Chapter 373: The Main World and Small Worlds
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 373: The Main World and Small Worlds
"Dean?"
Just as I was returning my tray, I ran into the last person—or rather, the last Transcendent Witch—I expected to see here.
It felt as awkward as deciding to wake up early for breakfast only to run into the principal on an inspection tour.
However, seeing the tray in her hands, which looked much like mine, I realized the Dean was simply here for breakfast as well.
"Oh, it's Xiao Han. It looks like... hmm... have you and your Sister Bai finally made things official?"
"Uh... no, I mean... is it really that obvious?" I stammered, coming to an awkward halt, completely blindsided by her remark.
I instinctively looked myself over. Nothing seemed different, did it?
"There are certain changes in temperament that one cannot perceive immediately. Besides, I saw you eating with that little girl, Bai Yu, just now."
"So that's it... I didn't expect you to eat at the cafeteria so early, Dean."
So she had seen the whole thing and made an educated guess. For a second, I thought I had undergone some massive physical transformation.
"Of course. Becoming a Transcendent Witch doesn't mean giving up food. You should know that among the Real Five Senses involved at the Transcendent level, taste is one of them. It won't do to eat nothing and try nothing. Have you ever seen the 'dark cuisine' in this cafeteria? The students call those pungent dishes dark cuisine, but they are actually foods specifically prepared for Transcendent Witches. I wouldn't recommend ordinary students try them."
"I see..."
I nodded quickly, taking the lesson to heart. I hadn't expected a simple question to lead to another lecture on Transcendent common sense. Transcendent taste... I wondered what kind of abilities that entailed.
But then I remembered Sister Bai telling me that Transcendent touch allowed one to feel the ripples of space. Abilities at that level were truly terrifying to contemplate.
"By the way, judging by your reaction earlier, you must have met the Primal Witch, haven't you?" Seeing that I had fallen silent, the Dean took the initiative to strike up a conversation as she accompanied me out of the cafeteria.
"Yes," I nodded, keeping my response brief.
I was wondering if the Dean had another task for me.
More importantly, now that we had left the cafeteria, I didn't actually know where to go. I could only walk awkwardly along the roadside with her.
However, I soon found a goal. It was a brand-new day, and I couldn't let my meditation and body tempering fall by the wayside before I'd even properly begun. Thus, I consciously started heading toward the meditation rooms.
"The Primal Witch seems quite interested in you. Generally speaking, the clone assigned to guide a specific candidate's advancement doesn't interact much with others, yet she took a liking to you."
"Uh... we only exchanged a few words. Does that count as being 'very interested'?"
"It's more than just that. She specifically said she has high expectations for you."
"Isn't that... maybe a bit of an over-interpretation?" Just because the Primal Witch gave me a token "keep it up" and said she believed in me, it was worth the Dean's serious attention?
"Over-interpretation? Not at all. If the Primal Witch says she has high expectations, she means it. She doesn't offer such praise to just anyone without reason. She wouldn't even say such empty pleasantries to her fellow Transcendent Witch sisters; she's usually the blunt, direct type. Not to mention, you aren't even a Transcendent Witch yet. The Primal Witch is usually even more indifferent toward life forms that haven't reached the Transcendent level."
Because she was a Primal Witch, she was only responsible for Witches. The baseline definition of a Witch started at the Transcendent level. Beyonder Prospective Witches, or even Prospective Witches, didn't even make the cut. However, Mei Lind did not voice these thoughts aloud.
"You should be happy. You must realize that the Primal Witch has never been wrong. Every time she shows goodwill toward a non-Transcendent life form, it means that person is destined for great things."
"Then... I'm truly flattered," I said helplessly.
"Don't worry, just keep a level head. Premature praise doesn't mean much on its own. The reason the Primal Witch's behavior has never seen an exception isn't just because she's powerful, but because the people she believes in have never failed to live up to her expectations. Only your own hard work is real."
"The evaluation you received is merely a credential that allows you to draw upon your future potential in advance. Do you understand? That one sentence from the Primal Witch is worth more than all the value you've proven since you enrolled. It is a certificate, and also a shield."
"Is that so?" I hadn't thought that far ahead. I never imagined a single sentence from the Primal Witch could be... so valuable.
"Yes. Even if you were to publicly announce right now that you possess a Great Spellbook, no one at the Transcendent level would dare to forcibly seize it from you. The only ones you'd need to watch out for are your peers. Of course, if you actually did that, trouble would still follow you in waves."
"I'm not looking for trouble," I said quickly.
Tell people I have a Great Spellbook? Not a chance.
However, the Dean had been sticking with me this long; there was an eighty percent chance she wanted something. I was even starting to suspect that meeting her here wasn't a coincidence at all.
After a few more minutes of small talk, the Dean finally revealed her intent, shifting the topic in a new direction.
"Xiao Han, do you remember those Abyssal Demons?"
"Yes, vividly."
After all, it had only been a few days since I returned from Ninglan New City. The Dean was already back for more? Could she really not give me a moment's rest?
When she mentioned Abyssal Demons, my impression of them was still stuck on those little demons, dream demons, and the various Lesser Demon and Necromancy Academies.
But I guessed the upcoming topic was inextricably linked to them. Had the Abyssal Demons made another move? Do they ever stop?
"After the recent events, the Abyssal Demons are a bit wary. They don't plan on taking direct action for now."
"Not direct? So they're going to act indirectly?" I asked.
As long as it wasn't direct action, it shouldn't be a major crisis—likely just some minor skirmishing. I wondered if the Dean would use this opportunity to mess with the Script again.
But none of that should have anything to do with me. I had severed my Ley Line Shackles and escaped the Script. My best bet was to stay away from those Children of Destiny so I wouldn't get farmed like a boss.
"Something like that. They've found a Small World and are pushing it toward the Main World."
"Huh? What?" I snapped my head up to look at the Dean, my eyes wide with shock and disbelief.
While I didn't have a clear concept of what a "Small World" was, if it could be called a "world," it had to be at least the size of a planet, right?
If you added an entire star system or something similar, and it was being pushed toward us... wouldn't that be the end of the world?
No, wait... not necessarily. The Abyssal Demons were just one Transcendent race, and the Main World had four. There was no reason to be terrified. If the enemy had the means to throw something at us, we should have a way to throw it back.
"Surprised? Do you think it's dangerous? Are you worried about an apocalypse?"
"Yeah."
"Actually, it's quite the opposite. If that Small World actually makes it here, it's essentially a delivery of resources. You probably can't imagine the magnitude of change that occurs when the resources of an entire world merge into the Main World. Even if it's just a Small World, it's still an entire world—complete Ley Lines, massive resources. It could even revitalize that Main World wasteland you saw before and reshape its Ley Lines."
"So... it's actually a good thing? Do Abyssal Demons do charity now?" I was confused again.
"It's an overt ploy by the Abyssal Demons. If we want to reap those benefits, we naturally have to pay an equivalent price... and endure the encroachment of that world."
"So the Abyssal Demons want to use this chance to cause more trouble? Dean... I have a few questions. I wonder if you could answer them for me?"
"Whether they'll cause trouble isn't even a question; it's a certainty. As for your questions, go ahead and ask."
"Alright. I'm just curious—what does the title 'Main World' actually represent? Why are the Abyssal Demons so desperate to come here at any cost? Also, if there are Small Worlds, are there other classifications? What level is the Main World? Is it the most important world?"
"You don't know this yet?" The Dean looked at me with a hint of suspicion. It seemed she didn't quite realize how much common knowledge the students were lacking.
"Uh... have I had the chance to find out?"
"Then let me explain. You understand the concept of a 'world,' right?"
"Yes... the place where we live?"
"A world is a fruit nurtured by the River of Ley Lines within the Void. I believe I've told you something similar before regarding Ley Lines. It's the same thing, really, but now that you know the concept of the River of Ley Lines, that terminology is more accurate."
"Generally, for a world's development to reach the threshold of a Small World, it must birth a World Will. Note: it is a Will, not a Consciousness. You can generally understand a World Will as a specific intent being carried out within that world. This intent includes the birth and proliferation of life, the emergence of civilization, and so on. Once a group of life forms develops a civilization under the influence of the World Will, you have the most primitive form of a Small World."
"Following that, the Small World continues to grow under the resource supply of the River of Ley Lines, evolving toward a Large World. This process is the transformation of World Will into World Consciousness. A World Consciousness is not limited by a one-sided intent. At this stage, from the perspective of the world itself, it is more like a living being—though not 'life' in the sense of Life Elucidation; that's just a metaphor."
"You can think of it like this: the World Will of a Small World is like a newborn child—ignorant, acting only on instinct. The World Consciousness of a Large World is like an adult who has constructed their own worldview, values, and philosophy."
"The long period between a Small World and a Large World is sometimes called a Medium World, but that's not a very meaningful distinction. Just something to be aware of."
"Another hallmark of a Large World is the birth of Transcendent life within it."
"And... the Main World?" I asked. The name "Main World" sounded very high-status; surely it wasn't some bottom-tier place?
But thinking about it now... the Main World I lived in didn't seem particularly special. Aside from the Transcendent Academy, which was an outsider, it was a very ordinary world. Its development was actually quite similar to my previous life.
It hadn't even developed Transcendent powers... No, wait. It could have. Don't forget Ninglan New City; they were part of the Main World, yet they had developed Beyonder Arts.
So, the fact that the Main World hadn't developed Transcendent powers outside of the Academy was likely due to the Academy's interference. Even their technology had been locked down...
"The Main World is a very special world. Since you know that worlds are fruits of the River of Ley Lines, and that the river has various tributaries, do you know the difference between fruits born from different grades of tributaries?"
"The floor and the ceiling are different?" I ventured a guess.
"Exactly. The most direct difference is the baseline. Some worlds require ages of evolution just to become a Small World, while others are born as Large Worlds. That is the gap. The Main World is a world born upon the main trunk of the River of Ley Lines. Therefore, it possesses theoretical infinite possibilities and... a unique value. That is the Main World."
"I see..." I nodded, feeling like I understood the concept, yet still knowing nothing of the specifics.
I didn't even know what that "unique value" was, but judging by the Dean's posture, she didn't seem inclined to explain.
"So... does that mean there's more than one Main World?"
"Correct. You've guessed right again. There is indeed more than one Main World. However... within the same Void time-slice, there is only one. Once a Main World is conquered and its internal development is interrupted, a new Main World will be born upon the main trunk of the Ley Lines."
"...So... strictly speaking, the Main World we're in is one that has already lost its status as the Main World?"
"Yes," the Dean admitted with a blunt nod. "However, the newly born Main World has not been found yet, so this realm is still referred to by the title of Main World."
"Not found? How is that possible?"
"What did you expect? The Void is a vast existence. Trying to find a nascent, hidden world within the Void is incredibly difficult."
"But... what about the Myriad Races of the Void and all that..."
After hearing those concepts, I had assumed the Void was like a series of territories already occupied by various races who knew their surroundings perfectly. Even if an area wasn't occupied, surely they'd know what was there?
"What are you trying to say? Ah... perhaps you've misunderstood. The Void was once called the 'Black Region Outside the Worlds.' It means that once you step outside a world, the exterior is a vast expanse beyond the reach of sight. There is nothing there, and you can see nothing, save perhaps for the light emitted by energy dissipating from the flow of the Ley Lines."
"The concept of the Myriad Races of the Void is actually just a network of relationships between worlds that have accidentally collided and interacted within this region of the Void. If you use Void navigation to travel between worlds, it is the least efficient method possible. Nowadays, we generally use stable spatial anchoring for teleportation. Many barren Small Worlds are even ruthlessly used as mere transit hubs."
"But ironically, if you want to discover a new world, you can only do it the primitive way: heading out into the Void to explore and conquer."
"And within the Void, one of the primary forces for exploring and conquering the unknown are the Transcendent Witches. Because Transcendent Witches have eternal lifespans, immense power, and, of course, a love for seeking out trouble."
"Uh... so that's how it is..."
"Indeed. So, if the Abyssal Demons are willing to contribute a Small World to the Main World, we naturally have to seize the opportunity. But you must also understand one thing: if the Abyssal Demons chose to push this world toward us, it means one of two things. Either the world is worthless, or it is incredibly troublesome. Otherwise, if they found a Small World near the Main World, they would have consumed it internally rather than doing 'charity.'"
"So... Dean, do you want me to do something again?"