Chapter 42
"I barely have any personal time these days," Sonya complained bitterly.
"Classes start at 8am every day - either core courses or electives. Since I transferred to the Sword Arts Department, I don't have to take the Water Magic classes anymore, but I do have Intro to Sword Arts and Practical Sword Arts. On top of that, Professor Trotzam checks my progress almost every day and spars with me once. I'm on my feet all day without a moment's rest."
Sonya found it strange. Professor Trotzam was no idle retired professor who had nothing better to do than fuss over students - he was the legendary Hidden Hands Saint, the most famous sorcerer at Swordflower College.
While Trotzam had taken on Sonya and Felix as research apprentices, he didn't need to check on them every day. It wasn't like Trotzam had never seen geniuses before. A Three Wings Saint like him certainly didn't have time to waste.
Yet not only did Professor Trotzam visit them daily, he even spared time to spar with Sonya - a privilege exclusive to her that made Felix look on enviously.
Even though Felix was the senior apprentice, Trotzam so clearly favored her that it made Sonya feel bad but secretly smug at the same time.
She wondered if it was the Observer's doing, but dismissed the idea - that was the Hidden Hands Saint they were talking about!
If the Observer could control her, that was probably the limit. How could he possibly manipulate someone like Trotzam?
Besides, if the Observer could control Trotzam, why make him beat her up instead of doing something more useful?
"I know you want me to achieve something in sword arts," Sonya said as politely as she could. "But the workload I have during the day is enough already. I don't need to be forced to train sword arts for another two hours at night."
"Also, those extra training sessions are rather pointless. Now that I have the Vibration Sword spirit, I should focus my training on summoning auxiliary spirits to complement it, instead of basic drills..."
Sonya felt a bit guilty saying those words.
She was right, of course. As a sorcerer, she should switch from sword drills to "spirit training", improving her techniques in wielding spirits.
Some may find it odd - wasn't the Vibration Sword spirit summoned and completely understood by Sonya herself? Why was there still room for improvement?
That was because Sonya had fully understood the theory, but not the reality of it. Applying spirits involved combining theory with practice in reality, so there was great potential still untapped.
Take Sonya's new move "Inner Vibration Sword" for example. It was the fruit of her labor these past couple days.
Instead of shooting the Vibration Sword from afar, she now concentrated its power at the tip of her blade, unleashing a destructive burst within the enemy's body after stabbing them.
There were many more techniques to uncover for the Vibration Sword. Spirit training was undoubtedly necessary.
What's more, by mastering the Vibration Sword fully, Sonya could summon corresponding auxiliary spirits.
For instance, completely mastering "Inner Vibration Sword" would give Sonya a high chance of summoning the "Inner" spirit. The Inner spirit could compress the Vibration Sword's power by 100% or even temporarily store it within enemies or objects, to be detonated later by the sorcerer's will.
With two spirits combined, the "Inner Vibration Sword" would become the even mightier "Miracle Inner Vibration Sword", much harder for enemies to predict.
Of course, this was still a very basic miracle, not even worthy of being listed in the Sorcerer's Compendium of Miracles, with no commercial value.
But it reflected a sorcerer's normal growth process - summon one spirit, then use it as foundation to summon auxiliary spirits, expanding it into a whole system of miracles.
So Sonya's request was reasonable.
The problem was, she was a swordswoman.
There was a saying among sword mages - if you just want to be an average sword mage, following the school curriculum is enough; but if you aim to reach the Second Wing Gold or Third Wing Saint tiers, or even higher, you must master the three basic spirits of Slash, Thrust, and Slice.
All sword spirits ultimately derive from those three. Mastering them doesn't guarantee strength, but not mastering them means you have obvious weak points.
Thus, it made perfect sense for Sonya to keep training foundations these days, just like all ambitious sword mage disciples including Felix who didn't skip practice either - this was the time to build a solid base.
Why did Sonya ask the Observer to cancel training then?
Apart from being extremely tired and having zero leisure time - minor issues, the main reason was she wanted to test her bargaining power.
Not that she was disobedient or anything, but Sonya had no intention of always being at another's mercy.
Even if the Observer rejected her this time, it was fine. Sonya could lobby step by step, making the Observer remember her efforts and toil every day. After all, the crying child gets the milk.
Eventually, Sonya would figure out the Observer's psychological baseline and thought patterns.
At that time, it would be hard to say who was controlling whom...
"You make a lot of sense," Ashe nodded, seemingly persuaded by the swordswoman.
Sonya was slightly surprised - was the Observer so easy to convince?
"But let me ask you this - what would you do with those extra two hours if you had them?"
"I guess...reading books, watching theater, socializing and making more friends at parties?"
"So entertainment and play, correct?"
Ashe tapped his fingers, trying to remember how his boss used to manipulate people.
"Have you met people better off than you?"
"Yes."
"Have you met people as talented as you, but from better backgrounds?"
"Yes."
"Do you know what's most terrifying in this world? It's people with better backgrounds and equal talent who work harder than you! When you feel like resting, they seize the chance to widen the gap between you."
Sonya's mind stirred as she pictured Felix leaving in his fancy silver car.
"Don't waste your youth when you should strive hardest. Don't indulge when you should fight. Many people's starting line is our finish line. Are you willing to gaze at their backs forever, content to be ordinary, leaving your mark nowhere but the sea of knowledge?"
Sonya's lips moved but she shook her head in the end. "Unwilling."
Ashe spoke gravely, "So sorcerer, such thoughts are unhealthy. Don't blame me for scolding you. Tired? Good, comfort is for the old. Want to enjoy life? Good, enjoyment is for the successful."
"In your prime, step out of your comfort zone. Fill your life with strife, not leisure. Don't let others' lives blind you. Will you be happy just being ordinary like them? Don't let desire overwhelm reason. Hedonism only slows your sword."
"fight for what you want, so you can fully blame the world when you fail, not yourself."
"We mages ask not of the past, nor the future, only this life of blazing glory, relishing bonds and vengeance alike!"
After a long silence, Sonya nodded heavily. "You're right, Observer!"
Phew, managed to hoodwink her...Ashe was still not used to this job. He used to be the one getting psyched up by his boss. Now it was his turn to do the psyche-up.
Gotta say, inducing anxiety in others was pretty fun. No wonder his boss loved sharing anxious posts.
"How about reducing it to one hour instead of two? That shouldn't impact much, right?"
Ashe blinked as the navigation prompt in the Virtual World changed from "Wait" to "Now", quickly changing the subject: "No more chit-chat, focus up! We're entering dangerous territory!"
The boat sailed through misty layers until an island came into view.
On the island was a giant white fox, fur glinting with purple-white light as if the moon had fallen here, entrancingly beautiful. It lay coiled under a tree, body and tail furled up adorably, making one want to pet it badly.
"It's the Foxlight Dragon," Sonya whispered excitedly. "It's asleep!"
They quietly rowed ashore and tiptoed to the dragon's head, exchanging glances. Bracing themselves,
Sonya took a battojutsu stance while Ashe summoned a shadow clone with an unsharpened sword, both aimed at the fox dragon's head - freed of his real body's constraints, Ashe could use spirits in the Virtual World.
Tests showed his shadow clones, while easily dispelled by a poke, could attack before being popped. So in situations like this, they added extra damage.
As for unsharpened swords, just like Sonya could conjure a wooden one, Ashe naturally summoned weapons from his past Deathmatches. Guns were what he really wanted, but having never touched them in reality, he couldn't imagine them into existence...
Ready, they mouthed the countdown - three, two, one, strike!
"Flash Vibration Sword!"
"Double Slash!"
The slumbering fox dragon was simultaneously smashed in the head by three swords. It unleashed a piercing howl that nearly deafened Sonya and Ashe, dispelling the shadow clone instantly.
But the fox seemed stunned, unable even to get up, just thrashing wildly on the ground.
Naturally they had no chivalry to speak of, taking the chance to whack it more while Ashe stroked its fur.
After a dozen seconds, the fox let out an unwilling roar and dissolved into white smoke.
It left behind three slumbering spirits who seemed confused, blankly eyeing the unfamiliar mages. But Sonya's eyes were fixed not on them, but a bright orb on the ground.
"What's that?"
"An Experience Orb," Sonya stared at the orb, desire unconcealed in her eyes. "No limits, no requirements. Any sorcerer who absorbs this gains the enlightenment and mastery of the knowledge being! Instant expertise in a whole school of magic!"
"For the same school, it can even greatly boost the sorcerer's level of learning and comprehension, smoothing their path of advancement forevermore!"
"Virtual Exploration is accumulation through the long road."
"Experience Orbs are sudden enlightenment in an instant!"
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