"Honestly, since we're on land, do we really need to use a vehicle? It's not like we're at sea. Wouldn't walking on foot make it easier to handle unexpected emergencies?"
As the sports car revved and buzzed to life, Sonia suddenly wondered if having this car wasn't a bit redundant.
Back in the Sea of Knowledge, the boat had been an absolute necessity. Swimming was far too troublesome, and neither of them was an aquatic creature, enjoying zero advantages in the water. Soaking in the sea only served to give the Watcher eye candy. But arriving on the Time Continent was the exact opposite: they were terrestrial beings, and most combat required their feet firmly planted on the ground. A car would actually hinder them from launching an immediate charge.
"Did you two have a vehicle in the Sea of Knowledge as well?" Diya picked up on the clue.
"Yes, a small boat," Sonia complained. "A very small boat that could barely fit two people. Move too much and it would capsize. Fortunately, the Watcher controlled it so we didn't have to row..."
"How nice. I'd love to ride a boat in the Sea of Knowledge too," Diya said wistfully. "If only I'd met the Watcher earlier. Thankfully, it's not too late now."
Sonia's lips twitched. "Yeah, I'm quite glad I was chosen by the Watcher too—"
"Hey, the person in question is sitting right here." Yaxiu looked away from the Void Realm Map. "Sword Princess, you clearly disdained me from the very start, and you constantly whined asking if I could reduce your training intensity!"
"Your memory is playing tricks on you!" the red-haired Sword Princess said loudly. "I'm a genius swordswoman! Training is as natural to me as breathing! If I go a single day without training, I itch all over. How could I ever complain to you?"
"Are you cultivating the destiny faction, Sword Princess? To rewrite past history so casually—you're something else."
"So the Watcher arranged training for you? How wonderful," Diya remarked wistfully. "He insists on arranging recreation for me. I can't even study if I want to. While I understand the Watcher has good intentions, it's really far too dictatorial..."
Sonia instantly whipped her head around, staring dead at Yaxiu without a word. Her face practically screamed, *Why does she get special treatment?* Her expression was terrifying, like a sky right before a violent storm.
Yaxiu felt as though he were being glared down by a Titan Executioner. Helplessly, he explained, "The Witch is in a special state where her training efficiency is reduced by seventy-five percent. As luck would have it, I recently acquired a new treasure that allows someone to gain a certain amount of training effect even during recreation, while bypassing negative statuses..."
"Then why don't I get—"
"Didn't you just say you're a genius swordswoman, that training is as natural to you as breathing, and that you itch all over if you skip a day? The best outcome from recreation only matches the worst outcome of training. Unlike the Witch, you don't have a negative status. Training is by far the most cost-effective choice for you."
"Ugh..." Sonia realized she had dug a hole for herself. In the past, she would have simply gone back on her word right on the spot; if the Watcher tried to reason with her, she would just accuse him of yelling at her so loudly.
Now, however, the Witch was right beside them. Wanting to maintain her image as an accomplished senior, she couldn't act spoiled or throw a tantrum.
Yet she was even less willing to see only the Witch receive special treatment.
And so she looked at Yaxiu with a pitiful, aggrieved pout, her lips protruding enough to hang a teapot, her pupils nearly narrowing into slits. Yaxiu clicked his tongue. "This week's schedule is already set. Next week, I'll see about scheduling a recreation activity for you."
A flash of triumph flickered in Sonia's eyes before she turned back around with feigned disdain. "Hmph. On second thought, training suits me better. But if you insist on disrupting my tight training rhythm, I suppose I have no choice. What else can I do, seeing as you're the Watcher?"
Yaxiu was so annoyed he kicked her seat.
*Bang!*
A loud crash suddenly rang out. The sports car sheared straight through two large trees ahead, striding arrogantly across into the grassy path ahead and continuing to hum forward. The collision had no impact on the car itself; to Yaxiu and the others, it felt like crashing into tofu. However, the vehicle had turned noticeably more translucent. Clearly, such ramming could not be done frequently.
"Mm, riding in a car really does make sense," Diya said suddenly. "Unlike walking on the Time Continent by myself, sitting in the car not only lets us absorb the sorcery power from the reverse golden rain, but it also consumes almost no soul energy."
Sonia asked, "Does walking consume energy?"
"The consumption is roughly the same as swimming in the Sea of Knowledge." Diya pointed at the weeds on the ground. "There are no roads on the Time Continent. Weeds and thickets grow everywhere, not to mention mudflats, wetlands, mountainous terrain, and forests. Every single step takes considerable effort. I don't know about others, but during the month I spent exploring the Time Continent alone, nearly half of my soul energy was burned just on walking."
Yaxiu and Sonia understood immediately—with this sports car as transportation, they suffered virtually zero wear and tear from walking. Although absorbing sorcery power also consumed soul energy, their exploration efficiency each night would be at least fifty percent greater than that of an ordinary sorcerer.
Moreover, it wasn't just a matter of exploration efficiency. Other sorcerers were like out-of-town commuters living far from the office, forced to spend two hours commuting every day; Yaxiu and his crew were like locals who lived right next to the office, gaining two extra hours of free time every day compared to everyone else. Even if they didn't use that time for serious business, simply not having to waste energy was already immensely gratifying!
"Watcher, you know which direction to move in, right?" Diya asked.
"Yeah." Yaxiu looked up at a pillar of light slowly moving forward on the distant horizon. "We need to keep pace with the White Ox, right?"
"That's right. Our current position should be in the forward area of the White Ox. As long as we keep moving, we won't have to worry about falling into the Domain of Stillness." Diya tilted her head and looked at Yaxiu. "Watcher, do you know what I'm thinking in my heart?"
Yaxiu scratched his head. "How would I know what you're thinking?"
*So the Watcher can't hear my thoughts in the Void Realm...* Diya showed a warm smile. "This is the first time I've ever felt at peace in the Void Realm. I was just thinking how wonderful it is to explore the Void Realm together with the Watcher. Thank you for inviting me."
Hearing this, Sonia nearly ground her teeth to powder.
*Damn it... this Witch is so good at this!*
*Why am I being so dense? I'm clearly a female sorcerer skilled at making men fall head over heels in three sentences too, so why am I now...*
*Besides, didn't the Watcher just get a sports car...*
*Didn't he just...*
Sonia felt faintly that something was wrong with her line of thinking.
Although the Watcher had treated her with a playful, teasing attitude from the very beginning—forcing training, forcing combat, forcing rituals to summon sorcery spirits—in terms of results, Sonia had benefited tremendously every single time, suffering practically zero loss herself.
A month ago, she was merely an impoverished female university student with minor fame in the Water Sorcery Department. Now, she was the premier prodigy of Sword Flower Academy, a Sword Saint seed whose name shook Jialesi, an opponent Truth University had to face with utmost vigilance... And all of these changes stemmed from the moment in her dream when she drew the sword thrust into the Watcher's chest.
Although the Watcher kept saying that a sacred bond existed between them, and that as she grew stronger, he would benefit as well—and having witnessed the wonders of the sorcerer world, Sonia thought he might indeed be telling the truth, that her growth in strength might truly provide immense help to him—that did not mean she could simply accept these gifts with an easy conscience.
She knew very well in her heart whom she ought to thank. But the Watcher's teasing demeanor had always made it difficult for her to utter words of gratitude. Over time, she had grown accustomed to it, even taking it for granted.
Perhaps this feeling of gratitude would only surface at a moment of crisis. For instance, in a life-or-death situation, Sonia couldn't guarantee she would be willing to give her life for the Watcher, but she could at least guarantee she would hesitate for a second or two before fleeing.
But just as one should loudly voice their contributions so others recognize their merit, gratitude also needed to be spoken aloud so people would know she was a gentle, kind, and grateful good girl... She had clearly understood this principle long ago, and she could adhere to these social rules with anyone else. Why, then, did she forget them whenever she was around the Watcher?
She could always treat people she didn't care about with courtesy and charm. Why, in front of the Watcher of all people, did she show her most unreasonable, willful side?
If not for the Witch's arrival, Sonia might never have noticed this flaw in herself. Perhaps right now it wasn't yet a problem, but bonds were like sword blades: sharp, resilient, and invincible at first, but if not carefully maintained, the blade would rust, grow brittle, and ultimately shatter completely under an impact that might not even be particularly strong.
At that moment, she suddenly remembered the question she had encountered in the Destiny Q&A: *What was the root cause of the falling out between the Sword Princess and the Watcher?*
Sonia let out a soft breath, turned to look at Yaxiu, and said, "Watcher."
"Hm?"
"Thank you for the Pure Spiritual Light Special Drink," Sonia said earnestly. "If not for the potion you gave me, my soul injuries wouldn't have healed so quickly, and I wouldn't have been able to explore the Void Realm with you tonight... Thank you."
A potion that healed soul damage? Diya's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
The cult leader stared closely at the red-haired Sword Princess, then kicked her seat again.
"What are you doing?!" Sonia was so mad she almost drew her sword. "I'm thanking you, and you still kick me?"
"I kicked you precisely *because* you're thanking me," Yaxiu said. "It's not like I'm good to you just to get your thanks. You becoming stronger is the best reward for me."
"Besides, if you thank me so formally, should I thank you whenever you contribute the most in Void Realm battles later on? Should I thank you when you protect me? Should I thank you when you pull off an exquisite maneuver?"
Looking at the Void Realm Map, Yaxiu grumbled, "And what's the point of these hollow, costless verbal thanks anyway? It's just a hassle. It's not like we're strangers."
Sonia stared blankly at him for a few seconds, then suddenly burst into laughter. "Then I'll just accept your gifts with a clear conscience from now on!"
"Don't be *that* carefree about it either. Remember to put in more effort during training." Yaxiu glanced at Diya. "Same goes for you, Witch. No need to thank me like that. Everything I do is for future returns; I'm not some great saint."
"But my gratitude comes straight from the heart," the White Queen said, stretching lazily and breaking into a radiant smile. "What is routine to you is a miracle to me. Aside from saying words of thanks, I wouldn't even know how to express my gratitude."
"Mm, you have a point there, Witch," Yaxiu pondered aloud. "If you two truly insist on thanking me... then you could..."
"Could what?"
"You could..." Yaxiu tilted his head toward the continuous golden rain outside, pretending to be casual. "...give me a hug and heap some praise on me. If you insist on kissing me, I wouldn't mind either. After all, thanks should come with some tangible benefits, right?"
The two girls blinked. Then the red-haired Sword Princess glared coldly at the white-clad Witch. The White Queen shook her head slightly, and the red-haired Sword Princess nodded in agreement.
Without a single word, their eyes had reached a consensus—by no means could they indulge the Watcher's wishes. At most, a couple of verbal compliments; under no circumstances could they get sucked into an escalation of cutthroat competition!
If he dared ask for hugs and kisses today, who could imagine what he would dare demand tomorrow!
Such behavior could never be tolerated!
Chapter 213