Chapter 11: If I've Done Wrong, Let the Law Punish Me

Even in this situation, Sonya did not lose her composure or shout. She only complained silently to the Watcher, "If I did something wrong, let the law punish me. You make me practice swordsmanship and force me to fight Felix. What exactly do you want from me? Infiltrate the Starry Kingdom's upper-class social circle and become your spy?"

The Watcher answered, "It's not as complicated as you think. I only want to arrange a fight for you, and he happens to be the strongest one here. The fact that he is an aristocrat makes it even better. I like seeing aristocrats get beaten up. If possible, after you win, can you step on his face... No, forget it. I heard some Starry Kingdom aristocrats have strange tastes. Just spank him... No, forget what I said."

"Then can you pick someone else? I don't want anything to do with Felix!"

"Why?"

"I did some research on him," Sonya replied. "He's strange and dangerous."

As the easiest young master to approach at Sword and Roses University, Sonya had naturally seen Felix as a potential hunting target. But after looking into him, she abandoned this tempting option.

It had nothing to do with him being a playboy. Sonya never saw his playboy behavior as a problem. What truly stopped her was Felix's family situation and his ex-girlfriends.

Rumor had it that Felix was a walking breeding machine, bedding countless women every day, but after watching him for a while, Sonya realized he never actually spent the night out with any of them.

He lived in an off-campus villa. Every night after training, he drove away from school. His ride, the Bestune Silver Tiger[2], was the only one on campus. Sonya often caught sight of it at night. He never brought a girlfriend along and always went home alone.

Of course, it was also possible he preferred daytime. But Felix changed girlfriends every three days, including noble ladies. Sonya didn't believe he could "conquer" them in just three days.

Rather than promiscuity, it seemed more like he was collecting stamps.

As the son of Duke Vlozrada, who somehow ended up at Sword and Roses University, it was hard not to suspect he was involved in political complications.

Sonya had no interest in "striving and growing alongside him." She wanted to target one of the newly minted nouveau riche heirs instead. That way, she could keep things simple while still having room to maneuver. With enough skill, she could even secure a portion of their family assets.

Putting everything together, Sonya's interest in Felix was lukewarm at best.

She had an entire forest to choose from. She had no reason to cling to one tree and even felt she should stay away from him.

Part of the reason was simple. Sonya had never interacted with aristocrats. Everything she knew about them came from novels. In those stories, aside from the male lead, all aristocrats were villains who oppressed the innocent and abused their power, while those who weren't evil enough risked losing their titles.

Cautious and pessimistic as always, Sonya never believed she could meet a good aristocrat. Felix, with every sign of a classic villain, naturally caused her to keep her distance.

"So if you fight him, you might get into trouble?"

Sonya answered quickly, "Exactly. I don't know what you want me to do, but I'm too weak now. I should grow stronger first. I should keep a low profile when I can. I shouldn't—"

The Watcher cut her off. "This is perfect. I want you to get into trouble. I want you to stay high profile and crush every enemy that stands in your way. Isn't this your wish too?"

Sonya shouted in her mind, "I don't have such childish, arrogant wishes!"

The Watcher bowed courteously. "Well then, I wish you victory in your first battle. Defeat the swordsmanship genius and kick the Starry Kingdom aristocrat."

"No, I absolutely wo—"

𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Sonya's thoughts were cut short. She raised her wooden sword, pointed it at Felix, and spoke in an arrogant tone uncharacteristic of her, "Felix Vlozrada, genius of the swordsmanship department. In all of Sword and Roses, only you are worthy of being the stepping stone for my summon."

"Would you dare to fight me?"

The training ground immediately erupted in commotion, and all the students of the swordsmanship department watched with expectant eyes.

Sylvia bit her lips so hard, she almost tore them.

As I thought! Her target is Felix too, and she's confronting him directly! Cliché, but cunningly effective!

Angelica said in astonishment, "Sonya, you've just trained for two hours. Even if you want a duel, shouldn't you wait until tomorrow?"

Felix stepped out from the crowd, his gaze locked tightly on Sonya. "No, now is just right. Three thousand six hundred swings in two hours, training from basics to mastery... You are the most talented person I've ever seen, and the second person to make me feel fear. If I don't accept your challenge now, I might not even have the courage to face you tomorrow.

"Now could be my only chance to defeat you. I don't care if others say I'm taking advantage of you while you're tired. At least after defeating you tonight, I'll still have the qualification and courage to chase your shadow!

"And you're right. In all of Sword and Roses, only I am worthy of your challenge. Those senior swordsmen achieved the Virtual World's knowledge only through persistent effort. They simply cannot compare to talents like you and me. Come!"

As he spoke, the onlooking students had already cleared a large space in the training ground for the two of them. They stood at opposite ends, gripping their training swords and facing each other.

Sonya assumed the most common mid-position stance[3], while Felix held his sword high to the side with one hand, a posture full of apparent openings.

Angelica worried slightly for Sonya, but at the same time, she couldn't help but look forward to the match. "Wave Stance..."

The Vlozrada family was renowned for its swordsmanship and had four exclusive stances capable of summoning spirits. The Wave Stance was one of them.

In swordsmanship, stances were more than just training techniques. They were methods of summoning and combat. Or rather, swordsmen could summon spirits because they had sufficient insight into the combat mechanics of a stance, evoking the resonance of the Virtual World and transforming the Virtual World's knowledge into spirits. Every basic spirit a swordsman could summon independently was proof of perfect mastery over that stance.

Felix had competed with others before, but Angelica, focused on her own training and not well-liked, had never managed to get any news about it. This was her first glimpse of the legendary Wave Stance. She couldn't help but feel tempted and was already thinking of a chance to challenge Felix herself.

Just then, she noticed Sonya's cheeks were flushed, and she kept glancing at Angelica. Angelica was a little puzzled and frowned. After thinking it over, she figured that Sonya must be showing off and letting her know that she would be the first to witness the Wave Stance.

Angelica clenched her fists and gave a small cheer.

You guys may be geniuses, but I'll catch up to you!

Sonya felt utterly helpless.

Are my signals for help not obvious enough? Why isn't Angelica rushing to carry me away!?

Once again, Sonya spoke in her mind. "What's the point of you controlling my body to fight? Even if I win, it's you who wins. I'm just a bystander. If you want to manipulate me, go ahead. I can't resist anyway.

"But last night, you let me go through the trial in the dream, let me train in swordsmanship. You wanted me to grow, right? Then give me back control of my body. I promise I'll fight. If one isn't enough, I can take on two. How about that?

The Watcher stood beside Angelica and said, “What makes you think this is as simple as one plus one equals two? And who said I’m the one controlling your body?”

"If not you, then who? Are you going to say... it's me?"

The Watcher stepped closer, lifting the tip of her sword slightly. "It

is

you. Do you think I'd pick someone at random to fight you? Do you think I can truly ignore your will and force your body to move?

"Why did you train so hard? Because last night, in your dream, when you defeated me, you discovered your talent for swordsmanship. You knew you had a chance to gain power. You realized more than ever how much time you've wasted.

"So you came here and pushed yourself to the limit, not for me, not for anyone else, but to show others, to show your roommate Angelica, that beyond your looks, you have talent to be proud of!

"And why challenge Felix? From the first moment you saw him driving the Bestune Silver Tiger through campus, surrounded by admirers, and becoming the talk of the school, you were already jealous, envious, and resentful. You can't blame your mother, so you can only direct your resentment at someone with a family and status far above yours.

"What right do they have to be born with everything? What right do they have to be better than you at everything?

"Don't lie to yourself, swordswoman. It's you who wants to defeat him. It's you who wants to prove that you, Sonya Selby, are just as good as the rest.

"You are the one who came to the training ground. You picked up the wooden sword. You want to shine brilliantly. Everything comes from your own heart, your true self.

"Honestly, I'm curious why you think I'm controlling you. After all, no one else can see me. Doesn't that seem strange? Don't you wonder if I even exist, or if I'm just a projection of your mind?

"I'm done. Push all the responsibility onto me if you like, and enjoy trampling the genius, guilt-free."

With a loud bang, the two raised their swords and charged at each other, starting their fierce battle.

1. Bestune is a Chinese car brand, known for producing sedans and SUVs. There is no official model called "Silver Tiger." I chose the name as a creative tribute to the original Chinese naming style (奔腾银虎). ☜

2. A mid-position stance in swordsmanship generally refers to a neutral stance that is neither fully defensive nor fully offensive. It's a starting or transitional position that allows the swordsman flexibility to respond to the opponent in any direction. In the stance, the practitioner stands with feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and weight evenly distributed. The sword is held at mid-height, ready to strike or defend, keeping the body balanced and agile for quick movements ☜