The Legend of the Golden Fish

"Did it stop chasing us?"

"No, I don't think so? It can't swim, can it?"

"What kind of route did you pick? You're going to get us killed."

"I told you it was a bit dangerous before we started. Who was the one acting as confident as a student with a cheat sheet, saying it would be fine?"

"You call that 'a bit dangerous'!?"

Amidst the white mist of the Sea of Knowledge, Ash and Sonia lay on their small boat, gasping for air. Their forms were as faint as the surrounding mist, as if they might dissipate at any moment, and even their bickering lacked strength.

Just a moment ago, after nearly an hour of sailing without any gains, Ash had impulsively suggested to Sonia that they explore an area marked as "Better Not Go" on the map. Sonia, having just entered the Void Realm, was also brimming with confidence, so the two of them broke through the mist and entered the danger zone.

However, instead of finding a legacy island, the danger zone contained a giant winged fish. It flipped Ash's boat over and spat water cannons that could blast sprays of water dozens of meters into the air.

Ash and Sonia had only grazed one of those water cannons, yet their bodies felt as if they had been scrubbed with sandpaper hundreds of times, their very essence peeling away.

Fortunately, the small boat was incredibly sturdy; even after capsizing, it remained stubbornly afloat. The two scrambled back onto the boat, frantically paddling through the seawater to escape the danger zone.

The giant fish had actually pursued them, even taking flight to charge at the boat. Fortunately, Ash had a flash of inspiration and used "Void Realm Exploration" to accelerate the boat, narrowly dodging the fish's head-on charge and avoiding the loss of their first drop of blood in the Void Realm.

Catching his breath, Sonia looked at the soaking-wet Ash. A flicker of doubt crossed her beautiful eyes, and she feigned indifference as she asked, "Were you unable to kill that Mud Fish Dragon?"

Ash, suspecting nothing, panted, "If even you couldn't do it, how could I possibly have a way?"

Is the Doomsday Watcher really this weak?

Many thoughts raced through Sonia's mind, but they eventually settled into silence. Even if the Doomsday Watcher was weak, she was helpless; she couldn't kill the Watcher, and she still hadn't found a way to resist his control over her. Even Professor Tello Zan hadn't detected the Watcher's presence.

Moreover, after the Doomsday Watcher demonstrated his ability to explore the Void Realm, Sonia's mindset had subtly shifted.

Even as a newly minted Voidwing Artificer, Sonia knew the importance of the Void Realm to her kind, and she understood just how earth-shattering the Doomsday Watcher's ability to peer through the mist of the Void Realm truly was.

It was common knowledge that no one could peer through the Void Realm's mist, which was the very reason for Equality for All among sorcerers—in the face of unknown risks and rewards, everyone was equal. The strong could fall, and the weak had the potential to ascend in a single step!

This was what they called equality of opportunity!

And now, an existence capable of discerning unknown risks, one that stood above all other sorcerers, had appeared!

The elite among sorcerers, the Doomsday Watcher!

If her previous obedience to the Watcher's commands had been born of helplessness and resignation, Sonia's mindset had now undergone a slight shift. She was swayed by the Watcher's abilities and even began to look forward to a wonderful life of being carried by him—it was almost like falling into depravity.

Sonia had originally wanted to ask why the Watcher had chosen her, or what made her different, but she reconsidered. What if the Watcher suddenly realized, "Oh right, what do I need you for?" and abandoned her? Wouldn't she have missed her chance to become one of the elite?

Besides, if he lacked formidable power, how did the Watcher control her actions, peer through the mist, and pull her into dream trials?

I must be wary of the Watcher playing the "weakling" card!

If Sonia fell for it, the Watcher might seize the opportunity to arrange even harsher punishments to mistreat her!

"Speaking of which, what kind of creature was that fish?"

Here it comes. He's even asking me about common knowledge. Keep acting, just keep acting!

Sonia played along: "A Mud Fish Dragon, one of the most common Knowledge Creatures in the Void Realm. Killing it can yield various Spell Spirits from the Water Art Faction, Earth Art Faction, and so on. If this Mud Fish Dragon has killed other sorcerers before, it might even contain their Spell Spirits."

There were only two types of intelligent beings in the Void Realm: sorcerers and Knowledge Creatures.

As the name implied, once a sorcerer killed a Knowledge Creature, they could obtain the knowledge they had condensed—Spell Spirits.

Unlike the legacies left behind by sorcerers, the Spell Spirits dropped by Knowledge Creatures were not fixed. While they generally belonged to the same faction—for instance, a Mud Fish Dragon wouldn't drop a Fire Art Faction Spell Spirit—there were still many different spirits within a single faction. Furthermore, the loot from Knowledge Creatures updated along with the versions.

For example, if a sorcerer in reality invented a new knowledge system and summoned a new type of Spell Spirit, other sorcerers killing Knowledge Creatures in the Void Realm might directly obtain these new-version Spell Spirits.

If the new knowledge system was sufficiently novel and radical, it could even give rise to new species of Knowledge Creatures, expanding the biodiversity of the Void Realm.

Just like "equality of opportunity," this was one of the key prerequisites for sorcerer equality: "knowledge equality."

No one could monopolize knowledge forever. No matter how tightly you guarded your new inventions, other sorcerers could obtain your results in the Void Realm. If you wanted to maintain an advantage, you had to keep innovating.

Those who clung to the past, hoping a single invention would grant them a permanent lead, were no different from fools who stayed in the same spot in the Void Realm for too long.

If you don't take risks, the Void Realm will swallow you; if you don't innovate, reality will poison you.

After explaining Knowledge Creatures, Sonia couldn't help but probe, "Since you know there's danger in the mist, can't you detect what kind of creature it is?"

"I can't. I only know the level of danger it poses to us, not what the danger specifically is."

Sonia felt a twinge of disappointment: "Then you surely can't find that Golden Fish either."

"Golden Fish?" Ash looked blank. "What's that?"

It was like hearing someone ask "What is one plus one?" Sonia twitched her mouth, a thought suddenly occurring to her: Is he trying to cultivate my obedience by asking me moronic questions? If I resist, will he think my loyalty isn't high enough and then mistreat me with harsh punishments?

At this thought, Sonia raised her guard and answered the moronic question earnestly: "The Golden Fish is a fish that floats on the surface of the Sea of Knowledge. On its back lies the Time Continent, and the Time Continent is the destination for Two-Winged Sorcerers..."

"Wait, a continent?" Ash interrupted. "How big is this fish?"

"Huge. No one has ever seen the full form of the Golden Fish. It is said that even the smallest scale on its body is equivalent to a large city capable of housing a million people."

"A fish that big—shouldn't it be easy to find?"

"On the contrary, only a very lucky few can find the Golden Fish in the Sea of Knowledge, and without exception, those lucky few have all become renowned Legendary Arcanists."

Ash said, "Oh." Then he asked, "So what's the benefit of finding the Golden Fish?"

"Board the Time Continent and become a Two-Winged Sorcerer directly."

"What?"

"Become a Two-Winged Sorcerer directly." Sonia suppressed her impatience, thinking that even the children she tutored weren't this slow-witted. "The biggest difference between a One-Winged Arcanist and a Two-Winged Sorcerer is that One-Winged Arcanists are all in the Sea of Knowledge, while Two-Winged Sorcerers are all on the Time Continent."

"When a One-Winged Arcanist condenses their Spell Power to the limit in the Sea of Knowledge and unfolds their Silver Wing, they can no longer gain more Spell Power during their voyage. If they want to climb to a higher realm, they must promote to the second rank."

"The normal method of promotion is for a sorcerer to study knowledge, summon a Two-Winged Art Spirit, and then find the Gate of Truth within that Art Spirit to traverse the Void Realm. Then, they will arrive at the second layer of the Void Realm—the Time Continent. Only on the Time Continent can a sorcerer absorb more Spell Power to condense their second Void Wing: the Golden Wing."

One-Winged Arcanists sail the Sea of Knowledge to condense Silver Wings, while Two-Winged Sorcerers walk the Time Continent to condense Golden Wings... Ash had a preliminary understanding of the sorcerer power system, but he had a question: "Then can a One-Winged Arcanist obtain a Two-Winged Art Spirit from someone else and go directly to the Time Continent?"

"Absolutely impossible." Sonia shook her head. "As long as it isn't an Art Spirit summoned by one's own hand, the sorcerer cannot find the Gate of Truth within it, and it is even difficult to search the interior of the Art Spirit—Art Spirits are composed of knowledge. If you don't understand the structure of the Art Spirit, how can you explore the secret of the Art Spirit?"

Ash finally understood the promotion method for sorcerers: summon higher-tier Art Spirits, use them to travel to higher-level Void Realms, and once you become stronger, continue summoning higher-tier Art Spirits, repeating the cycle.

Because of the premises of "equal opportunity" and "equal knowledge," adventure and research run through a sorcerer's life from beginning to end. No one can retire comfortably; as long as you are unwilling to give up your existing interests, you must continue to adventure and create value.

This process not only ensures the healthy development of the sorcerer system but also constantly optimizes the Old White Rabbit Sorcerers who stop moving and are unwilling to strive... It sounds a bit like a KPI System! It would be perfect if they added a Bottom Elimination System!

Discovering that sorcerers were just another type of wage earner, Ash suddenly felt confident: when it came to working and internal competition, he had never lost to anyone!

"Wait, if we can find a Golden Fish in the Sea of Knowledge and board the Time Continent, wouldn't that be a shortcut to promotion?"

"We prefer to call such people 'Stowaways,' stowaways sneaking from the bottom layer to the higher layers... This is why sorcerers all want to find Golden Fish." Sonia shrugged. "Who can refuse the temptation of getting something for nothing?... So, can you find a Golden Fish?"

"I wish."

"Then why are you asking me so much? Keep sailing." Sonia looked at her somewhat illusory palms. "Don't go to places where battles might occur. I'm a bit tired; after sailing through one or two more regions, I'll probably have to leave the Void Realm."

Ash nodded; he also felt the fatigue.

Sailing in the Void Realm was not without cost. While passing through the White Mist condensed Spell Power for them, it also tempered their spirits and consumed their soul energy. When their soul energy dropped to a certain level, they had to exit the Void Realm to rest.

Every ordinary voyage contained countless precious miracles.

Ash opened "Void Realm Exploration" and, as expected, saw many "Waste of Effort" and "Better Not Go" warnings.

However, this time, he actually saw the region in the bottom right corner of the map glowing with golden light!

The prompt below the region read:

"Welcome"!