Chapter 264: Wisdom Enlightenment Task, Fool's Village Secret Realm
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 264: Wisdom Enlightenment Task, Fool's Village Secret Realm
But the moment the words left my mouth, I felt a twinge of regret.
I hadn't actually planned on taking that Secret Realm task so soon. I didn't even know what type of Secret Realm it was; I’d only received a brief recommendation from Teacher Ji Niang.
The only things I knew were that the task duration was quite long and that it involved keywords like "Wisdom Enlightenment."
"A Secret Realm? Is it that Witch Secret Realm? Xiao Han, why the sudden interest in going there?" Bai Yu’s voice sounded puzzled over the phone. "Are you still feeling regretful about missing the exploration organized by the Witch Secret Realm Club earlier?"
"No, it’s a task Teacher Ji Niang recommended. It’s tied to a specific Secret Realm and is called 'Wisdom Enlightenment.' Have you heard of it, Sister Bai?"
"Ji Niang... Oh, Wisdom Enlightenment. It rings a bell... but I might need to look it up. Have you decided when you're going?"
"That... hasn't been settled yet. I actually only heard about it a little while ago today. There’s no rush, really. It’s just that I heard this task might be very time-consuming. Sister Bai, you probably don't have that much time to accompany me, right?"
"How could that be? Of course I do. I’ve reached a stage where rushing won't help anyway, so I might as well accompany you to the Secret Realm to see the sights. Secret Realms are usually things only senior students encounter. If I let you go alone, Xiao Han, I wouldn't be able to rest easy."
"Eh? You're that worried? Don't you know my strength by now, Sister Bai? A typical Secret Realm doesn't pose much danger to me," I said confidently.
"Don't get ahead of yourself. Danger never introduces itself. How about we find a time to meet up tomorrow? Or should I come find you at the library?"
"Sure. But I just finished my library plan today, so I probably won't be spending as much time there as before. Let's pick a different spot. How about... that Witch Cat Cafe from last time?" I suggested.
"Mm, let's do that then."
After agreeing to meet Sister Bai tomorrow morning, I was the first to hang up.
Once the call ended, I subconsciously took a deep breath. I felt a bit strange just now—specifically while talking to Sister Bai, there was an indescribable emotion stirring in my mind.
It was like a strange, inexplicable excitement. Was it because I hadn't seen Sister Bai in so long?
It shouldn't be that, I thought, slapping my cheeks hard to clear my head. I then picked up my alchemy tools and headed toward the empty room. Since only a few of us lived in this massive villa, I had taken over one of the rooms for alchemy and even posted a notice on the door.
Among this batch of equipment, I had also purchased a significant amount of alchemy materials for practice. It was safe to say that this set of tools and materials had cost me a small fortune.
* * *
The next day.
After completing my planned daily meditation, I took a quick shower, changed my clothes, and tidied up my appearance. Time slipped away silently.
"Wait... how is it this late already?"
I adjusted my clothes in front of the mirror and fastened my leg ring high up on my thigh, the strap pressing slightly into the soft flesh. Finally, I checked the time on my phone, only to realize I had spent ages just getting ready.
Fortunately, I had a habit of leaving early, so I wasn't in danger of being late yet.
"Hmm? Sister Xiao Han, leaving early again? I have class this morning and you still managed to get up earlier than me." Hong Chenyi yawned, dragging her pink slippers as she walked out of her bedroom.
"Did you stay up late again? It's already this late, and you look like you haven't even woken up."
"A little late-night fun is good for the soul. You get used to it. But... Sister Xiao Han, you're dressed so nicely today. Who are you going to see? You didn't finally cave and decide to make a move on someone, did you?"
"Get out of here. Go brush your teeth. 'Make a move'? I think your head is just filled with that stuff." I rolled my eyes at Hong Chenyi.
This girl really reminded me of the guys back in the male dorms—the type who wouldn't get out of bed until the very last second.
The kicker was that Hong Chenyi was wearing "macho pink" colors. When asked, she said Shi Huiyu had bought them for her.
"Aww~ Well, I wish you the best of luck today, Sister Xiao Han." Hong Chenyi waved goodbye with another nonchalant yawn.
Last night, I had gone online to look up the description for the Wisdom Enlightenment task.
It turned out to be an ancient task. The most popular search results were from a hundred years ago. Even so, the fact that this information remained relevant after all this time made it worth taking seriously.
One post severely criticized the Wisdom Enlightenment task, claiming it was impossible to complete, which triggered a wave of agreement in the comments.
The Secret Realm associated with Wisdom Enlightenment wasn't called the Wisdom Enlightenment Secret Realm, but rather the "Fool's Village" Secret Realm.
The interior of this Secret Realm was a massive rainforest, and nestled within it was the village itself: Fool's Village.
It was inhabited by "indigenous people." It wasn't strange for a Secret Realm to have natives; many contained insects or fierce beasts that were considered indigenous.
Feeling a bit rushed, I hopped onto my broom and flew directly toward my destination. Even with the protective shield, I could hear the whistling of the wind as I sped past.
Arriving at the Witch Cat Cafe, I smoothed out my long silver hair and walked straight inside.
Once inside, I presented my Gold Cat Card, ordered a coffee, and headed toward the most prominent seat with the best view.
Fortunately, Sister Bai hadn't arrived yet. I would just wait for her.
Meanwhile, the senior sisters working at the reception desk began to whisper.
"Whoa... that silver-haired cat-petting guest just showed a Gold Cat Card. Why don't I recognize her?"
"Not sure, I haven't seen her much either. Her face looks a bit familiar, though. One thing's for sure—she's definitely rich!"
"Right? Should we nudge one of the cat-girls to go over and scout the situation?"
Just as I sat down, a small black cat approached me. Since it was early morning, there weren't many customers in the Witch Cat Cafe. These little cats rarely saw guests and wanted to check things out.
After sniffing around, the black cat seemed to recognize my scent. Seeing its curious look, I scooped it up. If I remembered correctly, this little black cat was named Little Dark Cloud. I felt its fluffy, slightly tense body relax as I placed it on my lap.
Today I was wearing ultra-short shorts paired with my leg ring. Feeling Little Dark Cloud’s tiny paw pads treading on my thigh was a peculiar sensation.
I didn't have to wait long. Just as my coffee was being served, a familiar figure appeared at the entrance of the cafe.
The moment Sister Bai walked in, our eyes met. It seemed sitting in the most conspicuous spot had its perks.
However, I wasn't sure if it was just my imagination, but Sister Bai felt a bit different today.
How should I put it?
It was... as if Sister Bai seemed more like an ordinary person now. Even though I had always treated her like a normal person during our previous interactions, today the feeling was truly distinct.
Perhaps... this was what she meant last night when she said her project had reached a stopping point? The change was so drastic that I found myself staring blankly for a moment.
"Xiao Han? Xiao Han? What are you looking at so intently?"
"Huh... Ah! Sister Bai, cough... it's nothing."
I gave a slightly embarrassed cough, pretending I hadn't been doing anything. I couldn't exactly tell her I was mesmerized by her.
"Um, Sister Bai, you seem very different today."
"Is that so? You can tell?" Bai Yu didn't seem too surprised by my comment.
"Yeah... it feels like... you've become more... like an ordinary person. Is it because of that project you mentioned?"
"I suppose you could say that."
"Then, can you tell me what your project is about?"
"I can't go into specifics, but... I can tell you that the major research topic I chose is... Soul. It's best not to say more than that." Bai Yu smiled, placing a finger to her lips in a "hush" gesture.
"Soul? I see... then I won't ask further." I nodded and dropped the subject, but I made a mental note of the "Soul" topic.
I was also curious—so this world had the concept of souls too? I hadn't paid much attention to it before.
"Xiao Han is so well-behaved. Alright, I'm a bit late today because I went out of my way to print a copy of the information and strategy guides for that Wisdom Enlightenment task you mentioned."
As she spoke, Bai Yu pulled out a stack of printed papers and handed them over. "This is the data I gathered yesterday. But since you're the one who proposed this, you've probably looked into it a bit already, right? What I collected is mostly the more obscure and niche information."
"I only have a rough idea of the general info." I took the documents and began to read. Many details seemed familiar; it seemed that no matter how many times the information was retold, the core meaning remained the same.
"So, Xiao Han, are you sure you want to go? I'm just asking one last time. Whatever you choose, I'll support you."
"Of course I'm going. I'll treat it as a way to relax. Besides, doesn't the description say there's no major danger?" I nodded seriously.
"True. Actually, my mentor mentioned this Secret Realm before. I seem to have some memory of it. It's a pity I didn't listen to my mentor back then and didn't go."
"You didn't go? Why?" I looked up, curious.
I hadn't expected Sister Bai's mentor to have recommended it to her as well... In that case, this Secret Realm and the task were definitely worth taking seriously.
Unfortunately, the description for the accompanying task was very vague. It was just a non-mandatory exploration of Fool's Village to discover the secrets buried within.
One could give up at any time without any failure penalty or compensation, though malicious destruction of the Fool's Village Secret Realm would result in punishment.
The rewards column was even more abstract than the task content. The only clear part was that one could receive a commendation from the Academy Dean.
"Maybe I was too young back then. I remember that before entering this Witch Secret Realm, you have to sign an Exchange Contract. Inside the Secret Realm, all your spellbooks are swapped out for a spellbook that seems to be called 'Meditation Art.' Once you exit the Secret Realm, your original spellbooks are automatically returned, and the one you acquired inside disappears. That's the gist of it, though I'm not entirely sure. We can ask when we get there."
"An Exchange Contract? There's a restriction like that?"
"Yes, indeed. I heard from classmates who went that the effect of the exchanged spellbook is similar to the Witch Meditation Method. They meditated inside for about three or four days before they couldn't stand it anymore and left." Bai Yu said, looking thoughtful.
"A Meditation Art? Maybe the key lies right there."
"It definitely does. The hint—or rather, the blatant signpost—is very obvious, but no one has ever found anything from it. If you destroy that spellbook, it doesn't matter; your own spellbooks will still be returned after you exit."
"Sister Bai, you're amazing. How do you know so much?"
"No, no, I just read some strategy guides written by senior sisters from previous years." Bai Yu looked uncharacteristically bashful after my praise. "Let's look through this now. Since you've made up your mind, we'll check the info, go prepare some supplies, and head to the Secret Realm after lunch."
"Good idea. But do we really need to prepare supplies?"
"Of course. You said yourself it's a long-term task. We definitely need to prepare a change of clothes, food, and a place to sleep," Bai Yu said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Speaking of which, I remember a friend of mine who entered a long-term Secret Realm without bringing anything. She had to sleep in a tree. It was miserable."
"Really?" Hearing Sister Bai's story, I couldn't help but laugh. Sleeping in a tree... I was glad I hadn't been that reckless.
Afterward, I flipped through the information Sister Bai had printed, while she continued to use her phone to search for more details about the task and the Witch Secret Realm. After all, Secret Realms weren't connected to the outside network; if you didn't memorize certain information, you wouldn't be able to access it once inside.
I cautiously recorded all the information into my Memory Bookshelf, planning to discard it once it was no longer needed.
I had to admit, even though it was still morning, looking through data while petting a cat and sipping coffee was pure bliss. After Sister Bai arrived, she skillfully ordered a cup for herself and even got me a small dessert.
"So these are the indigenous people of Fool's Village? They're so cute..."
I pointed at a photo in the documents and sighed.
The natives of the Fool's Village Secret Realm called themselves the Fool's Dream Clan. They looked like chibi-style figures, quite short in stature. According to the description, if one of them threw a punch, it would probably hit you in the knee.
Rather than calling them the Fool's Dream Clan, the senior sisters in the strategy guides preferred to call them "little spirits." They truly lived like spirits from a fairy tale, residing innocently in that pristine land.
However, as I read further, I realized a problem: the language issue. The guides said the Fool's Dream Clan could be communicated with, but they overlooked one thing—we could understand what they were saying!
There was definitely something fishy there.
I just wasn't sure what the issue was yet. Maybe the Academy Dean had used some method to teach them our language?
After all, this Secret Realm was provided by an Academy Dean!
The methods of an Academy Dean were far beyond what people like us could fathom.
"They really are cute. I almost want to keep one as a pet, but unfortunately, they can't be taken out of the Secret Realm." Bai Yu agreed with my assessment but shook her head regretfully at the end.
After all, anyone who sees something cute subconsciously wants to claim it for themselves and maybe give it a little squeeze.
"They can't be taken away?"
I softly repeated her words. In other Secret Realms, like the Carnivorous Forest I first visited, the various plants collected could be taken out.
"Yeah, some people tried to do it secretly, but they didn't succeed. Even if they had, the Academy would probably have made them return it... If everyone acted like that one senior sister, the Secret Realm might be ruined. There's a high probability that the indigenous people are a part of the task itself."
"That makes sense."
I had to admire the wisdom of the senior sisters from previous years. Many of the clues I was just noticing had already been discovered or even tested by them. Those senior sisters were truly ruthless.
I only thought about kidnapping those cuties; they actually tried it...
But then I saw something even more interesting. Someone had observed that some of the adorable Fool's Dream people actually knew how to concoct potions, while others could grow Transcendent plants. If their plants were stolen, they would cry and seek help.
Some people had even seen members of the Fool's Dream Clan practicing alchemy!
This truly made my eyes light up. If I entered and really couldn't find anything of value, I would go find those Fool's Dream people with special skills and learn from them!
Whether it was potion-making, alchemy, or anything else—even if it was just gardening experience—it would be worth it. Once I learned it, I could even teach Dongli Yiren.