Chapter 313: The Long-Awaited "Protagonists"
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 313: The Long-Awaited "Protagonists"
"Xiao Han, are you alright?"
Having finished her busy work, Sister Bai came up behind me and asked softly.
"What do you mean, 'alright'? Because of those people causing trouble? If my resolve were shaken by something like that, it would be quite pathetic."
"Actually, you didn't have to go this far..."
"Are you going to say my actions were a complete exercise in futility, too?" I looked at Sister Bai. She didn't respond, but looking at the results of the past few days, it really wasn't much different from a waste of effort.
But if you were to ask what I had learned during these days, it seemed to be quite a lot. Beyond reinforcing my knowledge of runes, I had gained experience in many other areas—teaching, writing books, public speaking, and so on.
And if you asked if there was anything else, I’d say I’ve witnessed the full spectrum of human biodiversity. The person I encountered earlier was just the straightforward type, which was already considered easy to deal with.
"I'm not trying to dismiss your hard work, Xiao Han, but the people here aren't worth this kind of sacrifice," Sister Bai finally said, her voice heavy with concern.
"Miss Bai Yu, the value of Teacher Xiao Han's dedication is, to me, beyond question." At that moment, Ninglan Qiuyue’s voice rang out from the side, interrupting Sister Bai’s attempt at persuasion.
"Ninglan Qiuyue, haven't you left yet?" I turned around. I had quite a bit of contact with this girl over the past few days; her eagerness to learn certainly met my initial expectations.
Originally, I had wondered if she was just a "pretty face," but it turned out she was the only one capable of holding her own right now.
"Yes, Teacher Xiao Han. Thank you for your hard work these past few days. I have indeed learned a great deal. You shouldn't mind the rumors. Ninglan New City is perhaps entirely different from the world you come from; their pursuit and longing for Beyonder power might deviate from your understanding."
"Thank you. I'm well aware of that, so there's no need to go out of your way to comfort me. By the way, did you come to see me because you've run into another difficult problem?"
"Indeed. There's a discrepancy in my interpretation regarding what you said earlier about the Fireball Spell chanting ritual."
"A discrepancy? That's normal." I nodded and organized the things in my hands, preparing to explain it to Ninglan Qiuyue. Even though she had only just started learning runes, she had already shown exceptional talent. Her questions were very valuable—at least to me.
If only there were more people like Ninglan Qiuyue in Ninglan New City.
After a round of explanation, I managed to clarify the issue for her. I have to admit, when facing Ninglan Qiuyue, I subconsciously thought of Tan Han.
Tan Han was the same when facing problems—she had too many questions about everything, and her angles were always incredibly shrewd. Perhaps this is a common trait among geniuses; they easily spot problems that ordinary people would never notice.
"Hmm? Ninglan Qiuyue, is there something else?" After finishing the explanation, I noticed she was still standing there with no intention of leaving, so I asked instinctively.
"Um... there is something, but... it's not a question related to runes."
"Oh? What is it then?"
"It's about what you are currently doing at the Beyonder Arts Research Association. You might encounter some resistance."
"Someone else is dissatisfied? I'm just teaching some knowledge. Whose interests have I stepped on this time?" I frowned. If it was something Ninglan Qiuyue felt the need to warn me about specifically, then it must have reached a serious level.
"I don't know if you're truly unaware or just pretending, Teacher Xiao Han, but the knowledge you're teaching isn't just knowledge—it's more like... weapons. There are too many interest groups in Ninglan New City who do not want ordinary people to touch the realm of weaponry. It would drastically disrupt the stable order within the city."
"Just because of that?"
"Naturally, there's more to it, but the deeper reasons aren't suitable for public discussion. I understand the nobility of your actions, Teacher Xiao Han, but perhaps you should try a different approach." Ninglan Qiuyue shook her head and didn't delve deeper, steering the conversation in a different direction.
"Oh? A different approach? You mean..."
"The platform of the Beyonder Arts Research Association is no longer suitable for you. As Miss Bai Yu said, your efficiency here is very low. I understand that you aren't teaching this knowledge out of pure selflessness—you have something you seek. There is a place that would be perfect for you, and they would welcome you with open arms."
"Oh... you mean... that department in Ninglan New City specifically for the research and development of Beyonder arts?" I asked.
Ninglan New City definitely possessed a department dedicated to studying Beyonder power; that Type III Beyonder Killing Weapon from before was the best proof.
"Yes. The Beyonder Research Group."
"I see. So, are you also a recruiter for that group, picking out talent from this research association?"
"You flatter me. I only have the qualification to recommend people."
"Is this your idea, or your father's?" I continued.
"It's my idea. I don't want someone like you, Teacher Xiao Han, to be forced to stop your contributions because of the infighting within Ninglan New City. The knowledge you provide is of immense value to the city. If you continue like this, I can already foresee what will happen in the coming days."
"Just out of curiosity, what would happen?"
"Perhaps someone will use your spells to carry out a vicious attack or even a murder on the busiest street of Ninglan New City. Then, public opinion will be manipulated. While none of this might pose a threat to you personally, it will become impossible for you to carry out your ideas here. Even the Beyonder Arts Research Association would be investigated, shut down for 'rectification,' and so on. Then, the association members would be incited against you. I've seen these tactics many times; they can get even more underhanded."
"I see... not very original, but I do need to bring things to a proper close here at the association. I can't just suddenly vanish, right?"
"Indeed. Teacher Xiao Han, leave the remaining trivialities to us. Once everything is settled, I will come to find you personally."
"Thank you. I'll leave it to you then." I nodded, agreeing to the plan.
"It's no trouble at all," Ninglan Qiuyue said with a smile, as if she truly didn't mind.
After Ninglan Qiuyue left, Sister Bai finally leaned in close to me.
"What is it, Sister Bai?"
"Nothing. I just ran into some trouble myself, regarding the reconstruction of spells within a spellbook."
"Eh?" Seeing Sister Bai’s serious expression, I felt a sudden urge to laugh. "Sister Bai, are you jealous?"
"No."
"Alright, so you are," I said with a smile. "Quick, let me see which spellbook has managed to stump the great Sister Bai~"
I gave Sister Bai a gentle push on her back as we prepared to leave, the indifference I had shown while talking to Ninglan Qiuyue completely gone.
So what if Ninglan New City wanted to stir up trouble? If I didn't care, then none of it mattered.
It seemed that after acquiring the Dream Rewriting Spell, my attitude toward Ninglan New City had shifted slightly. I was perhaps a bit firmer, but mostly, I just didn't care. And although I had been busy these past few days, it wasn't as if I had no time to study that rewriting spell.
I had said that spell was very useful; I just hadn't utilized it properly yet.
"Sister Bai... you have quite a lot of spellbooks here. Are you trying to detach all the spells from the books and simplify them into pure spells so you can manually cast them?"
"Mm. Didn't you say so, Xiao Han? Understanding the essence of a spell is truly important."
"That's true." I nodded in agreement.
Looking at the dazzling array of spellbooks, I couldn't help but marvel at Sister Bai’s terrifying wealth. When would I ever have a fortune like this?
But on second thought, my own net worth wasn't small either. This was Sister Bai’s accumulation over many years; I felt that before long, my wealth might even surpass hers.
My gaze swept over the spells one by one. Though my eyes were full of admiration, there wasn't a hint of greed.
"What's wrong? Did you take a fancy to one? How about I give it to you when we get back?"
"No, no, Sister Bai should keep them for herself. I'm past the stage of lacking spellbooks. More spellbooks would just be adding new tricks at this point. Building up my foundation can be done slowly; there's no rush," I hurriedly declined. Even if I wanted spellbooks, I didn't want to take them from Sister Bai right now.
However, while looking at these spells, I noticed one that piqued my interest: a teleportation spell. It reminded me of what Teacher Ji Niang said when she took me through a teleportation—that space is a very fragile existence. Thinking about it now, there really were too many spells that could manipulate space at will.
Perhaps that wasn't entirely accurate, but the attribute of space was indeed something with a very low floor and a very high ceiling.
But after helping Sister Bai deconstruct the spells within the spellbooks, I realized that this was also an excellent way to learn runes.
As Sister Bai and I continued to deconstruct the spellbooks, the door was suddenly pushed open, and a figure walked in somewhat hurriedly.
"Teacher Xiao Han, some... someone is looking for you."
"Hmm?" I looked up at the person speaking to me. He looked familiar—one of the students who had attended my classes. I couldn't recall his name; I never bothered to remember the names of the people I taught.
"Who?" I asked curiously.
"It's me, Xiao Han. It's been a long time." A figure stepped past the student and came before me.
"Oh... Tan Han. It really has been a long time." Seeing her, a flash of surprise crossed my eyes, followed by realization. I hadn't expected Tan Han to find this place so quickly.
"Yes. I haven't been in Ninglan New City for long. I heard someone was teaching rune-related knowledge here, and I guessed it was likely you. After asking around, it turned out I was right."
"Oh? You were that certain? A very accurate guess," I said with a shrug.
"Among the people I know, you're the only one likely to do something this outrageous. Xiao Han, why are you here teaching them runes?"
"What a coincidence. Just a moment ago, due to some special circumstances, I decided I'm not going to teach anymore."
"Huh? Wait, Teacher Xiao Han, why? Everything was going so well, why so suddenly..." the youth beside us asked in shock.
"I'm sorry, but due to some special reasons, I have to stop. However, I will provide all the materials I've compiled to the association for free. If you're truly interested in runes, you can study them on your own," I reassured him. It seemed the news hadn't been announced yet, so his surprise was natural.
Though he wanted to say more, nothing could change my decision.
"So, Xiao Han, are you free now?"
"No, I have a lot to do—so much that you might not be able to comprehend it. If you're here to recruit me to fight the Sleep Curse together, I can only say I'm sorry. I probably won't be able to do as you wish." I spoke directly to Tan Han, cutting off any possibility she was about to suggest.
"You..." Tan Han was momentarily choked up by my long speech. She stared at me for a long time before speaking again. "Can I ask why? You clearly chose to enter this place of your own accord."
"Entering was my own choice. If you came here with the idea of having me walk alongside you, I can only call you naive."
"Naive..." Tan Han was stunned by my words. "Fine, I won't interfere with your actions. To be honest, I didn't have much hope of inviting you to investigate with me from the start. But I hope I can learn a few things from you, if that's alright? It will only take a moment of your time."
"Of course. Ask away."
"Do you know how to lift the Sleep Curse?"
"Clear out all the Nightmares."
"How do we clear them?"
"Haven't you encountered them?" I asked with a frown.
"Do Nightmares actively seek us out?"
"Then you haven't encountered them. You can destroy them with spells; it's very simple."
"With spells? That simple? Then you... sorry, is it that Nightmares are hard to find?"
"Logically speaking, they are indeed hard to find." I nodded, but I recalled that the Nightmares I had encountered before would instinctively seek out human presence.
Therefore, given enough time, those Nightmares would eventually find Ninglan New City, the most densely populated area in these ruins.
Nightmares are a part of the Fool's Dream, but they aren't called Nightmares for nothing. Their predecessors were dream creatures, after all; they are collections of memories, perceptions, and other unknown information, emotions, and energy.
I had previously speculated that Nightmares need to feed on emotions like fear and terror, so the densely populated Ninglan New City would be their primary target.
Before I even arrived, the City Lord had already revealed to me that Ninglan New City was being plagued by Nightmares.
I just hadn't paid it any mind.
"Do you have a method then?"
"No. I'm not omnipotent. Perhaps... you could ask the City Lord of Ninglan New City. He should be very eager to cooperate with you. I heard him say that there have been incidents of citizens being plagued by Nightmares within the city."
"Thank you." Having gathered this basic information, Tan Han had her next objective.
"Are you leaving?"
"Yes. I won't disturb you further. Isn't that what you wanted?" Tan Han said, turning back to look at me.
"Yes, thank you for understanding. Also... a word of advice: watch out for Dream Demons. They are the culprits behind the deaths caused by the Sleep Curse."
"Dream Demons?"
"Don't ask me. If all goes well, that City Lord should know more than I do. It depends on your own ability." After all, I had shared quite a bit of information with the City Lord, and they had gathered a lot of intelligence from the Dream Demons themselves. It remained to be seen if Tan Han and her group could pry it out of him.
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it. I didn't help much."
"No... I don't believe you would do anything meaningless. Just like that Witch Secret Realm last time."
"Think whatever you like."