"Someone we know?"

Sonya blinked, leaned in for a quick glance, then immediately pulled back. "You explain it. I'm too pure to look."

The Sorcerer's Handbook was formatted like a task log. From it, it was clear the owner was an exceptionally organized sorcerer, meticulous in setting small goals and highly skilled at achieving them. Every major event in his life had been recorded as a task, complete with summaries and reflections. He was a model of diligence.

For now, let's call him the Task Sorcerer.

​​[Task Name: Seed of Calamity Flame Election Battle — Importance ★★★★]

Goal: Become a Seed of Calamity Flame.

Requirement: Only temple sorcerers who achieve Two-Winged rank within three years are eligible.

Reward: Become a Seed of Calamity Flame and gain entry into the Silent Spiral. Note: Every Seed who emerges from the Silent Spiral without exception ascends to Three-Winged rank and rises to the upper echelons of the temple.

Failure: Lose the chance to become a Seed. Unless extraordinary circumstances occur, the highest future rank attainable would be assistant priest of the temple.

Task Progress: With the rise of the Silent Spiral, the five-year selection for Seeds of Calamity Flame commenced.

Two other candidates shared my qualifications. They were Frank and a certain woman. Frank was older, experienced, steady, and deeply respected by the faithful. He was undoubtedly the strongest contender. The woman was young, but she had reported her boyfriend for secretly hoarding spoils, proving her loyalty to the Calamity Flame. She had also reached the Two-Winged rank within a year, making her a formidable competitor.

Frank, as captain of the Silverflame Knights, had increased the frequency of the knights' raids to secure more votes and successfully seized Highwind Castle, bringing more followers and funding to the temple. To both the public and the clergy, he shone as brightly and intensely as the desert sun at noon.

As for me, deputy head of the Discipline Priest Order, I increased patrols and strictly punished lawbreakers in my region, aiming to earn recognition from both the faithful and the high priests.

Compared to us, the woman was nothing more than an ordinary nun in the missionary group, powerless and inconsequential. Aside from her beauty, she had no notable skills. If nothing unexpected occurred, she should have been the first to be eliminated.

That was, until she approached me.

She said someone had reported that Frank had been engaging in intimate behavior with his fellow knights.

My immediate reaction was disbelief. Impossible. Temple sorcerers were trained from childhood to resist the corruption of the Calamity Flame. Our minds were tempered to desire nothing, our bodily urges nearly nonexistent. Most of us belonged to the Brute Body Class, living on sand, sleeping on the ground, and fully satisfying only our basic needs. There simply wasn't room for other desires.

Moreover, the most important rule in the Temple's Discipline forbade clergy from indulging in any desires. Once bodily desire ignited, it burned fiercely, and a heated heart was exactly what the Calamity Flame preyed upon.

Even love between clergy had to remain distant and restrained. In contrast, relationships that required physical intimacy were considered corrupted, vile, and degenerate. That made love between clergy the purest of all. It could transcend gender, race, and age.

Those who surrendered to their bodily desires had no right to become temple sorcerers entrusted with guarding the Calamity Flame.

When I argued against her, she said no more, simply acknowledging her mistake and apologizing for her suspicion. But after she left, a troubling thought lingered in my mind. What if Frank really had been intimate with his fellow knights?

If that were true, he would be disqualified from becoming a Seed of Calamity Flame. A sorcerer who could not restrain his body could never survive the Silent Spiral.

Driven by this possibility, I began gathering information about Frank from multiple sources. The more I inquired, the more inconsistencies emerged. My suspicions spread alongside my investigation, and soon the entire Temple was abuzz with discussions about Frank.

When the Silverflame Knights returned, Frank confronted me and nearly beat me to death. Verification later confirmed the truth. Frank had indeed engaged in intimate behavior with his subordinate Arankos, and the bishop had stripped him of his clerical rank.

I thought I had secured victory. But on the day of voting, the woman swept the competition aside, winning the majority of votes. Aside from a handful of friends, almost no one voted for me.

Only then did I realize the consequences of my actions. My days of slandering Frank behind his back had earned widespread contempt. Being publicly beaten by Frank without any chance to retaliate shattered my image completely. I felt like the desert night, cold to the bone, dark, and forbidding. No follower would dare support me.

In contrast, the woman had quietly focused on her duties, avoiding arguments and debates. Combined with her beauty, she gradually earned the approval of many.

The sun is too scorching, allowing no room for flaws. The night is too dark, intimidating anyone who dares to approach. Only the waters of Crescent Moon Spring are sweet enough to be loved by all. I felt I understood something, but it was already too late.

Task Result: Failure

Reflection: Never trust women, especially beautiful ones.

Halfway through the story, Sonya suddenly realized something. "Could the 'woman' mentioned here be the same 'her' referenced in that Sorcerer's Handbook we encountered before?"

The way she put it was a bit confusing, but Ashe was able to understand what she meant. He gave Dia a summary. They remembered this person because the Whirlpool Secret Poison had originated from that very handbook, leaving a lasting impression. The poison had marked a turning point in their Virtual World explorations, and ever since, their progress had surged like a rising energy fund.

In that handbook, the owner had painstakingly forged an unbreakable pact with "her," entrusting her with the Cylindrical Labyrinth containing the intelligence of the Whirlpool Secret Poison. But once she used the poison to ascend to Two-Winged sorcerer, she immediately betrayed the handbook's owner to the temple, trading loyalty for wealth and status."

The handbook's owner never betrayed her, giving all his devotion in vain.

"It's very likely," Ashe said, folding his arms and frowning, "that within a year she became a Two-Winged sorcerer, reported her boyfriend for secretly hoarding spoils, and dealt with the Temple of Calamity Flame... every detail lines up perfectly.

"As for that handbook, it's understandable why her name was never recorded. The text alternates between 'I' and 'she,' so explicit naming wasn't necessary. But why does the Task Sorcerer in this handbook also avoid her name, referring to her only as 'the woman'? Frank, by contrast, is addressed directly by name."