Chapter 222: A Witch Tea Party Held at the Blood Pool Castle
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 222: A Witch Tea Party Held at the Blood Pool Castle
"It looks like it's losing its momentum."
I watched as the seawater became less turbulent. After all, this was merely a spell effect whipped up by an external force.
It couldn't truly compare to a real tsunami—the kind of existence that could level a coastal city in a single wave. This was just a patchwork map for the exchange competition.
Here, it had done nothing more than submerge a single region.
I finally understood what "Ocean Erosion" meant. The primary purpose of the tsunami triggered by the Sea's Wonder Crown Ceremony wasn't just to deal horrific damage, but to erode the land and transform it into a sea zone.
At this moment, the coastal highlands and mountains of the Fallen Land had been turned into floating islands in the sea, while the abyss below had become a subaquatic trench.
The water was still rising; the so-called erosion was even more severe than I had anticipated.
By now, the Sea's Wonder Crown had completely shattered, dissolving into currents and pearls. I discovered that these pearls were actually resources that could be taken out of the dream. I wasn't sure what they were for yet, but they were likely resources provided by the Sea Clan.
This trip had submerged the Fallen Land and altered its terrain. While the students of the Fallen Land might not have all died in such a terrifying tsunami, they were likely as good as gone.
If anyone actually survived such a natural disaster, you'd have to admit their luck was truly extraordinary.
As the water continued to rise, I found myself reluctant to simply leave behind the giant sword thrust into the Abyss Troll.
Ultimately, I activated the Blessing of the Water Elemental Spirit and leaped into the water. At the very least, this way I didn't have to worry about my clothes or hair getting wet.
Once submerged, I took a closer look at the giant sword.
I wondered if the Teleportation Summoning Spell would work on this thing. If it did, what kind of protection spell could possibly stop it if I dropped it from the sky?
Its sharpness, its durability, and its sheer weight undoubtedly made it an excellent tool for a heavy assault.
I couldn't help but imagine the scene: this sword pinned to the World Tree, piercing through a Wizard Tower, or smashing through one of those floating islands drifting in the sky.
It would surely be a magnificent sight!
Of course, the prerequisite for all of this was that the mark from the Teleportation Summoning Spell had to be able to take it away.
If a single mark wasn't enough, I'd use multiple marks. Even if the mana consumption was higher, I was willing to pay the price.
"Marking... from the hilt to the blade... Marking successful!"
After experimenting underwater, I confirmed that the marking was a success. The next step was to test if I could actually summon it.
I leaped out of the water and landed on a high mountain. By now, the peaks of the Fallen Land had become ruins in the water.
Only their summits remained exposed, showing their original form.
With the Blessing of the Water Elemental Spirit still active, my clothes remained dry. However, I was using quite a bit of mana. Ever since I used the Fire Rain Domain that one time, I felt like I had started becoming rather extravagant with my mana consumption.
"Summon."
I activated my spellbook, watching with anticipation to see if this spell—which only cost ten points—could perform a miracle.
The ritual pattern for the summoning formed, but it wasn't large enough.
"It's not working... Bigger! Make it bigger!" I focused my mind and began to manually tinker with the spellbook's output.
Since the spellbook couldn't step up on its own, I would help it!
"Yes! Just like that!"
I watched as the Teleportation Summoning ritual expanded. A chilling sword tip emerged from the center of the summoning circle.
Then, under the force of its own immense gravity, the sword slammed back into the water.
The blade crashed into the surface, sending up a towering spray of water. This wild success made me feel as if I could already see it skewering a target.
However, the commotion was so great that I felt uneasy. I immediately dove back into the water to check the status of the mark on the giant sword. The impact just now had been quite powerful, and I was afraid the mark might have shattered—I knew all too well how fragile these marks could be.
Upon inspection, several marks had indeed broken, but the section that had been buried in the troll's body was now "unearthed."
This meant I could mark the giant sword lying in the water more comprehensively, which would make summoning it easier in the future.
Having finished my business, I hopped onto my broom and flew off at high speed, feeling quite pleased with myself.
After all, Tan Han and the others who had reached the Land of Eternal Darkness still needed my support. Well, maybe not—it was possible Tan Han and her group had already dealt with those guys.
The Blood Clan had come looking for trouble the moment they arrived at our Witch Academy. Although I knew this might be related to Luck, the fact remained that they had provoked us.
It was clearly a hostile relationship. They had provoked us in the Dream Space before, and I had given them a proper lesson for it. I wasn't sure what happened afterward; they were probably rescued, but I refused to admit that I had been too heavy-handed back then.
As I left, I glanced back at my masterpiece—the submerged Fallen Land. It certainly looked much more pleasing to the eye this way. The tsunami had affected other areas as well, but I would leave those troubles for them to handle themselves.
If only the Teleportation Summoning Spell could summon the water itself, that would be great. Unfortunately, it didn't work that way. The spell summoned marked individuals; it didn't open a portal to transport things through. Otherwise, when I summoned the giant sword, I would have brought the seawater along with it.
As I flew, I saw the various terrains along the way that had been swallowed by the sea—uprooted vegetation, broken trees, and abandoned buildings or ruins.
I spotted a supply crate midway and went down to check it out, but it contained only standard items that couldn't even be used outside the dream.
* * *
Meanwhile, in the outside world.
Because the Dream Exchange Competition was a continuous, non-stop event, the massive open-air arena at the Witch Academy remained open twenty-four hours a day.
Last night, a large number of spectators had refused to leave their seats. Some clever individuals had even brought sleeping gear to spend an unforgettable night there.
They had witnessed many things.
Of course, normal people usually went back to watch on their phones or on the TVs in their dorms, though that meant they could only view one window at a time.
This kind of round-the-clock live broadcast could easily become tedious. Watching people travel, sleep, or do mundane tasks was quite boring for many.
Except, of course, for those perverts who enjoyed watching people sleep.
Therefore, most viewers preferred the commentator's free-camera view. The free-camera, which monitored the entire battlefield, would constantly switch scenes to ensure that the most exciting moments of the exchange competition were being shown.
"As we can see, the Witch Academy's contestant, Yang Yuehan, has now replaced the Sea's Wonder Crown of the Sea Clan's ritual. She has been crowned king! The seawater cheers for her, and the waves serve as her adornment!"
"We can see that Yang Yuehan's objective is very clear. Just as she said before, her spear is pointed directly at the Fallen Land!"
"Let's see how the various academies in the Fallen Land are reacting... Oh, it seems last night's battle was quite intense. The students of the Necromancy Academy are actually still sleeping. Even with the water at their doorstep, they're sleeping so soundly. But that's fine; at least they won't feel as much pain when they die."
"We must mention once again that combat in the dream has no so-called pain weakening. It is precisely because the Necromancy Academy of the Fallen Land subjected the Witch Academy's Lan Baihui to such inhuman torture that they have invited this level of wrath..."
The free-camera view here was the one provided by the Witch Academy, and the commentator was also a Senior Sister from the academy. It was obvious that her commentary was laced with intense personal emotion.
At the same time, the free-camera views and commentaries broadcast by other academies were independent.
This had been confirmed during the inter-academy meetings when the topic of live streaming was raised.
After all, every academy had its pride. If their own students did something embarrassing or failed miserably, they wanted to ensure the free-camera view—which had the most viewers—wouldn't show it.
While such things couldn't be hidden forever, it at least minimized the immediate impact.
However, while the other academies had planned well, reality was not going to go their way.
"What a great flood!"
"Doing this first thing in the morning? It's cured my morning grumpiness."
"Xiao Han looks absolutely stunning controlling the seawater like that!"
"Kill them! Every single one of those academies in the Fallen Land deserves to die!"
"Avenge Lan Baihui! Woohoo! This is so satisfying!"
"Anyone else might let us down, but Xiao Han never will!"
"Poor Xiao Han. Did you guys see her exclusive stream last night? She was almost sold to the Lesser Demon Academy. Those bastards deserve to die."
"What? Was there some big news last night?"
The Senior Sisters watching the stream, whether in the arena or in their dorms, were incredibly excited.
Of course, the camera wasn't fixed on just one person. Simply watching seawater flood the land would eventually get boring. Periodically, the screen switched to the Land of Eternal Darkness. This area had rarely appeared in the free-camera view, naturally because the Blood Clan Academy hadn't put on a particularly impressive performance so far.
Or rather, while the Blood Clan had been very active last night, their activity had amounted to absolutely nothing. They had been utterly crushed in the Land of Eternal Darkness by the Holy Angel Academy and the Wizard Academy.
The Blood Clan's massive graveyard had been largely destroyed, and their Blood Slave NPCs had suffered heavy losses. However, the Wizard Academy and Holy Angel Academy had also paid a price.
If not for the Blood Clan's aggression and the conflicts they started, the Holy Angel Academy or the Wizard Academy might have at least tied with the Witch Academy in points, provided everyone had left each other alone during the night.
Now, after the great battle of the night, the Blood Clan had suffered heavy losses. Many had returned to the graveyard to absorb the blood qi from the blood pools for self-recovery.
But... as luck would have it, Tan Han was currently leading a group of witches right into their midst.
This unexpected development caught the Blood Clan completely off guard.
"You! You witches are going too far!"
"I remember you. You're the one who came to provoke our Witch Academy before the competition even started," Tan Han said, tilting the other girl's chin up.
Although the Blood Clan controlled blood qi and were quite powerful, they weren't stronger than witches—and certainly not stronger than Tan Han.
They were merely new students who had just received the Embrace. Their power was still dormant; only through constant use and the absorption of blood essence to awaken their primitive instincts would their strength advance further.
"It's you again! Where's that other one! Where's the one who trapped me in that dream!"
"She's not here, but she'll be here soon. Though... you won't have the chance to see her."
"Tan Han, fine! I'll remember you all! I heard you passed out after that dream incident. Haha, you're quite the talent to be able to pass out in a dream..."
"Why bring up old news? Do you think that will provoke me?" Tan Han gave the girl a quick end, just as she had done last time.
To this day, Tan Han didn't even know the girl's name. She didn't bother memorizing the names of minions she could kill in an instant.
"Let's go. Everyone, be careful. There are many graveyards here; Blood Slaves might wake up. Don't get hurt. The Blood Clan's bizarre methods shouldn't be underestimated," Tan Han said.
"By the way, if you get bitten by a Blood Clan member, do you really turn into one?"
"No. At most, you'd become a lower vampire or a Blood Slave. True Blood Clan members are usually born through the Embrace. The Blood Clan Academy recruits the fewest students of any Transcendent Academy of the same level because the cost of the Embrace is very high. I heard it's because they haven't developed a mass-production process yet and still stick to the traditional Embrace ritual."
"That seems to be true. I've read about it in the academy system. I heard that the new students and the Senior Sisters are all linked by the Embrace, and they even call each other child, father, or mother."
"Is it really that messy?"
"It's just titles. we should respect the traditional cultures of different academies."
"Actually, compared to the extremists at the Lesser Demon Academy, this is already pretty good, right?"
"True..."
As they chatted, they heard a massive commotion, like the roar of rushing seawater.
The Land of Eternal Darkness was close to the Fallen Land, but it wasn't low-lying terrain.
Still, it wasn't long before even they felt the impact of the tsunami.
"Is that the seawater rushing over? It reached this far?"
"We underestimated the power of the Sea Clan's ritual tsunami. Move fast. if we hurry, we can probably start the ritual by the time Xiao Han arrives."
Tan Han took a quick look at the status of the rituals for the other academies.
As long as they didn't fall too far behind, the Witch Academy's victory was practically guaranteed.
The location for the ritual, the necessary desserts and tea, and the invitations from afar—the Witch Academy could arrange all of it in a very short time.
If everything went smoothly, the Witch Academy would gain another point, firmly securing their position at the top. No academy would be able to shake their status in the short term.
Any academy wanting to overtake the Witch Academy would need to gain at least three more points. Even to tie, they would need two, and they would still be ranked behind the Witch Academy.
And that was the ideal scenario; the cooldown periods between rituals couldn't be ignored either.
* * *
Meanwhile, I was already rushing toward the Land of Eternal Darkness on my broom.
The Land of Eternal Darkness followed the mountain range upward from the edge of the Fallen Land, making it relatively high ground.
With its gloomy environment and graveyards scattered everywhere, it felt like the kind of place the Necromancy Academy would love.
As soon as I arrived, I was choked by the smell of blood. Actually, the blood scent wasn't that heavy anymore, but the accompanying smell of rot made me gag. It was a completely different kind of foul odor compared to the one in the Fallen Land.
In the distance stood dilapidated old castles and the foundations of collapsed ruins.
The most prominent feature was the destroyed graveyard. According to the map, that was the Blood Slave Ranch, the source of blood essence for the blood pools.
It seemed there was a reason the Blood Clan hadn't gained any academy points last night.
I dealt with a few Blood Slaves along the way. These weren't students from the Blood Slave Academy, but creatures native to the map. Some weren't even humanoid; it seemed the Blood Clan's demand for blood was broader than my preconceived notions.
"No movement?"
I hopped off my flying broom and walked up the only path. I could see traces of battle here. Did the Blood Clan follow the trope of resting during the day and coming out at night?
After walking for a while, I finally heard something.
"Huh? Su Ningmu?" I couldn't help but call out when I saw her.
She was currently chasing a student from an academy I didn't recognize. To be able to run from a witch for that long, the person was certainly a talent.
"Eh? Sister Xiao Han? Wait! Sister Xiao Han, don't steal the kill! Leave this one to me!"
"Oh." I nodded and immediately cast a Binding Spell, causing the target's movements to become uncoordinated.
Judging by the uniform, the person was from the Blood Clan's side, but not necessarily the main academy. After all, the Blood Clan also had an affiliated academy and a Blood Slave Academy.
I wasn't sure which one this person belonged to, but at this point, it didn't make a difference.
With my interference, Su Ningmu quickly sent the person back to the respawn area.
"Su Ningmu, which academy was that? They managed to run from you for so long?"
"Uh... the Blood Clan's affiliated academy. They had a blood-sacrifice alchemy item and almost got away. Anyway, thanks, Sister Xiao Han."
"No problem. Where are the others?"
"Oh, Sister Tan Han and the rest have already reached the Blood Pool Castle at the heart of the Land of Eternal Darkness. I'll take you—"
As Su Ningmu was speaking, a pillar of light rose in the distance. It was the unmistakable sign of a ritual.
"Looks like I don't need a guide. Let's go, together."