Sorcerer’s Handbook

Chapter 103: Guarding My Dream

Sonya clicked her tongue. She saw the Observer suddenly become so dejected, and thought she could take advantage of this opportunity to completely change the dynamics between them, turning the Observer under her control.

But if she thought about it from his perspective, Sonya could understand the Observer’s feelings.

He had awakened in an unfamiliar body, losing all memories of being a Sorcerer, yet not inheriting any memories of the new body either. He was like a newborn baby abandoned on the streets, so how could he not feel lost?

The only difference between the Observer and a baby was that he wouldn’t cry and he wasn’t as cute as a baby.

Just when he had come up with an ingenious prison break plan and was about to take action, all kinds of accidents had disrupted it. Plus there was an unresolvable crisis looming over them, so it was normal for the Observer to feel discouraged.

When Sonya didn’t finish her homework on time, she would also completely give up and listen to fate.

But when she gave up, the worst consequence was being scolded by a professor.

Whereas if the Observer gave up, he could really die.

She couldn’t let that happen.

“Do you want power? As long as you become a Saint Sorcerer and gain the legendary Four Wings, you can overlook all living beings and wield power enough to overturn the world.”

“I want it, but only a little bit. Power is indeed a marvelous thing, and it’s good to have it, but I won’t be greedy without it either. The Silver Wings have already made me very satisfied.”

“Do you want to explore the secrets of the virtual world? The sea of knowledge is only the first layer of the virtual world. The time spirits are the second layer, the boundless distant void is the third, and the Ruby Mountains are the fourth… Many Sorcerers are immersed in the virtual world, not only because the virtual world can give them power, but also because traveling the virtual world itself is the most touching adventure.”

“I want to, but not that much. To be honest, I’m the kind of person who needs to cool down for a few months after one trip. If it wasn’t for continuing to increase my strength, I would have discussed with you about whether we should pause exploring the virtual world for now, since we’ve already condensed the Silver Wings—”

“Of course not! How could a Sorcerer pause exploring the virtual world! Even the laziest donkey on the production team wouldn’t dare say that!” Sonya shook her head repeatedly, as if hearing some outrageous words: “You’re so strange. Isn’t power and the virtual world usually the ultimate desire for Sorcerers? Or does your taste run more vulgar, desiring authority or women instead?”

“Would it sound better if I said career and love instead?” Ashe said, “Actually, if I could settle down after breaking out of prison, and meet a pure, cute, nice-figured beauty, then live a sweet, peaceful life together, I would be very satisfied with that.”

“…The original owner of this body must have been framed,” Sonya said very seriously. “This kind of thinking definitely didn’t come from you. You must have been influenced by the body. A body that can produce such thoughts, how could it possibly belong to a cult leader!”

Although Ashe didn’t agree with the swordswoman vetoing his vulgar tastes, he concurred with her latter point—Ashe Heath couldn’t possibly be a cult leader, he must be a scapegoat pushed out by Professor Sylin!

“Tsk, you’re so troublesome, but I don’t know ‘Lamp of Hope’ either.” Sonya muttered, “I heard that beating someone up also has therapeutic effects…”

Ashe retreated to the corner of the boat: “Hey hey hey, let’s talk nicely! Actually this is just a trivial minor issue. Alright, let’s ignore this unimportant part and happily explore the virtual world!”

“No! We have to resolve your problem first!”

“Why?”

Ashe was truly a bit puzzled: “Didn’t you always hate me controlling your actions? Didn’t you say you could live well even without me? And I’m not trying to commit suicide either, just feeling a bit tired and unmotivated, it won’t affect exploring the virtual world. Why are you so concerned about my psychological issues?”

“Because I need you!”

Ashe was slightly startled.

“Yes, I need you.” Sonya seemed to have realized something as she crouched in front of Ashe and said, “You’re very important to me.”

“I want to become a legendary Four Wings Sorcerer, grasp earth-shattering miracles, make the world heed my commands, and make even fate submit before me.”

“I want to explore the mysteries of the virtual world. I want to see the ‘rain of time’ in the time spirits, see the endless distant void, see the Ruby Mountains made of rubies… I want to witness more miracles, tame more spirits, climb to even higher levels in the systems of Sorcerer techniques, and even uncover the truth of the virtual world!”

“I want to become a big shot in Cailleach, to receive the empress’ conferment and become a new noble.”

“I also want to become a songstress, a movie star, create classic and timeless films and dramas that people never tire of watching, and leave behind albums of heavenly songs that are passed down for generations. I want to become the vision in the eyes of others!”

“I want even more, more.” Sonya gripped Ashe’s hand tightly: “But relying only on myself, I simply can’t achieve my dreams.”

“So I need you, Observer. You are my shortcut to realizing my dreams.”

“Although I really hate all the accidents you’ve brought into my life, I also acknowledge the many benefits you’ve given me. If it wasn’t for your appearance, I might not even be a Sorcerer yet, let alone have condensed the Silver Wings. Both in reality and in the virtual world, I need you.”

“Observer, although you don’t have any dreams of your own,” Sonya enunciated word for word, “you can guard my dreams.”

“You’re called the Observer aren’t you? Then observe me properly, and live well until I achieve my dreams.”

Ashe blinked, unable to hold back a snort of laughter, tears nearly coming out from laughing.

As he wiped the tears of laughter from the corners of his eyes, he ridiculed, “All I hear in your words just—using!”

Sonya clicked her tongue, “Isn’t this very good? Our relationship has always been totally self-interest. Clarifying our respective needs early on can only help our future cooperation, right?”

“But I was actually hoping for a more affectionate conversation…”

“That’s possible too. Don’t move.”

Sonya reached her arms around Ashe’s waist and gently hugged him, resting her chin on his shoulder. Ashe could feel her movements were somewhat stiff, unclear if it was because she had never embraced someone of the opposite gender before, or because she rarely hugged people since she was little.

“You’ve already become someone very important in my life. I don’t want to lose you.”

Ashe was stunned for quite a while, feeling like eating a strawberry ice cream on a hot summer day. Just as he was about to hug her back, the swordswoman swiftly pulled away, a faint smile on her face.

“How was it, did you feel your heart flip?”

Ashe’s face darkened: “Oh right, you’re not restricted by the ritual anymore, so you don’t have to tell the truth!”

“What else could I do? Do you really think that after knowing each other for just a few days, I’m that casual a person?” Sonya stuck out her tongue, “I already said we have an interest-based relationship. You actually believed what I said… So did your feel?”

Ashe directly changed the topic: “You said you wanted to become a songstress earlier. Anyway we’re free, why don’t you sing a song to liven up the mood?”

“If you tell me to sing, then I’d sing. Wouldn’t I lose face then?”

Saying this, Sonya’s face reddened to her ears—she had spoken too quickly just now without thinking, accidentally revealing her dream of becoming a movie star and songstress.

She had kept this desire hidden in her heart since she was little. Even after starting college, she didn’t dare expose it. Firstly because she hadn’t chosen the Sound techniques, so theoretically she didn’t meet the threshold to be a songstress. Secondly, she would encounter situations like this, where if others heard she wanted to be a songstress they would surely ask her to sing a bit, which was very annoying!

As usual, they quarreled for a little while, they suddenly stopped at the same time. Sonya sat down and asked, “How are you feeling now?”

“I’m feeling awful, even want to die deliberately to angrily you.”

“You—”

“Kidding.” Ashe shrugged. “But seeing how annoying you are, I suddenly recalled there’s a nemesis outside the prison living free and easy, yet still trying every means to put me to death, making my retirement days in prison so frightening, and he’s even the main culprit who framed me into prison… The more I endure, the more angry I get thinking about it. The more I compromise, the more I regret it. Even if I’m too lazy to live, I still have to break out first to settle accounts with that guy!”

“Good, fired up now! Before taking revenge, I definitely can’t die!”

Seeking revenge as a short term goal didn’t seem bad.

Sonya nodded: “Right, taking revenge is big thing. You should return whatever offense others have given you tenfold!”

“Also,” Ashe looked at Sonya, “Swordswoman, just now didn’t I say that I felt light as a balloon, with just one string tying me to the ground?”

“You’re that string.”

Sonya blinked.

“Even if it’s for you, to guard your dreams, to observe your future, I will live on properly. ”

Sonya didn’t know how to react for a moment, reflexively averting her gaze. “I—”

But then Ashe suddenly tactically recoiled, giggling and asking, “How about it, did your feel it?”

Sonya’s mouth twitched, anger making her shoulders tremble.

She coldly snorted, “You spoke without any feeling at all, even a little girl wouldn’t believe you! Do you want me to teach you how to say lies you don’t even believe in yourself with full emotion? I’m a professional at that.”

“I want you to teach me to sing. Liven up the atmosphere by singing a couple lines first.”

“Tsk, end of idle chatter. Let’s start exploring the virtual world, otherwise it’ll be daylight on my side.”

“You’re right.”

Ashe nodded and opened up the virtual map: “We really have been here for too…long…”

Noticing the tremor in the Observer’s voice, Sonya asked in puzzlement, “What’s wrong?”

“On the first day we entered the virtual world, didn’t you tell me about the taboos that must be remembered when exploring the virtual world?”

“Yeah, which is not staying in the same place for too long—”

Sonya’s voice cut off abruptly as she tilted her head slightly, seeing a pair of pale yellow vertical pupils emerge from the thick white fog.

They were the eyes of a fox dragon.

Without them noticing, they had been surrounded by a group of knowledge spirits—slicing fish dragon, fox shining dragon, rainstorm dragon, mud fish dragon, umbrella bird dragon…

“Swordswoman, were you speaking too loudly just now—”

“Shut up.”