Chapter 923: News Travels Fast
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 923: News Travels Fast
At that moment, the other witches in the laboratory wore strange expressions as they watched the sudden arrival of Dean Mei.
This was the first time they had ever seen Mei Lind looking so flustered.
Furthermore, the first thing out of her mouth was something they couldn't quite wrap their heads around.
What did she mean by, "Xiao Han, you're still here"?
Hadn't Xiao Han always been here?
If Xiao Han wasn't here, how were they supposed to use the facilities of this Primitive Dream Laboratory?
Ever since Xiao Han had opened her research on the Nightmare Purification Method to the public, many witch teams had been planning to conduct their experiments in this very lab.
After all, this place housed a Constant Dream Laboratory. Without it, it was incredibly difficult to deploy Dream State Soul Essence.
In any other location, if one truly wanted to maintain an experimental environment using dream-overlap alchemy items... it was far better to just come to the Primitive Dream Laboratory and borrow the Constant Dream Laboratory for their work.
Xiao Han’s lab was different from the others. She didn't have a massive research team; she was just a single Little Witch. Most of the experimental zones were usually idle or reserved for future use. Applying for temporary permissions to conduct experiments or collaborations here was actually quite simple—all one had to do was ask Xiao Han.
Consequently, there were quite a few witches in the Primitive Dream Laboratory at the moment.
Most were busy with preliminary preparations, moving equipment, and syncing systems, making for a bustling atmosphere.
"Sister Mei, were you looking for me?"
"Yes..."
Dean Mei breathed a visible sigh of relief upon seeing that I was indeed still here. However, she walked straight toward me, her eyes fixed on me as if trying to discern whether I was a clone.
Once she finally confirmed I was the main body, she spoke. "There are too many witches here. Let’s find somewhere more private to talk."
"Alright." I nodded quickly and led Dean Mei into the incubation room.
After the recent handover of the purification method experiments, the room felt somewhat empty. Only a few sets of experiments related to the Incubation Purification Method remained, used for the laboratory-level preparation of Dream State Soul Essence.
These were primarily kept as a reserve of research materials for the lab until a breakthrough was achieved in the purification method.
In other words, this was the method used to ensure that other purification experiments could proceed smoothly.
After all, a batch of pre-prepared Dream State Soul Essence served as a vital guide and control for experiments; it also facilitated research into the reverse engineering of Dream State Soul Essence.
Seeing Dean Mei and Xiao Han shut them out, the witches who hadn't yet started their official work began to sneak closer, hoping to catch some gossip.
Even the witches currently in the middle of experiments temporarily paused their tasks. After all... this was juicy gossip!
If the Dean’s conversation was classified, they naturally wouldn't hear anything due to the soundproofing spells.
Moreover, a Transcendent would certainly be able to sense the "sneaky lurkers" eavesdropping outside the door.
If they didn't put up a soundproofing barrier, it was essentially a tacit agreement that the others could listen in.
Inside the incubation room:
"Sister Mei, did something happen?"
"Do you truly not know, or are you just pretending?" Mei Lind looked at me. After calming her emotions, she quickly began to reflect. "The news about you... arriving in the Game World has already spread, and it’s caused a massive sensation."
"Huh?" Although I had my suspicions, how long had it been since my clone left the Main World?
It had been less than a day. Most of that time had been spent on the logistics of that city. Dealing with the vanguard players, fighting the Fallen Elves, and the first formal communication with the Real Protection Association were all minor matters that hadn't taken much time.
"You don't look innocent at all. I may not have the Heart Sense of a Body Cultivator, but you don't seem like the type who can lie convincingly, Xiao Han."
"Uh... isn't my main body still here in the Main World? I haven't left the Primitive Dream Laboratory, let alone the Main World," I said honestly.
"Then who is the Calamity Witch who descended upon the Game World?" Mei Lind’s words silenced me instantly. She had bypassed all pleasantries and gone straight for the jugular.
"Uh... a clone," I continued truthfully. "Mainly, the people of that world activated the runes for that reverse summoning spell themselves... I kept your teachings in mind, Sister Mei, and didn't want to risk sending my main body. But the opportunity was too good to pass up, so... I threw a clone over."
My words actually made Dean Mei laugh—though I couldn't tell if it was out of genuine amusement or sheer exasperation.
"You caused trouble the moment you arrived. By now, everyone in the other Transcendent academies likely knows that a genius Little Witch has descended upon that world. It won't be long before they make their move. When that time comes, you'll be facing a coordinated assassination attempt from all the local powers and extraterrestrial forces combined..."
"But the one I sent is just a clone that doesn't have much to do with me," I argued weakly.
I knew perfectly well that Dean Mei understood this, but the reason she was making it sound so dire was primarily because the situation had exceeded her expectations.
Just as I thought, once Mei Lind learned it wasn't my main body, the matter was more or less settled.
However, in her eyes, a stern lecture was still absolutely necessary.
Meanwhile, the witches eavesdropping outside were buzzing with excitement.
"Wow... Xiao Han went to that Game World? When did this happen?"
"Isn't Xiao Han still right here?"
"Didn't you hear? It was just her clone. Wow... Dean Mei is scolding her so harshly. Record it, record it!"
"Wait, sister, why are you recording this?"
"So I can listen to Sister Mei scolding me while I'm in bed tonight."
"Huh? What kind of weird fetish is that? Are you projecting yourself onto Xiao Han?"
"Why not? Xiao Han is basically a power-fantasy protagonist. If I were her, I’d already be slaughtering everyone in the Game World and restructuring the entire civilization."
"I don't understand, but I respect it..."
As the chatter outside began to spiral out of control, Mei Lind, inside the incubation room, found herself running out of things to say. After all, Xiao Han really hadn't done anything irresponsible toward herself.
On the contrary, the voices of the gossiping witches outside were starting to annoy her. Although the laboratory walls were soundproofed, that was only when the runes were active. Furthermore, a Transcendent Witch’s hearing was exceptionally sharp, so...
Clang!
The door to the incubation room swung open abruptly.
"Is the gossip that fun to listen to? You're not doing a lick of work, and I can hear your idle chatter all the way inside!"
"Oh~ Run! Run!"
The moment Mei Lind’s voice and figure appeared, the crowd of witches scattered like startled birds.
It was hard to imagine such a scene taking place in a formal laboratory.
But then again, when one remembered they were all witches, many things suddenly became perfectly logical.
After her lecture, Mei Lind understood that the current situation couldn't be changed.
Since the clone was already there, so be it.
However, Dean Mei made me agree to several conditions. For instance, unless it was absolutely necessary, my main body was not allowed to go there.
Furthermore, I wasn't allowed to trigger a Dreamscape Calamity or reveal any Primitive Dream Realm-related skills or abilities that exceeded common knowledge.
I understood this and didn't need her to emphasize it twice.
The rest were minor details and precautions; Dean Mei even shared a few tips and tricks with me.
Since the other Transcendent academies had already received the basic news and mistakenly believed that Xiao Han had descended upon the Game World without warning, this information gap was something that could be exploited.
As for the specifics of how to operate, Dean Mei didn't go into detail. After all, she couldn't exactly command that clone.
The situation in the Game World was complex, so Mei Lind could only give a general overview and let me improvise.
When it came to the ability to cause trouble... Mei Lind had absolute confidence in me.
She wasn't worried that I wouldn't know how to stir things up; she was only worried I’d stir them up too much.
After advising me to show some restraint, Mei Lind prepared to leave. However, just as she was about to go, she thought of something and suddenly turned back.
"Xiao Han, will you be free for a while?" Mei Lind asked.
"Huh? Sister Mei, why would you say that? I have tons of things to do!" Although things were indeed more relaxed than before, it didn't mean I had an abundance of spare time.
Even though I spent time telling fairy tales or bedside stories to Fool's Dream and the others, it wasn't like I was doing nothing.
I was constantly monitoring Fool's Dream’s life evolution process. I was simply using multi-threaded processing, reserving one thread to tell stories to keep them entertained.
Moreover, I was using life evolution techniques to continuously strengthen my soul level, preparing myself to adapt to true Floating World Level Spirit Vision.
"So, are you free?" Dean Mei asked directly, as if she hadn't heard a word I just said.
Mei Lind knew the situation regarding the Nightmare Purification Method very well. With the phased conclusion of the dream domain experiments and the "outsourcing" of the purification method, Xiao Han had suddenly freed up space from two major projects. Unless she went looking for more work, she was definitely less busy than before...
"Uh... what?" I looked at Dean Mei in confusion, somewhat incredulous.
Mei Lind analyzed the situation carefully, and then she suddenly realized something!
When had she started thinking that Xiao Han’s current state counted as "free"?
Previously, she had felt that Xiao Han was incredibly driven, squeezing every second out of her life... She had even advised Xiao Han to slow down.
At the time, she thought it might be a lingering side effect of being a short-lived species, but she realized that even now, Xiao Han’s condition hadn't improved...
Still, the words were already at the tip of her tongue.
"Xiao Han, do you think you have time to work on the Qi Observation technique? If not... I won't force you."
As she said this, Mei Lind remembered how she had confidently planned to ask when Xiao Han next visited her. No one expected plans to change so quickly, resulting in her coming here herself.
Even so, bringing this up was just an afterthought.
"Huh?"
I looked at Dean Mei, quite surprised.
"Uh... from a time-management perspective, I should have a little bit of time. But I can't leave the Primitive Dream Laboratory, can I?"
"We can move the Qi Observation equipment here. Don't worry, it won't take up too much of your time. We just need your... Spirit Vision to help with the key structures and the integration of the new Qi Observation techniques."
"Oh~ I see!" Hearing that, I quickly understood what Dean Mei meant.
Essentially, they had restructured the spell based on my original Qi Observation technique.
However, they lacked the data verification that only Floating World Level Spirit Vision could provide. Thus, they needed me. Since I had recently been adapting to the Spirit Vision I had previously neglected, the next version of the Qi Observation technique would undoubtedly be even more effective!
"Then... once the technique is perfected, can it be shared with me?" I asked expectantly.
After all, my original version of Qi Observation was merely a derivative of Ley Line Identification Art applied to the observation of Luck.
But the ones who had truly developed it were those at the Witch Academy. It went from observing the flow of Scripts to becoming a guide for World Repair Techniques, and finally to the observation and locking-on of the World Navel.
One could say that the derivation and development of Qi Observation had been entirely driven by the Transcendent Witches.
"Of course. Why wouldn't we share it? What kind of witches do you take us for?"
"Ah~ No, I just wanted to confirm! I'll set aside some time to help. As for moving the Qi Observation equipment and such, I'll have to trouble you, Dean."
"That’s no trouble at all. If anything, it’s you who will be working hard. If there’s anything you want, just tell me."
For a moment, Mei Lind became quite generous. As the Dean, her positioning of Xiao Han within the academy had always been vague. If one were to look at her official title, she was merely a Teaching Assistant—a student assistant at that.
However, because of the Honorary Little Witch contract, Xiao Han was viewed as having a status equal to a Transcendent Witch. Theoretically, she was qualified to become a formal Mentor at the academy, or even a specially invited academic scholar.
There were many such witches in the academy; most never showed their faces and didn't waste time teaching. They either had their own research topics or their own projects to focus on.
"Xiao Han, are you interested in becoming a formal Mentor of the academy?" Mei Lind asked on a whim.
"Huh? Uh... no, no! I think being a Teaching Assistant is quite free." After my initial surprise, I immediately waved my hand in refusal. Me, becoming a Mentor and teaching people?
Forget it. At least for now, I didn't want to do that; it would be a waste of my time.
"Alright then..." Mei Lind felt a bit helpless.
Was a Teaching Assistant... free?
Currently, Xiao Han’s freedom and ability to do as she pleased were only possible because she, the Dean, had opened every door for her. If being a Teaching Assistant were truly "free," one only had to look at the other student assistants in the academy.
In the eyes of most witches, those assistants were no different from regular students.
But Xiao Han was special. Rumors could be false, but what one witnessed with their own eyes was undeniably real.