Chapter 579: New Semester
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 579: New Semester
In the end, the auction did not proceed smoothly.
After such a heinous incident, there was naturally no point in continuing.
Having been caught in the fallout, it was now a question of whether auctions of this type could even be held in the future. Moreover, the disappearance of such a massive hotel and its surrounding buildings would undoubtedly have a significant impact on Magic City.
Amidst this chaotic environment, the various transcendent academies began their new semesters one after another.
The tragedy caused by the players was undeniably atrocious.
Students from every transcendent academy learned through firsthand experience that such villains actually existed in this world.
However... the truth of the matter was destined to remain hidden from the public eye.
They would never know that the culprits behind such severe destruction were beings from outside their world, nor would they know they were called "players."
As for how the aftermath would be handled... that was for the professionals in charge of such matters to worry about.
I didn't need to stress over it.
At this moment, I was busy with many things for the new semester, such as preparing to assist Sister Bai with her very first class.
After all, I was a teaching assistant.
Originally, Sister Bai hadn't planned on having us help. When she first asked me to be her teaching assistant, it was mainly to save me from unnecessary trouble that came with being a student.
But since this was Sister Bai's first time teaching a class, it was a momentous occasion. Thus, she couldn't talk me out of it.
Besides... teaching others is also a process of learning for oneself.
However, when the day of the class finally arrived, the number of students who showed up... was far beyond my expectations.
Body Cultivation was a very niche course at the Witch Academy; usually, the number of students could be counted on one hand.
Furthermore, there were plenty of mentors teaching Body Cultivation, Body Arts perception cultivation, and similar series of courses. Regardless of whether there were many students, as long as someone wanted to learn, there would be a mentor willing to teach.
It was truly unexpected for so many people to show up for Sister Bai's first class. After seeing the number of applicants, Sister Bai hurriedly switched to a larger Body Cultivation training ground for the lesson.
If you ask me, most of these people weren't actually there with the intention of practicing Body Cultivation.
Seeing so many familiar faces in the crowd, I realized they were just there to show their support.
Of course, there were those who truly came to learn Body Cultivation. For instance, I recognized Liv and Tao Ling. They were two senior sisters I had met at the Body Training Hall—one was a part-time coach there, and the other was a genius who had cultivated Body Cultivation internal energy. As for the rest, I could only get a general idea of their situation through my Ley Line Identification Art.
What was certain, however, was that a significant portion of the attendees had seen my skills before and had come because of my reputation.
Of course... if they were only here hoping to use Body Cultivation to become as strong as me, I could only say that such a shortcut was completely unnecessary.
Still, I wouldn't turn them away. No matter why they came, since they were here, Sister Bai couldn't let their course fees go to waste, right?
Besides, I was just a teaching assistant. What is a teaching assistant? Someone who assists in teaching, obviously!
I spent the entire time watching Sister Bai teach them practical experience regarding Body Cultivation. At most, I only provided some negligible help.
The class lasted for half a day, only coming to an end near noon. After the students gradually filtered out, only Sister Bai and I remained.
"How was it? Did you find it boring?"
"It was fine. I think you explained everything very clearly, Sister Bai. You even put so much effort into those people who clearly weren't interested in Body Cultivation."
"I'm a teacher now, after all. No matter what mindset they have, I treat them all the same. I'm not just being responsible to them; I'm being responsible to myself."
"You're far too dedicated. And you, Sister Bai—you didn't seem nervous at all for your first lecture~"
"Well, ever since I was promoted to a Transcendent Witch, I no longer feel stage fright when facing students, whether I know them or not," Bai Yu admitted directly, sharing her perspective.
"Oh, I know about that. I heard that after becoming a witch, the leap in life level makes non-transcendent beings look like ants... is that true?" I asked curiously. I had heard it before, but I wanted a definitive answer from Sister Bai.
"Um... yes." Sister Bai was slightly taken aback by my question, but she eventually gave a very candid answer. "But Xiao Han, you are special to me."
"Haha~ No need to clarify so quickly. Am I the type of person who likes to trouble you with tricky questions? I was just genuinely curious." I replied nonchalantly.
After helping Sister Bai tidy up the equipment in the Body Cultivation room, I accompanied her to lunch.
We chatted about many interesting things along the way, including the recent auction incident.
The massive shockwaves caused by that auction in Magic City had yet to subside. Even without actively seeking information, I knew the matter was far from over.
After all, the impact of the event had spread terrifyingly fast, both in the outside world and within the transcendent academies.
This directly or indirectly caused many people to feel a sense of crisis.
However, from my conversation with Sister Bai, while the incident was widely discussed among the Transcendent Witches, there wasn't much of a sense of urgency. Most witches were simply watching the drama unfold.
"By the way, Sister Bai, what do you usually do besides your scheduled classes each semester?"
Sensing that the atmosphere might turn heavy if we kept talking about the auction, I took the initiative to change the subject.
Moreover, I was indeed curious about what the teachers in the Main World did in their spare time. They certainly couldn't spend all their time teaching.
Thinking of Teacher Ji Niang—though I didn't know much about her, she was also a first-time counselor. Before taking that role, she was probably in a similar position to Sister Bai.
But now she had started researching [Transcendent Knowledge] again. She was so busy that you couldn't even find her unless you went looking for her.
"Me? I usually just prepare for my classes and plan the curriculum for this semester's Body Cultivation course."
"That shouldn't take up much time, right?"
"Of course. To be honest, I've already planned out almost the entire semester. At most, I'll just make adjustments based on the actual situation later. I spend the rest of my time on my own arrangements. You should know I've been studying Real Editing Technology lately, right?"
"Mhm! Have you succeeded yet, Sister Bai?"
"Not yet. However, I recently received an invitation from an interest group that is also studying Real Editing. Exchanging ideas with them is much better than me mulling over books alone."
"So that's how it is." Hearing that Sister Bai had her own hobbies and a group of like-minded witches... I couldn't help but feel a bit envious.
"Exactly. But what about you, Xiao Han? I heard you're planning something big again? It's already common knowledge among the witches."
"Oh, it's just a plan to perfect the Tree of Great Knowledge. I'm not even sure if it'll be successful. It wasn't supposed to be a big deal, but I was forced to report it..."
"Now, now, Xiao Han, why are you complaining? If that isn't a big deal, then very few things in the Witch Academy are."
"I'm just being humble~" I explained.
I naturally knew that researching a Great Spellbook was a major event at the Witch Academy. I was just trying to use a different way to mentally suggest something to myself.
A different mindset changes how one approaches a task. If I viewed perfecting the Tree of Great Knowledge as a monumental task, I would feel a lingering pressure no matter how good my attitude was.
But if I viewed it as something ordinary and routine, then everything I did would feel natural and easy. Without pressure, I could be more uninhibited.
And when one is uninhibited, inspiration strikes much more easily.
After sharing a pleasant lunch with Sister Bai, we parted ways for the time being. This parting didn't bring much sadness, as we both knew that as long as we cared for each other, meeting again was a simple matter.
Besides, Sister Bai had an afternoon tea appointment with her friends.
The tea party was proposed by a witch from that mutual aid group studying Real Editing Technology. The main goal was to gather and discuss their recent insights or bring up problems to see if others could help solve them.
I also had my own business in the afternoon: going to see Sister Natalie to tune my Book in the Box.
After all, the Book in the Box wasn't truly finished. Having it in my hands now was just a period for adjustment and breaking it in.
During this period, if I encountered any issues, I could go to Sister Natalie for tuning at any time. If I had any new inspirations, I could also perfect it based on the original foundation.
After using the Book in the Box for a few days, I had to admit it was very handy. However, I could feel a few uncoordinated spots that needed slight improvements.
Of course, the main reason for my trip was a new inspiration regarding the Book in the Box.
Previously, Natalie had added an "annotation" function to the Book in the Box to make it compatible.
But now, I had optimized my annotation abilities into rune techniques related to the power of knowledge. Naturally, this required a change—and not a small one. This modification would gradually deepen as my understanding of the power of knowledge grew.
This visit to Sister Natalie was mainly for preliminary tuning and communication. Construction would only begin after we had discussed the specific reasons and requirements for the changes.
In the period following that, I would be perfecting the Tree of Great Knowledge.
It was foreseeable that if the perfection of the Tree of Great Knowledge went smoothly, my understanding of the power of knowledge would reach a new level.
By then, I could adapt the Book in the Box with that deeper understanding, saving me from constant tuning. I could get it done in one go.
After all, the role of the Book in the Box was just auxiliary support, and its greatest current use was developing additional applications for the power of knowledge. Naturally, I focused more on adjustments in that area.
After saying goodbye to Sister Bai, I strolled over to the alchemy district.
Since I had slowed down my pace of life, I tried to avoid using teleportation spells as much as possible. Instead, I spent more time walking on my own two feet, taking in the beautiful scenery I had previously ignored.
This scenery included, but was not limited to, the academy's greenery, the architecture, and... the students.
When I arrived at Natalie's alchemy lab, she was nowhere to be found. The smart butler in the lab simply guided me to the drawing room.
However, as soon as I entered, I felt a bone-chilling cold permeating the room.
"The Master is currently at the underground testing ground. She is aware of your arrival, guest. You may proceed to the testing ground on your own," the smart butler's voice chimed in a timely reminder.
"So she's testing something... Even with my physical stats, I feel a bit cold... Natalie didn't do something weird with that Absolute Zero crown, did she?" I muttered to myself, deciding to head down to the underground testing ground to see for myself.
I wasn't one to sit still. Rather than waiting upstairs drinking instant coffee for Natalie to finish her tests, I chose to go down and see what was happening.
Since Natalie already knew I was here, going down to find her wouldn't be considered rude.
However, the further down I went, the more terrifying the chill became. I could even see the moisture in the air condensing into frost on the walls.
When I reached the testing ground, I was surprised to find Tan Han there as well, with the Shopkeeper standing beside her.
On second thought, it wasn't that strange.
"Hi~"
I greeted them naturally. Natalie looked past Tan Han and the others to give me an enthusiastic greeting.
It seemed that compared to interacting with Tan Han and her group, Natalie cared much more about me.
"Xiao Han, it's been a few days. Is the Book in the Box working well? Xiao Tan told me you've used it in several fights."
"It's very handy, of course~ I've only found a few minor issues so far... Sister Natalie, are you testing a weapon for Tan Han?" I replied casually, my gaze falling on Natalie's hand.
It was a long staff. The original crown had been integrated into the design of the staff's head. At first glance, it didn't look out of place at all.
"That's right. The Staff of Absolute Cold—that's the name I gave it. Not bad, right? You should have felt its power. I only released part of the seal, and it already turned my alchemy lab into this. My air conditioning isn't even this efficient at cooling."
"I'm sorry for the trouble, Teacher," Tan Han interjected quickly.
"Oh, it's fine. I'm the one who told you to test it here. The power truly exceeded my expectations. I hope you like it." As Natalie spoke, she handed the staff to Tan Han. "Of course, if any problems arise during use, feel free to come back to me for repairs."
After saying this, Natalie walked right past Tan Han and the Shopkeeper. It wasn't that she was intentionally ignoring Tan Han; she was just far too invested in the Book in the Box.
Due to Natalie's overwhelming enthusiasm, I didn't get a chance to say more than a few words to Tan Han. I hadn't seen much of her since we left the dungeon. It seemed the players' actions hadn't caused her too much trouble.
A simple "see you later" served as a temporary farewell. After seeing Tan Han off, I was pulled back to the drawing room by Sister Natalie to discuss the modification ideas for the Book in the Box.