The Sorcerer's Handbook

Chapter 258: We Need the Swordswoman

In the Flash Rail Auditorium at Trajectory University.

Like the Starfall Auditorium of Sword and Roses University, the Flash Rail Auditorium had a ceiling that opened to the sky. The difference lay in the method. Starfall used mirrors to reflect starlight inside, while Flash Rail relied on strips of glass tracks. At night, starlight flowed along the tracks, circling the entire hall and filling it with a daylight-like brilliance, lending the space a solemn, almost sacred atmosphere.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

On the stage, two young students clashed with fierce intensity. The slightly shorter male was a swordsmanship apprentice from Sword and Roses University; his opponent, a taller female, was a spear sorcerer from Trajectory University.

Once the undisputed king of melee weapons, the spear had ruled long before firearms reshaped warfare. Swords, axes, and hammers all yielded to it. But as firearms emerged, the swift and versatile sword gradually supplanted the spear, elevating the Sword Class to the Starry Kingdom's premier weapon.

Yet the spear refused to fade quietly. Through generations of refinement, spear sorcerers transformed the traditional weapon into a segmented, mechanical staff-spear. Flexible, portable, and capable of techniques borrowed from multiple weapons, it retained the spear's ancient power while adding an unpredictable versatility. Even against firearm-based sorcery classes, spear sorcerers could hold their ground.

In contrast, the Axe and Hammer Classes had all but disappeared, becoming casualties of the merciless sorcerer world. Those unable to adapt were consigned to the Virtual Realm's garbage heap, their knowledge lost until future generations might rediscover and refine it.

Spear techniques had long been Trajectory University's signature. The gala's lead instructor, Crimson Cherry Saint, Belger, was a Sacred Realm sorcerer renowned for spear mastery. The thought of facing Belger in the final exhibition match made Sonya's heart race. Opportunities to cross blades with a Sacred Realm sorcerer in the open were rare.

Clang!

Suddenly, the female student's spear transformed into a segmented staff. Like a serpent, it coiled around the male student's sword. With a swift pull and lift, she disarmed him, then reshaped the staff back into a spear, pressing its tip against his throat.

"The match is decided!" the host announced. "Winner: Cassie Mackintosh from Trajectory University! Next, we invite the instructors to comment."

Watching the composed host command the entire scene, Sonya felt a brief pang of disorientation. That should have been her role, starting as a school host, then a league host, building popularity step by step before transitioning into a singer or screen idol. It would have been a comfortable path, built on her looks and charm. Instead, she sat in the guest section, representing her university in the friendly match, drawing attention, respect, and quiet hostility from the students of Trajectory University.

Both Trajectory and Sword and Roses were among the Starry Kingdom's elite universities. Their rivalry had been deep and longstanding. Last year, Sword and Roses narrowly edged out Trajectory in league points. This year, its students burned with the desire to reclaim victory. The friendly match served as a vanguard, a prelude to the real battle.

For Sonya, this was no longer a supporting role. She now had a chance to become the protagonist.

"Cassie's use of the Separation spirit was too superficial. She focused on thrusting rather than exploiting the segmented staff's versatility..."

Belger's critique was precise. Cassie was clearly one of his familiar students.

Such bias was unsurprising. Exchange teams were theoretically fair, but professors naturally favored students they knew best. Sonya had become the lead not only through Leona's recommendation, but also because the leading professor was the Hidden Hand Sword Saint Trosan. Had it been Rhythm Sword Saint Nidala, the lead role would likely have gone to Leona.

A so-called friendly match was, in truth, a showcase of trained warriors. Professors naturally fielded the students they knew best.

Once Belger finished, the spotlight shifted to Trosan. The famous and imposing Hidden Hand Sword Saint appeared slightly impatient. He scratched at his tangled, unwashed curls before turning to Sonya.

"Do you get it?" he asked.

Sonya blinked, confused. "What?"

"If you do, explain it," Trosan said, unconcerned. "I'm too lazy to repeat myself."

Sonya froze. Why are you talking to me like you've already explained everything!?

Under the expectant gazes of the audience and her team's vanguard, she cursed inwardly and rose to her feet.

Trosan rarely taught theory. His philosophy was that pain was easier to understand than words. Every lesson for Sonya and Felix had been relentless, driven by combat at the level of a Sacred Realm sorcerer. It was like pouring the volume of a swimming pool into a wooden bucket, forcing them to feel every weakness and every flaw. Anyone else would have broken long before recognizing their own shortcomings.

Sonya once believed this was tailored teaching. Now, as Trosan pushed the burden of commentary onto her, a new thought surfaced. Could it be that Trosan simply doesn't know how to teach theory at all?

Yet Sonya herself had no better grasp of it. She had been learning swordsmanship for less than a month.

Seeing Trosan avert his gaze with a hint of guilt, Sonya had no choice but to do her best to preserve her professor's dignity. She replayed the match in her mind, trying to offer suggestions from a swordsman's perspective. What came to her, however, were simple, direct commands.

"Round 8, an upward slash to the chest. Round 13, step back and thrust at the throat. Round 15, strike the abdomen. Round 19..."

Under the puzzled gazes of the audience, Sonya went on, giving eight instructions in total. "These were eight opportunities you could have seized just now. If you had taken even one of them, you could have easily defeated her."

The match's winner, Cassie, shot back immediately. "Impossible! The entire fight was under my control. He never had a chance!"

The male student looked aggrieved but could not argue. Weakness was an unforgiving truth. For the loser, even breathing felt like a mistake. On top of that, he had lost the Vanguard Match of the gala, and by now, the school forum was likely flooded with complaints about him disgracing Sword and Roses University.

Belger, on the other hand, showed a flicker of surprise. He turned toward Trosan. "Hidden Hand Sword Saint, did you teach her that?"

Trosan glanced at him, then at the slightly flustered Sonya, and nodded firmly. "Exactly. That's what I meant. Now you see why I didn't bother commenting. There were so many chances my student could have taken to win, yet he missed them all. Sigh. It's not that your student is strong, it's just that ours is too weak."

As a popular professor at Sword and Roses University, Trosan knew exactly how to provoke people. The students from Trajectory University seethed, some on the verge of tears. Seeing this, Belger abandoned all pretense of politeness and snorted coldly. "Play the match replay. Let's appreciate Professor Trosan's guidance."

It wasn't that Belger doubted Trosan's ability to deliver precise, almost surgical instruction. Moments ago, Trosan had clearly been staring into space, fiddling with the Curtain interface and paying no real attention to the match. On top of that, he had pushed his student to give the commentary. This analysis clearly came not from Trosan, but from the Sword and Roses lead.

The Spear Class had become more flexible after incorporating the segmented staff, but its style remained direct and forceful. Spear sorcerers tended to be disciplined and strict.

The Crimson Cherry Saint was a prime example. He despised slacking. Talented colleagues like Trosan, careless with focus and appearance, annoyed him even without personal grievances. Now that Trosan had handed him an opportunity, Belger did not hesitate to put him on the spot.

As for whether the lead student could deliver accurate commentary, Bergler had already investigated. A month ago, she had been a first-year Water sorcerer. With prior sword training, she had been able to summon a Sword Class spirit and qualify as a swordsmanship apprentice. Then, by chance in the Virtual World, she encountered a Whirlpool and fully unfurled her Silver Wing in a single leap.

However, such fortunate individuals often shared a fatal flaw. Their foundation tended to be shallow. Her Sword Class likely lagged far behind her mana level. Forget guiding others; she probably could not even guide herself.

That was one reason Belger disliked Trosan. Promoting a student who had only become a sorcerer less than a month ago to the lead position could only be the result of personal bias. He had little respect for professors who abused their authority.

Worse, Trosan had neglected his duties and even pushed his student forward as a shield. It was disgraceful.

However, as the match began replaying on the light screen in the hall, the atmosphere slowly shifted. The noise faded, replaced by a heavy silence. Even Belger showed a trace of astonishment.

An upward slash to the chest. A step back, then a thrust to the throat... Every point Sonya had called out marked a critical turning point in the battle. If the Sword and Roses vanguard had followed her instructions, he could indeed have broken through Cassie's spear defense with ease.

Cassie's face turned pale as she realized how fortunate her victory had been. Her opponent fared no better. Thinking of the openings he had missed and how completely he had lost, the Sword and Roses vanguard stamped his foot in frustration.

Even after the replay ended, the hall remained silent. Only when the host's lively voice rang out did the atmosphere ease. "Thank you both professors for your insightful guidance. Next, please welcome the two students for the Forward Match..."

As the next match began, Trosan rubbed his temples like someone nursing a hangover. "They won't even give me a moment to slack off... I'll handle the commentary from here on. Sonya, your commentary would only make everyone unhappy."

Sonya almost thanked him out of instinct, but caught herself in time. Commentary was the professor's responsibility to begin with. Trosan was merely doing his job now. There was no reason to feel grateful. If anything, she should hold him accountable for pushing the task onto her earlier!

This was the frightening nature of power. A superior could make things difficult on a whim, and the subordinate had no way to resist. Worse still, when the superior chose to relent, the subordinate might even feel grateful.

Damn it! What enviable power!

Sonya wanted to become someone like that, someone whose every word and action carried weight.

She still did not quite understand why Trosan claimed her commentary would make people unhappy. But when she looked more closely, she saw the Sword and Roses vanguard she had criticized standing dejected, while the victorious Trajectory vanguard also looked drained. Clearly, her words had affected both of them.

Sonya had not intended this. Her guidance had not come from mastery of her sorcery class, but from the Sword Command Art. The Sword Command Art did not greatly enhance personal strength, but when used to direct others, it could produce near-miraculous results.

The more she thought about it, the more she realized how fortunate last night's victory had been. If Demilo had properly commanded his forces, even the Watcher's fast and sturdy car would have been reduced to scrap under such precise, surgical control.

Fortunately, the Watcher had dragged the battlefield into chaos, preventing Demilo from using even a fraction of his ability. Combined with the teamwork of the three sorcerers, they had barely managed to defeat that unfortunate Hero.

While she was lost in thought, the Forward Match had already begun. Sonya glanced at it once and quickly lost interest. Frankly speaking, even the Watcher's combat techniques were more refined.

Both participants likely possessed half Silver Wing mana, but lacked combat experience. Their movements showed little ruthlessness or decisiveness. As the Watcher once put it, fighting like this would not kill anyone.

Sonya even suspected they had barely slain any Fish-Slaying Dragon.

With no interest in the match, she turned to speak with Leona, only to see her senior looking down at something.

Sonya shifted her chair closer. Leona glanced at her. "Want to take a look?"

"At what?"

Leona lifted the book in her hand. "Horoscope divination."

The cover read: 1668 · Seventy-Two Zodiac Fates.