*Bzzzt!*
[Warning: You are outputting excessive kinetic energy toward a citizen! This is a prohibited action!]
Without Yaxiu actively calling for it, a light screen suddenly popped up before his eyes. Cascades of red warning text scrolled across his pupils like a waterfall, and a shrill alarm shrieked incessantly in his ears, completely dazing him in an instant.
*What is going on?*
*Did I get hit by a virus?*
*But I just got here—I haven't even visited any sketchy websites yet!*
His body instantly locked up, entirely paralyzed, and only after three seconds did he regain control.
"It seems you're quite satisfied with life in Shattered Lake Prison, Yaxiu. In that case, I won't disturb you further."
Igola pushed aside the fist that had nearly touched the tip of his nose, smiling. "By the way, Yaxiu, that limp, powerless fist of yours is quite cute."
The other inmates in the hall glanced over, and even the guards seemed to briefly shift their attention from their light screens to the two of them. But everyone quickly looked away, as though it were nothing more than a trivial incident.
Watching Igola's figure disappear down the corridor, Yaxiu lowered his head to look at his own fist, his heart brimming with confusion.
"What's there to be surprised about? It was just the miracle chip in the back of your neck detecting your attempt to assault someone. It released a neural current to temporarily take over your body, preventing your attack from landing," Sword Princess said. "Beyond prisons, this technology is also widely used in animal husbandry, though it seems even more practical when applied to humans."
"Then why did you tell me to hit him?"
"Combat may be banned here and sorcery power restricted, but there are still plenty of petty tricks you can pull."
Sword Princess remarked leisurely, "For instance, using a sorcery spirit to forge a pact. If I'm not mistaken, that man has a trace of Veela blood, and Veelas are the race most prone to mastering the mind faction... If you had agreed to his request and shaken his hand to seal a pact, you would have entered a 'friendship of mutual aid' with him.
"However, that's the kind of relationship where you are obligated to help him, while whether he helps you depends purely on his whim. To a mind sorcerer, there isn't really any difference between a friend and a slave."
Yaxiu understood. If he had actually shaken Igola's hand just now, he would have essentially become Igola's employee—perhaps even an unpaid intern.
This other world was utterly shameless; they didn't even bother signing a labor contract.
Yaxiu glanced around at the other prisoners. "Can they not see you?"
"You can keep talking out loud like that, provided you don't mind people looking at you like a lunatic and keeping their distance in disgust," Sword Princess said. "Though I'd rather hear ivory tumble from a dog's mouth than listen to the trash in your head, when under another's roof, one must bow one's head."
Yaxiu understood. He studied Sword Princess intently. *‘So, you really are Death Frenzy Sword Princess?’*
"Yes, I am Death Frenzy Sword Princess," she replied, leaning against the wall with utter boredom. "As for you, Watcher, if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I truly never would have imagined you'd end up in a place like this... Do you mind if I laugh at you?"
*‘I mind very much. But why aren't you wearing the outfit from your character art?’*
"Aren't you wearing that supreme deluxe edition classic Shattered Lake Prison convict suit yourself?" Sword Princess rolled her eyes. "You don't even look like your own character art, and you have the nerve to critique me? I'm a girl, you know. Did you expect me to show up every day in the same unwashed clothes?"
Because Sword Princess's logic was entirely airtight, Yaxiu was thoroughly convinced.
However, he clearly didn't care about such details. Looking at Sword Princess with eager anticipation, he said, *‘Sword-aemon, since you're here, help me break out of this prison!’*
"I refuse."
*‘Huh?’*
"Why should I help you escape?" Sword Princess said languidly. "You have food and lodging here; isn't it perfectly suited for a useless bum like you? Why are you so obsessed with breaking out? The outside might be even worse. Wouldn't it be great to just stay put, enjoy an early retirement, and live the life of your dreams?"
*‘But I'm taking the blame for a massive disaster, and in a few days I have to attend something called the Blood Moon Trial! That sure doesn't sound like an invitation to a buffet!’*
"Oh, the Blood Moon Trial..." Sword Princess nodded thoughtfully. "Heehee, then I want to help you escape even less."
Yaxiu's composure nearly shattered. He had thought he could finally latch onto a powerful thigh, never expecting the silk stocking on it to be so slick that he couldn't get a grip. *‘You can't do this! I am your—’*
"My what?" Sword Princess's gaze turned sharp as a blade. Reaching out, she poked Yaxiu hard in the forehead. "What were you going to say? You want to say you're my what? Hmm? Hmm? Hmm?"
With every jab, Yaxiu took a step back until he bumped against a bench and fell into a seated position. Even leaning backward, he couldn't escape her finger as it struck his forehead over and over. She leaned in until their noses nearly touched, their eyes locking. In her wine-red pupils, Yaxiu saw his own reflection.
"Were you going to say you're my... master?" she asked coldly with open contempt. "Heh, do you want to hear me call you that a few more times, just to give that degenerate filth in your brain more material to work with?"
Yaxiu actually calmed down. *‘Is there anything wrong with that? You're just a virtual character in a game, and I'm the player. If I die, you won't continue to exist either. Since this bond exists between us, why can't you help me?’*
At the word "bond," Sword Princess bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. Her eyes instantly became laced with bloodshot veins, and her expression turned dark and terrifying.
Yaxiu was startled, but he didn't back down. Instead, he straightened his spine, forcing Sword Princess to lean back. *‘Death Frenzy Sword Princess, I am not your master, but neither am I your servant. If you can't even treat me as an equal, you might as well scram back into the game and stay a stream of data.’*
Sword Princess's chest heaved up and down, belying her turbulent emotions. Just as Yaxiu braced himself for her to pummel him to death with her fists, she suddenly broke into a faint, charming smile. "A virtual character? What you said is actually true; I really am just an illusory thought... However, Watcher, you had better remember what you said today."
"You are not my master," Sword Princess said, enunciating every single word. "Never."
Yaxiu: *‘I promise.’*
"Swear it. Liars lose their face, unchanged for ten thousand years."
Though he had no idea why Sword Princess was so fixated on this, Yaxiu truly harbored no such base desires. He frankly replied, *‘I swear: liars lose their face, unchanged for ten thousand years.’*
Sword Princess seemed entirely put at ease. Turning around, she walked away. "Let's go. We can talk on the way."
*‘Where to?’* Yaxiu instantly perked up.
"To the dining hall, of course. Aren't you going to have breakfast?"
*‘What about the prison break...?’*
"To be honest, it's not that I don't want to help you; I simply can't," Sword Princess said. "As you can see, aside from you, no one else can see or touch me. I don't have the power to affect the physical world, so how am I supposed to help you break out?"
Yaxiu was utterly disappointed. *‘Then why did you show up here? To show off your new skin?’*
"Didn't you say it yourself? The bond," Sword Princess replied. "I'm here to transfer that thirty percent shared experience to you."
*‘Awesome!’* Yaxiu was overjoyed. *‘Come on, I'm ready!’*
"Ready my foot," Sword Princess sneered. "Did you really think there'd be some miraculous *ding* and you'd instantly master my swordsmanship experience? If you want to daydream, go lie back down in bed!"
*‘Then how are you going to transfer it to me?’*
"It's simple. Go pick a fight with someone. I'll transfer the experience while you're fighting, allowing you to naturally absorb a massive amount of experience during combat."
*‘No problem!’*
While they spoke, they had already arrived at the dining hall.
Much like an ordinary cafeteria, it was furnished with rows of fixed tables and benches. The moment Yaxiu stepped inside, he spotted a prime target to pick a fight with: bald head, tattoos, hulking build, bulging muscles, a scar across his face—at a glance, a serial-killing psycho who had slaughtered hundreds of people to get in here.
Striding over, Yaxiu pretended to accidentally bump into the bald brute's cup. A full cup of milk tipped over, splashing down and drenching the man's shoes in white liquid!
"Ah," Yaxiu said with deliberate nonchalance. "My bad."
The bald brute glared up at him and slammed his hand against the dining table. The entire table shook with a loud bang, and he seemed about to leap up and brawl with Yaxiu!
Yaxiu swallowed hard. Just as he braced himself for his tutorial battle, he saw the bald brute pull a paper napkin from his pocket, squat down, and wipe his shoes clean.
"Watch where you're walking next time, okay? Today's milk is pretty good—highly recommend it," the bald brute said to the stunned Yaxiu.
Chapter 14