Chapter 208: Deterring Elves, Crushing the Beast Academy
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 208: Deterring Elves, Crushing the Beast Academy
"Thank you for the hospitality~"
After the meal, I expressed my sincere gratitude to them. Although everyone in the real world relied on nutrient solutions to maintain their bodies' essential needs, one could still experience hunger and other sensations within the dream based on the actual situation.
Thus, food was also a resource that needed to be sought out within the dreamscape.
Speaking of which, some academy rituals involved food, which was quite convenient in a way—like the Cat-girls' "Fish and Rice Banquet" and their Cat Rice, or the desserts at a Witch Tea Party.
Although their ritual had been interrupted and the Fish and Rice Banquet couldn't proceed, they had done their best to salvage the remaining ingredients and semi-finished products, turning them into their specialty: Cat Rice.
Despite the name, it tasted wonderful. The rice carried a delicate, fresh aroma of fish, with all the fishiness perfectly neutralized, and the various side dishes were equally superb.
Even though the food eaten in a dream is technically an illusion, the dreamscape captured and presented every bit of that deliciousness without fail.
After the meal, they even packed the leftover Cat Rice for me. Their hospitality was hard to refuse, so I accepted it.
Finally, with them seeing me off, I departed.
I couldn't bring myself to make a move on them. If I had killed them, I could have gained a massive amount of points. Even if I couldn't take first place due to the time and opportunities I'd missed, I still could have reached the top rankings.
Well then, I’ll just have to vent my frustrations on the other academies! I still remember the guys who surrounded and attacked me earlier.
The Elf Academy, the Beast Arena Academy, the Dog-kin Academy, the Mad Rat Academy... quite a motley crew. A pity there weren't more of them.
By now, some time had passed since the Wizard Academy's ritual preparations were completed, yet there was still no notification that the ritual was finished or that points had been awarded. That meant the Wizard Academy was currently being held up.
It was just like what happened during our Witch Tea Party. During this interval, a pillar of light—distinct from the ritual's—had flared up at the Wizard Academy's location as a prompt. I had also received a notification that the Witch Academy had used its authority to designate a resource drop location. The implications were self-evident.
But even with such a heavy weight added to the scales, the Wizard Academy's ritual still hadn't been broken. This was proof enough of their strength.
Things were a mess over there, but with Tan Han holding the fort, it shouldn't be a problem. It wouldn't be appropriate for me to go back now anyway. Besides, I had already said I was looking forward to them holding the Witch Academy event again and was waiting for my invitation to the Witch Tea Party.
Furthermore, I hadn't found a suitable place to hold a ritual myself. I couldn't just go back empty-handed.
* * *
Meanwhile, in the outside world.
As the saying goes, the students watch the exchange competition for the excitement, but the teachers and deans of the various academies watch for the underlying mechanics.
Everyone knew why this exchange competition was being held: it was to add a node to the Script—a node that would aggregate Providence.
The last node to aggregate Providence was the College Entrance Examination. It was then that Tan Han’s status as a Child of Destiny was ignited by Providence.
If Tan Han took first place in this exchange competition as well, her personal Providence would rise to an even higher level.
This was something the other academies were loath to see. Therefore, in addition to the individual rankings, this competition included academy rankings. The goal was to disperse a portion of the Providence so it wouldn't become a "winner-takes-all" deal.
Although the Providence gained from the academy rituals would ultimately be credited to the academies, with a little maneuvering, the academies could turn it into nourishment for their own Children of Destiny.
But now, the most terrifying thing had happened. If the Witch Academy also took first place in the academy rankings, then the other academies' plans would have been for naught.
It would be a case of the Witch Academy shuffling resources from one hand to the other; in the end, Tan Han would still be the one benefiting.
However, no one expected that a Child of Destiny from the obscure Moe Cat Academy would become the second lucky person to obtain Providence after Tan Han!
Even if it was just a sliver—even if it only caused a seed of Providence to sprout—it was a process of going from nothing to something!
It was a massive leap!
Who could have imagined that simply because of a meal—just a bowl of Cat Rice—a cat-girl would earn the status of the second official Child of Destiny!
While there was no evidence to prove whether the order of succession mattered, matters of Providence could never be judged by common sense.
"I'm telling you, can Witches never escape being cat-slaves?"
"Cats are so cute. What, you don't like them?"
"I didn't say I didn't like them."
Many teachers from the Witch Academy were paying close attention to the situation in the arena.
Many were also curious why the largest free-view camera in the arena was focused on a Witch who was cooking with the Moe Cat Academy.
The battle at the Wizard Academy was in full swing. The Wizards were being besieged by Witches, Holy Angels, and other academies. They had even used the designated resource drop, raising the intensity of the battle to another level.
Why were the teachers more interested in cooking? Was cooking trendy now?
On another front, students from the Afuhemi Academy had already made contact with the Sea Clan students and even showed intentions of forming an alliance. Yet these scenes had become mere background noise.
This was a projection of the dream, not just a broadcast of images. As experts at the Transcendent level, many teachers could see the intricacies involved, as well as the staining and shifting of Providence.
"That child has Innate Spirit Vision, doesn't she? Truly terrifying. Even without reaching the level of Real Time, she can use her Spirit Vision to see through the gathering and scattering of Providence."
"What's even more terrifying is the paper she published on Spellbook theory, okay? It's truly impressive and gave me quite a bit of inspiration. If she hadn't yet mastered Real Editing, I wouldn't mind discussing the mysteries of Spellbooks with her."
"You? Is your 'discussion' even decent?"
"None of your business."
The discussions on the Witch Academy's side were relatively normal; after all, Witches loved watching for "fun"—it was a common trait.
But the other academies didn't see it that way.
The Moe Cat Academy, in particular, was under considerable pressure, though it was limited to that. The relationship between the various Beast Academies wasn't like that of a main campus and its affiliates; at most, they could exert a bit of mutual pressure, but they couldn't interfere with each other.
* * *
Back in the dream, another resource drop appeared on the live broadcast—this time, near the World Tree.
The resource distribution in the exchange competition was very deliberate, or rather, it bore the marks of behind-the-scenes manipulation.
For instance, the resources dropped in a specific region would be more biased toward the needs of the academy associated with that terrain.
Currently, since I lacked storage space and was carrying the Cat Rice by hand, I was just wondering where to go when I saw a familiar pillar of light. It was a marker indicating a nearby resource drop. It wasn't as conspicuous as a ritual, and generally, only those within a certain range would notice it.
But for me, riding a broom with an excellent field of vision, "nearby" meant anything I could see, even from a distance.
"It's... by the World Tree."
Seeing that the drop location wasn't far, I realized the resources at the Wizard Tower would be snatched up long before I arrived. I couldn't afford to miss this one right under my nose.
However, seeing that the location was Elf territory, I hesitated instinctively. After all, the Elf Academy hadn't left a good impression on me.
And there was someone in that academy who had left an even worse impression.
But out of curiosity, I went anyway. The Elves' World Tree forest bordered the Beast Academy's jungle. With this resource drop, I might run into quite a few guys from the Beast Academy, so I didn't mind killing a few more there.
While I was at it, I wanted to see if I could snatch some storage equipment. I hadn't cared before because I didn't have much to carry, but now that I had this Cat Rice, I felt that having some storage gear was quite important.
So, I decided to commit some highway robbery. Flying in the sky was very conspicuous; if someone chose to ambush me now, they would become my "lucky winner." Regardless of whether they had storage equipment, I’d kill them all. If they had it, I’d rob them first, then kill them.
I had no psychological burden; they were the ones who attacked first.
Even if I was the one who attacked first, I wasn't the type to have a guilty conscience—except when it came to cute cat-girls.
By the time I reached the World Tree region, the dropped resources seemed to have already sparked a violent brawl.
"Oho~ What are you all busy with? Count me in~"
With my entrance, the opposing academies, who were currently at each other's throats, turned their attention toward me.
"From the Witch Academy? Why are you here?"
"It's Yang Yuehan. I know you!"
"It seems I'm quite famous. I'm ashamed to say I don't even know your names," I replied with a smile, playing along. The resources they were fighting over were now exposed before me.
Though I didn't know exactly what those fruit-like things were, I knew at a glance that they were the resources mentioned in the rules—the kind that could be taken out of the dream.
As long as you obtained them and weren't robbed before the end or before you died, you could exchange them for corresponding resources after the competition.
"Witch, are you planning to join the scramble? I must warn you, it's best not to interfere."
"And if I do interfere, what can you do about it?"
I immediately activated the Flame Fairy Transformation and moved toward them. I had transformation spells too; I just didn't use them often.
Upon using the spell, I found that besides gaining the ability—or rather, the talent—to directly control flames with my mental power, my fire element affinity had also increased significantly. This meant the power of my Fireball Spell would reach a whole new level.
A moment later, the shouting Elf was killed right before their eyes.
The fruit he had snatched fell into my hand.
"You! Even if we're fighting for resources, there's no need to kill! Witch, what is the meaning of this!"
"No need to kill? What do you think this is, playing house? Is everyone in the Elf Academy this pathetic?" I asked, retracting the flames and spell effects.
No matter how brain-dead the speaker sounded, an Elf from the Afuhemi Academy certainly wasn't stupid.
Weren't they just trying to point the finger at me?
I had arrived a bit late; the resources here were already in the final stages of distribution. Everyone had grabbed what they considered a "reasonable" share and was thinking of retreating to avoid further trouble.
Even though everyone could respawn, the cost of dying once still outweighed the gain from these resources.
So, after their initial clash, they had been constantly testing each other's psychological limits, using their strength to prove how much they deserved.
Now, I had shattered that balance.
I scanned the crowd: Afuhemi Academy, other Elf academies behind them, people from the Beast Academy, and even some Sea Clan folks. I hadn't expected the latter to come ashore.
After all, in the ocean, their legs turned into fishtails, which was the only way to show the Sea Clan's true strength. What were they doing all the way up here?
"I say, don't you think the resource distribution is a bit unfair? How did those Sea Clan people over there get so much?" I immediately pointed the spear at the Sea Clan. Seeing how close they were to the Elves, I had a few guesses.
"Miss Yang Yuehan, you just killed a member of our Afuhemi Academy and snatched his Life Fruit. Don't push your luck. After all, you're only one person."
An Elf from the Afuhemi side spoke up. Though it was all accusations, she was helping the Sea Clan out of a tight spot while also threatening me.
"What's wrong with being one person? How about you all give me a bit more of your shares? I think I can handle it," I continued to grin shamelessly.
My words silenced them instantly.
"If I give you one more, will you agree to leave? Is that what you mean?" The Elf finally spoke again, clearly reaching her limit.
"Don't twist my words~ One? Are you trying to brush off a beggar? I have a huge appetite. My goal is for you to give me everything you have."
"Enough! Stop being so unreasonable! Do you really think you're strong enough to take on all of us?"
"I'm talking to the Elves. Why is a Sea Clan member like you barking?"
I turned to look at the mermaid. Although she had a pair of legs now that she was on land, their uniforms were designed to accommodate swimming in the ocean. Consequently, those long, pale legs were practically blinding to anyone staring.
"Or have you allied with the Elves? Do you think you can be so arrogant just because you have allies to lean on?"
"An alliance?" The beast-kin from the Beast Academy also looked over, a hint of wariness flashing in their eyes.
"It's fine, it's fine!" I interrupted their rising emotions. But just as I was about to continue, someone else cut me off.
"Yang Yuehan?"
"Tsk..." Hearing that voice, I clicked my tongue. A figure emerged from the Afuhemi Academy's side.
"It really is you. Why are you here?"
"Does my being here have anything to do with you?" I completely ignored Yao Beijuan and continued to look at the others, my expression turning even gloomier than before.
"Well? Give me everything, and I'll leave quickly."
"Do you want to offend three factions at once?"
"Yes. It's not like any of you are people I can't afford to offend. Or do you think too highly of yourselves?"
As I spoke, my spellbook was already primed and ready.
"Wait, Yang Yuehan, you weren't like this before!"
"Then let's start with you guys from the Beast Academy!" I chose to ignore Yao Beijuan's words entirely and turned toward the Beast Academy students who were watching the show.
"Holy crap! Why start with us!"
"Kill her! Dammit, what does she take us for? Trying to kill the chicken to warn the monkeys?"
"Perfect timing! I was having a nice meal in the jungle earlier when you guys from the Beast Academy kept bothering me. We might as well settle the score here."
I charged toward the Beast Academy students. They didn't have the sturdy dragon scales of the Wyrm Blood Academy students; they relied on the racial power unique to their academy. No matter what their transcendent power was called, at this moment, they were all flesh and blood.
"It's you! You're the one who provided protection to those cat brats!"
"Cat brats? You're quite casual with your labels. Are you ready to pay the price?"
At this moment, the students of the Beast Academy finally realized just how terrifying a Witch with a grudge could be.
They had originally expected a squishy caster who could be easily handled once closed in on. Now, the caster they looked down upon was utterly crushing them.
The terrifying high temperatures and explosions from the Fireball Spells were crippling upon contact. The Fireball Spells they had practiced against in their academy simulations were never supposed to be this powerful!
In just a few rounds of direct confrontation, the Beast Academy suffered heavy losses, and the surrounding trees began to burn from the fireballs.
"You Elves over there! How long are you going to just watch! If you don't help, we're all going to die!"
"Don't worry. You're right—everyone's going to die." I stepped on the guy's head, forcing his face into a zero-distance encounter with the soil.
Looking at the flames ignited by the fireballs, a crazy idea began to take shape in my mind.
But first, I had to get rid of those Sea Clan members, just in case they had some tricks up their sleeves.
I casually picked up the storage bag from the guy's waist; it was now my trophy.
"Thank you all for standing by and watching while I settled some old scores."
"Now that you've gotten enough benefits, don't push your luck!" By now, the Elves and the Sea Clan had a direct sense of my strength, and their words were filled with wariness.
"You want to settle things just like that? The Beast Academy would cry if they heard you~ Don't worry, I've brewed a big gift for you."
"Yang Yuehan, what exactly are you trying to do? I admit you're very strong; we all underestimated you."
"But your fire spells are not even worth mentioning in front of us Sea Clan!" the mermaid threatened.
"Huh? What are you saying? Are you talking to me about elemental counters? I think you need to go back and review your Elemental Theory and Advanced Elemental Theory. If a fire is strong enough, it can boil the sea and burn the mountains. What? Do you want to experience what it's like to be a piece of Little Dried Fish?"
My words were naturally full of mockery, enough to push the other party's anger to the limit.
Of course, my phrase "boiling the sea and burning the mountains" also hinted at my plan, but they didn't seem to understand or take it seriously.
Perhaps I really couldn't boil the sea, but I could certainly burn the mountains.
If a forest fire led by me were to break out, could they still remain this calm?
Maybe I’d even get to see the World Tree burn.
I imagine that once it's finished burning, the remaining stump of the World Tree should be large enough to host a Witch Tea Party, right?