The Sorcerer's Handbook

Chapter 238: Academy Style vs Adventure Style

"Why?" Ashe asked, surprise clear in his voice. "Isn't the professor a Three-Winged Sacred Realm sorcerer? How could he not know about the Continent of Time?"

"Two reasons," Sonya replied.

She lifted her index finger. "Firstly, if you compare available resources, books on the Continent of Time make up only a tenth of those on the Sea of Knowledge. The gap isn't just because there are far fewer Two-Winged sorcerers than One-Winged ones. More importantly, sorcerers place far greater importance on advancing their rank in their sorcery class than on the Virtual World. They prefer to compile silver codices or golden manuscripts on improving their rank rather than record anything about the Virtual World or the Continent of Time."

She paused briefly before continuing. "Take the library as an example. The Sword Class section alone spans around thirty shelves, covering summoning, combat, production, and other spirit-related fields. In comparison, the Sea of Knowledge occupies only two shelves, while texts on the Continent of Time amount to just a few dozen volumes.

"Sorcerers like us, gaining something new in the Virtual World every night, are extremely rare. Rare enough to be considered exceptions. For most sorcerers, the Virtual World is simply a place to absorb mana and practice combat skills. They don't expect anything beyond that. Instead, they focus on advancing their sorcery class rank and acquiring spirits through the trading platform, gradually building a spirit system that suits them.

"As they advance in their sorcery class rank, they move to higher layers of the Virtual World and repeat the same process. If it weren't for each layer forcing the sorcerers to explore, like the Exile Secret Poison, or the Static Zone, for instance, many would choose to remain where they are, quietly absorbing mana every night."

She then raised her middle finger. "Secondly, the professor is a genius. He managed to leave the Continent of Time in just four years and reach the Distant Sky Domain. Even after living at the university for years, he still occasionally forgets where his office is. The Continent of Time would hardly stay in his mind.

Ashe let out a soft sigh. He understood clearly the difference between academy-style and adventure-style sorcerers implied here. It was a notion he knew all too well. Put simply, far more people save steadily than gamble on risky investments. Sorcerers followed the same instinct, gravitating toward what felt safe.

It made perfect sense. Rather than relying on the uncertainties of the Virtual World, most sorcerers preferred to invest in themselves, something they could control. Academy-style sorcerers focused on advancing their rank because it offered stability and predictability. Effort and talent still mattered, but as long as they kept moving up in their class, they would continue to grow. Every sorcerer absorbed mana in the Virtual World at roughly the same rate, no matter how naturally gifted they might be.

In contrast, adventure-style sorcerers followed a far riskier path. Even if they thrived in the Virtual World, they could remain stuck if they didn't advance their sorcery class rank.

Picture the Virtual World as a fulcrum and advancement in sorcery class rank as the lever. Academy-style sorcerers reinforced and extended that lever, letting them exert greater force, while adventure-style sorcerers like Ashe search for the most advantageous fulcrum, constantly testing and adjusting with their instinct and ingenuity.

From individual, organizational, and societal perspectives, academy-style sorcerers held the advantage. Their only weakness lay in overcommitting to sorcery class rank advancement, causing them to overlook the hidden value within the Virtual World.

In simple terms, they were too occupied with raising their sorcery class ranks to spare time or energy for deeper exploration. As a result, they rarely documented what they might have discovered.

Of course, the two paths were not mutually exclusive. Swordswoman was the best proof, blending both approaches and advancing at remarkable speed. Still, for a developing sorcerer civilization, the academy system remained the foundation. Training using the adventure style method was far more difficult.

That meant Swordswoman's university could not be relied on when it came to information about the Continent of Time. Anyone seeking the continent's treasures would have to uncover them personally.

Just then, Dia said, "Speaking of which, I just thought of something."

"Are you remembering another fairy tale that's even more exciting than an adult story?"

Dia shook her head. She recounted what she had found at the lumber mill, where there should have been an endless supply of wood, yet only a small amount remained.

Ashe frowned slightly. "That actually makes sense. If ordinary resources kept piling up at the locations we searched earlier, they should have overflowed by now."

Sonya suggested, "Maybe the Resource Points that are already full are sealed off. That would explain why we only find the ones that aren't."

Ashe replied, "Survivorship bias is possible, but there's another explanation."

He narrowed his eyes. "The ordinary materials that seem useless might be removed on a regular basis."

Sonya shook her head. "I've never heard of any sorcerer besides you who could make use of ordinary materials."

"In that case, those using them might not be sorcerers at all," Ashe said.

He opened the Virtual World map and prepared to head toward the next Resource Point. At that moment, a red dot appeared at the edge of the map, marked with an unfamiliar prompt:

[Wisdom lies in using numbers to overwhelm others. (Unknown entity)]

An unknown entity meant it wasn't a Knowledge Creature. On the Continent of Time, anything wandering outside that category could only be a sorcerer projection or something far more unusual.

"Looks like a wandering sorcerer projection is ahead," Ashe whispered.

The Swordswoman and the Witch shouted with dramatic menace.

"Crush him!"

"Run him over!"

Ashe complied without a second thought and drove straight toward them. Their favorite targets were sorcerer projections wandering alone. With the car's Evil Blade, they could strike them down and instantly claim their spirits and Sorcerer's Handbooks without a fight. It wasn't mere freeloading; it was more like a heist.

As the distance closed, Ashe studied the Virtual World map and noticed new details. Then he slammed on the brakes.

"Why are we stopping?"

Ashe rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't misreading the map. "There's a large group of Scorpion Dragons and several Thousand-Feathered Bird Dragons behind the sorcerer projection! They're all moving toward us!"

[Everyone else thinks so too (a few Thousand-Feathered Bird Dragons)]

[The line below is correct (a group of Scorpion Dragons)]

[Wisdom lies in using numbers to overwhelm others. (Unknown entity)]

Sorcerer projections moving alongside a horde of creatures?

Sonya imagined the worst. "Quick! Get out of the way! Don't let them pass us!"

Ashe swerved the car to the side. "How can a sorcerer projection move alongside Knowledge Creatures? Is this some sort of bundled sale?"

Dia suggested, "Or maybe it's just a coincidence and that they just happen to be on the same path?"

Sonya shook her head firmly. "No! It's not a coincidence... they're operating as a single unit!"

Swift predators bulldozed across the ground like a natural disaster. Grass bent and moaned beneath their weight, and the trees groaned and bowed, orchestrating a chaotic symphony of destruction. Even over the roar of the Ascending Golden Rain, Ashe and the others could hear the reckless and unstoppable march of the Knowledge Creature army beside them.

The trio froze, their bodies tense, afraid that even the slightest movement might draw the monsters' attention. Ashe's fingers hovered over the controls, eyes locked on the glowing points on the map, ready to flee at a moment's notice. All three silently prayed the unknown army would follow its own path and ignore a few pathetic wildlings like them.

Ashe and his team could handle three Resource Points on their own, but facing a swarm of monsters was a different matter. They would need to secure advantageous terrain, even shaping narrow chokepoints to offset the enemies' numerical advantage. Often, in a localized area, the three of them could manage only two monsters at a time. In other words, they weren't built for true large-scale combat.

This wasn't a nest or a cave. There was no terrain to their advantage. If the Virtual World army attacked, their only hope was that their four-wheeled vehicle could outrun the flying predators.

Only after the horrific screams of the trees faded into the distance did they relax slightly. They wouldn't sweat in the Virtual World, but each of them still felt a chill as the fear evaporated from their bodies.

"What... was that?" Ashe whispered.

Dia murmured, "This is also my first time seeing it... luckily. Otherwise, Little Red would be dead for sure."

The Red Death Apostle muttered, "I knew only a fight to the death could make me truly show up."

Sonya's voice dropped low. "This has to be the number two danger on the Continent of Time Danger Rankings. They're the wandering harvesters of life, nightmares no sorcerer wants to face, the Virtual World's most unreserved malice against intruders... the Legion of Heroes."