Chapter 10: The Awakening Ceremony

After some time, almost all the students in the class had undergone the awakening ceremony. Most of them had awakened to F-level abilities, a few reached E-level, and only one person had reached D-level by now.

“Next… Bai Li.”

Due to her seating arrangement, Bai Li was the last to awaken.

“Go, Xiao Bai!”

Lin Xi whispered words of encouragement to Bai Li.

As someone who had already awakened and taken on the role of a Weichangzhe, Lin Xi did not need to participate in the awakening ceremony. In fact, because of her high abilities and talent, her position was even higher than those assisting with the ceremony.

“Okay, I’ll go then.”

Bai Li patted Lin Xi’s head and then stepped forward.

Although she didn’t worry much about the process, as she had long since awakened, others were intensely focused. There were those curious, those worried, those unimpressed, and even those ready to watch the spectacle.

In the past, this wouldn’t have been the case.

Previously, Bai Li, known as the school’s beauty and a straight-A student, received love letters daily. Always ignoring them, she had earned a reputation as an untouchable beauty. Now, she was seen as a student who used her phone in class and didn’t study hard, a stark contrast to her past image. This discrepancy naturally invited malicious thoughts, though her past reputation kept them in check for now.

But now, things were different.

“Place your hand on the device and carefully sense the energy rising in your heart.”

The staff member repeated the awakening procedure, and Bai Li followed their instructions, placing her hand on the crystal ball and closing her eyes.

In an instant, she felt her consciousness sinking. As the darkness faded, she opened her eyes to see a bizarre starry sky composed of stars and flickering black blocks that she couldn’t comprehend.

“…It’s this scene again.”

Bai Li instantly recognized the scene as identical to the illusion from her first awakening, though strictly speaking, this wasn’t the first time she had seen it.

It was from her childhood, a time when she had lost hope in the world and longed for death, encountering a pink-haired girl who extended a hand to her, more angelic than any angel could be.

Yet, during her awakening, this starry sky was obscured by black blocks, as if manipulated by someone.

Or rather, it was being manipulated.

“Long time no see.”

A voice sweet enough to make anyone surrender to it spoke, but Bai Li didn’t react emotionally.

“To me, it’s just another meeting.”

“Oh, how cruel! I’m only trying to help you awaken, and this is how you treat me? Boo-hoo~”

“Save the act.”

Bai Li turned around to see a small girl completely hidden by the same black blocks as the stars, her presence detectable only by the size of the blocks. She stood on the water, her toes touching the surface without creating a ripple or reflection, as if both existing and not existing.

“So, what brings you here this time?”

Bai Li fought to keep her sanity from being overwhelmed by the strange blocks and circumstances, asking the question.

“What do you mean, what brings me here? You’re in trouble, aren’t you?”

The small girl pointed at Bai Li, attempting a playful gesture, though it was hard to tell through the blocks.

“I’m not in trouble.”

“It’s about your awakening. You’ve already awakened once, and now you’re undergoing the ceremony again. Either way, it’ll expose your true power or reveal that you awakened long ago. Neither is what you want, right?”

“…”

What she said was true; Bai Li didn’t want many people to know her true power, as it would only bring trouble. Having a natural D-level ability already attracted so much attention, and her situation would only be worse, potentially endangering Lin Xi as well.

At the very least, she needed Lin Xi to gain some self-defense capabilities before she could feel secure, which was partly why she allowed the monsters to fight Lin Xi rather than making them disappear completely.

“Hmm, don’t you think it’s a bit reckless to expose yourself like this?”

The small girl spoke playfully, and Bai Li rolled her eyes.

“…Okay, no more games. You need to hide your identity for now, and that’s something I can help with.”

The girl patted her nonexistent chest and then appeared in front of Bai Li in a blink, leaving Bai Li momentarily stunned.

Was it her reaction? No, it was more like the girl’s presence made it impossible for Bai Li to process the information that she had moved.

No matter how she thought about it, Bai Li couldn’t understand the girl’s abilities or how she managed such a feat, or how to counter it.

“Oh, don’t worry about that. I’m not part of your world, so I don’t count in your calculations.”

The girl’s words were partially obscured, making them incomprehensible to Bai Li.

Ignoring that, the girl’s finger, hidden by the black blocks, touched Bai Li’s forehead.

“Hmm, what should I change you to… Oh, I know! Your girlfriend seems to have an idea, so I’ll use that. You don’t mind, right?”

“It’s fine.”

Bai Li didn’t object; in fact, she thought it was a good idea.

“Then I’ll do it… Hmm, the ability type is this, and the ability is…”

Bai Li listened to the girl’s murmurs, feeling her abilities being enveloped by an unknown power, as if wearing a cloak that hid her true identity from others.

“…Bai Li.”

“What?”

“How does it feel to be a witch?”

“…”

Bai Li fell silent.

At first, she only wanted the power to protect Lin Xi, and then this space and the girl in front of her appeared, saying things like, “You have the potential,” “I’ll help you,” with a strong sense of déjà vu. And so, she became a “witch,” a type of ability that had never been recorded before.

But that wasn’t important. There was only one thing she wanted and needed to do.

“You’ve given me the power to protect her… I’m grateful for that.”

“No need to thank me; that’s just what witches do.”

The girl said, and Bai Li’s consciousness fell into darkness once more.

****

TL Note: ‘Weichangzhe’ is a term for those who maintain or regulate a certain order or status quo. In this context, it refers to a role or position within the organization.