Chapter 13: The Swordswoman Arrives

[Death Maniac Swordswoman completed a sword training session. Sword Class experience increased significantly.]

[Death Maniac Swordswoman completed a sword training session. Sword Class experience increased significantly.]

[Death Maniac Swordswoman completed a battle. Sword Class experience increased significantly. Her talent to gain an additional 10,000% experience has been triggered. During the fight, she resonated with the Virtual World, summoning the Wave spirit.]

[Wave]

𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

One-Winged Spirit

Requirement

- Must wield a sword.

Basic Effect

- Unleash a wave of sword energy.

Passive Effect

- Makes normal sword attacks more likely to make the target lose balance.

Signature Quote

- The sword isn't trembling. It's just hungry for battle.

This was perhaps the first time Ashe had a healthy routine since starting university. He woke at six, checked the Death Maniac Swordswoman's training progress in the Sorcerer's Handbook, and waited expectantly.

The game didn't disappoint. In a single day, the Death Maniac Swordswoman had grown remarkably!

[Death Maniac Swordswoman]

Species

- Human Female

Age

- 18 years old

Bond Level

- 0, EXP Share 30%

Profession

- One-Winged Swordmaster

Profession Trait

- Reduces energy consumption by 10% when using Sword Class spirit.

Owned Items

- None

Controlled Spirit

- Wave Spirit

Sword Class

- Silver Rank

Water Class

- Not Yet Unlocked

Virtual World Exploration

- 0.000%

Ashe didn't fully understand what a One-Winged swordmaster was, but he remembered the Bloodrage Hunter who had obliterated him with a single strike had three wings. Clearly, wings signified some sort of extraordinary ability.

He thought,

Now that she has ascended to become an extraordinary being... I should finally get my 30% experience share, right? After all, I've trained her so diligently.

However, no matter how long Ashe waited or how many times he refreshed the game info panel, he received none of the enlightenment, knowledge upload, or experience implant he had expected. Nothing changed in the Watcher of Doomsday operator interface.

At that moment, Ashe felt like a naive kid who had paid a shady vendor for a permanent QiuQiu membership, only to be blocked immediately. His hope, born of greed, had been swallowed whole by disappointment.

Then he considered that he might have missed a step.

Could it be because I didn't pay?

Aurora's games were notorious for restricting gameplay behind payments, and even paying didn't guarantee full access. Having part of the game locked without paying was considered the norm.

If this were just a matter of payment, at least there was a chance to remedy it. But if functions were missing due to modules absent during his transmigration, then the game system Ashe had relied on would truly be nothing more than a Princess Maker-style simulation.[1].

[Dear Mr. Ashe Heath, your Life Certification has been completed by Shattered Lake Prison. You may now move freely within designated areas. Please see the attached Shattered Lake Prison Life Manual. Note: meal delivery service is no longer provided. Please use the cafeteria.]

At the same time, the thick, fist-sized door above lit green, revealing a glowing symbol that marked it as accessible. A melodious song drifted from outside.

If it hurts enough, grip with both hands,

Cut it open, let yesterday’s curse expand.

Through endless night and day it flows,

Leaving behind only scars that show.

Ashe froze.

Amazing... What kind of song is this? A taunt for all the prisoners?

Unsure what to make of it, he flipped open the Shattered Lake Prison Life Manual. Every line seemed designed to mock new inmates.

[Free activity hours: 07:00–22:00. Accessible areas include: Central Hall, Reading Room, Gym, Media Room, Seaview Terrace, Couples Room (supplies provided), Workshop, Cafeteria...]

[Cafeteria hours: 07:00–09:00, 11:00–14:00, 17:00–20:00. Outside these hours, use the meal ordering service.]

[Reading Room: For missing books, register with the administrator. Deliver within three working days.]

[Media Room: Only legally purchased media is available. Current films and shows must finish screening before release.]

[Couple's Room: Used items should be placed in the recycling bin. Do not clean and return them yourself.]

[...]

There were so many details explaining how to use the prison's various facilities that Ashe almost felt as if he was a temporary prisoner visiting the prison for a one-day experience.

What surprised him most was that the manual listed every right a prisoner had, yet not a single rule stating what they were forbidden to do, as if nothing was off-limits. Ashe couldn't shake the feeling that something strange must be going on behind the scenes.

Still, with meal delivery canceled, Ashe couldn't just stay in his cell and starve. He was also genuinely curious about what this prison was really like.

As he approached the door, it slid open automatically. Outside lay a quiet, spotless corridor with not a single guard in sight. A conspicuous sign hung on the wall.

[Central Hall ← · → Gym and Sauna Room]

Just looking at it, Ashe could already imagine the cells around him filled with musclebound men spending their days working out, bathing, and steaming away their stress. Then he remembered the Couples Room, and his sphincter tightened.

Better to eat and go straight back to the cell.

He walked down the narrow corridor and soon entered the Central Hall. His view instantly opened up. The hall was enormous, with a glass skylight ceiling that let morning sunlight spill freely over the benches below. Potted plants lined both sides, and several people sat chatting, reading, or even napping. If not for their prison uniforms, Ashe would have thought he had wandered into a public park.

What's even better was that there was a guard in full uniform standing nearby. The man was slacking off, completely absorbed in his light-screen device. Nevertheless, his very presence made Ashe feel more at ease. At least there was someone he could call for help if needed.

Escape was still part of the plan, but right now, he was a physically useless weakling with all the psychological frailty of an overworked office laborer. Without law enforcement nearby, he wasn't even sure he could protect his chastity. After all, Heath's body was unfortunately... quite attractive.

A large display on the wall was broadcasting news of a parliamentary debate. Ashe already felt mentally exhausted just listening for a few seconds.

He didn't catch what the broadcast was about, because his attention was drawn away by two prisoners chatting on a bench in front.

"Never thought Lorenzo would become a councilman. Looks like he joined the Everlasting Wine Club. Andrea's faction completely overshadows the mayor now. I doubt the mayor will survive his current term before getting kicked out..."

"I disagree. Mayor Fernandez has Bishop Enrico backing him. You'll see. Lorenzo's rise isn't a sign of Andrea's triumph, but the bell tolling his downfall. In as little as three days, or at most a month, someone important in Andrea's faction is going to die."

"Andrea has been rooted in Caimon for decades. The Church won't act rashly, not if they want stability."

"Did you forget the Railroad Commissioner suicide case fifteen years ago?..."

It was strange enough hearing high-level political maneuvering being discussed inside a prison, but what made it even stranger were the people speaking. One was a 2.2-meter-tall green orc, and the other was a 1.3-meter goblin with stubby legs.

"If politics interests you, I recommend going to the Reading Room and talking with good old Rain. Godol and Rudodo were just an administrative secretary and the director of the Development Department before coming in, so they were in middle positions at best. Their grasp of politics is shallow, and everything they say is useless small talk.

"Ashe Heath, the great leader of the Four Pillars Cult. I never expected you to care about Caimon City's politics."

Ashe turned to find a blond man beside him. "You know me?"

The man smiled. "Of course. You made the seven o'clock news today. You were on the front page yesterday and the day before. News is the quickest way for us to learn about new inmates. Nice to meet you. You might have seen me on the news, too. I'm Iger Perskin."

Ashe stepped back. "You can call me Ashe. Are people here always this... friendly?"

"Yes," Iger replied. "We're warm to newcomers. After all, we all share the same ambition."

"The same... ambition?"

"Exactly," Iger glanced at the guard on duty, then extended his hand and lowered his voice. "Are you interested in joining our Escape Study Group and becoming allies who support one another?"

Ashe's heart brightened. It was like feeling sleepy and having someone hand him a pillow. He had just been thinking about escaping, and now there was already an organization ready to help. He quickly reached out. "Of cour—"

Just then, a cold female voice cut him off from the side. "If I were you, I'd punch him."

Ashe glanced sideways and saw a girl in a fur coat, miniskirt, stockings, and high boots, with a decorative sword at her waist that looked more like a fashion accessory. Her outfit was bold and mature.

Ashe recognized her almost immediately.

The skin tone is a bit different, but that face... There's no mistaking it! She's the Death Maniac Swordswoman! The Death Maniac Swordswoman!? She is... here... right next to me!?

Without hesitation, Ashe turned and punched Iger in the face.

1. Princess Maker is a Japanese raising/simulation game series first released by the company Gainax in 1991. In the game, players take on the role of a guardian, usually a father figure, responsible for raising a young girl. The gameplay focuses on managing her daily life, training, education, work, and social interactions over several years, to shape her into a successful adult. Depending on the player’s choices, the girl’s skills, career, and personality can develop in many different directions, leading to multiple endings. ☜