Chapter 103: Protect My Dream

Sonya clicked her tongue. When the Watcher had suddenly sunk into such a low mood, she had briefly thought about exploiting the opening. If she pushed hard enough, she might overturn the balance of control entirely and turn him into her personal ride once and for all. However, after giving it some thought, she came to understand him.

He had transmigrated into a stranger's body, lost every memory related to sorcery, and inherited nothing from the original owner. In effect, he had been dropped into the world like a newborn abandoned at birth. In a situation like that, how could he not feel lost?

The only differences between the Watcher and a baby were that he did not cry, and he was far less adorable.

He had finally pieced together a workable escape plan and stood only one step away from putting it into motion when a string of accidents shattered everything. Now, an unsolvable crisis loomed directly in front of him. It was only natural for him to feel discouraged.

When Sonya failed to finish her assignments on time, she sometimes gave up as well and left things to fate. The difference was that when she gave up, the worst outcome was a scolding from a professor. If the Watcher gave up, he would truly die. That was something she could not accept.

Sonya asked, "Do you want power? As long as you reach the Sacred Realm or become a Four-Winged Legendary sorcerer, you can look down on all living beings and wield strength powerful enough to overturn the world."

"I do, but only a little. Power is wonderful to have, but I would not become greedy without it. I am already quite satisfied with the Silver Wing."

Sonya pressed on. "Then what about the Virtual World? The Sea of Knowledge is only the first layer. The Continent of Time comes next. Then the Distant Sky Domain. Then Ruby Mountain. Countless sorcerers immerse themselves in it not only for power, but because the journey itself is the greatest adventure."

"I do want that, but not that much. I am the type who needs months to recover after a single trip. To be honest, if it were not for growing stronger, I would even want to discuss pausing our exploration for a while. We have already condensed the Silver Wing, after all."

Sonya shook her head violently, as if she had just heard something heretical. "Absolutely not. How can a sorcerer pause exploration of the Virtual World? Even the laziest donkey in a work team would not dare say something like that. You are truly strange. Normally, power and the Virtual World are a sorcerer's ultimate desires. Could it be that your tastes are more vulgar? Authority? Women?"

Ashe said, "Would it sound better if I called them career and love? Honestly, if I can settle down after escaping, meet a pure and cute girl with a good figure, and live a peaceful, sweet life, I would be perfectly content."

Sonya spoke solemnly, "The original owner of this body must have been framed. Thoughts like that definitely did not come from you. You must be under some kind of influence. How could a body capable of producing such thoughts belong to the leader of a cult?"

Ashe did not agree with her dismissal of his interests, but he fully agreed with the second half.

How could Ashe Heath be the leader of a cult? He has clearly been pushed out as a scapegoat by Professor Syrin.

Sonya muttered under her breath, "

Tch

. You are such a hassle. I do not know about the Light of Hope, but I have heard beating someone up also has therapeutic effects."

Ashe retreated to the corner of the small boat. "

Hey, hey,

we can talk this through. This is just a minor issue. Let us ignore it and move on to a pleasant Virtual World exploration."

Sonya said, "No. We solve your problem first."

Ashe genuinely did not understand. "Why? Have you not always hated me controlling your actions? Did you not say you could live just fine without me? I am not trying to kill myself. I am just tired and lacking motivation. It will not interfere with exploration. Why are you so nervous about my mental state?"

"Because I need you."

Ashe froze.

Sonya crouched in front of him, her eyes wide as if a sudden clarity had hit her. "Yes... I need you. You’re important to me."

"I want to become a Four-Winged Legendary sorcerer. I want to wield Miracles that turn the world upside down, command the world itself, and force even fate to bow before me.

"I want to explore the Virtual World. I want to see the Rising Rain of Time on the Continent of Time. I want to see the boundless Distant Sky Domain. I want to see Ruby Mountain made entirely of rubies. I want to witness more Miracles, subdue more spirits, climb higher realms of sorcery, and uncover the truth of the Virtual World.

"I want to become an influential figure in Cailleach. I want to receive an imperial investiture in the Palace of Dege and become a new noble.

"I also want to become a singer and a screen idol. I want to create films that people never grow tired of watching and leave behind songs that are sung for generations. I want to become someone others admire."

She gripped Ashe's hand tightly. "I want even more than that. But I cannot achieve these dreams alone. So I need you, Watcher. You are my shortcut.

"I may hate the accidents you bring into my life, but I admit that you have given me countless benefits. Without you, I might not even be a sorcerer, let alone someone who has condensed the Silver Wing. In both the real and the Virtual World, I need you."

Sonya spoke slowly, each word firm. "Watcher, even if you have no dreams of your own, you must protect mine. You are called the Watcher, aren't you? Then watch me carefully. Until I achieve my dreams, you must stay alive."

Ashe blinked, then burst into laughter. He laughed so hard that tears nearly spilled from his eyes. Wiping the corners of his eyes, he complained, "No matter how many times I think about that speech, I hear only one word: exploitation."

Sonya clicked her tongue. "Isn't that great? Our relationship has always been a straightforward exchange of interests. Laying out our needs in advance just makes future cooperation smoother, doesn't it?"

"But I was actually hoping for something a little warmer..."

"That works too. Don't move."

Sonya wrapped her arms around Ashe's waist and rested her chin on his shoulder. Ashe could feel the stiffness in her movements. She either had never hugged someone of the opposite gender before or had rarely hugged anyone at all.

"You've already become someone very important in my life. I don't want to lose you."

Ashe froze. The sensation was like eating a strawberry popsicle in the height of summer. Just as he reached out to hug her back, Sonya pulled away with a faint smile on her lips. "Well? Did your heart flutter?"

Ashe's face darkened. "Right, you're no longer bound by the ritual. You don't have to tell the truth anymore."

Sonya stuck out her tongue. "What did you expect? We've only known each other for a few days. Do you really think I'm that casual? I already said our relationship is one of interests, yet you still believed me... So, did your heart flutter?"

Ashe changed the subject. "You said earlier you wanted to be a singer. Since we're not in a rush, why don't you sing a song and lighten the mood?"

"If I sing just because you tell me to, wouldn't that make me look cheap?"

Sonya nearly blushed to her ears. In her haste to speak earlier, she had accidentally revealed her dream of becoming an idol and songstress. She had buried this secret deep in her heart since childhood. Even at university, she had never dared share it. She hadn't enrolled in the music department, so she didn't technically meet the requirements. Worse, whenever she mentioned it, people would demand she sing, which only made it more infuriating.

They bickered back and forth as usual, then suddenly paused at the same time. Sonya sat down. "How do you feel now?"

"Terrible. I even feel like dying on purpose just to piss you off."

"You—"

𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Ashe shrugged. "Just kidding. But seeing how irritating you are reminded me of an enemy enjoying life outside prison while trying to get me killed. He made my so-called retirement days in prison a constant nightmare, and he was the mastermind who framed me in the first place. The more I think about it, the angrier I get. Endure for a moment, and the rage only grows. Step back, and it feels like a loss. Even if I don't feel like living, I still have to break out and settle accounts with that bastard first. Good, that's the spirit. I can't die before getting my revenge!"

Sonya thought inwardly.

Revenge, huh. Harsh, but as a short-term goal, it's not bad.

Sonya nodded. "Right. Revenge means paying back tenfold, from morning to night, for every offense others commit against you."

Ashe looked at her. "And one more thing, Swordswoman. Didn't I say earlier that I feel light all over, like a balloon, with only a single string tying me to the ground?

"You're that string."

Sonya blinked.

"Even if it's for you, to protect your dreams, to watch over your future, I'll live properly."

For a moment, Sonya didn't know how to react. She instinctively looked away. "I—"

Ashe leaned back theatrically and laughed. "Well? Did your heart flutter?"

Sonya's mouth twitched, and her shoulders shook in anger. "You said that without a shred of emotion. Even little girls wouldn't believe it. Want me to teach you how to lie convincingly, even when you don't believe it yourself? I'm a professional at that."

"I want to learn singing from you. Sing a few lines first and liven things up."

"

Tch.

Enough chatting. Let's start exploring the Virtual World. If we keep talking, it'll be dawn on my side."

"That's true."

Ashe opened the light screen and tapped into the Virtual World map. "We've really stayed here for too... long..."

Hearing a tremor in his voice, Sonya frowned. "What's wrong?"

"On the first day we entered the Virtual World, didn't you tell me there was one taboo we must always remember while exploring?"

"Yes. That we mustn't stay in one place for too long—"

Her words cut off abruptly. She tilted her head slightly and saw a pair of pale yellow vertical pupils emerge from the dense white fog.

Those were the eyes of the Foxlight Dragon. Other than that, there were also the Fish-Slaying Dragon, Foxlight Dragon, Storm Dragon, Mudfish Drake, and Canopy Dragon...

Without realizing it, they were already surrounded by a group of Knowledge Creatures. "Swordswoman, were you talking a bit too loudly just now—"

"Shut up."