After parting with Angelica, Sonya walked alone toward the ditation Tower. She glanced at the Watcher. "You said earlier that I can keep the Torrent spirit for myself, didn't you?"
"Yes," he replied, walking beside her. "You already have so foundation in water sorcery, don't you? I rember there's a Sword Class Miracle that uses Wave and Torrent as its core spirits."
Sonya's eyes brightened. "Do you know the exact thod for that Miracle!?"
If she could master a Sword Class Miracle, she wouldn't just earn Professor Trosan's favor. She might even qualify for the Cailleach collegiate league and open the doors of high society on her own.
"I don't."
"?"
The Watcher sounded relaxed. "But since you already have both spirits, you can invent the Miracle yourself. Isn't the wonder of being a sorcerer the ability to combine spirits and create astounding Miracles?"
"I asked Professor Trosan about it, but even he would need months to craft a hybrid Water–Swordsmanship-Class Miracle from Wave and Torrent..."
"How can he compare to you? You're the Swordswoman I chose."
Sonya twisted her lips. She wasn't a child and wouldn't fall for such cheap flattery. She thought, If you truly value , then just give the formula. I'd rember the kindness, repay you once I rise to the top, and even arrange a grand funeral if you die before I succeed.
She rolled her eyes, forced her emotions under control, and added, "So, Watcher, you took the Substitute spirit just so you could give Torrent? You're so good to !"
The Watcher shuddered slightly and stepped aside. He seed a bit wary as he turned his dim face toward her.
Sonya maintained her sweet smile. She poured every ounce of her strength into controlling her thoughts, determined not to let the Watcher hear her true intentions.
"Enough. Stop testing . I took the Substitute spirit because I need it."
"At your level, why would you still need a One-Winged spirit?"
"Firstly, there are no weak spirits, only weak sorcerers. Every textbook teaches that. Secondly, I'm weak right now, weaker than you, and in danger. My body is trapped. I'm not just weak. I lost many mories when I woke up, so I have to learn the basics of being a sorcerer from you."
He's weak now... aning he used to be strong? Lost mories... maybe a mory-erasing Miracle? No wonder he asked all those ridiculous questions.
Sonya rarely read fantasy stories, but at this mont, even she couldn't help imagining all sorts of Return of the Strong, Fall of the Legendary Sorcerer, or Reviving Powerhouse plots. Her heart stirred at the thought.
This is exactly the hidden gem I have been looking for! His current predicant may look bad, but as long as he has ti, he could climb to the top again, beco a towering figure, lead his own faction, and enjoy every luxury. Normal hidden gems still need to rely on luck to succeed, but the Watcher is simply regaining his peak strength. With ti on his side, his success is almost guaranteed.
Sonya had never cared for Felix because she was looking for soone with real potential. Nobility's favors always ca at a cost. Even if a noble brat like Felix was foolish, his parents certainly were not. If Sonya wanted to enjoy the advantages of a powerful noble house without losing a large part of herself or being forced to bear their future heir, she needed a partner with true potential.
Marrying soone like that would give Sonya not only wealth and luxury but also the freedom to keep her independence at ho. Even if the Watcher was her superior, she viewed choosing a spouse the sa way she viewed choosing a superior at work. Rather than joining a large organization as a replaceable mber, it was wiser to start early and grow alongside a promising partner, securing a place as a key founding mber.
"Watcher, are you in danger? Do you need my help? Just tell ! Protecting you is my sacred duty!"
"During our exploration in the Virtual World later, if we find the spirits needed for the Slash Miracle, just leave them to ."
"Slash Miracle?"
"Oh, right, I haven't told you. I'm trapped in a prison sowhere and need the Slash Miracle to break out."
The Watcher explained the Slash Miracle in detail, and Sonya was dumbfounded. If mory served her right, this was a Miracle not yet registered in the Starry Miracle Catalog, aning it had never appeared anywhere in the Starry Kingdom. On top of that, it was an exceptionally practical Sword Class Miracle, capable of healing the user of all anomalies and usable even by Silver Rank sorcerers.
Sonya was already thinking about how much money she could make from it. She couldn't sell it outright, of course. She had no way to explain where it ca from, lacked the conditions to create a Miracle herself, and couldn't even gather the required spirits. If she attempted to sell it anyway, the Sorcerers Association would only treat it as the theft of soone else's patent.
Licensing the thod, however, was a different matter. The profit alone could make her a minor rich girl in Cailleach.
At heart, Sonya remained a petty bourgeois. The Watcher discovering her sword talent or taking her into the Virtual World only made her feel grateful. But when he explained a Miracle formula, she couldn't contain her excitent. Despite knowing she couldn't use or sell it, the formula's imnse value in the Starry Kingdom thrilled her all the sa. This was why future promises could never match imdiate gains. Spiritual satisfaction could never outweigh material reward.
"Is... is this Sword Class Miracle sothing you invented?"
The Watcher cast her a sideways glance. "No. I stole the Miracle from an enemy."
Sonya blinked. "Will I get into trouble if I use it?"
"Don't worry. That enemy will never appear in front of you," he emphasized. "Never."
Sonya perked up again. "So the patent holder is already dead?"
She thought, Once I fully unfold my Silver Wing and gather the spirits for the Slash Miracle, I could claim the Miracle as my own and sell its authorization. Soone as powerful as the Watcher wouldn't care about such a minor gain... would he?
"All right. I'll work hard during our Virtual World's exploration and help you collect the spirits for the Slash Miracle. By the way, there's sothing else I want to discuss..."
The Watcher stepped into the ditation Tower. "We'll talk inside the Virtual World. We'll have plenty of ti there. Say whatever you want then. Oh, and you hate it when I listen to your thoughts, don't you? I've decided to respect that."
Sonya's eyes brightened. "You're going to stop monitoring my mind?"
He shrugged. "No. I've simply decided not to look for you in your daily life. You won't need to shout 'Watcher' in your head every ti you use the bathroom or take a shower anymore. I'm not your toilet paper or towel."
"How did you know I call you in my head before I go to the bathroom or shower?"
"That's not important," he waved a hand. "If you need , wait until the Virtual World. I won't show up in your daily life anymore."
Sonya replied with a hesitant tone. "If... if you don't listen to my thoughts, I actually don't mind you being around. Even if you insist on hearing them, I think I'm getting used to it..."
She felt unsure. She disliked his intrusion into her privacy, but for that sa reason, she could be her true self around him without any pretense. That was also why she had been so delighted earlier when she wondered if the Watcher was only a fragnt of her split mind. To her, the ideal confidant would be soone who knew everything about her yet had no power to influence her life.
The Watcher crossed his arms. "You make it sound like your daily life is so exciting, and I'm shalessly insisting on watching. I have my own matters to deal with. I don't have ti to stare at a college student's campus routine.
"In any case, the few hours in the Virtual World are our ti to talk. Outside of that, I won't disturb you, and calling won't make appear."
"If... if I have sothing really urgent?"
He spread his hands. "Calling still won't help. This version of is only an illusion. I can't lift even a strand of hair. I can't offer any real help. If you summon , the only thing I can do is mock you."
Sonya still pressed on. "Mocking is fine. Would you appear if I call for you?"
"That's hard to refuse. But I'm curious. Do you rely on because I fill the fatherly void from your childhood?"
"Do you want to call you Watcher Daddy?"
He backed away. "No, just Watcher is fine. Otherwise, I'll have nightmares."
As they talked, the two of them reached the private ditation room. Sonya sat down cross-legged, glanced at the Watcher beside her, took out the Wave spirit, searched for the Door of Truth, and entered the Virtual World.
When she closed her eyes and her consciousness linked to the Virtual World, the Watcher let out a quiet sigh. How terrifying... In just two days, she's already learned to hide her thoughts and even fool inside her own mind. She really does live up to the title Death Maniac... With talent like this, I can't tell if it's a blessing or a curse to guide her to discover her potential so early...
But that was no longer a concern for the Watcher. With that, he shrugged and disappeared from the ditation room.
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