Chapter 684: Would You Be Willing to Cooperate with Me on This Experiment?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 684: Would You Be Willing to Cooperate with Me on This Experiment?
"...Mm, okay~ Then I'll head over in a bit."
After finishing the call with Yi Rui and the others, I prepared to set out.
Following the time I had delivered the Crystallized Fireball Spellbook and departed, they had also left that area, intending to head outside Ninglan New City to gather materials.
They weren't lower-year students and didn't have to worry about final exams, so they didn't have much to consider. Even if the semester ended and the Academy announced the closure of the Expansion Realm, they could return at a moment's notice.
Thus, even with the end of the term approaching, they had simply moved from the distant frontiers back into the Ninglan Territory.
However, they weren't currently in Ninglan New City; instead, they were scouring other shelters for novel materials.
According to them, they were currently resting for a few days at Sixth Shelter. And Sixth Shelter... was currently the most chaotic of all the shelters.
This particular shelter had been built through the combined efforts and assistance of several Witch Academies and other shelters. Consequently, many of the teleportation channels there belonged to the Beast Academy, along with students from the Wyrmkin Transcendent Academy, various dwarf academies, and the like.
It was a complete hodgepodge.
Maintaining order was a nightmare.
Because the students came from so many different academies, conflicts could erupt at the slightest provocation—not to mention that the largest demographic there consisted of the notoriously short-tempered students from the Beast Academy.
Furthermore, since the completion of Sixth Shelter, it had become the first shelter where the student population far outnumbered the local residents...
It couldn't be helped. Aside from the Witch Academies and the top-tier institutions, other academies essentially had no "human rights," and they certainly had no say when it came to the Expansion Realm.
Having learned Yi Rui's location, I didn't plan on lingering. Sixth Shelter... I didn't think I had ever been there. It was a good chance to go and see the world.
In fact, it wasn't just Sixth Shelter; I had barely visited any of the other sanctuaries.
However, just as I was about to depart from Ninglan New City, I came to a halt at a certain spot within the city.
"Huh? A Witch Cat Cafe? What's going on?" I stared at the shop, which was clearly a new opening. The highly distinctive font on the sign confirmed that this was indeed the same Witch Cat Cafe that everyone in the Witch Academy was so obsessed with!
"No way... Did Dinah actually open a Witch Cat Cafe in Ninglan New City?" I stepped inside, curious to see if there were any Fool's Dream around. But just then, a cat trotted up to me with light steps and began rubbing against my calf.
"Xiao... Sister Xiao Han? Is that you, Sister Xiao Han? Welcome to the Witch Cat Cafe!" A student at the front desk spotted me and recognized me immediately.
"Yes, it's me. I was just curious—is this Witch Cat Cafe also run by Teacher Dinah?" I leaned down to scoop the cat into my arms, then looked at the student with a curious expression.
"This... yes, it is. However, Teacher Dinah didn't come herself. She just posted a task for people to help her open a Witch Cat Cafe in the Expansion Realm on her behalf. I heard there's also a task posted at the Calamity Shelter, but it seems no one has accepted it yet."
"I see." I stroked the little cat's head and asked, "By the way, do you have Fool's Dream here to prepare Fool's Dream drinks?"
"Fool's Dream? I'm sorry... we don't have a position for a Fool's Dream here yet. They're in such high demand; there aren't even enough to go around for the cafes back at the Witch Academy, let alone here... Besides, Fool's Dream drinks require a stable supply of raw materials and such."
"I see. Fair enough."
"Then, Sister Xiao Han, would you like to—"
"No, thank you. I have things to do; I just stopped by out of curiosity. I'll come by for a drink when I have some free time."
After returning the clingy little cat, I left Ninglan New City.
Yi Rui and the others had shared their coordinates with me via the Great Knowledge Seed, so I wouldn't have to spend ages searching for them once I reached Sixth Shelter.
Still, the distance between Sixth Shelter and Ninglan New City surprised me. Although both were shelters within the Ninglan Territory, reflecting on the distance between the Second Shelter and Ninglan New City gave one a sense of just how vast the Ninglan Territory truly was.
Even with so many people from the Transcendent Academies pushing the boundaries of expansion until they were at their wits' end, that was the scale of the Ninglan Territory.
Of course, the reason they were at their wits' end... was partly due to my modification of the variant beasts. The area radiated by the Ninglan Territory wasn't defined simply by how far one could travel; it required infrastructure and defenses.
As I hurried along, I saw many buildings, but there was still a considerable distance between the shelters. The transition zones in between were clearly undergoing urbanization, with many areas already marked out for construction planning.
When I finally arrived at Sixth Shelter, my first impression of the city was... wild. Yet, it didn't lack modern elements. The combination of the two gave it a unique flavor.
This shelter was an open one, meaning there were no procedures or formalities for entering the city. Public security relied entirely on self-discipline—no wonder people said it was chaotic.
Even before entering, I saw many people with orcish features busily moving about. In contrast, a little witch with a human appearance like mine seemed somewhat out of place.
After taking a moment to appreciate the various forms of these beast-kin, I headed toward the coordinates.
The further in I went, the more I realized how rapidly this city was developing—to the point where one might forget it was actually a "shelter."
The coordinates seemed to point to the most prosperous part of Sixth Shelter's center.
However, even if it was called "prosperous," that likely referred to the cluster of buildings. As for the people... I couldn't quite agree.
The thing I found most unbearable was the orcs' lack of hygiene. Spitting on the ground was considered a "friendly" bit of immorality compared to the rest.
Moreover, I hadn't seen a single public restroom since I arrived, so one could only imagine...
But their behavior had created a unique job market, which could be seen as providing employment opportunities for the shelter's refugees—if they didn't mind the work.
Before I reached the location, I notified them in advance.
Thus, when I appeared at a high-end hotel, I was met by several familiar faces.
"Hi~ Xiao Han! Over here~"
"I'm here." Seeing Yi Rui come down personally to greet me, I quickened my pace.
"I didn't expect you to get here so fast, Xiao Han!"
"Well, I do have something I need your help with~" I walked toward the group, though I found the enthusiasm of these girls a bit overwhelming.
"Alright~ But what exactly is this 'something'? You wouldn't tell us clearly over the comms."
"Well~ it's not convenient here. Let's go up and talk." I waved my hand to indicate that there were too many eyes and ears around. Besides, this wasn't something that could be explained in a few words, so it was better to head upstairs first.
After some small talk on the way up, I arrived at the multi-room suite where they were staying. From what I gathered during the ascent, they had booked the entire top floor. After all, their club had quite a few members.
I had to admit, while these people usually kept a low profile, their financial power was truly terrifying.
Of course, booking the top floor was also for the convenience of conducting experiments without being disturbed by outsiders.
"I'm jealous. You guys really know how to enjoy yourselves~" I remarked, looking at the luxurious amenities.
"Those of you who aren't busy, come over here~ Look who I've brought~" Yi Rui called out directly, and many people came over when they heard the commotion.
"Eh? It's Sister Xiao Han!"
"What? Sister Xiao Han actually came here?"
Hearing Yi Rui call out my name, many of them crowded around to join the fun.
After exchanging greetings, they led me to the outdoor rooftop terrace, which had the best view.
The terrace was designed as a massive rooftop garden with entertainment facilities, including an infinity pool near the edge. No wonder one of the girls who greeted me earlier had been dripping wet in a swimsuit.
Once there, I used a Change of Clothes Spell to swap my casual attire for a cooler, more relaxed outfit.
"A Change of Clothes Spell? What a convenient spell. It's a shame you rarely see it at the Academy," Yi Rui remarked, seeing me change with a snap of my fingers.
She had considered learning it before, but since such spells involved one's own clothing, they knew all too well how unstable a manually cast Change of Clothes Spell could be without the guaranteed stability of a spellbook.
"If you asked your mentor for a spellbook like this, she'd probably craft one for you, wouldn't she?" I asked curiously.
"Forget it. It's not a spell I want that badly; there's no need to trouble my mentor over it. Once I become a Transcendent Witch, I'll craft whatever spellbooks I want myself!" After all, they had already been exposed to technologies related to Real Editing, even if they couldn't use them yet since they hadn't reached the Transcendent level.
"By the way, Xiao Han, now that we're here, can you tell us what's going on?" Yi Rui asked again.
It was clear she was still very curious about the reason for my sudden visit.
As Yi Rui asked, the others didn't leave either, instead crowding around curiously.
After all, they had witnessed my capabilities before—especially that Great Knowledge Seed, which was a Sequence Derivation of a Great Spellbook!
It was the first time they had ever seen a derivation of that sequence.
"Just saying it might not be very clear, so let me demonstrate a technique to explain why I'm here," I said after a moment's thought.
"A technique? What kind of technique?"
"Quick, quick~ Does Xiao Han have some new inspiration for a non-sequence derivation? Which spell is it a derivation of?"
"Just watch the demonstration. Xiao Han wouldn't come all this way just for a simple spell derivation, right?" Yi Rui said, calming the overly excited crowd.
"Actually, the technique I'm going to show is very simple." As I spoke, I reached out my hand, and a surge of mana billowed from within me.
That's right—I was demonstrating the technique of condensing a Mana Source.
The girls before me... as researchers of spells, they were deeply knowledgeable about runes, magic rituals, spell frameworks, and the like. They also needed to use their own mental strength to guide mana when casting spells, so their familiarity with mana went without saying.
At first, they didn't understand what I was doing. They were curious why I wasn't constructing a spell framework but was instead pouring out mana to build an unknown ritual.
However, as the mana gradually transcended the visible level, the energy reached the level of Real Time, and the unknown ritual condensed, everyone was stunned. Yi Rui was the first to react!
Xiao Han was condensing a Mana Source!
No... she wasn't sure... she had to keep watching.
Yet, they all tacitly chose not to ask immediately.
I continued my operation. A Mana Source is essentially an energy anchor on the level of Real Time, so ordinary people cannot see one unless a special container or medium is used to carry it.
However, students who could enter the Witch Academy all possessed Spirit Vision. Even at the lowest level, it was at the stage of Premonition. They didn't need a profound level of Spirit Vision; as long as they had mastered their Spirit Vision talent enough to stably touch Real Time, they could see the state of the Mana Source.
By this point, even the slowest among them had realized what was happening. She was manually crafting a Mana Source!
In their understanding, a Mana Source was something that only a Transcendent Witch could obtain independently. Like a spellbook, it was something they were not qualified to manufacture on their own!
The silence lasted for a while longer until I broke it myself.
"Alright, finished!" I placed the Mana Source into my body. Only then did the others snap out of it.
"Xiao Han... that... was that a Mana Source? You can actually manually craft a Mana Source? Have you ascended to become a Transcendent Witch?!" Yi Rui was the first to ask.
"You're joking. That was indeed a Mana Source, but I haven't ascended to become a Transcendent Witch. So... that's the issue, and one of the reasons I came to find you this time." I looked around at everyone and began to guide the conversation toward the field I wanted to discuss.
"This is why you're looking for us? You managed to condense a Mana Source? But... but..."
"I heard my mentor say that before we ascend to become Transcendent Witches, it's impossible to condense a Mana Source... Did my mentor lie to me?"
"My mentor said the same thing..."
"Your mentors didn't lie to you, of course. Under normal circumstances, it's naturally impossible to condense a Mana Source without ascending. But first, you have to understand how that conclusion was reached!" I calmed everyone down and continued to lead the topic, throwing out a question to make them think.
Why is it impossible to condense a Mana Source without ascending to become a Transcendent Witch?
"This... I suppose I really don't know."
"I don't know either. My mentor didn't tell me. I think I asked once... but I didn't get an answer."
"It's probably not too late for me to text my mentor and ask..."
"Since you're not sure, let me explain it to you." Seeing that they were all in the dark, I stopped teasing them.
"First, it must be affirmed that, in principle, your mentors were not wrong. Condensing a Mana Source is a sub-project under the Great Soul Subject of Witches. Theoretically, it is indeed something only a Transcendent Witch can do."
"Let's break down the hard requirements of this project. It's roughly divided into two aspects: one is the technique—the skill of condensing a Mana Source—and the other is the foundation for that condensation. This foundation relies on a special racial constitution of witches, also known as the witch talent: Self-Generated Mana."
"Generally speaking, this constitution is a form of physical perfection achieved after one ascends to become a Transcendent Witch, when their life level undergoes a transcendent metamorphosis and they embark on the Great Soul Subject. From what I understand, it's not particularly difficult for a Transcendent Witch to obtain this talent, but it's nearly impossible for those who haven't ascended."
"But... you possess this constitution even though you haven't ascended?" Yi Rui quickly caught on and asked.
"Yes! I have this constitution, and I've also mastered the technique for condensing a Mana Source. That's why I can independently condense one," I nodded in confirmation.
"But I didn't come here today to talk about Mana Sources. I came for the physical talent of Self-Generated Mana! I want to research a technique that can mass-produce the Self-Generated Mana talent!"
"So... would you be willing to cooperate with me on this experiment?"