Chapter 417: The Troubles with Qiu Ruxin
After waking up, Qiu Ruxin had been in a state of excitement, and this exhilarated mood lasted for a long time.
Perhaps it was the changes brought about by her witch transformation that made her appear more refined; after all, no girl can resist becoming more beautiful, and Qiu Ruxin was no exception.
The desire to be beautiful is natural for everyone, especially since she had just turned eighteen today.
Although Qiu Ruxin was very happy at this moment, I knew that she had only gained the qualification to become stronger, not strength itself. There was still a long way ahead, so I found it somewhat difficult to share in her joy.
When I became a girl due to being a boy, I experienced a sense of novelty, while Qiu Ruxin was even more excited than I was back then, and this state had lasted for quite a while.
However, I did not stop her. I didn’t know why she was this happy and excited, but there must be some reason behind it. Since it was rare for her to be so joyful, I let her be.
“Alright, go take a shower. It’s best to clean yourself after the witch transformation. Didn’t you get cream on your clothes while eating cake earlier?”
Once Qiu Ruxin’s enthusiasm began to diminish, presumably because her energy was running low, I advised her.
Regarding the matter of her getting cream on herself, it was something quite normal for her, given her bad luck.
“Really? Okay, I’ll go wash up first.” After her excitement had settled, Qiu Ruxin was now very obedient to my words and prepared to head back to her room for her bathing supplies.
“Don’t forget to bring a spare shower head. I’m worried it might break again.” I reminded her once more.
After all, on the first day we checked in, when it was Qiu Ruxin’s turn to shower, the shower broke. Luckily, I was the one to bathe first; otherwise, I would have had to use magic to wash.
So, I had prepared some extra supplies just in case.
After reminding Qiu Ruxin, I looked back at the ceiling lamp and realized it was time to replace it. As I canceled my spell, the lamp fell, and I caught it in one hand.
Just as I was about to grab a new lamp for replacement, I noticed something seemed off with the magic source inside Qiu Ruxin.
“Hmm? Strange… could it be my eyes playing tricks on me?” I rubbed my eyes; after all, the ability of spirit vision occasionally interferes with my sight, which is quite bothersome, but I was used to it.
“Qiu Ruxin, hurry up and wash! After you’re done, I’ll give you a gift.” I said.
“Ah? Oh! I got it! I’ll be quick!”
“Hmm.”
The gift I spoke of was naturally a spellbook. I had acquired quite a few spellbooks before—some were compensations from the academy, some were “sponsored,” and some were earned through fair means.
I didn’t pay much attention to it.
Moreover, there were several duplicates among the spellbooks; for instance, the basic consumption spellbooks had many repeats, such as… the fireball spellbook.
This was a very basic spellbook. Given that Qiu Ruxin only had one magic source at the moment, I certainly wouldn’t give her a spellbook she couldn’t use.
As for her self-defense, I didn’t mind using alchemy to solidify some small spells that require minimal magic power for her to use; at least she could cast them several times.
Currently, the spellbook’s damage was severely excessive without the suppression of any major weakening spells, so small spells were just right for Qiu Ruxin at this moment.
Time passed quickly, and Qiu Ruxin, wrapped in a bath towel, stepped out of the bathroom, enveloped in steam and fragrance.
“Sister Xiao Han, I’m done bathing! Where’s my gift?” Qiu Ruxin eagerly walked out, one hand pressing against the towel on her chest, her eyes looking expectantly at me.
“Change your clothes first, and then you’ll get it.” I turned my head away, trying to control my imagination.
At this moment, Qiu Ruxin’s already good figure, combined with the changes from her witch transformation, made her aura and appearance reach a new level.
If a guy were present, he’d probably be unable to hold back immediately.
“Sister Xiao Han, don’t you even want to glance at me like this?”
“To take a glance…” Qiu Ruxin’s question stunned me for a moment, and then I turned back to carefully appraise her current self.
“And then?”
“And… then…” Qiu Ruxin seemed at a loss for how to continue after my sudden response. My gaze examined her without a trace of emotion, but that wasn’t the reaction she anticipated.
In that moment, she appeared to suddenly realize something and felt the enormous gap between us, a distance that seemed to be an insurmountable mountain.
She seemed to comprehend she might have done something wrong.
“Sorry…” Qiu Ruxin instinctively blurted out.
“It’s okay. Qiu Ruxin just turned eighteen today; this should be a happy day. You’re an adult now and need to be responsible for your actions, understand? Hurry and change your clothes. Be careful not to let your towel fall off, okay?”
Seeing Qiu Ruxin unexpectedly say sorry, I quickly smiled warmly to encourage her to change.
“Hmm.” Qiu Ruxin turned and dashed away like nothing had happened.
After seeing Qiu Ruxin enter her room, I also took out an item resembling a book, which was meant to contain the spellbook. If the spellbook leaves the body or the body’s earth vein shackles, it will continuously dissipate, making spellbooks quite fragile.
This spellbook was a fireball spellbook, whose power was terrifying. Even those excavators using shields could be taken down with one hit; I had personally tested it.
In critical moments, if Qiu Ruxin encountered any danger alone, at least she could use this to intimidate others and summon me to her side during that interval.
“Sister Xiao Han, I’ve changed my clothes!”
At this moment, Qiu Ruxin had changed into a fresh outfit, radiating youthful exuberance as she stepped out of her room.
“Right on time, try this out.” At this moment, I stood up and handed her the spellbook container.
“What is this?” Qiu Ruxin curiously received the glowing orb, not knowing what it was.
“This is a spellbook. As long as you have this… um… you should be able to cast spells… right?” After handing her the spellbook, I suddenly realized something—I had forgotten that Qiu Ruxin hadn’t yet learned the Witch Meditation Method!
Without the Witch Meditation Method, if she hadn’t formed her mental power into threads, how could she activate the spellbook?
“How do I use this?”
“Oh… I nearly forgot. Just insert it into your body.” I quickly explained.
“Like this?” Qiu Ruxin attempted to insert it into her body, experiencing a strange sensation as the spellbook merged into her.
“But… I don’t feel anything?”
“You haven’t practiced the Witch Meditation Method yet. Only by refining your mental power into threads can you utilize the spellbook through those threads.”
“Really? So can I also wildly defeat those excavators like Sister Xiao Han?”
“Hmm… your strength isn’t high right now, so you can’t reach that level yet. Don’t aim too high. Let’s start with teaching you the Witch Meditation Method.” I reassured her.
“Okay, I understand. I’ll take my time.” Qiu Ruxin quickly realized her impatience and acknowledged her mistake.
“No problem; desiring to become strong is something everyone hopes for. As long as you’re not blinded by power, any pursuit of strength is commendable. Now, let’s talk about the Witch Meditation Method. If you have good talent, you’ll likely learn it in a few days, and… I’ve also prepared a special teacher for you.”
“A special teacher? Who is it?”
“My illusionary clone.” I said with a smile, and then snapped my fingers; a rune appeared in my eyes and then quickly faded.
However, at this moment, Qiu Ruxin’s gaze was suddenly entranced.
“What?” Qiu Ruxin asked curiously, not understanding what I meant.
“It’s me; I’ll be the one teaching you how to perform the Witch Meditation Method.” At that moment, a figure that looked exactly like me appeared behind Qiu Ruxin, startling her.
“Who! Two Sister Xiao Hans!” Qiu Ruxin suddenly heard a third voice and turned around to see a girl who looked completely like me standing behind her, causing her to shiver in surprise.
“I’m the illusionary clone; simply put, I’m a duplicate. That person is my main body. I don’t want to explain too much to you, just understand that if you don’t get it, then don’t. However, you can ask a lot of questions related to the Witch Meditation Method.” At that moment, my illusionary clone spoke with a somewhat cold tone, as if blaming me for leaving this troublesome task to her.
But it couldn’t be helped. I didn’t have the book on the Witch Meditation Method, nor was it in the memory shelf; that was a long time ago. So I had to let my illusionary clone “take matters into her own hands.”
“Okay, um, I’ll rely on you then.” At this moment, Qiu Ruxin returned to her slightly reserved demeanor, perhaps because this clone’s aura was somewhat imposing.
I silently observed the behavior of my illusionary clone, noting her attitude.
“Learn well from this clone; if you encounter any problems or troubles, come find me.” I instructed.
“Hmm, I’ll do my best!” Qiu Ruxin nodded vigorously, promising me.
After a brief farewell with Qiu Ruxin, I returned to my room, as I had my own things to attend to.
However, to say I was going to study that plant technology or something, I still had no idea at all.
But based on my speculation about that extraordinary item, it should be a capability that continuously “radiates” some special effects, promoting rapid technological advancement in this world. The closer one is to Qiu Ruxin, the greater these effects should be; otherwise, it would be hard to explain why Lanas Island is full of talent, even foreign geniuses can shine here.
“What if… I just borrow that extraordinary item from Qiu Ruxin to see what its purpose really is? Even if I don’t know the specific effects, the information shouldn’t mislead…”
I murmured to myself, but ultimately decided not to go now. Qiu Ruxin was still learning the Witch Meditation Method, so I would wait for the next time. I wasn’t in a hurry; after all, rushing things that have no clear leads is useless.
Still, I should take this opportunity to review the knowledge stored in the Earth Vein System.
I activated the Earth Vein System and started searching for content related to alchemy because this craft should not be neglected; it needs regular review, and it’s best to practice hands-on.
After some time, I suddenly sensed a disturbance from the illusionary clone, as something seemed to have happened with Qiu Ruxin.
I sighed, marked the content I was reviewing, then closed the Earth Vein System and stood up toward the bedroom door.
At that moment, a frantic knock and voice from Qiu Ruxin reached my ears.
“Sister Xiao Han! Something bad has happened!”
“What is it?” I opened the door to find an anxious Qiu Ruxin.
“The spellbook! The spellbook is disappearing!”
“What do you mean disappearing? Did you take the spellbook out?” I frowned and asked.
“No! It’s inside me, but it’s slowly breaking down!”
“Inside you and it’s breaking? How is that possible?” I asked in disbelief.
Since Qiu Ruxin hadn’t recklessly taken the spellbook out, it shouldn’t be breaking. Besides, she hadn’t yet learned the Witch Meditation Method, so she couldn’t have damaged the spellbook.
But the reality was just as she said. I extended my mental power to retrieve the spellbook from Qiu Ruxin. At that moment, the spellbook transformed from a dazzling orb into a somewhat dimmed state. With my spirit vision, I could even see the internal runes in disarray—clearly indicating that the spellbook had been outside its carrier for too long, leading to self-dissolution!
But that wasn’t the key point. The key was… the spellbook was too easy to retrieve!
In fact, I merely probed it slightly with my mental power and pulled it out. What does this even mean?
This is equivalent to me being in a duel in the Witch Academy with other students; while they use spellbooks to cast attacks against me, I directly use mental power to take their spellbooks away. How could that be possible?
This itself shouldn’t be achievable! At the very least, doing so is very difficult. Now, this spellbook had actually reached a point of complete destruction. Even if it hadn’t completely collapsed yet, it was better to replace it than try to repair it.
“How could this happen?” I still couldn’t believe all of this. Even if Qiu Ruxin is the Child of Fortune, she shouldn’t be this special, right?
Or is it that the spellbooks in the main world are “incompatible” with this world?
That’s impossible!
I understand spellbooks; rather than saying they are incompatible, I should believe that Qiu Ruxin doesn’t have an earth vein shackle within her!
Wait… no earth vein shackle?
“Qiu Ruxin, don’t move; I want to explore some other possibilities.” I gently reassured her, as this was a gift I had given to her, and now seeing it being completely destroyed in front of her would surely upset her.
“Hmm…” Qiu Ruxin nodded with a sniffle, her apparent distress over the spellbook’s destruction showing that it had impacted her considerably.
With Qiu Ruxin’s consent, I immediately began to experiment.
My momentary flash of thought had shocked me thoroughly, but if this were confirmed, then Qiu Ruxin’s inability to retain the spellbook and her miserable luck would indeed make sense.
However, there is still one problem: since Qiu Ruxin is the Child of Fortune, how could she not have an earth vein shackle?
Or is it the case that even if the earth vein shackle is severed, the Child of Fortune remains unaffected?
I was not certain about any of this. I might very well be a special case. Perhaps at that time, the consciousness of the main world granted me the Fortune Seed knowing I wanted to sever the earth vein shackles. Maybe then even if I cut the shackles, I couldn’t escape from the narrative…
Wait… I suddenly remembered another thing. If she doesn’t have an earth vein shackle, then wouldn’t the magic source also have no chance of being retained?
I cautiously extended my mental power toward Qiu Ruxin’s magic source, and just like that, I easily retrieved it… This magic source, with only a slight connection to Qiu Ruxin, realized the potential to barely hold the magic source. Perhaps it was due to her initial transformation into a witch, which is why she could retain this magic source, but if given a second one, she couldn’t.
“Really… no earth vein shackle?” After testing all this, I finally sighed.
Since that time I “took a round” in the earth vein river, my spirit vision could differentiate the information of earth veins and earth vein shackles, but I found no clear marks of earth vein shackles within Qiu Ruxin’s body…
This is troublesome…
Without earth vein shackles… does that mean the misfortunes Qiu Ruxin is experiencing are a curse similar to mine?
But… if the truth is like this, then what would the side effects or costs of that extraordinary item be?
Suddenly, a series of questions flooded my mind, completely overturning my previous assumptions!
