Chapter 57

Although the headquarters of the Automated Mechanical Civil Engineering major was unremarkable—just a few low, modest buildings that couldn’t compare to the towering structures of other majors—

but isn’t it no surprise that this was a construction specialty? The architectural mastery here was truly unmatched; outwardly plain, yet once Dorothy followed her spider-witch teacher inside, she realized the interior held a whole other world.

“Whoa...”

Upon entering, Dorothy’s attention was immediately drawn to the neatly arranged rows of towering humanoid machines lining both sides of the hall.

“Awesome, it’s Gao Da, it’s mecha!”

The little witch cheered inwardly.

Unfortunately, these giant humanoid machines weren’t wielding fluctuation swords, chain saws, or explosive rifles—but massive shovels, heavy hammers, and other construction tools, and the painted text on their bodies clearly indicated their purpose.

Demolition Model: Giant God Base Type 2.

Seriously, you’re using Gao Da for demolition? No wonder you’re witches.

Then she glanced at the transforming machines behind them, shifting constantly between vehicle and giant forms, and Dorothy fell silent.

Right, so Transformers retired here to haul bricks? God damn it—Multifunctional Demolition Giant God Evolution Type 3.

But even more speechless than these colossal machines was what the spider teacher said next.

"Audrey, if you have time, come take apart and study these autonomous machines—they’ll help your studies later. Don’t worry about breaking them; these are all experimental failures that are scheduled to be packed and sold to surface-dwelling aliens soon."

The spider teacher said this to the cold-looking fox-eared succubus student.

Dorothy, completely ignored by her teacher: “......”

Damn it, angry-shaking-cold—I want to dismantle Gao Da and Transformers too.

But she wasn’t really bitter; after all, she looked weak—her mere 10,000 Mana meant she had no rights until she passed the exam, while this fox girl clearly was a genius witch, a succubus hybrid, with facial features resembling the spider teacher’s—probably a relative. She must be a special admit.

This only strengthened Dorothy’s resolve to enroll in this major—after all, you get Gao Da and Transformers to dismantle on day one. What kind of divine major is this?

Hmm, I’ll perform well in the exam. I’m staying in this major.

The three passed through the giant machine hall and arrived before a mana-powered elevator. The spider teacher pressed the door button and stepped inside.

Dorothy hurried after her. Once the elevator started moving, she realized it was descending—and when she glanced at the dense cluster of floor buttons beside the door...

Seriously, thirty-three floors? Teacher, is your evolution template a cave spider? Aren’t you afraid you’ll dig straight through this floating island?

The elevator finally stopped at level 13 underground. Dorothy stepped out to find a vast workshop—messy but fully equipped with every tool imaginable.

Men are naturally drawn to tools; seeing hammers, wrenches, flashlights, saws, lathes—they feel an inexplicable thrill. Though Dorothy was no longer a man, stepping into this workshop, she shamefully let out an “emmmm.”

The cost of a workshop of this caliber was astronomical—far pricier than a typical witch’s domain, utterly unaffordable for ordinary witches. Compared to her own makeshift alchemy lab tucked inside her magic case, this place was incomparable—the gap was greater than that between a toy rocket and a real one.

Which research witch wouldn’t dream of owning a top-tier workshop of her own? Now that she was inside, Dorothy felt like a mouse dropped into a grain warehouse—she shamefully couldn’t move.

Had she not held back with a sliver of reason, she’d already be panting, lunging forward to touch everything, rub against everything.

Ah, how wonderful—it’s like paradise. After I pass the entrance exam, I’ll never leave this place.

Thinking of this, her gaze burned intensely toward the spider teacher.

Come on, teacher, hand over your exam papers—I’m already desperate.

Fortunately, the spider teacher didn’t make her wait long. She rummaged through drawers, digging for a while before pulling out a weathered parchment stained with machine oil.

“Here, this is your exam. Since you’re alone, pick any lab table over there. There are practical questions requiring hands-on work—I’ve left some leftover scraps from my own experiments on the table. Use them freely.”

The spider teacher pointed to a lab table in the corner.

“Got it.”

Dorothy, already starving for the exam, didn’t waste a second. She snatched the paper and marched straight to the table. Sitting down, she immediately began reading.

But after just two lines, she furrowed her brow.

......Little witch reading the exam...

Watching the little witch’s previously energetic face now scrunched in concentration, Noerose smiled.

Ah, youth—always overestimating themselves. A little setback helps them realize their true worth. It’s a grown-up’s duty.

With that thought, she stopped caring about this little witch who’d probably burst into tears soon. She just hoped the girl’s tears wouldn’t smudge her overly bold makeup—just imagining her face then made her...

The spider witch smiled faintly.

“Alright, my dear Audrey, let me show you around first. After this, you’ll be the only student in this major.”

Turning to her niece, who had grown increasingly beautiful and captivating, Noerose’s smile softened.

She’d always liked her cousin’s daughter. This little girl, like her, truly loved dolls—even though Audrey’s dolls were for art, while Noerose specialized in war dolls, it didn’t matter. She saw Audrey as her rightful heir.

After all, isn’t war itself an art?

Yet...

“Auntie, I want to take the exam too.”

A tiny doll tumbled out from the fox witch’s tail. The doll’s face was stern, its voice cold and mechanical.

Noerose’s smile froze.

What nonsense—absolutely not. Audrey’s talent was undeniable, and her dollcraft was decent, but her other knowledge was severely lacking. If she saw that hellish exam and got mentally broken, what then?

This niece’s mental resilience had always been poor—that’s why her fear phobia never healed. If she cracked under this exam, her aunt and uncle would kill me. I can’t survive a double assault from two peak witches.

“Child, I know your talent well. You don’t need to waste your time.”

The spider witch forced a smile, trying to dissuade her.

But...

“Teacher, give me the exam. I don’t need special treatment. I want to pass on my own.”

The doll spoke again in its mechanical voice. The fox witch’s seductive purple eyes widened, staring sternly at Noerose.

The spider witch: “......”

Oh no, my only heir is flying. Why is this kid so stubborn?

She grimaced, rummaged again, and pulled out another filthy, ancient exam paper from a cabinet.

Then she used magic to restore it to pristine condition, pointed to the central lab table—her own premium workstation—and the neatly arranged pile of new materials atop it, and said:

“Audrey, take the exam over there. Relax. The questions are a bit hard—just answer one or two correctly to pass. Don’t stress.”

The spider witch forced a smile, squinting as she lied.

“Hmm.”

Audrey took the paper, nodded, then walked to a corner and sat at another lab table beside the strangely made-up student.

She began reading—and her eyes widened, her gaze slowly turning confused.

......Little fox reading the exam...