Chapter 519: No One Embraces a Time Bomb
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 519: No One Embraces a Time Bomb
"Phew... I'm out."
Stepping out from Sister Bai’s teleportation channel, I took a deep breath to soothe the lingering emotions in my heart.
After all, I had just been discussing professional matters regarding the Great Spellbook with the Academy Dean. Even though I had convinced myself not to be afraid of her, achieving that state of mind required a solid foundation of confidence. I was still far too distant from the Dean’s level.
To borrow the Dean’s own words, my current situation was still a bit too rushed. Many of my views were still stuck at a macro-level conceptual stage, and I hadn't yet settled down to polish the finest details.
The Tree of Great Knowledge granted me the ability to skip the stage of slow accumulation, but since I chose to bypass that phase, I needed to spend even more time letting things settle—applying that knowledge so it would truly belong to me.
Polishing details wasn't just about sitting still and killing time; it was about investing more thought and using more knowledge to fill in the inconspicuous gaps. That was the true "depiction of detail."
On the surface, the greatest harvest from this meeting was the Dean’s approval to promote the Great Knowledge Seeds. To me, however, that was merely an inevitable hurdle; the only question was how I would clear it. Clearing it so easily wasn't a "harvest" so much as a pleasant surprise.
My true harvest was the broad direction for my future planning formed through our conversation, and... learning how to handle problems with meticulous care.
Of course, the connections established through the Dean’s mediation were also vital. While I knew I wasn't great at handling interpersonal relationships, relationships at this level depended more on one's intrinsic value. If you are valuable, even being a person of few words becomes a virtue in the eyes of others.
"Were you very nervous just now, Xiao Han?" Sister Bai emerged from the teleportation channel and reached out to wrap her arms around my waist.
"Of course. I was facing two Academy Deans, after all. Is it so wrong to be a little nervous? Or rather... wouldn't being nervous be more appropriate for the occasion?" With Sister Bai holding me, my worries vanished, and my tone lightened considerably.
"Appropriate? Given how those two treat you, you really don't need to be nervous... You need to get used to this, Xiao Han."
"If you want me to be completely relaxed... I’ll have to wait until my strength is on par with theirs. What looked like nervousness was actually reverence for my seniors. A person should always have a heart of reverence, after all."
"Reverence? Don't be ridiculous, Xiao Han." Sister Bai gave a playful, chiding laugh. As for my comment about not being nervous once I reached the Deans' level, Bai Yu just chuckled, not taking it too seriously.
By the time we left the Dean’s office, it was already late.
"Any plans for tonight, Xiao Han?"
"Tonight? Hmm... I feel like I have a lot to do, but none of it is particularly urgent." I looked at Sister Bai, my gaze a bit hazy. We both knew that after our vacation ended early, everyone had their own work to do. I couldn't just cling to her and waste her time forever.
"Want to go grab a nice meal? And then... spend another wonderful night together?"
"Mhm." I met Sister Bai’s suggestive gaze, and a knowing smile spread across my face.
Loving someone didn't mean needing to be glued to them constantly; a proper sense of personal space was equally important.
Sister Bai was now a formal Mentor. She had many responsibilities and needed to constantly improve herself to achieve greater strength.
I was the same. I had much to do and needed to keep elevating myself.
We both had bright futures ahead of us, and we were working hard for them, rather than wasting time on pointless things.
Of course, appropriate intimacy and a sense of occasion were the seasonings that kept a relationship fresh.
Tonight would be another sleepless battle.
* * *
Early morning.
After completing my daily meditation and Five Senses Cultivation, I began my day off.
I couldn't expect myself to maintain high efficiency in my research on the Tree of Great Knowledge after a night of "battle." I needed time to recalibrate.
Today was also about adjusting my mindset. I planned to head back to the dorms to see the roommates I hadn't seen in a while. I had run into them during the Joint Exam, but I hadn't been able to help them much then.
If I didn't nurture these bonds, the friendship might wither away. After all, I had said... even if I became a Teaching Assistant, I would still consider them my friends.
In truth, I viewed them more as anchors for the "concept of friends," but I didn't want to admit that. I was simply trying to be someone's friend so that my new life wouldn't be marred by the regret of being friendless.
Moreover... I had already reserved spots for them to receive Great Knowledge Seeds, though that would have to wait for the updated version currently in development.
After catching up with my roommates, I didn't linger. I headed to another location, one not far from the villa.
Given the short distance, I didn't bother with a teleportation spell.
Perhaps because it was the holidays, there were fewer people on the academy roads. Eventually, I stood before the bakery, which looked exactly as it had six months ago. Through the glass doors, I saw the familiar layout and Senior Sister Ying Shiqian looking listless behind the register.
Nothing seemed to have changed.
I pushed the door open, slipping in without drawing attention. I walked over to a display shelf filled with new products I hadn't seen before. It seemed Tang Yihan hadn't given up on her innovations. Since these new items were being sold, it meant she had succeeded—though I wondered how many Senior Sister Ying Shi Qians had been sacrificed in the process.
I picked up a pre-packaged cake and walked toward the counter.
"One bag of Thousand-Wheel Cake, that'll be... huh?" Ying Shiqian looked up slightly as a figure approached. She began her habitual price quote, but halfway through, she sensed something was off. Seeing a lock of white hair drifting before her, she snapped her head up and met a pair of smiling eyes.
"Xiao Han?!"
"Senior Sister Ying Shiqian actually still recognizes me?" At her sudden, high-pitched exclamation, I placed the cake on the counter and replied with a smile, confirming her suspicion.
"It really is Xiao Han!" Ying Shiqian’s eyes widened in disbelief. She instinctively reached out as if to pinch my cheek. "This isn't someone in disguise, is it?"
"Who would be bored enough to impersonate me?" I said, gently blocking her hand.
The commotion drew the attention of others.
"Sister Xiao Han? Where? Is she here?"
"For real? Senior Sister Ying Shiqian, you didn't mistake someone else again, did you?"
Several girls wearing the bakery uniform poked their heads out from the back, looking around curiously.
"It is! It really is Sister Xiao Han!"
With that confirmation, several figures rushed out from the back, surrounding me in a state of intense excitement.
It took Ying Shiqian a moment to pull them back and persuade them to give me some space before they regained a modicum of composure.
"Xiao Han, I didn't expect you to visit at a time like this." Tang Yihan, who had been in the back working on new products and training newcomers, walked out. With such a stir outside, how could she not come to see?
"Senior Sister Tang Yihan, long time no see," I greeted her.
After the greeting, the girls around me began peppering me with questions, mostly expressions of deep admiration. I noticed a few of them had even dyed their hair white to match mine.
After a bit of conversation, I realized they were members of the Xiao Han Fan Club.
I suppose that shouldn't have been a surprise.
The fan club was a grassroots organization they had formed themselves. Even after various scandals and the fact that the Tan Han Fan Club had disbanded after the Joint Exam, they insisted on calling themselves members of my club.
These girls were also members of the Baking House Club. They had followed me into the club and were spending their vacation here instead of going home, working part-time to earn some pocket money.
Expenses at the Witch Academy were quite high; everything cost money. Even with scholarship subsidies and the task boards that provided ways to earn, it often wasn't enough.
"Sister Xiao Han, I heard you became a Teaching Assistant. What course are you teaching? Can you give us a hint? I want to see if I’m lucky enough to take it."
"Me? I’m just a Teaching Assistant, helping a Mentor with their classes. But the Mentor I’m following teaches Body Cultivation, so I doubt you'd want to try it," I explained with a smile. This was my first time speaking formally with members of my fan club, and I hadn't expected them to be so curious about my affairs.
"Body Cultivation? What kind of course is that, Sister Xiao Han? Is it just working out?"
"I'm curious. Why would the Witch Academy have Body Cultivation? Isn't that something the Beast Academy should be studying? We Witches should be learning how to cast spells, right?"
"Sister Xiao Han, I want to get in shape too. My physical stats aren't great. Can we take your class next semester?"
"Next semester, following the normal process, you should be able to. Also, I want to clarify that Body Cultivation isn't just 'working out.' It’s a power system that is in no way inferior to magic," I told them.
"So, Sister Xiao Han, are you a dual cultivator of body and magic?"
"Hmm... in a way, I suppose that's true."
"Then do I have potential for Body Cultivation? I feel like my physical fitness has improved a lot for no reason over the last six months. Am I a Body Cultivation genius?"
"Me too! I can easily lift things now that I couldn't move before. Do I have talent too?"
"You idiots! That’s the Witchification brought by the Mana Sources we got when we enrolled. It’s been six months; don't you know Witchification improves your physical stats?" one of the girls explained helplessly to the other two.
After chatting with them for a while, I spent some time reminiscing with Ying Shiqian and the others. We didn't do anything special, just chatted about interesting things that had happened since we last met.
Ying Shiqian suggested calling the Shopkeeper over, but I stopped her.
This visit wasn't a big deal, and it wasn't like I would never come back. There was no need to go out of the way to call her; if we were meant to meet, we would.
I remembered witnessing Shopkeeper Xia Li’s thoughts being interfered with by the Script's Luck. She was an important supporting character, especially since she held a fragment of [Transcendent Knowledge] that served the Script. If a meeting were truly necessary, Luck would guide me to her.
When I had finished catching up with Ying Shiqian and the others, I left the Baking House. However, as I stepped outside, the group of girls followed me, looking reluctant to see me go.
"Um... Sister Xiao Han, about the fan club..."
"That accident happened during the Joint Exam, and Tan Han personally announced she no longer recognized the connection between her and her fan club. Sister Xiao Han, you won't publicly distance yourself from us too, will you?"
"I maintain a neutral stance on the matter. You witnessed everything that happened with the Tan Han Fan Club. I won't release any statements supporting or opposing such voices..." I responded simply to their worries.
"But... Sister Xiao Han, we've been supporting you from behind the scenes. If you don't respond to us in any way, it’ll break everyone's hearts!"
"Oh? I understand your concerns. But blind expectations and arbitrary disappointment are a form of self-inflicted harm born of your own imagination. That is precisely why I will not respond to you."
"Sister Xiao Han, are you saying this has all been one-sided affection from the start?" As soon as those words were spoken, the group fell silent. Even the girl who said it realized she had overstepped.
In the heavy silence, I spoke to break the tension.
"If a person lives solely for another, works solely for another, and pours all their emotions into another... then that person is only one step away from self-destruction: the moment they realize it was all one-sided."
"I can tell you plainly... in my eyes, such people aren't followers; they are time bombs. And no one embraces a time bomb like it's some precious treasure."
I knew these words would shatter the fantasies of the girls standing there, but it was better to face reality early than to live in a lie.
"I know my words are harsh, and I’m not afraid of you spreading them. But I must remind you: this 'time bomb' already blew up Tan Han, leaving her abandoned by everyone. I will not follow in her footsteps."
As I spoke, I saw one girl’s face turn pale, as if she were hearing the most terrifying thing imaginable. Her trembling pupils seemed to ask if I was being serious.
The other girls mostly just looked upset, though some seemed lost in deep thought.
I didn't give them a chance to speak again. I hadn't come here to cause trouble; meeting these girls was an accident, and making them cry wasn't my intention.
"I’m glad you can remain rational after hearing this, rather than turning on me like Tan Han’s fan club did to her. Especially you... your name is Qiu Mei, right?" I turned my gaze toward the girl who had been the most emotional. She froze, stunned that I actually knew—and remembered—her name.
"You performed brilliantly during the Joint Exam. You killed three monsters solo, assisted in over a dozen more, and even tore the wing off a Holy Angel. I remember how all of you performed. That is why I am telling you this. I hope you can develop the ability to think for yourselves rather than being driven by one-sided emotions. You need to understand why you came to the Witch Academy. One thing is certain... you shouldn't be here to chase stars."
I stopped there, having said enough. In my vision, the information about each person provided by the Tree of Great Knowledge faded away.
My words had struck a nerve for some and crushed the hearts of others.
They say girls are emotional, and these girls were no exception. Once they finished venting their feelings and began to reflect on my words, my effort wouldn't have been in vain.
Besides... girls are moved by different things. Sometimes, simply remembering someone's name can be a source of immense emotion. Like this girl... Qiu Mei.
I wouldn't say anything more. I’d let them fill in the blanks themselves.
Even if they went on the academy network to curse me, I didn't care. Hadn't I been cursed enough lately?
The girls watched my retreating back, words caught in their throats. Once I had completely vanished from sight, a wave of dejection began to spread.
"Um... Qiu Mei, are you okay? We all know you were the one among us who cared about Xiao Han the most..."
"I... I’m fine. Did you hear that? Sister Xiao Han actually knew my name... she’s been watching me!"
"Qiu Mei, are you sure you're okay? Should I help you ask for leave? You don't look so good."
"I’m just... a little excited. Sister Xiao Han was right..."
"Is Qiu Mei losing it?" one girl whispered to another.
"I don't know... but hey, do you think it's true that Sister Xiao Han remembers all of us? I really want her to remember my name too..."