The Sorcerer's Handbook

Leona turned and glanced back at the world behind her, which was gradually fading into shades of black and white. ”Hm?”

She wondered, ”Did something fall... or is this some unusual Virtual World phenomenon?”

It was her first day on the Continent of Time. The Orange Dancer was still feeling her way through unfamiliar territory. Everything felt strange and extraordinary to her. Still, she knew she had to move quickly. Otherwise... time would catch up with her.

***

Ashe lay sprawled on the grass. ”I actually survived...”

He sat up, shaking his head to regain his balance.

When they had plunged into the Golden Sea, both of them had lost all sense of direction. The world had twisted and rolled like a tumbling dice, making controlled flight impossible. They could only follow the Virtual World’s gravity and fall straight downward.

Ashe had thought this would be the end, that after all his grandiose claims, he was about to crash back into the Sea of Knowledge. Yet feeling the grass beneath him, he realized at least his dignity was preserved.

Sonya called out, ”Watcher, look.”

Ashe lifted his head and saw a scene almost as mesmerizing as the scales of the Golden Fish. Instead of falling, golden rain was rising upward, from the ground toward the sky.”

They stood in a dense forest, surrounded by towering, ancient trees with thick foliage that blocked the sun. Yet even through the canopy, Ashe could see a massive white pillar stretching from earth to sky. Around it, countless droplets of golden rain ascended.

He whispered in awe, ”Is this... how the world of the strong looks?”

Sonya explained, ”That’s the Golden Rain of Time. It’s similar to the Knowledge White Mist of the Sea of Knowledge. To absorb Gold Mana and form our second virtual wing, we need to follow in the steps of the Ox’s Hooves and undergo the baptism of this golden rain.”

”Ox’s Hooves?”

”That white pillar is one of the Ox’s Hooves. See it moving?”

Ashe focused and noticed the pillar moving forward in small increments. Its seemingly slow speed was an illusion. Even from several kilometers away, Ashe could clearly see it moving. Its actual speed likely exceeded ten meters per second.”

”Why is it called the Ox’s Hoof?”

”Because it is. There are three more hooves, farther away. Together, these four belong to the massive Virtual World beast known as the Ox that walks across the Continent of Time.”

Sonya continued, ”It has many names, like Fate Weaver, Celestial Chariot Ox, and Time Walker, but most simply call it the White Ox.”

”The White Ox’s footprints carve out the Golden River. Water from this river can manipulate time. The flora and fauna nourished by it grow at extraordinary speed, releasing droplets of the golden rain that ascend back to the sky.”

She touched a nearby foxtail grass. ”Had we arrived earlier, we would be standing in the golden rain right now.”

Ashe gazed at the sky, blanketed in ascending golden droplets. ”The Golden River... the Ascending Golden Rain... and the White Ox... So this... this is the Continent of Time.”

Drip.

A crisp drop of water echoed nearby. Ashe and Sonya’s Silver Wings manifested on their own, radiating dazzling, silvery light.

Sonya exclaimed with thrill, ”That’s the Silver Blessing!”

She let herself feel the newfound power. Meanwhile, Ashe opened his operator management interface to assess their status.

[Death Maniac Swordswoman]

Species

- Human Female

Age

- 18

Bond Level

- 3 (50% experience shared)

Bond Resonance

- When acting together, there is a chance to obtain better loot.

Profession

- Soulbreaker Silver Sorcerer

Profession Trait

- Restores 0.5% maximum mana with every effective attack.

Silver Blessing · Revelry / Savagery

- Each time an enemy is defeated, including but not limited to sorcerer projections, Lnowledge Creatures, monsters, sorcerers, or construct creatures, increases critical rate and critical damage. Different traits may be triggered depending on the operator’s training path.

Extra Blessing Trait · Revelry

- The Swordswoman gains joy from victory and respects her enemies. This triggers the Revelry effect, which boosts Critical Damage. The higher her mood, the stronger the boost. It can reach up to 250% Critical Damage.

Extra Curse Trait · Savagery

- The Swordswoman can only ease her inner hunger through death and wails. She spares no effort in delivering despair to the disrespectful. This triggers the Savagery effect, which increases Critical Rate. The worse her mood, the higher the boost. It can reach up to 100% Critical Rate.

Knowledge Curse

- Whirlpool Poison, Exile Secret Poison, Golden Fish Secret Poison.

”This feels like a growth-oriented blessing...”

After a moment, Sonya mused, ”Blessings are a sorcerer’s most private secret. The university doesn’t keep detailed records about it, so developing a blessing requires personal exploration... Do you know what my blessing actually is?”

Ashe glanced at her. ”Your blessing is called Revelry. The more enemies you defeat, the higher your critical rate and critical damage.”

It sounded odd at first, but critical rate and critical damage weren’t unusual for sorcerers. Simply put, when a sorcerer activated their spirit, the spirit sometimes decided to work extra hard. That counted as a critical strike. Critical rate measured how often this happened, while critical damage measured the efficiency of the spirit’s overtime efforts. In simpler terms, the more rival companies the Swordwoman’s company absorbed, the more efficient its internal spirit ”employees” became.

Sonya frowned slightly. ”Revelry... what a strange name. I’m a refined, ladylike swordmaster. Why is Revelry even part of it?”

”Maybe the Virtual World has a slightly skewed idea of you,” Ashe responded with a twinge of guilt. ”You’re quiet, cute, gentle, kind, and approachable... Even I feel the Silver Blessing the Virtual World gave you doesn’t fully match your true nature.”

Sonya blushed at his words. ”It’s not that great... but this growth-oriented blessing is actually very useful. Once I fully develop it, it should make a big difference in our Virtual World exploration.”

Ashe silently exhaled in relief. The Swordswoman’s Silver Blessing had two potential development paths: Revelry and Savagery. Without question, he preferred the Revelry route. The Savagery path leaned far too negatively, and this wasn’t a mobile game where he could just put it on auto-play. He would need to accompany her every night in Virtual World exploration. If she embraced full negativity, every battle would be blood-soaked, and his mood wouldn’t survive it.

This path clearly was not something he could decide with a single click, like in a game. It required constant, long-term guidance, almost like raising a daughter. It was Ashe’s first time being a ”dad,” and he had no experience to rely on. In the end, he kept the plan simple. For now, he would keep teaching the Swordswoman about truth, kindness, and beauty. As long as she believed she was a sweet little fairy, she would not go astray.

Moreover, their bond level had just risen to three, with experience sharing now at fifty percent, making this all the more important.

Ashe suddenly wondered. Does the bond level reflect the Swordswoman’s feelings toward me, mine toward hers, or a mutual connection? And now that I think about it... Why have I chosen the Revelry path so instinctively? The Savagery route isn’t inherently worse, and a bad mood is easier to sustain than a good one. Yet I haven’t hesitated for even a second.