Chapter 5: Free New Phone Upon Enrollment
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 5: Free New Phone Upon Enrollment
"No."
Sister Bai shook her head gently, denying the accusation. "This one signed up for the Witch Academy himself. I’m just bringing him in for enrollment."
"Huh? Signed up himself?"
Deng Xiaonan was visibly shocked by the answer. She had never imagined that a boy would actually take the initiative to apply to a Witch Academy.
And yet, here was one right in front of her!
Her eyes seemed to sparkle as she sized me up with curiosity. "Little brother, you’ve got great taste! Senior Sister has high hopes for you~"
"Uh... thanks..."
What else could I say? I felt like there was a hidden meaning behind her words, but I wasn't in a position to ask.
I could only focus on my own business while silently offering a moment of silence for the boy next to her. He clearly should have had a brighter future—maybe he was even a prospective student for one of the Three Top Academies...
But I didn't really have a say in the matter. As long as the Senior Sisters were happy.
Besides, it was getting harder to chat with Sister Bai. Not that we were talking much before, but once this self-proclaimed Deng Xiaonan sat down, the atmosphere immediately became awkward.
A short while later, the boy who had been knocked unconscious—who looked to be about my age—finally woke up.
"I... where am I?"
"Little brother, you’re finally awake. You’re on the high-speed train to the Academy, of course~"
Deng Xiaonan noticed the movement immediately. Looking at the boy, a playful smirk curled onto her lips.
"What? Academy? Which academy? You! Wait! You’re not the person who was supposed to escort me—you’re a Witch!"
The boy finally realized what was happening. He was a "genius" student, after all, capable of deducing his current predicament from just a few scraps of information.
"A Witch... well, I’m still a Prospective Witch, but I like the way you say it~"
"You! Let me go! I’m a student admitted to Afuhemi Academy! I’m not going to some Witch Academy!" The boy managed to maintain a shred of logic, his hand already reaching for his seatbelt.
"Sit tight. We’re on a high-speed train. If you dare unbuckle that seatbelt, I’ll throw you out right here and now!"
That simple threat was enough to cow the genius. He was furious, yes, but he also wanted to live. At this speed, being thrown out meant certain death. Even if he was fairly sure she wouldn't actually do it...
He couldn't afford to take that one-in-a-million chance. He began to frantically scan his surroundings. The seats here looked different from the high-speed trains he was used to. There were two other people sitting across from them.
There were only four people in this carriage. It looked like there was no escape. How could he, an ordinary person, possibly defeat an Academy student who had already mastered Transcendent power?
If only... if only he could have studied at an academy for a few years, would he still be this pathetic?
But there were no "ifs." The Senior Sister who was supposed to protect him had lost, and he had lost his only support.
But he was a guy! Sending a guy to a Witch Academy—wasn't that just making him a laughingstock?
He used to be the one laughing at such jokes; now, he had become the joke.
"I believe Afuhemi Academy won't give up on me," the boy finally squeezed out after some serious deliberation.
"It’s fine, it’s fine! Once the deed is done, it won't matter how much they miss you. Once I deliver you to the Academy, do you really think you’ll be able to escape?" The Senior Sister didn't seem to care at all. It sounded like as long as the student was delivered, the matter was settled.
I observed silently from the side, taking mental notes.
"Don't think I won't just kill myself right now! I'll—"
Before the boy could finish his sentence, his head lolled back, and he fell fast asleep.
My eyes widened. I hadn't seen her move at all. What was that?
A Sleep Spell?
"Sorry about that. I had no choice but to put him under. Sigh, honestly, if only he were as well-behaved as you." As she spoke, she turned her gaze toward me. She had clearly noticed me eavesdropping.
Terrified, I immediately sat up straight, not daring to meet her eyes.
The train continued its journey toward Magic City, but the carriage felt hauntingly quiet. Sister Bai seemed used to this; after playing on her phone for a bit, she closed her eyes to rest.
I checked my own phone. The battery was draining like crazy. It was an old model, after all. It was a miracle it hadn't died already, probably because I hadn't downloaded any heavy games.
There was a charging port nearby. Thinking about how I didn't know when we’d arrive and that I’d need a full charge once we reached the Academy, I dug out my charger.
The movement disturbed Sister Bai. Opening her eyes and seeing me about to plug in my phone, Bai Yu spoke up.
"Charging your phone? Just wait a bit. We’re almost at the Academy. Once you’re there, every student is issued a phone bound to their Student Card. Are you really that attached to that old thing?"
"Well, I’ve used it for a long time." I looked down at my phone. Its worn-out appearance definitely didn't fit modern aesthetics. But I was more surprised by the other news. "Sister Bai, the Academy gives out new phones?"
"Mhm, naturally. Standard phone performance usually can't meet the Academy's requirements. The phones at the Witch Academy are specialized devices developed in-house. They have functions that normal phones lack." As she spoke, Bai Yu held up her own phone to show me.
"Oh? Could you tell me the difference between that and a normal phone?" I looked at her device. It looked plain on the outside, but it had a certain low-key, high-tech feel to it.
"First of all, the phone isn't powered by a battery anymore. It’s driven by the mana a Witch possesses. As long as you’ve mastered mana, you can charge your phone whenever you want."
"For real?" My eyes widened as I watched her fiddle with the device. I was starting to get envious.
Was this the convenience of mastering the Transcendent?
Then, I saw Bai Yu pinch the screen with her fingers. The glowing display detached from the device, turning into a two-dimensional floating screen, and with another gesture, it transformed into a 3D image!
"Holographic projection? 3D imaging?"
This time, I couldn't help but stare. I had lived in this world for so long—how did I not know that technology had reached such a terrifying level?
"Not exactly. This is energy technology from the Transcendent side. It looks impressive, but the technical complexity isn't actually that high. It’s generally only used among students within the Academy. Ordinary people can't use it, so it hasn't been popularized."
Bai Yu explained patiently.
Personally, I didn't care how "complex" the technology was. Just the coolness factor alone was enough for me!