Chapter 353: This is Part of the Script (I'm Sure of It)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 353: This is Part of the Script (I'm Sure of It)
"No... movement at all?"
I muttered in a voice only I could hear, my eyes constantly searching every angle for an answer I didn't even know myself.
But amidst the deathly silence, nothing unexpected happened.
The Witch Academy hadn't sent any Transcendent Witches to intervene. Did that mean... this was also part of the script?
Wasn't this taking things a bit too far?
I subconsciously swallowed, trying to ease the tension that had gripped me moments ago.
Ever since that Nightmare had finished its long speech, my mind had been filled with what Teacher Lina and Ji Niang had told me about "vested interests." The script involved the interests of too many powerful entities; there could be no room for accidents.
But looking at it now, it seemed I had been scaring myself. Even if there was to be a settling of scores after the fact, I had no reason to be afraid right now.
At worst, I could call the Academy Dean to bail me out. Although the Dean had dissolved my contract and told me I’d have to take responsibility for any trouble I caused, none of this had anything to do with me.
If I was going to be dragged into this mess as an innocent bystander, I at least needed to have a leg to stand on.
The others, having calmed down after the shock of the "truth," began to question the Nightmare again once they had organized their thoughts. This time, it wasn't a chaotic barrage of questions; the representatives of the various academies took the lead.
At the very least, the questions asked by these representatives wouldn't be amateurish. They wouldn't let the enemy manipulate the crowd's emotions so easily.
One had to understand: they were the victors here. Yet, while trying to question the loser, they were being made to feel like the ones who had failed. Anyone with eyes could see that they couldn't let things continue this way. Clearly, there were quite a few people present with strong leadership and situational control.
I even spotted students from the Wizard Academy among them. They seemed to have arrived shortly after that first Nightmare descended, likely having followed it down. I could only say their timing was impeccable—joining the raid right as the boss fight started.
"I want to know what exactly this 'World Script' you mentioned is."
"A script is a script. We are merely bottom-layer Nightmares from the Abyss. How could we know that much? If you're so curious, go back and interrogate your teachers! I only hope you'll still be able to call those people 'teacher' afterward."
"You said you're from the Abyss. What is the Abyss? Where is it?"
"The Abyss is, naturally, the Abyssal Demon Transcendent Great World. As for where it is... it's a place you won't reach in a hundred lifetimes."
"You!"
"Stay calm. There's no point asking them that. Let me try," another student interrupted. "Since you know about the script and the Children of Destiny, can you tell which of us are Children of Destiny?"
"Hehe... You're that curious? I suppose so. Becoming a Child of Destiny is the same as becoming the protagonist of the world. Everything you do in the Main World will go smoothly because you are the world's favored sons and daughters. But... as for how to tell them apart, I don't know."
"You don't know? How is that possible! You just pointed out that Xiao Han was—"
"I was just guessing. So what? I felt like she was one, and didn't you all believe it? Every action and decision a Child of Destiny makes has a strong correlation with Luck. They are also the most outstanding among their peers—at least in most cases."
"So, this is all just your imagination. Out of all the people here, you have no idea who the Children of Destiny actually are, right?"
"Of course. But since you're so curious and want confirmation, it's actually quite simple... Think carefully. Those who receive special treatment or extra attention from the teachers... those are all hints. Some of you must be able to feel it, right?"
As the Nightmare spoke, many people froze. After a moment of reflection, a sense of realization began to dawn on them.
Tan Han, in particular, felt it. That kind of special treatment had been everywhere since the start of the school year. It was precisely that sense of incongruity that had planted the seeds of doubt in her heart.
Some things didn't seem like much at the time, but looking back now, they were full of holes.
"Hehe... Actually, the reason we're telling you the truth is to destroy the purity of your script's selection process. Luck is vital to a Child of Destiny, but whether or not one knows the concept of Luck makes them two entirely different things!"
"The concept of Luck will erode your thoughts every waking moment. Once you have tasted the sweetness it brings, you will gradually become addicted. You will lose yourselves in your pursuits and become madmen who only know how to chase Luck. Yes, that's right! I don't mind telling you this directly, because those who cannot resist temptation will never resist it! No one understands the terror of temptation and desire better than we Abyssal Demons!"
"We intend to ruin the Children of Destiny raised by this generation's script. Your Main World will crawl before the trembling might of our Abyss!"
Once again, the Nightmare's words reduced the crowd to silence. Faced with wave after wave of truth and overt schemes, the fact that these people—who had no psychological preparation—could still stand firmly was proof of their mental fortitude.
However, listening to the Nightmares from the sidelines, I still felt something was off. They had no real reason to tell us the whole truth. Even if they mixed in lies, no one would be able to tell. They could have made things sound even more desperate.
They could have painted the script as a root of evil that manipulated and toyed with their fates. There was no need to explain the benefits of being a Child of Destiny. Was it really as she said—that they wanted to plant a seed of temptation in the hearts of these Children of Destiny?
But as she said, those who can't resist temptation will fall, while those who do will only become more steadfast. This was an overt scheme, but it was also a screening mechanism. By filtering out so many potential candidates, only the strongest one would remain.
If I used a bit of logical deduction... this was also part of the script. Yes, a part of it. That made everything make sense.
I had learned from Ji Niang that having multiple Children of Destiny appear at once was a first. So, perhaps this was a further screening mechanism—simple and crude.
There was no point questioning whether the way this was happening was logical. After all, even if someone was panicking, it shouldn't be me.
I just needed to know my place. There was no need to worry or fret for others.
As the crowd finished gathering information and ran out of questions, many eyes turned toward me.
Because I had been silent from the very beginning, like a bystander who had nothing to do with the situation, they only just remembered me.
"Xiao Han..." As my fellow student, Tan Han naturally gave me a timely nudge.
Even though she knew I likely possessed a lot of inside information, they still had to go through the motions of asking. One mustn't forget who they relied on to obtain this information so easily.
"Do you have anything you want to ask?"
This was a question everyone else was curious about as well. When one ran out of questions, listening to someone else's line of thought was a good alternative.
"I do have a few questions."
I walked over slowly. Then, an object resembling a white crystal artwork appeared in my hand. Its appearance immediately piqued everyone's curiosity. After all, not long ago, this very object had suddenly appeared and nearly interrupted the Nightmare's ritual. It seemed to be linked to me.
"Tell me, what is this?" I held the object before her. As I approached, the Nightmares subconsciously shrank back. It seemed they were still afraid of someone who posed a genuine threat to them.
Because I hadn't intervened earlier, they had been arrogant and insolent. Now, facing me, they immediately deflated.
"Speak."
I raised my voice, my tone cold.
"It's... a Luck Seed."
"What is a Luck Seed?" I continued to ask, my expression unreadable.
I had thought she would call it a Transcendent Item, since that's what the previous Nightmare had called it. Now she was telling me it was a Luck Seed?
Regardless, I followed her lead. Even though I understood the concept of a Luck Seed, I wanted to see if I could learn any new information or characteristics from a different perspective.
Once I was done with these questions, it wouldn't be too late to ask about the Transcendent Item.
"A Luck Seed... Hehe... It is the core of you Children of Destiny. You simply cannot perceive it. The Luck you chase will cause it to sprout."
"Can it be transferred or stolen? If stolen, can one replace the original as a Child of Destiny?"
I was surprised by how decisive her answer was, but I didn't show it. Instead, I asked questions I already knew the answers to.
Of course, this was mainly to take the opportunity to warn everyone. I didn't want them doing anything pointless or having wild fantasies. If the Luck Seed could be transferred, and the status of a Child of Destiny along with it, then many people here would never sleep soundly again.
After all, not everyone thought having their fate manipulated was a bad thing. Living out one's life comfortably as the world's favored child was a very alluring prospect.
However, upon hearing my questions, the crowd's thoughts were on a completely different level. Transfer... steal... replace!
Just hearing those words made their skin crawl.
"No. If it could really be stolen and replaced, would a good thing like being a Child of Destiny ever fall to the likes of you? Even if it meant being a puppet or a chess piece, most of you wouldn't even qualify."
"Then, can a Luck Seed be destroyed?"
"You want to become the only Child of Destiny?!"
"Answer my question," I repeated, emphasizing my words.
Tan Han, standing nearby, was intensely focused on this question. If a Luck Seed could be destroyed, wouldn't losing the status of a Child of Destiny mean one could escape the fate of being manipulated?
"How should I know? What do you take me for? I'm just a bottom-layer Nightmare from the Abyss. Even if I've heard of such things, would you believe me if I told you?"
"What... now that you've squeezed all the value out of us, you're in a hurry to kill us?"
At this point, the Nightmares seemed to have given up. Knowing their end was near, they refused to reveal any more information.
"Do I need to dirty my hands to kill you? Wouldn't it be better to let them settle their grievances and take their revenge? You Nightmares have caused us quite a bit of trouble lately."
As I spoke, a sharp glint appeared in the eyes of many. There were far too many people here who harbored deep resentment toward them. If I was willing to let them use the Nightmares as punching bags to vent their frustrations, nothing could be better.
But even if that were to happen, it wouldn't be right now. I still had questions.
"One more thing. When I first got this, you called it... a Transcendent Item. What is a Transcendent Item?"
This was my final question. Once I had the answer, I planned to slaughter these Nightmares to prevent any further complications.
But... just as I asked the question, I felt an abnormal fluctuation in the area behind me. It was a spatial fluctuation! As someone who had mastered teleportation spells, there was no way I could mistake it.
I whipped around. A visible anomaly had appeared. That section of space seemed to twist and deform; the warped space and air caused even the dim light to bend.
Then, a surge of massive Transcendent energy erupted from that spot, radiating basic light and heat from a single central point.
While the others were still confused, I immediately braced myself as if facing a mortal enemy.
Because the spatial coordinates of this anomaly were exactly where the previous Nightmare had opened the summoning channel!
The anomaly condensed into a pitch-black dot. Eerie colors flickered around its perimeter. It looked like a black hole right in front of us, twisting the very fabric of space. As arcs of electricity-like phenomena began to crackle at its edges, everyone's heartbeats seemed to sync with its rhythm. Their breathing grew shallow; their pupils contracted.
It transformed into a crude spatial tunnel. A power so immense it was suffocating came rushing out, suppressing everyone present. Some tried to run, only to find their legs wouldn't move.
"What is this?"
Everyone instinctively turned their gaze toward it, the confusion in their eyes gradually turning to terror.
"Is this another trick of you Nightmares! What is that!"
Someone finally reacted, shouting questions at the captured Nightmares.
At a time like this, it would be stranger if this wasn't related to them.
"Yes, yes, everything is our fault..." the Nightmare being held up replied with a completely dismissive tone.
But before they could get angry, the suddenly torn spatial tunnel erupted with another powerful aura. The moment this aura hit, the previously withered Nightmares' eyes snapped wide!
Because they knew exactly what this was. It was the scent of incredibly dense, incredibly pure Abyssal power!
This really was related to their Abyss...
In the next instant, the tunnel shuddered violently. A massive, hideous hand reached out from the portal. Its knuckles, covered in black scales, gripped the edges of the spatial tunnel as if trying to tear it wide open.
Another big one was coming!