Chapter 1046: Revealing the Plan
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 1046: Revealing the Plan
After a bit of a struggle, the little elf finally enjoyed the most comfortable bath of her elven life.
Of course, during the process, I made her go back and wash herself five or six more times.
While bathing is a mundane task for most, for an elf who had been domesticated since childhood, the very concept was foreign. How to wash one's hair, how to scrub one's body—it wasn't just a matter of rinsing off with water.
Furthermore, the mix of old and new scars covering her body made bathing a significant challenge.
If my main body were here... no, even if it were just a Primal Clone, a simple Cleaning Spell would have finished the job instantly. But right now, I was merely a Player.
"That'll have to do."
I looked at the elf. She was still a bit damp, and her messy hair remained tangled and split at the ends; this wasn't something that could be fixed with water alone.
"Do you have a name?" I asked.
She looked at me with confusion, then shook her head.
"No name either?" I sighed. Coming up with names was always a chore for me.
I checked the information on the game panel. This loli elf was certified by the game system as "merchandise" under the "slave" sub-category. Even though her restrictive collar had been removed, she belonged to me in name.
I glanced at the "Random" button next to the nickname field. Feeling a spark of curiosity, I decided to see what kind of names the system would generate.
"Hmm... Karna? Funa'wa? Are these even girls' names? Lonafu... Binuna... that's even worse than Lonafu."
I clicked random several times, but nothing satisfied me. I actually wanted a single-character name, like the "Ni" from the Ancient Remnant Ice King.
But the randomizer didn't offer single characters.
"Forget it, let's go with Lonafu." I looked at the elf. "From now on, you have a name. It's Lonafu. Repeat it back to me to see if you remember."
"Um... No... Nonaful... Lonafu..." Having suddenly received a name of her own, she was a bit awkward. Clearly, the name didn't quite fit elven aesthetics, but that didn't matter; it just needed to roll off my tongue easily.
"Correct. Lonafu. From this day forward, you are Lonafu. When I call your name, you must respond. Understand?"
"I understand..." Lonafu nodded quickly. Her voice was raspy, likely due to prolonged "training" and various illnesses that had ruined her throat. She lacked even a hint of that ethereal quality typical of elven voices.
"Good." I nodded and sat back on the sofa. With an elf like this, being purely kind wouldn't lower her guard.
Instead of gentle persuasion, it was better to follow her habits and give firm orders, letting her know exactly what to do next. Only by slowly getting used to a routine could she adapt to a changing worldview; immediate gentleness would only deepen her anxiety.
"Do you know why I spent money to buy you?" I asked.
Lonafu shook her head again.
"I know your throat is bad. For my questions, just nod or shake your head. Only speak if I ask something complicated." I taught her how to respond. In these initial interactions, many details had to be explained clearly.
I had learned this much from the repeated bathing sessions.
"First, let me be clear: I bought you for two reasons, which are currently your only values. First, you are obedient. Second, you possess the transcendent power of the elves. Though it's weak now, I'm in no hurry."
Speaking of this reminded me of when the Real Protection Association first summoned me. The spectacle was grand—they used an entire Infinite Energy Perpetual Motion Machine relay station to power the summoning ritual.
I have to say, 99.9% of that energy was wasted because the ritual inscriptions were inaccurate.
Even so, that was the strongest reverse summoning I had ever sensed, crossing the void and worlds.
"Now, I require you to learn from me how to master this transcendent power of yours." I beckoned, signaling her to sit. "Sit down and listen."
Lonafu, only half-understanding, walked to the other side of the coffee table and knelt directly on the floor between the table and the sofa.
Subconsciously, she didn't dare—and didn't even think—to sit on the sofa.
Next, I would use the most efficient method to force-feed her knowledge of runes—specifically, the summoning runes that paired with my Reverse Summoning Spell. This would drastically reduce my workload and save time.
However, this would require a few other things.
For instance... pen and paper. And materials for constant spellcasting experiments.
Unfortunately, this world lacked pen and paper, but I could buy those low-cost items directly from the game mall.
As for the materials... I had investigated this world's ley lines. As long as one found a ley line node, it would usually produce transcendent materials of geographic essence, even if this was just a tiny, depleted world.
I had tried to perform a summoning myself using these materials, but with such weak materials and no mental power to guide them, I felt absolutely nothing.
Perhaps I had found the reason why no one had ever successfully performed the summoning ritual I had spread in the game world.
If there were any transcendent materials that could spontaneously trigger power, I wouldn't be in such a pathetic state.
Perhaps the difficulty of crossing worlds and summoning within the same world really were on entirely different levels.
After my lament, I looked at the upright Lonafu and began my formal lesson.
"Now, listen to me. Extend your hands and condense your transcendent power in your palms," I commanded.
The transcendent power in her body was extremely meager. To use it to draw a summoning ritual, she would need professional training.
* * *
Meanwhile, in the Main World.
My Life Clone contacted Cleveland directly.
Cleveland had a high adaptability to my switching between my main body and clones.
But to say Cleveland was busy would be an understatement. She was swamped.
Especially now, as they were about to move past the soul quality repair issue and begin their retaliation. The Hundred Academy Alliance wouldn't give the Witch Academy any time to rest.
Furthermore, there were many issues to resolve regarding the Blood Slave Peninsula. The distribution of interests was the primary concern.
After listening to Cleveland's report on the past few days, there was one more major event to attend to.
The rollout of the first-generation Witch Floating Battleship!
This plan had been brewing for months. Any further delay would make people question the efficiency of hand-crafting transcendent power.
The first-generation witch battleship had already been named, chosen via a public vote on the Academy Network.
The Blood River, short for the "Blood Will Flow Like a River" class witch battleship.
This first-generation ship was still in the experimental stage, meeting only the basic requirements of being able to fly and transport people.
The exterior was solidified with a large number of integrated protective spells. The bow was inscribed with Wind-Breaking Runes to filter air resistance, and the first-generation test power arrays at the rear provided enough thrust to easily break the sound barrier.
As for the issue of acceleration G-force, there were plans for spatial stabilization spells within the hull, but since they were still experimental, the transported students would just have to tank the G-force with their physical bodies for now.
The current hull wasn't equipped with large-scale weapons of destruction. Thus, the witch battleship functioned more like a massive aerial carrier; once the hatches opened, countless witches on brooms would swarm out to destroy the target.
I heard that the Alchemy Club under the Research Department had even refined "Cyber Brooms" to match the battleship's style—mechanical brooms with short backrests and cushions, with tail flames replacing the broom bristles. Different components could even change the color and special effects of the flames.
Combined with the uniform combat suits prepared by the Logistics Department for the combat sequences, the United Club suddenly didn't look like such a ragtag bunch anymore.
After all, having suffered a major loss, they had finally come to their senses.
And that was just the change within the Witch Academy.
As news spread that the United Club was fully covering the costs of resurrection and soul quality repair for its combat members, what was considered "business as usual" at the Witch Academy caused an absolute uproar at the Holy Angel Academy and the Afuhemi Academy!
The blow to their morale was devastating. The volunteers affected by the Earth-Sun Tragedy were still suffering from the aftereffects. Even at the Holy Angel Academy, where resurrection spells were most prevalent, they weren't necessarily responsible for students with damaged soul quality.
One could say the Witch Academy's move had completely shattered their composure!
Furthermore, hearing that the witches' aftereffects vanished once their soul quality was repaired was a critical hit to those already suffering.
Comparison, after all, is the root of all pain.
After catching up with Cleveland, I moved to the purpose of my visit.
"Let's get to the point. I originally intended to tell both you and Millian this, but it's difficult for Millian to return to the Core World right now. I've given her a brief overview; if she wants details later, you can explain them to her. This primarily affects the areas you're responsible for."
"Understood, Sister Xiao Han," Cleveland nodded, adopting a listening posture.
"The Witch Academy's current situation isn't great—I'm referring to the transcendent level. I can't give you the details of why, but you just need to know that for the foreseeable future, the United Club's academy wars will receive the full support of the Academy."
"The Academy wants to use the students' hands to accomplish certain things. Because of the principle of non-interference, once the transcendent level gets involved, the severity of the situation becomes immeasurable. The Academy will increase its contact with the United Club, and the Baking House I represent will fully align with the Academy's stance."
"That's the big picture. Now, let me tell you about my own actions," I continued. Cleveland's expression grew even more serious.
She had already sensed the subtle shift in the mentors' attitudes regarding the Academy's support for the United Club. Getting a definitive confirmation was vital. Then there was the matter of picking sides.
The Baking House was a club that stood firmly with the Academy and was the faction least influenced by family powers. Cleveland knew that as long as the Teaching Assistant Xiao Han before her didn't fall, no one could touch the Baking House!
"The current situation in the Main World is a stalemate. The United Club is pinned down by the Hundred Academy Alliance, and no one in the United Club has the confidence to declare war on the other two top academies. Therefore, I intend to open a brand-new battlefield outside the Main World to set the fires of war ablaze once more."
"What kind of battlefield?" Cleveland asked instinctively.
"Remember the game world? The player invasion of the Main World was a huge deal recently. You should know that I've performed a reverse invasion of the game world, right?"
"Yes, I'm aware."
"That game world has been mostly infiltrated by my clones. It's not a single world, but an unformed World Cluster. What is a World Cluster? It's a massive entity where many worlds converge under a single world will. I plan to invade a cluster world and crash it into the Main World."
"And that cluster world will be the new battlefield I open for the Main World. It's a brand-new world; it will bring terrifying disaster, but also endless opportunity."
As I finished speaking, Cleveland was completely stunned!
She had thought Sister Xiao Han might forcibly attack a large transcendent academy, or perhaps negotiate with the Academy's high-ranking officials to open an Expansion Realm. She never, in her wildest dreams, expected this!
Using an entire world to open a new battlefield!
In that instant, Cleveland's perception of Sister Xiao Han's status skyrocketed through countless levels!
She had heard many times that the person before her was a legend, an invincible existence, but those descriptions lacked a sense of reality. Now, she had heard this person casually decide the life and death of a world, the ignition of war, with a few simple words...
She felt as if she could finally glimpse the height at which this little witch stood... a height she could never hope to reach!
At this moment, she finally understood why Millian—who was a year younger than her yet called her senior—followed this woman so unwaveringly.
Her own "loyalty" compared to that faith-like devotion was like a firefly compared to the full moon.
"The success rate of this plan is about sixty percent. I'll keep you updated on the progress and the situation of that world. Consider this a heads-up: it's a small world with nearly depleted foundations, not as wealthy as you might imagine. It's merely a springboard for war, using the unknown to draw fire."
"Additionally, that world is mostly populated by elves. So, this is also a lure for the Afuhemi Forest Elf Academy. At the very least, we can trick the elves into going there..."