Chapter 150: The Freshman Competition Officially Begins
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 150: The Freshman Competition Officially Begins
A new day.
I had finished washing up early. Today was the day the Freshman Competition officially began.
The opening ceremony was scheduled for eight in the morning, but anyone with a shred of punctuality knew you couldn't just show up exactly on time.
I pulled on a tight-fitting athletic suit that was easy to move in and fastened the leg rings Sister Bai liked—the ones that pressed into the flesh of my thighs—before heading out into the morning sun.
Of course, before leaving, I made sure to bring my Witch Four-Piece Set and my bracers.
These were alchemy items, after all, and the bracers Sister Bai had given me were particularly powerful.
The Witch Four-Piece Set might not feel like much when worn normally, but their effects became apparent once activated with mental power.
The oversized witch hat could stabilize mental power to a certain extent and had a permanent Lucid Spell effect, allowing me to maintain a peak mental state at all times.
The chest badge went without saying. It had a built-in spell, but I didn't need it right now, so it was just gathering dust in my storage space. In its place, I had pinned my Class 14 identification number.
The witch cape was a simple defensive item. It could reduce the power of spells to a degree and was incredibly sturdy, resistant to damage from sharp weapons. It also had a permanent Cleaning Spell; if it got dirty, it would automatically clean itself, which was very convenient.
As for the magic wand, its purpose was even more obvious: it stabilized casting, amplified spell intensity, and even slightly increased casting speed. Some wands even had specific spells solidified within them to broaden the user's combat options.
To be honest, I hadn't used this wand much since I got it. I usually cast spells barehanded, so using it now felt a bit unfamiliar, though I knew I’d adapt quickly once it was in my hand.
Mounting my flying broom, I looked down from high above. Even this early in the morning, the Witch Academy felt different than usual.
With the open-air arena as the epicenter, the excitement radiated outward, making the entire area incredibly lively!
From a distance, I could see a massive Ley Line Projection in the sky, broadcasting information about the Freshman Competition accompanied by upbeat background music.
While in the air, I checked the group chats on my phone. Even at this hour, a huge crowd was already active and chatting away.
Many people probably hadn't slept well last night; some might have even pulled an all-nighter.
A few were already sharing live stream links for the competition.
I had also received well-wishes from Sister Bai and the other senior sisters this morning. Annie and Erica, whom I’d met just yesterday, were also messaging to ask if I’d arrived yet and if I wanted to head in together.
It seemed girls really did prefer traveling in groups, inviting even new friends they’d only known for a day.
However, I politely declined, as I was almost there.
The area around the open-air arena was already packed with people, a testament to how popular this competition was. Of course, it also highlighted a sad reality: most of the people still outside probably hadn't managed to snag a ticket.
Still, they could watch the action on the giant light screens outside. They were only a wall away from the arena, so watching the screens was basically the same as being there in person.
Because of this, the area was bustling and completely congested.
Even having just descended from the sky, I felt swept up in the festive atmosphere.
The crowds completely filled every gap outside the arena; I almost couldn't even find the contestant entrance.
Fortunately, I spotted some senior sisters wearing volunteer vests. Under their guidance, I finally found the dedicated passage.
I could feel the weight of countless gazes as I walked through the passage wearing my Class 14 ID. If the volunteer senior sisters hadn't been holding the crowds back on both sides, I probably would have been swallowed by the mob.
Along the way, I saw many people holding up custom banners and standees. They seemed to be prepared specifically for their respective class monitors.
Some even had half-body standees featuring awkward snapshots that looked like they’d been cropped from candid photos. I wondered if those monitors would faint from anger at their classmates upon seeing them.
"Yang Yuehan! Over here!"
"Monitor! Good luck!"
"Yang Yuehan, go for it, Monitor!"
"That's right! We'll be cheering for you from out here!"
Familiar voices called my name. Amidst the crowd, I spotted my classmates. At the very front was our Vice Monitor. She was more reserved than the others, not shouting embarrassing slogans at the top of her lungs, but she looked at me with a somewhat flustered expression.
"Tu Xingyue, did you bring the whole class here to greet me?"
"Make sure you head inside early, or you might not be able to squeeze in later."
After a brief greeting, I followed the volunteer senior sisters into the arena.
Meanwhile, Tu Xingyue was immediately surrounded by her classmates.
"Eh? Vice Monitor, you actually got a ticket?"
"What? Really? Aren't you going to live stream it for us?"
"Yeah, stream it! I'll send you gifts, Xingyue!"
"Okay, okay... This is the entry pass the Monitor gave me. It's a contestant privilege. Anyway, I'll start a stream and post the link in the class group," Tu Xingyue admitted under the pressure of the crowd, prompting a burst of cheers.
After all, the seats provided by contestant passes were excellent. Watching the stream would be just like experiencing the match on-site.
I arrived at the front desk to register my identity. After a formal check for prohibited items, I was led to the contestant area.
The opening ceremony would begin shortly. All contestants would take the field, and the Department Head in charge of this year's event would give a brief speech.
Once that was over, the thrilling match distribution table would be revealed.
Time ticked by. The contestants in my waiting area had all arrived. Everyone was clearly taking this very seriously; many had arrived even earlier than I had.
Though I didn't recognize most of them, I politely returned a smile to every class monitor who caught my eye.
The atmosphere was surprisingly harmonious. It was nice that no one was talking trash. Many of them clearly recognized me; some even called me by name or came over to strike up a conversation and make my acquaintance.
I responded to them with great enthusiasm.
But time waits for no one.
The background music in the arena shifted, and the image on the massive light screen—which covered almost the entire open-air area—changed.
The opening ceremony of the Freshman Competition had officially begun.
The camera on the light screen focused on Lina, who was dressed in a crimson formal gown.
"Good morning, everyone! I am your host for this opening ceremony, Lina. At the start of this new semester, we are grandly holding the 1,019th Games since the founding of our Witch Academy. On behalf of the academy, I would like to express my warmest congratulations on the successful opening of these Games!"
"Now, please welcome the contestants of the 1,145th freshman class!"
As Lina finished speaking, the students waiting backstage were already raring to go.
With a change in the background music, the contestant passage opened, and the volunteer senior sisters in charge of guidance reacted instantly.
When Tan Han, as the monitor of Class 1 and the first contestant, stepped out, it triggered the first climax of the event.
As the Academic God predicted to take first place this year, Tan Han's popularity was naturally high. Even the senior sisters in the audience cheered passionately for her, holding up signs with her name.
The others followed in a steady stream.
Every person's entrance elicited a round of cheers from the crowd. I could only imagine how awkward it would be for the last person to come out; with over three hundred contestants, the audience was bound to get tired of shouting.
Fortunately, I was 14th. My entrance also drew a wave of cheers. Only then did I clearly realize just how popular I actually was. I vaguely heard someone calling me "God's Hand." Didn't they feel embarrassed using that nickname in a place like this?
As the students entered, the counselors and teachers for this freshman class also took their seats. The teachers were mostly in a dedicated section; after all, you couldn't have the teachers squeezing in with the students.
The teachers on the stands chatted and laughed as they found their seats. Quite a few spots were still empty, likely belonging to those who hadn't arrived or were too busy.
Some of the people sitting in those seats clearly weren't teachers. Most likely, a teacher had given their ticket to a student to attend in their stead. If the teacher couldn't go, it was better to give the seat to a favored student than let it stay empty.
However, those freshmen sitting right in the middle of the teachers looked incredibly stiff. Some teachers even leaned over to tease them. Since these students were there on behalf of their teachers, they were clearly highly regarded, so there was no harm in chatting—and maybe even poaching them.
Once all the contestants had entered, the 364 people didn't actually seem like that many in the middle of the massive arena.
The entrance was mainly to liven up the atmosphere and give every contestant a moment on the big screen. Everyone got a close-up shot as they walked in.
Standing in the center of the arena, surrounded by stands packed with people, the faces in the distance were a blur.
I could see some spectators holding banners. After a quick scan of the surroundings, I brought my attention back to the field.
I pulled the brim of my hat lower. It was my first time participating in an event with this many people, so it was hard not to feel nervous. I wasn't the only one; I could see several others whose legs were shaking uncontrollably.
Most people here were wearing the Witch Four-Piece Set. It was the most accessible type of alchemy equipment, and the wide witch hats helped block out some of the peripheral vision, reducing the sense of pressure.
I gently stroked the pair of bracers Sister Bai had given me, quietly waiting for the next phase to begin.
"Alright! All contestants are in position! Let us move on to the next segment!"
"The first round of the competition will take place this morning! We will now draw lots to determine the pairings."
Following Teacher Lina's announcement, the massive Ley Line Operating System above our heads began to function.
It was a breathtaking sight, even without using Spirit Vision.
Giant identity cards constructed from Ley Line energy, marked with names and numbers, were shuffled and randomly paired in the air.
After a high-speed shuffle that was invisible to the naked eye, the final matchups appeared.
I lifted a corner of my witch hat with one hand and looked up at the giant screen in the sky.
To say I wasn't nervous would be a lie. I wondered who my opponent would be.
As I searched for my name among the rows of paired names, a collective gasp erupted from the crowd.
My smile froze in that instant.
The very first entry in the first row: No. 14, Yang Yuehan, versus No. 1, Tan Han.
As it turned out, the unlucky guy for the first match... was me.
In that moment, I felt like fate was mocking me, sneering as it asked: Surprised? Unexpected, isn't it?
It was certainly a surprise. And it was definitely... unexpected.