The Sorcerer's Handbook

"Then what about you? Do you ever think of me? Do you ever miss me so much that you can't sleep, hiding under your blanket and crying in secret? Do you like me even a fraction of the way I like you?

"Go ahead. Take my foolish devotion as a trophy and show it off to other girls. Tell them how cheap, how shameless I am. Then, pull whoever she is into your arms and tell her, 'Thank god I found you.'

"Don't worry. I won't cry, and I won't make a scene. Because I know now... I'm no longer your exception."

Miracle, Blood Blossom Watermoon!

Countless threads sliced through the air as a curtain of blood-colored blossoms erupted across the set. Amidst the crimson veil stood the Scarlet Swordswoman. Droplets of blood fell onto her face, tracking down her cheeks like streaks of tears.

"Beautiful! And that's a wrap!"

The suffocating tension on the set evaporated instantly. Sonya let out a long, grounding breath and walked over to a folding chair to rest. Her assistant hurried over, gently wiping the fake blood from her face before handing her a cup of lemon water. Nearby, the crew's illusionist and Earth Class sorcerer immediately set to work, reshaping the terrain according to the production blueprints. The low, rumbling groan of shifting earth became the background noise for the actors' break.

The director approached her. His six-lens glasses obscured his eyes, but his admiration was unmistakable. "Miss Selby, that was an exceptional performance. To be frank, given your lack of formal training and life experience, I was worried you would struggle with a character driven by such twisted love and obsession. I never expected you to tap into that headspace so quickly.

"You might not be matching the industry's top veterans just yet, but for a newcomer? The audience is going to be absolutely stunned. Casting you was the right call. Tell me... are you drawing from personal experience? That unrequited ache felt entirely too real."

Sonya offered a polished, professional smile. "Haha, of course not. I don't plan on dating until after graduation—"

"I love writing characters trapped in distorted romances," the director cut in, entirely absorbed in his own thoughts. "But actresses who can actually pull off that raw vulnerability are rare. I was just thinking that I'd love to cast you in similar roles for my future projects—"

"Actually, I've been trapped in a hopeless love for three years," Sonya blurted out, her expression pivoting instantly into a mask of profound sorrow. "That's the real reason I came to Cailleach and enrolled in Sword and Roses University. I desperately hoped that one day I could stand by his side as an equal. But when we finally crossed paths again... he was already engaged to my best friend."

The director adjusted his six-lens glasses, nodding solemnly. "Understood. I'll make sure to call you in for auditions whenever I have a script with that dynamic."

"Thank you so much, Director," Sonya chirped, her sorrow vanishing as seamlessly as it had appeared.

Her assistant stood by, completely stunned. Is that story real, or is she just messing with him?

The director continued, "Still, I'm truly sorry for the inconvenience I've caused today. This whole shoot was just a sudden whim of mine, and you've had to expend so much mana to make it happen."

In the original script, Sonya's character was supposed to simply decapitate her former lover with a single strike, then leave holding his severed head.

However, footage of Sonya defeating the Alchemist Tida with a single blow during the intercollegiate gala had already gone viral. Her spectacular Sword Class Miracle, Blood Blossom Watermoon, had drawn massive public attention. Seizing the opportunity, the director had revised the script on the spot, asking her to use that exact technique for the execution scene.

Sonya gladly accepted the extra spotlight. But to achieve the perfect visual effect, she filmed the sequence nine times. Now her mana was nearly depleted, and a faint dizziness clouded her mind.

"Oh, it's no trouble at all," Sonya replied sweetly. "As long as it makes for a better piece, it's entirely worth it. Honestly, I'm more concerned about whether this scene can actually be shown on the light screen. It's a bit bloody, and if I remember correctly, this show is meant for all ages"

The director waved his hand casually. "Relax, relax. I specialize in filming bloody scenes in romance dramas. We can't show everything, of course, but giving the audience a few glimpses lets their imagination fill in the blanks with something even more vivid. Besides, it's such a gorgeous, twisted scene... I'll stake my personal connections to make sure it doesn't get cut. Even if heavy editing is required, I'll ensure they keep your close-ups. Don't worry."

Sonya blinked. "Ah, was I really that obvious?"

"Not really. But an actor who doesn't care about screen time is as rare as a cat that never knocks over a glass of water."

As if on cue, a small golden tabby poked its head out from the director's fisherman's hat. The creature was no bigger than a palm, looking incredibly fluffy and chubby. It hopped lightly onto his chest pocket, skillfully fished out a Gold Coin, and slipped right back into the hat.

Sonya's eyes lit up. "Ah! That's..."

The director interrupted irritably, "That's right, a Gold Devourer. It won't let anyone touch it, it refuses to play, and it does nothing but eat Gold Coins and cause trouble. Cute, isn't it? It has cost me my absolute peace of mind. I'm convinced the Virtual World is targeting me personally. For a man who needs quiet, it grants me the least quiet creature in existence."

The Gold Devourer was a species native to the Continent of Time. While not classified as a Knowledge Creature, it was considered a rare species in the Starry Kingdom. When a sorcerer encountered a rare species in the Virtual World, there was a small chance it would latch onto them and follow them back into reality.

There was no concrete evidence that rare species provided any actual benefits to sorcerers. However, they were known to favor sorcerers who possessed three specific traits. First, they had to be at least a Two-Winged sorcerer. Second, they needed a kind heart capable of deep empathy. Last but not least, they required a simple, innocent mind. In other words, those chosen by rare species were inherently pure souls.

"No need to envy me, Miss Selby," the director said. "You might run into a Gold Devourer in the Virtual World yourself someday."

Sonya laughed, waving her hand. "Haha, that's impossible for me. I'm not from a noble family."

To her, only those of noble birth had the luxury of meeting all three conditions of strength, kindness, and innocence. Ordinary people, no matter how talented, had to sacrifice at least one of those traits just to survive in this world. In most cases, they couldn't maintain any of them. Strength aside, the latter two required a sheltered, careful upbringing to blossom.

"Since my scenes are done for the day, I'll head off first," Sonya said.

"Good work today," the director replied. "Are you heading back to campus?"

"No. I'm going to Truth University to use their Time Training Chamber. I finally managed to book a three-hour slot."

Her assistant looked at her with pure admiration. "You are so incredibly hardworking! No wonder everyone calls you the Rose of the university. Outstanding talent paired with relentless diligence. I can barely bring myself to study most days... For a genius like you, training must actually be enjoyable, right?"

"Mmm~" Sonya tilted her head, pretending to ponder the question. "It's not exactly fun. But I can clearly feel myself improving bit by bit. It's like playing a video game. Every so often, I can almost see EXP+5 popping up above my head."

The assistant sighed. "I guess it's true that ordinary people can never compare to geniuses. You truly deserve every bit of strength you have."

"I won't keep you any longer," the director said, adjusting his glasses once more. "Just don't push yourself too hard. And I don't just mean with your acting."

Sonya blinked in surprise, but the director had already turned away, entirely focused on planning the next scene.

Deep down, the village girl let out a faint laugh. A kind, caring heart... What an enviable luxury.

The assistant pulled her aside to change out of her costume before bringing her to the makeup artist. Because the execution scene required a subtle, refined look to highlight her character's dark charm, removing it was a tedious process. Even her eyebrows had to be meticulously cleaned strand by strand.

By the time Sonya finally left the tent, the set had already been completely transformed into a dense forest, where the male and female leads were currently filming.

As one of the largest film production bases in Cailleach, the defining feature of these studios was their absolute flexibility. With a bit of effort from Earth Class sorcerers and illusionists, any stage could be reshaped into a hyper-realistic environment. Standing on the set, it was impossible to tell illusion from reality. Such was the power of Miracles.

As for the distant scenery, that was even simpler. Using sorcerers' tools like the camera eyes, the illusionists could project real-time, real-world landscapes directly onto the background, blending the physical stage and the projection seamlessly. From lush forests and snowy tundras to underwater volcanic lava, anything could be perfectly recreated. The studio maintained several camera eyes stationed in various real-world locations for this purpose.

Sonya only realized after coming here that the films and dramas she watched on the light screen were, in truth, everyday life woven from Miracles. Even the crew members who weren't sorcerers had to master sorcerous tools. The director's six-lens glasses, for instance, allowed him to monitor six camera feeds simultaneously.

After stealing a glance at the male and female leads standing under the spotlight, Sonya slipped into her car and left the studio lot.

The film studio lay half an hour outside Cailleach's city center, and she had no intention of wasting the drive. Activating her Miracle Bracelet, she pulled up the Intercollegiate League Participant Profiles.

The exhibition tournament between the universities had already concluded. Next came the official opening of the intercollegiate league. The academy had compiled profiles on the top-seeded participants from each school, meticulously documenting their performances during the exchange matches. For several of the strongest contenders, Professor Trosan had even appended strategic notes detailing how a Sword Class sorcerer should respond.

Leona had once joked, "The league is over before it even begins." While that was an exaggeration, this analysis allowed Sonya to clearly gauge her strengths and weaknesses against different sorcery classes. She could even estimate her own league ranking, assuming, of course, that she made no major breakthroughs and her opponents weren't hiding any trump cards.

And this was merely the intelligence gathered by Sword and Roses University. Rumor had it that Truth University employed a professor proficient in Prophecy Class sorcery, who could deduce a participant's true combat potential from existing data and engineer flawless counter-strategies. In most matches, Truth University students crushed their opponents with overwhelming force, a dominance largely credited to that predictive analysis.

The league might not end before it began, but the war of attrition certainly started long before the opening ceremony. The universities would provide every ounce of support they could muster. It was up to the students to rapidly absorb those advantages, shoring up their weaknesses and honing their strengths before the league.

By the time Sonya's eyes grew weary from reading, the car had already pulled up outside Truth University.

Stepping out, she was immediately greeted by the sight of the sky-piercing white tower looming nearby. Ever since the Falling Stars incident, the white tower had anchored the center of Cailleach. The stars had not fallen since. Though she couldn't see them, Sonya knew a Star Prayer Devotee stood at the apex, maintaining the celestial balance.

While Truth University was closed to the general public, "public" did not extend to rival institutions. Students from other academies could enter, provided they showed proper identification.

"Sword and Roses?"

"Scarlet Swordswoman..."

Sonya's fame had surged recently, her trajectory nothing short of legendary. Even within the walls of Truth University, many had heard of this rising Sword Saint seed. Quite a few students recognized her as she walked by, though none approached. Instead, they merely nodded in acknowledgment. Sonya maintained her composure, returning every gaze, be it friendly or hostile, with a poised, graceful smile.

Eventually, she arrived at a gray-white building guarded by two Gunblade Class sorcerers. While the Gunblade Class was still in its infancy, its high combat efficacy and relatively low learning threshold, at least for those coming from the Sword and Gun Classes, had already made it standard issue among Silver Rank armed sorcerers.

As she stepped onto the stairs, one of the guards raised a hand to bar her path. "My apologies. This area is restricted. Non-university personnel are not permitted past this point."

"I've already booked a training room," Sonya replied, frowning in confusion. "The reservation should be visible on your system, shouldn't it?"

The guards wore Miracle Goggles linked to the academy's shared database. The device allowed them to instantly access basic information on anyone standing before them, making it a highly effective tool for catching rule-breakers. They could clearly see that Sonya wasn't a student here, but they should have been able to see her reservation just as easily.

This was her third time visiting the Time Training Chamber, and the previous two visits had gone off without a hitch. Why, then, was she being stopped now?

The guard replied politely, "My apologies. The academy has recently tightened security measures. Entry into key facilities by non-students must now be reported to the administration for manual approval. Please wait a moment."

"Alright."

Sonya stood by the stairs. But as the seconds ticked by into a full minute, another student strolled right past her and entered the chamber. A sudden prickle of unease struck her.

"May I go in now?" she asked.

The guard offered a practiced smile. "Apologies, but the administration has not responded yet. The duty officer might be away from their desk. Please wait a moment."

That flawless, bureaucratic phrasing sounded like the empty nonsense an aristocratic councilor might spout after a five-day bender and another three pounds of wine. In an instant, she pieced together what was going on. Truth University was intentionally making things difficult for her.

No, that wasn't entirely accurate. A titan like Truth University would never bother targeting an individual student. The one giving her a hard time was likely just a mid-level administrator from admissions. Two days ago, Sonya had rejected their scouting offer. Today, they were returning the favor with a petty act of retaliation.

Many of Truth University's training facilities were the finest in the world, with some being unique. Allied universities could petition through their professors to grant students access, which was how she had secured a slot in the Time Training Chamber.

Her invisible opponent wasn't acting openly. They had simply instructed the guards to hold non-students and route their data through an approval loop. The procedure was flawlessly reasonable, especially in the wake of the Falling Stars incident, where heightened security made perfect sense to the public.

Sonya mentally mapped out the chessboard, predicting the outcome of every possible reaction.

If she lost her temper and shouted at the guards, it would only draw a crowd. The Truth University students, already resentful of outsiders consuming their premium resources, wouldn't sympathize with her. They would think it was about time these restrictions were actually enforced.

If she chose to wait, she would likely face one of two outcomes. Either the training rooms would fill up completely, meaning she might stand there for three hours and never get a slot, or, more likely, a duty officer would arrive after two hours with an exaggerated, performative apology to grant her entry, leaving her with absolutely no grounds to vent her anger.

If she took to the campus forums to complain, few would rally to her side. To ordinary students, a student from Sword and Roses complaining about facility access would sound like a noble girl whining about marrying a duke of equal status. Her grievance would be dismissed as a humblebrag.

If she reported it to Professor Trosan through standard channels, today's training session would still be lost. As for whether they would target her again next time, that would depend entirely on how much political capital he was willing to burn.

In fact, if she complained at all, onlookers would likely dismiss it as overthinking, a baseless accusation, or sheer self-centeredness. After all, why would a massive institution like Truth University target a lone girl?

As the old sayings went, "Where there's smoke, there's fire, and it takes two to tango."

Still, Sonya was utterly certain of her instincts. She knew this suffocating feeling all too well. It was the absolute specialty of petty tyrants. They hid behind rules and procedures, exploiting microscopic loopholes just to make your life miserable. They wasted your time and drained your energy, all while remaining entirely bulletproof to criticism. They acted this way because they knew she lacked the leverage to strike back.

Even if she fought the system to the bitter end, she would only reclaim what was already rightfully hers. She wouldn't be compensated for the insult, nor would they face a single shred of punishment.

That suffocating frustration was like a fishbone lodged deep in her throat, impossible to spit out or swallow. She had watched her mother endure it silently since her childhood. The only difference was that while her mother had grown numb over the years, the memory only fueled Sonya's rage.

Under the cold, passive watch of the guards, Sonya quietly cleared her throat. She tapped her Miracle Bracelet and dialed a number.

A lazy, deep voice drifted through the line. "Mmm?"

"P—Professor Trosan!" Sonya choked out, her voice suddenly trembling, perfectly mimicking a terrified, defenseless girl. "Come to Truth University and save me!"