Chapter 329: A Conversation with the Dean
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 329: A Conversation with the Dean
Once the two had departed, Mei Lind shifted her gaze from the direction they had gone toward one of the beds.
The Dean looked at the person lying there, her smile never wavering. She slowly leaned down and reached out to pinch the girl's adorable cheek.
Time ticked by, and then, in a sudden moment, the figure on the bed trembled slightly.
The person who had been lying there for several days let out a soft whimper, sounding as though they were just waking from a long slumber.
At that moment, I felt a wave of stiffness and aches wash over me, mingled with a heavy sense of exhaustion and the grogginess of someone who hadn't slept nearly enough. My hands instinctively reached up to perform a long stretch.
"Mmm... ugh... huh?"
As I fought back the fatigue and opened my eyes, the blurry figure before me snapped me into instant wakefulness.
"De... Dean!"
"Oh? Does seeing me make you that nervous?"
"No..."
After catching my breath, I rotated my wrists and sat up. My entire body felt uncomfortable; I had been lying down for far too long.
"Dean, why are you here?"
"Am I not allowed to come and check on my own student?"
"You are, of course you are. It's just..." I nodded quickly. However, the fact that the Dean was specifically waiting here for me to wake up meant one thing: she had been keeping a constant eye on our condition.
"You want to ask if I have a task for you?"
"Yes."
I nodded. Otherwise, why would the Dean go out of her way just to watch me wake up? For her own amusement?
The Dean shouldn't be that bored.
"I have nothing I'm forcing you to do. At the very least, you've done quite well so far. Just follow your own instincts. Be clear about what you want, and then go do it," the Dean said with a smile.
She then raised a hand and lightly tapped my forehead. Immediately, a surge of power funneled into my body.
This power didn't seem to have any other effect except to undo a certain seal within me.
The seal on the Great Spellbook!
The moment I realized the seal on the Great Spellbook had been opened, many of my questions were answered. The seal on the Great Spellbook had never actually been undone before; the Great Wisdom Enlightenment Art I had used in the dream was indeed a "Standardized Spell." Only now did I truly possess the authority to use this Great Spellbook.
"This..."
"Curious why I did that?"
"Yes, I am." I nodded.
The Dean had personally removed the seal, which meant I could use it "without restraint."
Of course, it was also possible she was preparing me for those Fool's Dreams.
"Naturally, it's so you can try using it. I recall you only used it once in the dream, yes? How did it feel?"
"Um... it didn't feel great. It felt a bit like a Meditation Art spiraling out of control, and the effects didn't seem permanent," I grumbled, recalling the sensation of using it back then.
"So it was only at that level?" the Dean muttered to herself, though she didn't seem to mind. "Still, if you intend to use it, you must be cautious. Do you understand?"
"I understand," I promised immediately. "Um... Dean, is there anything else?"
"Oh? Are you trying to shoo me away?"
"No, no! It's just, the Dean is a busy woman with a thousand things to attend to. I didn't think you'd waste so much time on me."
"A thousand things to attend to? Can't I have a little break? I came here specifically and set aside quite a bit of time. Do you really have nothing you want to ask me?"
"Uh... can I really ask anything?" I asked tentatively.
"Of course. Whether I choose to answer is another matter entirely," the Dean said with a laugh.
"Alright then..." I calmed my nerves. To be honest, I had far too many questions, but now that the opportunity was right in front of me, I suddenly didn't know where to start.
However, as I was thinking, I keenly felt a spell effect shroud the entire infirmary ward. This was a clear hint that I could ask "restricted" questions here.
"Have you decided?"
"Yes... Dean, was that world we entered in the dream... the former Main World?"
"It was a part of the Main World."
"Then what is the world we live in now?"
"The last sanctuary."
"Is there any possibility of that world being restored?"
"There is, but it isn't worth it."
"So it is possible?"
"Xiao Han, you must understand what 'not worth it' means. When you lack the ability, it is impossible; when you have the ability, it is merely inviting hardship. That is why it is not worth it."
"I see. I was just curious." I nodded. "Then... is Ninglan New City the only human settlement in that place?"
"No, but in that specific region, Ninglan New City is the only one. You could call it a miracle."
"Then why was that location chosen?"
I weighed my words carefully. I didn't want to bring up the fact that the place was once part of the Main World, or how the Transcendent Academy had invaded and usurped this world. Such things were meaningless to me and might even cause trouble.
"Let's put it this way: if I gave you a deck of a hundred numbered cards and you drew one at random—say, number 55—would you ask why you drew number 55?"
"Oh." Hearing the Dean's analogy, I realized I had asked a stupid question. "Then... has that place been invaded by the dream? Why did that happen?"
"It is indeed a dream invasion. It's the work of the Abyssal Demon race. They used that place as a springboard from the former Main World to connect to the dreams of our current world and then invade reality."
"Oh, those guys again. But isn't the dream something that only that Soul Truth Witch..."
"The dream belongs to no one. Even that Soul Truth Witch cannot call herself the master of the dream. The dream is not some unattainable existence; any Transcendent race has explored it to some degree. It is a vast, undeveloped territory. It's just that some found nothing, while a few lucky ones gained a little. Furthermore, before the Soul Truth Witch even ascended to her position, our Great Primal Witch had already set foot in the dream. Back then, the Primal Dream was already beginning to take shape. Do you understand?"
"I understand." I nodded, gaining a deeper level of insight into the nature of the dream. "Then... the periodic energy tides that world experiences..."
"They come from periodic energy surges in the void. After passing through the world barrier, the energy is significantly weakened. Even so, they can only survive by using the vented ley line energy from the severed ley lines of that destroyed world as a neutralizer. Thus, the existence of Ninglan New City is a miracle—like a wild flower blooming on scorched earth."
"Are you satisfied with that answer? I see you're very interested in that world. Would you like to know about the process of the Transcendent Academy's war against the Main World?"
"No... no thanks." I swallowed hard and declined. The Dean was being incredibly blunt with me; wasn't she afraid I'd develop a bad impression of the Witch Academy?
"Are you really not curious? Don't you want to know the cruel methods the Witch Academy used to break the Main World's barriers and occupy it?"
"..."
"Haha, look at you. Are you afraid I'll misunderstand? I can tell you have no sense of belonging to this world, which is why I'm speaking so freely. Besides... the Witch race never actually took part in the occupation of the Main World. I'm not trying to whitewash the Witch Academy, but... aren't you curious why there are four great Transcendent races in the Main World, but only Three Top Academies? It's because the ones who originally spearheaded the attack were those three races. We Witches came later and simply took a share of the spoils, merely forcing those three races to acknowledge the establishment of our Witch Academy."
The Dean spoke of these shocking events in the most casual tone imaginable.
"Then... the Abyssal Demon race..."
"We have the strength, so naturally, no one objected. Those Abyssal Demons love to play petty tricks; they wanted a piece of the pie without having the strength to back it up. They were dreaming."
"I see... then if an even more powerful race wanted to come to the Main World, would they..."
"That would depend on the circumstances. But that isn't something you need to worry about right now. Is there anything else you want to ask?"
"Yes! There is!" I said quickly. The Dean clearly didn't want to explain any more on that subject.
"It's... Dean, what do you think of... Tan Han?"
"With my eyes."
"Huh?"
"Just a joke. You don't need to worry about Tan Han. Seeking the truth is a choice anyone who sees through a falsehood will instinctively make. Oh, I almost forgot—Lina signed a contract with you. You might feel biased, but concepts like Luck and Scripts aren't things that can't be mentioned. It's just that these concepts aren't widely publicized; they are more meaningful to a Child of Destiny. There is a difference between achieving something while knowing the truth and achieving it while ignorant. You understand that, right?"
"I do. So... if Tan Han asks me again..." I asked tentatively, unsure of where the Dean's bottom line was.
"You may do as you wish. Do you need me to remove that contract for you?"
"Eh?" I looked at the Dean in shock. I hadn't expected her to be so casual about such information. "Aren't you afraid I'll talk too much?"
"I don't think you will. After all, if you cause trouble, I won't be the one who has to punish you, will I? Just don't come crying to me when it happens."
"Al... alright." I nodded in agreement. Having my speech restricted by a contract was a bit stifling, anyway.
"Don't take the concept too seriously. In the places beyond this world, there are many regions where such restrictions don't exist."
"Oh." I nodded obediently, watching as the power of the contract gradually dissipated within my body.
As I thought... contracts are really just convenient tools...
"Anything else? If you aren't in a hurry, I can chat with you for a long while."
"Oh, right... there's one more thing. About the Ley Line Shackles... what should I do when the time comes?"
"That depends on whether you do it yourself or if I help you."
"Is there... a difference? Wait! I can cut the Ley Line Shackles myself?" I stared at the Dean with wide eyes.
"In principle, no. Your life level cannot withstand the consequences of severing the Ley Line Shackles. However, there are two factors that give you a chance."
"Two factors?"
"Yes. First, your life essence... is a soul, right?"
"..."
"There's nothing wrong with saying it. The world is full of variables and miracles. Perhaps you are simply a spontaneous attempt by the world consciousness regarding life essence?"
"I... I suppose..." I nodded quickly. Thank goodness the Dean didn't jump to the conclusion that I was a Transmigrator.
"First, your soul essence ensures you have the capital to sever the Ley Line Shackles. That is the first factor. The second factor is the place you are returning to. That place is very special."
"That place?"
"Yes. Do you know why those ruins cannot be rebuilt?"
"I don't." I shook my head honestly.
"Because the ley lines there have been uprooted. Ley lines are wondrous things; you can think of the world as a fruit produced by the ley lines, with the world barrier as the skin, protecting the interior from the harsh environment of the void. Currently, the ley lines there are severed and the skin is broken, which is why disasters like the periodic energy tides occur."
"If the ley lines were intact, all buildings and creations on the surface could be restored in a short time through the ley lines. You know that ley lines carry information, right? As long as one has the means to parse that information, the world can be reconstructed through the ley lines. But the ley lines in the world you were in are severed; only Ninglan New City has a ley line opening. Therefore, in principle, those of you with Ley Line Shackles cannot explore that world indefinitely. Under the influence of the shackles, you will only wander around the vicinity of Ninglan New City, and your ultimate destination will always be the city itself. This is the foundation upon which Ninglan New City was built."
"So... if I want to sever the Ley Line Shackles, does that mean I have to step outside the ley line's radiation zone?"
"Not necessarily. You'll have to figure that out for yourself. But if all else fails, I will back you up. What you've achieved has already far exceeded my expectations."
"Alright. Thank you, Dean. I'll go get ready then."
"Nothing else to ask?" The Dean's smile widened slightly.
"Eh? Is there something else?"
"Aren't you curious why spell effects become... exceptionally powerful there?"
"That... actually, yes. Why?"
"Because of the effect of a Great Spellbook. The Main World cannot withstand the devastation of powerful Transcendent forces again, so someone placed the spell effect of a Great Spellbook here."
"The effect of a... Great Spellbook?!"
"Yes. The effect of that Great Spellbook does not cover that area. Therefore, the spell effects you use there are actually the normal spell effects found in most regions of the void."
"So that's the truth?"
"It is. Well? Is your curiosity satisfied?"
"It is." I nodded repeatedly.
"Then do you know where that Great Spellbook is now?"
"Uh... I'm not sure..."
"That Great Spellbook collapsed after its idiot user overloaded it."
"Huh?" My eyes went wide. A Great Spellbook... could collapse?
"But the spell effect persists to this day. And that idiot was me. Now, can you guess where the [Transcendent Knowledge] within that Great Spellbook went?"
"Where... where did it go?" I asked tentatively, while my mind was screaming. Was this really a secret I was allowed to know?
And more importantly, the Dean used to own a Great Spellbook! I was dying to know how she got it, but I didn't dare interrupt.
"It fell into the consciousness of the Main World, and after a thousand years of cycling, it finally awakened within you as a talent."
"What?!"