The vortex—known as the Shortcut of Fate, the Ladder to Ascension, or a Cursed Soul's Final Luck—was an extraordinarily rare natural phenomenon in the Sea of Knowledge.
Natural phenomena were fundamentally different from other virtual realm entities. Knowledge creatures had their habitats. Islands of Inheritance and Adventure could remain untouched for millennia unless a mage stumbled upon them. Natural phenomena, however, appeared randomly in time and space, only to vanish after a brief existence. It felt more like a myth than an actual occurrence in the virtual realm.
If even the unluckiest mage could, in theory, encounter a knowledge creature or stumble upon an Island of Inheritance in their lifetime, the vortex was different. Even the luckiest mage might never encounter one in all their years. It was the ultimate test of fortune.
And why did those lucky enough to find one draw so much envy and hate? Because of the vortex's incredible power: Virtual Realm Teleportation.
Stepping into a vortex would transport the mage to another vortex somewhere else in the Sea of Knowledge.
But it wasn't just a simple spatial shift. That alone wouldn't spark such wild desire among mages.
The true allure lay in how the vortex functioned. As the mage passed through its mysterious tunnels, they would traverse vast distances across the Sea of Knowledge in mere seconds. What's more, the core principle of the virtual realm—"the further you travel, the more mana you absorb"—still applied.
If two vortices were separated by thousands of miles, traveling through one would effectively allow the mage to instantly absorb mana equivalent to having journeyed those thousands of miles. In some cases, this could result in a surge of mana sufficient to form a complete Silver Wing.
How could any mage resist such temptation?
For an average mage, forming a Silver Wing typically took two to three years of continuous exploration—assuming they didn't die in the process. Death in the virtual realm didn't just result in cooldown penalties but also increased the risk of encounters with deadly entities.
Each time a mage opened the Truth Gate, their landing point in the virtual realm changed. The greater their accumulated mana, the deeper into the perilous core regions they would land. While these core zones offered richer rewards and more potent Inheritance Islands, they also teemed with lethal dangers.
Many skilled mages, on the verge of forming their Silver Wing, found themselves repeatedly ambushed by knowledge creatures upon entry, escaping only to encounter even deadlier foes. What was meant to be a triumphant final sprint often turned into a humiliating cycle of retreat and weeks-long cooldowns.
For these "half-step grandmasters," their reality was summed up in one bitter truth: minutes of exploration, weeks of waiting.
It was no wonder the vortex earned its nickname, "A Cursed Soul's Final Luck." Not only did it demand every ounce of luck a mage could muster, but the surge of mana it bestowed often landed its discoverer in high-risk zones they weren't equipped to handle, leading to devastating defeats.
Still, no mage could resist yearning for a vortex. In communities with a large enough mage population, stories of lucky vortex travelers occasionally emerged. For example, Leonie—the very mage who had trounced Sonia earlier that day—was rumored to have encountered a short-distance vortex during her training. Her rapid progress in forming her Silver Wing had turned her peers green with envy.
After listening to Sonia's explanation, even Ash couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement. He needed power desperately. Every ounce of strength brought him one step closer to escaping this prison.
Moreover, with the three new spirit familiars he had gained, his mana reserves were being stretched thin. While Heart Sword and Wind Wall were manageable, Earth Sword was a two-wing familiar that drained mana like an open faucet. Its output, however, only amounted to a fraction of its potential.
Earlier, Ash had managed to show off with his indestructible Sword Barrier against Sonia, but the cost had been steep—his mana was now less than 20%. He'd have to figure out a way to coax Sonia into doing the heavy lifting in their next battle.
As their boat glided through the white mist, the vortex finally came into view.
It was a sight worthy of its title as a natural wonder. A spinning whirlpool, ominous and mesmerizing. Yet, oddly, the surrounding waters were eerily calm, as if the vortex's violent rotation didn't exist. Even as their boat drifted within two meters of it, there was no pull, no current. An inattentive mage could easily miss it altogether.
"Hurry up!" Sonia urged, her voice tense. "These things can vanish at any moment!"
"Wait," Ash interrupted.
Once they entered the vortex's zone, his map revealed two lengthy routes extending from the vortex. At the end of each route were labels:
"Hold on a moment."
"Safe, but not guaranteed to end up here."
"I think we should wait," Ash said.
"Is this another one of your detection skills?" Sonia asked, though she didn't sound as skeptical as usual.
"This vortex seems to lead to two different destinations. One of them requires patience, and the other is safe."
Their previous success with waiting—when they had seized an opportunity during the Foxlight Dragon's slumber—had earned Sonia's trust. But after several seconds of waiting, the vortex began to shrink. Her anxiety spiked.
"If we can just step into the vortex once, it'll be worth it even if we die! It's only a few days of cooldown!" she protested.
Ash glanced at her. "If I miss the chance to collect the last familiar for my Severance Miracle, the consequences will be far worse than a few days of downtime."
Sonia fell silent.
She couldn't argue with that. Compared to survival, mana growth felt trivial. But…
Her gaze darted between the shrinking vortex and Ash. Words formed on her lips but never left.
"You're thinking of going in first, aren't you?" Ash guessed. "Hoping I'll wait here for the safe route while you take the risk."
She didn't deny it.
"Well, it won't work," he said matter-of-factly. "If you die, I can't enter the virtual realm from my prison cell. We're tied together, Sonia. Your success is my success, and your failure is mine too."
He paused, then added, "That said, I'm not entirely sure my judgment is correct. There's a 50% chance we'll land in a safe zone. And even if we hit the dangerous one, it might not be fatal. Missing this vortex, however, is a guaranteed loss. If you really want to go, I won't stop you."
"You mean it?"
"I mean it."
"You won't hold it against me later?"
"Not at all."
"Not even in some petty, passive-aggressive way?"
"Never."
"Seriously?"
"Seriously."
Sonia let out a long sigh, looking dejectedly at the shrinking vortex. "If we miss this, I swear I'll bring it up every single time you screw up. Forever."
Ash smirked. "I really don't mind."
"I don't believe you. If it were me, I'd be bitter about it for the rest of my life. Heck, I'd probably curse myself on my deathbed for missing such an opportunity."
"That's you, not me. I'm not as… particular."
"Sure, keep telling yourself that," she muttered, rolling her eyes.
"Fine. I'll stay and wait. But you'd better remember this sacrifice. Write it down, mark it in bold, and repay me when the time comes."
For a moment, Ash froze.
Did he really have no one worth staying for in this world?
Maybe… just maybe, that wasn't entirely true anymore.
"Of course," he said lightly. "When I've got a steak, you'll be the first to smell it."
"Small blessings," she muttered.