Chapter 142: The Badass Who Can Crush Fireballs with Bare Hands!
“I feel like there’s nothing fun here, but the popcorn seems pretty good, and it’s really sweet~”
Sister Bai accompanied me as we walked around the area, familiarizing ourselves with the various entrances and even the important notes about entering and exiting the arena.
I even went through some of the admission procedures for contestants. Once the novelty wore off, the plain atmosphere here started to feel a bit boring.
Moreover, there were quite a few staff members arranging the site. Although they allowed people to come in and have fun, it didn’t feel right to obstruct them.
“If you like it, we can buy some before we leave,” Sister Bai pointed towards the exit we were heading to, where the popcorn shop was located.
After I showed some signs of fatigue, Sister Bai suggested we should head back to rest. After all, walking around the arena can be quite exhausting, especially for new students like us, whose witch transformation progress isn’t very high yet, and whose physical condition has not changed much.
“Forget it, I won’t eat so many snacks lately. It’s better to eat some normal food.” I glanced at the time; it was nearing noon. I had only eaten some bread in the morning, and I regretted not eating more if I was going to get hungry this quickly. “It’s almost lunchtime, let’s go have lunch first, this afternoon…”
“What? Do you want to do something this afternoon?”
“Oh, no, I actually plan to study a spellbook this afternoon. Sister Bai, you just gave me a spellbook, and I need to understand its characteristics before the competition starts.” I spoke apologetically, as it seemed like Sister Bai wanted to continue enjoying our time together.
I also sensed some issues and wanted to head back quickly; otherwise, I might run into trouble.
I felt like someone was following me.
This was the first time I had been followed. At first, I didn’t pay much attention, not expecting such a possibility, but under the influence of Spirit Vision, I could see the sneaky person through various obstacles.
The other party was performing very well. Sister Bai didn’t seem to notice. If it weren’t for confirming that the other party’s peeping gaze was indeed fixed on me, I wouldn’t have dared to be certain that I was being followed.
Even though the person was quite visible to me, I didn’t know them, and I shouldn’t be under surveillance like a celebrity.
Indeed, possessing Spirit Vision at the Floating World level is problematic. I can discern others stealthily following me, but if I approach, the other party seems to quickly hide, as if afraid of me.
Afraid of me?
Maybe it’s because of Sister Bai by my side.
Should I tell Sister Bai and set up a trap to catch them and ask them clearly?
“Sister Bai, I want to tell you something~” I suddenly leaned close to Sister Bai and whispered, startling her with my intimate gesture.
“Ah? Oh, Xiao Han, don’t be so jumpy. Just say what you need to say.”
“Hehe, it’s nothing major. I saw someone following me.” I said in a low voice.
“What?
“Lower your voice, I’m telling you…”
After briefly explaining my meaning to Sister Bai, I accompanied her into a roadside restaurant.
The plan was quite simple: let Sister Bai pretend to leave, leaving me alone, then give the other party a chance to see how they would react.
If there was no reaction, it would mean the other party was just some troubled person unworthy of concern. I would dismantle the spellbook in 8401 this afternoon.
If they did react and blocked me, then I would let Sister Bai deal with them!
I suddenly found the Witch Academy to also be quite dangerous; after all, everyone around has extraordinary abilities. No one can guarantee that those who possess power will suppress their inner darkness and evil.
Looking at the name of this academy, “Witch Academy”! Witches are generally not the kind of characters one would want to mess with, whether in legend or reality.
Even in storybooks, they are often portrayed as villains.
“Thanks for the meal, Sister Bai. Next time, let me treat you~”
After eating, I temporarily parted ways with Sister Bai at the restaurant entrance.
“I’m looking forward to it. Take care of yourself,” Bai Yu replied and took out her broom to leave.
At that moment, I was alone.
The restaurant I chose was a bit trendy; to find the bus stop, I needed to walk into a somewhat deserted alley and cross to the other side.
No need to say anything about taking a longer route; just considering this rare chance to be alone, would those guys take the bait?
As I walked in, the shadow I had “marked” began to move, clearly unwilling to just watch from a distance.
After only a short distance, I noticed there were people entering from all corners of this quiet alley.
Just this number amounted to three people.
Naturally, the first one I encountered was the one coming straight at me.
From their attire and demeanor, they didn’t seem like new students. Their rebellious fashion and hairstyle, along with their dismissive attitude, gave off a thuggish vibe.
However, they were still students of the Witch Academy. Witch transformation wouldn’t make them too unpresentable; they instead gave the impression of little street girls.
I ignored her and silently made way, but she stepped sideways, blocking my path.
“Senior, I have no grudges against you, do I?” I said.
“Oh? What’s up? You look like a new student. Don’t you know you should pay respect when meeting a senior?”
“Hmm?”
I tilted my head and spotted Sister Bai on top of a nearby building. I met her gaze and gently shook my head, signaling her not to intervene just yet.
After all, I wanted to see how this play would unfold. This provocation was too cliché.
“Don’t give me ‘hm’ and ‘ah.’ You new students are very arrogant, aren’t you? Do you think I’m unpleasant to see? Let me tell you, new students should show seniors proper respect.” The senior said, extending her hand towards me as she pushed me.
I stepped back but turned around only to see two similar seniors blocking my escape route.
“You guys… this isn’t very good, is it?” I leaned against the wall to the side, finding their advancing poses quite amusing.
I never expected to experience bullying at the academy, especially with premeditated intent; they had been following me for a long time.
“Big sis, don’t waste time with her; wait until I use a spell to ruin her face, then let’s see what she will do.” One of them quickly got to the point, though I still didn’t understand what they were up to.
Robbery? Assault? Or simply enjoying the pleasure of bullying?
Even starting to use spells without hesitation?
I felt the surge of magic within her and the activation of her spellbook.
A spell gathered before her.
At such close range, I could observe this clearly. Spells can be interrupted, and the simplest way to disrupt one is to attack the caster, forcing them to abandon casting. There’s also the technical aspect of interruption.
Regardless of whatever spell is forcibly interrupted or stopped, the caster will experience some backlash on their mental power.
For example, the spell formation she was condensing was delicate; a spell is a fragile thing. The more one studies its principles and internal structures, the clearer one can understand a fundamental truth.
That is, the essence of spell dueling is to create a safe environment for oneself to cast spells, followed by the competition between spells.
It really is that simple.
Moreover, spellbooks don’t allow for instant casting; only rapid casting is feasible. The casting time can be compressed. Without understanding the internal magic modifications of the spellbook, relying solely on its use and comprehension will result in a low efficiency when shortening casting time.
For instance, this girl before me had a slow casting time for her Fireball Spell, at least compared to me. Was she bullying me for being a new student and not understanding spells?
“Are you not afraid of attracting the Wiji team by casting spells here?”
As I spoke, I stepped forward and extended my hand, activating my mental power to disrupt her casting ceremony.
This action disrupted the spell-casting ritual rather than targeting the internal structures of her spellbook. It would only affect the release of that specific spell. If I interfered with the internal structure, her spellbook would never work properly again.
However, I was very familiar with the spell she was trying to use: it was a very basic Fireball Spell. Although certain structures differed from the Fireball Spell I studied, such a classic technique would obviously not escape my recognition.
At that moment, the three seniors were shocked by my actions, as it was their first time seeing someone interrupt a spell with bare hands!
Does she not need her hands anymore?
This terrifying and high-energy extraordinary element could instantly vaporize a person’s hand!
Sure, they had seen spells interrupted and alchemical items disrupted, but never with bare hands!
Is she not a fool?
But it was obvious I wasn’t a fool; I recognized the power of the spell at this moment. Interrupting spells sounds easy, but to accomplish it is not something an ordinary person can achieve.
That’s when the Protection Spell, Energy Shield, came into play.
Its nature as an energy shield instead of a material one signifies its strong “malleability.”
Originally, it was a rigid orb protecting my entire body, but now, it could also adapt to form protective gloves that fit my hand’s curves.
When dismantling the Energy Shield spell and applying it, I usually protected my hands like this during Fireball Spell tests to prevent explosions and high-temperature burns on my hands.
The Energy Shield provided excellent protection against such elemental spells, and even offered some defense against physical attacks.
And now, this was especially true!
My hand directly inserted into her spell ritual, gripping the most vital, unformed fireball. Then I pulled it out in full view of their shocked expressions.
The massive and unformed extraordinary elements condensed into incomplete runes, shattering as the ritual broke apart.
Even though it was merely fire elements, with terrifying high temperatures radiating outward, the damage barreled in various directions and dissipated.
The damage aimed at me was effortlessly blocked.
“Bare…handed…”
At this moment, the three seniors were terrified by the scene. Especially after the hot energy fragments exploded onto their faces, they retreated in panic, rolling away.
The senior who had just blocked me was now filled with the image of me crushing the fireball, completely exceeding her understanding, even making them wonder if they had the wrong person.
How could this badass who crushed fireballs with bare hands be a new student! She had been at the academy for so long and had never seen someone crush a spell with their hands!
