The Sword Princess Is Dead?

In a female dormitory at Sword Flower University in the Starry Country, Adele lay on her bed, anxiously refreshing the university forum. "Details on the Spectre Prophet's Resurrection" "Sanctuary Casualties Reach Four" "Entry to Eternal City Forbidden! New City Lord Likely Decided! Continuous Updates!" "We Still Don't Know Who Obtained the Lake Light Inheritance" At the very top of the forum were these four stickied, red-highlighted posts. Every single one was the most explosive news of the past two days, and even a typical university student like Adele, who wasn't even a sorcerer, was diligently following the updates. Among them, nothing drew more attention than the resurrection of the Spectre Prophet. Although most people had never had the chance to participate in the Spectre Inheritance, the Spectre Manual had already become the bestselling book in Jialesi. On the city's book sales ranking for the past month, the Spectre Manual, Time Manual, and Lake Light Manual dominated the top three spots. After all, what publisher would pass up a book brimming with gimmicks that required no royalty payments whatsoever? Among them, sales of the Spectre Manual were several times the other two combined, and rumors were even circulating that the Thousand Stars Chamber of Commerce was already planning a film adaptation about the Spectre Prophet. After all, buzzwords like 'rebirth,' 'cruelty,' 'cunning,' and 'vengeance' were simply too alluring to directors and screenwriters. In such a media climate, news of the Spectre Prophet's resurrection was like a spark dropped into the Starry Country's sorcerer class. Seeing someone like the Spectre Prophet on a light screen made for a dramatically compelling, popular character, but if he were to appear in reality, who could possibly withstand him? Moreover, the Spectre Prophet's resurrection was hardly some far-off matter. Four Starry Country Sanctuaries had already lost their lives because of it, and that number was by no means final; many Sanctuaries preferred solitary research, and verifying their status would take time. The stickied details about the resurrection were essentially the 'official version' leaked by Sanctuary professors from Truth University. Beside that, there were spiced-up accounts from other Sanctuaries, offering various perspectives on the perilous events inside the Kingdom of Heaven in Dreams. The revelation of this information was hardly accidental. Back when the Four Great Inheritances first appeared, the House of Nobles had opened an inheritance forum and established an information-rating system. Any valid information about the inheritances could be redeemed on the forum for noble merit points, accelerating promotions in noble rank or unlocking various rewards, while being provided free of charge to any viewer. Because of this momentum in sharing information, the Sanctuaries who returned to reality naturally couldn't wait to jump onto the forum to discuss the Spectre Prophet's resurrection—not to mention they had spent nearly a full day and night in the Void Realm. Sanctuaries were the pillars of society; their collective disappearance had long since attracted widespread concern. Adele had initially been following the updates with great enthusiasm, but looking at the forum now, she trembled with rage, gnashing her teeth, wishing she could reach through the light screen and drag the posters out for a beating. "Rhythm Sword Saint, Hidden Hand Sword Saint, and Other Sanctuary Professors Safe and Sound!" "Miss Servi Has Not Appeared for Over 60 Hours; In Theory, All Sanctuaries Should Have Returned to Reality 24 Hours Ago" "Weapon Master Mentions Possible Sighting of the Red-Haired Sword Princess in the Kingdom of Heaven in Dreams" "Only When the Tide Goes Out Do You See Who's Swimming Naked" "Those Who Were Meant to Return Have Returned; Those Who Weren't Won't Return Either" Adele tapped into the posts to read the replies, rolling around on her bed in pure fury, her kicking legs nearly brushing the ceiling. "What are you throwing a fit about now?" Lois asked. "Every single person on the forum is throwing sarcastic shade and cursing Sonia!" Adele said, her tone as heated as if the curses had been aimed at her. In reality, that was impossible. Although freedom of speech existed, wishing death on someone was a clear breach of ethical regulations—and in a sorcerer world filled with miracles, remarks capable of forming rituals were placed under heavy scrutiny. However, the public's linguistic creativity was boundless, especially since the forum's main users were the sharpest and most bored demographic around. While they couldn't curse someone to die, they could certainly 'bless' them to live. Adele opened the threads mentioning Sonia. Everyone was feigning concern for the Sword Princess with comments like 'Hope she's okay,' 'If it's true, I hope it's false,' and 'The fleeting meteor burns the brightest,' each followed by an assortment of emojis. If anyone accused them of being snide, they turned around, slapped on an accusation, and reported the accuser for cursing the Sword Princess. They had truly mastered the forum's mechanics. Of course, these people only dared to be passive-aggressive now. If Sonia were here, she would have administrative privileges on the forum. The Paw-Stretching Sword Saint wouldn't even bother banning them; she would track down their real identities and publicly call them out on the board—she had already done it once, and every single account she named had ended up deleted by its owner. The problem now was that she wasn't here. Adele didn't even dare open her messaging app anymore because members of the Paw-Stretching Club were bombarding her with messages, asking if there was any word on the Sword Princess. Earlier, Adele had still managed to pull herself together to console them and duel people on the forum, but now even she had grown listless, reduced to hugging her stuffed animal and brooding in silence. Twelve hours ago, when Truth University released the details of the Spectre Prophet's resurrection, everyone had realized something had happened to Sonia. Accompanying the announcement was the House of Nobles' census of Sanctuaries in Jialesi, and only two Sanctuary Sorcerers remained unaccounted for. Sonia Servi was one of them, and the other was a reclusive Sanctuary. But six hours ago, that solitary Sanctuary had been confirmed fallen, becoming one of the four victims of the Spectre Prophet incident. Everyone knew that those who were going to appear should have done so long ago. Those who hadn't could only wait to be discovered. All of them had classes today, yet none went, choosing instead to wait together in the dormitory, not even knowing what they were waiting for. "A few days ago, I heard a few upperclassmen died," Ingrid suddenly said. "Their souls died in the Eternal City, while their physical bodies died in the meditation building, undiscovered until they began to rot. "Exploring the Void Realm is inherently fraught with danger. Every year, sorcerers meet their end in the Void Realm due to accidents, let alone while competing in an inheritance. Even in the safest Lake Light Inheritance, there's a risk of death, to say nothing of the Spectre Inheritance." "I know, of course I know!" Adele said. "I'm just infuriated by how many people are looking forward to Sonia's death!" "If she really died, everyone would simply mourn and remember her. Sword Flower University would hold a memorial service, and her portrait and statue would remain on campus," Lois said calmly. "Right now, some people just can't wait to mourn and are desperate to flaunt their presence on the forum." "That's what I don't understand," Adele said. "Fine if they don't like Sonia, but why do so many people despise her? She never offended them, nor did she infringe on their interests." Lois leaned back against her chair and stared up at the ceiling. "If I didn't live so close to her, I'd probably resent her too. "She didn't offend me, nor did we have conflicting interests, but I constantly heard her name. The university praised her, the forum discussed her, and even turning on the light screen meant potentially seeing her endorsements... and she's my peer. "Some people like her because she's brilliant, but others find it obnoxious and dislike her for it," Lois said flatly. "She makes me anxious, makes me jealous, and more importantly, she isn't flawless. "Unlike Dimi, she wasn't born a noble; she's just a country girl from a small town. It took her only a few months to go from becoming a sorcerer to advancing to Sanctuary, and the process was shrouded in mystery... Even Dimi is disliked by many Truth University students. How could a mere Sonia Servi possibly be loved by everyone? "Do those people on the forum truly hate Sonia? Of course not. Most of them have never even met her; they're just jumping on the bandwagon." Lois glanced at Adele. "If you've got nothing to do, come down and pick a movie to watch with me. I feel like taking a break anyway." Adele gave a quiet nod, climbed down in her pajamas, pulled up a chair beside Lois, and selected a film on the light screen. Then she suddenly asked, "Do you think... she might not come back?" After a brief silence, Ingrid—who had been doing inverted sit-ups with her legs hooked over the edge of her bed—hopped down. Steam rose from her body, her athletic shirt soaked through. Taking a small sip of water, she asked, "Should we go look for her?" "The school already checked the meditation building; she's not there," Lois said. "Do either of you know anywhere else she might stay the night?" "Her boyfriend's place?" "Are you answering a riddle with another riddle?" Lois replied bluntly. "We can't even be sure her boyfriend actually exists." "Then we just have to sit here and wait?" Adele's voice was laden with exhaustion. "Isn't there anything I can do?" "Study," Lois said. "Studying is never wrong." "At a time like this, how could I possibly study?!" "Don't act as though you normally study anyway..." "Is it just my imagination," Ingrid interjected, "or are you genuinely not that nervous, Lois?" "Probably because I've been watching her the longest," Lois said calmly. "From the very first day we were assigned to this room, I competed against her. But the more I fought, the prettier she got, and the more popular she became. Later, she became a sorcerer, defeated everyone who looked down on her, and went on an unbroken winning streak in the Meteor Calamity tournament, blazing like sparks and lightning until she became the brightest star in the night sky in the blink of an eye... "How could I believe someone so dazzling, so extraordinary, could fall just like that?" After a brief pause, Lois tapped the light screen to start the film, adding under the rising background music, "Though it's also possible that deep down, part of me is hoping she really does vanish." Ingrid wiped herself down, changed her clothes, and brought a chair over to watch the film with them. Just as the movie was nearing its first climax, the sudden sound of a key turning in the door echoed through the room. The three turned, staring blankly at the door. But the figure appearing before them wasn't a red-haired Sword Princess; it was six unfamiliar people dressed in black uniforms. Evidently, the six were equally surprised to find them there. The leading man and woman exchanged a look, flashed their credentials, and said, "We are from the university's Administration Office. We are here on official duty. Please vacate the dormitory for the time being." The girls looked and recognized that the two leaders were indeed deputy directors of the Administration Office. Adele gave an "Oh" and stood up to change, but neither Ingrid nor Lois made a move. "What kind of official duty requires the Administration Office to sneak around using a spare key to enter a student dorm?" Lois asked placidly. "It's class time right now, meaning we shouldn't theoretically be here. Were you planning to break in and rob us while we were out?" "Students these days are growing more ill-mannered by the year." The female deputy director's face darkened. "Student dormitories are university property. The Administration Office has full authority over them!" "Then you could have notified us to cooperate with your task. Why tell us to leave?" Lois asked. "Is there something you can't let us see?" "There are far too many things students shouldn't know," the female deputy director sneered with distaste. "Who do you think you are? A Sanctuary Sorcerer?" "No comment." Compared to his colleague, the male deputy director was quieter and far more composed. "Students have an obligation to cooperate with university operations. Please leave immediately." Ingrid frowned. "But how do you prove—" "All right." Lois cut Ingrid off, standing up as if to close the door. "We'll leave once we've changed—" "No need for all that trouble." The male deputy director wedged his foot in the door. "You only need to step into another room or wait downstairs for a moment. You'll be back shortly." Lois sighed helplessly. "Then can we at least grab a few books to study downstairs?" She turned her head and shot Adele and Ingrid a meaningful look. "Go get a few books. The most important ones." Ingrid still looked bewildered, but Adele darted straight over to Sonia's desk, yanking open a drawer as if searching for something. "Just a second, I'll find them and burn them right now—" "What do you think you're doing?!" As the administrative staff slammed the door open in fury and alarm, Lois abruptly stepped aside, blasting a torrent of water across the floor, while Ingrid launched a vicious kick at a chair, sending it hurtling like a cannonball straight into the intruders! "I knew it," Lois sneered. "You really did come here to rob the place."