Chapter 255: Rewards in Hand
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 255: Rewards in Hand
Today was a day worth celebrating.
Following the conclusion of the exchange competition, the academy had consolidated the prizes from the various participating institutions and was finally distributing the ranking rewards.
There was no school-wide announcement. Instead, the counselor notified the winners individually to collect their prizes. After all, only ten students from the Witch Academy had participated; a campus-wide broadcast was unnecessary.
Furthermore, this lack of publicity served as a form of protection for the contestants.
A public announcement would be equivalent to exposing their entire net worth, which would only attract unnecessary hostility. One could never underestimate the power of envy; in a sense, it was the most terrifying thing of all. There was no telling when or what kind of madness it might drive people to commit.
Of course, even without an announcement, such things were bound to happen. There would always be those who, like starving wolves, kept a constant eye on their prey, waiting for the slightest moment of weakness.
"These are your rewards. Honestly, seeing so many treasures from all those different academies gathered in one place... even I’m a bit shaken," Teacher Ji Niang said, handing me a piece of storage equipment.
"Really? Aren't you a Transcendent Witch, Teacher?"
I calmly accepted the device. It was a card that felt quite firm to the touch, similar in design to my student card. It bore the insignia of the Witch Academy, likely a standardized storage device used specifically for distributing such rewards. It looked very easy to store.
"I'm worried for you, honestly. I’m practically wearing myself out looking after you. Normally, these rewards are supposed to be publicized to foster competition among the top freshmen. And as you know..." At this point, Ji Niang cast an isolation spell before continuing.
"Regarding Tan Han's identity—originally, she was meant to be tempered through a constant series of scripts, whether that meant setbacks, suppression, or healthy and unhealthy competition. It was all supposed to be part of her growth. But because of you and various other factors, the academy has decided not to go public. They don't dare to play such a high-stakes game anymore. Between Tan Han no longer being the sole Child of Destiny and the fear that the luck you carry might be further diluted by the upperclassmen—making it harder to manage—they’ve settled on this format. The whole exchange competition ended on a bit of an anti-climactic note..."
"So, should I say thank you?" I asked with a smile. Since the rewards were already in my hands, I certainly couldn't keep a straight face.
"You should. But are you prepared for the price that comes with holding these rewards?" Ji Niang asked seriously. The academy had originally intended to release the announcement, but she had fought tooth and nail against it.
"Well, I won't let others covet what is mine, and I certainly won't let go. But is the academy really not going to do anything about it?"
"If you report an incident, the academy will naturally intervene. But don't expect them to grant you 'justice.' The academy isn't a personal umbrella for any of you. Do you understand what I mean?"
"They'll step in, but they won't do much, right?" I asked, chuckling.
The answer didn't surprise me. If anything, they had already done their part. The fact that the academy would intervene at all was a massive help. If they had explicitly stated they wouldn't get involved, the struggle for resources would become utterly unscrupulous, and fair trades would cease to exist entirely.
"That is indeed the case. You can think of the academy as heartless or cold, but its will remains unmoved... Let's not talk about that. With your strength, you should be able to handle most troubles yourself. Let's discuss your Mana Source issue instead. Do you need my help?"
"Of course," I nodded immediately.
When it's time to use resources, use them without hesitation. Even if they might be snatched away in the next moment, does that mean I shouldn't use them now?
That would be a joke.
I then opened the storage equipment. In an instant, I was stunned by the contents. The items were piled like a mountain.
The most prominent were the Mana Sources and the Ley Line Memory Crystals right at the front.
I remembered that the rewards for the confrontation match had been over a thousand Ley Line Memory Crystals and five hundred Mana Sources for first place.
Now, with the exchange competition over, the Witch Academy's ranking rewards remained the same, but I also had a plethora of rewards provided by the other academies. Unfortunately, I didn't recognize many of them.
"Wait... why is the number of Mana Sources so specific? I remember the first-place prize for the confrontation match was exactly five hundred," I asked curiously, fiddling with the container holding the Mana Sources after taking them all out.
"Do you remember the resources you obtained after the tea party?" Ji Niang reminded me.
"Oh... but I didn't get any back then."
"Those resources were designated to descend. During the final tea party, they agreed to let Tan Han bring them back for unified distribution. A portion of your first-place reward consists of what Tan Han allocated to you."
"She’s almost too kind. Usually, this kind of stuff belongs to whoever grabs it," I commented. Internally, however, I felt a surge of gratitude toward Tan Han for not forgetting me.
"Heh... don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Including these 634 Mana Sources, how many do you have in total now?"
"634? That makes about 1,704... That was fast. At this rate, I'll probably have over ten thousand before I even graduate."
"Hmm? You didn't know? Before you become a Transcendent Witch, the maximum number of Mana Sources you can acquire is around ten thousand."
"Eh? Wait, ten thousand? How did I not know that? Why?" I was stunned by Ji Niang's words.
I knew that more Mana Sources meant faster Witchification. Although the speed doesn't stack linearly in the later stages, if there was a ten-thousand-unit limit, wouldn't that mean there was a hard cap on the speed of Witchification?
"Now you know. I'm surprised this is news to you. Do you know that the highest-tier spellbook the academy can give you is the Myriad Methods Book?"
"I know that. Because the limit is ten thousand methods."
"As long as you understand. You must realize that you are already a student who possesses two Over-consumption Spellbooks. A Myriad Methods Book is something you can only hope for but never seek, but the status of an Over-consumption Spellbook within the academy... think about it yourself."
"I understand..."
I felt the weight on my shoulders grow a bit heavier. Possession of a jade ring is indeed a crime, but to be without envy is to be mediocre.
As the Mana Sources flooded into my body, I felt a surge of pressure coursing through me. This was the Mana Sources adapting to their new environment within me; before long, they would become power under my command.
"You're pushing two thousand now. How does your body feel?" Ji Niang asked.
"Not bad. My physical fitness feels stronger, and my mental power is steadily increasing, even if I don't spend much time in meditation every day."
"You should meditate more. Mental power is the deciding factor for many things."
"Yes, I will."
I nodded. Since Teacher Ji Niang said meditation was important, I would adjust my schedule to allocate more time for it.
It wasn't that I didn't want to meditate from dawn to dusk, but if I actually tried that, I probably wouldn't be able to sit still. Even with the suggestion from the Unity of Knowledge and Action, doing that day in and day out would eventually lead to problems.
"You've also obtained quite a few spellbooks this time. How do you plan to handle them? First, I can't guarantee you won't get duplicates. However... even if they are duplicates, you can still use them. The effect will be the same, but at the very least, you won't have to wait for the so-called cooldown of a single spellbook."
"Duplicates are possible? Well, it doesn't matter. This exchange competition taught me a lot. I plan to thoroughly organize my spellbooks. My current collection is a bit chaotic and lacks a system. There are some I've barely used, and others have overlapping effects that conflict with each other," I said after a moment's thought.
Even though I often lamented my lack of options, there were some spells I truly never had the chance to use, such as the Spirit Cat Summoning Spell, the Flame Falcon summoning, the Hypnotic Song, or even the high-consumption Shadow Legion Summoning.
"True. You should organize them. Sometimes, quantity doesn't equal quality. You should also define your own spell system. I see you have a penchant for Evocative Magic; that's a solid choice."
"But I can't deny that other spells can be very effective, even if they aren't aggressive," I added.
"There's no point in me arguing with you about that. Decide for yourself. However, it is time for you to build your own spell library to deal with various situations."
"A spell library..."
"Of course. Every official Transcendent Witch has her own spell library. Many witches even enjoy collecting all sorts of spellbooks. You could say that every Transcendent Witch is a mobile treasury of spellbooks."
"Is that so?" I had considered the possibility, but hearing it from Ji Niang was still shocking.
Witches have eternal lifespans, so they naturally collect more and more spellbooks. Many of those must be situational or redundant, but organizing them into a library...
That was true foundation! I might not use them, but I had to have them.
If only I had such a foundation.
Originally, I had thought about selling the spellbooks I didn't use to trade for other resources I wanted. Now, I had no desire to sell them at all.
After all, my goal was to become a Transcendent Witch. Foundation is built through bit-by-bit accumulation. It reminded me of Shopkeeper Xia Li's private stash. I wondered how much she had collected and how much it had cost her.
"What? Starting to daydream?" Ji Niang's voice pulled me back to reality. "It's fine, I don't mind you dreaming. But if you want to turn those fantasies into reality, you need to take it one step at a time."
"I know," I said, looking away. It was a bit embarrassing to be caught in a daze like that.
"Good. I don't have anything else for you, but before you go, I think we can make a trade."
"A... trade? What kind of trade?" I looked at Ji Niang with surprise. It was unexpected that she would want to trade with me.
"I have a rather special high-consumption spellbook here. I want to trade it for the things you might not need—like the Ley Line memories you don't want, Ley Line materials, or those miscellaneous items from the other academies that have nothing to do with your path."
"Huh? Why?"
That was my first reaction. There was no reason for Ji Niang to act as my trash disposal. Although I wasn't lacking high-consumption spellbooks now, within the academy, spellbooks of this level were still highly valuable, second only to Over-consumption Spellbooks.
If the Myriad Methods Book was something one could only hope for, then Over-consumption Spellbooks were foundation-level resources for many groups and clubs within the academy, while high-consumption spellbooks were the standard trump cards.
"Because I am a counselor. I manage the collective that is Class 14. You are the class monitor and a member of my research group, which is why I'm looking out for you. You can ignore the class, but I can't. I'll trade a high-consumption spellbook for your unwanted items, and then I'll use those items as rewards or punishments to motivate the class. It's a good deal, isn't it? Plus, I'll announce it to the class in your name. You get the benefits and the reputation. What do you think?"
"This..."
"Is it a hard choice? Or do you have concerns?" Ji Niang asked curiously. She felt it was a pretty good bargain.
Furthermore, the spellbook she had prepared was one with a special effect. For a student with a long-term vision, she believed Xiao Han would see its value.
Ji Niang knew very well that Xiao Han didn't lack spellbooks with raw destructive power; rather, spellbooks with unique utility were more likely to attract her.
"This motivation... what do you mean? Are you just going to give them away?"
"It'll be like rewards for good grades; those who do poorly get nothing. You're not worried that I'll squander the rewards you fought for in the exchange competition, are you?"
"Uh... no... I just don't want some people getting something for nothing..." I said, feeling a bit sheepish.
"There is no such thing as getting something for nothing in this world. There is only the acquisition of equivalent benefits through equivalent value. Getting something for nothing only invites calamity."
"True..."
I strongly agreed with Ji Niang's words. However, sometimes the phrase needed a slight adjustment: only when one's demonstrated value matches the benefits received can calamity be avoided.
I was a freshman. To the senior sisters, I hadn't had the chance to demonstrate enough "value" yet. Thus, holding so many resources might invite disaster.
Even though I had shown my strength in the exchange competition, strength is just one form of value—it's the tool used to defend equivalent value.
Perhaps my status as a freshman was simply too glaring, making them feel the situation was unfair. There would always be those who held onto delusions of luck.
"So, do you accept the trade?"
"Can I see what spellbook it is first? Teacher Ji Niang, don't try to trick me with a duplicate."
"Am I a witch with so little credit? You trust me that little? Don't worry. Although it's called a high-consumption spellbook, strictly speaking, it can be considered a non-restricted consumption spellbook. It's also a very famous one: the Spellbook Shelf Spellbook," Ji Niang said.
She wasn't just going to tell Xiao Han the name; she would also provide a bit of a lecture. This was her duty as a teacher, and it would help Xiao Han understand the importance of this spellbook and further her knowledge of the Void.
She wasn't afraid of Xiao Han knowing too much; she was only afraid she wouldn't know enough. Xiao Han was destined to appear on the stage of the Void.
"Huh? What? Spellbook... Shelf... Spellbook? What kind of tongue twister is that?"
"It's a Prototype Spell that was severely undervalued in the past. Its effect is to create a magical construct—a shelf—that carries other spellbooks. Normally, a spellbook requires a physical medium to exist, but this spellbook broke that perception by allowing a spell effect to carry other spellbooks. Oh, of course, Ley Line energy has carrying characteristics and serves as a medium for non-physical spellbooks, but let's ignore that for now."
"Its only use is to carry spellbooks? But my body can already carry spellbooks. Isn't the effect redundant?" I asked, frowning.
"Hmm... purely based on the effect, yes. But you missed the keyword in my explanation: Prototype Spell."
"Prototype Spell... Oh! The Derived Spells are the key!"
"Exactly! You only get Derived Spells from a Prototype Spell. The more inconspicuous a spell seems, the more its Derived Spells might exceed expectations. The Spellbook Shelf is exactly that kind of spell."
"Then... what are its Derived Spells?"
"I'm sorry, I don't know. Xiao Han, you must understand one thing. While deriving spells might seem simple to you, in the context of this world and the endless Void outside, it is the exclusive domain of geniuses. Your teacher here is only barely considered a genius. You'll have to figure it out yourself. I can only tell you that its ceiling is very high. Whether you agree to the trade is up to you; I won't force it. It's just a suggestion."
"Is there really no information at all about this spell's derivations? All this Transcendent knowledge and art..."
"Knowledge and art aren't things you automatically master just because you know of them. However, I can tell you the descriptions of the effects of those Derived Spells. But before that, do you know which are more numerous: Prototype Spells or Derived Spells?"
"About the same?" I guessed tentatively.
"They are indeed similar in number, but a significant portion of Derived Spells are also Prototype Spells themselves. Remember how I said the Fireball Spell and the Explosive Flame Spell are different expressions of Prototype Spells? Well, the Explosive Flame Spell is also a Derived Spell born from the Fireball Spell, but it can also serve as a Prototype Spell for further derivation."
"That's how the statistics for so many Derived Spells are calculated. Regardless of effect or damage, the value of a Derived Spell is always higher than a Prototype Spell. Simply because they are rare and precious. You can always find a way to get a Prototype Spell, but you can't do that with a Derived Spell."
"So, low-level spells have many derivations, but high-level spells have very few? Or are they even closely guarded secrets?" I nodded, half-understanding.
"Those who understand Derived Spells, understand; those who don't, won't understand until the day they die. Calling them guarded secrets is fairly accurate. However, witches generally like to share; most of them do, at least. At most, the witch who created the derivation gets the naming rights, which are forever recorded in the history of the Witch World. But even if they share, not every witch can recreate it through Real Editing. Some Derived Spells can't even be reproduced a second time by their own creators."
"So even for me, taking this spellbook is a gamble? A gamble that I can derive a special effect from it?"
"Yes... if you can manage to derive something from a high-consumption spellbook, you might become a guest of honor for many of the Transcendent Witches in the academy who have mastered Real Editing. Do you know what that means? They would beg you, like students, to teach them the principles behind that derivation."
"Fine... I accept the trade. But will my original Derived Spells be..."
"They won't. Do you really think the Transcendent teachers wouldn't be able to handle the simple effects of the derivations you've made so far?"
"I didn't say anything, I was just asking," I said with a sheepish grin. It seemed my current achievements were still just child's play in the eyes of a Transcendent Witch...
But Derived Spells... I should put that aside for now. At this stage, I should focus on mastering my arts and solidifying my foundation. Besides, I haven't even fully grasped Runology yet; what's the rush?
I didn't believe I could just stumble into a lucky break with a high-consumption spellbook.
Back then, even a single Elf Blessing spellbook had given me a run for my money. I should save my energy for now.
However, it seemed I could take this opportunity to work with Teacher Ji Niang on my Memory Bookshelf spellbook. I didn't need a derivation, just a micro-modification. I really didn't want to keep copying things until my hand cramped.
Sharpening the axe wouldn't delay the woodcutting, after all.
Besides, I could use Teacher Ji Niang's office to lay low for a while. Who knows? If I walked out of the teaching building now, some senior sister might be waiting to corner me.