Lying on the ground, Ashe forced one eye open. Annan crouched beside him. Her long legs, wrapped in purple stockings, pressed against her soft chest, while her short skirt did little to conceal anything, instead stirring a dangerous curiosity. "Did you know? It is said that in the instant before death, a sorcerer's soul enters a state called the Elysian Dream."

Annan spoke in an even tone. "Time in the Elysian Dream is infinite. Inside it, the sorcerer loses all memories and lives life all over again.

"But unlike reality, everything unfolds according to the sorcerer's desires. The person you like returns your feelings. Anything you want becomes yours. Those you hate die on the spot. In that dream, you control everyone's fate. You can do as you please, immersed in boundless bliss."

Ashe let out a weak laugh. "Does something that good really exist?"

The movement tugged at his injuries, and he winced. "I've been on the brink of death a few times. Why haven't I ever experienced it?"

"How do you know this isn't your Elysian Dream right now?"

Annan blinked, then smiled. "The Elysian Dream only appears in the final moment before death. When it ends, the sorcerer dies without exception. Ashe, do you know where a sorcerer's soul goes after death?"

Ashe guessed, "To hell? Though I've heard the Divine Lord's heaven also accepts... immigrants."

"That's right. It's either hell or heaven, and what determines your destination is how you behave inside the Elysian Dream.

"If you remain devout and live according to the Divine Lord's will, you ascend to heaven. But if you indulge yourself and act without restraint, you fall into hell."

She met his gaze. "Ashe, if it were you, would you choose a moment of pleasure, or eternal happiness?"

"Can I choose not to die?"

Annan rested her chin on her hands. "Do you know why I'm telling you this? I cannot see your past, but from what Mr. Perskin and Mr. Harvey told me, I can guess enough. You were prison companions. You escaped not long ago and made your way here through the Virtual World.

"Because of that, I was already prepared for your moral standards. And yet, Mr. Harvey and Mr. Perskin still surprised me. By our industry's standards, their ethics are above average."

Ashe thought. That probably says more about your industry than anything else...

Annan continued, "If they were a pleasant surprise, then you, Ashe, were quite a shock."

Her gaze flicked to the bruises on his face. "I truly didn't expect you to complete the task with a staged fight."

"What do you mean staged? I really couldn't beat him!" Ashe protested, only to pull at his injuries again and bare his teeth in pain. "He's a beastman. Forget the difference in weight class; he clearly knows some combat techniques. Luckily, I have some foundation in hand-to-hand combat, or I wouldn't have driven him off at all. I completed your task."

Annan looked at him, speechless. "You call this a win? At best, it was three to seven."

"How is it only seventy percent?"

"Seventy percent for him. You get thirty."

She helped him to his feet. Without hesitation, Ashe draped an arm over her shoulder and leaned against her. The purple moth muttered under her breath, "I should take a photo later. This would prove I'm sincerely cooperating with you. Even Mr. Perskin wouldn't be able to accuse me of treating you like slaves. What kind of master supports a slave like this?"

Ashe laughed. "You underestimate Iger. He only respects reason when it benefits him. When it doesn't, he'll use double standards, logical fallacies, anything at all to criticize you. For a fraudster, reason is never a burden."

Annan snorted softly. "That, I understand. People cannot betray their own interests. Reason is just a consensus that benefits most. If it works against you, there's no need to accept it."

She continued, "Since selfishness is human nature, I cannot understand you. Why didn't you use your sorcerer abilities to defeat the beastman?"

"I did. I enhanced my skin's defense. I just didn't expect his base strength to be that high..."

Annan pressed. "What about your Sword Class Miracle? Or your other defensive Miracles? Even without them, if you had drawn the sword you keep hidden and used the most basic Sword Class spirit, you could have scared him into submission.

"A production-type sorcerer like him understands even better than ordinary people how terrifying a combat sorcerer is."

Ashe frowned. "How do you know I keep a sword hidden?"

Annan glanced at him, her amethyst earring catching the light. "As a swordsman, you never carry a visible weapon. That alone says enough. Any weapon-based sorcerer carries their weapon at all times. Units like the Red Hats, trained in firearms, even keep their guns with them while bathing."

"What about when they take a po—"

Annan cut him off before he could finish. "Why? Why didn't you reveal your true strength? Why did you fight him like an ordinary person?"

"I've completed the task, haven't I?"

"Do you need me to order you before you take it seriously?"

Ashe mumbled, "Almost forgot. You can command me now if you want. I just didn't want to bully him. Deliberately causing trouble is one thing, but using a sorcerer's power to suppress him? That would make me a bad guy, plain and simple.

"When I used to work, terrible bosses assigned me ridiculously stupid tasks that offended everyone. But to earn a living, I had to grit my teeth and complete them. Even if I didn't, someone else would. At least if it were me, I could try to minimize the harm."

He paused. "Though, honestly, I didn't minimize much, considering I just kicked that beastman flying with a Shadowless Kick[1]—"

Annan interrupted, "Enough, enough. Are you blaming the terrible boss who assigned the task—me?"

Ashe shrugged. "A terrible boss is just a metaphor. Conflicts are inevitable in life. Something will always force you to hurt others, like life itself, desires, stances, family... and, of course, you, milady.

"I can't defy you now, and besides, you have other people to help execute the job. So I'll complete the task my way. That beastman will spend tonight figuring out how to punch better, but by tomorrow morning, he'll forget this fight entirely. If I'd used my sorcerer powers to bully him without reason, he'd never forget the humiliation I caused."

By now, they had left the school. Annan pressed her car key, letting the hovering car glide forward automatically.

"He's a different race, doesn't appeal to you, and has no connection with you. Why go out of your way to help him?" she asked.

"He didn't offend me, so why harm him cruelly?" Ashe replied.

They waited in silence until the car arrived. Annan slid into the back seat, signaling Ashe to sit beside her. She asked, "Ashe, do you remember the story of the Elysian Dream? I've always thought it unfair. Most people I know can't pass the dream's test to reach heaven, yet they aren't wicked enough to fall into hell... I'm no different.

"The Elysian Dream deliberately creates an environment to vent evil, stirring desires to judge whether someone should descend to hell. It's pure arrogance, much like sorcerers oppressing mortals; the Divine Lords toy with souls through dreams.

"But you're different, Ashe. You are not an ordinary soul in the middle. I have a strong feeling that your Elysian Dream will be extreme, either a heaven where everyone is happy or an unimaginable hell. You'll either stand above the world or become an enemy of the gods."

"I appreciate your confidence, milady, but I'm just a zero-star genius not on any leaderboard," Ashe said calmly, refusing to indulge the fantasy she painted. "Heaven or hell. I don't want either."

"Hmph," Annan exhaled softly, patting her thigh. "Lie down."

"Ah?"

She summoned her Water Therapy spirit. "Don't you want treatment? You could also have Pankey handle it later."

"Don't think being my superior gives you the right to harass me..." Ashe muttered, settling onto her lap.

The faint scent of violet, the elasticity of her thighs, the smooth texture of her stockings... not bad.

Unconsciously, Ashe had accumulated considerable lap-pillow experience with the Swordswoman, Freya, and now Miss Annan, each with its own merits. The Swordswoman sang while he rested, and Freya cleaned his ears. Annan had no flashy skill, but she was his superior, and that alone earned respect.

As Ashe mentally compared them, Annan treated his bruises and asked, "Shall we head back, or do you want to buy something?"

Ashe blinked. "Huh? The mission's over?"

"Yes," Annan said with a smile. "Did you think I'd assign you something difficult? You just wanted to spend money in the game. I wasn't going to make you kill anyone... at least, not with your own hands."

"Then why have me drive that beastman away?"

"You're curious?"

Ashe sat up sharply. "If Harvey and Iger are curious, so am I. That's why you brought me out tonight, right?"

Annan pulled him back down, continuing leisurely to treat his injuries without answering. Even without knowing her full intent, Ashe felt a quiet satisfaction. That amethyst earring... it's so big, and so dazzling!

1. The Shadowless Kick (Chinese: 無影腳; pinyin: wúyǐngjiǎo), sometimes called the No-Shadow Kick or Ghost Kick, is a martial arts technique from the Hung Gar style. It gained fame through the legendary Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung, who was said to use it with remarkable skill and speed. ☜