Chapter 222: The Witch Tea Party Held at bl**d Pool Castle
“It seems like there is some residual power left.”
I looked at the sea, which was no longer as turbulent as before. After all, this was just a magical effect caused by external forces.
It can’t truly compare to a real tsunami, which can destroy coastal cities with a single wave, while here, it just flooded a patch of land.
And I understood what the so-called “sea erosion” meant. The tsunami triggered by the Sea King Ceremony is mainly used not just to cause terrifying damage but to erode land into sea territory.
At this moment, the highlands and mountains along the coast of the Land of the Fallen have become floating islands in the sea, while the Abyss below has transformed into mounds on the seabed.
The sea water was still rising, and the erosion was worse than I had expected.
The Sea King Ceremony had completely collapsed, turning into streams and pearls. I found out that these pearls could actually be taken away as resources. I just didn’t know what they were useful for, but they should be resources provided by the Sea Tribe.
This time, it flooded the Land of the Fallen, altering the terrain. Although the students of the Land of the Fallen might not have all perished in such a terrifying tsunami, it was pretty close.
If anyone managed to survive such a natural disaster, they could surely say they were very lucky.
The sea water continued to rise, and I was reluctant to just leave the gigantic sword that plunged into the Abyss Troll behind.
In the end, I summoned the protection of the Elemental Sprite and leapt into the water. At least this way, I wouldn’t have to worry about my clothes or hair getting wet.
Finally, I examined the gigantic sword underwater.
I wondered if the Teleportation Summoning Spell could be used on this thing. If so, what kind of protection spell could stop it from coming down?
Its sharpness, its sturdiness, its weight—there was no doubt that it was an excellent means of attack.
I wondered what it would look like if such a sword were to be thrust into the World Tree, or pierce through the Wizard Tower, or strike the floating island in the sky.
It would surely be spectacular!
Of course, this all hinged on the Teleportation Summoning Spell being able to take it away.
If that didn’t work, I could use multiple markings. Even if it consumed more resources, I’d be willing to do it.
“Mark, from the hilt to the blade… Marking successful!”
After trying underwater, I realized that the marking was indeed successful—next, I would test whether I could summon it.
I then leaped out of the water and climbed a mountain. At this moment, the high mountain of the Land of the Fallen had already turned into a relic submerged in water.
Only the top was exposed, revealing its original shape.
Thanks to the protection of the Elemental Sprite, my clothes didn’t get wet, though I had used a bit too much magic power. Ever since I used the Fire Rain Field that time, I felt like I had become rather careless with using magic.
“Summon.”
I activated the spellbook and looked forward, hoping to witness a miracle from this spell that only required ten points of magic power.
The summoning ritual pattern was formed, but it wasn’t big enough.
“No, that won’t do… Make it bigger!” I focused and began to manipulate the spellbook.
“If you can’t stand up, then let me help you!”
“Yes! Just like that!”
I watched as the Teleportation Summoning Spell’s ritual expanded, and a chilling sword tip appeared within the summoning ritual.
Then, under its immense weight, the sword forcefully plunged back into the water.
The sword body crashed into the water with a thundering sound, splashing up waves, and this crazy success made me envision it piercing through its target.
However, I was still a bit uneasy about such a commotion, so I quickly dove back into the water to check the status of the marking on the gigantic sword. The power I had unleashed earlier was a bit overwhelming, and I feared the marking might have shattered since I knew these markings were quite fragile.
After examining, several of the markings had indeed been broken, but the part that had been inserted into the troll’s body was still “unearthed.”
With that, I could more comprehensively mark the gigantic sword lying in the water, making the subsequent summoning easier.
After finishing these tasks, I flew away on my broomstick, feeling delighted.
After all, Tan Han and the others, who had already reached the Land of Eternal Darkness, still needed my support; but then again, it wasn’t necessarily the case—perhaps Tan Han and her team had already dealt with those guys.
The bl**d Clan made trouble for us as soon as they arrived at our Witch Academy. Although I knew this might be related to fortune, it was a fact that they provoked us.
It was quite obvious that we were in an adversarial relationship. They had provoked us in the Dream Space before, and I had dealt with them thoroughly. I didn’t know how it had ended afterward; they must have been rescued, but I did not admit to having been too harsh at that moment.
As I left, I looked back at my work—the already submerged Land of the Fallen. Indeed, from this angle, it looked much more pleasing. The previous tsunami had also affected other areas, but I’d leave those troubles to them to deal with.
If only the Teleportation Summoning Spell could summon that water, that would be great, but unfortunately, it couldn’t. The Teleportation Summoning Spell only summons marked entities, rather than opening a portal to transport things. Otherwise, when summoning the gigantic sword, the sword and the sea water would have come together.
As I flew, I saw various terrains flooded with sea water, torn vegetation, trees, and abandoned buildings and ruins.
Along the way, I spotted a supply crate and went down to take a look. It contained some very conventional items, none of which could be used outside of the dream.
At this moment, outside.
Because the Dream Exchange Competition was being held non-stop, the vast open-air arena at the Witch Academy was obviously open all day long.
Last night, many spectators had remained seated, and some clever ones even brought their sleeping companions to spend an unforgettable night.
They had also witnessed many events.
Naturally, normal people usually returned to watch on their phones or back in their dorms on TV, but in that case, they could only watch one window at a time.
This kind of 24-hour livestreaming method can get tedious; traveling, sleeping, or doing other activities can make it quite boring for many viewers.
Of course, those weirdos who do things while sleeping are exceptions.
Thus, the general viewing mode was through a commentary perspective, since the free perspective focused on the arena kept shifting views, ensuring that most of the time, viewers watched the most exciting moments happening in the exchange competition.
“We can see that Yang Yuelan from the Witch Academy has now taken over the Sea King’s Ceremony of the Sea Tribe. She has been crowned queen! The sea waves cheer for her, and the splashes adorn her!”
“We can see that Yang Yuelan’s goal is very clear, just as she stated before, aimed directly at the Land of the Fallen!”
“Let’s see how the various academies in the Land of the Fallen react at this moment… Oh, it seems like last night’s battles were quite intense, and some students from the Undead Academy are still sleeping peacefully, even with the impending water, they sleep so soundly. But that’s alright; at least they won’t suffer too much when they d*e.”
“We must mention again that battles in the dream do not possess the sensation of pain, and because of that, the Undead Academy’s students subjected to that horrifying ab*se by Lan Baihui from the Witch Academy would face such rage…”
The commentary perspective here was published by the Witch Academy, and the commentator was a senior sister from the academy, making her commentary heavily influenced by personal emotions.
At this moment, the free perspectives and commentaries from other academies were independent.
This was confirmed during the exchanges of meetings among various academies when live broadcasting was mentioned.
After all, every academy cares about its reputation. If their students perform poorly or make mistakes, at least the most viewed free perspective won’t catch them.
Though such matters cannot be concealed, they can at least reduce certain impacts.
However, other academies thought it out quite well, but the actual situation may not go as they wished.
“What a good drowning!”
“Starting the morning with something like this? My waking mood is cured.”
“Xiao Han, riding the sea waves, looked too amazing!”
“k*ll! Every academy from the Land of the Fallen deserves to d*e!”
“Revenge for Lan Baihui! Oh yeah! So satisfying, what a thrill.”
“Anyone can disappoint us, but Xiao Han will never!”
“Pet Xiao Han, did you watch the exclusive livestream of Xiao Han last night? She almost got sold to the Inferior Demon Academy, how infuriating.”
“What? Was there some major news last night?”
At this moment, whether at the arena or in dorms watching the livestream, the various senior sisters were incredibly excited.
Of course, the camera wasn’t focused on just one individual, since the purely overflowing seawater would get boring after a while. Occasionally, the screen switched to the Land of Eternal Darkness, which hardly ever appeared in the free perspective, likely because the exchange competition had continued until now, and the bl**d Clan hadn’t shown any standout performances.
Or rather, although the bl**d Clan had been active last night, they were just getting hammered by the Holy Angel Academy and the Wizard Academy in the Land of Eternal Darkness.
The enormous graveyard of the bl**d Clan had also been significantly damaged, with the bl**d slave NPCs suffering heavy losses, but the Wizard Academy and the Holy Angel Academy had also paid a certain price.
If it wasn’t for the bl**d Clan’s activity and provocation, the Holy Angel Academy or the Wizard Academy would have at least kept pace with the Witch Academy in the academy scoring.
Now, after a night of fierce fighting, the bl**d Clan had taken heavy losses, with many returning to the graveyard to absorb the bl**d essence from the bl**d Pool for recovery.
However… unfortunate for them, Tan Han had led a group of witches into their midst.
This unexpected arrival caught the bl**d Clan off guard.
“You! You witches are pushing us too far!”
“I remember you, the one who provoked our Witch Academy before the exchange competition even began,” Tan Han said, tilting the opponent’s chin.
Although the bl**d Clan has mastery over bl**d essence and is quite strong, they cannot match the witches, nor can they surpass Tan Han.
They were merely freshly embraced new students, their power still dormant within. It could be awakened only through continuous use and absorption of bl**d essence.
“Again, it’s you! Where’s that one? The one who caused me trouble in the dream?”
“She didn’t come, but she will arrive soon. However… you won’t get the chance to meet her.”
“Tan Han, very well, I remember you! I’ve heard after that dream you fainted, haha, fainting in the dream, you’re quite the character…”
“Why bring up old matters? Do you think that would anger me?” Tan Han directly gave this individual a swift end, much like the last time.
At this point, Tan Han didn’t even know the name of their opponent, but she wouldn’t bother to remember the names of foes that could be killed in one blow.
“Let’s go, everyone be careful here; there are many graveyards, and there might be bl**d slaves awakening. Don’t get hurt; the bl**d Clan’s strange tactics should not be underestimated,” Tan Han said.
“By the way, if bitten by a bl**d Clan member, will you really be assimilated into a bloodsucker?”
“No, at most, you’ll become a low-level vampire or a bl**d slave. This kind of orthodox bl**d clan is usually born from the First Embrace. The number of new students recruited by the bl**d Clan each year is the least among the same tier extraordinary academies because the cost of the First Embrace is very high. I’ve heard that because there hasn’t been a large scale regularization process yet, they continue to retain the traditional First Embrace ceremony.”
“It seems to be like that. I’ve seen it in the academy system. I heard that new students have a First Embrace relationship with previous years’ senior sisters and even address each other as child and parent.”
“The relationships are that tangled?”
“It’s just a title; we must respect the traditional culture of every academy.”
“Compared to the extremes of the Inferior Demon Academy, isn’t this already much better?”
“Indeed…”
As the group discussed, they heard a loud noise, as if a great sound was coming from the sea.
After all, the Land of Eternal Darkness was quite close to the Land of the Fallen, but it wasn’t low-lying.
But soon, they felt the wave of the tsunami even here.
“Could that be the waves rushing over? So far-reaching?”
“We underestimated the power of the tsunami from the Sea Tribe’s ceremony. Hurry, if we act quickly, once Xiao Han arrives, we can roughly start the ritual.”
At this moment, Tan Han also took a brief look at the status of various academies’ rituals.
As long as there isn’t too much delay, the Witch Academy should be stable.
The location of the ritual, the needed pastries and tea, as well as arriving invitations, the Witch Academy could prepare in a very short time.
If everything went smoothly, the Witch Academy could take an additional point, solidifying its first position, ensuring that no other academy could disrupt this status in the short term.
Any academy wanting to surpass the Witch Academy would need to secure at least three more points. Even to just tie, they would need two points; ultimately, they would still fall behind the Witch Academy.
This was still an ideal scenario; the gaps between rituals could not be overlooked.
At this moment, I was already riding my broomstick toward the Land of Eternal Darkness.
The Land of Eternal Darkness stretched along the edge of the Land of the Fallen’s mountains, making it a relatively high terrain.
Its eerie environment and all the graveyards everywhere made it seem like a place the Undead Academy would love.
As soon as I arrived, I was choked by a strong smell of bl**d; although the smell was not so overwhelming now, the putrid scent mixed with it made me feel nauseous, distinctly different from the unpleasant odor of the Land of the Fallen.
In the distance stood old, dilapidated castles and toppled foundations of ruins.
The most striking was the damaged graveyard; according to the map, it marked the bl**d Slave Farm, the source of bl**d essence for the bl**d Pool.
It seemed that the bl**d Clan had not scored points for a reason last night.
As I passed by, I casually dealt with some bl**d slaves. These bl**d slaves were not students from the bl**d Clan Academy but rather creatures brought in by the map. Some didn’t even take human forms, revealing that the bl**d Clan’s demand for bl**d extended beyond my preconceived notions.
“No movement?”
I dismounted my flying broomstick, following the only path. I could see traces of battle here; could it be that the bl**d Clan rests during the day and comes out at night?
After walking a distance, I finally heard sounds.
“Hm? Su Ningmu?” I couldn’t help but call out upon seeing her.
At the moment, she was chasing after a student from an unfamiliar academy. To run for so long under a witch’s pursuit certainly takes talent.
“Hey? Sister Xiao Han? Wait! Sister Xiao Han, don’t deal the finishing blow! Let me take this one!”
“Oh.” I nodded and directly cast a binding spell that caused the opponent’s body to become uncoordinated.
From the academy uniform, the individual belonged to the bl**d Clan Academy, but they might not necessarily be from there, considering the bl**d Clan also had an affiliated academy and a bl**d Slave Academy.
I didn’t know whether this person was from the affiliated academy or the bl**d Slave Academy, but at this moment, it didn’t really matter.
Soon, as I interfered, Su Ningmu sent the individual back for revival.
“Su Ningmu, which academy is this from? They ran for so long under your pursuit?”
“Uh… bl**d Clan Affiliated Academy. They had an alchemical item for bl**d sacrifice, almost let them escape. Anyway, thank you, Sister Xiao Han.”
“No problem. Where are the others?”
“Oh, Tan Han and the others are already at the core bl**d Pool Castle of the Land of Eternal Darkness. Just in time, I’ll take you there…”
As Su Ningmu spoke, a beam of light shot up from not far away, marking the ritual.
“Looks like we don’t need a guide anymore. Let’s go, let’s head over together.”
Chapter 223: The Witch Academy Facing All Enemies
“So this is the bl**d Pool Castle of the Land of Eternal Darkness? Really luxurious.”
After going around some obstacles, I looked at the majestic castle in the distance. Although it was situationally dark, at least it exuded opulence.
Recalling the place we slept at last night and looking at this castle, they slept in such comfort, creating an immediate sense of imbalance.
Seeing this, I instinctively felt that tonight’s lodging was decided.
No matter where we would go after the ceremony here today, I truly wanted to sleep here tonight.
As for the bl**d Clan here?
Sorry, a luxurious castle is only for the eligible strong. jpg
Since Tan Han and the others had already activated the ritual, it meant the bl**d Clan had been cleaned up, or that the dangers here were no longer threat to us.
“It really is very luxurious. The contrast is massive!” Su Ningmu chimed in.
But as I and Su Ningmu entered, we found the castle was quite empty. The light beam penetrated through the surface and into the underground; it seemed that the so-called bl**d Pool, the most crucial part of the bl**d Clan, must be underground.
After a bit of time rummaging, we found the pathway leading underground. The deeper we descended, the stronger the pure smell of bl**d became.
“Xiao Han, you’ve arrived?”
Upon reaching the lower level, my arrival drew the attention of many.
“Uh… what’s going on? Who’s seriously injured?” I curiously ran over, only to find Tan Han was treating none other than Su Xingyue.
I still remembered Su Xingyue; she was the one with whom I had chatted briefly after the dinner invitation from Tan Han. She had also come to the bl**d Pool Castle?
Does this mean that the Witch Academy was now gathering all eight of us?
However, Su Xingyue was not in good condition.
Although Tan Han was healing her with spells, she was still unconscious, with a large hole torn in the fabric at her chest, bl**d staining her lower skirt.
“Su Xingyue… is unconscious already, but she is not entirely dead… but…”
“Sister Xiao Han, if you don’t understand, just look over there at the bl**d Pool.”
“bl**d Pool?”
I cocked my head to the side, having forgotten to notice the most striking sight here—the bl**d Pool.
The bl**d Pool was the central feature of this underground space, just as its name suggested: a vast basin filled with bright red bl**d!
Its ghastly symmetric design and bat elements quite echoed the bl**d Clan’s tastes, but the prominently sharp stalagmite structures were especially eye-catching.
Four stalagmites, three of which had “corpses” impaled on them—stones pierced from their backs to their chests, bl**d flowing from the punctured areas.
If I looked closely, the superficial bl**d vessels in the limbs of the “sacrificed” had also been cut, and it was clear that the bl**d was flowing quickly.
Using Spirit Vision, I could see a horrifying spell effect was solidified on top of the bl**d Pool—“Hanging Life.” It meant that even in this state, they were still alive!
Even if they fainted, it was useless; this was the exchange competition, meaning they couldn’t even revive autonomously now!
Four stone spires, three of which had bodies, while one remained empty. Clearly, that position had previously hosted Su Xingyue…
“The bl**d Clan dares to do this?” I suppressed my emotions since Blue Bai’s experience had already made me realize this exchange was no light matter.
“They dare indeed, as this does not violate any rules,” Tan Han said, her tone also somewhat somber.
“Sister Xiao Han, it’s fine; Su Xingyue has escaped the danger of d*ath. However, before this, we made the bl**d Clan pay a price.”
“Paid a price? You should have made them try out their own tactics here,” I approached the bl**d Pool, gazing at the three individuals.
These three were all unfamiliar to me; I didn’t know if it was coincidence or a penchant, but along with Su Xingyue, it seemed all four “sacrifices” were girls.
An elf… a Holy Angel… and a succubus?
What a fine situation; how was the Holy Angel Academy able to get students? Had the bl**d Clan’s methods become too wild?
But since no one here had questioned what to do with these three, it most likely meant they would be left ignored. After all, they weren’t from the Witch Academy, and saving them would be rather troublesome.
Moreover, they were from rival academies, making it even less necessary to aid them.
The Holy Angel Academy was a target for both me and Tan Han, and I had already killed their members; Tan Han was even more direct targeting against them.
As for the elves, we needn’t say, with the forest fire and the World Tree burning, they endured their branches being shattered.
As for the Succubus Academy… their lair in the Land of the Fallen had just been flooded by me.
It could be said that we faced enemies from all directions.
It was easy to foresee in the future that with the bl**d Clan lacking their bl**d Pool, the elves with no World Tree, the Wizard Academy without the Wizard Tower, and the Angels having lost their floating islands, when they united to attack us, the Witch Academy would be in dire straits…
And now, those Inferior Demons and Undead academies had already lost the Land of the Fallen; by the time we concluded our ritual, the bl**d Clan’s bl**d Pool would be destined to be vacated. It could be said that the bl**d Clan would finally cease to exist in all sense at that moment.
“Xiao Han, summon Minian over here; time waits for no one,” Tan Han instructed.
“Mm.” I nodded and began the summoning.
After sensing a bit, Minian’s mark had not shattered; it seemed she had taken care to secure the mark.
As the spell’s summoning ritual manifested, a figure burst forth, crashing into the rough floor with a scream.
“Ugh! Ow… I… huh? Did I come over? Great! I made it!” Minian, upon feeling the wild pain, paused for a moment and then, reacting, couldn’t help but dance with excitement.
“Alright, Minian, be quiet. What happened to you just now?”
“Uh… Sorry, Sister Xiao Han, I didn’t heed your advice and went to the forest area; I really wanted to see you burning the World Tree…”
“Mm? Well… what about the invitations?” I slapped my forehead; this girl surely knew how to cause trouble.
“The invitations? Here! I brought them! I guess I accomplished my task, so it shouldn’t count as wasting time, right?” Minian cautiously inquired.
“Having brought the invitations is good. Just remember not to do such things again. Also… let me ask you, were you being chased by the elves?” I took the invitations and then asked.
“Y-yes. Those elves were terrifying, practically like madmen; they immediately focused fire upon seeing anyone flying in the sky!”
“Focused fire, you say?”
My eyebrow raised. I had not anticipated that elves would now adopt such a hostile stance towards witches. I thought they had been frightened enough by my previous actions to hesitate against witches.
Was it possible that the success of the ritual gave them the confidence?
But that was only speculation.
However, considering everything was proceeding according to plan and hadn’t veered out of control, there was naturally no need to worry about unnecessary matters.
I brought the invitations to the ceremony’s table; everything was prepared at this moment: tea, pastries…
Except that the pastry cake was a bit strange, with the cream spread on the bread base done quite uniquely. This must have been the batch from the second tea party when I allowed them to spread the cream and take it away.
To be fair, the one spreading the cream must be a genius.
Once all was ready, with the invitations in place, the ritual was thoroughly activated.
The spectacle of the activation immediately captured everyone’s attention.
The ritual was completed from the Land of Eternal Darkness in an extremely short span; the time consumed was astonishingly minimal!
This is a terrifying message indicating that an academy has mastered a rapid preparation method for rituals. Regardless of whether it was early preparations or some other tactic, this required significant attention from everyone.
If such a loophole was allowed to develop unchecked, it would absolutely lead to major problems!
Thus, many academies, despite having battled all night and feeling drained, hastily gathered their gear to check the situation, even if they couldn’t stop the opponent, they needed to find out which academy had such a method. Failing to act could lead to a second Witch Academy scenario.
And if it was indeed the Witch Academy, that would be even worse news.
Although many student academies might feel indifferent, it was the academy teachers who were the most anxious!
Academy rankings have never been trivial matters!
That is a means to distribute the gathered fortune from this exchange competition!
They could no longer aim for the top of the individual leaderboard, nor could they even afford to lag behind in academy rankings. Hence, all the significant resources expended to put together this exchange competition, what was it all for?
It was just the second day of the exchange competition, and it hadn’t even been half over yet. Predicting it would last about three to four days, but with this situation, it felt like it might conclude in three days.
Just three days to thoroughly ruin their plans.
However, the only somewhat reassuring news was that the Abyss Demons and their affiliated academies didn’t cause any major disturbances; instead, they were just shattered by a little one who wasn’t even the Child of Fortune.
After all, stopping the Abyss Demon race from invading the Main World is a fundamental issue. On that basis, they want to leverage these methods to gain a slice of the benefits. At this stage, whether things go well or poorly may not matter.
“This probably marks the fastest ritual we’ve held, right? If we proceed this way, can’t we rapidly brush for specific resources to descend?” Minian cheerfully asked after sitting down.
“It indeed can, but other academies will surely not give us such opportunities,” Tan Han responded.
“In addition, the speed at which we’re holding this ritual is highly unusual. Anyone paying attention to the ritual-hosting academy will quickly realize something is off. Even if the opponent might not assault us, at least someone will check which academy it is. Do you understand what I mean?”
“Of course, if another academy is hosting rituals at such rapid speeds, I’d be just as wary and want to check which academy it is.”
At this point, the Witch Tea Party had begun. Everyone had taken their seats, and Su Xingyue, still seriously injured and unconscious, had yet to awaken but was no longer in critical danger, being propped up at the table.
After all, the underground here was too dirty; we couldn’t just toss Su Xingyue on the ground while we held the tea party.
At this moment, I was also making desserts. I didn’t know if the sweets made in such a strong bl**d-scented environment would turn out to carry that bl**d odor as well.
However, the pastries available at the tea party simply weren’t enough, especially with certain individuals treating the tea party as a dessert buffet; this little amount was hardly enough to eat.
Moreover, we also needed to prepare for future uncertainties; we couldn’t just sit back and relax now that we were in first place, could we?
“Um, Sister Xiao Han, could I learn some baking skills with you as well? Nothing too complicated, simple little cakes… or cookies will do,” Heddy cautiously approached me.
“You want to learn how to bake?” I appraised Heddy, “Actually, if you’re really interested, you can always find a bakery to work part-time at after the exchange competition. You could learn quite a bit.”
“Uh… isn’t spending so much time in the academy just to learn baking too extravagant?”
“Extravagant… seems like that could be true…”
“Where’s the extravagance! You both hardly ever have free time!” Minian jumped in to criticize, “Oh, you two are just top students, right? No time to spend on hobbies. By the way, Sister Xiao Han, where did you learn that skill…”
“Before school started.”
“Ah… indeed, Sister Xiao Han, you are also a top student…”
“Where’s the top student? I’m just studying normally. I even got exemptions from courses, with more free time than you guys.”
“Now that you mention it… wait, you have complete freedom with your time; you must be even more diligent than us!”
“Let’s not talk about this. Whether diligent or not doesn’t matter. Should I make some bread rolls for you to try?”
“Uh? Yes! I definitely want that!”
“If you want it, then sit tight and wait.” I responded with a smile.
“Ah~ Sister Xiao Han tying on an apron to cook looks really virtuous… I really don’t know who will be lucky enough to get her later!” Minian had no choice but to return to her seat, though her mouth didn’t stay silent.
“Perhaps you guessed wrong; I don’t like guys. Moreover, it’s quite likely that I won’t like anyone in the future… maybe.” As I said this, I inexplicably thought of Sister Bai. Of course, it wasn’t that I had any inappropriate thoughts about her; I was more concerned about her attitude toward me…
This world is truly amazing; there could come a day when I’d worry about whether others would like me.
“Eh? Sister Xiao Han doesn’t like guys? Then all of us here might be in trouble! I previously heard rumors that Sister Xiao Han was… urgh! Sorry, um… did I say something wrong…?”
“Sorry, Sister Xiao Han, I didn’t mean…” At this moment, Minian’s previously lively mood had completely disappeared.
She even began to regret why she had become so loose-lipped.
“Did you say the wrong thing? What did you want to say?” At that moment, my actions halted, but after thinking for a second, I resumed.
Some things shouldn’t remain hidden, should they? Just consider it… persuading myself.
“Did you want to say that the rumors about me being a boy in the past are important? Since entering the Witch Academy, haven’t such matters become irrelevant?”
I smiled and spoke, not knowing if everyone realized that this was a very serious topic, which instantly led to silence.
“What’s the mindset of a person who is so concerned about the past? If it’s for the sake of seeking a so-called superiority or some other consolation, I can only say that their lives are very sad. They not only failed in the past but also dragged their past failures into the present. Clearly, stepping into the Witch Academy is a new beginning for everyone; how could one not seize such a great opportunity to bid farewell to the past?”
“Actually, this topic isn’t particularly serious. I’m just speaking up for the boys entering Witch Academy. I’ve encountered many freshmen like this who struggle before the semester begins since most unfamiliar students are lured in by senior sisters. I’ve even volunteered to guide freshmen registration!”
“Oh, is that so? Sister Xiao Han, you also guide freshmen? Why didn’t I meet you?”
“Maybe you just didn’t have the fate to.”
I smiled in response. Still, the atmosphere turned out to be far less heavy than when I was the only one speaking, and I must say, having people who can talk and lighten the mood is a great benefit.
Such talent is not something you can be envious of.
Regarding what I just said, what kind of heated discussions it would stir within the Witch Academy later, that’s a matter to see once I return.
As for why I didn’t directly reveal the point… that’s naturally because everyone has a right to keep their secrets. The rest is left to them to guess and debate; isn’t that something they love to do the most online?
I should’ve figured some things out already; I just didn’t face them directly. Those who speak harshly to hurt others, what sort of failed lives do they lead to hurl insults at others on the internet?
If they’re really looking to establish a sense of superiority, then facing these kinds of people, I should similarly retaliate with their own methods.
I could give them all my spellbooks except for one Fireball Spell, and I could still make them cry. So how could they find the superiority they were seeking in me?
Since they’ve chosen this disgusting way to amuse themselves, I will let them know that coming after me is the wrong move—those who thrive on filth should find entertainment within their dirty, shadowy corners.
Once you understand their line of thinking, everything becomes clear.
Just like seeing someone chuck mud at you from a bog, you wouldn’t jump into the mud to wrestle with them; that’s their home ground. Doing so would only get you dirty and lose, and even if you won, it wouldn’t be glorious.
So the right way is to withdraw from the situation and then clean yourself off. Once you’re angry with them, you’ve lost from the very start; the most important thing is your own mentality.
And just as our Witch Tea Party was in full swing, a strange noise and a terrifying tremor shattered the cheerful atmosphere.
“What’s happening? An earthquake? No way?”
“Someone is launching an attack.” I saw through Spirit Vision the information obtained from outside the building. I could do this quite easily now.
“Ah? Which academy would be bold enough to provoke our Witch Academy?”
At that moment, Tan Han and I quickly raised a protective shield to prevent bricks and stones from disrupting the Witch Tea Party.
“Hmm… perhaps the Dwarf Academy?”
Just as I finished that sentence, a horrifying attack tore open the structure beneath us.
Then the ground at this layer crashed open along with it.
“Whoa, Xiao Han, you really guessed right!”
