《Sorcerer Manual》 Chapter 1 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°The great Terminus Observer, Ash Heath! The good follows you and the evil reveres you! The light desires you, and the darkness yearns for you! You are the existence that transcends all, the colors that God has imbued upon all beings!¡± ¡°The great Terminus Observer, Ash Heath¡­¡± Ash sat on the cold stone seat and looked at the large group of strange people in black robes before him. They were kneeling on the ground and kowtowing and praying to him. Beneath his cold expression, he was panicking. One could hardly blame him for this. After all, he still remembered working in that damn mobile game company overnight until early morning, contributing what remained of his value the previous second. The next second, he had suddenly come to this strange underground hall, receiving worship from these people. No one would have been able to react appropriately. What was even more miraculous was that Ash could understand their language, as naturally as if it were his mother tongue. He didn¡¯t even need to think about it or a translation, and could understand what they meant directly. As he gradually began to calm down, he quickly came to the conclusion that he had transmigrated, and that his soul had transmigrated into someone with the same name. Ever since he was young, many people had said that his name sounded very fantastical, but Ash never thought that he would encounter such a strange event one day. However, he did not have the surname Heath, and it was precisely why he could quickly determine that he was not dreaming. Not only did they have the same name, their appearances seemed to be similar. Furthermore, through moving his fingers, toes, and other basic parts, Ash found that his body felt nothing different. It was as if this were his original body. Everything was so nimble and natural that it made him wonder if he had transmigrated into himself in a parallel world. For the sake of convenience in address, and since both of them had the same name, Ash inwardly called the original owner of this body ¡°Heath¡±. But these thoughts were of no help to the present state of affairs, for Ash realized that Heath had failed to leave him the most important thing. Memory. That¡¯s right, memory! It was as if he had reformatted Heath¡¯s memories while he was transmigrating. Ash had no idea what to do next. He even maintained a calm expression with a trace of evil charm, afraid that others would see through the act. Although the people before the stone throne were extremely respectful to him, if Ash slipped up at all, they would be as cruel after turning against him as they were respectful now. After all, from their perspective, Ash was this ¡°evil soul from a foreign world¡± who had obliterated the soul Heath the Holy Son and occupied the Holy Son¡¯s body, making him a true sinner. Coupled with their strong religious overtones, Ash didn¡¯t think he could gain their understanding just by saying ¡°actually, I¡¯m a victim too¡±. However, just sitting like this wasn¡¯t the solution either. Ash was beginning to have trouble maintaining the inscrutable smile on his face. Boom boom boom¡ª The underground hall suddenly rumbled. The black-robed men were overjoyed. They prostrated themselves and their foreheads hit the ground as they shouted in unison, ¡°We pray for the descent of the Divine Lord!¡± Ash thought that there¡¯s an earthquake. He tried to stand up, but found that he couldn¡¯t stand up no matter what, as if his rear was stuck to the stone seat. Suddenly, dazzling lights lit up before his eyes. He looked up, and four bright rainbow lights appeared in the sky, bringing color and infinite warmth to the hall. ¡°The great Terminus Observer, Ash Heath!¡± All of them spoke in unison, as if millions of people were speaking at the same time. ¡°The only pure man of the dark and obscure world, the last warrior of the onerous earth, you bear the great responsibility of saving the world and the mission of saving all beings!¡± ¡°We shall pass through the Silver Celestial Wheel to bestow you with power. We shall break the Golden Celestial Scales to defend your glory! Your name is sacred. Your will is our will. Your country is the blessed land for all living beings!¡± ¡°Ash Heath!¡± Before he knew it, Ash found himself genuflecting with his head lowered respectfully, waiting for the moment glory descended. The leftmost red ball of light said, ¡°I am the Lord of Billions of Lights, in charge of justice, courage, and honor! I will bestow upon you the Angel of Strength to purge all your enemies!¡± A female angel with a spear and a pair of wings on her back flew in front of him. She was wearing red battle armor, and her body was only the size of a finger. However, her aura was imposing. Ash felt as if he could see a sea of blood and corpses behind her eyes. The second blue ball of light on the left said, ¡°I am the Lord of Wind, Rain and Snow, in charge of wisdom, change, and destiny! I will bestow upon you the Angel of Wisdom and help you achieve all your goals!¡± A female angel wearing a blue hat and holding a notebook flew in front of him. She was also the size of a finger, and her eyes were deep, as if they contained boundless knowledge. The second green ball of light on the right said, ¡°I am the Heart of Eternal Heat, in charge of life, equality, and sharing. I will bestow upon you the Angel of Life and help you remain healthy forever!¡± A luminescent green female angel that looked like a little girl flew in front of Ash. She was very cute, and there was a bright green halo surrounding her that was extremely warm and relaxing. The rightmost pink ball of light said, ¡°I am the Soul of Dreams and Freedom, in charge of love, joy, and art. I will bestow upon you the Angel of Joy and help you attain extraordinary charm!¡± A beautiful pink angel flew in front of Ash. Her figure was graceful, and her eyes were captivating. Even though her body was only the size of a finger, she seemed to be the most beautiful existence in this world. The four angels danced around Ash, adding a dazzling radiance to him. At this moment, Ash felt his energy surge out continuously. His body was full of energy, and his mood was incomparably joyous. Countless plans appeared in his mind. Everything felt most wonderful! The Lord of Billions of Lights, Lord of Wind, Rain and Snow, Heart of Eternal Heat, and Soul of Dreams and Freedom said at the same time, ¡°The warrior who is favored by fate, the observer with insight into karma, please create miracles and save the world!¡± Following the sound of bubbles shattering, the four descending celestial gods gradually dissipated. But the underground hall remained bright, for Ash, who had four angels, was like a walking rainbow. Ash clenched his fists. The corners of his mouth turned upwards, and he smiled confidently. How unexpected! He had thought that this sudden transmigration was a huge trap, but he did not expect it to be a boon. He had actually become the warrior of this world, with the blessings of four deities and the support of countless believers. What a beautiful script! The next step would be to defeat the monsters, save the world, marry the most beautiful princess, become the king of this world, and reach the apex of his life! Bang! A loud bang came from the ceiling. The black-robed believer at the forefront said, ¡°Warrior, the Blood Frenzy Hunters have found this place! We can only rely on you to defeat them now!¡± Blood Frenzy Hunter? It was obvious that they were the villains. Ash guessed that they were supposed to be the novice level mobs for him to farm reputation points and familiarize himself with skills. He drew the longsword at his waist heroically and said proudly, ¡°No enemies can stand against my blade! Let these Blood Frenzy Hunters be the first kills of my sword! Men, lead the way!¡± ¡°No need. We¡¯ll come over ourselves.¡± With a loud bang, the ceiling of the underground hall exploded! Ash lifted his head. He saw a group of enemies carrying blood stripe swords and wearing silver coats and hunting hats jump down from above! ¡°Good!¡± Ash bellowed, ¡°Power! Wisdom! Life! Joy!¡± The four angels added blessing to Ash together. At this moment, Ash felt that he could cut the enemy into two with one slash! He was fearless. With a loud roar, he jumped up and slashed at the Blood Frenzy Hunter at the front, even slashing out a space-shattering sword aura! With the support of the deities, I¡¯ve become so powerful! Now I have the protection of the defensive barrier and a steady stream of stamina, I¡¯d like to see who can defeat me! Just as Ash was secretly feeling pleased with himself, he heard the Blood Frenzy Hunter opposite him sneer. ¡°Is that all you¡¯ve got?¡± A sinister smile appeared on the Blood Frenzy Hunter¡¯s face. He casually waved his longsword, which instantly turned into a chain sword that was several meters long, and slashed out a blood-red sword aura that was several meters long! Ash¡¯s sword aura was instantly swallowed up, and the defensive barrier on his body was also instantly destroyed. The entire underground hall was slashed apart by the Blood Frenzy Hunter¡¯s sword, and a huge crack appeared under Ash¡¯s feet! As he watched his opponent defeat him with ease, Ash did not react in time at first. ¡°How is this possible¡­¡± ¡°You only have four two-winged chaos spell spirits that are not even your own. Where did you find the guts to fight against a Three-winged Sanctuary Sorcerer?¡± With a swooshing sound, three wings appeared on the Blood Frenzy Hunter¡¯s back. They were Silver Wing, Gold Wing, and Irised Wing! He retracted his chain sword back into its longsword form and charged towards Ash¡¯s chest like a flying dragon. His sword pierced through Ash¡¯s chest and nailed him to the stone throne! Ash was forced to sit down again. He vomited blood and stared blankly as the Blood Frenzy Hunter unlatch the small lantern at his waist. He didn¡¯t know how the hunter activated it, but the lantern suddenly emitted a blinding white light. The angels who were still trying to bestow the power of the subsidiary gods let out cries of despair and abhorrence under the illumination of this white light. Their bodies could no longer maintain their former beauty, and they all became incomparably ugly! The Angel of Power changed into an ugly mantis. The Angel of Wisdom turned into a rotting fly. The Angel of Life dissolved into a pale maggot. The Angel of Joy even turned into a foul stench! Courage, wisdom, joy, and life quickly faded from Ash¡¯s body. He was also completely awakened by the intense pain in his chest. Confusion showed in his face. What happened just now? He was an ordinary person who had just transmigrated and did not have any information. Why did he suddenly become so arrogant and join a war that had nothing to do with him? How could this be the response of a normal corporate slave who¡¯s been browbeaten by the society for years? While Ash was in a daze, the battle in the underground hall had already ended. The black-robed believers were no match for the Blood Frenzy Hunters. The Blood Frenzy Hunter standing in front of Ash took out a scroll and unfurled it in front of him, revealing the red stamp document within: ¡°I¡¯m Gerald Westminster, Blood Frenzy Hunter number 307791 of the Crime Hunting Department. The Hunting Hall suspects your involvement in the Four Pillar Deities Cult propagation case, multiple kidnappings, murders, robberies, and other heinous crimes. This is the arrest warrant signed by the Hunting Hall in Kaimon City. If you have any objections regarding our law enforcement, you can report it to the receptionist of the Crime Hunting Department, 233 Civic Avenue, or send a direct feedback to the mayor¡¯s mailbox.¡± ¡°Now then.¡± The Blood Frenzy Hunter put away the arrest warrant, took out a pair of silver shackles, and personally put the rather exquisite bracelets on Ash. The corners of his mouth curled up, revealing his pale fangs. ¡°Leader of the Four Pillar Deities Cult, Ash Heath, you are under arrest..¡± Chapter 2 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Name?¡± ¡°Ash¡­ Ash Heath.¡± ¡°Age?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I lost my memory.¡± ¡°Gender?¡± ¡°Let me see¡­ Male.¡± ¡°Race?¡± ¡°Probably not a dog?¡± ¡°Experiences?¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t know. I lost my memory. ¡­ The Blood Frenzy Hunter, Amy, was observing the situation in the interrogation room through the two-way mirror. When she heard the leader of the cult make replies so nonchalantly and arrogantly during his interrogation, she was so angry that her eyes turned into vertical slits, and the nails on her hands grew longer. ¡°Captain, does this scoundrel think that everyone in the Crime Hunting Department is a fool? This won¡¯t do. Let me do it. When I was in school, I learned interrogation skills from priests during extracurricular hours for a period of time, and I also attained a Level One Torture Master Certificate. I¡¯ll bet on the priest¡¯s name that I can guarantee this bastard will spit out everything, even wetting his bed when he was young¡± ¡°Burn the Torture Master Certificate,¡± Gerald said calmly. ¡°The Torture Master System was abolished in the Amendment to Human Rights Act twelve years ago, and the Crime Hunting Department¡¯s authority to interrogate suspects was comprehensively prohibited. Those who violate it would be suspended from the Hunter¡¯s Certificate at best, and sentenced to at least a hundred years of imprisonment at worst. The council has been watching us closely, and we would get into trouble if Ash Heath so much as lost sleep at night. If you want an accusation from the council, I won¡¯t stop you.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Amy pursed her lips in anger and fear before changing the topic. ¡°Where¡¯s the Memory Master? It¡¯s been so long since we caught him. Why hasn¡¯t the Memory Master come to retrieve the memories of this scoundrel?¡± ¡°The Memory Master won¡¯t be coming.¡± ¡°Why not? For such a big case, there must be a Memory Master to retrieve the evidence no matter what, right? I remember it¡¯s stated in the Criminal Code that all criminal offenses must provide memories as direct evidence, no?¡± ¡°But it¡¯s different for him.¡± ¡°How is it different?¡± Gerald glanced at her. ¡°He¡¯s met the Four Pillar Deities.¡± Em was slightly taken aback. Then she understood. ¡°It¡¯s not just him. None of the heretics can have their memories retrieved.¡± Gerald said, ¡°Memory contamination is the Four Pillar Deities¡¯ specialty. One hundred and thirty-four years ago, when I participated in the investigation of the Four Pillar Deities Cult, a Memory Master unwittingly became a believer of the Four Pillar Deities precisely due to retrieving memories from the heretics. That is how the Four Pillar Deities Cult keeps reviving endlessly despite being put down.¡± ¡°Then what should we do?¡± Amy was dumbfounded. ¡°We can¡¯t get any evidence from him, we can¡¯t interrogate him, and we can¡¯t retrieve his memories¡­ Are we supposed to allow him to get acquitted? Or should we say that he¡¯s a special case that calls for special methods?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for special cases or methods,¡± said Gerald. ¡°There¡¯s a death sentence befitting a criminal like him that has committed extremely heinous crimes and invoked public outrage¡­ The interrogation here is just a formality. The real trial will have to wait until 8PM on the 15th, and it will be done by all the citizens in the city.¡± Amy immediately understood, but when she turned her head and saw that the cult leader was still in the interrogation room, saying ¡°I don¡¯t know, I lost my memory¡± left and right, she still couldn¡¯t take it lying down. She stuck out her tongue and gave him a slightly disdainful look, then left with her drooping gray tail dragging behind her. Gerald was still watching the meaningless interrogation. Inside, the interrogation had lasted more than fifteen minutes, so it was necessary to pause to give the suspect a break. It was also one of the basic human rights required by the Human Rights Act. The cult leader was drinking water. Occasionally, he touched his chest, which had been punctured not long ago. There was surprise in his eyes, but it quickly turned to concern. For some reason, Gerald felt that he wasn¡¯t lying. His various reactions, from panic, curiosity, fear, to confusion¡­ really resembled that of an ordinary person who had lost his memories. According to the Human Rights Act, symptoms such as dissociative identity disorder, amnesia, and mental illness can be treated as cases where the person in question lacked autonomy, thus exempting him from criminal punishment. If memory retrieval revealed that Ash had really lost his memory, he could even be acquitted. However, these things had nothing to do with him. Because of the Four Pillar Deities, there couldn¡¯t and wouldn¡¯t be Memory Masters to retrieve his memories, so¡­ ¡°Judging you is the people¡¯s business. All we have to do is reveal you to the public.¡± Gerald turned and left, continuing his hunt for the next suspect. ¡­ ¡­ ¡°Looks like there really isn¡¯t any hope for me now¡­¡± As he lay on the clean and soft bed, Ash put down the informative documents in his hands and looked at this bright and spacious prison cell with a single guard. His heart was gloomy. Although he had vaguely expected it when he saw the ugly appearances of the four ¡°angels¡± revealed before they died, he did not expect the truth to be even graver than he had imagined¡ªthe hunters¡¯ accusation against him was completely correct. He was really a cult leader through and through. The few deities who bestowed the power to him were the Four Pillar Deities, the most notorious deities in this world. They had many names, and their most obvious characteristic was that the Four Pillar Deities would often appear together and cause endless chaos in this world. Lord of Billions of Lights, also known as Tyrant, pursued endless wars and drowned the world with seas of blood and corpses. His believers would slaughter everything they saw, even themselves. The Lord of Wind, Rain and Snow, also known as the Devious Chancellor, was famed for using schemes to manipulate mortals. His favorite act was satisfying the wishes of his believers, even though he would cause his believers to fall into extreme madness when he fulfilled their wishes. The Heart of Eternal Heat, also known as the Benevolent Father, was the source of all epidemics and diseases and the final destination of all rotting things. His believers would become a breeding ground for diseases. They would live in pain, horror, and despair, but they could not die. Soul of Dreams and Freedom, also known as the Prince of Hedonism, represented the endless desires of living creatures. He was also the one with the longest introduction in the informative documents. Intelligent races were the most likely to get seduced and corrupted by him. Once he corrupted them with desire and they became his believers, intelligent creatures would become base animals that could never find satisfaction. Reason would be completely devoured by instinct. As a matter of fact, Ash had suspected that the other party was fabricating information to deceive him. However, firstly, he had already been captured and had to bend to the other party¡¯s will, meaning that there was no need to go through such trouble at all. Secondly, the informative text was also accompanied by pictures of Heath himself, as well as the processes of his crimes. The viciousness of his methods made him want to throw up the mushroom sauce chicken noodles he had just eaten. Since Heath was a villain, naturally, the Four Pillar Deities were evil deities. In turn, that meant the Blood Frenzy Hunters that were hunting him were the forces of justice¡­ At least, they were the forces that maintained social stability. In just half a day, Ash experienced both great joy and great sorrow. At first, he thought that he was a novice warrior who was starting out. He did not expect to actually be a startup cult leader who had just accepted the first round of angel investments. Then, he wound up being the wild elite monster farmed by a team of warriors for experience. Transmigrating as a cult leader on arrival was bad enough, but transmigrating at the exact moment the hunters were closing their net around the cult¡­? Did I get here specially to allow the hunters to meet their performance indicators? Ash tossed and turned in bed, lamenting the unfairness of his fate and wondering if he had suffered a sudden death from working overtime. But all his thoughts gathered into one final thought: how will they execute me? Though, the interrogation was very polite and provided free food and a luxurious single room. Apart from having to wear exquisite bracelets and anklets, Ash even felt like he was here on vacation. However, it was obvious that the other party would never let him off. Still, Ash had the vague feeling that the civilization of this world seemed to be very advanced. Perhaps the death penalty was abolished here. Then he¡¯d still have a chance of survival¡­ Suddenly, a crisp notification sound rang in his mind. [Ding-Dong!] Ash felt the back of his neck heat up, and then a hologram unfolded before him. His heart skipped a beat as he tried to decipher the words on the light beam¡ª [Dear Mr. Ash Heath, prisoner number 4001623: Kaimon City Hall officially invites you to be a special guest on Channel 1 of Kaimon¡¯s ¡°Blood Moon Judgment¡± program at 8 PM on the 15th of this month. Please pay attention to your appearance when the time comes. We will send someone to escort you to the live broadcast of the program. If you wish to quit the program, please reply ¡°TC¡±.] Although he did not know what this ¡°Blood Moon Judgment¡± was, by the looks of its name alone, it wasn¡¯t anything good. Naturally, Ash quickly typed ¡°TC¡± in the dialog box. However, just as he thought about it, another notification popped up on the screen: [You are currently under arrest for trial. Messaging function has been prohibited.] Tsk, so the last part of the notice was just to mock me!? Ash reckoned that this ¡°Blood Moon Judgment¡± was his death sentence, but he had already directed his attention to the hologram in front of him. He touched the back of his neck. He could not feel any obvious bumps, but he could clearly feel that the back of his neck was closely related to the hologram. It seemed that the hologram was set to be implanted in the back of his neck. Since he would be notified of information like the ¡°death sentence announcement¡± in this way, Ash felt that it might be the communication tool of this world, and his was not the only one. As expected, when he focused his attention on the ¡°?¡± symbol on the top left of the light beam, a series of messages popped up. [Name: Consciousness Screen of ¡°Heath¡±] [Version: 14.4.1] [Chip Model: Miracle 13] [Current status: Messaging function prohibited, Internet function prohibited, access channel function prohibited, visual function prohibited, output kinetic energy prohibited, Illusory Realm visits prohibited, spell energy output prohibited¡­] [Main number: 459105198] [Service Operator: Kaimon Communications] Ash changed the name to [¡®Consciousness Screen¡¯ of ¡®Ash¡¯] on a whim. He thought to himself that the technological system of this world really was advanced. It had the extraordinary ability to increase an individual¡¯s combat power, as well as this external technological device that was popularized to everyone. It was laughable that he had thought this was a transmigration cheat just now, only for it to turn out to be a universal product owned by everyone. He was like an ancient person who had transmigrated to the present world and picked up a phone, thinking it was a divine artifact. As soon as he thought about that presumptuous idea, Ash felt his face heat up. As much as Ash wanted to study this new toy, most of its functions had been prohibited. Aside from calendars, information, notepad, and calculator, there was only¡ª ¡°Sorcerer Manual of Aurora?¡± Ash was stunned.. Chapter 3 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In his previous life, the name of the gaming company that Ash had been working at was called Aurora. Aurora had launched many popular mobile games, such as ¡°The Underground Castle of Aurora¡± and ¡°The Mutation Lands of Aurora¡±. ¡°Sorcerer Manual of Aurora¡± was a new mobile game that the company was testing. Ash did not belong to the R&D department of the new game but the Operations Department. However, he heard that the new game was very fun and was expected to become extremely popular. The Planning Department¡¯s Head wanted him to lead a team to be in charge of the operational planning of the newbie game. Hence, Ash downloaded the demo in the Sorcerer Manual and prepared to study it, so that he could contribute his remaining value faster and better in the future. However, before he could open the game, he suddenly transmigrated over here while working overnight. Why did this mobile game transmigrate with him, and even automatically installed itself into the screen of consciousness? Ash was in disbelief. But when he thought about how he would be helpless for his execution in a few days, he no longer had the time to investigate the reason this game existed. He could only hope that it would bring him a miracle! [¡°Sorcerer Manual of Aurora¡± is launching¡­] [Checking/updating game resources¡­ Unable to connect to networks. Automatically switched to regional network mode.] [Warning: Image system lost¡­ Repairing¡­] [Warning: Dungeon system lost¡­ Repairing¡­] [Warning: Data system lost¡­ Repairing¡­] [¡­] A series of red Warning notifications flashed through the screen like a flood, only stopping when a green notification appeared¡ª [Search system activated.] [Currency top-up system activated.] [Welcome to the Sorcerer Manual.] Tsk! The entire game can be activated successfully as long as the card drawing and paywall systems are normal. As expected of my company! Ash entered the game with a speechless expression. 80% of the screen was blank. Only the two colorful options in the upper right corner could be interacted with¡ª [Purchase Supplies] and [Find Agents] He clicked on [Purchase Supplies]. There was an option to buy origin crystals. One cost 6 points, one group cost 30 points, one pile cost 98 points, one bag cost 198 points, one box cost 328 points, one chest cost 648 points, and each option provided double value return on the first purchase¡­ Ash could easily guess that the points were money. But Alipay hadn¡¯t transmigrated with him. Where was he supposed to get the money for currency top-up? What was my company thinking? Why would you create a paywall system for demo testing by the internal staff? Are they trying to take back the salary they gave us¡­ Tsk, the company actually isn¡¯t above it. He clicked on [Find Agents]. It seemed that due to the loss of various resources, the interface for [Find Agents] was blank. There were only two plain options: [Find Once] and [Find Ten Times]. Ash didn¡¯t mind trying to draw cards, but he actually needed three Origin Crystals for each draw. Where could he get the money to draw? No way, did the demo test require money even for the first card draw? Who developed such a shameless mobile game¡­ Oh, our company developed it. Never mind then. Just as Ash was feeling crestfallen, a notification popped up on the screen: [Sign-in system successfully repaired. Connecting to the main server¡­ Unable to connect to server. Automatically changed to local network mode.] A third option appeared on the screen: [Log In and Sign-in]. When he clicked on the option, a date sheet appeared. Ash saw that the checkbox for April 11 was automatically checked. [Regular allocation: one origin crystal]. [Newcomer Initial Sign-in Allocation: one Find Agent Ten Times Voucher.] [Find Agent Ten Times Voucher: A permit issued by the Aurora Search Department, used to search for high-value targets in batches. Can be used to find agents ten times at once. Guarantees finding one agent.] Although he could not understand the exclusive terms in the introduction, these were not important. Ash knew he could only rely on this unknown game that accompanied him in transmigration to determine whether he could escape the Blood Moon Judgment next week! He clicked on the [Find Agents] interface and chose [Find Ten Times]! There were no flashy and gorgeous cards, only an extremely plain card list. [Energy Serum], [Energy Serum], [Experience Serum], [Experience Serum]¡­ [Deadly Berserker Sword Maiden], [Beginner Combat Experience Card], [Wooden Sword for Training]¡­ It was out! Then, a message popped up: [Agent system successfully repaired. You can now manage your agents.] Ash checked the card immediately. A red-haired girl in a black smock dress was on the card face. She wore the innocent smile of a girl-next-door. She folded her hands behind her back, and her long legs in black stockings stepped on little leather shoes. She tilted her head and looked around, her pale red eyes curious. [Deadly Berserker Sword Maiden] [Human ¡¤ Female ¡¤ 18] [Bond Level: 0 (30% Experience Sharing)] [Class: Sorcerer Student] [Occupation Feature :+5% Learning Efficiency] [Innate Talent: Sword Maiden (Lower Tier): Additional 100% swordplay experience. Low chance of obtaining 10,000% swordplay experience. (Increase in strength can unlock the talent level.)] [Personal Special Skill ¡¤ Black Heart: Kill the danger in advance. When an enemy intends to attack, there is a certain chance to counterattack automatically based on the difference in strength.] [Items Equipped: None] [Controlled Spell Spirits: None] [School of Water Sorcery: Uninitiated] [Training Strategy: Not Set] After studying it for a long time, Ash still couldn¡¯t find anything on deadly or berserker-like about her. He couldn¡¯t help but be furious¡ªapart from the cool and awesome name, wasn¡¯t this just a standard illustration of a pretty girl? Don¡¯t think you can cheat people of their money just because your drawing looks pretty! The initial characters that are provided for free can¡¯t be put to use immediately, and the players still have to slowly train them themselves? The pace of life in the modern world is so fast. Why would you make the players spend time if you can¡¯t let the players enjoy themselves from the get-go? What kind of rubbish game is this? How pernicious! I should be the one doing the planning, I can do it better! It¡¯s fine if the first character I draw is trash, but if I can¡¯t summon agents to help me fight in real life, then what¡¯s the point of drawing a card!? In a few days, I¡¯ll have to go to the execution ground and help the executioner meet his KPI. This mobile game can¡¯t even help me escape. Could it be that I still have to sign in every day before I die to provide traffic to this trashy game? As expected of my company. Even his last hope had been dashed. Ash could not help but feel even more disheartened. He exited the agent¡¯s personal interface and saw a red dot in the upper right corner of the new [Agent Management] interface. Ash, who had a little OCD, naturally clicked on it. The next second, he suddenly sat up on the bed. This was because there were two agents in [Agent Management]. Apart from the Deadly Berserker Sword Maiden who he just drew, there was a handsome, thin young man in a black trench coat. [Terminus Observer] [Human¡¤Male¡¤25] [Trust Value: ¡Þ] [Occupation: Cult Leader / Ancient Historian] [Occupational Special Feature: Blessed by the Four Pillar Deities, luck inspection+10; easier to identify ancient artifacts, ability to identify ancient artifacts+5] [Innate Talent ¡¤ Sorcerer Manual (Lower Tier): When other agents are logged into the Manual, the experience gained by the other agents will be shared with the character according to the level restriction. Currently, the manual page number is 0 / 1 (The upper limit of Talent can be unlocked after increase in strength).] [Personal Special Skill ¡¤ Otherworldly Wandering Soul: Unknown Effect] [Items Equipped: None] [Controlled Spell Spirits: None] [School of Summoning: Uninitiated] Ash turned to look at the only mirror embedded in the wall of the cell. After comparing it with the image on the hologram for a long time, he finally confirmed that this [Terminus Observer] was him, Ash Heath! Be it his innate talent, ¡°Sorcerer Manual¡±, or his personal special skill, ¡°Otherworldly Wandering Soul¡±, both reflected his current situation! Additionally, Ash still remembered the title of Terminus Observer¡ªthis was the honorific title given to him by the cultists of Four Pillar Deities. It sounded domineering, but in the end, it was destroyed by a group of hunters at once. It was a classic example of being annihilated just as the rebellion was starting. Unexpectedly, this actually became his code name in the game. The effect might not be much, but the insult was certainly strong. However, what was up with this black coat? Ash did not remember wearing it. Maybe it¡¯s clothes that Heath liked? Then his aesthetic taste was really not too good. Once again, Ash flipped through the interface of the Deadly Berserker Sword Maiden. He stared at the ¡°30% Experience Sharing¡± in the bond level and pondered for a long time. He knew that this might be his only chance to escape from prison! If his guess was correct, when he trained the ¡°Deadly Berserker Sword Maiden¡± in the game, he could obtain 30% of her experience! The stronger the Sword Maiden, the stronger he would be! With his hopes reignited, Ash¡¯s spirits lifted. He checked the other trash he had just pulled out: two Energy Serums, four Experience Serums, one Wooden Sword for Training, one Beginner Battle Card, and one Trial Card. [Energy Serum]: In the training operation, add an operational point for the agent. Lasts for seven days. [Experience Serum]: During the training operation, the skill experience gained by the agent will increase by 10% for seven days. Each agent can receive a maximum of 50% increase. [Wooden Sword for Training]: After the agent equips it, experience gained from sword training +15%. [Basic Combat Card]: After the agent uses it, they will arrange combat training to gain a large amount of experience. It will last for seven days (risk: low). [Beginner Trial Card]: Gives the agent one trial with a flexible amount of experience. Each agent can only use it once a week. They were all used for training, which just happened to suit Ash¡¯s wish. Drawing items that could increase combat power would be useless for Ash. Though, why was there a note about low risk at the end of this Combat Experience Card¡­ He clicked on Deadly Berserker Sword Maiden¡¯s training strategy and realized that there were still many other things to consider. [Deadly Berserker Sword Maiden] [Current mood: 5 (Experience+0)] [Optional actions: Rest, Entertainment, Training, Trial] [Rest: Consume one action point and restore a certain amount of mood.] [Entertainment: Consumes two action points to recover a large amount of mood.] [Training: Consumes one action point and undergo training in a specific school.] [Battle: Consumes a certain action point. Requires the use of specific items.] [Trial: Does not consume any action points. Requires the use of specific items.] [Daily action points this week: 2 points (1 Energy Serum can be used to add 1 action point)] ¡°I see. I have to consider my agent¡¯s mood too. The better mood they¡¯re in, the better the effect of training will be. It¡¯s necessary to balance work and play. Such is the fundamental law of education¡­¡± This humanized training system impressed Ash greatly. Thus, he equipped the Deadly Berserker Sword Maiden with [Wooden Sword for Training], consumed one bottle of Energy Serum, four bottles of Experience Serum, and submitted all three action points! [Training Strategy: Training, Training, Battle]! [This week¡¯s trial: Swordplay]! ¡°I¡¯m about to get executed, I don¡¯t have time to care about the mood of a paper effigy!¡± When he confirmed the [Training Strategy] interface, a notification popped up on the screen: [Do you wish to activate the Terminus Observer¡¯s innate talent and log Deadly Berserker Sword Maiden into the Sorcerer Manual?] ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. I almost forgot to bind it to the Sword Maiden. Fortunately, the game reminded me. Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t her training be in vain?¡± Ash exclaimed from the close call. His life was on a countdown and there was no room for wasting any time. He had to squeeze every bit of benefit out of this. [Are you sure you want to log the Deadly Berserker Sword Maiden in the Sorcerer Manual? Note: This action is irreversible.] [Yes]! [Agent bond successfully logged. Training in progress. Arranging schedule¡­] [Constructing trial scene¡­ Scene missing, automatically replenishing¡­ Available scenes found, occupying¡­] [Trial target missing, automatically replenishing¡­ Available target found, currently extracting¡­] Looking at the notifications in the game, Ash had nothing to do for a while. Perhaps it was because the ups and downs today were too exciting, but the moment he relaxed, Ash felt sleepy, as if all his strength was sapped away. His eyelids kept drooping. He fell into a deep sleep before his head could touch the pillow. At the same time¡­ In another distant place with three hours of time difference from where Ash was¡­ A young girl who practiced skin care by going to bed early suddenly found herself waking into a dream.. Chapter 4 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios This was a small island. However, this was only because Sonia did not find a suitable term with her limited vocabulary. After all, this was only a small area the size of a palm that had suddenly protruded from the surface of the sea. It was as if the waves could drown it if they were any larger. But the sea was quiet, very much so, with nary a trace of wind. Sonia dipped her legs into the water, stepped onto the wet sand, and looked at her surroundings. Every inch of her surroundings was filled with a milky white fog. The sky was like a smudged spot of thick ink, dark and heavy. ¡®I¡¯m dreaming¡¯, Sonia thought. She clearly remembered that she was sleeping in the female dormitory of Sword and Rose Sorcerer University, so it was impossible for her to suddenly appear on a small island. The thought that it was a dream made Sonia feel much more relaxed. Curious, she crouched down to taste the seawater and found that it tasted just like the water she usually drank. There was even a hint of sweetness to it. It didn¡¯t at all taste of the salty bitterness that the online education course had described. Sonia was even more certain that she was dreaming. She had never been to the seaside or tasted seawater, so she had no idea what it tasted like. ¡°But if I¡¯m dreaming¡­¡± Sonia looked at the center of the island. ¡°Why would I dream of a corpse I¡¯ve never seen before? ¡± In the middle of the island, an unfamiliar corpse was half-kneeling on the sand. He was wearing a black trench coat and a hood. His face was blurry, and his clothes were heavy. It was impossible to tell if he was a man or a woman from his appearance. A long sword pierced through his chest, but he did not fall. Instead, he knelt on one knee on the ground. His left hand held the scabbard at his waist, and his right hand held the hilt that had not been sharpened. It was as if someone had pierced his heart before he drew the sword. There was nothing on the island apart from the corpse and the sand. Sonia could not swim, and she believed that she was dreaming, so she boldly walked over to examine the corpse. She discovered that the sword that had pierced through the corpse was still dripping with blood. The blood flowed along the beautiful carvings on the sword and flowed in reverse to the dark ruby embedded in the sword compartment, making the entire sword seem to come alive. It was really too beautiful¡­ When Sonia came back to her senses, she was already gripping the sword tightly. The scabbard that matched her palm perfectly, the dazzling sword patterns that completely matched her aesthetic sense, as well as the feeling that seemed to extend from her limbs¡ªit was as if this sword¡­ ¡­ as if this sword was a weapon made specifically for her. Without thinking, Sonia pulled the sword from the corpse. She had thought that the corpse would fall, so she took a step back as soon as she pulled it out to prevent it from hitting her. However, the corpse did not fall. Instead, he stood up. Thud, thud. With the sound of steel bottom boots stepping on the sand, Sonia watched in horror as the corpse slowly straightened its back and unsheathed a cold and sharp longsword. With a whoosh, the tip of his sword pierced through the air, pointing straight at Sonia. Although she could not see his eyes clearly, Sonia could feel his emotionless gaze staring at her! ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Sword Maiden. This time, I¡¯m not your enemy.¡± The voice of the corpse was neither male nor female. It sounded like a voice formed from the clash of mechanical teeth. ¡°I will only kill you.¡± Your definition of an enemy seems to be very different from that of a normal person¡­ Sonia held the gorgeous sword tightly in her hand, as if it could give her some sense of safety. ¡°Who are you?¡± she asked, her voice shaking slightly. ¡°My name is Terminus Observer. You can call me Observer.¡± The Observer said,¡±In the next 72 hours, you can only leave after defeating me. Otherwise, you can only leave after staying for 72 hours.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this a dream?¡± Sonia¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°The only difference between dream and reality is that reality is a dream woven by the masses, while a dream¡­¡± ¡°¡­is a cage you¡¯ve constructed for yourself.¡± As soon as the Observer finished speaking, he stepped on the sand and slashed forward. Even though Sonia had retreated as much as she could, she still could not avoid the shining blade¡ª ¡°You have ten seconds to rest.¡± Sonia was on her knees, her hands clamped over her throat and her face a mask of horror. The tearing pain was extremely real, as if she had just had her neck slit by this strange person. If this was a dream, she should have woken up from her comfortable and warm bed the moment she suffered such pain. However¡ª ¡°Ten seconds have passed. I advise you to grip your sword firmly. Only then can you¡­¡± Sonia raised her head and saw the Observer gripping the hilt of his sword at his waist tightly. He assumed a sword stance, stepped hard on the sand, and charged at her with all his might! Sonia hurriedly raised her sword and retreated, but the Observer¡¯s single step abruptly spanned ten-odd steps in distance. When she saw the sword gleam left by the Observer, the Observer¡¯s voice came from behind her¡ª ¡°¡­die with a little dignity.¡± ¡°You have ten seconds to rest.¡± When Sonia recovered from the pain of decapitation, she jumped into the sea without hesitation. She didn¡¯t care, even if she couldn¡¯t swim! As if her fear of death had stimulated her potential, Sonia practically learned how to swim by herself. Although it was an extremely unsightly dog-paddle swimming technique, it was enough as long as she could get away from that horrifying island with the madman! If it were not for the fact that her stomach was empty in the dream, she¡¯d even have tried the fart propulsion method mentioned in jokes. Amidst the splash of water, Sonia could hear the Observer¡¯s voice clearly. ¡°Fleeing is shameful.¡± ¡°And futile.¡± Suddenly, there was a chill on the back of her neck. Sonia looked down and saw the tip of a cold sword sticking out of her neck. Before the waves of pain overwhelmed her, Sonia found herself back on the island. ¡°You have ten seconds to rest.¡± This time she didn¡¯t run. She looked at the Observer¡¯s hand. ¡°You seem to be expecting me to lose my weapon after throwing the sword out?¡± The Observer leisurely sheathed the sword. ¡°Why are you still so naive after experiencing so many deaths?¡± ¡°You¡¯re way too unreasonable.¡± Sonia smiled weakly. ¡°Reason only exists on the tip of the sword. If you want to reason with me, using your words is pointless. Use your sword to convince me.¡± Before the Observer could finish, Sonia plunged into the sea with a splash. But this time, she didn¡¯t swim. She chose to dive into the sea, trying to avoid the Observer¡¯s attack. ¡®You can¡¯t cut through the sea!¡¯ she thought. It was true. Five seconds, ten seconds, thirty seconds¡­ One minute passed and Sonia was not attacked. However, because she could not breathe, she felt like she was about to faint. Why was it that cerebral hypoxia could still cause a lack of cerebral blood supply, when this was clearly a dream?! The pain of holding her breath was no less painful than decapitation. Sonia couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer. She randomly picked a spot and tried to take a breath before diving again. She was hoping that she would be lucky. I only need to breathe for one or two seconds. He can¡¯t possibly discover me so quickly, can he?! A few seconds later, Sonia sat on the island and covered her mouth, which had just been pierced. She kept licking her teeth to make sure that her tongue wasn¡¯t severed by the thrown sword. ¡°You have ten seconds to rest.¡± ¡°Observer!¡± Sonia yelled, her face full of anger. She gritted her teeth, gripped her sword with both hands, and summoned up her courage to walk towards the Observer. The Observer responded with an ¡°oh¡± and stroked the hilt of his sword with his right hand. ¡°If you want to cut your break short, I have no objections.¡± Thud! Sonia fell to her knees in front of the Observer. ¡°Great, benevolent, kind Lord of the Unknown. Sonia is willing to pray to you day and night, listen to your sacred words, follow your miracles, and chant your decree¡­ Please don¡¯t torture me like this. Just tell me what you want me to do. I¡¯m very good and obedient. I¡¯ll do anything you order me to do. Boohoo¡­¡± ¡°Anything?¡± the Observer asked. Sonia looked up. Her tear-stained face was particularly alluring. She seemed to hesitate for a moment, her face flushed. She gritted her teeth and nodded. ¡°Anything.¡± ¡°Very well. I order you to¡ª¡± The Observer gripped the hilt of his sword tightly and assumed a sword stance. ¡°Defeat me.¡± Clang! ¡°You have ten seconds to rest.¡± Sonia lay on the sand and stared blankly at the dark sky. Then, she stood up and asked in confusion, ¡°No, I didn¡¯t offend you in the past. Why do you want to waste your time on a small fry like me? There are so many people who have committed heinous crimes in this world. If you want to punish and get rid of evil, I can recommend a few candidates for you. If you¡¯re a big baddie, I can also recommend a few powerful and dignified figures who are less scrupulous in the dark to you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just a very ordinary schoolgirl. It¡¯s not worth spending so much effort to deal with me. Your current actions are like hitting a mosquito with a spiral laser cannon. Having a swordmaster chop firewood is a huge waste of resources, don¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°Just tell me what you want me to do. One look is enough to tell that I¡¯m a delicate rose anyone can trample on. I was born to follow the flow¡­¡± As Sonia tried to persuade him, the Observer shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re wrong.¡± Sonia immediately said, ¡°What did I say wrong? Tell me, I will definitely change it.¡± ¡°Your very first statement was wrong.¡± ¡°First statement?¡± ¡°How can you be sure,¡± the Observer gripped the hilt of his sword tightly and assumed a stance of accepting a sword, ¡°that you didn¡¯t offend me in the past?¡± Clang! ¡°You have ten seconds to rest.¡± Maybe it was because she had died too often, Sonia even began to feel that beheading was not that much, and not too bad after getting used to the pain. She looked up at the Observer. ¡°I just have to stay for seventy-two hours to get out of this damn dream?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The Observer nodded. ¡°However, there is no clock here. 72 hours is not a long time compared to a person¡¯s life, but for death, 72 hours isn¡¯t a short time either.¡± ¡°Can you really hold out for 72 hours of continuous deaths?¡± ¡°And why would you believe the words of someone who keeps killing you in your dream? What if I was lying?¡± ¡°Say that is the truth. Even if you manage to escape the dream tonight, what about tomorrow night? What about the night after tomorrow?¡± The Observer adopted a sword stance. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve experienced death, you shouldn¡¯t hope for miracles.¡± Clang! The Observer stepped forward, and as he drew their sword and swept it across, his whole body also spun in a circle. In an instant, he crossed more than ten steps, and his longsword, accompanied by a tremendous rotating momentum, was about to behead Sonia again like a hot knife cutting butter¡ª Clang! For the first time, Sonia¡¯s sword blocked the sharpness of the Observer! At this moment, there was no expression on Sonia¡¯s face. There was no fear, no anger, no killing intent, no plea. There was only the coldest silence. Her ruby-like pupils reflected the blurry image of the Observer, as if she wanted to engrave him in her heart! ¡°You leave me no choice..¡± Chapter 5 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°You have ten seconds to rest.¡± Sonia let out a long sigh as she tried to recall all the details of the battle. Although she believed that she had not lost her memories due to her constant death, she would not have realized it if she had forgotten anything. She could only try her best to avoid such a terrible situation. She had lost count of the exact number of deaths, not that she had deliberately counted it. There was nothing else in her mind. Her mother, classmates, exams, and ambitions in reality had all been swept to the most remote corner by her. She placed all her attention on the enemy in front of her, known as the Terminus Observer. She racked her brains to analyze every detail of his actions, using her body to remember every brutal devastation he delivered! She realized that the Terminus Observer did not have any supernatural powers. He did not even have an advantage over her physically. Compared to her, the Observer was merely an enemy who knew how to use a sword ¨C at most, he was an enemy who knew how to use a sword very well. Sonia had seen swordmasters who had reached the pinnacle of swordplay. Even when they wielded ordinary swords, they were able to exert a pressure to onlookers like needles at their back. Just holding the hilt was enough to make the weak submit in fear. Compared to the truly great mountains, the Observer was nothing but an ordinary stepping stone. Yes, just a stepping stone. Even though Sonia had died again, she had successfully counterattacked the Observer in her desperate strike just now. However, it was as if the sword that he had thrown out would return to his hand. The Observer who had just been struck in the chest had already recovered to his original state, as if he had been healed in an instant. If his recovery needed time, Sonia would have used her deaths in exchange for accumulating his injuries to kill him. Unfortunately, the duel was fair and did not leave any loopholes for her. ¡®It is a fair duel¡¯, Sonia thought sarcastically. But she also admitted that everything was fair. All kinds of unreasonable restrictions made her understand that she only had one choice: to use absolute strength to defeat the Terminus Spectator in a duel. Ten seconds had passed, and time seemed to have become a physical entity that could be touched in this instant. Once time was up, Sonia¡¯s body tensed up, and she charged toward the Observer with her sword in hand! In the first second of the battle, the Observer would maintain his stance before charging forward, drawing his sword and do a roundhouse slash. The further away Sonia was from the Observer, the fiercer the attacks would be. The Observer might even cut off the weapon in her grip! This move was very similar to the legendary Iaijutsu sword-drawing technique, and the way to deal with this move was also very simple. You must not dodge, you must take the initiative to interrupt his spin! Clang! Sonia¡¯s arm was about to go numb from the shock, but she still stopped the Observer¡¯s spin in the end and successfully dragged him into a battle in close quarters, where it¡¯s easiest to fight for their lives! After dying so many times, Sonia had long stopped caring about sustaining more wounds on her body. As long as she could kill the Observer before she died, it would be her victory! Clang! Clang! Clang! After several consecutive clashes, Sonia secretly counted the number of times. When she counted to five, she missed. The Observer made a bizarre and abrupt dodge in the opposite direction and stepped forward, slashing at Sonia¡¯s head! Without any telegraphing, the move was extremely vicious! Sonia had once thought that it was some kind of supernatural ability. She only realized with the experience of numerous deaths that it was actually a kind of combat footwork. However, there was nothing Sonia could do even if she saw through it¡ªshe could not tell which direction the Observer would dodge in at all! Since the Observer usually stepped back suddenly and slashed back immediately after he watched Sonia¡¯s attack, Sonia named the move ¡°foresight slash¡±. Iaijustsu was easy to block, but the foresight slash was hard to defend against. That was why Sonya did not defend herself. Instead, she used her arm bone to clamp the Observer¡¯s blade and pulled it towards her chest, trying to decapitate the Observer with a single strike! The biggest weakness of the foresight slash was that it did not have enough power in it to cut off her arm! However, the moment the Observer hit her arm, his legs slid abruptly on the sand and he dodged in another direction. He dodged Sonia¡¯s blade by a narrow margin and stepped forward to slice Sonia¡¯s neck! Two continuous foresight slashes! ¡°You have ten seconds to rest.¡± Sonia patted her face and gripped the hilt of her sword. ¡°Go on!¡± The Observer agreed readily. He entered the stance of holding the sword, started the Iaijustsu sword draw and slashed¡ª There was no sound of metal colliding with the sword blade. The Observer maintained the posture of a roundhouse slash, but he did not hit anything. Just as the Observer was about to hit Sonia, her feet suddenly slid on the sand and she dodged in another direction in an extremely bizarre move! At this moment, the Observer was still caught in the momentum of the roundhouse slash, while Sonia could attack him! However, Sonia simply sheathed her sword! ¡°After dying so many times, even if I were a pig, I¡¯d have learned your moves by now!¡± As Sonia shouted, she took charged forward with a swinging step, and drew and swung her sword! Foresight slash ¡¤ Iaijutsu ¡¤ draw and slash! Use Iaijutsu as the follow-up move to foresight slash to compensate for the lower power in foresight slash! In fact, Sonia had already learned the Iaijutsu sword-draw technique, but she held back the move until she was confident about mastering the foresight slash. Only then did she burst the two moves at once in a certain attempt to slay the Observer at one go! With the fierce momentum of the swing, Sonia barely felt any resistance. Her blade cut through the Observer¡¯s chest like a hot knife cutting through butter! It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t want to cut the Observer¡¯s neck. It was just that she wasn¡¯t tall enough. Every inch she raised her arm into the air was a great burden to her in the roundhouse slash, so she could only settle for cutting the Observer¡¯s chest. Was it really so successful? Sonia found it a bit hard to believe. She quickly adjusted her balance from the aftershock of the roundhouse slash and looked at the Observer warily. ¡°That should count as my defeating you, right?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said the Observer. ¡°Congratulations.¡± ¡°You successfully defeated me while I had only one sword.¡± One sword¡­ Just as Sonia was feeling slightly stunned, the Observer toed at the sand and gently flicked up a sword from within the sand. ¡°The first half is over, and the second half begins.¡± The Observer placed the two swords in a cross shape. ¡°By the way, there¡¯s no ten-second breaks next.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ¡°Sonia, there¡¯s an early class today. Aren¡¯t you going?¡± Sonia sat up with a hand over her head to find that Ingrit was the only other person left in the dorm. Ingrit was fully dressed and about to leave too. ¡°What time is it now?¡± ¡°7.30,¡± Ingrit said. ¡°There¡¯s a public course this morning. I remember you usually get up an hour early for skincare and makeup on mornings with public courses¡­ They already left¡­ You don¡¯t look well.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Sonia touched her neck subconsciously. Then she came back to her senses and shook her head. ¡°Maybe I had a nightmare¡­¡± ¡°Nightmare? You¡¯ll forget about it soon,¡± Ingrit said indifferently. ¡°Remember to come to class. Don¡¯t be absent, or you¡¯ll get points deducted for our dorm.¡± With that, Ingrit left the room, leaving Sonia alone. If it were any other morning she had slept in, Sonia would have rushed off the bed to wash up and put on makeup, but today, she was not in the mood to do so. She sat on the bed in a daze. It was very strange. It was clearly a dream, yet it felt so real. What was even stranger was that she actually didn¡¯t show any signs of forgetting. She remembered everything clearly. From her first death to her ninety-ninth death, everything was still vivid in her mind. Even the pain from every time was still fresh in her mind. When the Terminus Observer entered dual wielding mode, the intensity of their battle increased several times in an instant¡ªSonia barely had any time to catch her breath. The moment she opened her eyes, she saw the Observer pounce on her. Her arms were so tired that they were almost numb, and in the end, she almost relied on her body¡¯s instincts to withstand the Observer¡¯s storm of attacks. Foresight slash, Iaijutsu, foresight slash followed by Iaijutsu, Iaijutsu followed by foresight slash, triple foresight slash, triple Iaijutsu¡­ Sonia only used these two moves against the Observer, exhausting almost all derivative variations. By the time she defeated the Observer, she didn¡¯t feel anything special. In any case, she just kept doing foresight slash and Iaijutsu, avoiding all of the Observer¡¯s attacks, attacking all of the Observer¡¯s flaws. Then the Observer fell. But after defeating the Observer, Sonia did not feel any joy. Because the Observer had said a single sentence. ¡°This trial is over, but your life has just begun.¡± Although she could not see his face or hear his tone, Sonia was absolutely certain that it was not a blessing. ¡°Terminus Observer¡­¡± Sonia chewed on the name, as if she was crushing it with her teeth before swallowing it. At the same time, in a luxurious suite at the bottom of Shattered Lake Prison in Kaimon City. Ash sat up with a yawn. For some reason, he felt especially tired from sleeping, as if he had taken a beating. He opened the hologram and opened ¡°Sorcerer Manual of Aurora¡±. Then, he saw a new notification: ¡°After the trial, your bond with the Deadly Berserker Sword Maiden has deepened.¡± Ash scratched his head.. ¡°¡­Arranging a trial can deepen the bond? There¡¯s such a good thing?¡± Chapter 6 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In Galaxy, capital of the Astra Nation, outside the Sword and Rose Sorcerer University¡­ As summer approached, the number of brilliant stars in the sky increased from two in the spring to two and a half. If one looked up carefully, one could see a small brilliant star. As a result, the temperature in the world of Galaxy rose, and the brilliance was just right. Walking for a short distance was sufficient to work up a thin layer of sweat. Sonia came out with small steps and saw her mother, Martha, standing under the brilliant stars and sweating profusely. Aching on her behalf, she pulled her mother to the shade of a tree beside them and said, ¡°Mom, why are you being silly and standing outside? You don¡¯t even know how to come inside the forest paths in the school to seek shelter from the sun¡­¡± Martha smiled dopily. ¡°I was afraid you couldn¡¯t see me, Linda¡­¡± ¡°How many times have I told you? Call me Sonia, not Linda!¡± Sonia suddenly lost her temper, and Martha nodded meekly. ¡°Sorry, sorry, I forgot again. Oh right, I also brought your favorite egg custard¡­¡± Looking at Martha¡¯s ingratiating expression, Sonia felt guilty again. She took Martha¡¯s hand and led her out. ¡°I¡¯m not eating it. I¡¯m trying to lose weight recently. I can¡¯t eat something so sweet.¡± ¡°You¡¯re already so thin, why do you still try to lose weight? Do you want to lose weight until you¡¯re as thin as a sheet of paper? Do you remember Uncle Elmer? His son fell seriously ill and was never cured. His body is as light as a scarecrow in the field. You¡¯re even thinner than him¡­¡± Martha¡¯s heart ached when she saw Sonia¡¯s body, which was not much thicker than a tree branch. She had been a farmer in an agricultural town of Astra Nation since she was a child, so she could not appreciate the beauty standards for slimness in the city. She truly hoped that her daughter would be fitter. Sonia did not interrupt her mother¡¯s chatter. When her mother stopped talking, she said, ¡°It¡¯s rare for you to come to Galaxy. I¡¯ll take you around the capital¡­¡± ¡°No need, no need!¡± Martha quickly shook her hand along with her head. ¡°Don¡¯t waste money. When I walked here, I saw a park over there¡­¡± ¡°Walk here!?¡± Sonia raised her voice. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that to take a tram here after you get off the train? The train station is so far from school¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. I came early. I have a lot of time. Taking a walk can be considered exercising. I¡¯m not old yet. It¡¯s fine for me to walk¡­¡± It was only then that Sonia realized that Martha¡¯s neck was covered in sweat. The sun was shining brightly today, and the temperature was high. The students on campus were all dressed in summer clothes, but her mother had come to Galaxy last night on a train. It was already autumn in her hometown, so naturally, she had worn several layers of clothes. Just walking for a while made her sweat, and she looked as if she had been fished out of water. She wanted to tell her not to scrimp this bit of money, but the words that came out of her mouth turned into, ¡°Let me take you to buy some clothes.¡± Martha shook her head without thinking. ¡°There are plenty of clothes at home¡­¡± ¡°Listen to me today!¡± Sonia Sevey was born in a poor village whose name couldn¡¯t be found on a map in the Astra Nation. She had to walk a day¡¯s worth of mountain routes to get to the nearest town, where the train would stop before she arrived in the capital, Galaxy. In the past 20 years, among the children in the village town, Sonia was the only one who completed the basic education courses provided by the nation with the free Miracle Bracelet. Before reaching the age limit, she took the Online Unified Admission Test at the Astra High School and successfully enrolled at the Sword and Rose Sorcerer University of Galaxy, also known as the Sword Flower University. Her father died from binging alcohol when she was very young. In her memory, he was just a good-for-nothing who would throw a tantrum when he was drunk. She was raised all thanks to her mother, Martha. It was precisely because of this that she could temporarily leave her work and focus on her studies, unlike other children her age who went to work in factories in the day and watched the only Meteor channel in the village at night, muddling through their entire lives in that small town. The first day she came to the Galaxy, her pupils reflected clean streets, towering buildings, luxurious cars, polite and civilized people, and the giant hologram that broadcasted short promotional videos day and night. From then on, she knew that even if she died, she must die in this city. The hometown that she had lived in for more than ten years did not even qualify as her grave. She learned to match makeup and clothes in a short time. Within a month of enrollment, she had corrected her accent. She managed to get multiple part-time jobs with her good looks, and did not fall behind in her studies. Then, she used her scholarship and part-time salaries to expand her circle of friends to participate in various activities¡­ In addition, she had been the host in charge of many campus activities in the school last year. She had a lot of exposure, and many people already privately thought that she should be the Sword Flower of the 67th batch. So many people in this world can obtain happiness. Why shouldn¡¯t I? Sonia spent the entire afternoon touring Galaxy with Martha. At Sonia¡¯s insistence, Martha reluctantly followed her to a clothing store that looked expensive. If not for her daughter, the saleswoman in the store, whose smile was secretly tinged with contempt, alone would have been enough to intimidate Martha into leaving. But as a price for buying clothes, Sonia didn¡¯t spend any money for the rest of the afternoon. Martha even filled a bottle with water in advance. ¡°This is clean water provided by the train station. I¡¯ll just drink this. Don¡¯t buy those colorful drinks. I¡¯m not used to them,¡± Martha said. Even at dinner, Martha said she hadn¡¯t finished the bread she¡¯d brought, and it would be wasted if she didn¡¯t eat it. Sonia knew bringing her mother into those upper-class restaurants would only make her mother suffer, so she sat in the park with her mother and ate the bread. Sonia sent Martha off at the train station before six o¡¯clock. The return ticket had been bought long ago and was already tied to Martha¡¯s wristband. She just needed to check the wristband when she passed the gates. When they were almost at the gates, Sonia suddenly said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay for the night? I don¡¯t have any classes tomorrow, so I can spend another day with you.¡± Martha looked at Sonia in a daze. Her lips trembled, but she shook her head in the end. Her eyes narrowed into slits. ¡°No, it¡¯s a waste of money to refund the tickets. Besides, I¡¯m not used to living here. I don¡¯t even understand what people are saying. I have to feed the chickens at home¡­ Oh yeah, look at my memory, I almost forgot¡­¡± She took out a small bag that she had hidden well. Without opening it, she stuffed it into Sonia¡¯s hands. ¡°There are three silver coins inside¡­¡± ¡°Mom, I¡ª¡± ¡°I know you don¡¯t lack money, but I don¡¯t need this money at home either.¡± Martha held Sonia¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°I¡¯m useless. I can¡¯t help you with anything. But don¡¯t worry, Linda. I won¡¯t hold you back. You just live here in the capital and don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m doing well in hometown. My neighbors will help me if anything happens. Just remember to write a letter back, but don¡¯t send any money. Keep it for yourself. Besides, the post office might take your money¡­¡± This time, Sonia did not correct Martha for calling her by her nickname ¡°Linda¡±. After listening to her nagging, she suddenly understood why her mother did not wait for her at school. When Martha was done, she said calmly, ¡°In the future, I¡¯ll take you to Galaxy to live a rich life.¡± Martha smiled and nodded. ¡°I believe you. But you have to remember that no matter what happens, I¡¯ll be waiting for you in our hometown with a hot meal. The big city is too complicated. It¡¯s not bad to live in peace at home either¡­¡± Sonia watched her mother¡¯s slightly hunched back disappear into the crowd. Suddenly, she slid to the right and avoided the man who was about to bump into her. The man¡¯s eyes were filled with surprise. He mumbled something and turned to leave in a hurry. ¡°Indeed, big cities are too complicated,¡± Sonia murmured. ¡°But complicated is exactly the kind of person I am.¡± She turned around and left the train station, striding back to the brightly lit nocturnal city of Galaxy.. Chapter 7 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios There was a traffic accident on the way, and the tram had to stop for half an hour. By the time Sonia returned to school, it was already past seven in the evening¡ªaccording to the rules, Sword Flower University prohibited students from entering or leaving after seven in the evening. If the students returned late, they would have to register their names. If they were late for more than three times, they would have to eat a thorn, and if a student accumulated three thorns, they would be expelled. However, the young guard opened the door and let her in without registering her name. Noticing the lecherous look on the guard¡¯s face, Sonia thanked him with a smile on her face and disdain in her heart. Did he really think that he could get close to beautiful female students just by guarding the door for Sword Flower University? He didn¡¯t even know his limits. No wonder he was a guard. Sonia was well aware of the benefits of beauty since she was young, but it was not until she came to Galaxy that she realized how powerful beauty could be. Compared to that poor village, the civilized people in the city were willing to provide more convenience for beauty. Every time this happened, Sonia would thank the Deity of the Stars sincerely. It was thanks to the Deity of the Stars that the Astra Nation developed into such a civilized and prosperous country, giving her the chance to enter the upper-class society. If she were in a barbaric country without the canopy of the sky, she would probably be snatched by some barbarian as spoils of war as soon as she showed her first signs of beauty. She was also thankful to her mother. If her mother had not let her study at home and made her work in the fields instead when she was young, no matter how beautiful she was, she would have become a rugged village girl from exposure to the wind and sun. After returning to the girls¡¯ dormitory, Sonia was about to push the door open when she heard Louis¡¯ voice. ¡°It¡¯s already past seven. That country bumpkin shouldn¡¯t be coming back tonight, right? Heh, she finally couldn¡¯t hide her true colors anymore. She must have hooked up with some rich businessman.¡± Oh, it just so happened to be the time for the classic episode of ¡®talking bad behind one¡¯s back¡¯ for mendacious friendship among dormmates? Sonia immediately stopped what she was doing and quietly listened to Louis¡¯ impotent rage. Adele pretended to dissuade her. ¡°Stop talking, Louis. She might come back¡ª¡± ¡°So be it, I¡¯d like to tell her how shameless she is to her face!¡± Louis became angrier as she spoke. ¡°You didn¡¯t see her flirtatious looks. She was flirting with other people in class. What¡¯s so great about a country bumpkin other than having a slightly attractive face?¡± Hehe, being more attractive than you is what¡¯s great. Sonia sneered in her heart. Louis was the dormmate she was at odds with the most. Louis was the daughter of a local merchant from Galaxy, and she had a sense of superiority over others because of her appearance. Usually, she would discretely degrade Sonia for being of low birth in the dormitory. However, Sonia was prettier than her. When the two of them appeared together, the number of boys who were friendly to Sonia was obviously an order of magnitude higher. However, in the first grade, everyone maintained the peace. It was only when Sonia successfully suppressed Louis and took the host¡¯s position in a school event that she completely evoked Louis¡¯ enmity. Louis wasn¡¯t a pushover, either. She had organized many entertainment activities for the Water Sorcery Department, and even paid out of her own pocket to invite fellow Spells students to have dinner at a high-class restaurant without including Sonia. With this display of wealth, people pursuing Louis increased too. After all, men and women alike wanted to take shortcuts in life. Although Sonia was good-looking, marrying the fair and rich beauty that was Louis could save ten years of hard work. In terms of wealth, Sonia couldn¡¯t win, of course. But she knew only too many ways to snub people. Every time there was a boy who was wooing Louis, and Louis was a little attracted to him, Sonia would specially create a ¡°chance encounter¡± and ¡°accidentally¡± have some physical contact with the boy. She would then give him a few looks, and it was enough to make him fall head over heels for her, even going so far as to give up on Louis and turn around to pursue Sonia. The reason why Louis¡¯ temper was so explosive tonight was that yesterday, Sonia had ¡°turned¡± a senior who was wooing Louis recently. To be honest, Sonia despised Louis¡¯ taste because that senior had nothing but good looks and a condescending attitude. However, in order to snub Louis, she did not mind winking flirtatiously a few times. Even though Sonia would definitely reject other people¡¯s pursuits, would Louis be willing to date ¡°trash that even a country bumpkin like Sonia didn¡¯t want¡±? It was no wonder that Louise was so angry that her voice broke. ¡°Speaking of which, I heard from Desiree that she saw Sonia talking to a peasant woman at noon.¡± Adele suddenly remembered. ¡°Could that peasant woman be her mother?¡± ¡°Ha, to have such a shameless daughter, I bet her mother is also shameless¡ª¡± Clang! Before Sonia could push the door open and flip out, a loud noise came from inside. She realized something and took half a step back. Just then, the bedroom door opened from the inside and a blonde girl with a single ponytail carrying a sword bag appeared in front of her. ¡°Good evening, Sonia,¡± she said. ¡°Good evening, Ingrit,¡± said Sonia. Ingrit left the dormitory without looking back. She must have gone to the training ground for the night training. Inside, Adele and Louis were sitting there in a daze. The fear on their faces had yet to recede. There was a new dent that Sonia hadn¡¯t seen before on the boxing training target that Ingrit bought. Sonia came in and closed the door, and peace returned to the dormitory. Since Ingrit had helped her to teach them a lesson, Sonia naturally wouldn¡¯t do it again. However, she secretly remembered this debt in her heart. Sooner or later, she would make Louis pay it back with interest.. Chapter 8 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Sonia removed her makeup and opened ¡°Basic Principles of Water Sorcery¡± in a leisurely manner. The most appropriate time for reading a book was when removing her makeup. After all, removing makeup was very troublesome. First, she had to carefully remove it from every strand of her eyelashes with a cotton swab. Then, she had to use eye-washing liquid to wash her eyes. Today, her arm was covered with sunblock, so it couldn¡¯t be cleaned off with shower gel. Therefore, she also bought a big container of cheap makeup remover specially to remove the sunblock. After showering, she still had to undergo basic skincare. The spray and essence serum were essential, and even her eyelashes had to be coated with essence. Otherwise, it would be very easy to clip them off. She didn¡¯t have that much money to go for another mascara surgery at ¡°Perfect Starlight¡±. All these miscellaneous things took almost an hour altogether. If Sonia didn¡¯t make time to study, how could she possibly have won a scholarship last semester? Also, she was prepared to summon her first water spell spirit before next year. It would be best if she could fully spread her Silver Wing before graduation and become a One-winged Sorcerer. Although Sword Flower University was not a top-notch sorcerer university in Galaxy, Sword Flower University had the best training for swordmasters, water sorcerers, and wind sorcerers. As long as sorcerers in these three departments graduated normally, their future prospects would be unlimited. Among them, water sorcerers often became medical sorcerers because they had many relevant healing spells, so Sonia also chose to major in this school. Having seen the prosperous world of Galaxy, Sonia knew that alone, she would not be able to establish herself in this world without decades, so finding a good man as a shortcut to enter high society was naturally her first choice. Otherwise, why would she spend so much time and energy on maintaining her beauty? Was it to benefit some poor person? According to Sonia¡¯s investigation, more than 50% of the wives of nobles were water sorcerers. If the nobles themselves were sorcerers, this ratio would exceed 70%! Being a water sorcerer was undoubtedly a huge bonus when a noble chose his wife! Compared to water sorcerers, wind sorcerers would typically become weather sorcerers. They would have to work outdoors often, and the conditions were harsh. Not to mention swordmasters¡ªgreat physical strength was a disadvantage for females¡­ Sonia¡¯s life plan was clear¡ª Become a water sorcerer, find a way to participate in the campus activities of the Truth Sorcerer University of Galaxy, and catch herself a young noble. Unlike the University of Sword and Flower, the University of Truth was the most prestigious university in Galaxy and even the Astra Nation. The people there were either rich or nobility. That was where Sonia¡¯s future boyfriend would be. She considered all the boys from the University of Sword and Flower below her standards. Becoming a water sorcerer, getting to know the noble students of the University of Truth, and then entering the high society as the wife of a noble, trying to find a way to make up for her family¡¯s wealth through the man¡¯s social resources. Then, even if they divorced, she would still be able to establish herself in Galaxy, and take her mother here to live the life of nobility¡­ ¡°No, you need to practice swordplay.¡± Hearing this familiar yet foreign murky voice, Sonia¡¯s right hand subconsciously tried to grab her weapon. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that her sitting posture restricted her movements, she would even have activated her footwork to dodge. But in the next second, she came back to her senses and looked in horror at the strange person who appeared out of thin air. He was wearing a dark black coat, and his face was dim and blurry. ¡°If I were you, I¡¯d check the reactions of other people first.¡± The Observer leaned against the wardrobe, raised a finger, and made a shushing gesture. ¡°If you want to talk to me, just say it in your heart.¡± Sonia looked at Louis and Adele. Adele was tapping in the air, clearly engrossed in the show on the hologram. Louis had just come out of the bathroom, and when she passed by the Observer, she didn¡¯t even look at him, as if he didn¡¯t exist to her at all. Sonia looked down at the ground and immediately understood¡ªthe Observer had no shadow. Holding back the urge to speak, Sonia asked inwardly, [Who are you?] ¡°My name is Terminus Observer. You can call me Observer. If you are getting so forgetful at such a young age, I can only recommend you to abstain from sex¡­¡± [You know I¡¯m not asking about that.] ¡°But that¡¯s all I can answer.¡± The Observer said, ¡°Also, you know what? I used to hate it when people deliberately mystify things, especially when they withhold important secrets and act like it¡¯s not time for you to know. It makes people want to beat the sh*t out of them.¡± Sonia said nothing. She just looked at the Observer. The Observer nodded. ¡°Yes, just like you said, I¡¯ve become one of those people who deliberately mystify things now, because¡ªI find it very interesting. Especially when I see you clearly hopping mad and helpless, I really feel that this trip has not been in vain.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t that the norm? People tend to grow into what they dislike most. Or rather, unlikable people often tend to live longer.¡± Sonia suddenly realized something and her hair stood on end. [You can hear my thoughts!] ¡°If I can¡¯t hear your thoughts, then what¡¯s the difference with performing a pantomime?¡± [But you can¡¯t¡ªyou don¡¯t respect¡ªI¡¯ve even lost my freedom of thought!?] ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Sword Maiden. I¡¯m not your enemy,¡± the Observer said. ¡°I¡¯m not even a complete person right now. If you really insist, I can avoid appearing in front of you.¡± [What exactly are you, then?] ¡°I¡¯m just a distant thought.¡± The Observer shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s far enough. Let¡¯s get down to business. Coming to think of it, you won¡¯t care that I can hear your thoughts soon enough.¡± [What business?] Sonia recalled the cruelty in the dream. ¡°First.¡± A blue potion appeared in the Observer¡¯s hand. ¡°You must drink it.¡± [No, I won¡¯t!] Sonia replied instantly. However, something that frightened Sonia happened¡ªshe saw the potion in the glass bottle disappear at a speed visible to the naked eye, and at the same time, she felt a liquid slide down her throat! ¡°And then.¡± The Observer handed her a wooden sword. ¡°You want to practice swordplay.¡± [No, I don¡¯t want to!] The Observer was right. Now Sonia no longer cared that he could hear her thoughts. Compared to being able to control her own words and actions, listening to her inner voice was a trivial matter! Even if Sonia tried her best, she could only watch as she took the wooden sword and¡ª Whoosh! Following the ear-piercing sound of the wooden chair scraping across the ground, Louis and Adele turned to look, just in time to see Sonia leaving the dormitory with her wooden sword. The sound of the door closing was very loud. Bang! ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± Louis muttered to herself in a low voice, but she immediately realized that she was being very cowardly. She sneered loudly and said, ¡°She hasn¡¯t practiced swordplay for a year. Why is she suddenly going to train tonight? Is she trying to hook up with a senior from the Swordsmanship Department?¡± Adele blinked, confused. ¡°I don¡¯t remember her ever buying a wooden sword. Ingrit doesn¡¯t have a wooden sword like that either.. Where did she get it from¡­?¡± Chapter 9 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Hyah!¡± With a loud yell, Ingrit raised her wooden sword high and took a step forward. She poured all his strength into the sword and slashed at the armored dummy in front of her! Crack! With the sound of the armored dummy cracking, the wooden sword stopped at the edge of the ninth ring. Ingrit retracted her wooden sword and resumed her vigilance. Following the breathing technique taught by the school, she exhaled a white mist and quickly recovered her energy. ¡°At this rate, I should be able to summon the Sword Slash Spell Spirit within this month,¡± Ingrit thought. As a sorcerer university that had been passed down for hundreds of years, Sword Flower University had already developed all sorts of guiding techniques for the training of sorcerers. The armored training dummy in front of Ingrit was a tool specially used to train swordplay apprentices at entry level. The outer appearance of the armored dummy was a wooden stake, and the core was marked with ten-ring symbol. The material was extremely hard. If an apprentice could cut through the tenth ring of the core with a single strike, it meant that his swordplay had advanced enough to summon his first sword spell spirit. Generally speaking, a swordmaster could summon three types of one-winged spell spirits. They were ¡°Sword Slash¡±, ¡°Sword Thrust¡±, and ¡°Sword Slice¡± respectively. Ingrit, who was training in sword slashes, naturally wanted to summon the ¡°Sword Slash¡± spell spirit. Ingrit took a second or two to regulate her breathing. At this time, the armored dummy had already recovered to its original state, as if Ingrit had not broken it at all. This was the strength of the training ground of Sword Flower University¡ªno matter how serious the damage was, all the armored dummies in the training ground would quickly recover. As long as you still had the energy, the armored dummy would be at your mercy. After all, it wasn¡¯t the armored dummy that would crawl out of the training ground on wobbly legs in the end. Boom! As Ingrit continued her sword slash training, she suddenly heard the door of the training ground being blasted open. She could not help but look over. Although the apprentices in the training ground were shouting and sweating profusely, this was actually a very orderly place. Very few people dared to make a scene here. If anyone dared to cause trouble here, there would be dozens of swordplay apprentices who were tired of suppressing their Sword Aura and eager to engage in an ¡°intimate physical exchange¡± with you. Last semester, Ingrit had a few pursuers, but none of them dared to talk to Ingrit on the training ground. After all, if Ingrit so much as frowned a little at such disruptions to training, the hot-blooded apprentices nearby would immediately jump out to uphold justice. Hot-blooded, reserved, aggressive and full of male hormones. These were the labels of the training ground. There was a famous joke in Sword Flower University: ¡°Some guys practice swordplay in the beginning to pursue girls, but later on, they practice swordplay in order to compete with other guys. Maybe it¡¯s not that love lost to strength, but rather, compared to the complication of love, the simplicity of strength makes it easier to pursue?¡± But tonight, complicated love took the initiative to step into the territory of strength. A strand of hair that emitted a ruby luster appeared at the entrance. Her skin was so fair that it was dazzling, and her facial features were so exquisite that she looked like an artist who had meticulously polished them. She had a slim waist and long legs. A rose that should have appeared at a banquet abruptly bloomed in a training ground full of swords. But what caught the attention of the swordplay apprentices the most was the training wooden sword in her right hand. ¡°Sonia?¡± When Ingrit saw Sonia cross half of the training ground and find an unoccupied armored dummy to start training with a wooden sword, she was full of confusion. Although she did not have any ill feelings toward Sonia, from what she knew, Sonia was the kind of person who would never touch swordplay. Unlike the elegant and graceful female swordmasters in ¡°fantasy epics¡± and ¡°knight dramas¡± on holograms, in reality, female swordmasters had to train their physical fitness to levels even surpassing that of males to summon spell spirits and master spells. It needed no mentioning that their hands would be full of callouses from wielding the sword. Arm, leg, and even waist muscles would become even more robust and developed due to training. Displaying gorgeous swordplay using beautiful little hands that lacked any muscles, as those actresses did on the hologram, was absolutely impossible in reality. Even the sword spell spirits would never approve of a physically weak swordmaster. Since she was young, Ingrit had heard only too much news of spell spirits escaping on of their own accord when their swordmaster became old and weak. Although there were also people who said that female swordmasters had a ¡°beauty of strength¡±, according to Ingrit¡¯s own observations, there were far more men who pursued female water sorcerers than those who pursued female swordmasters. Moreover, she herself admitted that the dainty-looking water sorcerers like Sonia and Louis were more attractive and refined than herself, a swordsman who was like a rugged man. She wasn¡¯t unhappy about that. After all, while she was training, Sonia and the others were doing makeup and skincare. Everyone got what they wanted. That was why Ingrit was so surprised. After all, if Sonia were to only train her swordplay now, wouldn¡¯t it be a waste of all her previous efforts? Not only would it delay the progress of her studies in the School of Water Sorcery, it would also affect the appearance that she had always been carefully preserving. But when Ingrit noticed a handsome young man not far from Sonia, who was wiping his sweat and still wearing a full set of training clothes despite the hot weather, it dawned on her. Felix Vosloda was a first-year student in the same batch as them. He was a genius apprentice in the School of Swordmastery. Although Felix was still training hard to summon the first nascent spell spirit like Ingrit, he was different from Ingrit who was only trying to summon the most basic sword spirit. What Felix wanted to summon was the spell spirit passed down by his family in secret, the ¡°Wave Sword¡±. The nascent spell spirit of every sorcerer was of utmost importance, and it would even decide the future development direction of the sorcerer. Therefore, families with conditions would try their best to find suitable cultivation methods for genius clansmen to summon the most powerful and most suitable nascent spell spirit. Even though Ingrit came from a small noble family in the countryside, her family also passed down a secret method of cultivating her spell spirit. It was just not suitable for Ingrit. The ¡°Wave Sword¡± was undoubtedly stronger than the ¡°Sword Slash¡±, and the intensity of Felix¡¯s training was undoubtedly superior to that of Ingrit. The reason why Felix was praised as a first-year swordplay genius was because his swordplay techniques and training intensity far exceeded his peers. Last semester, Ingrit lost to Felix in an end-of-semester combat session in the School of Swordmastery, but she accepted her defeat fully. After all, not only was he more talented than her, he was also more hardworking than her. He deserved to be called a swordplay genius. However, compared to his swordplay skills, what the girls were more interested in talking about was Felix¡¯s other side. Even though Ingrit came from the countryside, she knew that the Vosloda Family was one of the Five Pillars of the Astra Council. The Duke of Vosloda was also known as the ¡°Star Casting Duke¡±. He controlled the most advanced steel factory in the Astra Nation, and his business covered civilian and military use. He held a pivotal position in all three worlds, and he could be said to be the most powerful person in the nation. As the second son of the duke, Felix should have gone to the University of Truth to study, but for some reason, he came to Sword Flower University. Many people secretly guessed that he was not favored by the duke. However, even if Felix was not favored, he was still a direct descendant of Vosloda. No matter how poor he was, he was still a member of the top class. Naturally, many people wanted to use his stepping stone to climb up the social ranks. And Felix¡¯s social skills were as remarkable as his swordplay. He changed female companions almost every week. He changed women faster than he changed clothes. At its most frequent, Ingrit even noticed that all the female companions who came to the training ground to find him for five consecutive days were different. It really made Ingrit feel both disdainful and impressed¡ªhow did this person have the energy to do other things after high-intensity training? She only wished she could melt into her bed after her trainings. Felix was skilled, good-looking, and had many scandals. He was undoubtedly the focus of the training ground. If Sonia had a special purpose, then her only target would be Felix. But in the past, when the dormmates were still on good terms, they once talked about the boys in school. Louis, Adele and Sonia all made it clear that they¡¯d keep a respectful distance from Felix. After all, a playboy like Felix would definitely end up being arranged for a political marriage by Duke Vosloda. If they approached him with any expectations, they would undoubtedly just become another insignificant member in his band of ex-girlfriends. Although Ingrit, who had fantasies about love, didn¡¯t like their blatant utilitarianism, she also admitted that their judgment was correct. No girlfriend of Felix¡¯s had been able to go past more than a week¡¯s tenure in a year. Could it be that Sonia was not here for Felix? But apart from Felix, no one else could catch her eye¡­ While Ingrit was thinking, Sonia had already begun her training assiduously. ¡°Hyah!¡± Combined with the breathing technique, Sonia slashed her sword at the armored dummy, but it did not even pierce through its skin. Ingrit observed for a moment, then shook his head. The grip of Sonia¡¯s dominant hand was unstable and the grip of her auxiliary hand was weak, her steps were loose, her body was sluggish, and none of her movements were decent. She didn¡¯t even change into training clothes that were convenient for exercise. She was still wearing a bright and beautiful casual outfit. Even her loud cries sounded like she was whining. Rather than coming here to train, it seemed more like she came here to attract attention. No matter what her goal was, it was not training. Ingrit stopped paying attention to her and continued with her own training. Sword training focused on the unity of the mind and body. Focus was the most important of all. She had to dedicate all her mind and soul into every strike. How much strength was used, how much strength was left behind, the turning of the shoulders, the swinging of the wrists, the movement of the feet¡­ Only when all the details were clearly understood could it be considered a strike. There was no point in slacking off. Every bit of effort a swordplay apprentice put in was not for others, but for themselves. Only when an apprentice had enough talent to trigger the resonance of the Illusory Realm could they summon a spell spirit from thin air, and cross reality to obtain a pass to enter the Illusory Realm, hence becoming a true Illusory Wing Sorcerer. At Ingrit¡¯s current level, she would need to take a break every three strikes. Every thirty strikes, she would need to stop and relax her muscles. Swinging 900 strikes in two hours would be considered completing a training session. Furthermore, her fatigue would accumulate to the point that she would fall asleep the moment she touched her pillow after showering. ¡°Hyah!¡± ¡°Hyah!¡± ¡°Hyah!¡± After a few minutes, Ingrit could no longer suppress the anger in her heart. She looked at Sonia with dissatisfaction. In those few minutes, Ingrit had heard Sonia swinging her sword dozens of times without any rest. It was simply reckless. It was only natural for Ingrit to be angry. This was akin to sitting for a serious and highly difficult examination, when suddenly, a sloppy candidate received the paper and started answering without even looking at it, saying things like ¡°it¡¯s so simple¡±, ¡°too easy¡±, ¡°how can anyone not know the answer¡± meanwhile. Others would definitely think that the candidate was causing trouble. Sonia¡¯s actions right now were tantamount to causing trouble. However, just as Ingrit was about to warn Sonia, she realized that she was wrong. Although Sonia¡¯s movements were still rough and amateurish, her every move strictly adhered to the requirements of the Swordplay Codex. Every strike exhausted all her strength, and sweat dripped down the bridge of her nose. She was absolutely not messing around. Moreover, compared to a few minutes ago, Sonia¡¯s swordplay had improved significantly. Her wooden sword could even cut into the edge of the armored dummy! Although her swordplay level was still worse than everyone else in the entire training ground, she seemed to have some foundation in swordplay. Only people who had practiced for at least a few months could have such an imposing manner! ¡®Had she practiced swordplay before?¡¯ thought Ingrit. However, she still didn¡¯t think Sonia was here to train. If she kept consuming stamina recklessly like this , Sonia would be too tired to stand up in a few minutes and fail to achieve effect in training at all. She might lose weight, however. ¡®I understand now. She must be here to shape her figure! I¡¯ve heard of this before!¡¯ Instantly, Ingrit felt that she understood Sonia¡¯s purpose, but she also felt that Sonia could not hold on much longer. After all, even a swordplay apprentice like her, who had trained for many years, could only swing her sword 256 times at one go in 11 minutes. For a rookie swordsman like Sonia, it was already very impressive that she could last for a few minutes without stopping. Ingrit was a little tired, so she stopped to rest. She counted the number of times Sonia had swung her sword, and made plans to give Sonia some pointers if Sonia¡¯s movements deviated. Although she did not think Sonia would switch her major to the School of Swordmastery, it would still be nice if she could improve Sonia¡¯s interest in swordplay even a little.. Chapter 10 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°How many minutes has it been?¡± ¡°96 minutes. Did anyone count the swings?¡± ¡°I was the first to start counting. When I counted to 1,700, I happened to see her sword cut into the seventh ring and was stunned for a while. I only knew that it¡¯s about 2,400 strokes now.¡± When Celia opened the door of the training ground, she saw an incredible scene¡ªthe swordplay apprentices, who usually squandered their sweat and youth, had all thrown down their training swords and were clustered together, discussing something. She thought that they were watching her boyfriend, Felix, and wondered if Felix had successfully summoned his ¡°Wave Sword¡± spell spirit. With that thought, she hurriedly took two steps forward, thinking about where to celebrate later. At the Amber Original Club? Or the Golden Harbor Bar? But Felix must be very tired now. Why not just go straight back to his house and ¡°get some rest¡± with him? Felix had known her for so long, and yet he had been holding himself back from taking things to the next level all this while. Celia felt that she should take the initiative. However, when Celia walked into the crowd, she realized that she was wrong¡ªbecause she found that her arrogant and handsome boyfriend, Felix, was behaving just like any other ordinary bystander, staring blankly ahead with an expression of surprise on his face. Following their line of sight, Celia realized that there was a girl even more beautiful than herself in the training ground. She had a casual ponytail, a fair and smooth neck, and a delicate face without makeup. Even the beads of sweat on it gave off a pearly luster. They were enemies, and they were analogues. Celia sensed it at once, even without the girl saying a single word. Although she appeared to be without makeup, she had actually used a lot of makeup skills to disguise her ¡°first love¡± makeup. Although she looked casual in her clothes, it perfectly exposed her neck and wrists. It looked simple, but it perfectly embellished her beauty¡­ If she had not specially researched and prepared it, how could she have disguised such a nearly perfect ¡°dream goddess¡± image that struck all the men as pleasurable? She was a hunter too! At that thought, Celia¡¯s eyes narrowed. Ignoring Felix¡¯s sweat, she moved to take his arm. In her opinion, there was no better prey than Felix in the entire training ground, or rather, the entire Sword Flower University. Even if the Truth University was included, Felix was still one of the most valuable trophies. As long as she could get the surname Vosloda, it would bring endless benefits to Celia. She had been planning for Felix for a long time. Despite knowing that Felix was a playboy, she was confident that she could rein this wild horse. If used well, being unfaithful might not even be a bad thing¡ªas long as she could attain the identity of his wife, Celia wouldn¡¯t mind if his cheating at all. After all that work, harvest season had finally arrived. Felix was planning to introduce her to the Duke of Volosda during his birthday banquet. Now, someone suddenly wanted to intercept her prey? No way! ¡°Felix, what are you looking at?¡± Celia asked nonchalantly. ¡°I didn¡¯t know there¡¯s such a beautiful junior in the School of Swordmastery.¡± ¡°Senior, you¡¯re here.¡± Only now did Felix realize that Celia had arrived, but he did not even look at her for a second, as if he could only see the girl who was training. ¡°She¡¯s¡­ she¡¯s not from the School of Swordmastery. She¡¯s a freshman from the School of Water Sorcery. Her name is Sonia Sevey.¡± He even knew her name and grade already¡­ Celia felt a growing sense of danger. She wished she could drag Felix away at once, but she also knew the principle of playing hard to get. Pretending to be curious, she asked, ¡°Why are you all watching her train? Because she¡¯s beautiful?¡± ¡°No¡­ not just¡­¡± Felix shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re not an apprentice in the School of Swordmastery. I don¡¯t know how to explain it to you.¡± ¡°I minored in the School of Swordmastery for a few months in my first year. I only gave up because I was more talented in the School of Water Sorcery.¡± Celia snorted. ¡°Besides, you¡¯re a genius in the School of Swordmastery. With your explanation, how can I possibly not understand?¡± ¡°Well, then I¡¯ll give a simple explanation,¡± Felix said. ¡°An hour and a half ago, she was still a novice who couldn¡¯t even hold a sword properly. And now, she¡¯s already able to cut through the ninth ring of the armored dummy with one strike.¡± ¡°She¡¯s probably pretending, right?¡± Celia didn¡¯t say this out of malice, but mainly because she had really practiced swordplay for a few months. She understood what this meant¡ªeven she could only reach the second circle, and her level was considered above average among the new students of the same batch. ¡°Although I thought so before¡­ I¡¯d even say that I would prefer to think so. That¡¯s why I watched her train. I was hoping to see her reach a bottleneck. I was expecting to see her make no further progress¡­ But now, after an hour and a half, my petty jealousy has turned to full admiration.¡± It was hard for Celia to imagine that Felix could say such humble and sincere words. Even when talking about his father, the Star Casting Duke, and his elder brother, Disme, he always spoke in an indifferent, dismissive tone. However, he was actually showing admiration and curiosity for a girl he barely knew. This was a very dangerous signal¡ªcuriosity was often the vanguard of falling in love. And he actually watched a girl for one and a half hours¡­ one and a half hours? He had been watching for one and a half hours, so the female hunter named Sonia had been training for one and a half hours!? It was only then that Celia carefully observed Sonia¡¯s training movements: slide forward, swing her sword, strike the face. Steady as a rock and as fast as lightning¡­ Her every move was completely in accordance with the ¡°Guide to Sword Drills¡±. She did not slack off at all and gave her best with every strike! A normal person would need to rest for every few minutes of training. Felix could only train for three hours at most, with one hour of rest and relaxation. However, according to them, this girl actually trained for more than an hour continuously, and she never stopped in between!? This explained why they were all watching¡ªcompared to the beautiful girls, this group of strong men whose minds were filled with sword techniques were probably more curious about how they could possess such terrifying physical strength. But after watching for a while, Celia melted into the crowd, unable to keep her eyes off Sonia¡¯s training posture. Her movements were filled with the beauty of swordplay, the beauty of strength, and the beauty of a young girl. What was even more terrifying was that she seemed to be improving with every passing second. Every time she swung her sword, she would be stronger, more precise, and more skillful than before. This was an art¡ªan art of swordplay. At that moment, Celia admitted defeat willingly. If the girl named Sonia was really aiming for Felix, there was almost no chance she could win. She was well aware of Felix¡¯s obsession with swordplay. If her ¡°smart and beautiful senior¡± could score 80 points in Felix¡¯s heart, then Sonia¡¯s ¡°swordplay genius beauty¡± would score 150 points. Clang! The moment Sonia¡¯s wooden sword slashed into the 10th ring of the armored dummy, everyone gasped. The temperature in the training ground almost dropped¡ªthey had witnessed a miracle! After two hours of non-stop training, someone who entered the door as a swordplay apprentice successfully cut into the tenth ring!! Even if she did not do anything after that, as long as the timing arrived, she would trigger the resonance of the knowledge of the Illusory Realm, summon the sword spell spirit, step into the Illusory Realm, and become an Illusory Wing Sorcerer! It could take as fast as a second, or as slow as several months! Not everyone in Sword Flower University could become a Sorcerer. The graduation rate had always hovered around 50%. Every graduating Illusory Wing Sorcerer had a bright future! In other words, from this moment onwards, Sonia had no need to worry about making a living for the rest of her life! At the same time, Sonia also put away her wooden sword, allowing everyone to put down the heavy burden in their hearts¡ªthis monster wearing the skin of a beautiful girl was finally tired. If Sonia were to continue training, they would really have to wonder if there was any physical enhancement to wearing a female outfit. Although it was already ridiculous now¡ªa full two hours, an average of two seconds per strike, thirty sword strikes per minute, and three thousand six hundred sword strikes in two hours¡­ The number alone made the swordplay apprentices¡¯ scalps tingle. At this moment, Ingrit, who was in the crowd, hurried over to hand over towels and cups, ready to help Sonia back to her dormitory. When Sonia swung her sword a thousand times, Ingrit was already impressed by her. For the first time, she wanted to get closer to Sonia¡ªhow could a sword practitioner possibly have ill intentions? ¡°Sonia, you must be tired. Shall we return together?¡± Ingrit only knew one way of getting close to people: returning together, going to the restroom together, eating together¡­ Sonia, who wished she could just lie down on the floor and melt, took the towel and wiped her mouth. She took a sip of water and smiled at Ingrit with relief. Just as she was about to agree, she suddenly felt a surge of energy in her limbs, filling her with energy again. And her face suddenly froze, her gaze fixed on Felix in the crowd. It was as if a hunter had found their prey. The other apprentices secretly sighed. Celia bit her lower lip, not quite ready to accept defeat. Felix slightly raised his chin and smiled confidently at Sonia. The reasons for these changes were heartwarming. Because in Sonia¡¯s line of sight, the Observer was standing behind Felix. This damnable little loudspeaker shook his finger and said, ¡°Sword Maiden, you can¡¯t rest yet.¡± ¡°Next,¡± he said, pointing at Felix, ¡°you¡¯re going to beat this man..¡± Chapter 11 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Even in such a situation, Sonia did not lose her composure and shout. Instead, she calmly complained to the Observer, ¡°You forced me to practice my swordplay and asked me to fight Felix. What exactly do you want me to do? To infiltrate the society of the Astra nobles and become your spy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not as complicated as you think,¡± said the Observer. ¡°It¡¯s just to arrange a battle for you, and the strongest person here is him. It just happens to be so, that¡¯s all. It has nothing to do with whether he¡¯s a noble or not. Of course, it¡¯s even better if he¡¯s a noble. I especially like to see a noble get beaten up. If possible, can you step on his face after you win¡­ Forget it, I heard that some Astra nobles are very perverted. You should just spank him¡­ Forget it, pretend I never said that.¡± [Can you change it to someone else? I don¡¯t want to have anything to do with Felix!] ¡°Why?¡± [I¡¯ve researched him a little,] said Sonia. [He¡¯s very strange, and very dangerous.] As the most approachable young noble in Sword Flower University, Sonia had naturally counted Felix in her list of potential targets. However, after some intelligence gathering, Sonia gave up on this seemingly tempting option. It had nothing to do with his playboy attributes. Sonia did not think that being a playboy was her obstacle. What really stopped Sonia was Felix¡¯s family situation and his band of ex-girlfriends. Although rumors abounded out there that Felix was a walking reproduction machine that could sleep with ten women a day, after simple observation, Sonia discovered a secret¡ªFelix had never actually taken a girlfriend out for the night. Felix lived in a villa outside the school. Every night, after training, he would drive away from the school. His car, the ¡°Sprinting Silver Tiger¡±, was one of its kind in the school, and Sonia would occasionally find it at night. He never took his girlfriend out of school at night, and he always went home alone. Of course, it was also possible that he preferred daytime. However, Felix changed girlfriends every three days, and there were many noble ladies among them. Sonia did not quite believe he could wipe someone out in three days. He acted more like he was collecting stamps than being lascivious. Secondly, as the son of the Duke of Vosloda, it was hard not to think that he was involved in some political dispute to lower himself to attending Sword Flower University. Sonia was not interested in growing up and fighting by his side. She was more interested in catching the young master of a newly risen upstart noble in recent years, so that she could enjoy the fruits of his labor and have a lot of room to maneuver. If her methods were good, it was not impossible for her to split the family assets. With all these factors combined, Sonia could be said to be uninterested in Felix. She had an entire forest, so naturally, she did not need to hang on this tree, and even had to stay far away from him¡ªpart of the reason was that Sonia had never come into contact with nobles, and her knowledge of them came from novels. As for the traditional nobility in the novel, other than the male protagonist, all of them were villains who bullied the good and abused their power. Those who were not evil enough would even be kicked out of the nobility and become commoners. Sonia, who had always been cautious or pessimistic, naturally did not think that she would meet a good noble. Naturally, she kept her distance from Felix, who obviously appeared more like a villainous classic noble. ¡°Does that mean that if you were to fight him, you would very likely get into trouble?¡± [Exactly!] Sonia quickly said, [I don¡¯t know what you want me to do, but I¡¯m really weak now, so I have to develop properly first. I should keep a low profile as much as possible, and I shouldn¡¯t¡ª] ¡°This couldn¡¯t be better.¡± The Observer said, ¡°Causing trouble is exactly what I hope you¡¯d do. I hope that you can keep a high profile and destroy all the enemies in front of you¡­ Besides, isn¡¯t this also your wish?¡± ¡°How could I have such a childish and arrogant wish!¡± Sonia roared. ¡°In that case,¡± The Observer bowed and said, ¡°I wish you the best of luck in your first battle. I wish you luck in beating up that swordplay genius and trampling over the Astra nobility.¡± [No, I will never¡ª] ¡°Felix Vosloda. A genius in the School of Swordmastery.¡± Sonia raised her wooden sword, pointed it at Felix, and said in an arrogant tone that she would never use, ¡°You are the only one qualified to be the stepping stone for summoning my spell spirit.¡± ¡°Do you dare to fight me?¡± The training ground was in an uproar, and the swordplay apprentices all had expectant looks. Celia almost bit her lip until it bled¡ªas expected, her target was also Felix, and she even used such a clich¨¦ but effective method to directly establish a relationship with Felix! Ingrit was stunned. ¡°Sonia, you¡¯ve just trained for two hours. Even if you want to compete in swordplay, you should wait until tomorrow¡­¡± ¡°No, it should be now.¡± Felix stepped out of the crowd and stared hard at Sonia. ¡°Two hours, three thousand and six hundred swords, straight from beginner swordplay to the mastery of swordplay. You¡¯re the most talented person I¡¯ve ever met, and the second person who terrifies me. If I don¡¯t take your challenge now, when I wake up tomorrow, I won¡¯t even have the courage to draw my sword in front of you.¡± ¡°Right now, this might be my only chance to defeat you. Even if others think that I¡¯m taking advantage of you and bullying you for your lack of stamina, I can¡¯t care anymore¡ªat least after defeating you tonight, I¡¯ll still have the right and courage to try to catch up to you!¡± ¡°And you are right. I am the only one worthy of your challenge in this vast Sword Flower University. Those Illusory Realm Swordmasters who are older than I can only draw upon the knowledge of the Illusory Realm through time and perseverance. They cannot compare to you and I. So¡­ Come!¡± As they spoke, a large empty space was cleared in the training ground. The two of them held their training swords and stood on both sides. Sonia was using the most common mid-stage stance, while Felix was holding a sword in one hand with his body raised to the side. It looked like there were flaws everywhere. ¡°Wave stance¡­¡± Even though Ingrit was a little worried about Sonia, she could not help but look forward to their match. The Vosloda family was famous for their swordplay. They had four secret techniques that could summon a spell spirit. The wave stance was one of them. In the School of Swordmastery, the sword stance was a cultivation technique, a summoning technique, as well as a combat technique. Or rather, the reason why a swordmaster could summon a sword spell spirit was because he had sufficient comprehension of the combat training of this sword stance. Thus, he could invoke the resonance of the Illusory Realm and turn the knowledge of the Illusory Realm into a spell spirit of the sword. The basic spell spirit summoned by every swordsmaster autonomously would mean perfect mastery over the corresponding swordplay stance. Felix had also competed with other people before, but because Ingrit was too focused on her studies (not very popular with people), she was not able to get any information. This was the first time that she had seen the legendary wave stance. She couldn¡¯t help but feel tempted and started thinking about finding an opportunity to compete with Felix too. At this time, Ingrit noticed that Sonia¡¯s face was red, and she kept giving Ingrit purposeful looks. Ingrit was a little confused, but she quickly understood. Sonia was showing off to her that she could see the wave stance first! Although you are geniuses, I will definitely catch up to you! Ingrit clenched her fists and made a gesture of cheering Sonia on. Sonia was at a loss for words. Was the distress signal in her eyes not obvious enough? Why didn¡¯t Ingrit hurry up and carry her away? [What¡¯s the point of controlling my body like this? Even if you win, you¡¯re the one winning. I¡¯m just a bystander.] Sonia said inwardly. [If you only want to control my body, that¡¯s up to you. I can¡¯t resist anyway.] [But you made me accept the trial in the dream world last night, and you made me train in swordplay, so I would be able to grow, right? How about this: you let me regain control of my body, and I promise to fight with others. If one is not enough, I can fight two, okay?] ¡°Do you think you¡¯re doing arithmetics? One plus one equals two?¡± the Observer standing next to Ingrit said. ¡°Also, who told you that I¡¯m controlling your body to fight?¡± [If it¡¯s not you, is it supposed to be me?] ¡°Precisely.¡± The Observer walked to her side and raised the tip of her sword a little higher. ¡°Do you really think that I will randomly choose someone to fight with you? Do you really think that I can ignore your will and forcefully control your body?¡± ¡°Why do you train in swordplay? Because you defeated me last night in a dream. You realized your talent for swordplay. You know you have the chance to gain power. And you know you¡¯ve already wasted too much time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you came here. You worked hard to squeeze out every last bit of your strength, just so that others and your roommate, Ingrit, can see that besides your appearance, you also have talent that you can be proud of!¡± ¡°Why did you challenge Felix? From the first time you saw him driving the Sprinting Silver Tiger through the school roads, seeing him being sought after by everyone, and seeing him become the hot topic of the school, you already felt jealousy, envy, and hatred towards him. You can¡¯t blame your mother for raising you through bitter hardships, so you can only resent someone whose family background far exceeds yours.¡± ¡°Why are they born with everything? Why are they better than me in every aspect?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie to your heart, Sword Maiden,¡± the Observer said. ¡°You want to defeat him. You want to prove that you, Sonia Sevey, are not inferior to anyone else!¡± ¡°You are the one who came to the training ground, you are the one who grip the wooden sword tight, you are the one who want to be dazzling! Everything came from your heart!¡± ¡°Actually, I¡¯m curious as to why you think that I¡¯m controlling you. After all, no one can see me except you. Don¡¯t you find this strange? Don¡¯t you suspect¡­ whether I¡¯m a real observer, or a phantom that you entrusted your soul to?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve finished talking. Now, you can put all the blame on me, then¡­¡± The Observer stood beside Sonia, and pointed at Felix. ¡°¡­enjoy the thrill of trouncing a genius! ¡± Thud! With an explosive sound, the two raised their swords at the same time and clashed! Chapter 12 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Clang! Clang! Clang! When the swords came into contact with each other, a sound that sounded like the clashing of steel could be heard. Felix was also a little surprised¡ªthe training sword he used was specially made with black steel ebony. Even as a weapon, it was a top-notch choice. His opponent was only using an ordinary wooden sword, but it was actually able to clash against the ebony sword so many times without being damaged. Either the wooden sword was of excellent quality, or the opponent¡¯s sword technique was excellent. He believed that both cases applied here. The moment his opponent retreated back to defend, Felix¡¯s gaze turned cold. He raised his sword high and swung it down fiercely. At the same time, he turned his body sideways and harnessed the momentum to increase the strength of his body. From an outsider¡¯s perspective, it looked like he was ¡°sliding¡± at high speed. The ebony sword smashed down like a shock wave! However, he missed! Just like the previous few times, the moment he was about to hit the other party¡¯s weakness, Sonia would use an extremely strange footwork, interrupt all her current movements, and suddenly glide on the ground. Every time, she would narrowly avoid his killer move, and then¡ª He turned around and saw Sonia¡¯s calm and cold eyes, as well as the afterimage of her wooden sword! Clang! Felix became more and more anxious as he blocked the attack with his sword. Although Sonia had not been able to hurt him until now, he could feel that Sonia was gradually familiarizing herself with the wave stance, and the pressure on him was getting greater and greater. Although Felix admitted that Sonia was more talented than him just now, he did not think that he would lose. Putting Sonia¡¯s stamina aside, the advantage of his wave stance alone was enough to ensure he¡¯s undefeated. Sonia had obviously learned the stardust stance from ¡°Guide to Sword Drills¡±. Although it sounded impressive, it was just a basic stance. Its advantage was that its foundation was solid and it could easily be switched to other stances, as well as be used to summon the three spell spirits, Sword Slash, Sword Slash, and Sword Thrust. But its disadvantage was that it was a mediocre stance. The wave stance was a secret technique of Voslolda, and it was known for its explosive power. Thus, the ¡°Wave Sword¡± spell spirit was also the type that could explode in an instant. Felix had thought that he only needed to attack continuously to defeat this genius in swordplay who had suddenly appeared. He did not expect that, apart from the stardust stance, she had also mastered a strange footwork that allowed her to avoid several attacks that were sure to hit her. Although Felix had more or less figured out her rhythm now, Sonia had also figured out the foundation of the wave stance. It¡¯s equivalent to shrinking the gap between them! Apart from that, she also mastered a sword drawing technique. However, compared to the wave stance, the instant burst of sword draw was still not quite enough. Felix did hope that she could fight him with sword draw. The recoil from the sword alone was enough to crack her wrist. But after suffering a setback, Sonia gave up directly on the sword draw and focused on dealing with Felix. Felix neither wanted nor could afford to drag it out. Even if he dragged it out until Sonia was exhausted, it would only be a victory of self-deception. In addition, Sonia¡¯s beautiful body seemed to contain endless stamina. He felt that he would end up being the one being dragged down instead of her! It was time to end this! He did not make use of any weak spots. Instead, he took a sudden step back and assumed a stance. He let out a deep breath and stared at Sonia with eyes as sharp as swords. ¡°Next move, if you don¡¯t win, you lose!¡± he said resolutely. ¡°Fine.¡± In the next second, the onlookers were stunned, while Felix was furious! This was because Sonia was holding a wooden sword high in her right hand and facing the enemy sideways. She looked exactly like Felix¡ªshe was actually in a wave stance! No one thought that Sonia had learned the wave stance, not to mention that she had just seen it. Even if she had observed Felix¡¯s training, it was impossible for her to learn it. Felix usually practiced his sword in the training ground, and everyone could see the details of his swordplay. But who could have covertly learned the secret techniques of the Vosloda family? Other than the moves, there were also breathing techniques, footwork, and specific details on the usage of force in a stance. It was impossible to learn just by looking at it. Even if someone taught it, not everyone was talented enough to comprehend it. Every school of sorcery that could step into the Illusory Realm had an extremely high threshold. Therefore, everyone believed that there was only one reason why Sonia had taken such a stance¡ªto provoke Felix! There is nothing more humiliating than using your moves to defeat you. It was obvious that the provocation had been successful. Felix¡¯s face was almost black. He said nothing. Only Celia could not help but secretly applaud it. After using such a method to humiliate and provoke Felix, Felix could never forget her, even if he tried. I didn¡¯t expect that there would actually be such a skilled female hunter in the first grade, who taught me a lesson too¡­ Next, it¡¯s time for you to be defeated and give Felix a way out. It¡¯s time for you to agree to compete with him in the future and increase the chances of contact, right? ¡°You¡¯re asking to be humiliated!¡± Felix shouted. He stepped forward, turned sideways, and slashed down with his single-handed sword like a whip, like a ball smashing down, like flowing water! There were no fancy moves. The core idea of this move was to ¡®break¡¯ the enemy¡¯s defense! Felix stared at Sonia¡¯s knee. He could already tell that every time Sonia used a strange footwork, the only warning would be the movement of her knee. He could predict the direction of Sonia¡¯s retreat through her knee, and then change the direction of his sword, hoping to crush Sonia¡¯s resistance with one strike! However, contrary to his expectations, Sonia did not dodge. Instead, she used the same move as him: step to the side and swing her sword down! Counter the strongest strike with the strongest strike! Clang! With a deafening clang, the two figures crossed each other. Everyone held their breaths, waiting for the results. Thud. Sonia¡¯s wooden sword broke in half and fell to the ground. No one was surprised by this, because they saw the One-winged Swordsman appear on Felix¡¯s shoulder. What was most eye-catching was that its sword was made of black light¡ªthe Wave Sword Spell Spirit! ¡°Breakthrough on the field! There¡¯s actually such a thing as breaking through on the field!¡± ¡°Summoning your intrinsic spell spirit in battle!¡± ¡°As expected of Vosloda!¡± Ingrit went to support Sonia and consoled her, ¡°Don¡¯t be discouraged. You¡¯ll be able to summon your spell spirit soon, and then¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t lose,¡± Sonia said calmly. Everyone froze, thinking that Sonia was embarrassed. However, in the next second, Felix¡¯s ebony sword broke and fell to the ground. A one-winged swordsman appeared on Sonia¡¯s shoulder as well. Unlike Felix, her swordsman was female, and the swordsman¡¯s sword was made of white light. ¡°Wave Sword Spell Spirit!?¡± ¡°How did she summon the Wave Sword Spell Spirit of Vosloda? Could it be¡­¡± ¡°She learned Felix¡¯s wave stance in combat and summoned it directly?¡± ¡°How is this possible¡­¡± ¡°Wait a minute. Doesn¡¯t that mean she spent a couple of hours getting straight from swordplay apprentice to swordmaster?¡± Everyone was stunned by the statement. Many of them had spent years without becoming a swordmaster, and Sonia had achieved what they could not achieve in just one night? Everyone¡¯s envy, Ingrit¡¯s surprise, Celia¡¯s jealousy, Felix¡¯s complicated gaze¡­ But Sonia was not in the mood to care about any of it. She stared straight at the Observer standing at the side with an expression that said, ¡°I already know the truth.¡± She asked in her heart, [Are you saying that you¡¯re just an illusion conjured by my heart and not real? You¡¯re just representing my inner thoughts? You¡¯re just an illusion?] The Observer did not say anything. He squatted down and picked up the broken sword that had fallen to the ground. Then, he picked up the broken part of Sonia¡¯s wooden sword and gently wiped it with his hand. The wooden sword was restored to its original state, and not a single crack could be seen on the broken part. Even after he completed such a miraculous operation, no one noticed him. Even no one noticed that the wooden sword had been restored. He clapped and turned to walk out, leaving behind a sentence that infuriated Sonia. ¡°Why don¡¯t you make a guess?¡± Chapter 13 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios [The Deadly Berserker Sword Maiden completed a swordplay training and gained a large amount of experience in the School of Swordmastery.] [The Deadly Berserker Sword Maiden completed a swordplay training and gained a large amount of experience in the School of Swordmastery.] [The Deadly Berserker Sword Maiden completed a swordplay training and gained a large amount of experience in the School of Swordmastery. She received an additional 10,000% experience for triggering her talent. In battle, she triggered the resonance of the Illusory Realm and summoned the spell spirit ¡°Wave Sword¡±.] [Wave Sword] [One-Winged Spell Spirit] [Limitation: Must use sword] [Basic Effect: Send out a wave of sword energy.] [Passive Effect: Normal sword attacks make the target lose balance.] [¡®The sword is not trembling. It is merely thirsty.¡¯] Perhaps this was the first time since going to college that Ash had ever had a healthy daily routine. He got up early at six o¡¯clock to check on the cultivation progress of the Deadly Berserker Sword Maiden in the Sorcerer Manual, waiting, and hopeful. The game did not disappoint him. In just one day, the Deadly Berserker Sword Maiden had grown in stages! [Deadly Berserker Sword Maiden] [Human ¡¤ Female ¡¤ 18] [Bond Level: 0 (30% Experience Sharing)] [Occupation: One-Winged Swordmaster] [Occupational Special Feature: Reduces energy consumption by 10% when using sword spell spirit.] [Items Equipped: None] [Controlled Spell Spirits: Wave Sword] [School of Swordsmanship: Silver Level] [Illusory Realm Exploration: 0.000%] [School of Water Sorcery: Uninitiated] Although he did not know what a One-Winged Swordmaster was, he recalled that the Blood Frenzy Hunter who had killed him with one strike seemed to have three wings. In other words, having wings meant becoming an Extraordinary. Since the Sword Maiden had become an Extraordinary, then as an outstanding player who had painstakingly cultivated her talent, he should receive the reward of 30% experience sharing, right? However, even after waiting for a long time and continuously refreshing the game information panel, he still did not receive the enlightenment, experience implants, or knowledge infusion that he had imagined. The [Terminus Observer]¡¯s interface did not change either. At that moment, Ash¡¯s mood was like that of an immature primary school student who had paid online profiteers for permanent QQ membership, only to get blacklisted. The hope that arose from greed was swallowed by thick disappointment. However, after some serious consideration, he suddenly realized that he had missed a step. ¡°Could it be because I didn¡¯t pay up¡­¡± Their company¡¯s games were infamous for the lack of enjoyable gaming experiences unless one paid up, though paying up didn¡¯t necessarily mean enjoying gaming experiences either. It would be very normal for them to cut off part of the gaming experience if one didn¡¯t pay up. It would have been fine if it¡¯s just because he had not paid. At least there was a chance to make up for it. If it was because of the loss of various modules during transmigration that caused the function to fail, then it¡¯d mean that the gaming system Ash was relying on could only be functionally played as a dream factory for pretty girls¡­ [Dear Mr. Ash Heath, Shattered Lake Prison has completed your life certification. You are free to move around in a specific area. Please read the attached copy of the ¡°Life Manual of Shattered Lake Prison¡±. Note: delivery service will no longer be provided. Please proceed to the dining hall on your own for meals.] At the same time, a green light lit up above the fist-thick door, revealing a tiny ¡°pass¡± icon. Melodious singing came from outside. ¡°If I suffer injury enough, I¡¯ll take my opponent, and sever without hesitation the curse of yesterday. I¡¯ll await daylight when night falls, leaving behind scars¡­¡± Brilliant. What kind of song is this? Is it for taunting prisoners? Ash was stunned for a moment. He did not understand what was going on. He opened the ¡°Life Manual of the Shattered Lake Prison¡±. Every time he read a message, he suspected it¡¯s an April Fool¡¯s message intended for taunting new inmates. [1 Free time from 7 AM to 10 PM. Areas that permit entry and exit are as follows: central main hall, reading room, gymnasium, audio room, sea view platform, couple room (supplies provided), workroom, dining hall¡­] [2 The opening time of the dining hall is: 7 AM to 9 AM, 11 AM to 2 PM, 5 PM to 8 PM. If you want to eat during the non-opening hours, please use the ordering service.] [3 Reading room: Please register missing titles with the administrator and they will be replaced within three working days.] [4 Film studio: Currently, only film and sound shows that can be purchased through official channels are provided. Films that are airing in theaters can only be provided after the curtain fall.¡± [5 Couple room: Please put the used items in the recycling bin. Do not wash them and put them back.] [6¡­] There were many diverse rules, and almost all of them introduced the various facilities in this prison. It almost made Ash think that he was a tourist visiting the prison for a day tour. What surprised Ash the most was that the handbook had written what rights their prisoners had, but didn¡¯t include any of the prohibitions they had to observe. It was as if they could do anything. There had to be something wrong with the abnormal situation, but now that they were not delivering food, he couldn¡¯t just stay in the cell and starve to death. Besides, he was also very curious about what was going on in this prison. When he reached the door, the automatic door slid open on its own. Outside, there was a very quiet and clean aisle. There wasn¡¯t even a single guard. There was a very conspicuous sign on the wall: [Central Main Hall¡û¡¤¡úEquipment Gymnasium, Sauna Room] Just by looking at the signboard, Ash could imagine that the cell next to him would definitely be filled with muscular men who worked out, bathed and went to sauna every day¡­ When he thought about the couple room, his sphincter couldn¡¯t help but tighten. He thought that he should quickly finish his meal and return to the cell. He walked down the long, narrow aisle to the central hall, and an expansive and cheerful sight instantly appeared before him: the central hall was a very large place with a glass ceiling. The first rays of the morning sun shone freely over the benches, and potted plants were placed on either side. A few people sat on the benches, some chatting, some reading, some even sleeping on the benches¡­ If they weren¡¯t all wearing prison uniforms, Ash would have thought he¡¯d arrived at a park. The most surprising thing was that there was a uniformed guard standing by the side. Although he seemed to be slacking during work hours and playing with the hologram, his existence alone was enough to let Ash breathe a sigh of relief¡ªat least he had someone to call for help. Although Ash was thinking about how to escape, he was completely useless now. He had no combat ability at all, and he also had the psychological weakness of all corporate slaves. Without the protection of the law-enforcement officers, he did not know if he could protect his chastity¡ªHeath¡¯s body was quite sexually attractive. There was a hologram on the wall in front of the hall that was playing the news. It seemed to be a discussion scene of a certain parliament. Just hearing a few words made one feel bored. Ash didn¡¯t understand what was being discussed in the hologram, because the conversation between the two men sitting on the bench at the front was more appealing to him. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Lorenzo to become a member of the council. It seems like he joined the Wine of Immortality Club too. The power of Andrea¡¯s faction has completely surpassed the mayor. The mayor will probably be fired after this year¡¯s term¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Mayor Fernandes has the support of Bishop Enrico. Just you wait. Not only is Lorenzo not a signal for Andreyer to rise to power, it is a declaration of Andreyer¡¯s demise. In three days at the latest, and one month at the most, someone important in Andreyer¡¯s faction will die.¡± ¡°Andreyer has been laying foundations in Kaimon for decades. It¡¯s impossible for the Church to do anything in order to maintain stability.¡± ¡°Have you forgotten about the suicide case of the Director of Railway Department fifteen years ago?¡± It was a strange enough experience to listen to two prisoners discussing the changes in the political hierarchy in prison. What was even stranger was that one of them was a 2.2-meter tall green-skinned orc, and the other was a 1.3-meter tall short-legged goblin. ¡°If you¡¯re interested in politics, I suggest you go to the reading room and have a chat with old man Rene. Gedor and Rudodo were merely Secretary of the Administrative Department and Head of the Development Department before they came here. Their positions were neither high nor low, and they only have some half-baked knowledge about the politburo. Their conversations are full of meaningless drivel. ¡°That said, you¡¯re Ash Heath, famous leader of the Four Pillars Deity Cult. Why would you pay attention to the Kaimon City politics?¡± Ash turned to the blond man beside him. ¡°You know me?¡± ¡°Of course. After all, you¡¯re on the seven o¡¯clock news. You were on the front page of the news yesterday and the day before yesterday¡ªthe news is the fastest way for us to get to know our new companions.¡± The blond man smiled. ¡°This is our first meeting. Perhaps you¡¯ve seen me on the news¡ªI¡¯m Igora Borgin.¡± ¡°Ash.¡± Ash took two steps back. ¡°Is everyone here so friendly?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Igora said frankly. ¡°We are all quite enthusiastic about newcomers. After all, we are all companions with similar ambitions.¡± ¡°Similar ambitions?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Igora glanced at the guard on duty and extended his hand toward Ash. He said in a low voice, ¡°Are you interested in joining our escape research team and becoming friends that support each other?¡± A surge of joy rose in Ash. The offer came right in his hour of need. He was trying to find a way to escape from prison, and didn¡¯t expect there would already be an existing organization in prison he could join. Naturally, he happily extended his hand, ¡°Of course¡­¡± ¡°If I were you, I¡¯d punch him.¡± Suddenly, a cold female voice came from his side. Ash caught her in his periphery sight and realized that she was wearing a mink coat, a miniskirt, a pair of silk stockings, and long boots. There was a decorative sword hanging from her waist, which seemed to be there to add to her sexual allure. She was dressed very maturely¡­ A young maiden? But he recognized her the next second. Although she had changed her appearance, her face looked exactly like the Deadly Berserker Sword Maiden! The Deadly Berserker Sword Maiden has descended by my side? With almost no hesitation, Ash turned around and punched Igora! Chapter 14 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Buzz! [Warning: You are making an output of excessive kinetic energy to a citizen! This is prohibited!] Without his summon, his field of vision suddenly jumped out of the hologram. The red warning message rushed before his pupils like a waterfall. The shrill alarm that sounded like a scream echoed in his ears, instantly stunning him. What was going on? Was it infected by a virus? But I¡¯m new here and had never visited any mysterious websites before!? His body instantly stiffened and he couldn¡¯t move at all. He only regained control three seconds later. ¡°It seems that you are very satisfied with your life in the Shattered Lake Prison. I shall not disturb you then.¡± Igora moved the fist that was almost touching the tip of his nose away and smiled. ¡°By the way, Ash, your weak punch was rather cute.¡± The other prisoners in the hall glanced at them, including the prison guard, who seemed to have temporarily shifted his attention from the hologram to them. But everyone would quickly look away, as if what happened was just something trivial. As he watched Igora¡¯s back disappear into the tunnel, Ash looked down at his fist, his mind full of questions. ¡°What¡¯s there to be surprised about? Isn¡¯t it just that the miracle chip in your nape detected your attempt to attack someone and sent out a neural current to temporarily control your body so that your attack wouldn¡¯t work,¡± said Sword Maiden. ¡°This technology is widely used in animal husbandry, in addition to prison, but it seems more practical to use it on people.¡± ¡°Then why did you ask me to hit him?¡± ¡°Although fighting is prohibited here, there are still many tricks you can pull.¡± The Sword Maiden said leisurely, ¡°For example, you can use a spell spirit to sign a contract. If I¡¯m not wrong, that man just now has a bit of veela bloodline. A veela is the race that finds it easiest to become proficient in the School of Spirituality¡­ If you had responded to his request and shook his hand to sign the contract, you would become ¡®friends who must help each other¡¯.¡± ¡°However, this would just be a relationship where you have to help him. Whether he helps you or not depends on his mood. Well, in the eyes of a spiritual sorcerer, friends are no different from slaves.¡± Ash understood. If he had really shaken hands with Igora earlier, he would have become Igora¡¯s employee, or even his intern. The Alternate World was so despicable. They did not even need to sign a labor contract. Ash looked around at the other prisoners. ¡°No one else can see you?¡± ¡°You can continue to talk to me like this, as long as you don¡¯t mind others looking at you as if you¡¯re crazy.¡± Sword Maiden continued, ¡°Although I¡¯d rather listen to you talk nicely than the garbage in your mind, one must yield to the circumstances.¡± Ash understood. ¡°So, you really are the Deadly Berserker Sword Maiden?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m the Deadly Berserker Sword Maiden.¡± Sword Maiden said as she leaned against the wall in boredom. ¡°On the other hand, if I didn¡¯t see you with my own eyes, I would never have thought that you would end up in such a place¡­ Mind if I mock you?¡± [I mind it a lot, but why aren¡¯t you wearing the clothes on the illustration?] ¡°Aren¡¯t you also wearing this luxurious version of the classic prisoner suit from the Shattered Lake Prison?¡± The Sword Maiden rolled her eyes. ¡°You look different from the illustration yourself, yet you feel no qualms talking about me? I¡¯m a woman. Do you expect me to wear the same set of clothes every day without doing laundry?¡± What the Sword Maiden said made so much sense that Ash was convinced by her. However, he obviously did not care about these details. He looked at the Sword Maiden expectantly. [Sword Maiden, my Doraemon, since you¡¯re here, help me escape from this prison!] ¡°I refuse.¡± [Huh?] ¡°Why should I help you escape from here?¡± Sword Maiden said lazily, ¡°There¡¯s room and food here. Isn¡¯t it suitable for trash like you to stay here? Why do you always want to escape? The outside world might be even worse than here. You should just retire early and live your dream life. Isn¡¯t that good too?¡± [But I¡¯m a scapegoat. I have to participate in some kind of Blood Moon Judgment in a few days. This definitely doesn¡¯t sound like a buffet, right?] ¡°Oh, Blood Moon Judgment¡­¡± Sword Maiden nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Hehe, then I feel even less inclined to help you escape.¡± Ash¡¯s mentality was on the verge of breaking down. He¡¯d thought he¡¯d finally latched on to someone¡¯s coattails, but her coattails were too slippery for him to latch on. [You can¡¯t do this, I¡¯m your¡ª] ¡°My what?¡± The Sword Maiden¡¯s gaze sharpened, and she reached out to poke Ash¡¯s forehead. ¡°What were you trying to say? What were you trying to tell me, that you¡¯re my what? Huh? Huh?¡± With each poke, Ash took a step back, until he hit the bench and sat down. Even leaning back, Ash couldn¡¯t avoid the Sword Maiden¡¯s fingers as she jabbed him hard in the forehead. She leaned down so their noses were touching, and their eyes met. Ash could see his reflection in her wine-red eyes. ¡°Are you trying to say that you¡¯re my¡ªmaster?¡± She said in a cold and disdainful voice, ¡°Heh, are you trying to hear me shout that a few more times to get more reference material for the pornographic garbage in your brain?¡± Ash calmed down instead. [What¡¯s wrong with that interpretation? You¡¯re just a virtual character in a game, while I¡¯m the player of the game. If I die, you naturally won¡¯t continue to exist. Since we have this bond, why can¡¯t you help me?] Hearing the word ¡°bond¡±, the Sword Maiden blew up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. Her hair instantly stood on end, and her eyes were bloodshot. Her expression became gloomy and terrifying. Ash was taken aback, but didn¡¯t back down. Instead, he sat up straight and forced the Sword Maiden to retreat. [Deadly Berserker Sword Maiden, I¡¯m not your master, but neither am I your slave. If you can¡¯t even treat me as an equal, then you might as well go back to the game and keep being a data stream.] The Sword Maiden¡¯s voluminous chests heaved, indicating that she was very much not in a calm mood. Just when Ash thought she was going to beat him to death with her dainty fists, she suddenly smiled. ¡°Virtual character? You¡¯re right. I¡¯m really just an illusory thought¡­ However, Observer, you¡¯d better remember what you said today.¡± ¡°You are not my master.¡± The Sword Maiden enunciated each word clearly. ¡°Never.¡± Ash said, [I promise.] ¡°Swear that the promise will never be broken, or the liar will lose their face.¡± Although he did not know why the Sword Maiden was so persistent, Ash did not actually have such base desires. He said frankly, ¡°I swear that the promise will never be broken, or the liar will lose their face.¡± The Sword Maiden seemed to be completely assured. She turned and left. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll talk as we go.¡± ¡°Where are we going?¡± Ash perked up at once. ¡°To the dining hall. Aren¡¯t you going for breakfast?¡± [About the prison escape¡­] ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you, it¡¯s that I can¡¯t help you,¡± said Sword Maiden. ¡°As you can see, other than you, no one can see or touch me. I don¡¯t have the ability to affect the physical world, so how can I help you escape from prison?¡± Ash was deeply disappointed. ¡°Then why are you here? Are you just showing off your new skin?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say so yourself? Bond.¡± Sword Maiden said,¡± I¡¯m here to impart that 30% of shared experience to you.¡± [Great!] Ash was overjoyed. [Go ahead, I¡¯m ready!] ¡°Ready my foot.¡± The Sword Maiden pursed her lips. ¡°Do you really think you can grasp my swordplay experience by some miracle, like calling out ¡°arise, spirit¡±? If you want to dream, you can do it in bed!¡± [Then how are you going to impart it to me?] ¡°It¡¯s very simple. Go find someone to fight with. I will transmit the experience while you fight, so you will naturally gain a lot of experience in battle.¡± [No problem!] They had already arrived in the dining hall as they spoke. It was similar to an ordinary dining hall, all with fixed seats. As soon as Ash entered, he saw an excellent target for a fight: bald, tattooed, muscular, with scars on his face. He was obviously a serial killer pervert who¡¯d killed hundreds of people to get in here. He strode over and pretended to accidentally bump into the muscular bald man¡¯s glass. The glass of milk poured down, drenching the muscular bald man¡¯s shoes with white liquid! ¡°Oops,¡± Ash said with deliberate casualness. ¡°So sorry.¡± The muscular bald man lifted his head and glared at him. He slammed the table hard, causing the entire table to shake. It was as if he was about to stand up to fight with Ash! Ash swallowed. Just as he was ready to begin his first battle as a novice, he saw the muscular bald man pull a tissue from his shirt pocket and squat down to clean his shoes. ¡°All right, remember to be careful when you walk. The milk today is quite good. I strongly recommend it,¡± the muscular bald man said to the stunned Ash.. Chapter 15 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°I¡¯ll have a piece of toast and a glass of milk¡­ What¡¯s that? Braised lalafell? I¡¯ll have one of that too.¡± Ash sat down with the tray of food in his hands, observing the crowd of people entering the restaurant. In addition to the prisoners wearing classic prison skin, there were also many prison guards eating here. This prison did not seem to have a hierarchical system. The prison guards and the prisoners appeared equal. Or rather, the prison guards did not care about the prisoners at all, and the prisoners would not deliberately provoke the prison guards. Together, both sides created a harmonious prison together. Ash could understand if the prison guards did not care about the prisoners. After all, it was human nature to slack off. But why did the prisoners also stay away from the prison guards? After all, they wouldn¡¯t have broken the law if they were smart. Those who could wind up in prison were definitely idiots who didn¡¯t know their place, like a certain cult leader who was arrested by a few policemen (hunters). Similarly, those prisoners were definitely not too smart, but why wouldn¡¯t they provoke and tease the prison guards? ¡°Because you¡¯re locked.¡± Sword Maiden sat beside him and poked the braised lalafell with her finger. She said casually, ¡°The chips on the back of your necks are locked. You are not allowed to attack others, insult others, or hurt yourselves. This is why the Shattered Lake Prison gives you so much freedom¡ªevery bone and nerve in you is shackled.¡± ¡°Look, there¡¯s a poster of ¡®Creating a Civilized Prison¡¯ on the wall over there. On the poster is a picture of a death row criminal and a student. It looks like the results of creating a civilized prison here are pretty good. There are even students coming here for spring and fall semester tours.¡± Ash touched the back of his neck subconsciously and his eyes widened. ¡°That¡¯s¡ªthat¡¯s no different from having a bomb installed in my neck¡ª¡± ¡°Do you really want to speak so loudly?¡± Sword Maiden pointed at the prisoners, who looked over at the sound. Ash immediately stuffed his mouth with a piece of toast. [Then, wouldn¡¯t it be impossible for me to escape from prison at all as long as I wear this chip? The chip must have a GPS function!] ¡°More than that, if they want to, they can even make the chip send out strong electric currents and directly stop your heart.¡± Sword Maiden spread out her hands. ¡°Therefore, you are right. In theory, it is impossible for you to escape from this prison. Never mind escape, even if you want to dig a tunnel with a spoon, the chip will stop you from destroying public property.¡± [It¡¯s impossible in theory, but what about in practice?] Ash took a sip of milk and found it surprisingly sweet. ¡°In practice¡­ it¡¯s impossible too.¡± Sword Maiden rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not from here. How would I know so much?¡± [Then where did the information you mentioned just now come from?] ¡°There¡¯s also a copy of the ¡°Encyclopedia of Shattered Lake Prison¡± in your hologram files. I flipped through it when I was bored.¡± Ash was stunned for a moment. It made sense, though. The Sword Maiden was just a character in a game. How could she possibly know about this world? This is going to be tricky, though. She can somehow flip through the other files in my hologram. I was hoping to find out if there are any shady pornographic websites in this world¡­ ¡°I can¡¯t do anything about something like prison escape, but if you want to become stronger, I have a few ways.¡± Sword Maiden said, ¡°In short, you should find someone else to fight first. There¡¯s nothing easier to understand than fighting, don¡¯t you agree, Observer?¡± [Wait, according to what you said, the prisoners can¡¯t even attack others? How am I supposed to provoke someone into a fight?] At this point, Ash finally realized that this prison had already eliminated the possibility of the prisoners fighting at its root. ¡°Why do I have to answer everything for you? Are you or am I the one escaping from prison?¡± Sword Maiden sneered. ¡°Do you want to call me mommy when you¡¯re hungry too?¡± [Mom! Grandma!] ¡°You¡¯re courting death!¡± Ash touched his forehead and thought that it was really unfair. Sword Maiden was clearly an illusion, but why did it hurt so much when she flicked his forehead¡­ Ash looked around the room and saw that the bald man had just taken another glass of milk. He walked over and sat down across from him¡ªafter realizing that the others couldn¡¯t hit him, Ash felt bolder all of a sudden. ¡°Hi. My name¡¯s Ash. What¡¯s yours?¡± ¡°Hi, Ash. I already have a boyfriend.¡± The bald guy was very friendly. Ash was instantly stunned. He sensed that the nearby guards and prisoners also looked over upon hearing this, and he hurriedly explained, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that. I just have some questions to ask you!¡± ¡°I understand, I understand, I really do.¡± The bald man nodded in understanding. ¡°When hitting on someone, it can indeed very awkward for you to meet someone like me who takes the initiative to confess to having a partner. But my love for my boyfriend is pure and sincere, and it cannot allow the slightest degree of suspicion. So, making my attitude clear from the beginning is the best for everyone. You¡¯re also a good guy, Ash. I believe you will definitely find your own love too.¡± ¡°I¡­ no¡­ I just¡­¡± ¡°Ask away.¡± The bald man gave him an encouraging look. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so embarrassed. Failing to hit on someone is very normal. If you can¡¯t think of a perfunctory question for the time being, I can take my time and wait. But to be honest, Ash, the way you attract my attention was really too old-fashioned. You even deliberately knocked over my milk like an elementary school student¡­¡± This was great. Now that both the witness and the evidence were present, there was no way for Ash to deny it. All at once, Ash felt the eyes around him shift subtly. He opened his mouth to protest, but finally gave up trying to explain. ¡°I want to ask if there¡¯s a way for me to fight.¡± The bald man was stunned for a moment. ¡°Are you new here? Ah, I remember now. You¡¯re the one who¡¯s very popular on the news these few days¡­ the leader of the Four Pillar Deities Cult?¡± ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m actually quite interested in the Four Pillar Deities. It¡¯s a pity that I already have a boyfriend. Otherwise, I can give you a chance¡­¡± Ash couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He wanted to turn and leave, but the bald man¡¯s next words forced him to keep listening. ¡°If you want to stretch your muscles, then you¡¯ve got the right guy¡ªah, I haven¡¯t introduced myself. My name¡¯s Runner. I¡¯m a member of the Deathmatch Society.¡± ¡°Deathmatch Society?¡± ¡°Due to the chip, we can¡¯t hurt others. However, the Deathmatch Society has obtained permission from the warden. During the deathmatch, we can temporarily remove the restriction of the chip and fight. This is an exclusive benefit for members of the Deathmatch Society.¡± Ash was quite surprised. ¡°The prison even agreed to something like this? They¡¯re that humane?¡± Runner shook his head. ¡°But there¡¯s a cost for this. The biggest cost lies in the origin of the name of our society.¡± ¡°Deathmatch?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Runner said, finishing his milk. He licked the milk clean from his mouth with his big tongue and gave Ash a calm look. ¡°If you participate in the deathmatch, one side must die for it to end. A deathmatch is a match can only end with death.¡± Ash blinked. ¡°But¡­ the prison used so many methods to limit us. Would they really allow us to kill?¡± ¡°Even if someone dies, it doesn¡¯t mean that you¡¯ve killed.¡± Runner smiled and said, ¡°The medical room is right beside the death arena. As long as the corpse can be maintained and the time of death is less than five minutes, the person can be saved by dragging it to the medical room. Of course, it¡¯s hard to say what side effects it will leave behind.¡± ¡°Besides, even if some prisoners die, the prison wouldn¡¯t care. After all, all the prisoners here will die.¡± This sentence had the feeling of ¡®people will die if they are killed¡¯. Ash echoed, ¡°Yes, yes. After all, everyone will die eventually.¡± ¡°Hmm? You seem to have misunderstood me.¡± Runner was a little surprised. ¡°Have you never heard of the reputation of the Shattered Lake Prison outside? And have you never watched the Blood Moon Judgments on the 1st and 15th of every month?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°All prisoners in Shattered Lake Prison, all of them, are death row prisoners,¡± Runner said calmly. ¡°There is no appeal and no escape. They are deprived of political rights for life. ¡°All prisoners are allowed to live comfortably after they come into the prison. They are allowed to exercise, to watch movies and play games, but the only thing they are not allowed to do is to deprive anyone of their life¡ªeven themselves. Because there will always be only one end awaiting us¡ª ¡°To participate in the Blood Moon Judgment, and die a gruesome death in the limelight..¡± Chapter 16 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Although he had expected it, when he heard that Blood Moon Judgment was indeed a death sentence, Ash¡¯s heart could not help but skip a beat. In actuality, he had more or less held on to a little fantasy. Perhaps the people here could recognize that he wasn¡¯t the leader of a cult. Perhaps he still had to go through a long period of trial, or perhaps there were two years of reprieve for the death sentence¡­ This fantasy reached its peak after he entered the prison. As Ash saw it, how could a death row criminal possibly have such a nice room with its own bathroom? How could a death row criminal possibly move freely in prison? How could a death row criminal possibly receive such good treatment in prison? Runner¡¯s words shattered all his childish hopes¡ªit was precisely because they were going to die that the prison treated them so well. ¡°The prison domesticates us just to let us die more miserably?¡± Ash said with difficulty. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a waste of resources?¡± ¡°Would you disdain fireworks for not blowing up with enough brilliance?¡± Runner smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m very surprised. You really don¡¯t seem to know much about the Blood Moon Judgment. That¡¯s a live broadcast program in every city. Most citizens would stay home at 8 PM on the first and fifteenth of every month to turn on the hologram and watch the end of every sinner together. The ratings are close to 70%. ¡°By the way, compared to the advertisement fees brought in by Blood Moon Judgment, the prison¡¯s expenses on us are really nothing.¡± ¡°Watching executions¡± was actually a popular program in this world¡­ The corner of Ash¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°This is ridiculous. How can 70% of people watch entertainment programs at 8 PM without working overtime? I think they just don¡¯t have enough work¡­¡± Runner wasn¡¯t the least bit surprised by Ash¡¯s useless rage. He had seen too much of the ugliness of death row criminals when the Blood Moon Judgment was approaching. Their reactions ranged from denouncing the social system to criticizing the ignorance of the people in the world. One would see everything if they¡¯ve stayed in this prison for long enough. ¡°But if you want to escape from the Blood Moon Judgment, it¡¯s not impossible either.¡± Ash perked up. ¡°How?¡± Runner did not keep him in suspense and said straightforwardly, ¡°Although one person will definitely die in every Blood Moon Judgment, there will be eight people who will participate. These eight people are not fixed but ranked according to ¡®contribution points¡¯.¡± ¡°Every death row criminal will initially have 50 contribution points. 10 points are deducted every month. However, it doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s deducted to 0. The prison won¡¯t do anything to a death row criminal because of this.¡± ¡°But the higher the contribution points, the later they are in sequence for judgment, and the lower the contribution points, the earlier they are in sequence for judgment. Theoretically speaking, the top eight in the sequence are the participants of the Blood Moon Judgment.¡± ¡°There are many ways to earn contribution points. The simplest way is to create value. Although Memory Masters had retrieved all our memories before we came to prison, rendering any intelligence we could provide worthless, we still have many ways to make contributions. ¡°Some people came in because of malfeasance and corruption. They can suggest institutional improvements to reduce the possibility of subsequent malfeasance and corruption. ¡°Some people came in because of illegal experiments. They can continue to do legal experiments and write papers in prison. ¡°Some people had all sorts of talents to begin with. There are even people who write best-selling books in prison. Naturally, that can be considered creating value.¡± ¡°But in this prison, there are more who came in for murder, and detest labor and advocate plunder by nature¡ªsuch as me.¡± Runner pointed at Ash. ¡°And such as you. ¡°Then, how would we get contribution points? The Deathmatch Society is our answer.¡± Ash realized something. ¡°You just said that there¡¯s a cost for participating in the deathmatch¡­¡± ¡°In addition to death and pain, the greatest price of a death match is the transfer of contribution points,¡± Runner said. ¡°In each death match, both sides must place a certain amount of contribution points. The victor will escape the Blood Moon, and the loser will be judged.¡± ¡°If the Blood Moon Judgment is a dead end, then the Deathmatch Club is the sea of blood along the way to the dead end. Almost all criminals on death row will participate in the deathmatch to gamble away the last of their contributions and shed the last drop of blood, before entering the live stream that everyone is watching with the most desperate demeanor. ¡°This is the way we contribute¡ªeliminate the weak and maintain the fighting spirit! ¡°That¡¯s the reason the prison allows the Deathmatch Society to exist.¡± Runner¡¯s voice was as calm, as if they were discussing someone else¡¯s business. ¡°Actors should always put on make-up before going on stage.¡± Actors should always put on make-up, or the audience wouldn¡¯t enjoy the show. Even though he had never watched the Blood Moon Judgment, Ash understood what Runner meant. It was just like how they did exquisite character illustrations on mobile games. The so-called ¡°deathmatch¡± was a process of turning a death row criminal into an illustration: gambling, fighting, despair, fear, pain¡­ Nothing was more motivating to a person¡¯s fighting spirit than ¡°fighting with your life on the line¡±. When a death row criminal turned hysterical from pain after multiple defeats in deathmatches, and became desperate and mad from fear, he would become the ¡°main course¡± for serving. When that happened, what would be served before the audience would be a highly combative, desperate and fearful ¡°beast¡±. Compared to an apathetic and lifeless ¡°person¡±, of course killing a ¡°beast¡± that still had the will to resist was a better spectacle. This was an open conspiracy, one that the death row criminals could not refuse. Not only would the losers become the products needed for prison and fetch a ¡°good price¡± in the live broadcast, the winner would only be delaying the inevitable. One day, they would still appear in the live broadcast and walk the same path. From the very beginning, there was only one outcome for criminals on the death row like them: they would be exploited for all their value by prison, and die. The dormitory rooms with independent bathrooms, the good food, and the comprehensive facilities were all just to fatten them for slaughter. The so-called sequence of judgment was actually an involution mechanism. Everyone was in a zero-sum game. Either they would be judged, or someone else would be sentenced to death. It actually made sense, though. They willingly broke the law and became criminals on death row. Moreover, if a death row criminal did not want to be exploited, he could just roll over and wait for death. He would only participate in involution if he wanted to live. If Ash were outside the prison, he would definitely applaud this mechanism and rubberneck at the spectacle too. Unfortunately, not only was Heath the leader of a cult, he was such a weak cult leader. Ash was implicated by him and trapped in prison, so he could only find another way to survive. ¡°Do you still want to join the Deathmatch Society after hearing this?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Runner was unsurprised. He finished his milk and burped. ¡°Then come with me. If we¡¯re lucky, we might see fresh, hot corpses if we go there now.¡± ¡°Are there people participating in deathmatches so early in the morning?¡± asked Ash curiously. ¡°Although the deathmatch requires one to bet a lot of contribution points, it doesn¡¯t mean that one has to bet a lot of contribution points at the start. Rather, one only has to bet one contribution point on the first match, and bet one more contribution point in each subsequent deathmatch than the previous one¡ªtwo points in the second match, three points in the third match, so on and so forth. ¡°Although the stakes will become considerable after gradual accumulation, there will still be a chance to turn the tables even if you lose all the first five matches. Therefore, everyone will try their best to make use of the first five matches to judge the strength of others and determine their own capability in prison. ¡°Therefore, the frequency of deathmatches is quite high. It¡¯s very normal to host one every day. There are only a few days left until the 15th, so those people at the back of the sequence definitely want to escape the judgment through deathmatches. I reckon that the blood stains on the deathmatch arena won¡¯t dry up in the next few days. ¡°Speaking of which, do you want to buy meat?¡± Ash blinked. ¡°Meat? What kind of meat?¡± ¡°The meat that falls in the arena ring. This is one of the few ways we can spend contribution points. The meat that fell on the ring already belongs to the prison. We can buy it back from the prison.¡± Runner turned to look at Ash, revealing two neat rows of pale white teeth. ¡°If we¡¯re lucky, we¡¯ll be able to buy thigh meat. Whether made into sashimi or cooked, the texture is excellent. I strongly recommend it..¡± Chapter 17 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Ash¡¯s first impression of the Deadmatch Society was that it was dim. Unlike all the other brightly-lit places in the prison, there were very few lights in the deathmatch club. Other than the arena lit with incandescent lights in the middle, there were almost no lights in the audience stands. The spectators seemed to be drowned in the darkness, leaving only the two people fighting on the arena in this world. This was also the place where Ash saw the most number of prisoners. On the way with Runner, he had only seen a few criminals. When they passed by the library and gymnasium, Ash also caught a glimpse of more than ten criminals. However, after entering the Deathmatch Society, even without bright illuminations, just from the whispers he could hear and the shadows in the darkness, Ash could tell that there were almost a hundred people here! ¡°Runner, you are here?¡± ¡°Newbie?¡­ Oh, the leader of the Four Pillar Deities. You¡¯re a brave one to come into contact with the Four Pillar Deities.¡± ¡°Runner the Gourmet is here!¡± ¡°Runner, is that your little boyfriend? You¡¯ve changed your taste!¡± a muscular man teased. ¡°Desmond, I¡¯ll bite you to death if you continue to speak such nonsense and ruin my relationship with my boyfriend!¡± Runner scolded angrily. It didn¡¯t sound like he was actually angry. Rather, he sounded a little shy. However, the surrounding laughter quieted down. The burly man named Desmond hurriedly pressed his palms together and apologized. ¡°Haha, Runner, I didn¡¯t mean that. Oh right, aren¡¯t you going to introduce the newbie?¡± Runner snorted, as if he wasn¡¯t going to pursue the matter any longer. Desmond sighed with relief and quickly shrank into the crowd. Seeing this, Ash moved away from Runner a little. He had sensed that the random bald passerby, seemingly ¡°weak and easily bullied¡±, could very well be an infamous god of massacre in this prison. ¡°Ash Heath. He¡¯s a new guy who just came here for a few days. He wants to join the deathmatch, so I brought him here to see it.¡± Runner smiled. ¡°Who¡¯s fighting now?¡± ¡°Tyger ¡®The Diamond¡¯ and Rudor ¡®The Blind Beast¡¯.¡± ¡°Why is Rudor¡­ Ah, Tyger is so experienced. Why can¡¯t he let go of these few contribution points? Didn¡¯t you guys challenge Rudor?¡± ¡°Of course we didn¡¯t want to let this easy win slide. But Rudor has never seen Tyger in a deathmatch before. He feels Tyger was an easier target, and Tyger¡¯s stakes were high, so¡­¡± Ash moved to the front of the audience and watched the one-sided slaughter in the arena below¡ªan old white-haired man and a muscular green-skinned orc were fighting barehanded. That¡¯s right, it was a one-sided slaughter. Both sides were clearly attacking each other without any defense, yet the white-haired old man didn¡¯t shake or pant even after being punched by fists the size of pots. There wasn¡¯t even a red mark on his skin, as if the green-skinned orc was punching his chest with the strength of a baby. However, on the other hand, each punch from the white-haired old man seemed extremely forceful. The sound of cracking rocks could be heard whenever they landed on the green-skinned orc. It made one¡¯s scalp tingle. By the time Ash arrived, the green-skinned orc was already covered in blood. There was not a single spot on his body that was whole, and a few of his teeth had fallen out. His eyes were swollen to the point that he looked like he was squinting. With a heavy blow, the green-skinned orc was sent flying a few meters away. He crashed into the wall with a bang and dragged a trace of blood down the wall. He sat on the ground and did not get up again. However, the white-haired old man took a glance at the top of his head and rushed over to continue punching the green-skinned orc. He was scrubbing off the flesh of the green-skinned orc like a bathhouse worker doing body scrubs. Ash could not bear to watch. ¡°Isn¡¯t the outcome already decided? Why isn¡¯t it over yet?¡± ¡°You think the outcome is already decided? Not yet.¡± Someone laughed beside him. ¡°Try extending your hand.¡± Hearing this, Ash extended his hand, only to find that he had touched an invisible wall of air, causing ripples. Four invisible barriers appeared in the air, completely isolating the lower stage from the audience seats. ¡°Only when one of them is dead or unconscious will the isolation barrier be released. Then, the medical masters will appear from that door and drag the body back to the medical room for treatment.¡± That person pointed at a very inconspicuous door in the ring. ¡°As long as the barrier has not disappeared, they must not let their guards down. They must continue to suppress and kill the opponent.¡± ¡°Besides, there is no option for surrender in a deathmatch. There are only two possibilities for the loser: death or loss of consciousness.¡± ¡°Countless fools who took pride in their prowess and looked down on their opponents saw this place as the stage for friendly competitions, so they stopped halfway and wound up killed by their opponents instead. They lost a lot of contribution points and went right to the front of the judgment sequence at once¡­ However, this is also the meaning of the Deathmatch Society: transfer the contribution points that don¡¯t belong to you to someone worthier.¡± Slam! Hearing the muffled sound of the fist, Ash felt that the orc probably had his stuffings knocked out. He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Can he really be saved after this?¡± ¡°He hasn¡¯t lost consciousness yet, but even if he can be saved, he might as well be dead. Look up there.¡± Ash raised his head. Only then did he realize that the glowing spot on the ceiling was actually a hologram with battle information written on it: [Tyger Norris Stakes 35 Contribution Points] [VS] [Rodor Tooth Stakes 5 Contribution Points] Ash asked surprisedly, ¡°The stakes aren¡¯t equal. Why did Tyger stake so many points?¡± ¡°As long as both parties agree, even if the stakes are not equal, the match can still be established,¡± the person said leisurely. ¡°Besides, there are very few deathmatches with equal stakes. According to the rules, for every deathmatch one participates in, they must place a higher stake than that for the previous deathmatch. Tyger has fought 34 deathmatches in the past, so he must bet 35 contribution points this time.¡± ¡°Then this is Rudor¡¯s fifth deathmatch?¡± ¡°No, this is his tenth match. Each prisoner has 50 contribution points at the beginning. Increasing the bet by one point per match means he bet a total of 45 contribution points in the first nine matches. By the tenth match, he only has 5 points left.¡± The person next to him sneered. ¡°Therefore, if Rudor loses this match, he won¡¯t have any contribution points left, and he won¡¯t be able to earn contribution points through a deathmatch again. Unless he can dig gold coins out from his stomach, he will always be the first in the sequence of judgment.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± said Ash. He suddenly realized something. ¡°Wait, does that mean he lost all nine matches before?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why he¡¯s called ¡®Rudor the Blind Beast¡¯. He chose an opponent he couldn¡¯t beat every time.¡± Slam! With a loud slam, the green-skinned orc¡¯s head seemed about to explode. At the same time, a tinkling sound came from the ceiling hologram, showing the words ¡°Winner Determined¡±. The barrier of the arena instantly dissipated, and the door in the arena also opened. Three black-robed men wearing crow masks entered the arena. They dragged the green-skinned orc¡¯s corpse away directly without using a stretcher. ¡°The old man is so mean. He pretended to weak and cheated the orc of his contribution points.¡± ¡°How is this cheating? I knew from the beginning that the old man isn¡¯t easy to deal with. Rudor not just had poor judgment, he¡¯s an idiot. Anyone with half a mind would realize that any elderly, woman or child that could stay in the Deathmatch Society would be tough to deal with.¡± ¡°How many people did the old man send away?¡± ¡°Just counting from the day I came in onwards, the old man has sent at least five people away.¡± ¡°Old man, you already have so many contribution points. Next time an opportunity like this comes up, you should leave the hard work to young people like us. That beast was so unreasonable, too. If he wanted to give away his points, why not give them to me?¡± In the darkness, everyone was bustling with noise. The white-haired old man used a towel to wipe the blood on his fist. Suddenly, he coughed twice and coughed out several mouthfuls of bloody phlegm. He said in horror, ¡°That orc¡¯s punches were quite strong. I seem to have suffered internal injuries¡­¡± ¡°No one will believe you!¡± Everyone roared in unison. It seemed like they had witnessed someone being tricked when the old man feigned weakness twice in a row. ¡°He¡¯s very strong in this arena.¡± Ash looked to his right and saw Sword Maiden suddenly reappear. Unlike the others, the dim light did not affect her at all. She seemed to be able to emit light on her own to disperse the darkness, and appeared rather out of place where she sat primly on the railing. What was stranger was that she had actually changed into a new set of clothes. It looked like a tight-fitting kendo uniform for training, and her long red hair was tied up, turning her into a valiant female swordsman. Ash asked without thinking, ¡°Why is he very strong?¡± ¡°Because this arena only permits attacking, but still restricts the output of spells.¡± The person beside him and Sword Maiden said in unison. Sword Maiden glanced at Ash, who covered his mouth, and continued, ¡°There are many types of sorcerers. Artisans, warriors, scholars, medics¡­ But most sorcerers can only control their spell spirits through their spell energy. As long as their spell energy output is restricted, sorcerers are no different from ordinary people. ¡°However, a small number of sorcerers still have the power to surpass ordinary people, even without their spell spirits. They are the Physical Masters. ¡°Generally speaking, all the sorcerers involved in body-forging cultivation can be called Physical Masters. For example, Swordmasters, Fist Masters, Gun Masters, Spear Masters, Axe Masters¡­ As long as they have suitable weapons, they can also fight against the masses. However, they only have the advantage of ¡®skill¡¯, rather than physical fitness. In terms of physical fitness, they are not much stronger than ordinary people. ¡°However, there¡¯s a type of Physical Master who can continuously strengthen their body and even use the spell spirit to modify the structure of their flesh and blood. They use themselves as weapons, thereby obtaining an almost overwhelming level of power. For this type of Physical Masters, even without spell spirits, the strengthening effect on their bodies will not disappear. It¡¯s not prominent anywhere else, but in this prison where spell spirits are forbidden, they can maximize their advantage!¡± ¡°This type of Physical Master is called the Infirm Master. ¡°They are infirm of flesh and blood, for their bodies are no longer constructed of flesh and blood.¡± Ash looked over and saw that when the white-haired old man left the ring, crumbs fell off the railings where his fingers had brushed past them! Tyger ¡°The Diamond¡±¡­ so that was what it meant! ¡°Since you¡¯re here, hurry up and start fighting.¡± Sword Maiden said, ¡°Anyone would work as long as you don¡¯t fight that old man. Oh right, you¡¯d better choose an unarmed opponent for your first battle. Also, you¡¯d better fight unarmed too.¡± [Why?] ¡°Because your body is too weak. If you were to use a real sword directly, you would probably be crippled after a few swings. Besides, if the opponent also uses fists, you would at least be able to contend with the opponent for a few rounds to buy some time for the experience transmission.¡± Sword Maiden crossed her arms and said, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m more afraid that your opponent would snatch your sword and behead you with one strike. To avoid such a gory scene, fight unarmed for your first round. I don¡¯t expect you to fight, but you at least know how to take a beating, right?¡± Ash accepted Sword Maiden¡¯s suggestion readily and turned to ask the person who had been chatting with him, ¡°I want to participate in a deathmatch. It¡¯s best if the opponent is unarmed. Do you have any recommendations?¡± ¡°Unarmed combat? You¡¯ve asked the right person, brother. I¡¯m an unarmed combatant. Fight a match with me. I promise I won¡¯t bully you.¡± ¡°Sure, sure. But this is my first deathmatch. I¡¯ll only bet one contribution point. Even if you want to pretend to be weak, you won¡¯t be able to earn much.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, brother. Not only will I not earn contribution points from you, I¡¯ll give you contribution points. I¡¯m very weak. After all¡ª¡± At this moment, all the lights in the Deathmatch Society suddenly lit up. The darkness in the audience seats was consumed by light. Only then did Ash realize that the ¡°kind person¡± who had been chatting with him was actually an acquaintance he had met not long ago. ¡°¡ªeven you want to punch my face.¡± Igora looked at Ash and smiled. ¡°We meet again, Ash with the cute punch..¡± Chapter 18 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°The newly arrived cult leader wants to enter a deathmatch with the ¡®beautiful beast¡¯!¡± ¡°The ¡®beautiful beast¡¯ won¡¯t even spare one contribution point?¡± ¡°Could the cult leader already be hit by his spell?¡± ¡°Ohh, then it wouldn¡¯t just be one contribution point. The beautiful beast might earn 50 contribution points this time¡­¡± As he listened to the discussion in the audience stands, Ash forced a smile as he wrapped his fist in bandages. ¡°It seems that you are indeed feigning weakness.¡± ¡°On the contrary, I feel that you are the one hiding your strength to lure me into a trap.¡± The blonde-haired, blue-eyed, fair-skinned Igora smiled and said, ¡°You are the Four Pillar Deities Cult leader who dared to go against the Blood Frenzy Hunters, while I am just an ordinary swindler. No matter how I think about it, your martial strength should be greater, right?¡± It was true. Before the deathmatch with Igora, Ash had asked Runner about Igora¡¯s criminal record. After all, almost every criminal would make their introduction on the news channel before they came in, so the criminals¡¯ resume were almost transparent to each other, just as everyone now knew that Ash was the leader of a small cult that had been taken down by the hunters. Igora Borgin was also known as ¡°The Deceiver¡±. He worked in the insurance industry and was put in jail for swindling many wealthy people and obtaining large amounts of money. He was a spiritual sorcerer and possessed a series of mental manipulation spell spirits, such as ¡°Contract¡±. Although the prison theoretically prohibited the use of spell spirits, the prohibition was only ¡°direct¡±, rather than ¡°complete¡±. Spiritual sorcerers like Igora, who focused on mental cultivation, could still evoke the power of their spell spirits through verbal spells, hints, body language and so on. It was like the team invitation Igora had sent to him in the hall. Once Ash had agreed to it, the spell spirit would silently imprint itself on his mind. It sounded like Igora did not have any direct combat ability, but¡ª Ding! The lights around the Deathmatch Society went silent again. Only the hologram above the arena attracted everyone¡¯s attention. [Igora Borgin Stakes 46 Contribution Points] [VS] [Ash Heath Stakes 1 Contribution Point] Everyone would only stake the lowest limit in a deathmatch, which meant that Igora had already fought 45 battles! According to Runner, Igora had won all past 45 battles! Then why did Ash agree to this deathmatch? Because he had already agreed to it. When Igora jokingly asked if Ash would come to the deathmatch, Ash also responded jokingly with a ¡°sure, sure¡±. At that time, he had already fallen into a trap¡ªhe could no longer go back on this joke. It was hard to describe this feeling¡ªit was not that his body was controlled, but that his concepts had been altered. This was just like having the absurd notion that ¡°water is poisonous¡± in his mind. Ash was very certain that he had to fight the deathmatch with Igora. Ash did not know what the consequences of rejection would be, because the thought of ¡°rejection¡± would not even appear in his mind. It was as if even thinking, the freest action of all, had been shackled. ¡°That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t casually respond to any invitation from others in the future.¡± Sword Maiden leaned against the railing and said lazily, ¡°You are the Terminus Observer. The way I see it, you should reject the goodwill and malice of anyone and say ¡®no¡¯ to everything. You should use your own power to conquer all and your own will to rule everything. You should reign the world like a demon king¡ª¡± [No!] ¡°You brat¡­¡± Just as Sword Maiden was choking, a transparent barrier rose around the arena, announcing the start of the deathmatch. As a ¡®ding¡¯ sound rang in his mind, he felt as though a shackle had been released from his body. The chip at the back of his neck no longer restricted them from attacking each other! At the same time, Igora leaned forward, and his athletic build charged forward like a cheetah! Ash immediately raised his arm to defend himself and dodged to the side. However, Igora seemed to be able to predict Ash¡¯s reaction early. Igora used a slide tackle to make Ash lose his balance and directly land on his face! Even though Ash quickly recovered and stood up, he still could not avoid Igora¡¯s follow-up attacks. He was punched in the stomach and almost vomited out bile. ¡°Clench your teeth.¡± Igora reminded him ¡°kindly¡± and punched his temple again! Ash was dizzy from the beating. He leaned against the wall and used his arms to protect his vital parts. However, Igora seemed to be able to predict all of his movements in advance. Every straight punch and hook hit the places that Ash could not defend against. After a while, Ash¡¯s face was bruised and swollen. He fled while getting beaten up in an extremely sorry state. He roared in his heart, [Has the experience transfer not started yet? If this continues, I¡¯ll be beaten to death!] [It hurts! Sword Maiden, quick, possess me and kill this blonde!] [Mommy Sword Maiden, save me¡ª] Sword Maiden replied perfunctorily, ¡°Almost there. The more you get beaten up, the faster your experience will be transmitted. Also, don¡¯t just get beaten up. Try to fight back!¡± [Can counterattacking speed up the experience transmission?] ¡°No, but it¡¯ll make this deathmatch more interesting. After all, it¡¯s actually quite boring to watch your one-sided beating.¡± Although Sword Maiden said that, she was actually a little surprised. It was within her expectations that Ash would be beaten up like a rubber ball. After all, this was the Shattered Lake Prison. Ash participating in the deathmatch here was like a little lamb taking the initiative to walk into a pack of wolves. It would be strange if he wasn¡¯t eaten whole. She had thought that Ash would reveal a disgraceful and humiliating side, like kneeling down to beg for mercy or break into tears. However, although Ash was in a sorry state, he still did his best: he leaned against the wall as much as possible to reduce the impact and used his hands to protect the triangular area on his face. After falling to the ground, he quickly got up instead of lying on the ground and being suppressed¡­ What surprised Jian Ji the most was that Ash did not cry. As a soul from another world who had a sheltered life and never experienced bloodshed before, his willpower was unexpectedly tenacious, and he even had a certain level of psychological coping ability. He had been nagging at the Sword Maiden in his heart to relieve the pain by talking to her. Furthermore, he was not distracted. His defensive movements became more and more agile, and his evasive reactions became faster and faster. It was as if¡­ It was as if he was a sponge soaking up knowledge. Sword Maiden suddenly had a feeling: even without her, without the Sorcerer Manual, after experiencing the pain of his initial transmigration, Ash would still be able to adapt quickly to this cruel if seemingly beautiful world . He was not a weak person at heart. Once his environment changed, his true nature would be exposed. As expected¡­ he was the Terminus Observer¡­ Thud! Ash felt that the bones in his arms were burning as if they were on fire. The Sword Maiden was urging him to counterattack, and it just so happened that he was also a little angry from the beating. Even a doormat had some temper, not to mention that Ash wasn¡¯t someone who was willing to take abuse in the first place. He had his own methods in the workplace. Aside from not talking back to his superiors, he was not willing to lose out at all to his colleagues. Furthermore, he was capable, knew how to suck up to people, and was loud enough when he asked for credit. Hence, he was actually doing quite well in the workplace. Otherwise, his boss would not have made him the new game¡¯s operations team leader. Hence, he took the opportunity and recalled the military boxing he had learned during military training. He did a horse stance and punched back! ¡°Soft and cute.¡± Igora turned his head as if he were shopping, a disdainful smile on his face. Igora deftly avoided his fist and punched him in the face. ¡°You!¡± ¡°You¡ª!¡± ¡°You¡ªyou¡ª¡± Not only was Ash unable to curse, none of his punches landed. Igora was able to seriously injure Ash with every punch. Ash couldn¡¯t dodge them no matter how he tried, while Igora could avoid Ash¡¯s straight punches with a slight twist. From an outsider¡¯s point of view, they didn¡¯t seem to be fighting, but acting. It was as if Ash was voluntarily sending his face to collide with Igora¡¯s fist. ¡°There it is again. The trick of the beautiful beast.¡± ¡°Looks like the remaining 49 contribution points from the cult leader will all be bagged by the Beautiful Beast.¡± ¡°Hmph, it¡¯s all just fancy tricks. If it were me¡ª¡± ¡°What would happen if it were you?¡± ¡°If it were me, he would immediately squat down to check if I¡¯m still breathing!¡± ¡°Although we can¡¯t beat the Beautiful Beast, Master Tyger can definitely beat him!¡± The white-haired old man, Tyger, hurriedly shook his head. ¡°No, no. Young people nowadays are stronger with each generation. Old people like me will become your stepping stone sooner or later¡­¡± ¡®Old man, can you let go of the railing before you say this? You¡¯ve almost turned it into a twisted doughnut!¡¯ Everyone cursed inwardly. Suddenly, someone looked at Runner, who was in the arms of a strong man. ¡°Runner, can you see through the tricks of the beautiful beast?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Besides, it¡¯s useless to say it. We¡¯ll have to fight to find out.¡± Runner smiled. ¡°However, I don¡¯t want to fight with the Beautiful Beast. He¡¯s not my type. Don¡¯t worry, my dear. As long as there is still breath in your body, I won¡¯t cast my gaze at anyone else.¡± The brawny man Runner was leaning against was covered in cold sweat. He forced a smile in the darkness. In the arena of the deathmatch, Igora shook off the blood on his fist and asked casually, ¡°Do you know why I won all past 45 deathmatches? My physical fitness is not that good, and my reflexes are not that fast. But why is it that you just can¡¯t hit me, while I can hit you every time?¡± It¡¯s true. From the battle just now, Ash discovered that Igora¡¯s physique was actually similar to his. Even a random strong man could suppress Igora, not to mention a monster like Tyger ¡°The Diamond¡±. The two were clearly on the same level, but Ash could not touch Igora with anywhere other than his own face. It would be fair if Igora¡¯s boxing skills were very good, but Ash could feel that Igora¡¯s fighting skills were only average. Otherwise, Ash would not have been able to hold out for so long at all. We¡¯re all rookies here, so why are you the only one who can pick on me? ¡°I¡¯ve defeated orcs, trolls, and goblins before. Many of them are physically stronger than me, but they all fell in this arena and transferred their contribution points to me,¡± Igora said slowly. ¡°There¡¯s only one reason why you and them ended up like stray dogs¡ª ¡°You¡¯re all livestock. ¡°Your lives never belonged to you. ¡°From the moment you stepped into the arena, your neck was already bound by the chains I prepared for you. Before I squeezed out the last bit of your contribution points, you are my livestock! ¡°There is only ever one fate for livestock¡ª ¡°To be bled, skinned, and then¡­¡± Igora handsome face looked down at Ash from above. He licked his lips, revealing a cruel smile. ¡°¡­sliced into delicious shapes by their master! ¡± ¡°Continue, Ash Heath. Don¡¯t even think about surrendering. There¡¯s no rule for surrender in a deathmatch. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m very gentle with my livestock. It¡¯ll be over soon.¡± Ash straightened and twisted his neck, spitting blood. ¡°Yes.¡± On the audience stand, Sword Maiden also nodded and said languidly, ¡°It¡¯s time to end this..¡± Chapter 19 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Every era had its own main theme. In the era where the gods had yet to shed their glory, the main theme was violence, plunder, and destruction. All creatures had to fight for resources, and all creatures had to gamble their lives to reproduce and survive. In this age of gods, Igora believed that the current main theme was dominance. Dominate others, dominate organizations, dominate cultures, dominate thoughts¡­ It had already become difficult for large-scale wars to occur, and people were no longer expanding territories. Everyone was fighting for the resources that already existed. Classes had solidified, systems had become supreme, and plunder had been replaced with higher levels of exploitation. All actions had to follow the rules of the game that had been set a thousand years ago. Pure violence without style was no longer appropriate. Only romantic spiritual dominance could fit into this world smoothly. In terms of dominance, spiritual sorcerers were undoubtedly the best choice. Although Igora was only a two-winged spiritual sorcerer, in this nation of Blood Moon where classes were inherently solidified, life trajectories were fixed at birth, and most people were fated to never enter the Illusory Realm, he was like a beast at the top of the food chain. The most dangerous knowledge was controlled by the Blood Sage Clan and the Lunar Shadow Clan. Ordinary sorcerers had never even heard of the spiritual school, let alone know how to guard against it. Even Igora had his spiritual knowledge was awakened due to his veela bloodline. He had found two important spell spirits successively in the Illusory Realm, ¡°Resonance¡± and ¡°Compliance¡±. It was how he was reborn as a spiritual sorcerer. In addition, he was a contractor in the insurance industry and had a basic spell spirit, ¡°Contract¡±. Therefore, he created a miracle that was specifically targeted at intelligent creatures¡ª¡±Do As You Say¡±! Regardless of whether it was a joke or a lie, once someone reached an agreement with Igora, he could establish a connection with the other party through ¡°Resonance¡±, make a promise with ¡°Contract¡±, and then ask the other party to fulfill their promise with ¡°Compliance¡±! In a civilized society, this miracle of his could be said to have always been favorable. If he hadn¡¯t encountered an unusually difficult target, he would be lying in a sunny beach villa to enjoy wine, instead of fighting at the bottom of this prison surrounded by lake water. But wherever there were rules, he was still someone dominant, and prison was no exception. Even though the spell spirits were forbidden here, spell spirits were the manifestation of knowledge, so Igora could still achieve his goals indirectly. Spell spirits were like a fire for roasting meat. Even though the fire was extinguished, as long as one put in a bit of effort to drill the wood and start a fire, they could still light it up for roasting meat. ¡°Contract¡±, ¡°Resonance¡±, and ¡°Compliance¡± were all related to the art of speech. With the power of speech alone, Igora could bypass the restrictions of the chip and trigger the resonance of the spell spirits. In the past 45 deathmatches, he had used the miracle ¡°Do As You Say¡± to force his opponent to agree to the deathmatch. Even if his opponent lost, they would still agree to his second, third, and fourth deathmatches, until Igora had drained their contribution points dry and stopped. ¡®He¡¯ll attack my left cheek.¡¯ ¡°Weak, weak, too weak!¡± Igora easily dodged Ash¡¯s attack and taunted blatantly, ¡°Your punches are like a child¡¯s. Who do you think you can hit?!¡± ¡®He will lift his leg to attack my left calf.¡¯ ¡®He wants to do a body lock on me.¡¯ ¡°He wants to use his right hook.¡± Intense thoughts flowed from his opponent¡¯s body into Igora¡¯s consciousness. Igora looked at this man who was akin to a trapped beast with pity in his eyes. A disdainful smile appeared on his lips¡ªonce chained, the livestock already lost the ability to harm its master! This was a small trick that Igora had invented only after he was imprisoned. It was not a miracle. Just using the connection of ¡°Contract¡± accompanied by leading words, Igora could cause ¡°Resonance¡± to take effect between himself and his opponent continuously, thereby learning his opponent¡¯s intentions of attack! If he could leave the Shattered Lake Prison, perhaps Igora could invent a miracle similar to ¡°Defeat By Foresight¡±. But even an incomplete technique was enough to allow Igora to win 45 matches in a row! However, the winning streak would soon continue for another 10 matches. In Igora¡¯s eyes, Ash Heath was already a lamb ready for roasting! This deathmatch was only the starting point. Next, Igora would win 10 matches against him in a row, and take his 50 initial contribution points away completely! This was the meaning of a deathmatch¡ªeliminating the weak and identifying the livestock! Prostrate before feet and let me trample on you, livestock! ¡®He wants to punch me in the chest.¡¯ Igora avoided his fist and punched back using the momentum. He teased, ¡°Good luck. You almost hit me¡­ Huh?¡± Although his punch had missed, Ash quickly lowered his head and avoided Igora¡¯s attack. He even leaned into Igora¡¯s arms and raised his elbows. Naturally, Igora quickly retreated to avoid the attack, but he was filled with bewilderment¡ªthis was the first time Ash had dodged his attack. Although once wasn¡¯t much, it was not a good sign. I can¡¯t play around anymore. I¡¯ll knock him out directly. With this thought in mind, Igora shook off the blood on his fist. With a loud yell, he rushed forward. He focused all his attention on capturing Ash¡¯s intentions and aimed at Ash¡¯s vital points! ¡°Beautiful Beast, stop wasting time. Just end this quickly!¡± ¡°It¡¯s rare to have a newcomer. Don¡¯t spoil it so quickly!¡± ¡°Beautiful Beast, you already have so many contribution points. Why don¡¯t you let me have a good time too?¡± ¡°Beautiful Beast, bring your knife for the next match. I want to eat some tasty thigh meat! Don¡¯t snatch it from me, Runner!¡± The prisoners in the audience were laughing and joking. Runner, who was drawing circles on his boyfriend¡¯s chest, suddenly said, ¡°Even if I don¡¯t snatch it from you, you won¡¯t be able to get any.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The prisoners were slightly stunned. When they focused, many of their expressions changed. ¡°This guy¡­ Is this what the believer of the Four Pillar Deities is like¡­¡± Although Ash¡¯s movements were in a sorry state, his defense efficiency was visibly increasing. Before, Igora could hit Ash with every punch. Now, Igora could only hit Ash once in every four punches if he was lucky, and that punch might even be blocked by Ash¡¯s arm. It was not a leap in physical fitness, but more like an instinct for battle. Ash¡¯s movements did not become faster. It had even slowed down due to exhaustion and pain. But his movements became sharper, as if he had completely transformed into Igora¡¯s form. He knew how to meet Igora¡¯s move the moment Igora lifted a hand. To be honest, Igora was not considered strong in the Deathmatch Society. He was not even considered to be in the second tier. He was powerful because he could devour the weak and break past prison rules to completely squeeze the loser dry. However, everyone had to admit that Igora had good judgment. He could always find the weak he could bully. His total victory in the past 45 deathmatches was enough to prove all these. When Ash and Igora walked onto the stage, everyone felt that Ash was going to lose all his contribution points and become a permanent guest of the Blood Moon Judgment. After all, Ash did not show any combat talent and looked like a pretty boy. It made people harbor deep doubts regarding whether this so-called Four Pillar Deities Cult was another name of a dating center for rich women. However, with just a few minutes of fighting, Ash was reborn. From a greenhouse flower that did not even know how to defend, he became a calm and experienced jungle man-eating flower. He even vaguely had the upper hand! ¡°Master Tyger, it looks like he¡¯s the same kind of person as you.¡± Someone laughed. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Igora to be played by someone pretending to be weak.¡± ¡°No.¡± The white-haired old man, Tyger, who usually feigned cowardice, had a serious expression on his face now. ¡°He wasn¡¯t pretending to be weak. He was actually weak before.¡± ¡°The body can¡¯t lie,¡± Runner said, also straightening to sit on his boyfriend¡¯s lap. ¡°His body hasn¡¯t been honed in any battles. You can tell at a glance that he¡¯s a pampered scholar. I¡¯m the one who brought him in. I can see it clearly. All his physical reactions don¡¯t appear like that of someone who¡¯s been through combat training. He¡¯s worse than a child.¡± ¡°Judging from his defensive posture at the beginning, this battle might even be one of his rare close combats in recent years.¡± Someone muttered, ¡°How is this possible¡­ Doesn¡¯t this mean¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± In the darkness, Runner sighed. ¡°A wrong person awakened a wrong talent in a wrong place. This is really¡­ a pity.¡± Thud! Igora used his hands to block Ash¡¯s punch. This was the first time he was on defense since the battle began. Compared to the spectators in the audience, Igora had a deeper understanding of Ash¡¯s speed of improvement¡ªit was as if he had turned from a silent livestock awaiting slaughter into¡­ a very loud livestock awaiting slaughter. ¡°What a cute punch. It¡¯s weaker than a baby¡¯s.¡± Igora grinned hideously. ¡°Tired, aren¡¯t you?¡± Ash remained silent. He paced back and forth to confront Igura, searching for a gap in his defense. ¡°I have to admit that I have indeed underestimated you. Your learning speed has far exceeded my expectations. Is it a gift from the Four Pillar Deities? Or is it a talent that you have just discovered? I admit that you have the ability to rise above the position of livestock, but your physique is just too weak. It¡¯s so weak that I only need to stall for time to exhaust you!¡± ¡°Consider the one contribution point you¡¯ve bet as a ransom for your transformation from livestock to human. Be thankful, Ash Heath. You¡¯re the only livestock that can break free from the chains, but that¡¯s all you are. After this deathmatch, I won¡¯t have anything to do with you, and I won¡¯t accept any of your challenges. Under the rules of prison, you won¡¯t be able to take revenge on me.¡± ¡°Understanding the rules, utilizing the rules, and controlling the rules¡ªthis is true strength. The little innate combat talent you have can at most allow you to turn from a livestock into a¡­ beast!¡± ¡°When you are swallowed by power and sent to the Blood Moon Judgment to struggle, I will be sitting in a safe place, and drinking red wine while admiring your ugly state. This is the difference between you and me. This is the gap between the dominated and the dominant!¡± At that moment, Ash suddenly said, ¡°Don¡¯t cover your face.¡± Igora smiled disdainfully. ¡®Only a fool would listen to you¡ª¡¯ ¡°You¡¯re quite pretty. I want to take a few more looks.¡± ¡®You¡¯re quite pretty. I want to take a few more looks.¡¯ Ash¡¯s words and his true thoughts were conveyed at the same time. Igora was stunned by what he heard. This was the first time he had heard such praise in the arena. Out of the instinct to flaunt, he subconsciously moved his hands away¡ª Thud! The heavy fist that had been accumulating power for a long time smashed into Igora¡¯s face. It knocked him unconscious directly. Ding! Ding! Ding! [Winner Determined.. The Winner is Ash Heath!] Chapter 20 - Crow Medic Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Ash Heath, if you¡¯re awake, leave on your own. Otherwise, it¡¯ll be past dinner time. This place doesn¡¯t provide meals for patients.¡± The incandescent lights had been making Ash¡¯s eyelids burn for a long while. He sat up nimbly and touched his face and abdomen. There was no pain at all, as if the beating he had received from Igora was just a dream. It was not the first time he had seen the healing techniques of this world, but he marveled at it every time. In his previous life, the wound he received from being stabbed by the Blood Frenzy Hunter would probably put him in a life-threatening condition even after lying in ICU for more than ten days. In this place, however, he was cured before he was interrogated. It even caused Ash to assume they wanted to heal him before providing him with a full set of interrogative care. He looked around. It was different from how he had imagined a treatment room would be like. There was no smell of disinfectant here. Although the environment was clean and there were no traces of blood, the colors were mainly gray, black, and brown, giving the impression of ¡°dirty chaos¡±. Not to mention the medics here: dressed in black robe that covered their full body, wearing a fearsome crow mask, and holding a shiny short knife. Not only did they not look like doctors, they looked more like heretics who wanted to use Ash as a sacrifice. The one speaking to Ash was a slightly shorter medic. Their gender could not be distinguished from their voice. The mask seemed to have the effect of distorting the voice, which made it sound even more frightening. She found Ash watching her. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± she asked. ¡°I think there¡¯s still something wrong with my face,¡± Ash said without thinking. ¡°Huh? I¡¯ve already treated all your injuries.¡± The medic was puzzled. ¡°Could it be that the blood vessels inside have ruptured?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m as handsome as I used to be. Did you fail to treat me? By the way, does this place provide plastic surgery services?¡± Originally, Ash was just chit-chatting a little to leave a good impression, so that he might get some fruits when receiving treatment here in the future. However, unexpectedly, this crow medic became excited and approached him. ¡°Of course they¡¯re provided! Eye widening, nose bridge adjustment, bone sculpture, chin implants¡­ I know all kinds of surgical methods. You can undergo any kind of plastic surgery you want. Even if you want to turn into another race, it¡¯s not a problem! I highly recommend this Carslan spell I have, it can expand your eyes effectively¡­¡± Ash pushed the medic away with an expression of aversion. ¡°Your beak is poking me!¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. If you want to undergo mouth plastic surgery, I have a new White Rabbit Candy spell that can make your lips naturally sweet¡­¡± The medic¡¯s frenzied attitude reminded him of an insurance promoter. Seeing it, Ash was a little scared. ¡°I don¡¯t have money!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want your money, I only want you!¡± Ash¡¯s body shook. ¡°So soon? We haven¡¯t known each other that long. Wait, are you male or female? Wait, what is your race¡­¡± The medic also realized her slip of tongue. She waved his hand and said, ¡°What I mean is, as long as you¡¯re willing to let me perform the surgery, it¡¯s enough. You don¡¯t have to pay me. It¡¯s completely free!¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± said Ash, ¡°what if I want you to pay me?¡± ¡°Um¡­ How much do you want?¡± Seeing that the medic had really taken out her wallet, Ash quickly stopped her. ¡°Stop, stop. I was just asking casually. I don¡¯t really want to take a knife to my face. But are all medics here so kind? You don¡¯t even ask for anything in return for performing surgeries. Looking at how you people are dressed, I thought you would be the kind of people who would suddenly raise the price during surgery.¡± The medic said, ¡°Ah, isn¡¯t that very normal?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± For a moment, Ash could not tell whether she was referring to ¡°free¡± or ¡°raise the price during surgery¡±. ¡°So you really don¡¯t plan to undergo beauty treatment?¡± The medic tried her best to persuade him. ¡°I¡¯m a Silver Medical Sorcerer with three spell spirits. You won¡¯t be able to find a free and capable medic like me outside! You¡¯re lucky to have met me!¡± ¡°What if you suddenly charge a fee halfway through the surgery?¡± ¡°Do you have money?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then what are you worried about!?¡± It seemed to make a lot of sense. As long as I don¡¯t have money, you won¡¯t be able to cheat me of my money¡­ Yet, Ash still shook his head. ¡°In my profession, there¡¯s a saying: free things are the most expensive. If I covet your small bargain of free service, I will definitely pay the price elsewhere.¡± Seeing that Ash did not take the bait no matter what, the medic could only say honestly, ¡°All right, if you¡¯re willing to let me operate on you, I¡¯ll take a little risk.¡± ¡°A little?¡± ¡°Yes, a little.¡± The medic gestured with her fingers. ¡°After all, I¡¯m not very proficient with spells in this field, so I need to perform more surgeries to increase my proficiency. However, I have three spell spirits, which is enough to ensure that your life is not in danger¡­¡± With the medic¡¯s explanation, Ash finally understood why they were willing to let their patients use their services for free: it was because there was no guarantee of medical results from Silver Medical Sorcerers. Unlike the empiric medicine in his previous life, the medical field in this world was developed from spell spirits, and the spell spirit most commonly used by medics was ¡°Water Treatment¡± of the School of Water Sorcery. As long as there was water in the patient¡¯s body, they could activate this spell spirit to rapidly heal the patient¡¯s wound via regeneration. The most common method of treatment was to blood-let and scrape the flesh, then activate the spell spirit to quickly regenerate the body. One could imagine that there were many flaws in this treatment method, but all spell spirits had evolutionary characteristics. This was even more obvious when it came to ¡°Water Treatment¡± spell spirits: any illness that was treated with ¡°Water Treatment¡± spell spirits would optimize the memories of ¡°Water Treatment¡±. The next time they encountered the same illness, it could be treated more efficiently. Not only that, as long as the medic treated enough illnesses, the ¡°Water Treatment¡± spell spirit could even evolve into a two-winged spell spirit! Therefore, Silver Medical Sorcerers yearned to treat patients but could not get them. Patients would rather spend more money to find better Gold Medical Sorcerers than Silver Medical Sorcerers. The weaker a medical sorcerer was, the worse the effect of the ¡°Water Treatment¡± would be, and the higher the probability of problems arising in the patient. In the eyes of the medics, the Shattered Lake Prison was a place of high demand. Every day, there were prisoners beaten to the verge of death for treating. It was very satisfying for them to farm experience here. The medic-patient relationship was also very stable¡ªeven if the patient died from treatment, they would not be in any trouble! If the medic speaking to Ash didn¡¯t have a powerful background, she wouldn¡¯t even have the chance to come here to gain experience! Ash thought, ¡®Good Lord. The Deathmatch Society turned out to be more than just an open conspiracy to incite the inmates into involution. They also made the inmates into a renewable resource for medics to gain experience. This prison is so good at doing business that they must be tired of winning.¡¯ However, the treatment was free of charge and did not require the contribution of death row criminals. From this point, it could be said that the prison was still too narrow in their way of thinking. It was still a little lacking compared to Ash¡¯s company. Not only did the company promote the insurance for sudden death for Ash, they also directly deducted the electricity fees consumed by Ash¡¯s malicious overtime from his salary, outright aborting Ash¡¯s plan to make money by mining bitcoins from overtime payment.. Chapter 21 - Ashs Workplace Mini-Training Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°If you want more people to be treated by you, shouldn¡¯t you put more effort into your appearance?¡± In the treatment room, Ash looked at the medic in the crow mask and wondered. ¡°If you are all dressed like this, you¡¯d be lucky if people don¡¯t suspect you of being robbers or missionaries, never mind ask to be treated. Or is this a meaningless tradition?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a tradition, and it¡¯s meaningful,¡± said the medic. ¡°Think about it. Think about it. What if¡­ in case¡­ just in case something happens to you while I¡¯m treating you, and you wake up to find some parts missing, would you dare to attack me when you see what I look like?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The two of them looked at each other. Then, it suddenly dawned on Ash. ¡°So that¡¯s why your clothes are so scary, and the treatment room is so weird. They¡¯re all props to improve the relationship between medics and patients¡­ Wait, so there is a high probability of something going wrong with your treatment?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that high, there¡¯s just a slight possibility¡­¡± The medic spoke vaguely, not even daring to look at Ash. It seemed that this slight possibility might be about the size of the Milky Way. Ash said, ¡°Your service attitude won¡¯t do. You definitely don¡¯t have many patients looking for you outside either, right? You even get accused by the patients of providing subpar treatment, so you have no choice but to hide in prison to gain experience from criminals like us, who can¡¯t complain. Is that right?¡± The medic lowered her head in shame. It was obvious that Ash had hit the mark. She explained in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ve clearly cured them, but they still went around complaining and causing trouble. Furthermore, some of the problems had nothing to do with me at all¡ªthose problems were of their own making¡­ I was clearly only providing the most basic treatment, but they had so many requests¡­¡± As if her defenses had been broken through by Ash, the medic poured out her negative emotions like Ash was a trash can. The way Ash saw her story, she deserved what she got: in an era where most medics would accept a little money as consultation fees, she actually didn¡¯t want any money and was even willing to provide doorstep treatment. In the end, the patients complained that her treatment wasn¡¯t good enough, so she couldn¡¯t survive in the city and could only come to the prison to farm experience. After hearing this, Ash thought about it and asked, ¡°Do you know what your flaw is?¡± ¡°I know, it¡¯s that I¡¯m not skilled enough¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s that you¡¯re not forceful enough with the way you speak!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The medic looked up. Her eyes behind the crow mask were filled with confusion. ¡°The way you speak is weak and lacking in confidence. Once there¡¯s a medical accident, the patient will definitely find trouble with you. Even if you don¡¯t accept money, you will still be at their complete mercy.¡± Ash instructed her, ¡°Let me teach you. When you say that you might not be able to treat an illness, your voice must be loud, your back must be straight, and you must speak with confidence and pride.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s only the first step. The second step is that you have to find a patient¡¯s shortcomings. If the patient is good-looking, you can say that he lives too loosely. If the patient is ugly, you can say that he doesn¡¯t have a sex life. If the patient is thin, you can say that he¡¯s undernourished. If the patient is fat, you can say that he¡¯s overnourished. There¡¯s always a criticism that suits you. No one is perfect. You can definitely find something to suppress the patient with.¡± ¡°As long as you can accomplish these two steps, you will be able to establish your own authority, suppress the patient¡¯s status, and create a sense of ¡®you should be grateful that I¡¯m willing to treat your illness¡¯. Even if something goes wrong with your treatment, not only will the patient not blame you, he will even explain it in your defense.¡± The medic asked, ¡°Is it really effective?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Ash nodded forcefully. ¡°This is my personal experience for many years!¡± Ash was very familiar with this kind of workplace abuse. They would nitpick the other party¡¯s flaws before showing their goodwill. This would make the other party as grateful as victims of Stockholm Syndrome. A new graduate would almost be helpless to resist such a move. This kind of forbidden technique in the workplace, of course, deserved to be dragged to the shooting range. But as the saying went: weapons are not good or evil; intentions are. For a volunteer medical worker like the medic, who was willing to provide free medical treatment, even if there were a little side effects, Ash still felt that it should be used to make her career path easier. ¡°So, do you know what to do?¡± ¡°What should I do?¡± ¡°No matter what surgery you perform in the future, you have to tell the patient, ¡®I¡¯ve done my best!''¡± ¡°I¡¯ve done my best.¡± ¡°Louder, I can¡¯t hear you!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve done my best!¡± the medic said as she clenched her fists tightly. Ash nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Just take your time to comprehend the rest. It¡¯s time for me to take my meal¡­¡± The medic was deep in thought. When Ash was about to leave after putting on his shoes, she suddenly stopped him and asked, ¡°Are you really not planning to undergo plastic surgery? Look at your face in the mirror. Don¡¯t you feel that walking in public like this is disrespectful to others?¡± Ash¡¯s body shook, and his eyes were filled with the gratification of finding a promising student¡ªgoodness, she was using the skill she had just learned on her teacher!? If she joined our company, she would be powerful enough to at least become a team leader! ¡°There¡¯s no injury without comparison. Compared to your ugly crow face, I suddenly feel that I¡¯m quite handsome. Maybe next time. If I feel that I¡¯ve become ugly next time, I¡¯ll find you for plastic surgery,¡± said Ash perfunctorily. ¡°I¡¯m not ugly, you¡¯re the ugly one!¡± The medic was so angry that she wanted to take off her mask, but just as her hand touched the crow mask, she heard footsteps coming from upstairs. She suddenly remembered something. ¡°Right. Take this, Ash.¡± She stuffed a name badge with [222] written on it into Ash¡¯s hands. ¡°What is this?¡± The medic said, ¡°My number badge. Remember to bring it with you every minute of the day, even when you¡¯re sleeping. This way, everyone will know that you are mine.¡± Ash blinked. ¡°So, what race are you exactly, and are you a dude or a lady? I may be a very casual person, but if your terms go beyond my bottom line, I¡¯ll have to ask for a higher price¡­¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re not doing plastic surgery, if you walk out, you¡¯ll definitely scare people into starting deathmatches with you seven or eight times. You have my number badge with you, so when you¡¯re beaten into minced meat in the future, I¡¯ll have priority treatment rights. If your face is mashed, I can also take the chance to help you with plastic surgery.¡± The medic pushed him out. ¡°Okay, hurry up and go eat. The dining hall is closing soon¡­¡± Ash thought for a moment, then put the name badge in his pocket. ¡°By the way,¡± he asked suddenly, ¡°if I come by next time, can you cut me an apple?¡± The medic was stunned for a moment. ¡°Sure.¡± Good. Target achieved. Don¡¯t think that it¡¯s because Ash was bored. This was the secret to his workplace relationships¡ªgetting others to help him with something insignificant was a shortcut to getting closer to them. ¡°Being needed¡± was a high-level emotional need. It was through this method that he obtained the most votes in the ¡°Top Ten Employees¡± poll, and successfully received an additional six months¡¯ bonus. ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner together when you¡¯re free. I¡¯ll take my leave then,¡± said Ash. ¡°See you next time, [222]¡­ I almost forgot to say thank you.¡± ¡°If you want to thank me, let me help you with plastic surgery¡ª¡± ¡°Next time, next time for sure!¡± After Ash had left, the medic continued sorting through the tools in the treatment room. Suddenly, another door opened and a tall medic walked in. He looked at the medic and said sternly, ¡°Why are you still here?¡± The medic glanced at his work badge. It was [176]. That¡¯s right. Not only did the death row criminals not know who the medics were, even the medics did not know each other¡¯s identities. Other than in their own dormitory, in any other public locations, the medics had to wear a crow mask and identify each other with work badges. ¡°There was a patient who just woke up, so I was delayed for a while. I gave him my name badge and reserved his future treatment.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t talk to him, did you?¡± The tall medic¡¯s tone became serious. ¡°You should know that it¡¯s against the rules to communicate with prisoners. Our identities need to be kept strictly secret. If word of our ritual here gets out, the Human Rights Society will tear down the council¡­¡± ¡°I know.¡± The medic stuck out her tongue under the crow mask. ¡°Then hurry up and go back to your room. Don¡¯t forget to submit the 11-inch blood spell paper by the weekend,¡± the tall medic said seriously. ¡°Don¡¯t think that you can be lazy just because you have some innate talent. If it weren¡¯t for the leader¡¯s permission, you wouldn¡¯t even have the right to be here¡­¡± If it was in the past, the medic would have become nervous and started reflecting on herself upon hearing her senior¡¯s criticism. However, after chatting with Ash, an idea suddenly came to the medic. ¡®Is my senior deliberately criticizing my imperfections to establish his own authority and suppress my status? I entered through my connection to the leader, which is something I can¡¯t change. It has nothing to do with my skills at all. He will always be able to use this to criticize me.¡¯ As she listened to the tall medic¡¯s meaningless speech, the medic grew to miss Ash for his pleasant talk. Come to think of it, the restorative ability of Ash¡¯s body seemed to be much stronger than that of ordinary Physical Masters. The sensation during treatment was really good¡­ ¡®How I wish Ash will be beaten to the brink of death soon¡¯, thought the medic.. Chapter 22 - Deathmatch Invitation Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Shattered Lake Prison, dining hall. ¡°I won 45 contribution points, but I still have to participate in the Blood Moon Judgment in a few days!?¡± Ash, who was eating, raised his head in a daze and looked as if he had been deceived. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that those with more contribution points would be further down the judgment sequence?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Runner said as he drank his milk, ¡°But there¡¯s a premise¡ªall prisoners are not allowed to miss their first Blood Moon Judgment. Only a very small number of people can escape because of reasons like special amnesty.¡± ¡°Only those who survived the Blood Moon Judgment will have their judgment sequence arranged according to their contribution points afterward.¡± ¡°What if I die during the first Blood Moon Judgment?¡± ¡°If you have such concerns, why don¡¯t you fix a match with me and give me all your contribution points?¡± ¡°In your dreams!¡± Ash muttered. He thought for a moment and said, ¡°You said before that only one person will die in the Blood Moon Judgment?¡± ¡°Yes, there are eight participants, but only one will die,¡± said Runner. ¡°There is only a 12.5% chance of death, which is actually quite low¡ªthis is under normal circumstances.¡± ¡°Am I a normal person?¡± ¡°Obviously, as the leader of the Four Pillar Deities Cult, you are not. Murder, kidnapping, imprisonment, bloody sacrifice¡­ There are at least more than a thousand people who have suffered because of you. Your reputation is known by everyone during this period of time. If there are no accidents, you will definitely be an important target of attention in the Blood Moon Judgment.¡± Heath could do as he pleased, and Ash would be his scapegoat¡­ Ash was filled with endless resentment towards Heath. If he had brain damage, he should just take supplements! Why did he have to form a cult?! And he caused such a huge uproar too. He¡¯s even more hated than online lending! ¡°How about it? If you give up, why don¡¯t you give me your contribution points?¡± Runner said, ¡°I will remember your sacrifice and live on happily with my boyfriend¡­¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± Ash snorted. ¡°Who knows, maybe I¡¯ll survive. I won¡¯t give up!¡± ¡°Very well, then,¡± Runner said, as if he didn¡¯t care about Ash¡¯s 95 contribution points. ¡°There is a man who wishes to challenge you. Do you accept?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the reason you waited for me in the dining hall, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Runner said frankly. ¡°As for the reason, you¡¯ll understand once you look at the contribution points that the other party bet¡ª37 contribution points.¡± Ash narrowed his eyes. ¡°Someone who fought 36 deathmatches previously challenges me? I¡¯ll only bet two contribution points, you know.¡± Runner shrugged. ¡°This is why I specifically came to inform you. ¡°Generally speaking, it¡¯s always the deathmatch newbies who challenge the experienced ones, because the newbies can win big with small bets. It¡¯s not impossible for the experienced ones to challenge the newbies. After all, a win is a win, however small. However, that basically happens only after five matches. Otherwise, the experienced one wouldn¡¯t even be interested in earning contribution points. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m quite surprised that someone experienced would actively challenge you. I wanted to ask if you had any grudges with him.¡± ¡°Who is he?¡± ¡°Valkas Ur.¡± Ash shook his head. ¡°Never heard of him.¡± Of course Ash had never heard of him. After all, Ash didn¡¯t even have Heath¡¯s memories. Even if Valkas did have a history with Heath, there was no way Ash would know. ¡°Silin Dore.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ash blinked. ¡°Who?¡± Runner waved a hand. ¡°Nothing. I just remembered an acquaintance. Then, are you willing to accept Valkas¡¯ challenge?¡± ¡°What weapon does Valkas use?¡± ¡°Sword.¡± A thought struck Ash, and he looked to his side out of the corner of his eye. He saw Sword Maiden sitting with her legs crossed at the dinner table, her arms folded across her chest, watching him calmly. The black silk stockings on her legs were rather dazzling. She looked askance at Ash. ¡°Do you find it interesting to sneak peeks at me?¡± [Sorry.] Ash turned around and stared at the black silk stockings with wide eyes. A thought suddenly popped up in his mind. [Speaking of which, since you can touch me, can I also touch you? Cough cough, Sword Maiden, go back and wash yourself later¡­] Clang! The Sword Maiden pulled out her gorgeous decorative sword. Ash immediately sat upright and said to Runner, ¡°Ask Valkas to wash his neck and wait for me tomorrow!¡± ¡°Well then, come to the Deathmatch Society tomorrow morning. I¡¯ll leave you to your meal. My boyfriend is still waiting for me. Goodbye.¡± With that, Runner left quickly. At first, Ash thought Runner¡¯s boyfriend was waiting for him in the couples room, but after a quick glance, he realized that Runner wasn¡¯t walking toward the couples room. On the contrary, he was heading toward the Deathmatch Society¡­ ¡®Maybe there are still people participating in deathmatches in the middle of the night, trying to get the medics to die suddenly from working overtime,¡¯ Ash thought. ¡°Go back to the dorm.¡± Sword Maiden jumped down from the dining table. ¡°You¡¯ll be busy tonight. I¡¯m going to take you to explore a world you¡¯ve never known before.¡± At once, Ash was so mad that his face turned red¡ªwhat did she mean by the world I¡¯ve never known before!? Do I look that much like a virgin!? This woman is too much. If I let her arrogance be, wouldn¡¯t I lose all my status?! ¡°Why aren¡¯t you following me yet?¡± ¡°Coming!¡± ¡­ ¡­ At 8.45 PM, in the Deathmatch Society with no other audience, there was an unknown deathmatch going on. ¡°Ash agreed, but not because of the name you gave me. It¡¯s because he was anticipating for an opponent who uses a sword. He only made up his mind when I told him you use a sword.¡± ¡°Thank you. Consider this a favor I owe you, Runner.¡± ¡°Valkas, you can return the favor now, as long as you tell me why you suddenly set your eyes on the little cutie Ash. Is it related to that name¡ªSilin Dore?¡± In the dim audience stands, a thin middle-aged man was watching the dining process in the arena. Yes, dining¡ªthere was probably no better word to describe it than that. Although the food would move, flee, scream, and beg for mercy, it was ultimately just food to be gnawed on. ¡°I don¡¯t mind saying it, as long as you don¡¯t regret it.¡± ¡°Then forget it. I have a loving relationship with my boyfriend, and I¡¯m very satisfied with my life. I don¡¯t want to get involved in the game of people in high places.¡± Runner tore off a warm piece of meat and placed it in his mouth to chew. ¡°But is Ash really the leader of the Four Pillar Deities Cult? I think my ability to read people is not bad. He seems more like a student who¡¯s only been working for a short time. I¡¯m even under the impression that he¡¯s innocent.¡± The middle-aged man harrumphed coldly. ¡°Everyone who steps into this pit is far from the word ¡®innocent¡¯. The only difference lies in whether only their skin is tainted, or whether they open their mouths actively to swallow the filth.¡± ¡°I¡¯m eating, Valkas, can you not talk abou sh*t?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t disturb you then. Have a good meal.¡± ¡­ ¡­ When the door of the Deathmatch Society slammed shut, the faint wail disappeared into the thick darkness. As Valkas walked through the prison passageway, every prisoner and every prison guard he met coldly distanced themselves from him. Occasionally, he¡¯d meet a new inmate who had just come in. When the latter caught sight of Valkas¡¯ ears, his face would naturally take on a gloating expression. Because Valkas¡¯ ears were pointed. When Valkas returned to his room, he saw a guard waiting at the door. He had expected that. As he opened the door, he said in a low voice, ¡°Ash Heath has agreed to a deathmatch with me.¡± ¡°Make sure to crush his brain, heart, and spine to the extent that even a Two-winged sorcerer cannot treat him,¡± said the prison guard. ¡°I will do what you request. What about what you promised me?¡± Valkas opened the door but didn¡¯t enter. He turned his head and stared at the guard. ¡°As long as Ash Heath dies tomorrow, you will disappear from this prison after the next Blood Moon Judgment,¡± the prison guard said. ¡°However, you and that child cannot continue to stay in Kaimon City. This is what Mr. Silin requested.¡± ¡°I have no interest in breathing the same air as Silin.¡± An expression of disgust appeared on Valkas¡¯ face. ¡°Free time is almost over. Don¡¯t stand outside. Go into your cell.¡± Valkas grimaced and stepped into his room, letting the automatic door close behind him. The prison guard turned and left. His lips curled slightly into a cold sneer. ¡°An elf that is merely a death row criminal, yet he still has the arrogance of a born noble¡­ Ha!¡± Chapter 23 - Observer? Sword Maiden? Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°I¡¯m so tired, Ingrit. Do you want to shower first, or should I shower first?¡± The sound arrived before the person. Louis, who was reading in the dormitory, immediately had a dark look. The door of the dormitory was pushed open, and two girls with sword bags on their backs came in. There were traces of sweat on their faces, and they giggled as they barged in, like a spring breeze that filled the dormitory with vitality and emitted the fresh scent of soil sprouting. ¡°I¡¯ll take a shower first,¡± Ingrit said as she sat down. ¡°I have to wash my clothes later, and your legs are getting weak. Sit down and recover your strength.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Sonia stretched her back and lay down on the table like a slime. ¡°Alas, I¡¯m starting to regret switching to the School of Swordmastery. It¡¯s so tiring. Aside from classes, Professor Trozan insisted that I take another two hours of advanced class, and I even had to spar with Trozan¡­ At night, I have to continue swordplay training and master the Wave Sword Spirit. It feels like my entire day is packed.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that great?¡± Ingrit was rather envious. ¡°Professor Trozan is a three-winged Swordmaster. Last year, he was selected as one of the ¡®Ten Distinguished Sword Sages of Astra¡¯. He is known as the ¡®Hidden Hand Sword Sage¡¯. It is said that he might become a Four-winged Legend¡­ Then, Sonia, you will be the apprentice of a Legendary Sorcerer!¡± Louis unconsciously crumpled her book. Sonia waved her hand. ¡°Professor Trozan hasn¡¯t said anything about taking me in as an apprentice yet. He just thinks I¡¯m very talented¡­¡± Ingrit sighed. ¡°I actually wanted to become Professor Trozan¡¯s apprentice from the beginning, but the professor never publicly accepted any apprentices. Sonia, you¡¯re one of the only two exceptions he¡¯s made in so many years!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll recommend you to Professor Trozan tomorrow. I can¡¯t guarantee it, but I should be able to get the professor to give you an interview¡ª¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need. The professor is obviously aiming to nurture geniuses. I¡¯m just an ordinary person. Not only will he not accept me, he will dislike me.¡± Ingrit searched for clothes as she said, ¡°Also, I¡¯m about to strike into the second ring. In a few months, I¡¯ll be able to summon a spell spirit, and the resources of the School of Swordmastery will be opened to me¡­ Maybe I¡¯ll catch up to you in the future!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to wait for you.¡± Sonia giggled and said, ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that you were there. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t know how to reject Felix¡¯s invitation.¡± Ingrit asked curiously, ¡°I heard he wants to spar with you again. Don¡¯t you want to compete with him again?¡± ¡°No!¡± Sonia said firmly. ¡°He doesn¡¯t want to spar at all. He just wants to get closer to me.¡± ¡°Is it bad to get close to Felix?¡± ¡°Aside from the fact that he is a playboy, it¡¯s obvious that my future achievements in swordplay will definitely be greater than his. I don¡¯t fancy a man who can¡¯t even beat me in his strongest aspect. ¡°Sword Flower University is still too small. I will definitely go to Truth University for advanced studies in the future. As for romance, I¡¯ll think about it after I¡¯m accomplished in swordplay.¡± Louis¡¯ nails almost punctured the pages of the book. Adele, who had been watching a hologram program the whole time, asked in a tone that was half pretentious and half confused, ¡°Sonia, are you transferring to Truth University?¡± ¡°No, but Professor Trozan can help me sign up for the swordplay competition in Truth University. He can also let me use the equipment from Truth University. In the future, I might have to travel between both Truth and Sword Flower.¡± Sonia sighed. ¡°The more I think about it, the more tired I get.¡± Adele exclaimed, ¡°Then, Sonia, won¡¯t you get to know the top students from Truth University in the future? If you meet any handsome guys, remember to introduce them!¡± ¡°No¡ªproblem¡ª,¡± Sonia dragged out her voice and said, ¡°how could I forget my dorm mates when good things come to me? We are good dormmates who have experienced a happy year together. Isn¡¯t that right, Louis?¡± Louis was so angry that her mouth was twisted. It took her a great deal of effort to force a smile. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m just afraid that Sword Sage Sonia won¡¯t recognize us as her dormmates.¡± ¡°How can that be? I¡¯m just a village girl from the countryside. I¡¯ll have to ask Miss Louis to take care of me in the future.¡± Sonia said sarcastically, ¡°Ah, is Miss Louis reading a water sorcery textbook? I¡¯m so envious. I really want to continue learning water sorcery. It¡¯s so relaxing and decent, unlike the School of Swordmastery. That¡¯s too tiring¡­¡± At this moment, Ingrit also realized that although Sonia was chatting with her, her words were directed at Louis. She couldn¡¯t be bothered with their feud and went straight to the bathroom to take a shower. Sonia was ready for Louis to fly into a rage, but Louis did not say a word, as if she were rolling over and waiting to be mocked. Sarcasm required interaction between the participants. Now that both sides were on guard and not acting, Sonia did not feel like it was fun anymore. She picked up her bag and shouted, ¡°Forget it, I¡¯ll shower tomorrow morning. I have to go to the meditation room to prepare for my first trip to the Illusory Realm. Everyone, I wish you a pleasant night.¡± Ingrit was in the shower. Louis said nothing. Adele was the only one who replied, ¡°Bye, Sonia.¡± ¡­ ¡­ As the footsteps faded away, there was only the sound of water from the bathroom left in the dormitory. Adele looked at Louis who was silent, thought for a moment, and walked over to initiate conversation. ¡°Hmph, that village girl Sonia is really a case of someone vile getting her way. She just has some talent in swordsmanship. What¡¯s so great about that? You don¡¯t have to take it to heart, Louie. If she¡¯s so arrogant, sooner or later she¡¯ll run into serious trouble¡­ Hmm?¡± Adele went over and saw that Louis was really reading. She even took out her workbook to work on some problems. ¡°I lost this time,¡± Louis said. ¡°Sonia, that village girl, has already climbed to heights that I need to look up to. If this continues, when we meet again a few years after graduation, I will have to bow down to her.¡± As if she had already thought of how subservient she¡¯ll look in the future, the corners of Louis¡¯ mouth twitched slightly. ¡°I can¡¯t accept it¡­ I don¡¯t believe that I can¡¯t even compare to that village girl!¡± Adele didn¡¯t bother her. She returned to her seat to continue watching the program. Although the program was still interesting, Adele couldn¡¯t calm down. She turned around and glanced at Louis again. She realized that Louis was still focused on her studies. After thinking for a while, she switched off the hologram and took out her book to study as well. When Ingrit came out of the shower, she was a little surprised to see both of them studying hard. But she didn¡¯t say anything and quietly went to the balcony sink to wash her clothes. ¡­ ¡­ After the guard checked the student information in her bracelet, Sonia entered a fully enclosed special building. As soon as she crossed the threshold, Sonia felt as if she had crossed an invisible boundary. Her thoughts suddenly sped up, and the Wave Sword Spirit jumped out of her shoulder, looking very excited. [So, will you still be by my side after I enter the Virtual Realm?] Sonia asked. ¡°This is actually considered working overtime.¡± The Observer, who was walking beside her, said leisurely, ¡°It¡¯s beyond my service scope.¡± [So you mean that you¡¯re not willing to¡­] ¡°So, there must be overtime pay!¡± The Observer rubbed his fingers and said, ¡°Even if you go to a bar to find someone to chat with, you still have to treat them to a glass of wine, right? If you want someone to accompany you to the Illusory Realm to chat and travel, you should at least express your gratitude, right?!¡± [I¡¯m really poor!] ¡°Other than money, you still have a lot of remaining value that you can sell out.¡± Sonia slightly raised her eyebrows and hooked her fingers on her close-fitting shirt, revealing her deep cleavage. [The most valuable thing I have is myself¡­] ¡°I was just waiting for you to say that! Then you¡¯ll be my employee in the future.¡± The Observer snapped his fingers. ¡°But you haven¡¯t graduated yet, so you¡¯re still on probation. However, since it¡¯s the probation period after all, there¡¯s no labor contract. As for the salary for the probation period, you have already been paid in the Energy Serum you drank and the wooden sword you used previously, so¡­¡± [So you want me to work for you for nothing?] ¡°Tsk, what are you saying? I¡¯m providing you with all sorts of opportunities to grow. You¡¯re performing some labor to repay me while you¡¯re growing. Isn¡¯t this a good productivity relationship between employer and employee?¡± Sonia did not reject the unfair contract. Instead, she asked, [You spent so much effort to test me in the dream world, arrange my training, and stimulate my talent in swordsmanship, all just so I can work for you? What¡¯s my work content?] ¡°To live.¡± [To live?¡±] ¡°Living is the rarest thing in this world.¡± The Observer seemed to be smiling. ¡°Most people only exist.¡± [I still don¡¯t understand,] Sonia said. [I believe all gifts come with a price. You¡¯ve spent so much to nurture me, so you must be trying to gain more from me. Unless you¡¯re my spiritual phantom, I can¡¯t think of a reason why you¡¯re so selfless.] ¡°I am not being selfless. On the contrary, there is no one more selfish than I in this world.¡± The Observer smiled. ¡°Is there anything more selfish than how I asked you to live according to my wishes?¡± [But¡­] ¡°Haha, I was only joking just now. How could I possibly be a good person who¡¯s so considerate to you?¡± The Observer laughed. ¡°I have something serious to ask of you¡ªfor certain reasons, I¡¯ve become very weak now. I can¡¯t even explore the Illusory Realm by myself, so I need you to protect me.¡± As they spoke, Sonia had reached the room with the door number 311. She opened the door using her wristband. Inside was a narrow, empty meditation room with only an orange carpet that covered the entire floor. The ceiling light illuminated every corner. This was the meditation room of Sword Flower University, the best place for Sonia to enter the Illusory Realm. She closed the door and sat cross-legged on the carpet, letting the Wave Sword Spirit float on her palm. She poured all her attention into the spell spirit, searching for the Gate of Truth hidden in knowledge, and attempted to embark on her first journey to the Illusory Realm. Although Sonia had successfully summoned her first spell spirit, she was not a One-winged Sorcerer yet because she had yet to form her own Silver Wing. Without spell energy or the ability to create illusions, it was natural that she could not fully activate the spell spirits. She could not be considered a sorcerer at all. To condense the Silver Wing, it was necessary to enter the Illusory Realm, roam the Sea of Knowledge freely, use the soul to attract knowledge, and extract the spell energy from knowledge. Then, one must condense the spell energy into an Illusory Wing, and use the Illusory Wing to stir the authority of the law to become a sorcerer! The only way for ordinary people to enter the Illusory Realm was to find the Gate of Truth in the body of their own spell spirit, and allow their souls to pass through the Gate of Truth. Then, they would be able to reach the illusory world created by laws and knowledge¡ªthe Illusory Realm! It was said that the Illusory Realm was tens, hundreds, or even ten thousand times larger than the real world. Countless sorcerers had never encountered anyone else in the Illusory Realm, so all sorcerers could only rely on themselves to explore the Illusory Realm. The Pavilion of Meditation was a quiet room specially designed for the sorcerers to explore the Illusory Realm. In addition to being quiet and undisturbed, Sword Flower University also performed the miracle [Starlight Pursuing Shadow]. Not only did it speed up the thoughts of students in the Pavilion of Meditation, making it easier for them to find the Gate of Truth, it also attracted countless beams of starlight from the Deity of the Stars. It caused the souls of the student to emit the fragrance that appealed to knowledge, allowing them to condense the Silver Wing faster! Very soon, Sonia found the Gate of Truth inside the Wave Sword Spirit. After all, this was the first time in her life. Sonia could not help but feel nervous, as if she was getting a room at a hotel. She asked in her heart, [Observer?] ¡°I¡¯m here. Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s a bond between you and me. A divine destiny connects us.¡± Sonia immediately calmed down. When her consciousness touched the Gate of Truth, her vision was drowned by darkness. When she woke, she found herself lying in a boat, floating on a lead-gray sea. In front of her was a thick, ink-like sky, surrounded by misty fog. She was lying at the stern of the boat, and she saw that there was a familiar figure lying at the bow. Sonia said, ¡°Observer?¡± Ash said, ¡°Sword Maiden?¡± The two of them looked at each other and heaved a sigh of relief.. Chapter 24 - Illusory Realm Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°So this is the Illusory Realm¡­¡± Ash reached out and cupped the seawater in his hands. He smelled it and licked it. It actually tasted a little sweet. He lowered his head and looked down. The sea surface was very blurry and he could not see his own face clearly at all. Looking at his clothes, he realized that he was wearing a black coat that was the same as that in his illustration. It actually looked quite handsome. ¡°It¡¯s exactly the same as what the textbooks described.¡± Since there was no one else around, Sonia also opened her mouth to speak. ¡°This must be the Sea of Knowledge, also called the Sea of Silver, the Sea of Initiation¡­ Be they geniuses or mediocre people, legendary Six-winged Divine Masters or One-winged Sorcerers, their first stop after entering the Illusory Realm would definitely be this sea.¡± ¡°The only difference is this.¡± Sonia tapped the small boat and looked around. There was a mark of a book on the bow and a mark of a sword on the stern. ¡°According to the textbooks, sorcerers should be naked when they come here¡­¡± ¡°Naked?¡± Ash looked at Sonia¡¯s black camisole dress. Sonia¡¯s face darkened, and she subconsciously covered her chest. ¡°Our image in the Illusory Realm is a projection of our consciousness, Being naked means that we can¡¯t have the aid of external objects, such as bringing something here from the real world¡­ I heard people say that those who just entered the Illusory Realm would swim in the sea directly. There can¡¯t possibly be a boat.¡± ¡°I understand!¡± Ash suddenly clapped his hands. ¡°What do you understand?¡± ¡°This boat is your true self. You are just a phantom!¡± ¡°What?¡± Sonia was stunned. ¡°Your consciousness has split into two parts. One part is your heavy soul, which has transformed into this small boat to facilitate your sailing; the other part is your animated consciousness, which has transformed into your current image.¡± Ash said confidently. ¡°The soul is the boat, and the consciousness is the person. The boat carries the person to the other shore. That must be the case!¡± It did sound somewhat reasonable, but¡­ ¡°How can you prove it?¡± Sonia asked. Ash said without hesitation, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, try jumping into the sea. If I¡¯m right, you can¡¯t leave this boat!¡± Sonia leaped into the sea decisively. Thanks to that dream trial, even though she did not know how to swim, she wouldn¡¯t just sink like an anchor. Sonia quickly turned back to the boat and snorted coldly. ¡°You¡¯re wrong. I can leave the boat. This boat wasn¡¯t transformed from my soul at all¡­¡± Personally validating what the Observer had said was wrong felt like winning against him for once. Sonia had been a little smug about it, but she turned to find the Observer watching her. Although his face was still shrouded by the darkness, Sonia could still sense his gaze perfectly. She looked down and saw that her clothes were soaked by the seawater, which clung to her body and outlined her beautiful curves. ¡°You¡ª¡± Sonia was so angry that she raised her wooden sword. Ignoring the difference in strength between them, she directly summoned the Wave Sword Spirit and was about to slash at him with it. Ash quickly retreated and surrendered. ¡°Wait, where did you get your wooden sword from?¡± Eh? Sonia looked at the wooden sword in her hand. She remembered that she did not have a weapon with her just now. However, seeing how infuriating the Observer was, she subconsciously wanted to beat him with the wooden sword¡­ ¡°You see, when you wanted the wooden sword, it appeared. Obviously, this boat also appeared because you didn¡¯t want to swim.¡± Ash spread out his hands. ¡°I just wanted to test it just now. Doesn¡¯t this prove that this boat is indeed formed by will?¡± ¡°Was peeking at me just now part of the test too? No, the wooden sword is the weapon I¡¯m most familiar with. That¡¯s why I could easily materialize it, just like how I could materialize clothes!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t slander me. I wasn¡¯t peeking. I was watching it openly!¡± After such a small incident, the sense of unfamiliarity and fear they felt when they first entered the Illusory Realm was washed away. And because there was someone to accompany them, it felt like having someone to die with regardless of what they encountered. This filled the two with a sense of security. However, just as Sonia did not know the difference between this ¡°Observer¡± and the ¡°Observer¡±, Ash also did not know the difference between this ¡°Sword Maiden¡± and the ¡°Sword Maiden¡±. ¡­ ¡­ An hour ago¡­ After finishing her meal and returning to the prison dormitory, Sword Maiden began to chat with Ash about a very adult-oriented topic. ¡°I have news for you in two parts. The good news is that you¡¯ll be living in free housing provided by the country for the rest of your life.¡± ¡°There¡¯s such a good thing?¡± ¡°The bad news is that you could be dragged off to be executed at any moment.¡± Ash understood. ¡°It¡¯s impossible for me to get out of jail?¡± Sword Maiden sat on the bed with her legs crossed and crossed her arms. She glanced sideways at Ash. ¡°You should know that sorcerers are the strongest group in this world, right? As a mortal, it¡¯s impossible for you to fight against sorcerers.¡± ¡°Even the Infirm Master who transformed his body into diamond could only turn into a diamond rat rolling around in this cesspool after his connection with the Illusory Realm was severed. ¡°Also, after today¡¯s experience, you should have understood that as long as you are still wearing the chip on the back of your neck, no matter where you are, you will still be bound by endless shackles.¡± At this point, Ash¡¯s expression changed slightly. He had originally thought that the Miracle Chip was equivalent to an implanted computer, but he did not expect that the chip would turn him into a computer¡ªwhile his administrator authority was remotely controlled. Whether he could hit someone, what contents he could see, and what words he could say were all under the control of the administrator. The administrator could make him a rule-abiding and civilized man with etiquette one day, and make him eat sh*t the next. Until the chip was removed, all of his plans were equivalent to a computer virus infection¡ªthe administrator could kill everything in seconds with by reinstalling the system. If the administrator felt that Ash was beyond repair, he could even recycle the junk and let Ash start his life over. ¡°Is there a way to remove the chip?¡± asked Ash through gritted teeth. ¡°For example, gouging out the back of the neck directly¡­¡± ¡°If it could be removed so easily, this prison would not be so lively.¡± Sword Maiden sneered. ¡°Although it¡¯s called a chip, it had already gradually integrated into your bone marrow while you were growing up. Every bone, every nerve, and every muscle of yours has been marked by the chip. If you want to remove the chip, you should be able to do so by jumping into molten steel at the steel mill.¡± ¡°In other words, it¡¯s impossible to remove the chip through ordinary methods,¡± said Ash. ¡°What about sorcerers¡¯ methods?¡± ¡°Sorcerers have many methods up their sleeves.¡± Sword Maiden said, ¡°And what you are most likely to obtain is the swordplay miracle, ¡®Slay Self¡¯.¡± ¡°¡®Slay Self¡¯ is a defensive miracle of swordmasters. It¡¯s specially used to cleanse abnormal states. Although it¡¯s a Silver miracle that can be used by a One-winged Sorcerer, it can directly cleanse most of the continuous damage caused by Two-winged spell spirits.¡± ¡°Miracle Chips are targeted at mortals and One-winged Sorcerers. They are not immune to the ¡®Slay Self¡¯ miracle with Two-winged power capacity. If you use ¡®Slay Self¡¯, you can instantly remove all the Miracle Chips in your body. Only then will it be possible for you to escape prison.¡± ¡°Then how should I obtain the ¡®Slay Self¡¯ miracle?¡± ¡°If you want to perform a miracle, you need to have a spell spirit first. And there are four ways for you to obtain a spell spirit.¡± The Sword Maiden raised four fingers. ¡°First, resonate with the Illusory Realm by learning knowledge. Have Illusory Realm knowledge transform into a spell spirit and appear in reality.¡± ¡°Second, go to the Illusory Realm to look for wild spell spirits.¡± ¡°Third, kill a sorcerer and take his spell spirit by force.¡± ¡°Four, trade spell spirits.¡± ¡°First, you won¡¯t be able to use the first method.¡± Sword Maiden glanced at Ash. ¡°The Miracle Chip has long severed your connection with the Illusory Realm. No matter how much knowledge you absorb, it¡¯s impossible to trigger resonance with the Illusory Realm.¡± Ash glanced at his information in the hologram. As expected, there was a ¡®Illusory Realm resonance prohibited¡¯. ¡°The third option is to kill a sorcerer with the body of a mortal. It¡¯s not like it hasn¡¯t happened before. Most of the time, it happens when female or male lovers are waiting for an opportunity to murder their master when having sex¡­¡± The Sword Maiden looked at Ash¡¯s face and shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s impossible for you to use this method too.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to deny it so thoroughly! There¡¯s a slight possibility, right? I may be able to make a living with my looks too, right!?¡± ¡°As for the fourth option, there¡¯s no need to mention it. You don¡¯t have the capital to trade with anyone.¡± ¡°In short,¡± the Sword Maiden did not bother to exchange drivel with him, ¡°the only way you can obtain a spell spirit is to go to the Illusory Realm to look for wild spell spirits.¡± ¡°Then how do I go to the Illusory Realm?¡± ¡°The only way to enter the Illusory Realm is to trigger the Gate of Truth in the spell spirit, allowing the consciousness to directly transcend into the Illusory Realm.¡± Ash blinked. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that I need a spell spirit if I want to go to the Illusory Realm?¡± ¡°Precisely.¡± ¡°And my purpose of going to the Illusory Realm is to find a spell spirit?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Wait, wait¡­¡± Ash backed away, holding his forehead. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the predicament of a new graduate discovering that all positions require three years of work experience?! I can¡¯t go to the Illusory Realm without a spell spirit, but I have to go to the Illusory Realm if I want to find a spell spirit. Isn¡¯t this an infinite loop?¡± ¡°Who told you that you have to use your own spell spirit to enter the Illusory Realm?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Sword Maiden pointed at herself. ¡°Have you forgotten? I already have a Wave Sword Spirit. I have the qualifications to enter the Illusory Realm. Observer, you and I formed a soul bond through the Sorcerer Manual. We can even share our experience. Naturally, it¡¯s not difficult for me to bring you to the Illusory Realm.¡± There was such a function? Ash opened the Sorcerer Manual without thinking to check his talents again, only to discover that a new function module had appeared in the game without his realization. [Illusory Realm Exploration]: Organize a team of agents to explore the Illusory Realm. Ash clicked [Illusory Realm Exploration] and checked ¡°Terminus Observer¡± and ¡°Deadly Berserker Sword Maiden¡±, then clicked [Ready]. However, nothing happened in reality¡ªbecause ¡°Deadly Berserker Sword Maiden¡± was still [Preparing]. ¡°I¡¯ve already confirmed my preparations. Hurry up and confirm yours as well.¡± Ash urged her. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back and prepare. You can wait.¡± Ash was dumbfounded. ¡°What else do you need?¡± ¡°Lots and lots. A virgin like you wouldn¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°What kind of f*cking virgin do you have for saying I¡¯m a proof¡ª¡± As he watched the Sword Maiden¡¯s mocking smile disappear in the air, Ash could only lie on the bed and wait. Perhaps the regeneration treatment consumed too much stamina, or perhaps the night without his phone was too boring, Ash soon closed his eyes in exhaustion. When he woke up again, he saw Sword Maiden sitting on the same boat as him, floating on a sea filled with white mist. ¡­ ¡­ On the small boat in the Sea of Knowledge, Ash suddenly remembered something. He silently chanted and tried to summon the hologram. He failed and succeeded at the same time. The failure was that although he had summoned the hologram, most of its functions were disabled. The Illusory Realm did not support physical cheats. The success was that the Sorcerer Manual could still function. He opened the Sorcerer Manual¡ª[Illusory Realm Exploration]. A map suddenly appeared on the hologram and a message popped up: [You have entered the Void Realm exploration mode. Please read the beginner¡¯s tutorial¡­] On the other side, Sonia noticed that Ash was silent. She also focused her attention on her Void Realm and bent down to fiddle with the seawater in an attempt to push the boat forward. ¡°Wait, Sword Maiden, don¡¯t move around so impatiently. Let me do it..¡± Chapter 25 - The Shotgun is Accurate and Fast Within Seven Steps Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Let you do it?¡± Sonia was a bit puzzled. She looked at Ash with doubt. In the life of a sorcerer, the exploration of the Illusory Realm was undoubtedly an important part of their life. It could even be considered the most important part. Most of the fortuitous encounters, breakthroughs, and advancements in this world happened in the Illusory Realm. Many sorcerers were willing to spend their entire lives exploring the Illusory Realm. Compared to the Illusory Realm, reality was just a stage for the sorcerers to show off in their spare time. Although the Illusory Realm was so important, up until now, there had never been a guide for Illusory Realm exploration that could be followed. If there was, it wasn¡¯t something Sonia could access with her current status. Sonia had asked Professor Trozan if he had any helpful tips about the Illusory Realm in class that afternoon, but Trozan just shrugged and said that there¡¯s none. ¡°Sorcerers have equal status precisely because we are all equally ignorant in the Illusory Realm.¡± Sonia knew how much Professor Trozan valued her, and she could tell that the professor was a typical swordsman. He would not bother with lying to fool his inferiors like her. Even a Three-Winged Sanctuary Sorcerer did not have an effective guide, so Sonia did not have any expectations for the Observer. ¡°The Illusory Realm is dangerous,¡± Sonia reminded him. ¡°If I die here, I¡¯ll have to spend three days to recover when I return.¡± Sorcerers could die in the Illusory Realm. The most common cause of death was naturally drowning. When a sorcerer wanted to explore the deep sea or stayed still in the sea, they might be drowned by the Sea of Knowledge. That was why Sonia was so surprised by the little boat¡ªit meant they were spared the risk of drowning. If a sorcerer died in the Illusory Realm, it would cause great damage to the soul. The stronger one was, the greater the damage, and the longer one needed to recover. A newbie sorcerer like Sonia only needed to recuperate for three days, while an official Silver Sorcerer would need to recuperate for at least fifteen days. A Gold Sorcerer would need months, and it was said that the Sanctuary and Legendary Sorcerers would even need to recuperate for years. Being unable to explore the Illusory Realm would mean a 90% decrease in their rate of development. Therefore, sorcerers had many views on exploring the Illusory Realm. Some people were conservative and tried to develop steadily, while others liked to take risks¡ªif they won the gamble, they would win greatly, and if they lost, they would lose heavily. In the past, Sonia had been inclined to take risks because she had nothing. Now, she was inclined to be cautious¡ªafter unearthing her talent for swordplay, Professor Trozan had evaluated that she¡¯d have no problem becoming a Gold Sorcerer in twenty years, and a chance of becoming a Sanctuary Sorcerer in forty. In the Astra Nation, a Two-winged Gold Sorcerer was a figure of considerable status. They could become minor nobles without issue. It could be said that this already fulfilled Sonia¡¯s life goal. If she could advance to a Three-winged Sanctuary Sorcerer, she would even be able to establish her own clan and become famed for the era. As a result, Sonia¡¯s attitude as an ordinary citizen was very normal. It was not that she didn¡¯t know that she had a better future ahead of her, but the hard-pressed reality forced her to cling to what she had. The world was beautiful, and worth fighting for. She could only agree with the latter half of this statement. However, no matter how conservative she was, Sonia still had to explore the Illusory Realm. There was no such option as ¡°staying put¡±. Countless teachers in school and even Professor Trozan had specially reminded her absolutely not to stay in the same place. Until now, no one knew what would happen if they stayed in the same place for a long time. However, for people who entered the Illusory Realm and stopped moving, their heartbeats quickly stopped in reality as well. Even medical sorcerers could not save them, because their souls were not in their bodies at all. Therefore, there was a saying that if you stopped moving in the Illusory Realm, your body would believe you were dead, and you would die instantly. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that it¡¯s safest to go in the direction where the white fog is the thinnest on your first trip into the Illusory Realm,¡± Sonia said. This was not really a guide. At most, it was a tip summarized by the senior sorcerers of Sword Flower University. Also, the success rate was less than 60%. The other 40% of the respondents still encountered danger. However, in this completely unknown sea, a 60% chance was already worth a gamble. ¡°No, we¡¯re going that way.¡± Ash pointed to the place where the fog was thickest. It was impossible to see through it at all, and the sight of it was enough to bring about a hint of fear. Sonia was about to say something, but the small boat somehow started sailing over on its own. Her attention was immediately redirected. ¡°You can control this boat? You brought this boat?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Then why did you trick me into jumping into the sea just now?!¡± Seeing Sonia tighten her grip on the wooden sword again, Ash quickly explained, ¡°I only just found out that I can control this boat. I was sincere when I told you to jump into the sea!¡± ¡°Sincere about watching me embarrass myself?¡± ¡°Sincere about seeing you wet¡­ Ah, calm down, calm down. We have entered an unknown area, and we may encounter danger at any moment!¡± The white mist came straight at them, and the unknown could appear at any moment. Sonia could only sit down in indignation. However, as they passed through the layers of white mist, Sonia felt something flowing into her body. Her consciousness became clearer and clearer, and her skin glowed with a silver light. A great amount of knowledge about swordplay suddenly appeared in her mind. This was the reason sorcerers had to explore the Illusory Realm¡ªas long as they moved within the Illusory Realm, sorcerers could automatically obtain knowledge within the Illusory Realm and condense their knowledge into Silver spell energy! When a large amount of Silver spell energy condensed, it would form the symbol of strength for an Illusory Wing Sorcerer: Silver Wing! Sonia suddenly understood why sorcerers liked to immerse themselves in the Illusory Realm. The feeling of gaining knowledge every second and becoming stronger every moment was as comfortable as the first stretch in the morning. While Sonia was enjoying the thrill brought by the knowledge, Ash was staring at the map on the hologram like a distracted underachiever in class. In the center of the map was a small boat with eight compartments around it. At this moment, the small boat was entering the top left compartment. That¡¯s right, this was the ¡°Illusory Realm Exploration¡± mode provided by the game. When Ash moved the small boat in the mobile game, the small boat in the Illusory Realm would move along with it. Apart from moving, he could also check the information of the eight squares. [Waste of energy], [Courting death], [Waste of energy], [Waste of energy], [Waste of energy], [Worth a shot], [A bit troublesome], [Best to stay away]. Among the eight hints, [Waste of energy] clearly meant that there was nothing in the grid, [Courting death] meant danger, [Best to stay away] was not something Ash could guess about, and [Worth a shot] was obviously a hint given by the game. Very soon, after passing through layers of white fog, a small island covered in thick fog appeared in front of them. Seeing this, Sonia suddenly recalled that the place where the Observer conducted the dream trial with her was exactly the same as the Illusory Realm. No wonder the Observer was so confident. If he could use the Illusory Realm to carry out a trial, exploring the Illusory Realm was naturally not a problem! The boat slowly stopped. The moment the two of them stepped onto the island, the thick fog suddenly dispersed. A hunter wearing a wide-brimmed hat and holding a shotgun appeared before them. ¡°The shotgun is fast beyond seven steps.¡± The hunter raised his shotgun and aimed at the two.. ¡°The shotgun is accurate and fast within seven steps!¡± Chapter 26 - Hunting Record Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios With a bang of the shotgun, both of them lunged in opposite directions to dodge the shells! However, there was a sudden explosion in the air. The shells fired by the hunter exploded into scattered shots. Ash and Sonia were inevitably scratched by the scattered shots! Ash thought it would hurt greatly, but when the shots passed through his body, he only felt as if he had lost something. His body felt as tired as if he had just run 400 meters. He suddenly recalled that he was now in a state of consciousness and could not be considered a real physical body. He would only lose his soul energy if he was hit by the shells. Compared to Ash¡¯s sudden realization of what was going on, Sonia, who had attended advanced classes on the Illusory Realm before, had already expected this. She dodged the attack with a foresight slash and immediately charged towards the hunter. At the same time, she raised her wooden sword high and slashed down at the hunter from afar. A hazy white light gathered on the sword. As she swung the sword, it turned into a crescent shock wave that charged towards the hunter! ¡°Wave Sword!¡± This was the secret technique of the Vosloda Family, Wave Sword Spell Spirit! The relatively rare long-range offensive spell spirit in the School of Swordmastery could produce powerful offensive miracles such as ¡°Split Wave Slash¡± and ¡°Silver Wheel Pulse¡±! ¡°Out of all techniques, with a shotgun in hand, only speed is invincible!¡± The hunter chanted while dodging. The barrel of his shotgun glowed. Despite carrying what looked like an ancient flintlock shotgun, he actually fired another shell! However, Ash and Sonia were prepared and no longer flustered. Ignoring the fact that Ash dodged by dropping into a roll, Sonia sheathed her blade with Iaijutsu, then charged forward and executed a roundhouse wave slash! Clang! Not only did it blast away the shotgun shell, even the hunter a couple steps away took a fierce slash from the roundhouse Wave Slash. Even the barrel of his shotgun was severed! There was no need for words. Ash charged forward and restricted the hunter in a body lock. As Sonia recovered from the momentum of Iaijustsu, she sped up her pace, raised her wooden sword and made a powerful strike! There was no sound. Under the powerful strike of the wooden sword, the hunter turned into a dense fog and dissipated. A leather-bound notebook fell to the ground. ¡°Hey, you almost took my head off!¡± Looking at the wooden sword that had cut into the rock, Ash touched his head with lingering fear. ¡°I missed it by a little.¡± Sonia¡¯s voice was full of regret. She bent down and picked up the notebook. After flipping through two pages, she shook her head and handed it to Ash. Ash took it and read it. It was a¡­ how should he put it? A hunting record? On the first page was information about a rat. It had the rat¡¯s weight, size, skin color and cause of death. There was even a picture of a rat pinned to the wall by an arrow. On the second page was a spider. On the third page was a rabbit. On the fourth page was a roe deer¡­ On the tenth page, there was finally some difference. Not only because the prey this time was a ferocious carnivorous wild wolf, but also because the owner of the notebook had learned a new skill: he used traps to kill the wild wolf. On page 23, a fully armored orc soldier carrying a shotgun was recorded in the notebook. The last twenty pages were filled with orc soldiers who had been shot to death. However, what attracted Ash¡¯s attention more was that the owner of the notebook seemed to have abandoned his previous archery skills. Instead, he used the shotguns brought by orc soldiers along with the traps in the jungle to fight an entire orc army by himself. The notebook did not contain any details about the owner of the notebook, but Ash could vaguely make out a story: a young man was born in a hunter¡¯s family and lived in a jungle village. He inherited the hunting skills from his forefathers, but the orc army that suddenly appeared destroyed everything they had. The archery skills they were proud of could not penetrate the orcs¡¯ armor, but the orcs¡¯ firearms could easily crush their bodies. The youth abandoned his bow and arrow and learned to use the shotgun at an astonishing speed. Then, in this jungle which he could traverse even with his eyes closed, he hunted orc soldiers like a god of death and avenged the villagers. One could tell how terrifying the young man was from the expressions of the orcs before they died. The first few orcs who died had calm expressions on their faces. They must have had their heads blown out when they were peeing and sh*tting. The orcs who died later looked more and more terrified. It was obvious that they were fleeing for their lives. The last orc who died even threw away his weapon and hid in a bush. His face was full of piety, as if he was praying for the god of death to not notice him. After the orc soldiers died, the owner of the notebook seemed to have lived a confused life for some time. The hunting targets in the notebook included animals, humans, orcs, goblins, tycoons, bandits, prostitutes, and ordinary people. After a hundred pages, the owner of the notebook suddenly fixed his hunting target: orcs. There were up to 300 pages of information on all the different orcs that the owner of the notebook hunted. Although it was not mentioned at all, Ash could guess from the orcs¡¯ cause of death: Firstly, the orcs were all killed by the notebook¡¯s owner with the ¡°Admirer Type 5 Rifle¡±. Secondly, the orcs had more than one bullet hole. As such, Ash deduced that the owner of the notebook must have joined the army and killed orcs during the war. He didn¡¯t just kill soldiers. He also killed children, women, old people, and even his own comrades¡­ No matter who the other party was, he didn¡¯t change his weapon. He would always end the other party¡¯s life with a shotgun shell. After that, the owner of the notebook seemed to have risen into prestige and settled down. Apart from hunting rabbits, deer, and herbivores, the people who died at his hands were no longer soldiers and bandits, but maids, servants, and slaves. It was worth mentioning the servants died at a high frequency. He probably had an estate with many servants at his service, but because of the aftereffects of the war, he was equipped with a shotgun at every moment. Once he became suspicious, he would shoot the servants without hesitation¡­ Suddenly, an old woman appeared in the hunting notebook. Ash guessed she was probably the wife of the notebook¡¯s owner, because the look in her eyes wasn¡¯t fear, or terror, or confusion. It was pity. Pity for the owner of the notebook. When Ash flipped to the last page, he was certain that the deceased was the owner of the notebook. [Kabin Stoli] [Human ¡¤ Male ¡¤ 56] [Weight: 72 kilograms] [Height: 1.76 meter] [Characteristics: Brown skin, hairy, body odor.] [Cause of death: Killed by a bow and arrow.] In the photo was a well-dressed elderly man. He had raised his shotgun at the enemy, but he would never be able to pull the trigger, because the arrow had pierced through his eye and penetrated his head. Ash didn¡¯t know who had killed him with a bow and arrow. It could be an old enemy, the son of the old woman, or a burglar who broken into the house. Ash also didn¡¯t know why the battle-hardened owner was slower than a bow and arrow this time. Was it because his body was slow, or was it because he underestimated the bow and arrow? Anyway, that was the end of Kabin Stoli¡¯s hunting record. Maybe his name would come up in someone else¡¯s hunting record. When he flipped to the end of the page, Ash found an iron medal tucked inside. Ash didn¡¯t recognize the words on the medal, but since it was made of iron, it certainly wasn¡¯t worth much. It was probably the first medal Kabin had ever received in his life. Perhaps this medal represents the golden moment of Kabin¡¯s life. As soon as Ash picked up the medal, he felt a warm current flowing into his hand. Then, a message popped up on the screen: [Repeater Shots] [One-winged Spell Spirit] [Limitation: Must have long-range shooting tools] [Basic Effect: After the first shot, you can make a second shot immediately.] [Passive effect: Increases the accuracy of long-range shooting.] [Sometimes, a few seconds too slow can never be recovered in a lifetime.] At the same time, a message appeared in the game: [Detected that currency can be topped up.. Do you wish to exchange points?] Chapter 27 - Sorcerer Manual Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Ash had almost forgotten that currency could be topped up in the ¡°Sorcerer Manual¡± game. He had thought that the supply of origin crystals from daily sign-in would be the only source for his card draws. He hadn¡¯t expected that a currency recognized by the game could possibly exist in this world. Regardless of whether the value was high or low, this discovery excited Ash. He had the motivation to work hard again¡ªit was like his superior telling him ¡°work hard and you¡¯ll be chosen next time¡±. Even though he knew that the chances were slim, there was still hope. However, he did not dare to use the medal for currency top-up just like that, because he could tell that this medal was the extraordinary foundation of this world and the source of power that sorcerers yearned for¡ªspell spirit! ¡°Do you want this spell spirit?¡± he asked. ¡°You want it?¡± To Ash¡¯s surprise, Sonia wasn¡¯t interested in the spell spirit. ¡°Then take it.¡± This time, it was Ash who became curious. ¡°This is a spell spirit, don¡¯t you want it?¡± ¡°This is neither a sword spell spirit nor a general spell spirit. It¡¯s useless for me, and it¡¯s a waste of my money.¡± ¡°What does it have to do with money?¡± asked Ash, confused. Sonia felt that the Observer was subtly mocking her for being poor. After all, how could the Observer not have the common sense of a sorcerer when he could control a boat to sail in the Illusory Realm? Or was it that the Observer is a rich person who didn¡¯t have to worry about feeding spell spirits at all? In novels, there are always funny scenes of ¡°rich nobles who lacked common sense¡±. I didn¡¯t expect to meet such an endangered species in reality. After listening to Sonia¡¯s explanation, Ash realized that the spiritual ecology of this world was far more complicated than he had imagined. Firstly, spell spirits must be fed, and they must be fed with circulating currency! Silver coins and gold coins were the main food for spell spirits. A one-winged Spell Spirit must be fed with silver coins, while a two-winged spell spirit must be fed with gold coins. Spell spirits that were not fed would dissipate on their own. Some poor sorcerers might really starve their own spell spirits to death! In addition to currency, spell spirits could also be fed with other materials, but the materials that each spell spirit must be fed with differed, and the search was extremely tedious. Meanwhile, silver coins and gold coins were the common food for all spell spirits. As time passed, even sorcerers didn¡¯t know how to feed their own spell spirits. In any case, they just stuffed their spell spirits with money and considered it done. Apart from that, the presence of the spell spirit would consume the sorcerer¡¯s spirit. Sorcerers who had many spell spirits were like men who had many girlfriends. Not only could their wallets not take it, even their bodies could not take it. Therefore, for low-level sorcerers, especially low-level sorcerers who practiced good proletariat traditions, more spell spirits definitely did not equate to better. They had to choose spell spirits suitable for them selectively. ¡°Few and specialized¡± was the development strategy of most low-level sorcerers. Secondly, there were restrictions on the use of spell spirits. According to the usage restrictions, spell spirits were divided into various schools. For example, the School of Swordmastery required using a sword, the School of Gun Mastery required using a firearm, the School of Infirm Mastery required a strong physique, and the School of Fist Mastery used fists to suppress others¡­ The spell spirits that had a high requirement for sorcerers were specific for the school. They were also known as specialized spell spirits, such as ¡°Wave Sword¡±, which required the sorcerer to use a sword to activate it. Spell spirits that had little requirements for the sorcerer, or had requirements that could be easily met by most sorcerers were known as general spell spirits. For example, ¡°Eagle Eye¡± could be activated as long as the sorcerer had eyes. Generally speaking, spell spirits owned by a sorcerer consisted of specialist spell spirits and general spell spirits. Specialist spell spirits were ideally limited to no more than two schools, and universal spell spirits also depended on the combination. As far as possible, they tried not to keep useless spell spirits. Even if Sonia took the ¡°Repeater Shots¡± spell spirit, she would have certainly sold it, and would never have kept it around to waste her money. The reason Sonia was completely uninterested in this spell spirit was that ¡°Repeater Shots¡± was not valuable. ¡°¡®Repeater Shots¡¯ is a product from the era of flintlocks hundreds of years ago. Now, it¡¯s the era of automatic rifles and automatic pistols. Even automatic pistols can fire seven bullets in a second. They don¡¯t need the one additional shot from ¡®Repeater Shots¡¯ at all.¡± Sonia spread out her hands. ¡°Although ¡®Repeater Shots¡¯ can also be used on mortars, ship cannons, and other weapons, they also have better choices for spell spirits and wouldn¡¯t use ¡®Repeater Shots¡¯. ¡°For an outdated spell spirit like this, the school¡¯s purchase price is one silver coin at most. This is also the lowest purchase price for a one-winged spell spirit.¡± Ash already knew that Sword Maiden was in school, but he hadn¡¯t put it in mind. He thought that it was just a game setting. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take it!¡± ¡°Go ahead and take it.¡± Sonia didn¡¯t mind. Ash silently thought about redeeming. The medallion in his hand turned into white mist and dissipated. A message popped up in the game: [Currency top-up successful! You received 10 points.] The lowest-priced purchase option in the game was to buy one origin crystal with 6 points. In other words, this ¡°Repeater Shots¡± spell spirits was only worth 1.5 origin crystals, and drawing a card required three origin crystals. In other words, two one-winged spell spirits were equivalent to drawing one card. Spell spirits were supernatural powers at the very least. Why was the price as cheap as graduates¡­ Ash clicked his tongue and looked down at the hunting record in his hands. ¡°Then what is this notebook?¡± ¡°The Sorcerer Manual, of course!¡± Sonia looked at him strangely. ¡°Sorcerer Manual?¡± Ash was stunned. Sonia nodded. ¡°The Sorcerer Manual will summarize the sorcerer¡¯s life in a certain way. For example, this notebook records the information of the Gun Master¡¯s previous hunting targets in it. This means that hunting is the most important part of the sorcerer¡¯s life. Well, it¡¯s basically the sorcerer¡¯s diary.¡± ¡°However, this is not a diary that the sorcerer wrote voluntarily. Instead, after the sorcerer dies, their soul would automatically return to the Illusory Realm and turn into the sorcerer¡¯s projection. Then, their memories of life would condense into a book. Like birth, old age, illness, and death, this is an inevitable law of nature. ¡°We refer to this book collectively as the ¡®Sorcerer Manual¡¯. ¡°If the Illusory Realm is the tomb of the sorcerer, then the Sorcerer Manual is their tombstone.¡± Only then did Ash realize the hunter had been a projection of a dead man. He¡¯d thought it was a living man. He had wondered how it was so easy to come across another sorcerer. However, even if it was a living person, he would not hold back. After all, death in the Illusory Realm was not real death. Sonia said, ¡°Just like medals, the Sorcerer Manual can also be used. You can directly use your consciousness to absorb the manual. This way, you¡¯ll be able to obtain a random technique from the owner of the manual that can¡¯t be categorized as a spell. It¡¯s completely random.¡± ¡°Do you want it, then?¡± asked Ash. ¡°I don¡¯t want it. I¡¯m tired after reading it for a while.¡± Sonia shook her head. ¡°But you¡¯ve read the entire manual, so you won¡¯t be contaminated.¡± ¡°Contaminated?¡± ¡°The Sorcerer Manual can contaminate. Generally speaking, sorcerers can only read a Sorcerer Manual that is similar to their worldview, values, and outlook on life. If they forcefully absorb an unsuitable Sorcerer Manual, it will damage the soul and may even cause schizophrenia.¡± ¡°It¡¯s that serious?¡± ¡°It¡¯s serious, but it¡¯s easy to take precautions, because as long as you don¡¯t feel any discomfort when reading the Sorcerer Manual, it means that you won¡¯t have any problems absorbing the manual.¡± Having said this, Sonia was also a bit curious. ¡°According to what I¡¯ve heard, a normal sorcerer would be lucky to find two or three manuals that they can absorb out of ten manuals. There are even many sorcerers who never find a manual they can absorb in their entire life¡­ How did you manage to just pick up a random Sorcerer Manual you can absorb without any contamination?¡± Of course, Ash couldn¡¯t answer that question. He followed Sonia¡¯s instructions and guided his consciousness to touch the hunting record in his hands. The hunting record turned into a wisp of smoke and flowed into his body. Not long after, he felt a slab of ice melt in his consciousness. Suddenly, there was a lot of indescribable knowledge. He opened [Agent Management] in the game and realized that he had another skill. [Counter Surveillance Mastery] As a jungle hunter and war soldier, even if Kabin Stoli had never learned counter surveillance, he would have definitely honed this survival skill in war. For Ash, who was planning to escape from prison, counter surveillance could also be considered a minor skill that could come in handy. After Ash absorbed the hunting record, they discovered that the island was sinking. The two of them hurriedly returned to the boat. Soon, the island completely disappeared. The surface of the sea was quiet, as if nothing had happened. ¡°This is the peculiarity of the Illusory Realm. Meetings are impermanent, and their only meaning is legacy.¡± Sonia said with a sigh. ¡°There are countless Legacy Islands floating in the Sea of Knowledge, waiting for a new sorcerer to discover them. Once the sorcerer takes the legacy, the island will naturally return to the sea¡­ Some people say that the island is the evolution of the sorcerer¡¯s persistent will. They said that great sorcerers of the past hope that the future generations will remember their marks, so they place their legacies on the sea. ¡°The marks of the lives of all the sorcerers are deeply engraved in the Illusory Realm. We will encounter the legacies of countless predecessors here. We will fight with gun masters from centuries ago and communicate with sages from millennia ago. Anything is possible¡­ Our marks will also be engraved in the Illusory Realm. When a sorcerer breaks through the white fog centuries later, they will also encounter the challenge left behind by you and me.¡± ¡°Sounds romantic.¡± ¡°Really? Do you think your life can be passed down to the future generations without any concealment, so that the future generations can admire your great achievements?¡± Ash didn¡¯t find it romantic anymore, all of a sudden. ¡°Can you delete some of your life records before you die, like ¡®Learning Information¡¯, ¡®Art and Life ¡®¡­¡± ¡°How to die decently and how to live ignobly have always been the two major research projects of a sorcerer.¡± Even though she¡¯s attained nothing and Ash took all the benefits, Sonia was very relaxed. She stretched on the boat. ¡°Which way to go next? You decide. It¡¯s up to you.¡± The battle on the island definitely didn¡¯t count as dangerous. If Ash could find such a Legacy Island every time, Sonia was very willing to adventure. She only needed one encounter with a spell spirit from the School of Swordmastery or a suitable Sorcerer Manual to make a killing. The expectations of many sorcerers were only to explore the Illusory Realm stably. Forget encountering legacies of the Illusory Realm, not encountering any danger was already enough for them to be overjoyed. ¡°Let me see¡­¡± Ash opened [Illusory Realm Exploration] and checked the surrounding grids. [Waste of effort], [Waste of effort], [Waste of effort], [Waste of effort], [Best to stay away], [Waste of effort], [Waste of effort], [Waste of effort]. ¡°What?¡± Chapter 28 - The Legend of the Gold Fish Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°It didn¡¯t catch up, did it?¡± ¡°N-no, right? It can¡¯t swim, can it?¡± ¡°What kind of guide are you? You really put us through the wringer.¡± ¡°Before I led the way, I told you that it was a little dangerous. Who was the one who acted like a student with the cheat sheet and confidently said that it¡¯s fine?¡± ¡°Is that just a little dangerous!?¡± Amidst the white fog of the Sea of Knowledge, Ash and Sonia lay panting on the small boat. Their figures were as faded as the white fog around them, as if they would dissipate at any moment. Even their arguments were feeble. Just now, after an hour of fruitless sailing, Ash could not help but suggest to Sonia to explore the area indicated as [Best to stay away] on the map. Sonia, who had just entered the Illusory Realm, was also brimming with confidence, so the two of them broke through the white fog and entered the dangerous area. However, not only was there no Legacy Island in the dangerous area, there was a giant fish with wings. It directly capsized Ash¡¯s boat, and even spat out water cannons that exploded into waves up to dozens of meters on the surface of the sea. Ash and Sonia were only briefly chafed by the water cannon, but their bodies were already fading like they had been sandpapered hundreds of times. Fortunately, the small boat was very sturdy. Even if it was capsized, it still floated firmly on the water surface. The two of them scrambled back to the small boat and waded in the seawater with their hands to leave this dangerous area hastily. The giant fish could actually chase after them, and even fly and charge towards the small boat. Fortunately, Ash had a sudden inspiration and used the [Illusory Realm Exploration] to control the small boat to speed up. It was the only reason they barely avoided the charge of the fish head and did not meet their first deaths in the Illusory Realm. After regaining her breath, Sonia looked at the drenched Ash. A flicker of confusion flashed across her beautiful eyes. She pretended to ask casually, ¡°Couldn¡¯t you kill the that Mud Ichthyosaur?¡± Ash didn¡¯t suspect anything and said while panting, ¡°Even you couldn¡¯t do anything. How could I?¡± Was the Observer actually this weak? Many thoughts flashed through Sonia¡¯s mind, but all of them eventually fell silent. Even if the Terminus Observer was very weak, there was nothing she could do. She had no way to kill the Observer, and she still couldn¡¯t find a way to resist the Observer¡¯s control over her. Even Professor Trozan didn¡¯t detect the Observer¡¯s presence. Moreover, after the Terminus Observer showed his ability to explore the Illusory Realm, Sonia¡¯s attitude had also changed subtly. Even though she had just become an Illusory Wing Sorcerer, Sonia knew how important the Illusory Realm was to an Illusory Wing Sorcerer. She also knew how shocking the Terminus Observer¡¯s ability to see through the fog of the Illusory Realm was. Everyone knew that no one could see through the fog of the Illusory Realm. This was also the reason all sorcerers were equal¡ªin the face of unknown risks and benefits, everyone was equal. Even the strong might fall, and even the weak might rise to the top at one go! This was the so-called equal opportunity! And now, an existence that could see through unknown dangers and surpass all sorcerers had appeared! The being superior to all other sorcerers, the Terminus Observer! If Sonia had more or less been forced to listen to the Observer¡¯s orders before, now her attitude had changed slightly. She was convinced by the Observer¡¯s abilities and even looked forward to the good life she would lead by hanging on to his coattails. It was like going over to the dark side. Sonia was originally going to ask the Observer why he chose her and what made her stand out from the rest, but on second thought, what if the Observer suddenly realized he had no use for her and gave up on her? Wouldn¡¯t she miss out on an opportunity to become someone superior? Additionally, if he did not possess immense power, how did the Observer control her movements, see through the fog of the Illusory Realm, and pull her into the dream trial? She must be wary of the Observer playing the underdog card! If Sonia fell for it, the Observer might make use of the situation and punish her more severely! ¡°Speaking of which, what kind of creature was that fish?¡± There it is. You¡¯re even asking me this kind of common sense question. Keep pretending if you want! Sonia played along with him. ¡°The Mud Ichthyosaur is one of the most common knowledge creatures in the Illusory Realm. Killing it will grant you access to all kinds of spell spirits, such as those in the School of Water Sorcery and School of Earth Sorcery. If this Mud Ichthyosaur has killed other sorcerers in the past, the spell spirits of other sorcerers might also exist in its body.¡± There were only two types of intelligent creatures in the Illusory Realm, sorcerers and knowledge creatures. Just as its name suggested, if a sorcerer killed knowledge creatures, he would be able to obtain the knowledge that they had gathered¡ªspell spirits. It was different from the legacy left behind by the sorcerers. Spell spirits dropped by knowledge creatures were not stable, even though they basically came from the same faction. For example, the Mud Ichthyosaur would not drop the spell spirits from the School of Fire Sorcery. However, even within the same school, there were still many different spell spirits, and the drops of knowledge creatures would be updated with the version. For example, if a sorcerer in reality invented a new knowledge system and summoned a new type of spell spirit, then when other sorcerers killed knowledge creatures in the Illusory Realm, they might directly drop a new version of spell spirit that had just been invented. If the new knowledge system was too innovative and insane, it might even directly produce new knowledge creatures and expand the biodiversity in the Illusory Realm. Similar to ¡°equal opportunity¡±, this was also one of the important prerequisites for sorcerers: ¡°equal knowledge¡±. No one could monopolize knowledge forever. No matter how hard you defended your newly invented knowledge, other sorcerers could still obtain your results in the Illusory Realm. If you wanted to maintain your advantage, you needed to constantly innovate. Those who were conservative-minded and clung to the idea that one invention would give them a permanent lead were no different from idiots who stayed in the same place for a long time in the Illusory Realm. If you didn¡¯t take risks, the Illusory Realm would swallow you; if you didn¡¯t innovate, reality would crush you. After introducing the knowledge creatures, Sonia could not help but test the waters. ¡°Since you know that there¡¯s danger in the fog, can¡¯t you tell what kind of creature it is?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t detect it. I only know how dangerous something in the fog is to us, but I can¡¯t tell what the specific danger is.¡± Sonia was a little disappointed. ¡°Then you won¡¯t be able to find the gold fish either.¡± ¡°Gold fish?¡± Ash was a bit confused. ¡°What is that?¡± It was as if Sonia had heard someone ask her how much one plus one was equal to. She pursed her lips and suddenly had a thought: is he trying to train my obedience by asking me stupid questions? If I resist, will he think that I¡¯m not loyal enough and punish me severely? At that thought, Sonia became more cautious and answered the question seriously, ¡°The gold fish is a fish floating on the Sea of Knowledge. On its back is the Time Continent, and the Time Continent is where the Two-winged Sorcerers go¡­¡± ¡°Wait, continent?¡± Ash interjected. ¡°How big is this fish?¡± ¡°Very. No one has ever seen the entirety of the Gold Fish. It¡¯s said that the smallest scale on the Gold Fish¡¯s body is equivalent to a large city that can accommodate a million people.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t it be easy to find such a big fish?¡± ¡°On the contrary, only very few lucky people can find gold fish in the Sea of Knowledge. And without exception, those lucky people all became famous Legendary Sorcerers. ¡°Oh,¡± said Ash. ¡°So what are the benefits of finding the Gold Fish?¡± ¡°To land on the Time Continent and become a Two-winged Sorcerer.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Become a Two-winged Sorcerer directly.¡± Sonia suppressed the impatience in her heart, thinking that even the children she met when home tutoring were not so stupid. ¡°The biggest difference between One-winged Sorcerers and Two-winged Sorcerers is that One-winged Sorcerers are in the Sea of Knowledge, while Two-winged Sorcerers are in the Time Continent. ¡°When a One-winged Sorcerer gathers the ultimate amount of spell energy in the Sea of Knowledge, transforms it into Silver Wing and unfurls it, they won¡¯t be able to obtain more power during the voyage. If they want to reach a higher level, they have to advance to Two-winged. ¡°The normal way of advancement is for the sorcerer to summon a Two-winged spell spirit by studying knowledge. Then, they will find the Gate of Truth in the Two-Winged spell spirit and cross into the Illusory Realm. There, he will reach the second level of the Illusory Realm¡ªthe Time Continent. Only in the Time Continent can the sorcerer absorb more spell energy and condense the second Illusory Wing: Gold Wing.¡± One-winged sorcerer sailed through the Sea of Knowledge to condense the Silver Wing. Two-winged Sorcerer walked through the Time Continent to condense the Gold Wings¡­ Ash gained an initial understanding of the sorcerer¡¯s power system, but he had a question. ¡°Can a One-winged Sorcerer obtain the Two-winged spell spirit from someone else and reach the Time Continent directly?¡± ¡°Absolutely not.¡± Sonia shook her head. ¡°As long as the spell spirit is not summoned by the caster, the caster will not be able to find the Gate of Truth in its body, and even searching the body of the spell spirit will be difficult. The spell spirit is made of knowledge. If you don¡¯t understand the structure of the spell spirit, how can you explore the secret of the spell spirit?¡± At this moment, Ash finally understood the advancement method of sorcerers: summon a higher-leveled spell spirit and use the spell spirit to cross into a higher-leveled Illusory Realm. After they became stronger, they would continue to summon a higher-leveled spell spirit, repeating the process. Due to the premises of ¡°equal opportunity¡± and ¡°equal knowledge¡±, adventure and research continued throughout a sorcerer¡¯s life. No one could retire comfortably. As long as one was unwilling to give up the existing benefits, one had to continue taking risks and creating benefits. Not only would this process ensure the benign development of the sorcerer¡¯s system, it would also continuously optimize the experienced sorcerers who had stopped in their tracks and were unwilling to continue working hard¡­ It sounded a little like the KPI system! It would be perfect if there was an elimination system at the end! When he realized that the sorcerers were just another type of corporate workers, Ash immediately regained his confidence. In terms of corporate work and involution, he had never lost to anyone! ¡°Wait a minute. If we can find the Gold Fish in the Sea of Knowledge and ascend to the Time Continent, wouldn¡¯t it be a shortcut for advancement?¡± ¡°We prefer to call them ¡®stowaways¡¯, stowaways who sneak from the bottom to the top¡­ This is why all the sorcerers want to find the Gold Fish.¡± Sonia shrugged. ¡°Who can resist the temptation of reaping without sowing?¡­ So, can you find the Gold Fish or not?¡± ¡°I wish.¡± ¡°Then why are you asking me so many questions? Continue the voyage.¡± Sonia looked at her slightly illusory palm. ¡°Don¡¯t go to places where there will be battles. I¡¯m a little tired. I¡¯ll have to leave the Illusory Realm after sailing one or two more regions.¡± Ash nodded. He also felt tired. The journey to the Illusory Realm was not without cost. While passing through the white mist to gather energy for them, it was also tempering their spirits and depleting their soul energy. When their soul energy decreased to a certain extent, they would have to leave the Illusory Realm to rest. Every ordinary voyage contained countless precious miracles. Ash opened [Illusory Realm Exploration[. As expected, he saw many [Waste of effort] and [Best to stay away]. However, this time, he actually saw a golden light appear in the bottom right corner of the map! The hint below the region was a striking: [Welcome!] Chapter 29 - Ash the Stowaway Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°So this is¡­ a spell spirit.¡± In the single dormitory of the Shattered Lake Prison, Ash looked at the spell spirit who was sleeping soundly in his palm. It was wearing blue striped pajamas and looked like a human cub. He had a feeling that they were connected by blood. During the last adventure in the Illusory Realm tonight, the two of them went to the white fog area marked with [Welcome] and found a Fortuitous Island within. Unlike a Legacy Island, there was no danger or trial on a Fortuitous Island. There were only wild spell spirits laughing and playing on the island. When they stepped onto the island, the spell spirits quickly dispersed. Even though they had sharp eyes and fast reflexes, they only managed to catch two spell spirits in time. The captured spell spirits conceded to their bad luck and were willing to acknowledge them as their masters. The two of them each got a spell spirit. The spell spirit Ash had obtained was the human cub that was sleeping soundly in his palm¡ª¡±Substitute¡±. [Substitute] [One-winged spell spirit] [Limitation: Sorcerer must be an intelligent primate.] [Basic Effect: Creates an illusion that is exactly the same as the target. It will shatter upon impact. If the target is an intelligent creature, it will listen to the sorcerer¡¯s orders.] [Passive Effect: Slightly alleviates pain.] [If you feel pain, pretend you¡¯re someone else. That way, it won¡¯t hurt anymore.] And what Sword Maiden had obtained was a spell spirit from the School of Water Sorcery, ¡°Rapid Flow¡±. [Rapid Flow] [One-winged spell spirit] [Limitation: Unowned liquid must be present nearby.] [Basic Effect: Shoot out a water current with impact force.] [Passive Effect: Increases control of liquid.] [Peaceful flow is life, while violent flow is change. Nothing remains unchanged, except the flow itself.] According to Sword Maiden, the Rapid Flow spell spirit could be sold at a high price in her school. This was because the Rapid Flow spell spirit was a rare high-burst offensive spell spirit in the School of Water Sorcery. It could also create many powerful miracles, but the difficulty of summoning it was very high. Therefore, the price was extremely high, even surpassing some two-winged spell spirits. Although Ash really wanted to say ¡°why would a fictional character like you need money¡±, he thought about it and realized that it might be an automatic upgrade mechanism in the game. Furthermore, he still had to cozy up to Sword Maiden. Now was definitely not the time to get into a conflict with her. During the critical period of a project, the only technician on it was the one person you must not offend! So, the two of them happily distributed the spoils. Sword Maiden was very satisfied, and Ash was even more satisfied. This was because the Substitution Spell Spirit was one of the compulsory main spell spirits for the Slay Self miracle! The most important thing for Ash right now was to gather the few spell spirits required for the Slay Self miracle, and completely shatter the control of the chip on his neck. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t even be qualified to escape from prison! He fixed his eyes on the Substitution Spell Spirit on his palm and secretly activated that mysterious spiritual energy in his mind. As soon as he returned from the Illusory Realm, he discovered that his consciousness had transformed from illusory to solid. It felt like his imagination had really become a physical force, or an invisible phantom limb. He could drive his spiritual energy to touch everything in reality. Even without asking, Ash knew that this spiritual energy was the spell energy that Sword Maiden had mentioned many times. Spell energy was the all-purpose energy of a sorcerer, and it was also the foundation for a sorcerer to activate spell spirits. Sorcerers without spell energy were no different from ordinary people. On the other hand, as long as one had spell energy, they could be considered a sorcerer, even if they were the worst sorcerer. However, Ash recalled that before he entered the Illusory Realm, he didn¡¯t even have any spell energy. Ash understood the source of this spell energy very well. This was because he had been traveling in the Illusory Realm with Sword Maiden. Every layer of white mist that he broke not only tempered his spirit, but also gathered the knowledge that was roaming. Under the double effect, it formed an all-purpose energy source¡ªspell energy. As a result, after returning from the Illusory Realm, Ash not only possessed a spell spirit, but also possessed spell energy. In other words, he was already an authentic sorcerer through and through. However¡­ As Ash tried to use his mental feelers to explore the body of the Substitution Spell Spirit, he received feedback like the listening section of the Level 6 Foreign Language Exam. Not only could he not understand it put together, he could not even understand a single sentence. It was exactly like what Sword Maiden had said. ¡®If you don¡¯t summon the spirit yourself, you won¡¯t even be able to analyze its structure.¡¯ Since he could not analyze it, naturally, it was impossible for him to find the Gate of Truth in the Substitution Spell Spirit. In other words, Ash was a sorcerer who could not enter the Illusory Realm on his own! This was completely contrary to what the Sword Maiden had said about the system of sorcery. Every sorcerer, regardless of whether they were an outstanding genius or a hopeless case, and regardless of whether they were born into an extraordinary background or started out as an orphan, would without exception learn to summon their spell spirit first before entering the Illusory Realm. Since ancient times, there had never been an ignorant and incompetent sorcerer! The term ¡°sorcerer¡± referred to ¡°mastery of art¡±. Every sorcerer was a master of an art! But now, there was an exception! Ash Heath, an ignorant and incompetent wandering soul from another world, crossed the threshold of knowledge and became an official sorcerer! He suddenly recalled the legend of the Gold Fish and stowaways that Sword Maiden had mentioned just now. ¡°If a Silver Sorcerer finds the Gold Fish, he can stow away to the Time Continent to become a Gold Sorcerer. I took the windfall of Sword Maiden and stowed away to the Sea of Knowledge to become a Silver Sorcerer¡­¡± Other stowaways were movements between the classes of sorcerers. It was equivalent to the movement of people in different regions of the same country, which could always be considered an internal conflict. But Ash as a stowaway was akin to migrating from a primitive tribe to a developed country. It could be considered a species invasion. ¡®This was a secret that absolutely must not be exposed,¡¯ Ash thought. If other sorcerers discovered that he was a stowaway, they would never let him off for the sake of conserving biodiversity. Substitute! Ash called out silently, but nothing happened. The Substitute Spell Spirit was still snoring on his palm. The next second, the hologram suddenly popped up, and a stream of information flashed past his eyes. [Warning: You are trying to output spell energy! This is prohibited!] Ash patted his own head¡ªthat¡¯s right, if the chip restricted him from entering the Illusory Realm, it would definitely restrict him from using spell energy! If he wanted to activate the spell spirit to cast a miracle, he would have to bypass the chip. If he wanted to bypass the chip, he would have to activate the spell spirit to cast a miracle to purify the chip¡­ Tch, he had entered an infinite loop again! ¡°Sword Maiden, my Doraemon, save me¡ª¡± ¡°Sword Maiden?¡± Ash called out twice. The dormitory was still empty. The elusive Sword Maiden did not appear this time. He thought about it again. Sword Maiden had already accompanied him through the tiring trip in the Illusory Realm tonight. She must be tired. Even fictional characters needed rest too. He should not disturb her today. ¡°If I suffer injury enough, I¡¯ll take my opponent, and sever without hesitation the curse of yesterday. I¡¯ll await daylight when night falls, leaving behind scars¡­¡± Only when Ash looked up did he realize it was eight o¡¯clock the next morning. The song for the routine morning call in prison was playing on time. It was time for breakfast. There was still a deathmatch waiting for him at the Deathmatch Society. ¡­ ¡­ In the meditation room of Sword Flower University, Sonia slowly opened her eyes. She extended her hand, and a spell spirit in the form of a young maiden in a white dress appeared on her palm. If this spell spirit was made public, it would definitely attract the attention of many people. It was very rare for someone to gain something on their first day into the Illusory Realm, not to mention that Sonia had also obtained such a precious trophy. She did not lie to the Observer. The Rapid Flow Spell Spirit was indeed very popular on the Spell Spirit Trading Platform of Sword Flower University. Even in all of Galaxy, it could be considered a first-rate one-winged spell spirit. However, she did not tell the whole truth: the value of the Substitution Spell Spirit was not low either. In fact, the price of a general spell spirit was a level higher than specialized spell spirits. Unless the usage was too narrow, a one-winged general spell spirit could be sold for the price of a two-winged specialized spell spirit. After all, only the sorcerers of certain schools had a need for specialized spell spirits, and all sorcerers could use generalized spell spirits. The demand for them was higher than the supply, so the price would naturally be high. So why did she hide this information? She wanted the Observer to discover her ¡°little consideration¡±. Back in the Illusory Realm, Sonia had discovered that the Observer could no longer read her mind. Perhaps it was because of the limitations of the Illusory Realm, but it actually didn¡¯t mean much¡ªin any case, the Observer could listen to her thoughts once again in reality. When they obtained the Substitute Spell Spirit and the Rapid Flow Spell Spirit, even though Sonia could not see the Observer¡¯s expression, she could tell from his body movements that he really wanted the Substitute Spell Spirit. Therefore, Sonia took advantage of the situation and gave the Substitute Spell Spirit to the observer. When they returned to reality, the Observer would know from Sonia¡¯s thoughts that she knew the value of the Substitution Spell Spirit, but had held back from mentioning it, pretending that it was a great deal for her to get the Rapid Flow Spell Spirit, so that the Observer could readily accept the Substitute Spell Spirit. A simple-minded girl who was a little scheming, but whose scheming was all in consideration for you, and whose method was so crude that you could see through it¡ªeven if such an impression couldn¡¯t deliver a critical hit to the Observer, it would at least improve the Observer¡¯s favorable opinion of her greatly. I thought you were on the first level, and I was on the second level, but you saw through me on the third level. However, the truth was that I was on the fourth level, waiting for you to see through me. However, the prerequisite for all of this was that Sonia had to hide the fact that she was actually on the fourth level. This was not difficult for her¡ªafter two days of mental training, Sonia had already gained basic control over her own thoughts, allowing her to only think what she wanted to think. Sonia withdrew her Rapid Spell Spirit and left the meditation room. [Observer, I¡¯m going back to take a shower. Remember to recuse yourself.] [Observer?] Stepping out of the Pavilion of Meditation, Sonia looked around and confirmed that the Observer was really not there. For the past few days, as long as Sonia called out, the Observer would appear in her blind spot without exception. This time, he did not appear for several minutes, which meant¡ª After exploring the Illusory Realm, the Observer also had no choice but to rest and stop monitoring Sonia 24/7. However, Sonia did not feel any happiness about her freedom. Instead, she felt aggrieved, as if she had brought a cake back to her dormitory only to find that the toilet had exploded! I went to such lengths to find an opportunity to prepare a sugar-coated cannonball, but you just ate it and ran off!? Chapter 30 - Celia Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Good morning, junior Sonia.¡± Sonia turned around and raised an eyebrow when she saw senior Celia exiting the Pavilion of Meditation. Although she said she didn¡¯t want to get involved with Felix, she actually had a hard time avoiding him, because he was also a student of Professor Trozan. Only swordplay geniuses could catch the distinguished attention of the Hidden Hand Sword Sage. After interacting with Felix for a while, Sonia naturally got to know Celia as well. In just a few interactions, Sonia knew that Celia was the same type of person as her, the kind of female hunter who would do anything to climb up the ladder. Therefore, Celia was naturally hostile toward Sonia. After all, Felix was her prey. Sonia¡¯s appearance now was equivalent to catching a rare animal after going to great lengths to do so, only to find a fully armed master pet trainer appear beside the trap. It would be strange if you weren¡¯t alarmed. Although Sonia said that she looked down on Felix, it was not impossible for her to give him a chance if he was willing to be her lackey. Therefore, she was undecided and planned to lead him on first and observe the situation. Celia studied Sonia for a moment, then covered her nose and took half a step back. ¡°It¡¯s your first trip into the Illusory Realm, junior. You seem very excited.¡± Are you seriously taking half a step back? Although Sonia had not showered after her training last night, she had used a towel to wipe her body and changed her clothes. There was no way she would smell. However, she had just come out of the meditation room. She had not washed her face or put on any makeup. Compared to Celia¡¯s fully armed ¡°no makeup appearance¡±, she was naturally as scruffy as a roadside puppy. Sonia could tell at a glance that Celia¡¯s ¡°no makeup¡± appearance would take at least an hour to put on. ¡°Hello, senior Celia.¡± Sonia nodded slightly. ¡°Are you here at the Pavilion of Meditation to borrow the bathroom?¡± Sonia was not used to being struck without retaliating. Her mockery that Celia was not here for meditating but putting on makeup was flawless. It could be considered an insult without profanity. ¡°Of course I¡¯m here to meditate and enter the Illusory Realm.¡± Celia forced a smile and held out her hand. ¡°This is the legacy spell spirit I found last night. What do you think, ?¡± A little boy carrying a scabbard appeared in Celia¡¯s hand. Sonia glanced at it and raised her eyebrows, recalling the information about this spell spirit. [Scabbard] [One-winged spell spirit] [Limitation: Sorcerer must use swords] [Basic Effect: When combined with other sword spell spirits, the first activation of the latter every 10 seconds will result in 150% effect.] To swordsmanship masters, the scabbard was a very practical spell spirit. It could even extend to a swordplay branch: Assassination Swordmasters. Through burst miracles such as ¡°Light in Scabbard¡±, ¡°Accumulation of Momentum¡±, and ¡°Space-Fracturing Sword Aura¡±, swordmasters could release one beam of sword aura that could break through all defenses of the same level, and one beam only. Its power was unparalleled among all the sorcerers of the various schools, and anyone who was hit by it would meet certain death. For a moment, Sonia even wanted to trade the Rapid Flow Spell Spirit with Celia. Although the Rapid Flow Spell Spirit was more expensive than the Scabbard Spell Spirit on the trading platform, most of the time, spell spirits lacked buyers despite their value. It was very difficult to find a suitable sword spell spirit, and even if she did, she might not be able to snag it. But when she saw Celia¡¯s amused gaze, she understood everything¡ªthe lady was there to show off. ¡°Well, do you think Felix will like it?¡± Sonia suddenly felt a little guilty. She must have looked as annoying as Celia when she was in the dormitory last night. She was really grateful that her dormmates did not kill her. ¡°I really envy your boyfriend.¡± Sonia forced an ugly smile. ¡°For a swordmaster, this is a very precious spell spirit.¡± ¡°Really? Since you say so, junior, I¡¯ll believe you.¡± Celia covered her mouth and laughed, still wary. After the swordplay competition the night before, Celia had thought that Felix would abandon her and go after Sonia, but unexpectedly, Felix did not have such thoughts. He still treated her very well and only wanted to compete with Sonia again. Celia didn¡¯t think Felix had intentions of two-timing. He wasn¡¯t the type to hide his emotions. If he was interested in someone else, he¡¯d break up with Celia directly and wouldn¡¯t bother playing around with her at all. So Celia believed Felix really wasn¡¯t interested in Sonia. He was just dedicated to winning. But even so, Sonia was still Celia¡¯s perceived rival. After all, sparks between men and women were often caused by friction. Perhaps Felix had no interest now, but what about the next second? Tomorrow? Next week? As long as Felix was breathing, there was a possibility that he would have a change of heart. As such, Celia could only keep an eye on her boyfriend and prevent him from having any chance to interact with Sonia in private, such as now. Not only that, she also had to increase her bargaining power and try her best to intimidate Sonia so that she could prevent problems before they emerged. ¡°Junior, you have to work hard too.¡± Celia encouraged her. ¡°I heard that your family background isn¡¯t very good. Compared to us, who are locals of Galaxy, your ability is much greater than us for being able to get into Sword Flower University from the national exams. You¡¯ll definitely be able to stay in Galaxy and bring your family to live in the big city.¡± ¡®Here it comes. The condescending disdain and motivation from the rich to the poor¡­¡¯ Sonia smiled perfunctorily. ¡°Thank you for your concern, senior.¡± ¡°Alas, you¡¯re a bird that could have soared higher, but unfortunately, your family dragged you down.¡± Celia said it with a mix of pretense and genuineness. She really felt a bit sorry for Sonia. If Sonia had been born into a middle-class family in Galaxy, she would definitely have had better opportunities. Unfortunately, she was a village girl from a poor agricultural town on the border. She hadn¡¯t noticed that Sonia¡¯s expression had changed. ¡°You are right, senior.¡± Sonia paused for a second and gave a helpless smile. ¡°Most of the time, a person¡¯s starting point decides where their endpoint is. Birth is our first lottery ticket, and I only got the consolation prize.¡± Celia wondered if she¡¯d been too harsh with her words and had broken Sonia¡¯s defenses. She thought about what she should say to comfort her junior. ¡°A person from a poor place like me can¡¯t change my tackiness. I chatted with you for so long and forgot that I didn¡¯t wash my face. It¡¯s really rude of me to chat with you with such a sloppy face.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to say that¡­¡± Just as Celia was about to say something to comfort Sonia, she saw Sonia summon a spell spirit. A ball of water appeared in her hand and leaped right at her face. ¡°After washing my face, I feel much more refreshed.¡± Celia stared at the spell spirit in Sonia¡¯s hand. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Sonya was slightly stunned. Her eyes started to wander, and she stammered, ¡°This, this is the fortuitous encounter I¡­ I obtained it from the Illusory Realm last night! Yes, this is the Rapid Flow Spell Spirit I obtained from the Fortuitous Island! Look at my luck, right?¡± ¡°Oh,¡± said Celia. Disbelief was written all over her face. How could someone encounter a Fortuitous Island on their first day entering the Illusory Realm? Furthermore, she had also obtained one of the most precious spell spirits of the School of Water Sorcery, the Rapid Flow Water Spirit!? Do you take me for a fool? Could it be that she had bought it? But how could a village girl have the money to buy such a precious spell spirit? Moreover, the Rapid Flow Spell Spirit was priceless. Celia had wanted to buy it for a long time, but she could not find a seller at all! Since it was not bought, someone else must have gifted it to her. In Sword Flower University, there were not many people who could casually take out the Rapid Flow Spell Spirit¡­ Celia barely managed to compose her expression and forced a smile. ¡°This is a very important spell spirit in the School of Water Sorcery. Junior, do you have any intention of switching to the School of Water Sorcery?¡± ¡°Yeah, although I¡¯m talented in swordplay, I¡¯m also interested in the School of Water Sorcery¡­¡± Seeing Felix exit the Pavilion of Meditation, Sonia hurriedly waved her hand and said goodbye. ¡°Senior, I have something else to do. See you later!¡± Celia was wondering at Sonia¡¯s haste when she turned to see Felix just leaving the building. ¡°Senior, you¡¯re waiting for me?¡± Felix smiled. ¡°The Illusory Realm really is an interesting place¡­ I want to go to the library to look up more information on the Illusory Realm. Senior, would you like to come with me?¡± Celia glanced in the direction Sonia had gone, then at Felix. She felt like she understood something, and it made her terribly jealous. Many words came to the tip of her tongue, only to turn into a sweet reply. ¡°Sure.¡± She smiled and stretched out her hand.. ¡°This is the Scabbard Spell Spirit I obtained from the Illusory Realm last night, but I don¡¯t learn swordplay¡­ Junior, what do you think I should do with this spell spirit?¡± Chapter 31 - All Were Orphans Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Shattered Lake Prison, dining hall. Perhaps because he came especially early today, Ash found that the prisoners who came to eat breakfast filled the entire dining hall. A little careful observation was an eye-opener for him. Other than humans, orcs, and goblins, there were many other species in the prison. Those who crawled on the ground, those with two horns, those with four arms¡­ Ash even saw a woman who looked especially sexy and exposed, and had hooves and furry ears. He wondered what kind of race she was. This made him develop a strong interest and wonderful fantasy regarding the health care industry of this world. He wasn¡¯t a furry, but¡­ ¡°Do you want food?¡± The soulful questioning of the dining hall lady drew Ash¡¯s gaze back to her. Ash randomly ordered a few servings that could fill his stomach. He saw that there was also a special dish at the window that stated: ¡°everyone is limited to one serving¡±. It looked especially tempting. ¡°Madam, what is this?¡± ¡°Imperial seafood lalafell. It¡¯s a seasonal delicacy, so production is very low.¡± The lady said, ¡°If you came any later, it would be gone.¡± ¡°All right, I¡¯ll have¡­¡± ¡°Give me five servings!¡± A muffled shout interrupted Ash. He turned his head and saw a green-skinned orc getting his meal. The lady opposite him took away all five remaining servings of seafood lalafell and poured them into its huge bowl. ¡°Uh? This? Why gave it the right to get five servings?¡± Ash gaped. ¡°It¡¯s an orc,¡± the lady said matter-of-factly. ¡°Why gave orcs the right to get five servings?¡± ¡°Orcs can get five servings. It¡¯s always been like this.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be able to have any if it takes five servings. How can this be¡ª¡± Suddenly, Ash¡¯s words were stuck in his throat. The hologram popped up, and a series of red warnings filled his vision. [Warning: You are trying to make racist remarks! This is prohibited! In the Blood Moon Nation, racial equality is the first rule! Please take note!] Saying that orcs eat too much is considered racism!? Depressed, Ash took his tray of food and went to find a seat. He found that all the seats were taken everywhere. When he finally found an empty seat, he found a blue-skinned monster with a particularly large ass sitting next to it. It looked even more menacing than the orcs and took two seats directly. In his previous life, Ash would have turned around and left. However, this was the Shattered Lake Prison, and the other party could not use violence against him. Thus, he walked over gallantly. ¡°Hey, you¡¯ve taken up two seats. Make way.¡± The blue-skinned monster who was eating turned to look at him before lowering its head to eat. ¡°I¡¯m an ogre.¡± ¡°Oh, so what? You can¡¯t take two seats even if you¡¯re an ogre¡ª¡± [Warning: You are trying to make racist remarks! This is prohibited! In the Blood Moon Nation, racial equality is the first rule! Please take note!] It¡¯s considered racist to say that your ass occupied two seats? Ash wanted to curse out loud, but he couldn¡¯t because his words were stuck in his throat. He wanted to dump his tray over the ogre, but he couldn¡¯t because his hands were frozen. Under the control of the chip on the back of their neck, every prisoner was the most loyal follower of the law. When they did not violate any laws or morals, they were granted the greatest freedom. But as soon as they touched the legal or moral boundary, even with a word or a glance, invisible shackles would bind them tightly. Suddenly, someone patted his shoulder. A burly man beside him picked up his tray and stood up, indicating for Ash to sit there. Ash thanked him and found the burly man somewhat familiar. He might have seen the man yesterday at the Deathmatch Society. ¡°Desmond,¡± he introduced himself, shooting a disgusted glance at the ogre and goblin sitting at his table. ¡°I¡¯m going to the Deathmatch Society first. Have a match with me if you get the chance.¡± Hearing that they were from the Deathmatch Society, the others glanced up at them and moved a little farther away. Ash sat down and listened to the ogre chewing like a tractor next to him. He watched the goblin opposite him crouch in its chair and spray crumbs everywhere as it ate. A strong desire to escape welled up in him. It was different from breaking out of prison. The reason he wanted to break out of prison was that he knew he would die if he stayed. The reason he wanted to escape was that he hated this environment. The last time he felt this way was when he met a stupid superior during his internship. If it were a stupid colleague, he could still resist and rig things. But if his superior was stupid, he could not do anything other than endure it. He could not even resist verbally. He could suffer grievances and hardships, because endurance was for the sake of not having to endure in the future. However, if his superior was stupid, it meant that he would have to endure all the time in the future. Then, why should he work there? If he must work overtime, he might as well work overtime elsewhere. He could just say goodbye. The next boss would be better. The current situation was much more serious than that of a stupid superior¡ªthe entire environment was stupid. You¡¯re angry, but you can¡¯t say anything. You want to resist, but your body wouldn¡¯t listen to you. Ash suddenly came to a realization. He had thought that the Shattered Lake Prison was really treating the prisoners well. In fact, however, locking up such a group of detestable death row criminals and forbidding any transgressions between them, while making them struggle to create value for the prison in order to escape the Blood Moon Trial, was actually a form of mental dismemberment. Extinguish their anger. Shatter their hope. Eliminate their courage. Destroy their determination. It planted the seeds of despair, grievance, regret, fear, and so on in them, until they were disfigured and broke down in insanity. Then, they would appear at the Blood Moon Trial in the image of a perfect abuser, and welcome the tragic end that they deserved. Ash could now understand why there were so many people in the Deathmatch Society. That was the only place where a death row criminal could vent his anger. It was the only dog hole in the prison that allowed them to breathe some fresh air. It was equivalent to a trash recycling station. However, the interesting thing was that people like Ash who couldn¡¯t endure the environment were the ones considered trash. The death row criminals beside them who could relax were the model prisoners of this prison. Quickly finishing his meal, Ash hurried to where the trash should go. There was no ongoing deathmatch in the Deathmatch Society. It was bright inside, and from a distance, Ash could see Runner lying in his boyfriend¡¯s arms. Ash wasn¡¯t sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt like Runner¡¯s boyfriend had lost some weight since yesterday. No way. Was Runner the one who squeezed others dry? ¡°Ash.¡± Runner raised his hand and waved in greeting, ¡°You¡¯re here so early. Have you just finished your breakfast? Do you want to digest your food first? Anyway, Valkas isn¡¯t here yet.¡± Ash nodded and found a place to sit down. Someone immediately sat beside him. ¡°Silin Dore.¡± ¡°Who?¡± Ash looked at Igora beside him with some wariness. Igora raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to be nervous. I am not interested in inviting you to a deathmatch. I will not participate in any battle that I am not confident in winning, nor will I waste my time on something as worthless as dignity. I initiated the gambit and I readily accept my defeat.¡± ¡°People who play tactics like you are black-hearted. I can¡¯t trust you.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s abandon the meaningless prelude and directly engage in the oldest interaction between humans¡ª¡± ¡°Mating?¡± ¡°Dealing, dealing!¡± Igora enunciated each word clearly, hard enough to bleed them. ¡°Answer a question from me, and I¡¯ll answer one from you. ¡°I have no questions for you.¡± ¡°Really? Don¡¯t you want to know why that elf Valkas challenged you?¡± Elf? Ash was somewhat surprised, but didn¡¯t show it on his face. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m a bit curious, but how can I know that you won¡¯t lie?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re going to lie to me either.¡± Igora smiled. ¡°We¡¯re both taking the same risk.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s the point of this deal?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m confident that I can tell if you¡¯re lying or not. Even if you¡¯re lying, I can guess the truth. Similarly, you can¡ª¡± ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± Ash shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m unlearned. You¡¯ll definitely lie to me.¡± Igora choked, as if this was the first time he saw someone so self-aware. After a moment of silence, he said helplessly, ¡°Then I¡¯ll tell you the news directly. You can judge whether this news is valuable or not. If it is, then answer my question. Is that okay?¡± Igora¡¯s tone sounded as if he had been grievously wronged. After some thought, Ash felt that Igora shouldn¡¯t be taken advantage of him, so he nodded. ¡°Valkas Ur used to be a researcher at Kaimon General University. He was imprisoned on suspicion of stealing important patented technology, privately raising a child, and killing his colleague. Due to his identity as an elf, he was the only criminal who didn¡¯t participate in the Blood Moon Judgment during his time in prison. He was imprisoned for five years and never participated in a single Blood Moon Judgment.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± said Ash. He remembered Runner had said that every criminal on the death row had to participate in the first Blood Moon Judgment. In prison, this was known as ¡°going through the motions¡±. Only by going through it would one be qualified to create value in the Shattered Lake Prison. If one could not go through it, they would only be qualified to become fertilizer. ¡°Why could he escape the Blood Moon Judgment? Because of his identity as an elf? Didn¡¯t they say that racial equality is the first rule of the Blood Moon Nation?¡± ¡°Race equality is of course the first rule.¡± Igora smiled mysteriously. ¡°But some races are more equal than others.¡± As expected, equality was a horizon. It existed everywhere, but it could not be reached anywhere¡­ Ash did not lament about this. After all, he had just arrived not long ago and did not know much about how ¡°racial equality¡± was implemented here. ¡°Then why did he challenge me?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to start from the crimes he committed. Although stealing patented technology and killing his colleagues are serious crimes, they¡¯re not enough to send him to Shattered Lake Prison. The real crime that incited the wrath of the higher-ups was him privately raising a child!¡± Ash was confused. What? ¡°Why is privately raising a child a serious crime?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s not allowed. No one is allowed to raise children on their own.¡± Ash was getting more and more confused. ¡°If no one is raising children, then how did you¡­ how did we grow up?¡± ¡°We all grew up in foster homes.¡± Igora frowned. ¡°Socialized fostering is the basic policy of the Blood Moon Nation. Are you asking me this kind of question to hassle me?¡± Socialized fostering? Ash tried to understand the unfamiliar term as best he could. ¡°You mean, we¡¯re all raised by the state. Everyone is an¡ª¡± He wanted to say ¡°orphan without parents¡±, but the words stopped on his tongue. This time, it wasn¡¯t the chip that stopped him. Instead, it was because Ash couldn¡¯t find the words at all. He searched Heath¡¯s head with all his might, only to discover that there were no words similar to ¡°father¡± or ¡°mother¡± in Heath¡¯s mother tongue! The only thing that was somewhat related was the word ¡°guardian¡±! There was no stronger evidence than this. Even the terms for ¡°parents¡± did not exist. It was enough to prove that these two figures did not even exist in the social relations of the Blood Moon Nation! Wait. Orphans who are socially fostered, chips that can control everyone¡¯s words and actions¡­ Ash suddenly felt a twinge of fear towards the world beyond the prison. Just what kind of world have I transmigrated to?! Chapter 32 - Elf with a Vicious Tongue Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Igora was puzzled. After asking him a question that could not have been more idiotic, Ash Heath suddenly fell into deep thought. But of course Ash wasn¡¯t an idiot. Igora wasn¡¯t going to admit he had been defeated by an idiot. ¡°Have you already guessed the reason why Valkas challenged you?¡± Ash came back to his senses and asked tentatively, ¡°Is it because of that child?¡± Igora nodded. ¡°I thought so too.¡± ¡°Valkas has been content with keeping to himself in prison for five years. He almost never challenges others. Just harvesting contribution points from those who dislike him is enough for him to live comfortably. ¡°This time, he suddenly stood up. There is no reason aside from that child. Back then, he risked losing his reputation and going to jail to raise that child. This is enough to prove how much he values that child. ¡°That child has long been sent to a foster home and educated there. There are many people who can come into contact with that child, but there¡¯s only one ¡®key person¡¯ who will link that child and Valkas to you. ¡°That person is Silin Dore.¡± As he met Igora¡¯s confident gaze, Ash vaguely sensed that it was a name he should know. But he just didn¡¯t know it. ¡°Who is Silin?¡± Igora stared into Ash¡¯s eyes. He said suddenly, ¡°Stay still.¡± He jabbed a finger into Ash¡¯s face. ¡°Ask that again.¡± ¡°Who is Silin?¡± Igora was stunned for a moment. He sighed and withdrew his hand. ¡°Silin Dore is a history professor at Kaimon General University, and also the president of the Elven Racial Rights Association. He has many other titles, but none of them have anything to do with you. The one which is most relevant to you is his role as the advisor of Kaimon General University¡¯s Ancient Artifacts Research Society.¡± Ancient Artifacts Research Society? Ash blinked, realizing a possibility. ¡°I was once a member of the Ancient Artifacts Research Society?¡± ¡°To be more precise, you¡¯re still the president of the Ancient Artifacts Research Society. Even though I don¡¯t have any evidence, your relationship with Silin probably surpasses a relation of interest between normal teachers and students.¡± Four Pillar Deities Cult! Was it possible that Heath had single-handedly bewitched so many heretics, and used his charisma and leadership to establish the Four Pillar Deities Cult, a criminal gang with a triad nature? It was indeed possible, but it was more likely that Heath had accepted the gift and help of others! Silin Dore was very likely one of the supporters behind Heath! ¡°I¡¯ve already expressed my sincerity. Are you willing to answer my question? Though, I¡¯ve already guessed the answer.¡± Igora interrupted Ash¡¯s thoughts. ¡°If you already guessed it, why are you still asking me¡­ Just ask.¡± ¡°How on earth did you deceive me with your inner voice? Last night in the ring, I could only predict the direction of your attack by listening to your inner voice. This move has almost never failed because no one can deceive themselves.¡± Ash was slightly startled. ¡°What? You can hear my inner voice?¡± ¡°Only in the arena can I hear the whispers of your soul through your surging emotions,¡± Igora explained. Normally, he would not say things that exposed his weakness as such. He would even hope that others would suspect and fear him because of it. However, for some reason, he felt that bluffing was useless against Ash, so he didn¡¯t bother with pretenses. ¡°I didn¡¯t use my inner voice to deceive you.¡± Ash scratched his head. ¡°I only found out now that you can actually cheat like this. No wonder I couldn¡¯t even land a punch on you before.¡± ¡°Then how did you manage to say ¡®you¡¯re quite pretty¡¯ in your heart while punching my face?¡± ¡°Saying that you¡¯re good-looking is not contradictory to wanting to beat you up!¡± Igora had more to say.. ¡°Generally speaking, I can hear the truest desire in people¡¯s hearts, so those superficial false thoughts can¡¯t deceive me. If you want to hit me, I can definitely hear the thought ¡®I want to hit your face¡¯ instead of the praise ¡®you¡¯re quite pretty¡¯.¡± ¡°Oh, I think I more or less understand what you mean.¡± Ash cocked his head. ¡°I guess I was distracted then.¡± ¡°Distracted?¡± ¡°Yes, when I get distracted, I would let my imagination run wild. I wanted to find sexy pictures as eye candy, so I sincerely thought that you looked good.¡± ¡°Then why did you suddenly hit me?¡± ¡°Because I perked up after I¡¯ve finished being distracted. Naturally, I quickly got into work mode.¡± Ash shrugged. ¡°Sexy pictures will only affect my work efficiency.¡± It all sounded very reasonable. As Ash was distracted, Igora heard the wrong inner voice¡ªas if he¡¯d believe it! A cult leader of the Four Pillar Deities Cult, a genius martial artist who could grow rapidly in battle¡ªhow could such a person get distracted in battle? In addition, when they were talking about Silin Dore earlier, Ash acted as if he really didn¡¯t know this person. Igora was more willing to believe that Ash had mastered the skill to perfectly disguise himself! ¡°That¡¯s impossible. Even if you¡¯re distracted, I can definitely hear your true thoughts!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so sure. Maybe your abilities are limited¡­¡± ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, allow me to test it!¡± Igora reached out and touched Ash¡¯s face. ¡°I can tell if you¡¯re lying through the change in the temperature of your face. Just tell me a truth or a lie! If my ability is limited, I definitely won¡¯t be able to tell whether your words are true or false!¡± Ash blinked. ¡°I¡¯m lying.¡± Igora froze. Wait a minute, was what he said true? If what he said was true, but he said that he was lying, then it was a lie; if it was false, then it meant the opposite, and that sentence was true¡­ The infinite reasoning messed up Igora¡¯s thoughts. He sat in the audience stands in a daze like a broken doll, muttering about truth and lies. Ash spread out his hands. He had encountered many such brain teasers during his interviews. It seemed like the children of this world had never seen such a brain teaser problem. At that moment, there was a commotion outside the Deathmatch Society. ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t this our Lord Elf?¡± ¡°Lord Ur, this lowly orc offers you his most precious regards. Do you need me to lick your shoes for you?¡± ¡°Get out of the way, get out of the way, don¡¯t dirty Master Elf¡¯s clothes. Inferior races like yourselves don¡¯t deserve to be within five steps of the elves!¡± Although the chip did not allow criminals to direct malicious words towards others, it was limited to ¡®malicious words¡¯. The chip was not intelligent enough to distinguish ¡°sarcasm¡±. Ash was rather surprised that this group of people could work together so well to ostracize a certain target. It was not that he had high hopes for the IQ and morals of criminals on the death row, but they could not have any physical conflict or verbal bullying here. They could not even hurt a single hair on the other party¡¯s head. A few sarcastic sentences were already the limit. However, in the adult world, this level of bullying was similar to a girlfriend lightly whacking you in the chest. It was both shabby and meaningless. Normal people would get tired of it very quickly. Since they were not tired of it, it could only mean¡­ ¡°Thank you for your concern.¡± Valkas bowed slightly and made a very proper gesture of courtesy. ¡°Since all of you speak so pleasantly, you must have wiped your mouth properly before leaving the bathroom, right?¡± ¡°Are you calling us sh*t eaters, Valkas?¡± ¡°No, I just wanted to praise those people who would wipe their mouths after eating feces. Why did you jump out yourself? Could it be that you also eat feces?¡± ¡°Valkas!¡± ¡°I¡¯m here. Your breath is a little bad. There¡¯s a smell of urine. Looks like you have a rather varied diet.¡± ¡°Valkas!¡± ¡°Hey, why are you so agitated? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m insulting you. Speaking of which, I just remembered a joke. In the past, I accidentally hit a dog when throwing rubbish downstairs. The dog would definitely start barking, right? So, if you hear a dog barking when you¡¯re throwing rubbish, it must have hit a dog.¡± ¡°Valkas¡ª!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect there to be so many people wiping their mouths after going to the toilet. I even heard rumors that the prisoners in Shattered Lake Prison will eat feces and poop food. In the future, I will definitely clarify for you that it is not a rumor.¡± Igora couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Such an interesting battle of insults can only be seen in the Shattered Lake Prison.¡± Ash nodded. He fully understood why Valkas could repress a dozen people on the other side by himself¡ªbecause you couldn¡¯t curse. Once you tried to curse, the chip would automatically block your throat and leave all your vulgarities simmering in your stomach. It was the equivalent of an instant gag. Therefore, those people were rendered speechless after shouting Valkas¡¯ name. Then, Valkas turned around and insulted whoever had spoken. It almost looked like they were actively volunteering to be insulted. In order to avoid the restrictions of the chip, how to insult people without using profanities, and how to insult people to the point where they lost their rationality and were silenced by the chip were two essential factors in a battle of insults in the prison. It was obvious that Valkas had a vicious tongue, and the other prisoners on the death row were no match for him. They were insulted to the point that they lost their rationality and were immediately banned from speaking. There were also people who wanted to attack him physically, but the chip took over their jurisdiction, causing their bodies to stiffen and fall to the ground with a thud. ¡°No need for formalities. You may leave.¡± Valkas raised his chin and walked past them gracefully. The people who had lost the war of insults all glared at Valkas with rage in their eyes. However, they could neither curse nor fight. It was a live demonstration of what impotent rage meant. It was no wonder these prisoners did not get tired of sarcasm. With a sharp-tongued expert like Valkas around, the interactions they received were too intense. They would probably be thinking about how to insult him back even while they were lying in bed tonight. ¡°Ash Heath?¡± ¡°Valkas Ur?¡± Valkas looked at Ash from afar. His lean face regained its indifference. He pointed to the arena. ¡°If there¡¯s no issue, let¡¯s just get started.¡± All eyes of the Deathmatch Society gathered on them. Some expectant, some teasing, some curious, some insane. Igora glanced at Ash. Now that Ash knew Valkas had something to do with Professor Silin, there must be something wrong with this deathmatch. If he were Ash, he would have refused this deathmatch¡ªhe never participated in a battle he wasn¡¯t sure he could win. ¡°Sword Maiden?¡± Igora was slightly startled. He heard Ash call out a name softly. But there was no one here called the Sword Maiden, and Ash¡¯s gaze was not directed at anyone. ¡°It¡¯s a little lonely¡­¡± Ash murmured softly and turned to Valkas. For some reason, Igora couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Valkas is much stronger than me. He¡¯s not an opponent that you can defeat with your little cleverness. Also, the destructive power of the sword is much stronger. It¡¯s possible that the winner will be determined in one strike.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Ash smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not going to use my little cleverness this time.¡± ¡°Then what are you going to use?¡± ¡°My life. I gamble with my life that he won¡¯t be able to kill me with his first strike.¡± As he watched Valkas step toward the arena, Ash stood as well. ¡°As long as he doesn¡¯t kill me with the first strike, the second strike will be my chance..¡± Chapter 33 - Miracle Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios [Valkas Ur Stakes 37 Contribution Points] [VS] [Ash Heath Stakes 2 Contribution Points] It was already very rare for a rookie to participate in deathmatches on two consecutive days when he first came to the ¡°cesspool¡± (a death row criminal¡¯s pet name for prison), not to mention that his opponent was actually Valkas ¡°The Aristocrat¡±. Naturally, this attracted the attention of countless people. Many people who were not from the Deathmatch Society came over to watch. The audience seats were packed, and even the entrance was filled with people. ¡°Both of them are using swords¡­ Is this a duel of swordplay? I haven¡¯t seen a swordplay duel in a long time. After every swordplay duel, the entire ring is filled with the fragrant scent of blood¡­¡± ¡°Human, kill that elf!¡± ¡°What kind of sword-holding stance is this? He hasn¡¯t learned swordplay before, has he? Could it be that he was scared when he saw The Aristocrat holding a sword, so he took a sword as well?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t know how to use a sword, then don¡¯t use a sword! Isn¡¯t it better to use a spear? Simple and easy to grasp.¡± ¡°It¡¯s clearly better to use an axe. One swing of the axe and no matter what kind of weapon your opponent uses, everything will turn into mush.¡± ¡°You¡­ What nonsense are you talking about? A spear is clearly more suitable for beginners!¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not talking nonsense! Axes are the best weapons for beginners!¡± Ash had yet another reason for escaping from prison: he would rather listen to others swear than listen to two grown men argue with each other in the elegant manner of a tsundere young girl. It was as incompatible as tom yum with tofu pudding. ¡°They¡¯re so noisy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what the cesspool is like. There are buzzing flies everywhere.¡± Valkas looked at the iron sword in his hand and flicked it with his finger, producing a clear clang. ¡°Maggots can¡¯t turn into butterflies. Even a real butterfly is just a slightly larger fly in a cesspool.¡± Ash laughed. ¡°I see you have a lot of reflections about prison life. Are you interested in publishing a book?¡± Valkas gently brushed across the sword blade with his fingers and assumed a standard swordplay stance. ¡°Ash Heath, I¡¯m sorry.¡± The instant the barrier around the arena rose, Valkas turned into a blur. The longsword in his hand seemed to extend to over ten meters as it pierced through the air! Even though Ash had been on high alert the entire time, he still did not have the time to block with his sword. He could only barely dodge to the right and avoid a hit to his vital spots. A small piece of flesh on his shoulder was sliced off by Valkas¡¯ sword! The intense pain made Ash gasp, but he had no time to rest, for Valkas was already close! Clang! Clang! Clang! Ash did not run away. Instead, he took the initiative to charge into Valkas¡¯ arms and pull the battle into the most dangerous distance! His rationality was not drowned out by the pain¡ªValkas was ten centimeters taller than him, and had long arms and legs. His arm span and range of attack were too great. At such a close range, there was almost no room for Ash to resist. Only by shortening the distance between the two could he turn Valkas¡¯ advantage into a disadvantage, making it impossible for him to swing his sword! ¡°Have you never learned any swordplay?¡± Ash suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. From the corner of his eye, he saw Valkas turn his wrist and change the forward grip on his sword into a reverse grip! Clang! Valkas¡¯ sword blocked Ash¡¯s stab. The elf swiped his elbow horizontally and used his height advantage to land a powerful blow on Ash¡¯s forehead! Retreat! Retreat! Retreat! The power of the elbow strike almost made Ash faint. At this moment, the spell energy that had been silent in his mind slowly circulated, emitting a cool aura that allowed him to quickly regain consciousness. His body still maintained his combat instincts as he decisively retreated! When his vision cleared up, a cold light came towards his face! Boom! Ash scrambled to his feet, not daring to let his back touch the ground at all. He looked at the wall that had been torn apart by Valkas¡¯ sword, his face filled with delayed fear, followed by dread. Their swords were not sharpened! The prison was not crazy enough to provide sharpened weapons for the death row criminals to fight with! It was already ridiculous that Valkas could use his weapon to slice off a piece of flesh from Ash¡¯s shoulder blade. Ash thought that Valkas¡¯ sword was so fast that his shoulder flesh couldn¡¯t even react in time. But that was a stone wall! It¡¯s actual stone! Stop! This is not swordplay! This was beyond the scope of swordplay! ¡°Spell¡­ Spell spirit?¡± ¡°Why do you look a little surprised?¡± Valkas smiled. ¡°Isn¡¯t it natural for a sorcerer to use a spell spirit in battle?¡± ¡°But the prison didn¡¯t unblock the spell energy limits¡ª¡± ¡°Some things can¡¯t be locked. Even if their limbs are bound, they will still sprout wings and fly. The spirits born from the knowledge that I have completely grasped are still my power, even if there is no supply of spell energy. They will still make every ordinary action of mine into a moment of miracle.¡± Ash let out a deep breath. He could feel the weight of his shirt. The blood from the wound in his shoulder had soaked into his clothes. He could feel his strength seeping away, little by little. The blood took his physical strength with it as it fled his body. It was different from an unarmed boxing match. There were not so many fancy moves and rounds of combat when in a deathmatch fought with cold weapons. There was only a breath in the moment of life and death¡ªthe strong lived, and the weak died. However, for some reason, he felt very refreshed. The spell energy in his mind even became active, and his shoulder no longer hurt as much. ¡°If such an attack hit my vitals, I can¡¯t be saved, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never gone all out on anyone in a deathmatch.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the first?¡± ¡°And the last.¡± Boom! Valkas gently flicked his sword. The ground with hardness on par with fine steel began to crack and explode. It was as if a giant snake was charging toward Ash! ¡°The miracle of the elven swordmastery, Mountain Shattering!?¡± ¡°He actually used a miracle!¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± There was a clamor in the audience. The faces of the death row criminals were almost pressed to the invisible barrier, just to see more of the Valkas¡¯ details. Igora was no exception. He had seen Valkas¡¯ deathmatches before, and he had already expected Valkas to be able to use spell spirits. However, using a spell spirit and using a miracle were two completely different concepts! Every miracle could only be performed with the combination of several composite spell spirits, but this did not mean that one could perform miracles just by possessing several composite spell spirits. An ordinary person and an attractive person both had one mouth, one nose, and two eyes, but the result of the combination was that one had the face of an angel, and the other also had the face of an angel¡ªjust an angel that landed face-first when born. The difficulty of casting a miracle was so high that ¡°casting a miracle¡± itself was a part of a miracle. One had to know that those who could become sorcerers were already naturally talented people. Otherwise, it was impossible for them to advance a technique to the realm of ¡°sorcery¡± and summon a spell spirit. However, even for such a group of geniuses, most of them could only hope to master one or two miracles in their lifetime. This was also the average standard of sorcerers¡ªsorcerers below average could not even master a single miracle. Miracles were so rare that their benefits were naturally positively correlated to the difficulty level. Compared to the straightforward effects of the spell spirit, the power of miracles was more complicated, grand, and difficult to crack. It could even give rise to all sorts of incredible effects that crossed the gap between factions. For example, the miracle of a swordmaster had a healing effect, the miracle of a water sorcerer could evaporate the enemy, and the miracle of a gun master could make the enemy take the initiative to catch the bullets¡­ There was a popular saying among the sorcerers¡ª¡±spell spirits are just the extension of our skills; miracles are what¡¯s truly incredible!¡¯ Igora had also mastered miracles, and he had mastered the few spell spirits required for miracles. In theory, he was also qualified to perform miracles. But he has never been able to perform a miracle in prison. Not even once! If activating a spell spirit in prison was equivalent to digging one¡¯s own nose with one¡¯s foot¡ªwhich, while difficult, could be done with more practice¡ªactivating miracles in prison would be equivalent to using his feet to put on makeup! And to do it very well, or it would not be considered a miracle! Ash was done for. Igora looked at the earth-shattering battle in the arena and felt pity for Ash. Valkas was clearly here for the kill. Under the pressure of the miracle, it was impossible for Ash to retain a whole corpse. It was hard to say if they could even find all the minced meat in the debris. The medics in the prison treatment room couldn¡¯t deal with such serious injuries. In the end, Ash¡¯s corpse would definitely be left for the ogres to deal with. This was the reality of the Blood Moon Nation. Under the tablecloths of ¡°racial equality¡±, ¡°legal supremacy¡±, and ¡°harmonious coexistence¡±, the carnivores still followed the cruelest law of the jungle. Once their interests were affected, even if they hid in the Shattered Lake Prison, they would still be crushed under the fingers of their superiors. What a pity, he was a rather interesting man¡­ After the sound of the deathmatch arena shattering rang out for a long time, someone finally couldn¡¯t sit still anymore. ¡°Why isn¡¯t he dead yet?¡± ¡°Even if the miracle is weakened to less than 10% of its power, it shouldn¡¯t be unable to kill a weakling who can¡¯t even hold his sword steadily, right?¡± That¡¯s right, why isn¡¯t Ash dead yet? The death row criminals, whose attention had all been caught by the miracle, only now began to pay attention to Ash. There was not a single good spot left in the deathmatch arena. In the face of Valkas¡¯ casual earth-shattering miracle, Ash dodged left and right like a hamster. He was in a sorry state and covered in dust. For several times, he was almost crushed into minced meat by Mountain Shattering. However, he managed to dodge it every time! Every time! Although his movements looked pathetic, in the eyes of the death row criminals, his movements were becoming more and more clear and efficient. He did not waste any energy at all! Even Ash¡¯s sword was becoming more and more stable. It could even block Valkas¡¯ attack! It was simply like¡­ ¡°Just like yesterday¡¯s fight with the Beautiful Beast.¡± Someone murmured. As the first victim, Igora naturally had many thoughts on this. In the battle, he had watched as Ash gradually became stronger, and his skills became better and better. From a greenhouse flower that couldn¡¯t even roll right, he transformed into a beast full of combat instincts in just a few minutes. But now, a second victim had appeared. That bastard, Ash, actually learned swordplay in battle!? This was a prison, not some genius cultivation center, bastard! However, there were also quite a few people who recalled Ash¡¯s charge and associated his current genius performance with his background. ¡°Four Pillar Deities¡­¡± In the dim audience, Runner hooked an arm around his boyfriend¡¯s neck and stared at the two people in the deathmatch arena. A strange light flashed in his eyes.. Chapter 34 - Substitute Spell Spirit Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Why won¡¯t you kill yourself?¡± Valkas said this not because victory was within his reach. On the contrary, it was his signal for admitting defeat. One could commit suicide in the deathmatch arena. Once they committed suicide, the deathmatch would end, and the chip restriction would activate again. Valkas would not be able to attack a corpse. As long as Ash had a whole corpse, the medics would be able to communicate with the Illusory Realm through their spell spirits and pull his soul back into his body from the fog in the Illusory Realm. The moment Ash avoided his first Mountain Shattering miracle, he had already lost. The subsequent attacks were just struggles in the hope of lucking out. Even if he could win this deathmatch, he would not be able to complete his mission and completely eliminate Ash Heath. Compared to failing the mission, the scene before him was what made Valkas feel worse. There was nothing more unbearable than watching the rise of a genius. If there was, it would be being the stepping stone for said genius. Even though Valkas was already a middle-aged elf over a hundred years old, he was still aggrieved by what was happening. ¡®Are you kidding me? There are so many unlucky people in this world. Why do I have to be the one?¡¯ To be honest, Valkas was already a bit on the verge of a breakdown. That was why he gave the answer for speed pass directly, hoping that Ash would quickly end this nightmare. ¡°Why would I kill myself? I haven¡¯t lost yet.¡± ¡°You think you have a chance to defeat me?¡± Valkas was so angered that he laughed instead. ¡°Oh yes. Centuries and millennia later, the bards will recite your glorious deeds on the streets. ¡®Ash Heath, who has never learned swordplay, fought against an ignorant elven swordsman in a battle and miraculously defeated the latter. This was the beginning of his glorious and undefeated life.¡¯ ¡°Ah, benevolent Mr. Ash, the lowly Valkas begs you to mention my name in your future autobiography, so that I can be a disgrace for all eternity, all right? Hmm?¡± ¡°So, Valkas, when are you going to publish your book?¡± With great difficulty, Ash raised his left hand to wipe away the blood trickling down his forehead so that it wouldn¡¯t stick to his eyelashes and affect his vision. He was still smiling. ¡°I must beat you for a reason.¡± ¡°What reason?¡± ¡°I want to ask you if Silin Dore sent you to kill me. Is there a conspiracy behind my imprisonment?¡± Valkas flicked the blade gently, flicking away the bloodstained debris on it. ¡°What does this have to do with you beating me?¡± ¡°If I didn¡¯t win, would you answer?¡± ¡°Maybe, maybe not. Besides, even if I answer, can you tell if it¡¯s the truth?¡± ¡°I just asked someone else the same question.¡± Ash let out a deep breath. ¡°He asked me to unravel a doubt. I said, ¡®If I lie, can you tell?¡¯ He said he could really tell.¡± ¡°So you can do it too?¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t. But I thought that the answer I get after beating you up would be closer to the truth than the answer I get by just asking you, right?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t heard such a straightforward reason in a long time since I left the foster home.¡± Valkas grinned. He had maintained an elegant posture since entering the room and in the battle. Now, for the first time, his expression was sinister. ¡°But if you don¡¯t kill yourself, you really may die.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see if your sword is faster or mine.¡± ¡°Kill you before you commit suicide? Interesting, I accept this challenge.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡± Ash tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword, his muscles taut. ¡°After all, I have no intention of retiring here. If I can¡¯t even get past you as a stepping stone, who am I to leave this prison?¡± ¡°What arrogance!¡± The ground, which had already been broken to pieces, cracked again. Gray dust formed a sinister silhouette for the invisible sword aura, like a giant sword stabbing at Ash from the ground! Ash did not even blink. He tried his best to avoid the sword aura and the shattered flying rocks, delaying the battle so that his body could absorb as much swordplay experience as possible! Sword Maiden¡¯s swordplay experience was truly impressive. At the very beginning, Ash had not even been able to see Valkas¡¯ sword clearly. Now, he was able to predict Valkas¡¯ sword path from looking at his shoulder. He might not really know how to use a sword, but at the very least, he had become proficient in dodging swords. He wasn¡¯t just courting death. He truly had the confidence to defeat Valkas. With the augmentation of Sword Maiden¡¯s swordplay experience, the Mountain Shattering miracle was no longer an indecipherable mystery. On the contrary, with Valkas unable to use his full strength, Mountain Shattering revealed a flaw that could be exploited! Just like the last major problem of a college entrance examination in mathematics, Ash suddenly discovered a magical auxiliary line. He felt that he had a chance to conquer this challenging problem! If he was granted a little more time, he felt that he could even find the flaw in the attack range of Mountain Shattering, and counterattack Valkas! If he was granted a little more time¡ª Boom! With a muffled groan, the spell energy in his mind once again circulated with a cool aura, causing his rationality to forcefully suppress the intense feedback of pain from his thigh, barely avoiding this Mountain Shattering attack! He glanced at his thigh out of the corner of his eye, and did not dare to look any farther down. ¡°Your rate of improvement is truly admirable. Unfortunately, you are tired.¡± Valkas could not contain his pity in his tone. ¡°You¡¯ve been losing blood since the beginning of the fight. After such a vigorous fight, you¡¯ve already lost too much blood, so much so that your brain is starting to run out of oxygen and your stamina is dropping. So, you¡¯re slowing down. ¡°Even if you can suppress the pain and continue fighting, your body won¡¯t be able to fight anymore. Between the piece of flesh I gouged out from your thigh and the blood loss earlier, I¡¯m already very surprised that you didn¡¯t go into shock immediately. ¡°Do you know why I¡¯m talking so much to you? Because the more time passes, the more stamina you¡¯ll lose. Right now, it¡¯s impossible for your sword to be faster than mine. My sword will crush your corpse before you commit suicide. ¡°Thank you, Ash. I¡¯m sorry, Ash.¡± With that, Valkas suddenly swung his sword, and the fierce sword aura once again broke through the ground, Mountain Shattering! Is this the best I can do¡­ Ash sighed inwardly. Before Igora had told him about the information on Valkas, Ash had already anticipated the dangers of this deathmatch. After all, why would someone challenge him, the fresh meat who had only fought one deathmatch, when there was no enmity between them? If an unknown colleague made things difficult for you all of a sudden, it must be because there was a conflict of interest. Then why did Ash accept the deathmatch? Ash could have refused directly, even right before entering the arena. Others couldn¡¯t even swear and despise him. Ash had this freedom. But Ash didn¡¯t want to retreat. Firstly, he needed an opponent to digest the swordplay experience that Sword Maiden had shared with him. There was no place more suitable for taking a beating than the deathmatch arena, which was both dangerous and safe. Secondly, even if he could hide for a while, he could not hide forever. Even if Ash refused this deathmatch, sooner or later, other troubles would come looking for him. Most importantly, just as he had said, he was someone who wanted to break out of prison. If he couldn¡¯t even cross over a stepping stone like Valkas, then what would he break out of prison for? He might as well just roll over and retire! However, there weren¡¯t that many miracles in life. Even if there were, it would be someone else¡¯s miracle¡­ Just as Ash was about to slash his throat and commit suicide, he heard a familiar voice from the audience stands. It was Sword Maiden. ¡°If you feel pain, pretend you¡¯re someone else. That way, it won¡¯t hurt anymore.¡± At this moment, Ash felt as if an iceberg had melted in his mind. Spell energy circulated madly, but it was tightly bound by an invisible cage. The spell energy could not touch reality at all! Spell energy could be locked, but knowledge could not. Even if their limbs were bound, they would still sprout wings and fly. The Substitution Spell Spirit, which had been silent all this while, suddenly began to dance in Ash¡¯s consciousness. With almost no hesitation, Ash did not dodge or retreat. Instead, he brandished his longsword and charged toward Valkas! ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± Valkas couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of melancholy as he watched ¡°Ash¡± being engulfed by the Mountain Shattering sword aura. As a swordmaster, he had never seen a swordplay apprentice more talented than ¡°Ash¡± in over a century of experience. In another time, place, and identity, Valkas felt that even if he were to become a stepping stone¡­ he might not have been unwilling¡­ Nothing was more unbearable than watching a genius rising, and nothing was more exciting than watching a genius rising up close. Thud. Upon hearing a sound like a bubble shattering, Valkas immediately felt that something was amiss. He focused his gaze and realized that the ¡°Ash¡± had dissipated under the impact of the sword aura. Not even flesh was left behind¡ª It was a substitute! ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± Valkas turned his head slightly, only to discover that the ground in his blind spot was covered in large amounts of dust and gravel due to the Mountain Shattering slash, allowing it to conceal the charge of a grievously injured man! As Valkas¡¯ sword fell to the ground, Ash¡¯s sword sank into the former¡¯s throat. The unsheathed blade pierced through his throat! Ding! Ding! Ding! [Winner Determined.. The Winner is Ash Heath!] Chapter 35 - Spell Spirit Trading Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Shattered Lake Prison, treatment room. ¡°Are you going to pretend that I¡¯m not awake as long as I keep quiet?¡± Ash opened his eyes and stared straight at the medic who was fiddling with his face. There was a number badge with [222] on the medic¡¯s clothes. It was obviously the same medic from his last visit. ¡°If you don¡¯t want your face to rot, close your eyes!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After a few more minutes of fiddling, the medic let go of his face. ¡°All right, you can get up now. Here¡¯s the apple you said you wanted last time.¡± Ash quickly got up and touched his face, relieved. Next to the bedside table was a plate of apples cut into the shape of rabbits, with toothpicks stuck on them. Ash picked them up and ate a piece with every bite. ¡°It¡¯s not too bad. Two eyes, a nose, and a mouth. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m not missing any of them. I thought I was going to contribute to species diversity.¡± ¡°I¡¯m helping to treat you with surgery. How can you doubt me?¡± The medic folded her arms across her chest and tried to look angry, but she was wearing a crow mask, and her voice had been processed by the mask. Not only was Ash not afraid, he even held out his hand. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you would give me money if I let you do plastic surgery?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± The medic obediently took out her wallet, but she immediately recovered. ¡°I did say that yesterday, but you didn¡¯t agree either!¡± ¡°Did you do plastic surgery on me or not?¡± ¡°Plastic surgery is very complicated. It¡¯s not as simple as you think¡ª¡± ¡°So you did?¡± ¡°Just a little, it¡¯s actually just a very small surgery¡­ How much do you want?¡± ¡°One silver coin.¡± The medic was obviously relieved. She lowered his head and rummaged through her wallet. She looked up and asked, ¡°Is gold coin okay? I don¡¯t have any change.¡± Ash, who was being provided for by the state all this while, had no idea what the economic system of this world was like. He was a bit surprised. So silver coins were like spare change for beggars in this world? One actually dared to give it, and the other actually dared to receive it. As soon as Ash received the gold coin, he felt a burst of excitement in the depths of his consciousness. As his palm began to heat up, Ash felt as if he saw a human cub in pajamas patting its bulging stomach before lying back and sleeping soundly. He lowered his head to look at the gold coin and vaguely felt that it had shrunk a little. According to this rate of consumption, he estimated that he could use it for a year. What? Feeding a spell spirit was actually quite simple. Although Ash was someone who would take advantage when he could, he had a reason to ask for money this time. After all, Sword Maiden had told him that spell spirits must be fed with money. Since he had no money, he could only think of ways to get some money from people with lower intelligence. Satisfied, Ash put the gold coins in his pocket and asked casually, ¡°So, exactly what kind of plastic surgery did you do on me?¡± ¡°Drew¡¯s forehead skin extension and wrinkle removal spell technique. Simply put, it¡¯s forehead wrinkles removal.¡± The medic paused for a moment and slowly stood up straight. She looked down at Ash with the crow¡¯s beak. ¡°You should kowtow to me for being willing to perform this surgery for you. You should know that forehead wrinkles affect a person¡¯s appearance greatly. A Drew surgical spell technique outside would cost a lot¡ª¡± ¡°What? You actually removed my most handsome and manly feature, my forehead wrinkles?¡± Ash was furious. ¡°An unscrupulous medic actually disfigured the patient while he was asleep and took away his most beautiful appearance. Is there any law or reason here? This is medical malpractice, marauding, and murder!¡± The medic was baffled by the counterattack. After being stunned for some time, she opened her wallet again. ¡°How much do you want?¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be like this. I¡¯m not such a casual person.¡± Ash refused righteously. ¡°I¡¯m not the kind of criminal who would use leverages to coerce others into doing his bidding.¡± The medic pondered for a moment. ¡°Sit here for a while. I¡¯ll go and look up the news report about you¡­¡± ¡°In! Any! Case!¡± Ash hurriedly pulled the medic back. ¡°I just want to ask you a few questions.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask for my name, don¡¯t take off my mask, and don¡¯t touch my skin!¡± Startled, the medic quickly slapped Ash¡¯s hand away and crossed her arms over her chest in a highly defensive stance, allowing Ash to finally feel his dignity as a death row criminal. Ash was also a bit curious, however. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°This is the rule of Shattered Lake Prison. Medics are not allowed to communicate with criminals in private. If found doing so, they will be stripped of their positions as medics. In serious cases, they might even go to jail!¡± ¡°You mean¡­ We will soon become fellow inmates?¡± ¡°If you have any questions, hurry up and ask them. After that, leave quickly.¡± The medic didn¡¯t seem to care much about that rule. Ash had a feeling she wanted a long vacation without a paycheck. ¡°Is the elf who fought the deathmatch with me still alive?¡± ¡°His injuries are lighter than yours. He left long ago.¡± ¡°Lighter injuries?¡± ¡°All he did was have his throat cut open. That little wound was nothing. Someone else took only a few minutes to heal him. I spent over an hour trying to get you to regrow your flesh.¡± The medic spread her hands. It didn¡¯t seem like she was lying. Ash looked at his perfectly healed thighs and shoulders and wondered if healing consumption was measured in pounds here. The more meat you lose, the harder it is to treat, while it¡¯s not a big deal to have your throat slit or your brains blown out? In other words, the butt was considered the high-risk organ here? The butt was more important than the brain? ¡°Any more questions? Hurry up.¡± ¡°I¡¯d also like to ask if there¡¯s a place in the prison where you can trade spell spirits. It¡¯s kind of lonely for a man to live alone. I¡¯d like to have some pets¡­¡± The medic focused on Ash. ¡°I¡¯m going to report you for conspiring to break out of prison.¡± ¡°I¡¯m already a criminal on the death row. Even if you report me, do you think you can increase my sentence?¡± ¡°Sure. After you die once, you can be revived so that you can die again.¡± ¡°What, there¡¯s such a thing!?¡± ¡°Of course not. It would be a waste of taxpayers¡¯ money. And inhumane. This kind of repetitive death penalty was forbidden a hundred years ago.¡± ¡°In other words, the death row criminals from a hundred years ago might have needed to die many times¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, I won¡¯t answer this question of yours.¡± The medic crossed her arms and said, ¡°A death row criminal like you should obediently become our medical material, and obediently die when there¡¯s no further use for you.¡± ¡°You have surprisingly good morals¡­¡± ¡°What made you think I have poor morals?¡± ¡°After all the time you¡¯ve been talking to a death row criminal like me, I thought you¡¯re the kind of rebellious kid who¡¯d get curious about criminals.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not curious at all. If I¡¯m really curious, I can just go and watch the news.¡± The medic spoke as she gathered the healing equipment. Ash jumped out of bed and swung his thighs and shoulders. The surgery was very successful. The skin color of a certain piece of flesh on the thigh and shoulder was obviously a shade paler than the rest of the skin, but other than that, there was not much of a problem. ¡°Would you believe me if I said I was innocent?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯m that easy to fool.¡± The medic snorted. ¡°Ever since the memory evidence system was introduced, there have been no cases of fraud. The Crime Hunting Department must have found out about your criminal process from your memory to convict you¡ª¡± ¡°No, the Crime Hunting Department didn¡¯t take any memory evidence from my head.¡± ¡°That is impossible¡ª¡± ¡°You can check the reports, but the Crime Hunting Department really didn¡¯t take my memories, and I really am innocent.¡± Ash spoke boldly. The perpetrator was Heath and not him. More importantly, he didn¡¯t even have Heath¡¯s memories, so he had no psychological burden at all in saying that. The medic looked at Ash suspiciously. ¡°You¡¯re not lying to me?¡± ¡°If I lied to you, may I receive no overtime pay for the rest of my life.¡± ¡°If you dare to lie to me, you¡¯re dead. You¡¯d better pray that you don¡¯t get injured again. Otherwise, when you¡¯re in my hands, I¡¯ll change your race and gender!¡± The words of the medic created a huge impact on Ash¡¯s naive mind. He had wanted to experience the healthcare industry of the various races in this foreign world, but he did not expect that the medical technology in this world had already reached a level where even race and gender could be changed! Could he still believe it if he saw a beautiful girl on the streets? Was there still any trust between people? ¡°But even if you say so, I can¡¯t answer you.¡± The medic shrugged. ¡°The spell energy of death row criminals like you is restricted. The first step of trading a spell spirit is for the seller to release the spell spirit with spell energy. The buyer will use the spell energy to activate the spell spirit again. If you can¡¯t use the spell energy, you can neither release the spell spirit nor activate the spell spirit.¡± Spell energy actually had an effect similar to that of key authentication. The more he thought about it, the more Ash felt that spell energy was really an all-purpose energy source. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if he found out someday that spell energy had a Bluetooth function too. No wonder the prison didn¡¯t lock down their spell spirits. On one hand, it might be that spell spirits couldn¡¯t be bound. On the other hand, as long as their spell energy was restricted, they wouldn¡¯t be able to cause any trouble. Ash was still unwilling to give up. ¡°Is there no hope at all? Is there no place like the Deathmatch Society that can allow us to remove the restrictions on spell energy?¡± After one Illusory Realm exploration, Ash realized that it was as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack to find all the spell spirits he needed in the Illusory Realm. Finding a needle in a haystack might be acceptable if he was given enough time, but the problem was that there was not much time left for Ash. Although Ash did not hate taking risks and was willing to bet his hope on probability, he was not willing to have no countermeasures. It¡¯s just like how the company bought health insurance for them while making them work overtime 996. Regardless of whether their employees suffered sudden deaths or not, the company would gain majorly. As an outstanding employee of the year, Ash naturally understood such an excellent company culture and was always prepared for contingencies. If he could find a trading platform for spell spirits, he would have a chance to sell items and recover, even if the things he picked up in the Illusory Realm were all garbage. ¡°Yes, don¡¯t you know?¡± The medic¡¯s answer was unexpected. ¡°How would I know?¡± ¡°Because this is an experience that all death row criminals will experience at least once¡­ Oh right, you¡¯ve only been in prison for a few days and haven¡¯t gone through it yet.¡± Ash immediately understood what she meant. ¡°Blood Moon Judgment?¡± Chapter 36 - Blood Sorcerer Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Ever since he came to this world, Ash had heard the term ¡°Blood Moon Judgment¡± more than once. At first, he thought it was an execution show. Then, he thought it was a live execution show. After that, he thought it was an online quiz show that randomly picked a lucky audience member to execute. Now, Ash felt that the Blood Moon Judgment was probably a live variety show with unrestricted combat. ¡°Yes, when the death row criminals participate in the Blood Moon Judgment, the prison will release all of your restrictions. At that time, you can use your spell energy to activate your spell spirit.¡± The medic held out her hand, and a spell spirit in the form of a kindly old grandmother appeared in her palm. ¡°If you ask whether there is a chance to trade in the Blood Moon Judgment, theoretically, there is, but no one can do it. I don¡¯t need to explain why, right? It¡¯s not like you haven¡¯t seen the Blood Moon Judgment before.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen it before!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think that I¡¯m so easy to fool!¡± The medic almost roared. ¡°I won¡¯t believe such a stupid lie!¡± This time, the medic was no longer willing to divulge any information. Ash¡¯s clumsy lie made her feel as if her dignity had been insulted. Not only did he lie, he actually used a lie that even children wouldn¡¯t fall for. Who was he looking down on? Ash also felt very wronged. He had really never seen the Blood Moon Judgment before, but everyone here tacitly agreed that this was basic common sense and didn¡¯t need any additional introduction. Since he could not trick her for any more information, Ash was ready to go for his meal. However, the medic stopped him from leaving then. ¡°Why did you ask about the elf just now? Are you worried about him?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too embarrassing to say that I¡¯m worried. I¡¯m just a little concerned.¡± Ash scratched the tender new flesh on his shoulder. ¡°After all, he¡¯s the first person I¡¯ve killed. Don¡¯t murderers always go back to the crime scene to watch it? I more or less have the same mindset.¡± ¡°Are you serious? He was actually your first time?¡± ¡°The way you put it is really misleading¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re a death row criminal who can live in the luxury suite of the Shattered Lake Prison! For you, shouldn¡¯t destroying lives be as simple as putting on clothes and eating, and torturing souls be as habitual as breathing?¡± ¡°Although I¡¯m not a good person, I really am innocent!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll believe the first half of your statement.¡± The medic looked down at the spell spirit in her hands, as if weighing her words. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll believe that it¡¯s your first time killing someone. Then why do you care about whether that elf lives? Do you hope that he wouldn¡¯t survive, or do you hope that he wouldn¡¯t die?¡± ¡°Both.¡± ¡°Both?¡± The medic couldn¡¯t help but let out a laugh. ¡°You hope that he¡¯ll be both dead and alive?¡± ¡°To be honest, the enmity between us hasn¡¯t reached a point where I absolutely want him to die. If possible, I would rather give him a good beating with a geoduck-shaped soft stick to vent my anger. Furthermore, I have questions I would like to ask him, so I don¡¯t really want him to die.¡± Ash shrugged. ¡°But if he¡¯s really dead, I¡¯ll probably just lament before I go to sleep tonight that life is like the ocean, and only those with a strong will can reach the other shore¡­ So even if he¡¯s dead, I wouldn¡¯t be too concerned.¡± ¡°I¡¯m starting to believe that this is the first time you¡¯ve killed someone,¡± the medic said. ¡°Your words are not appealing to either side. In the case display stage, saying that you¡¯re merciful can get you the care of the human rights organizations. Saying that you¡¯re eliminating threats can get you the support of the extremist organizations. Only such an ambiguous and indecisive statement would be despised by all organizations.¡± ¡°It seems like it isn¡¯t easy to survive the outside world either.¡± Ash sighed. ¡°But how can there be so many extreme and decisive people in this world? Aren¡¯t most people indecisive like me?¡± The medic was slightly stunned. She shrugged and said, ¡°It¡¯s not that there aren¡¯t people who are indecisive, but they must have the capital to be indecisive. For example, they must be good-looking!¡± The medic took out a photo album and flipped it open in front of Ash. ¡°Look, this is the popular hot guy template for the recent five years. Do you want to choose a new face as your own? I recommend this number one face. It¡¯s very popular and 90% similar to the current popular singer. You¡¯ll definitely like this face¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re clearly the one who likes this face!¡± ¡°So what if I like it? You¡¯re the beneficiary of this face!¡± ¡°Who said so? I don¡¯t look in the mirror all day long. Usually, I can¡¯t even see my own face. What¡¯s the use of looking good? On the other hand, when others look at me all day long, they feel good while I still have to accept lewd gazes from them. Do you think I would be willing to do such a stupidly selfless thing?¡± Ash had a good point, so much so that the medic was convinced. Her crow mask drooped, and she hung her head in defeat. ¡°Okay, you¡¯re right¡­¡± ¡°But,¡± Ash changed the topic. ¡°You¡¯re willing to listen to my grievances and talk to me for so long. It¡¯s the only warmth I¡¯ve felt in this cold prison. Since it¡¯s a request from a friend, it¡¯s not like I can¡¯t agree to it¡­¡± ¡°What, are we friends?¡± ¡°If we¡¯re not, then I¡¯m leaving¡­¡± ¡°Okay, okay. So you¡¯re willing to let me operate on you?¡± ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not that willing¡­¡± Ash revealed a hesitant expression. ¡°I still quite like my current face. After all, I¡¯ve seen it for so many years, so I more or less have some feelings for it¡­¡± ¡°So¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll need extra payment.¡± ¡°No problem!¡± The medic heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°When will the surgery start? Wait, I¡¯m not very familiar with some spell techniques yet. Wait for me to revise for the next two nights¡­ Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s very safe. My spell spirits can effectively prevent malignant problems like crumbling flesh!¡± The corner of Ash¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°I-I¡¯m very assured. Then I¡¯ll be leaving now. Take your time preparing, don¡¯t rush!¡± Spell energy was the all-purpose energy source for sorcerers, and money was the all-purpose energy source for society. Although Ash hadn¡¯t yet seen any hope of breaking out of prison, he still had to find a way to scoop up some money and use it as a backup. Needless to say, the death row criminals were a bunch of poor bastards who depended on the state¡¯s providence, so after much thought, Ash felt like all he had left to trade for money was his face. But now, it seemed that the price to pay was a little too high. The chances of having a rotten face were very high. Ash was a little scared. No wonder the medics were not allowed to reveal their names. Perhaps they were prepared to run away anonymously. After creating many medical accidents in prison to hone their skills, they could leave without a word. The death row criminals wouldn¡¯t even be able to find a target to curse at. As Ash reached the door, he suddenly looked back around the healing room. ¡°Speaking of which, I¡¯ve been wanting to ask you for a long¡ªare you ostracized by your colleagues?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Why do I see you alone both times I wake up? Where are the other medics?¡± Ash guessed. ¡°Did they give you the most difficult job and then got off work themselves?¡± ¡°No¡ªbut it¡¯s true that you¡¯re the most difficult job.¡± ¡°Really? If you¡¯re ostracized by your colleagues, remember to tell me.¡± The medic looked at Ash and snorted. ¡°Why should I tell you?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we friends? Friends are people who can gloat at each other¡¯s misfortune.¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± Ash waved goodbye. ¡°See you next time, then, Doctor [222]. The apples are delicious, thank you.¡± ¡­ ¡­ Silence resumed in the treatment room as the medic packed up her toolbox and pushed open the door that led to the common room¡ªthe medics¡¯ activity area had no overlap with the death row prisoners. Then, she saw a group of medics in crow masks waiting outside. The medic had a shock. She almost thought they were here to condemn her. However, when she took a closer look, she realized that there was a person in the team of medics who was not wearing a crow mask. Judging from his size and his badge, he was the tall medic [176] who usually reprimanded her. He had the appearance of a blue-scaled fishman, but his eyes were scarlet and bright like rubies. Not only was [176] not wearing a mask, his hands were bound behind his back, and he had a clear bruise on his face. There was a dark green foam necklace around his neck. The medic knew exactly what it was. Miracle ¡¤ Intravenous Bubble. This was the most common type of offensive miracle for blood sorcerers. It could be used for a long period of time to trap and kill a target. Once the target was hit by the Intravenous Bubble, all the veins in the body would be connected to bubbles. If the bubbles burst, it also meant that all the veins in the body would burst at the same time, and the heart would quickly lose its blood supply, resulting in a brutal death. As long as it was a sorcerer, even the weakest sorcerer had the ability to instantly kill a living being. Being collared with Intravenous Bubble was the treatment for a criminal. ¡°What did he do?¡± ¡°He peeked at your treatment spell techniques, Miss.¡± A medic with the number badge [201] bowed and reported. Even distorted through the crow mask, there was no concealing the respect in his voice. ¡°Attempting to steal the research results of the Blood Weeping Research Institute without permission violates the constitutional principle of ¡®personal and collective properties are sacrosanct¡¯. This is undoubtedly a criminal offense..¡± Chapter 37 - Trial Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios A trial was going on In the passageway between the treatment room and the common room. The other medics looked at the slightly shorter [222]. Their eyes behind the crow masks were filled with complicated emotions. All of them did not question [176]¡¯s accusation of ¡°theft of spell techniques¡±, and even thought it was very reasonable. A treatment spell technique was not just a set of operations, but more of a learning method for miracles. Unlike combat sorcerers, medical sorcerers and conjurer sorcerers didn¡¯t need to participate in PVP. Hence, they could reduce the difficulty of casting their miracles by prolonging the cast time, but combat sorcerers couldn¡¯t¡ªthe enemy would straight up defeat you while you¡¯re casting. Hence, medical sorcerers and conjurer sorcerers had broken down miracles into many steps, combining them to form a miracle. These steps were spell techniques. Therefore, as long as one learned the spell techniques, it¡¯s only a matter of time before they learned the miracle. Spell techniques were naturally regarded as important intellectual properties. No matter how narrow the scope of application of a new spell technique was, no matter how unprofitable it was, the copyright fee from authorizing other sorcerers to research it alone was enough for a sorcerer to go to the four major research institutes and order a set meal that could extend his life by 10 years. This was also the reason why Ash would find that one medic in the treatment room every time he woke up¡ªothers were not allowed to watch while a medic was treating someone, so to prevent others from stealing their treatment spell methods. The medic looked at [201]. ¡°You were sent by Teacher?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a graduate student under your senior. She¡¯s my boss.¡± [201] chose his words carefully and did not reveal any names. ¡°The warden of Shattered Lake Prison is a friend of the boss¡­ But the boss told me not to disturb you under normal circumstances. If this scumbag hadn¡¯t gone overboard and actually stole the property of the research institute, I would not have appeared.¡± The medic asked, ¡°Now that my identity has been exposed, does it mean I have to leave this place?¡± [201] smiled. ¡°Miss, you must be joking. Anyone who came to Shattered Lake Prison for the ¡®Blood Holding Ceremony¡¯ is a reserve clan descendant of organizations under the four major research institutes. Why would we betray you? How would we dare to betray you?¡± The other medics all bowed to show their respect. They had no choice but to bow their heads. There were a total of 36 research institutes in the Blood Moon Nation, including 24 small research institutes, 8 medium research institutes, and 4 large research institutes. Most of them were ¡°reserve bloodline descendants¡± from small research institutes, but the lady in front of them was a new clan descendant of one of the four major research institutes, ¡°Blood Weeping Institute¡±. There was a world of difference between their statuses. To put it bluntly, after they completed the Blood Holding and left the prison, the best outcome for them would be to become a Gold Bloodline Descendant, obtain a lifespan increase of 200 years, and stop at being two-winged for the rest of their lives. However, the new clan descendants of the four major research institutes were almost all Sanctuary Bloodline Descendants with a lifespan of 500 years, or even Legendary Bloodline Descendants with a lifespan of 1,000 years! Three-winged Sanctuary was the starting point that they had to reach. Four-winged Legendary was not unusual either. It was even possible for them to reach the domain of the gods, and become a demigod saint above all living beings in the Blood Moon Nation! ¡°Miss, how should we deal with this scumbag?¡± [201] asked. The medic was silent for a moment and looked at [176]. ¡°Do you have anything to say?¡± [176] raised his fish head and looked at the medic. His large eyes revealed the scarlet glow that she was most familiar with. ¡°How dare you!¡± [201] snorted and burst an intravenous bubble. [176]¡¯s whole body trembled, and his originally pale fish face went white as paper. ¡°I can¡¯t accept it.¡± ¡°What can¡¯t you accept?¡± ¡°I refuse to accept that you can become a new member of the Blood Weeping Research Institute, while I have to struggle in a small research institute.¡± [176] almost shattered his sharp teeth from how hard he was gritting them. ¡°I¡¯m also gifted among the fishmen. I could also have become a supreme bloodline descendant. But why should there be such a huge gap between our resources? ¡°I refuse to accept that you can easily have the Blood Holding while I must go to huge lengths to obtain it. I refuse to accept that the spell techniques which I could only wish for are knowledge at your fingertips. I refuse to accept that all the best criminal materials are treated by you, while I can only obtain some tasteless scraps¡­ ¡°What I can least accept is that you¡¯re so talented as well!¡± [176] became even more hysterical. ¡°I can¡¯t just watch you surpass me¡­ I can¡¯t!¡± ¡°What an unrepentant scum.¡± [201] burst another intravenous bubble. [176] almost fainted. ¡°There¡¯s no need to listen to his rubbish¡­ Miss, what do you want to do with him?¡± [201] paused. ¡°Generally speaking, it¡¯d be execution on the spot.¡± The medic looked silently at [176] who was about to collapse on the ground, and thought for a long time. ¡°He didn¡¯t make me hate him to the point of wanting him dead, but I wouldn¡¯t care much if he died.¡± ¡°So you mean¡­¡± ¡°Find a soft stick shaped like a geoduck and whip him until he¡¯s covered in wounds. Don¡¯t treat him and kick him out. Right, isn¡¯t he a blue-scaled fishman? The finger sharks probably won¡¯t kill him. Throw him into the sea tonight and let him swim back by himself.¡± [201] was stunned for a moment. ¡°But Miss¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s my decision.¡± The medic looked at [201]. ¡°If you disagree, do what you think is right. I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that.¡± [201] bowed his head deeply. ¡°Your decree will be carried out.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back and rest.¡± The medic walked through the crowd and left quickly, as if trying to escape this suffocating atmosphere. But soon, slow, heavy footsteps quickly caught up with her steps. The medic stopped in front of her dormitory and looked at [201], who was chasing after her. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± ¡°Since I¡¯ve already disturbed you, I thought I might as well use this opportunity to make a few¡­ reminders.¡± [201] chose his words carefully. ¡°Just a few reminders.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve noticed that your time in the treatment room with the inmates is a little¡­ non-compliant with regulations. Of course, that¡¯s perfectly fine. I assure you no one will use that regulation to offend you, and I¡¯m not here to warn you. ¡°If not for the need to avoid trouble from the Human Rights Association and the Racial Rights Association, we wouldn¡¯t have to pretend to be medics to perform the ritual here. Those regulations are just to reduce the possibility of us encountering trouble, but you don¡¯t have to worry about encountering trouble, Miss.¡± [201] emphasized his humility with every word. ¡°I¡¯m just worried that you¡¯ll develop unnecessary feelings for those materials when you¡¯re playing, Miss, and that¡¯ll delay the Blood Holding. If anything impedes your Blood Holding progress, Miss, the boss will hold me accountable.¡± The medic shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t forget the Blood Holding Ceremony. Don¡¯t worry.¡± She paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°I¡¯ve already implanted the Blood Holding Seed in all the prisoners I¡¯ve treated. When they die in the Judgment, the Blood Holding Seed will naturally gather their knowledge and spell energy, and convert all these into my origin blood.¡± The medic walked into her dormitory and took off her crow mask, revealing a pair of ruthless scarlet eyes. She stared at [201] like a predator, making the latter feel a chill down his spine. ¡°We of the Blood Sage Clan never develop feelings for our food..¡± Chapter 38 - Mastermind Behind the Scenes Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios As it was almost 8 PM when Ash arrived at the restaurant, it was naturally impossible for him to order the limited delicious lalafell. He picked up some meat dishes and sat down to eat. ¡°How¡¯s the post-victory meal?¡± Ash looked up to see Valkas sitting across from him with a glass of water. ¡°To be honest, the leftovers are already a little cold. Besides, you people have already ordered all the lalafell¡­¡± ¡°You can order food, you know. You won 37 contribution points from me. It¡¯s not too much to reward yourself with one or two points, right?¡± ¡°Huh? Ordering food? Spend contribution points?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know? That¡¯s right. You¡¯ve only been here for two days.¡± Valkas pointed at the menu on the side of the dining hall. ¡°You can order at any time, and you won¡¯t be restricted by the dining hall¡¯s menu for the day. If you¡¯re not free, the dining hall will send food to your dorm¡ªas long as you spend contribution points.¡± Only then did Ash realize that the menu signboard was for ordering dishes. He had previously thought that it was for the sake of appearances on the dining hall¡¯s part¡ª¡±Leader, look, we provide so many dishes here! We really don¡¯t dock the food of criminals!¡± The menu seemed to be very cheap at first glance. A combination of any three dishes added up to only one contribution point. For example, the three popular cuisines, ¡°seafood lalafell¡± + ¡°butter chicken broad noodles¡± + ¡°foggy spinach quiche¡± only cost one contribution point. It could basically allow one to enjoy a good meal. However, every death row criminal only had 50 initial contribution points. Not only would 10 points be automatically deducted every month, points were also a necessary stake to apply for a deathmatch. The lower the contribution points, the closer one was to the front of the judgment sequence, and the more likely they were made to participate in the variety show ¡°Blood Moon Judgment¡±. Therefore, contribution points not only represented currency in prison, but also the life quota of prisoners. Consuming contribution points was no different from a slow suicide¡­ Perhaps there was a difference, which was that with a slow suicide, at least you didn¡¯t know when you would die. By consuming contribution points, however, you could watch your life quota decrease. ¡°Although there¡¯s not much entertainment in prison, you can definitely spend your contribution points if you want to,¡± Valkas said. ¡°Hair care, customized prison clothes, purchase specific toiletries¡­ You can even use contribution points to exchange for a better dormitory with three bedrooms, two living rooms, and even windows. The rent is one contribution point per day.¡± ¡°One contribution point for a day? That¡¯s crazy. Who would stay here?¡± ¡°There is someone. Tyger ¡®The Diamond¡¯ has been living in that VIP suite for the past few years. He has more contribution points than he can spend. There are always idiot newbies who send him contribution points. If one contribution point is equivalent to one gold coin, Tyger might be richer in prison than outside.¡± Ash lifted his eyebrows. ¡°So¡­ we prisoners are only worth 50 gold coins in the evaluation system of the prison?¡± ¡°You think it¡¯s too little?¡± ¡°Is it a lot?¡± ¡°Most ordinary people who haven¡¯t received higher education won¡¯t be able to earn 50 gold coins in their entire life. Even sorcerers who don¡¯t do well won¡¯t be able to earn 50 gold coins. An annual salary of one gold coin per year is enough to allow one to live a good life in Kaimon City.¡± At this moment, Ash finally understood the true value of the gold coin in his possession. He also realized how dark this prison was¡ªthree meat dishes could cost a year¡¯s worth salary! Were the lalafell in this prison PhD graduates? ¡°All of a sudden, I feel that leftovers are also quite delicious.¡± Valkas snorted and just stared at Ash quietly. After eating for a while, Ash finally couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Mr. Elf, I¡¯m the type of person who can¡¯t pee when someone looks at me.¡± ¡°Shh! Shh!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just making an analogy. You don¡¯t have to whistle to run with it!¡± ¡°I thought young people nowadays like to pee while eating.¡± Valkas smiled before his expression turned cold again. ¡°I¡¯m talking to myself now. Most of it is just nonsense. If you hear something, you¡¯d better pretend you haven¡¯t.¡± Ash was slightly startled. ¡°Silin Dore is the president of the Elven Racial Rights Association in Kaimon City. Other than that, he is also a member of the Kaimon Council and a university professor. He also has a hidden identity¡ªone of the supporters of the Woodpecker Gang. On the surface, he will oppose members of the parliament from Blood Sage and Lunar Shadow Clans to protect the interests of other races. However, he has secretly made many under-the-table deals with the members of the parliament from the Blood Sage and Lunar Shadow clans. The Woodpecker Gang are his black ops, and he contributed to the ascension of Mayor Fernandes of Kaimon City.¡± ¡°The Four Pillar Deities Cult has not appeared for many years and has almost disappeared without a trace. There is only a rumor without evidence¡ªeight years ago, in the archaeological excavation of the eastern ruins, it was rumored that some important ceremonial records regarding the Four Pillar Deities Cult were unearthed. In the same year, the eastern ruins encountered a Illusory Realm storm, and most of the archaeological findings were destroyed.¡± ¡°Professor Silin Doll was the main guidance consultant In the excavation team that was in charge of the eastern ruins.¡± ¡°Silin is a very patient elf. At least, I¡¯ve never seen a creature that can surpass him in terms of tolerance. If he wants to someone dead, it means that the person has information that is crucial to him¡ªinformation which, if leaked, will incur a great loss to him.¡± Valkas sipped some water to moisten his throat and glanced at Ash. ¡°Theoretically, most prisoners in prison already have their memories searched. If there really is any information, the Crime Hunting Department will definitely find it¡­ unless someone¡¯s memory hasn¡¯t been searched.¡± ¡®I see.¡¯ Although Ash still didn¡¯t know his relationship with Professor Silin, he completely understood why Silin wanted to murder him¡ªSilin thought he was holding on to a secret that wasn¡¯t revealed yet! Due to the Four Pillar Deities Cult, the Crime Hunting Department did not dare to search through his memories at all. As such, Ash Heath became the only criminal in the prison who still had secrets! This was Silin¡¯s luck, because Heath did not reveal his information. It was also Silin¡¯s misfortune, because Heath could report him at any time! To be fair, if Ash really knew about this secret, he would definitely report it to the Crime Hunting Department. It was not that he was a bad person who liked hurting others to the detriment of himself, just that he was also a bit curious about Silin. He¡¯d like Silin to become close fellow inmates with him. It would be even better if they had a chance for a passionate clash in the deathmatch arena. However, the problem was that Ash really didn¡¯t know about Silin¡¯s secret! He did not even absorb a single drop of the host, Heath¡¯s memory! It was so infuriating. Ash wanted to use Heath¡¯s memories to help the Crime Hunting Department bring the bad guys to justice. After all, there were so many people who broke the law. Why was I the only one caught?! Unfortunately, he knew nothing. What was even more infuriating was that others were afraid that he would leak the secret, so they wanted to get rid of him by all means! But he knew nothing! This aggrieved feeling was similar to being accused by his teacher of stealing his classmate¡¯s stationery despite not having stolen anything, back when he was young. ¡°Oh, you haven¡¯t left yet? You didn¡¯t hear me talking to myself, did you?¡± Valkas stood up and said, ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day. I¡¯ll ask you for a brainstorming session when I have time.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Haha, I¡¯m joking. I don¡¯t have the time, and you don¡¯t have the brains.¡± ¡°Wait, Valkas.¡± Ash called after him. ¡°Why are you helping me?¡± Although Ash felt that Valkas would more or less give him some information because of his defeat, the way he gave information was completely different from what Ash had imagined. Ash had thought that Valkas would throw some harsh words at him, like ¡°I am the weakest of the Four Heavenly Kings of Darkness. It¡¯s useless even if you defeat me. Our people will find trouble with you soon¡±, and so on. Ash never expected that Valkas would turn traitor so easily. Did his beating people come with automatic moral correction? ¡°I¡¯m not helping you.¡± Valkas shook his head. ¡°I just wanted to give that bastard Silin some trouble.¡± Injuring others without benefits to oneself was indeed very reasonable. Ash struck while the iron was hot and asked, ¡°Then do you know if there are any channels in the prison for trading spell spirits? If I can obtain a few sword spell spirits, I will have a chance to cause major trouble for Silin¡ª¡± ¡°None of my business.¡± Ash choked for a moment and decided to take the empathetic route. ¡°By the way, Valkas, you failed to kill me this time and even lost to me. Will you get into any trouble¡ª¡± ¡°None of your business.¡± ¡°Then you at least have to tell me how Silin will deal with me next, right?¡± Valkas glanced at him and left a single statement before leaving. ¡°The next time we meet, you will know what Silin is capable of.¡± Ash felt that the reason Valkas ended up in jail was definitely related to his foul mouth and his riddler-like attribute. However, he was at least certain of one thing now: the mastermind behind all of this must be Heath¡¯s former university professor, the elven scholar, Silin Dore! ¡­ ¡­ After dinner, Ash did not continue wandering around the prison. He rushed back to his dormitory and shouted. ¡°Sword Maiden? Are you there?¡± ¡°Yes, but not entirely.¡± Sword Maiden sat on the bed with her legs crossed. The dark black silk outlined her graceful curves. She rested her chin on her palm and glanced sideways at Ash. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°You were the one who reminded me during the deathmatch, right?¡± Ash stretched out his hand. The ¡°Substitute¡± Spell Spirit appeared in his palm. ¡°The chip is still restricting my spell energy output, but why could I activate the Substitution Spell Spirit?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? You understand the knowledge of the Substitute Spell Spirit, and with suitable conditions, you can directly trigger resonance with the spell spirit. The spell spirit would then automatically act to affect reality. Other death row criminals use this method too if they want to activate spell spirits in prison.¡± Although Ash had heard of this many times, he still couldn¡¯t help but be surprised by this phenomenon: a mature spell spirit could actually cast spells on its own. ¡°But how did I understand the ¡®Substitute¡¯ Spell Spirit?¡± Ash was still puzzled. ¡°I didn¡¯t learn anything about Substitute Spell Spirits.¡± ¡°You learned and you understood.¡± Ash was stunned. He suddenly recalled what Sword Maiden had reminded him. ¡°Is it because of that sentence? ¡®If you feel pain, pretend you¡¯re someone else. That way, it won¡¯t hurt anymore¡¯?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Sword Maiden nodded. ¡°When you understand this sentence, you will naturally understand this spell spirit as well. Ultimately, a spell spirit is a collection of knowledge. When you have a Spell Spirit, even if you don¡¯t take the initiative to learn it, the knowledge of the spell spirit will still actively pursue you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s that simple?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not simple.¡± Sword Maiden shook her head. ¡°Seeing knowledge and understanding knowledge are two different things¡­ You were in extreme danger just now. Your body was riddled with wounds and your consciousness was almost about dissipate. If that wasn¡¯t the case, you wouldn¡¯t have been able to resonate with the Substitution Spell Spirit. Learning it alone isn¡¯t enough. Empathy is a necessary condition to understand the spell spirit.¡± Ash looked at the Substitution Spell Spirit on his palm and tried to use his consciousness to penetrate into its body. This time was a little better than the last time. Although he could understand the information feedback of the spirit, he still could not understand its structure. If the spirit was a dish, then last time, he did not even have a sense of taste and could not taste the spirit at all; this time, he could taste the spirit, but he did not know how it was cooked. ¡°Being able to understand spell spirit is already your limit. As long as it isn¡¯t an intrinsic spell spirit you summoned yourself, it¡¯s impossible for you to find its hidden Gate of Truth.¡± Sword Maiden immediately recognized what he was trying to do. ¡°You can only find the Gate of Truth in a spell spirit born from the knowledge you have. Spell spirits you obtained from other channels, no matter how deep your understanding, are ultimately not yours.¡± ¡°The truth must be pure and perfect. It cannot tolerate any flaws.¡± The truth was indeed very strict. Ash retracted his spell spirit and looked at Sword Maiden. ¡°Why did you disappear for so long?¡± Chapter 39 - Mommy Sword Maiden Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°What do you take me for? A call girl at your beck and call?¡± Sword Maiden crossed her arms and raised her chin. ¡°Do I need to report to you where I am? Do I need to write an application for you when I go to the toilet?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind, but do you need to go to the toilet too? Do you prefer a squatting toilet or a sitting toilet?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking about the toilet!¡± Sword Maiden stood up suddenly and moved closer to Ash, who backed away from her piercing glare until his back was against the wall. Sword Maiden stared at him intently, pressing a finger to his collarbone. ¡°Although you promised to respect me before, you don¡¯t seem to think that way. You still think that I¡¯m just an illusion formed by a stream of data, that I¡¯m a paper figurine born because of you, so it¡¯s only right that I serve you¡­ Even though I¡¯ve been communicating with you for so long, even though I¡¯ve adventured in the Illusory Realm with you, you still haven¡¯t changed your¡­ condescension towards me.¡± Ash didn¡¯t argue, and he couldn¡¯t. Sword Maiden was not asking him. She was stating. Under the premise that Sword Maiden could hear his thoughts, all lies were meaningless. ¡°I can¡¯t change what you¡¯re thinking. I just need you to remember one thing¡ªI¡¯m a person too.¡± Sword Maiden enunciated each word clearly, ¡°I have my own life, my own hobbies, my own pursuits, and my own world that I live in¡­ You are not everything in my life. You are just an accident in my life. Even without you, I can still live a good life in a place you don¡¯t know about. Do you understand?¡± ¡°If I help you, you should thank me. If I don¡¯t help you, you can¡¯t blame me. Do you understand?¡± ¡°I understand. Thank you for your help all this time, Mommy Sword Maiden!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me that!¡± Sword Maiden poked Ash¡¯s forehead forcefully. ¡°Who wants to be called Mommy at such a young age!¡± ¡°Who said that? I don¡¯t mind you calling me Daddy¡­¡± Seeing that the Sword Maiden was about to poke him with her finger again, Ash quickly changed the topic. ¡°Then, Sword Maiden, can you tell me what interesting things you encountered today?¡± Sword Maiden sat back on the bed and looked at the cup of water on the table beside her. She fell into a long silence. Just when Ash thought she didn¡¯t want to reveal her whereabouts to a stinking man, she spoke again. ¡°This morning, I showed off the Rapid Flow Spell Spirit at the entrance of the Pavilion of Meditation. In the end, by the afternoon, the whole school knew that I obtained a Rapid Flow Spell Spirit from the Illusory Realm. Heh, even that arrogant dorm mate of mine abased herself and asked me if I wanted to sell the Rapid Flow Spell Spirit¡­¡± ¡°Does that mean you had a great day?¡± ¡°Boring!¡± Sword Maiden rolled her eyes at him. ¡°What is this bit of superficial vanity worth being happy about? What are the praises and jealousy of those strangers worth being concerned over? Only a girl in her teens would get complacent.¡± But I remember you¡¯re in your teens¡­ As soon as this thought appeared in his mind,Sword Maiden glared at him fiercely. Great, I can¡¯t even say that you¡¯re young? Sword Maiden really is strict. ¡°The air in the single men¡¯s dormitory is so foul. I¡¯m leaving.¡± ¡°Apologize to that air purifier hanging on the ceiling! Immediately! Immediately!¡± Ash was on the verge of roaring. ¡°And I haven¡¯t done anything for the past two days. I¡¯ve been exploring the Illusory Realm with you at night, how could the air be foul!?¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because you¡¯re breathing, or maybe your heartbeat is too strong.¡± Ash decided not to argue with her. ¡°Shall we continue exploring the Illusory Realm tonight?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Sword Maiden paused for a moment. ¡°Unless it¡¯s a special matter, I won¡¯t usually appear. If there¡¯s anything you want to discuss with me, you can tell me when you reach the Illusory Realm. Nights in the Illusory Realm is the shared leisure time for us.¡± Ash naturally had no objections to this. Or rather, when Sword Maiden reiterated her human rights and freedom just now, he had vaguely expected that she would not continue to provide 24-hour personal service. ¡°Then if something happens to me and I must look for you urgently, will you appear?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? You¡¯re not everything in my life.¡± Hearing this, Ash nodded, indicating that he understood. He turned his head and looked elsewhere. ¡°But you are an accident in my life.¡± Sword Maiden glanced at him. ¡°If something really happens to you, I will appear as soon as possible¡ªand rush to the scene to mock you.¡± ¡°So don¡¯t expect me to appear and chat with you when you¡¯re feeling lonely. I don¡¯t provide such services.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a mature member of society. I won¡¯t get lonely.¡± Ash retorted while patting his chest. Yet, the joy in his eyes could hardly be concealed. Ha, what a joke¡­ The Terminus Observer of this time was actually afraid of loneliness, afraid of the unfamiliar prison, and even treated me as a lifesaver. He would grow fearful after not seeing me for a day, like a child¡­ So he wasn¡¯t born that way¡­ However, it¡¯s fortunate that his brain wasn¡¯t working too well in this time. I had thought it would be very difficult to hide this from him¡­ Many thoughts flashed through Sword Maiden¡¯s mind. Then, she disappeared from the dormitory and returned to where she should return. ¡­ ¡­ Astra Nation, training hall. ¡°Sonia, you can still walk, right?¡± Ingrit looked at Sonia, who was about to melt into the ground. She tried her best to help Sonia up to no avail. Ingrit herself was exhausted from the training. ¡°No, I don¡¯t have any strength left in my legs. I¡¯ll rest first¡­¡± The two girls sat down on the grass by the side of the road and panted heavily while holding onto their sword bags. ¡°Achoo!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°My undergarments are soaked through.¡± Sonia hooked a hand around her collar to cool off. ¡°It¡¯s a little cold when the wind blows¡­¡± ¡°Hehe, I recommend you to buy a sports bra of the Fiesta brand. It dries fast and is well-ventilated.¡± ¡°Really? Let me see.¡± After discussing the lingerie selection for a while, Ingrit exhaled a breath of hot air. She opened the water bottle she brought and realized that she had finished it. She turned to Sonia and asked, ¡°Sonia, where¡¯s your water bottle?¡± ¡°What water bottle?¡± ¡°Do you never bring a water bottle when you train?¡± ¡°I¡­ I always come here just with the sword bag. I forgot to bring water.¡± Sonia couldn¡¯t help but gulp at Ingrit¡¯s suggestion. She felt her lips were really dry. ¡°Do you have any more water?¡± ¡°No more! ¡­There¡¯s probably still one or two drops left?¡± Ingrit raised her head and waited for a few seconds before a drop of liquid fell from the water bottle. She licked her lips and exclaimed, ¡°Why is this water so sweet?¡± ¡°Let me try a little too!¡± Sonia also poured a drop of water into her mouth like Ingrit and let out a melodious sigh. ¡°How is this water? This is a precious brew that even wine from palace banquets cannot compare to!¡± ¡°Have you ever had wine from palace banquets?¡± ¡°Never, but doesn¡¯t that make me sound very impressive?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve had it before!¡± Ingrid giggled. ¡°My father had a bottle of wine that he kept in the basement and never opened. He said that it was the wine that Her Majesty the Empress bestowed upon him when he participated in the palace banquet years ago¡­ When I was young, I was very curious, so I sneaked to the basement to take a sip. In order to avoid being discovered by my father, I even added water into the bottle. In the end, I was still discovered. That was the worst beating my father ever gave me since I was young.¡± ¡°How were you discovered?¡± ¡°My footprints were too small. As soon as Father entered the basement, he saw my footprints extending all the way to where the bottle was placed.¡± ¡°How did it taste?¡± ¡°I forgot, but it probably tasted terrible. If it was good, I wouldn¡¯t have mixed it with water. I¡¯d have changed the entire bottle of wine to water.¡± ¡°Hahaha, you were so naughty when you were little.¡± ¡°Of course. I used to beat all the boys in town when I was a kid.¡± Ingrit lifted her chin proudly and touched her sword bag. ¡°I can do the same now.¡± Above them was the starry sky, and below them was the green lawn. In front of them were students who came to and left the training ground. However, the two girls just sat there, hugging their legs and resting while chatting. When they talked about a happy topic, they would even laugh as if there was no one else around, letting the sweat post their training trail down their faces into the earth. The roar of an engine could be heard not far away. A premium silver car slowly crossed the school road and stopped in front of them. ¡°Want a ride?¡± Felix asked calmly, sticking his head out. ¡°It¡¯s a small matter for me.¡± Ingrit shook her head. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. Walking back can effectively ease fatigue in the legs. And we¡¯re all sweaty. We wouldn¡¯t want to dirty your car.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Senior Celia pick you up tonight?¡± Sonia asked instead. ¡°We broke up.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± The two of them didn¡¯t know how to react, so they could only say ¡®oh¡¯. Felix said nothing and drove away. Watching the silver car drive away, Ingrit stood up and said, ¡°Are you done resting? It¡¯s time to go back. The water pressure in the bathroom is low after 10 PM, so there won¡¯t be any water for you to shower later.¡± ¡°You can go back. I¡¯m going straight to the Pavilion of Meditation.¡± Ingrit was not surprised. ¡°You want to avoid Louis? You haven¡¯t decided what to do with the Rapid Flow Spell Spirit yet?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sonia sighed as well. ¡°It¡¯s not that I haven¡¯t thought about it¡­ I just want to exchange it for a sword spell spirit.¡± When the news that Sonia had a Rapid Flow Spell Spirit spread, her dormmate Louis immediately went to her and asked if she could buy it. Louis did not intend to take advantage of her and even offered 120% of the market price. There was no way that Sonia could sell it at such a price on the school¡¯s trading platform, so she would definitely not lose out by selling it to her. If it were Sonia in the past, she would have sold it in a hurry. Then, she would hide in her bed at night and count the money until she laughed out loud, fantasizing about how she could make more money using this ¡°huge sum¡± of money. However, under the guidance of Professor Trozan, Sonia¡¯s horizons were broadened. She deeply realized that spell spirits were the foundation of a sorcerer¡¯s strength, and money could only be considered secondary resources that were the icing on the cake. Therefore, she preferred to carry out the ¡°spell spirit exchange¡± and use the Rapid Flow Spell Spirit to exchange for a sword spell spirit that she wanted, developing her strength so that she could better explore the Illusory Realm. However, the ¡°spell spirit exchange¡± was not always available. Ordinary spell spirits might be a simple affair, but precious ones like the Rapid Flow Spell Spirit naturally had to be exchanged for precious spirits among sword spell spirits. Even though Professor Trozan promised to help Sonia keep an eye out, he could not find a buyer for a while. On one hand, it was Louis who could give a large sum of money at any time. On the other hand, it was a seller who had yet to appear. Sonia was also a little hesitant. She planned to hide for a few days and consider her options. ¡°Actually, you have a third option. Use it yourself.¡± Sonia turned to find the Observer sitting beside her. She suppressed the flash of joy in her heart and asked nonchalantly, [When did you come back?] ¡°Just as you were discussing underwear.¡± [¡­] ¡°Don¡¯t buy lingerie from that Fiesta brand. Fiesta specifically targets women of medium and small sizes. Given your size, I¡¯d recommend the brand Doslin. The molding is very effective.¡± [All right, I¡¯m not going to discuss this with you..] Chapter 40 - Daddy Observer Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After bidding farewell to Ingrit, Sonia went to the Pavilion of Meditation and asked in her mind, [Did you just say that I can use the Rapid Flow Spell Spirit?] ¡°Yes.¡± The Observer walked side by side with her. ¡°Don¡¯t you have some foundation in the School of Water Sorcery? I remember that the core spirits of a swordplay miracle is Wave Sword and Rapid Flow.¡± [You know the formula of that miracle!?] Sonia was instantly excited. If she could master a swordplay miracle, not only would she be recognized by Professor Trozan, she would also be qualified to participate in the Galaxy High School Tournament. She would be able to use her own strength to open the door to the upper class¡ª ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± [¡­] ¡°But since you have these two spell spirits, you can invent this miracle yourself,¡± the Observer said in a relaxed tone. ¡°Isn¡¯t the amazing thing about sorcerers the fact that they can form an unbelievably brilliant miracle from any combination of multiple spell spirits?¡± [I¡¯ve also asked Professor Trozan, but even he would have to spend several months to create a water sword miracle based on the Wave Sword and Rapid Flow¡­] ¡°How can he compare to you? You are the Sword Maiden I found.¡± Sonia curled her lips. She was not a three-year-old child, and she would never believe such a cheap compliment. If you really think so highly of me, tell me the miracle technique directly! I will remember your great kindness. When I become successful, will I not repay you? If you die before my rise to success, I will definitely prepare a grand funeral for you! Her eyes flicked about and she tried her best to control her emotional fluctuations. Then she continued to ask, ¡°So, Observer, you took the Substitution Spell Spirit because you wanted to give me the Rapid Flow Spell Spirit? You¡¯re so nice to me¡­¡± The Observer shuddered and took a step to the side. He seemed somewhat shocked and bewildered, his dim face fixed on Sonia. Sonia maintained her sweet smile and tried her best to control her thoughts, trying not to let the Observer hear her true thoughts. ¡°¡­All right, stop probing. I took the Substitution Spell Spirit because I need it.¡± [You need a one-winged spell spirit at your level?] ¡°First of all, there are no weak spell spirits, only weak sorcerers. This should be the principle that must be taught in every textbook for sorcerers.¡± The Observer said, ¡°Secondly, I¡¯m only a weakling now. I¡¯m even weaker than you, and I¡¯m also in danger. My intrinsic body is locked up in prison. Not only am I very weak, I also lost a lot of my memories while I was returning to consciousness, so I have to understand the general knowledge of sorcerers through you.¡± He was very weak now¡­ In other words, he used to be very strong? Losing his memories¡­ could it be that he was struck by a miracle that erased memories? No wonder he asked so many idiotic questions. He was really an idiot. However, even Sonia, who rarely read fantasy literature, instantly thought of plots such as ¡°the return of the powerful¡±, ¡°the fall of the legendary sorcerer¡±, and ¡°the revival of the great existence¡±. She could not help but feel excited¡ª Wasn¡¯t this the potential stock that she had been looking for all along!? Even though his current situation wasn¡¯t great, as long as he was given time to grow, he would definitely be able to become a peerlessly strong and towering figure, become the ruler of a power, and enjoy wealth and glory! There was chance to consider for ordinary potential stocks, whereas the Observer was returning to the peak. As long as there was enough time, there was an almost 100% rate of success! Sonia had always disliked Felix because she was hoping that she could find someone with potential. After all, it was not easy to take advantage of nobles. Even if a noble young master like Felix was a fool, his parents were not fools. If she wanted to rely on the power of the nobles, she would definitely lose a huge chunk of flesh. If she did not give birth to a child, she would not be able to escape. If she could find someone with potential to marry, then Sonia would not only be able to enjoy wealth, but she would also be able to maintain her autonomy. She wouldn¡¯t have no say in her family. Although the Observer was her superior, the rationale to finding a marriage partner and finding a superior was the same. Compared to joining a large organization in the future and becoming a screw in the framework, it¡¯s better to be a founder who started the business together with a superior with potential! [Observer, are you in any danger? Do you need my help? Feel free to ask! I will do my utmost to protect you, Observer!] ¡°¡­When we explore the Illusory Realm later, if you encounter a spell spirit necessary for the Slay Self miracle, let me have it.¡± [Slay Self miracle?] ¡°Oh yeah, I haven¡¯t told you yet. I¡¯m in a certain prison right now, and I need to use the Slay Self to get away.¡± When the Observer described the Slay Self miracle to her in detail, Sonia was dumbfounded. If she remembered correctly, this was a miracle that had yet to be registered in the ¡°Astra Catalog of Miracles¡±! A miracle that had never appeared in the Astra Nation! Furthermore, it was extremely practical swordplay miracle and could be used by Silver Sorcerers to treat themselves! Sonia could not sell this miracle¡ªshe could not tell the source of the miracle at all, nor did she have the conditions to create the miracle (she could not even gather all the spell spirits), so once she tried to sell it, it would only be deemed as stealing other people¡¯s patents by the Association of Sorcerers. However, if she could sell the formula of this miracle, the money would be enough for Sonia to directly become a rich woman in Galaxy! That was why Sonia was an ordinary citizen. When the Observer unearthed her swordplay talent and took her on adventures in the Illusory Realm, she only felt ¡°gratitude¡±. However, when the Observer gave her a miracle formula, which she could neither use at the moment nor sell, Sonia was overjoyed because the latter was more valuable in the Astra Nation. This was what they meant by saying promises of the future are no match for salary in the present, and spiritual satisfaction cannot replace material satisfaction. [Is-is this a swordplay miracle you invented?] ¡°No.¡± The Observer glanced at Sonia. ¡°This is a swordplay miracle that I stole from an enemy.¡± Sonia blinked. [Will I be in trouble if I use this miracle?] ¡°You can rest assured. That enemy of mine will never appear before you.¡± He paused. ¡°Never.¡± Which means the patent inventor is dead? Sonia was thrilled. She thought that once she fully spread her Silver Wing and found the few spell spirits for the Slay Self miracle, wouldn¡¯t she be able to take this miracle for herself and sell it? Surely a big shot like the Observer wouldn¡¯t care about such small benefits, right? [All right, I¡¯ll do my best in the Illusory Realm exploration and help you find all the spell spirits for the Slay Self miracle. By the way, I actually have something to discuss with you¡­] ¡°Tell me after we enter the Illusory Realm first.¡± The Observer stepped into the Pavilion of Meditation. ¡°There¡¯s plenty of time in the Illusory Realm. You can discuss anything you want. By the way, don¡¯t you hate that I could hear your thoughts? I¡¯ve decided to consider your wishes.¡± Sonia was overjoyed. [You are going to cancel the surveillance on my thoughts?] ¡°No, I¡¯ve decided to stop looking for you usually.¡± The Observer shrugged. ¡°In the future, you don¡¯t have to shout ¡®Observer¡¯ in your mind before you go to the toilet or shower. I¡¯m not toilet paper or a towel.¡± [How did you know that I would call you in my mind before going to the toilet and showering?] ¡°That¡¯s not important!¡± The Observer waved his hand. ¡°If you have any matters in the future, just tell me when we are in the Illusory Realm. I will no longer appear in your normal life.¡± [If¡­ if you don¡¯t listen to my thoughts, I¡¯ll still welcome you. Even if you insist on listening to my thoughts, I think I¡¯m getting used to it¡­] Sonia stammered her response, and she was obviously a bit hesitant. There was no doubt that she hated it when the Observer invaded her privacy, but it was also because of this that she could reveal her true nature in front of the Observer. There was no need for her to wear a mask. This was why Sonia was so happy when she suspected that the Observer was a shadow of her psyche. Wasn¡¯t a being who knew everything about you but could not influence your social relations the most ideal confidant? ¡°You make it sound like your daily life is exciting and I insisted on watching it.¡± The Observer crossed his arms. ¡°I have things to do too. I don¡¯t have time to watch the campus love drama of university students every day.¡± ¡°In short, the several hours in the Illusory Realm is our time to communicate. I won¡¯t disturb you during the rest of the time. I won¡¯t appear even if you call for me.¡± [What if I am looking for you for a really urgent matter?] ¡°Then it¡¯d be useless for you to look for me.¡± The Observer spread his hands. ¡°I am only an illusion that has descended beside you. I can¡¯t even lift a single strand of hair. I can¡¯t provide you with any substantial help. If you seek me out, I can do nothing aside from mocking you.¡± [Mocking is fine.] Sonia insisted. [But will you appear when I call you?] ¡°It¡¯s a difficult request to reject. But I¡¯m curious. Do you need me so much because I¡¯m filling for the missing paternal love in your childhood?¡± [Do you want me to call you Daddy Observer then?] ¡°Save it. Just call me Observer,¡± the Observer backed away, ¡°or I¡¯ll have nightmares.¡± As they spoke, the two of them arrived at the independent meditation room. Sonia sat down cross-legged and glanced at the Observer beside her. She took out her Wave Sword Spell Spirit, searched for the Gate of Truth, and entered the Illusory Realm. As he watched Sonia close her eyes and establish a connection between her consciousness and the distant Illusory Realm, the Observer suddenly let out a sigh. How terrifying¡­ It had only been two days, but she had already found a way to hide her true thoughts. She could even deceive me in her heart¡­ As expected of the witch who carried the title of ¡°Deadly Berserker¡±¡­ Such gift, such talent¡ªwas it good or bad to let her discover her potential ahead of time?¡­ However, that is no longer my concern. The Observer shrugged and disappeared from the meditation room..