Chapter 862: Shi Ruizhi's Awakening
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 862: Shi Ruizhi's Awakening
"Where am I..."
Shi Ruizhi felt as though she had just emerged from a long nightmare, yet the details of the dream had already slipped through her fingers.
When she opened her eyes, she was greeted by an unfamiliar ceiling. Then there was that scent—the distinct, sterile aroma of an infirmary—which felt strangely familiar.
"Oh? You're awake?"
A sudden, unfamiliar voice spoke from beside her. Shi Ruizhi turned her head to find a nurse dressed in pristine white, busy with her tasks.
Seeing that the patient was conscious, the nurse immediately stepped forward to check on her.
"Hello. Do you feel any discomfort right now? If you feel unwell, please let me know immediately."
"Um..."
Shi Ruizhi felt incredibly weak, but as for specific discomfort... she couldn't quite say. There wasn't anything particularly "wrong" that she could pinpoint.
"I think... no... it's just... I have no strength."
"Nothing else? Are you sure? In that case, I'll go call them over." Once the part-time senior sister acting as a nurse confirmed the patient had no other symptoms, she prepared to send word immediately.
After all, this "patient" had been personally entrusted to the infirmary by the Academy Dean and the now-famous Teaching Assistant, Yang Yuehan.
She didn't dare be negligent.
However, just as she was about to head out, the door pushed open.
"De—Dean! And Sister Xiao Han!"
"Mhm. You may head out for now. We'll take it from here," I said with a slight nod to the young nurse.
The girl took her leave, tactfully closing the door behind her.
"You are... the Dean?" Shi Ruizhi struggled to sit up. She had overheard the nurse's words; the nurse had called these two young women "Dean" and "Sister Xiao Han."
The names sounded familiar, yet... distant.
This contradiction spurred her to try and remember, but the more she reached for her memories, the more her mind descended into chaos. It wasn't a sharp pain, but rather like a thick fog rolling through her brain, obscuring everything from view.
"It seems you still remember that much. Do you remember your own name?" Dean Mei stepped forward to inquire.
After I had helped this girl complete her Soul Sublimation and "Reshaping," she had fallen into a deep slumber. No one knew exactly how long she would sleep.
However, I could sense that while she slept, Shi Ruizhi's consciousness—in its nascent soul form—had been wandering through the shallow dreamscape. Since it was her first time, she would likely forget everything upon waking.
Thus, after finishing the Soul Depiction, the Dean and I had left. Before going, I had placed a marker on Shi Ruizhi so I would know the moment she woke up.
So, even if the nurse hadn't come for us, I would have informed the Dean's clone and come here immediately.
"I... my name is... what was it?" Shi Ruizhi's gaze was vacant. She instinctively tapped her forehead, as if this question—simple for most—was an insurmountable hurdle for her.
Dean Mei instinctively glanced at me. She didn't fully understand Shi Ruizhi's current state.
But having witnessed these "two miracles" from start to finish, she knew very well that I had accomplished everything I claimed I would.
Non-deficient Life Essence restoration.
And... Non-Transcendent Soul Sublimation.
"Am I... Shi Ruizhi?"
After a long silence, Shi Ruizhi spoke in an uncertain tone.
"Yes. Shi Ruizhi is your name." I nodded, confirming her answer. It seemed she retained basic common sense; at the very least, communication wasn't an issue, and she could recall her name.
"Then... can you remember anything else? Anything at all—your background, what you were planning to do, or things you've done in the past? Do you have any impressions?"
"Impressions..." Shi Ruizhi shook her head instinctively. "There seem to be many, but I don't know how to describe them... It's like... it's like..."
"Like there's a fog in your head blocking everything? It feels familiar, but you can't quite grasp it. You feel like you'll only remember if you encounter something familiar, right?"
"Yes! That's exactly it!" Shi Ruizhi nodded vigorously. Though the description wasn't perfect, it was close enough.
"Well, that's a normal phenomenon." My tone softened. "Then... do you remember the Self-Generated Mana Experimental Project Promotion Plan?"
"Self-generated... what?" Hearing this string of technical terms, Shi Ruizhi looked blank. This was beyond the scope of basic memory anchoring and belonged to specific professional memories. Clearly, she had no reaction to it.
"Forgotten that too... Then do you remember participating in an experiment?"
"An experiment... I think I have some impression of that." Shi Ruizhi seemed to recall something, but it was merely a sense of familiarity without concrete details.
"Do you remember me? I was the lead researcher for that experiment."
"You... Sister Xiao Han? That nurse called you Sister Xiao Han..."
"It seems your memory isn't that bad after all."
"No... it's like there's a tree in my head... I just remembered it instinctively..."
"I see..." I was a bit surprised. I hadn't expected the Tree of Knowledge to help her retain information.
Unfortunately, the gap between a Great Knowledge Seed and a Great Knowledge Seed was vast. In the grand hierarchy, this "tree" was merely equivalent to a Secondary Tree of Knowledge.
It couldn't possibly record all her memories in the form of knowledge.
After all, the original purpose of the Knowledge Seed was simply to replace the specialized mobile phones issued by the academy.
"However, I must offer you a sincere apology. Regarding the experiment you participated in—you are currently the only volunteer who suffered an experimental accident."
"This accident has caused you some irreparable losses, including your amnesia. I will provide compensation for this. Furthermore, once you are cleared for discharge, we have arranged for a junior sister to look after you and help you get reacquainted with academy life."
"Huh? This..."
Hearing my apology and the series of arrangements, Shi Ruizhi felt overwhelmed. Even with her blurred memories, her instincts told her she had never received such treatment before.
"Additionally, the Academy will also provide compensation. This experimental project is a key focus for us. If you have any needs, you may report them directly to the Academy," the Dean added.
This statement left Shi Ruizhi feeling utterly flattered and overwhelmed.
The person standing before her was the Academy Dean!
She felt an instinctive sense of awe toward the title of Dean. Although she wasn't entirely sure what kind of academy she had enrolled in... after a moment of reflection, she remembered. It was the Witch Academy, wasn't it?
After chatting with Shi Ruizhi for a while longer, the Dean and I departed.
The matter was essentially settled.
As long as the "fatality" aspect was smoothed over, the accident regarding the Self-Generated Mana experiment was easy to resolve.
With the Dean stepping in to investigate and "prove" that someone had maliciously targeted the experiment to harm others, the incident would effectively be behind us.
Though the promotion of the Self-Generated Mana experiment had ended abruptly and seemed like a "failure," with over a hundred successful cases and a wealth of technical experience accumulated, it could hardly be called a loss.
It was simply that an unexpected accident had caused a bit of a stir at the end.
* * *
Back in the infirmary, Shi Ruizhi watched the two figures leave, her heart filled with an indescribable sense of lostness.
Who would want to wake up and suddenly find their memories blurred while stuck in an infirmary?
Still... Shi Ruizhi couldn't help but feel curious about her own body.
She had just been told she was the victim of an experimental accident. What if her body had undergone some kind of mutation?
As Shi Ruizhi was busy examining herself, two more figures entered the care room after a short while.
Strangely enough, both of these newcomers had white hair, just like the one called "Sister Xiao Han."
The difference was that Sister Xiao Han's hair was a natural, shimmering silver-white, whereas these two... the leader's hair was quite obviously dyed.
Inexplicably, the strange term "Xiao Han Fan Club" popped into Shi Ruizhi's mind, as if that answer could solve her confusion.
"Hello, Senior Sister Shi Ruizhi. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Millian. This is... this is Moon. We are here on behalf of Teaching Assistant Yang Yuehan to discuss your compensation."
"Compensation? That was fast." Shi Ruizhi was surprised. She hadn't expected the so-called compensation to arrive so quickly.
"Of course. Sister Xiao Han's promises are always strictly upheld. Regarding the compensation... would you like to negotiate with us directly, or would you prefer us to carry out the pre-established plan we've prepared?"
"Since you've just woken up and haven't been discharged, I recommend choosing the pre-established plan. Or... you can postpone the decision until you feel ready to decide how you'd like the compensation fulfilled."
"Let's... postpone it for now." She still didn't understand her own situation. Although she could feel their sincerity, she chose to be cautious and wait until she was more familiar with her life.
"I see. Very well." Millian wasn't surprised by the choice and agreed readily.
"Oh, I forgot to ask—do you know how many days I was unconscious?" Shi Ruizhi asked as the thought occurred to her.
"My apologies, I don't have the exact time down to the minute, but it has been nearly a week since the accident."
"A week?" Shi Ruizhi didn't have much of a concept of time, but she felt that lying in bed for a week was a significant waste.
"Yes. Also, let me properly introduce this person to you." Millian took a half-step back, revealing the white-haired girl behind her.
"This is Moon. She is the volunteer guide we've arranged to assist you with your daily life. Given your special circumstances and to avoid any inconvenience caused by your memory loss, she will take full care of you and help you adapt to your former life."
"Eh? That... that won't be necessary, surely?" Shi Ruizhi instinctively declined.
"Is it really unnecessary? I don't mean to discourage you, but you are already a ninth-year student. Do you remember what your graduation project is? Do you remember who your mentor is? What knowledge have you already mastered? Do you know how to conduct project research? And... are you familiar with the current Witch Academy? The teaching buildings, the lab blocks, the cafeteria..."
Millian rattled off a long list of daily trifles, and the pressure immediately began to weigh on Shi Ruizhi.
She tried to search her memories, but she realized that without someone to guide her, she might truly be unable to function in the academy!
"So please, do not worry. Moon will guide you through everything until you have adapted to your original life."
"Hello, Senior Sister Shi Ruizhi." The girl named "Moon" spoke with great politeness. Her voice was delicate and soft, tinged with a hint of nervousness, as if she were worried about making a mistake.
"He... hello, Moon." Shi Ruizhi greeted her with some awkwardness. Looking at the petite junior sister before her, she couldn't help but think the girl was quite cute.
"Senior Sister can just call me Moon."
"Alright... Moon."
"Mhm. Does Senior Sister have any instructions for me?"
"No... not for now... Oh, wait. Could you help me ask when I can be discharged? I actually feel quite good right now..."
"I'll go ask right away," Moon said with great efficiency, before jogging out of the room.
"It looks like Moon will become a very good friend to you. Since that's settled, I have no reason to stay and disturb you further. Oh—and take this. This is my business card. You can contact me directly, or have Moon contact me. You can even have Moon reach out to Teaching Assistant Yang Yuehan or the Dean."
"I..." Shi Ruizhi instinctively took Millian's card.
"If anything comes up, feel free to contact me. It doesn't have to be about the compensation; you can reach out for daily matters as well. Well then... until we meet again."
With that, Millian made a prompt exit.
Her task was essentially complete.
The reason she placed such importance on this girl, Shi Ruizhi, was naturally because of Sister Xiao Han's instructions.
Amnesia, Soul Essence, Self-Generated Mana... every one of these factors suggested that this senior sister's future achievements would be extraordinary.
Furthermore, amnesia meant a "clean slate" from the past; she wouldn't be burdened by her history.
Whether Shi Ruizhi had been an innocent bystander or a plant with ill intentions no longer mattered.
If she really was a problem... long-term contact would eventually reveal it.
As for the junior sister named "Moon"...
She was merely a clone created from Xiao Han's Mimicry Soul—an "eye" planted by her side. She had been given an appearance different from Xiao Han's, yet it was openly acknowledged that she was a member of the Xiao Han Fan Club.
If no one else tried to contact Shi Ruizhi, Millian would pull her into Xiao Han's camp. She was, after all, a "pseudo-genius" shaped by Xiao Han's own hands. With the past wiped clean, the matter would end there.
The proactive compensation was merely a means to build a relationship.
If someone did try to contact her... they would find out exactly who had orchestrated the sabotage. Once the dust settled, a show of "reconciliation" would be enough to bring Shi Ruizhi over to their side. It all depended on the execution.
After all... Shi Ruizhi was very likely to become the second example of someone achieving Transcendence under Xiao Han's guidance!
Her inherent value was undeniable.
Millian was quite looking forward to it. More importantly, Shi Ruizhi had been one of the 147 people Millian had personally selected!
She desperately needed this opportunity to wash away the shame of her previous oversight.
Even if Xiao Han didn't care, Millian cared deeply.