Sorcerer’s Handbook

Swish!

"Warning: You are outputting excessive kinetic energy towards a citizen! This is prohibited!"

Without Ashe having actively summoned it, a light screen suddenly jumped out in his vision, with red warning messages cascading past his pupils like a waterfall. The sharp alarm sounds ringing incessantly in his ears instantly stunned him.

What's going on?

Got infected by a virus?

But I just got here and haven't been on any mysterious websites yet!

His body stiffened instantly, completely unable to move, until three seconds later when he regained control.

"Looks like you're really enjoying life at Shattered Lake Prison, Ashe. I'll leave you to it then."

Igor moved the fist that was nearly touching his nose away, smiling: "By the way, that limp, powerless punch of yours is pretty cute, Ashe."

The other inmates in the hall glanced at them, including the guards who seemed to temporarily shift their attention from their light screens to them. But everyone quickly looked away again, as if it was just a negligible minor incident.

Looking at Igor's disappearing back down the hallway, Ashe lowered his head to look at his own fist, full of confusion.

"What's there to be surprised about? It's just the miracle chip in your neck detecting that you're trying to assault someone, sending out neural currents to temporarily control your body and disable your attack. It's that simple," the swordswoman said. "Aside from prisons, this tech also sees widespread use in the livestock industry. Looks like it's even more practical when used on humans."

"Then why did you tell me to hit him?"

"While fighting is prohibited and arcane abilities restricted here, there are still many petty tricks that can be pulled," the swordswoman lazily said. "Take contracting a spirit for example - if I'm not mistaken, that man has some succubus blood in him. Succubi are one of the races most adept at manipulating the Mind sphere... If you had reciprocated his request and shook his hand to form a contract, it would be akin to becoming 'mutual aid friends'.

"Though of course, it would only be you having to help him while whether he helps you back is up to his mood. Hmm, in the eyes of telepaths, friends and slaves aren't too different after all."

Ashe understood. If he had really shaken Igor's hand just now, it would be equivalent to becoming Igor's employee, possibly even an intern.

The other world is so sinister. They don't even need you to sign an employment contract.

Ashe looked around at the other inmates. "No one else can see you?"

"You can keep talking to me like this. Just don't mind others looking at you like you're crazy and avoiding you like the plague." Swordswoman: "Though I'd rather hear pearls and jade fall from that dog mouth of yours than listen to the trash in your mind, a person has to lower their head when living under someone's roof."

Since the swordswoman's words made too much sense, Ashe was persuaded.

But he was clearly unconcerned with such details, looking expectantly at the swordswoman: "Swordswoman A-Meng, now that you're here, help me break out of this prison!"

"I refuse."

"Huh?"

"Why should I help you escape from here?" The swordswoman lazily said, "There's food and lodging here, isn't this place rather suitable for your kind of good-for-nothing to while away your time? Why are you always thinking of running away? The outside might be even more terrible. Just obediently start your early retirement here and live the life you've been dreaming of. Wouldn't that be nice?"

"But I'm carrying this huge crime on my back. I still have to attend this Blood Moon Tribunal thing in a few days. That doesn't sound like I'm being invited to an all-you-can-eat buffet!"

"Oh, the Blood Moon Tribunal..." The swordswoman nodded contemplatively. "Hehe, then I have even less reason to help you escape now."

Ashe was on the verge of a mental breakdown. He had thought he could finally hug some thick thighs, but the pantyhose on the thighs were so slippery he couldn't get a firm grip: "You can't do this. I'm your--"

"I'm your what?" The swordswoman's gaze instantly sharpened as she viciously jabbed a finger into Ashe's forehead. "What were you trying to say? Hmm? What are you to me? Hmm?"

With each jab, Ashe retreated a step until his back hit a bench and he sat down, leaning back but still unable to evade her finger as she fiercely poked his forehead. She leaned in, their noses almost touching as they stared into each other's eyes. In her wine-red pupils, Ashe saw his own reflection.

"Were you about to say, you're my--master?" She asked in frigid contempt. "Heh, or did you want to hear me call you that a couple more times to give your perverted brain more material?"

Ashe calmed down instead. "What's wrong with that? You're just a virtual character in a game. I'm the player. If I die, you would naturally cease to exist too. Since this bond exists, why can't you help me?"

Upon hearing the word 'bond', the swordswoman bristled like a stepped-on cat, her pupils filling with red veins as her expression turned gloomy and terrifying.

Ashe jumped in fright but didn't back down, sitting up straight and forcing the swordswoman back. "Death Maniac Swordswoman, I'm not your master, but neither am I your slave. If you can't even treat me as an equal, you might as well crawl back into the game as data."

The swordswoman's mountainous chest heaved, showing her agitation. Just when Ashe thought she would beat him to death with her bare fists, she suddenly smiled. "A virtual character? You're right, I'm merely an ephemeral consciousness... However, Observer, you best remember what you just said today."

"You are not my master," the swordswoman enunciated word for word. "Never."

Ashe: "I promise."

"Swear it. Liars will lose their faces, never to change for 10,000 years."

Though unsure why the swordswoman was so adamant, Ashe also truly didn't harbor any worldly desires. He candidly said, "I swear, liars will lose their faces, never to change for 10,000 years."

The swordswoman seemed completely reassured, turning to leave. "Let's go, we can talk while walking."

"Go where?" Ashe perked up instantly.

"To the cafeteria of course. Weren't you going to eat breakfast?"

"What about the prison break..."

"To be honest, it's not that I don't want to help you, but that I can't." The swordswoman said, "As you can see, aside from you, no one else can see or touch me. I don't have the ability to influence the material realm, so how can I help you escape?"

Ashe was greatly disappointed. "Then what's the point of you appearing here? To show off your new skin?"

"Didn't you say it yourself? Our bond," the swordswoman said. "I'm here to pass that 30% shared experience to you."

"Great!" Ashe was overjoyed. "Come on, I'm ready!"

"What are you preparing for?" The swordswoman sneered. "Do you think there's really some 'poof' sound and then you'll instantly gain all my sword skills and experience? If you wanna daydream go lie in bed and do it!"

"Then how will you transfer them to me?"

"It's simple. You go find people to fight, and I'll transmit the experience during your battles, letting you naturally obtain vast experience through combat."

"No problem!"

By the time their conversation ended, they had arrived at the cafeteria.

It was similar to a normal cafeteria, with fixed seating. As soon as Ashe entered, he spotted an extremely promising target: bald, tattooed, burly, muscular, scarred face, definitely a serial killer who had murdered hundreds to end up here.

He strode over purposefully and pretended to accidentally bump into the bald brute's cup, tipping the full cup of milk and spilling the white liquid all over the bald brute's shoes!

"Ah, sorry about that," Ashe said casually.

The bald brute looked up to glare at him, forcefully slamming the table with one fist. The entire table shook from the impact, and he seemed about to stand up and fight Ashe!

Ashe swallowed nervously, just getting ready to commence his newbie first battle. But then he saw the bald brute take out a tissue from his pocket, squat down and wipe his shoes clean.

"Remember to watch your step next time. The milk today is great, highly recommended," the bald brute said to the stunned Ashe.