The trio had planned to search for a second Resource Point, but instead ran into an old acquaintance along the way, the Fish-Slaying Dragon. Meeting a familiar face in such a place was rare, so they decided there was no better time than now and held a "friendly exchange" on the spot.

Even on land, without the advantage of the sea, the Fish-Slaying Dragon was not to be underestimated. It had already outgrown its Baby and Rookie stages and stood on the verge of reaching Champion level. Its body stretched over twenty meters, and nearly half its scales had turned a dark red. Once all of them changed, it would fully evolve into a Champion-level Violent Slashing Dragon, capable of matching top-tier Two-Winged sorcerers. For now, it lingered at the peak of a half-step Champion level, only a step away from complete evolution.

Why go into such detail about this Fish-Slaying Dragon? Because it was truly rich.

After a hard-fought battle, the creature scattered loot across the ground. The three, well-prepared, moved at once and secured every escaping spirit.

First came the Two-Winged Slash spirit and the Two-Winged Sword Scar spirit. Sonya intended to follow the traditional path of a swordmaster, training and developing her own Slash, Thrust, and Cut spirits to build a solid foundation. Ashe, by contrast, had no interest in such fundamentals, so the Slash spirit went to him.

As for Sword Scar, it paired well with most Sword Class spirits. For now, Sonya had little need for it to enhance her offensive power. It would prove more useful for Ashe, as he relied solely on Swordheart for ranged attacks. He could combine the two to develop a new Miracle that offered a stable, efficient way to deal damage.

In addition to Sword Class spirits, the Fish-Slaying Dragon also dropped a Two-Winged Water Erosion spirit.

Dia took it without hesitation. Her Aqua Line Miracle was an attack method built on Water Class spirits and executed through the Fist and Claw style. The Water Erosion spirit could integrate perfectly into her combat system and might even combine into a new Miracle.

The remaining spirits held little value and went straight to Ashe, the Garbage Processor.

Last but not least, the Fish-Slaying Dragon didn't forget to drop a Swordsmanship Orb before going down. Naturally, Sonya accepted it with a smile. She made a token offer to Ashe, asking if he wanted it, but never loosened her grip. Ashe didn't bother to call her out.

One Fish-Slaying Dragon, and all three walked away with gains. How considerate.

Of course, a creature on the verge of Champion level was no easy prey. It possessed immense vitality, strong defenses, and ferocious attacks. Unfortunately for it, Ashe and Sonya had already slain nearly ten of its kind in the Sea of Knowledge. The moment it lifted its tail, they knew what would come next. The moment it raised its head, they anticipated the distorted roar. Their experience had made every move second nature.

Even when something threatened to go wrong, the three coordinated seamlessly, covering for one another. From start to finish, the Fish-Slaying Dragon never had a chance to break free. It remained suppressed until the very end.

Still, the battle dragged on for half an hour. By the time it ended, Ashe and the others had nearly exhausted both their mana and soul energy, leaving them unable to continue exploring.

Mana functioned like a blue bar, recoverable through rest in the Virtual World. Soul energy was different. It was both health and stamina combined. Damage consumed it, and even movement drained it. It could not recover within the Virtual World. Once depleted, they had no choice but to leave, or their souls would suffer lasting harm.

***

Back in the sports car, the three sorted through their gains.

Ashe spoke first, "You both did well tonight. Let's keep it up tomorrow. Tonight's results set tomorrow's baseline. As long as we improve a little each day, we'll—"

Sonya interrupted, "Watcher, there's something I want to talk about."

"Sure. Go ahead."

Reading the mood, Dia stood at once. "I'll head over there and get used to my new spirits. Call me when you're done."

She soon disappeared into the Ascending Golden Rain.

Left alone, Sonya turned to Ashe. Countless words gathered at her lips, but in the end, they collapsed into a single sound. "Hmph."

Ashe let out a quiet laugh. "Still upset? Didn't you already agree to let the Witch join the team?"

Sonya waved her hand, her expression tightening. "It's not... not just that... Forget it."

After a pause, she asked, "You can't hear my thoughts in the Virtual World, can you?"

Ashe frowned slightly, puzzled, but answered anyway. "Of course not." 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Not in the Virtual World, and not anywhere else. Wait... could the game actually have a function that allows the player to hear an operator's inner thoughts? Is that why the Swordswoman thought I could read her mind? Now that I think about it, gacha games like this often include similar mechanics. Usually, tapping an operator's character art made them speak a few lines, and as trust grew, those lines would become more... revealing.

Still, Ashe had gone through the system countless times in Shattered Lake Prison and had yet to find such a feature.

Could it have been removed long ago and never restored since?

Leaning against the back seat, Sonya stared at the golden rain and let out a soft sigh. It was the first time Ashe had seen the Swordswoman so troubled. In his memory, she had always faced challenges head-on. Even setbacks only fueled her defiance and will to win. She had been like a proud, blooming flower, holding its breath to release its fragrance in full, dazzling brilliance, completely unbound and untouchable, answering to no one.

Now, however, she seemed more like a quiet flower hidden in a corner of the courtyard, blooming among orchids. There was a calm, self-contained sorrow about her, but it carried a strangely captivating charm.

"Still... that face of yours really doesn't suit deep thinking," Ashe said, reaching out to flick her forehead with a playful smile. "Ran into trouble? Go on, tell me, and let me enjoy it."

"It doesn't suit sorrow, not thinking!" Sonya shot him an annoyed look, covering her forehead. "How have you been lately?"

Ashe blinked. How did the conversation shift to me?

"Thanks to you, I'm doing alright."

She demanded, "Be specific. Did you leave the Blood Moon Kingdom? Is where you are now safe? Are you in any danger? Do you have any urgent problems? I might not be able to help directly, but I can at least offer advice."

She had wanted to ask these questions for a long time, but after entering the Virtual World, her focus had been entirely on the Witch joining the team. Then the Watcher brought out the sports car, and with the Witch present the whole time, Sonya never got a chance to speak with him alone.

Now, as they prepared to disband and leave the Virtual World, she could wait no longer and asked. Strictly speaking, she didn't need to. Since the Watcher could enter the Virtual World, it meant he was already safe in reality and likely had a stable place to stay. After all, a homeless person sleeping under a bridge wouldn't dare venture into the Virtual World. Yet somehow, she still wanted to ask.

Ashe studied her for a moment, then broke into a grin. Sonya felt uneasy under his gaze and pouted. "What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing. I'm just happy that you care about me."

"I... I just—"

"Don't explain it. Let me keep this feeling," Ashe interrupted, still smiling. "When I was on the run, I thought about how you were doing. I figured you must have been thinking about me, too. Now that's proven. This sacred bond really does connect us."

Sonya froze. "You thought about me while you were on the run?"

He nodded. "Of course. It's a pity that the deeper our bond grows, the less we can meet in reality. From now on, we can only see each other in the Virtual World."

If the Witch had not explained the system, he might have kept wondering why the Swordswoman never visited. The game's mechanics worked perfectly for monetization, but in every other way, it was full of strange flaws.

"I see..." Sonya said thoughtfully.

No wonder he hasn’t come to the dorm for so long. He can only appear around me while our bond is still shallow. Once it grows stronger, he can’t approach. That might also explain why he can no longer hear my thoughts. Now that I think about it, this restriction is actually pretty thoughtful.

The problem was... she no longer minded him entering her personal space, and she had already learned how to hide her thoughts. Unfortunately, the rule had appeared at the worst possible time.