The more mysterious everything got, the more my nerves kicked in.
My hands, on the other hand, betrayed me. I fidgeted with my phone until I gave up entirely. Screw it. Time to fire up a game and unwind.
Games never failed to take the edge off, no matter the situation.
Except ten minutes in, I was already bored. The gaming scene in this world was a total letdown—stunted like it never got the memo to evolve.
If I were one of those novel protagonists who transmigrated into a backwater gaming world, I’d have a shiny “system” slapped on me by now, ready to dominate the industry.
I scrolled aimlessly through my phone. No decent games. No gripping stories. What was the point of this thing?
Yeah, yeah, I know. Who even writes diaries anymore? But hear me out: it’s for documenting life. If a day’s not worth remembering, what’s the point of scribbling it down?
I’d gotten tougher, though. I didn’t break down as much anymore.
Right then, the high-speed train rolled into a station. I glanced out the window, watching the crowd blur past as we slowed. Too bad this wasn’t my stop.
I figured it’d just be a quick pause, but then a commotion erupted outside—something loud and terrifying. People scattered, ducking for cover. Naturally, I pressed my face to the glass, straining to see what was up. A shadowy figure streaked by, too fast to make out, with another hot on their heels.
Oh… a fight between the transcendents!
After the initial thrill, I started stressing about the train. Is it safe with all that chaos out there?
“Don’t worry about it,” Bai Yu said, noticing my unease. “It’s just academies fighting over recruits. Can’t believe they’re still at it this close to the station.”
She muttered that last part to herself, sounding mildly annoyed.
“Fighting… over recruits?” I echoed, wide-eyed.
This was my first glimpse of academies duking it out for talent—and it was wild! If you ignored the chance of getting caught in the crossfire, it blew anything I’d seen online out of the water.
These weren’t just brawlers; they wielded invisible forces that tore up the surroundings like a wrecking crew on steroids.
I’d half a mind to switch on my Psi-vision to get a better look. Even if their powers were invisible to the naked eye, that trick would let you peek into the inner world—energy fluctuations and all.
Under that lens, every flicker of power lights up, no matter how it’s shaped. Downside? It would fry your brain if you stare too long.
Too bad they were moving too fast. By the time I blinked, they were gone.
“Uh,” I ventured, still on edge, “Is this really okay?”
“Relax,” she said, unfazed. “The academies cover any damage they cause. Looks like they’re wrapping up anyway.”
Sure enough, as she spoke, the racket outside died down.
“It really stopped!” I blurted, a little amazed. “How’d you know, Bai Yu? That’s awesome.” I couldn’t help but toss in some praise—got to give credit where it’s due.
“The fight was already winding down,” Bai Yu said, her lips curling into a pleased smirk at my flattery. “If it’s dragged all the way to the train station, it just means the one snatching the student has a twisted sense of humor—rubbing it in the other’s face as they hop on the train and leave them eating dust.”
“What? People actually do that? Which school?” I said, my mouth twitching. That was some next-level petty.
“What do you think? The Witch School, obviously,” Bai Yu replied matter-of-factly. “Every year around this time, they’re the most ruthless about grabbing recruits. It’s practically their thing.”
“Wait, seriously?” I was still wrapping my head around it. “They just… snatch people like that?”
The idea of Witch School upperclassmen being this bold—and this aggressive—blew my mind. I shot a sideways glance at Bai Yu, wondering if she’d ever pulled something like that herself.
“What’re you looking at me for?” she said, catching my stare. “That’s how it works. The simpler the snatch, the more efficient it is. Though these two probably have some bad blood—squatting at a station to steal someone’s a pretty unhinged way to settle a score.”
“Yeah, unhinged is right,” I muttered, peering out the window. The chaos those two caused had delayed the train’s stop, and I could only imagine the staff out there cursing under their breath.
I was about to say more when someone stepped into our car. She strode in with a confident swagger, a smug little grin plastered on her face.
If it weren’t for the unconscious kid—some teenage boy—tucked under her arm like a trophy, I wouldn’t have pegged her as the one from the fight.
“Sister Bai… she’s coming over here!” I whispered, instincts kicking in. No way—Is she joining us?
“Of course she is,” Bai Yu said calmly. “This whole section’s reserved for academy reps. Haven’t you noticed it’s just us in here since we boarded?”
I gaped at her, piecing it together as she explained. The schools of transcendence had perks ? I’d never heard of anything like it before.
“Hm? A ripple of magic—hey! Didn’t expect to run into Witch School folks here!” The newcomer’s voice was bright and bubbly as she scanned the whole place, zeroing in on us almost instantly.
Her expression shifted from wary to delighted in a heartbeat like she’d sensed something. “Haha, alumni, right?” The source of thɪs content is NovᴇlFirᴇ.ɴet
I blinked, caught off guard. How’d she clock Bai Yu as a Witch School grad so fast?
“Yeah, nice work out there,” Bai Yu said casually, nodding her over. “Take a seat.”
Wait—what? Was she just gonna brush off the whole kidnapping thing with a “nice work”?
“Thanks, don’t mind if I do!” The girl chirped, plopping down next to us like we were old friends. She settled her prize—the unconscious genius—into a seat, buckling him in with surprising care before sitting herself.
“Hi there! I’m Deng Xiaonan. Great to meet you!” She said, flashing a grin.
“I’m Bai Yu—you can just call me Yu,” Bai Yu said, offering her name with a cool, detached vibe. From the start, she’d been talking down to Deng Xiaonan like a senior addressing a junior, keeping just enough distance to signal she wasn’t here to make besties.
“Got it, got it! Haha—so, you’re out snagging recruits too?” Deng Xiaonan’s eyes flicked toward me, curiosity lighting up her face. “You’ve got some slick moves, huh? Convincing a newbie to tag along willingly?”
Clearly, Deng Xiaonan had pegged me as one of Bai Yu’s catches. If only. That’d mean I was worth snatching.
Instead, I’m just the guy who got lured by a phone call and came trotting along like a sucker, padding the numbers.
Pretty pathetic when you think about it.
Translator's note: Everyone goes to a magic school by train, huh?
Luffy’s ramblings: My mind kept flashing back to platform nine and three quarters and those iconic train scenes from Harry Potter while I was editing this chapter… Ugh, I wanna go to magic school too!
I'm ready to escape this Muggle life!