Chapter 730: The Problem with the Game World
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 730: The Problem with the Game World
Leaving the laboratory, I headed straight for Dean Mei’s office.
Once I cleared the space-locked zone surrounding the experimental area, I used a teleportation spell to land right outside the Dean’s office, then walked the few remaining steps to the door.
Upon entering, the first thing that caught my eye was that massive, precision instrument for the Simple Qi Observation Art. It remained the most striking creation in the room.
Quite a few witches had gathered there. When they saw me arrive, they all greeted me warmly, beckoning me over.
Among the group, I spotted several familiar faces—like Sister Natalie, the alchemy master who had helped me craft my Book in the Box. I hadn't expected to see her here.
At the moment, they were all fiddling with various strange objects—materials I wouldn't have even recognized if not for my Ley Line Identification Art.
Some items were just strewn carelessly across the floor... Walking in on them like this, I really felt like I was watching a gang of thieves sitting around dividing their spoils.
"Xiao Han, you're here~ Next time, you can just teleport directly into the office. This is my turf; there's no need to be so formal with me," the Dean said directly, noticing I had taken the hallway in from the outside again.
"Ah... Right, okay, Sister Mei. Oh? Sister Mei, you're still using a clone? Are you still that busy?" I looked at Dean Mei. She was indeed still present as a clone, but since things had mostly settled down, I didn't think she’d be this swamped.
After all, they were currently in the middle of "dividing the loot."
"When am I not busy?" Dean Mei blinked, then replied with a smile.
"I thought things had more or less wound down for now. Especially since you specifically called me over to share the spoils, Sister Mei~"
"The current situation has indeed settled, but troubles just keep coming one after another. Being a Dean is a busy job," Dean Mei’s clone said with a laugh. "By the way, Xiao Han, do you want to know what’s going on?"
"Of course I do!" I said immediately.
If I stayed in the dark about these things, I’d be hesitant in my actions. Without knowing the underlying logic of a situation, I’d never be able to guess what the other side was planning.
It was just like how no one had ever explicitly or formally told me my own value or significance. I didn't know how other races treated geniuses, so I had been trapped in my own perspective—I was even naive enough to never consider that the enemy would actually plot to assassinate me!
"Look at how anxious you've made Xiao Han. Don't be in such a rush~ Let him get his hands on the goods first, then you can talk," a witch sister playing with a piece of fruit said with a chuckle.
"Xiao Han came all the way from the lab. He’s not like you, idling around all day and being the first one to show up when it's time to split the loot," another witch beside her added, taking a blatant jab at her.
"I went there with the Dean! I deserve a share of the extorted goods! What of it?"
"Move aside, you're stepping on my materials." As the two witches bickered, Sister Natalie squeezed through. She was only interested in the materials among the haul—and not just any materials; she welcomed any transcendent material suitable for alchemy.
"True enough. Xiao Han rushed over from the lab and put his experiments on hold; he should get some benefits first," Dean Mei said. She handed over a storage card. "This part is yours, Xiao Han. I specifically picked out things you can use. Since the compensation from those academies was based on the premise of your 'death,' we didn't push too hard on the specifics, so there's a lot in there that wouldn't be useful to you."
"It’s fine, it’s fine. It’s all free stuff anyway. It’s enough that you remembered me, Sister Mei~"
I could tell Dean Mei was subtly explaining why she wasn't giving me all the compensation, but I could never have taken it all anyway! I wasn't that thick-skinned.
Even though these benefits were technically given by the various academies as blood money for killing me, without the Witch Academy as my backbone, those people wouldn't have given me the time of day.
Getting a share was more than enough for me.
"Xiao Han is even more sensible than he looks."
"I try~" I said modestly. In truth, I knew exactly why I was being so easygoing: I had no way of judging the value of these resources. Since I didn't understand their worth, I didn't care much. It was just like in the Expansion Realm—because I couldn't gauge values accurately, I had to let Millian manage things for me.
It really came down to a lack of experience.
"These are just the appetizers. In a moment, there’s a real prize—the true benefit we have for you this time," Dean Mei said with a smile, keeping me in suspense.
When she mentioned this, I noticed that many of the witches present actually looked quite envious!
Was this a benefit that even Transcendent Witches couldn't ignore?!
I looked at Dean Mei in shock, finding it hard to believe.
Still, looking at the storage card in my hand, I decided to put it away first...
"But before we get to that, let’s talk about what I mentioned earlier—what I’ve been busy with," Dean Mei said, bringing the conversation back to the original topic. "Xiao Han, you’re curious, right?"
"Mhm, mhm."
"Actually, we’re currently busy with an issue regarding the Game World." Dean Mei sighed and went straight to the point, forgoing her usual indirectness.
"Eh? Did something go wrong with that world?" I asked, surprised.
I thought that world was already firmly in the witches' pocket. I hadn't expected any problems to arise.
If it required Dean Mei herself to be this busy, it probably wasn't a small matter.
"You could say a few minor problems cropped up."
"Minor problems..." I didn't quite buy it. This was a "minor problem" in the Dean's words; from my perspective, it was likely massive.
I remembered that I still had a player clone over there. By now, she had more or less learned and mastered the language of that world and was cautiously trying to integrate into the player circles.
However, progress was currently worrying.
And... the players lately seemed a bit off.
First, they had learned about the existence of Transcendent Witches and were terrified, yet they still hadn't left. That was the strange part.
Who was giving them the courage?
"It really is a minor problem. That Game World is already as good as ours; no one dares to snatch it from the witches," Dean Mei said, first establishing the baseline.
"So... what is the 'minor problem' then?" I asked curiously.
"The Void Coordinates of that Game World seem to have leaked. Some transcendent races learned the coordinates of that world before we did," Dean Mei said with a sigh.
"Eh? Void Coordinates? Leaked? Uh..."
"Xiao Han, you might not fully understand what that implies, right?"
"Right. So... in my understanding, does it mean other people are eyeing that world?" I asked tentatively.
"No one dares to openly steal property belonging to Transcendent Witches, but the petty tricks behind the scenes are constant." As Dean Mei spoke, her expression turned serious, carrying the same kind of frustration one feels seeing a cockroach scuttling across the floor at home.
The frustration wasn't just because of the cockroach, but because the dark corners were already crawling with them.
"Uh... if it's just petty tricks, couldn't you just wipe them out with a heavy hand?"
"That's why we're facing two issues," Dean Mei said helplessly. "The first is the contract issue—the Transcendent Non-Interference Principle. Remember when I told you to go harvest that world?"
"Ah... I remember." I nodded immediately. "So... they found a loophole in the contract and leaked the Void Coordinates to let other races harass us?"
"More or less. You can think of it that way, Xiao Han. It’s not just harassment; it’s a provocation!" Dean Mei’s temper seemed to be flaring up. "And recently, we seem to have lost the Void Coordinates for that world. It wasn't an accident. That world suddenly mastered technology capable of masking its own Void Coordinates. it has nearly slipped halfway out of our control."
"Suddenly?" I quickly caught the key word.
"Anyone could guess there’s foul play involved. Some transcendent race definitely lent a hand. No doubt it’s those few transcendent races from the Main World."
"Could it be the Abyssal Demons? After all, that world was originally their..." I guessed.
"It’s not them," Dean Mei denied. "They haven't even secured a solid foothold in the Main World yet. If they dared to obstruct us like this, we could drive every trace of the Abyssal Demons out of the Main World at a relatively small cost."
"Uh... then they still dared to participate in the plan to assassinate me?"
"To put it jokingly... the Abyssal Demons were actually framed in that matter. They were just doing someone a favor that cost them nothing, but they didn't expect to end up as the scapegoat. They originally just wanted to make an appearance by invading the Expansion Realm because they had paid a high enough price for us to allow them a limited presence there—in any form, though we didn't guarantee they wouldn't be expelled, and no transcendent-level interference was allowed during the period."
"Uh? The Abyssal Demons actually got played?" For some reason, I suddenly felt like laughing.
"But they aren't innocent. This is the closest they've ever come to being completely expelled from the Main World. If we don't show them some steel, they'll forget who fought their way in and who's just here by our leave!" The Dean’s tone was incredibly domineering as she said this.
"True. Those disgusting guys deserve a harsh lesson." After all, I had a bit of a grudge against the Abyssal Demon world myself. Setting aside the recent nightmare assassination attempt, I still remembered the business with the Lesser Demon Academy from back then!
So, if I ever get the chance in the future, I’ll make sure the Abyssal Demons never have a peaceful day!
But thinking back... when I severed the Ley Line Shackles, didn't I use the heart of a Demon Lord?
It seemed my fate was quite intertwined with the Abyssal Demons. Though it was all bad blood, I’d settle the score sooner or later.
After chatting a bit more with the Dean, we returned to the main topic.
"Since that Game World is so far from our Main World, can we still reach it?" I asked curiously.
"Even though it’s far, there are no other worlds around the Main World's coordinates in the Void. No matter how far that world is, it’s still the closest one to us."
"I see..." I finally understood why the Dean cared so much about this Game World. "So... what should be done about it now?"
"We teleport toward the original Void Coordinates and then slowly conduct Void exploration until we find it. With our exploration efficiency, that world can't run away. The other transcendent races know this perfectly well, which is why they don't dare to snatch it openly. But these tactics to annoy the witches are enough to stall us for a while, buying the Game World some time to prepare its resistance."
"But wouldn't that be pointless?" I was curious. Those races didn't dare touch the witches' property; they were just doing it to cause trouble and maybe grab some resources. Was that enough to cover the cost of their operations?
"Of course it’s meaningful. They send people to that world to create panic, turn everything upside down, and then perform a final looting. Don't forget, that world still holds a piece of [Transcendent Knowledge]. And it’s not just a solitary fragment; it’s a transcendent system that a civilization has already developed enough to framework an entire world's growth. This kind of Transcendent Knowledge is like a finished Great Spellbook—it can be traded, plundered, and inherited."
"Hiss!" Hearing the Dean say that, I sucked in a breath of cold air. I had almost forgotten about that!
No way. While I didn't necessarily view it as mine already, I wasn't about to just stand by and watch others pluck the fruit.
Those guys who were fishing in troubled waters ahead of me... they really deserved to die!
"Is there nothing you can do, Dean? Or... do you need me to cooperate with something? Though... I don't seem to be of much use..." After all, I wasn't a Transcendent yet and couldn't set foot in the Void.
"You want to contribute too, Xiao Han?" Hearing my words, the Dean asked with a smile.
"Is there really a place where I can be useful?"
"Not for now." Dean Mei shook her head. She didn't plan on letting me get involved in this matter yet. Moreover, since Xiao Han was a thorn in the side of other races, she wouldn't let him take any risks.
"Right now, it’s a bit of a deadlock. But what I want to say is, this time we turned the tables and trapped all the transcendent races, but they won't just let it go. They might quiet down for a while, but they’ll definitely find other ways to target you later."
"Uh... I understand. I'll be careful." I nodded. I wasn't entirely sure why the Dean had pivoted back to the topic of people "targeting me," but it was indeed something I needed to consider for the future.
"The problem with the Game World isn't something you need to worry about right now. These are things we should handle. After all, that world is related to the secondary restoration of the Main World. You probably don't realize just how massive the Main World used to be." Dean Mei trailed off, seemingly lost in memory, but she didn't elaborate.
The reason there were no other worlds in the Void surrounding the Main World was because that was the height the Main World had once reached. The Main World was the most unique world in the Void, bar none.
As for why everything outside the Main World's Void had vanished so cleanly... it was because even the remnants of shattered worlds were still... "resources" to be plundered.
"Xiao Han, you just need to focus on your own things step by step. So, let’s leave this topic here," Dean Mei said with a smile. "Now, it’s time for the benefit I mentioned earlier—the real benefit!"
"Okay~" I stopped dwelling on the previous issue and looked at the Dean expectantly. "So, what is it exactly?"
"It is... a World Fragment. Or, to use our witch terminology, you could call it... a Dungeon World," Dean Mei introduced with a smile.