Chapter 811: Small-Scale Testing Plan for Self-Generated Mana
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 811: Small-Scale Testing Plan for Self-Generated Mana
After seeing Millian off, many other matters were settled in tandem.
Although I had already handed the Heart of the Cold Wave to Millian to negotiate with the Jack-of-all-trades Club, the Soul Crystals she had collected in advance would be delivered soon—either tonight or tomorrow.
This meant the soul depiction experiments for the Fool’s Dream could begin shortly.
However, another experiment was set to launch alongside the soul depiction trials. Or rather, a large-scale experiment: the small-scale rollout and testing of Self-Generated Mana.
Following Yi Rui’s success and the collection of detailed data, the team couldn't guarantee success every time. However, as long as the participant pool was large enough, a third or fourth successful case was bound to emerge.
Data collection worked that way—constant practical testing, followed by iterations, updates, and eventually, corrections and restarts.
As for how to gather these participants, Millian was naturally the one to handle the notifications. I had already asked her to prepare for this; no matter how many people had agreed to participate so far, the experiment had reached a stage where it simply had to move forward.
"By the way, does anyone know the process for reporting our experiment to the academy? This is going to involve a lot of students," I asked, looking at the group.
When it came to official reporting... I didn't have much experience. Usually, I just caused such a massive stir that everyone noticed what I was doing before I even said a word.
But this experiment couldn't be held in the laboratory. With so many non-lab personnel involved, it was impossible to grant them all access to the experimental zone. We would definitely need an external venue, along with safety protocols, emergency measures, and supervising mentors.
"Reporting? I’m an expert at the filing process! I’ll handle it!" A girl stood up, looking very much like she knew the ropes.
"Alright~ I’ll leave it to you then~" I handed the task over without hesitation.
While I could have figured out the academy’s reporting procedures using Ley Line Identification Art, it was too much of a hassle. It was faster to let someone with experience do it.
Come to think of it, my previous "reporting" usually involved contacting Dean Mei directly. But in my view, this wasn't a massive affair, so there was no need to trouble the Dean.
Still, considering the Dean's level of interest in Self-Generated Mana, I decided to give her a heads-up. I drafted a message and sent it over.
After that, I finally had a rare moment of free time.
I wandered casually through the lab. The others were currently packing up equipment; since the experiment wouldn't be held here, they were organizing the data collection devices for easy transport. Once the reporting was finished and the venue confirmed, the equipment would be moved.
"Hm? What’s this..." I walked over to a girl who was editing some text and looked at what she was typing.
"Oh, aren't we doing a large-scale test? I’m drafting a document so the participants can quickly understand what we need them to do. By the way, Sister Xiao Han, do you want to say a few words before the experiment starts? I think your reputation in the academy is really high right now."
"Me? I think I’ll pass. I’m not great at socializing, and I’m not one for formal speeches..."
"Fair enough~ I can tell~ How about I prepare a script for you in advance?"
"No, no. For your sake, let’s not add to your workload. Just focus on what’s in front of you. Even though they’re test subjects, they still have the right to be informed."
"Alright~ What a pity," the girl replied with a hint of regret.
I didn't feel particularly regretful, though. I wasn't a fan of those "summary" speeches. If it came to using words to stir up emotions... I felt like it would be much easier for me to stir up someone's hatred than their enthusiasm.
"Right, if Millian comes by to drop off the items later, just have her leave them in my cubicle. I might head back early," I said, suddenly remembering something.
"Eh? It’s rare to see Sister Xiao Han leave early. Is it for something specific?"
"Yeah. Among this batch of test subjects, there are a few friends I know. I’m going to go see them," I nodded.
"Friends? Like Tan Han?"
"Their relationship with Tan Han... well, they’re in the same year. And they all have course exemptions, so we don't have to worry about scheduling conflicts."
"Course exemptions? Sounds like they’re the high-achieving type."
"Um... mostly..." I thought back to the bunch in my dorm... Hong Chenyi was definitely the outlier.
After a brief goodbye, I prepared to leave. Before heading out, I made a point to check on the Fool's Dream spirits. Seeing them playing happily with the senior sisters, I felt completely at ease.
On the way back, I "popped up" in my long-neglected dormitory group chat and was immediately "captured."
Hong Chenyi:[Sticker: Capturing the person above]
Hong Chenyi: Sister Xiao Han, you actually posted in the group!
Yang Yuehan: Do you just camp in the chat 24/7?
Yu Yuetian: Yi is usually very idle, but it’s mostly because the Great Knowledge Seed mode makes it really easy for her to lurk.
Yang Yuehan: Speaking of which, what have you guys been up to since the start of the term?
Dongli Yiren: Is that experiment you mentioned before about to start?
Yang Yuehan: Yeah.
Hong Chenyi: It’s finally starting?!
Hong Chenyi: I’ve been waiting forever!
Yang Yuehan: You still haven't told me what you’re doing.
Yang Yuehan: I just left the lab and was planning to come find you.
Dongli Yiren: We were in class earlier, but it’s over now. We’re still hanging around the venue.
Dongli Yiren: Didn't you want us to get used to Body Cultivation in advance? So we’ve been attending some Body Cultivation courses.
Hong Chenyi: The fees for these elective academy courses are seriously expensive, though.
Hong Chenyi: Some courses don't even take normal money. I even saw one that required Orichalcum as a threshold. It’s ridiculous.
Yang Yuehan: The process of knowledge and teaching isn't free. How should I put it?
Yang Yuehan: In my view, you get what you pay for. And those fees are probably just symbolic.
I watched the chat logs and patiently explained things to them. For Transcendent Witches, they might not even care about that kind of money. Even Mithril and Orichalcum... well, those probably weren't considered "trash" yet.
Chatting as I went, I flew toward the coordinates they sent and eventually landed at a training ground.
This training ground wasn't the one used for the Freshman Competition, but a different one. Compared to that one, this place was smaller and wasn't an excavated underground facility. The surrounding fences were very high, protecting the nearby buildings, and I could see runes engraved on them. Even so, the marks of battles from previous generations of senior sisters were visible everywhere.
With a quick glance, I spotted the familiar figures among the crowd.
"Sister Xiao Han~ Over here~!"
Hong Chenyi looked up at the figure in the sky and immediately waved frantically, as if terrified I might miss her.
"I see you, I see you. No need to shout so dramatically." I performed a dive on my broom, and at the very last second, I dispelled the broom and landed steadily on the ground. Such maneuvers were child's play for me now.
I looked around and noticed quite a few people had recognized me, though they seemed too shy to approach.
"So... I only mentioned in passing that you should look into the Body Cultivation system. You guys actually came here to train?"
"Of course! Sister Xiao Han, it’s not like you’d lead us astray, right?"
"Well, that remains to be seen~" I said with a smile.
"It’s fine~ Even if you do, I’ll just cling to you and never leave!"
"That’s gross..." I remarked.
"Alright, stop teasing her."
"Yeah. Sister Xiao Han, you came here to notify us about the Self-Generated Mana experiment, right? Has it already started?"
"Not yet, but the reporting process has begun. Once the venue is approved, we can organize the start of the experiment."
"So... how long will that take?" Hong Chenyi asked.
"Hmm... I’m not sure how many days the normal process takes. Conservatively, within a week?" I wasn't entirely sure myself. "Anyway, I’ll notify you the moment the word comes down. Make sure to tell each other."
"A week? Alright, we can do that," Dongli Yiren nodded. "But surely you didn't come all this way just for that?"
"What kind of talk is that, Dongli Yiren? Can't it be that Sister Xiao Han missed us and came back specifically to see us?" Hong Chenyi chimed in.
"Heh~ That’s part of it," I said with a light laugh. "You guys are people I invited personally, not screened through official channels. There are things you might not be clear on. You’re also special because you’re still in the lower years; most of the other participants in this experiment are seniors. I hope you don't feel too much pressure."
"Whoa... with the seniors? Okay, the pressure just spiked."
"That’s why I’m telling you not to be nervous. Learning to adjust your mindset is a necessary skill, isn't it?"
"I’m afraid my mind will explode if the experiment fails..." Hong Chenyi grumbled.
"Mind explode? That’s nothing. Do you know how many people will be in this experiment?"
"Uh... not sure. A dozen? A few dozen?"
"The answer is over a hundred. The reason we need so many people is that the success rate is currently very low. So far, there have only been two successful cases. We need repeated successes to refine the technique. So, in this experiment, failure is the norm. If you actually succeed, I’ll be the first one to study you."
"Eh?! Study me? How? You’re not going to dissect me, are you?" Hong Chenyi asked with exaggerated horror.
"You’re into that kind of thing? I mean, I could... Don't worry, I know a lot about the human body."
"No! How could I be into being studied! I don't want to be dissected!"
"I’m joking. The stage of 'death cases' is already over. the experiment you’re doing is very safe. At most, you’ll just be heavily injured."
"Wait... wait! Death cases?! No... did that actually happen?"
"There’s always the Resurrection Spell, so what are you afraid of?"
"Resurrection... hiss... I still don't want to experience the feeling of dying. That must feel awful!"
"It definitely does. As someone who has died quite a few times, I can tell you that for a fact. But there’s no danger of death in this experiment."
"We understand. When we accepted your invitation, we already made our peace with it. There’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world." Dongli Yiren stepped forward and pressed a hand onto Hong Chenyi’s head. This girl really spoke without thinking.
"Aiya~ I know that! I was just expressing my true inner thoughts! Even if there’s a risk of death, I’m still your most steadfast supporter, Sister Xiao Han!" Hong Chenyi quickly swatted the hand away. "And also, stop touching my head!"
"Stop being cheeky... I’ll give you some materials later, shared through the Great Knowledge Seed. Just don't spread them around. It’s about Self-Generated Mana... think of it as an introductory reader. It’ll help you understand what it is and how to do it. Read it first; it’ll help you keep up with the experiment’s progress."
As I spoke, I sent the materials organized by the Tree of Great Knowledge to their respective Seeds.
"This mentions a special path of Body Cultivation called the Witchification Body Cultivation Method. The Ritual War Dance involved, aside from its special shaping function, is also a training method and combat technique for this style. It can also strengthen your constitution to a certain extent."
Of course, the current primary purpose of the Ritual War Dance was to construct the shaping ritual. The Micro-Operation Resonance Method relied on this foundation to perform more precise ritual shaping on the Mana Source.
"Ritual War Dance... these movements are so weird..."
"Yeah. These movements were artistically adjusted by a mentor to make them more aesthetic during practice without affecting their efficacy."
"Ah... that mentor must be a genius!"
"I’ll take that as a compliment to her."
"It definitely is! I can't believe the first dance of my life is going to be something I learned from martial arts. Can you believe it?" Hong Chenyi said quickly.
"Same here. Don't worry about it too much. Life is full of firsts. If you feel embarrassed doing it with so many people watching, you can try it in the indoor rooms," I suggested.
"Ah... do we have to try it right now?"
"Do you have a procrastination problem? Then you definitely need to try it now. It’s fine; while I’m still here, I can give you some pointers. That’s a privilege others don't get." I pushed Hong Chenyi toward the training ground’s building.
The training ground wasn't just an open field like a playground; it included the surrounding buildings, underground areas, and more. It could meet many specialized training needs, and the indoor, enclosed training rooms were the most basic units available.
While generally used for teaching, some facilities and customized requirements required a fee. It wasn't very expensive, though—the money was usually used for daily maintenance of the grounds.