The Mastermind

By the time Ash arrived at the Dining Hall, it was already nearly eight in the evening. Naturally, he had missed the limited Lala Fat dishes. He casually grabbed a few meat dishes and sat down to eat.

"Does food taste better after victory?"

Ash looked up and saw Valkas sitting across from him with a cup of water.

"To be honest, these leftovers are already a little cold, and you guys ordered all the Lala Fat..."

"You can order something. You won 37 Contribution Points from me, so spending one or two points to treat yourself isn't excessive, is it?"

"Huh? Order food? Spend Contribution Points?"

"You didn't know? Right, you've only been here for two days." Valkas pointed at the menu sign beside the Dining Hall. "You can order at any time, regardless of the Dining Hall's daily offerings. If it isn't free time, the Dining Hall will even deliver food to your Dormitory—as long as you spend Contribution Points."

Only then did Ash realize that the menu sign was an ordering list. Before, he had thought it was just a decorative gesture by the Dining Hall—Look, leaders, we offer so many dishes here! We definitely aren't skimming the prisoners' rations!

At first glance, the ordering list seemed quite cheap. Any three dishes together only cost 1 Contribution Point. For example, the popular trio of "Seafood Lala Fat," "Creamy Chicken Fettuccine," and "Mist Spinach Quiche" only cost 1 Contribution Point, enough for a satisfying meal.

However, every death row inmate only had 50 initial Contribution Points, and 10 more points were automatically deducted every month. They were also the stakes needed to apply for a deathmatch. The lower one's Contribution Points, the earlier one's Judgment Sequence, and the easier it was to be selected for the livestream variety show Blood Moon Judgment.

Therefore, Contribution Points in Prison represented more than just currency. They represented a prisoner's life allowance. Spending Contribution Points was no different from chronic suicide... perhaps there was a difference. With chronic suicide, at least you didn't know when you would die. When spending Contribution Points, you could watch your life allowance steadily shrink.

"Although there isn't much to do in Prison, if you want to spend Contribution Points, you can definitely find ways to spend them." Valkas said, "Hair care, custom prison uniforms, specific bathing supplies... You can even spend Contribution Points to rent a better Dormitory. Three bedrooms, two living rooms, and windows. The rent is 1 Contribution Point per day."

"1 Contribution Point a day? That's insane. Who would live there?"

"Someone does. 'Diamond' Tiger has lived in that VIP suite for years. He has so many Contribution Points that he can't spend them all, and foolish newcomers are always giving him more. If 1 Contribution Point equals 1 Gold Coin, then Tiger might be richer in Prison than he was outside."

Ash raised his brows. "So... according to the Prison's evaluation system, we prisoners are only worth 50 Gold Coins?"

"You think that's too little?"

"That's a lot?"

"Most ordinary people without higher education can't earn 50 Gold Coins in their entire lives. Even Spellcasters who are doing poorly can't earn that much. An annual salary of 1 Gold Coin is enough for a decent life in Kaimeng City."

Only then did Ash finally understand the true value of the Gold Coin in his pocket. He also realized just how black-hearted this Prison was—three meat dishes cost a person an entire year's salary! Was the Lala Fat in there a PhD graduate or something?

"I suddenly feel like leftovers are pretty delicious."

Valkas snorted and simply watched Ash in silence.

Ash ate for a while, then finally could not help saying, "Mr. Elf, I'm the type who can't pee when someone is watching me."

"Pssh~ Pssh~"

"It was just a metaphor! You don't need to whistle along with me!"

"I thought young people these days liked eating and peeing at the same time." Valkas smiled, then his expression returned to Apathy. "Next, I'll be talking to myself. Most of it will just be meaningless rambling. If you hear it, it would be best to pretend you didn't."

Ash was slightly startled.

"Xilin Dor is not only the president of the Elf Racial Rights Association in Kaimeng City, a Kaimeng Parliament Councilor, and a university professor. He also has a hidden identity—one of the backers behind the Woodpecker Gang. On the surface, he fights Blood Saint Clan and Moon Shadow Clan Councilors to defend the interests of other races. But long ago, he made many under-the-table deals with Councilors from the Blood Moon Two Clans. The Woodpecker Gang is his black glove. Mayor Financier of Kaimeng City was able to take the Upper Position partly thanks to him."

"The Four Pillar God Heresy has not appeared for many years and has almost vanished without a trace, except for one rumor without any evidence—during the archaeological excavation of the Eastern Ruins eight years ago, it was said that some important ritual texts related to the Four Pillar God Heresy were unearthed there. That same year, the Eastern Ruins were hit by a Void Realm storm, and most of the archaeological findings were destroyed."

"Professor Xilin Dor was the chief guiding advisor of the excavation team overseeing the Eastern Ruins at the time."

"Xilin is a very patient Elf. At least, I've never seen a creature better than him at enduring in silence. If he wants someone dead, it means that person possesses information crucial to him, information whose exposure would cause him tremendous losses."

Valkas took a drink of water to moisten his throat, then glanced at Ash.

"In theory, the memories of most Death Row Inmates entering Prison have already been searched. If they truly had any information, the Sin Hunting Hall would have found it... unless someone's memories weren't searched."

So that was it.

Although Ash still did not know what connection he had with Professor Xilin, he completely understood why Xilin wanted to murder him by any means necessary—Xilin believed he possessed secrets that had not yet been exposed!

Because of the Four Pillar God Heresy, the Sin Hunting Hall did not dare search his memories at all. Therefore, Ash Hiss had become the only prisoner in Prison who still possessed secrets!

This was Xilin's luck, because Hiss had not revealed his information.

It was also Xilin's misfortune, because Hiss could report him at any time!

To be fair, if Ash really knew such a secret, he would definitely report it to the Sin Hunting Hall immediately.

It was not because he was some rotten bastard who harmed himself without benefiting others. He was just a little curious about Xilin and wanted to become intimate cellmates with him. It would be even better if they had a chance to passionately clash in the Deathmatch Arena.

But the problem was—Ash truly did not know Xilin's secret!

He had not absorbed even a drop of the original Hiss's memories!

So infuriating. Ash also wanted to use Hiss's memories to help the Sin Hunting Hall bring the bad guys to justice.

There were so many criminals out there. Why was I the only one caught!?

Unfortunately, he knew nothing.

What was even more infuriating was that others were afraid he would expose their secrets, so they wanted to eliminate him by every possible means!

Yet he knew nothing!

The feeling was as stifling as being falsely accused by a teacher of stealing a classmate's stationery when he had clearly stolen nothing as a child.

"Hey, you still haven't left? You didn't hear my self-talk, did you?" Valkas stood up. "Let's leave it at that for today. I'll find you for some brainstorming when I have time."

"Really?"

"Haha, I'm joking. How would I have time? How would you have a brain?"

"Wait, Valkas." Ash stopped him. "Why are you helping me?"

Although Ash had thought Valkas might give him some information after losing to him, this method of repayment was completely different from what Ash had imagined. He had thought Valkas would come find him, throw out some harsh words, something like, "I'm the weakest of the Dark Four Heavenly Kings. Defeating me means nothing. Our people will soon come after you."

Ash had not expected Valkas to defect so decisively. Did beating people come with Moral Correction or something?

"I'm not helping you."

Valkas shook his head.

"I just want to cause that bastard Xilin some trouble."

Harming others without benefiting himself was indeed a perfectly reasonable motive. Ash pressed while the iron was hot. "Then do you know whether there's a way to trade Spell Spirits in Prison? If I can get a few Sword Art Spell Spirits, I might have a chance to cause Xilin serious trouble—"

"What the fuck does that have to do with me?"

Ash choked on his words and decided to take a more caring approach. "By the way, Valkas, you failed to kill me this time and even lost to me. Will you get into trouble because of that—"

"What the fuck does that have to do with you?"

"Then at least tell me how Xilin plans to deal with me next?"

Valkas glanced at him, left behind a single sentence, and walked away.

"The next time we meet, you'll find out what Xilin is capable of."

Ash felt that Valkas ending up in Prison was inseparable from his foul mouth and his habit of speaking in riddles.

But at least he could now be certain of one thing: the mastermind behind all this was definitely Hiss's former university professor, the Elf scholar Xilin Dor!

After dinner, Ash did not linger in Prison. He hurried back to his Dormitory and immediately called out.

"Sword Maiden? Are you there?"

"I am, but not entirely."

Sword Maiden sat on the bed with her legs crossed. Her deep black silk stockings outlined her graceful curves. Supporting her chin with one hand, she glanced sideways at Ash.

"What is it?"

"You were the one who reminded me during the deathmatch, right?"

Ash held out his hand. The Substitute Spell Spirit appeared in his palm, sound asleep while rubbing its belly.

"The Microchip is still restricting my Spell Power output, so why could I activate the Substitute Spell Spirit?"

"Isn't that obvious? You understood the knowledge of the Substitute Spell Spirit. Then, with the conditions being suitable, you directly triggered Spell Spirit Resonance, and the Spell Spirit automatically took effect on reality. The other Death Row Inmates use the same method to activate Spell Spirits in Prison."

Although Ash had heard it many times, he still could not help being amazed by the phenomenon. Mature Spell Spirits could actually cast spells by themselves.

"But how did I understand the Substitute Spell Spirit?" Ash still did not understand. "I've never learned any knowledge about Substitute Spell Spirits."

"You learned it, and you understood it."

Ash was stunned for a moment, then suddenly recalled Sword Maiden's words when she had reminded him.

"Was it because of that sentence? 'If it hurts, treat yourself as someone else. Then it won't hurt'?"

"That's right." Sword Maiden nodded. "When you understood that sentence, you naturally understood this Spell Spirit as well. Fundamentally, Spell Spirits are collections of knowledge. Once you possess a Spell Spirit, even if you do not actively study, the knowledge within the Spell Spirit will pursue you."

"It's that simple?"

"It isn't simple." Sword Maiden shook her head. "Reading knowledge and understanding knowledge are two different things... If you had not been in extreme danger just now, covered in wounds, with your consciousness close to fading away, you could not have Resonated with the Substitute Spell Spirit. Simply learning it is not enough. Truly feeling it yourself is a necessary condition for understanding a Spell Spirit."

Ash looked at the Substitute Spell Spirit in his palm and tried to send his consciousness deep inside it.

This time was slightly better than last time. Ash could understand the information stream fed back by the Spell Spirit, but he still could not comprehend its structure. If a Spell Spirit were a dish, then last time Ash had not even possessed a sense of taste and could not taste the Spell Spirit at all. This time, he could taste it, but he did not know how it had been made.

"Understanding a Spell Spirit is already your limit. Unless it is a Natal Spell Spirit you personally summoned, you will never find the Gate of Truth it hides."

Sword Maiden saw through what he was trying to do at a glance. "Only a Spell Spirit born from knowledge you possess can let you find its Gate of Truth. No matter how deeply you understand a Spell Spirit acquired through other means, it ultimately is not yours."

"Truth must be pure and perfect. It cannot tolerate even the slightest flaw."

Truth was really strict.

Ash withdrew the Spell Spirit and looked at Sword Maiden.

"Why did you disappear for most of the day?"