Chapter 197: The Complex Rules of the Exchange Competition
After leaving Teacher Ji’s office, I was also reflecting on the content of our conversation. Although I couldn’t disclose anything due to the contract, even to Sister Bai, who had also signed the contract, I couldn’t bring myself to speak.
Only an extraordinary witch could master the means to cover the contents of the contract, which was why Teacher Ji could ignore the original terms of the contract and reveal more information to me while still being bound by it.
But Sister Bai was unable to do that.
So I couldn’t communicate this matter with Sister Bai, not even to hint at it.
Tan Han… isn’t she the only protagonist? Ultimately, there can only be one main character, so what happens to the others after that one achieves their goal?
Will they d*e?
I forgot to ask this. If they were to d*e and lose the identity of the protagonist, then as I understand it, they would merely be supporting characters and cannon fodder wearing the skin of a protagonist, wallowing in a quagmire that no one can interfere with. After all, it’s been said that there can only be one protagonist; if there are so many, they must all be false except for the real one.
The academy should have thought this through more thoroughly than I have.
I now understand what Teacher Ji meant when she said there were too many “protagonists,” that there’s no role for supporting characters or cannon fodder: when supporting characters and cannon fodder wear the protagonist’s cloak, there’s simply no room left for supporting characters and cannon fodder.
As much as I hate to admit it, my current position is indeed rather awkward.
But could I really keep myself out of it?
I could, of course, but I had already told Sister Bai that I looked forward to my performance, so perhaps this is what Teacher Ji meant by an early promise bearing a heavier burden. However, this kind of situation differs from person to person; for Sister Bai… I can only say I’m willing.
Only Tan Han… must be the most miserable one, right? Knowing nothing, yet having to bear everything on another level. Perhaps what she perceives as her fate is all part of fate’s design. Being as clever as she is, she must have considered it too.
Has she?
If she has indeed thought about it, her realization might be even more terrifying than I had imagined.
And now Teacher Ji telling me about such a matter likely has ulterior motives and might even relate to the issue of “taking sides.” I had already thought there would be problems in the exchange competition among so many academies, but I didn’t expect the problems to be this big. Doesn’t that mean that each academy has its own “Child of Fortune” to support their cause?
But apart from this identity of fortune, isn’t it just a normal phenomenon for each academy to support their exceptional students?
It’s just that now everyone is betting on whose Child of Fortune will be the final one.
That’s why I say I hate fate; it’s like a wicked afterthought, mocking everyone’s previous efforts as worthless in light of the final outcome.
If there were indeed such a tangible existence as fate, it would surely be crushed in an instant by all living beings.
As for whether I will support Tan Han in the end…
If I ask myself this question, I can only answer that I don’t know; it’s just that Tan Han is currently the closest Child of Fortune among all the ones I know.
Moreover, Teacher Ji had previously hinted at someone named “Yao Beijuan,” who could also become a Child of Fortune.
But it doesn’t matter; there’s no threshold for a Child of Fortune, and not all of them necessarily have good endings, right?
If a Child of Fortune is destined for a smooth rise, even if there are twists and turns along the way, that could essentially be summarized in one sentence, and there would be no need for so many people to maintain the so-called script.
Isn’t it better to just let things flow naturally?
Rather than worrying about something that doesn’t belong to me, I care more about what good things the academy has sent me under the guise of club subsidies.
I’ve already collected three hundred magic sources; what’s left? I think I should only have the spellbook, right?
After all, I can hardly imagine what else could help us in the exchange competition, since external items can’t be brought into the Dream World, and only one’s own strength is real.
I opened the storage equipment; the space inside was considerable, and after taking so many magic sources, there was indeed a large area that had cleared up. What remained was, as I imagined, a spellbook, but there was only one.
Next to it were several bottles containing potions.
“Potions?”
I took out the attached instruction note, which detailed the effects of these potions.
The Body Improvement Potion enhances one’s overall physical attributes gently, continuously boosting one’s physical strength and qualities without side effects.
The Spiritual Nourishing Potion has some enhancing effects on mental power but is more focused on nurturing it; it works well for damage to mental power or the discomfort caused by sudden gains in mental power.
Combined with a third type of mental power potion, it’s simply a perfect match; this enhancing mental power product is indeed excellent and should be usable together, right?
I looked at these three potion bottles. Later, I’ll ask Sister Bai, who has seen and learned much, and take them under her guidance.
Soon, I arrived again at the Witch Cat Café. Unlike yesterday when I sat in a seat with a good view, Sister Bai was waiting in a private room for me this time.
And when I returned last night, I found the golden cat card that had been mailed to me in the villa mailbox, along with many other letters I didn’t recognize, which I kept safe, as they were marked for me. I’ll check them out one by one whenever I have time.
“Sister Bai, you’ve been waiting for me so early?”
I opened the door to find a very customary cat-themed café. Upon entering, it felt less like stepping into a room and more like entering a dreamy world filled solely with cats. Everywhere I looked had cat elements and various cat toys, and a giant cat tree on one side was adorned with a huge cat head that, when looked at, would sway and let out a cute “meow~” auditory illusion.
Was illusion magic utilized as a solidified spell for the décor of this themed room?
What a brilliant design.
“Xiao Han is here, come quickly and sit.”
At that moment, Bai Yu was playing with a cute little kitten. Upon seeing me, she finally released her grip, and the kitten escaped from the presence that had been relentlessly tormenting it, even avoiding me by a short distance.
“Mm.”
I sat directly on the small short table.
“The academy has announced the specific rules for this exchange competition; things might be even more complex than we imagined.” Bai Yu got straight to the point. The Earth Vein System on her body projected a three-dimensional map.
“Hmm? Is that so?”
I replied casually, having not yet had the chance to check the specifics. Now seeing that Bai Yu had even gotten the dream map for this exchange competition, I no longer thought too much.
“Yes, this dream map for the exchange competition has a strong sense of fragmentation; it’s likely the result of compromises from the various academies. However, even so, this large map is enough to be divided into more than ten regions.”
More than ten regions? I looked at this gigantic three-dimensional map with interest. What attracted me most was naturally the floating island.
“What’s this?” I pointed to the floating island and asked.
“This is the Sky Floating Island, where the divine power sources of angels gather along with the authority to use divine arts.”
“Ah? Is that cheating?”
“Cheating… not necessarily. Each academy has its own power system, naturally having both benefits and limitations. It’s like how we witches use spellbooks and magic sources; that might be considered the freest thing.”
“The source of an angel’s power is the Holy Light divine power. This is the source of their strength, similar to our magic source. Moreover, their divine arts differ from spells; it is a recognition embedded within the angel race, though it sounds mystic, it’s actually just borrowed power. Borrowing is also a method of utilizing extraordinary power, and divine arts are an additional means, just like how we cast spells using spellbooks.”
“Just like the Holy Angel Academy, the Wizard Academy also has its limitations.” Bai Yu said as she pointed to a tower on the map; there stood the Wizard Tower.
“This is the Wizard Tower of the Wizard Academy. The powers of wizards are quite disordered; one could say that any power that can be manipulated by mental power can become their means. They spare no effort in utilizing it, which is why they rely heavily on various external items, such as spellcasting materials, etc. In fact, they even undergo bodily modifications for the sake of power.”
“Although they claim to be human, their essence is even less human than any other race. If you could see the mechanical faction of the wizards, you would see their bodies completely replaced by machinery. In the case of the poison faction, they are even living incubators for voodoo. They may even keep voodoo insects as pets within their bodies, which they call the symbiosis of life.”
“Wizards’ methods are quite insidious, Xiao Han; you need to be careful. They love to use curses, so don’t leave behind any bodily information like skin, hair, or bodily fluids, as it could become spellcasting materials for curses.”
“And this Wizard Tower is their supply point, a manifestation of their power within a reasonable range. The violation lies within the Wizard Tower itself, which is also a terrifying war machine; we must be careful of that. After all, if the Wizard Tower is destroyed, the wizards’ means and power would greatly diminish. Thus, the power of the Wizard Tower is terrifying, and it is also hard to destroy; it can only take effect within a certain range under the pressure from the various academies.”
“So the wizards have turned this into a positional battle instead?” I asked curiously.
“One could say that to some extent. Only a few need to guard the Wizard Tower; I’m sure the Wizard Academy will certainly send a few able to control the Wizard Tower to enter. Perhaps their power is negligible, but they are absolutely skilled at defending the Wizard Tower.”
“Alright… that’s indeed disgusting.” I shrugged. Since that’s the case, I really want to find an opportunity to take down that tower.
Then Sister Bai explained to me the largest area on this map: a massive forest, with a gigantic tree standing out in the center.
That’s the virtual Aphhemia World Tree in the dream, just a simulation of its appearance but drastically downsized.
Needless to say, this is the territory of Aphhemia Academy. But it doesn’t stop there; it’s also the domain of all elves. After all, the Elf Academy isn’t just about Aphhemia Academy; it’s just that Aphhemia Academy is the most renowned and is the only exceptional elf race academy in this world.
However, adjacent to this thick forest is an area where the trees are slightly sparser, which is where the Beast Academy and its orc academies reside, such as the Catkin Academy, the Charm Fox Academy, and even the Minotaur Academy.
They don’t have the obvious weaknesses and necessary defended locations that wizards and angels possess, but at the same time, their location doesn’t offer particularly strong support. Even the angels and wizards, who have strong supports, cannot cover the entire map with their abilities.
The areas remaining for the Sea Tribe are the waters surrounding the map and can be said to occupy the largest area of the map.
Next is the Dragon bl**d Academy’s active volcano, where the setting features a fallen ancient dragon. The volcano flows with the bloodline power of that ancient dragon; whether intentional or not, it is a gathering place for a wealth of treasures, gold, antiques, etc. Although these are all false items in the Dream World, they are deliberately included in the rules, which shows how much the Dragon Academy fought for these worthless items. One gets the feeling that the students of that academy better thank them.
The stereotype about dragons loving treasure is indeed true.
Then there’s the ancient city ruins guarded by dwarves. Due to the unique nature of the dwarves’ power system, this ancient city ruin simply delays their development time; so, in theory, dwarves are the safest in the early game.
As for the bl**d Clan’s Land of Eternal Darkness, and those demons, succubi, the undead, and other academies within the Land of the Fallen, they are also prepared for those academies.
Interestingly, within the Land of Eternal Darkness, there is a core bl**d pool that the bl**d Clan needs to protect, as well as a ranch that can develop bl**d servants.
The Land of the Fallen mimics the depths of the Abyss, overall resembling a super large basin with a layered tectonic feel, which greatly fits my fantasies of the living environments of those dark creatures.
And then there’s the largest central area of this map… the Central Ancient Battlefield. This is where the map is designed for major combat. However, the actual battlefield situation will depend on circumstances. Maybe everyone prefers to sneak home and switch houses instead?
No one can be certain about such things.
The Central Ancient Battlefield is a war ruin, setting up for various situations to occur, like extreme weather or natural disasters. Also, under the interference of the earth veins, various abnormal situations will arise, with scenes of the ancient battlefield’s slaughter manifesting in the influence of the earth veins. Those present there may face the intimidating presence of various military forces ready for battle.
Moreover, another setting in the Central Ancient Battlefield is that periodically, phantoms of the past will burst forth to indiscriminately destroy, transforming surrounding areas into part of the Central Ancient Battlefield.
This is mainly a limitation set for academies with fixed territories.
After all, without imposing restrictions, how could the competition even work?
For the orcs, who have no such limitations, they can change their residence at any time, though the living conditions may be uncomfortable.
Even the angels in the sky cannot escape this; no one wants the Holy Angel Academy to have it easy. Thus, the ancient battlefield purposely features aerial forces aimed specifically at the Holy Angel Academy’s floating island.
Such a massive project amounts to merely countless thoughts manifesting in the Dream World.
Listening to Bai Yu and my explanations, I couldn’t help but marvel at this miracle.
But I had one more question.
“Sister Bai, where does our Witch Academy fit into this?”
“Do you think our Witch Academy needs to guard some shabby place like they do?”
“Apparently not, but where will our Witch Academy appear then?” I asked curiously.
“In the Central Ancient Battlefield.”
“Wait? Isn’t that dangerous?”
“Precisely because it’s dangerous, but witches must admit that there truly aren’t many shortcomings. So appearing in this Central Ancient Battlefield is at least what the rules specify.”
“This is our original advantage! This is a battle; how can our advantage be balanced out because of this? Must we be forced to have it evenly matched?” I asked angrily.
“I feel the same way, but this is probably the academy’s compromise. Let’s not discuss that; let’s talk about the ranking methods for this exchange competition.”
“The so-called academy exchange competition focuses on communication; what to communicate naturally revolves around the strengths and weaknesses of the academies and the combat power of the students.”
“This is quite rational, and this also determines the academy ranking as well as the individual ranking.”
“First, the academy ranking. This ranking is quite interesting but also a bit complex. Each academy needs to perform a unique ceremony that reflects their characteristics, generally requiring teamwork to accomplish. During the ceremony, there will be a full map announcement and positioning. Only one ceremony can exist at the same time, and a successful ceremony scores a point, whereas failure earns no points. Rankings are based on the score, and if scores are tied, they rank according to the order they were reached.”
In this statement, Bai Yu essentially read the rules directly without explaining what the ceremony is.
“And the individual ranking is even more intriguing. Each person can revive twice; that is, they have three lives. Killing someone earns one point, then multiplying by their life base gives the final individual score.”
“For example, if you have three lives, killing one person earns one point, resulting in a total of three points. If you d*e once midway, the final score drops to two points, and if all lives are lost, it resets to one as the final base; it won’t be zero. This means that if the fighting goes all the way to the end, everyone may just have one as their base score, while the final scores of some individuals might still be two or three. Those people are likely to be besieged by others; this is the interesting part, exploiting human nature — no one gets an easy ride.”
“Well, this… truly sounds interesting…” I sighed from my seat.
This exchange competition seems complex, and how long will it take to determine a winner?
It wouldn’t do to stop attending classes because of the exchange competition, right?
Even though I have exemptions, what about the other students? Or are other students… not important?
I suddenly realized a problem: if everyone’s attention is focused on the protagonist, what about ordinary people like me?
They wouldn’t be able to live as exciting a life as I do, so what about their lives… have they been abandoned?
It should… be an illusion, right?
