Chapter 221: Flooding the Fallen Land
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 221: Flooding the Fallen Land
Time ticked by. Even in the deep hours of the night, I could still see the ritual light pillars piercing the sky.
Every time one lit up, I felt a sudden urge to go over and destroy it.
But in the end, I stayed put. I couldn't just leave the girls behind, could I?
Moreover, I noticed that even if some academies were secretly preparing rituals under the cover of darkness, others would sneak out to sabotage them. It was quite entertaining. I cross-referenced the map with Shi Huiyu and the others, trying to guess which academy was behind which ritual.
After I took over the watch for the second half of the night, I took a deliberate look at the leaderboard. By now, the rankings were no longer a monotonous list of Witch Academies and Sea Clan scores.
Based on the ranking order, I could see the sequence in which they scored during the first half of the night. First was… hm? The Comprehensive Dwarf Academy?
Seeing this academy gave me pause. After all, the dwarves usually had a very low sense of existence.
At the very start of the match, our Witch Academy had talked about hosting a Witch Tea Party in the Ancient Forging City, but it had been shelved for various reasons.
The Dwarf Academy was protected within the Ancient Forging City. If they were able to hold a ritual, it meant only one thing: the ruins of the Ancient Forging City had been breached.
While the city's sanctuary provided the dwarves with a relatively safe environment, it also restricted the performance of rituals. It seemed the Dwarf Academy had spent the entire day gathering strength just to pull off something big at night.
Next was the Holy Angel Academy.
Without the interference of the Witch Academy, the Three Top Academies were finally showing their terrifying strength.
Immediately following them was the Wizard Academy. Completing a Truth Ritual was likely a way for them to reclaim their lost honor. Only Afuhemi Academy remained at zero points.
During the latter half of the night, I saw Afuhemi Academy attempt a ritual. It showed they were struggling to catch up, but in the end, it came to nothing.
I just hoped their World Tree was still intact.
"Sigh… how long are they going to sleep? Not to be weird, but Tan Han looks really pretty when she sleeps… Hettie too…"
"Hmm? Let them sleep a bit longer."
I almost forgot that Shi Huiyu was a total lesbian. When she said someone looked pretty while sleeping, it probably wasn't just a simple compliment.
I watched the ritual light at the Afuhemi World Tree stay lit for quite a while. If those elves could seize this opportunity, they might barely manage to save some face for the Three Top Academies.
However, Afuhemi Academy had to face a harsh reality: once they started scoring, their affiliated elf academies would start thinking about getting their own points too.
After all, those affiliates had helped Afuhemi for so long and sacrificed so much. I just want to get some points for myself, and I don't even necessarily need your help—is that too much to ask?
This was a serious issue that Afuhemi Academy needed to address.
As the only one of the Three Top Academies to bring affiliated academies to this exchange competition, Afuhemi had performed the most pathetic of the lot. It was no exaggeration to say they had become something of a laughingstock.
But the elves also had to admit the inherent flaws in their power system.
Even if they were a Transcendent Race, every power system had its pros and cons, especially in the early stages.
The elves of Afuhemi Academy underwent a baptism through a branch of the Afuhemi World Tree, essentially being reborn into this world as Forest Elves.
They naturally generated pure Nature Power within their bodies. Through subsequent Awakening, they gained specialized talents—like Archery Specialization—and then moved on to learning Spirit Magic and the like.
It was a slow process. One could not rush the natural generation of Nature Power.
This was unlike the Wizard Academy, where students directly awakened Mental Power to touch upon witchcraft. Once they mastered basic Witch Power and learned to use Wizard Tools, they only needed a certain amount of knowledge and a grasp of the Rule of Equivalent Exchange to pull off all sorts of bizarre tricks through their tools.
Though that was a bit of a simplification, the ceiling for a Wizard's early-game power was very high. Those with talent and quick wits could see their strength skyrocket in a very short time.
The Holy Angels were even more absurd. Their so-called Angel Halos were the core of their power, but in essence, that power was "borrowed."
Angelic power was strictly hierarchical, meaning it had a source. This was even more extreme than a witch having a Mana Source; even Divine Arts could be bestowed from above.
The trade-off was that they couldn't squander their power recklessly, and using Divine Arts required complex procedures like prayer rituals.
But you couldn't deny their strength because of that. This was especially true when the Holy Angels had their exclusive Floating Sky Islands.
However, because their power was so closely tied to its source, if Afuhemi Academy lost their World Tree, they only lost the chance to perform rituals. But if the Holy Angels lost their power source—the Floating Sky Islands—they might as well withdraw from the competition immediately.
Without the source, their Angel Halos would slowly bleed Holy Light Power until they shattered. Their wings wouldn't be able to use Divine Arts to fly, and the Divine Arts themselves would stop responding to their prayers. They would turn into nothing more than flightless birdmen.
"Um… Sister Xiao Han, that ritual you've been watching is the one over at Afuhemi Academy, right?"
"Yeah." I nodded. Tan Han had mentioned before that the ritual pillars changed slightly based on their preparation progress. I hadn't paid much attention then, but looking back, there were indeed differences. Under the gaze of Spirit Vision, the distinction was even more obvious.
"Mmm… what time is it…"
"You're awake? I was thinking of waking you guys up after that ritual finished." I turned around and smiled at Tan Han.
As Tan Han stirred, the others began to wake up as well. Some probably hadn't slept enough; Minian, for instance, just rolled over and tried to go back to sleep.
"What's the situation? No other academy caught up to us last night, right?" Tan Han asked with concern.
"No ties. We'll just have to see how Afuhemi Academy does." I turned back toward the most prominent ritual pillar.
"I thought with your personality, you would have rushed over there to harass them."
"I couldn't just leave you guys alone, could I? Even though you're awake now, it's a bit late for me to head over."
"But that doesn't mean it's impossible to stop them, right?"
"True, but I'm too lazy to go. Anyway, when do we move?" I asked, dodging the subject.
"We can go now. Do you want to head out?"
"Now… we could certainly catch them off guard. But wouldn't just flooding the Fallen Land be a bit too simple? Should we lure some other academies over?"
"You really just want to see the world burn, don't you? But that's going to be hard. The Fallen Land is a special place, and we don't have many ways to lure people here."
Whether we kidnapped someone to hold a ritual here or used specific resources as bait, it wouldn't attract a large number of people from other academies.
Although many academies were participating in the exchange competition, they had eventually split into several factions.
The Beast Academy likely wouldn't meddle with the Fallen Land, and the elves had to stay and guard their World Tree. As for the Wizards, Angels, and Wyrm Blood students—even if they did come, they could fly, so the flood wouldn't mean much to them.
As the ritual at Afuhemi Academy reached its climax, the other surrounding rituals collapsed. This was the closest Afuhemi had ever come to success.
And as expected, they finally secured that point.
"Looks like there's one more on the board. After working so hard all night, they're about to hit a period of mental exhaustion."
"Yeah." I nodded in agreement. Even with Refreshing Potions, they probably wouldn't be able to hold out, especially since their potions weren't as effective as the ones sold by the academy.
"But we also need to be careful of the hidden rules triggered after they complete a ritual. Hidden rules don't just grant rewards; the Sea Clan already proved that."
"True. Then it's time for us to move."
Tan Han and I gave the others a wake-up call. Most were already awake, except for Minian, who was still clinging to her bed—even though sleeping here was hardly comfortable.
Last night she was talking big about how she stayed up late and could pull the night watch, but it turned out she just couldn't get up in the morning.
In the end, Tan Han used a few "small tricks" to jolt her awake. I had a feeling that shock would keep her wide awake for a long time.
"Time to move. You guys should leave this place first."
"Where are we meeting up?"
"The vampires' Land of Eternal Darkness. At least they have the Blood Pools as a fallback; we can host a Tea Party there," I suggested.
"The vampire territory? Their strength isn't to be underestimated, but the Land of Eternal Darkness is adjacent to the Fallen Land. It might get hit by the tsunami's aftershocks."
"So, is the plan set for there?"
"I think it works. I wonder if we can host another Tea Party in the Fallen Land after it's flooded. In a way, that counts as a map refresh, right?"
"I doubt we'll get that lucky. Besides, there won't be anywhere to hold a Tea Party in a flooded wasteland."
After some discussion, we decided to split our group of seven into three paths.
First, I would go alone with the Sea's Wonder Crown to execute the plan to flood the Fallen Land. Since I was the only one with the Crown who could pull this off, the others couldn't help much anyway. They would retreat to the Land of Eternal Darkness to scout the situation.
The Land of Eternal Darkness had been quite active last night. I'd seen rituals light up more than once; they probably felt the night was their home field. Sadly for them, not a single ritual had succeeded all night.
I didn't know which kind-hearted academy had stopped them, but they did a fantastic job.
Since they were active at night, the morning would be when they were most exhausted. So, the second team, led by Tan Han, would head over to check things out. If the opposition was weak, they would wipe them out and find the right moment to host a Tea Party.
The third team consisted only of Minian. Aside from Tan Han and me, she was the best at riding a broom. Her job was to keep her distance, collect Tea Party invitations, and avoid combat at all costs.
Because she had been marked with a Teleportation Summoning Spell and was the only one who had experienced being summoned before, she had volunteered for the heavy responsibility of ensuring the ritual's success.
I would rush to support Tan Han and the others as soon as I finished triggering the tsunami.
After all, the Land of Eternal Darkness was the vampires' nest, complete with an entire Blood Slave Ranch. Don't think for a second that Blood Slaves were just there to provide blood; they had combat power too.
If they were just raised for blood without any fighting ability, the Blood Slave Academy wouldn't need to exist; it would just be a ranch for the Vampire Academy.
The plan was set—no convoluted twists, just simple and clear.
I specifically told Minian to find a safe place to hide once she was a certain distance away. If necessary, she could even dig a hole and bury herself.
A living person flying around on a broom was just too eye-catching, especially near the forests. Who knew if some camper was waiting to snipe her?
After finishing the briefing, I headed straight for the sea. It wasn't far. Upon arrival, I took out the Sea's Wonder Crown and placed it on my head.
The moment I donned the crown, a wondrous sensation washed over me, as if I had received the blessing of the ocean itself.
A stream of information flowed into my mind along with this surge of power.
It was a brief introduction and manual on how to use the power of the Sea's Wonder Crown. This method of explanation was far more considerate than the way the Witch Tea Party handled things.
I stowed my flying broom and dove headfirst into the ocean. The moment I entered the water, I felt as if every drop of seawater was cheering for me. With a single thought, the currents could push me to any corner of the seabed.
It felt similar to using the blessing of an Elemental Spirit. It seemed the blessing allowed me to move unimpeded through the water; my clothes didn't even get wet.
"This should be the spot…"
I felt the seawater cradling my body, as gentle as if I were a child of the sea. Standing on the seabed, looking up at the surface, I felt none of the crushing pressure of the depths.
And then, I released the power of the Crown.
Instantly, the pearls entwined in the golden branches of the crown began to discharge their energy.
I could clearly feel the power churning.
I couldn't help but feel that using it was a lot like… a spellbook!
It felt like using a single-use consumable spellbook. I didn't even need to provide the energy; it began to accumulate power on its own.
However, my connection with the Crown was similar to the relationship I'd had with the Fireball Domain spellbook yesterday.
The power to trigger a tsunami was building. The feeling of controlling the entire tsunami was just like when I had controlled the Fire Rain Domain. I could command the tsunami, but I couldn't achieve precision control.
"I see… so that's how it works…"
I watched the power erupting from the Crown. The tides transformed into azure ribbons that spiraled around me like the most loyal of guardians.
The previously calm surface of the sea became oppressive.
Great waves were still gathering. If anyone were standing on the shore, they would see the seawater retreating visibly.
It was the omen of a tsunami.
The receding water would create massive swells in the deeper parts of the ocean, stacking layer upon layer in a frantic surge.
Cradled by the seawater, I stood at the very peak of the tsunami. The Crown hovered above me, empowered by the ocean. Water elements condensed into ribbons to adorn my attire, and the waves transformed into a flowing skirt that stacked forward with every step I took.
This phenomenon was so grand that even the sky was obscured by oceanic clouds and mist. Lightning and rain flickered around me, accentuating the giant waves while leaving my form untouched.
This was even more terrifying than the Elemental Spirit's blessing with all its special effects turned on. If I had to make a comparison, this was likely power on the level of an over-consumption spellbook.
Sensing the anomaly, the Sea Clan students began to flee. Even though they were blessed by the sea, they had to avoid the brunt of this force.
Many Sea Clan students knew the inside story and understood exactly what was happening.
The Witch Academy had made its move.
The figure controlling the seawater to encroach upon the land like a Sea Empress wasn't one of the Sea Clan—it was a witch!
If it were Lady Enara, they could have seized this chance to stand atop the waves and show the inlanders the true terror of the Sea Clan!
But there were no "ifs."
They could only watch as that witch, bearing the Sea's Wonder Crown, turned the massive waves into her layered skirts and descended like a queen.
Meanwhile, the Sea Clan could only sit on the sidelines and eat the tsunami's leftovers.
"What… what is that?" Elves and Beast Academy students near the coast also witnessed the phenomenon.
The receding tide exposed vast stretches of the seabed, but in the distance, a blurry, sky-blotting shadow was rushing toward the land with suffocating pressure.
"A tsu… a tsunami! It's a tsunami!"
Finally, someone recognized the signs and ran back to warn their schoolmates. Even if the tsunami wasn't aimed directly at them, the aftershocks would surely hit.
Upon hearing the news, the elves quickly connected the dots to the Sea Clan ritual from yesterday and the terrifying witch who had come to stop them.
When all the information was pieced together, the picture became clear.
The elves climbed the World Tree and gazed at the distant sea. Was this a joint effort between the Sea Clan and the witches?
Everyone saw the towering waves and the most prominent, dazzling figure standing atop them…
"The Sea Clan ritual can actually trigger a tsunami?"
"This is a bit too terrifying. Looking at the direction… their target… that's…"
"It's the Fallen Land! The Fallen Land has the lowest elevation on the entire map, plus that chasm leading to the Abyss. They're teaming up to drown the Fallen Land!"
"Drown… the Fallen Land?!"
Looking past the surface of these events, they realized they had been far too conservative. What if such a wave hit their World Tree?
The sheer madness of drowning the Fallen Land left some elves with trembling legs, though they didn't even notice it themselves.
"Prepare for the aftershocks! A tsunami of this scale will hit every coastal area on this side. Move!"
"The Sea Clan… it seems we need to raise the threat level of their rituals by several notches…"
As the elven leaders issued their orders, the elves scrambled to prepare for the impact.
* * *
At that moment, I was riding the tsunami. The experience was unlike anything else.
It was also the moment I felt the resonance of water.
The sensation was exquisite. I looked down at the Fallen Land ahead as if I were looking down at a miniature map.
I had underestimated the power of the tsunami—or rather, the effect produced by the stacking waves under my resonance.
If the Sea Clan had controlled this themselves, I might have worried whether the Fallen Land would be completely submerged. But now, with the power of the Sea's Wonder Crown combined with my resonance, every coastal area in the vicinity would be affected.
"Come! Fallen Land… Necromancers… Lesser Demons, Little Demons, Undead, Fallen Ones… pay the price for your actions…"
The tsunami hit the shore. I submerged myself into the water, resonating with it, guiding the direction of the torrent.
The seemingly safe highlands and jagged mountains of the Fallen Land were as useless as the Maginot Line.
The students still resting and gathering strength in the Fallen Land felt the massive tremors. When they looked up, they saw only terrifying seawater pouring in through the valleys and ravines.
They didn't even have time to run before the fierce water slammed into them, carrying rocks and debris to wash away the sins of the Fallen Land.
"People of the Fallen Land, time to wake up!"
With the blessing of the seawater, my voice echoed through the valleys of the Fallen Land.
"It's… it's that witch's voice!"
"Run!"
"Damn it… I hope you !"
The Fallen Land echoed with the curses of the students, but the seawater responded to each of them equally.
In the very center of the Fallen Land, that giant sword stood firm, splitting the waves even as the water surged around it.
I leaped out of the waves and stood atop the hilt of the giant sword, watching the water cleanse the land. This was where Lan Baihui’s broken body had once been bound. Now, my anger began to fade slightly amidst their wails.
"This giant sword… actually looks pretty good," I remarked, tapping the blade with my foot.
Then, I noticed the Sea's Wonder Crown on my head beginning to crack. It seemed the power of the tsunami was no longer under my control, but my goal had already been achieved.