it often became a psychological trap, making the sorcerer feel weak simply because the Weakling spirit had judged them as such.

Many battles between sorcerers were decided not by raw power, but by who made fewer mistakes and who could endure longer. Under those conditions, this subtle ”you are weak” suggestion became especially dangerous. It eroded confidence, hastened errors, and caused defeats to arrive faster and more decisively. In that sense, the Weakling spirit was almost like a curse. Once it deemed you destined to lose, that belief itself all but guaranteed the outcome.

Nevertheless, the Weakling spirit was extremely valuable. Unlike most spirits, it could not be obtained through cultivation or study. The only time it might appear was after a weaker sorcerer triumphed over a far stronger foe in a near-miraculous victory, and even then, its emergence was far from guaranteed.

It was also one of the most mysterious spirits of the Fate lineage. Because of its exceptional research value, demand for it far exceeded supply. Countless sorcerers sought to use the Weakling spirit as a key to studying Fate-based powers, making it perpetually scarce on the market.

Naturally, Felix claimed the final spirit, Sorrowful Wind.

With the spirits and experience orbs now distributed, the group turned their attention to the shared Miracle techniques. The contract strictly forbade copying or leaking them. Felix kept the original records, but everyone else was allowed to study them.

The chest contained ten Miracle techniques, but only one belonged to the Sword Class. It was a Miracle formed from the Killing Intent and the Wave spirit, Darklight Slash, capable of delivering concussive strikes. Sonya made sure to memorize it thoroughly.

Once the treasures were fully divided, Adele picked up the chest again. She narrowed her eyes and carefully inspected it.

”What are you doing?” Louisa asked, curious.

”I’m checking for hidden compartments,” Adele replied seriously. ”There might be more treasures Felix is keeping to himself.”

Angelica laughed. ”It’s already in the contract. Felix must report anything he finds for distribution.”

”Good, the contract is thorough,” Adele added.

Sonya added, ”And if we discover secrets within these spirits, we’ll have to share them with Felix, too.”

Louisa turned to Sonya. ”Wait, why? Once the spirits are in our hands, aren’t they ours?”

Sonya paused, then said, ”I’ll keep the Swordsmanship Orb and Fission spirit. You three can share Stream, Water Therapy, and Weakling. Deal?”

There were no objections. Sonya had contributed resources to partake in the treasure; the others were simply riding her coattails. Had she been bolder, she could have claimed sixty percent of the treasure on her own. For safety, she chose to yield some benefits to secure their loyalty.

She added, ”But since you’re not full-fledged sorcerers yet, I’ll hold onto these spirits for now and return them once you’ve matured.”

Adele froze. ”That sounds familiar—”

”Or, if you prefer, you could sell the spirits and split the money three ways,” Sonya added.

Louisa shook her head. ”I want the Stream spirit. Since it’s the most valuable, I can compensate the others a bit for it.”

Stream, like Torrent, was a top-tier Water Class spirit with excellent mobility. Louisa wouldn’t miss it.

Adele looked at Angelica. ”I’ll take the Water Therapy spirit. Healers are in high demand, according to my mother.”

Angelica didn’t object. ”Then I’ll take the Weakling spirit.”

With the distribution settled, Felix was about to speak when Adele asked, ”Do you have any snacks or red tea?”

Felix paused. ”There’s some in the kitchen...”

”Then is it afternoon tea time?” Adele asked, her voice full of excitement. ”I’ve never had a tea party in a villa this fancy! We have to take pictures!”

Felix raised an eyebrow. ”Pictures?”

”Of course!” Adele said matter-of-factly. ”Otherwise, it’d be a wasted trip.”

Louisa nodded in agreement. ”Everyone saw us leave in your car. A few tea-party photos will explain our afternoon.”

”Exactly!” Adele exclaimed, then dashed toward the stairs. ”I’ll check what snacks the kitchen has!”

Louisa and Angelica exchanged a glance, sighed, and followed. Shared secrets were excellent social glue, and after this treasure event, their bond had subtly strengthened.

Sonya paused at the stairs and glanced back at Felix, still seated. ”Aren’t you coming?”

”I’m not interested. Enjoy yourselves,” Felix replied, clutching the locket he had just claimed. ”I have other matters to attend to.”

”You’re not going to practice swordsmanship anymore?” Sonya asked.

Half of the spirits and orbs he had taken weren’t sword-related, and only one Miracle in the chest belonged to the Sword Class. Clearly, his mother hadn’t intended for him to pursue swordsmanship.

Felix smiled faintly. ”Professor Trosan is a good teacher. I still need his protection for now. I’ll continue with swordsmanship, but I’ll never match you.”

Sonya raised an eyebrow. ”Does the second young master of the Vlozrada family even need protection?”

Felix’s voice turned cold. ”Forget a mere second son. Even the Duke of Vlozrada must watch for revenge from the shadows.”

”You noble circles are messy,” Sonya commented dryly.

He shook his head. ”But you still want to be part of it, don’t you? Sometimes, I envy you, Sonya Selby...”

Sonya waved dismissively. ”Enough of this. Spoiled noble boys shouldn’t say such disgusting things. But since I’m your senior and benefited from this treasure, I’ll give you a heads-up.”

Felix pouted slightly. He was helpless against her calling herself his senior. Nevertheless, he couldn’t deny the fact that Professor Trosan had accepted Sonya as a student before him. Chronologically, she did come first.

”If you ever need to flee from noble conflicts, or end up homeless...”

Felix blinked. I’ve even brought up the Duke. Is she really so bold as to continue involving herself in my affairs? Perhaps I need to reassess her...

”Just remember not to come to me. To avoid suspicion and protect my future, I’d first lure you into staying, then have you arrested and traded in for a noble title. Consider this a fair warning. If you later panic and rely on me, don’t blame me for being ruthless and unforgiving.”

Despite her unexpected tone, Felix couldn’t help but revise his impression of Sonya.