Chapter 974: A Super Material Even the Dean Must Take Seriously
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 974: A Super Material Even the Dean Must Take Seriously
"Part of it counts as bargaining chips," I said.
"Do you mind telling me more? I'm mainly worried that things might spiral out of control..." Dean Mei said.
"Hey~ I was just saying—"
"You're just a listener; could you stop interrupting?" Dean Mei snapped, cutting Sheryl off mid-sentence.
"I'm just helping you hone your patience~ See? You've already lost it." Sheryl, showing absolutely no self-awareness regarding her interruptions, casually brewed herself a cup of black tea using Mei’s private collection. "Besides, what you just said was clearly an excuse to pry into Xiao Han's secrets. You're a Transcendent Witch—can't you handle a mess made by a Little Witch?"
"I really wonder if your mouth was this stubborn back when the Expansion Realm fell into that Dreamscape Calamity." This time, Dean Mei showed no mercy, bringing up a sore subject from the past.
That shut Sheryl up instantly.
She had to admit that back then... she had paid a heavy price for her own arrogance. The memory was still vivid to this day.
"...Xiao Han should have a sense of propriety in these matters," Sheryl finally squeezed out, then settled back to be a silent observer.
This was the first time she had ever been forced to swallow her words like this in front of Mei Lind.
"I naturally know that Xiao Han has her own sense of propriety." Seeing Sheryl silenced, Mei Lind felt a surge of satisfaction, and her tone lightened.
Her words weren't just empty talk. After all, if Xiao Han lacked restraint, the Main World would have been in chaos long ago. The Main World Script might not even be following her vision; instead, everyone in the Main World would be trapped in the Primitive Dream Realm while Xiao Han personally dragged the World Consciousness out to demand the location of the World Navel.
After all, Mei knew some of Xiao Han's plans—for instance, the Luck Summoning Spell experiments were aimed at finding the World Consciousness hidden deep within the depths of true time.
Dean Mei turned her gaze back to me. "I respect your privacy, Xiao Han. If you don't want to say something, you don't have to. Just tell me what you can. This is a collaborative effort, after all; as the Academy Dean, I can't be kept entirely in the dark, can I?"
"There's nothing I can't tell you." I watched the two witches bicker, feeling a mix of amusement and helplessness.
I could sense the Dean's intent: she wanted to show me enough respect without being overly intrusive. If this were Sister Bai, everything would go unsaid.
"The secret realm has tied up three of my plans. The first is an understanding of life; the second is an understanding of [Transcendent Knowledge] and power; and the third... well, it's an understanding of Void Rifts," I explained directly.
"An understanding of life—I think I follow that. You mentioned it before; it's preparation for Fool's Dream, right?"
"Yes." I nodded in confirmation.
"Then what about the understanding of [Transcendent Knowledge] and power? I recall you didn't seem interested in those fragments entangled with Luck... or are you just interested in the concept of that understanding?" the Dean continued.
"I'm just interested in that specific power. Furthermore, that power is related to the revival of a race. Its form is similar to Fool's Dream, but different from what I envision. The Ancient Remnant Ice King's clan achieved that power, but I hope the Great Spellbook you lost... will achieve Fool's Dream."
"Fine..." The Dean was still a bit hung up on the Great Spellbook I had dismantled, but what was done was done. Who could blame Xiao Han for having her own ideas?
"Let's not mention that anymore. I'm more concerned about your third plan: the understanding of Void Rifts. Why that? Is it to research your Totem?"
Dean Mei asked with some confusion. A Void Rift was essentially a tear in the void; ignoring its specific traits, it was similar to a standard spatial rift. However, the act of the void itself tearing was so extreme that it could harm even Transcendent-level experts, which gave it a shroud of mystery to those who didn't understand it. If Xiao Han was interested in this concept, the only thing Mei could think of was her Totem.
"No," I shook my head, denying the theory. "Understanding Void Rifts doesn't help much with understanding the Totem. As for why I'm studying them... I can only say it's for the Self-Generated Mana talent."
"For the Self-Generated Mana talent?"
Mei Lind was naturally puzzled by this unexpected answer. For a talent that witches were born with, many didn't even have the qualifications to research it. However, searching for commonalities between the two, she could guess at some possibilities.
"Do you think the Self-Generated Mana talent can be taken a step further?"
"Yes. At least, I believe this talent has that potential," I nodded.
But only I understood that this was only possible through the Self-Generated Mana born from a self-awakened Body Cultivation. After all, I called this talent "Prototype Self-Generated Mana." Much like a Prototype Spell, it possessed infinite possibilities for derivation.
"In what direction... is this possibility?" Dean Mei asked tentatively.
Though Mei Lind herself couldn't figure out Self-Generated Mana, she chose to believe this Little Witch who had already produced so many miracles without hesitation. After all, confidence and encouragement are the greatest catalysts when facing the impossible.
"In the direction of mana... quantity. I call it Infinite Mana. It's still just a hypothesis for now."
"Infinite Mana?" Hearing the prefix "Infinite," she could already feel the weight of Xiao Han's massive ambition.
In the current advancement system, which was categorized by the magnitude of one's Mana Source, the birth of the Infinite Mana concept... was practically a challenge to the very structure of the Transcendent system!
However, putting aside the question of possibility for a moment, if the effect of Self-Generated Mana could be continuously improved, it could indeed reach a theoretical state of Infinite Mana. So, it didn't seem entirely unreachable. But in reality, if it were truly that simple, the concept of Infinite Mana would have long since ceased to be a fantasy. Most so-called "Infinite Mana" was just a pseudo-infinite state with a very high storage cap.
Regardless, the Rebel Witch standing behind Mei Lind felt her eyes light up the moment she heard the concept! But she quickly masked her excitement.
At this stage, Mei Lind understood the general gist of Xiao Han's three plans. But to say they could serve as bargaining chips to lure Transcendents into the fray... they weren't quite enough. It wasn't that they weren't important, but rather that they were too important to reveal—to the point where even if they were revealed, the other party likely wouldn't recognize their true value.
The most obvious example was Xiao Han's third plan, the "Infinite Mana Talent Plan." If a Transcendent Wizard heard of it, they'd probably laugh out loud. And the Dream Life Experiment of Fool's Dream obviously couldn't be disclosed. As for the second plan regarding [Transcendent Knowledge], it similarly held little appeal for Transcendent Wizards; they wouldn't risk a direct confrontation for it.
Finally, Mei Lind's gaze landed on a crystal I was fiddling with in my hand.
"Did Sister Mei notice it too?~"
Seeing the Dean's eyes on the object in my hand, I knew my earlier "foreshadowing" of playing with it had worked.
"What is this?" Mei Lind instinctively used the Ley Line Identification Art to observe the peculiar crystal.
As a veteran Transcendent Witch, she had some experience with mechanical and alchemical arts. She had seen countless Transcendent materials and ingredients, but she truly hadn't seen this one before. She could only confirm its basic properties through perception—hardness, mass, light transmittance, and so on.
However, Mei Lind froze for a moment when she saw the information provided by the Ley Line Identification Art. The data summary for this material was... sparse. There were only a few vague descriptions. But its scientific name and origin were properly recorded.
"Hexagonal Crystal Amber... a trophy you harvested from the game world?"
"Exactly~ Its basic characteristics are incredible! If I remember correctly, its energy superconductivity is already on par with the mainstream, even top-tier synthetic materials in the Main World, right? More importantly, this is a natural, pure material that already possesses these traits. This means that composite materials using this as a base have immense potential for development."
I spoke excitedly while rolling the crystal between my fingers.
I had already tried using the Crystallization Spell on this crystal. That spell couldn't condense the same material from it. The power of a single spell wasn't enough—or rather, the Crystallization Spell itself wasn't high-level enough. Hexagonal Crystal Amber was a Transcendent material, not a physical crystal formed from ordinary matter.
To use an analogy, the Crystallization Spell was like turning water into ice, or at best, making glass. But these conventional methods couldn't produce synthetic diamonds. Only by harnessing the great power of a Great Spellbook could one meet the conditions for its birth.
Dean Mei reached out and took the Hexagonal Crystal Amber. A simple mana test allowed her to feel the excellence of the material firsthand! After a few more trials, she discovered that the crystal's energy conduction and amplification were even more impressive when it came to ice and snow-related properties.
While Dean Mei was surprised, she didn't lose her composure. She had plenty of rare materials and ingredients in her own collection, items that certain Alchemist Witches were constantly eyeing. A single crystal like this wasn't enough to shock her.
"Xiao Han, what's the story behind this material?" Though Mei Lind had many theories, she chose the most direct approach: asking.
"This material is indeed a trophy I seized from hunting in the game world. However, I am confident that I can use the power of the Great Glacial Throne Technique to manufacture this material on a large scale, in batches, and at a low cost."
In truth, within the Glacial Throne Secret Realm, I had already used the power of [Transcendent Knowledge] fragments to simulate and shape many such materials. However, they fell far short of my expectations. I estimated that only by truly shaping them into a Great Spellbook and allowing the application of power to undergo a metamorphosis would I be qualified to create true Hexagonal Crystal Amber.
But... for now, those created materials could still become circulating materials in the low-end market.
"What?"
Hearing this response, Mei Lind was instantly stunned!
It was true—she owned many collections superior to this material, but those were all rare treasures that could be found but not sought! Each one was a finite resource; once used, it was gone.
But this Hexagonal Crystal Amber... while carrying titles like "Zero Transcendent Energy Loss," "Amplification," "Superconductivity," and "Immense Development Potential," could also be "mass-produced on a large scale at low cost"... Even a seasoned veteran like her, a Transcendent Witch who had seen it all, had to admit: this was a Super Material!
"Wait! Wait..." Mei Lind suddenly stood up. "Xiao Han, are you sure you want to use this to lure Transcendent Wizards into the game?"
"Why? Is it not okay? Or is it not high-level enough?" I tilted my head and looked at the Dean.
"No... if this information gets out... it wouldn't be impossible for it to trigger a Transcendent War."
"Huh? Is it that serious?" I put on a look of disbelief.
A material that could make the Dean show such an expression actually came from a world that had already been destroyed? That truly was a case of "possessing a jade makes one guilty." I think I finally know how that world met its end...
But then I thought about it, and something seemed off. After all... even though I'm a clone, I'm not an idiot. I quickly realized the key point.
Excellent material properties combined with low-cost, mass-produced artificial manufacturing—that was the fundamental reason why the value of this material had skyrocketed. If I hadn't seen this material and tried to realize that possibility using the Great Glacial Throne Technique, then this material would never have reached the heights the Dean was describing.
"The implications are too vast. Xiao Han, can you guarantee that you can create this material using the Great Glacial Throne Technique? Are you certain?"
"I can only say it's highly probable. After all, the Great Glacial Throne Technique is still just fragments. But even with just the power of the fragments, I'm already able to manufacture low-end materials similar to Hexagonal Crystal Amber."
"That's enough..." Mei Lind said firmly. Although there wasn't a finished product yet, she believed Xiao Han could do it. Even if she couldn't match the original's effects, even a version with slightly lower quality and performance would be incredibly precious.
"How about this, Xiao Han... for now, don't use this to bait the Wizards. This material, combined with the technique to manufacture it, is simply too valuable." After thinking it over, Dean Mei spoke up again.
"Huh? It shouldn't be that bad... As long as it's a material, there's no such thing as a secret that won't leak. Besides, the technique to manufacture it comes from a Great Spellbook, which means it can't be replicated, just like the Nightmare Workshop. It should be fine, right? In the end, it's just a material; its value is only realized through trade." I held the opposite view to Dean Mei.
"You're not wrong about that..." After calming down, Mei Lind fell into reflection. "This matter is still a bit too significant, but I respect your thoughts. After all, you're the one who cooked this up... Sigh."
"Is Sister Mei sighing?"
"Yeah... forget it. Let's set this matter aside for now. Do you have any other means of drawing Transcendents into the fold?" Dean Mei asked.
"Hmm... if you're asking that... theoretically, there should be one more. But this time, the target isn't Wizards or a general group, but specifically Elves. I killed a Fallen Elf carrying a World Heritage in the game world. Buried within her heart was a seed from a Forest Elven World Tree. We can plant this World Tree in the Witch Academy. The Forest Elves born from it will directly undergo Witchification and enroll. The Elf Academy definitely won't be able to stand that; Transcendent Elves will surely make a move against us."
Dean Mei: "Σ(っ °Д °;)っ!"