The Sorcerer's Handbook

Inside the Good Moonlight Agency in Azura.

The Red Cicada Duchess, Aina Aldo, was also watching the real-time updates of the Book of Gospel. "Ashe Heath actually made the rankings twice in a row... Is this the secret of the Dolan inheritance?"

She was too old, which was why she hadn't joined the operation to capture Annan and her squad. While she was a Sacred Realm sorcerer, she was also an elderly woman, and a sorcerer's growth in power did not extend their lifespan. When it came to longevity, Sacred Realm sorcerers differed very little from ordinary people. In a peaceful era like this, sorcerers might even die early from excessive soul depletion, while ordinary people lived out their years in stable comfort.

The Duchess's mana remained at its peak, but her aging body wore down more than just her stamina. It eroded her will. Compared to decades ago, she no longer possessed the bold drive of her youth. She felt no more curiosity or longing toward the Virtual World. Entering it every night felt like visiting a grave. Simply put, she was tired of it. Even if the Virtual World were a handsome man, after all these years, she would have long since lost interest.

Just as middle-aged men might turn to hobbies like fishing, collecting tech gadgets, gaming, or studying philosophy once certain "drives" faded, the Duchess had devoted all her attention to running her agency after growing weary of the Virtual World. Building alliances, exchanging favors, weaving networks... the more wine a sorcerer drank, the less blood she would see. Among stability, career, and strength, life always demanded the sacrifice of at least one.

In recent years, the Duchess rarely took on missions personally. After all, she had established the agency so her subordinates could work for her. If she still had to do everything herself, what was the point of opening it? Moreover, this operation already included two Three-Winged Red Hats. If two Sacred Realm sorcerers couldn't handle it, a third would make no difference.

However, unlike the Red Hats, the Good Moonlight Agency's primary target was Annan, with the others being secondary. Giving someone a fish could never compare to teaching them how to fish. If they could obtain Annan's method of foreseeing the future, its value would far exceed the Woven Festival itself.

Yes, the Duchess had already confirmed that Annan possessed a way to predict the future.

When she first learned that Annan and the others had fled toward Vanmura, she already suspected that the second ranking had something to do with noble families. Just as soaking an ordinary crab in a famous lake could instantly inflate its market value, Annan had thrown her "tools" into Vanmura, the great dye vat of noble families. That act alone was enough to mislead the Woven Festival into overestimating the value of those "tools," prompting it to make an impulsive "purchase."

As someone in the same line of work, the Duchess understood this logic all too well. The Gospel continuously evolved and improved, but it still followed rigid operational rules. There were still too many loopholes to exploit.

In truth, the flaw in the Woven Festival was no secret. If the Gospel were like a girl who held all local intelligence, then Annan's method of bringing in outsiders like Ashe was no different from deceiving a naive girl with smooth-talking scoundrels. She would have them pose as wealthy, refined young nobles and use that facade to mislead the Gospel into a false judgment.

However, one critical difficulty remained with this plan. How had Annan known the contents of the rankings in advance, allowing her "tools" to target the Gospel with such precision?

A single phrase surfaced in the Duchess's mind. Foreknowledge of the future.

Annan couldn't have mastered the Prophecy Class. The Woven Festival was a miracle the Omniscient Weaver bestowed upon the Gospel Kingdom. If even a Legendary Prophecy Class sorcerer couldn't glimpse a shadow of the Gospel, there was no way a mere Two-Winged sorcerer like Annan could pull it off. That left only one possibility.

The Duchess sighed. "Now that everyone knows the Dolan family has found a loophole and can use the Book of Gospel to foresee the future, it will only draw in more competitors."

When the first ranking appeared, most agencies still doubted Annan's abilities. Furthermore, due to the geographic distance, only the Good Moonlight Agency and the Blissful Peace Agency had actually mobilized.

Things were different now. As long as others investigated Annan's travel route, they could easily connect the dots and realize she could predict the rankings in advance. Agencies from other regions, powerful corporations, and even royal families would surely take an interest. The Good Moonlight Agency might not even be able to capture Annan. Even if they did, they likely couldn't keep her.

With that thought, the Duchess decided to cut her losses. It was time to withdraw.

She picked up the phone and instructed her subordinates to pull back.

At that exact moment, the Book of Gospel updated once more, revealing yet another ranking.

[Family Ranking No.9: Machina Spirit Clan · Aldo]

The Duchess, Aina Aldo, froze for a moment. Aldo?

Machina Spirit Clan: A new undead unit type, formed by fusing members of the Good Moonlight Agency with liquid metal. Neither fully mechanical nor entirely undead, they possess the following innate traits:

1. Cloud Computing Miracle: The core of a Machina Spirit is a soul chip capable of generating the purest computational thought. A sorcerer holding supreme authority over the Machina Spirits can command them to pre-load Miracles, allowing for instantaneous activation when needed.

2. Electro-Healing: Machina Spirits can restore and sustain their spiritual bodies by absorbing specific intensities of electrical energy.

3. Autonomous Operation: Machina Spirits are the ultimate workforce, capable of performing repetitive labor around the clock without rest.

Family Leader: Aina Aldo

In the projection, a cohort of identical, silver-white mechanical beings worked in flawless, synchronized order. Their hands were articulated mechanical arms, their lower bodies consisted of heavy tracks designed for rapid maneuvering, and behind them loomed a massive mechanical fortress under construction.

The Duchess stared at the scene, utterly stunned. What does it mean to fuse members of the Good Moonlight Agency with liquid metal? How can a living human combine with liquid metal? Are they going to submerge a person in molten iron?

At first glance, compared to the Mist Spirits with their clear combat capabilities, these Machina Spirits looked like nothing more than line workers. Yet, the longer she analyzed their abilities, the more tempted she became.

The first trait allowed for the pre-loading of Miracles. Many advanced spells required intricate coordination between multiple spirits, creating massive variance in casting times. Some were instant, while others demanded dozens of minutes of painstaking preparation. If the Machina Spirits could pre-load Miracles, both their combat prowess and production efficiency would see a significant improvement.

In battles, every Miracle, even highly complex composite spells, could be unleashed instantly. In production, preparation times would evaporate, and the need for trial-and-error would vanish. After all, mastering production Miracles typically squandered dozens, if not hundreds, of batches of raw materials.

The second trait, Electro-Healing, meant the Machina Spirits required no feeding costs. Electricity was the cheapest source of energy in the Gospel Kingdom. Creatures that could subsist entirely on electricity were far easier to maintain than conventional automatons. After all, standard machines still incurred high costs from mechanical wear and tear.

The third trait, Autonomous Operation, ensured that even if their entire computational capacity was diverted to pre-loading Miracles, their bodies would still seamlessly continue labor and manufacturing, pushing productivity to its absolute limit.

What commander wouldn't be tempted by such pure, tireless worker units? Nevertheless, as exhilarating as commanding such a force might be, becoming one of those units was a far more terrifying prospect.

[Aina Aldo receives the reward Liquid Metal Chip.]

Liquid Metal Chip

- Allows the wearer to freely shift between Machina Spirit and human form. While in Machina Spirit form, the wearer retains all sorcerer-related abilities.

A faint chill spread across the back of Aina's neck. She felt as though something had been forcibly slotted into her spine. She closed her eyes briefly, only to feel countless streams of liquid mercury cascade from the nape of her neck, enveloping her entire body.

A few seconds later, a noticeably younger version of Aina Aldo materialized in the mirror.

Just like the Mist Spirit Ring before it, the Liquid Metal Chip came embedded with its own memory footage.

"This concept of yours is quite fascinating. A fusion of steel and the undead, an intertwining of cold metal and death. It even incorporates the thriving mechanical factions of our current era... care to tell me where the inspiration came from?"

"Hmm? You mentioned wanting to construct an undead legion in Azura, so I thought of the Good Moonlight Agency. Then I recalled how they used to control intelligent machines to hunt us down. Since they enjoy manipulating machinery so much, I decided to turn them into machines. Call it nothing more than a petty desire for revenge."

"A source of inspiration entirely devoid of artistic merit."

"Thank you. I'll take that as praise. Now then... Red Cicada Duchess, or should I say, Machina Spirit Unit 001, I appoint you as the head of the Aldo Production Corps. From this moment on, every single second must be spent working hard to afford me a better life."

In her rigid, silver-white mechanical form, Aina replied, "Yes. Your command is the ultimate destiny of all Machina Spirits."

Aina watched the playback in chilling silence.

At that exact moment, the call she had placed earlier finally connected, and her subordinate's voice crackled through the receiver. "Duchess, what are your orders?"

"Have you captured Annan, Ashe, and the others?"

"No, ma'am. The Book of Gospel shows no record of any vehicles leaving Vanmura. They likely escaped through alternative means... should we withdraw our forces?"

The Duchess stood up, her gaze hardening. "No. Hold your positions. I am coming to join you."

"What?" The subordinate sounded completely caught off guard. "Duchess, are you planning to lead the operation personally?"

The Duchess snapped her fingers sharply. "That's right."

A sleek, hovering car glided in, docking smoothly at her balcony.

"Once someone has offended me, they don't get to just walk away unscathed. After all these years of enjoying the fine wine, it's time to make others bleed."