Blood Sorcerer

Ever since arriving in this world, Yaxiu had heard the phrase "Blood Moon Trial" more than once. At first, he thought it was an execution show. Then, he thought it was a live-streamed execution show. After that, he thought it was an online guessing game where a lucky viewer was randomly selected to be shot. Now, Yaxiu figured the Blood Moon Trial was probably a live variety broadcast featuring no-holds-barred combat. "Yes, when death row inmates take part in the Blood Moon Trial, the prison lifts all your restrictions. At that point, you can channel sorcery power to activate sorcery spirits." The medical sorcerer held out her hand, and a kindly, grandmotherly sorcery spirit floated up from her palm. "If you're asking whether there's an opportunity to trade in the Blood Moon Trial, theoretically there is, but in practice, no one can pull it off. As for why, I shouldn't need to elaborate, right? It's not like you've never watched the Blood Moon Trial." "I haven't watched it!" "Don't think I'm that easy to fool!" the medical sorcerer practically roared. "I would never believe such an idiotic lie!" With that, she refused to divulge another scrap of information. Yaxiu's clumsy lie made her feel as though her dignity had been insulted. Deceiving people was one thing, but using a lie that wouldn't even fool a child—who was he looking down on! Yaxiu felt deeply wronged. He really had never seen the Blood Moon Trial, but everyone here took it for granted as basic common knowledge that required no further explanation. Since he couldn't wheedle any intel out of her, Yaxiu prepared to go eat. Yet at that moment, the medical sorcerer wouldn't let him leave. "Why did you ask about that elf earlier? Were you worried about him?" "Saying I'm worried is a bit too embarrassing. I'm just curious." Yaxiu scratched at the tender new flesh on his shoulder. "After all, he's basically the first person I've ever killed. Don't people say murderers always return to the scene of the crime to watch? My mindset is pretty similar to that." "For real? He was actually your first time?" "Phrasing it like that really causes misunderstandings..." "You're a death row inmate living in the luxury suite of Shattered Lake Prison! Shouldn't destroying life be as simple as eating and dressing, and torturing souls a habit as natural as breathing?" "I might not be some kind of saint, but I was really framed!" "I'll provisionally believe the first half of that sentence." The medical sorcerer looked down at the sorcery spirit in her hand, seemingly weighing her words. "Fine, I'll believe it's your first kill. Then why do you care about whether that elf lives or dies? Do you hope he doesn't survive, or do you hope he won't die?" "Both." "Both?" The medical sorcerer couldn't help letting out a laugh. "You want him both dead and alive?" "Honestly, my grudge with him hasn't reached the point where he has to die. If possible, I'd rather beat him up with a soft stick shaped like a geoduck clam to vent my anger. Plus, I have questions I want to ask him, so I don't really want him dead." Yaxiu shrugged. "But if he really died, before going to sleep tonight I'd probably just sigh and think that life is like an ocean, and only those with strong wills can reach the opposite shore... So even if he dies, I wouldn't care that much." "I'm starting to believe this was your first kill," the medical sorcerer said. "That kind of answer pleases neither side. In a public case review, saying you were soft-hearted would earn sympathy from human rights organizations, and saying you pulled weeds out by the roots would earn support from extremist groups. Only this kind of ambiguous, indecisive stance gets loathed and rejected by every organization." "Looks like surviving in the outside world isn't easy either," Yaxiu sighed. "Are there really that many extreme, decisive people? Aren't most people indecisive like me?" The medical sorcerer paused slightly, then shrugged. "Indecisive people exist, but you need the capital to be indecisive—for instance, being good-looking!" She pulled out a photo album and flipped through it in front of Yaxiu with a rustle. "Look, these are handsome templates popular over the last five years. Want to pick one as your new face? I personally recommend Face No. 1. It's very popular, practically ninety percent identical to a hot pop star right now. You'll definitely love it..." "You're clearly the one who likes this face!" "What if I do? If you get this face, you're the beneficiary!" "Who says? I'm not going to stare at a mirror all day. I usually can't even see my own face, so what good does being handsome do me? Instead, others get to look at me all day and enjoy it while I have to endure their sleazy stares. Do you really think I'd agree to such a foolish, self-sacrificing thing?" Yaxiu's words made so much sense that the medical sorcerer was actually swayed. Her crow mask drooped, and she said dejectedly, "Fine, you have a point..." "However," Yaxiu pivoted, "you were willing to listen to my grievances and chat with me for so long. That's the only warmth I've felt in this cold prison. Since it's a friend's request, it's not like I can't agree..." "Wait, we're friends?" "If not, then I'm leaving..." "Alright, alright! So you're willing to let me perform surgery on you?" "Actually, not that willing..." Yaxiu put on a hesitant expression. "I still quite like my current face. After looking at it for so many years, I've developed some attachment to it..." "So...?" "You'll have to add more money." "No problem!" The medical sorcerer let out a sigh of relief. "When do we start? Wait, there are some surgical arts I'm not entirely familiar with yet. Give me the next two nights to review... Don't worry, it's very safe. My sorcery spirit can effectively prevent flesh collapse and other severe complications!" Yaxiu's mouth twitched. "I... I'm very reassured. Well, I'll take my leave first. Take your time preparing, don't rush!" Sorcery power was the universal energy for sorcerers, just as money was the universal energy for society. Although there was still no hope of a prison break in sight, Yaxiu had to find a way to squirrel away some spare cash. Needless to say, the death row inmates were all penniless freeloaders living off the state, so after mulling it over, Yaxiu felt his only path left was relying on his face to earn money. Only now it seemed the price was a bit steep—the odds of his face rotting were terribly high. Yaxiu was getting cold feet. No wonder the medical sorcerers weren't allowed to reveal their names. Perhaps it was precisely to prepare for an anonymous getaway: after causing plenty of medical malpractice in prison to hone their skills, they could pat their bottoms and stroll away, leaving the death row inmates with nobody to curse even if they wanted to. Reaching the door, Yaxiu suddenly paused and glanced around the treatment room. "Speaking of which, I've wanted to ask for a while—are you being ostracized by your colleagues?" "Huh?" "How come both times I woke up, I only saw you? Where are the other medical sorcerers?" Yaxiu guessed. "Did they dump the toughest job on you and just pat their bottoms and clock out?" "No—though the part about you being the toughest job is true." "Really not? If you're being bullied or ostracized by your colleagues, remember to tell me." The medical sorcerer looked at Yaxiu and snorted with laughter. "Why would I tell you?" "Aren't we friends? A friend is someone who stands on the sidelines and gloats when misfortune strikes you." "Get out, get out, get out!" Yaxiu waved goodbye. "See you next time, Doctor 222. The apples were delicious, thanks." ... Silence returned to the treatment room. The medical sorcerer packed up her toolbox and pushed open the door leading to the common breakroom—the medical sorcerers' quarters had zero overlap with the death row inmates—only to find a group of crow-masked medical sorcerers waiting outside. Startled, she almost thought they had come to confront her. Upon taking a closer look, however, she noticed one person in their ranks wasn't wearing a crow mask. Judging by his build and badge, it was none other than the tall medical sorcerer 176, who usually reprimanded her. He possessed the appearance of a blue-scaled fishman, though both of his eyeballs were scarlet, glittering like rubies. Not only was 176 unmasked, but his hands were twisted and pinned behind his back. Prominent bruises marked his face, and around his neck hung a dark green necklace of froth. The medical sorcerer knew very well what that was. Miracle: Vein Bubbles. This was the most common offensive miracle used by blood sorcerers, integrating containment and slaughter into one, capable of being maintained over a prolonged duration. Once a target was struck by Vein Bubbles, every vein in their body linked to the froth. The moment the bubbles burst, it meant all their veins would rupture simultaneously, causing the heart to be rapidly deprived of blood and inducing sudden death. As long as someone was a sorcerer, even the weakest among them held the power to obliterate living beings in an instant. Being fitted with Vein Bubbles was treatment reserved strictly for criminals. "What did he do?" "He peeked at your medical art, young lady." A medical sorcerer wearing badge 201 bowed and reported, his deep respect unmasked even by the altered voice of the crow mask. "Attempting to steal the intellectual achievements of the Blood Weep Research Institute without authorization violates the constitutional principle of the 'Sacred Inviolability of Individual and Collective Property.' It is an indisputable crime."