Chapter 219: The First Gathering of Seven from the Witch Academy
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 219: The First Gathering of Seven from the Witch Academy
Of course, having gone through it once before, I knew exactly how terrifying the power of an exploding Angel Halo could be. However, that was merely the dissipation of pure Holy Light energy. It looked intimidating, but if the opponent were to channel it through a Divine Art, the power would likely be even more horrific.
Even the Sea Clan stood dazed by this display; it was the first time they realized an Angel Halo could be used in such a manner.
Soon enough, the Sea Clan's ritual began as intended. I didn't even bother with the rituals from other academies that flickered to life midway through.
The Sea Clan's ritual would shatter them all.
This was the first time I had seen another academy's ritual in action. The last time was at the Wizard Academy, but unfortunately, I hadn't been on-site to witness the sheer momentum of their Truth Ritual.
However, the Sea Clan's ritual was far more imposing than our Witch Academy's Witch Tea Party.
At this moment, the surrounding seawater seemed to exult in the ritual's successful commencement. Countless waves paved the way for the Sea's Wonder Crown, while the rest of the Sea Clan stood in formation like guarding soldiers.
The churning surf transformed into water spirits, cheering for the one to be crowned like stars surrounding the moon.
In that instant, a rift extended from the surface of the sea into the distance, as if an invisible force was parting the waters, revealing the exquisite coral and shells on the seabed.
Spirits formed from seawater emerged from the coral and giant clams to cheer for Enara, who sat high above. They held up freshly gathered pearls to adorn the golden branches fashioned from the tide.
Through this perfect ritual, they would receive the blessings of all the water spirits, which would finally coalesce into the Wonder Crown to coronate Enara.
Under the fading glow of the setting sun, this path had taken a great deal of time, but we witnessed the birth of the Wonder Crown with our own eyes.
The tides transformed into a bridge connecting the heights to the cheering waters. The seawater spirits hailed her, and Enara was crowned amidst the thunderous applause.
And Enara, now wearing the Sea's Wonder Crown, bestowed the blessing of a new king upon the spirits of the deep!
With that, the ritual reached its final act.
The sea gradually calmed. The seawater spirits faded away, the parted tides closed, and the bridge to the heights collapsed.
All that remained was the blessing that descended after the ritual's conclusion.
And... the triggered hidden rules.
Currently, within the Sea Clan, the Royal Sea Clan Academy gained one point, placing them second in the rankings. This heavy point once again weighed down on the heads of the other academies.
"Thank you for your efforts in helping us hold the ritual."
"It was nothing. Honestly, no one even tried to snatch this ritual from you. It’s the easiest one I’ve ever seen," I said with a smile, looking at the surrounding waters and then at the crowned Enara.
Perhaps this was just a natural advantage; one couldn't help but be envious.
"Now then, let's fulfill the final term of our contract," I said.
Once this step was completed, the contract between us would end. I needed to be ready to make a run for it at any moment.
After all, I didn't know if the other party would deal me a fatal blow when I was most relaxed, just like those two from the Holy Angel Academy.
"We of the Sea Clan naturally fulfill our contracts."
"So, what is the hidden rule triggered after you completed the Sea's Wonder Crown Ceremony?"
I looked at them curiously. They hadn't gained any special permissions like the ones we received after our Witch Tea Party.
Did they have to rely on their bare hands to stir up a tsunami?
Just as I was worrying, Enara took the Sea's Wonder Crown off her head. As the crown came off, even the protective seawater receded.
"The one crowned with the Wonder Crown will have one chance to release its power. The released power is uncontrollable, but it will accumulate energy within the seawater of an entire region, ultimately triggering a tsunami."
"That's it?" I looked at the crown she handed over. It really just triggers a tsunami?
I thought it would allow for more control over the seawater.
"Yeah, what else did you expect?" Enara asked crossly.
"Nothing. I just had too high an expectation for your ritual."
"Stop talking nonsense and just take it."
"Don't you feel even a hint of reluctance?"
"Do you want it or not! If you don't take it, you're the one breaking the contract!"
"Of course I want it."
I pulled out my flying broom. My first choice after receiving the crown was to bolt.
Even though I was confident I could crush them, who knew if these old foxes were just waiting for this exact moment?
It was never wrong to be cautious; arrogance was a death sentence.
Meanwhile, Enara watched me speed away with the crown, looking completely bewildered. Had she failed to follow my train of thought? Why was I running?
Without the constraints of the contract, shouldn't the Sea Clan be the ones worried?
She had already whispered to the other Sea Clan members to be ready to leave quickly in case I turned violent.
Talk about being cautious.
Once I was a safe distance away, I tucked the Sea's Wonder Crown into storage. Now wasn't the time to use it. There was only one chance, so it was better to discuss it with everyone first.
I checked the marks for the Teleportation Summoning Spell. Currently, only one mark remained intact.
"What's going on? Were the marks destroyed?"
I frowned slightly. I knew the marks were fragile, but... the failure rate was a bit too high, wasn't it?
They wouldn't destroy the marks on purpose. It either meant the person was dead, or they were in a battle so intense they couldn't prevent the energy from shattering the mark.
Regardless, I planned to summon the owner of that sole remaining mark first. I needed coordination. Once they were here, I'd know their general location and could go looking for the others.
With my high mobility, the chances of finding them were quite good.
As I cast the Teleportation Summoning Spell, a figure appeared before me.
"Xi... Xiao Han! You summoned me!"
"Huh? Minian?" This result... should I call it a surprise or completely expected?
"That's right! I went through so much trouble to keep this mark intact! All so Xiao Han could call me up to watch the show whenever she wanted!"
"Right..."
"Xiao Han, you succeeded, didn't you? You didn't even bring us along to see the Sea Clan's ritual! That's the second successful ritual besides the Witch Tea Party! What a waste!"
"Alright, alright, stop the chatter. Let's get to business." I massaged my temples and placed a Silence Spell on the girl. Was she this talkative when she was paired with Tan Han?
"Mmph! Mmm-ph!"
"There, it's undone. Honestly, with that much talking, you're going to talk yourself into trouble one day."
Back when I was at the gathering Tan Han held, I didn't realize this girl was such a chatterbox. Maybe everyone was just reserved because they didn't know each other well back then, but now that we were acquainted, she had let loose?
"Thanks, Xiao Han! Phew~ Silence is officially my greatest enemy in life!"
"Business. Where were you all originally? Did you split up?" I asked.
"Oh, right. We were originally at the Dragon Blood Nest. We split up to act. Xiao Han, you left in such a hurry that we had to decide on a lot of things later, like the meeting point and stuff."
"You even discussed a meeting point?"
"Yeah. Weren't you planning to flood the Fallen Land, Xiao Han? After the Sea Clan ritual started, we figured you'd succeeded in persuading them. But the Tea Party was already over by then, so we scrambled back together to help. Hehe, we've been working hard in the shadows too, you know."
"Thank you."
"It's nothing! We're doing it to avenge Sister Baihui! We all agree with this crazy plan. And Xiao Han, you have no idea how fierce Sister Tan Han is! With just one sentence, she pressured the Holy Angel Academy into giving up on their ritual. The Wizard Academy too. After the Tea Party, we got the right to designate a location. The Wizard Academy learned their lesson and retreated straight back to their Wizard Tower."
"Tan Han is that fierce?"
"Well~ people who have been beaten tend to be more obedient~"
"True enough. But can we stay on topic? We need to gather eventually. Where are we meeting them?" I corrected her.
"Ah... right... but if it's Xiao Han, it's not that complicated. Sister Tan Han told me to protect the mark and bring this information to you. I didn't even dare use spells recklessly. One Transformation spell from Sister Tan Han and the mark would have shattered... Er... I know, I'm getting to the point..."
Under my murderous gaze, Minian finally realized she had drifted off-topic again.
"Xiao Han, you just need to fire your unique Fireball Spell into the sky five times. Make it as loud as possible. The place where you fire them will be the meeting point we'll head toward. After all... everything centers on the item you got from the Sea Clan."
"I see..."
I nodded. If I intentionally made my modified Fireball Spells eye-catching, their explosions would be far more visually striking than any fireworks.
"Yes, exactly! If possible, it's best to do it once every so often, just in case they don't notice or get lost along the way."
"Understood."
I nodded and immediately fired a Fireball Spell into the sky. The fireball streaked upward, creating a magnificent explosion against the darkening sky. I fired five of them in a row.
"Wow... is that really a Fireball Spell? That blast radius is terrifying! Xiao Han, teach me! I want to join the Fireball Spell Sect!"
Minian watched my fireballs with envy, unable to stop herself from exclaiming as she lunged to hug my leg.
"Alright, you. Just study hard on your own, okay?" I shook my right leg, which she was clinging to like a burr, with a look of slight disgust, but she didn't budge.
"Is studying hard enough?"
"Probably... not just that. For you, it might take a lot more than just studying hard."
"Waaaah... if I'm bad at studying, I can't even play with fireballs properly?"
"That's right. If you don't study, you won't even understand how a fireball works."
I recalled my realization within the Fire Rain Domain. I understood why the senior sisters, even those with low Spirit Vision, were so obsessed with high-consumption spellbooks.
For them, a high-consumption spell provided a larger platform—an opportunity to manifest their own understanding and insights, a way to maximize their strength.
"By the way, Xiao Han, we saw an anomaly at the World Tree earlier. That... that wasn't your doing, was it? You should have been busy with the Sea Clan ritual then?"
"Alright, don't ask about things you shouldn't know." I gave her a sharp rap on the head. Why was she so curious?
"Then... can the Sea Clan ritual really trigger a tsunami? Does it have permissions like the Tea Party? Can I see it?"
"No."
I refused bluntly. Such an important item wasn't something to be handed over to others to play with like a toy.
"Waaaah... Xiao Han, how can you be like this?"
"If you acted even a little bit reliable, I wouldn't refuse so flatly."
"Then I'll act reliable right now! Xiao Han, can I see it?"
"Then I will politely refuse you. Still no."
Here, at the junction of the sea and the Fallen Land, I released the signal again.
However, the first ones to arrive weren't Tan Han and the others, but students from other academies. Upon seeing me, they bolted immediately. I didn't bother chasing them; I didn't know if they were scared off or running back to report.
As for the students from the academies within the Fallen Land who showed up, I saw no need for mercy. When enemies come from afar, they must be eliminated, no matter the distance!
"Judging by your look, you're from the Lesser Demon Academy, right? No matter. I'll let you go back to the Fallen Land. Pass on a message for me: We of the Witch Academy are very angry about what you've done. All of you in the Fallen Land, scrub your necks clean and wait for us to come and slaughter you." After speaking, I kicked the student away, letting him flee.
I had no good feelings toward any academy in the Fallen Land, especially the Lesser Demon Academy. According to the academy's description of them, how were they even qualified to participate in an exchange competition?
Thinking of the Lesser Demon Academy reminded me of that phone call. The tone that person used was truly nauseating.
Their actions made me sick.
If I could, I really wanted to wipe those academies out, but I didn't have that kind of power yet.
Even if I did, I might not be able to... but what if I became a Transcendent Witch?
The Witch Academy was a place that taught one how to become a Transcendent Witch. Sooner or later, I would see the scenery from that Transcendent level.
But... even at the Transcendent level, perhaps it still wouldn't be possible. There might be deeper things involved. Otherwise, would the Lesser Demon Academy dare to exist so brazenly as an academy in this world?
"They're here, they're here! Xiao Han! That's them, right?"
Minian's shout pulled my thoughts back.
The sky had turned pitch black. I didn't know if it was because we were close to the Fallen Land, but everything around us had become dark.
Minian had already started a fire nearby using some dry wood.
Actually, if we needed light, I had a pile of lighting alchemy items among the spoils I'd collected. I had intentionally kept quite a few—little trinkets with solidified lighting spells.
Even though they were just trinkets, I didn't actually know the Lighting Spell myself. It was a minor spell, the kind found in small spellbooks without internal rituals.
It seemed that after the competition, I should find some time to restock my collection of small spellbooks. I had somewhat overlooked the utility of such spells.
"Tan Han. As expected, you're the first to arrive."
With Tan Han's arrival, the place became a bit more lively. Including Tan Han, there were now three of us.
If Su Ningmu, Hettie, and Lan Baihui arrived as agreed, that would make six.
There were still four others I hadn't seen at all. It made sense; the map was huge, and accidents were inevitable.
Once Tan Han arrived, I explained the situation in detail. I valued her input if she had any suggestions.
I even took out the Sea's Wonder Crown, making Minian watch with envy.
As time passed, before the other three arrived, we welcomed an unexpected guest.
"It really is Yang Yuehan. I figured only you could produce a signal with fireballs like that."
"Shi Huiyu... I didn't expect you to come."
"Playing solo was a bit too rough. When I saw the signal, I decided to take a gamble. Looks like I found the main force." Shi Huiyu's face was full of relief. It was night now; without companions, even sleeping wouldn't be safe.
Now that the two greatest combat powers of the Witch Academy were here, was there any place on this map safer than this?
"You guys are currently..."
"Discussing a world-shaking plan!"
Minian could no longer contain her urge to talk. The preparations for the plan to flood the Fallen Land were complete, and it needed more witnesses!
Once Minian spilled the beans, Shi Huiyu was shocked by the plan. She couldn't help but wonder if we were even in the same exchange competition...
And now, Minian the chatterbox finally had a steady listener. she didn't stop for a second.
By the time the other three arrived one after another, seven witches from the Witch Academy had gathered.
Unless something unexpected happened, no one else would be coming. Shi Huiyu was an outlier, after all.
"Everyone looks exhausted. Let's rest for tonight. We'll take turns keeping watch; it'll be safer that way," Tan Han suggested.
"Yeah. Let's recover our strength and do something big tomorrow," I agreed.
I had originally planned to finish it today, but plans change. There were too many variables at night, and I was tired. Everyone here was tired. Without enough energy, accidents happen easily, and gathering everyone had already taken too much time.
"However, we need to pick a new spot to rest. The terrain here isn't great."
"Eh? But the view here is so open..." Minian said dejectedly. After all, she was the one who had built the fire.