Chapter 871: Do You Plan to Advance to a Transcendent Witch?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 871: Do You Plan to Advance to a Transcendent Witch?
Watching the members of the Discipline Squad leave in such frustration, I couldn't help but marvel at the pervasive reach of the academy's families.
In the past, I actually had a fairly good impression of the senior sisters in the Discipline Squad, but that was limited to the past. Once things reached this level, it was a different story entirely.
I had to admit, for the Discipline Squad, this incident was a major operation. They hadn't expected Ji An to pull such a stunt at the very last moment.
The squad had likely set out before the official notice was even released. They just hadn't been able to find her; after all, tracking someone down in an academy this vast was no simple task. It was only after the announcement went live and Ji An was flagged as a wanted person that they were able to rush over so quickly.
Ji An certainly had a knack for making a mess of things. She probably didn't fully realize that everything she did would be recorded by the Ley Lines.
However... even with evidence against her, an incident like this wouldn't be enough to topple a Transcendent Witch. If anything, it would only make that witch lose face. And there was no telling what a witch might do once her shame turned into rage.
As for that witch Danielle... I truly hadn't expected a witch who harbored "malice" toward me to interact with me at such close range. Even my Heart Sense hadn't been able to accurately distinguish it.
Perhaps it was as I had guessed before—her target was the "Self-Generated Mana" project itself, not me personally.
That was a plausible theory, but what I couldn't wrap my head around was something Sister Bai had mentioned: Danielle was pursuing the Rebel Witch project, though she wasn't yet a recognized Rebel Witch.
If Danielle was a "quasi-Rebel Witch," why would she do something like this?
Or was it that, in her mind, the witch race stood above all else? Did she believe the power exclusive to Transcendent Witches shouldn't be touched by other races—not even by preparatory witches?
Otherwise, I couldn't think of any other reason why she would come to sabotage this experiment.
Following that logic, a witch like her shouldn't even be at a place like the Witch Academy. The academy’s entire purpose was to spread the power of witches to humans and transform them into witches. Was she here just to look for trouble?
I couldn't make sense of it.
But now, with Ji An taken away, only Shi Ruizhi and I remained. As time ticked by, the atmosphere grew increasingly awkward.
Seeing that I had snapped out of my contemplation, Shi Ruizhi was the first to speak.
"Um... I'm truly sorry. Regarding the compensation... I'll return all of it..."
"Return it? Why would you do that?" I turned to look at her.
Shi Ruizhi was visibly dejected. A whirlwind of complex emotions swirled in her heart, leaving her unsure of how to even face me.
"Didn't you hear everything? Because of me, your experiment failed, and now public opinion is completely against you..."
"Does she have any proof that what she said is true?" I interrupted, posing a counter-question.
"Uh... no." Shi Ruizhi was momentarily speechless. She hadn't expected such a response, to the point where she almost couldn't believe things were turning out so... ideally?
"But what if—"
"What if? Actually, we found evidence long ago proving that you and Ji An were accomplices, conspiring to sabotage the experiment I favored... There, are you satisfied with that ending?"
"What? You knew all along—"
"I'm joking. Don't underestimate a Transcendent Witch's ability to erase Ley Line data. We have no evidence to prove any of it. Therefore, you're innocent until proven guilty. Nothing will happen to you, and I won't be taking back the compensation. After all, the fact that you had an accident is undeniable."
"..." This time, it was Shi Ruizhi's turn to fall silent. Things were going so smoothly that it felt surreal. "There's one thing I don't understand... What do I have that makes you all go to such lengths to show me favor?"
"Then... let me ask you a question." I didn't answer her directly.
"Okay. What is it?"
"Do you plan to advance to a Transcendent Witch in the future?"
"Why are you asking that?" she asked, confused.
"I just want to hear your most honest answer. You only need to tell me 'yes' or 'no.'"
"I... well... I don't know."
"I see. Thank you for your answer."
Her response was a bit unexpected, but only slightly. I had thought that with my Heart Sense, I would be able to know her true thoughts regardless of whether she said yes or no. I hadn't expected her true thought to be that she genuinely didn't know.
But thinking about it, her memory loss wasn't ordinary. Usually, "lost" memories still influence a person's choices and personality in subtle ways. But Shi Ruizhi's loss was total—at the soul level. It made perfect sense for her to feel lost.
"Then, do you want to try advancing to a Transcendent Witch? You have an advantage that many people don't."
"But I've lost my memory. I've forgotten everything I learned over the last eight or nine years... Is it really possible?"
"Your life level cannot be forgotten. Advancing to Transcendent isn't inherently difficult. Knowledge and mastered skills are just the icing on the cake after you've advanced. I'm glad you didn't just give me a casual, dismissive answer just now."
"I said I didn't know... isn't that casual enough?" Shi Ruizhi muttered under her breath.
"Of course not. If you were lost but said 'yes' or 'no' anyway, you would have completely surrendered your right to choose again," I replied.
"So... is this something very important?"
"It is. People from the families don't choose to advance to Transcendent. They cling to the power and status of this world, to the endless wealth. They choose to stay in place. That is their choice. If you choose to advance, it means you are one of us."
"One of us..."
"Yes. Ji An wanted to bring you into a family. If you had agreed... they would never have allowed you to advance. They would have done everything in their power to ensure that even after graduation, you kept your current strength and used it solely for the family's benefit."
"Then I'd rather not... But if that's the case... doesn't that mean I only have one path left?" Shi Ruizhi sighed, clearly unwilling to be a family puppet but also reluctant to be forced into a choice.
"Perhaps you can choose to maintain the status quo—lying flat or just coasting like a salted fish. I won't force you to choose anything. But whenever you do make a decision, you can come find me. Or rather, find Millian. I'm usually very busy and might not be able to respond immediately."
"You're busy?" Shi Ruizhi looked at me skeptically, as if she couldn't see how I could possibly be busy.
"My main body is busy. This clone is just a substitute I use to occasionally enjoy life."
"Clones can be used like that?"
"Ordinary clone spells can't, but mine can," I explained briefly, not wanting to say more. "Since things have reached this point, it's time for us to part ways."
"You're leaving? What about the dorm..."
"I'm obviously not going back there. Why? Did you want this clone of mine to keep you company? Honestly, I think your roommate Fang Zhi is more worth your effort in building a friendship than I am."
"Is that so..." Shi Ruizhi fell into thought. She couldn't argue with that.
"I'm off. You should head back too." I waved my hand and prepared to leave.
I didn't reveal certain things to her—for instance, the fact that her soul essence had already changed. If she didn't choose the path of advancement, telling her would be meaningless. It was better to let her live out her life with a secret she didn't even know she held.
* * *
My consciousness returned to the laboratory.
Shi Ruizhi was like a brief interlude in a monotonous life. I hadn't done much; I had simply let a clone follow her to witness the entire process of a scapegoat going from anxiety to a total breakdown.
I had to admit, Dean Mei was more efficient than I expected. I didn't know how she had handled those Transcendent Witches, but even if they were all Transcendent, Mei Lind was still the Dean of this academy. If their philosophies differed, they were free to leave, but they were not to interfere.
The Dean might not be able to do much about that Rebel Witch, but as for the others... that was a different story.
As for Ji An's claim that the Self-Generated Mana technique couldn't be promoted—that was a joke. I didn't know where she had heard that. As long as Dean Mei wanted it to happen, this project was never going to fail.
Just as I was thinking this, my Tree of Great Knowledge received a communication from Dean Mei. Upon opening it, I heard her voice.
"Xiao Han, you saw the announcement the academy released, right?"
"Yes, I saw it. Thank you for your hard work on this, Dean," I replied with a nod.
This time, it seemed the Dean had sent a simple audio transmission without video.
"So, are you satisfied with how this was handled?"
"Hmm? Sister Mei, you sound like you're fishing for something. Honestly, I don't mind that much."
"As long as you understand. Then... I won't bring it up again. I've approved applications from several witches; they should have arrived at your lab by now. Is it too much of a distraction?"
"No... it's fine. We're getting along quite well." My gaze swept across the witches gathered in the lab. Including Aina, there were thirteen in total. For a fully equipped laboratory, this number was easily manageable.
"Good to hear. Oh, by the way, I just sent Bai Yu over as well. Has she arrived yet?"
"No... Wait, Sister Mei, why did you send Sister Bai here? She doesn't have any experimental needs regarding the Primitive Dream Realm," I replied instinctively, before the realization hit me.
"But she has needs outside of experiments. Haha... just kidding. Bai Yu requested it herself. She wants to learn more about the Primitive Dream Realm. After all, her path is a branch of the Great Soul Subject. Perhaps... she's trying to make up for the feeling of helplessness she felt when you were trapped in the Primitive Dream Realm. Personally, I don't recommend her dabbling in so many different things."
"Perhaps that is the nature of the Ordinary Subject? If a soul has a clear goal and the resolve to specialize in one thing, can it truly remain content with being 'Ordinary'?"
"That... makes sense. Xiao Han, it seems you've done quite a bit of research into the Ordinary Subject as well. I won't disturb you any longer." Dean Mei seemed to pause for a moment after hearing my words, then gave a casual comment before hanging up.
"Tsk, the Dean really is busy." I looked at the disconnected call, not thinking much of it.
I had something more important to focus on: Sister Bai was coming!
Regardless of her reasons, I would support her choice. I wouldn't question whatever she tried. A witch's lifespan was so long that no matter when they had an epiphany, it could be considered a new birth. If Sister Bai wanted to try the power of the Primitive Dream Realm, I would naturally be her guide.
Moreover, there were other witches here with deep expertise in the Primitive Dream Realm. Unlike me, who was focused on dream life, their research was far more practical.
For example, one senior sister's field was Primitive Dream Realm and Mental Cultivation. This tied back to Witch Meditation Methods, which involved the Primal Witch's "Primitive Dream Realm"—essentially a part of the Primitive Dream Realm. Thus, meditation and cultivation involving the dream realm and the mind were extremely popular topics.
Then there was Consciousness Bridges and Dream Travel, which involved connecting human consciousness to the dreams born from it, experiencing the absurdity and eeriness created by the unconscious mind. This research had many applications and was even a frontier topic for "Primal Dream Construction."
Other topics included Dream Manipulation and Lucid Dreaming, The Interaction between Dreams and Reality, Necessary Conditions for Soul Consciousness and Dream Exploration, and even Information Ecology and Sustainability Concepts of the Primitive Dream Realm.
I had to admit, the witches' thinking was incredibly broad. Some of these topics were things even I hadn't considered. For instance, the one at the end about ecological protection... was that just having too much time on their hands, or was it true foresight?
After all, human history had proven a similar point: humans had never fully conquered the ocean, yet they were capable of completely destroying it. The Primitive Dream Realm might be the same.
It was likely due to this philosophy that even though developing the Primitive Dream Realm was difficult, these environmental concepts existed. However, such ideas wouldn't hinder a witch's exploration, which was why I supported the project.