"How you got in is exactly how you'll get out."
Ashe imdiately caught on. "You an... the ship that transports death-row inmates?"
Healer No.222 nodded. "Shattered Lake Prison sits in the middle of the lake. There's no way to reach it except by ship or flight. But the surrounding airspace is a military no-fly zone. Any flying object is scanned, and without permission, the prison's Lex Rapid-Fire Cannon will shoot it down. The waters are teeming with swarms of Finger Sharks. Unless you're a Fishman, even a sorcerer specialized in defense will struggle to swim away undetected.
"There's only one way to escape, that is by taking the sa ship that transports death-row inmates. We use it ourselves, alongside the guards, to travel to and from the prison. Supplies are delivered the sa way, transported together with the prisoners."
Without much thought, Ashe could already tell the ship would be heavily guarded. No death-row inmate could hide aboard unnoticed. But at least now, he had a proper direction to think in, rather than picturing himself tunneling through the sewers and accidentally interrupting the Finger Sharks from having their dinner.
Ashe asked, "Are there really no exceptions?"
Healer No.222 thought for a mont, then nodded. "There is one. By law, if a mayor faces extrely serious accusations during their term, but no decisive mory-based evidence is found, they must imdiately step down and be temporarily held in the nearest Blood Moon Prison. Aside from Shattered Lake, the only other facility is the Blood Moon Prison in Caimon City. The mayor remains in isolation there until the Heresy Court completes its investigation, after which they either resu office or remain imprisoned."
Ashe frowned. "If there's no mory-based evidence, wouldn't that prove their innocence?"
Healer No.222 nodded, but quickly changed her mind and shook her head. "Generally, yes. However, sorcerers might possess mory-manipulating spirits, such as Overwrite, Trim, or Erase. Editing mories is a serious cri. Both the sorcerer and the victim face severe punishnt. Yet corrupt politicians often exploit this, making it difficult for the Heresy Court to discern the truth. Investigations of important figures usually involve reviewing the mories of everyone close to them. If no evidence surfaces, it usually ans the accusation was false."
"Has a mayor ever been imprisoned?"
"Historically, it happened about three to four tis. From what I rember, it always ended with the mayor back in office, their reputation soaring, and ultimately winning re-election."
"So they were innocent?"
"No," Healer No.222 said nonchalantly. "Generally, that's the assumption. There are no visible loopholes in the process, but, as you should already know, even the best systems are run by humans."
Since rare events, such as a mayor's temporary imprisonnt, couldn't be factored into any practical plan, the topic passed quickly.
Ashe suggested a few wild ideas, like disguising himself as a guard, clinging to the ship, or hiding in a trash barrel, but Healer No.222 dismissed each one, shuddering especially at the last.
Halfway through their conversation, the bell outside rang. Healer No.222 said, "It's midnight. You should head back to your cell. If the guards see you, just tell them that your treatnt took longer than expected. Don't take any detours. Wandering at night costs Contribution Points."
Ashe nodded and slipped on Nagu's Midnight King boots. He soon noticed how out of place the boots looked against his prison uniform. Boots this amazing clearly deserved a proper outfit.
Then Ashe suddenly rembered sothing and asked, "Wait, what ti is it exactly?"
Healer No.222 replied, "Midnight. The bell is a reminder for sorcerers to enter the Virtual World. After midnight, the Blood Moon strengthens our connection to it, allowing our soul energy to recover faster during exploration. But that doesn't concern you."
Ashe blinked, a bead of cold sweat forming on his forehead. He usually joined the swordswoman in the Virtual World around ten o'clock. But now...
***
On an Inheritance Island in the Virtual World's Sea of Knowledge.
Sizzle! Sizzle!
A lightning sorcerer was obliterating everything in his path with an iron whip wrapped in roaring lightning. Sparks crackled through the air, and the sand beneath it fused and shattered into crystalline glass.
In a hoarse voice, he intoned a cryptic chant, "With steadfast purpose, I sharpen my might, sensing the dreams that connect to the spirits."
He was bare from the waist up, revealing brown skin etched with pitch-black tattoos that rged into intricate patterns resembling mathematical diagrams. Bloodshot eyes stared from his clean-shaven face as he spun the lightning whips in his hands, raising twin walls of crackling energy to shield his sides.
Sonya gasped for air while bracing herself with her wooden sword. Traces of ash remained in her hair, and her face was etched with exhaustion and fear. She faltered, and her body had already begun turning translucent, as if the white mist would swallow her in the next instant.
Am I really about to hand over my first death in the Virtual World? Felix hasn't even died once... Does that an I'll look incompetent in front of Professor Trosan? Senior Leona said she handed over her first death on her second visit... but did she really?
Death in the Virtual World didn't frighten Sonya. It was inevitable for sorcerers. Even tas, the legendary Spellbinder from the Starry Kingdom, proudly claid he had died twenty-one tis. By the standards of Four-Winged sorcerers, he considered that barely a handful.
To a sorcerer, death in the Virtual World was no different from taking a day off. No one wanted it, but if it happened, all one could do was accept it and plan how to spend the upcoming break without having to clock in at the Virtual World. Sonya knew dying early wouldn't affect Professor Trosan's evaluation of her. Early death was just bad luck, and late death wasn't necessarily better. True experience ca only from the losses and lessons one endured firsthand.
Still, it was normal for young sorcerers to daydream. Maybe I could beco the first ever to survive the Virtual World without dying?
That dream was about to be dashed, yet Sonya felt no discouragent. Surviving until her fourth visit before her first death already placed her ahead of 99% of her peers.
Most sorcerers perished on their first visit to the Virtual World, often from drowning. Countless sorcery manuals warned against diving into the Sea of Knowledge, but when sorcerers found themselves truly imrsed, curiosity almost always got the better of them.
At eleven sharp, Sonya entered the Virtual World. With the Watcher absent, there was no small boat, and she plunged straight into the water. Sorcerers were never short of curiosity. The thrill hadn't struck her on the boat, but once fully subrged, she couldn't stop wondering what lay beneath. Could there be fish? Sunken treasures? Or a bottom to the vast, endless ocean?
After restraining her urge to explore the seabed, Sonya turned her gaze to the surrounding white mist. She called for the Watcher several tis, but received no response. With no other choice, she set out to navigate alone, just as other sorcerers normally did. That she had even been able to explore with the Watcher was a miracle in itself, almost as absurd as a student bringing the teacher along as a reference during an open-book exam.
Sonya, however, didn't feel the least bit uneasy. Like a child breaking free from parental supervision, she eagerly set off to explore the Virtual World on her own.
Soon, the mist thickened and obscured her path. With no clear direction, she let instinct guide her and drifted aimlessly. Swimming consud far more soul energy than riding a boat. After more than an hour, exhaustion gnawed at her, reminding her of the long sumr days spent helping her mother harvest wheat. She even briefly considered exiting the Virtual World on her own.
The Virtual World, however, seed determined to reward her persistence. Amid her aimless floundering, she discovered an Inheritance Island. She landed eagerly and prepared to face whatever challenge awaited her. Confident in her Water Moon Miracle, which had once countered Senior Leona, she believed no part of the Sea of Knowledge could stand in the way of her exploration.
That confidence was quickly shattered.
The sorcerer guarding the Inheritance Island wielded a pair of nine-part segnted steel whips and belonged to the Lightning Class. Both Lightning and Sword Class favored aggressive offense, so Sonya held no inherent advantage.
From their very first exchange, the lightning sorcerer toyed with her like a puppet. He relied on few techniques, yet overwheld her completely through sheer skill and experience. Lightning coursed through his nine-segnted steel whips, which he wielded with terrifying versatility. He could strike from afar with the precision of a spear or lash out at close range like iron chains. Every attack thundered with ferocity, yet his defense remained flawless, leaving not a single opening.
Sonya dared not approach as he twirled his whips. Her Wave spirit was neutralized by his whip shield, and her Moonthread was shredded. Even her counterattack-type Miracle, Water Moon, fell short and was pierced effortlessly by his distant thrusts. Water Moon had formidable power and speed, but its only drawback was its limited range.
The Virtual World had long been called the ultimate teacher, and in this mont, Sonya felt it more than ever. She had always thought sword techniques were rely a dium for spirits to channel their spells. But now, watching the lightning sorcerer's flawless whip mastery, she finally realized the vast gulf between her own skills and true mastery. A truly formidable sword technique should be able to cope with any situation, not leave one flailing helplessly as she was now under the onslaught.
Nevertheless, Sonya wasn't about to sit still and await her death just yet. She caught a glimpse of the sea behind her and realized she wasn't far from the island's edge. If she tid it right, she might still have a chance to escape.
The lightning sorcerer would chase after her, but he would never leave the island. Sonya could only hope the seawater would absorb so of his attacks, buying her enough ti to reach a safe zone. Once there, she could summon the Door of Truth from within her spirits and exit the Virtual World.
At the sa ti, she silently vowed to sign up for a swimming class the next day. Dog paddling was far too slow.
Sizzle! Sizzle!
The lightning sorcerer's right-hand whip suddenly tightened into a whip-spear and shot forward like a bolt of lightning.
Now!
Sonya unleashed her Wave spirit and retreated.
Just as she was about to leap into the sea, the lightning user anticipated her move. His left-hand whip spun through the air like a lightning boorang, aid straight at her legs.
This is it.
Sonya had to jump. Otherwise, the spinning whip would entangle her, and the electric current could immobilize her in seconds. But jumping also carried its own risks. She might collide with the whip-spear hurtling toward her chest. All she could do was bet on her speed.
Sonya gritted her teeth and leapt backward. She cleared the whip-spear's maximum range. Just then, the lightning sorcerer flicked his wrist and sent a spiral thunderstorm along the whip to its tip. The front segnt erupted like a flying dagger, accelerating toward her.
Sonya's eyes widened in shock, and she muttered under her breath, "Little... Trumpet!"
At the sa ti, she silently prayed for a miracle.
Against all odds, one happened.
Slap!
Sonya slamd into sothing behind her and ca to an abrupt halt in midair! She thought, How could anything be floating in the vast sea? Perhaps a Mudfish Drake leapt out for air and accidentally hit ?
Sizzle! Sizzle!
Seeing the lightning whip re inches from her face, Sonya felt the fear of death more strongly than ever. Her mind went blank, and she instinctively shut her eyes.
Ding!
"Huh?"
Two seconds later, Sonya realized she hadn't left the Virtual World, and more importantly, her feet were on solid ground, and not in the sea. She opened one eye to see.
Before her floated a barrier of energy shaped like a sword. The lightning whip had struck it, sending ripples across its surface, but it hadn't broken through.
She looked down and spotted the familiar small boat.
"You're lucky I'm here."
Sonya turned to see the Watcher erging from the mist. Only one thought ran through her mind. Damn it... he tid it perfectly.
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