Chapter 16: Dormitory Mayhem and the Witch’s Heart

Even after I had left the all-purpose shop, the senior student lingered at the entrance, bidding me farewell.

After offering a brief explanation of the all-purpose shop’s software, I prepared to depart. I suspected I might otherwise be coaxed into spending a considerable sum.

After all, I had other matters to attend to and couldn’t afford to waste any more time lingering there. Soon, I would need to locate my assigned dormitory. A quick glance at the messages on my phone confirmed my room number: Dormitory 203.

I had no idea what kind of dormitory awaited me. Were the genders segregated? How many occupants per room? These details remained a mystery. If it turned out to be a multi-person dorm, I would certainly need to find a secluded spot to attempt resonating with the Witch’s Heart.

After all, if the resonance proved to be disruptive, it could lead to numerous complications. Encountering someone with a loose tongue meant the news would undoubtedly spread throughout the entire class by the next day.

Guided by my phone’s map, I soon arrived at the dormitory district. My assigned room, 203, was located in Dormitory Building Two. After a quick verification, I stepped into the building’s grand front hall.

The interior decor was remarkably refined, evoking the ambiance of a high-end hotel. The usual dormitory matron at the front desk had been replaced by a stunning older woman, perhaps a senior student working part-time.

I immediately greeted her with a warm ‘Big Sister,’ hoping to cultivate a friendly rapport. The senior student seemed quite pleased by this and, with genuine enthusiasm, directed me to my dormitory.

It was only after some persistent coaxing from this senior student, and after we had exchanged contact information, that she finally allowed me to leave. I couldn’t fathom why such a beautiful woman would take an interest in an ordinary person like me, but perhaps she simply had a penchant for collecting phone contacts.

Ascending to the second floor, I swiftly located the door bearing the number 203.

Standing before the door, I examined the intricate lock mechanism. A quick check of my dormitory assignment message revealed the entry method: a simple swipe of my ID card.

Truly, a sophisticated system.

Upon opening the dormitory door, I was greeted by a spacious bed. This was an independent single room, much like a hotel suite! It boasted its own private bathroom and a full array of amenities, a level of luxury that frankly astonished me.

Regrettably, my complimentary stay was limited to one month. The cost for subsequent months remained an unknown.

It certainly wouldn’t be inexpensive, I presumed.

Nevertheless, a single room was absolutely fantastic!

For now, I would simply indulge. Worries about next month could wait until next month.

I collapsed onto the plush expanse of the bed, allowing my body to completely unwind.

Then, my hand instinctively went to my waist, where the Witch’s Heart was secured. It hung from my clothing like a mere decorative charm, remarkably convenient.

I held the Witch’s Heart aloft, turning it towards the overhead light. I observed the flawless gem, noting its current dull, grey hue, completely devoid of any luster.

Earlier today, Teacher Qieluo had briefly explained the need to condense spiritual threads and use them to resonate with the Witch’s Heart. However, she had neglected to elaborate on the actual method of resonance.

So, why not simply attempt it? Just try using my spiritual energy? Surely, no harm could come from a mere attempt.

Given how challenging Teacher Qieluo made it sound, resonating was clearly no simple feat. Therefore, a preliminary attempt should be harmless. If it proved too difficult, I could always ask her for guidance tomorrow. After all, she already knew I had condensed spiritual threads; surely, trying to resonate with the Witch’s Heart wouldn’t be an issue?

As these thoughts drifted through my mind, I distinctively heard a commotion emanating from outside my room.

I sprang from the bed, securing the Witch’s Heart back onto my waist.

Who could resist the allure of a good spectacle? Thus, I cautiously stepped out of my dormitory, observing the unfolding scene. It appeared a group of individuals had erupted into a heated argument in the corridor.

The group comprised both men and women, suggesting the dormitory building was mixed-gender. How thrilling! Yet, considering these hotel-style accommodations, there seemed little practical need for gender segregation. Moreover, in the future, all individuals, regardless of their initial gender, would become witches. What, then, was there to fear?

At that moment, numerous other residents also emerged from their rooms. It was clear that, regardless of race, the fascination with a good spectacle was universally shared.

“I warn you, if you don’t change dormitories, I’ll beat you every time I see you!”

“Hmph, who’s afraid of whom? You’re nothing but a low-bloodline demon; do you truly believe I’d be scared of you? I’m staying right here, and that’s final!”

“Fine! I may be low-bloodline, but believe me, I’ll make you kneel on the ground and serve as a ‘jianzhuo’ right now? [TL: ‘Jianzhuo’ refers to a lowly s*ave forced to kneel as a human chair in this race’s cultural context.] You dare to knock on my dorm door again, and I’ll ensure you regret it! I have plenty of sisters; just try not to get caught by us!”

“Oh, you claim to have sisters? Do you truly think that would intimidate me? I’ll gladly take on as many as you bring. Are they of succubus bloodline? If not, I’m not interested; they simply aren’t enticing enough.”

“You? In two days, you’ll be nothing but a dried husk! Let me tell you, you think you can freeload like this? Not a chance! Don’t imagine you can take advantage of me just because your dorm is nearby.”

“Exactly! That’s right, we explicitly agreed to 200 credits per session! Are you trying to renege on our deal?”

“Sisters, this scoundrel and those other males are all worthless! They want to freeload after doing such things, without even paying credits! Let’s go! We’ll seize his credits and divide them amongst ourselves!”

“Damn it! These hussies think they can rob us? Brothers, arm yourselves!”

“Arm yourselves! It’s time to show them the true might of male demons!”

“Sisters, attack! Let’s castrate them!”

“Precisely! They’re already at the Witch Academy; do they truly lack any self-awareness?”

“And those men just standing around watching? They’re no better!”

“Precisely! Make them clear out of this entire floor! This is exclusively female territory!”

As the situation abruptly escalated, I instantly grew wary. This was clearly about to turn into collateral damage!

What was wrong with watching a spectacle? Was it truly bothering them?

Witnessing the imminent eruption of a full-scale brawl, I promptly closed my door and secured the lock.

After all, I had already witnessed the commotion. Now, it was no longer any of my concern.

I must admit, the argument had been rather amusing. Initially, I’d assumed it was a conflict between genders, perhaps due to discomfort with mixed-s*x living. Yet, it had surprisingly devolved into a dispute over credit transactions!

And then, a freeloading incident! That was truly something else.

It was only the first day of school, wasn’t it?

Could so many chaotic events truly transpire in a single day?

I simply couldn’t comprehend the lifestyle of these ‘normies.’

The dormitory’s soundproofing wasn’t terrible; at least inside my room, the outside wasn’t excessively loud. Nevertheless, I could still discern faint sounds of activity.

I sensed the battle outside was growing fierce. My own dormitory door was even pounded upon by an unknown party, but I made no move to open it.

A joke, truly. I had no intention of getting entangled in their squabbles.

I had my own important matters to attend to.

However, with such a ruckus outside, attempting to resonate with the Witch’s Heart was out of the question. What if someone forcibly broke down my door?

Therefore, I opened the all-purpose shop’s task list, intending to survey the available missions. This way, I could gauge their nature and dismiss any that seemed too preposterous.

The task section itself featured numerous subdivisions. Tasks were categorized by reward, which extended beyond mere credits to include supernatural materials or vital intelligence. Furthermore, missions were extensively tiered; the all-purpose shop meticulously rated each task’s difficulty before categorizing and listing it on the task board.

Naturally, tasks were also segmented into categories such as commissions, odd jobs, combat assignments, and bounties.

A highly prominent section continuously cycled through urgent and time-limited assignments. It seemed evident that posting a task in this priority area would incur significantly higher handling fees.

After all, the all-purpose shop already levied a fluctuating service fee of 0.5% to 5% even on task rewards. It was only natural to assume that other services would command additional charges.

Hmm… viewed from that perspective, their pricing wasn’t entirely unreasonable.