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Ash had almost forgotten that the "Mage's Handbook" game allowed for recharging.
He had thought the source crystals he got from daily log-ins were his only means for card draws, and he hadn't expected that this world actually had a currency recognized by the game.
Regardless of whether its value was high or low, this discovery sent a thrill of excitement through Ash and gave him renewed motivation—like when a boss tells you, "work hard, and next time you'll be promoted," even if the hope is slim, at least there's something to look forward to.
But he didn't dare spend his medals so rashly, as he soon realized that these medals were actually the extraordinary foundation of this world, a source of power avidly sought by mages—Technique Spirits!
"Do you want this Technique Spirit?" he asked.
"Do you want it?" To Ash's surprise, Sonia showed no interest in this Technique Spirit, responding, "Then you take it."
Now Ash was curious: "This is a Technique Spirit, don't you want it?"
"It's neither a Sword Technique Spirit nor a Universal Technique Spirit. It would be useless to me and a waste of my money."
"What's it got to do with money?" Ash asked, bewildered.
Sonia felt as if the Observer was secretly mocking her financial struggles. After all, if the Observer could steer a small boat through the Void Realm, how could he not understand such basic mage knowledge?
Or was the Observer so wealthy that he didn't need to worry about feeding Technique Spirits? Novels often feature humorous scenes where "wealthy nobles don't understand common knowledge," but she never thought she'd encounter such a nearly extinct species in real life.
With Sonia's explanation, Ash finally realized that the Technique Spirit ecology of this world was far more complex than he'd imagined.
First, Technique Spirits needed to be fed, and they required currency to do so!
Silver coins and gold coins were the main sustenance for Technique Spirits; a One-winged Technique Spirit needed to be fed silver coins, while a Two-winged Technique Spirit required gold coins. Technique Spirits that went unfed would dissipate on their own. Some poor mages might actually starve their Technique Spirits to death!
Besides currency, Technique Spirits could also be nourished with other materials, but the materials required for each Technique Spirit were different and very tedious to find. However, since silver and gold coins served as universal feed for all Technique Spirits, mages eventually forgot how to properly feed their Technique Spirits. In the end, they just stuffed them with money.
Additionally, Technique Spirits consumed a mage's spirit merely by existing. Mages with numerous Technique Spirits, like men with many girlfriends, found not only their wallets but also their bodies strained.
Therefore, for low-level mages, especially those with good proletarian traditions, Technique Spirits were not simply better in large numbers. They needed to selectively choose Technique Spirits suitable for them. "Fewer but finer" was the development strategy for most low-level mages.
Secondly, there were usage restrictions for Technique Spirits.
Based on these restrictions, Technique Spirits were divided into different factions, such as the Sword Technique Faction, which required swords, the Gun Master Faction for gun usage, and the Weak Faction, demanding physical prowess. Specialized Technique Spirits that imposed high requirements on mages were marked as specific faction spirits or specialized spirits, like the "Wave Motion Sword," which necessitated using a sword.
Technique Spirits that imposed little to no requirements, or requirements that the vast majority of mages could easily meet, were termed universal spirits, like "Eagle Eye," which only needed a mage to have eyes to activate.
Generally, a mage's Technique Spirits consisted of both specialized and universal spirits. Ideally, the specialized spirits should not exceed two factions; the matching of universal spirits should be checked to avoid retaining useless spirits.
Sonia would have inevitably sold this "Rapid Fire" spirit rather than waste money keeping it.
The reason Sonia wasn't interested in this Technique Spirit was simple: "Rapid Fire" wasn't worth much.
"'Rapid Fire' is a product of the Flintlock Gun era from hundreds of years ago. We're now in the age of automatic rifles and pistols, where pistols can unload seven bullets in a second, so there's hardly a need for 'Rapid Fire'." Sonia spread her hands. "Although 'Rapid Fire' can also be used in mortars, naval guns, and the like, those weapons have better Technique Spirit options and wouldn't use 'Rapid Fire.'"
"The school's buying price for such outdated spirits is at most a silver coin each—the lowest price for a One-winged Technique Spirit."
Ash had already known about the Sword Maiden attending school, but he didn't pay it any mind, thinking it was just a game setting.
"Then I'll take it!"
"Go ahead," Sonia said casually.
Ash silently uttered "redeem" and the medal in his hand dissipated into mist, with a game notification popping up: "Recharge successful! You've gained 10 points."
The lowest price option in the game was six points for one source crystal, implying that this "Rapid Fire" Technique Spirit could only get 1.5 source crystals, whereas a card draw required three source crystals, effectively valuing two One-winged Technique Spirits to equal one card draw.
For a Technique Spirit to be an extraordinary force, its price was as low as that of a fresh university graduate's salary... Ash clicked his tongue, glancing at the Hunting Notes in his hand. "What's this notebook about?"
"It's the Mage's Handbook!" Sonia gave Ash a strange look.
"Mage's Handbook?" Ash was taken aback.
Sonia nodded.
"The Mage's Handbook summarizes a mage's life in some form. For instance, this handbook documents the hunting targets of this Gun Master during his lifetime, indicating that hunting was a significant part of his life. Well, it's essentially a mage's diary."
"However, this isn't a voluntary diary written by mages but something that emerges naturally after their deaths. Their souls automatically return to the Void Realm as a mage's projection, with their life memories condensing into a book—much like birth, old age, sickness, and death, it's an unavoidable natural law."
"We call this book the Mage's Handbook."
"If the Void Realm is the graveyard for mages, then the Mage's Handbook is the headstone."
It was at this moment that Ash realized the Hunter from earlier was the projection of a dead person. He had previously assumed it was a living person and wondered how he could so easily encounter other mages.
But even if it were a living person, he wouldn't have held back; since dying in the Void Realm didn't mean true death.
Sonia continued, "Like medals, the Mage's Handbook can also be used. You can absorb the handbook directly with your consciousness; this way, you'll gain a randomly selected skill from the book that doesn't belong to any Magic Faction—entirely random."
Ash asked, "Do you want it?"
"I don't want it. Just reading a few pages made me feel tired," Sonia shook her head. "But you've read through the whole handbook; you're sure to absorb it without any contamination."
"Contamination?"
"The Mage's Handbook is contaminative. Generally, mages can only read handbooks from those with similar worldviews, values, and outlooks. Forcibly absorbing incompatible handbooks could damage the soul and even cause schizophrenia."
"Is it that serious?"
"Serious, yes, but easily prevented. As long as you don't feel uncomfortable while browsing a Mage's Handbook, it means there won't be a problem with absorbing it."
Hearing this, Sonia was also curious: "From what I know, it's fortunate for ordinary mages to find two or three absorbable Mage's Handbooks out of ten. Some mages might never encounter one in their entire lives. How are you able to absorb any randomly picked Mage's Handbook without contamination?"
Ash couldn't answer that. Following Sonia's instructions, he guided his consciousness to the Hunting Notes in his hand.
The Hunting Notes transformed into a light mist that flowed into him. Soon, Ash felt as if a chunk of ice in his consciousness had melted, flooding him with indescribable knowledge.
When he checked the "Operator Management" in the game, he found a new skill added.
"Counter Reconnaissance Mastery"
As a jungle hunter and a war soldier, Cabin Stoli undoubtedly honed this survival skill in battle, even if he hadn't formally learned counter reconnaissance. For Ash, who planned to escape, counter reconnaissance could come in handy.
After Ash finished absorbing the Hunting Notes, they found the island was sinking. The two hurriedly returned to the boat, and before long, the island totally vanished, leaving the sea silent, as if nothing had ever happened.
"This is the peculiar nature of the Void Realm, fickle meetings serving only inheritance," Sonia mused. "The Sea of Knowledge holds countless Inheritance Islands, quietly waiting to be found by new mages. Once an inheritance is taken, the island returns to the sea... Some say, islands are the evolutionary footprints of a mage's obsessions, vestiges left by old mages wishing to be remembered by future generations, so they place their inheritances on the sea."
"All mages leave deep traces upon the Void Realm. Here, we'll encounter endless legacies of those who came before us, engage with gunmen from centuries past, converse with wise ones from millennia ago—anything can happen... Yet our traces, too, will remain in the Void Realm. When, centuries from now, a mage tears through the white mist, they'll face the challenges left behind by you and me."
"Sounds quite romantic."
"Does it? Do you think it's romantic to have your life passed down in such an unvarnished manner for future generations to admire your great achievements?"
Suddenly, Ash didn't find it romantic: "Can mages delete some life records before they die, like 'Study Materials,' 'Art and Life,' and so on?"
"How to die with dignity and how to live shabbily have always been two major research projects for mages."
Although she hadn't gained anything, since Ash benefited immensely, Sonia felt relaxed and stretched on the boat, "Where to next? You decide, I'm listening."
The battle at the island was not at all dangerous. If Ash could always find such Inheritance Islands, Sonia would eagerly take the risk.
If she could just once stumble upon a Technique Spirit from the Sword Skill or a suitable Mage's Handbook, it would be a huge profit.
Many mages' greatest hope was a smooth exploration in the Void Realm. Encountering no dangers would already be enough to inspire their praise.
"Let me see..."
Ash opened "Void Realm Exploration" to check the surroundings:
"Waste of Effort," "Waste of Effort," "Waste of Effort," "Waste of Effort," "Better Not Go," "Waste of Effort," "Waste of Effort," "Waste of Effort."
"Ah, well?"
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