Chapter 193: Driving Tan Han to Fainting
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 193: Driving Tan Han to Fainting
Through challenge after challenge, perhaps by learning from the first defeat or simply by ignoring the consequences of failure, the outcome of the second and third matches became less important to Tan Han.
Whether it was a matter of letting go or a sudden moment of enlightenment, once the interference of winning or losing was stripped away, only the pure process of combat remained. Without hesitation or fear, she cast her powerful spells with newfound decisiveness.
Her first defeat had taught her a lesson: making "winning" the ultimate goal not only failed to secure victory but also ruined the combat experience itself.
This was a one-on-one duel, a way to hone the use of spells. Combat was never just one brute clashing with another. The power held in one's hands was a means to an end; the collision of forces was a game of wits between two people, not a literal contest of who was stronger.
Spells were never limited to just Evocation, Transformation, or Summoning. There were also Silence, Sensory Weakening, Curses, Hypnosis, Illusion, and Telekinesis—all these wonderful effects were far more effective tools in a strategic gambit than mere raw power.
By now, the battle between Tan Han and me had even regressed to a duel between basic spellbooks.
We had already experienced the convenience of absolute power provided by high-consumption spellbooks during the peak of our confrontation. In battle, such power often only dragged the fight into a protracted war of attrition.
Whether it was Transformation against Transformation, Summoning against Transformation, or high-tier Evocation against other spells, great power didn't create a gap; it merely leveled out the fluctuating differences until, eventually, the spell effects were shattered.
Tan Han had also realized one thing: my Spirit Vision countered spells too effectively. All her Transformation and Summoning effects seemed completely defenseless before me. That was the insurmountable wall she faced.
From my perspective, Tan Han’s growth was also terrifying. First, one must understand the premise: Tan Han’s Spirit Vision was only at the second stage. She couldn't see the internal structures of spellbooks created with Real Editing Technology.
However, despite only having mastered the basic structure of the Fireball spellbook yesterday, she was already capable of "micro-modding" it during use. This was achieved without the help of Spirit Vision, relying purely on her understanding of spellbook application and the macro-level influence she exerted based on her own condition.
The difference between this micro-modding and my own Magic Modification was like the gap between metaphysics and science—two entirely different tracks.
Even if this Fireball Spell was only slightly more powerful, had a shorter cooldown, a higher fixed consumption limit, and a slight arc correction in its flight path for her...
It might seem useless, and it certainly couldn't compare to my current capabilities, but for Tan Han, it was a massive leap. Its symbolic significance outweighed its practical use; it was a path she had carved out for herself.
She had groped her way toward a path of "modding" spellbooks based entirely on her own understanding! At that moment, I recalled something Teacher Ji Niang had said. I had forgotten the exact words, but the gist remained.
The gist was: there is no absolute "right" way to explore the path of the Transcendent. As long as it helps the exploration, it is a viable path.
Thinking about it that way, exploring the Transcendent through "metaphysics" wasn't impossible, was it?
"Looks like you've reached your limit again," I said.
Several clusters of ability orbs, mixed with Transcendent energy, floated around my body, circling me obediently while eyeing Tan Han like predators.
A glimmer of "Practical Learning Spell" inspiration still lingered in my eyes. The clusters of spell effects behind me were the final results of the Magic Modification I had performed, fueled by the inspirations that had sparked during combat.
It was a pity that my inspiration had only flared up once during the entire fight, but it was a significant one.
I called this inspiration the "Floating Series." It was inspired by the lightning orb from the Lightning Strike spell I’d seen in the public area, combined with the concept of a "Floating Cannon." It resulted in a controllable, following, autonomous combat unit of spell effects.
That sounds a bit complicated. To put it simply, I took the indiscriminate killing effect of that Lightning Strike and optimized it. I made the spell effect controllable, allowing it to identify friend from foe under my command, and optimized it to a level the spellbook could handle. Although the consumption increased and the damage decreased, it created a terrifying level of fire suppression.
After all, who could refuse a fully automatic spell-launching device? With just a tiny bit of mental energy to provide target identification commands, one could easily master the spell effects.
Since I had done something similar before, I used the Evocation spell Lightning Strike as my first test subject for this Magic Modification.
Once that was done, the other basic Evocation spells had a template to follow. Now, if I went all out, I had five fire-suppression turrets at my disposal. Of course, the cost was that the consumption was enormous.
Because of my modding, Tan Han had been forced to witness my progress firsthand throughout our repeated duels.
For her, it was like watching her opponent level up in real-time while she was still struggling to find a way to break the deadlock. That sense of disparity was immense, and the pressure provided her with a terrifying amount of motivation.
She also understood the meaning of such a prolonged battle.
She saw why I had agreed to duel her over and over. It wasn't because I shared her love for the atmosphere of combat or the honing of experience; it was because I could constantly improve myself during the fight.
When she first realized this, Tan Han spent a period being suppressed by me. she fell into a state of confusion. Why was she fighting? Was the level she was pursuing being suppressed and self-negated?
It wasn't until Tan Han fought back using the Fireball Spell that she truly cleared her head.
After that, I suppressed her even more severely, but her proficiency with the Fireball Spell increased at a rapid pace. Even if that "rapid" pace was slow to me, I could see her improvement in every exchange. That was the truly frightening part.
I needed combat to trigger inspiration to improve myself, while Tan Han relied on constant grinding to achieve steady growth. It was hard to say which was superior, but through me, she had found her own path.
A path defining why she fought.
"Then... I admit defeat. But... again... let's go again!" Tan Han gasped.
After admitting defeat, mana and even physical stamina could be restored to their peak state, but a person's mind could not endure such high-intensity combat indefinitely.
"Stop. Your spirit isn't strong enough to support any more fighting," I said.
"No, I can... I can still..." Tan Han replied, panting heavily.
"Can my foot!" I retorted angrily. Even I, who looked relaxed, was feeling the strain, let alone Tan Han, who had been under constant fire suppression.
I felt the need to give her a piece of my mind. Even if she was a "script protagonist," she shouldn't be squandering herself like this, right?
Was she treating me like some elite mob or a mini-boss to farm?
I didn't mind unleashing a "Talk-no-Jutsu" session. Since Tan Han was the protagonist, I’d play the part of the long-winded villain and give her a lecture.
"I can see that your understanding of combat has changed. You've begun to grasp my actions—why we fight and what can be gained from it. For me, the outcome of a single match isn't the final victory or loss; it's about improvement. There will always be more opponents and endless enemies. Combat must have a reason."
"My energy is spent, and my inspiration has run dry. You're in the same boat. We both know this. Continuing serves no one. If you want to be a stubborn mule, fine, but I won't spar with you anymore. My original promise was just to have a match with you."
After speaking, I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and composed myself.
The match hadn't ended yet. If Tan Han agreed with me, the battle would end immediately. If she was a stubborn mule, she’d probably charge at me the next second. I wouldn't dodge; I’d just hit the respawn button and log out at light speed.
I believed Tan Han wasn't a mule.
"You're right..."
Finally, Tan Han spoke. She dragged her exhausted body toward me with stumbling steps, her feet carving two long trails in the yellow sand.
"Glad you understand." A small smile played on my lips. It seemed Tan Han was quite obedient after all. Then, I opened my eyes to find her standing right in front of me.
"What? You should be able to log out now, right?" I asked.
"Yes, log out. But there are two choices for exiting. One is for both of us to quit, and the other... this battle isn't over yet. We exit when the fight ends."
"Oh... I see. What are you trying to say?" I crossed my arms, resting my chin on one hand as I looked at her.
"I want to say... can you let me win this once?"
"..." My expression immediately soured.
"It has nothing to do with conviction, paths, or persistence. It's just simple competitiveness. After a whole day like this, it would be a real shame not to win even once."
"Just a shame? Then you should understand that life is full of shames and regrets. You'll have to get used to it," I said, continuing to smile at her.
I hadn't expected Tan Han to care about such things. I guess everyone has a side they don't easily show to others...
Myself included.
So, I unhesitatingly delivered the final blow.
Done. Logging off~
I looked at the final victory screen and clicked the option to exit the battle room.
The next moment, I was teleported to the dream's public area.
Once the high-intensity combat stopped, a wave of exhaustion washed over me. Even though my body felt light, the mental fatigue was impossible to ignore.
I instinctively checked the time. It was already afternoon. I hadn't even eaten lunch. Was I turning into an internet-addicted girl?
In the public area, I noticed quite a few people had gathered. The previous spell effect had vanished; that Vampire had probably fled.
A figure appeared in the central respawn area—it was Tan Han, who had respawned outside because the room had closed.
The moment she appeared, I rushed forward to support her. Even if her body was still energetic, her spirit was a different story.
But I hadn't been holding her for long when I felt her weight suddenly increase. Tan Han slumped entirely against me.
"Wait... Tan Han, what's going on?" I whispered, patting her cheek to try and wake her, but she didn't move.
The commotion quickly drew many eyes. After all, Tan Han naturally attracted attention. This... this was going to be a real pain. Had she actually fainted inside the dream?
I remembered the help guide mentioned emergency aid and emergency exits for the dream, but I wasn't familiar with them.
However, I soon saw a warning light screen pop up in front of Tan Han. After a quick glance, I selected the forced logout for her.
The moment her body vanished, it felt like every gaze in the area shifted to me. This really didn't feel good...
Should I explain?
But I didn't really need to tell them anything, and even if I did, what would I say?
I drove Tan Han to fainting?
Or Tan Han trained so hard she passed out?
Neither seemed appropriate. So, I chose to flee and logged out at light speed.
As the two "troublemakers" left the dream, the eerie silence was broken.
"Was that Tan Han just now?"
"I think so."
"She fainted. What happened?"
"Maybe she overtrained."
"Terrifying, to faint inside a dream..."
* * *
Back in reality.
After exiting the dream, my mind was still a bit hazy. But after a brief adjustment, I pushed open the lid of the dream device pod and stepped out.
Because I hadn't moved for a long time, even though I’d been lying in a relaxed position, my legs felt strange when they hit the floor. My gait was a bit wobbly.
"Eh? Xiao Han? You're out?" The Senior Sister in charge of maintaining the dream devices noticed the movement and walked over. But then, the device next to mine—Tan Han's—started blaring an alarm.
"Eh? What's happening?" The Senior Sister was about to check on me when Tan Han's device malfunctioned, and the pod lid popped open automatically.
"Go... go check on Tan Han. She fainted in the dream," I said softly.
"Huh? Fainted? Tan Han? Her?" The Senior Sister was dazed. What was going on?
"Senior Sister, should we call the infirmary? Or send her to the nearest hospital?"
"This... this is a major incident! Right, right, to the infirmary!" The Senior Sister quickly snapped out of it and moved to lift Tan Han out of the pod.
"What now? Should I call the teacher at the infirmary?" I asked.
"Wait? We can't wait! This is Tan Han, we have to get her there now!" The Senior Sister was in a panic, but she managed to pull out a flying broom.
"On a broom?" I watched as she put Tan Han on her back and prepared to mount the broom. "Shouldn't we secure her? What if..."
"I don't have any securing spells. Xiao Han, you... you're just a freshman, your spellbook probably doesn't..."
"I'll use a Binding Spell. I'll go with you and release it once we arrive," I said.
"Really? Quick, quick! Xiao Han, you really do have every kind of spell, even a Binding Spell."
"Let's just try it."
I shook my head and used the Binding Spell to secure Tan Han's body to the Senior Sister, preventing her from falling off during the flight.
In the end, still worried, I cast an Energy Shield over them.
Come to think of it, an Energy Shield could work as a safety measure too.
But now wasn't the time for that. I hopped on my broom and escorted Tan Han and the Senior Sister as we sped away.
A few curious onlookers had specifically logged out of the dream to see if something had actually happened.
"Tan Han really did faint."
"This is big news."
"A shame the exchange competition might not start tomorrow. Otherwise, Tan Han definitely wouldn't be in top form!"
"Give it a rest. It's just a faint. The Witch Academy has plenty of spells and potions to get her back to peak condition in no time."
"Too bad tomorrow is just the announcement of the rules, right?"
Eventually, I safely escorted Tan Han to the infirmary. This was my first time here; the last time was just the infirmary at the arena. I hadn't expected the Witch Academy's infirmary to be comparable to a major hospital...
That seemed to imply something ominous. After all, without a high demand, why would they need such a massive infirmary?