Chapter 21: A great and successful first step

Cat's round, smooth noon, filled with a subtle milky fragrance, was spent while she was almost suffocating.

Happiness is happiness; if one truly dislikes it, even if risking failure of an enemy mission, he would resist.

Moreover, Witch Miss's terrorist-like cat-sucking behavior, if one imagines putting oneself in her original position, is still quite stimulating.

No, not right; Cat's actual self is also quite stimulating.

All in all, this grudge he, Cat, has remembered.

(￣ＴＴ￣)

But...

【HP-5】

By now, he actually still loses HP due to Witch Miss's uncontrollable-strength hug.

Cat!

What a useless thing you are, Cat!

Didn't we agree you'd already undergone a rebirth!

Growth speed can't even keep up with that stupid cricket witch!

At this rate, when will you be able to carry out your great justice revenge!

You disgrace of demons!

Although in setting you are just an ordinary normal cat, a zero-rank magic beast looked down upon, but you still need dignity!

You actually have a magic cat of the Magic Path Ultimate Realm!

Oh, my magic cat has low initial dual resistance, any problem?

「... 」

Cat just like that, in self-loathing and self-indulgence, whittled away this subtle lunchtime break.

Although due to Cat's laziness, the Growth Guard System's daily task issued to Witch Miss has changed, but she has also become accustomed to dividing lunchtime eating into rest and hobby time.

Besides Witch Miss feeling that slacking off is actually not bad, there are also some of her personal thoughts.

She thinks, even if she's busy again, she should set aside time to accompany Cat.

This is something she realized after being immersed in training for three days.

Cat is still young; although Cat also needs to study and train hard, Cat also needs encouragement and companionship.

Like this, spending over an hour eating and on lunch break, hugging and kissing Cat together should make Cat happier, right!

Watching Cat each time eat up everything she prepared without leaving a scrap, and the way Cat hardly struggles when hugged, Witch Miss further solidified her inner thought.

Cat probably also really wants to cling to me.

Recently, because of the daily tasks, I only look at those fantasy novels, which always write some great truths and principles that proper books don't discuss at length.

It says above, childhood shadows accompany a child for life; even if resisted, the affected child will become like a curse, eventually turning into the very thing they most dislike and resist.

When seeing this passage, Witch Miss couldn't help feeling genuine fear.

She knows nothing is absolute, so she wants to change her solitary self through her own gradual efforts as much as possible.

So... so...

Can't just keep forcing Cat to train, study, struggle.

She has long been accustomed to this lifestyle, but Cat is still young; as Cat's mother, she cannot continue this incorrect way.

No, she must cut off this desperate and helpless emotion here.

Thus Witch Miss, as gently as possible, pondering what she once most desired, gives these to the still kitten Xiaohei.

She... wants to, like other kids, pounce into Mom's embrace to act cute and ask for rewards; she wants... to eat some snacks labeled 'junk food'; she wants... after her efforts to receive praise, a pat on the head...

But... if doing this, isn't it actually imposing her own ideas on Cat in disguise?

But seeing Xiaohei each time enjoyably collapse on the ground, squinting eyes, Witch Miss sincerely sighed in relief.

She... won't become like her parents, right?

While doing her best to give Cat affection, Witch Miss's heart remains uneasy.

Whenever this happens, her mother's weak face before death merely floats before her eyes.

So that's why... I feel so painful...

This pent-up emotion in the heart, where exactly should it be vented?

If I could let myself hate thoroughly, then I wouldn't be tormented like this.

「Huh」

Witch Miss again exhaled a breath feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

Anyway, the system just said change isn't urgent; perhaps... when I grow a bit older, I'll naturally see things clearly.

Right now it's still about striving to get stronger, accompany Xiaohei, pass tests, finish high school graduation, get into a good university!

Ah... if possible, I want to become like the novel protagonist, a figure who is the focus wherever they go.

orz

But this kind, destined to have no affinity with me...

Forget it, forget it!

Tugging at her own brim, Witch Miss silently gave herself a pep talk in her heart.

It's not me that's wrong, it's this world!

Mm! Exactly like that!

Using a busy schedule and proactive fighting spirit to cover her inner negativity, Witch Miss is very practiced at this self-taught skill.

Hmph hmph! Full HP revived!

The Witch Miss, influenced by the personalities of characters in the novel, without Cat knowing, has been going further and further in being schizophrenic, chuunibyou, and spacey.

Now, she is a highly emo and reclusive chuunibyou Witch Miss, eh!

……

After finishing lunch, Cat thought that next time there's a chance, he must definitely tell Witch Miss to buy him a rice ball with a different flavor.

Eating chicken nugget salad rice balls every day, he can't take it anymore!

Sis! You know to change your own flavor! Why can't he!

Cat, who has made up his mind to improve his own meals, is actively thinking in his head about what pose he should strike next time Witch Miss goes to the supermarket to attract her attention and make her understand his meaning.

As planned, Cat skillfully jumped onto Witch Miss's shoulder, using his big brim to shade the glaring sun above, and the person and cat walked unhurriedly toward the school auditorium.

As the meeting start time approached, there were hardly any people left on the small roads of the school.

Most of the students were immersed in the excitement and enthusiasm of the first team activity, arriving at the auditorium venue and sitting down to wait, having come at least twenty minutes early.

As expected, when Witch Miss pushed the door into the auditorium, the only seat left for her was the spot by the wall aisle in the last row of the stepped auditorium.

The auditorium, which can hold over five hundred people, was thus easily packed to the brim.

When Witch Miss sat down and took out a notebook and pen from her backpack, the Grade Director came up holding a microphone.

Curious Cat gave the director a thorough appraisal.

【Personal Information】

【Name: Lan Yitao】

【Age: 52】

【Race: Human】

【Occupation: Qi Gong Master】

【Occupational Level: lv4】

【Secondary Occupation: Manager】

【Occupational Level: lv1】

【Attribute Panel】

【Level: lv51】

……

Hey buddy, how come you, the Teaching Director, are so weak?

You don't even have the combat power of Liu Ge!

Apart from the Qi Gong Master occupation that makes Cat curious, in Cat's view, all of the Teaching Director's attributes cannot be described as ordinary and unremarkable.

The Teaching Director on stage didn't know that a black lv1 kitten downstairs was loudly commenting on his strength; after simply tidying up discipline, he began to explain the team requirements, precautions, test content, and scoring criteria for this test.

Witch Miss was taking notes very attentively; regarding achieving a high score in the Solo Dungeon, she was indeed very serious!

Most of the meeting's content emphasized safety and mindset, and only in the last ten minutes did they detail the content Cat wanted to hear.

The Teaching Group's test is to defeat the Combat Dummy.

Participating teams need to jointly defeat the dummy, with Teaching Group teachers evaluating based on the time taken, team coordination, and extent of injuries.

Cat's understanding of this is that, by killing monsters without taking damage and clearing the field quickly, one can obtain a high score on the test.

During the test, the monsters in the first layer of the G-Level Dungeon that need to be conquered are divided into three types.

Commonly seen, randomly generated natural Beta Beasts;

Randomly appearing, with no quantity limits, small monster groups of levels lv1 to lv3, composed of lv1-lv4 in units of ten;

and a random level‑one monster boss of level lv10 that possesses two monster groups.

The difficulty…… is actually unexpectedly not small.

No wonder the teachers and directors emphasize safety issues and team cooperation, and even go all out to conduct the Teaching Group test.

As soon as the details of the dungeon copy levels were announced, a chorus of wails rose from the auditorium.

The students who had just been rolling up their sleeves and eager to try, most now showed expressions of giving up.

Most of them are only around lv3 newbies; even with teamwork, defeating a small monster group is already their limit.

This test…… we can't pass it!

While the students were wailing, the Grade Director began to explain the test scoring criteria.

Scoring is also divided into three steps.

Collect Crystal Fragments dropped by Beta Beasts; lv1‑lv3 fragments correspond to 0.5‑1.5 points.

The points obtainable through Beta Beast Crystal Fragments amount to 40.

Collect Crystal Fragments and loot dropped by monsters in small monster groups; fragments are worth 0.5‑2 points, and depending on the loot's level and rarity, an additional 5‑10 points can be gained.

The points obtainable from small monster groups have no upper limit; every hour, regardless of whether the groups are cleared, new monster groups will be spawned.

Slay the BOSS and collect the crystals to gain 50 points.

After the BOSS is slain, it will be respawned two hours later.

The passing score for the evaluation is 40 points, and groups scoring over 100 points will be listed on the leaderboard.

This test is a uniformly standard, uniformly timed test formulated by All Eastern Alliance High School.

All Eastern Alliance High School……?

Unified exam?!

Cat had bad memories come to mind, but since the test is about superpowers, his sense of immersion was much less, and the frightening feeling only made him shudder a bit.

"I hope everyone will consider carefully.

This test does not mandate participation, and participating teams must meet certain strength requirements.

The registration deadline is before this afternoon's school dismissal, and everyone must submit uniformly to their own homeroom teacher.

The senior director, after finishing the summary, let everyone discuss and negotiate on their own.

Forming a team freely and scouting suitable teammates is something every awakened person will face in the future.

The test this time, also called Dungeon Real Combat Simulation Training.

Although he kept urging the students that this is just a test, not to force themselves, and that safety comes first, the status of this test is nevertheless very important.

All the prestigious schools of the Eastern Alliance are watching the results of this test, especially the top of the leaderboard, which are the targets they rush to admit first.

The auditorium is crowded and close to the teachers, so most students prefer to go to the early‑session or activity room—spacious, free places—to continue discussing whether to join, how to find teammates, and if they join, how to pass the test and earn higher scores.

The Witch Miss, who had long decided to go solo, was not in a hurry to leave the auditorium; she tapped her notebook repeatedly with the pen in her hand, reviewing the notes she had just recorded, pondering how she should complete this bounty mission and, for that purpose, finish the task.

"Hey, you're a pitiful person again."

The familiar, somewhat nostalgic, haughty yet contemptuous voice that made the Cat feel a pang of reminiscence appeared to the left of the Witch Miss.

One person and one Cat looked up and indeed saw classmate Gong Xianjing, the free‑range chicken.

Standing behind her were several unfamiliar faces that the Cat had never seen, presumably awakened students from other classes.

"Since you're on your own, our team doesn't mind taking you in."

Meow……?

Did she take the wrong medicine?

When she said that, even the Witch Miss's usually expressionless face toward her own kind seemed a bit broken.

Seeing the Witch Miss's bewildered and somewhat doubtful look, Gong Xianjing's mood was far from the calm she had shown when extending the invitation.

What kind of expression is that!

You think I wanted this!

Recalling the faint pain on her face, Gong Xianjing's desire for retaliation grew even stronger.

The night she completed the summoning contract and returned home, her father unusually came back on a weekday.

"Dad!"

Happy about her father's return, Gong Xianjing wanted to brag to him about successfully signing the contract today, but her father, who had just arrived home and not yet changed shoes, gave her a harsh scolding.

With a crisp sound, the father standing at the doorway immediately barked loudly,

"What did you do at school!"

The mother and Gong Xianjing were both startled by the severe rebuke.

"Hey, how can you smack a child the moment you get home!"

"The things she did at school made the homeroom teacher call me directly to complain!"

"She's still a child; how big a trouble could she cause? Look at your short temper."

Mrs. Gong, without a word, shielded the fallen Gong Xianjing, who had taken a harsh scolding and was sitting on the ground, behind her.

"All those bad habits of hers are because you spoiled her!"

This time, Gong Xianjing's father, unlike before when Mrs. Gong would intervene, walked straight to the living room and kept scolding Gong Xianjing,

"The homeroom teacher called without reservation to discuss your upbringing issue.

At school, you even talked back to the teacher?! Such an arrogantly abnormal attitude?

How did your family teach you? To speak so aggressively to teachers?!"

Hearing her father's rebuke, Gong Xianjing, frightened, already had tears welling up in her eyes.

And Mrs. Gong could not see her own child being wronged,

"Just a tiny high‑school teacher, caring so much about these trivial details—doesn't that mean making a fuss out of nothing!

Give her some respect! Our child can't be a little unrestricted at school?"

"You too, for such a small matter, is it really worth it!"

"Hmph! A tiny high‑school teacher.

A tiny high‑school teacher can write a bad mark on Gong Xianjing's high‑school evaluation!

Yet that tiny high‑school teacher is a member of our city's Magic Council!

What am I being petty about?"

"……"

"You led the class in bullying a classmate, and that classmate even has the surname Bai! Surname Bai!"

"What's wrong with the surname Bai? There are plenty of Bai's." Mrs. Gong continued to defend the Gong Xianjing in her arms.

"Yes, there are many with the surname Bai, but a Bai who can live in our C City in the Ningzhong District Special Villa Area—only that family!"

"What am I campaigning for now?

It's to get a position in the Eastern Alliance Magic Council."

"The head of the Eastern Alliance Magic Council headquarters' surname is what? Bai!"

"He also comes from C City!"

"Such a coincidence—why don't you avoid it and still bully?"

"At this critical moment you cause trouble! You say if I don't hit you, who should I hit!"

"This… impossible.

We all grew up in the C City circle; we've never heard of such a big figure having a wife and children.

At most it's a distant relative with no connection; what are you getting so worked up about?"

Mrs. Gong patted the man's shoulder to soothe his emotions while turning to scold Gong Xianjing,

"Sigh, you too—look at how I've spoiled you; can you restrain yourself at school?"

"If someone displeases you, just sneak off to cause trouble, right?"

"How can you bully someone right in front of the teacher?"

"Isn't this for putting eye drops on your dad?"

Mrs. Gong's scolding indeed soothed Father Gong's irritable mood.

Indeed.

If he really were that important person's child, how could we have heard no news of him for all these years, nor seen any hint of his concern or condolence for the children raised in that courtyard?

It was probably a relative who came seeking refuge and was taken in by that ancestral house.

So he merely touched on it briefly, then rebuked Gong Xianjing, saying,

"Gong Xianjing, I tell you.

You have a proud pedigree, but there are countless people in this world more capable than you!

Calm your mindset; don't act like a peacock, with your rear almost lifted to the sky!

Moreover, whoever you dislike or like, don't foolishly wear it all on your face.

Yes, everyone has people they dislike, but you must restrain yourself and endure.

The more you dislike someone, the more you must greet them with a smile.

The world is vast, you know? You have countless ways to make the person you despise disappear, disappear forever.

Why do you have to show it?

Finally, he took a deep breath and warned Gong Xianjing,

"Before my election results are out, I don't want to hear another 'not good' from your homeroom teacher.

Whatever trouble you caused at school, you and your mother figure it out yourselves.

I only care about the outcome."

……

This week, every time she thought of what happened that night, Gong Xianjing felt an uncontainable rage.

But her mother's later consolation and guidance forced her to suppress her expression.

She followed the plan her mother gave her, step by step.

"I will get along well with this clueless guy."

"It's fine; once he joins my team, I have plenty of ways to deal with her."

"This is a crucial assessment exam…"

"With her meager strength, she either won't participate or will have to join a powerful team!"

"Even if I invite her politely, even sacrificing my own team's strength, if she still puts on that attitude or refuses to join… the leverage will be in my hands!"

"I want to see what that old woman Liu Ge will say about me this time!"

Unlike Gong Xianjing's "endurance," Witch Miss's reaction was calm and indifferent.

She didn't answer Gong Xianjing; she simply lowered her head and began tidying the items beside her.

"I don't want to team up with her."

Witch Miss pursed her lips and muttered to herself.

Moreover, her demeanor wasn't a sincere invitation; she might have ulterior motives.

That's how it's written in novels.

Besides, doesn't she dislike me?

Coincidentally, I also dislike her.

She always leads the bullying, saying harsh and hurtful things.

She's so annoying.

Hmm…

A few times she tried to speak, but her voice was stuck in her throat, and Witch Miss couldn't help but pep herself up, saying,

"Next time, next time, I must make sure to get this sentence out."

Let her know I'm not easy to bully!

I need to change, I need to take the first step!

I must face my own thoughts!

I imagine, like those protagonists, shouting at the bully who looks down on others, "Thirty years, the river flows east and west!"…

Ah…

But there are so many people around…

Some retreated, some were fearful, and some panicked; Witch Miss's body instinctively performed the same motions as usual.

She hoisted her backpack, cradled the Cat in both hands, turned, and prepared to leave.

But Gong Xianjing, coming prepared—or perhaps harboring resentment—had no intention of letting her go.

She endured for a whole week for this game!

How could she just let Bai Yan walk away?

So she stepped forward,

"Hey! I'm talking to you!

I said our team is willing to invite you, the unclaimed, Lv1‑strength, magic bottom‑drawer!

If you don't reply, fine, but why turn around and leave directly?"

Hearing Gong Xianjing's shout from behind, Witch Miss halted.

Her words, as always, were packed with rich information about her.

Even though she tried to conceal it, Witch Miss could still hear the strong contempt.

Thinking of this, Witch Miss took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind.

She turned, lifted her head, under the slanted shadow of her pointed hat, a pair of small red lips opened and closed, speaking word by word to Gong Xianjing,

"I, hate you."

"You......??"

Gong Xianjing, along with the onlookers, never expected that the first line Witch Miss spat out would be this.

The aloof, chilly voice and the expression hidden beneath the hat instantly silenced the noisy hall.

"I hate you, so I don't want to team up with you."

Seeing the stunned Gong Xianjing, Witch Miss repeated her words.

"You're annoying, really annoying.

Noisy, loud, and your voice is too big."

"And you scared my Cat."

The Cat, who had been in the premium seat watching Witch Miss's performance, hurriedly scurried in sporadic little steps into Witch Miss's arms as soon as it heard its name.

The slender yet fluffy Cat, with big bright yellow eyes full of grievance, trembling shiveringly, instantly placed Witch Miss and the Cat at an absolutely vulnerable moral high ground.

Feeling the shivering plush ball pressing into her arms, Witch Miss's anger flared for a moment, and she couldn't hold back, spilling all the words she had kept hidden in her heart,

"Your strength is no more than this, relying on the various conveniences your family provides, aren't you only Tier Three.

Why should I team up with you?

If you pull me into your team, whose loss is it, yours or mine?

And how can you be sure that my magic power is low, that my strength is weak?

"Have we ever dueled each other?"

"You..."

Witch Miss's sharp retort left Gong Xianjing tongue-tied for a moment.

Not weak?

Your magic power isn't low?

The class's recognized laggard, how can you have the nerve to say that here!

She wants to expose this person!

"I don't care how you talk about me outside.

But I am the only one of this age with golden full talent.

What about you? What talent do you have?

Why must I join your team, waste words replying to you after your rude invitation?"

Witch Miss grew more excited as she spoke, her expression becoming more invested, and she finally succeeded in playing the version of herself in her mind.

Finally, with Witch Miss's brain running at extreme speed, frantically searching her lexicon, she selected the most satisfying sentence from her daily reading tasks as the finishing move of this match,

"Only the weak like to cluster; the problem is that the vast majority are weak.

You are weak, but I am not."

After speaking, Witch Miss turned and pushed the door open, leaving Gong Xianjing only a dashing back view.

The onlookers who witnessed the whole drama, from initial surprise and gossip, turned into...

"Who is she?"

"Do you know her?"

"What a sharp tongue!"

"But inexplicably cool!"

"Did you see? Even though her hat is tall, she's so beautiful! Especially aloof!"

"Sister, step on me!"

"???"

Leaving the hall, Witch Miss felt a happiness unlike any before.

The afternoon sun finally stopped being blinding; feeling the cool breeze through her hat brim, she couldn't help but take a deep breath.

She finally took the first step.

A great and successful first step!

Though she had more to say, in her excitement she could only recall a few words.

How about...

Or just make a note!

Reflect on this mistake and strengths, strive for further progress next time!

For Cat's sake, so she won't be frightened again, being bullied by others!

To become a qualified excellent mother!

Meanwhile, the Cat, who had been watching the whole time without participating, was gratefully wiping away its tears.

Its subtle education... finally succeeded!

My daughter... she finally grew up!

Although someone else went to tear, today Gong Xianjing might only have to leave the hall sideways, but...

This is his daughter's first step of rebellion!!

Baby!

Today is a day worth remembering!

Must first find a way to get Witch Miss to go back and treat her to a good meal!

He must already be a competent old father!

Cat!

Great!

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