Chapter 42: Experience Orb

Sonya poured out her complaints. "I barely have any personal time left in a day. My required and general courses start at eight in the morning. Since transferring to the Swordsmanship Department, I no longer need to attend Water Sorcery classes, but I still have Introduction to Swordsmanship and Swordsmanship Combat Practice. On top of that, Professor Trosan checks my progress almost every day and even spars with me. I barely get a single moment to rest."

The more she thought about it, the stranger it seemed. Professor Trosan was no idle retiree who tended flowers in his spare time. He was the famed Hidden Hand Sword Saint, the signature sorcerer of Sword and Roses University.

Sure, he might have accepted Sonya and Felix as research apprentices, but that didn't mean he needed to personally oversee them daily. As a Three-Winged Sacred Realm sorcerer, his time was invaluable. He had already seen countless geniuses in his life. Yet here he was, not just visiting daily but sparring with Sonya himself. This rare privilege was something Felix could only watch from the sidelines.

Felix was the senior apprentice, yet Trosan's favoritism toward Sonya was so overt that, embarrassing as it was, she couldn't help feeling a quiet satisfaction.

Sonya had briefly wondered if the Watcher had something to do with this. But the thought quickly dissolved. If the Watcher could manipulate someone like Professor Trosan, his power would extend far beyond controlling him alone. And if he truly controlled Trosan, he wouldn't waste it just to make her endure extra training.

"I know you want me to improve my swordsmanship," Sonya said, keeping her tone polite, "but the amount of training I already do during the day is enough. I don't need another two hours of mandatory practice every night. Besides, it doesn't help much. Now that I have Wave, I should be focusing on summoning other support spirits around it rather than drilling the basics."

A twinge of guilt accompanied her words, but she wasn't wrong. As a sorcerer, her training focus had to shift from mere sword drills to spirit mastery. She had to refine her technique in using her spirits.

Some might find it strange, questioning, "Didn't she summon the Wave spirit herself? Doesn't she already fully understand it? How could there still be room to improve?"

Theory and practice were never identical. Using a spirit meant merging knowledge with reality, and the process always revealed layers yet to be explored. The Reverse Wave she had used earlier to slay the orc sorcerer was proof of an innovation born from two days of intensive study. Instead of releasing Wave as a ranged attack, she compressed it at the sword tip, drove it into her enemy, and detonated it inside, dealing catastrophic damage in an instant.

Countless techniques could emerge from Wave alone. Spirit training was essential. With further refinement, she could even summon complementary support spirits. Mastering Reverse Wave, for instance, might allow her to summon the Reverse Edge spirit, which could fully compress Wave's power and store it temporarily inside an enemy or object before detonating it at will. Once she combined the two spirits, the Reverse Wave would evolve into the more complex and unpredictable Miracle known as Reverse Edge Wave.

Of course, it was a crude Miracle, too raw for the Sorcerer Miracle Catalog and of no commercial value, but it still reflected the natural path of a sorcerer, which was to summon a spirit, build upon it with additional spirits, and eventually forge a full-fledged Miracle.

So Sonya's request to scale back her sword drills was entirely reasonable. The problem was that she was still training as a swordmaster. Among swordmasters, there was a saying, "If you aim to be an ordinary swordmaster, follow the school's curriculum; but if you aim to reach Two-Winged Gold, Three-Winged Sacred Realm, or higher, you must master the three foundational spirits—Cut, Thrust, and Slash." Every Sword Class spirit ultimately evolved from these three. Possessing them didn't guarantee strength, but lacking them guaranteed weakness.

Thus, everyone found it natural that Sonya had continued her basic swordsmanship training over the past few days. Even Felix hadn't slackened. Any ambitious swordmaster apprentice would seize this time to strengthen their foundation.

So why did Sonya ask the Watcher to cancel her training? Beyond the exhaustion and lack of personal time, there was a deeper reason. She wanted to test her influence. She wanted to test her influence. It wasn't an obedience test for the Watcher, but a statement. She was declaring that she refused to remain under someone else's control indefinitely.

Even if the Watcher refused her request, it didn't matter. She could work around him slowly, pressing where she could, reminding him bit by bit of her contributions and the hardships she had endured. After all, as the saying goes, "The child who cries gets the milk."

One day, Sonya would figure out the Watcher's psychological bottom line and thought patterns. When that time came, it would be hard to say who would be controlling whom.

Ashe nodded, pretending to be convinced. "You make a very good point."

Sonya froze for a moment.

Is the Watcher really this easy to talk to?

"But I want to ask you something. If you gained two extra hours at night, what would you use them for?"

"Probably... reading, watching plays, going to parties, meeting more friends."

"So, in other words, all entertainment. Playing around. Am I right?"

Ashe tapped the edge of the boat, recalling how his old boss used to talk people into things. "Have you ever met someone wealthier than you?"

"Yes."

"Someone from a better family who is just as talented?"

"Yes."

Ashe's gaze sharpened. "Do you know what the most terrifying thing in the world is? Someone who has a better background, equal talent, and works harder than you. The moment you think of resting, someone else is using that time to widen the gap."

Sonya's chest tightened as she remembered Felix stepping into his polished silver luxury car.

"Don't waste your life during the years when you should be working the hardest. Don't indulge in pleasure during the time meant for striving. Too many people start at the point where we end. Are you willing to spend your future chasing someone else's back, destined to remain ordinary and leave no mark except in the Sea of Knowledge?"

Sonya's lips moved, and after a long pause, she shook her head. "I'm not willing."

Ashe spoke in a serious, heartfelt tone. "That's why, Swordswoman, your current mindset isn't enough. Don't blame me for criticizing you. You feel tired? Good. Fatigue belongs to the young. Comfort belongs to the elderly. You want to enjoy life? Fine. Enjoyment belongs to those who are already successful.

"In your prime, you must step out of your comfort zone and use hard work to shape the value of your life. Don't let other people's lifestyles cloud your vision. Do you want to end up ordinary like them? Don't let desire swallow your reason. Hedonism only slows the speed at which you draw your swords.

"If you want something, fight for it. That way, if you fail in the future, you can blame the world instead of hating yourself. We sorcerers ask nothing of past lives, nothing of future lives. We want only this one life to blaze bright, to settle our grudges and joys!"

Sonya stayed silent for a long moment, then nodded firmly. "Watcher, you're right."

Ashe exhaled silently, relief washing over him.

Good, I got through it.

He was still not accustomed to this kind of work. In the past, he had been the one receiving lectures from his boss. Now it was his turn to give them.

And, he had to admit, making someone uneasy like this was oddly satisfying. It's no wonder his old boss liked reposting anxiety-inducing articles.

"So if we cut the two hours of training down to one, it shouldn't matter much, right?" Sonya asked.

Ashe blinked and noticed the Virtual World Exploration indicator shift from Wait a Moment to Right Now. He immediately changed the subject. "Enough chatting. Stay alert. We're entering a dangerous zone."

The small boat slipped through layers of white mist, and an island emerged ahead.

On the island lay a massive white-furred fox. Its fur shimmered with arcs of lavender-white light, like a fallen moon. It was so beautiful that it was impossible to look away. Curled beneath a tree, its body and tails formed a fluffy mound that made one want to reach out and squeeze it.

"It's a Foxlight Dragon," Sonya whispered, barely keeping her excitement in check. "And it's asleep!"

The boat drifted silently ashore. They tiptoed toward the creature's head. After a brief glance at each other, they readied themselves.

Sonya assumed her quick-draw slash stance, while Ashe summoned his Substitute spirit. Both aimed their blunt longswords at the Foxlight Dragon's head. In the Virtual World, Ashe was no longer limited by his body or the chip embedded at the back of his neck, allowing him to summon his spirits freely.

Earlier, Ashe had tested his Substitute spirit and learned that it would shatter from a single blow. Yet just before disappearing, it could still strike the enemy. In situations like this, he could use that moment to squeeze in an extra hit.

As for the blunt longsword, just as Sonya could summon her wooden sword, Ashe could summon the weapon he had used in the Death Match. He had considered summoning firearms, but he had never touched a gun in reality and couldn't picture one clearly.

Once ready, they mouthed the words three, two, one to each other, then struck simultaneously.

"Wave Quick-Draw Slash!"

"Double Slash!"

The sleeping Foxlight Dragon was instantly blasted in the head by three swords. It let out an ear-piercing roar, and the resulting force shattered Ashe's Substitute spirit.

The creature seemed too stunned to move. It thrashed weakly while snapping its jaw wildly in confusion.

Neither of them showed mercy. Seizing the opportunity, they pummelled its head with everything they had. Ashe even managed a quick swipe at its fur.

After more than ten seconds, the Foxlight Dragon let out a frustrated howl and dissolved into a swirl of white smoke.

It left behind three slumbering spirits. They stared blankly at the unfamiliar sorcerers, clearly confused. Sonya, however, didn't look at them. She bent down and picked up a bright orb.

"What's this?"

Her eyes were fixed on the orb, shining with hunger. "An Experience Orb. There are no restrictions or requirements for using it. Any sorcerer who absorbs it gains all the knowledge the creature possessed and instantly masters an entire discipline.

"If it aligns with your current path, it can even propel your scholarly level forward in leaps and bounds. From that moment on, your progress will be smooth and free of bottlenecks.

"If Virtual World exploration is the accumulation of miles traveled, then Experience Orbs are instant enlightenment."