Chapter 1005: Dean Mei Lind is Breaking a Sweat
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 1005: Dean Mei Lind is Breaking a Sweat
Mei Lind was visibly stunned when she heard Xiao Han combine two concepts she thought would never be linked in a lifetime.
Whether it was "Primal," representing Primal Authority, or "Great," representing the Great Spellbook—how on earth did these two fit together?
"Primal Great Fool's Dream Transformation Spell..." After calming her nerves, Dean Mei looked back at me. "Does this 'Great' refer to the Great Spellbook, or is it just a title you gave yourself, little one? I recall you calling yourself the Sage of Fool's Dream and the Village Chief of Fool's Village. You aren't just tacking on another title for yourself, are you?"
"Let me be clear: the 'Great' prefix isn't something to be used lightly. It specifically refers to things that exist eternally alongside the Void. The Great Spellbook's properties allow it to be granted that prefix for a reason, but your 'Great Fool's Dream'..."
"Of course it refers to the Great Spellbook!" I interjected quickly. "Sister Mei, did you forget that I dismantled the Great Spellbook you gave me into its original Holy Relics?"
"Hiss... Xiao Han." Mei Lind sucked in a sharp breath. Though this was the first time she had heard such a concept, she could immediately grasp what it implied. "Are you planning to use [Transcendent Knowledge] to blaze a trail for the Fool's Dream?"
"Exactly! I didn't expect you to figure it out so quickly, Sister Mei. I thought my line of thinking would be hard to follow!"
"You put the entire concept right there in the name. Unfortunately, I can't offer much help in the field of Life magic for this." Dean Mei shook her head regretfully, then moved toward a nearby sofa. "Xiao Han, come sit with me."
Since Xiao Han had come to her with something this significant, there was no need to keep things formal at her desk. Moreover, she had her own matters to discuss with Xiao Han—specifically regarding the Ancient Remnant Ice King. She hadn't expected Xiao Han to visit in person.
Though, she had arrived in a form that was quite unexpected.
Sister Bai led me over, and I moved from her shoulder to sit directly on her lap.
Opposite us, Mei Lind watched Bai Yu, who looked down at me with a doting, indulgent smile as if she were holding a precious porcelain doll.
"Since you didn't come here to have me fix your physical condition, what is it you want to talk about? You even brought Bai Yu along, so I assume it's no small matter." Mei Lind didn't waste any more breath on the so-called Primal Great Fool's Dream Transformation Spell.
As shocked as she was, it was beyond her expertise. She didn't have much experience in that specific niche of the Life domain—a fact evident by how she hadn't known where to settle the Fool's Dream race back when the Great Wisdom Enlightenment Art was first created.
Back then, she had only taken charge of the Fool's Dream because no professional team of witches specializing in life creation was available to handle them.
After all, the Fool's Dream were unique—dream-state lifeforms?
The concept simply didn't exist.
In the end, she had combined her own techniques of molting and incubation with a few experimental teams. They had managed to create physical shells for them to inhabit in reality, eventually settling them in the Fool's Village Secret Realm.
The researchers had encountered an insurmountable barrier in the field of dream-state life. Ultimately, they abandoned the plan to turn the Fool's Dream into true living beings and moved on to other races.
Because these events had spanned over a century and she had experienced them firsthand, Mei Lind could appreciate just how absurd Xiao Han's current proposition truly was.
"Actually, this matter is also related to Primal Spells." I wasn't quite used to Dean Mei getting straight to the point, but perhaps she had grown accustomed to my own habit of doing the same.
It was better this way.
"Related to Primal Spells? Have you hit a snag?" Mei Lind pondered. She didn't recall Xiao Han having much to do with Primal Spells, aside from the life experiments on the Fool's Dream.
Wait... there was also the Trial of Equivalent Investment and Return she had mentioned to Xiao Han before, but she hadn't taken that very seriously.
"The Primal Spells themselves haven't run into any major issues. Things are progressing steadily, and I'm quite enjoying the sense of achievement that comes from overcoming difficulties step by step. What I wanted to discuss with you, Dean Mei, was actually that matter..."
"That matter? Which one?" Mei Lind asked, frowning.
"It's... back then, when you wanted to gift me the Great Spellbook as an investment, Sister Mei."
"Oh, that." Mei Lind remembered quickly, even recalling the specific details of the exchange.
Since Xiao Han said it was related to Primal Spells, it was now basically certain why she had come.
"Xiao Han, you came all this way just for that? I am the Dean, you know—I'm a very busy woman!" the Dean said with mock severity, though her tone was laced with teasing.
"It might be a small matter to you, Sister Mei, but it's a different story for the Fool's Dream." Hearing her tone, I breathed a small sigh of relief.
Given the Dean's attitude and the flexibility of the original contract, this shouldn't be too difficult. My previous anxiety was mostly due to my habit of always preparing for the worst-case scenario.
"Have you realized the importance of the Primal Fool's Dream spells?" Mei Lind continued to probe.
Her own understanding of Primal Spells was somewhat limited. They weren't like the Great Spellbook, which provided immediate, massive power upon acquisition. Their significance lay on an entirely different level.
At the very least, she had never possessed a Primal Spell herself.
"Yes, I'm starting to realize it," I nodded.
"Do you mind expanding on that?" Mei Lind asked, her curiosity piqued.
She hadn't delved into the deepest levels of the Life domain and only had a superficial understanding of the Primal concepts of races.
While the Main World had many research teams in the Life domain, what was a few centuries or a millennium in the grand scheme of things?
Life experimentation was a project of time. A thousand years only allowed for a few dozen generations of biological succession.
Did anyone truly think a brand-new lifeform could be born through routine procedures without some stroke of luck or a miraculous encounter?
Most life experiments were focused on reviving extinct species rather than creating entirely new ones. After all, the Void had developed for so long that the abundance of life sequences already exceeded what any individual could imagine.
Thus, Mei Lind didn't mind learning about a topic she had never heard of but found fascinating, even if she was just listening as a layman.
"Do you want to gauge my level of understanding regarding Primal concepts, Sister Mei?"
"Mhm, you could put it that way." Mei Lind instinctively rubbed the bridge of her nose and nodded.
"Then I'll speak plainly. If I say anything incorrect, please correct me, Sister Mei."
"There's no need to be so formal. Just think of it as a chat. You already know I haven't made many breakthroughs in the Life domain, so just take my words as a reference. Your own understanding should come first," Mei Lind said, feeling a bit sheepish.
"I will. Then, I'll explain my understanding of 'Primal.' Of course, this is strictly derived from the racial Primal and its extensions, the Primal Transformation Spell and Primal Summoning Spell. I don't know much about other types of Primal Spell sequences," I said before beginning my explanation.
"Regarding a racial Primal, it can essentially be understood as a power—the power to open a race's life sequence. Because of this, once the path is opened, even if an extinct race is revived, a new Primal cannot be born, because that racial Primal power already exists."
"An established Primal race corresponds to two existences within the life sequence: the racial concept and the bloodline information. Both can be viewed as Authorities. When these Authorities are utilized, they manifest as Summoning and Transformation."
"The Primal is the original template within the life sequence, while the continuation of the race is the disordered evolution of that template. Thus, the first significance of the Primal is born: anchoring the racial concept."
"For any race, as time passes and disordered evolution repeats, it will inevitably hit the boundaries of the racial framework. The Primal is the template that prevents this framework from being destroyed; it is the anchor that keeps the race from falling into the unknown abyss during its evolution."
"Second, I believe the Primal and the race achieve greatness together. This is where I see the value of the Primal Fool's Dream spells. Once a race has a Primal, it means the race can derive branches under absolute control."
"Third, as the race grows larger, the power of the Primal Progenitor grows stronger. Because all possibilities of the race originate from the Primal template, anything achieved within the racial framework can, by definition, be achieved by the Primal."
"Fourth, the Primal..."
As I spoke, Mei Lind began to break out in a cold sweat.
Xiao Han's explanation was easy to understand, but as she listened, her mind kept drifting toward a certain comparison... She felt that everything Xiao Han was describing fit a classic example that every witch knew.
The Primal Witch.
Xiao Han was using her own logic to deconstruct the existence and power structure of the Primal Witch!
The Primal Witch had never forbidden other witches from trying to understand her. In fact, rumors said that even within the witch race, many Transcendent Witches were fascinated by the Primal Witch herself, though none had ever received a clear answer.
And those Transcendent Witches had been personally "invited" by the Primal Witch to join the race.
But she never expected Xiao Han to... oh, wait. Xiao Han hadn't mentioned the Primal Witch at all.
She was overthinking it!
Yes, that was it! She was just overthinking! Xiao Han hadn't breathed a word about the Primal Witch!
"Actually, it's easier to understand with an example. Back when I was helping April promote to a Transcendent Witch, I took the opportunity to learn about the Witch racial concept. I even witnessed the Primal concept being nurtured from within it. I even made a small deal with that newly born Primal concept..."
Mei Lind: "..."
"Well, it wasn't really a deal. I got warned, actually... told not to delve too deep into certain forbidden domains. Said it would be better for me, for her, and for the Witch race."
In the silence, the sound of someone swallowing hard was particularly sharp.
Then, Dean Mei's voice followed: "Xiao Han, why didn't I hear you mention this back then?"
"Hmm... I probably thought you wouldn't be interested, Sister Mei? Afterward, that consciousness even praised me, saying the unique skills I've mastered show no small amount of ambition." I recalled the scene as I spoke.
"If something like that happens again, remember to tell me. I'm actually quite... quite interested," Mei Lind said, wiping away sweat that wasn't actually there.
"Okay, sure~"
"In that case, let's leave it at that. If we go any further, you probably won't be sure of the details anyway, right? I've learned enough for now. Let's get back to the main topic. Didn't you have something else to ask me?"
"Right." I nodded, not wasting any more words on the subject.
I picked up the cup of black tea Dean Mei had brewed for me, moistened my lips, and continued, "Actually, the main reason I came today was to discuss the trial contract we signed back then."
"That contract... right." Returning to the main topic, Mei Lind also breathed a sigh of relief. "Do you want to get out of providing those two Primal Spell sequences?"
"Oh, no, no, no!" I waved my hands frantically. "The Primal Spell sequences—two of them—I will definitely fulfill the contract! I just hope I don't have to use the Primal Fool's Dream Transformation and Summoning spells as the bargaining chips. Is that okay? If you give me time, I'm willing to provide a completely new racial Primal Spell sequence as the return!"
"..."
Hearing this, Mei Lind fell silent for a long time. Finally, she spoke: "Xiao Han, tell me the truth. Is that the kind of person I am in your eyes? You keep calling me Sister Mei, yet you say things like that. It really hurts my feelings..."
"Eh? No, no! That's not what I meant!"
"If that's not what you meant, then what is? You came all this way just to ask about this little thing because you didn't want to use the Fool's Dream as a chip, right? I could remove that condition entirely and it wouldn't be a problem."
"Huh? But... but we signed a Witch Contract!" I was momentarily speechless.
"The Witch Contract..." Mei Lind slapped her forehead. "Did the contract say I specifically wanted the Fool's Dream Primal Spells? No! We signed a Witness Contract!"
"It was to witness that trial, and that trial was established on the premise of mutual agreement between both parties. If we have doubts about the trial, we can negotiate at any time. We could even completely overturn the previous investment exchange if we wanted to."
"Uh... you can... do that?"
"Of course." Mei Lind leaned back against the sofa, a smile returning to her face. "And besides, your Fool's Dream race is researching the Primal Great Fool's Dream Transformation Spell. What I asked for was a Primal Spell sequence, not a Primal Great Spell sequence. Therefore, the Fool's Dream Primal Spells don't even fit the contract. Do you understand, Xiao Han?"
"You can... interpret it like that?!"