Chapter 662: Witch Major Research Topic—Witch Reproduction Topic
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 662: Witch Major Research Topic—Witch Reproduction Topic
After leaving Dean Mei’s office, all I had to do was wait for the College Entrance Exam mission to be issued.
I had already gathered the general details of the process from the intelligence group, so I could actually leave the academy early and head to the designated location to wait.
But... before that, I needed to see Sister Bai in person.
During this time, it had always been my clone accompanying her. To me, there wasn't really a difference, but Sister Bai was somewhat resistant to the idea.
It was understandable, though. No matter how you looked at it, a clone was just a clone. No matter how much she doted on the clone, that affection wouldn't automatically transfer to my main body, even if that clone truly was me.
Beyond the clone issue, I had decided to go back and face that "home" of mine, and I wanted to let Sister Bai know.
I arrived at Sister Bai’s villa, but she wasn't home at this hour.
Not everyone likes to stay cooped up in a villa when they have free time. A "normie" life, naturally, involves enjoying the excitement outside the villa at every possible moment.
Moreover, with my clone accompanying her, Sister Bai had plenty of time to enjoy the beauty of her leisure hours.
Upon entering the house, I noticed the decor had changed significantly. The details of daily life had been altered in every corner I remembered.
These were changes my clone had made while accompanying her. After all, the clone’s sole purpose was to be there for Sister Bai; with nothing else to do, it became very focused on the minutiae and the sense of ritual in their daily life.
I wandered through the villa, experiencing every slight change and feeling the "lived-in" atmosphere my clone had added. It felt as if a couple were living a quiet, ordinary life here.
An ordinary life doesn't mean living in hardship; it means constantly accepting the present and believing that life will get better, no matter what difficulties arise.
Finally, I leaned against the armrest of the sofa and lay sideways on the soft cushions, then actively sank my mind into the clone’s subjective consciousness.
"Xiao Han~ How about this one? It’s nice, right? So soft and pink~"
Sister Bai’s voice came from behind me. Her hands were resting on my shoulders, and if I leaned back just a little, I could feel the comforting presence of her body.
I blinked, looking at the image in the massive floor-to-ceiling mirror. Sister Bai stood behind me, enthusiastically pushing me toward the glass to admire my appearance.
I was wearing a soft, frilly pink dress.
"Mm~ It’s not bad." I reached out and pinched the hem of the skirt. The fabric was smooth and high-quality, but it definitely added a touch of "frailty" to my reflection.
Sister Bai held a small comb, styling my hair to match the outfit.
I accidentally caught a glimpse of the price tag on the dress. That number... yeah, it had reached the level of a "tax on the gullible." In the past, I probably would have refused it no matter what, especially since I wasn't even a fan of soft pink. But now... it didn't seem to matter. As long as someone was happy—whether it was me or Sister Bai—that was enough.
"So, does Xiao Han want this one? You look just like a little princess right now."
"Well... I can only wear this kind of thing at home for you to see, Sister Bai. I definitely don't have the courage to wear it outside."
"That’s fine~ Then you can wear it for me at home. It’s not like we’re short on clothes that can only be worn indoors anyway."
"Mm~" I nodded, continuing to play this new game of dress-up with her.
The joy lasted for quite a while. Although I still couldn't quite grasp the appeal of girls' shopping trips, I found a sense of inner peace by feeling Sister Bai’s genuine happiness through every outfit I tried.
"Xiao Han, thank you for accompanying me on this trip~" Sister Bai said, clutching her bags full of spoils.
"There’s no need to thank me for that. We aren't strangers~"
"No, I’m serious. Xiao Han, right now, your subjective consciousness is completely dominating the clone to be with me, isn't it?" Though it was a question, she sounded entirely certain.
"Oh? Is there really that big of a difference?"
"Of course. I’m a Body Cultivator; I have a unique awareness of subtle perceptions. Especially Heart Sense. Heart Sense is the primary way to distinguish between the real you and the clone. To be honest, just now... you didn't perform as well as the clone’s subconscious does~ But... this clumsy performance makes me realize that this is the real you. A living, breathing Xiao Han."
"Eek~ Don't be so mushy in the middle of the street!"
"Is it mushy? I’m just speaking from the heart. But Xiao Han, are you back from the Expansion Realm?"
"Yeah, I’m already at the villa~ Your villa. Do you need me to go take a shower now and change into something that can 'only be worn at home'?"
"Sure~ I want something with less fabric."
"...Eh? Sister Bai, what’s wrong with you? You never used to make requests like that!"
"But I want to experience a different side of Xiao Han~"
"Sister Bai, have you been corrupted by my clone?" I bit my lip. In the past, Sister Bai would at least act "polite" when I teased her. Has she completely stopped pretending now?
"Absolutely!"
Sister Bai suddenly pinned me against a nearby wall. The shopping bags that had filled her hands were instantly stowed away into her storage equipment.
Her free left hand slammed against the wall beside my head.
"Hey... Sister Bai, that’s not how you’re supposed to use Ordinary Ability, is it?" I instinctively checked the reactions of the people around us. When I saw they hadn't noticed the commotion at all, I breathed a sigh of relief.
But a strange sensation welled up in my heart. It felt as if everyone on the street was part of some "play" between me and Sister Bai...
"Then why don't you guide me on how to use it? How about that?" Sister Bai’s right hand tilted my chin up as she smiled at me.
"No... I think I’ll pass..."
"Xiao Han, do you know? This clone of yours has really put me through a lot. If everything were as it used to be, I wouldn't be this restless. But your clone is so obedient to my every whim, constantly teasing my desires... and yet, I’ve held back."
"Because I know that simply venting this desire—this mixture of lust and my feelings for you—onto a clone wouldn't satisfy me..."
"Wait... wait a minute..."
Looking at Sister Bai, I realized she wasn't joking. I had played with fire. I only wanted to use the clone to ease her loneliness while I was away... how did it end up like this?
"What, did I scare you?"
The hand tilting my chin transitioned into a gentle caress of my cheek. At this moment, she didn't seem to care about the physical shell I was in, but rather the "complete me" residing within the clone.
"A... a little..."
"It’s okay~" Sister Bai didn't do anything too out of line to my clone. She simply pressed a light kiss onto my forehead. "You’ll get used to it eventually. Let me explain it to you in a way you like."
She let go, acting as if she hadn't done anything at all.
"A way... I like?"
"Mm. Don't you love learning, Xiao Han? You’re interested in everything regarding the Transcendent, to the point where it’s integrated into your lifestyle. You probably haven't even realized it yourself, have you?"
"I suppose... that’s true?" I said hesitantly.
"You know about the Witch Major Research Topics, right?"
"Yeah, of course. Why are you bringing that up, Sister Bai?"
"Actually, Transcendent Witches have very strong sexual desires. Did you know that?"
"Well... I do now."
"Do you know why?"
"Uh... I don't know. It can't be just for reproduction, can it?"
"You guessed right~"
"Are you serious?!" I stared at her. I had just thrown out a random guess, and she confirmed it? It sounded ridiculous!
"This brings us to the concept of the Witch Major Research Topic. These topics are the ultimate outlines of research based on the concept of 'Witch.'" Sister Bai spoke slowly, as if waiting for me to process the information. "It includes the Mana Project, the Mana Advancement System Project, the Witch Race Project, the Witch Bloodline Project, and so on. And among them, there is a very important one... the Witch Reproduction Topic!"
"Witch... Reproduction!?"
Hearing the term, I froze for a second. I felt a sense of helplessness, as if something I thought was far in the future was suddenly staring me in the face.
"That’s right~ Reproduction. The subject of how Transcendent Witches bear the next generation."
"Um... Sister Bai, isn't it a bit early for us to be discussing this?" I usually joked about suggestive topics with her, but having her explain this so seriously... I was genuinely scared.
"Is it early? Not really."
"I’m not even a Transcendent Witch yet. I can't do that right now!"
"I know. You usually love learning about Transcendent concepts, don't you? But this kind of concept and common sense... only I can teach you~" Sister Bai said with a smile, clearly enjoying my reaction.
"Ugh..."
"Don't you want to know? Aren't you curious how two witches... ahem~" Her voice trailed off near my ear, leaving the most unspeakable parts to my imagination.
"This... isn't it a bit inappropriate to talk about this now? Maybe... maybe tonight?"
"What I’m telling you now is serious knowledge. If we wait until we’re in bed tonight... whether the knowledge stays 'serious' is another story."
"Fine... fine. Since you say it’s serious knowledge, go ahead." I instinctively bit my lip, once again suppressing my urge to hide my emotions. I felt that when I was with Sister Bai, expressing my true feelings was the right way to be.
"Then I’ll continue. The Witch Reproduction Topic is very special. It’s knowledge carved into a witch’s instincts. When a witch needs it, she will automatically embark on this research path."
"And witches who embark on this path will find their needs in that area significantly increased."
"Wait... why is it like that? Isn't that just a fancy way of saying... a 'heat' cycle? Can't this behavior be controlled?"
"Putting it that way... I suppose it’s not wrong. Of course it can be controlled, but it takes immense willpower. Xiao Han~ think back to when you sent your clone over. How has my willpower been?"
"Very... very strong!"
"Exactly. The longer it’s suppressed, the more violent the rebound will be~"
"So... I’m doomed tonight?"
"How could you call it 'doomed'? Tonight, I’m going to take you through an experience of the power of the Witch Reproduction Topic~ I guarantee it’ll be unforgettable."
"No! I’m not a Transcendent Witch yet, right? This... isn't this inappropriate?" I waved my hands frantically.
"It’s perfectly appropriate~" Sister Bai gripped my hand a bit tighter. "Precisely because you aren't a Transcendent Witch yet, we don't even need to worry about protection~"
"Eek..."
"Just kidding, Xiao Han. Even if you were a Transcendent Witch, the probability of conceiving the next generation is extremely tiny~" Sister Bai laughed. "The chances of a Transcendent lifeform reproducing are very slim. Why else do you think Reproduction is an independent branch of the Witch Major Research Topics?"
"But... even so... even if I become a Transcendent Witch, I probably won't be ready for a long time to... you know..."
"You don't want to be pregnant, or you don't want to give birth?"
"Neither..."
"What if the way a witch bears her child is in the form of an egg?"
"An egg..."
"Under the Witch Reproduction Topic, there’s a direct sub-topic called Oviparous Birth. The next generation of witches is born through external incubation."
"That’s... weird..."
"It’s fine. I’m just giving you some 'sex education.' I know it’s still far off for us, but when the time comes, I will definitely respect your wishes." Sister Bai’s tone suddenly softened. Though she was usually gentle, her words now carried a deeper weight of emotion.
"Mm..." I nodded, not dwelling on the issue further.
The walk back to the villa wasn't long, and Sister Bai’s impatient expression was written all over her face.
The moment the villa door opened, my main body was there to meet her.
Sister Bai instinctively let go of my clone’s hand and pulled me into a tight embrace.
"I missed you so much, Xiao Han."
"Mm-hmm. Well, here I am, right in your arms~" At this moment, back at home, it was my turn to comfort her.
My clone stood quietly to the side, experiencing the embrace from a third-person perspective.
"Um... how long do you plan on holding me like this, Sister Bai?"
"It feels like forever wouldn't be enough~" Sister Bai finally loosened her grip, pulling back just enough to look at me.
Her gaze began to lose focus as she stared at my face. Even though she had seen this face every day recently, the feeling it gave her was completely different from the clone.
"If it were forever, wouldn't you get bored? Moderation is best." I gently pushed her back and met the eyes of my clone. I had experienced this "eye contact with myself" many times, so I wasn't about to get jealous of my own double.
However, after leaving Sister Bai’s embrace, I walked over to my clone. We sat down on the sofa in perfect synchronization, like a pair of well-coordinated twins.
"Sister Bai, do you want to try a 1v2 tonight? If you want... I can make as many as you like~ I can even let you pick the types."
"Loli, young girl, or a 'big sister' style like yours? I can do them all~"
Sister Bai instinctively swallowed hard. It was as if a sudden surge of impulse had nearly dominated her desires, but she managed to suppress it at the last second.
"I only need one of you..." She unfastened a button on her collar to relieve the heat rising in her chest.
Then, she completely ignored my clone and moved toward my main body. She braced her hands against the back of the sofa, looming over me.
Her face drew close, her lips flushed red. This time, she didn't settle for a symbolic kiss on the forehead. Instead, accompanied by her slightly ragged, hot breath, she pressed her lips firmly against mine...