Chapter 58: Fall

Prepare for her funeral… What does that mean?

Bai Xiaozhi couldn’t believe her ears.

“She’s already a miracle to have lived this long.”

The School Doctor sat down, sighing as even he couldn’t help but lament the withering of a young girl in her prime.

“Doctor, I don’t understand.” Bai Xiaozhi slumped beside the sickbed, her vision going dark in patches.

“Let me ask you, has she ever overdrawn her spiritual source before, and not just once?” the School Doctor asked.

Bai Xiaozhi closed her eyes to recall.

From what she’d heard from Kang Jiearei and the others—during the first raid, when they first encountered the Beast-face Tribe, Wu Xiaomi had overdrawn once, forcibly unleashing Sequence 78: Siren Dance, and her lower abdomen was even pierced.

In the end, it was Nanalia who carried her back to the village.

During the second raid, facing the Flesh Mill, Wu Xiaomi overextended herself again, using the just-learned Sequence 117: Blooming Flowers to forcefully break through the Flesh Mill.

In the third raid, Wu Xiaomi cut her own wrist, activating the Resonator and Thunder Blade with Sinful Blood, and later fought her way into Xuling Space, battling surrounded by Mirror Demons for three hours.

It was that night, exhausted to the point of delirium, that she let slip her true feelings while completely off guard.

“……”

Her way of fighting always came at the price of overdrawing her body.

Impressive? She traded her life for it.

“The Sequence is fair, just like making a deal with a demon. The more you gain, the more you must pay. If what you take exceeds your spiritual source reserves, the price… is your life.”

“So she…”

“She was frail to begin with, her spiritual source conduits inside are a complete mess, and she’s overdrawn again and again. To have lived to this day is already extremely fortunate.”

The School Doctor shook his head. “I don’t know how much longer she can hold on, but it won’t be long. In the days she has left, it’s best to keep her mood calm and happy, avoid emotional ups and downs—those cost a lot of energy.

If you want her to live a bit longer, don’t tell her about this…”

“……”

Hehehe~ I heard you! Bet you didn’t expect that, nya nya nya~

Wu Xiaomi secretly felt proud, keeping her eyes shut and continuing to pretend to sleep.

No one noticed Wu Xiaomi was awake.

“There’s really nothing we can do? I have the Sacred Angel Emblem (Incomplete) here, it seems I can borrow some High Sequence power, though not much remains. She also has a Forest Guardian’s Badge, and in our world we can exchange for Sequences 80–100, and many other materials…”

“I understand how you feel,” the School Doctor sighed, interrupting her, “but… time and life cannot be reversed. No matter how much water you pour, a dead tree won’t revive. My condolences.”

“……”

Would the hospital in the Great Main City have a solution? Bai Xiaozhi wondered.

But, as the Yuling Academy was the Sequence Research Center for every city, the School Doctor here basically represented the highest standard of medical care.

The School Doctor had given Wu Xiaomi a death sentence.

That was, essentially, a death sentence.

“How much time does she have left?”

“I can’t say. Judging by the life force in her blood, she should’ve been buried long ago. I don’t know why she’s still alive.”

“……”

“All I can do is prescribe her some medicine to supplement a little spiritual source and life force. That way, maybe she’ll last a bit longer—but only maybe.”

“Thank you.”

“No, I’m sorry. With the current level of Sequence research, we’re powerless to help her.”

…

“Does she need to stay in the hospital?” Bai Xiaozhi asked.

“Hospitalization won’t help. Take the medicine on time, and try not to leave any regrets.”

“…I understand.”

On the way back to the dorm, Wu Xiaomi opened her eyes.

“You’re awake?”

“Mmm~ By the way, I had an idea~” Wu Xiaomi’s voice was weak, but she was full of enthusiasm. “What do you think would happen if I combined Siren Dance and Rain Prayer Technique? Wouldn’t that be super awesome!”

At a time like this, you’re still thinking about that.

Seeing the girl feign her energy, her face full of hope, Bai Xiaozhi’s heart ached even more.

“Maybe.”

“I think it’ll work~” Wu Xiaomi raised a finger. “Siren Dance needs water to show its true power. Rain Prayer Technique can make up for a lack of water. If I could link the moves of Siren Dance and Rain Dance together… wouldn’t I be able to unleash Siren Dance anytime, anywhere?”

Just thinking about it is so cool!

“The Siren Dance already consumes a lot, and now you want to use Rain Prayer Technique too,” Bai Xiaozhi’s beautiful face grew frosty, suddenly angry. “Are you trying to die even faster?”

After speaking, she realized she’d slipped.

Oh no, she’d let the truth slip in a moment of anger—did Wu Xiaomi pick up on anything?

“I get it, but… Siren Dance + Rain Prayer Technique is just so cool~”

The girl’s face was full of longing.

As expected, she was worrying too much… Bai Xiaozhi let out a sigh of relief.

When it came to her own issues, this fool was always slow on the uptake. If she could figure it out, that’d be a miracle.

“What’s that?” Wu Xiaomi pointed at the medicine Bai Xiaozhi was carrying, feigning ignorance.

“Cold medicine,” Bai Xiaozhi replied in a strained voice, “You have to take it on time. I’ll supervise you, until you… recover.”

“Oh…”

It looked so bitter.

She didn’t want to take it qwq

“Even if you don’t want to, you have to. Your body is too weak. If you don’t take the medicine, you’ll burn up into a silly puddle.”

Wu Xiaomi didn’t want to burn up into a silly puddle.

“But it’s too bitter.”

“You have to take it.”

“No!”

“Then you…”

“It needs sugar.”

Wu Xiaomi blinked.

Bai Xiaozhi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

“Alright, alright, sugar it is… You’re just like a little kid.”

Hmph hmph~

There’s sugar, and now she was satisfied.

Xiao Zhi usually never let her eat sugar.

She always said sucrose was a toxic invention of the modern industry, a health killer, the root of all evil.

I get it, but it’s just so sweet!

Bai Xiaozhi: “…Can I use a sugar substitute?”

“As long as it’s sweet.”

Not picky.

Back at the dorm, she gulped down the medicine.

Sure enough, she felt much better after drinking it—at least she wasn’t so cold anymore.

The warm medicine first ignited her lower abdomen, then quickly flowed through her whole body, dispelling the aches and chills.

Finally, it gathered behind her hips.

“…Ah!”

Wu Xiaomi let out a terrified scream.

“What’s wrong?!” Bai Xiaozhi immediately grew tense.

“I-I-I… there’s a mouse in my skirt!” Wu Xiaomi pouted, not daring to move, her hair standing on end, eyes brimming with tears.

It was furry, so scary! And it moved!

Bai Xiaozhi quickly lifted up the girl’s skirt.

“……”

Where was there a mouse? It was clearly a big, white, soft tail, extending from the base of her spine, stuck inside her panties, bulging out.

With no choice, Bai Xiaozhi gently pulled the tail out.

“Eh???”

Wu Xiaomi stared in shock at the furry thing.

Wagging left.

Swaying right.

This is…

Mine?

Σ( ° △ °|||)︴

Oh no! I’ve grown a tail?!

It’s huge!

I’m shocked!

“Looks like your connection with the Spirit of Abundance has deepened. This should be… a good thing, right?” Bai Xiaozhi wasn’t sure, so she decided to call Nanalia and ask.

She acted right away.

What if this was a turning point?

[Hello?] Nanalia picked up quickly.

“Xiaomi’s grown a tail,” Bai Xiaozhi said directly.

[! Point the camera at her, let me see!]

“Okay.”

She aimed the camera at Wu Xiaomi.

At that moment, the girl was treating her tail as an imaginary enemy, chasing, pouncing, and biting it, rolling all over the place.

[…Did she trade her brain for that tail?] Nanalia couldn’t bear to watch her own student embarrass herself.

“Maybe, but is this good or bad?”

[Of course it’s good. It proves the bond has deepened. Xiaomi can now use higher-level Sequences. But… it’s strange.]

“What’s strange?”

[The bond shouldn’t deepen for no reason, and you’re not even at the Shrine. There’s no reason for Xiaomi to grow a tail.]

“Could it be…”

Bai Xiaozhi quickly thought of the medicine she’d just taken.

“Xiaomi just drank medicine to supplement her spiritual source and life force.”

[Why did she need medicine? What happened to her?]

Glancing at Wu Xiaomi, who was still playing happily, Bai Xiaozhi quietly left the room and closed the door.

“She doesn’t have much time left.”

She told Nanalia the School Doctor’s diagnosis and conclusion, word for word.

Nanalia was silent for a long time, unable to believe it.

[I happen to be heading to Xilin City. We’ll talk when I arrive.]

“Alright.”

…

After hanging up,

Bai Xiaozhi opened the door and went back in.

“Whoosh—”

The moment the door opened, a rush of fluffy fragrance brushed past her face.

Now that she had a tail, she could get up to even more mischief.

⌓‿⌓

Wu Xiaomi grinned mischievously, sticking out her little bottom, sweeping her tail back and forth across Bai Xiaozhi’s face.

A fragrant breeze hit her, and Bai Xiaozhi seized the chance to grab… but missed by just a bit.

Wu Xiaomi didn’t try to push her luck.

As soon as she finished teasing, she ran away~

Unfortunately, maybe because the medicine’s energy was all used up, as she tried to run, her vision went black and she collapsed to the floor.

The world spun, her whole body trembled violently, her arms twitching slightly…

She tried to get up, but couldn’t tell up from down, east from west.

She struggled a few times, her palms pushing uselessly at the floor, but they just slipped away, and in the end, she couldn’t get up.

Tsk.

What a letdown.

Wu Xiaomi thought vaguely.

……

Every region has its own Witch.

For example, the Witch of the Spirit of Abundance—Nanalia.

Her work, aside from communing with spiritual sources and guarding the Shrine and village, also included handling all matters in the Manggu Mountains related to the Spirit of Abundance.

“She’s here.”

Nanalia was dressed in a neat and gorgeous Witch’s formal attire.

A long white dress with golden trim, a ceremonial staff in hand, her whole bearing radiated authority.

Nanalia only wore this outfit when dealing with important matters related to the Spirit of Abundance.

The Professor in charge of reception had already been waiting at the Academy gate.

They were anxious, sweating all over from waiting so long.

“You’ve finally arrived, please come in.”

Young people living in the Manggu Mountains always thought the Academy was supreme here, the ruler of the mountains.

Its status seemed countless times higher than that of a shabby little Shrine in some remote village.

But the older folks knew better.

The entire Manggu Mountains were under the Spirit of Abundance’s protection. If it weren’t for the Spirit of Abundance’s blessing on these buildings in years past, they would have long perished in Mirror Night and other bizarre incidents.

The Spirit of Abundance was the true umbrella for all living things in the Manggu Mountains. That’s why the Spirit of Abundance’s only official spokesperson—the Witch—was the real leader of this land.

No matter how much wealth, how high your Sequence, how many soldiers or horses you commanded, that fact could never change.

Of course, people usually chose to forget that.

Unless the knife was at their throat, they wouldn’t remember the few poor Witches in some far-off mountain village.

“It started this evening. An Art Building appeared out of nowhere in the school, and two students encountered a Paint Monster inside…”

Nanalia raised her hand, signaling the Professor to be quiet.

“I can smell it.” Nanalia sniffed the air. “It’s here.”

The Professor’s face instantly drained of color, collapsing in terror at the Academy gate.

“Don’t panic yet. Have you contacted the Peiyu Spirit’s Attendant? We need help.”

“Not yet.”

“Do it as soon as possible.”

“Alright.”

“As for now… take me to my student.”