Sword and Rose Sorcerer University, training hall.
When Sonia stopped, time seemed to freeze across the entire training hall.
The apprentices stared at this genius swordsmanship girl in astonishment, then glanced down at the time on their bracelets to confirm that it was only nine in the evening.
She had only trained for an hour—why had she stopped?
Although she had only been training in the hall for two weeks so far, Queen Sevi was undoubtedly the most dazzling sight in the eyes of the swordsmanship apprentices. An unwavering two hours of evening training without a single break, fully focused, with textbook execution—just watching her train, drenched in sweat, was a visual delight.
Not to mention Queen Sevi’s exquisite swordsmanship mastery. Many swordsmanship apprentices who sneaked glances at her during their spare moments would suddenly experience a flash of insight, deepening their understanding of swordsmanship and adding another ring to their slashes. It was truly a feast for both the eyes and the mind.
Strangely enough, Sword and Rose Sorcerer University had no shortage of swordsmanship prodigies. There were Leonie and Loren before her, and Felix after, yet none of their training had ever drawn the apprentices' eyes like this.
For one thing, their training schedules were irregular; for another, they took breaks during practice and lacked the novelty of going "nonstop from start to finish"; and third... though nobody could put it into words, everyone simply felt Sonia’s swordsmanship was a cut above the rest.
As a result, the training hall had been packed almost every night recently. Whenever Sonia entered, the apprentices barely dared to breathe, welcoming the queen’s arrival with reverent gazes.
Yet tonight, the queen had altered her training schedule for the very first time?
What could cause someone with such an immense love for swordsmanship to change her unvarying daily routine?
Indeed, not only in the eyes of the students, but in the eyes of everyone, even the professors, Sonia Sevi was a genius born for swordsmanship. Extraordinary talent aside, she was genuinely passionate about the sword. Even after achieving monumental successes—defeating Felix, turning the tables on Leonie, and fully unfurling her Silver Wings—she remained true to her initial drive, persevering through intense training every night. If this wasn't called "love," what was?
In the minds of these hot-blooded youths, a single thought naturally sprang to mind: Could the queen be in love?!
When the apprentices' furious glares converged on Felix, nearly setting him ablaze, Felix himself felt utterly helpless—he was just as curious about why Sonia had stopped.
In truth, the one most bewildered was Sonia herself.
She had long grown accustomed to two hours of training; one could say she had been successfully conditioned by the Watcher.
Tonight, she had arrived at the training hall entirely of her own accord, obediently moving as soon as the hour arrived without needing any coercion from the Watcher.
That morning, the familiar glass vial filled with an unknown potion had appeared on her desk once more. After drinking it, she had stayed energized throughout the day, not feeling the least bit fatigued even through intense swordsmanship training.
Moreover, swordsmanship training was indeed quite fun. Every swing and every slash brought her a faint, indescribable sense of pleasure.
It was just that as these pleasures gradually accumulated, they morphed into a bizarre, pent-up craving that could only be slightly assuaged by slaying knowledge creatures in the Void Realm and feeding their bodies to her blade.
Sonia hadn't thought too deeply about it, assuming it was a side effect of the potion the Watcher gave her. After all, that thirst truly provided a minor boost when hunting knowledge creatures, enhancing her offensive output, which made the Watcher the prime suspect.
There was no way she herself could be a bloodthirsty pervert who craved battle!
Even though Sonia no longer resisted training, practicing without any rest still wasn't something she could sustain purely through willpower. After about half an hour, she could no longer maintain focus, and the rest relied entirely on the Watcher's mysterious power to assist her in automatic training.
Therefore, when she suddenly stopped after training for just one hour, Sonia immediately realized what had happened—the Watcher's power forcing her to train had vanished.
What happened?
Could the Watcher have suddenly had a conscience attack?
No, unlikely. Maybe the Watcher died?
Though letting her imagination run wild, Sonia wasn't actually all that worried.
During the Destiny Q&A a few days ago, several questions indicated that the Void Realm regarded the Watcher very favorably. At the very least, he wouldn't suddenly drop dead in prison.
Come to think of it... what should I do next?
Sonia stared blankly at the wooden sword in her hand, trying to recall her past evening activities.
It had been a peaceful life just half a month ago, yet it felt like the distant past.
*Since I don't have any other plans anyway, why not keep practicing swordsmanship? Training with the sword is actually pretty fun...*
Sonia gave herself a fright at the sudden thought that popped into her head—Heavens above! When she could finally rest, she was actually thinking about practicing swordsmanship?!
No, she mustn't practice, she couldn't let the Watcher have his way! If the Watcher found out she was so obedient, he would only increase the training intensity. Even if just out of spite against the Watcher, she couldn't practice!
How terrifying—she had almost truly become the "Sword Princess" of the Watcher's words.
She wanted to become a songstress, a screen maiden, anything but some Sword Princess!
In any case, she had to leave the training hall first, even if it was just to lie in bed and watch the latest drama starring Daidalos...
Just then, a flurry of exclamations arose from the training hall's entrance. Sonia looked over and saw a vivid flash of orange hair—it was the "Orange Dancer," Leonie!
"Sonia, finished with training? Got time for a drink with me?"
Although she had fought Leonie once before, Sonia had gained both face and substance from that match, and Leonie had apologized to her afterward.
Leonie had heard that Professor Trozan had taken on two new apprentices, and being close with Loren, she had heard Loren planned to cause trouble for Felix. So she had taken the opportunity to test the mettle of the first-year freshmen.
In the end, it was merely a petty dispute between students, and since the other party had taken the initiative to apologize and offer amends, Sonia wasn't about to hold a grudge against a promising candidate for Sword Saint over something like that. Furthermore, Leonie was a very traditional, straightforward female sword sorcerer—simply put, she was very easy to take advantage of.
Sonia naturally wouldn't pass up such a prime connection, practically a renewable resource, and their relationship had warmed up rapidly with repeated interactions. Still, seeing Leonie seek her out in person, she was quite surprised. "Senior, you came specifically looking for me?"
"Yeah. I haven't been back long, and I'm still too keyed up, so I wanted to grab a drink. I happened to walk past the training hall and figured I'd see if you were here," Leonie said with a giggle, then turned to Ingrid beside her. "Ingrid, want to come too? My treat!"
As the roommate who trained alongside Sonia every day without fail, Leonie had met Ingrid a couple of times and had a favorable impression of this diligent apprentice.
Ingrid shook her head. "I don't drink. Besides, my training isn't finished tonight."
"I knew it."
Leonie looked toward Felix, who was watching them, and grinned. "A girls' drinking party doesn't welcome the opposite sex, Felix."
"I don't care for alcohol either," Felix said indifferently. "Rather, it's quite baffling that a sword sorcerer would enjoy drinking in the first place."
"That's because you're still students. Once you step into the Abyss and experience real combat, you'll understand that even the sharpest blade needs alcohol for proper maintenance. Let's go, Sonia!"
Watching Leonie and Sonia leave, the swordsmanship apprentices breathed sighs of relief—thank goodness, she was only having drinks with the Orange Dancer. Their Queen Sevi remained a pure maiden who wasn't dating anyone.
"To your dorm?"
"Though I'd love to, my roommate probably wouldn't appreciate it," Leonie shrugged. "Let's go to Secret Garden."
Secret Garden was the only bar-café at Sword and Rose Sorcerer University. Sonia had been there before, but the drinks were expensive. Having to budget carefully, after going once, whenever others invited her to gatherings she would frankly and gracefully decline, saying, "I'm poor, so I won't go." She wouldn't go even if treated. After a few times, everyone changed their gathering spots to more affordable beverage parlors.
The label of "poor female student" was useful when needed.
But now, things were different—she had money. Even if treated by Senior Leonie this time, Sonia could find an opportunity to return the favor, allowing her to accept the senior's invitation without hesitation.
The greatest difference between wealth and poverty was that wealth allowed one to accept goodwill from others with ease.
A subtle scent of lavender drifted through Secret Garden. There was not a single lamp inside; the ceiling was completely open, utilizing mirrored designs to channel starlight inside and illuminate every corner, creating an ambiance that was bright yet veiled in a mysterious dimness.
Soothing, melodious music flowed gently through the bar-café, performed on stage by a three-piece band. They were likely students from the Sound Sorcery Department earning some pocket money on the side during their free time. Students and couples gathered in small clusters of two and three to sip their drinks. The atmosphere was quite nice, allowing Sonia to relax as well.
"One Screwdriver, one Summer Time," Leonie ordered with practiced ease, leading Sonia to a small booth and pulling down the curtain to shield them from outside view.
"Do you come here often, Senior?"
"Every time after I return from the Abyss, I guess. If I didn't numb myself with some alcohol, how could I ever endure the pressure down there?"
"Oh~ I thought you were the super, super tough type, Senior."
"No matter how tough someone is, they have to find a suitable way to relieve stress. Drinking like me is already pretty normal; I have a teammate who likes to streak down the street every time a mission ends. You've heard that rumor too, right?"
"Ah, so that urban legend was actually true? How horrifying~"
"Let me tell you, don't spread this around, but actually..."
Listening to Leonie recount various interesting anecdotes from her adventures in the Abyss, Sonia couldn't help but get swept up in the excitement.
She shared her own recent experiences in the Void Realm as well. Even omitting the parts about the Watcher using cheat-like abilities, the knowledge creatures she had hunted and the sorcerer legacies she had witnessed held Leonie rapt. Leonie chimed in from time to time with her own insights on handling knowledge creatures; combat experience from a fellow sword sorcerer was immensely valuable, and Sonia gained a great deal from it.
[Sonia gained some swordsmanship experience.]
Chatting about gossip, the Abyss, and the Void Realm, their glasses emptied before they knew it. Sonia's cheeks were flushed pink. Caught up in the high spirits of the conversation, she asked, "Senior, did you participate in some special event a couple of days ago?"
The moment the words left her mouth, she caught herself and hastily apologized, "I'm sorry, that was forward of me."
Void Realm experiences could be discussed freely, but how could one casually inquire about operations requiring signed non-disclosure Contracts? Strictly speaking, Sonia was testing the Orange Dancer, tempting Leonie to violate the rules.
Leonie smiled and shook her head to indicate it was fine, though after a moment's thought, she added, "While I can't disclose detailed specifics... that event was actually a game organized by the Church."
"A game?"
"Yeah. Have you played role-playing games on your bracelet? It's similar to that."
The miracle bracelet had numerous functions. Common folk could not only use it to connect to the Curtain and communicate with people thousands of miles away, but sorcerers also leveraged the bracelet's computational power to create Curtain games, enabling ordinary people to enjoy entertainment provided by sorcerers.
Consequently, illusion sorcerers capable of developing bracelet functions saw their standing rise as well. Sonia had once considered whether to choose the Illusion Sorcery Department, but being unfamiliar with Curtain games, she ultimately chose the Water Sorcery Department.
Sonia rarely touched Curtain games—not because she disliked them, but because she had no money.
A poor country girl was only suited to grinding through study problems honestly; high-end entertainment was beyond her station, and her spiritual life was sustained entirely by watching dramas.
Hearing Sonia admit with a blush that she hadn't played any, Leonie was a bit surprised. She smiled and explained, "The Church had me enter a completely virtual illusionary realm filled with monsters we needed to kill. The more monsters you killed, the higher your score, and the more generous the rewards from the Church... The whole game lasted a full two days and two nights. It exhausted me."
"That sounds pretty interesting." Sonia's interest was piqued. "Were the enemies strong?"
"No, not strong. Some were very weak, unable even to flee. Only occasionally would sorcerer-tier monsters pursue me... They would even cry, even beg for mercy..."
Leonie's voice grew softer and softer, and the expression on her face became increasingly dazed. Sonia responded casually, "Sounds rather easy, slaughtering weak enemies... Senior? What's wrong?"
Leonie snapped back to reality. "Nothing. Maybe I'm a bit tipsy."
"You were talking about the monsters in the game just now, right?"
"Of course. What else did you think I was talking about? Waiter, another Gimlet over here!"
...
Parting ways with her senior, Sonia strolled leisurely toward the Meditation Building.
Ah, it had been a long time since she had experienced such a delightful night.
First an exhilarating swordsmanship training session, then drinks and conversation with a friend; now, as long as she could test her newly developed miracle in the Void Realm, slaughter a few knowledge creatures properly, tear them to shreds with her blade, and make their blood bloom like flowers, it would be a perfect day...
"Huh?"
Sonia looked up and noticed that the White Giant Tower was gone at some point. The Void Realm turbulence hanging in midair had also vanished without a trace, and the starlight showered down over the university campus like rain.
The disappearance of the White Giant Tower meant that the campus lockdown was lifted, and classes would resume tomorrow... Tsk.
Sitting in the meditation room, Sonia light-headedly summoned her sorcery spirits, located the Gate of Truth, and sank her consciousness to connect to the Void Realm.
Opening her eyes to look at the Watcher, Sonia chuckled sillily. "Watcher, let me tell you, tonight I—"
"Tonight is the last night I will accompany you exploring the Void Realm."
Sonia sobered up in an instant.
Chapter 116