Chapter 200: Entering the Dream, the Match Begins
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 200: Entering the Dream, the Match Begins
"This is quite something..."
As one of the contestants in the Witch Academy Exchange Competition, I sat naturally in the section reserved for witches. Since we were the hosts, there was no need to go out of our way to flaunt our academy's unique traits here.
Watching the various academies make their entrances, put on their displays, and finally be guided to their respective seats, I had to admit it was a refreshing way to get to know them. It was certainly a spectacle.
My gaze swept over them, but I quickly lost interest, only lingering a bit longer when the Holy Angel Academy appeared.
Yesterday, Shopkeeper Xia Li had contacted me. If possible, she hoped I could specifically target the contestants from that academy.
I seemed to recall the friction between Xia Li and the Holy Angel Academy. Back when I was still working part-time at her shop, I’d noticed her mood sour whenever they were mentioned. Even Tan Han being "poached" was largely due to the shopkeeper's efforts, simply because Tan Han had originally applied to that academy.
As for why she was so hostile toward them, the shopkeeper didn't say, but her attitude was crystal clear.
To that end, after contacting me, she was even willing to open her private stash again—provided that [Transcendent Knowledge] was off the table.
I accepted naturally. Not only were there things in her stash I truly coveted, but targeting a natural competitor was something I’d be doing anyway. Judging by her intensity, she had likely spoken to Tan Han as well. With both Tan Han and me holding this stance, any possibility of an "alliance" between the Witch Academy and the Holy Angel Academy was probably dead before the competition even started.
Besides, the chance of us teaming up with them was slim to begin with. They had occupied the commanding heights from the start and held every advantage.
Before the match officially began, the contestants wouldn't be sent into the dream immediately. First, there was the announcement of the rules and the unveiling of the maps. This was a tournament for all academies, after all; they couldn't leave the audience in the dark.
Even this opening ceremony was being live-streamed to the other academies.
Since the various academies came from all over the world, jet lag was a hurdle to overcome. Many had made sleep their first priority upon arriving at the Witch Academy. This was one reason why, although many students had arrived during our internal confrontation match, not all of them came to watch—adjusting their condition was paramount.
The start time of the exchange competition had, of course, been negotiated. As long as the Three Top Academies were fine with it, the smaller academies just had to deal with it. That was the reality of influence; without strength and status, you didn't get a seat at the table to fight for your own interests.
One of the major highlights of this competition was the "Academy Ritual" associated with each school's ranking.
Once initiated, this ritual would become the core of the entire match, drawing the aggression of every other contestant while it was being prepared.
Whether it was the Holy Angel Academy's Holy Light Prayer Ritual or the Afuhemi Forest Elves' Mother God Hymn Ritual, these were the means by which each academy showcased its identity.
The rituals didn't need to be grand or epic; everything was prioritized based on scoring. After all, these were just freshmen, and practical limitations had to be considered.
Thus, these rituals might essentially be a simple prayer of Holy Light or a poem praising the World Tree. Similarly, the Witch Academy's ritual was merely hosting a Witch Tea Party.
It sounded simple, yet it was incredibly tedious. The preparation and planning phase was a time-consuming ordeal.
If a ritual only took a few minutes, there would be no point in a ranking match—everyone would just scramble to host theirs instantly.
Take the Witch Tea Party, for example. It couldn't be held just anywhere. It required a special location significant enough to be called a landmark. This was why Tan Han had suggested the Forging Ancient City Ruins; that city stood like a natural fortress, cutting off the main passage between the ancient battlefield and the other side. As a ruin, it was a perfectly valid site for a Witch Tea Party.
Furthermore, the participants of the tea party had to be a certain distance apart for the ritual to begin, and it wouldn't officially start until the designated guest arrived. After all, the purpose of a Witch Tea Party was to provide joy and the pleasure of gathering for witches who had traveled from afar.
Down in the arena, Lina was uncharacteristically talkative, sharing the stories and meanings behind the various rituals. This was also a form of cultural exchange between academies. Whether a ritual was solemn, joyous, bloody, or dark, it represented the unique character of its academy.
I listened with great interest. The rulebook wouldn't explain things as meticulously as Lina did, and this was a great way to learn about the other schools. To me, it felt as wondrous as listening to the lore of a fantasy world-building guide.
Of course, the most important thing was to identify the weaknesses and restrictions of the opponents' rituals. Interrupting a ritual wasn't just about using brute force to smash it.
For the Witch Tea Party, if someone could tie down the witch traveling from afar to attend, the party could never happen. Or, if only one person was present, it couldn't proceed either.
The introduction of the rituals was a long process, but no one found it boring. It wasn't just Lina speaking; the entire Ley Line System enveloping the arena acted as a backdrop, providing stunning visuals for every ritual.
Lina didn't gloss over the rituals of other academies just because they weren't from the Witch Academy. That would be irresponsible toward the competition.
Of course, when these rituals were actually implemented, they would likely be quite underwhelming. This was a competition, after all; who could fully commit themselves to ritual preparation in the heat of battle?
As time passed, the audience's enthusiasm began to wane slightly, but it didn't matter. The rituals discussed at the end belonged to the smaller academies. Without strength, you simply didn't have the same rights—a fact reflected even in the presentation order.
As that segment concluded, the moment everyone had been waiting for finally arrived.
"Will the freshman contestants for this exchange competition please enter the arena!"
Accompanied by stirring music and grand Ley Line special effects, all eyes turned toward the contestants' seating area.
In that atmosphere, all the contestants stood up. Amidst the passionate cheers of the audience and countless expectant gazes, we walked toward the central area of the arena.
It wasn't just the people in the arena; there were countless others watching the live stream, their faces lit with excitement and indescribable joy.
From the girls at the Baking House to Sister Bai on-site, to my roommates who couldn't snag tickets.
There were also those from academies outside our own: Afuhemi, the Holy Angel Academy, and those on the other side of the world setting alarms and drinking coffee to stay awake.
On the way down, Tan Han led the way, while I anchored the formation at the very back. I could hear the senior sisters in the stands shouting our names, and I could only respond with a smile.
The few in the middle, however, were quite excited, waving their arms and responding to the crowd's expectations.
We reached the Dream Device Pods in the center. Following the regional divisions, I found my spot—a rather inconspicuous position on the edge.
Unlike the dream equipment I’d used before, a large portion of these pods was transparent, allowing people to see inside. In my opinion, it was entirely unnecessary. Does anyone actually stare at the person inside the pod during a dream battle? Probably not.
I shook my head with a smile, fumbled with the device to open the lid, and seeing that others had already efficiently climbed in, I didn't hesitate to lie down.
Those who weren't quite ready were assisted by volunteer senior sisters. This Dream Exchange Competition required everyone to enter simultaneously.
Suddenly, the scene before my eyes shifted. I felt a momentary blur, and when I regained my senses, I was already in the public area of the dream.
However, it was different from the area I’d visited last time. That place had been empty, but this time, a beautiful background had been pre-selected. In an instant, hundreds of people appeared in this open space.
Everyone began to acclimate to the environment after the initial disorientation.
This was the final grace period. If anyone showed signs of an emergency, a substitute would have to take their place.
From the looks of it, no one was going to suffer such an embarrassing setback.
Since the match hadn't officially started, there was still one important procedure to go through: the prompt for surrendering and withdrawing from the match.
There were many reasons to withdraw. Perhaps someone was on their last life and didn't want to experience the pain of death, or they were being held hostage as leverage. Some might even have all three lives intact but had already accumulated a high score and didn't want a death to lower their final point multiplier.
Once you declared your withdrawal, you could not return to the field, regardless of how many resurrections you had left.
The instructions for withdrawal were being given now.
The simplest way to exit was, of course, death. The other was to verbally request it and confirm the withdrawal.
At that moment, regardless of what they had been wearing, everyone's clothes were uniformly replaced with pre-set outfits representing their respective academies.
I was no exception. I was now wearing a form-fitting dress with three layers of ruffled skirts in a dark color palette. Underneath was a pair of short bloomers, with black silk stockings reaching up to my thighs, secured by a single leg ring. On my feet were perfectly fitted leather shoes; I tapped them a few times and found them quite comfortable.
I also wore a witch's cape, and on my head sat a massive witch hat. The overall look was simple yet carried a hint of that playful flair unique to witches.
This witch uniform was technically an alchemy item, but it didn't count toward the limit of carry-on alchemy items—a bit of a loophole, I suppose. However, the effects of this alchemically crafted uniform were... negligible at best.
I glanced around and noticed that the uniforms of other academies also showed traces of alchemy. It seemed this was a tacitly permitted practice.
In these final moments, I moved toward the rest of the Witch Academy group.
They had all prepared their items—alchemy tools, weapons, or armor. Strictly speaking, we could only bring three. Seeing them take out their gear, I didn't dawdle. I brought my flying broom, my wand, and the pair of bracers Sister Bai had given me. The bracers counted as a single alchemy item, much like how a full set of armor might only count as one for some people.
The bracers didn't help me much anymore; the physical enhancement and cat-person transformation they provided were marginal, and I had spellbooks that could replace them. But some things have a symbolic meaning that outweighs their practical use. Besides, I didn't have many alchemy items anyway, so it didn't really matter what I brought.
I could have brought storage equipment, as many match-specific items can be obtained during the competition and you can't carry them all in your hands. But once I learned that storage equipment could be acquired during the match, I decided against it. Since they were available, there was no need to waste a slot. An empty storage item wouldn't help me much early on, and there was no guarantee I'd find anything good right away. It felt better to bring Sister Bai's gift—carrying her blessing into the match.
Don't underestimate the bond between Sister Bai and me.jpg
"Xiao Han, everyone—one last time, let's stick to our original plan for this exchange competition. Follow the script," Tan Han said as the group gathered. she didn't state the plan explicitly, preventing others from overhearing and preparing a counter-strategy.
Regarding the rituals, the Witch Academy's was actually one of the easiest to host.
Once a ritual began its preparation phase, a notification would be sent out, and a massive pillar of light would pinpoint the location for everyone.
Multiple academies could prepare their rituals simultaneously, but only one could actually start. Once a ritual was successfully prepared and initiated, the efforts of all other academies currently preparing would be wasted.
Therefore, while preparing our own ritual, we had to divide our forces to interfere with others. That was the correct way to play.
The preparation time slowly ticked away.
Everyone made their final adjustments, waiting for the moment they would be dropped onto the battlefield.
I slipped on my bracers and gripped my broom tightly. This broom was no longer the old model Teacher Ji Niang had given me; it was the latest model. The academy provided these to every contestant who could use one. This wasn't a loophole; every other academy had gone all out to arm their students to the teeth.
I was the only one without much of a plan, just bringing a broom, a wand, and whatever else.
I tugged at the brim of my hat. The witch hat sat on my head as if held by an invisible force; even a strong wind wouldn't blow it away. Otherwise, a hat this large would be nothing but a nuisance.
It was, more than anything, a symbol of being a witch.
As the timer hit zero, the public area began to dissolve and transform, radiating outward from me. Even the figures standing near me vanished.
From their perspective, I had likely disappeared as well.
I held onto my hat as a sudden, powerful gust of wind whipped toward me, stinging my face. The side of the brim facing the wind was even blown backward.
I forced my eyes open. The scene before me was the Central Ancient Battlefield.
This was the site of the ancient ruins. Blood had stained the earth; even the sandy soil was a dark, rusty red. The sky was the color of gore, and the air was thick with the scent of blood, leaving a metallic tang in my mouth.
Not even the hardiest weeds could take root here. The wind kicked up dust from the ground, drawing my gaze toward a massive sandstorm in the distance.
As expected of the Central Ancient Battlefield—the environment hit me with a challenge right out of the gate.
That weather phenomenon would be upon me soon. In a sandstorm like that, I wouldn't even be able to tell which way was north.
Moreover, there was no one around. This was the worst-case scenario: everyone had been scattered. At least, as far as the eye could see, there wasn't another living soul.
Having assessed the situation, I mounted my broom and took to the sky. Simultaneously, I opened my Memory Bookshelf, and the map unfolded before me. I needed a landmark or a specific terrain feature to confirm my coordinates and orientation.
As for the sandstorm behind me? I’d avoid it if I could. I didn't want to waste mana just to dispel a storm like that.