In the Secret Garden.

The four members of the Sword and Roses University dorm raised their glasses.

"Cheers!"

The main booths were full today, so they settled at a small table in the hall. Students nearby couldn't help stealing glances at them. The dorm residents, however, had long grown used to such attention and took it in stride. Anyone bold enough to approach usually received a look that sent them retreating straight to the restroom to check their own reflection.

Four days earlier, Sonya had once again challenged Leona in front of everyone.

This time, Leona did not hold back. She acknowledged Sonya as a true rival and accepted the challenge without hesitation. Both women donned their Starlight Robes, drew their sharpened swords, and unleashed every ounce of skill and strength they possessed.

Four healers stood ready nearby, prepared in case the two Sword Saint prodigies injured themselves during the duel. It was a clash of swordmaster against swordmaster, pinnacle against pinnacle.

In the end, both their Starlight Robes shattered at the same moment, and the supervising teacher declared the duel a draw.

Yet everyone understood what that result meant.

From that moment on, the Scarlet Swordswoman had stepped across the Orange Dancer like a milestone, securing her position as the foremost prodigy of Sword and Roses University.

After all, Leona had been a Silver Rank sorcerer for more than two years, while Sonya had reached that level less than a month ago. Sonya's earlier victories could be dismissed as luck. But this head-on duel, fought with both sides at full strength, left no room for doubt. Even the harshest critics might question her beauty, but none could question her skill.

More importantly, Sonya was still only a first-year student. Many believed she could become a Gold Rank sorcerer before graduation.

Even at Truth University, where geniuses gathered in abundance, students capable of reaching the Continent of Time before graduation were considered meteoric talents. For the first-year students of Sword and Roses University, their university life would inevitably unfold beneath the brilliance of the Scarlet Swordswoman.

Some even believed the greatest achievement of their lives might simply be having once been classmates with Sonya Selby.

When someone only slightly surpassed others, people felt envy. But if the gap became impossible to bridge, that envy turned into admiration, even reverence.

By now, her classmates only hoped Sonya would gain even greater glory, so they might one day boast of that rare connection.

Rumor had it that Sonya Selby already had a fan club on the school Curtain network, and its members were debating whether to call themselves Sone Fans or Selby Fans.

With Sonya's fame rising so rapidly, her dormmates naturally drew attention as well. Sonya herself felt almost untouchable, but befriending her friends offered a convenient path into her social circle.

It did not take long for everyone to realize that Sonya's dormmates were treasures in their own right.

Angelica stood out in the Swordsmanship Department, second only to Felix and Sonya. She trained diligently and carried herself with quiet confidence.

Louisa was one of the most stunning girls in the Water Sorcery Department. After Sonya transferred to the Swordsmanship Department, qualifiers were no longer necessary. Louisa was simply dazzling.

Adele was perhaps the most remarkable of all. She had founded Sonya's fan club and, as Sonya's dormmate, naturally served as its president. In other words, she was the Scarlet Swordswoman's ultimate private fan.

Thanks to Adele's subtle promotion, the nickname Roses Dorm[1]soon spread across the academy. Everyone knew that this small dorm housed four exceptional students, a veritable treasure trove for Sword and Roses University. They seemed destined for a future as a formidable group across all of Cailleach.

Sonya and Louisa reveled in the growing attention. True to their performative natures, they drew confidence and vitality from every gaze, as if recharging from a mana crystal. Each day, they walked to class brimming with spirit, fully alive in the spotlight.

Adele, though less flamboyant, enjoyed the spotlight in her own way, basking in admiration and the occasional love letter.

Angelica, however, had struggled at first. The attention annoyed her, especially when people interrupted her morning runs. But under Sonya and Louisa's guidance, she gradually changed.

She adopted a new hairstyle, shaped her brows, and began wearing sleek, simple athletic clothing. With her already impressive figure, her beauty quickly approached Sonya's level, falling only slightly behind Adele's. If Adele continued gaining weight, it might only be a matter of time before Angelica surpassed her.

As Angelica grew more attractive, her shyness slowly faded, replaced with confidence. She no longer hesitated when men approached her, and she even began learning skincare and sun protection from Sonya.

Makeup became her armor. Admiration became her victory. Angelica had never cared much about appearance before, believing a swordswoman's time was better spent training. But deep down, she still aspired to be beautiful. Her initial desire to become a swordswoman had been inspired by seeing Didaros portray a handsome female Sword Saint.

Beautiful. Elegant. Powerful. That was the ideal Angelica pursued.

With Sonya and Louisa guiding her away from unnecessary detours, she realized that a little effort each day could make her look better than ninety percent of her peers without interfering with her training.

Naturally, she embraced the path of beauty. In doing so, she had already completed one-third of her dream of becoming a true female Sword Saint. And tonight, Angelica took another step toward her dream.

Adele blushed, giggling. "Amazing! Our dorm already has two sorcerers before the first year even ends! Our dorm is incredible!"

During the evening's routine training, Angelica's sword sliced through the armor dummy for the tenth time, triggering a knowledge resonance. With that, she spontaneously summoned her first spirit, becoming the second officially recognized sorcerer in the dorm.

"Why are you making such a fuss? It's Sonya and Angelica who are amazing. What does that have to do with you?" Louisa teased, calling out Adele's shameless excitement. But her curiosity drew her toward the newly minted swordsmanship apprentice. "Angelica, can we see your spirit?"

"It's really nothing special," Angelica said modestly.

She held out her hand, and a spirit gripping a gleaming blade appeared in her palm.

Adele's eyes widened as she studied it. "So this is your Slash spirit? Wait... you summoned this yourself, right? Why does it look like a man? Angelica, are you secretly disguised as a boy? No wonder your chest is so—"

Louisa tapped Adele's head and interrupted, "The spirit you summon reflects your inner projection as a sorcerer. Don't spout nonsense if you didn't attend the lecture. Maybe Angelica just thinks male swordmasters are stronger."

"Exactly," Angelica said calmly. "I don't consider myself weaker than men. I know their strength and agility surpass women's, so I have to work harder to surpass them. Sometimes I wonder... if I were male, would my path in swordsmanship be smoother?"

Munching on chicken bites, Sonya said, "Once you become an official sorcerer, individual traits like strength and agility don't matter much. True power depends on the spirit, mana, and sorcery class rank. Gender is irrelevant. Look at Felix. Didn't I just crush him utterly? There's no need to put yourself down."

Angelica smiled apologetically. "I know, I understand all that. But some ideas take time to change. Only by growing stronger and gaining confidence in myself can I truly overcome this inferiority. Thank you both for your concern."

Sonya stared at her for a few moments, then turned to Louisa. "Just wait. One day, she'll reach a peak even we can't touch. This woman possesses strength far beyond mere talent."

"You two will eventually reach a peak we can't touch," Louisa muttered with mock irritation.

Adele added, "You three. Louisa is close to summoning her own Water Therapy spirit."

"Well, you're—not—completely—clueless—after all," Louisa enunciated each word, lightly tapping Adele's head with each pause. "You skip practice when I make you join, lie in bed watching shows, skip study sessions, lie in bed watching shows... At this rate, I'm starting to doubt whether you'll even enter the Virtual World before graduation. What will you do if you can't graduate?"

"Then I'll just get married," Adele groaned, covering her head.

"And then what? Just become some lady who only cares about leisure and romance?"

"Besides leisure and romance, I can still stay home and watch shows in bed," Adele added.

"You—"

Watching Louisa nearly flatten Adele's face, Sonya thought for a moment and interrupted, "Adele, I know Water Sorcery doesn't interest you, and maybe you picked the wrong class... but you've been training for over a year. You shouldn't be far from Silver Rank. Push a little harder, and you can step into the Virtual World. Once you're in, you can choose a sorcery class you actually love. There's plenty to explore.

"You're just like Angelica, knowing all the principles but unable to act on them... All I can say is, the Virtual World is fun and rewarding. Books can't compare to actual experience. Sorcerers explore it every night, not just to grow stronger, but because it's addictive. It's far more fun than lying in bed watching shows."

Sonya delivered the finishing blow. "And once Louisa steps into the Virtual World, our daily conversations will revolve around our experiences there. If you haven't immersed yourself in the Sea of Knowledge, you might not even keep up."

Adele fell silent for a moment, then drained her glass in one gulp. "Fine, fine. Starting tomorrow, I won't watch shows anymore!"

Louisa raised an eyebrow. "Tomorrow?"

"I'll finish all the shows I'm bingeing tonight... Fine, fine! Starting now, I won't watch any more! For you guys, the sacrifice is nothing!"

"No! It's for yourself."

1. As a reminder, the university called its most outstanding girls Roses. Naturally, Roses Dorm referred to the dorm where all the residents were Roses. In this case, Sonya and her roommates. ☜