Chapter 417: The Troublesome Things of Qiux Ruxin
After waking up, Qiux Ruxin’s spirits were soaring high and her excitement lasted for quite some time. Perhaps being witchified made her look even more exquisite, as no girl could resist becoming prettier. Qiux Ruxin was no different.
All girls love beauty, especially when they’re just turning into young ladies today.
Even though Qiux Ruxin was very happy at the moment, I knew that she had only gained the qualification to become stronger, not immediate strength. The road ahead was still long, so I couldn’t fully share in her joy.
Back then, as a guy undergoing the transformation into a girl, I experienced new sensations. But Qiux Ruxin was even more excited than me; this state had been ongoing for quite a while.
Still, I didn’t stop her. Since I didn’t know why she was so elated, there must be a reason behind it. It was rarely the case that she was so happy, so I let her be.
“Alright, alright. Go take a bath. After becoming a witch, it’s best to clean yourself up. Didn’t you get cream on your clothes while eating the cake?”
As Qiux Ruxin’s enthusiasm began to wane and her energy was almost spent, I encouraged her.
Such small things as getting cream on her clothes were practically routine for her, with all the bad luck she has.
“Do I? Okay, I’ll go wash up,” Qiux Ruxin said after the excitement died down. She prepared to go back to the room to gather the items she needed for bathing.
“Bring a spare showerhead, I’m afraid this one might break again.” I reminded her once more.
We remembered the first time we bathed when this happened with Qiux Ruxin using the shower. Luckily, I bathed first or we would’ve had to use magic to wash.
Following this, I stocked up on extra essentials as a precaution.
After advising Qiux Ruxin, I turned my attention back to the ceiling fixture, which clearly needed replacing. With a flick of my spell, it fell and I caught it easily.
Just as I was about to fetch a new one, I noticed something odd about Qiux Ruxin’s magic source inside her body.
“Hmm? Odd… Can’t be my eyes, right?” I rubbed my eyes, remembering that my spirit vision could sometimes play tricks on me, which could be quite bothersome. However, I’d gotten used to it.
“Qiux Ruxin, hurry and take a bath. After that, I have a gift for you.” I said.
“Eh? Oh! Got it, I’ll be quick!”
“Mm.”
Naturally, my gift was a spellbook. I’d acquired many, some through the academy’s compensation, some via sponsorship, and others through fair competition.
I wasn’t too invested in them.
Besides, many spellbooks had duplicates. For instance, there were repeats of fundamental consumable spellbooks, like Fireball Spell. This was quite basic.
With only one magic source, I naturally wouldn’t give her a useless spellbook.
For her self-defense, I didn’t mind using alchemy to stabilize some minor spells she could use, saving her mana.
Currently, the spellbooks’ damage output without significant debuffs was excessive, making smaller spells perfectly suited for her.
Time flew, and Qiux Ruxin emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a towel, carrying a scent of moisture and fragrance.
“Sister Xiao Han, I’m done! Where’s my gift?” Qiux Ruxin asked eagerly, pressing a towel to her chest, looking at me hopefully.
“Put on some clothes first.” I averted my gaze, trying not to imagine things.
With Qiux Ruxin’s already good form enhanced by witchification, her entire aura and appearance soared to new heights. Any guy around would surely be smitten instantly.
“Sister Xiao Han, you’re not even willing to look at me like this?”
“One look…” I hesitated slightly before turning and giving Qiux Ruxin a thorough inspection.
“And then what?”
“And then…” Qiux Ruxin struggled to find words under my sudden response. My gaze scrutinized her thoroughly, devoid of emotion—this wasn’t what she expected.
At this moment, she seemed to realize something was amiss, a vast distance between them, unbridgeable like a mountain.
It seemed like she realized her mistake.
“S-Sorry…” she murmured out of habit.
“Not a big deal. Qiux Ruxin just became an adult; this should be a happy day. You’re grown-up now and need to take responsibility for your actions. Hurry up and change clothes. Mind the towel doesn’t fall off?”
Seeing Qiux Ruxin suddenly apologize, I quickly smiled warmly, urging her to change.
“Mm.” Qiux Ruxin acted as if nothing had happened and dashed away.
Watching her enter her bedroom, I retrieved a book-like object that served as the repository for spellbooks. If a spellbook left the body or its earth vein shackles, it would dissipate continuously; these spellbooks were delicate indeed.
This particular spellbook contained the Fireball Spell, immensely powerful even against shielded excavators. It was a spellbook I’d tested personally.
In critical situations, Qiux Ruxin could use this for intimidation and summon me if a gap appeared.
“Sister Xiao Han, I’m done changing!”
Qiux Ruxin emerged in fresh clothes, exuding youthful exuberance from her bedroom.
“Perfect, try this.” I stood up, handed her the spellbook from its repository.
“What’s this?” Qiux Ruxin asked curiously, holding the glowing orb. She wasn’t sure what it was.
“It’s a spellbook. With this…you can cast spells…right?” I recalled abruptly that Qiux Ruxin didn’t know witch meditation method yet!
Without witch meditation, if her mental power wasn’t refined into strands, how could she manipulate a spellbook?
“How do I use it?”
“Oh, sorry, just put it inside.” I recalled and explained.
“Like this?” Qiux Ruxin tried, feeling the peculiar sensation as the spellbook entered her body, but sensing no change.
“You haven’t practiced witch meditation, haven’t refined your mental power into strands. Only through that can you use a spellbook.”
“Really? So, can I wreak havoc among the excavators like Sister Xiao Han?”
“Mhm… Your current strength is insufficient. Don’t rush. Let’s start with witch meditation. If you have a good talent, you might learn it in a few days. And I’ve arranged a special teacher for you.”
“A special teacher? Who?”
“My illusory clone,” I chuckled and snapped my fingers. A rune appeared in my eyes briefly and vanished.
Qiux Ruxin, however, was instantly affected by my clone’s presence.
“What?” Qiux Ruxin asked, puzzled.
“I am here to teach you the witch meditation method.” At this moment, a voice identical to mine appeared behind Qiux Ruxin, startling her.
“Who! H-Hello two Sister Xiao Hans!” Qiux Ruxin gasped, noticing another “Sister Xiao Han” behind her, shaking in fear.
“Imagery clone. Simply put, it’s an illusion. That one over there is my original. I won’t explain further; either way, feel free to ask me about the witch meditation method.”
Qiux Ruxin returned to her somewhat stiff demeanor, probably intimidated by the clone’s presence.
I silently observed my clone’s behavior, noting her tone.
“Study with this clone earnestly. If you encounter any issues, come to me,” I instructed.
“Mm, I will try my best!” Qiux Ruxin nodded firmly.
After a brief farewell with Qiux Ruxin, I retreated to my own bedroom, needing to attend to more pressing matters.
However, regarding the plant technology I hadn’t grasped much so far.
Based on my speculation of the extraordinary item, it likely possessed a special effect that constantly radiated outward, driving rapid advancements in this world’s technology. The closer one was to Qiux Ruxin, the stronger this effect. This explained why talents from other countries shone on Lanas Island.
“Maybe… I should just borrow the extraordinary item from Qiux Ruxin to see its true effects. Even if I don’t fully understand it, information shouldn’t lie…”
I muttered quietly to myself but decided against it for now. Qiux Ruxin was still learning the witch meditation method. There was no urgency.
Better to spend time reviewing the knowledge recorded in the earth vein system. With a flip of my hands, I began browsing the alchemy-related content, since such skills couldn’t be neglected and required regular practice.
Suddenly, I sensed the clone move and something seemed off with Qiux Ruxin. Sighing, I marked where I’d read, closed the system, and headed for the bedroom door.
Coincidentally, Qiux Ruxin’s voice and knock echoed outside.
“Sister Xiao Han! Something’s wrong!”
“What happened?” I opened the door, seeing her looking anxious.
“The spellbooks! They’re disappearing!”
“What do you mean? Did you take them out?” I frowned.
“No! Inside my body, dissolving slowly!”
“Inside? But how?”
Given Qiux Ruxin hadn’t removed the spellbooks herself, they shouldn’t be deteriorating. Given she hadn’t learned witch meditation, she couldn’t possibly destroy them by using them.
Yet, the spellbooks inside her were fading.
I used my mental power to retrieve the spellbook, now dull instead of shimmering. My spirit vision revealed chaotic runes inside—the manifestation of the deterioration from prolonged separation.
But the real issue was…
The spellbooks were surprisingly easy to retrieve.
A mere mental probe extracted the decaying spellbook. If this was possible, what did it mean?
If in battle, someone attacked me with a spellbook and I merely grabbed their spellbook with mental power, that would be impossible!
At least, it was extremely difficult.
Given this, the spellbook was doomed, beyond repair. It would be simpler to replace it.
“How could this happen?” I still struggled to accept it, even if Qiux Ruxin was the protagonist.
Could it be because of the incompatibility between our main world’s spellbooks and this world’s?
Not possible!
Knowing spellbooks intimately, compatibility seemed unlikely. I’d rather believe Qiux Ruxin lacked the earth pulse shackles.
Wait… no earth pulse shackles?
“Qiux Ruxin, stay still. I want to explore other possibilities.” I soothed her, considering this spellbook was my gift to her, and seeing it destroyed upset her.
“Mmh.” Qiux Ruxin sniffled, nodding. Losing the spellbook had a significant impact on her.
With Qiux Ruxin’s permission, I started investigating.
That fleeting conclusion shocked me. If correct, Qiux Ruxin’s inability to retain spellbooks and her recent misfortunes had a cause.
But another issue arose. If she was the protagonist, lacking earth pulse shackles seemed inconceivable.
Or could the protagonists maintain their status even if they lost their shackles?
I found this unclear. Maybe, I was a rare exception. Or perhaps the seed of fortune had already tied me to fate before my shackles were severed…
Wait… If Qiux Ruxin lacked earth pulse shackles, couldn’t her magic source also lack a host?
My mental power probed her magic source cautiously, and it came out with ease… This magic source had only a tenuous link with her, possibly due to her initial witch transformation. Initially, it worked fine without complications, but a second wouldn’t.
“No… no earth pulse shackles?” After testing, I sighed.
Since my exploration of the earth river, my spirit vision could distinguish between earth veins and shackles. Yet, none were visible within Qiux Ruxin’s body…
Problematic…
No earth pulse shackles… Could Qiux Ruxin’s misfortune parallel my misfortune?
If true, what about the side effects or cost of the extraordinary item?
Immediately, questions flooded my mind, overturning my earlier assumptions.
