Chapter 179: The Messy Business Between Hong Chenyi and Shi Huiyu
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 179: The Messy Business Between Hong Chenyi and Shi Huiyu
"Next, please welcome our first batch of contestants for Arena No. 1!"
"I'm sure these two competitors need no introduction, but for the sake of those unfamiliar with their records, and for our friends from neighboring institutions here for the exchange, I shall recount their achievements once more before the match begins!"
"On our left, we have Contestant No. 14, Yang Yuehan, the class monitor of Class 14. Her fame began the day before the Freshman Competition, where her performance in tearing apart an entire ritual earned her the title 'God's Hand.' However, that title was quickly superseded."
"But no one spared even a moment to mourn the loss of that title, for the name that charged onto the battlefield next was—the Explosive Witch!"
"While there are many senior sisters in the Witch Academy who hold the title of Explosive Witch, and even clubs founded upon it, do not underestimate the weight of this name! As the saying goes, every patch has its meta, and every era its god—and this generation's Explosive Witch is a god among gods!"
"With a Fireball Spellbook confirmed by the referees, she managed to shatter a thousand-point Over-consumption Transformation Spellbook!"
"This achievement will be etched into the history of the Witch Academy as a stroke of genius, a performance unparalleled by those who came before and unlikely to be matched by those who follow!"
"Although she narrowly lost to this year's No. 1 contestant due to stepping out of bounds, Contestant No. 14 quickly tore through the resurrection matches with overwhelming force to reach this stage! Her moniker has gradually evolved into things like 'The Transformation Spellbook Killer.' It’s a bit of a mouthful, but it doesn't detract from Yang Yuehan's stellar performance in this Freshman Competition!"
"And the opponent she faces now is No. 36, Shi Huiyu, the class monitor of Class 66. This monitor has been the quiet, unassuming type from the start, yet she has fought her way all the way here. Truly astonishing!"
"Looking back at her past matches, Shi Huiyu hasn't had many flashy moments, but there are plenty of rumors about her circulating on the Academy Network. Since these reports remain unconfirmed by the lady herself, I won't dwell on them here."
The commentator on the live broadcast continued his spiel, but time waited for no one on the field.
I followed the referee onto the familiar dueling platform.
Shi Huiyu stood opposite me.
"Are you two ready?" the referee asked, looking at both of us, particularly me.
Given my "criminal record" of starting early, the referee was naturally very respectful of my input.
"Before we start, may I ask a few questions?"
"You may, but make it quick."
The referee gave a nod of approval. There weren't many matches scheduled for the morning confrontation, and even with the detailed ranking battles used as filler, the overall quality wasn't that high.
"Alright. Student Shi Huiyu, I heard you know Hong Chenyi, is that right?" I nodded with a smile and looked toward her.
She hadn't expected me to suddenly strike up a conversation and looked a bit dazed for a moment.
"Yes, that's right. Why? Do you know that guy too?" Once she snapped out of it, Shi Huiyu responded quite frankly.
"Yes, she's a student in my Class 14, so of course I know her. I just wanted to ask... is it true that she started pursuing you before even entering the Witch Academy, and has been chasing you for all these years?"
"It's true." She nodded and admitted it without a second thought.
"I see... then why didn't you accept?" I was a bit surprised by her admission. So Hong Chenyi hadn't lied to me?
She really had been a devoted simp for that long.
"I like girls. Why else would I come to a Witch Academy?" Seeing my confusion, Shi Huiyu didn't hide a thing and dropped the bombshell just like that.
"Huh?"
My eyes widened. A devoted, tragic simp... chasing a lesbian?
After all those years, she hadn't managed to "straighten" her target's orientation? Had Hong Chenyi even been trying?
Or was Shi Huiyu just... that gay?
"What? Do you find me disgusting too? If that's the case, there's nothing more to say. Even if I know I'm no match for you, I won't give up easily." As she spoke, Shi Huiyu dropped into a combat stance.
Judging by her posture, she was likely going to lead with a transformation spell.
"Oh... no, no, no. My orientation is also 'girls,' and I don't discriminate against anyone's preferences," I said, waving my hands dismissively.
"Ah?! A kindred spirit? What a pity. If you weren't so strong, you might have been exactly my type..."
"Tsk... don't just go evaluating people like that." What did she mean by "exactly her type"? Was anyone who was a lesbian and weaker than her "her type"?!
"Wait, you're getting me off track. Since you like girls, well, Hong Chenyi is a girl now too."
"I know that, of course. But she admitted herself that she's visited Sentiment Street. I'm a bit of a germaphobe, so there's no way I'd ever accept her pursuit. I've heard all about the Witch Academy's Sentiment Street."
"Huh?"
"But considering how honest she was, I think we can still be friends. Besides, her 'first time' is still intact, so I might let her be my bestie or a gal pal or something."
"..."
Shi Huiyu's words rendered me completely speechless. I never imagined the truth was like this.
So Hong Chenyi... even while claiming she was done simping, had remained "pure" for Shi Huiyu?
Wouldn't that make her the shame of Sentiment Street?
In that moment, I felt like I'd been hit by a double critical strike. I really shouldn't have asked. I felt like I'd unearthed some scandalous insider information. Fortunately, our voices shouldn't have carried too far. At least, I hoped so.
Still, I felt... tsk, I couldn't put it into words. Shi Huiyu's tone when she said "gal pal" sounded a bit off.
"Let's just start the fight..."
I was the first to end the pre-match chat. While I liked straightforward people and was happy to talk to them, this topic was clearly heading in a very weird direction.
"Alright, I'm ready too." Seeing me drop the subject, she stopped talking and resumed her combat stance.
"Are both sides ready?" The referee, sensing our intent, asked again.
"Then, let the match begin!"
* * *
"So, you're saying you gained absolutely nothing?"
Ariel stood beside Yao Beijuan. Yesterday, she had watched Yao Beijuan return in a pathetic state and had been somewhat puzzled. However, asking had been like talking to a brick wall. After a night in the Academy-provided lodging and waiting for Yao Beijuan's emotions to stabilize, Ariel finally managed to piece together what had happened yesterday.
The other party really was Yao Beijuan's former boyfriend. Although she had suspected as much, hearing it confirmed was still a surprise.
The fact that the other party could obtain that thread of Luck meant they had been in contact with Tan Han—and were likely quite close. Thus, Ariel had intentionally looked up some information on them.
Now, she had a general impression of this person: an Innate Spirit Vision user. That was a piece of news that couldn't be hidden even if they wanted to, yet the person wasn't a Child of Destiny.
Originally, she had hoped Yao Beijuan would show some backbone and seize that thread of Luck to nourish her own Luck Seed. Now, it seemed that was merely a beautiful fantasy; the girl simply lacked the drive.
However, the selection of a Child of Destiny never looked at character, temperament, or any other virtue. All of that would be continuously pushed, grown, and transformed within the Script until it reached maturity.
You could deny her present, but you could not deny her future. Even if there were many Children of Destiny right now, the ending was not yet written. Who was to say she wasn't the one destined for greatness?
What if the end of the Script was a total reversal?
It was unwise to draw conclusions too early, but since they had already entered the game and taken a side, they could place their bets in advance.
Even though Afuhemi Academy had many so-called prospective Children of Destiny because they had sensed the shift early, no one dared to give up on any of them.
The one who suggested abandoning a candidate was the one who truly deserved to be cast aside.
Still, that didn't stop Ariel from questioning Yao Beijuan's current capabilities. Her disadvantage was simply too great. Based on what Ariel knew now, she couldn't even compare to that gender-swapped boy who wasn't even a Child of Destiny.
That boy had managed to resist a Plot Kill through sheer brute force and seize a thread of Luck. That in itself was absurd. Unless one possessed overwhelming power, that thread of Luck could likely never be taken away... except by Yao Beijuan.
Yao Beijuan had an innate connection to that boy—the relationship of former lovers. With that connection, she had other ways to obtain that Luck. Perhaps through reconciliation, a total break, or some other development Ariel couldn't even imagine.
"Gained? What do you mean?"
Yao Beijuan, having finished her story, didn't understand what Mentor Ariel meant.
"A further development of the relationship, or a complete severance?"
"I... I don't know..."
"But she suddenly called someone named Bai Yu over. There's no such thing as a coincidence like that in this world; she must have contacted her to come."
Ariel didn't respond to Yao Beijuan's complaints. The other students nearby didn't dare to speak, let alone discuss the matter. They were here for the exchange competition and could see clearly that even in a Transcendent Academy, teachers treated students differently.
Even if they didn't know the reason for the disparity, they deduced it was likely due to "Talent."
"Alright, enough. Just watch the match. The opponent isn't weak; you'll be facing them eventually." Ariel cut Yao Beijuan off, returning to her usual cold and indifferent demeanor.
However, the students beside her really wanted to point out that the battle involving the witch they were discussing, Yang Yuehan, was already over.
By the time Yao Beijuan snapped out of it and prepared to follow Ariel's instructions to watch the match, she found that Arena No. 1 was already empty.
"Eh?"
But there was no one left to answer her.
Instead, the male elf sitting on the other side took the opportunity to scoot over again—the same boy who had sat next to Yao Beijuan yesterday.
Meanwhile, Tan Han had already left the arena.
She had expected to receive a bye. Given her overwhelming strength, no one would object to her entering the Top 10 via a bye.
She needed to find Teacher Lina.
After their parting yesterday, she had gone to ask Lina about Modified Spellbooks. Lina's attitude, naturally, leaned toward disapproval.
However, as Tan Han's teacher, after nearly an afternoon of explanations and persuasion, Lina had told Tan Han—who was struggling to process so many of her own philosophies—to go back and think it over, then give her answer today.
In truth, Tan Han had her answer long ago. She was naturally confused by the path Lina had planned for her. Although she had listened, she still had her own convictions.
Tan Han just didn't know what she would have to face after officially giving her answer today.
"Have you made up your mind?"
"Yes."
"Suit yourself then... here."
"What is this?"
"Heh. I had to swallow my pride and ask that woman Xi Lan for a spot in her research group." Lina looked as miserable as if someone had just kicked her puppy.