The Sorcerer's Handbook-Chapter 23: Watcher? Swordswoman?

"I'm so tired... Angelica, do you want to shower first?"

Sonya’s voice could be heard down the hallway even before she reached the dorm. Louisa was still reading when the sound reached her, and her expression darkened instantly.

Soon after, the door opened, and two girls entered while chatting with soft giggles. They were Sonya and Angelica. Fine hairs along their cheeks were damp with faint traces of sweat. They swept into the dorm like a spring breeze, filling the room with lively, youthful energy.

Angelica sat down. "Yes, I'll go first. I still have laundry to do afterward, and your legs look wobbly. Sit for a bit and recover your strength."

"True," Sonya stretched lazily and slumped over the desk like a slug. "Ugh, I already regret switching to the Sword Class. It's exhausting. Classes are fine, but Professor Trosan insists I take an extra two-hour advanced course, and I even have to spar with him... On top of that, I still have more sword practice tonight to master the Wave spirit. My whole day feels crammed."

"That's actually amazing," Angelica said with admiration. "Professor Trosan is a Three-Winged swordmaster. He's known as the Hidden Hand Sword Saint, and last year he was named one of the 'Top Ten Outstanding Sword Saints of the Starry Kingdom.' Rumor says he might become a Four-Winged Legend... That means you might become the apprentice of a future legendary swordmaster!"

Louisa unconsciously wrinkled the pages of her book.

Sonya waved her hand. "Professor Trosan hasn't said he'll take me as an apprentice. He just thinks I have talent..."

Angelica sighed. "To be honest, I've hoped to become his apprentice ever since I started my first Swordsmanship lesson at the university, but he's never officially taken one. You're one of his only two exceptions!"

"Let me recommend you to him tomorrow," Sonya said. "I can't promise anything, but maybe he'll at least give you an interview—"

"No need," Angelica cut her off lightly as she searched through her clothes. "He clearly wants to nurture geniuses. I'm just an ordinary person; he wouldn't accept me. He might even dislike me more for trying. Besides, I'm close to reaching the eighth ring. In a few months, I shall be able to summon my spirit. By then, the Swordsmanship Department will start providing me with more resources. I might even catch up to you eventually."

"I'm not going to stand by and wait for you to catch up," Sonya teased. "Good thing you're here, Angelica. Otherwise, I wouldn't know how to reject Felix's invitations politely."

"I heard he wants another spar. Don't you want to face him again?" Angelica asked.

"No!" Sonya replied instantly. "He's not trying to spar. He just wants excuses to get close to me."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"Not really. Firstly, he's a playboy. You've seen that yourself. Secondly, I know I'll surpass him eventually. I can't respect a man who can't beat me in my strongest field. Swords and Roses University feels too small. I plan to advance to Truth University in the future. Romance can wait until I get stronger."

Louisa almost tore through the page with her nails.

Adele had been watching a light-screen program during the exchange. She glanced over curiously. "Sonya, are you transferring to Truth University?"

"No," Sonya sighed. "But Professor Trosan can register me for competitions there and let me use their facilities. I'll probably be running between Sword and Roses and Truth University from now on. Just thinking about it makes me tired."

"Wow! Then you'll meet top students from the Truth University. If you meet any handsome guys, remember to introduce them to us!" Adele chirped.

"No~ problem~" Sonya replied, drawing out her words. "How could I forget the roommates I've spent an entire year with? Right, Louisa?"

Louisa's mouth twisted, but she forced a smile. "Of course. I just hope you, the future Sword Saint, won't forget us."

"That would never happen! I'm just a country girl, after all, and I'll still need Lady Louisa to look after me," Sonya said mockingly. "Ah, Lady Louisa, are you reading your water sorcery textbook? I'm jealous. I wish I could also keep studying water sorcery. It's easy and respectable, unlike swordsmanship... It's so tiring."

Angelica quickly realized that everything Sonya had said earlier was meant for Louisa to hear. She couldn't care less about their petty squabble and headed straight into the bathroom.

Sonya expected Louisa to explode, but Louisa stayed silent. She simply lay on her bed and acted as if none of it mattered.

Sonya's sarcastic jabs relied on interaction. With Louisa showing none, her teasing lost its fun. She grabbed her backpack. "Fine, I'll shower tomorrow morning. I need to head to the Meditation Tower to prepare for my first journey into the Virtual World. Everyone, have a pleasant night."

Angelica was showering. With Louisa remaining silent, only Adele replied, "Goodnight, Sonya."

Once Sonya left, the dorm was filled only with the sound of running water from the bathroom.

Adele looked at the quiet Louisa and decided to start a conversation. "Hmph, that country girl Sonya is really full of herself. So what if she's talented in swordsmanship? Louisa, you don't need to take it personally. She'll hit a wall sooner or later with that much arrogance... huh?"

Adele glanced closer and noticed that Louisa was truly absorbed in her studies. She had even taken out a notebook to work on exercises.

"This time, I lost," Louisa said. "That country girl, Sonya, has already reached a height I have to look up to. If this keeps going, a few years from now, when we graduate and meet again, I'll have to bow to her."

Thinking of how humiliating that could be, Louisa's lips twitched slightly. "I can't accept it... I refuse to believe I'm inferior to that country girl!"

Adele didn't interrupt and returned to her seat to continue watching her program. The program was still entertaining, but for some reason, she couldn't shake off her uneasy feeling. She glanced at Louisa again and realized that Louisa wasn't just acting in the moment. She was fully focused on studying. Thinking it over, Adele turned off her screen and pulled out a book to study as well.

By then, Angelica had come out of the bathroom. Seeing the two immersed in their work, she felt slightly surprised. Nevertheless, she said nothing and quietly went to the balcony sink to wash her clothes.

***

After the security guard checked her student information on her bracelet, Sonya entered a fully enclosed special building. The moment she stepped inside, it felt as if she had crossed an invisible boundary. Her thoughts raced, and the Wave spirit leapt from her shoulder with excitement.

"So... you'll still be with me after I enter the Virtual World?" Sonya asked.

"That's technically overtime," the Watcher said slowly, walking beside her. "And that's outside my service scope."

"So... you mean you don't want to—"

"You'll need to pay for overtime," the Watcher interrupted, rubbing his fingers together. "If you go to a bar and ask someone to keep you company, you buy them a drink, right? If you want someone to accompany you into the Virtual World, you'll at least need to show some gratitude!"

"I'm broke!"

"Besides money, you have plenty of other residual value to offer," he said.

Sonya arched an eyebrow and tugged at her shirt to reveal a deep cleavage. "My most valuable thing... is me, of course."

"That's what I was waiting to hear! Then you'll be working for me," the Watcher snapped his fingers. "But since you haven't graduated yet, you're still in a trial period. And during the trial period, there's no labor contract. As for your wages... the Energy Potion you drank and that wooden sword you used already count, so—"

"So you want me to work for you for free?"

"Tsk, that's not how it works. I provide you with opportunities to grow, while you repay me with labor as you grow. It's a mutually beneficial employer-employee relationship," he explained.

Sonya didn't outright refuse the unequal contract. Instead, she asked, "So all this effort—from testing me in dreams, arranging my training, to stimulating my sword talent—is so that you can have me working for you? Then what exactly is my job?"

"Survive."

"Survive?"

"Surviving is the rarest thing in this world," the Watcher said with a laugh. "Most people merely exist."

"I still don't get it," Sonya said. "I believe every gift comes with a cost. You've invested a great deal in my training. That means you must want something in return. Unless you're some kind of illusion in my mind, I can't imagine why you'd be so selfless."

"I'm not selfless. In fact, no one in this world is more selfish than me," the Watcher said. "I am demanding that you live according to my wishes. Could there be anything more selfish than that?"

"But..."

"Ha, just kidding. I'm no saint to be concerned about you. I have a serious favor to ask. You see, for certain reasons, I've become weak, and I can't explore the Virtual World alone, so I need you to protect me."

By then, Sonya had arrived at room 311. She unlocked the door with her bracelet and entered a narrow, empty meditation room. An orange carpet covered the floor, and ceiling lights illuminated every corner.

This was the Meditation Tower at Swords and Roses University, the best quiet place for Sonya to access the Virtual World.

She closed the door, sat cross-legged on the carpet, and let the Wave spirit float above her palm. Focusing on the spirit, she attempted to locate the Door of Truth hidden within knowledge so that she could embark on her first journey into the Virtual World.

She might have successfully summoned her first spirit, but she wasn't yet a One-Winged sorcerer because she hadn't formed her Silver Wing. Without mana, she couldn't condense her spell projection, and naturally, she couldn't fully mobilize her spirit. She would only count as a true sorcerer after forming her Silver Wing.

To form the Silver Wing, she had to enter the Virtual World, navigate the Sea of Knowledge, and attract knowledge with her soul. Then she would extract mana from that knowledge, condense it into a phantom wing, and use it to wield the power of law.

Ordinary people could only enter the Virtual World by finding the Door of Truth within their spirit. Once they passed through it, their soul would arrive in an illusory world built from law and knowledge—the Virtual World.

The Virtual World was said to be dozens, hundreds, or even ten thousand times larger than the real world. Countless sorcerers spent their lives there without encountering another person, so every sorcerer had to explore it entirely on their own.

The Meditation Tower served as a dedicated space for sorcerers to explore the Virtual World. Aside from its peaceful, distraction-free environment, Swords and Roses University had cast the Miracle Starlight Pursues Shadows. The spell accelerated students' thoughts to make it easier for them to find the Door of Truth. It also guided countless beams of starlight from the Starry Lord, allowing their souls to emit a scent that drew knowledge and helped them condense the Silver Wing more quickly.

Soon, Sonya found the Door of Truth within the Wave spirit.

Since this was her first time entering the Virtual World, she felt anxious. She whispered in her mind, "Watcher?"

"I'm here. Don't worry. We share a bond. The sacred destiny has linked us together," the Watcher replied.

Sonya calmed down. As her consciousness interacted with the Door of Truth, darkness engulfed her vision.

When she awoke, she found herself lying on a boat, floating on an ashen-gray sea. The sky above was heavy with gloom, and thick mist covered the area.

She lay at the stern and saw a familiar figure at the bow.

"Watcher?"

"Swordswoman?"

They exchanged a glance, and both let out a sigh of relief.