The Sorcerer's Handbook

9:30 p.m., at Starry Kingdom's Cailleach National Arena.

The open-air stadium, personally constructed by a Legendary sorcerer, required no artificial lighting. By gathering and channeling the light of the stars themselves, it illuminated the entire arena as brightly as day, using adjustable mirrors to precisely focus the beams.

At this moment, all 4,600 seats were packed with students and faculty from Cailleach's various universities. As the flat battlefield beneath them was reshaped by Wood and Earth Class Miracles into a shallow shoal terrain, a wave of noise erupted across the stands. Aside from the students of Truth University, who clapped enthusiastically, the rest of the crowd could not help but curse loudly at the sudden tactical shift.

"Many thanks to the Death Chant Phantom Band for their wonderful performance!" Arsen's clear, bright voice rang across the arena, cutting through the unrest. "Next up is the final segment of this year's intercollegiate league opening ceremony—the Meteor Calamity!"

The female co-host announced, "Please welcome our contestants! First to enter is a first-year swordsmanship student from Sword and Roses University, a Two-Winged sorcerer, Sonya Selby!"

As Sonya stepped out from the entrance tunnel, a pillar of starlight descended upon her, making her battle attire shimmer brilliantly. Fireworks burst into patterns of swords and roses on either side of the gate, and thunderous applause from thousands welcomed the village girl stepping into the grand hall of battle.

Eight massive projection screens simultaneously displayed her from every angle, capturing both wide shots and stunning profiles. After an entire afternoon of stage makeup courtesy of Louisa and the others, combined with the enhancement of the Fixed Day spirit, Sonya's beauty was absolutely unmatched. Even the dazzling starlight could not outshine her radiance. She lifted her chin proudly, soaking in the rapt attention of the crowd.

Stepping onto the shallow shoal stage, Sonya glanced toward the broadcasting booth. Just two months ago, her greatest dream had been to sit up there, commentating on the new generation of Cailleach's rising stars.

She could never have imagined that, a mere two months later, she would become one of those stars herself.

And now, all she had to do... was prove she was the brightest among them.

"Our second contestant is a fourth-year Staff Class student from Trajectory University, a Two-Winged sorcerer, Corenzo Warren!"

"And our third contestant is a fourth-year Firearm Class student from Rhapsody University, a Two-Winged sorcerer, Lydia Azdar!"

"The sixth contestant is a third-year Water Class student from Truth University, a Two-Winged sorcerer, Velin Stella!

"All six contestants in this first round of Meteor Calamity are Two-Winged sorcerers!"

As the six competitors took the stage, the most eye-catching was undoubtedly Velin. She and Sonya were the only underclassmen in a field of fourth-years, and more importantly, she was a Water Class sorcerer. And tonight's battlefield happened to be a shallow shoal.

Adele shouted angrily from the stands, "Rigged! This is definitely rigged! The League Committee should be chopped into pieces and fed to the Lala Fats!"

Louisa sighed. "Truth University doesn't need to cheat in the intercollegiate league. They're just on a different level."

The terrain selection was indeed completely random. However, Truth University boasted students who studied the Prophecy Class. They didn't need to interfere with the Committee at all. By adjusting the order of their participants, they could guarantee a massive terrain advantage.

Other universities wanted to predict the terrain as well, but the problem was that the Prophecy Class had no formal method of study. Anyone who happened to stumble into the field was quickly recruited by Truth University. After all, only Truth University possessed structured, comprehensive knowledge of Prophecy, and their overwhelming benefits made their offers impossible to refuse.

Some might think such extreme effort was unnecessary for an annual competition. But for the universities, the results of the Intercollegiate league directly determined the following year's educational funding. For the students, this might be the most glorious moment of their lives. No one was going to hold back.

As a nationwide, live-broadcast annual event with ratings so high that even prime-time dramas starring Didarose had to steer clear of its airtime, a student's performance here could shape their entire future. The Astral Guard protecting the royal family, the Gryphon Corps of the Noble Council, and the Bastion Legions purging the lower Abyss all scouted their recruits from this very competition.

Moreover, noble families frequently looked to the tournament to inject fresh blood into their lineages through marriage alliances. For instance, every generation of the Starforger Duke[1] chose a powerful swordsmaster as a spouse, and they were rarely of noble origin and almost always commoners.

However, for this opening round of Meteor Calamity, Truth University was showing no mercy. While terrains like deserts, abysses, cities, or wastelands offered minor tactical edges, a shallow shoal was practically a home field for Water Class sorcerers. Combined with her elite background, Velin undoubtedly possessed Glorious Gold-tier Miracles, which were more than enough to overwhelm her opponents.

"But this is Meteor Calamity," Angelica said with her arms crossed. "If the Truth University representative is too dominant, she might actually be targeted and eliminated first."

Louisa and Adele nodded, turning their attention back to the six figures on the field.

The intercollegiate league consisted of three formats, namely Meteor Calamity, Constellation Calamity, and Star Palace Calamity.

Simply put, Star Palace Calamity was a five-person team rotation battle between universities, similar to the friendly match Sonya had previously participated in. It tested the overall depth and strength of each institution.

Constellation Calamity involved teams of three, with three universities fighting simultaneously. It was the most intense format, usually featuring students already seasoned by Abyss expeditions, placing a heavy emphasis on teamwork and tactical coordination.

Meteor Calamity, on the other hand, was a six-person free-for-all. Only the last one standing would claim victory. As the tournament progressed, this format always maintained a pool of six participants. Sometimes, only two were consecutive winners, while the remaining four were defeated contestants fighting to reclaim their place. It was the ultimate test of individual combat prowess.

Some might wonder why a solo competition involved six people fighting at once. The reasons were strategic. At lower ranks, sorcery class counters were incredibly severe. For instance, Fire Class sorcerers were heavily disadvantaged against Water Class sorcerers, Brute Body Class sorcerers countered melee fighters, and firearm specialists were widely considered top-tier.

However, once a duel transformed into a chaotic melee, those strict disadvantages became secondary. The unpredictability skyrocketed, introducing far more variables and offering a much more comprehensive assessment of a sorcerer's true combat capabilities.

Another minor factor was purely commercial. Chaotic group battles were simply far more entertaining than one-on-one duels.

After all, the participants were not Sacred Realm sorcerers. The students would try their best to amplify their visual effects to stand out, but to the average viewer, student-level combat still couldn't match the spectacle of a cinematic production. To maximize watchability, Meteor Calamity had experimented with formats ranging anywhere from three to a hundred participants before finally settling on six, a number that perfectly balanced dramatic tension without overwhelming the audience.

However, the biggest drawback of a six-person format was that it significantly diluted the advantage of stronger contestants. No one on that stage was a fool. Within a zero-sum game, everyone naturally prioritized eliminating the biggest threat first.

Thus, the winner of Meteor Calamity was always one of two things, either someone with the ultimate combination of skill, power, social maneuvering, and tactics... or a sheer genius who could completely crush all five competitors combined.

"In the past ten years, every opening Meteor Calamity champion has been from Truth University," Velin said with a smile, looking striking in her translucent, azure battle suit. "Our seniors really set a high bar."

"Is that so? Then that's perfect." Lydia drew her twin guns. "I hadn't decided on my goal for this year's league until yesterday. Now I have, and it's to end Truth University's streak."

Corenzo spun his staff, its silver tip carving arcs of flame through the air. Clearly, there was more to his weapon than met the eye. "Showing proper respect to your seniors won't do you any harm, junior."

Velin tilted her head and giggled. "My, my, am I really that unpopular? To think everyone wants to eliminate me first. Could it be..."

She slid a short rod out of her sleeve. Then, with a flick and a spin, both ends extended, instantly transforming into a long staff.

Boom!

As the staff struck the muddy ground, the water across the entire shoal surged wildly toward Velin. It formed streaming water dragons that coiled around her weapon, shielding her while dominating the battlefield. In that moment, she looked like a sovereign witch of the tides, while the others were merely ignorant heroes daring to challenge her.

If nothing else, in terms of sheer presence and style alone, her opponents had already lost completely.

Velin laughed softly. "You must be jealous of my beauty, right?"

Holding the staff behind her back to accentuate her graceful figure, she spoke in a languid tone that brimmed with effortless confidence, completely dismissing everyone present.

"A Warlord sorcerer..." the others murmured.

The last traces of optimism vanished from their minds, replaced by intense caution and resolve.

A Warlord sorcerer did not refer to a specific sorcery class, but rather to a sorcerer who seamlessly combined melee weapon combat with elemental sorcery.

While weapon-based sorcerers could develop elemental-type Miracles, such as swordsmen slashing out waves of flames, those techniques were inherently tied to their armaments. Without the weapon, there was no magic. A swordsman couldn't breathe fire, and even a basic magical feint required a physical gesture with their weapon to trigger the spell.

Warlord sorcerers were entirely different. They mastered an elemental discipline and a weapon style completely independently of one another. Velin was a perfect example. She trained in both Water Class sorcery and staff techniques, yet neither relied on the other. Even if she were completely disarmed, she could still manipulate water freely.

In active combat, she could make her sorcery and weapons work in perfect synergy. Try to counter her spells, and her staff would crush you. Try to block her staff, and her water dragons would tear you apart.

Fighting a Warlord sorcerer felt exactly like facing two opponents at once.

In truth, this was a brutally demanding combat system. Elemental sorcery required absolute stillness and focus, while melee combat demanded split-second, dynamic reactions. Because their core demands were polar opposites, employing both simultaneously was a monumental challenge.

Furthermore, with how sorcery classes had evolved to this day, a single class's derivative Miracles were already enough to cover every possible scenario. Even swordsmen had access to healing-type Miracles nowadays. Sorcerers who studied multiple sorcery classes usually did so for utility, such as mobility, reconnaissance, or finishing techniques, rather than trying to force a hybrid combat system out of two completely unrelated fields.

As a result, those who still chose to pursue this dual-path approach were almost always battle-obsessed maniacs, earning them the title of Warlord sorcerer.

Velin might appear soft and delicate with her specialization in Water Class sorcery, but at her core, she clearly reveled in combat. No one knew how many Fish-Slaying Dragons she had smashed to pieces with that staff.

She suddenly spoke up, "Sonya, may I call you that? Since we're both young and beautiful, let me give you a piece of advice. While they're busy dealing with me, you'd better find a way to eliminate at least one of them."

Lydia shot a glance at Sonya and sneered. "Oh? A top student from Truth University, teaming up and turning people against each other? Don't bother. Velin, I admit you're the strongest right now, which is exactly why you'll be the first to go."

Velin giggled. "I don't talk to ugly people. Sonya, you're only a first-year, and you've just become a Two-Winged sorcerer. In their eyes, you're the weakest. Suppose, just suppose, they really do manage to eliminate me. To prevent you from swooping in to reap the rewards, they'll turn on you the very next second.

"In fact, they might not even wait until I'm out. In Meteor Calamity, only defeated contestants who have actually eliminated someone else qualify for the revival matches. Even if it's just to secure a safety net, they have every reason to target you, the freshest, easiest mark on the field."

Velin smiled. "And look at you, using a wooden sword instead of a real one. I don't know if you're deliberately holding back or if that sword holds some special meaning to you, but in this arena, showing weakness only invites others to trample you."

Sonya raised an eyebrow. "Thanks for the advice."

Lydia snapped. "Don't fall for it, Sonya! She's trying to divide us so she can pick us off one by one! She is the greatest threat here! If we don't take her down first, we're all guaranteed to lose!"

Sonya tightened her grip on her wooden sword. "Don't worry. I'll defeat the strongest first."

Even so, the distance between the contestants subtly widened. Words meant nothing here. One of the core appeals of Meteor Calamity was the psychological warfare. In a zero-sum environment, a true alliance was impossible.

Velin wasn't worried about being ganged up on. With just a little manipulation, any so-called alliance would crumble like sand. She possessed absolute confidence in her strength, tactics, persuasion, and judgment. She believed she was the best among them and that victory would be hers with ease.

Arsen declared excitedly, "The contestants have exchanged enough words and are clearly eager to begin! So, who will rise like a meteor, and who will crash and burn? Let's find out! Five-second countdown to the match! Five, four—"

"Three."

Velin gripped her staff as nine water dragons materialized behind her.

"Two."

Lydia subtly stepped back, her guns trained on everyone.

"One."

A faint light, warping the very air around it, shimmered along Sonya's sword hilt.

"Start!"

Boom!

Blood Moon!

A crimson arc surged across the water like a rising, blood-red moon. The overwhelming presence of the strike froze everyone's minds, leaving them entirely unable to react.

By the time a dull crash echoed from the edge of the arena, they finally snapped back to reality.

Velin had already been blasted off the stage and slammed hard into the outer wall. She clutched her shattered staff, a savage wound tearing diagonally across her torso. Thankfully, the arena's Death Prohibition Miracle had protected her vital organs, but the tears welling in her eyes revealed the sheer terror of that single strike.

"What kind of Miracle was that?" Corenzo asked, his voice shaking.

Sonya flicked the water droplets from her wooden sword. "Blood Moon, Shattered Lake. It requires a large body of water to work. Honestly, I thought this terrain was picked specifically to favor me, a mere first-year student."

"It's not listed in the Starry Miracle Catalog. Is that your own creation?" Lydia asked.

"Mmhmm. Inspired by someone else's experience," the Scarlet Swordswoman replied.

Then, she turned her gaze toward the remaining contestants. "Now that the strongest one is out of the way... You four are next."

1. Refer to C9. ☜

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