The Sorcerer's Handbook

On May 10, Gospel Time, at exactly 23:59:59.

The first future ranking was released.

The six of them in the living room flipped to the bookmarked page simultaneously, eyes fixed as the page shimmered and shifted. Pictures and text blurred together... then, astonishingly, it became a video player.

”Video?”

The young butler explained, ”The previous edition was still in image form. But each Woven Festival updates its release method to match the times. Lately, video has become the main medium.”

As he spoke, the scenes in the Book of Gospel flashed rapidly, offering glimpses of youths, elves, orcs, and goblins. Some appeared refined and handsome, while others looked stern and antiquated. Some were grotesque and burly, yet others stood elegant and aloof. Despite their differences, everyone held a brush in their hand.

With a flourish of ink and color, the title of the first ranking was ceremoniously presented.

[Art Ranking]

Harvey yawned. ”Not me.”

”I wish it were me,” Pankey said with a smile. ”I like drawing... Miss, for all you know, you may end up on the list.”

Annan laughed. ”I’m not as skilled as you, Pankey.”

Iger paused. ”I do like drawing... but I have no intention of pursuing it seriously.”

The fraudster glanced at Ashe. He cleared his throat, about to speak, but Iger’s attention swept past him and settled on the white-haired little girl. ”Lys, do you like drawing?”

”Hmm...” Lys checked her mirror before answering. ”I really like it!”

Ashe interjected, a hint of indignation in his voice. ”Why didn’t you ask me?”

Iger ignored him. ”Look, the tenth-ranked artwork is about to be announced.”

Ashe protested, ”Don’t dodge my question!”

The scene shifted again. A well-dressed male elf bent over his desk in what looked like a dingy basement. His clothes were patched and worn. Before him, a glowing screen showed a comic coming to life beneath his pen.

[Art Ranking No.10: From the Old Era]

Synopsis: A comic depicting the transition from the Old Gospel Era to the New Wasteland Era. The creator draws from personal experience to portray individuals, society, fate, and displacement amid historical change, telling history through the medium of manga.

Creator: Lanbess Winterbay

Annan gasped. ”The Winterbay family! He’s from the elf Winterbay line!”

More than the creator’s identity, it was the synopsis that captured everyone’s attention. The Old Gospel Era? The New Wasteland Era? What could that signify?

Even more puzzling was why Lanbess, a member of the esteemed elf Winterbay family, was living in a filthy basement, dressed in patched clothes, creating art under such harsh conditions. Even the poorest commoners could afford mechanical spiders. This was practically living in a sewer!

Yet the intrigue didn’t stop at the artwork or its creator; the historical context of its creation added another layer of fascination.

[Lanbess Winterbay receives the reward Conversational Pen]

Conversational Pen

- Any character created with this pen can converse with its creator. Only the creator can hear their inner thoughts. Treat your fictional characters well, or risk their merciless scolding!

[From the Old Era receives the reward Must-See]

Must-See

- The instant this work is completed, every household receives a copy. Simultaneously, the creator receives royalties equal to the number of copies distributed, drawn from the earnings of those ranked on the Slaughter Ranking at that time.

Everyone present couldn’t help but roll their eyes inwardly. Is that even a thing!?

The Conversational Pen certainly sounded intriguing. In the hands of a manga artist, it would be an invaluable treasure, but to this group of mere consumers with no interest in creation, it held little appeal.

Ashe couldn’t think of any practical use for it either. What? Am I supposed to draw a paper figure and fall in love with it?

There were far easier ways to interact with virtual characters. Iger could hypnotize someone, and Harvey could provide candy. If it came to it, Ashe himself had plenty of games to offer; after all, the digital world was already teeming with such characters.

What truly left them dumbfounded was the next reward.

Not only did the artwork receive a prize, but it would also be distributed nationwide the moment it was completed, ensuring every household received a copy. And if that wasn’t shocking enough, the creator’s royalties would be drawn from the top ten on the Slaughter Ranking.

Would people, upon receiving a hardcover comic out of nowhere, mutter, ”Thanks, Number One on the Slaughter Ranking”?

”No,” Annan said suddenly. ”Targeting the Slaughter Ranking makes sense, but monetary rewards like this usually come from the national treasury. There’s no precedent for taking money from the Slaughter Ranking, unless...”

Iger finished the thought. ”Unless the treasury no longer exists by then. Or the Gospel Kingdom itself is gone.”

Pankey and Annan both wore grim expressions. This was their homeland; unlike the orphans of the Blood Moon, they carried a deep, unshakable attachment to this land. In the shadows of the corner, no one noticed that Lys was wearing a faint, inscrutable smile.

Meanwhile, the video within the Gospel Book played on. Inside the basement, the elf artist, Lanbess, reached for a picture frame on his desk. Within it, a short goblin sorcerer sat painting at the foot of an obelisk. In an instant, the scene shifted from the basement to the plaza of the towering obelisk.

The goblin painted with astonishing speed. Every stroke was sharp and forceful, brimming with a desperate vitality.

As the final stroke fell, a brilliant light erupted from the tip of the obelisk. A visible energy barrier rippled outward, rapidly enveloping the entire city. At the city’s edge, rolling waves of darkness could be seen.

However, the moment the masterpiece was complete, the goblin sorcerer’s body crumbled into ash and was scattered by the wind. This was no mere act of creation; it was a Ritual Class Miracle that demanded the artist’s life as the final ingredient.

[Art Ranking No. 9: Monument of Protection]

Synopsis: The sorcerer channels his wisdom, soul, and mana into the obelisk through painting, drawing upon the power of the Virtual World to shield the city from disaster.

Creator: Mantose Chenno

Annan murmured, ”That obelisk... It’s Hemaira’s landmark. Hemaira is a plains city, also known as the God’s Favored Land. It is the second-largest urban hub in the Gospel Kingdom, a place that hasn’t seen so much as a tremor of disaster in a thousand years.”

No further explanation was necessary. One tragedy could be a coincidence, but two in such quick succession pointed to a single, chilling truth. In the future the Book of Gospel had woven, the kingdom was destined for a world-ending catastrophe.

In this light, art was no longer just art. It was the dark reflection of a terrible future that was already set in stone.