Chapter 14: A New Identity and the Devouring Necklace

Bai Yu rose exceptionally early that day.

The previous night, Lu Xingyao’s examination had left her body tingling with a peculiar sensation.

“Bai Yu, do try to perk up; today marks your very first day of school under a new identity.”

Lu Xingyao meticulously styled Bai Yu’s hair, adorning her head with delicate accessories.

Reflected in the mirror, Bai Yu wore a white hairband that seamlessly blended with her silvery-white long hair, lending her an ethereal purity.

A slight weariness touched her otherwise expressionless face, a lingering trace of sleep deprivation, yet it failed to obscure Bai Yu’s otherworldly aura.

Anyone who beheld her would surely marvel that such beauty seemed beyond mortal ken.

Perhaps only legendary angels could possess such transcendent grace.

Yet, at this very moment, the owner of this flawless form was propping her chin with a sigh of resignation.

“Another transfer student identity,” she murmured, “when I’m least comfortable introducing myself in front of so many people.”

Bai Yu spoke softly, recalling her past as someone prone to social anxiety, with few friends beyond her connection with Lu Xingyao.

Her days were typically spent engrossed in her own world, nestled in the back row by the window.

“By the way, Xiao Yu,” Lu Xingyao inquired, a hint of worry in her voice, “have you managed to reach your mother?”

Lu Xingyao’s concern was palpable, as neither she nor Bai Yu had been able to contact Bai Yu’s Mother.

Bai Yu shook her head.

“Still no news,” she replied, “but this isn’t the first or second time. It’s probably nothing serious.”

Despite Bai Yu’s myriad attempts, her Mother remained unreachable, a situation for which there seemed to be no immediate solution.

“So, Xingyao,” Bai Yu continued with a sigh, “how exactly was my previous school status resolved?”

She longed to bring a proper closure to her past, but such matters couldn’t be handled alone.

With her Mother absent, Lu Xingyao had become one of her few reliable supports.

As Bai Yu gazed at Lu Xingyao’s exquisite face, an unfamiliar sentiment stirred within her.

“It was just a standard withdrawal application,” Lu Xingyao explained. “And since you were pretty much invisible at your old school, hardly anyone even noticed.”

“Is that so…”

Bai Yu offered a helpless smile, realizing that her socially anxious and withdrawn nature had, surprisingly, worked in her favor for once.

“Oh, and Xiao Yu,” Lu Xingyao added, “here’s your new ID card. I secretly took the photo, so I hope you don’t mind.”

“Oh?”

Bai Yu took the card, her eyes scanning the national ID.

Even she was taken aback by her own striking beauty depicted there.

While ID photos were typically considered unflattering, hers was utterly different.

The perfect girl in the picture seemed to hold a sea of stars within her eyes, a captivating allure that radiated even through the photograph.

‘A witch, this must be a witch!’

Bai Yu’s thought echoed in her mind, only for her to suddenly remember that she already was one.

‘Never mind, then.’

Afterward, she checked the age section, finally exhaling in relief upon seeing “18 years old.”

As a senior in high school, it was only natural for her to be an adult, even if her physical appearance completely belied it.

On the way to school, as was now customary, Bai Yu discussed the future development of her arcane arts with Moweila.

Given her unique possession of two spiritual cores, unlike others, she needed to approach this matter with even greater caution.

Having become a witch, the [Eternal Night] core was undoubtedly her primary spiritual core, for it represented the very essence of her current being.

The creation of her own intrinsic arcane art demanded a vast repository of esoteric knowledge and an ample supply of spirituality.

Spirituality, by conventional understanding, could be enhanced through a spellcaster’s prolonged absorption of ambient spiritual energy from the surrounding world.

However, this method was agonizingly slow, thus necessitating the existence of various elixirs and wondrous artifacts.

As for esoteric knowledge, it certainly wouldn’t be found in ordinary libraries; she would have to consult Lu Xingyao or the Principal when the time came.

She yearned to grow stronger swiftly, especially since she had less than a year until graduation.

As a nascent spellcaster, attending a regular university was out of the question; her path lay only with world-class academies for arcane practitioners.

Before then, she needed to achieve a Tier 4 mastery at an accelerated pace.

Otherwise, she would be perpetually held back.

The thought of being separated from Lu Xingyao and remaining alone in this place was unbearable.

Previously, she had inquired about Lu Xingyao’s spellcaster rank, learning that after awakening her talent at age 12, it took three years of parental guidance and over two years at her current school to reach Tier 3, with a breakthrough to Tier 4 imminent.

Upon hearing this, Bai Yu felt a pang of despair; how could she possibly accelerate her progression to outpace others by such a margin?

[Using that necklace can, to some extent, accelerate your spiritual growth.]

Moweila’s reminder brought to mind the necklace she wore around her neck.

“Isn’t this just an ornament?”

Bai Yu had always worn the necklace, believing it to be some kind of charm or amulet.

[The Devouring Necklace, one of the few items I left behind. It can increase the speed and quantity of your spiritual growth. Furthermore, by killing spiritual beings, you can, to some extent, seize their spirituality.]

“So that’s it,” Bai Yu exclaimed, “no wonder my spirituality increased so much when I was studying arcane arts yesterday!”

Bai Yu felt a surge of excitement; this item was incredibly potent.

The ability to seize spirituality, however, presented a slight dilemma.

She couldn’t possibly go around killing people on the streets; that would be no different from a monster, and she would undoubtedly face severe repercussions.

Suddenly, Bai Yu recalled what Lu Xingyao had said yesterday.

‘That’s right, I can hunt Shadow Beasts! The Inner World is teeming with them – they’re practically experience packs!’

‘Oh, excellent, excellent! I’m turning into a monster-slaying, level-grinding spellcaster!’

Now, all she needed was a suitable weapon, and to prepare herself for entering the Inner World.

She wasn’t one to rush in heedlessly; thorough investigation was absolutely essential.

With a simple outline of her future goals, Bai Yu suddenly saw a bright path ahead.

****

Upon arriving at school, as Lu Xingyao and Bai Yu were not assigned to the same class, Lu Xingyao had to depart temporarily.

Although Lu Xingyao wished to be in the same class as Bai Yu, doing so would necessitate leveraging her family’s influence, and the students at this particular school were far from ordinary.

Lu Xingyao was reluctant to seek help from her parents for such a matter, and thus, reluctantly let go of the idea.

On the dais, Bai Yu stood, her height barely exceeding the podium, revealing only the top of her head.

‘How was this thing even designed?’

Bai Yu fumed on the platform, already disliking transfer student introductions, and now despising them even more.

The homeroom teacher, noticing Bai Yu’s discomfort, quickly directed her to stand in an empty space to the side.

“My name is Bai Yu.”

The girl’s soft, cold voice emanated, sweet and gentle, yet imbued with an unmistakable aloofness that kept others at bay.

Nevertheless, no one questioned her words, primarily due to Bai Yu’s appearance, which made it hard to believe she was a high school senior.

“A skipped grade student? She looks like a child.”

“She’s so adorable! Let big sister give you a hug!”

“Bai Yu? That name sounds a bit familiar.”

The whispers below were varied and numerous, but Bai Yu paid them no heed.

“Bai Yu, you can sit over there.”

The homeroom teacher pointed to an empty seat, next to which a girl was already seated, observing her.

‘It’s her!’

A tremor ran through Bai Yu’s heart; she hadn’t noticed Cecilia, who was sitting in the very last row, watching her with an expressionless gaze.