Ash couldn't help but gape at the glowing text floating in front of him. The title was eerily familiar—Aurora's Warlock Handbook.
In his previous life, Ash had worked for a gaming company called Aurora, which was known for several hit mobile games like Aurora's Dungeon Keep, Aurora's Wasteland Odyssey, and Ethereal Wanderer.
And Aurora's Warlock Handbook? It was a new game still in beta testing.
Although Ash wasn't part of the development team—he worked in operations—he'd heard that the game was shaping up to be the company's next big success. So much so that his boss had hinted he'd be leading a team to handle its marketing and live operations. In preparation, Ash had downloaded the demo version to get familiar with the game. He wanted to make sure he could maximize its potential for the company.
Ironically, he hadn't even managed to launch the app before being transported to this bizarre world.
And now, somehow, this mobile game had followed him into his new reality. Even more bizarre, it had automatically installed itself onto the consciousness-based interface embedded in his neck.
Ash's mind spun with questions, but he quickly shook them off. His execution was only days away. Whatever this game was, it might be his last shot at survival.
"Launching Aurora's Warlock Handbook…"
"Checking/updating game resources… Connection to server failed. Switching to local network mode."
"Warning: Image system missing… Attempting repair…"
"Warning: Dungeon system missing… Attempting repair…"
"Warning: Data system missing… Attempting repair…"
A flood of red error messages scrolled across the interface like a torrent. Finally, a single green notification popped up:
"Summoning system successfully activated."
"Recharge system successfully activated."
"Welcome to the Warlock's Handbook."
Ash's face darkened. Only the summoning and microtransaction systems are functional? Truly the hallmark of my company!
Reluctantly, he navigated into the game. Most of the screen was blank, save for two colorful options glowing in the top-right corner:
"Resource Procurement"
"Agent Summoning"
He clicked on Resource Procurement first.
As expected, the screen was filled with options for purchasing crystals. One crystal cost 6 points, a bundle of five cost 30 points, and so on—up to 648 points for a crate. Each option boasted a flashy "First Purchase Bonus!"
Ash didn't need a manual to know that "points" equaled real money. Unfortunately, his bank account and payment apps hadn't transmigrated with him.
Seriously, why does the beta even have a payment system? Was the company planning to siphon back employee wages? Actually, knowing them, probably.
Next, he clicked on Agent Summoning, but the screen was disappointingly sparse. Due to missing data, only two options were available:
"Summon Once"
"Summon Ten Times"
Of course, summoning wasn't free—one pull cost three crystals. Ash rolled his eyes. A demo that charges for the first pull? Only our company could stoop this low.
He considered trying a cheat code and entered the old fallback: "Effortless Cultivation Forever".
The interface flickered for a moment but ultimately did nothing.
Dejected, Ash leaned back until a new notification appeared:
"Sign-in system repaired. Attempting to connect to the main server… Connection failed. Switching to local network mode."
A third option appeared on the main menu: "Daily Login Rewards".
Curious, Ash clicked it and found a calendar. A checkmark had already been placed on today's date, April 11th.
"Daily Reward: 1 Crystal."
"First-Time Login Bonus: One Ten-Pull Summoning Voucher."
Excitement flickered in his heart. Ash didn't care about the jargon-filled descriptions; what mattered was that he might finally get something useful.
He navigated back to the Agent Summoning screen, selected "Summon Ten Times", and braced himself.
There was no flashy animation or dramatic music. Instead, the results simply appeared as a list:
Energy Potion
Energy Potion
Experience Potion
Experience Potion
"Blood-Crazed Swordmaiden"
Basic Combat Experience Card
Wooden Training Sword
Beginner Combat Training Card
Beginner Trial Card
The final pull, a named "agent," caught his attention. A notification followed immediately:
"Agent system repaired. You can now manage your agents."
Curious, Ash tapped on the Swordmaiden's profile.
A character card filled the screen. It depicted a red-haired girl in a sleek black dress. She wore thigh-high stockings with a pair of polished leather shoes, her innocent smile radiating a girl-next-door charm. Her crimson eyes sparkled with curiosity, and her head tilted slightly as if she were peeking around a corner.
"Blood-Crazed Swordmaiden"
Race: Human
Gender: Female
Age: 18
Bond Level: 0 (30% experience shared)
Class: Warlock Student
Class Traits: +5% learning efficiency
Innate Talent: Swordmaiden (Basic): Gains 100% extra swordsmanship experience, with a small chance of gaining 10,000% extra experience. (Unlock higher levels of talent as strength increases.)
Personal Skill: Shadowed Insight: Automatically counters enemies with a probability based on power difference when they target her.
Equipment: None
Controlled Spirits: None
Water Arts: Not yet initiated
Ash stared at the screen, dumbfounded. She looked stunning, but beyond her aesthetic appeal, she seemed useless in his current predicament.
A beautiful, underpowered starting character? This game truly embodies my company's "player-unfriendly" philosophy.
Even worse, the game didn't seem to offer any way to summon agents into reality.
"What's the point of all this? I'm about to be executed, and my last hope is babysitting a virtual anime girl?"
Deflated, Ash exited the agent's profile. His eyes fell on a new notification dot in the Agent Management menu. Begrudgingly, he clicked it.
The screen displayed two agents.
The first was the Blood-Crazed Swordmaiden.
The second was... a man dressed in a sleek black trench coat. Thin and sharp-featured, his face exuded a calm authority that felt eerily familiar.
"Endwatcher"
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Age: 25
Trust Level: ∞
Class: Cult Leader/Ancient Historian
Class Traits: +10 to luck checks; +5 to ancient artifact recognition
Innate Talent: Warlock's Handbook (Basic): Shares a percentage of experience earned by other agents. Current pages: 0/1. (Unlocks additional pages as strength increases.)
Personal Skill: Otherworldly Wraith: Effect unknown.
Ash froze.
The Endwatcher wasn't just anyone. It was him.
Every detail matched his current situation, from the ominous title to the uncanny trench coat—though Ash was certain he'd never worn such an outfit before.
This revelation brought a glimmer of hope. The Handbook's innate talent—sharing experience—might just be his ticket out of this mess.
Filled with newfound determination, Ash returned to the Swordmaiden's profile. He equipped her with the Wooden Training Sword and spent the energy and experience potions to max out her available action points.
"Schedule: Train, Train, Combat."
"Weekly Trial: Swordsmanship."
With a triumphant click, he finalized her schedule.
A notification popped up:
"Activate Endwatcher's innate talent to log the Swordmaiden into the Warlock's Handbook? This action is irreversible."
"Yes!" Ash shouted, unwilling to waste another second.
The interface updated:
"Agent successfully logged into Warlock's Handbook. Training initiated."
As Ash read the updates, exhaustion crept over him. The events of the day had left him utterly drained. His eyelids grew heavy, and he fell asleep almost instantly.
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in a distant time zone, a young woman stirred in her sleep.
In the depths of her dream, she opened her eyes.