Chapter 84 – “Sincerity”
Gales, Swordflower College.
Sonya returned to the dormitory and saw Lois up early, reading books, while Adelle was still cuddled up with her stuffed animal, sleeping. She couldn’t help but express her surprise, “Weren’t you and Adelle both up early yesterday, studying hard? She even said she wanted to summon a spirit and step into the Virtual Realm before the end of this semester…”
“Yesterday, she persisted with her studies for quite a while, only turning on the Holographic Screen to watch ‘Love Across Time and Space’ after lunch,” Lois replied indifferently. “Before that, she usually got distracted after breakfast, trimming her nails, playing with her hair, and such.”
“The new series by Delarose?!” Sonya asked reflexively. But she quickly shook her head, “At this rate… can she even graduate?”
Lois shrugged, “It doesn’t really matter if she doesn’t. She has a fiancé, who happens to be a very influential Noble, and given her father’s recent promotion, I guess Adelle will probably just get married straight after graduation.”
Sonya let out a sound of acknowledgment, surprised to find herself unaffected by Adelle’s circumstances.
In the past, Adelle’s family support and life plan would have undoubtedly made Sonya envious: with her family’s backing and her fiancé’s support, even if Adelle couldn’t do anything, was naïve to worldly ways, and spent her life as a pampered Noble lady wasting away her days, she would still live a life of blissful peace, shielded from all misfortune.
She was born with everything Sonya had ever longed for.
Who would want to start from scratch if they had something to begin with? Who would be so calculating if they had support? And who would want to endure hardship if they weren’t born in a greenhouse?
Adversity was never a forge; the unfairness of fate is reality. Sonya’s past poor relationships with Lois and others were not only because Lois looked down on her with arrogance but also because Sonya was part of the problem—Lois’s confidence, stemming from her strong backing, deeply wounded Sonya, who had just left her hometown.
But now, Sonya found that upon hearing about others’ happy futures, she no longer felt jealousy or resentment.
Though she didn’t have a wealthy fiancé or family support, she didn’t believe her own future would be worse than Adelle’s or Lois’s—yes, she was still shallow, needing to be superior to others to satisfy her pride.
So much had happened over the past week that Sonya had experienced a sea change without even realizing it.
She was still vain, still strict about her makeup, still cunning, but she had also become a One Wing Sorcerer, a Research Apprentice to Professor Trozan, had overcome Felix, and could even spar with Leoni (she didn’t consider it a victory)…
These events were like bricks and mortar, building a wall behind Sonya.
Even if Sonya couldn’t persist in the future and wanted to retreat, she had something to fall back on.
Moreover, there was someone by her side. Though he might not be reliable, with many flaws, and even now his strength was less than hers, at least… he stood right beside her.
After taking a bath, Sonya placed a silver coin on the table to feed the spirit and then began to apply a facial mask.
That’s when she noticed a few new items on the table.
First was a glass bottle containing a mixture of green, gold, and pink liquids that clearly wasn’t a healthy beverage. But Sonya remembered this bottle—seven days ago, when the Observer first appeared in the real world, he was carrying an identical one.
Under the bottle was a note that read: “Contains Advanced Stamina Potion, Advanced Experience Potion, and Spirit Joy Potion. Remember to shake well before drinking.”
Sonya eyed the bottle suspiciously, but in the end, she shook it and downed it in one gulp—what choice did she have? Last time, the Observer had sent the potion directly down her throat; now, at least, he was showing some goodwill by letting her drink it herself.
As for any suspicions that the Observer might harm her, Sonya had long given up on such thoughts.
Facing someone who could control your actions, a suspected Legend reborn with amnesia, unless Sonya could find the Observer’s physical body and confine it in a basement to exploit for value, all her plotting was as meaningless as New Year’s resolutions.
It was better to sincerely cling to the Observer as a profitable stock, do as he says, and create an impression of ‘I am very useful,’ letting him drop his guard and reveal more flaws.
The more the Observer trusted her, the closer she was to the day when she could turn the tables.
The potion tasted pleasantly of citrus, lemon, and sea salt. Sonya licked her lips and turned her attention to another item that stood out on the table.
A letter?
The Observer didn’t seem the type to be so poetic… more like someone who would wait outside the door to talk to her while she took a bath…
With curiosity, Sonya opened it and found a precious card decorated with gold leaf inside, which read:
“Swordswoman, you are about to automatically undergo a random Summoning Ritual for a spirit and elevate the spirit’s Faction Realm to your current level. The Summoning Ritual varies depending on the spirit, but it won’t take more than seven days. As you read this line, the random spirit draw will begin. Good luck.”
The text on the card transformed and finally settled into two golden characters:
“Sincerity”
Sonya instantly realized the immense power of this card: without any need for her to study or practice, the automatic Summoning Ritual would elevate her to Silver Rank in a Magical Faction she had never encountered before! And it came with a spirit to boot!
Although it was just an Experience Orb, she was well aware of her own capabilities; without the Observer, she likely wouldn’t have had the chance to obtain an Experience Orb in her lifetime.
Moreover, “Sincerity” seemed to be a spirit from the Mind Faction, which was arguably the most difficult Magical Faction to master. This time, Sonya knew she had hit the jackpot!
Despite her dissatisfaction with the Observer’s frequent meddling in her life, the fact that he had given her two Experience Orbs the night before, and now had arranged such a wonderful benefit for her, Sonya couldn’t help but feel genuinely grateful: Observer, meeting you has been the luck of my lifetime!
By the time the card had dissipated into a wisp of smoke, Sonya waited for a moment but noticed that nothing seemed to happen.
Had the Ritual begun? But why didn’t it feel like anything had changed?
Just then, the door to the dormitory suddenly swung open, and an Engulite enveloped in steamy heat strolled in. She grabbed a towel, wiped off her sweat, and took a drink of water, announcing, “Adelle, it’s time for class!”
Adelle sat up groggily, following her body’s instincts to wash up without even fully opening her eyes.
As Engulite headed off to shower, Sonya and Lois also began their pre-class preparations: eyeshadow had to match the lipstick, blush couldn’t be too overwhelming, and the fragrance was centered around orange and bitter orange, aiming for a subtle yet lingering presence.
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