“Here, drink this.”
Without any explanation, Li Zhi Ran spoke, extending her hand toward Xu Lin.
Only then did Xu Lin notice she was holding something.
It was a glass cup.
The cup was adorned with strange patterns that, upon closer inspection, resembled magical runes.
A custom cup?
Inside was a nearly full glass of black liquid.
Seeing this, Xu Lin’s face paled.
“A potion?”
“As expected of a hero, sharp eyes.”
Li Zhi Ran’s eyes flickered faintly, a trace of joy beneath her icy expression?
They were actually on the same wavelength?
Recalling the earlier noises from the room, Xu Lin felt even more uneasy.
“If that’s the case, drink it quickly. Surely the great hero doesn’t need me to feed you?”
Li Zhi Ran brought the cup closer, its rim nearly touching Xu Lin’s lips, forcing him to face the liquid.
Only then did he see the black liquid bubbling with a gurgling sound.
On its surface floated round, milky-white objects that looked like eyeballs.
“This… straight out of a potion stereotype…”
A slightly bitter scent mixed with a hint of sweetness filled Xu Lin’s nose.
Sweetness…?
This smell… why does it feel familiar?
“Is this cola?”
Xu Lin looked up at Li Zhi Ran.
“A potion.”
Li Zhi Ran’s expression didn’t change.
“It’s definitely cola! And it’s iced!”
Now Xu Lin recognized it—those milky-white things weren’t eyeballs but ice spheres shaped like them.
“A potion.”
Li Zhi Ran insisted.
“Drink it quickly, or the spiritual energy will dissipate, and it won’t be effective.”
“What spiritual energy? That’s just the fizz in the cola! Sure, it’s not as good if it goes flat… but Your Witch Excellency, you—”
Thump thump.
Xu Lin’s heart suddenly raced.
A wave of dizziness hit his head.
This is…
“Crap!”
Li Zhi Ran’s expression shifted.
Her left hand darted forward, and Xu Lin felt a sharp pain at the corner of his mouth, forcing it open.
Before he could cry out, cold liquid poured into his mouth.
The bubbles burst, a tingling sensation spreading through his mouth.
A rich sweetness mingled with the bubbles, blooming on his tongue.
The tingling sensation instantly spread from his mouth to his entire body.
“It really is cola, iced cola at that…”
Xu Lin looked at the glass cup, his tense nerves washed away, leaving only the refreshing satisfaction of drinking cola.
Transparent text appeared on the glass.
“Witch’s Potion: A special remedy against witch magic, alleviating all effects of witch magic.”
“Details: Unfortunately, it can only alleviate, not cure, but a witch’s handmade potion is so delicious, especially when chilled!”
Soon, the full glass of cola was down Xu Lin’s throat, and he let out a satisfied burp.
The dizziness and chest tightness from earlier vanished, replaced by a slight fullness in his stomach.
“So, Noxis, is the hero feeling better?”
Li Zhi Ran set the cup down, picked up the black cat plushie, and held it in front of Xu Lin.
She nodded.
“Mhm, condition normal.”
Li Zhi Ran looked at Xu Lin.
“Young man, see? If you had left earlier, you’d have collapsed unconscious on the road.”
Recalling his earlier state, Xu Lin didn’t doubt her words.
Back then, he only escaped that state because he had the chance to synthesize the Relaxed and Refreshing Mineral Water.
If he hadn’t drunk it, he might’ve ended up in the infirmary.
He didn’t respond to Li Zhi Ran but opened the system and checked his status.
[Heavy Girl’s Love] was still there, but the black aura covering it had dissipated slightly. The key details were still unreadable.
It seems not everything given by girls with tags has negative effects.
He recalled the description of the cola.
“Unfortunately, my potion can only temporarily suppress the witch’s magic affecting you. It can’t fully eradicate it.”
Li Zhi Ran’s brows furrowed slightly.
“Thank you for your… potion, Your Witch Excellency.”
Regardless, she had helped him, and Xu Lin was grateful.
“Young man, no need for thanks. We are partners in fighting the witch. And you are the hero I’ve been searching for. This is merely a small effort.”
Li Zhi Ran looked at Xu Lin, her brows relaxing slightly.
Wait, partners all of a sudden?
The next moment, Li Zhi Ran’s expression grew serious again.
“Young man, I know you have many questions. But please hear me out. This concerns the lives of you, me, and everyone in this world.”
The topic just got massive?
“You don’t believe me?”
Li Zhi Ran stared at Xu Lin.
“When Your Witch Excellency says it like that, there must be a reason.”
Her gaze wasn’t sharp, but it made Xu Lin uneasy, so he played along vaguely.
Li Zhi Ran fell silent, then without warning, leaned backward.
Xu Lin froze, instinctively reaching out to catch her.
Was my answer that bad? No need for this!
There was nothing behind her—she’d hit the floor hard.
But soon, Xu Lin’s movement froze.
The scene he expected didn’t happen.
As Li Zhi Ran leaned back, she was steadily caught, sinking into a soft backrest.
Her legs, clad in black stockings, crossed elegantly, her knee-high boots slightly raised in front of Xu Lin.
Her arms crossed over her chest, accentuating her figure.
Under the purple-blue light, her appearance carried an alluring mystique.
“Under the influence of the Gravity Witch’s magic, you felt terrible, didn’t you?”
Li Zhi Ran’s clear voice snapped Xu Lin back to reality. Relaxing, he sank back into the sofa.
Gravity Witch… she means Lin Shen Xue?
The name suited Li Zhi Ran’s “witch” style perfectly.
“Of course it was terrible. Without my potion, you’d probably be unconscious by now.”
Without waiting for Xu Lin’s reply, she continued.
“But what if this effect were applied to an ordinary person?”
Li Zhi Ran stared at Xu Lin, this time seemingly expecting an answer.
“They’d probably feel terrible too.” Xu Lin humored her.
Li Zhi Ran shook her head.
“They’d die.”
Her voice was calm.
“That’s not necessarily true. There’s a remedy, right? Like your potion.”
Xu Lin wasn’t entirely convinced.
“They wouldn’t live long enough to drink it.”
Li Zhi Ran shook her head again.
“Ordinary people don’t have your resistance to witch magic. You’re special because you’re the hero.”
“No way!”
Xu Lin thought back to the classroom.
“There were others in the classroom, and they weren’t affected. By your logic, they should’ve been long gone.”
“Young man, you’re exactly right.”
Li Zhi Ran’s brows relaxed, seemingly pleased with Xu Lin’s response.
“That’s because the Gravity Witch’s magic is currently locked onto you, so others around you weren’t affected.”
So it’s targeting me specifically?
“And the Gravity Witch is currently stable, her magic not too strong. So there’s no excess magic leaking to affect others. But when that moment comes, even you, as the hero, won’t easily withstand it.”
That’s what you call stable?
Recalling that awful feeling, Xu Lin couldn’t agree.
“You’re the one who’s stable.”
He glanced at the two tags beside Li Zhi Ran, feeling nothing unusual.
“Young man, you still claim you’re not the hero? You’ve clearly noticed the similarities between me and the Gravity Witch.”
Li Zhi Ran’s eyes lit up, staring at Xu Lin.
Xu Lin fell silent.
“Me, stable?”
But soon, she averted her gaze, shaking her head, her voice tinged with bitterness.
“For now, perhaps. But one day, I’ll become like the Gravity Witch, unstable. And ultimately, I’ll enter that final form that destroys everything.
“And that will be the end of all things.”
Li Zhi Ran looked at Xu Lin again, her eyes full of hope.
“That’s why you exist, young man. You’re the one who can stop it! Because you are…”
“The hero, right?”
Xu Lin preempted her.
“Yes!”
At this, Li Zhi Ran suddenly grew excited, standing up from her chair.
She approached Xu Lin.
“After learning I’d fall into a state that destroys everything, I didn’t give up. I tried many ways to solve it, but all failed.
“Until Noxis appeared.”
She picked up the black cat plushie.
It’s involved too?
“She told me I needed to find the hero and fight the witch together.”
But to Xu Lin, her words sounded different.
The cat is just her, right? Even the voice is the same.
She probably figured something out herself and attributed it to the cat, right?
“But why me and not someone else?”
“Because you’ve been targeted by the Gravity Witch’s magic.”
That’s the reason? I thought it was because of my system.
But she doesn’t know about my system, does she?
“Noxis told me.”
Li Zhi Ran raised the black cat plushie.
“Today, she suddenly said there was a hero’s aura in the teaching area. I went to check and sensed the strong witch magic on you.”
“That’s a bit too hasty, isn’t it? Just because I’m affected by magic?”
Xu Lin couldn’t help but argue.
“Of course not.”
Li Zhi Ran denied.
“Because I can see the Gravity Witch’s special mark on you. And perhaps, great hero, you can sense it too.”
“Plus, you’ve been affected by such strong magic and haven’t died, which further proves you’re the hero.”
“Noxis told me about the hero’s traits.”
“First, the hero is highly resilient to witch magic.
“Second, the hero can identify witches.
“Third, the hero has the power to fight witches and save the world.”
“Great hero, I’ve seen these traits in you, directly or indirectly. You are undoubtedly the hero.”
“But you meet those conditions too, don’t you? Why aren’t you the hero?” Xu Lin countered.
“Indeed, I meet the first two, but I absolutely don’t meet the third.” Li Zhi Ran remained calm.
“Don’t meet it? But your potion helped me.”
Li Zhi Ran didn’t answer immediately. Instead, her lips curved into a smile.
Xu Lin froze.
Though it was just a smile, paired with her cold face and witch attire, it exuded a mysterious beauty.
Rumor had it that since enrolling, no one at Nangang University had ever seen a smile, even a faint one, on Witch Li Zhi Ran’s face.
And now, Xu Lin was likely the first to witness this rare phenomenon.
“As you can see, I can only suppress the Gravity Witch’s magic affecting you, not eliminate it.”
Li Zhi Ran’s voice sounded again.
“It’s not due to my lack of skill, time, or materials.
“It’s fundamentally impossible for me. And the same goes for the Gravity Witch.
“But you, great hero, have that ability.
“I don’t know how you do it, but you can.
“And I believe you already know the answer, great hero.”
Li Zhi Ran fell silent again, staring at Xu Lin.
Xu Lin wanted to say something but ultimately stayed quiet.
Because he realized that, despite her odd terminology, she was mostly correct.
The hero’s power to fight witches = extracting tags and synthesizing items to remove negative statuses.
The hero can identify witches = seeing their attribute tags.
The hero’s resilience to witch magic compared to ordinary people—he wasn’t sure about that yet.
But the rest matched.
And she had attribute tags, including <Super High School Genius Girl>.
Perhaps that made her naturally more sensitive than others with tags.
Her convoluted words were just her chuunibyou style of speaking.
“So, young man, do you now understand your mission as the hero?”
Li Zhi Ran noticed the change in Xu Lin’s expression.
“Even if not for saving the world or helping me, you must think of your own life. Because before the world ends, you’ll be the first to face death.”
※
“Noxis, do you think he’ll really come back to work with me?”
Li Zhi Ran looked at the closed door after Xu Lin’s departure, asking the Noxis she held.
“Of course.”
A voice very similar to Li Zhi Ran’s sounded, but with a hint of feline arrogance.
It was the same voice Xu Lin had heard from the black cat plushie earlier.
The room echoed with Noxis’s soft laughter, though her mouth didn’t move.
Nor did Li Zhi Ran’s.
Noxis: “That kid is the hero and knows his situation. He just doesn’t yet understand what it means. Since the hero has appeared, things won’t stop. When the time comes, he’ll naturally know what to do.”