Chapter 8: Isn’t Falling for a Smart, Naughty Big Sister Completely Normal?

Jiang Cha had no idea why knowledge in the world of witches seemed to carry a curse. But then again, that wasn’t really something she needed to worry about.

After a brief analysis, she concluded that with her current ability, the only thing she could do was optimize her study rhythm to slightly ease the effects of the mental intrusion. Having done that, she decided there was no point in overthinking it further.

Compared to solving something akin to a “universal truth of the cosmos,” she was much more concerned about her daily life.

“That weird mix of satisfaction, a sense of accomplishment, and heavy fatigue…”

The girl murmured softly as she closed her book and let out a long breath.

She hadn’t read everything yet, but she had gotten a decent grasp of witch history.

Year 450 of the Witch Era.

The Primordial Witch, Alyss, was born — the origin of the witch race.

Although from today’s standards, her magical power and mental coefficient were laughably low — so low that if she were born in this era, she’d probably be diagnosed with a condition and wouldn’t even be able to cast a basic fireball — she was nonetheless the very first ancestor of all witches.

No one knew how or why she was born.

Her life was absurdly simple: she was born, started a family, and gave birth to children.

Three daughters — all witches — all with equally pathetic magic stats.

But even so, they were still beings beyond the ordinary. Carefully hiding their nature, the witch bloodline slowly expanded.

And with each generation, their genes self-optimized under the influence of magic. The average magical power increased. Knowledge was passed down: about magic, alchemy, potions, and more.

Then, in the 15th century, the Witch Hunts began.

Witches were individually powerful, but even they couldn’t stand alone against platoons of armored knights. It was a tragic chapter of history — but also the beginning of a new age.

No one can say with certainty what caused the Witch Hunts. Human ignorance? Fear of witches’ superior abilities? Or maybe it was just a power struggle between two species?

Maybe it was all of the above. No one knows for sure.

But what is certain is that this period gave rise to a generation of witches whose names would be forever etched in history:

• Carlile Emma, the Witch who broke the magical limitation, strengthening the species.

• Norton Eileen, the Sage who organized and systematized knowledge, advancing witch education.

• Dillon Natalie, the Leader who formed the first organization to shelter witches and resist humanity head-on.

It was a time when the stars shone brightest, difficult to judge in black and white — but above all, the most pivotal moment was the invention of witch-exclusive reproduction.

That one development completely severed witches from the human bloodline and made them a fully independent species.

It also accelerated their evolution.

By the 18th century, the first witch with over 10,000 magical power emerged — a true “Great Witch.”

That marked yet another turning point.

Because with that much magic, one could start constructing self-optimized traits using their own power.

Everything you see in modern witches —
[Immortality], [Super-Magic], [Casting Efficiency], [Spatial Traits], [Longevity], [Scientific Insight] —
All of these seemingly godlike abilities stem from one Great Witch after another optimizing themselves.

These traits, intricate and unique, were passed down and mixed through intermarriage, evolving further.

They lay dormant in the body, like complex and mostly-unused DNA strands in a natural organism — only surfacing when evolution (or de-evolution) called for them.

And witches had the power to actively design these traits.

Generation after generation, they built, refined, and shared.

This gave the witch species limitless evolutionary potential, and their technological tree exploded accordingly.

By the 20th century, after successful galactic exploration, their increasingly powerful spatial manipulation led to the discovery of dimensional gates.

Then came May 30th, 2121.

The witches officially became a high-tier civilization in the multiverse.

And they were still evolving, still moving forward — either until they fully unlocked the miracles of magic, or until they self-destructed.

“Just like a Fourth Faction Apocalypse Race…”

That was Jiang Cha’s quiet evaluation after finishing the Witch History Primer.

The witches’ development was pure power fantasy. Since the first Great Witch appeared, they’d been in a continuous age of explosive advancement — for over two hundred years — with no signs of stopping.

Every second, new resources flowed in from alien systems and other worlds. Every moment, there were technological breakthroughs being put into practice.

This was thanks to the witches’ unmatched combo of ruthless aggression and obsessive scientific curiosity.

Other species would never understand how a race could embody both the “warrior nation” mentality — invading, conquering, militarizing society — and the “science race” mindset of obsessively pursuing knowledge.

But Jiang Cha could hazard a guess.

Maybe…

“Knowledge contamination and residual human psychological traits are both playing a role…”

“No, maybe there’s something even deeper…”

She shook her head, brushing off her wild theories.

Looking out the window at the burning red sunset, she packed up her books and began returning them to the shelves, one by one, relying on memory.

“Finished already? If you want to borrow any, you’ll need to check them out with me — they’re all marked with high-level tracking sigils.”

Miss Mohr greeted her with a soft laugh.

“Yes, I’ve finished them all. Thank you again, Miss Mohr — they were incredibly helpful.”

Jiang Cha’s small figure hugged the thick magical tomes close, looking even more petite and adorable. She gave a polite smile.

“All of them?” Mohr raised a brow.

“Did I miss anything important?” Jiang Cha blinked innocently.

Mohr blinked back.

The air briefly fell silent. After a moment, she chuckled and shook her head.

“No, no… I’m just surprised. Looks like Estelyn Academy has picked up another little genius.”

“Ehhh~” Jiang Cha stretched the syllable, grinning playfully. “Then you’ll be known as the great talent-scouting Miss Mohr! That makes us even closer now!”

“Perhaps so,” Mohr replied, smiling with her usual calm. “Take care then, my brilliant little witch.”

“Miss Mohr’s kind of… sneakily mischievous, huh.”

Jiang Cha blushed a little. Her comment had just been a light joke for the mood.

She honestly had no idea what made her a genius. All she knew was what her enhanced brain told her — her mental coefficient, the ability to resist knowledge corruption, must be significantly above average.

But how far above? She had no clue.

“Everyone says that. But you know, a witch is always more charming when she’s a little wicked.”

“Ahahaha~ I think I’m starting to fall for wicked big sisters!”

The cliché anime-style tropes didn’t play out — no mysterious library elder revealing themselves as a hidden master, no rush of professors fighting to recruit her.

She simply walked out of the Grand Library, boarded the shuttle, and returned to her dorm.

[Welcome back, Miss Jiang Cha. Your roommate has left you a voice message. Please scan your access card to retrieve it.]

The same pleasant electronic voice — now with a new message.

With a quick scan of the magical sticker, the translucent screen lit up, and as Jiang Cha stepped into her room, the message played.

[Hellooo, mysterious new roommate! I’m Lina — Nois Lina! I’m in Room 3 of the dorm. So happy you’re listening to my message, unlike someone who still hasn’t checked a single one!]

The message cut off suddenly — then auto-played the next.

[Okay okay, I’ll shut up now, jeez. But it’s totally Estelle’s fault! That shut-in never checks her messages! Oh, new roommate, don’t even bother sending her a voice message — just go knock on her door!]

Voices argued in the background. She must’ve been talking to someone and then remembered she was recording a message.

And apparently decided to roast another roommate along the way.

Then came the final message.

[We don’t really have any welcome traditions around here, and everyone’s busy today… so! I guess we’ll just have to meet in class tomorrow! Such a shame! I can’t believe I have to wait even longer to meet the roommate who was delayed an entire month! I’ll buy you grilled fish tomorrow! From the Falling Star World — the fattest, most delicious mana fish! The texture is amazing!]

[Oh! Heqin might come back a bit later — she’s in Dorm 2. If you need help with anything, go to her! Don’t worry, she’s really sweet. A little moody sometimes, but still super nice! I love her so much! So traditional and ladylike, you know?]

[That’s all! See you tomorrow!]

Jiang Cha: “…”

Bombarded by voice messages, she finally reached her room, opened the door, and sighed.

“Looks like my dorm life’s not going to be quiet…”

She smiled wryly, then typed out a quick self-introduction and sent it over.

Seconds later, another wave of voice messages came flooding in.

Jiang Cha skimmed them in text form — most were fluff, with Lina repeatedly saying how sad she was they couldn’t meet today and begging Jiang Cha to send a photo.

“A photo?”

“Come to think of it… I don’t even know what I look like.”

She tapped her chin thoughtfully. Still a bit mentally tired, she stood by the window and snapped a photo under the beautiful evening glow.

In the photo, her smooth black mid-length hair took on a dreamy reddish sheen under the sunset light.

Her doll-like features were delicate and charming. Lovely, elegant — easy on the eyes.

But the most captivating part was her shimmering, ruby-red eyes.

Like a newborn fawn’s, innocent and clear, yet enchanting.

Though the color resembled blood, it didn’t feel ominous at all — only gentle and serene. Paired with her soft features, thin lips, and long lashes, it gave her the look of a fragile saint with just a hint of seductive madness.

[OMG!!! Jiang Cha, you’re so freaking pretty!!! I’m totally in love already! Totally!!]

Lina’s voice blared again.

She really sounded head-over-heels.