Chapter 758: This matter is simple; I just need to break it.
“Xiao Han, thank you very much for saying that, but this matter still involves too much. If I were to rashly drag you into this…”
“The matter will be resolved swiftly,” I said in line with the store manager’s words. “Store manager, how many times have you and Tan Han faced challenges from others in the arena?”
Seeing the store manager struggling to answer, I redirected the topic to Tan Han. “Tan Han, let me ask you, do you think these battles one after another are a continuous honing for you?”
“…I think so. I am constantly getting stronger, the experience from battles keeps accumulating, and fighting continually makes me realize my past weaknesses and understand my inner desire for strength.”
“I see… So, do you want to become even stronger?” I asked with a smile at Tan Han.
“Yes, I still need to become stronger, just like you, strong enough that no one dares to point fingers at me,” Tan Han said firmly.
“I see, you’re still using me as a goal for your progress~ Do you need my help?”
“If it’s to use your strength to settle this matter… I think it’s not necessary for now, but I still need to thank you for your good intentions.” Tan Han hesitated for a moment before shaking her head in refusal.
“Then do you have a solution? Or do you think today’s challenge is the last teaching assistant you have to face?” I kept throwing out questions. Although Tan Han seemed to respond to each, such questions had no end. Ultimately, it would be me, who asked the questions, left speechless, while Tan Han kept responding.
“I don’t think I can resolve this matter immediately, and today will not be the last teaching assistant I meet, but I will not back down.” At this point, Tan Han’s gaze was filled with fighting spirit. Her assertion of not backing down further strengthened her resolve. “Because I realize… teaching assistants are not as unattainable as I once thought.”
“I like the last thing you said. It’s rare for us to suddenly unify our opinions. Those teaching assistants who like to belittle themselves and cause trouble aren’t necessarily unattainable. Therefore… I have high hopes for you in this challenge. You wouldn’t mind me cheering for you from the spectators’ area, would you?”
“This… I certainly don’t mind.” Tan Han was a bit surprised but still nodded.
Tan Han’s surprise mainly stemmed from the earlier conversation. She had initially seemed to lay the groundwork, trying to prove that such battles were pointless and that the other party was looking for excuses to help out, but with a simple turn of phrase, she ultimately gave up, leaving one feeling perplexed.
However, Tan Han never expected others to help her, just as the store manager said, this is a stage she and the store manager must go through.
The enemies will eventually run out of steam, especially since her opponents are teaching assistants from the Witch Academy!
She doesn’t need to defeat all the teaching assistants. When she defeats the first one, her prestige will reach the peak of her life. After defeating the second, it will prove her victory is no fluke. After winning the third match…
She will then have the qualification to stand on equal ground with them and tell them their methods are meaningless.
Three; three teaching assistants would be her estimated limit. Fighting against people like her comes with a cost; not all teaching assistants are idiots willing to gamble their futures on such elusive things.
A teaching assistant who loses to a sophomore in her second year of school might never hold their head high again.
“As long as you don’t mind,” I smiled and found a place to sit beside them.
The preparation area here isn’t very small, but aside from me, who just arrived, and Senior Ying Shiqian, there are actually only Tan Han, the store manager, and Xiao You present.
In addition, some staff members are outside, providing necessary services and guiding contestants for entry, etc.
“I’m really sorry; it seems my arrival has made the atmosphere here a bit more oppressive.” Looking around, although there were clearly five people, it felt like no one was speaking. The contestants’ preparation area was eerily quiet. “Actually, I came out this time primarily to relax, but suddenly I heard about this situation of yours and came to see how you all are doing. I thought I might bring you some good news.”
“It’s fine, Xiao Han. Thank you for coming at this time. But ultimately, the teaching assistant that Little Tan has to face is still quite strong, and some pressure is also normal. It takes more time to adjust one’s mindset,” the store manager explained at this moment.
“That’s true… But the reason I came here isn’t just to see Tan Han, I wanted to see you too, store manager. At the start of this holiday, I didn’t expect you to purposely come to my old place to pick up my younger brother.”
“Ah? This… this matter…” The store manager recalled this point, but it wasn’t a pleasant memory.
“I didn’t expect you to care so much about my situation, but my younger brother probably made you laugh. He has been lacking in love since childhood and lacks some necessary family education, so what he says naturally isn’t thought through.”
“Yes, I also didn’t expect Xiao Han that your younger brother… would be like this. At that time, I really couldn’t take it…” At this moment, the store manager seemed to recall that experience, her tone carrying a hint of frustration at his shortcomings.
Perhaps at that time, the store manager hoped to see a reflection of Xiao Han in that brother.
After all, in that larger environment, the academy was buzzing about Xiao Han’s complete d*ath, as if that were an established fact. Hence, the only person who could possibly be related to Xiao Han seemed to be her family. Xia Li approached Xiao Han’s younger brother with that thought in mind but heard such remarks from him that anyone would be enraged.
“However, I have brought him to the Witch Academy now. If the store manager is still upset, I wouldn’t mind you educating him a bit.”
“Is that so? If I get the opportunity… I will,” Xia Li said seriously. She didn’t care if that person lacked love or education; anyone who could say such words clearly had a problem with their worldview.
Thus, the topic surrounding my younger brother seemed to slightly relieve the atmosphere here.
Perhaps this is just the nature of being human; who can refuse to learn about the trivial matters of others’ families or witness the biological diversity between relatives?
Even Tan Han seemed unable to refuse understanding the past of the goal she was pursuing, witnessing the difficulties and resilience of others, and then turning it into a warning for herself.
If I hadn’t recounted it myself, who could have imagined such a twisted and tragic past had actually happened and occurred right beside them?
A life exchanged at birth, parents without family ties, a home without love and care, and a child sentenced to a “d*ath sentence” of inherent spirit vision from birth. The parents only realized the problem after raising him for several years and sent him to a mental hospital…
Perhaps for an ordinary person, encountering a single event might mean their entire life is ruined.
Suddenly, they find it miraculous that such a person can, in this moment, recount such facts in a joking tone…
They even hoped that the person before them was just making up stories, merely to bring a smile in this moment of oppressive atmosphere.
“Well, this is almost all of my story. I must say, the Witch Academy is indeed a fascinating place, accommodating all sorts of extraordinary people and events.” In the end, I couldn’t help but exclaim.
Summarizing my first half of life in this way is also a form of progress for me. There is nothing that cannot be faced head-on, even if it’s my terrible childhood.
“So… the past is past, and it’s fully uncovered now. There’s no need to dwell too much on it, even if it brought me much growth, and a lash of experience after another; pain and distortion are not things worth remembering.”
Accepting an imperfect self, letting those past experiences feel as ordinary as daily memories, not worth remembering doesn’t mean they need to be intentionally forgotten. Memories are the wealth of life and should be treated equally, just as beautiful memories can bring joy and hope, while unpleasant memories can bring calm and reflection. They are all references for the future, evidence that shapes the only version of me in this moment.
As I said this, my gaze instinctively met Tan Han’s eyes.
She had a moment where she wanted to look away but forced herself to accept it. Ultimately, she received my responding smile.
Didn’t I also make her realize that the scars on herself, apart from being ugly, serve no purpose?
Not only do I, an outsider, feel uncomfortable, but she, as a girl, also feels uneasy looking at her own imperfections.
However, for Tan Han, this is indeed a good experience. When she grows tired of this experience and realizes such behavior is meaningless, she will naturally hold back.
The so-called scars being medals of the fearless is merely a form of self-comfort in the face of backward medical technology.
“Tan Han, to be honest, when I heard Senior Ying Shiqian say you are already capable of battling with teaching assistants, I was quite shocked.”
“This… actually, it’s the power of this Absolute Cold Wand. But I also have to thank you, Xiao Han, for introducing me to Instructor Natalie. Only by relying on this external force can I barely compete with those teaching assistants.”
“Is that so?” I smiled at Tan Han, my expression a bit meaningful.
I was very interested in Tan Han’s statement. She seemed to dislike the strength gained from reliance on external things, or rather, was that her initial definition of strength?
“That’s just a joke; external power is also part of one’s own strength. Didn’t I just get criticized for the fact that my strength comes from two Great Spellbooks? I don’t deny that.”
“That’s different…” Tan Han instinctively wanted to refute.
“In fact, it’s the same. Your Absolute Cold Wand also belongs to Extraordinary Knowledge, and this is the predecessor that constitutes the Great Spellbook. You should be well aware of this since those people continuously cause you trouble for this reason.”
“Didn’t you intend to use me as a goal? In the beginning, when they heard I possessed the Great Spellbook, they questioned my qualifications for holding such a thing. Even now… they still feel resentful. Yet no one dares to question me in front of them.”
“So don’t worry about their thoughts. The more you want to prove your qualifications, the more it will trigger their greed. Do not fall into the trap of self-verification; your series of challenges and victories have no end, as you know they have no bottom line.”
“So… roundabout… are you still trying to persuade me to conclude this meaningless challenge quickly?” Tan Han seemed to perceive my intentions in saying so much, her tone carrying a hint of amusement, as if asking when I also started to speak in such a roundabout manner?
“You said it yourself; I didn’t say it. Or do you think they have limits?” I shrugged as if what I had just said was rather ordinary.
“They really have no limits.”
Tan Han is very clear on this point. When those people targeted her friends, she understood how disgusting they truly were.
“But I can’t choose to escape like this.”
“Escape?”
“Yes, it’s a challenge they have forced upon me. If I choose to end this meaningless challenge first, then in their eyes, it’s an escape.” Tan Han clearly understands her current situation. After the earlier exchange, she seemed more willing to share her thoughts now.
“Escape, huh… that’s indeed a troublesome hat to wear…” I chuckled lightly, but I didn’t mind. “But… are you so willing to fall into their scheme? Is this kind of meaningless contest really useful for you?”
I observed Tan Han who no longer dared to look me in the eyes and continued, “It certainly isn’t anymore~ Your heart is already weary. Without sufficient accumulation, how can there be a sudden rise? At this point… they are merely dragging you into the least efficient path of self-improvement with the simplest methods.”
My words resonated in Tan Han’s ears, and the reality indeed repeated as I mentioned. As a firsthand experiencer, she understood the malicious intent underlying this.
But this time, she was only made aware of the truth by someone else.
Sometimes the truth is just like that; even if it’s the same thing, knowing it internally and hearing it in words gives a different feeling.
She is indeed trapped in a game. Although she keeps challenging opponents, she doesn’t even know who her true enemy is.
Is it the All-purpose Association?
Or a specific teaching assistant?
Tan Han is only aware that their goal is the Absolute Cold Wand in her hands.
But her ability to persevere until now is certainly not something she and the store manager could achieve alone.
At least the arena provided her considerable help. Although the arena might offer assistance to balance combat power and create greater conflicts to ensure profit, the help was genuine.
Some are targeting her, while others are helping her.
“I know very well… but I can’t break this situation.” Ultimately, Tan Han shook her head.
“This matter is simple; I just need to break it.”
“This…” Tan Han suddenly looked up at me.
“Knowing your predicament but failing to save yourself, yet still not adept at utilizing others’ help is foolishness. Is that who you are, Tan Han?”
I looked at Tan Han and directly interrupted her hesitant speech, asking word by word.
This strong recognition definition made her understand this concept quickly. Instinctively, she would not admit her foolishness; under the conflict of perceptions, she could find enough recognition to break her one-sided willingness and make an objective choice.
Additionally, it worked even better when combined with the earlier sob story.
That was merely a means to rekindle a long-lost relationship, establishing someone stronger in her heart, making it easier for her to accept my assistance.
Heart sense, this method of grasping others’ emotions at such moments, is truly useful.
