The Sorcerer's Handbook

Ashe sighed. "Looks like we still can't make it to the third layer of the Virtual World for now."

This was to be expected. If there were a simple, straightforward way for sorcerers to smuggle themselves upward, the skies above the Continent of Time would not occasionally echo with the screams of those torn apart by Knowledge Creatures. Perhaps many sorcerers were aware of the Golden Seven-Sorcerer and the White Ox Hypotheses, but both were far too difficult to achieve. Left with no other choice, they could only fly blindly into the heavens, praying to grasp that elusive RainbowTail.

Gold Rank sorcerers were among the most unwilling to accept their fate.

They were more talented than Silver Rank sorcerers, and in the mortal realm, they were already top-tier figures in leadership. Some had even witnessed the overwhelming brilliance of Sacred Realm sorcerers. Society called them geniuses, and they had come to believe it themselves.

Yet, the chasm between ranks and sorcery classes was a barrier far more ruthless than any other. In this world, almost anything could be forced or fixed. If a lover grew cold, you could use charm or hypnosis to bind them to you; if your head was blown off, a Healer could reconstruct it with Water Therapy. Even spilled water could be gathered and reversed through time manipulation. But comprehension was absolute. If you could not grasp higher-level knowledge, you simply could not grasp it.

The most intelligent minds in the world had spent hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands of years without finding a viable route upward. Naturally, Ashe, a self-taught mudblood with no formal scholarly discipline, did not place any hope in himself either.

Sonya bit her fingernail in frustration. "Tch. If we could just reach the third layer of the Virtual World, all our problems would be solved."

"Trouble incoming," Ashe said suddenly.

He yanked the steering wheel, throwing the sports car into a sharp forty-five-degree turn and accelerating diagonally upward.

Sonya immediately gripped her sword hilt, drawing the blade slightly from its sheath, while Dia pulled her Aqua Line taut with both hands. The playful mood vanished instantly as all three entered combat readiness.

On Ashe's Virtual World map, a cluster of Velociraptors and Feathered-Bird Dragons had just appeared in the eastern zone. It was clearly a mixed formation of the Legion of Heroes.

Tonight, they had reached the Spider Tower region.

Throughout the journey, Ashe had barely stopped to loot Resource Points. Aside from occasionally crushing sorcerer projections on sight and pausing briefly, he spent almost all his time driving and chasing the White Ox.

Their objective tonight was not looting or growth, but pure survival. According to their contract with the Empress, remaining in the Spider Tower region for more than three hours would allow them to leave the Virtual World directly. Thus, Ashe's optimal strategy was to keep moving at high speed, constantly changing locations. Once the three hours were up, they would immediately return to reality, leaving the Empress Hero's army unable to encircle and eliminate them.

As for the naive hope that the Empress Hero might not be able to track them, Ashe never entertained it for a second. He highly suspected that the contract mark on his body functioned as a built-in tracking beacon.

Ultimately, steel machinery outperformed flesh and blood. With the sports car's performance pushed to its absolute limit, Ashe easily shook off the Legion of Heroes to the east. But before they could even catch their breath, another formation appeared to the northeast.

After a brief calculation, Ashe decided to accelerate directly toward them. Predictably, the Legion of Heroes moved to intercept. Forced into action, Ashe swung the car into another sharp forty-five-degree turn, sprinting northwest at full speed.

Just as he attempted to push due north, yet another enemy formation materialized to block him. Only then did Ashe finally realize what was happening.

He slammed on the brakes and shouted, "It's a coordinated hunt!"

The car skidded violently across the grass, drifting into a perfect donut-shaped arc. "They're herding us west... there must be an ambush waiting there. We're breaking through. Ready?"

"Go!"

"Yes!"

Following the tense, clipped responses from his companions, the car roared like a beast. Vicious fangs sprouted from the hood as the war machine fully awakened.

The steel behemoth tore through curtains of pouring rain. Ashe noticed that while the northern escort units had fully armed themselves, gaps remained on both flanks. Just as the two sides were about to collide head-on, the car executed an elegant right-angle turn. Its rear tailpipes blasted a thick, ink-green toxic fog that splattered across the enemy ranks before the vehicle sped off toward the fragile northeastern line.

The wind howled, the rain surged, and monsters scattered in panic.

BOOM!

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The slender, grotesque Feathered-Bird Dragons suddenly transformed into red-hatted musketeers. Lowering their hats, they raised long rifles and fired directly at the car. Despite their slower rate of fire compared to their dragon forms, their accuracy and damage were exceptional.

The Refractive Barrier rippled continuously. Its energy shield was dropping rapidly. However, it was a price worth paying.

As expected, enemy formations erupted from the south and west as well. Ashe squeezed every last drop of performance from the engine, charging headlong through the northeastern gap in the encirclement, leaving nothing but a lingering toxic fog in his wake.

Watching wave after wave of the Legion of Heroes' forces fade from the Virtual World Map, Ashe finally let out a breath of relief.

"We should be safe for tonight... right?"

Then, on the map, a special golden zone appeared to the northeast, spanning three full grid squares. Its description read.

[Everyone will eventually die of old age, including you, so you'd better hurry.]

"The River of Flowing Gold is ahead," Ashe murmured. "Could it be..."

From behind them, the thunderous roar of marching shook the ground like an earthquake. Ashe lowered his eyes to the Virtual World Map, watching the Legion of Heroes close in from all directions.

[Countless Flashburst Dragons!]

[Countless Dog-Headed Dragons!]

[Countless Fish-Slaying Dragons!]

Every outer sector of the map was dyed a vivid, blood-red hue. The only remaining escape route was the golden zone to the northeast, yet that was the River of Flowing Gold, a lethal torrent that could dissolve them to bone within seconds.

The roar of the sports car's engine gradually faded to a murmur, then died completely. The three sorcerers simply parked in the middle of the grass, waiting quietly for their executioners to arrive. All of them understood what was happening. Dia stood up in her seat and turned toward the rear. Sonya gently pressed a hand onto Ashe's shoulder and said softly, "No apologizing."

The true ambush had been waiting in the northeast all along.

The Legion of Heroes had deliberately driven them west, baiting them into a reverse breakout so they would willingly charge straight into the Empress Hero's prepared kill zone. The River of Flowing Gold itself blocked their path, giving the Empress more than enough time to deploy her forces.

In terms of timing, they were trapped by the contract requiring them to remain in the region for three hours. In terms of terrain, the Empress Hero knew the surrounding geography intimately. And in terms of numbers, she had mobilized a massive portion of the entire Spider Tower forces.

This defeat came so swiftly and so cleanly that Ashe had no room left even to complain.

At that moment, a familiar voice echoed through the golden rain.

"You are intelligent people," Denzel said, his words sending a chill down their spines. "Coincidentally, I am also very good at dealing with intelligent people. I only need to deliberately reveal a few insignificant flaws and pretend to regret being exposed, and your caution will fall asleep like a well-fed lion. This is the second time you've fallen for it. And of course, the last.

"Still, since we are acquaintances, I can grant you a small courtesy. There is still a little time before your three hours are up. You may enjoy what remains of your lives however you like. If you wish to love, then love. If you wish to indulge, then indulge. After you die, you might even leave behind a decent Sorcerer's Handbook."

Their minds wavered, their resolve trembled, and their fighting spirit collapsed.

Within those seemingly merciful words from the Empress Hero lay an overwhelming, suffocating malice. Even after cornering them completely, she refused to pass up a single chance to break their morale. Perhaps this was revenge for her setback at the wooden house, or perhaps it was simply her personal cruelty. Ashe leaned toward the latter.

In that tense, razor-edge moment, Sonya suddenly leaned closer to Ashe and whispered into his ear.

"You still haven't answered me," she said.

"About what?"

"What were you thinking just now?"

Ashe's attention was forcibly dragged out of the desperate situation. "Why are you so curious about that right now?"

Sonya blinked. "Because you haven't talked to me much about your real-world life lately."