Ch. 130 - The Burden of Leadership (Part Two)

Ming Yun didn't even hesitate. She didn't read a single line; she just scribbled her name and handed it back. The parchment flared into grey flame in her hand, startling her just enough to make her blink twice.

"You aren't even going to read the fine print?" I asked.

"I mean... everyone else signed it, right? It's fine... anything else?"

"One more thing. You have that Student ID, right? You need to find an advisor or teacher to help you link it ASAP. Your Talent is clearly trashing your daily life. If you keep sleeping through classes and exams, you won't last a week in this Academy."

That seemed to strike a chord. The fog in her eyes cleared for a split second as the gravity of the situation sank in. She might be exhausted, but she wasn't stupid. She just didn't have the mental bandwidth to think ahead until I forced her to.

"I... I’ll go find a teacher," she promised, looking slightly more alert.

"Good. Do it fast. Classes have technically already started, so check your schedule and don't miss anything else."

"Schedule? Where do I see that?"

I faceplanted into my hand. I had seriously underestimated how disconnected she was. Between her Talent and her lack of tech literacy, it was a miracle she’d even made it to her dorm.

After a quick tutorial on how to use her Academy phone, I finally wrapped things up and headed back out.

One down, but looking at the clock and the remaining names on my list, I realized I’d be lucky to make it to the lab by noon. I just hoped Ji Niang wouldn't be too annoyed by the delay.

As I moved on to the other stragglers, I saw a bit of everything. The "human condition" was on full display.

One girl claimed she "forgot," which I found hard to believe since all her roommates were gone.

Did she not notice the villa was empty?

Another was still using her old smartphone, keeping her Academy-issued device turned off to "save battery." She literally had no idea she was being pinged.

By the time I reached the middle of my list, I’d heard every excuse in the book. Some were genuinely lost, others were just negligent, but all of them were officially on my radar now.

By the time I finally finished my rounds, it was noon.

During the chaos, my phone had been blowing up with DMs from classmates.

Some were asking about the best places to hang out on campus, while others were practically begging for info on where to take the flight certification exam.

I tried to respond to everyone, but I didn't even have time for a proper sit-down lunch.

I just grabbed a quick snack from a roadside stall to stop my stomach from growling and rushed toward the lab.

I was cutting it close to the afternoon session when I walked through the door.

"Yuehan, a little late, aren't we?"

Ji Niang "complained" the moment she saw me, though her tone lacked any real bite. It was more of a playful jab than a reprimand.

"Sorry, Ma'am. I ran into a few... unique situations," I explained quickly, catching my breath. I made sure to mention Ming Yun's case. "One of the stragglers has a Talent that causes extreme lethargy. She can't stay awake to save her life, and it’s completely trashed her ability to function."

If Ming Yun’s situation didn't get sorted out, it was going to be a recurring nightmare for both of us. As her Class President and her classmate, I couldn't exactly just let her sleep her way into an expulsion.

"Is that so? I'll look into it," Ji Niang said dismissively. "But don't lose sleep over other people's problems. Take a seat."

"Right." I looked around the room. In just a few hours, the lab had been transformed. Ji Niang had brought in a mountain of equipment and supplies, giving the space the dense, lived-in feel of a high-end research facility.

"Any guesses on what we’re doing today?" she asked, leaning against a workbench while her fingers danced across a holographic interface.

"I... have no idea." I shook my head. My initial project was technically finished, and while I was still hungry for more, I figured she’d probably put an end to my "extracurricular" indulgence.

"We’re continuing the Spell Book research."

"Wait, really?"

"Did you think that just because you took it apart, you actually understood it?" she asked, arching an eyebrow. "Do you understand the Transcendental principles behind it? The rituals? The way mana converts and flows through those structures?"

She didn't wait for an answer. "You know none of that. I told you I’d show you the true beauty of this world. Today, we begin deconstructing the operational logic of the spell inside that book. Once you grasp the fundamentals, only then will you have the power to reprogram a spell."

"Reprogramming?!" My ears practically perked up. That was exactly what I’d been daydreaming about!

"Exactly. You look interested," she said with a smirk. "Then let’s stick with the Fireball model as our prototype."

Ji Niang was smiling, but her mind was miles ahead. She wanted me to use my Psi-vision as much as possible—to turn it into a reflex, a natural extension of my will.

Her ambition for me was staggering. To her, the standard Academy curriculum was a waste of my time.

I didn't need to learn how to chant or to optimize combat tactics like some common brawler. I wasn't meant to be a "soldier" witch; I was meant to be a Truth Witch, one of those legendary figures who stand at the very edge of the unknown, carving out new laws of reality.

If I could reach the stage of a Transcendence Witch with a Supra-level Psi-vision, I wouldn't just be powerful—I’d be a phenomenon. I’d catch the eye of the highest powers in the Witch World.

But for any of that to happen, I needed to survive the Witchification process first.

Ji Niang stared at me, lost in thought. She was already calculating how many Mana Cores she’d need to "gift" me to fast-track my evolution.

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