Chapter 410: The Return and a Conversation with the Dean
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 410: The Return and a Conversation with the Dean
When I felt that sudden sliver of positioning guidance through the reverse summoning spell, the greatest weight on my heart finally lifted.
It was the feeling of finding "home."
It was strange, really. Before leaving the Main World, I had vowed that I felt no sense of belonging here, that my deepest roots were in my past life. But as time passed, those memories of my previous life had slowly, steadily faded.
Now, having severed my Main World Ley Line Shackles and completely detached myself from its influence, my feelings were complicated.
Perhaps it wasn't "home" in the traditional sense, or perhaps it was simply that by being there, I could wait for the people I wanted to see.
As these thoughts swirled through my mind, the ritual beneath my feet began to churn. The spell was a success. A surge of power enveloped my body, and I once again felt the crushing pressure of traversing between worlds. Fortunately, my physical fitness was decent enough to let me endure it.
Back in that other world, Qiu Ruxin watched the scene unfold. Sister Xiao Han, shrouded in white light, vanished from before her eyes in an instant. Suddenly, her heart felt hollow.
A flash of loneliness crossed her face, and her hand instinctively tightened around the pendant hanging from her neck.
She understood her current position very well.
Because of that, she had to do her best to avoid any accidents. She was even well aware that those people calling themselves the Real Protection Association were equally untrustworthy. They were Secret Diggers as well; they were only staying their hands because they feared Sister Xiao Han’s strength.
* * *
Meanwhile, as I crossed the Void once more, I felt an unprecedented pressure. I fought against the strange sensation of being summoned. When I had first arrived, the Academy Dean’s shield had neutralized the pressure; now that it was gone, I had to rely entirely on myself until I reached the other side of the summoning array.
"I'm out..."
In that moment, an overwhelming sense of relief washed over me as my form slowly materialized from the summoning ritual.
When I opened my eyes, I blinked in surprise. The scene before me was all too familiar. Wasn't this the Academy Dean’s office?
The last time I was here, Teacher Ji Niang had brought me.
"It seems you haven't sustained any injuries."
"Yeah. I broke that shield myself." I turned toward the voice and saw the Academy Dean staring straight at me.
Seeing this familiar lady again, I didn't quite know what expression to face her with.
Interrogation? Playing the fool? Neither seemed quite right. We were adults, after all; there was no need for such evasive, roundabout talk.
Ultimately, I chose the most neutral approach. What was known was known; interrogating her wouldn't change anything. Besides, I couldn't beat the Academy Dean in a fight anyway, so it wasn't like I had much of a choice.
"True. I didn't think a small world would harbor anything capable of seriously wounding you." The Dean’s gaze instinctively swept over my peculiar clothing, noting the torn section. There was no wound on my exposed waist. "So? Was that world fun?"
"Not particularly... Dean, was that world the same small world you mentioned before, the one that's about to merge with the Main World?" I shook my head and took the opportunity to voice my question.
"Barring any accidents, yes," the Dean nodded. "Did you see any Abyssal Demons inside? If you did, then that's the small world I was talking about."
Mei Lind was well aware of the unique nature of the "Void region" where the Main World was situated. Barring the unexpected, the place Xiao Han had gone to couldn't be wrong.
"Oh, then that's definitely it. That world was indeed invaded by Abyssal Demons, though unfortunately, I didn't see them with my own eyes." Having received the Dean’s confirmation, I had a general idea of the situation.
I wasn't entirely sure why the Dean claimed that the presence of Abyssal Demons proved it was that specific world. However, it was much like how Qiu Ruxin didn't know why my ability to return meant their world would collide with mine. The Dean clearly knew things I didn't, allowing her to deduce such a conclusion.
The Dean didn't just stand there; she led me to a seat in her office.
"Is that so? What a pity. But from the sound of it, those Abyssal Demons encountered significant resistance in that world?"
"I suppose..." I didn't actually know much about that. I only had a surface-level understanding of that period of wartime history based on what Qiu Ruxin had told me. The Abyssal Demons had been suppressed by a joint effort between the people of that world and the Secret Diggers.
Aside from what I heard from Qiu Ruxin, I had searched for related data myself. It was clear that the various nations had intentionally obscured the contributions of the Secret Diggers. Regarding the cessation of the demon invasion, they only mentioned in passing that the monsters were repelled with the help of the Secret Diggers. Therefore, the strength of the Secret Diggers at that time must have been quite formidable.
Especially those firearms—every Secret Digger was a walking armory!
Who’s to say that during the height of the war, they weren't tossing tactical nukes around like grenades?
So, the Secret Diggers I encountered earlier likely didn't represent the full extent of their overall strength.
"So... would it be convenient for you to tell me the story of your time there? Your observations, the history, anything will do."
"Of course. But... before that, may I ask a question of my own?" I readily agreed to the Dean’s request. Even if she hadn't asked, I would have looked for an opportunity to speak. Those Secret Diggers were far too bizarre; I naturally needed the Dean’s perspective on the situation.
But since the Dean had brought it up first, I wasn't going to be polite.
"Go ahead. Ask away." The Dean acted as if it were no big deal. This had been her plan all along, after all. Since she’d been found out, she was technically in the wrong, but she was thick-skinned enough to play it off. To her, this was just a special "favor" for a student she held in high regard.
"Dean, from Teacher Ji Niang’s [Transcendent Knowledge] to that rune, then the Luck, and finally this reverse summoning spell—along with so many other things, like the consciousness communication spell and that protection spell... was all of this planned by you from the start?" I looked up at her expectantly, as if waiting for her to provide the ultimate answer.
If all of this was the Dean’s arrangement or plan, it meant my understanding of Transcendent Witches was still far too shallow.
"So you were curious about that? Xiao Han, you have quite the imagination. You really think I orchestrated all of that in the shadows?"
"Didn't you?"
"Alright, alright. You've deified me a bit too much. Even as a Transcendent Witch, I'm not omnipotent. I happen to have some time, so how about I briefly clear things up for you? Want to hear it?"
"Yes! I do." I nodded.
Since the Dean put it that way, I naturally wanted to understand the process. But since she told me not to hold her in such high regard, it meant that "luck" and "coincidence" played a significant part.
"First, regarding Xi Lan’s [Transcendent Knowledge] that you were curious about. I did know the general inclination of that knowledge. I won't deny that her obtaining it was related to me. Or rather, it was precisely because I was involved that I invited Xi Lan to the Main World. When she first arrived, she lacked the foundation and confidence to research [Transcendent Knowledge], so that work was put on hold. During that time, she worked as an assistant in other research groups and laboratories to gain experience. She also had a requirement to teach part-time at the academy. Back then, she wasn't a primary teacher; she was a counselor."
"Actually, this relates to you as well. She discovered a unique Innate Spirit Vision user like yourself through intercepted information from the Lesser Demon Academy. She already had designs on you back then. After you were admitted through special channels, she volunteered to be your counselor. She’s also the most unusual counselor this year, as she only oversees a single class."
"I'm getting off track. Let's talk about that rune. You transcribed the rune from that [Transcendent Knowledge], and upon your return, you met me. That was mainly because I had a sudden whim to use Mysticism for a divination, discovered an interesting possibility, and decided to come over."
"Furthermore, I was well aware that Xi Lan’s [Transcendent Knowledge] was highly likely related to space. It just so happened to coincide with the matter of that small world, so I linked the information together and came by to see what the 'surprise' would be."
"Oh, and Xi Lan being suddenly allowed to open a private laboratory there to research [Transcendent Knowledge] was also done with my approval. Otherwise, she wouldn't have even passed the application for a small lab. And then... I saw that Xi Lan had indeed brought you to her laboratory."
"I see..." I sighed helplessly. From the Dean’s tone, it sounded like Teacher Ji Niang was being scolded for employing child labor.
But... wasn't what Teacher Ji Niang did almost that ridiculous?
Who among the witch scholars there could have imagined that a maverick like Teacher Ji Niang would bring a freshman she was supervising to help her research [Transcendent Knowledge]?
The very idea sounded like a fairy tale, yet Teacher Ji Niang had actually done it.
"Then, through your Spirit Vision, you directly transcribed a rune that was nearly a self-contained system, which triggered that sliver of resonance with Luck. To be honest, I'm not sure where that bit of Luck came from. Perhaps it was some information you picked up during your trip to Ninglan New City. After all, you were the only non-transcendent in that batch of students to descend in the flesh, and you're also the ruthless one who severed the Ley Line Shackles. In short, there were many conditions and many coincidences... but the end result was that you fit the criteria."
"Was it really just a coincidence?"
"What? Do you have a persecution complex?" The Dean looked at me with a playful smile.
"A little... I've been burned by scripts and Luck too many times..."
"Haha, true enough. I can feel it too; ever since things like scripts and Luck were exposed, many people in the academy have become restless and conflicted. Generally speaking, it has its pros and cons. You don't need to worry about anything. At least for now, the Witch Academy is your strongest shield."
"Then... the things that happened next must have been your arrangement, right? Giving me that consciousness communication spell and everything..."
"In a way, yes. Think of it as a trial for you?" In truth, she had given him the consciousness communication spell simply to make it easier for Xiao Han to communicate with that girl, but she didn't say that.
Moreover, she hadn't expected that the reverse summoning spellbook could use Luck threads as a Void beacon to pull Xiao Han back. Clearly, that rune possessed characteristics she hadn't had time to fully understand. Fortunately, she had left a summoning rune for the reverse summoning spell. Originally, she had intended to use it to bring Xiao Han to her if something came up, rather than going through the trouble of finding him personally.
Coincidence is a wonderful thing, isn't it?
Even as the Academy Dean, Mei Lind couldn't help but marvel at it.
"A trial..."
"Yes. It was a rare experience, wasn't it? By the way, Xiao Han, since you were in such a hurry to return, did you leave a way to go back?"
"A way back? Of course I did." I nodded.
"It seems you did well," the Dean said with a smile.
"Dean, shouldn't you have told me about this beforehand? If I hadn't thought of it, wouldn't I have..."
"Wouldn't you have what? Completely lost contact with that world? How could that be? In a little while, the Transcendent Witches of the Abyssal Exploration will reach that world anyway. If you had forgotten, you would have just had to wait a bit longer. I told you about this before, didn't I? The matter of joining the Void Vanguard. That's being led by another Dean of the Witch Academy. I heard a few more went over midway through. I'm not sure exactly how many, but currently, I'm the only Dean left to watch the house. Sigh, I'm used to it by now."
"I... I see." I responded awkwardly. Just a moment ago, I thought I was carrying a heavy responsibility, but it turned out to be just a coincidence.
"Exactly. For an event this significant, how could the academy place all the pressure on a student like you?" After saying this, the Dean shifted the topic directly to information about that world.
"Now, you should be able to tell me about that world, right? I'm quite curious about it myself—pity I can't go there in person."
"Alright... then." I nodded, my doubts mostly resolved. "I'll start from the beginning. Although I wasn't in that world for many days, quite a lot happened."
"No rush. I'll listen to it like a story. But you won't mind if I ask a few questions when I'm curious or confused, will you?" At this moment, the Dean looked like a perfect listener, sitting leisurely. With a wave of her hand, some desserts and black tea appeared beside her.
"Want some?"
She didn't expect me to have collected comprehensive information in just a few days. She only needed me to recount what I had encountered, and she could analyze many things for herself.
"I don't mind at all. And thank you." I took the desserts. Although she had asked, she had handed them over before I could even answer.
I organized my thoughts and began the narration from the very beginning.
"First of all, the first person I met after being summoned was the girl I had encountered previously in my meditation and dreams..."
"Is the dominant race in that world also human?" the Dean suddenly asked.
"Uh... yes. No other races with developed civilizations have been discovered in that world so far," I explained. Now that the Dean mentioned it, I was also a bit curious. It was another world, yet it had humans.
But then I remembered what the Dean had told me before about the differences between World Wills—that "Will" included the birth of life and the evolution of civilization. Thinking of it that way, worlds born from Ley Lines would likely be influenced by Ley Line data and information, causing the evolution of biological species to converge.
"Continue. What then? Was that girl indeed a Child of Destiny, as you suspected?"
"Yes, she is indeed a Child of Destiny. However, what's strange is that her Luck Seed is nearly shattered, and she doesn't have much Luck left. I get the feeling that the Children of Destiny I encounter are always plagued by misfortune." Moreover, she lacked any of the "overlord's aura" typically found in novels. Compared to being a Child of Destiny, she seemed more like an ordinary person who just happened to possess a Luck Seed. But I kept those thoughts to myself.