Chapter 34: Second Academic Year?

Chapter 34: Second Academic Year?

Due to her knowledge of the family's dark secrets and concern for her roommate's safety, Hill refrained from telling Phyllis about her father's subsequent actions.

"I can only wish my cousin the best of luck."

Following that, Hill earnestly requested Phyllis's help with her studies, pouring all her energy into practice.

To claim the title of Earl independently in the future, she needed to grow stronger as quickly as possible.

Thus, they practiced relentlessly in the young lady's lavish and luxurious room.

"To become completely invisible, you must let magical energy flow through every part of your body like water, including every strand of hair."

Phyllis tapped Hill's forehead, and the girl, who had only managed to make her abdomen disappear, instantly reverted to her original form.

"This is really difficult." Hill, leaning against the wall and gasping for air, found the experience of being split in two quite unsettling.

"Yes, but it's fun, isn't it?" Phyllis demonstrated for her, and the young lady watched as her roommate vanished inch by inch, as if being erased from existence.

In the end, Phyllis cheekily left a tuft of her gray hair visible.

"You're truly a genius!" Hill exclaimed, ready to regroup and try again.

Phyllis, dispelling her magic, casually inquired about the moon crest.

"Do you know of any families that use the moon as their crest?"

Hill: "Yes, I do."

"?!" Phyllis sat up straight, "You do?"

"Don't you know?" Now it was Hill's turn to be puzzled, "The royal emblem of Emperor Ferman the First is the moon."

"Who is Emperor Ferman the First?"

Hill silently looked at her for a moment, then turned to take a history book from the shelf and handed it over.

"Emperor Ferman the First was notoriously brutal, a devotee of demons and dark forces. Thirty-eight years ago, he was defeated by the Dern family, marking the beginning of the Dern era."

Hill showed Phyllis the Dern family's crest, and Phyllis immediately understood.

The current royal family is the Dern family, and the continent — the Empire of Yashe — is now under the rule of Emperor Dern the First.

The Ferman family, which used the moon as their crest, represented the previous dynasty, a dynasty that has been overthrown.

Phyllis, touching the moon depicted in the book, felt shocked but then everything started to make sense.

No wonder even the texture of a small wooden box was so exquisite; it was actually an artifact of the imperial family.

If the owner of the Black Moon Bar was a remnant of the Ferman lineage, their motives suddenly became clear.

Was it out of vengeance, or hatred?

That they possessed powers beyond those of the current world seemed logical.

Hill was curious, "Why are you asking about this?"

Phyllis casually deflected, "Oh, nothing, I just didn’t get a chance to learn these things at the orphanage, trying to catch up now."

Hill: "..."

Poor Rho... I must be kinder to her from now on!!

For the remaining days of the holiday, Phyllis stayed in Hill's bedroom.

The young lady practiced tirelessly, preparing to reclaim her title, while Phyllis immersed herself in books, gathering as much information about the Ferman family as possible.

Emperor Ferman the First, originally named Pedro Ferman, appeared outwardly as a devout priest. However, in reality, he was an ardent follower of black magic.

He secretly summoned a witch using desire, striking a deal that granted him unparalleled power in that chaotic era, ultimately securing his position as emperor.

No one knew which witch Pedro had bargained with, nor the details of their agreement.

All people knew was that after he became Emperor Ferman the First, the continent was gradually consumed by darkness.

Oppression of monks, propagation of the brutal survival-of-the-fittest doctrine, and covert promotion of dark powers were rampant.

The land was in turmoil, rife with death and despair, with panic about the abyss and witches everywhere.

People grew corrupt and belligerent, their faith in the sacred priesthood waning.

Historical texts describe this period as a world after witches’ descent, filled with "ominous misfortune, shadowed skies, the arrival of witches, people driven by desires, a world akin to hell..."

As Phyllis read, she was taken aback by the people’s lack of self-awareness at that time.

Clearly, Pedro’s deal with the witch had ended at the beginning; he sacrificed himself to gain higher powers from her.

Everything that followed was a result of his own desires. What did it have to do with the witch?

Moreover, people under his rule became tyrannical by their own choice, yet history blamed the witches for everything.

Why would witches be so idle as to tempt people into committing crimes all the time? Couldn’t they acquire what they wanted by themselves?

Phyllis snorted coldly, then briskly turned the page.

What she saw next was a passage that left her utterly astonished.

The God descended.

Witnessing the rapid spread of despair among mortals, the merciful God couldn't bear to see His children suffer.

He brought divine retribution.

["Witches' Demise: On this land, no witch shall live past 28 years. They will perish under the full moon, dying on the crimson earth."]

"Buzz—"

The intense mental shock caused Phyllis to hear a ringing in her ears, her hands gripping the book turned veiny, and her heart thudded like a large drum.

Divine... punishment?

The history book extensively praised the greatness of God and His unparalleled power of light. Every being would bow before Him, including all creatures of darkness.

But the witches did not.

At that time, all high-level witches, at the cost of their own annihilation, united to resist the divine punishment. With tumultuous magic power, they cast the deepest curse at the God seated above the clouds.

The deity vanished from sight.

The witches were severely weakened and never appeared on the continent again. Dark creatures also receded like the tide. The Dern family seized this opportunity, overthrew Emperor Ferman the First, built monasteries, and established new laws.

That led to the present world.

Phyllis read with a tingling scalp, fully aware of what those witches had done. They had exhausted all their magical power, channeling their full strength to resist an unfair deity.

Why?

Humans made deals with witches out of desire, and it was human greed that bloodied this land.

The witches were honest and trustworthy in their dealings from the beginning to the end, simply conducting their business. Who did they harm to deserve divine punishment in the end?

Was it simply because their title contained the word 'witch'?

Was it because of this divine punishment that the teachers decided to establish the Witch Academy, to ensure the survival of their kind?

Her thoughts then turned to those girls.

Was it because of the gender of witches that most people in this world harbored such malice towards girls?

This was true for Grifitz, and for Earl Wyatt as well.

Phyllis took a deep breath, eager to find out what happened after the deity vanished. What was the aftermath of the combined curse by the high-level witches? Were they injured or did they fall?

But the history book had no record of this, focusing instead on how powerful and accomplished Emperor Dern the First was, the profound impact and significance of the monasteries on the continent, and so on.

There was no further mention of gods or demons.

Phyllis slowly closed the book.

She felt her mind was in turmoil, solving part of the puzzle but uncovering even more questions.

Her intuition told her that the collective curse of the witches must have had a significant impact, likely related to the subsequent changes in the world.

As a product of another world – the game system – could it have entered this world due to problems with its deities?

If the deity intervened in the chaos caused by Emperor Ferman the First, it didn't make sense for it to remain indifferent when the world later descended into such a state.

Phyllis silently wrote the word "perished" in her palm, then circled it firmly.

Taking advantage of Hill's absence while she communicated with the servants about lunch, Phyllis softly inquired of the small world.

"The deity that people have been worshiping all this time, it hasn't ceased to exist, has it?"

This time, the small world was silent for a long while before providing an answer.

[It has shattered.]

Shattered? What does that state imply? Does it mean it no longer exists?

Wait a minute?

Suddenly, Phyllis came up with a possibility that left her feeling uneasy.

Shattered... into pieces? Weren’t the ancient bronze coins she had been collecting pieces of the Wheel of Fate? Could it be that what she was restoring was this very thing?!

"Is that deity... the modifier of the Wheel of Fate? Or... could it be you, small world?"

[No.] The small world dispelled her doubts.

[That was my most failed creation, and the beginning of everything.]

A bit abstract, but it was a denial of her assumption, thankfully.

However, when she tried to delve deeper, the small world remained silent.

Phyllis thought about it and quickly came to terms with it. After all, considering it involved a deity, it made sense that the small world couldn't say more.

No matter, if she couldn’t find the answers in history books, she could look in theological texts.

Numerous monasteries around the world should be able to unearth a multitude of information.

Even if it involves sifting through fabrications, with careful attention, one can discern a few truths amidst the many lies.

"In just two days they'd be returning to the academy. Then, a trip to Ninihui Town to seek help from the monastery's head, Yarvis, would suffice."

"Feyi borrowed paper and a feather pen from Hil, jotting down the tasks to tackle."

"1# Confirm the connection between the Black Moon Bar's hidden owner and Emperor Feyman I."

"2# Find the Black Moon Bar's vulnerability (starting with the trafficking of a 12-year-old girl)."

"3# Investigate the aftermath of the High Priest's curse."

"4# Find a way to break the divine punishment (after all, she didn't want to die before reaching 28)."

"5# Learn from her mentor the true... nature... of the predecessors' experiences with divine punishment."

"Wait a minute."

"Something just occurred to her."

"It seemed... before leaving the academy... to get the ancient bronze coin from the Book of Curses... she had schemed to... get Mentor Gaia drunk?"

"Damn," Feyi hissed."

"Would the mentor punish her by burning her alive for stepping forward with her left foot first upon her return?"

*

"Time flew, and on the day before leaving, following Hil's advice, Feyi transformed into a bird and flew out of the castle."

"Landing in a dark alley in Nuci City's central shopping street, she dispelled the transformation spell and layered two disguise spells on herself before daring to step out boldly."

"She coincidentally encountered Hil, who had come riding on Kokoro."

"Kokoro, having been well-fed and pampered at the Earl's mansion, greeted its mistress as if seeing a dear family member."

"If not for their contract, Kokoro might have betrayed Feyi on the spot and switched allegiance to the Wyatts."

"'Let's go!' Hil, with a starry-eyed expression, excitedly latched onto Feyi's arm, 'I'm taking you shopping today!'"

"Pre-school shopping was blissfully extravagant."

"Thanks to newfound wealth (courtesy of Vinnas), Feyi finally decided to upgrade from her cheap thin-skin notebook to a sleek, expandable seamless notebook."

"This type of notebook, made from a blend of various plants, incorporated stretching magic in its pages. It could be seamlessly shrunk or expanded for easy carrying, and the writing space could be greatly increased."

"More importantly, the notebook was stunningly beautiful!"

"Running her fingers over the cover, the texture of the plant fibers was palpable, with real, varied petals imprinted inside, a favorite among the upper class."

"Feyi purchased three, enough for two academic years."

"Hil also gifted her an ink-dipping sprite pen, not made of real sprites. This feather pen left a trail of shimmering light when writing, reminiscent of the dance of sprites."

"Having seen real sprites, Feyi fell in love with it instantly."

"They then visited clothing and accessory stores, picking up several magic-resistant fluffy coats."

"'It gets really cold at the academy in winter,' Hil predicted, 'With the new academic year, the tutors will definitely become stricter.'"

"Feyi nodded in agreement and also silently bought herself a defense-boosting little vest, warm pants, and leather boots."

"No matter how much protection they offered, better to be safe and survive Mentor Gaia's class first!"

"The rest of their purchases were ordinary but stylish underwear, sweaters, and thermal pants."

"Even the best warmth spells couldn't match the comfort of soft, fluffy material."

"Now with a well-stocked wallet, Feyi could afford not to fret over prices. Instead, she considered comfort, functionality, and aesthetics together."

"They even indulged in whimsically choosing some purely decorative trinkets."

"The two returned to the castle with a carriage full of items."

"On the day of departure, Feyi packed all her organized belongings into her spatial bracelet, opting not to teleport directly but to take a leisurely journey back with Hil over three days."

"Gathering interesting information along the way would be a bonus."

"They traveled while having fun, enjoying aerial skiing on the Ekara Snow Mountains, pausing to help locals deal with elusive snow monsters; they swam in the Soul Lake, listening to the dead souls narrate tales of hell."

"Along the way, they even gained a few levels."

"On the last day, arriving in familiar Alaraf City for a rest, Feyi was surprised to find the local Mercenary Association closed."

"Curious, she quickly asked Hil to make inquiries."

"The young mistress soon returned with news."

"'Apparently, there was an incident a few days ago. A female receptionist attacked a client like a monster during a meeting. Though quickly subdued by mercenaries, the client died from the injuries.'"

"'But there's more scandalous news,' Hil continued, sipping her cream berry juice, 'The receptionist was locked in the dungeon and mysteriously disappeared soon after. When the Association searched her house, they found numerous human limbs, all with bite marks.'"

"Feyi furrowed her brows, 'You mean the receptionist suddenly started eating people?'"

"'Seems so,' Hil replied, 'Rumors quickly spread of a monster infiltrating the Mercenary Association, posing a danger. To alleviate public concern and thoroughly investigate, the Association temporarily closed its doors, planning to reopen once everything is settled.'"

"For some reason, Feyi felt there was more to the story."

"And the 'cannibalism' trait immediately reminded her of the Corpse Pile King."

"Was it merely a coincidence?"

"Maybe it was just a coincidence."

"Besides, the Mercenary Association didn't need her help."

"So, they decided to continue their journey, arriving at the Abyss just in time for the evening before the school reopening."

"The deep red earth stretched endlessly into the distance, with bizarrely shaped trees sparsely scattered around."

"Above them loomed a dim sky, the air filled with a familiar, chilly essence."

"Kokoro was visibly restless, not being a creature of darkness, akin to a rabbit in a snake's den."

"Feyi soothed it, then heard Hil inhale deeply, 'I haven't been back in so long, I've missed it. The air here in the Abyss is much more pleasant than that in Wyatt Castle.'"

"Feyi was somewhat surprised; she still remembered her roommate initially thinking everything from Wyatt was superior."

"Was she really so disdainful of it now?"

"Many students had already returned to the academy."

"Those standing here, aside from being naturally gifted with magic, all had deep, personal goals."

"They sought power to achieve these aims, yet none were aware of the divine punishment."

"Indeed, if they had known from the start about not living past 28, who would have accepted the admission letter?"

"Feyi mingled with the crowd entering the academy, where Tutor Sallira stood elegantly at the entrance, welcoming them."

"The corridor was even decorated with head-shaped lanterns, the dim green will-o'-the-wisps glowing faintly, resembling a dark river."

"The upperclassmen had arrived a bit earlier and no longer exhibited their initial curiosity."

"Everyone mingled together, sharing stories of their holiday experiences."

"'I finally turned that brat who bullied my sister into a stinky toad! He was so scared he wet his pants, haha! My transfiguration spell is getting better and better.'"

"'During the holidays, I helped my mom bake a helmeted frog leg pie using black magic. She said it was delicious until she found out what it was, then she threw it all up.'"

"Feyi glanced at the last girl who spoke, covering her eyes in disbelief."

"So, what on earth were they eating all this time?"

"Taking advantage of the crowd, Feyi removed her conspicuous transformation hat and blended in."

"Good, Tutor Sallira hadn't noticed her."

"And nothing happened overnight; Tutor Gaia didn't send a familiar to collect her head, nor did she seek her out for retribution."

"Feyi pondered for a moment and quickly came to terms with it."

"After all, she had used the Destiny Wheel modifier to cheat and find out Tutor Gaia's weakness to alcohol. To the tutors, it might have just been a coincidence."

"Even so, what she did was somewhat inappropriate."

"While tidying her dorm, Feyi caught sight of the white axis flower."

"This was a plant that could permanently enhance the quality of potions, extremely rare, something she discovered accidentally in her potion class last year."

"Having never found the right opportunity to use it, it had remained untouched."

"She decided to add some nutrients to the flower, nurture it well, and present it to Tutor Gaia as an apology gift."

"The new academic year quickly began amidst a lively atmosphere."

"They introduced two new courses this year, one of which was a black magic artifacts class, focusing on both creation (manufacturing) and application (usage), as seen from the distributed textbooks."

"The other new course was an Exploration class."

"Many students showed immense interest in the Exploration class, as it involved venturing into the Abyss itself."

"'Witches should have a thorough understanding of the world they inhabit,' recruitment – and now Exploration – Tutor Sallira explained with a smile, 'With just a bit of courage and caution, you will find this class immensely rewarding.'"

"For some reason, everyone shivered simultaneously at the tutor's smile."

"The first Exploration class didn’t involve going out but rather each student received a map of the Abyss, color-coded to indicate danger levels."

"The safest areas were marked in green, encompassing only a small area around the academy."

"The rest were yellow, orange, red, and the strictly off-limits black zones."

"At their current level, they could only venture into the yellow areas, possibly extending to the periphery of the orange zones as they progressed."

"'The heart of the orange and all of the red zones are still too dangerous for you,' Sallira emphasized, 'Never let curiosity lead you into them.'"

"'The Abyss is not only home to groups of dark creatures but also to many other lurking races. To them, witches are premium nourishment.'"

"Indeed, they might encounter a fully-evolved Necro-Singer next time. Or perhaps... an Abyss Hunter? A Curse Master?"

"Feyi suddenly felt a surge of excitement. She had only fought these beings in the game before; how would it feel in reality?"

"Glancing at the map, she immediately decided to explore the nearest orange zone that night."

"The Black Magic Artifacts class was straightforward. The first lesson was simply teaching students about various types of weapons and tools. The history, development, and various effects of magical artifacts were introduced according to the curriculum,"

"And only after fully understanding these would they start learning how to create them."

"The new tutor, Jacqueline, was a woman of few words but a true expert in artifacts."

"Just the wand in her hand looked incredibly familiar to Feyi."

"Because that was the legendary item with an incredibly low drop rate in the 'Land of Gods and Demons' game."

"Feyi resolved to study this course diligently."

"If she could craft a weapon that enhanced magic power by a percentage, that would be a huge win."

"With the start of the second year, the castle's library, housing books written by generations of witches across various genres, was now open to them."

"All these resources were freely available to the students."

"Feyi no longer had to scrounge around her seniors for materials!"

"She rushed to get her library card first—a thin blue-blood pufferfish that could survive on land."

"'Each borrowing period is three days,' explained the automaton butler Moomoo, 'If you need to extend the period, you must reapply. Otherwise, exceeding the time limit will activate the card's punishment feature.'"

"'No problem,' Feyi waved dismissively, about to say she wouldn’t be late, but the pufferfish next to her immediately perceived her as a naughty little witch and inflated. It went from being thin to a round, spiky ball."

"Wherever Feyi went, the little pufferfish followed, pricking her accurately."

"'I get it!' Feyi said exasperatedly, 'Make it normal again!' Otherwise, she might not resist the temptation to fry it up!"

"Hil couldn't stop laughing beside her."

"Just like how Hil was smacked by a magic scroll made of sea monster skin when they first enrolled, Feyi was now being pricked by a blue-blood pufferfish library card."

"Indeed, everyone had their own challenging initiation at the academy."