"Ugh…"
In the meditation chamber, Felix groaned, clutching his stomach and pinching his nose to stem the flow of crimson blood gushing out. His forehead was drenched in cold sweat, his body wracked by an overwhelming sense of emptiness.
It wasn't pain—it was a void.
It felt as though a gap had suddenly appeared between his upper and lower body. Even holding his stomach felt like grasping at a slab of pork—his hands registered no connection to his own flesh.
This was the consequence of death in the virtual realm—a severe blow to the soul, leaving the body struggling to register physical sensations.
With a faint, mournful hum, the red gemstone on Felix's necklace shattered. A single-winged spirit of light flickered briefly in the air before dissipating.
The artifact, Dragon's Belly Scale, had activated. Its ability transferred all damage suffered in the virtual realm to his stomach. It was one of the reasons why the House of Voslotta remained a dominant force.
In the virtual realm, a mage's fatal injuries were mirrored in their soul, depleting a portion of their soul energy.
An incomplete soul couldn't pass through the Truth Gate. Until their soul fully recovered, mages were effectively barred from re-entering the virtual realm.
Moreover, the soul was deeply intertwined with the body. Damage to any part of the soul would manifest as temporary "soul disabilities" in the physical realm.
For instance:
If the chest portion of the soul was injured, the mage's heart rate would plummet, leaving them too weak to move.
If the limbs were affected, the mage might lose control of their arms or legs.
If the head portion of the soul was harmed, the mage could fall into a coma.
These conditions would only subside once the soul energy was fully restored, allowing the body to function normally again.
For many mages, the goal of traversing thousands of miles in the Sea of Knowledge was an ever-distant horizon. Life outside the virtual realm continued to demand attention, and each death dealt a severe blow to their progress.
While death was inevitable and soul injuries unavoidable, mages had devised various methods to minimize the damage.
One such method was to localize the injuries to non-essential parts of the soul.
Dragon's Belly Scale was one of Voslotta's most prized family miracles. Its effects had been extracted and crystallized into gems through complex rituals, creating temporary spirit-bound artifacts. When a family mage died in the virtual realm, the gem activated, transferring all fatal damage to the abdomen.
Aside from severely impaired digestion and a few days on a liquid diet, the mage faced minimal consequences.
Additionally, the House of Voslotta possessed another miracle called Dragon's Feast, which rapidly replenished the soul energy in the abdomen through consumption. Together, these two techniques drastically reduced the cost of virtual realm deaths, boosting exploration efficiency and increasing the odds of producing Golden Winged or Sanctum-level mages. This system was the cornerstone of Voslotta's centuries-long prominence.
Other noble houses had similar strategies, as cultivating elite mages was a hallmark of any family with a legacy spanning centuries. A single generation without talent could spell the downfall of even the most illustrious Starline nobility.
In the virtual realm, all mages were ostensibly equal—but some were more equal than others.
Still, even the best precautions had their limits. Losses were inevitable.
Felix conducted a quick internal inspection of his familiars. The moment he realized what had happened, his vision blurred, and he nearly passed out.
His Killing Intent Sword familiar was gone.
When a mage died in the virtual realm, there was a significant chance of losing a familiar. Since familiars resided within the soul, any portion of the soul that was lost during death could take one or more familiars with it.
The more familiars a mage had, the higher the probability—and the greater the losses.
Felix had prepared himself mentally for such an eventuality but losing Killing Intent Sword on his first death was a blow he hadn't expected.
That familiar wasn't just any tool—it was an heirloom passed down by his mother, one of the legendary 21 Secrets of the Sword.
Familiars of this caliber were nearly impossible to obtain. Even if they were available for purchase, a disfavored noble son like Felix couldn't afford them.
What made it worse was that Felix hadn't fully mastered the knowledge embedded within Killing Intent Sword. Without it, he had no way of re-summoning it on his own.
The only solace was that his Silver Wing was now halfway formed, cutting more than a year off his training time.
He hadn't expected to encounter a natural phenomenon like the vortex within mere days of entering the virtual realm.
No mage would pass up such an opportunity, least of all someone like Felix, who burned with a thirst for vengeance. But after stepping through the vortex and traveling thousands of miles, he had found himself face-to-face with a juvenile Razorfin Dragon.
In the bestiaries, Razorfin Dragons ranked among the most formidable knowledge creatures. A juvenile was no exception.
Knowledge creatures progressed through various stages—juvenile, adolescent, mature, and complete forms. Juveniles were typically found in the outer regions of the Sea of Knowledge, adolescents in the inner regions, and mature creatures in the core zones. Complete forms were so powerful they never appeared in the virtual realm.
Knowing he was doomed, Felix fought with everything he had, hoping to take the Razorfin Dragon down with him. But lacking enough familiars and combat options, he only managed to heavily wound the beast before succumbing to its razor-sharp tail.
"I've lost Killing Intent Sword but gained half a Silver Wing…" Felix sighed, unable to decide if he had come out ahead or behind.
Mana was undeniably vital to any mage, but Killing Intent Sword had been his lifeline. Without it, evading assassination attempts in the real world would become exponentially harder.
"Still, this might allow me to inherit more of Mother's legacy…"
His expression darkened, fists clenched tightly. "Just wait, Bessel. One day, I'll make you kneel and beg forgiveness from her…"
Fatigue set in. His chest ached from a night of immobility, and breathing felt labored. Alone in the meditation chamber, Felix unwrapped the bindings around his chest, allowing himself to relax as the pressure eased. He leaned back against the wall, taking long, measured breaths.
After half an hour, he dressed and left the chamber, stepping into the sunlight spilling across the campus.
But the lingering effects of his first virtual death were still present. As he walked, he suddenly lost control of his lower body. He stumbled, catching himself with his sword bag.
"Well, well, Voslotta's young master seems to be throwing a tantrum at the ground so early in the morning."
A hand pressed against Felix's shoulder, steadying him.
Felix glanced back, his expression calm. "And you seem to be in good spirits. A successful venture?"
Sonia strolled past him, her grin smug. She arched an eyebrow. "You could say that. You'll find out this afternoon in Professor Trozan's office."
What a petty, self-satisfied little upstart.
Though Sonia's talent for swordsmanship was undeniable, Felix could see through her flaws—vain, insecure, clever in small ways but lacking true wisdom. Without her swordsmanship, she'd be no different from the other vapid female mages he'd met.
As she walked away, exuding an air of calm detachment, Felix noticed something peculiar.
Murmurs rippled through the students as their gazes followed Sonia. The news of her "victory" over Leonie had spread across the university like wildfire. But Felix detected something else—an energy he was all too familiar with.
Activating his Blind Sight familiar, Felix closed his eyes. The world faded into darkness, leaving only the faint trails of blood-red smoke flowing toward Sonia.
Killing intent.
And Killing Intent Sword—his lost familiar—had the passive ability to absorb it.
He couldn't shake the certainty: Sonia had acquired Killing Intent Sword.
Could it really be the same one he had lost to the Razorfin Dragon?
No, the odds were impossible. It had to be sheer coincidence.
Still, Felix couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. His stomach grumbled—a side effect of his soul injury. Every mood swing, good or bad, directly affected his appetite.
Once he regained composure, he considered his options. Could he take Killing Intent Sword from her?
Probably not. She was under Professor Trozan's protection, and even if it were for sale, he couldn't afford to outbid others.
Yet that familiar was crucial to him. It wasn't just a matter of want—it was a matter of need.
His jaw tightened. Calling out to her was a gamble, but it might be his only shot.
"Sonia!" Felix shouted, his voice ringing through the courtyard.