The Sorcerer's Handbook

Chapter 241: Poison Mist Surge and Refractive Barrier

While Ashe still had the energy to taunt from within the car's barrier, both Sonya and Dia had already grabbed his shoulders from the back seats. Fear had nearly drained the strength from their legs, and they urged him in low, urgent voices to move.

"Run! Run!"

They had every reason to panic. More than twenty Rookie-level Scorpion Dragons and eight Thousand-Feathered Birds surrounded them. This was no ordinary pack. Each creature rivaled a Two-Winged Sorcerer in strength, and any one of them could take on Sonya alone.

The Thousand-Feathered Birds were especially dangerous. They moved through the air with terrifying agility, striking from above while using Ascending Golden Rain to conceal themselves. On the Continent of Time's Knowledge Creature Ranking, they were classified as high-threat targets that demanded extreme caution.

Sonya still remembered the countermeasure described in Time Continent Survival Tips.

Kneel down. Raise the hips. Protect vital points with the head and arms. Curl into a tight ball.

If done properly, the damage will mostly fall on the rear. Even in death, only the soul tied to that part is affected. Aside from a strange emptiness during certain moments, it causes no lasting suffering in reality.

The book had passed through many hands. Seniors had filled its margins with notes, praising the method and even offering advice on how to position oneself properly.

It sounded absurd, but Sonya didn't laugh. Instead, she memorized every word. These were lessons written in blood and experience. Anyone careless enough to mock them would eventually pay the price.

A Two-Winged sorcerer losing to a Thousand-Feathered Bird was nothing unusual. Every sorcerer had weaknesses. Just as a Brute Body sorcerer could counter majority of close-combat enemies, ranged foes skilled in curse attacks could counter them in turn. Even the most versatile sorcerers would encounter Knowledge Creatures they simply couldn't defeat.

Even Legendary sorcerers had blind spots. Strength alone wasn't enough. A sorcerer had to compensate for weaknesses and, more importantly, manage risk. Even prodigies like Ashe and Sonya were not immune to death. Dia had spent two years reaching the Continent of Time, not because her sorcery classes held her back, but because survival demanded it.

If the risk of death could be minimized, pride meant nothing. Even something as absurd as lifting one's rear or standing upside down in a bathroom was a trivial price to pay. Survival always came first.

Death in the Virtual World was just another part of life. No one sought revenge over a single death. No organization would hunt Ashe simply because he specialized in slaughtering Fish Dragons for Swordsmanship Orbs.

As a well-known line from Forest Hall's Second Floor Virtual Library put it.

"The Virtual World drives all to madness. Sorcerer against sorcerer, sorcerer against Knowledge Creature, Knowledge Creature against Knowledge Creature. All struggle to live, yet none cling to hatred. All chase survival, yet move inevitably toward death."

That was why the Swordswoman and the Witch were so afraid. Not because they lacked courage. Only half an hour ago, they had faced down the Great Feral Wolf Dragon without hesitation. What they feared now was loss.

If they died here, the Scorpion Dragons and Thousand-Feathered Birds would tear their souls apart piece by piece. Their real bodies would collapse, and it could take months before they could return to the Virtual World. Better to die cleanly, far from the swarm, than be devoured bit by bit.

The roars of the creatures closed in. The barrier crackled, its energy dropping rapidly as warning tones echoed inside the car. Danger pressed in from all sides.

Yet Ashe felt no fear. No excitement. Only a detached calm, like watching a documentary unfold. He uttered, "Stay calm."

Over the past two days, he had slipped into this state repeatedly. It felt strange, like staring too long at endless assignments. It had never happened before. Perhaps the Continent of Time simply didn't suit him.

In this state, he noticed details he would normally overlook. Like someone who had watched too many predictable films, he could anticipate the enemy's next move with uncanny precision.

The battles hadn't been easy. They were still newcomers to this map, and teamwork took time to refine. The Swordswoman and the Witch had faced death more than once. Yet each time, Ashe entered this state at the critical moment, raising his Sword Barrier just in time to shield them from fatal blows.

They noticed his precision, but they were skilled fighters themselves. To them, it was nothing unusual, just solid control. Similarly, Ashe regarded it as merely a fleeting spark of instinct, nothing more. He had long outgrown the thrill of dramatic displays.

But this time... the spark of instinct seems to be lasting a little longer, don't you think?

Ashe pressed the controls calmly. "The real show is about to begin."

The car roared forward, spinning like a top as it charged straight into the left flank of the Serpent Scorpion Dragon pack.

Dia screamed, half her hair turning red in shock as Little Red surfaced. Sonya bit down on her lip, gripping the Watcher's coat tightly to steady herself.

Then something caught her eye. Was it the Witch's hair catching the light? Or was the spinning motion playing tricks on my vision? Or... was the deep red gradient of the Watcher's coat truly shimmering like a living, breathing glow?

Boom!

The Evil Blades cleaved the Scorpion Dragon perfectly in two. The car gripped the ground with every ounce of its power, tires carving crescent marks in the earth as it deftly dodged the hail of arrows behind it. With a roar, it slammed into the charging squad of Scorpion Dragons.

Boom! Crack! Boom! Crack!

Severed limbs flew over the protective barrier, and dark crimson blood sprayed into the air like a grotesque fountain. The transparent shield froze the blood midair. Unless Sonya and Dia looked up, they were spared from witnessing the macabre spectacle.

Beyond the blood curtain, a thick veil of dark green poison fog rolled in, swallowing everything in its path.

Thud! Thud!

The Scorpion Dragons finally latched onto the car. Razor-sharp poison spikes, crushing pincers, and deadly snake-like strikes assaulted the vehicle from all sides. The barrier groaned under the strain, ready to shatter like fragile glass.

Then, a piercing, anguished scream rang out from above the cave.

"Chaa!"

Thousand-Feathered Birds shrieked as they fell. As the most fragile members of the Legion, the Thousand-Feathered Birds were the first to succumb to the poisonous mist.

The tactical objective had been achieved. Ashe slammed the car forward at top speed, narrowly avoiding the barrier's collapse, and burst out of the cave.

This was their trump card against the Legion of Heroes—the Poison Mist Surge and the Refractive Barrier.

[Refractive Barrier · Level 6]

Description

- A barrier with 4,000 HP envelops the autonomous car. All damage to the barrier is reduced by 32%.

Level 6 Special Effect

- Ranged attacks receive an additional 30% damage reduction, bringing total damage reduction to 62%.

Materials Needed for Next Level

- 630 Mineral Essence, 630 Wood Essence, 315 Mercury Essence

[Poison Mist Surge · Level 4]

Description

- Tailpipe emits a soul-corroding toxic mist that obscures vision. Operators inside the car are unaffected.

Materials Needed for Next Level

- 600 Mercury Essence, 300 Wood Essence

Ashe had nearly exhausted all the resources he had gathered over the past two days to upgrade the car, but it had been worth it. Without the Refractive Barrier, the Thousand-Feathered Birds would have already shot them to pieces. Without the Poison Mist Surge, this massive group of Knowledge Creatures would have been unstoppable.

Why gamble? Ashe realized that if he missed this chance, he might never again uncover the secrets of the Legion of Heroes. The legion had wandered into a confined cave, and he happened to have the resources to upgrade both the barrier and the fog. Every element, the cave, the barrier, the mist, and the limited mobility of the Scorpion and Thousand-Feathered Dragons, aligned perfectly. It was like assembling a flawless puzzle, forming a miraculous trap.

At that moment, Sonya, perhaps jostled by the car or the chaos, found herself in the front seat. Clutching Ashe's right arm tightly, she stared toward the cave in shock. "D-dead... are they all dead?"

Ashe glanced at the Virtual World map. "Not yet. The Thousand-Feathered Birds should be gone, but half of the Scorpion Dragons are still alive."

"Then we run! They're going to chase us!"

The Witch's voice echoed from the front seat as well. "No. We trap them here and fight to the death."

Ashe and Sonya turned to see her beside them. Fortunately, the car was spacious, and Ashe, seated in the middle, didn't feel cramped at all.

The Witch's hair had transformed remarkably, shifting through a gradient of blended colors. Each Witch sister had a unique hair color. The Secret Princess had jet black hair, the Black Butler pale purple, the White Queen pure white, and the Red Reaper blood red. Single-color hair indicated a dominant personality, while gradients revealed a main personality supported by several sub-personalities. This new, mixed-color gradient was unlike anything Ashe and Sonya had seen and looked as if multiple paints had been swirled together.

Nevertheless, this was not the time to ponder the Witch's unusual hair. Ashe pressed the controls, and the car gripped the ground, shrieking as it twisted, aiming its nose at the cave.

"We're neither running nor blocking the exit," he said.

Vroom!

Propelled with immense force, the car barreled into the cave, colliding head-on with the Scorpion Dragons. Its blades cut through them with precision, while the others in the poison mist launched a counterattack. Under the relentless assault, the overworked Refractive Barrier finally cracked!

Sonya clutched Ashe's hand and sword hilt, while Dia tensed, ready to unleash her Aqua Line and leap into battle at any moment.

"Stay in the car," Ashe instructed calmly.

The vehicle was about to reenter the mist-filled cave. He pressed himself against the leather seat and glanced to his left.

Meanwhile, Demilo, riding a Scorpion Dragon, emerged from the mist. He tilted his head and locked eyes with Ashe.

One side was calm and lifeless, like dark, still water, while the other shimmered like a tranquil lake, alive with countless vivid scenes.

"Next round," Ashe murmured.