The Natives of This World Are Fierce

"Mentor, uh, am I really the one taking the lead this time...?"

Su Su was nowhere near as relaxed as Qin Xiaoxia.

Her Mentor had already made it crystal clear: this time, she was the one who had to project the air of a queen, while he would pretend to be a companion of a lower rank.

"I’m afraid I’ll mess it up... even with Mr. Huang backing me up..."

As what was essentially his first designated member, Qin Xiaoxia had high hopes for the lively Sister Su.

Strictly speaking, her talent was truly outstanding.

But Qin Xiaoxia had also noticed that Su Su was a bit too dependent on him. Whether it was for her development as a Magic Controller or as a talent who could stand on her own, it was crucial to help this little fangirl of his become stronger on the inside.

And this mission, while not exactly dangerous, was definitely high-pressure—a perfect opportunity.

"Su Su, do you know what your biggest problem is?"

Qin Xiaoxia turned and stared intently at Sister Su, not saying a word for several seconds. Under his gaze, her heart began to pound.

Turning away from the floor-to-ceiling window, Qin Xiaoxia started walking along the bustling, lively streets of Kyoto, with Su Su subconsciously following behind him.

"Your biggest problem is your lack of confidence!"

He pointed at the endless stream of busy people before them. Some were out for entertainment, their nightlife just beginning, while others were hurrying home.

"This time, the Otherworldly Shock is far greater than any before. I can feel the tremors in the world’s power, yet the Association’s strength is at an all-time low."

"In this day and age, even though the world’s Law of Magic is changing, the number of Magic Controllers among all of humanity is still pitifully small. I’ve appeared a few times and told the current powers-that-be that we’ve been preparing for centuries, but what’s the reality?"

Qin Xiaoxia was truly speaking from the heart now, sighing as he looked up at the moonlit sky.

"The truth is, Dawn’s thousand-year foundation is now frighteningly weak... My words are meant to give the current leaders a sense of security, but they’re also a way to protect Dawn."

Su Su understood this. Dawn was in the process of recovering its Primordial Qi. Although the other Magic Controllers besides her were all incredibly powerful, there were just too few of them, and the Silent Knight Order was only just beginning to be re-established.

"But as someone who succeeded on your very first awakening, someone with such outstanding talent, why have you come to a standstill?"

Lost in thought, Su Su’s heart jolted at his words. Beneath her robe, her hand subconsciously clenched her full chest so tightly it distorted its shape. An inexplicable panic welled up inside her.

’I’ve disappointed my Mentor!’

Both the quality and quantity of her Magic Power had long failed to break through, and her knowledge of Magic Patterns was stuck in a painful process of rote memorization.

Just then, Doudou came skipping back from a distance with ice cream. It wasn’t any trouble to bring Doudou along, and having him nearby when a Wish was needed was certainly more convenient than using a Sound Transmission Flower or some other method, so Qin Xiaoxia usually kept him around.

Doudou happened to overhear his big cousin’s words.

He glanced at Su Su in confusion, comparing her to his own pitiful amount of Magic Power.

’Hasn’t Su Su stalled simply because it’s been too short a time?’

’She only awakened a few months ago. Not everyone is a freak of nature like Big Cousin.’

Doudou really wanted to jump up and shout, ’Can I just say that I haven’t made any progress in decades?’

As if he could read Doudou’s mind, Qin Xiaoxia shot him a death glare from the corner of his eye, which immediately made Doudou focus all his attention on his ice cream.

"The bottleneck holding back your power isn’t your stalled progress in Magic Patterns and Magic Language—it’s your conviction!"

With a light wave of his hand, faint purple Magic Power drifted out, forming a soft ring around Qin Xiaoxia.

As Qin Xiaoxia clenched his fist, the Magic Power erupted like a roaring flame, sending a violent gust of wind blasting outwards.

The passersby only felt a sudden gust of wind. A few girls even shrieked as they held down their skirts, attracting the attention of quite a few men.

"I’ve said it before: Magic Power has emotions! Your emotions are its emotions, and your will is its will. If you don’t even have confidence in yourself, how can your Magic Power ever break through?"

Su Su’s mind was in turmoil. Her Magic Power fluctuated erratically, and she didn’t dare to speak.

This was the first time her Mentor had ever reprimanded her since they’d met, since she had joined Dawn!

’I let my Mentor down... I let my Mentor down!’

She wanted to shout out a promise, but she was terrified she wouldn’t be able to keep it. Would her Mentor be even more disappointed then? Would he even look down on her?

Qin Xiaoxia had expected his words to ignite her courage, but he found that Sister Su had become excessively timid in his presence. From what he remembered, Sister Su was actually quite bold.

He recalled the first time they’d met at the amusement park—the girl had dared to block him and Doudou, keeping them from leaving the park all day.

’It seems the pressure from being reprimanded by her idol is a bit too much. She needs some encouragement!’

With her head slightly bowed, Su Su suddenly realized her Mentor had gone silent. She cursed herself for being so stupid. ’Letting my Mentor think I’m a coward is definitely worse!’

She looked up at Qin Xiaoxia, only to find him watching her with a smile, his amethyst-bright eyes gazing at her gently.

"No one is born strong. Evolve. For me, for Dawn, for yourself, and for our world!"

His smile was full of confidence and pride in Su Su, and his eyes held a light so brilliant it was impossible to look at directly.

"I believe in you, Su Su, the Crystal Witch!"

That light seemed to shine directly into her heart.

"I believe in you... believe in you... believe in you..." The words echoed in her mind, refusing to fade.

Her heart began to POUND, its rhythm tripling in speed. Su Su’s face flushed, and her body temperature rose several degrees in an instant.

Her body trembled slightly under her robe with excitement, her chest rising and falling with each breath. But now, as she lifted her head, the expression on Su Su’s face gradually grew serious.

Every breath was a deep inhalation.

From every inch of her skin, every pore on her body, a faint blue Magic Power slowly seeped out, subtly transforming as Su Su’s inner drive surged.

This unprecedented state mobilized all the Magic Power within her. From her soul to her flesh, she felt a boiling sensation born of exhilaration!

A luster, both translucent and hazy like the shifting light within a Crystal Ball during a divination, began to entwine itself with every wisp of her Magic Power.

In that moment, Su Su’s lips turned a fiery crimson. The syllables that escaped her mouth, at first trembling slightly, swiftly transformed into a firm, magical tone.

"I will make them tremble in the light of the Day of Dawn!"

Doudou had been watching the spectacle with great interest, but as his big cousin’s few words and Sister Su’s ever-changing "aura" took effect, his jaw dropped wider and wider.

The half-eaten ice cream fell to the ground with a SPLAT.

’A... a property change!’

Doudou was practically screaming in his soul!

’What does it mean to make the impossible possible? Is it my Wish Magic Power?’

’Hell no, it’s Big Cousin’s damn pep talk!!!’

Even Qin Xiaoxia was startled by Su Su’s transformation. He knew she idolized him, but he hadn’t realized to what extent. The combination of her panic under pressure and the encouragement from his gentle gaze had created an explosive impact, a collision of ice and fire.

Now he was a little worried that Su Su might overdo the posturing and exceed her actual Ability...

’Will we be able to get our hands on that Great Macaque?’

PS: Third Chapter for Saturday.

Lately, I’ve been surrounded by the constant banging of gongs and drums all day; I can’t even sleep. And yet, I’m still working hard to update!

So, it’s the end of the month. What are you still holding onto your tickets for?