Chapter 90: Could I Also Witness a World Transformation?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 90: Could I Also Witness a World Transformation?
"Satisfied now?" I asked helplessly as I walked out with Dongli Yiren.
This girl had spent forever agonizing inside. I hadn't realized she was so indecisive. The witch hat and cape were fine, but she took an eternity to choose a magic wand and a medal.
If my delivery hadn't arrived, giving me a reason to urge her back, I don't know how much longer we would have been there.
In the end, she left clutching a long magic wand and a Fireball Spell medal.
"Hmm... maybe I should have gone for a custom wand, but I didn't really know what I wanted. By the way, do they support making models based on game screenshots here?" Dongli Yiren chattered away, still cradling her long magic wand.
This long magic wand was similar to the one Quan Xiuzhu had—the kind you could just carry around—but the head of this one was so oversized it looked more like a hammer.
"No idea. Anyway, you've already picked it, so why keep agonizing? Just like the one in your hand, your choices are always a reflection of your preferences," I replied somewhat perfunctorily.
"No, it's just that this wand looks familiar. It looks like a staff from a game I used to play. Besides, don't you think having something this big in your hand gives you a real sense of security?" As she spoke, she began brandishing the wand, looking very much like a melee mage.
"Fine, 'security.' I didn't think of that. As long as you like it."
I brought Dongli Yiren back to the dormitory.
The delivery I’d ordered was sitting at the door, nearly cold. On the way back, Dongli Yiren hadn't been as hunched over as before, likely because she had something to hold onto. Perhaps the initial wave of fear had finally passed.
During the ride, I watched her constantly fiddling with that medal. I was terrified she’d get excited and blow up the car; I couldn't afford the repairs even if I sold her off. I didn't want my first roommate to disappear like that.
Fortunately, we made it home safely.
"Dongli Yiren, aren't you going upstairs to find a bedroom?" I asked as I put my food into the kitchen heating box.
"Oh, right. I forgot. Sorry." Still riding her high, Dongli Yiren snapped out of it quickly. She hadn't been in a hurry before, but now she needed a place to put her new wand and medal, so she naturally complied.
"Also, the first room upstairs is mine. Don't pick the wrong one," I poked my head out to remind her. I hadn't locked my bedroom door, though I had already taken the key.
The bedrooms weren't clearly labeled. I wondered if she’d end up walking into the wrong one later.
"Got it."
Once I received a clear reply, I started eating my dinner.
Didn't Dongli Yiren feel hungry?
It was already night, but that wasn't my problem. If she was hungry, she could figure it out herself; at most, I’d teach her how to order delivery.
To be honest, having a roommate suddenly appear felt like a dream—a bit novel, but also a bit concerning. After all, no matter how you sliced it, Dongli Yiren used to be a boy.
Daily life was definitely going to be more complicated. For instance, I couldn't be as reckless about things like evening showers anymore. I’d have to make sure I was wrapped in a bathrobe before leaving the bathroom.
And I’d have to lock the door while showering.
I didn't know if Dongli Yiren had any weird habits, like peeping. She seemed to have accepted her new identity quite quickly, which was completely different from the protagonists in the transformation novels I’d read before.
In any case, I had to be careful. I couldn't underestimate her just because of appearances; for all I knew, she might be enjoying this more than I was.
Who could say for sure? I lay back on the living room sofa and did something rare: I turned on the television.
Eating while watching TV was a rare pleasure.
After flipping through, I found that many channels were pay-per-view, and many seemed to be linked to the outside world. I even saw a cartoon my younger brother used to watch.
I hadn't expected the TV in the Witch Academy to be so similar to the outside world, though this one was powered by mana.
I searched for some free channels, eventually settling on an official news station.
Normally, I had little interest in the mundane news of this world, but when I switched to this channel, my eyes lit up.
The screen was showing what looked like intense combat footage!
Looking closer, I realized it was a live broadcast. Even though it was late, I could see figures clashing in the sky.
However, whether the broadcasting equipment was garbage or something else was wrong, the picture was incredibly blurry—worse than a street security camera. It had that "redacted-level" quality to it.
Between the noisy audio of the broadcast and the host's intermittent commentary, I managed to piece together what was happening.
These were "Transcendent" beings fighting. "Transcendent" was the term we ordinary people used for those in the academies who mastered supernatural powers.
Now, these Transcendents were actually engaging in large-scale destruction and combat for unknown reasons, right out in the open.
The last time I’d seen scenes like this was when the academies were fighting over recruits, but even then, it hadn't gone this far.
The commentator kept explaining the two sides of the conflict. I didn't catch the name of one side, but they clearly weren't from the Three Great Rivers or the Witch Academy. The other side, however, was very familiar: the Lesser Demon Academy.
Seeing this, my interest was piqued. I even forgot to keep eating.
According to the host, this was the first time in recent years that such a malicious and reckless Transcendent battle had occurred in the outside world.
The damage had already spread across several streets, with casualties and economic losses being incalculable.
The frontline reporters were constantly switching perspectives; it seemed there were plenty of reporters who didn't value their lives.
Some reporters even managed to get representatives from the Three Great Rivers on the line to comment on the matter.
I didn't care much about that, but looking closer... wasn't the location of this battle the very city where I used to live?
A bad feeling settled in my gut. The Lesser Demon Academy and my former city—connecting those two elements made it hard not to let my mind wander.
At that moment, the TV featured some experts and professors giving their interpretations regarding the culprit: the Lesser Demon Academy.
The Lesser Demon Academy hadn't been established for very long; among the various Transcendent academies, it was considered part of the youngest tier.
Its reputation was abysmal. Its first batch of graduated students hadn't even appeared yet, which spoke to how young the academy was.
This Transcendent disaster had broken the unspoken agreement between the Transcendent academies. There were fears it might trigger a Transcendent War that would engulf the entire world, similar to the one in the last century.
I watched as a school official from some academy spoke these words on the screen, and I immediately sat up straight. A Transcendent War involving the whole world?
That was intense. According to the history I could access in this world, there had been seven Transcendent Wars in total. The descriptions of the first two were vague, but the subsequent five were recorded in great detail.
They even listed the "fuses" for the wars—details like the founding of a new academy were written in. But since history is written by the victors, those records implied a great deal.
Thinking about it, the Lesser Demon Academy fit the bill. It really was possible!
Could I actually be someone who lives through a world transformation?
For some reason, I felt a surge of excitement.