Miracle Microchip

Zzt!

"Warning: You are exerting excessive kinetic force on a citizen! This is prohibited!"

Without Ash actively summoning it, a Light Screen suddenly popped up in his vision. Red warning messages cascaded across his pupils, while a shrill alarm like a scream echoed ceaselessly in his ears, stunning him senseless in an instant.

What was going on?

Had he been hacked by a virus?

But he had only just arrived and hadn't even visited any shady websites yet!?

His body instantly stiffened, completely unable to move. He only regained control three seconds later.

"Looks like you're quite satisfied with life in Broken Lake Prison, Ash. Then I won't disturb you."

Igula moved the fist that had nearly touched Ash's nose away and smiled. "By the way, Ash, that soft, powerless little fist of yours is pretty cute."

The other prisoners in the hall glanced at them. Even the Prison Guards seemed to temporarily shift their attention away from the Light Screen and toward them, but everyone quickly looked away again, as though something utterly insignificant had happened.

Watching Igula's back vanish into the corridor, Ash lowered his head to look at his fist, his heart filled with confusion.

"What's so surprising about that? The Miracle Microchip in the back of your neck detected that you were trying to attack someone, so it sent out neural currents to temporarily control your body and stop your attack from succeeding," Sword Maiden said. "Aside from prisons, this technology is also widely used in animal husbandry. Though from the looks of it, it seems even more practical when used on people."

"Then why did you tell me to hit him?"

"Although fighting is prohibited here and Spell Power is restricted, there are still plenty of little tricks you can pull."

Sword Maiden said leisurely, "For example, using Spell Spirits to form a Contract—if I wasn't mistaken, that man had a bit of Veela blood. Veelа are the race most likely to excel in the Mind School... If you'd accepted his request and shaken his hand to make a Contract, you would have become his 'friend who helps each other.'"

"Except you would be the one who had to help him. Whether he helped you or not would depend on his mood. Mm, in the eyes of a Mind Artificer, there's not much difference between a friend and a Slave."

Ash understood. If he had really shaken hands with Igula just now, he would have become Igula's employee—perhaps even an employee still in the probationary period.

This other world was so underhanded. It did not even require signing a labor contract.

Ash looked at the other prisoners around him. "No one else can see you?"

"You can keep talking to me like this, as long as you don't mind people looking at you like you're insane, avoiding you in disgust," Sword Maiden said. "Though I'd rather hear ivory come out of your dog mouth than listen to the garbage in your head, one has to bow beneath another's roof."

Ash understood. He looked seriously at Sword Maiden. "So you really are the Death Maniac Sword Princess?"

"Yes, I'm the Death Maniac Sword Princess." Sword Maiden leaned against the wall listlessly. "But you, Watcher... If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I truly never would have expected you to end up in a place like this. Do you mind if I laugh at you?"

"Very much. But why aren't you wearing the clothes from your Character Portrait?"

"Aren't you wearing this ultimate deluxe edition Broken Lake Prison classic prisoner outfit too?" Sword Maiden rolled her eyes. "You don't look the same as your Character Portrait either, and you still have the nerve to talk about me? I'm a woman. Did you expect me to show up every day in the same outfit without ever changing or washing it?"

Because Sword Maiden's argument made far too much sense, Ash was convinced.

But he clearly did not care about such details. He looked at Sword Maiden with eager anticipation. "Sword Maiden Doraemon, now that you're here, help me escape this Prison!"

"I refuse."

"Huh?"

"Why should I help you escape?" Sword Maiden said lazily. "There's food and lodging here. Isn't it quite suitable for trash like you? Why are you always trying to escape? Outside might be even worse than this place. Why not just stay here obediently, retire early, and live the Dream Come True life you've always wanted?"

"But I've been saddled with a huge blame, and in a few days I have to take part in some Blood Moon Judgment. That definitely doesn't sound like an invitation to an all-you-can-eat buffet, does it!?"

"Oh, Blood Moon Judgment..." Sword Maiden nodded thoughtfully. "Hehe, then I want to help you escape even less."

Ash was on the verge of breaking down. He had thought he had finally found someone to rely on, but the stockings on that thigh were too slippery for him to hold onto. "You can't do this. I'm your—"

"Your what?" Sword Maiden's gaze instantly sharpened. She stretched out a hand and viciously poked Ash in the forehead. "What were you going to say? What are you to me? Hm? Hm? Hm?"

With every poke, Ash took a step back. He kept retreating until he bumped into a Bench and sat down. Even when he leaned back, he could not avoid Sword Maiden's finger as she ruthlessly poked his forehead. She bent down, their noses touching and their eyes meeting. In her wine-red pupils, Ash saw his own reflection.

"Were you going to say that you're my—master?" she sneered coldly. "Hehe, do you want to hear me call you that a few more times, so the filthy yellow junk in your brain has more material to draw from?"

Ash calmed down instead. "What's wrong with that? You're just a virtual character in a game, while I'm the player. If I die, you naturally won't continue to exist either. Since this Bond exists between us, why can't you help me?"

The moment she heard the word "Bond," Sword Maiden was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. Her fur instantly bristled, bloodshot veins filled her pupils, and her expression turned gloomy and terrifying.

Ash was startled, but he did not back down. Instead, he sat up straight, forcing Sword Maiden to retreat. "Death Maniac Sword Princess, I'm not your master, but neither am I your Slave. If you can't even treat me as an equal, then you might as well get lost and go back to being a stream of data in the game."

Sword Maiden's mountain-like chest rose and fell continuously, showing how unsettled she was. Just as Ash thought she was about to beat him to death with her little fists, she suddenly smiled sweetly. "A virtual character? You're actually right. I really am only an illusory Longing... But Watcher, you'd better remember what you said today."

"You are not my master." Sword Maiden enunciated every word. "You never will be."

Ash said, "I promise."

"Swear it. Say that liars will lose their faces and never be allowed to change for ten thousand Years."

Although Ash did not know why Sword Maiden was so fixated on this, he truly had no such worldly ** thoughts. He said frankly, "I swear that liars will lose their faces and never be allowed to change for ten thousand Years."

Sword Maiden seemed to finally be completely reassured. She turned and walked away. "Come on. We'll talk as we walk."

"Where to?" Ash immediately perked up.

"To the Dining Hall. Aren't you going to eat breakfast?"

"What about escaping Prison..."

"To be honest, it's not that I don't want to help you. I can't help you," Sword Maiden said. "As you can see, aside from you, no one else can see or touch me. I have no ability to affect the material world. How am I supposed to help you escape Prison?"

Ash was deeply disappointed. "Then why did you appear here? To show off your new skin?"

"Didn't you say it yourself? Bond," Sword Maiden said. "I came to pass that 30% shared experience to you."

"Great!" Ash was overjoyed. "Come on, I'm ready!"

"Ready my ass." Sword Maiden curled her lips. "Did you think some Miracle would go 'bling' and suddenly let you master all my Sword Art experience? If you want to dream, go lie in bed and do it!"

"Then how are you going to pass it to me?"

"Very simply. Go find someone to fight. I'll transmit experience while you're fighting, allowing you to naturally gain a huge amount of experience in battle."

"No problem!"

As they spoke, they arrived at the Dining Hall.

It was much like an ordinary cafeteria, with fixed tables and seats. The moment Ash entered, he spotted an excellent target for a fight: bald head, tattoos, a huge build, muscles, a scar across his face. At a glance, he looked like some deranged serial killer who had murdered hundreds of people before ending up here.

Ash strode over and pretended to accidentally bump into the bald man's cup. A full cup of Milk tipped over, drenching the bald man's shoes in white liquid!

"Ah." Ash deliberately said in a careless tone, "Sorry about that."

The bald man glared up at him and slammed the dining table hard. The entire table shook, and it seemed as though he was about to stand up and fight Ash!

Ash swallowed. Just as he was preparing for his first beginner battle, he saw the bald man pull out a Tissue from his pocket and crouch down to wipe his shoes clean.

"Then remember to be careful when you walk. Today's Milk is pretty good. Highly recommended," the bald man said to the stunned Ash.