Chapter 142: A Ruthless Person Who Crushed a Fireball Spell with Bare Hands!
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 142: A Ruthless Person Who Crushed a Fireball Spell with Bare Hands!
"There didn't seem to be much else to do here, but the popcorn looks pretty good, and it's really sweet~"
Sister Bai accompanied me as we did a full circuit of the area, identifying all the entrances and even learning the various rules and regulations for entering and exiting the arena.
I had even gone through the check-in procedures for contestants once. Once the novelty wore off, the quiet atmosphere of the place became a bit dull.
Besides, there were quite a few staff members setting up the venue. Although people were allowed inside to look around, it felt a bit rude to get in their way.
"If you like it, let's buy some before we leave," Sister Bai said, pointing toward the exit we were approaching, where the popcorn shop was located.
After I showed signs of fatigue, Sister Bai suggested we head back to rest. After all, circling the arena was an exhausting task, especially for a new student. A freshman's Witchification process wasn't very advanced yet, so their physique hadn't changed much.
"Never mind, I shouldn't eat so many snacks lately. I'd better stick to normal food." I checked the time; it was almost noon. I’d only had some bread this morning, which felt like I’d let Senior Sister Ying Shiqian off too easy. If I’d known, I would have eaten more so I wouldn't be getting hungry so fast. "It's almost lunchtime. Let's go eat first. This afternoon..."
"What? Is there something else you want to do this afternoon?"
"Oh, no. I was planning to study my spellbooks. You gave me another one, Sister Bai, and I need to understand its properties before the competition starts." I spoke with a hint of apology, as Sister Bai looked like she hadn't quite had her fill of fun yet.
Furthermore, I had sensed a few problems and wanted to get back quickly before something happened.
I had a feeling I was being followed.
This was the first time I’d ever been stalked. At first, I didn't pay it much mind since the possibility hadn't occurred to me, but thanks to my Spirit Vision, I had already seen through several layers of obstacles to spot the suspicious figures.
The other party was acting well; even Sister Bai didn't seem to have noticed. If I hadn't confirmed that their prying eyes were definitely locked onto me, I wouldn't have been certain I was being followed.
Although their appearance was laid bare before me, I didn't recognize them. I shouldn't be famous enough to have a pack of paparazzi after me, right?
Having Floating World level Spirit Vision really was a hassle; I could tell even when people were secretly following me. The problem was that if I approached them, they would quickly hide, as if they were afraid of me.
Were they afraid of me?
Or perhaps they were afraid of Sister Bai, who was walking beside me.
Maybe I should tell Sister Bai and set a trap to catch them and demand an explanation.
"Sister Bai, I need to tell you something~" I suddenly leaned against her and whispered. Bai Yu didn't seem to react immediately, startled by my sudden intimacy.
"Huh? Oh, Xiao Han, don't startle me like that. If there's something on your mind, just say it."
"Hehe, it's nothing much, really. It's just that I've spotted some guys following me," I whispered.
"What?"
"Keep your voice down! Listen..."
After briefly explaining my plan to Sister Bai, I accompanied her into a roadside restaurant.
The plan was simple: Sister Bai would pretend to leave first, leaving me alone to give the stalkers an opening and see how they reacted.
If they didn't do anything, then they just had some personal issues and I could ignore them; I’d just head straight back to Room 8401 to dismantle the spellbook this afternoon.
But if they reacted and tried to corner me, I’d let Sister Bai take them down!
I suddenly realized that the Witch Academy could be quite a dangerous place. After all, everyone around me was a Transcendent who possessed supernatural powers. No one could be sure if those with power would still suppress the darkness and evil in their hearts.
Just look at the name of this school: "Witch Academy"! Whether in legends or reality, Witches were never easy characters to deal with.
Even in storybooks, they were usually the villains.
"Thanks for lunch, Sister Bai. I'll treat you next time~"
After we finished eating, I temporarily parted ways with Sister Bai at the restaurant entrance.
"I'll look forward to it then. Stay safe," Bai Yu replied. She pulled out her broom and prepared to leave.
Now, I was the only one left.
I had been quite deliberate in choosing this restaurant. To get to the bus stop, I had to walk through a deserted alleyway to reach the other side.
Don't call it taking the long way around—just ask if those guys would fall for such a golden opportunity to catch me alone.
As soon as I stepped inside, the figures I had "marked" made their move. Clearly, they were no longer content with just watching.
I had only walked a short distance when I felt people entering from every opening of the deserted alley.
There were three of them in total.
Naturally, the first one I encountered was the one coming from straight ahead.
Judging by her outfit and aura, she didn't look like a freshman. Her reckless style and haircut, combined with the piercings that showed a total lack of care for her body, gave her the air of a street thug.
But since she was a student of the Witch Academy, Witchification ensured she wasn't too ugly; she just gave off the vibe of a delinquent girl.
I ignored her and silently moved to the side to let her pass, but she stepped across just as I did, continuing to block my path.
"Senior, I don't believe we have any grievances, do we?" I said.
"Oh? What's this? You look like a freshman, don't you? Don't you know you're supposed to show respect when you meet a senior?"
"Hmm?"
I tilted my head and spotted Sister Bai's figure on the roof of a nearby building. I met her gaze and gave a slight shake of my head, signaling her not to intervene yet.
I wanted to see what kind of play they were putting on. This kind of provocation was just too cliché.
"Don't 'hmm' me! You're a pretty arrogant freshman, aren't you? Do you have a problem with me? Let me tell you, when a freshman sees a senior, they'd better act with total respect." As the senior spoke, she reached out and began to shove me.
I went with the momentum and stepped back, only to turn around and see two similar-looking seniors blocking my retreat.
"This... isn't very nice, is it?" I leaned against a side wall, watching them close in on me. It felt almost comical.
I never expected to be bullied at the academy, and in such a premeditated way, too. They had been following me for a long time.
"Big Sister, don't waste your breath on her. Once I use a spell to ruin her face, let's see what she does then." One of them cut straight to the point, even though I still didn't know what they were after.
Was it robbery? Kidnapping? Or just the simple pleasure of bullying?
They were even jumping straight to spells without a second word?
I felt the surge of the Mana Source within her and the activation of her spellbook.
A spell began to coalesce in front of her.
At such a close distance, I could see everything clearly. Spells could be interrupted, after all. The simplest way was to attack the caster to force them to abandon the spell, but there were also technical ways to interrupt.
No matter the spell, being forcibly interrupted or stopped would result in a certain degree of mental backlash.
Take the spell ritual forming before her, for example. A spell is a very fragile thing. The more you study its principles and internal structure, the more you understand one truth:
The essence of a magical duel is to do everything possible to create a safe environment for yourself to cast, and only then does the clash of spells begin.
It was that simple.
Furthermore, spellbooks didn't have "instant casting," only "fast casting." Casting time could be compressed, but if you didn't understand the internal magic modifications of a spellbook and relied solely on practice and understanding, the efficiency of shortening the casting time was very poor.
For instance, the girl in front of me was casting her Fireball Spell very slowly—at least, it was slow to me. Was she trying to bully me because I was a freshman and supposedly didn't understand magic?
"Aren't you afraid of attracting the Weiji Squad by using spells here?"
As I spoke, I took a step forward and reached out. My mental power surged, hooking into the other party's casting ritual.
This act of sabotaging the casting ritual, rather than the internal ritual of the spellbook itself, would only affect the spell currently being cast. If I messed with the internal ritual of her spellbook, she would never be able to use it normally again.
However, I was very familiar with the spell she was using. It was a very ordinary Fireball Spell. Although some structures differed from the one I had studied, I couldn't possibly fail to recognize such a classic spell.
At that moment, the seniors were shocked by my actions. It was the first time they had ever seen someone poke a spell with their bare hands!
Did she not want her hand anymore?
Such terrifyingly high-energy Transcendent elements could vaporize a person's hand in an instant!
She had seen spells interrupted by other spells or alchemy items, but never with a bare hand!
Was this girl an idiot?
But obviously, I wasn't an idiot. I understood the power of a spell at this stage better than they did. Interrupting a spell sounded easy, but it wasn't something an ordinary person could achieve.
This was where a protection spell came in—the Energy Shield.
Because it was an energy shield and not a material one, it was extremely "malleable."
Originally, it was a rigid sphere that protected the entire body. Now, it could be a protective glove that fit the curves of my hand.
After dismantling and applying the Energy Shield spell, I often used it to protect my hands during Fireball Spell power tests to prevent explosions and high-temperature burns.
The Energy Shield's effectiveness against elemental spells was excellent, and it even provided some protection against physical attacks.
And now, it was no different!
My hand plunged directly into the opponent's casting ritual, pinching the core of the unformed fireball. Then, under their shocked gazes, I pulled it back.
The massive, unformed Transcendent elements, condensed into incomplete runes, shattered along with the ritual.
Even though it was pure fire element without offensive energy, it still carried a terrifying heat as it sprayed and dissipated in all directions.
The damage spraying toward me was easily blocked.
"With... bare hands..."
The three seniors were terrified by the scene. They rolled back in a panic as the scorching energy fragments sprayed onto their faces.
The senior who had blocked my path could think of nothing but the sight of me reaching out and crushing the fireball. It completely exceeded her understanding, even making her think they had targeted the wrong person.
How could someone who crushed a Fireball Spell with their bare hands be a freshman! She had been at the academy for so long, and she had never seen such a ruthless person who could crush a spell by hand!