Free Web NovelChapter 810: A Small Episode Caused by the Curse of Misfortune
“It really is Self-generating Magic Power. This is the first time I've seen Self-generating Magic Power in such an initial state.”
At this moment, Academy Head Serina Palitzer stood before Yi Rui, evaluating her with a look of great interest.
For a witch like the Academy Head, unless it was something truly peculiar, it was very difficult for her to be interested.
And this form of Self-generating Magic Power was undoubtedly a very fresh thing to her.
It was something she had never encountered before.
“But this kind of Self-generating Magic Power is still too weak.”
Academy Head Serina shook her head and said, then her gaze turned toward Tan Han, who was observing from the side, and finally landed on me, “This should still be in an imperfect stage, right?”
“Yes, there is still a Perfection Ritual, which is currently in the exploration phase.”
I hurried to explain as well.
“Perfection Ritual... interesting.”
Serina's gaze turned toward the light screens and data presented at the moment.
Although she couldn't understand them, she could analyze the general process.
While Academy Head Serina was interested in understanding the Self-generating Magic Power construction technique, an unexpected accident occurred on my end.
Just a moment ago, my Great Tree of Knowledge received a communication from Millian.
But at that time, I was busy with Yi Rui's Architecture Ritual, so I didn't connect immediately.
It had already been hung up, and I simply replied with a short message and didn't pay it any more attention.
And now Millian had replied via text message about the current situation.
The matter of purchasing Soul-substance had run into obstacles.
The value of such a precious Transcendent material and its circulation channels were far more troublesome than I had anticipated.
Furthermore, my purchase time was too late.
Before the Expansion Realm closed, these resources had already completed their allocation.
Precious resources would not circulate; the resources circulating outside were all of very ordinary types.
“Is this a joke played on me by the Curse of Misfortune in that short period of time...”
I thought to myself with a slight sense of helplessness.
Originally, I thought this matter would be very simple... and among such a massive group like the Support Group, no one was willing to trade?
All I needed was the Soul-substance required to complete the Soul Depiction for those hundred or so Fool's Dream.
After a brief description of my situation to Millian, I temporarily set the matter aside.
Since the matter was already obstructed, being anxious now wouldn't solve it immediately.
It was better to focus on the current problems.
Since Yi Rui had already completed the Architecture Ritual, she could now try the Perfection Ritual just like Tan Han.
Academy Head Serina Palitzer was also quite interested in the Perfection Ritual.
Of course, this interest was only surface-level.
After Academy Head Serina found the Construction Ritual difficult for her to understand, she didn't plan to continue delving deeper.
Just as she had said when she arrived, she was merely an observer.
What she cared more about was the progress of the Self-generating Magic Power project and its manifested effects.
Not all witches were the type who, upon seeing a novel thing, would be impatient to understand and learn it.
Therefore, after Academy Head Serina understood Yi Rui's Perfection Ritual in its entirety, she left.
The Academy Head left very quickly; she was like a spectator who satisfiedly departed after watching a play.
With the Academy Head's departure, the atmosphere in the laboratory became much more relaxed.
Yi Rui was currently using the Perfection Ritual to perfect her magic power, and she was using the latest version that Tan Han was currently using.
Judging from Academy Head Serina's expression at that time, she was quite satisfied with the efficiency of this ritual.
The other sisters were busy organizing and filing the data on one hand, while chatting about this experiment on the other.
The experiment now had Yi Rui as the second successful case, which made every one of them extremely excited.
If Tan Han was just a coincidence that proved the path they were taking was correct, then Yi Rui's success was true hope!
Therefore, they were very serious about collecting and organizing the information collected during the experiment just now.
“By the way, Big Sis Xiao Han, when you were experimenting earlier, the shattering of the collar on your neck really scared us. What exactly was the situation there?”
At this time, without the Academy Head watching, the girls didn't have as many reservations and asked about the matter they were very concerned about previously.
“Oh, that was just an alchemical item that suppresses the Curse of Misfortune. Did I tell you? I severed the Earth Vein Chains ahead of time, but I haven't ascended to Transcendent yet, so I can't resist the Curse of Misfortune imposed on me by the world. Ultimately, I had to resort to an alchemical item to suppress it.”
“So that's how it was?”
Many people were also greatly shocked after hearing my explanation, but they seemed to have grown accustomed to me always doing unconventional things.
“Yes. After all, that collar had been used for quite a long time, constantly contending with the Curse of Misfortune imposed by the world. Its durability probably ran out. Don't I already have a new one?”
I shook the woven bracelet on my hand.
This was a special alchemical item, and it felt quite aged.
“An item personally given by the Academy Head... but it feels like it doesn't quite match your style, Big Sis Xiao Han.”
“I feel that way a little too, but compared to such trivial issues, my little life is more important. You don't know, this Curse of Misfortune thing is very wicked.”
“Eh? For real?”
“Of course. If I don't suppress the Curse of Misfortune, I might trip over flat ground while walking, or have a ceiling decorative lamp fall on my head while drinking coffee in a cafe. Although these accidents won't necessarily kill me, just thinking about a whole day filled with these frustrating things, mental problems would arise.”
“Ah? That terrifying? Just hearing it makes my scalp tingle. These wouldn't happen to be your personal experiences, Big Sis Xiao Han?”
“Barely? But I put on that alchemical collar early on, so I didn't experience too many unlucky things.”
I shrugged and replied quite nonchalantly, and everyone just listened for fun.
So, I had a brief chat with them about the gossip in this area, and the matter was moved past.
Not long after, I also waited for Millian's arrival at the laboratory.
After the Academy Head left, I had Millian come to the laboratory to discuss the matter of the Soul Crystals face-to-face.
This matter revealed strangeness everywhere.
I reasonably suspected that this might be an extension of the additional effects of the Curse of Misfortune.
After all, if this world wants to cause trouble for a person, there truly are countless ways!
But fortunately, the instruments and the interior decoration layout of the laboratory here were very professional, otherwise, I might have suffered the "sanctions" of those things, such as the falling of a light, or stubbing my little toe on a table corner?
Just thinking about it could give me goosebumps.
“Millian, over here.”
I called out and led Millian to my experimental cubicle, since the matter to be discussed next was my personal business.
Although I didn't mind too much if the other sisters knew, otherwise I wouldn't have chosen to meet Millian in the laboratory, if the other sisters knew, it would add many uncontrollable factors.
After all, the connections and relationships gathered in this laboratory... Heh.
Although they said they didn't interact much with other students and weren't the type of academic who were necessarily "successful" in the academy, no one wanted to provoke them.
There were even many students who wanted to suck up to them!
Don't forget what exactly they were researching.
Spells!
Derivatives!
They could even shape super consumption derivative spells with a cost of up to a thousand points!
Who would dare to provoke them?
After I casually closed the door, I pulled over a chair and pushed it to Millian, while I sat down very casually on another chair.
“Tell me exactly what the situation is regarding the Soul Crystals.”
I spoke in a flat voice.
“Alright.”
Millian also sat down and began to recount, “This time I went back and tried to collect Soul Crystals according to your ideas, Big Sis Xiao Han, but I found that we still underestimated the rarity of Soul Crystals. Soul Crystals and those Transcendent crystal mines are simply two different concepts. Back then in the Expansion Realm, there was simply no possibility of obtaining Soul Crystals through conventional mining channels. The group of people holding Soul Crystals are basically powerful high-grade students or teaching assistants, and they almost never let such things out...”
Millian said a lot in one breath and also analyzed the current situation for me.
The meaning was that Soul Crystals were very precious, there were no purchasing channels, and everyone was waiting for them to appreciate in value or keeping them for their own use.
Millian had tried to purchase them regardless of the cost, but could still only obtain a small amount of Soul Crystals.
“The Support Group... even if they are unwilling...”
I asked casually.
“Big Sis Xiao Han, I still hope you don't place too much hope on the Support Group. This is, after all, only a loose group. Once it touches on their core interests, it's very easy for...”
“I naturally understand this principle, so I have never expected anything from the Support Group.”
I just need it to be useful, I added silently in my heart.
The Support Group was a massive and "virtual" concept I had shaped in the Witch Academy; they existed between being present and non-existent.
When I needed them to do things for me, such as setting the tone on the academy network, they were willing to do those things in my name.
When I touched on their true interests, they would turn into loose sand.
Perhaps among so many people, there truly were followers who had been supporting me all along, but more people were in it for profit.
The Support Group was a handy weapon that allowed me to win the heights of public opinion and reputation in the Witch Academy; the key lay in how to use it.
Use it correctly and it will exert force.
Thinking of exploiting them without any benefit is like water scooped up from a river; the more you squeeze, the more the water escapes.
Furthermore, I was very clear that there were many people from families in my Support Group.
After all, most of the people who could thrive in the Witch Academy were from families; they formed huge groups and networks of relationships.
They didn't even need to infiltrate a loose group like the Support Group to claim to be a member of it.
“Then what do you plan to do, Big Sis Xiao Han?”
“Don't worry about it for now. Didn't you say you could obtain a small portion of Soul Crystals? Just send them all over.”
After all, I needed a large amount of Soul-substance previously for the sake of all the Fool's Dream, but for conducting experiments, it actually fell onto those three little Fool's Dream who followed me.
The amount needed was only four or five portions—three for research and one or two as spares.
What's more, it wasn't as if I had never collected Soul Crystals before.
I had collected quite a few back in that place where the Earth Veins converged, so if I wanted to support the smooth progress of the experiment, the amount of Soul Crystals needed actually wasn't that large.
“This... alright.”
Millian was also stunned to hear my words, because she felt that I actually wasn't angry, nor did I confront them head-on, but chose to compromise?
“The reason I needed a large amount of Soul Crystals was for other things, but for the experiment, just a small amount is enough. I can't be bothered to argue with them. This trivial matter won't hinder the progress of my experiment. You continue to negotiate with them and see what they actually want.”
“I understand.”
Millian nodded to show she understood, but in her heart, she was also constantly sighing.
The Big Sis Xiao Han in her eyes truly was the kind of person who wouldn't argue over many things for the sake of the experiment.
“However, I did roughly understand what they might need. Once I decided to collect Soul Crystals, the news spread instantly. Even during this time, the Wan Shi Wu Club approached me.”
“Oh? Tell me in detail about Wan Shi Wu. Did they take the initiative to come to the door?”
I asked with interest.
Regarding Wan Shi Wu, this was a very contradictory club because this club was not swayed by the will of a single family, but was the product of cooperation between students from many families.
Because of this chaos, Wan Shi Wu was currently roughly divided into two main directions: one side was the "Old Guard" that still leaned toward the Witch Academy, and the other was the fence-sitters on the edge of vacillating, who could be "subverted" by families from other Transcendent academy territories at any time.
The trip to Mo Nuo Peng City also made me aware of the schemes of other families.
They were even thinking of using the power of families around the Witch Academy to help them obtain [Transcendent Knowledge] fragments.
“It was a sister in the Support Group who brokered it for me...”
Thinking of this, Millian felt it was a bit of a pity.
After all, she had once been one of the members of Wan Shi Wu.
But ever since she followed Big Sis Xiao Han, everything had changed.
However, she would not regret her choice.
Millian carefully recounted the process of this matter to me.
Until the end, Wan Shi Wu stated that they were willing to release this batch of Soul Crystals, but for the method of transaction, they would not collect any form of universal currency or Transcendent materials, substances, and so on.
They hoped to exchange this batch of Soul Crystals for that Heart of Cold Tide that originally belonged to them.
This way of putting it was very interesting.
To some extent, their Wan Shi Wu was indeed the former owner of that Heart of Cold Tide, but they hadn't protected it well, to the point that it became a trophy I snatched from the hands of the Players.
Back then, they had obtained my promise that I wouldn't give it away to anyone for no reason, especially Tan Han.
And now, they had seized the opportunity, hoping to recover this Heart of Cold Tide in this way.
It could be said that this was already very conscientious.
After all, back then they had made a clean break and hadn't had any bickering behavior with me, and now they were willing to use extremely high-value Soul Crystals to exchange it back.
I seemed to have no reason to refuse.
Originally, I thought this matter would be very troublesome, but I didn't expect it could be solved so quickly.
“Heart of Cold Tide? Very well, I agree.”
I spoke very readily.
“Eh?!”
Hearing me agree so decisively, Millian was instantly shocked again.
According to the original development, shouldn't Big Sis Xiao Han have refused on the spot?
Millian looked at the Heart of Cold Tide that I took out and handed into her hand, feeling a bit dazed.
“Are you surprised? This thing has no use for me. This is only one fragment; it only has its value when they are all collected. And Heart of Cold Tide... I have two.”
I said as I took out another Heart of Cold Tide.
“Precious things are always only the last one. The ultimate initiative is still with me. And this extra one can solve my urgent trouble, so it counts as getting my money's worth.”
“Two... two?!”
“Mm, the very last Heart of Cold Tide among the 12 that those families are currently searching for.”
I admitted it openly; it was likewise nothing to me.
“By the way, the Heart of Cold Tide in your hand is very precious. Those people from the families will pay a huge price for it, even far exceeding its own value. After all... this is the Heart of Cold Tide in my hand, and it's also the one that is... the hardest to get in the Witch Academy. So its added value is very high. Help me fight for more value for it. I only need Soul Crystals; I won't ask about the rest.”
