The Sorcerer's Handbook

The two Gunblade Class sorcerers stared at Sonya in utter confusion. She ended the call right after demanding help. The abrupt cut felt like a heroine suddenly being captured by the main villain in a play.

One of them asked cautiously, "Uh... Miss Selby... what exactly are you doing?"

Sonya waved her hand dismissively. "Ah, this has nothing to do with you. You're just doing your job, so I won't blame you. But two minutes of my time have already been wasted. Someone has to take responsibility. I'm only a student, so I don't have the authority to demand an explanation from Truth University. That's why I called my professor. Professor Trosan may only be a Sacred Realm sorcerer, but he still carries some weight.

"When he arrives, just tell him the truth. Tell him who ordered you to stop me, and who tried to restrict my access. Professor Trosan has a terrible temper, but he doesn't go around murdering people. You won't be in any danger."

The two guards exchanged a tense glance. They quickly tapped on their Miracle Bracelets, then stepped aside. "The administration has approved your entry. Please proceed."

"No, no," Sonya shook her head, rejecting them outright. "I've already called Professor Trosan. I'll wait here and report my grievances properly. I can't play this card often, so now that I've used it, I should make the most of it. Don't worry, I really don't blame you. But I'd advise you not to be stubborn. For the salary you earn, it isn't worth offending a Sacred Realm sorcerer."

"Miss Selby, please calm down. There's no need to be upset. We'll immediately—"

Sonya smiled. "So you do know I'm upset. Look, I'm already this angry just because my time was wasted. Now think about it. If Professor Trosan gets tricked into coming all the way here, causing him to waste his time, do you think he'll be even angrier? I'm his student. Naturally, he won't take it out on me. So then, who do you think he'll vent on?"

That was a total lie. Sonya's relationship with Trosan wasn't actually that good, and Trosan absolutely loathed being deceived. She would inevitably receive a brutal scolding from him later.

However, Trosan also cared deeply about his reputation. Since he had personally arranged Sonya's access to the Time Training Chamber, the fact that Sonya was blocked outside and had now actively called him over meant that no matter how annoyed he felt with her, he would have to defend her honor.

Even if Truth University had acted strictly within the rules, it wouldn't have mattered. Unlike Prophecy Class sorcerers, Sword Class sorcerers followed their hearts and trusted their own raw judgment. When it was time to draw the sword, they drew it.

Perhaps it was a shared instinct among their kind; Sonya felt certain that Trosan would stand firmly on her side and never bow to Truth University. The reason? Trosan did not practice the adaptable Mind Class, nor the gentle, yielding Water Class. He practiced Sword Class sorcery, a discipline that emphasized charging forward without a single trace of hesitation.

If he knew his student was in the right but still chose to back down, he could forget about ever raising his Sword Class to the Legendary level.

Sonya felt a faint realization stir within herself as well. If she swallowed this humiliation and slunk away quietly, she would never be able to advance her own Sword Class to the Sacred Realm level until she exacted her revenge.

It was then that Sonya realized cultivating a sorcery class was not limited to combat and training. Instead, it intertwined directly with one's conduct, emotions, and way of thinking.

Sonya had met many Sword Class sorcerers. They ran the gamut from sloppy to meticulous, and from cheerful to gloomy, but they all shared a single defining trait. None of them was weak-minded. Even in defeat, their eyes still burned with a sharp promise, as if proclaiming to their opponent, Just you wait.

Back in her first year, Sonya had chosen Water Class sorcery because it matched her ideal self. It was low-key yet elegant, gentle yet not weak, and capable of compromise while holding firm to principles. If she had remained a Water Class sorcerer, perhaps she could have found a softer, more graceful way to deflect this malice.

Then the Watcher came along and insisted she pick up swordsmanship. After experiencing again and again what it meant to defend her dignity with a blade, she could no longer return to being that timid village girl.

Even the Watcher wouldn't dare put me through something like this, she thought bitterly. Why should I hold it in and let you bully me as you please?

The guard pleaded, "Miss Selby, please don't say such things. We promptly reported your visit to the administration. This delay is entirely reasonable—"

"Sorry. Sword Class sorcerers are just uncultured like that. Save those explanations for a Sacred Realm sorcerer."

Realizing they couldn't persuade her, the guards went quiet. Soon, a young teaching assistant came hurrying over. "Miss Selby—"

Sonya cut him off instantly. "Have I offended you?"

"Of course not—"

"Then why are you stopping me from entering the training room?"

The assistant sighed helplessly. "You've misunderstood. Recently, the school strengthened its security—"

Sonya interrupted him again, summoning a spirit into her palm. "Fine. This is the Sincerity spirit. When someone lies in front of it, it changes color. Now, say it again. What exactly am I misunderstanding?"

The assistant's expression faltered. He forced a strained smile. "It's quite rare for a Sword Class sorcerer to possess a Mind Class spirit..."

Sonya said nothing. She merely stared at him with freezing eyes. After a heavy silence, the assistant let out a defeated sigh. "I'm a nobody. Please, don't make things difficult for me."

"Alright. I won't make things difficult for you."

Sonya tilted her head back and looked toward the sky. The others instinctively followed her gaze. A streak of blinding sword light cut through the blue sky, tearing across the clouds as it plummeted toward them. When the light vanished upon landing, it revealed a swordsman with wildly tousled hair.

He glanced at Sonya. "I thought by the time I arrived, you'd at least be half-dead, if not worse."

"Are you here to save me, or just to watch me get humiliated?"

Trosan swept a sharp gaze over the gathered crowd. "Why not both? I violated the Cailleach Airspace Prohibition Act to get here. Surely you didn't call me out just to take a tour of Truth University, did you?"

Sonya spread her hands innocently. "Here is what happened. They tried to stop me from entering the Time Training Chamber. They told me I shouldn't make things difficult for them, so I called you. You were the one who secured my access to the training room, after all. If they block me, they aren't just slapping me in the face. They're slapping yours."

Trosan shot his student a sharp glare, tugged irritably at his coat, and turned to face the assistant.

"Professor Trosan, Miss Selby, this really is just a mis—"

The moment Sonya summoned the Sincerity spirit again, the assistant faltered, his voice dying in his throat.

"I lied to you. Sincerity can't actually detect lies," Sonya said with a bright smile. "So feel free to lie straight to a Sacred Realm sorcerer's face. Don't hold back."

The assistant slumped forward, looking as though his spine had been pulled right out of him. He let out a long, ragged breath. "I guarantee this kind of mistake won't happen again."

"So you start owning up to things the moment I arrive? I'm not some confession spirit," Trosan said, cocking an eyebrow. "Tell me. Who exactly is targeting my student?"

The assistant looked up weakly. "Professor... have you considered whether you might have offended someone recently?"

Trosan thought for a moment and began counting on his fingers. "One, two, three, four, five..."

"Forget I asked," Sonya walked toward the gray-white building, calling back over her shoulder, "I'll leave the rest to you, Professor. I'm going in to train. I've already wasted fifteen minutes... Still, Professor, I don't believe a single word of his promise. Can you at least assure me that I won't run into this kind of baseless hostility again?"

Trosan snorted coldly. "Who is the professor here? And you expect me to make promises to you?"

Sonya shrugged. As she turned to leave, she heard Trosan add, "Next time, just call me directly. There's no need to scream like you're being murdered."

Good. That settles it.

Sonya knew that this time, Professor Trosan would definitely blow things out of proportion. He would stir up trouble so massive that everyone would get dragged into the fallout, forcing even Truth University to lose face. And that was exactly what she wanted.

You can disgust me all you want, but don't expect to walk away unscathed. At worst, I'll get a beating from Professor Trosan when I get back, but you'll be losing your bonuses.

***

Inside the Time Training Chamber.

The facility was divided into three distinct zones: Strength, Agility, and Intelligence. Sonya had reserved the Strength zone. The moment she stepped inside, her heart began pounding violently against her ribs. Under the sudden, crushing weight of increased gravity, she nearly dropped to her knees.

[Time Training Chamber – Level 1]

- Time Acceleration: 1.1x

- Gravity Enhancement: 1.1x

As one of Truth University's most sought-after facilities, its effectiveness was beyond question. A 1.1x gravity increase provided comprehensive conditioning for the entire body, even down to the internal organs, boosting the cultivation efficiency of weaker disciplines by at least 25%. Meanwhile, the 1.1x time acceleration didn't actually speed up reality. Rather, it accelerated the sorcerer's perception of it.

To Sonya, her thoughts had quickened, but her body remained the same. If anything, the heavier gravity made her movements feel even more sluggish. Yet, if she could endure training under these conditions, both her body and soul would be significantly strengthened, pushing her perception and reaction speeds past their limits.

The training room provided self-repairing armor constructs. Sonya changed into her gear, drew her wooden sword, and began practicing. But after just ten minutes, her breathing grew ragged, and her form started to break down.

Compared to sorcerers who had grown up well-nourished and physically conditioned since childhood, Sonya's foundation was simply too weak. Forget comparing herself to high nobles like Felix and Angelica. Even alongside Adele and Louisa, her basic physical condition fell far short.

A lack of proper nutrition in childhood couldn't be fully compensated for later in life. The Watcher's forced training had allowed her to quickly catch up to formal Sword Class sorcerers, but it had also severely depleted her body's latent potential.

That was precisely why ordinary training could no longer push her further and why she had applied to use the Time Training Room. But her body had little left to give, and she was rapidly redlining.

Fortunately, Sonya had prepared for this.

Sword Body spirit!

A faint layer of sword energy coated her skin, organs, tissues, and muscles. Instantly, even the slightest movement sent sharp pain coursing through her entire body.

However, it carried two major drawbacks. First, the baseline absorption rate was abysmally low. Only when a sorcerer was utterly exhausted and kept pushing could the sword aura slowly replace their spent physical potential. Second, as long as the aura was active, every micro-movement caused piercing nerve pain.

Consequently, even dedicated Sword Class sorcerers rarely used the Sword Body spirit to strengthen themselves unless they possessed a method to numb the pain. Sonya didn't have an ability like that, but she had her own workaround.

Forced Training!

After many days of testing, Sonya had discovered she could activate Forced Training in advance, freeing up her evenings. More importantly, she could split its two-hour duration into segments.

In other words, she could train on her own first. Then, the exact moment her body reached utter exhaustion, she could trigger Forced Training, letting the Watcher's power drive her body to continue refining itself. Just like now.

Her chaotic breathing instantly steadied. Her distorted posture corrected itself. The stabbing pain of the sword energy was suppressed into silent screams, and her exhaustion bled out drop by drop in sweat.

Of course, such extreme training came with a cost.

The first thing to give out wasn't her body. It was her mind. When the agony and exhaustion threatened to drown her consciousness, Sonya immediately halted the training and activated the Sincerity spirit, heavily boosting her mental resilience. She forcibly endured the bone-deep fatigue and the intense pain locking up every limb.

Thud.

The moment she exited the Forced Training state, she collapsed onto the floor, feeling as though she were melting like ice cream in the sun. Her clothes were so soaked that it looked as if she had just been dragged out of a river, and her tear glands were working overtime. Sonya couldn't even tell if she was crying from the pain or pure exhaustion.

So tired... it hurts so much... I can't do this... I want to die...

She suddenly recalled her earlier conversation with the assistant and couldn't help but let out a bitter smile.

If only I could truly find joy in training... Maybe that's how most geniuses work. Unfortunately, I'm not one of them. What drives me forward has never been the joy of training, but...

Sonya rested for a long time. Then, she sat up, gulped down a large bottle of water, gritted her teeth, and forced herself back onto her feet, continuing her training.

***

That evening, when Sonya returned to the dorm, she immediately collapsed onto her desk.

Louisa glanced at her. "Tired?"

"Yeah."

"If you're tired, go shower and sleep."

"I can't," The Claw-Stretching Club President stretched lazily and pulled out several thick books. "I still need to study."

Adele poked her head out from her bed. "Haven't you already read those books about the Continent of Time?"

"One read isn't enough to remember everything. There are lots of details that are easy to miss," the village girl said seriously. "If I don't go over them a few more times now, I'll be in trouble if I can't recall them in the Virtual World."

Seeing how determined she was, Louisa and Adele refrained from stopping her.

However, after reading for a while, the village girl suddenly exclaimed, "Ah! I almost forgot!"

Adele leaned over. "Did you forget to do laundry? Me too. Throw mine in with yours."

"I've got a voice test in a couple of days. I need to practice my vocal cords!"

Louisa counted on her fingers. "Filming, releasing a single, studying, training, and preparing for the intercollegiate league... I haven't seen you rest at all lately. Don't you get tired?"

Adele said, "Is Sonya really that miserable? Fine, then I'll help you with the laundry."

Sonya lifted her head. "I am tired, but these are all the things I have to do. I don't want to grow old and regret not seizing these opportunities while I'm young."

"I don't think you'll even get the chance to grow old," Louisa said dryly. "I wouldn't even be surprised if you suddenly drop dead in bed one day."

"If she does, will the school waive all our papers to keep us quiet?" Adele asked.

"Don't worry, I do rest properly when I can. No need to worry about me."

Sonya smiled and waved goodbye to her roommates. But as she reached the door, she suddenly stopped.

After a moment, she said, "I won't be coming back tonight."

Louisa blinked. "You're going to practice your voice all night? Are you training your voice or trying to murder it?"

"No," Sonya shook her head, her eyes shining like stars. "My soul has fully recovered."

With that, she left like the wind, giving Louisa and the others no time to respond.

Adele wondered aloud. "How did she recover so quickly? I heard that for Two-Winged sorcerers, soul recovery usually takes a long time... Could it be because she was bitten to death by a Lala Fat, so the soul wound was relatively shallow?"

"I thought she'd take it easy for a while after dying in the Virtual World this time," Louisa sighed. "I didn't expect her to push herself even harder... At least before, she still got some sleep and rest. Now that her soul's recovered, she's going all out in reality and the Virtual World."

Adele nodded. "Every time I see Sonya working this hard, I feel guilty enough to turn over in bed."

Louisa rolled her eyes. "By the way, that fan group of Sonya's... add me in. I'll help manage operations."

"Weren't you uninterested before?"

"I'm still not. But... well, I've got nothing better to do."

***

At the Meditation Tower.

As usual, Sonya found the Gate of Truth and let herself sink into the Virtual World. When she opened her eyes, the long-absent Ascending Golden Rain once again filled her vision.

She sat in the back seat of the sports car. The witch sat beside her, while the Watcher occupied the front seat.

Ashe checked the Virtual World Map. "Hmm... Let me see how far we are from the Spider Tower area... Huh?"

He turned around, only to see the Swordswoman vault over the back seat, reach out, and wrap her arms around his neck, resting her head on his shoulder.

Ashe blinked. "Swordswoman, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. Don't move. Just let me stay like this for a while," Sonya took a deep, greedy breath, gently rubbing her head against him. At that moment, the exhaustion, grievances, and pretenses she had carried throughout the entire day seemed to melt away. "I've just been a little tired lately."