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Zzz!
"Warning, you are outputting excessive kinetic energy to a citizen! This is a prohibited activity!"
Without Ash's proactive call, a light screen suddenly popped up in his vision, streams of red warning messages cascading through his pupils like a waterfall. The piercing alarm, sharp as a scream, echoed endlessly in his ears, stunning him instantly.
What's happening?
Have I been hacked by a virus?
But I've just arrived—I haven't even visited any mysterious websites yet!?
His body froze completely, unable to move, until after three seconds he regained control.
"Looks like you're quite satisfied with life in Shattered Lake Prison, Ash, so I won't disturb you."
Igula moved the fist that was almost touching Ash's nose away and smiled, "By the way, Ash, your soft and powerless punch is quite adorable."
The other prisoners in the hall glanced at them, including the guards, who seemed to briefly shift their attention from the light screen to them. However, everyone quickly looked away as if nothing noteworthy had happened.
Watching Igula's retreating figure disappear into the corridor, Ash lowered his head and looked at his own fist, filled with doubt.
"What's so surprising? Isn't it just your Miracle Chip at the nape of your neck detecting your attempt to attack someone, emitting a nerve current to temporarily paralyze your body, rendering your attack ineffective?" the Sword Maiden said. "This technology is widely used in animal husbandry outside of prison, but it seems more practical when applied to humans."
"Then why did you tell me to hit him?"
"Though fighting and magic power are restricted here, there are still many little tricks you can pull."
The Sword Maiden casually said, "For instance, using Technique Spirit to sign a Contract—if I'm not mistaken, that man just now had a bit of Meiwa bloodline, and Meiwa is the easiest and best race at mastering the Spirit Faction… If you had responded to his request, shook hands, and signed a Contract, it would have meant becoming 'mutually helpful friends' with him."
"However, it's merely a relationship where you must help him, and whether he helps you depends on his mood. Hmm, to a Spirit Mage, there's not much difference between friends and slaves."
Ash understood, if he had shaken hands with Igula earlier, it would have been the same as becoming Igula's employee, possibly even an intern.
How despicable this otherworld is, not even needing to sign a labor contract.
Ash glanced at the other prisoners around him, "Can't others see you?"
"You can keep talking to me like this, as long as you don't mind others looking at you like you're crazy and avoiding you." The Sword Maiden: "Though I'd rather hear you spit out pearls than listen to the garbage in your mind, still, when a person is under a roof, they have to lower their head."
Ash understood, seriously looking at the Sword Maiden, "So, are you really the Death Mad Sword Maiden?"
"Yes, I am the Death Mad Sword Maiden." The Sword Maiden leaned idly against the wall, saying, "But you, Observer, if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have thought you'd end up in a place like this… Do you mind if I mock you?"
"Very much, but why aren't you wearing the clothes from the artwork?"
"Aren't you also wearing this ultimate luxury edition classic Shattered Lake Prison inmate outfit?" The Sword Maiden rolled her eyes, "You don't even look like your artwork—how dare you say that about me? I am a woman, you know. Do you expect me to show up every day in the same set of clothes without washing them?"
Because the Sword Maiden's reasoning was quite sound, Ash was convinced by her.
However, he clearly didn't care about these details, looking at the Sword Maiden with eagerness in his eyes, "Sword Maiden A Dream, since you're here, help me escape from this prison!"
"I refuse."
"Huh?"
"Why should I help you escape from here?" the Sword Maiden lazily said, "Here you have food, you have a place to stay, isn't it quite suitable for a loser like you to remain? Why are you always trying to break out? Outside might be harsher than here, why not just retire early here and live the life you've dreamed of?"
"But I'm carrying a huge burden, and in a few days, I have to participate in something called the Blood Moon Judgement. That thing definitely isn't inviting me for a buffet, is it!?"
"Oh, the Blood Moon Judgement…" The Sword Maiden nodded thoughtfully, "Hee hee, that makes me even less inclined to help you escape."
Ash's mindset almost collapsed; he thought he finally had a strong backer, but unexpectedly the silk stockings on the strong backer were too slippery to hold onto, "You can't do this; I am your—"
"My what?" The Sword Maiden's eyes suddenly became sharp as she poked Ash's forehead hard with her finger, "What are you trying to say? What are you trying to say? What are you to me? Huh? Huh? Huh?"
With each poke, Ash stepped back until he bumped into a long bench and sat down, leaning back to avoid the Sword Maiden's finger, but still getting poked on the forehead. She leaned over, their noses touching, their eyes meeting, and Ash saw his reflection in her wine-red pupils.
"Are you trying to say you are my—Master?" she sneered, "Heh heh, do you want me to call it out a few more times so your filthy mind has more material for reference?"
Ash instead calmed down, "Is that wrong? You're just a virtual character in a game; I'm the player. If I die, you naturally would cease to exist. With a bond like this, why can't you help me?"
At the word 'bond,' the Sword Maiden seemed like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, instantly bristling, blood vessels spreading across her eyes, her expression becoming morose and terrifying.
Ash was startled, but he didn't back down; instead, he sat up straight, forcing the Sword Maiden to retreat, "Death Mad Sword Maiden, I'm not your Master, but likewise, I'm not your servant either. If you can't treat me equally, you might as well roll back into the game as your data stream."
The Sword Maiden's bosom heaved, showing her mood was far from calm. Just when Ash thought she might kill him with a powdery fist, she suddenly smiled warmly, "A virtual character, huh? You have a point; I am indeed just an illusory thought… But Observer, you'd better remember what you said today."
"You are not my Master," the Sword Maiden said word by word, "and you never will be."
Ash: "I promise."
"Swear it, liars will lose their face, never changing in ten thousand years."
Though unsure why the Sword Maiden was so insistent, Ash indeed had no such worldly desires, so he said straightforwardly, "I swear, liars will lose their face, never changing in ten thousand years."
The Sword Maiden seemed completely reassured, turned, and left: "Let's go, talk while we walk."
"Go where?" Ash immediately perked up.
"To the cafeteria, aren't you going for breakfast?"
"What about escaping prison…"
"To be honest, it's not that I don't want to help you, but I can't," said the Sword Maiden. "As you've seen, besides you, no one else can see or touch me. I don't have the ability to impact the physical world, so how am I supposed to help you escape from prison?"
Ash was greatly disappointed, "Then why are you here, to show off your new skin?"
"Didn't you say it yourself? Bonds," the Sword Maiden said, "I'm here to pass on that 30% shared experience to you."
"Alright!" Ash was thrilled, "Come on, I'm ready!"
"Ready for what, humph." The Sword Maiden pouted, "Do you think a 'Bling' sound happens and you magically gain all my swordsmanship experience? If you want to dream, go lie on your bed and dream."
"Then how do you pass it on to me?"
"Very simple, go pick a fight with someone, and while you're fighting, I'll transmit the experience to you, allowing you to naturally gain a lot of experience in battle."
"No problem!"
As they spoke, they arrived at the cafeteria.
Like a typical dining hall, it had fixed seats, and as soon as Ash entered, he spotted a perfect target for a fight: bald, tattooed, muscular, with scars on his face, clearly a serial killer who killed hundreds.
He walked over, pretending to accidentally bump into the bald guy's cup, causing a full cup of milk to spill, drenching the guy's shoes with white liquid!
"Ah." Ash said nonchalantly, "Sorry about that."
The bald guy glared at him, slammed his hand on the table, making the whole table shake, as if he was going to stand up and fight Ash!
Ash swallowed hard, ready for his first veteran fight, but then saw the bald guy pull a tissue from his pocket and crouch down to clean his shoes.
"Remember to be careful next time, the milk today is pretty good, I highly recommend it." The bald guy said to the stunned Ash.
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