Chapter 326: The Script, An Unavoidable Scam
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 326: The Script, An Unavoidable Scam
"You..."
Tan Han looked at me in disbelief, clearly not expecting such a decisive answer.
"See? You need to use your head when asking questions. Don't go begging for a shred of pity from an outsider. Do you really think you can just act like you never asked? I highly doubt it."
Seeing Tan Han’s shocked expression, my own face relaxed. I didn't think a blunt rejection would be enough to send her away, but there were some things I truly couldn't say. However, giving her a bit of an education was fine.
The predicament she faced was one that even I found unsolvable. Imagine—who could possibly puncture a world woven from lies?
The people she interacted with daily were expressing genuine emotions, yet they knew nothing. In that sense, the script was the most masterful director of all; it guided the protagonists through their development without ever calling "cut."
"So you do know... I'm sorry, Xiao Han. Things might get unpleasant between us now. I'll get my answers my own way!"
Confronted by my mocking, educational tone, Tan Han’s expression shifted rapidly—from the daze of my initial rejection to a dark gloom, and finally to grim determination. In that single moment, she underwent a massive internal transformation.
The moment she mentioned things getting "unpleasant," she had already made the one decision she wouldn't regret. It was the only breakthrough she could find.
She needed to understand the truth before she could break the status quo.
"A decisive choice indeed."
I was quite surprised by Tan Han’s sudden move, but after that initial shock, I reacted quickly.
Even for Tan Han, using "violence" to extract answers required her spellbook. It was the foundation of her strength and the source of her confidence.
"I'm sorry, I have no choice!"
At this moment, Tan Han had made up her mind. The guilt and helplessness of attacking me were quickly overwritten by her resolve. She offered words of comfort, but even she didn't know if she was saying "I have no choice" to me or to herself.
Faced with Tan Han’s assault, the surging magical attack failed to advance even an inch. Her fire spell, which should have radiated blistering heat, seemed to freeze in place. A bone-chilling sensation instantly swept through her entire body. Her resolute expression gradually crumbled into fear in the face of absolute power.
Yes... the fear of the unknown.
"You see? You aren't as strong as you think. Faced with failure, your heart begins to... feel afraid?" I said, looking at Tan Han, who was mere inches away.
"What... what power is this..."
"That isn't important."
"You clearly have this kind of power, so why? Why didn't you act? Do you have any idea what we're facing? Those students at the Witch Academy... they're facing the Nightmares, facing that Dream Demon! If you had acted sooner, they wouldn't be in such danger! Do you have any idea how many people are going to die this time!"
"Are you finished?"
"No!"
"Then keep going. Let's see if you can actually move me." I remained unmoved by her hysterical "No." However, after shouting those words, she seemed to deflate like a punctured ball, unable to utter another syllable.
"It seems you have nothing left to say. As for me... I only want to say one thing: don't stand on the moral high ground to criticize me. Do you really care about those students? Does their life or death truly affect you? I don't think so. So many people outside Ninglan New City couldn't find this sanctuary, yet I didn't see you go out to look for them. Now that Ninglan New City is no longer safe and the underground district has become your final retreat, I don't see you bringing them all down here either. What was it... 'time didn't allow it,' 'the timing wasn't right'... those are just excuses you use to convince yourself to feel at peace. That’s what you told me on the way here. How about it? Does it feel different when I state it back to you? Accusations have no power over me."
"I'm just curious... where did the old Tan Han go? What I understand least is your incompetence. Once upon a time, your combat power was about the same as mine. It seems to be the same now. The gap in our Mana Sources isn't large, and the gap in our spellbooks... doesn't seem that large either. But why? What is the difference? You have the power to destroy all of Ninglan New City, yet you don't do it..."
"Aren't you the same! Haven't you also done nothing?"
"Yes, but so what? Can't you tell why I'm saying all this? I'm teaching you how to have a concise and clear conversation. Granted, I know my talent for chatting is poor—I'm sure you're well aware of that—but I'm teaching you how to communicate with me efficiently. Drop the resentment in your heart, stop the nonsense about doing things for others, and just tell me directly what you want to ask," I said in a flat tone.
"Earlier, I promised Ninglan Qiuyue that I would talk to you. You said you wanted to talk about things related to yourself, but look at what you're saying to me now. It seems Ninglan Qiuyue didn't tell you everything I said... If you already have an answer in your heart before asking a question, then don't ask it."
"Why don't I act? Why don't I do anything? I have power, and so do you. The Sleep Curse has progressed to this point, yet you haven't made a move either. Do you really care about the innocent people caught up in this? No. You only care about the answer you want—the answer you're trying to extort from me using this opportunity."
After finishing that long speech, I sat back down on my bed and looked quietly at Tan Han.
Now that I had released the power controlling her, Tan Han slumped weakly onto the floor.
"There are many things I cannot tell you. I am objectively unable to tell you," I said again, seeing her remain silent.
"Since you've chosen to resist so-called fate, the first thing you must learn is how to grow. No one is going to just hand things to you... unless you have the necessary value."
This made me think of myself. At the Witch Academy, Teacher Ji Niang would tell me many things, Lina would tell me many things, and even the Dean would tell me many things. It was as if they didn't know what was taboo, or perhaps they simply didn't care. Perhaps that was the benefit of demonstrating one's own value.
"Value... No... No one is a fool. You, Teacher Lina, even the Dean—none of you are fools. You wouldn't act unless there was something to gain. I must have that kind of value for you to manipulate me like this. This 'value' you speak of is meaningless. I don't even want it."
"Because you don't have the ability to master that value, you remain a puppet to be manipulated," I said, shaking my head.
In a way, Tan Han and I were very similar. We both carried a value that we couldn't bear on our own.
I had Innate Spirit Vision, Floating World level Spirit Vision, while Tan Han was a Luck Seed.
In the beginning, wasn't I also manipulated by Teacher Ji Niang? A single phone call was enough to trick me into coming to the Witch Academy. What ordinary guy could stand being turned into a girl?
Then, I joined her research group because of the promised course exemptions. Originally, I was supposed to be a tool for Teacher Ji Niang’s research into the Great Spellbook, but subsequent events changed me.
When I began to embrace the Spirit Vision talent I had once avoided like the plague, the value I demonstrated began to rise bit by bit. Later, swept up in the torrent of the script, I was pulled into the confrontation and exchange matches, which only showcased more of my value.
The ceiling of my value was the total amount of the value I carried. I was slowly taking hold of that value with my own hands. That value reached its current peak when I helped the Dean complete that Great Spellbook.
I had already escaped Teacher Ji Niang’s absolute manipulation because I mastered the corresponding value. To put it bluntly, I could even change teachers whenever I wanted; after all, there were plenty of teachers looking to poach talent.
But I wouldn't do that, because I knew exactly what Teacher Ji Niang was to me: a benefactor. She changed my perception, broadened my horizons, gave me opportunities, and elevated my stage. Even if her initial motives weren't entirely altruistic, so what?
However, now that I had moved past Ji Niang, I was facing the Dean. Naturally, I couldn't see through the Dean, but I could feel the goodwill she radiated. Regardless of what lay behind that goodwill, when the Dean gave me the Great Spellbook in the form of a "trial," I realized that many things didn't need to be overthought.
It was as if I had become a chess piece in the Dean's hand. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
Being a chess piece in someone's hand didn't just mean having your fate controlled; it also meant having a patron. What is a patron? As long as I can guarantee my value, a patron is a protective talisman that will pay any price to keep me safe.
Everyone hates those with connections because they achieve results they don't deserve with meager abilities, yet everyone wants to be the one with connections.
Isn't Tan Han the same?
She became a Child of Destiny and enjoyed the dividends brought by the script. As long as she didn't lose her status as a Child of Destiny, everything she did within the script was backed by someone.
But that was the difference between Tan Han and me. Tan Han hadn't mastered the value of being a Child of Destiny herself.
I still remembered hearing from Ji Niang that Tan Han was very bold; she had demanded the Myriad Methods Book from the Academy. In the end, she settled for something else—the Mana Source that far exceeded all other freshmen and a massive collection of high-quality spellbooks. That gave her initial accumulation.
That was a rational use of her own value.
And then?
Then she went astray, lured deeper and deeper by the bait of power.
The value Tan Han initially seized was traded for her original accumulation; that was her utilization of her own value. But wasn't that also a trap set by others? To make her follow the script.
The difficulties I faced and the predicament Tan Han faced were no longer on the same level.
Precisely because Tan Han was acting as a lightning rod for pressure and attention in this environment, I had room to struggle. Therefore... in principle, I should thank Tan Han.
But as someone on the Dean's side, I had to protect the Dean's interests—or at least analyze what was beneficial to her based on the information I revealed. Telling Tan Han the truth was definitely not one of those things.
That was the crux of my bickering with Tan Han.
But there was another point... did Teacher Lina's actions back then represent the Dean? After all, Lina was the one who signed the contract with me, and she was the one who revealed the unspoken rules about what couldn't be said.
From my continuous interactions, it seemed that ordinary Transcendent Witches and someone at the Dean's level viewed the script differently.
Tan Han had already pushed the conversation this far. As long as I gave some hints, I could bypass that contract and reveal the truth. That was the charm of communication; contracts are static, but people are flexible. Even if the contract said I couldn't reveal anything, not even through hints, practice proves the truth. My communication with Sister Bai proved that some hints already fell outside the scope of the contract.
Yet, the Dean hadn't made a move.
That was where I hesitated.
Tan Han had encountered such a major anomaly—did the Dean really not care?
Or was it that once multiple Luck Seeds appeared, Tan Han became expendable?
The struggle between Luck Seeds was a life-and-death matter where only one would remain; that’s what Teacher Ji Niang told me. So... was self-exposure and withdrawal also one of the script's default screening mechanisms?
These pieces of information and thoughts collided in my mind, but I couldn't find a good answer.
It could be said that at this moment, I was just as lost as Tan Han, not knowing how to choose.
But on the surface, I was the one with the initiative and the voice.
"I don't have the ability to master my value... What value could I possibly have? A perfect score on the College Entrance Exam? The turning point for everything was entering the Witch Academy. I can't figure it out. What is my value? Xiao Han... can you tell me?"
"..."
I didn't answer immediately. Instead, I was thinking—thinking about how to speak so that I could provide a hint without it being traced back to me.
But obviously, such an answer couldn't be found in a short time.
I looked at the nearly pleading Tan Han. This was the first time I had seen her with such an expression. It was the final struggle of someone facing what they craved, yielding to absolute power yet remaining unwilling to give up.
Pitiful and tragic.
"I can't explain it, but I'm curious... when did you start having these thoughts?" I asked, forcibly changing the subject.
After all, as a Child of Destiny, Tan Han’s value meant nothing to me. I couldn't empathize or understand the true worth of something I didn't know.
"When... I lost for the first time... which was our first duel."
"You won that one."
"Exactly, Xiao Han. Don't you find it absurd? 'I won.' How ridiculous are those words?"
"So what?"
"I don't lose. The conviction of victory is rooted in my heart; that’s the conclusion I've drawn from so many battles."
"But you didn't win when we fought in the dream."
"Right, because no one saw it, and no one knew," Tan Han countered. "Remember what I said at the very end of that fight? 'Let me win once.' Precisely because those were my words, I understood one thing even more clearly: that wasn't what I was pursuing."
"So you forfeited at the end of the exchange competition."
"Yes... that was the biggest decision I ever made to try and resist fate. But... after that, you vanished. You, the number one, were like you'd evaporated from the face of the earth."
"..."
Hearing Tan Han say that, I instinctively wanted to say it was a coincidence. But... were there any coincidences when it came to the script? Perhaps my actions were also the script's interference, it just so happened to coincide with my own thoughts, and the script gave me a push.
"Xiao Han... do you know what your biggest flaw is..."
"Flaw?" I looked at Tan Han as she slowly raised her head, somewhat surprised that she was starting to counterattack.
"Remember the Fool's Village Secret Realm?"
"Yes."
"Those little creatures were called... Fool's Dreams. There's a group of little creatures here called Fool's Dreams as well. In the Fool's Village Secret Realm, they were troubled by Nightmares. Here, everyone is troubled by Nightmares... Now... the Fool's Village Secret Realm is gone... I have no evidence, but I know that this many coincidences aren't coincidences anymore..."
"..."
"Silent? It seems I don't need evidence after all," Tan Han said.
"Threats are useful, but only to an extent. So, within the limited value of this threat, what do you want to trade for?" I asked after calming down and thinking for a moment.
Looking at it this way, I didn't seem to have much of a rebuttal.
"Is this the correct way to communicate with you, Xiao Han?"
"It's one of the correct ways."
"I want to know how big this scam... really is..."
"Do you want to escape?"
"If I can."
"Then you can't. It's about... this big."
"Thank you..."
"Don't mention it."