Chapter 1106: Intelligence and Conjectures Regarding the World Navel
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 1106: Intelligence and Conjectures Regarding the World Navel
The tea party concluded swiftly.
Few knew what had been discussed during the gathering. However, those who participated immediately began using various means to investigate intelligence regarding the "World Navel."
Naturally, they found nothing among the student body. Eventually, they turned to their mentors, attempting to glean information about the concept through indirect questioning.
To their surprise, news surfaced quickly.
The concept of a World Navel was not rare among the transcendent community. Any Transcendent Witch who had participated in Void pioneering or world development had encountered the term to some degree.
However... not every Transcendent Witch had actually seen or touched one.
Witches who only possessed spellbooks or raw combat power, lacking the relevant professional knowledge and techniques, wouldn't be able to find such a thing even in a Small World.
Professional matters were best left to professional witches.
Unless one destroyed an entire world, but by then, both the World Navel and the world itself would have lost most of their meaning.
While Transcendent Witches generally didn't disclose such information to students, if a student took the initiative to ask, some indifferent mentors didn't mind explaining the concepts. Coupled with a few stories of their own glorious achievements, they found a great sense of accomplishment in watching their students' eyes sparkle with admiration.
Besides, what if a student became interested in these concepts and developed the desire to leave the Main World?
Thus, a group of people soon learned and pieced together the relevant information regarding the World Navel.
The World Navel.
To think such a miraculous existence existed in the cosmos!
An entity that could dominate a world, control its entire developmental trajectory and operation, and even communicate with the World Will!
Had this news not come from their transcendent mentors, they would never have believed such a thing existed. But it was unlikely their mentors would lie to them.
During this period, one mentor even bragged about the magnificent feat of invading another world from outside its boundaries, leaving many listeners shaken to the core.
As they compiled the data on the World Navel, they felt every point was worth analyzing.
For instance, every world possessed a World Navel, though its manifestation differed from one to the next.
It was the lifeblood of a world.
Furthermore, mastering the World Navel was equivalent to controlling the rise and fall of an entire world; its survival or death rested upon a single thought.
And most importantly... the Main World they resided in also had a World Navel!
The girl who uncovered this news instinctively asked who the Main World's Navel currently belonged to.
However, she did not receive the answer she sought.
But one could speculate... the Witch Academy did not seem to be the transcendent force in control of it.
Regardless, that matter was not as pressing as the situation they currently faced.
By now, they were eighty percent certain that Teaching Assistant Xiao Han had dispatched the No. 0 Combat Sequence specifically to find the World Navel of the Emerald Forest!
According to intelligence coming from the Emerald Forest, the members of the No. 0 Combat Sequence had fanned out as if searching for something.
Upon hearing this, the hearts of the various club leaders were filled with a complex mix of emotions.
As expected... when Teaching Assistant Xiao Han made a move, it was a total game-changer!
If they hadn't learned about the concept of the World Navel, they wouldn't even know what their opponent was trying to do.
Consequently, all the representatives immediately issued a joint request, hoping to have a talk with the representatives of the Baking House.
During this time, another event occurred that left everyone fuming!
The news regarding Teaching Assistant Yang Yuehan dispatching the No. 0 Combat Sequence into the Emerald Forest to seize control of the World Navel had leaked onto the Transcendent Dark Web!
It wouldn't be long before the people from the Three Top Academies learned of this as well.
This was a grave matter!
Broadly speaking, this looked as though the various clubs of the Witch Academy were colluding with other top academies to boycott Teaching Assistant Xiao Han's plan.
This was a matter of allegiance.
If this had remained a private discussion within the Witch Academy, there would have been plenty of room for maneuver. They might have even supported Xiao Han's domination of the Emerald Forest, provided they could get a share of the spoils.
But now, the situation had escalated to a point where it was difficult to resolve!
* * *
At the current session of the Parliament.
Cleveland’s expression was grim.
"I do not understand where you obtained information regarding the World Navel. As for the Baking House, we will conduct our own internal investigation. Let me state once more: the Baking House has no intention of dominating the Emerald Forest, nor do we have the capacity to do so. I advise you all not to speculate on the Baking House's normal operations with such malicious intent."
Listening to Cleveland’s stern and formal speech—a transparent attempt to cover things up—it was clear she wasn't even trying to act anymore.
Everyone knew how these meetings usually went and what the typical tone of voice was. There was no need for a performance; this wasn't a public meeting, so who was she being so formal for?
Cleveland’s statement naturally failed to satisfy the crowd. What they wanted was simple: if you're eating meat, we want a sip of the soup.
If things continued like this, it seemed the other party intended to hog all the spoils for themselves. How could they possibly stand for that?
However, the subsequent questions, interrogations, and even pleas for sympathy failed to extract any more useful information.
Cleveland even used the news that hadn't yet fully spread on the Transcendent Dark Web to shut everyone up, instantly putting them in the wrong.
Yet, even now, they hadn't found out who had leaked the information.
"Hmph... instead of worrying so much about whether we'll seize the World Navel of the Emerald Forest, you'd be better off worrying about who holds the World Navel of our own world!"
Ultimately, the meeting concluded with Cleveland’s final, indignant remark.
That question left a lingering aftertaste in everyone's minds as the session ended.
They had tried to ask about it before but received no answers. Now that it was mentioned again, it truly piqued the curiosity of many.
Indeed... in this world they lived in, who exactly held the World Navel?
It was a question worth pondering.
Could it be that their world wasn't dominated by any single force...?
But was that even possible?
This question immediately gave birth to numerous conjectures.
For instance, some guessed that the Witch Academy held the World Navel, but the mentors simply wouldn't tell them. After all, among the various transcendent academies in the Main World, who could surpass the Witch Academy?
The dominance of the Witch Academy was obvious to all!
One could see it just by how the Three Top Academies were constantly trying to boycott them.
However, others held opposing views.
The reason was simple: no matter how powerful the Witch Academy was, why wasn't it considered a "Top Academy"?
Therefore, it was highly likely that the World Navel was held by those Three Top Academies, and the Witch Academy was merely using its immense strength and heritage to contend with them.
Various conjectures continued to surface.
It was as if this topic was being pushed by an invisible hand, causing it to be constantly mentioned within specific groups, eventually guiding everyone toward a certain answer.
It was destined to be a question without a definitive result.
Nevertheless, they had no choice but to keep a close eye on every movement of the No. 0 Combat Sequence.
It was as if, at this moment, the resources of that world could no longer attract them; the ownership of the World Navel was all that mattered!
Although they had received answers from their mentors stating that it was impossible for a student to master a World Navel, many mentors had shown hesitation when asked about Teaching Assistant Xiao Han, before finally giving the answer: "It should also be impossible."
Consequently, many people now firmly believed that Teaching Assistant Xiao Han likely possessed some means to control a World Navel!
* * *
This matter soon reached the ears of the students from the other Three Top Academies. Or rather, not long after the post appeared on the Transcendent Dark Web, every transcendent academy became aware of it.
However... small-scale transcendent academies had no right to interfere.
They didn't even have the qualifications to enter the Emerald Forest, so why should they care who the world belonged to?
But watching the drama unfold was quite entertaining.
The Three Top Academies immediately swung into action.
Originally, everyone had been content to wait for their respective Void Rifts to tear open so they could enter and share the resources. But now that they discovered someone was trying to pull the world up by its very roots, how could they sit still?
The Wizard Academy and the Holy Angel Academy couldn't even wait for the existing rifts to fully open into world channels. They immediately formed a temporary alliance with the Afuhemi Academy to take joint action and search for the so-called World Navel.
They wanted a piece of the pie as well.
Even if they knew they couldn't defend the World Navel against that little witch, they wanted to secure it first to use as a bargaining chip.
After all, a Witch Contract was highly binding; they weren't afraid of her going back on her word.
But the prerequisite for everything was that they had to seize the initiative first.
Before their hurried mobilization, however, many students within the various transcendent academies also asked their mentors about the World Navel.
Faced with their students suddenly mentioning such a sensitive term, many transcendent mentors became extremely guarded.
After all, they knew very well what they were hiding from the students.
Thus, they quickly learned the truth of the matter.
They eventually discovered that it was that little witch who wanted to seize the World Navel of the Emerald Forest.
Many transcendents smelled a conspiracy in this, as if someone in the Main World was pushing an agenda.
Everything seemed quite logical, except for the Holy Angel Academy.
They were currently feeling a bit panicked.
Some of the "Sparks" they had sent out a while ago had lost contact! And to this day, no news had returned.
Logically, once they sent the Sparks out, they shouldn't have cared anymore. The Void was extremely dangerous, even the Void Domain where the Main World was located.
However... in the short time since they were sent out, some Holy Angels had used private means to perform a final farewell. After all, those sent away were the brothers-in-arms, lovers, children, or students of Transcendent Holy Angels!
The academy had tacitly allowed this behavior.
This led to a Holy Angel discovering that one Spark ship had completely lost contact.
Currently, the academy was suppressing this news.
At this critical juncture, no accidents could be allowed.
* * *
Holy Angel Academy.
"No! Archangel... you cannot do this! She is my life's devotion! I paid such a heavy price to secure a Spark qualification for her, she—"
"Halifax, your only faith and devotion in this life should be the Holy Light. Or has your mind been corrupted and fallen to those carnal emotions?"
"I... Archangel, I am not just here for myself. There are many others—"
"May the Holy Light protect every child bathed in its glow. I understand the predicament you face, but please understand the situation we are in..."
As Halifax looked at the Archangel before him, his vision gradually blurred. His consciousness was enveloped by the Holy Light, as if he were already resting in its embrace.
Holy Angels did not distinguish between genders; the terms "he" and "she" were the primitive notions of little angels who had not yet ascended to transcendence or bathed in the baptism of Holy Light.
While "male and female" affections were permitted within the Holy Light, wallowing in carnal desire and romantic love was a taboo despised by Holy Angels.
Halifax didn't know how he made it back, but "he" knew very well that this time, there was still no result.
Thus, he had also failed the other Holy Angels who had asked him to inquire on their behalf.
Upon his return, the Holy Angels who had made the request gathered around. Although they could tell from his appearance that there was likely no good news, they still asked with a final glimmer of hope.
"Halifax... what did the Archangel say?"
"...May the Holy Light protect every child..."
What was clearly a blessing sounded so grating now.
Upon hearing the final word, the group of Holy Angels left with drooping wings. Just as Halifax was about to leave, he noticed one angel who had stayed behind.
"I'm sorry. When I faced the Archangel, I didn't even have the courage to ask about each of you individually." Halifax suddenly felt a wave of self-reproach.
He recognized the Holy Angel before him. This one had sent away their own student—an undoubtedly unique choice among the group. While the Sparks included students, not everyone was willing to give up a spot for someone they weren't related to.
Even if one was alone, that quota should have been kept for oneself, rather than given to a student who wasn't even a transcendent.
"It's alright. This isn't your fault. When you were willing to stand up and face the pressure to speak for us, we lost the right to criticize your incompetence or cowardice. Perhaps the ones in the wrong aren't us, nor you, and certainly not them."
"Then... who is in the wrong?" Halifax asked, almost as if possessed.
"The Holy Light does not grant its believers pure suffering. But decayed wings can block the Holy Light that was meant to shine upon us."
"...You... you!"
"We believe in the Holy Light, not the Archangel. The love between you and that person was once blessed by the Holy Light! It should not, and must not, be allowed to become a sacrificial stepping stone at this moment. Do you think I... am right?"
"...Right...?"