May 10th, at the bathhouse of the Gospel Kingdom's Funeral Agency.

It was seven in the morning, and the sky was already bright. Ashe arrived in his trunks to an echo of conversation. Stepping inside, he found the bathhouse already occupied.

Splash!

He leapt straight into the water, sending a spray in every direction. Iger reacted at once, summoning a spirit to blow the droplets back. His face twisted with disgust. "(*￣︿￣) Ashe, how old are you now? Have you even graduated from the orphanage's senior class?"

Across the bath, Harvey lay stretched out on a reclining chair, puffing on a Catnip cigarette. Jets of water pulsed against his muscles while a sunlight lamp bathed him in a warm, golden glow. Completely at ease, he embodied the idea that wherever the heart wandered, that place became a beach.

In contrast to Ashe and Iger, Harvey was actually quite normal. He had the dark skin and build of a manual laborer and a straightforward way of speaking. His morals might be loose, but his desires were simple. He took life as it came.

If Harvey had come to the Gospel Kingdom alone, he would probably have ended up as a kept young man, taken in by some wealthy woman. He would spend his days doing housework and his nights raiding tombs, living a comfortable and satisfying life.

Even his necrophilia and sweet tooth, troubling as they were, harmed no one but himself or the dead. Seen from that angle, they almost felt... tolerable.

Ashe suddenly splashed water over his face and sank into the bath.

This is bad, he thought.

Long exposure to Iger and Annan had skewed Ashe's perspective; by comparison, Harvey's rough edges now seemed almost elegant.

"What were you talking about earlier?" Ashe asked, letting the warm water loosen his stiff muscles. "Iger, recommending movies again?"

Iger replied coldly, "You didn't even watch the last one. Why bother? A Wife's Redemption is the most unmissable classic in the Gospel Kingdom of the past decade."

"It's not that I don't want to watch it, but when would I have the time—"

Iger cut in, "Watch it at 32x speed."

"If I had a gun right now, I'd shoot you first and ask questions later."

"We were discussing artistic creation," Harvey said, exhaling a thin wisp of pale green smoke. "Specifically, how to craft a compelling character."

The topic felt a little out of place, but Ashe didn't dwell on it. He said casually, "Then you've come to the right person. Character creation is my specialty. Listen carefully. Every word I say is worth noting."

Iger sneered. "Oh? Were you a novelist? Written any classics? I read in my spare time. Maybe I've already seen your work."

Ashe said lightly, "I haven't written books, but my profession relies on character creation more than any novel ever could. In our line of work, we build characters to make kids pay."

Iger was about to argue, but after a moment's thought, he nodded. "Right. You used to be a cult leader. That does make you a professional, I suppose."

Ashe realized Iger might have misunderstood the scope of a cult leader's work, but he didn't bother explaining. He went on, "A well-crafted persona needs the right ingredients. Appearance, personality, background, and ideals are all essential. But when you strip it all away, it really boils down to the two core elements of sex appeal and utility."

Iger and Harvey both blinked, clearly taken aback by the bluntness.

"Beautiful yet tragic, mad beauties, defiant cold machines, noble aristocrats... These characters succeed because they satisfy both desire and purpose. When you create a character, ask yourself two questions. Does it stir desire? Can it solve a problem? If the answer to both is yes, then it works.

"Whether it becomes a timeless classic depends on inspiration and circumstance. That part can't be forced."

Ashe had never directly designed characters as a mobile game planner, but having gone through company training, he understood the systematic process behind monetized character creation. A brilliant story might arise from pure creativity, but in mobile games, characters were products of an assembly line. Popular traits were combined with precision, engineered to satisfy desire and utility. Players were guided to spend without resistance.

Harvey seemed struck by inspiration. He stubbed out his cigarette, stepped out of the bath, and draped a towel over his shoulders. "As expected of a former cult leader. I should have known to seek you out for this. I can't hold back anymore. Time to return to my room and start creating."

Seeing him hurry off, Ashe scratched his head. "Strange... he doesn't seem like the type to write novels."

Iger rose from the bath, water streaming from his hair. He casually wrapped a towel around himself, brushed his damp bangs back, and glanced at Ashe. "Who told you he writes novels?"

Ashe froze.

A realization dawned on him, and he turned sharply to Iger. "He asked about character creation for virtual characters, didn't he?"

Iger looked at him without a word and walked straight out of the bath.

Ashe's eyes widened in panic. "Virtual characters... right!?"

Ashe was the only one left in the bathhouse. Outside, the sun crept upward, and Azura began its daily bloom, casting warm light that danced across the water. He let the bath support his body, floating on the surface like a corpse.

Three days ago, Ashe returned early with Annan. Iger and Harvey had just finished their Virtual World exploration, and he saw them sitting in the living room as if waiting for him. Feeling a twinge of guilt for venturing out empty-handed, he had invited them to the bathhouse to discuss the Gospel governance system, hoping to distract them from his omission.

However, the visit had unintentionally set a precedent. For the next three days, after finishing their Virtual World explorations, they came to the bathhouse to soak and chat idly. Ashe quickly realized they were both surprisingly skilled. They usually arrived at the bathhouse only after sunrise, meaning each had spent roughly six full hours exploring the Continent of Time.

They lacked maps and vehicles, and though their techniques and depth didn't match his own, they had developed unique methods that allowed their total exploration time to rival his. Ashe even suspected they had some form of transportation; without it, at least half their soul energy would have been spent just getting around, making six-hour sessions impossible. After three hours, they would have been completely drained.

Harvey's method was simple to deduce. He likely rode a skeletal horse or a skeletal humanoid, unless he chose to improvise on the fly by summoning a skeletal Fish-Slaying Dragon. Iger's method was trickier. Ashe wondered if his Mind Class Miracles had reached the point where they could actually compel Knowledge Creatures into service.

No. Ashe remembered asking Iger in yesterday's bath whether he had ever used Mind Class Miracles for anything obscene. Iger had replied, "Firstly, anything you can imagine, I could already do even without the aid of Miracles. I grew bored of such parlor tricks long ago. Secondly, Ashe, if you can already hypnotize others, why haven't you considered hypnotizing yourself?

"Self-hypnosis is both simpler and more efficient. Any plot, any target, any scenario, you can tailor every detail to your own desires. While reality is bound by physical limitations, a hallucination has no boundaries. In truth, most masters of the Mind Class rarely hypnotize others directly. They rely on subtler tools, like words and gestures, to lead a subject toward a predetermined result. Only the incompetent depend on raw Miracles. The true experts hypnotize themselves.

"Mind Class sorcery isn't a tool for manipulating others; it is a craft for shaping oneself."

Ashe concluded that Iger wasn't hypnotizing Knowledge Creatures at all. Instead, he was likely hypnotizing himself to never feel the weight of fatigue. This was the standard approach for those navigating the Virtual World; every practitioner eventually found their own way to bypass the environment's obstacles.

Back in the Sea of Knowledge, no one had a choice. Lacking experience in the Virtual World, every sorcerer was forced to struggle through the same grueling conditions. But by the time they reached the Continent of Time, they had built a foundation in their respective sorcery classes. They had learned to minimize environmental disadvantages, a form of natural selection where only those capable of adapting survived the journey.

Ashe and his companions, speeding through the Ascending Gold Rain by car, had been spoiled. They were lucky exceptions in this evolution of practitioners. Without cultivating adaptability, they would eventually pay the price elsewhere. But for now, they knew the risk and ignored it. There was always tomorrow. Life demanded some dreams, and perhaps they would never have to pay.

With that in mind, Ashe summoned the Book of Gospel and flipped to the Sorcerer's Handbook. Instantly, a list of information appeared.

[Death Maniac Swordswoman Progress Report (5.3–5.9)]

Sword Class: Silver → Gold

Light Class: Silver → Silver

Water Class: Silver → Silver

Mind Class: Silver → Silver

Mana: Phantom Gold Wing → One-Feather (Gold)

Training Evaluation: A!

[Because she earned an A rating, Death Maniac Swordswoman received a profession upgrade from the Sorcerer's Handbook: Berserk Dancer → Annihilation Alchemist.]

[Annihilation Alchemist]

Profession Trait

- Deals an additional 10% damage to groups of Knowledge Creatures.

[Profession Assessment Task: Frenzied Dance (10,000 strikes) completed! Frenzied Dance trait permanently acquired!]

[Berserk Dancer (Permanent): Strikes against the same target grant +2% attack speed (Max 5 stacks). Bonus is lost upon switching targets.]

Their recent Virtual World exploration had been focused on helping the Swordswoman complete her profession assessment task. Fortunately, she had gained a new Miracle, Blood Blossom Watermoon. This Miracle not only triggered instant high damage but could stack dozens of effective strikes per activation. Gathering multiple enemies allowed her to land hundreds of effective strikes almost instantly.

Over the past two days, Ashe and the others had raided more than a dozen nests belonging to White Velociraptors, Feral Wolf Dragons, and Migratory Birds. The Swordswoman's new profession, Annihilation Alchemist, was clearly tied to these hunts.

The essence materials they looted were enough to raise her Wave and Moonthread spirits, along with the Black-White Witch's Aqua Line and Claws spirits, to the Two-Wing stage.

Ashe glanced at the Swordswoman's interface and saw that her career slot now read Annihilation Alchemist / Berserk Dancer. Her Sword Class had advanced from Silver to Gold, yet her training evaluation remained at A. It seemed that an S rating could only be achieved through a mana upgrade.

That made sense. If S ratings were easy to obtain and profession assessment tasks triggered frequently, every operator would be juggling a dozen professions in no time.

Ashe even pictured the promotional line in his head. Behold the Storm-Berserk Dancer, the White Flame over the Grave, and the Sword Lord wielding the Staff of Death. Before you stands the Fish-Slaying Dragon Annihilator, the Death Maniac Swordswoman with twenty-three professions to her name!

There were no surprises, but her progress still hadn't disappointed him. That was, until he opened the Black-White Witch's progress report. His good mood vanished in an instant.

[Black-White Witch Progress Report (5.3–5.9)]

Mind Class: Silver → Silver

Fist & Claw Class: Gold → Gold

Time Class: Silver → Silver

Water Class: Silver → Silver

Mana: Golden One Wing → Golden Two Wings

Training Evaluation: B!

[Because she earned a B rating, Black-White Witch received a profession upgrade from the Sorcerer's Handbook: Annihilation Follower.]

[Annihilation Follower]

Profession Trait

- Deal an additional 5% damage to groups of Knowledge Creatures.

B rating!?

Ashe had never seen a rating quite like this. Rather than just being a slap to the Witch, the rating felt like a stinging slap across his own face.

Floating in the water, he forced himself to calm down. The Swordswoman had started from nothing; she was essentially a blank slate. Her rapid growth and high evaluation made perfect sense in that light. The Witch, however, had begun at the Two-Wing stage, with her primary sorcery classes already at Gold and several secondary classes established. Progress at that level could never happen quickly. Furthermore, since the Bronze Dragon's Curse made conventional practice impossible, entertainment became her only source of experience.

If the Swordswoman had not advanced her Sword Class to Gold this week, her evaluation would likely have been a B as well.

That meant starting next week, unless there were major gains in mana or a class advanced to Gold, most operators would only receive B or even C ratings.

Shall I draw from the gacha again?

Ashe checked his savings and let out a quiet sigh, the kind that any poor soul would understand.

Lately, Ashe and his companions hadn't acquired many new spirits; instead, most of their gains consisted of materials used to feed their existing ones. After reaching the Two-Winged stage, One-Winged spirits were now worth only five Recharge Points, while Two-Winged spirits gave ten. Even after a full week of saving, he had only accumulated 211 points, still far from the next first-charge bonus at 328. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

As for this week's training plan, nothing would change. The Witch would continue to rest, and the Swordswoman would keep training.

Though...

Ashe paused, recalling that he had promised her some entertainment.

The Swordswoman had three action points. Leisure consumed two, and since she had already used them, he could not push her further without being unreasonable. Besides, training after leisure rarely produced good results. It was like playing a game while squatting in the bathroom, then heading straight to work. The mind never quite left the game, always drifting back to unfinished thoughts.

The decision was simple. Let her rest after leisure and enjoy a brief taste of her rose-colored school life.

Which day should she take off?

After some thought, Ashe chose the 11th, tomorrow. He had considered today, but it felt too important. To avoid any mishaps, she would attend school and train as usual.

With the plan settled, Ashe returned to his room to change. When he stepped back out, he found everyone gathered in the living room. It did not look like they were there for breakfast.

Iger said, "Ashe, perfect timing. Time for a multiple-choice question."

He held up a vial filled with a dreamlike, iridescent liquid. "Do you prefer this?"

Lys lifted a bloodstained wolf-tooth club. "Or this?"

Annan spun a pair of silver handcuffs around her finger. "Or perhaps this?"

Ashe's thoughts raced. What is this supposed to be? A pair of handcuffs, a wolf-tooth club, and an aphrodisiac?

He immediately summoned his Substitute spirit. It stepped forward, taking a combat stance, ready to face any danger in his place.

"If you have a problem with me, take it out on the substitute. Don't touch me."

"..."