The Sorcerer's Handbook-Chapter 80: Syflin
Above the sea, shrouded in white fog.
A tiny bat drifted lazily through the air. Two drops of colorless, coagulated liquid shimmered on its back as they continuously drew knowledge from the fog and converted it into mana.
Syflin sighed inwardly. The absorption rate is still too slow.
She was deeply dissatisfied with how sluggish her mana growth remained.
Two drops of Clear Source Blood could be converted into six drops of Rainbow Source Blood, eighteen drops of Golden Source Blood, or fifty-four drops of Silver Source Blood. Within the Sea of Knowledge, this configuration granted a mana absorption rate 5.6 times higher than that of an ordinary sorcerer. It was an overwhelming advantage, one that perfectly embodied the power of the Blood Saint Clan.
However, this advantage only existed within the Sea of Knowledge. Once outside, in the Continent of Time, Silver Source Blood became useless. Only Golden Source Blood could absorb mana.
With her current two drops of Clear Source Blood, Syflin could convert them into only eighteen drops of Golden Source Blood. Her absorption rate would fall to just two hundred percent, merely double that of an ordinary sorcerer.
When she advanced to the Three-Winged Sacred Realm, she would be left with only six drops of Rainbow Source Blood. Her absorption rate would drop to eighty percent, lower than that of her peers. By the time she reached the Four-Winged Legendary stage, she would be left with only the two drops of Clear Source Blood to rely on. Her efficiency would plummet to a pitiful forty percent, not even half that of an ordinary Four-Winged sorcerer.
Thus, despite their immortality, the Blood Saints were paradoxically the race most pressed for time.
They had to traverse the Sea of Knowledge and the Continent of Time while still young, unfold their Silver and Gold Wings, and reach the Three-Winged Sacred Realm. Only then could they receive the blessing of the Blood Moon Lord and undergo the bloodline purification ritual.
Any delay would degrade the results. The purified Source Blood would fail to reach higher tiers, and the second awakening of their power would never arrive.
Syflin had seen many elderly Blood Saint sorcerers at the research institute. Many had spent their entire lives trapped at the Two-Winged Gold or Three-Winged Sacred Realm. Their lifespans were long, yet their mana absorption had lagged so far behind that even when their souls were on the verge of dissipating, they still could not fully condense their Rainbow or Gold Wings.
The disparity within the Blood Saint Clan was extreme.
Some unfolded their Silver Wings within a few short years, only to remain Silver Rank sorcerers forever. Others spent a full century reaching the Three-Winged Sacred Realm, yet wasted the next four hundred years, unable to fully manifest their Rainbow Wings.
Immortality freed them from time's grasp, but it could not prevent stagnation.
The tiny bat hovered in midair and released ultrasonic waves inaudible to humans as it scanned the surrounding terrain.
Blood Bat Form was a racial Miracle of the Blood Saints. Nearly every Blood Saint could transform into a flying bat within the Virtual World. This greatly improved their efficiency while exploring the Sea of Knowledge and spared them the exhausting swimming endured by ordinary sorcerers. It also granted them a convenient means of escape when danger arose.
The ultrasonic scan was an advanced Miracle, capable of roughly mapping the surrounding terrain. Dense fog could still limit its range and clarity, but it was far better than having no guidance at all.
Earlier, the waves had detected something unusual to the right. When Syflin paused to investigate, the feedback shifted, and the anomaly vanished. A Knowledge Creature, perhaps?
Syflin did not fear Knowledge Creatures. On the contrary, she found them intriguing. She had recently mastered a new Miracle and was eager to find a suitable test subject to gauge its power. Yet the signal originated from a smooth, empty stretch of sea.
Puzzled but unperturbed, she decided not to linger. The Virtual World held countless secrets. If she chased every anomaly, even several hundred years would not be enough for her to explore the Sea of Knowledge fully.
"I really wish I could find a Knowledge Creature," she muttered. "I still have a few spirits I want to trade."
Just as she prepared to leave, a clear splash echoed from her front right.
Syflin froze midair.
It was the first time she had ever heard such a sound in the Sea of Knowledge. It sounded like someone throwing a stone into water. Another sorcerer?
She hesitated only briefly before steering toward the source of the sound. Confident in her abilities, she knew that even if the other sorcerer proved stronger, she could still escape.
More importantly, this was the first time she had encountered another sorcerer in the Virtual World. Curiosity alone made the risk worthwhile.
Who is it? A sorcerer from the Blood Moon Kingdom? How old are they? And what kind of sorcery do they specialize in?
Syflin's heart raced with a mix of curiosity and anticipation. Could it be another sorcerer from a foreign nation? If so, would we even be able to communicate?
Driven by excitement, she propelled herself forward with her wings and sliced through the thick white mist until a small island emerged before her eyes.
Perched on the island was a Rookie Electric White Dragon. Its pearlescent skin shimmered through the fog. It had a thick neck and a large, eyeless head, with only a wide mouth.
Electric White Dragons often harbored rare Lightning Class spirits, making them highly valuable Knowledge Creatures in the Sea of Knowledge. Even if Syflin had no personal use for one, delivering it to the research institute would earn her a generous amount of Research Points.
In the past, encountering such a prize would have thrilled her. But now... she couldn't help feeling a pang of disappointment. What she truly desired was to meet another sorcerer in the Virtual World with whom she could talk or trade barbs. If the other sorcerer was skilled, perhaps they could form a temporary team for exploration.
Instead, she found herself facing a hideous Electric White Dragon.
It spotted Syflin in her bat form and unleashed a piercing roar. The sound waves were strong enough to deafen a sorcerer temporarily.
However, Syflin had anticipated this. She quickly reverted to her human form. In the 0.1 seconds of her transformation, she merged almost completely with the Virtual World, becoming immune to external effects and evading the dragon's deafening roar entirely.
At the same time, a thick veil of blood mist erupted around the dragon. As Syflin touched down, arcs of ethereal blue electricity rippled across the creature's body. It roared and lunged forward once more.
Clumsy, straightforward attacks like this could be deceptively lethal. The small island left little room to maneuver, and the dragon's electrified body made even a grazing contact potentially deadly, or at least stunning.
Yet Syflin remained unmoved. She extended her hands toward it. "Miracle, Blood Thorns!"
The blood mist instantly coalesced into barbed cords that wrapped tightly around the dragon. As it charged, the pearlescent skin tore under the relentless thorns, leaving red welts that made it look as if it were being skinned alive.
A few days ago, Syflin would have struggled to deploy Blood Thorns effectively in combat. But after mastering techniques such as Eye Corner Opening, Oral Orthodontics, and Nasal Bone Reduction, her control had skyrocketed, allowing her to wield her Miracle effortlessly.
Having suffered such a devastating attack, the dragon's charge came to an abrupt halt. It flapped its wings violently, and arcs of electricity tore through its body as it struggled to shred the thorns."
Knowledge Creatures learned just as fast as sorcerers. Realizing the blood mist was dangerous, the dragon fled the misty zone, only to swoop back from above, determined to strike at the pesky intruder.
Syflin remained composed and wove intricate hand gestures. At the same time, she muttered, "This is my first time using this in real combat... shouldn't be a problem, I suppose?"
Crack!
The dragon twisted through mid-air before diving down to strike. Thick plasma enveloped its body, turning it into a terrifying orb of electricity. Even a Brute Body sorcerer specializing in defense would suffer instant soul damage if struck head-on.
Syflin's crimson eyes glowed unnaturally. "Miracle, Blood Reversal!"
With a shriek, the dragon convulsed violently. Its limbs flailed like a puppet with cut strings. Its muscles spasmed, and its veins ruptured as blood flowed backward, spraying like crimson flowers.
When the Blood Thorns first pierced the dragon, Syflin's Blood Seed had already embedded itself within its body. This granted her complete control over the dragon's blood. She could accelerate its bleeding, reverse its flow, or, upon reaching advanced Blood Sorcerer levels, even freeze or boil it.
Among the sorcerers of the Blood Moon Kingdom, there was a saying that went, "The moment the first drop of blood leaves you in a fight with a Blood Sorcerer, it is time to consider ending it."
The dragon let out a high-pitched wail, reminiscent of a newborn, and erupted with violent arcs of electricity once more. It turned around and swung its tail, releasing three spirits in the opposite direction. Syflin caught them effortlessly, while the dragon vanished into the fog. Soon, both its form and cries were swallowed by the mist.
Syflin remained unfazed. Despite its battered state, the dragon was still capable of a full-powered burst, something her Blood Class Miracles could not counter.
Such was the cunning of Knowledge Creatures. They always kept reserves hidden, luring hunters into misjudging their strength. When the odds turned against them, they deployed decoys and escaped without hesitation.
With the fog as cover, no One-Winged sorcerer could hope to slay such a creature. In her months exploring the Virtual World, Syflin had never killed a Knowledge Creature. This was also the case for most sorcerers.
After securing the three spirits, her ears twitched. She thought she heard the Electric White Dragon's cries in the distance, but the thick fog made it impossible to confirm. Listening more carefully, the sound seemed to vanish entirely.
The Virtual World was full of uncertainties, and there was no reason to waste time on unpredictable phenomena. For a Blood Saint, time was their most precious resource, and every second had to be devoted to exploration.
Syflin transformed back into her bat form. As she readied herself to pick a direction and continue, a splash rang out once more from her front right. She hovered in midair, puzzled. Again?
