Chapter 363: Sister Bai’s Advancement to Transcendent
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 363: Sister Bai’s Advancement to Transcendent
"Mm."
I gave a light nod and took back my Gold Cat Card.
The white-haired girl was, naturally, myself.
I was back.
However, I had returned in a completely different form.
My appearance hadn't changed drastically from before, but the details were transformed—my skin, my hair color, even my eye color!
And... my figure. Although adding such a "burden" to my chest might not be the most practical thing, it was no trouble at all as long as I willed it.
After all, even Sister Bai said this look was wonderful.
The only pity was that my old clothes probably wouldn't fit anymore. I finally understood why girls owned so many outfits; if I’d had a body like this before, I would have spent every day dressing myself up to the nines.
Just like I was doing now.
After finding a seat by the window and sitting down, I casually traced a square in the air with my index finger. Mana surged from my fingertip, and amidst the flicker of minute runes, a mirror surface with almost zero thickness appeared before me.
Looking at my reflection, I instinctively toyed with a few strands of my silver-white hair. After undergoing the Dean's Metamorphic Rebirth Spell, I had essentially experienced the growth of a life form all over again. Inside that egg-like environment, I watched my own body develop from an embryo into an infant. Even though the process was incredibly rapid, it was just as the Dean had said: for someone like me who practiced Self-Awakened Body Cultivation, the insights gained from experiencing that process were immense.
It filled in the blanks of what I didn't know about my own body. During that growth process, I felt the development of every organ, the growth of every muscle, the path of every blood vessel and meridian, and the way hormones regulated my emotions and physical state...
During that process, I was also able to interfere with my appearance, my figure, and even my hair color.
For now, I only knew how to adjust the depth of my hair color—essentially controlling melanin. I hadn't figured out other colors yet, but theoretically, it was definitely possible.
I instinctively twirled a small lock of white hair. In truth, regarding body hair, once I controlled it to no longer produce melanin, I should be white all over—including my eyebrows, my fine peach fuzz, and even down there.
However, I could also choose to have no body hair at all, which certainly saved on grooming.
Looking at myself in the mirror, my long silver-white hair spread out like fine silk. Combined with my blood-red pupils, it created quite a striking contrast. I couldn't help it; I guess that’s just my aesthetic.
This time, I had truly realized my ideal self.
The Disguise Spell that Teacher Ji Niang had given me wasn't of much use to me anymore. After all, as long as I controlled my facial muscles, I could change my appearance for short periods or even permanently.
Watching the senior sisters pass by, I noticed the stunned expressions they instinctively wore upon seeing me. I let out a soft chuckle. It seemed that being too beautiful did indeed bring about many unexpected effects.
But what I should really be marveling at was that when the senior sisters in the Witch Academy saw a beautiful girl, their instinctive reactions were admiration, blushing, or even possessiveness—rather than envy, jealousy, comparison, or insecurity.
As expected... the Witch Academy was a bit too "progressive" when it came to sexual orientation.
But that suited me just fine, didn't it?
It was precisely because of this wonderful environment that the feelings between girls in the Witch Academy—feelings that transcended mere friendship—could bloom into brilliant lilies.
With a casual wave, I dispelled the mirror. This was merely a minor spell I could use at will now that I had mastered mana. The structure of such minor spells wasn't complex; most didn't require rituals, and even if they did, they didn't belong to a formal spell system. Thus, I could manually cast them with my bare hands. So what if the Witch Academy, or even the entire world, was shrouded in the effects of the Great Weakening Spell?
Don't they know that brute force works wonders?
Previously, when I tried to cast a Fireball Spell, I could only produce a few sparks because elemental energy was scarce under the Great Weakening Spell. Now, my energy source was the Self-Generated Mana within my body and my Mana Source, so the interference was minimal—only the final effect of the spell would be weakened.
As for the existence of mana, after personally testing it with my mental power, I discovered that its energy level was perhaps even more terrifying than I had imagined.
It truly was a power that only a Witch could master.
My gaze swept over the seating in the public area of the Witch Cat Cafe. While it wasn't exactly overflowing, there were certainly more people than the last few times I’d visited.
It was likely due to the arrival of the Fool's Dream spirits. It seemed the Witch behind this cat cafe was indeed highly efficient. Not long after I returned, I ran into a "chance encounter" she had engineered. Previously, it had taken quite some effort to help Mentor Dinah settle these Fool's Dream spirits.
It was a credit to that Witch that she would be so hands-on; she must be a fanatic for cats.
Upon seeing the Fool's Dream spirits, she had been unable to put them down, scooping up several at once to satisfy her cravings.
However, there were only a few hundred Fool's Dream spirits in total, and there were quite a few Witch Cat Cafes scattered across the Witch Academy. One could say that Mentor Dinah had gone to great lengths to bring cats to every cat lover.
"Sister Xiao Han~ here is the coffee you ordered~"
At that moment, the soft, delicate voice of a Fool's Dream spirit came from beside me.
I turned to see a Fool's Dream spirit already standing there.
She was currently struggling to lift a tray over her head, but she still barely reached the table.
"Well done."
I took the coffee and placed it on the table, then reached out to pat the Fool's Dream spirit's cute little head. This time, I could actually feel her. Before, in the dreamscape, I couldn't touch them, and after leaving the dream, I hadn't had time to enjoy it. Now, I finally could.
"Does Sister Xiao Han need anything else?"
"Mm, stay and play with me for a bit." Seeing the curious and slightly expectant look in her eyes, I couldn't resist picking her up and placing her on my lap.
With her petite frame and soft body, she felt just like a real kitten, and she was incredibly light.
She didn't offer any fierce resistance. Every Fool's Dream spirit recognized me, whether it was from my previous form when I looked after them in the Underground District, or my current form having used the Great Wisdom Enlightenment Art on them. They all held me in high esteem. It made my effort to "kidnap" them from the Underground District to the Witch Academy well worth it.
Besides, they had come here of their own free will. They had been marginalized there, barely scraping by every day in harsh conditions. It was clear that the contrast in treatment they received upon arriving here was so great they hadn't even fully processed it yet.
They never imagined they could be so popular.
I hoped the Fool's Dream spirits could stay true to themselves and not be tainted by negative thoughts; after all, I preferred them innocent and pure.
I teased the Fool's Dream spirit's cheek with my finger. Compared to that, she seemed to prefer having her head patted, her hair smoothed, and her cat ears rubbed. She also quite enjoyed having her chin scratched.
"Sister Xiao Han... ugh... don't pinch me..."
"It's because you're so cute~ I won't hurt you."
I gently pinched her little cheeks with both hands. Although she looked like a petite cat-girl, this interaction didn't feel awkward at all; it felt exactly like petting a cat.
However, even though the Fool's Dream spirits were very popular at the Witch Cat Cafe, the cafe's main focus was still on the Cat-petting Guests and the Hostess Cat-girls. The presence of the Fool's Dream spirits mainly served to enrich the variety of services offered.
Furthermore, I heard that custom small-sized uniforms for the Fool's Dream waitresses were already being made. Currently, they were wearing clothes bought on short notice, as their original clothes from the Underground District were tattered and worn—hardly suitable for greeting guests.
"Xiao Han, I've arrived."
"Eh? Ba—Sister Bai, you got here so fast." My hands froze, and I looked up to see Sister Bai standing right in front of me.
My reason for coming to the Witch Cat Cafe wasn't just to see the Fool's Dream spirits; I had also made an appointment to meet Sister Bai here.
Sister Bai had told me she had something to say to me after she got back, so we agreed to meet here.
Even though I had arrived quite early, Sister Bai was even earlier.
"Mm. As soon as I walked in, I saw you playing so happily with the Fool's Dream spirit. You didn't even notice me arrive."
"I—I'm sorry~ Sister Bai, you wouldn't actually be jealous of a Fool's Dream spirit, would you?"
I hurriedly set down the spirit in my arms and spoke.
"How could I be?" At that moment, Bai Yu beckoned to the Fool's Dream spirit. The little one understood and went to her, and Sister Bai scooped her up and placed her on her lap.
"I like these little ones too." Bai Yu's hand gently stroked the spirit's ears.
"Alright... then, shall I order some dessert for you?"
"I already ordered some just now."
"Eh? Okay..." I pouted as I watched Sister Bai play with the spirit on her lap... I was so envious... Why wasn't I the one sitting there?
Even just resting my head there would be nice.
"Xiao Han? What are you thinking about so intently?"
"Ah... oh! Nothing, nothing. Sister Bai, um, you said earlier you had something to tell me. What is it?" Snapping out of it, I quickly reacted. Not knowing what excuse to make, I decided to get straight to the point.
"Straight to the point already?" Bai Yu had intended to chat about other things first before pivoting to the main topic. She hadn't expected that a slight mention would lead to this. It seemed Xiao Han really needed to learn more about the art of conversation.
"Uh... or should we talk about something else?" I instinctively bit my lower lip. If anyone else tried to delay me from getting to the point, I might have snapped at them, but for Sister Bai... I was willing to wait.
"Let's just get to it. Although I originally wanted to save this for last, since it is..."
"Since it's what? Is it something serious? Did something happen to you, Sister Bai?" Seeing her hesitant expression, I instinctively grew worried.
Could something bad have happened?
"It's fine. It's not exactly a bad thing. It's just that I have now advanced to Transcendent."
"Hmm? Eh? Wait? What?"
Upon hearing Sister Bai finish her sentence, I immediately fired off four questions of existential doubt, my eyes widening.
"I've advanced to Transcendent~"
At that moment, Sister Bai spoke each word with a hint of playfulness, as if she were deliberately enjoying the shocked expression on my face.
"Transcendent! Sister Bai! Really? Isn't that a cause for great celebration?"
"For me, it is indeed a good thing. But Xiao Han, do you understand what else advancing to Transcendent represents?"
Though Sister Bai said it was a good thing, her tone was slightly dejected.
"Uh... what does it represent?" I asked cautiously.
"It means I have to leave this world."
"Leave... but you'll definitely come back, right? You'll come back to see me, won't you?" I looked at her and asked.
I admit, when she mentioned that, my normally calm heart was hit by a wave of unease, but I quickly suppressed it.
"Of course I will... but the world we are in is the Main World. It's a very special world—at least, that's what the Dean told me. If I were to rely on my own efforts to return here... I'm afraid it would take a very long time..."
Sister Bai's voice turned low again.
"That... then..." My attention was entirely focused on the "very long time" part. I didn't know how long that meant. A month? A year? Or several years?
A flash of confusion crossed my eyes, but it was replaced by determination in the next instant.
"If that's the case, then I'll advance to Transcendent as fast as possible to find you!" Even though I knew advancing to Transcendent would be difficult and might take years even if I gave it my all, constant effort would help me forget the passage of time. After all, it seemed to be the only thing I could do.
No... I've severed the Ley Line Shackles. Maybe I can...
"Pfft... hee-hee~" Sister Bai let out a light laugh again. With those two soft giggles, she looked as if she had just witnessed something very amusing.
"Sister Bai, you're still laughing... do you have a way?" Seeing her laugh like that, I instinctively wanted to protest, but then I realized Sister Bai wasn't the type to misread the room—oh wait, she was a true Transcendent Witch now. I quickly caught on.
"Of course~ But that worried look you had just now, Xiao Han... it's quite rare to see."
"Alright, alright! Sister Bai, don't make fun of me. What's really going on? Can you use your connections to come straight back?"
"What connections? I'm just an ordinary person..."
"An ordinary Transcendent Witch now," I corrected her.
"Oh~ true. I'm just a very ordinary, very average Transcendent Witch. Where would I get those kinds of connections? In a way, I'm actually riding on your coattails, Xiao Han."
"Huh? My coattails? What do you mean?" I asked curiously. I had no idea I was so influential that I could help Sister Bai skip so many hurdles.
"The Dean gave me a recommendation letter for a Part-time Teacher position at the Witch Academy. With this, I should be able to return to the academy directly under a different identity."
"A Par—Part-time Teacher?!"
"Exactly."
"Then what will you teach? I'll definitely show up to support every single one of your classes!"
"Hmm... I haven't decided yet. But as for teaching... I've never really taught anything before..."
"Then teach Body Arts! Didn't you spend a massive amount of time on Body Arts before? You can teach that! I'm a Self-Awakened Body Cultivation practitioner, but I haven't actually studied any Body Arts yet. That's really something I should fix!" I suggested immediately.
"Body Arts? That does seem like a good idea..."