Chapter 374 : Chapter 374

Chapter 374: Physical Arts Training Hall

"No, I'm not asking you to do anything. I'm asking if you're interested in going to that world to 'play'?"

"Eh?"

Hearing the Academy Head's words, I was surprised.

Was she giving the choice to me?

"Then... if I'm not interested in going, can I really not go?"

I asked tentatively.

"What? In your impression, am I the type who loves to boss people around? If you're not interested, you naturally don't have to go. I'm approaching you because you're the most suitable candidate in my mind."

"Suitable? Why?"

I asked.

I didn't continue asking if I truly could refuse, as that would seem a bit low-EQ, and this kind of thing wasn't truly up to me.

But I was very curious why the Academy Head would say I was suitable.

Had the Academy Head already figured out the details of that Small World?

"It's simple. Small Worlds are actually very fragile and cannot withstand power above the Transcendent level. That's something only a Large World can do. So, if our mentors from the Transcendent Academy were to go, they would need to forcibly suppress their strength below Transcendent level to pass through."

"Um... since mentors can't, what about the powerful students? There should be quite a few students in the academy who are about to advance to Transcendent but haven't yet, right?"

I asked.

"Quite a few, but did you forget about the Earth Vein Chains? Students who haven't severed the Earth Vein Chains cannot leave the Main World to enter the Void, let alone enter other worlds."

"Oh right, I almost forgot."

I slapped my forehead, immediately realizing.

Looking at it this way, I, who was not Transcendent yet but had severed the Earth Vein Chains, did seem very suitable for this mission?

But I was also very clear that I wasn't the only choice; I was just the only choice among the students.

There would always be Transcendent Witches taking the lead in exploring unknown worlds.

"Um... Academy Head, may I ask, should I be considered dispensable? Will my going there cause trouble for the mentors?"

I asked tentatively.

I originally wanted to ask, "I'm not the main character this time, and you're not secretly manipulating things from behind, are you?"

But I tactfully changed the way I asked.

However, after a second thought, this was another world.

Could The Script the Academy Head controlled in the Main World even extend to other worlds?

So, thinking this, I dismissed some of my concerns.

"Cause trouble? What trouble could you cause? Even if you went and turned that world upside down, it wouldn't matter. It's not the Main World, so naturally, you're free to stir up trouble. Just don't get yourself killed."

"Oh, oh."

I quickly nodded.

With the Academy Head's words, I was relieved.

"Why are you so concerned about these things? Does this mean you want to go?"

"Um... I'm a little tempted, but I haven't made up my mind yet. I want to ask, when can we roughly go?"

"For Transcendent Witches, we can go whenever we want, even now. But that would require crossing the Void between worlds to reach that Small World. After all, the coordinates of that Small World in the Void haven't been confirmed yet, so we can't directly open a teleportation channel to it. Quite a few enthusiastic witches have already gone over to take a look."

"So, actually, I can't go yet?"

Hearing this, I was inexplicably relieved.

Perhaps I didn't want to go in my heart, at least not anytime soon.

I needed some time to rest, didn't I?

"Yes, you shouldn't think about going anytime soon. The first batch of Transcendent Witches who went over will conservatively take at least a month to send back any information."

"A month, just to send back information?"

"Yes."

"Then this event should still be a long way from happening, right?"

That should be enough time for me to rest until I'm bored and looking for fun.

Thinking this way... even if the Academy Head had a mission for me, I might actually go.

And... Big Sis Bai should be back by then, right?

I wonder if Big Sis Bai would go with me.

"Yes, one month is a conservative estimate. The time we've set aside is two months to establish a stable teleportation channel between the two worlds, and half a year to conduct public opinion guidance outside, in preparation for the world collision..."

"Eh? Wait, what do you mean? Public opinion guidance? World collision?"

I quickly interrupted the Academy Head and asked.

"Mhm. World collision is an unavoidable problem. If the Main World wants to annex that Small World, the Main World Consciousness needs to exert effort. Even we are only assisting the Main World Consciousness in completing the world assimilation. And in the initial collision between the two worlds, the resulting phenomena will naturally affect the whole world. Moreover, this is a collision between two worlds on the Void level, referring to the spatial interaction and overlap of the worlds' space. Do you know what will happen?"

"Um... what will happen?"

I looked at the Academy Head with an innocent yet eager-to-learn gaze, waiting for the answer.

"The worlds and the space they represent are two different concepts. The overlap and interaction of space will naturally open Void Cracks, and those cracks will be the channels for communication between the two worlds."

"So, this is actually a worldwide disaster, because the Void Cracks will randomly appear in the overlapping spatial areas of the two worlds?"

I tried to understand, asking a tentative guess.

"Correct, you are very clever. That's exactly what it means."

"So, this requires the cooperation of the entire world to seal those Void Cracks as quickly as possible, to prevent ordinary people from foolishly going through or the enemy's powerful beings from coming over and causing harm to our world?"

"Not quite. You forgot the Earth Vein Chains again. Even if the worlds collide and even open Void Cracks, the Earth Vein Chains will firmly seal them off. Ordinary people simply cannot pass through, and the same applies to the other side."

"Um... in that case... is the purpose of sealing them simply to prevent ordinary people from knowing about these things?"

I asked.

"Of course, it's more than that. Did you forget what I just said? The Main World wants to absorb that Small World as a valuable resource world. This process of annexation is essentially the Main World Consciousness assimilating the World Will of the other world and turning the other world's Earth Vein into the Main World's Earth Vein."

"This is roughly equivalent to Earth Vein grafting. Once the source is the same, the power of the Earth Vein Chains will weaken. So, as time passes, ordinary people from the two worlds will be able to cross over because they are essentially the same Main World, just spatially partitioned for now."

"Then... how long will this process last?"

"We don't know for sure. Currently, the Main World we are in has no precedent for annexing a Small World, so we don't know the rate of its annexation and assimilation. But a conservative estimate... it should take a few years, but we can artificially accelerate this process."

"A few years!"

This time span... was indeed a bit surprising, but considering that I would only finish my studies at Witch Academy after ten years, it didn't seem too long.

"Yes, so this kind of thing cannot be rushed."

"Um... then why did the Academy Head tell me about it so early?"

I complained slightly.

"Well, I just happened to run into you, so I thought I'd tell you. I'm worried you might have nothing to do and get bored, so I'm giving you a few months buffer period to think about it carefully."

"I see. Thank you, Academy Head, for thinking of me like this."

"It's nothing. After all, I'm telling you this because I hope you can go. And there's another point... if too many Transcendent-level powerhouses go over, the World Will of that Small World might be unable to withstand it."

"It can't withstand it? Then the Main World..."

I thought of the many Transcendent Academies in the Main World, the numerous Transcendent-level powerhouses in the academies, and even some Transcendent Witches who were scholars and didn't teach.

The Main World didn't seem to have a problem with it.

"The Main World also has a capacity limit. Otherwise, why do you think your Big Sis Bai needed a qualification to return to the Main World? That qualification is used to control the dynamic balance of the number of Transcendents in the Main World."

"Um... alright..."

I recalled Big Sis Bai's special teacher qualification; that was also thanks to the Academy Head's consideration.

"After this Small World merges into the Main World, I estimate the maximum number of Transcendents the Main World can accommodate will increase again."

Although the Academy Head said this casually, she was actually thinking about whether to use this invasion of the Small World as a starting point.

In the future, if other Transcendent Races wanted to settle, should they first send a few Small Worlds as a 'ticket' to try it out?

After all, the Main World was still at a low point.

It needed a large amount of resources to revive its former glory.

The ruins of the Main World were much larger than they appeared.

If the Main World were to be fully revived, the number of Transcendent Races it could accommodate was, theoretically... limitless.

This was one of the reasons why the Main World was a highly contested prize...

"So... Academy Head, am I not supposed to do anything during this time?"

I asked tentatively.

"Don't you have your own plans and arrangements? Do whatever you want during this time."

The Academy Head glanced at me and said.

"Okay, okay."

I nodded quickly, indicating no problem.

No trouble during this time meant everything was fine.

The tension in my heart finally eased.

"Then I won't bother you anymore. I can tell that you're a bit uncomfortable being alone with me, even walking on the street."

"Be confident. Given time, you can reach my level, or even surpass me. After all, the Primal Witch Lord never said things like 'I have high hopes for you' to me. She only told me things like 'think about something practical'."

"At that time, I also had a Grand Spellbook and was already a Transcendent Witch. Perhaps that's the difference. I was much more restless back then than you are now. You are so mature, like a... how should I describe it? A social animal who has seen through desire? Something like that. All that's left in your eyes is numbness towards the world, but I can see you have a fanatical love for the Transcendent."

I listened to the Academy Head's evaluation of me... I had to admit, it sounded surprisingly accurate, cutting right to the essence, even making my scalp tingle.

It felt like she was just short of saying I was a transmigrator.

Just as I was about to say something, the Academy Head's figure completely disappeared, leaving only me alone on the roadside.

"Sigh."

I sighed, then patted my face, sorting out my emotions.

The Academy Head was gone, and it was time for me to start my own plans.

First, I would proceed with my meditation practice as planned.

Looking at the direction of the Meditation Room, I immediately rode my broom, took out my phone, and reserved an Advanced Meditation Room.

After all, I was somewhat financially abundant now, so I couldn't skimp on my own well-being.

Time flew by quickly, and nearly two hours had passed after the incense burned out.

Although meditation consumed energy, it allowed me to calm my mind better.

After all, even if you just sit quietly for an hour or two, as long as you can persist, anyone's mind will quiet down.

Feeling a slight increase in my mental power, I ended my meditation with satisfaction.

After leaving the Meditation Room, I planned to go to the Physical Arts Training Hall for practice.

The existence of the Physical Arts Training Hall was common knowledge Big Sis Bai told me when she gave me the Body Forging Alchemy Ring.

It was a semi-open area for Physical Arts training.

Anyone practicing Physical Arts could go there, similar to a gym.

Entering naturally required a fee.

It was membership-based, meaning you had to pay to get a card.

The Physical Arts Training Hall was founded by the Physical Arts Exchange Club, similar in nature to the former Flying License Training Club.

The entry standard for members of this club was to have a certain level of achievement in Physical Arts.

Club members enjoyed many conveniences and could also work part-time or even full-time as coaches providing guidance in Physical Arts training, similar to a gym's personal trainer.

Of course, this required an extra fee for the students receiving instruction.

I was just going for my daily routine of the ritual battle dance, which was an essential accompaniment to the Body Forging Alchemy Ring, to comprehensively enhance my physical fitness.

I wasn't in urgent need of specific Physical Arts techniques yet.

After all, a single straight punch from me was already very powerful, so combat-oriented Physical Arts weren't urgently needed for now.

I hadn't been to the location of the Physical Arts Training Hall.

Big Sis Bai had only briefly mentioned it and noted that I could find it directly on the phone map.

I tried it, and it worked.

Furthermore... there was more than one Physical Arts Training Hall within the Witch Academy.

The descriptions on the map suggested they all belonged to the Physical Arts Exchange Club.

I wasn't picky and chose the closest one to go to.

As for navigation?

Completely unnecessary.

Once the correct direction was confirmed, the flying broom took me in a straight line, no need to worry about the route.

When I arrived, the very conspicuous words "Physical Arts Training Hall" were marked on the peculiar building.

Upon reaching the place, I subconsciously looked for any public teleportation landmarks.

I had already interacted with the one near the Meditation Room, and since it was close, I hadn't chosen to teleport when I parted ways with the Academy Head.

Since this was my first visit here, I instinctively looked for one.

After observing with Spirit Vision for a long time, I eventually found one a bit further away.

It seemed the location of this Physical Arts Training Hall wasn't ideal.

After a slight complaint, I put away my broom and walked into the building.

As soon as I walked in, I felt a vibrant aura rush toward me.

The air was filled with the scent of sweat and... gal pal affection.

The front area seemed to be the reception desk.

Even the reception area had many exercise machines and inspirational slogans, urging everyone who chose Physical Arts training to continue striving on this path.

When I reached the front desk, looking at the senior students passing back and forth in their light clothing, I felt out of place.

My current outfit... didn't seem suitable for Body Forging.

Alas... a miscalculation...

I should have worn tight-fitting, convenient workout clothes underneath.

But the senior students at the front desk greeted me warmly when they saw the unfamiliar face.

Looking at the spirited demeanor of the seniors who had just finished their practice, it seemed this was the prevailing atmosphere here.

This trip to the Physical Arts Training Hall should bring me unexpected surprises and anticipation.

But I quickly reined in that mindset.

No, no, no, I already have Big Sis Bai.

I can't keep going down this road...

"Hello, first-year girl. Are you interested in Physical Arts training? If you're just looking to get fit, we also offer one-on-one professional Physical Arts training and correction by senior students, oh."