Chapter 791: A Hostile Family Gathering
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 791: A Hostile Family Gathering
"Sigh... I guess when you have too many abilities, there’s always endless work to do~"
After stepping out of the Dean’s office, I couldn't help but let out a weary lament.
"It just goes to show how capable our Xiao Han is~" Sister Bai chimed in from beside me.
I had learned quite a few truths on this trip. It wasn't just the conversation with the Dean; my Player clone had also gathered a significant amount of intelligence.
Normally, my Player clone’s game permissions weren't particularly high, certainly not enough to participate in a council like this. It hadn't even triggered the side quest to collect [Transcendent Knowledge] fragments. I only found out about this through the few friends the clone had made.
I’ve noticed that a "hierarchy of disdain" exists among players as well, and it comes in different flavors. Some look down on others based on their membership level, others based on their permissions—it’s essentially the same as the class divide between wealth and power.
My Player clone had managed to sneak into that gathering by pulling a few strings. After all, being a beautiful female player provides a significant advantage in player circles. If I wanted to, I could even modify the clone’s appearance at will.
To me, the Player clone was nothing more than a very useful tool.
* * *
At the gathering:
Because my social skills were limited, I didn't end up meeting many people, but on the surface, I did manage to add several high-permission players to my friend list.
The gathering was dragging on. Even though my main body had finished talking with the Dean and left a while ago, the meeting was still in full swing.
So, Sister Bai and I weren't in any rush to head back.
There was nothing fun to see in Monopeng City right now anyway. I might as well let my clone record the interesting scenes at the venue for me.
Instead, Sister Bai and I found a restaurant in the academy that we’d enjoyed last time, preparing to treat ourselves to a hearty meal.
"Sister Bai, when do you think I should set aside time to help the Dean and the others calibrate the Qi Observation Art instruments?" I asked listlessly, flipping through the menu, struggling with the decision.
"Didn't you hear the Dean? She won't force you. She meant that your own affairs come first. Even if you don't have time, she won't blame you. They are professional witches, after all; it’s not like they’re helpless without you."
"I suppose you're right..." I nodded, deciding not to dwell on it.
My current task was to completely reignite April—that extinguished "dud"—to see if she was truly beyond saving or just stuck in the mud. Once that was over, I would pour all my focus and energy into perfecting the Self-Generated Mana technique.
I had discussed the topic of Self-Generated Mana extensively with the Dean. Between the lines, Sister Mei kept asking if I needed her to call in some witches to assist me. It was clear the Dean placed great importance on perfecting the Self-Generated Mana technique.
She likely wanted to speed up my progress so I could free up time for the iterative updates of the Qi Observation Art instruments. Theoretically, once I perfected the Self-Generated Mana technique, I would indeed be considered "free."
But just a moment ago, I had mapped out a new path for my life: ascending to become a Transcendent Witch...
Ascending to Transcendent was not something to be rushed. My life level couldn't be forced to grow prematurely, and the foundation of my research project would determine the new direction for the Tree of Great Knowledge’s perfection.
Every single one of these tasks seemed no less daunting than the Qi Observation Art instruments. And... more importantly, I didn't know much about the "World Navel" concept Dean Mei had mentioned.
I could tell that Dean Mei and the other witch sisters who had been busy earlier took the World Navel very seriously. But without knowing what it actually did, it was hard for me to establish a value judgment for it in my mind.
"Sister Bai... what do you think I should choose after the Self-Generated Mana project is finished? Should I help the Dean perfect the Qi Observation Art to locate the World Navel, or should I put all my time and energy into ascending to Transcendent?"
"Hmm? Ascending to Transcendent? Xiao Han, you’re planning to ascend to Transcendent?!" Sister Bai’s spirit instantly rallied at my words.
"Did I not tell you?"
"I only remember you saying that some witches were going to enjoy a life of luxury."
"No... Sister Bai, why do you still remember that!"
"Of course I remember~ So, Xiao Han, are you really planning to ascend?" Sister Bai asked excitedly.
"It’s in the plans. Besides, wasn't I giving you a choice between two options? Did you just completely ignore the Qi Observation Art thing?" I repeated my previous question helplessly.
"Oh? I wasn't paying much attention to that part. But... regarding the Qi Observation Art instruments, the Dean and the others have been looking for the World Navel for so long. They’ve set so many stages and launched plan after plan; a few more years won't make a difference. If you can ascend to Transcendent, you’ll be able to perfect the Qi Observation Art much more easily using Transcendent methods, right?" Sister Bai gave her answer without a moment's hesitation.
"Sigh... there’s that difference in time perception again. But I suppose that makes sense. A little more time won't hurt the witches." I nodded in agreement.
Since Dean Mei had given me the choice, there was no need for me to feel extra guilt over my decision. If things truly became urgent, it wasn't like I couldn't stop what I was doing to help her.
Moreover, I had to actually be capable of helping. This was, after all, a gamble at the Transcendent level.
Having cleared my head, I happily began enjoying the meal with Sister Bai. We both agreed the food here was excellent.
"Sister Bai, care to guess what my Player clone is hearing at that gathering right now?"
"I’m not sure, but it’s probably about how to gather all those fragments, right? But no matter what, they can't seem to bypass you. After all, on the surface, you still hold a Heart of the Cold Wave," Sister Bai said.
"They are indeed discussing that~ but they’ve started fighting. Specifically, the players and the family representatives are at each other's throats. The gathering explicitly announced that the fragments were being collected to be given to the players. However, due to some poor phrasing, some of the more hot-tempered family representatives thought they were being asked to pay 'tribute' to the players. It was hilarious... a Teaching Assistant from the Wizard Academy—no, a Tower Lord—declared that the players' combat power wasn't even worth the effort it would take to kill them, so why should they pay tribute?"
"Really? That interesting?" Sister Bai laughed along with my narration. "It’s a shame I’m not there. But they say that the more important the meeting, the more primitive the communication. Arguing is just a heated way of expressing one's demands."
"True~ A bunch of well-dressed people in a formal setting taking off their shoes to throw at each other’s heads... that is indeed a very direct way to communicate," I said with a laugh.
These people were truly opening my eyes. They made me realize that even those in high positions are still just ordinary people, easily dominated by their emotions.
"Wait, did they go to all that trouble to gather so many people just to have a shouting match?"
"Of course not. The two groups have been pulled apart now. That Wizard Tower Lord representing the Wizard Will is quite intimidating. Now they’re discussing how to transport those fragments to the game world."
"Currently, the players are advocating for sending all existing fragments over immediately to avoid any complications, with subsequent fragments being sent as they are found. But the representatives from the Wizards, Elves, and Avian Folk have refused."
"They have to refuse," Sister Bai analyzed. "Setting aside whether they even have that many opportunities for cross-void item transport, the sheer cost of multiple separate cross-void transfers would be astronomical. They can't afford to be that wasteful."
"Exactly. So the Transcendent Academy’s stance is actually to assemble the [Transcendent Knowledge] in the Main World first and then conduct a single large-scale trade. But that’s going to be difficult."
"I’m curious how they plan to get that Heart of the Cold Wave from your hands?" Sister Bai asked with a smile.
"Hmm~ Currently, the Witch Academy is at odds with the other Transcendent Academies, and the families following the witches are wavering. They’re bringing up old ideas again—trying to win over the Teaching Assistant families that control massive clubs like the Jack-of-all-trades Club and the Witch Secret Realms, hoping to solve the problem through internal pressure within the Witch Academy."
"It seems those fools still don't realize your true status within the Witch Academy~" Sister Bai let out an amused chuckle. Information asymmetry really could make people make some incredibly stupid decisions.
"I wonder if those families holding [Transcendent Knowledge] fragments counts as illegal possession of Transcendent materials? It probably does, right? If I were to take advantage of the chaos and rob them all, I doubt anyone would dare to complain," I said jokingly.
"If you really did that, you’d manage to piss them all off at once. They might just show you the power a family has to dominate the secular world."
"Like smearing my name?" I asked dismissively.
"True... Xiao Han has no reason to fear their harassment. But if those people want to be spiteful, they have plenty of ways to do it. You can't underestimate how vengeful someone can be."
* * *
Inside the False World Space Great Witchcraft:
"Dammit... dammit! How dare they show so little respect to the Hawthorne family! I swear, looking at those people's faces makes me want to slaughter every last one of them!"
April looked at the figure before her—familiar yet strange. Before she could even spare a second to pity herself, the man turned her into his target for venting.
"What are you doing just standing there? Why aren't you saying anything? You need to reflect on why we’re in this situation! It’s all because of you! Do you have any idea what you lost? If it weren't for your blunder, would we have been so humiliated today?"
The man irritably straightened his collar and adjusted his slightly loosened tie, his mouth never ceasing its complaints about the meeting. If April weren't his child, he wouldn't have had to come here and endure such insults.
It could be said that this gathering of various families was thick with hostility. This was primarily because the players had set a bad precedent, leading to a confrontation between the families and the players. Yet, they were forced to sit together and discuss matters "calmly."
April’s situation was no secret among the families. Every family had its own intelligence network, and they had naturally cleared up the facts regarding such an important matter beforehand. Consequently, the Hawthorne family had become a laughingstock at the venue.
But the meeting was finally drawing to a close. The representatives of the various families were leaving the area covered by the False World Space Great Witchcraft.
At this moment, the situation on the Hawthorne family’s side was also abnormal, yet strangely "harmonious."
The father, suffering from Wisdom Withering, was gradually losing his usual composure. His speech was filled with heated, thoughtless words. Meanwhile, the daughter, plagued by dreams, could no longer distinguish reality. She remained deaf to all insults and reproaches.
The accompanying bodyguards and the driver had no say in the matter. The motorcade could only carry them back to the family estate through the night. To avoid further conflict, the father and daughter weren't even in the same car.
As the car sped along the road, the man’s phone suddenly rang.
Still fuming, the man instinctively went to hang up, but after glancing at the screen, he hesitated for a moment before answering.
"What is it? Why are you calling now?"
"I couldn't help it~ I saw you at the venue just now, but I didn't expect you to leave so quickly. I had to call you instead~"
"You were at the venue too?"
"Don't be so hostile. We’re old friends, after all. We should look out for each other."
"I don't make friends with players. If you don't have anything important to say, I’m hanging up!" the man said rudely. The person on the other end was just a player with some minor ties to the Hawthorne family; he didn't feel the need to be polite.
"Wait, wait~ While we might not have much of a partnership, I think... there’s one thing you’ll definitely be interested in: a lead on the Ice Sealed World."
"What! The Ice Sealed World? You have a lead? How is that possible? You’re just a fringe player!"
"That doesn't stop me from knowing a few secrets~ You should ask your dear daughter about that. Did she really lose the Ice Sealed World?"
"Are you suggesting April didn't lose it?"
"The Witch Academy is a very free place. Do you really think you can still control a girl who’s been away from the family for ten years? Do you really think family constraints can still be used to drive her at your whim?"
"Low-tier verbal manipulation..."
The man responded dismissively, but then fell silent. His mind raced through his interactions with April over the past few days. Perhaps it was the physical distance of being in separate cars, but the more he thought about it, the more suspicious things seemed.
"She is a Teaching Assistant at the Witch Academy. Even if she’s been stripped of that title, she is still that Teaching Assistant. You should know... power breeds ambition. April used to be a nail your family drove into the Witch Academy. So, right now... could April be a 'gift' the Witch Academy is sending back to you?"
The voice on the phone was seductive, the pauses and tone designed to spark endless speculation.
"Think about it. Hasn't everything gone wrong for the Hawthorne family since April returned? And yet, she parades around in front of you, playing the role of the mistreated victim as if it were her right..."
"Enough! What are you trying to say? Don't think these words can lead me on. Didn't you say you had a lead on the Ice Sealed World? Stop changing the subject."
"You’re too impatient. There’s no such thing as a free lunch. Intelligence has its price."