Cyber Era Witch
Chapter 749 - 623 Witch Academy

Chapter 749: Chapter 623 Witch Academy

The sky was frost white, the ground encased in ice.

Since the long winter had descended, everything had changed. The first wave of frost winds killed 130 million people.

The Little Fool wandered slowly down the streets, wearing a thick down jacket. Her tiny face was wrapped in soft merino wool, and from a distance, only a small pink spot could be seen.

Her hands were enveloped in thick gloves, and her heavy boots left a series of footprints in the snow. She still felt cold, and her little exposed face felt as if it were being viciously stabbed by a steel knife.

The roads were buried under heavy snow, with only a few main highways receiving regular snow removal to facilitate the movement of heavy trucks during blizzards.

The coverage of three-dimensional transportation reached 100%, with bridges, glass corridors, and flight routes crisscrossing throughout Shangjing. It was like a frost-covered spiderweb, reaching in all directions, connecting the silver-clad skyscrapers.

The Little Fool struggled to lift her head and saw hundreds of small aircraft swiftly moving through the air.

The most popular vehicles now were those miniature shuttle machines. They were as essential to the citizens as the old-era cars and bicycles, used for single or double occupancy, taking them to different Heat Towers, heating stations, and work areas.

Many people chose to travel by light rail. The elegant light rail had increased its stops and the number of trains, the sides of the trains plastered with anime and game advertisements. During operation, the carriages heated up, melting the incessantly forming snow.

On weekends, the Little Fool would take them to movies or operas. But now, she needed to make a trip to the Witch Academy.

The Witch Academy was Shangjing’s most eye-catching new landmark. More than 20,000 witches resided there, ranging from 3 to 50 years old, all receiving the most comprehensive witch education and experiencing the witch classics passed down from ancient times.

The Little Fool staggered up the stairs. The entrance was an exceedingly tall rock door. Most witches now revered the will of the Witch Goddess and were educated in the Witch Academy.

"Quack quack." The Little Fool couldn’t push open the door. She muttered to the lion head statue at the entrance, which recognized her voice, appearance, and soul, and thus operated the rock door to slowly open.

She softly squeezed herself through the crack of the door.

The vast courtyard was piled with snow, with drones and snowplow robots busy everywhere. Tall buildings towered, their numerous teaching buildings, libraries, and dormitories connected to each other.

Witches were everywhere, wearing black cold-weather uniforms or heavy cloaks, moving in groups between different buildings and schoolhouses.

The Little Fool walked into the activity center for the junior witches, where the joyful young witches ran around, laughing and frolicking.

She stood in the steamy warm corridor at the entrance, laboriously taking off her bulky down jacket and boots, and stuffed them into her personal locker. Following the prompts on the capacitive screen, she closed the lid, and drones would take them to the Little Fool’s dormitory.

Relieved of the cumbersome heavy clothing, the Little Fool let out a long sigh.

She took out her leather shoes and put them on. Then, as she walked forward, she looked down to check her warm uniform: she was dressed in a pristine white long-sleeved shirt and a black and white checkered skirt, looking very neat.

The Little Fool paid great attention to being well-dressed, as Dad had reminded her.

A maid dressed in black stockings and a white apron approached. She had beautiful golden short hair decorated with a white hairnet, carrying several plates of food including sushi, fruit tarts, and pies. With one hand on her hip, she struck a stunning pose.

The Little Fool looked up at her, mouth slightly agape. The maid took a cup of hot milk from the middle of the plate and handed it to the Little Fool.

"It’s very cold outside," the Little Fool took the milk and struggled to gesture.

"You don’t have classes today."

"Dad is here," said the Little Fool, having seen Xu Yang’s schedule and thus followed him to the Academy.

"He rarely comes to the Academy. He must have some plan."

"Of course. Here, this is for you," the Little Fool said, taking out a set of lightweight energy batteries from her pocket and giving them to her.

"Thank you," the maid looked genuinely delighted, gave the Little Fool a slight bow, then walked away with the plate.

Many other maids were moving around the activity center. They were all Synthetic Humans, the Nestor Corporation’s newly developed Type D "helper" synthetics, primarily for companionship and service, equipped with third-generation AI and an optimized emotional module, replacing a large number of basic support positions and looking after human life in the harsh winter era.

Carrying the cup of milk, the Little Fool walked upstairs. To minimize exposure to extreme cold, all buildings were connected, so she could walk all the way to the council offices from the activity center.

Everywhere was laid with underfloor heating and warm air ducts; otherwise, everyone would freeze to death. Now, it was minus 40 degrees Celsius outside.

Down the corridor, she ran into several witches she disliked, including one named Yuuki, who could create razor edges anywhere, and Laila Medusa, Lady Farosa’s favorite.

Any witch who wanted to get close to Lady Farosa supported Laila. It became even more apparent in the Witch Academy, where a small faction centered around Laila had formed. The Little Fool had to keep her distance.

Laila was once just a baby slowly developing in an incubator, but now she was a lively Young Witch. She could emit rays from her eyes that could melt anything, which is why she always wore specialized Protective Goggles.

"Little Fool!" Laila called out, lifting a finger at the Little Fool. She spoke in a soft, squeaky voice and was quite short, at the age of three.

Laila’s destructive rays and the Little Fool’s invisible barrier represented completely opposite powers.

These two forces had collided when they were very young, and as they grew up, their rivalry became increasingly obvious.

Blade Witch Yuuki was Laila’s top bodyguard, and she looked up sharply at Little Fool, with several cloaked witches following behind her. As they approached, Little Fool also stepped back.

"A fight has broken out!"

"Again!"

"Come and help!"

Several older witches came down the corridor.

They refused to indulge the faction formed by Yuuki and Laila and were dedicated to maintaining the atmosphere of the academy. Now, with Little Fool at the forefront, they stopped in the corridor.

The air between them practically solidified with the overflowing magic power.

The witches held sophisticated magical items, faintly summoning flames of magic power and blades of magic power. They were permitted to duel in different areas of the academy to hone their combat skills.

The Witch Academy gathered the knowledge compendiums and magic formula archives compiled by Lady Farosa and distributed them to all other witches. The academy-trained witches were far more skillful in using magic power than their counterparts elsewhere, mastering many basic powers and universal magic formulas, ensuring that witches’ power was not limited to their own supernatural abilities.

Like hundreds of soldiers awaiting battle, more and more witches gathered.

At the critical moment, Little Fool took a deep breath.

All the witches waited for her to let out a croak, the signal for battle to commence.

But Little Fool said nothing and quickly turned to walk away, running off swiftly.

"She’s running away! Just wait! Once we graduate, we can fight openly!" Yuuki shouted loudly, proceeding to escort Laila through the corridors with poise.

The other witches stepped back with serious expressions, not daring to oppose Yuuki and her group. Laila strutted forward with an air of arrogance; despite her young age, she was beginning to enjoy this environment of adulation and looked up to her foster mother, Lady Farosa.

Muttering Ninjutsu incantations, Little Fool vanished like a puff of smoke, racing to the council office.

Xu Yang was sitting next to a round table, checking a terminal in his hand. Little Fool ran to his seat, rapidly climbing onto the table, with her feet stomping on it.

"Daddy!" she yelled at Xu Yang.

"Oh, Xu Cheng, what’s the matter?" Xu Yang looked up, taking in the sight of Little Fool who had grown a bit taller.

"School is a place for fools!" said Little Fool.

"Well, it is and it isn’t," Xu Yang replied ambiguously, then gazed at Little Fool, wiping away a few tears from her downcast face, "Are there bullies at the school?"

"Laila Medusa, that big bully, and Yuuki’s bunch of pretentious people..." Little Fool started naming a long list, accusing them.

"—So, are you saying that my daughter, as well as my loyal followers, are all villains?" Farosa’s voice came from the window.

Little Fool’s heart skipped a beat. She whirled around, only then noticing that Farosa was also in the council office.

Farosa was dressed in a simple and elegant white gown, her brown hair coiled atop her head, her expression gentle yet unfathomable.

Whenever Little Fool looked into Farosa’s eyes, it was like gazing into an abyss. This was pure evil, and such evil had evolved into a deity.

Little Fool’s heart pounded, and she averted her gaze, curling up on the table and slowly burrowing into Xu Yang’s embrace.

"School really isn’t suitable for you; you’re too clever. The academy established by Farosa is for all other standard witches, but you have completed all fundamental education and are multitalented. Staying in such an environment would be frustrating," Xu Yang remarked, sizing up Little Fool.

"Where should I go then?" Little Fool asked.

"Anywhere you want to, live and learn freely," Xu Yang said.

Little Fool was initially inclined to agree, but she realized an important issue. Without her at the academy to counterbalance the influence of Laila and Yuuki, all witches would gradually be transformed into members of their faction, with no dissidents or opponents left to survive.

This was exactly what Farosa planned. In time, Farosa’s child, Laila, would become the leader of all witches in the academy. As Farosa’s daughter, when she grew up, she would become Farosa’s spokesperson, authoritative and binding over all witches, and those who grew up playing with Laila at the academy would become her loyal servants. Eventually, Farosa’s influence would permeate both the divine realm and the mortal world, which was a monopolizing move, even for the Witch Goddess.

"Gu-gu," whispered Little Fool into Xu Yang’s ear.

She decided to stay at the academy. She would master all knowledge provided by Farosa, become infinitely powerful, and then eliminate Laila and her power. The world was frightening enough; if it fell into the hands of Laila’s group, it would become even more terrifying. Little Fool now knew her mission; all the witches and humans in the world needed her to save them.

"Have fun in school," Xu Yang said, putting Little Fool back on the table where she sat properly.

"Now, it’s time to set up the first plan for the winter season; this weather is also too terrible," Farosa commented, turning her gaze away from the heavy snow outside the window.

Xu Yang spread out a three-dimensional projection device on the table, displaying the current situation and pending issues.