Don't Blame Me

Star Country, Gala City, Sword and Rose Sorcerer University.

"...Unless a Swordsman can pierce the brainstem of a Turbid Heart Monster the moment they engage—decapitation is useless, as long as it has a brain, it can still attack—they will inevitably be affected by the monster's spell spirit, 'Frenzy.' The moment a Swordsman feels their mood turning irritable, they must pierce their own thigh to stay clear-headed with pain, allowing the other ranged Arcanists in the squad to finish the monster off..."

The lecture hall was filled only with the teacher's eloquent discourse. Sitting by the window, Sonia gazed at the three Shining Stars in the sky outside. Warm sunlight blanketed the lawn, the walkways, and the benches; everything in the world seemed to be glowing.

"Sonia!" Ingrid whispered, keeping her voice low. "Don't daydream in class."

Sonia, who had been resonating with the light of reality, smiled faintly. "It's not like it's an important class, and my wristband is recording the notes anyway, even if I do drift off..."

"This is the most important Introduction to Swordsmanship!" Ingrid looked stern. "Do you not plan on entering the Abyss in the future? Are you not afraid of encountering danger? So what if the wristband records notes? This is the most vital combat knowledge course; one can never be too careful when it comes to safety!"

"Ahem!"

The teacher on the podium coughed twice, and the two girls quickly sat up straight to listen attentively.

Introduction to Swordsmanship did not teach empty, high-minded theories; it detailed the responses a Swordsman must make when facing different enemies in various environments. The reason this course existed was that it was inextricably linked to a Swordsman's future career path.

A Swordsman was, without a doubt, a pure Combat Arcanist, unlike a Water Arcanist who could pivot to a Healing Arcanist, or a Mechanic Arcanist who could become a Creation Arcanist. In times of peace, the Swordsman profession would undoubtedly decline, perhaps even facing the extinction of its heritage.

The prosperity of swordsmanship in the Star Country was precisely because the world was not safe, constantly threatened by the Abyss.

The Abyss was not a fixed location, but a randomly appearing monster nest. While it was called random, there were patterns: it only appeared in densely populated cities. Or rather, the more Arcanists there were in a place, the more likely an Abyss would manifest.

As the core city of the Star Country, Gala City naturally suppressed the largest Abyss.

To this day, no scholar could explain the cause of the Abyss's formation, but the threat it posed had to be addressed. The Abyss could not be eradicated; the deeper one went, the stronger the monsters became, even reaching the level of Three-Winged Saint Domain or Four-Winged Legendary monsters. However, even the surface-level monsters were difficult to deal with.

Because the terrain of the Abyss shifted drastically every so often, Arcanists could not build permanent camps inside. Furthermore, the Abyss would periodically erupt, causing legendary monsters to flood the surface, forcing all Arcanists to retreat during those times.

Due to these various limitations, "regular Abyss clearing" became a vital social division of labor. Aside from the few who became Nobles or "riot consultants" for corporations, most Swordsmen formed squads with other Arcanists to venture into the Abyss regularly to clear out monsters.

This was not "dirty work," but rather a decent career path. Beyond the "Extermination Gold" provided by the state, the various spoils dropped by Abyss monsters were highly valuable, and sometimes one could even find scarce Resource Points within the depths.

Countless Nobles had their origins in Abyss adventure squads, and there were innumerable Arcanists who had found great opportunities within the Abyss.

However, risk was proportional to reward. Almost every Abyss monster was possessed by a spell spirit, and their combat power was not inferior to that of an Arcanist. Every day, countless Arcanists died in the Abyss, and some squads were wiped out entirely, becoming nutrients for the depths.

That was why Ingrid was so dissatisfied with Sonia's attitude: listening for one more second in Introduction to Swordsmanship meant one more ounce of vigilance when facing danger in the Abyss later!

But Sonia had just absorbed an Experience Pearl; she was like a child with a new toy, excited and fully focused on verifying the knowledge of the Radiance School. Besides, she didn't think she would ever go adventuring in the Abyss—it might have been a possibility before, but now, with her natural talent and the "Watcher" as her backer, she could reach the Three-Winged Saint Domain just by following the standard path. Why would she go roll in the mud and risk her life in the Abyss with others?

The Introduction to Swordsmanship class ended, followed by Swordsmanship Combat, a sparring session between students of the Swordsmanship Department. As they walked to the Combat Hall, students along the way were secretly observing Sonia, whispering incessantly.

Sonia was not surprised by this. Ever since Professor Tello Zan had allowed her to bypass all procedures and transfer into the Swordsmanship Department, she had become the focal point of the students, a daily topic of conversation.

But today was a bit different—because besides Sonia, the students were also observing Felix on the other side.

"Look, that's the one who..."

"Sonia will probably be dumped soon too..."

"I knew she was that kind of person the moment I saw her..."

Although she only caught fragments of the conversation, Sonia roughly understood what was happening—the news of Felix dumping Silia had spread, and as the woman who had recently appeared alongside Felix, Sonia had inevitably become the center of public attention.

Don't bring me trouble... Sonia only wanted to accumulate strength quietly; she didn't want to waste her energy on such trivial matters.

But women possess a strong prophetic ability, especially when it comes to predicting bad things—upon entering the Combat Hall, Sonia noticed many unfamiliar faces, and the only one she recognized was Senior Silia.

Silia was wiping away tears, her eyes red-rimmed. Combined with her simple, elegant attire, she looked truly pitiful and heart-wrenching. Although Sonia prided herself on her own exceptional appearance, Silia had the advantage of temperament, atmosphere, and the "tear-makeup" effect. At this moment, there was no way Sonia could outshine her.

"Ingrid, I'm skipping class."

"Mm." Ingrid expressed her understanding.

However, just as Sonia was about to retreat from the Combat Hall, a roar shook the dust from the ceiling.

"Felix, get over here!"

A tall, black-haired Swordsman shouted, "You dare to toy with my younger sister's feelings? Don't tell me you're too cowardly to show your face!?"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's gaze turned toward Felix and Sonia. Felix, however, remained calm—it seemed he had encountered this sort of thing often. He stepped into the Combat Hall with indifference, and after a moment of internal struggle, Sonia gave up on the idea of fleeing. She couldn't just slink away without a word; leaving meant cowardice, and running away meant concession.

In the countryside, cowardice and concession only made it easier for others to bully you.

In the big city, it was the same.

The rats of the countryside and the rats of the city were not essentially different in their shortsightedness.

"Luo Lian, Silia, good morning." Felix nodded at them. "Would you like to have lunch together later?"

"Forget it. I feel like vomiting just looking at your face." Facing the young master of the Vosrodar Family, the black-haired Swordsman showed no respect. "Draw your sword. Let me see the backbone of a Vosrodar."

Hearing this, the nearby students began to whisper, and Ingrid couldn't help but gasp, "It's actually Senior Luo Lian!"

Through Ingrid's introduction, Sonia learned that this Senior Luo Lian was also a prominent figure, a third-year swordsmanship genius. Although he hadn't been chosen by Professor Tello Zan, he had become a research apprentice to a certain Gold Swordsman. He had become a One-Winged Silver Swordsman a year ago and was a member of the Sword Flower University Competition Team!

Although he came from a middle-tier noble family, Luo Lian was expected to reach at least Two-Winged Gold in the future. With a bright future ahead, he naturally didn't need to respect a mere young master of the Vosrodar Family; those who relied on their own skills were always the most unyielding.

Luo Lian and Silia were not biological siblings; their fathers were brothers. Being in the same school and year, they were close, and Luo Lian standing up for Silia was a matter of course.

However, Felix did not accept the challenge, instead looking at Silia. "Senior, is this what you want?"

Others might have thought Felix was backing down, but Sonia knew he was genuinely confused—as someone who could change girlfriends four times a month, Felix naturally held no affection for them. He assumed other women approached him with the same understanding, which was why his philandering had never caused issues before.

However, Sonia noticed the look in Silia's eyes as she gazed at Felix, and she understood everything in an instant.

It was meant to be just a performance, but Silia had fallen in love for real.

Only by being truly moved could Silia be so irrational at this moment, cutting off the last shred of possibility between herself and Felix while performing a futile, useless act.

Emotion is the most unfathomable thing; even a Hunter occasionally falls into their own trap.

Women always think they are the last one for a man, and men always think they are the first one for a woman; the losers who fall into this trap always harbor unrealistic fantasies.

Receiving no answer from Silia, Felix looked at Luo Lian: "Senior Luo Lian, do you mean... you want to beat me up?"

"This is the Combat Hall, let's have a sparring match," Luo Lian sneered. "The Healing Institute is right next door, and I will try my best to hold back so the Vosrodar Family doesn't lose an excellent descendant. You wouldn't be afraid, would you?"

"Good, very good. How could I be afraid? It's just a first-year student sparring with a third-year, a Swordsman who became a spellcaster only a few days ago fighting a senior who has been one for over a year—how could I possibly be afraid?"

Felix bared his white teeth, every word accusing Luo Lian of bullying the weak. He was a Noble, not a fool; how could he fall for such a boring provocation?

The surrounding students clearly did not approve of such a lopsided battle; it was no different from bullying. However, Luo Lian's expression remained unchanged as his gaze shifted from Felix to Sonia.

Sonia immediately had a bad premonition.

"Felix, I heard you recently acquired a beautiful 'good junior.' You two even summoned Spell Spirits during combat; your relationship must be 'quite good' and your private friendship 'deep'."

Luo Lian deliberately emphasized his words, sneering, "As a senior, I naturally wouldn't bully the weak, but I will give you the chance to outnumber me—since I am venting for Silia, finding just you, Felix, isn't enough. Let that junior of yours come over too!"

"I'll take both of you on by myself!"

Although Luo Lian didn't say it, almost every word of his revealed the same subtext:

I am here today to beat up this Bitch and Bastard pair!

Sonia currently felt like smashing the Watcher's head in—how did she, a self-respecting bystander, get dragged into this pile of filth?

At this moment, everyone's eyes turned toward her, Felix included.

Sonia's gaze shifted, but she did not step out. Standing beside Ingrid, she wore a puzzled expression: "I'm sorry, Senior Luo Lian, I don't understand what you mean—although Felix and I both study under Professor Tello Zan, we have little private contact. This is your personal grudge; I have no reason to participate."

Just because Luo Lian spoke harshly, she should rush up and fight alongside Felix?

Sonia was no longer a child; likes and dislikes were not the only principles by which she acted.

She only wanted to grow quietly and had no interest in a friendship with Felix. Furthermore, this was her best chance to clarify things—if she really fought alongside Felix against Luo Lian, it would confirm the suspicion of them being a "Bitch and Bastard" pair.

No matter how she looked at it, extricating herself from this Vortex was the wisest choice.

Luo Lian stopped paying attention to Sonia and sneered, "It seems your charm isn't all that, Felix."

"You misunderstood," Felix said calmly, unbuckling his Sword Bag to take out a wooden sword. The atmosphere became explosive.

Just as Sonia thought she could escape the situation, a hand suddenly rested on her shoulder.

"This isn't reasonable—a battle with such a huge gap in strength, how is it any different from bullying? As a member of the Sword Flower Disciplinary Committee, I cannot allow such a one-sided crushing to occur."

A dashing Orange-Haired Female Swordsman pressed down on Sonia's shoulder, pushing her forward. Sonia turned her head and saw only the work badge pinned to the woman's chest: "Sword Flower Disciplinary Committee: Leonie Victor."

"It's Senior Leonie!"

"Why is she at the school?"

"It's the Orange Dancer herself!"

The Orange-Haired Female Swordsman dragged Sonia all the way to the center of the arena. Her hand was like a vise; Sonia couldn't break free at all.

"Junior Felix, Junior Sonia, you two really should communicate more often. If Professor Tello Zan knew you two couldn't even help and love one another, he would certainly be disappointed."

The Orange-Haired Female Swordsman looked at Sonia with a face full of smiles.

"Luo Lian certainly has the appearance of bullying the weak, but you are both research apprentices of Professor Tello Zan. For him to bully you is equivalent to insulting the Hidden Hand Sword Saint. How can you swallow this insult? You must know that Felix now represents not only himself but also his status as one of the two apprentices of Professor Tello Zan. Junior Sonia, you understand this logic, right?"

Sonia nodded and shook her head reluctantly, "But this is their personal grudge..."

"When Luo Lian announced he would challenge both of you, even if only to uphold the reputation of the Hidden Hand Sword Saint, you must accept the challenge. Besides, with two against one, the odds of winning are so high that refusing would make you look cowardly."

"As a Swordsman, you should have the courage to forge ahead and the confidence to reason with your sword! Beat your enemy into submission, and you are the one with the most reason!"

"Junior Sonia, what do you think?"

The moment the Orange-Haired Female Swordsman brought up Professor Tello Zan, Sonia knew she couldn't escape this battle.

Regardless of whether Tello Zan actually cared, Sonia didn't dare to gamble.

Tello Zan was her greatest backer at the moment, and she dared not risk anything that would affect his perception of her. Not to mention that with hundreds of people watching, news of her retreating and disregarding Professor Tello Zan's reputation would spread throughout the Sword Flower within ten minutes.

But she loathed this feeling: being manipulated, being forced, being schemed against, and finally being compelled to participate in a battle she didn't want!

A strong sense of grievance and humiliation fermented within her, to the point where Sonia's shoulders couldn't help but tremble slightly.

But she was a girl who had run to Gala City from the countryside all on her own; her reason quickly gained the upper hand.

However, just as she suppressed her inner dissatisfaction, a familiar voice rang in her ear.

"Need me to help you? I guarantee I can eliminate the frustration in your heart."

"Yes!"

"You promised that yourself, you know. I'm leaving now. Don't. Blame. Me."

The Watcher walked past behind Sonia and vanished into thin air after speaking.

The next second, Sonia looked at the Orange-Haired Female Swordsman.

"Junior Sonia, what is your decision now—?"

"I refuse!" Sonia shook her head firmly. "I will never get involved in their personal grievances, I will never fight side-by-side with Felix, and I will never fight against Senior Luo Lian!"

The Orange-Haired Female Swordsman raised an eyebrow slightly. "But in that case..."

"However!"

Sonia looked at the Orange-Haired Female Swordsman, enunciating every word with resounding clarity.

"As Professor Tello Zan's apprentice, I cannot tolerate you repeatedly using Professor Tello Zan's reputation to provoke me in front of me, I cannot tolerate your attempts to incite student sentiment to question Professor Tello Zan's teaching quality, and I certainly cannot tolerate you using the outcome of our duel to slander Professor Tello Zan's character!"

"I didn't—"

"No need to explain. Just as you said, if you beat your enemy into submission, you are the one in the right. Therefore—"

Sonia unfastened her Sword Bag, pulled out her Wooden Sword, and pointed it directly at the Orange-Haired Female Swordsman.

"Leonie Victor, I challenge you."