Chapter 530: The Choice of Custom Weapons
After the class ended.
“How was it? Did the content I covered in class help you solve any troubles?” the Witch Mentor asked with a smile. The class was over, and the students were leaving while she was organizing her lecture materials.
“Thank you, Mentor. It was truly beneficial,” I said, quickly speaking before Sister Bai.
“That means my class wasn’t in vain. Now that it’s over, do you have any other questions you’d like to consult me about? Since I still have some time, I can certainly talk with you.”
“Thank you, Teacher. I haven’t encountered any difficulties at the moment, but I did cause a bit of trouble by suddenly joining the class. I’ve paid for the tuition, and this is a small token of my gratitude.” As I spoke, I presented a small square crystal.
This crystal was inadvertently created by a Witch Sister; it could carry the Great Knowledge Seed, originally having only this effect. However, the Great Knowledge Seed is a grand spell effect that exists eternally without needing to be carried, so it was almost useless—it’s akin to just putting a physical vessel around the Great Knowledge Seed, making it more formal for gift-giving.
However, that sister wasn’t content with just that and had heard about overcoming the challenge of imitating the Sea of Consciousness crystal, allowing the Great Knowledge Seed to sprout directly within its vessel, thus enabling the growth of the Great Knowledge Seed to be observed in the material world.
“This! The Great Knowledge Seed?” Upon seeing what I had produced, the other party clearly paused for a moment but quickly regained her composure. “I suppose you must be the Xiao Han who has been discussed recently? I can’t believe it didn’t come to mind at once.”
She chuckled lightly, appearing surprised, but extended her hand to take the seed. “Since it’s from you, Xiao Han, I’ll accept it. I wish you both endless happiness! Of course, if you encounter any problems, you can directly contact me. I’m quite skilled at handling relationship issues, but I also hope that you never need to reach out to me, so… I won’t give you my contact information.”
“Is that so? Then I’ll take your well wishes!” I quickly replied, considering the cleverness of her thinking. Truly, she is a Witch?
“Yes, of course. If you ever need advice, aside from my regular classes, you can also contact Deina. She claims to be your good friend, a close confidante, or something like that. I’ve heard her mention it so much these days that my ears are about to develop calluses, but despite hearing so much, you’ve never met in person. Xiao Han, you’re even cuter than the rumors say.”
“Thank you for the compliment! Then we shall take our leave now~”
“See you again if fate allows.”
After parting from this mentor, I followed Sister Bai out of this teaching building. This class opened my eyes to the fact that the Witch Academy truly offers a variety of courses, even including a class on love. But thinking back, I suppose that’s not entirely unreasonable.
At this moment, Sister Bai…
“Sister Bai, have you learned anything from the love courses these days? How about I give you a chance to practice those skills on me? I’ll be very cooperative!” I said as I playfully tapped Sister Bai’s side.
“Sure!” Sister Bai didn’t hesitate, but while I was waiting, I received her hands slipping around my waist.
“Mm? Tickling? Is this really… haha… oh! Ugh~ haha, don’t… don’t, let me go.” Just as I sensed what Sister Bai intended to do, I tried to say something stubborn, but the instinctive ticklish reaction overwhelmed my previous confidence.
“Foul play! What is this!” After escaping from Sister Bai’s grasp, I cried out.
“Did you enjoy laughing just now? You seemed very happy,” Sister Bai said with a nonchalant demeanor.
“Did… did I?” Blushing at her unexpected compliment, I realized I truly hadn’t laughed like that, openly expressing my emotions, in a long time.
Additionally, as a body cultivator, I was surprised that my own body couldn’t suppress that instinct just now. It must be that Sister Bai did something to me.
“Then I guess we can count that as passing the skill.” I decided not to press Sister Bai further, as I had indeed learned a few things in class.
For couples who both need to take love courses, expecting each other to create anticipation for their partner is merely one-sided pressure. Expecting too much surprise can lead to disappointment, which neither party desires.
Hence, it’s best to proactively propose mutually acceptable suggestions, and this process needs to be established on a foundation of mutual understanding. Otherwise, if one side proposes something the other cannot fulfill, it can be quite awkward.
“Do you have any plans for the next few days, Sister Bai?”
“I don’t have any urgent plans. What about you, Xiao Han? I heard you’ve been quite busy lately.”
“Oh, not busy at all now! I wasn’t used to having so many people around helping me. But let’s not discuss that tedious topic. Since both Sister Bai and I have some free time, shall we do something more meaningful?”
“Sure! What does Xiao Han want to do?” Sister Bai asked eagerly.
“Well… Sister Bai, do you think I should make myself a weapon?” I said as I pulled out the short magic wand that I had pressed down in storage for quite some time.
Recalling the opening ceremony, Sister Bai had carefully selected the materials and craftsmanship for this wand, but unfortunately, I hadn’t used it much afterward.
“Xiao Han wants to change to a new weapon?” Sister Bai asked upon seeing the wand I took out. “You seem to have barely used this wand.”
“That’s right! After all, there aren’t many occasions to use it. I admit it does enhance my abilities, but I must say its effect is negligible.”
“Does that mean you really want to switch to a new weapon?”
“Mainly because I’m bored!” I shook the wand in my hand and smiled. “And Sister Bai, you know many mentors in the Witch Academy have recently acquired the Great Knowledge Seed. This promotion is supported by the Academy Head. So, one of the rewards is that I can have a weapon customized, using one of the precious materials from the Academy Head’s collection. That alchemist is already introduced to me by the Academy Head, so I just need an inspiration to get it customized.”
“I see.”
“Right, as they say, if I’m idle, I might as well think about it now. After all, I’ve become a teaching assistant, and having a weapon that represents my identity is quite normal, right? By the way, do you want to customize one too?” I curiously asked.
“You make a good point, but I’ll pass. I don’t have much need for a weapon. Don’t forget, I have spell-calling magic that’s quite handy.”
“That may be true, but… the effect of summoned magic weapons can’t compare to a real weapon, right?”
“Exactly, but summoned weapons can be resummoned if they break,” Sister Bai said with a smile. “In body cultivation battles, it’s normal for weapons to get damaged, so just focus on taking care of yourself. But have you thought about what you want?”
“I haven’t… that’s why I’m asking you to help me brainstorm!” I stuck my tongue out playfully at Sister Bai. “Do you have any good suggestions?”
“Suggestions… I haven’t thought about it. Do you still want a wand as your weapon?”
“Wands… are standard, without unique features. I’d prefer something that stands out.”
“Then what is your unique feature? Is it particularly sultry?”
“Hey, I’m being serious here! Sister Bai, no dirty jokes!” I gently swatted at Sister Bai, but she was correct. Since I was in pursuit of uniqueness, what was my unique feature?
What was I good at… that seems to be a tough question to answer.
Am I good at… spellbooks? Alchemy? Runes… research?
But what is the unique feature?
“Okay then, have you considered creating a weapon that balances both spellcasting and body cultivation power?” Sister Bai asked again at that moment.
“Um… I hadn’t thought about that. How do you balance body cultivation power?”
“Weapon types, like swords or knives, staves, or other types of weapons that complement spell-casting work just fine.” Sister Bai explained.
“Oh, I see…” I thought it was about balancing body cultivation power, but it’s just about weapon types assisting combat. “But… aren’t swords and knives going to clash with your weapons?”
“Are you worried about that? Didn’t you used to like these things? You could swing around a straight stick you found on the ground…”
“Hey, hey, hey! Don’t mention those dark histories!”
“Alright~ So you don’t want swords or knives, huh? Since that’s the case, you should first visit the alchemist the Academy Head arranged for you and consult her. If it’s custom work, she should give you some good options.” Sister Bai ultimately didn’t offer any personal opinions, leaving specialized matters to the professionals.
I wholeheartedly agreed; since neither of us could arrive at a conclusion, we should let the other party decide. This time, I wanted to be the one making demands like a client!
The proposal you gave is great and has inspired me a lot. Although I don’t know what I want, you helped me identify what I don’t want.
Suddenly, I understood the pain of those on the receiving end…
So, under Sister Bai’s suggestion, I began to contact that alchemist.
According to the contact information provided by the Academy Head, the person’s name is Natalie Bloomfield.
It didn’t take long after I dialed before the call connected, and a slightly lazy voice came through.
“Hello, who is this?”
“Hello, Teacher Natalie. I’m Yang Yuelan, introduced by Academy Head Mei Linde. I’d like to…”
“Oh! You’re Xiao Han, right? You finally got in touch with me!”
“Huh?”
Before I could finish my polite words, the other party suddenly seemed to have realized something, speaking with an excited tone as if she had encountered… prey.
I originally thought I would have to humble myself to make a request since an alchemist introduced by the Academy Head should be quite a sought-after figure at the Witch Academy, likely very busy.
This unexpected enthusiasm from the other side instead left me quite flattered.
“What’s up? You want to customize a weapon, right? Are you available now? Should I come find you, or will you come find me?”
“Oh… I indeed want to customize a weapon, but I have the time, so I’ll come to you. Could you send me your location shortly?”
“Sure, sure, hurry over~”
“Okay, great, I’ll hang up for now.”
After hanging up the phone, I still felt a bit flattered as I looked over at Sister Bai, who I believed had also heard my conversation with the mentor.
“How strange, Sister Bai. Why is the alchemist so warm towards me? Shouldn’t that kind of status usually be high and mighty?” I curiously asked.
“Xiao Han, where did you pick up your strange common sense?” Sister Bai looked at me with a strange expression.
“Isn’t it? After all, she’s an alchemist. There must be many people wanting her help with alchemical weapons, right?”
“That’s true, but it’s not as exaggerated as you say. We are all Extraordinary Witches here; she isn’t so high and mighty that everyone would seek her out. Just stay calm and treat her like an ordinary mentor. As for her being so enthusiastic towards you… it’s likely just due to her having heard your name for a while. After all, you’ve been quite the hot topic among Extraordinary Witches lately.”
“Is that so? Then I’m even more flattered…”
“Don’t think too much. It might just be that she has a good relationship with the Academy Head? Most Witches are quite warm-hearted; it’s something you’ll get used to. Also, discussing weapon customization with her shouldn’t have too many obstacles, right?”
“Mm.” I nodded.
Sister Bai was correct. With her warm attitude, regardless of the reason, I was the one seeking help, which would aid in discussing weapon customization.
However, by now, I still hadn’t made a final decision in my heart regarding the weapon choice. It wasn’t so much a lack of inspiration as it was my greed?
I felt an illusion of wanting everything, mainly because I didn’t have a fixed combat style, leading me to want to try everything out—like a wand, easy to hold; swords and knives, might learn a few moves from Sister Bai; magical artifacts, floating delicate constructs in hand that are quite novel, and even a book could fit my desire to be an academic Witch!
Furthermore, opening a book could serve as a magical artifact, while closing it could deliver a knowledge shock.
With that thought, I suddenly felt that a book form might also be a good idea… but I still hadn’t made up my mind.
In any case, I should first go see Teacher Natalie. One must explore and broaden their horizons to understand what they want.
