Chapter 225: The Ultimate Tactic: Base-Trading!
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 225: The Ultimate Tactic: Base-Trading!
Of course, Tan Han wasn't doubting the power of the Over-consumption Spellbook; she was simply worried about the sheer number of enemies they were facing.
The Divine Arts of the Holy Angel Academy were terrifyingly powerful, though their methods were a bit more cumbersome compared to a witch’s spellbook.
As for the Wizards from the Wizard Academy, their methods were even more bizarre. Tan Han had dealt with them directly before. One shouldn't assume that just because the Witch Academy had previously threatened the Holy Angel and Wizard Academies, they were now in a state of total dominance. They hadn't reached that level yet.
If those two sides joined forces, things could become extremely tricky.
"Tan Han, do you have enough Recovery Potions left?"
I checked my own inventory first. I had just enough to get by. If I had to use an Over-consumption Spellbook again and didn't want to fall into a state of mana exhaustion afterward, I would likely burn through my entire stock of potions.
We were consuming resources at an incredible rate. This was mainly because the supplies I’d scavenged during my "muggings" weren't that extensive to begin with, and now they were gradually running dry.
"I have some left. It's enough," Tan Han nodded. If it really came down to it, a desperate gamble was always an option.
"You witches over there! Look here!"
While Tan Han and I were on guard against the newcomers from afar, the Dwarves decided to fire a shot at us.
The front cabin I had smashed earlier had already been fitted with a new Protective Holy Artifact. Only the movement core had been destroyed; their weapons were still perfectly functional.
At most, they were just immobilized—they hadn't lost completely yet.
Once the witches and the newcomers were dealt with, they were confident they could repair the damaged movement core. Moreover, seeing the Witch Academy caught in a pincer movement by the other academies, they figured now was the perfect opportunity.
But I wasn't in the mood for small talk. The dwarf I had dragged out earlier was nowhere to be seen; he had either gone back to hide or committed suicide to respawn.
Regardless, I repeated my previous trick.
And this time, I didn't miss on purpose.
A terrifyingly concentrated blast of high-heat energy once again pierced through their newly replaced Protective Holy Artifact. This time, it struck true, incinerating the pilot inside the cockpit and leaving a massive, charred hole in the back of the pilot's seat.
Though the pilot had already died and respawned, the horrific hole in the chair and the scorched, brilliant bloodstains left by the intense flames served as a grim warning.
With such a display of force, I wanted to see how many more dwarves would dare to step up and pilot this behemoth just to harass us.
Unless they had a secondary emergency control room, I would kill them as fast as they appeared.
Unless, of course, I got bogged down in a bitter struggle later and couldn't keep an eye on this place.
However, the current situation was actually quite grim. On the surface, both Tan Han and I possessed Over-consumption Spellbooks, but our spell effects clashed with each other.
In reality, spells didn't come with "friendly fire" immunity. If such a thing existed, it was certainly at a level I couldn't access yet. Even as the caster, if I stood within my own Fire Rain Domain, I would still be targeted by the falling fire.
I could create "spell blind spots" to avoid taking damage myself, but I couldn't stay in one spot forever. As for Tan Han, I couldn't constantly predict her movements.
Besides, creating a spell blind spot was basically telegraphing my next move to the enemy. Once an opponent closed the distance, they could effectively negate the damage from the spell's area of effect.
Furthermore, the Witch Tea Party would be caught in the crossfire.
Looking at it this way, Tan Han’s Ancient Remnant Ice Transformation was actually the most suitable option for the current situation.
"It's the witches from the Witch Academy."
Upon seeing the people they least wanted to see at their destination, the hearts of the students from the Holy Angel Academy and the Wizard Academy sank.
If the witches were only here to interfere with the ritual, that would be business as usual—the best-case scenario.
But if the ritual being held here was the Witch Tea Party, they had to prepare for the worst.
Now that all the heavyweight contenders had arrived, the standoff became so tense that you could hear a pin drop.
The witches were on the defensive, while the others were forming a joint crusade.
"Tan Han, I didn't expect us to meet again so soon. The Witch Academy's methods are truly... breathtaking."
The leader of the Holy Angels spoke first, his gaze locked onto Tan Han. It was clear he was quite familiar with her.
"You flatter us. Why have you come here with such a massive entourage?"
"Tan Han, is there any need to beat around the bush?"
The Holy Angel leader looked toward the ground near the ritual's pillar of light. A student from the Witch Academy had just poked her head out. There was no need to see it with his own eyes anymore; this was indeed the Witch Tea Party hosted by the witches.
This was the Land of Eternal Darkness. The environment made everyone from the Holy Angel Academy feel uncomfortable, but fortunately, they had adapted to it the night before—though the Vampires had paid a heavy price for that adaptation.
Now, it seemed the Witch Academy had seized the area and wiped out those Vampires.
"Beating around the bush? Not at all. I just need to confirm whether you are enemies here to disturb us."
"Of course we are enemies. Tan Han, why waste your breath?" the Wizards from the Wizard Academy cut in.
They had no love for the sanctimonious Holy Angels, but they wouldn't be acting this urgently if it weren't for the Witch Academy's ability to hold rituals so rapidly.
"Since we're enemies, shouldn't you first get to know..."
"Wait, do you only recognize Tan Han? What about me? Don't you feel ashamed, threatening only one girl?" I shouted from my position atop the Dwarven war fortress.
Shouting like that and drawing everyone's gaze did feel a bit embarrassing, but if they didn't look at me, how was I supposed to break this deadlock?
"You are... Yang Yuehan? I remember you."
"Oh? I don't know you, though. I didn't realize I was so famous," I said, scratching my head with a grin.
"You were able to land a fatal blow on Tan Han; naturally, I won't underestimate your abilities."
"Wait, that's it?" My expression immediately soured. So he’d just used some method to check the battle records between me and Tan Han on the Academy Network.
"It's you! That witch! Damn it! Why are you here?!"
Suddenly, a voice filled with rage—but also a hint of terror—erupted from the Holy Angel Academy's side. This outburst immediately drew looks of disdain from the other Holy Angel students.
Even the Wizards didn't bother to look at the embarrassing fool.
"Oh? Someone actually recognizes me. Who are you? You look a bit familiar... Oh, I remember now! Your girlfriend—what was her name, Elvis? The sound of her wings snapping was absolutely exquisite!"
"I'll kill—"
"Don't be reckless! Watch out for that witch. Any movement from a witch could be a terrifying trap!"
"I..." The Angel's face was livid, but he was held back by the Holy Angel leader. He had no choice but to comply; otherwise, the leader would waste no time showing him exactly why he was the one in charge.
"Come on then, bring your leader and try to kill me, you coward. You've died once already, but you sure came back to the field quickly. Also, the fireworks from your girlfriend's angel halo were beautiful!"
"By the way, why didn't your girlfriend come? Is she too heartbroken to show her face?"
"Don't be provoked."
With a single word from the leader, the guy immediately calmed down. Although his relationship with Elvis had been one of unrequited love, it was obvious to everyone. However, after becoming a Holy Angel, he no longer had the... equipment to provide her with "sexual fulfillment."
"You can even endure that? I heard Holy Angels don't have sexual characteristics. Don't tell me you've lost the ability to give your girlfriend 'fulfillment' entirely? Are you a Holy Angel or a Ninja? You're certainly good at 'enduring'!"
My words were like knives carving into their flesh. Every sentence either stung their pride or poked at their rage.
Breaking wings and shattering halos were acts of desecration to a Holy Angel, while mocking their lack of sexual traits was actually the mildest insult. Once they became Angels, they were supposed to be nearly devoid of worldly desires, but these were still freshmen; their mindsets hadn't shifted that quickly. Just like Witchification, the change in cognition was a gradual process.
It was a pity I hadn't had much contact with the Wizard Academy, so I didn't have any battle achievements to taunt them with. Besides, the Wizards didn't seem like the type to be baited by trash talk; they prided themselves on absolute rationality. At the very least, they wouldn't be provoked by such words.
Meanwhile, I was silently counting the numbers and identifying the members of the Holy Angel and Wizard Academies.
Only four Holy Angels had come, while the Wizard Academy had sent five. This was equivalent to facing the full strength of an entire top-tier academy. Don't forget, there was still one Holy Angel pinned down back at the Blood Pool.
This made the situation at the Holy Angel Academy clear.
Excluding the guy whose name I couldn't remember, five of them were already accounted for here.
That meant there were at most five Holy Angels left on their Floating Holy Island.
I had encountered three Holy Angels the first time, and I knew their strength. So, two of the ones on the island were known quantities. Add to that the two unlucky bastards I met at the Sea Clan, and that meant four of the ones on the island were people I'd already faced. Even if there was one more powerhouse holding down the fort, I could definitely fight my way through.
The ultimate tactic: Base-trading!
Tan Han was right. The most the Witch Academy would lose was a ritual, but the Holy Angel Academy would lose their Floating Holy Island!
The very core of their power!
They couldn't possibly think that leaving just those few behind to guard the base was enough, could they?
They probably assumed the powerful Saint Realm Elves wouldn't attack, and that the Wizard Academy—having deployed as many people as they had—wouldn't have the energy for a sneak attack. They figured they could handle the Dragons at the Dragon Blood Nest.
But what about the Witch Academy?
Had they assumed from the very beginning that this was the Witch Academy's ritual?
Actually, that was a pretty easy deduction. There weren't many academies that could set up a ritual in the Land of Eternal Darkness.
The fact that a Holy Angel student had been left here suggested that the Holy Angels had attacked the Vampires here last night. The cost of trying to hold another ritual themselves would be too high.
Now, I had two choices.
The first was to wait until Tan Han drew their attention, then vanish into thin air and head straight for the Floating Holy Island. Base-trade without hesitation—hesitation leads to defeat.
The second was to use the threat of base-trading to ensure the Witch Tea Party proceeded normally. That way, the Witch Academy would secure three points and gain an absolute lead in the academy rankings.
As a witch who lived for chaos, I naturally chose "all of the above."
"I didn't realize Xiao Han had caused the Holy Angel Academy so much grief. That's quite a surprise."
Tan Han’s voice drew their attention back to her. They could naturally see that Tan Han was the true leader of the Witch Academy. While Yang Yuehan’s influence was significant, her behavior was far too erratic. When it came to making decisions in a major standoff like this, they looked to the more composed Tan Han.
All three parties knew that a battle today was unavoidable.
Furthermore, there was the very conspicuous Dwarven war fortress. They couldn't ignore it, but the fortress seemed to be having major issues. Thick smoke and steam were billowing from its core, and with a witch standing guard over it, it was obvious the massive machine had been disabled by the Witch Academy.
That made the witches even more of a threat.
"So what? Tan Han, you know as well as we do that you won't be finishing this first ritual today. If we fight, it'll just be another mutually destructive stalemate. The Witch Academy is already far ahead in points; why resort to these tactics?"
"Tactics? You make it sound like we're cheating. Everything we've done is perfectly legal. What's the matter? Is it that hard to admit your own incompetence?"
"Sharp-tongued as ever. Tan Han, let's settle the score for when you ruined our Wizard Truth Ritual right now!"
"Heh, do you have amnesia? The Holy Angel Academy standing right next to you also had a hand in ruining your ritual. If you've got the guts, why don't you deal with them first? I'll even give you a fair duel afterward!" Tan Han’s words were equally merciless, her tone aggressive and stifling.
"Don't listen to her provocations. You know why we're cooperating..."
"I don't need a birdman to remind me. I know exactly why we're working together. I'll keep my people in check. We won't stab the Holy Angel Academy in the back until the Witch Academy and Tan Han are dealt with."
"Hey~ don't forget about me, okay?"
As my voice rang out, many eyes turned toward me again. They watched as I hopped down from the war fortress and walked toward them.
To them, I was an equally troublesome opponent. Or rather, everyone from the Witch Academy was troublesome. Those spellbooks could pose a terrifying threat even in the hands of a child, let alone a group of witches!
"We haven't forgotten you. I heard you burned down the Elven World Tree. Quite the feat!"
"Oh, there's more~ your information is outdated. I flooded the Land of the Fallen too. By now, it's probably part of the ocean. The Ocean Erosion is even more terrifying than I expected—worse than the erosion in the Central Ancient Battlefield."
"That tsunami wasn't caused by the Sea Clan?"
"It was a joint effort between me and the Sea Clan. I helped them with their ritual, and in exchange, they let me take the blame for the tsunami's encroachment on the land. Great deal, right?~"
"You witches really are more insane than us wizards. You let all those filthy creatures out of the Land of the Fallen."
"Yeah, they're like weeds on a map now. You might run into them anywhere."
"Do you have a grudge against the people from the Land of the Fallen?"
"A huge one! A massive grudge! You're right—those filthy, ugly, disgusting creatures are a desecration just by existing. They deserve to be purified. The seawater I brought was to wash away their sins! Aha, that sounds like something a Holy Angel should be doing, right? Sorry for stealing the Holy Angel Academy's right to judge them."
"Xiao Han." Tan Han called out. This was the first time she had seen Xiao Han act like this—completely like a madwoman, disregarding her image.
This feeling was a bit like... that Illusion Clone?
Wait... an Illusion Clone?
The moment Tan Han realized this, her first instinct was to use a purification spell, but she held back. Xiao Han’s Illusion Clone didn't deal damage. If this really was a clone, purifying it would mean she’d have no idea what Xiao Han was actually up to. If she couldn't get information, the resulting information gap might lead to a slip-up that the enemy could exploit.
Since this was likely an Illusion Clone, it was best not to let it remain the center of attention, or the risk of exposure would skyrocket.
"Xiao Han, that's enough. Get behind me."
"Tsk, tsk~ Tan Han, what's with that commanding tone?"
"I said, get behind me. I'll handle the negotiations. Don't make trouble." Tan Han spoke again. By now, she was certain. This was exactly the personality of the Illusion Clone. Once she recognized it as a fake, the figure even began to look slightly ethereal in her eyes.
"Is the Witch Academy starting to have internal strife? Tan Han, are you still the leader? You can't even control your own teammate?"
"Our internal affairs are none of your business."
Tan Han shut down the provocation with a single sentence. Meanwhile, the clone had moved to Tan Han’s side.
"Xiao Han, you're a clone, aren't you?" Tan Han whispered.
"Why ask when you already know?"
"Where is your main body? What is she planning?"
"My main body has moved out of the spell's control range. Right now, I'm just a manifestation of your preconceived notions of me. How should I know what the main body is doing?~"
"Out of the spell's control range..."
That meant Xiao Han had left, and she was far away. Tan Han knew the control distance for the Illusion Clone.
Suddenly, a thought flashed through Tan Han’s mind, sparking a moment of shock. However, she quickly managed her expression and didn't let it show.
"It looks like you've figured it out~ That's right, I'm not hiding it anymore. Base-trading! So... please, try to stall for as much time as possible."