Chapter 249: Understanding the Complexity, Dangers, and Opportunities of Witch Secret Realms
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 249: Understanding the Complexity, Dangers, and Opportunities of Witch Secret Realms
A new day.
After a day of fermenting yesterday, the exchange competition had finally settled. When I woke up and checked my phone, I realized quite a lot had happened on the academy network while I was out.
Unfortunately, I went to sleep a bit early and missed it all.
There wasn't any formal award ceremony for the exchange competition. Lina, acting as the department head, gave a final speech to summarize and close the event, but not many people paid much attention to that.
What drew the most eyes was the outrageous stunt pulled by the Witch Academy. Yesterday evening, and even late into the night, teachers from several other academies had gone straight to the Witch Academy—some even to the Dean herself—to raise a fuss. It attracted a massive crowd of senior sisters eager to watch the drama.
Regrettably, the matter was quickly swept under the rug. According to reliable sources, several students from those other academies had "gone missing" within the Witch Academy.
The Witch Academy’s response was that the disappearance of students from other schools had nothing to do with them. They suggested the other schools keep a better eye on their own students, questioning if perhaps their supervision was too strict or if their educational methods were flawed, triggering a rebellious streak in the students.
It was a massive piece of gossip for the spectating students to chew on.
The discussions online were hilarious, with the heat of the topic even overshadowing the news of the exchange competition's first-place winner for a time.
Personally, I thought this was great. The shift in public attention was a welcome improvement for my life; fewer people focusing on me meant I could breathe a little easier.
Right now, some senior sisters who just wanted to see the world burn were leaking news that many classes in the freshman year had received transfer students. It was essentially twisting the knife in the backs of those other academies.
Once I finished reading the gossip, it was time to start my daily cultivation and planning.
Currently, my tasks could be divided into three main areas. The first, and most important, was meditation. This was the primary means of increasing mental power, and its value lay in persistence.
I planned my meditation for every morning. It didn't need to be long—thirty minutes to an hour was enough. After all, there was no guarantee that I wouldn't lose my mind if I forced myself through hours of tedious meditation every single day. Cultivation couldn't be rushed.
Of course, the main reason was that meditation couldn't replace actual sleep.
Next was the theoretical foundation. At this stage, I intended to focus on Rune studies, which would also provide the theoretical basis for my third area: the cultivation of techniques.
Regarding techniques, after being enlightened by Teacher Ji Niang, I was no longer limited to my previous narrow definitions.
Techniques came in many forms. There were combat techniques, the art of using spellbooks, or body tempering and physical arts.
Then there were non-combat techniques: pharmacology, potion-making, alchemy, and so on.
All these techniques were methods of utilizing transcendent energy and rune rituals. They were also a form of expression; how one used them depended entirely on how creative they could be.
For instance, pharmacology and alchemy could also be used in combat. Therefore, dividing techniques into "combat" and "non-combat" wasn't strictly accurate, though it was easy to understand.
What Tan Han taught me wasn't just the importance of combat skills; she opened up my way of thinking. That was her true lesson.
Otherwise, I would still be stuck in the dead end of magic modification for spellbooks. Even Teacher Ji Niang told me to settle down and focus.
I had also realized that modifying spellbooks was becoming increasingly difficult. The higher the consumption of the spellbook, the harder it was to alter.
It was time to start approaching things from a different angle.
Teacher Ji Niang hadn't recommended the Witch Secret Realms to me just to hone my combat skills. These realms also contained "essences" of various techniques for one to learn. Unlike physical items, these essences couldn't be taken away; they were permanently solidified within the secret realm, waiting to be discovered.
If a secret realm only contained physical prizes, it would quickly become obsolete once the rewards were cleared out. Unless the academy deemed the trial valuable enough to restock it periodically, such a realm wouldn't last.
The best time of the day is the morning. After finishing my meditation, I prepared to head to the Witch Secret Realms to take a look.
I had already learned quite a bit from the Witch Secret Realm Club on the academy system.
After I followed the Witch Secret Realm Club, it appeared on my phone's home screen like a mini-program. I could use it to join a queue or make an appointment directly.
However, it didn't seem to support payments. Since the club's fees consisted of actual transcendent materials like Red Copper and Mithril, payments had to be made on-site. I didn't overthink it.
As I made my way there, I began browsing through information on the various realms.
I limited my search to the Red Copper level. One must have self-awareness; jumping into high-level realms was just asking for a beating.
Teacher Ji Niang had sternly warned me not to be overly ambitious when choosing a Witch Secret Realm. She told me not to think I was hot stuff just because I had over a thousand mana sources and an over-consumption spellbook.
Power without technique is just an empty shell. I wholeheartedly agreed with this. Power without technique really was like a fat sheep waiting for the slaughter.
You might think you're sturdy, but in the eyes of others, you're just a prize to be plundered at will.
At this stage—and even until one reaches the Transcendent level—the transcendent power one holds is never truly their own. Mana sources... spellbooks... these can all be stolen!
But the techniques you master are yours forever!
They cannot be taken away. Every level has its corresponding techniques. Right now, I can access spellbook usage, physical arts, and even alchemy and potions. Once I grow stronger and my mental power can interfere with mana and mana sources, I can master potion-making. When I become a Transcendent, I can master Real Editing Technology, Mana Source Shaping Technique, and so on...
This also told us what we should truly be learning at the Witch Academy: we should be learning techniques and theory, not just chasing raw power.
Of course, acquiring power still carried weight at this stage. After all, the more mana sources one had, the faster the Witchification process, and the quicker one could reach the next level.
It was a positive cycle. Those who understood this logic first could stay a step ahead by learning theoretical knowledge to improve themselves, then use that to cultivate techniques. Mastering techniques allowed them to acquire power, and acquiring power allowed them to obtain more resources.
The inverse was also true. It was foreseeable that the Witch Academy would become a highly polarized institution. It was only the harmonious atmosphere on the surface that masked this sense of urgency.
It also gave many people the room to just slack off. For example, Senior Sister Isha, whom Sister Bai introduced to me, had already graduated. After a normal graduation, the academy no longer provided resource tilts. Even if you stayed at the Witch Academy, you had to rely on your own means to get resources.
The potion-brewing skill Isha mastered was a manifestation of technique. It seemed the art of potions was very important; it was a field of study that required mana coordination and served as a unique calling card for a Witch.
I decided that, eventually, I would definitely pursue techniques related to potion-making.
But for now, I needed to build a foundation and possess the most basic strength to protect myself from outside interference and plunder.
I had learned from Sister Bai that there really were senior sisters who bullied others, all for the sake of the spellbooks in their hands.
Currently, I was carrying an over-consumption spellbook.
I could imagine that once the exchange competition rewards were distributed, the real "war" would begin.
Countless people would come—some with good intentions for trade, others with terrible attitudes looking to seize what I had. They would bring nothing but endless trouble.
I soon arrived at the headquarters of the Witch Secret Realm Club. I had seen many realms on the academy system along the way, and while they were tempting, I hadn't made a final choice yet.
When you don't know the situation, it's best not to choose blindly. I decided to ask the senior sisters at the club once I arrived.
Surely, once they knew who I was... they would be willing to spend some time explaining things to me?
After all, I was a bit of a celebrity now. Even if they didn't know me, I wouldn't force it.
However, upon arriving, I found the club headquarters was terrifyingly large. Even though it was morning, a huge crowd of senior sisters had already gathered, each fully equipped with their own weapons and gear. They looked extremely well-prepared.
Meanwhile, I was just wearing a pair of athletic clothes with leg rings, carrying a magic wand, with a witch cape to hide my figure and a witch hat to obscure my face. That was about it.
It looked like many of the senior sisters were preparing for long-term Witch Secret Realms.
On the way here, I had noticed that some realms could be explored quickly, while others were very time-consuming. Some even had a "Long Duration" tag, with notes stating that a full exploration would take anywhere from a month to several months.
Well, that was indeed extreme, but those were suited for the high-year senior sisters. High risk, high reward. We lower-year students had three years of scheduled classes and academic life to worry about, whereas the senior sisters didn't have those constraints.
I entered while wearing a disguise. My white hair made me look a bit like an outlier, but unusual hair colors weren't rare in the Witch Academy. Some people dyed their hair, while others changed color due to special techniques or other reasons. Under Spirit Vision, the information conveyed by a natural transformation versus a dye job was fundamentally different.
To enter the Witch Secret Realm Club, one needed to bring their student card or a phone bound to the card for registration.
Entering a secret realm required real-name registration and the payment of fees.
I noticed that the members of the Witch Secret Realm Club all wore uniform outfits, and there seemed to be quite a lot of them. Many were quite busy. I wondered if the club was still recruiting and if there were any internal discounts or insider information.
I finally understood why Shopkeeper Xia Li's baking club had no members. A club like that really couldn't offer much help to a freshman. Only those who were coasting or had very specific hobbies would stay there long-term.
Like the slacking Senior Sister Ying Shiqian, or Senior Sister Tang Yihan, who loved trying all sorts of bizarre baking and was an expert at creating dark cuisine.
I suspected that any freshman tricked into the club by the shopkeeper would quickly realize its nature. There would probably be a wave of resignations from the baking house soon.
Snapping back to the present, I looked around. Since it was my first time here, the busy club members didn't proactively introduce themselves with the same enthusiasm I'd encountered when taking my flight license exam.
I actually had to go to the front desk to ask.
Fortunately, there was a dedicated area for inquiries.
"Hello, classmate. Do you have a question?"
"Oh, yes. This is my first time at a Witch Secret Realm. Could you give me a brief introduction?"
"Your first time?"
the senior sister asked, her eyes filled with a bit of curiosity and even disbelief. From her perception, the mana source feedback from this person was in the high hundreds, maybe even a thousand. And this was her first time?
Was she being pranked?
If the girl hadn't been holding a phone to record a video, the senior sister would have thought she was being messed with. However, out of professional courtesy—and the feeling that she might not be able to win in a fight against this girl—she quickly put on a smile and began to explain.
"Our Witch Secret Realm Club is primarily responsible for the oversight, maintenance, and registration of students entering and exiting the realms. Witch Secret Realms are created by previous graduates who became Transcendent Witches..."
"Oh, I know about that part. Could you tell me more about the common knowledge regarding the realms themselves?" I interrupted.
"Alright. Then let me talk about the classification of realms and the fees. Witch Secret Realms are generally categorized into combat trials, puzzle-solving, task-based realms, narrative realms, and so on. Since you know how they are made, you should know there are no strict limits on their creation. These categories are just general groupings. A large portion of realms are classified as 'Special' due to their unique nature, and many are composed of multiple overlapping tags. The internal situations can be complex."
"Graduated senior sisters also give back to the Witch Academy by providing realms in the form of tasks. Those realms might be ruins or secret rooms they found in unknown places, which they then toss here as Witch Secret Realms without any modification. Many of these realms still have bounties listed on the academy system's task panel."
"Of course, from my personal perspective, I don't recommend those. Some are one-time use. If you fail the task and damage the realm, you might be held liable for compensation. Generally, if there's a compensation clause, it will be explicitly stated in the task description, so you don't have to worry about being scammed."
"Oh? There's that too? I just want to experience a realm today. Ideally, something with a short process or a realm I can exit at any time. Is that possible?" I asked.
"Certainly. Realms usually have tags before you enter, indicating roughly how long they take. However, that can fluctuate based on individual strength."
"Additionally, the Witch Secret Realm Club reminds you: always prioritize your own safety when exploring. Although our club has specialized resurrection spells and healing spells, the costs for rescue, consumption, and damage compensation must be borne by you. We also offer a loan service—a special loan for those unable to pay for resurrection and other fees. Under the academy's intervention, these are interest-free loans, and you can even apply for subsidies."
"I... I see. Thanks for the warning." I hadn't expected the Witch Academy to be like this. Dying in a secret realm really meant dying and needing a resurrection spell. They even had loans ready for it.
"Now, let me explain the payment situation. You should be aware that we don't accept ordinary money. We only take transcendent materials, primarily Red Copper, Mithril, and Orichalcum."
"Yes, I've heard. It's mostly those three, right?" I asked.
"Correct. Officially, we use those three as the main currency. If you have other transcendent materials, we convert them into those three based on the current academy market price."
"Also, we support creating a Secret Realm Identity Card using your student card. It can be bound to your phone and allows you to store transcendent materials for online payment. Any remaining materials can be withdrawn at any time. Please note that our online payment system does not support external transactions."
"Alright..."
I didn't expect them to have online transactions here too. I wondered how the regulation was. Since they had existed peacefully for so long, their credibility must be quite good.
It was a bit like being able to deposit money at the Witch Cat Cafe.
For convenience, I prepared to set it up.
"Wait, my system shows you already have a Witch Secret Realm Identity Card... Yang Yuehan... student card info matches... wait? Yang Yuehan?"
The senior sister suddenly looked up at me, then back at the student card I had handed over.
"Don't be too loud," I said, dropping my disguise for a moment. Once she saw me clearly, I shifted back. "I didn't want any trouble, so I used a disguise. Don't mind it. I didn't steal anyone's card."
"Oh! Right! I understand, I understand!" The senior sister hurriedly gestured to show she got it. "Our records show you've already been issued one. You might not have noticed, but for a genius like you, we've already handled the paperwork. I didn't expect you to visit us so soon. It's an honor. We sent it to your residence by mail. If it's too much trouble, I can bind it to your phone right now. Also, we've provided you with some initial funds."
"Ah... you sure know a lot..." I hadn't expected the Witch Secret Realm Club to send me one too. The Witch Cat Cafe, the Witch Secret Realm...
They were all being a bit too eager to please me, weren't they?
But this sort of thing was just about making connections and investing early. For them, it was a guaranteed win. Even the so-called "initial funds" were likely negligible to them.
I dug through my storage equipment and found the letter from the Witch Secret Realm Club among the large pile of unopened mail.
Looking at the stack of letters, I realized there were still so many places in the Witch Academy I hadn't visited.
Maybe one day when I'm bored, I'll just treat them like blind boxes and go experience them?
That way, I wouldn't even have to decide where to go for fun.
"This should be it." I tore open the envelope, took out a card, and handed it over.
"I didn't expect you to carry it with you. I'll process it for you right now. Currently, there is a balance of one hundred Orichalcum in this account. You can withdraw it at any time if you wish."
The senior sister's tone became significantly more respectful. It seemed I had still underestimated my own value.
A hundred Orichalcum for free!
Not Red Copper or Mithril, but Orichalcum. That stuff was expensive.
I had originally planned to deposit some Mithril to try out a Red Copper realm, but now I was suddenly loaded.
"Also, I'd like to remind you: secret realms are no joke. Even if you... Xiao Han... are very strong, please don't jump straight into Orichalcum. Don't even rush into Mithril. It's best to experience a Red Copper realm first to get a feel for it."
"I know. But thank you for the reminder."
"It's no problem. It's my job."
Bidding farewell to the senior sister, I began to pick a realm to try.
Today was all about the experience. I wasn't looking for any gains. Since the entry fee was essentially free, my mood had brightened considerably.