The Natives of This World Are Fierce

At that moment, as the pain in her palm reached its peak, Su Su’s entire body felt as if it were being scorched by fire, as though everything from her tissues to her blood was boiling.

Su Su had heard that Baru didn’t make a single sound during his rite. She desperately wanted to be as tough as him, but right now, her mouth and vocal cords felt like they no longer belonged to her, shrieking out a high-pitched scream at the highest decibel level she had ever produced in her life.

Qin Xiaoxia quickly supported her teetering body.

Even though Su Su herself had great potential, forcibly awakening her Magic Talent with a Magic Energy Crystal was essentially a demolition of both soul and body. By any measure, the pain Su Su was enduring far surpassed what Baru had experienced when he had only received his Engraving.

Of course, Baru had already endured even more horrific pain in the Demonized Crystal Ore back then.

The Engraving on her palm was complete, and the burning sensation in her body had temporarily subsided.

Su Su was drenched in sweat. Before she could even catch her breath, a change originating from her soul began once again.

This time, however, just as the excruciating pain was about to descend, the power of the wish diffused the Magic Energy Crystal’s scalding torrent of energy, slowing its impact.

It slowed down the originally instantaneous process several times over, keeping the pain within a tolerable range and preventing a mental collapse.

Ultimately, at the very last moment of the entire ritual, the girl fainted, falling blissfully into Qin Xiaoxia’s arms.

’This was my first time helping someone awaken their Magic Power, and I made a lot of minor mistakes. There were also some parts of the method itself that were imperfect. For example, I hadn’t prepared certain helpful potions, some protective Magic Techniques weren’t applied properly, and the power of the Secret Realm wasn’t well-researched or utilized, among other things. Fortunately, I wisely used the power of the wish. In a way, Su Su has made an immeasurable contribution for those who will come after. I’m sure her soul and spiritual will are unharmed; the unexpected injuries are all physical. But there’s no need to worry about that, and certainly no need to send her to a hospital. If my calculations are correct, once Su Su adapts to her awakened Magic Power, the physical "Elfification" will soon begin. At that time, her body’s evolution will eliminate any hidden damage from the ordeal.’

Not knowing when the girl would wake up, Qin Xiaoxia decided to take her to a room to rest first.

This time, he didn’t take her to his own room, nor to Doudou’s messy bedroom that could rightly be called a dog kennel. Instead, he took her to the three-bed bedroom where South Wind and the others had stayed last time. Even the quilts were the ones they had left behind.

As Qin Xiaoxia carried Su Su upstairs and into the room, Doudou, Mumu, and the Shadow of the Red Demoness all tagged along right behind him. One was full of mischievous glee, one was filled with curiosity, and one was wooden and vacant.

He gently placed Su Su on the outermost bed and glanced at her dress, which was clinging to her body. She was completely drenched in her own sweat, and even her hair looked like it had just been washed.

Qin Xiaoxia looked left and right behind him.

’There’s Doudou, who can’t even move Su Su; the Shadow of the Secret Realm, who doesn’t even have a physical body; and one who’s just covered in thorns. I’m the only normal one here.’

After a moment’s hesitation, he gave up on the titillating idea of helping Su Su change her clothes.

...

Su Su was unconscious for a shorter time than expected. Qin Xiaoxia and Doudou had just finished lunch and hadn’t even cleaned up yet when he sensed that Su Su had woken up.

Su Su felt sore all over, her limbs were weak, and her mind was a bit groggy.

It felt like she was recovering from a serious illness.

The feeling of the bed beneath her told her she was once again lying on an unfamiliar mattress.

She gave a neurotic little laugh, struggled to open her eyes, and then realized it wasn’t the same room as last time.

"Sigh~"

The half-dried sweat made her clothes cling tightly to her body, perfectly outlining her exquisite and graceful curves.

Her body felt sticky and uncomfortable, but it seemed there were no clothes for her to change into.

’How did I get up here? Could it be that Mentor carried me?~’

Just as her mind was filled with these chaotic thoughts, a peculiar sensation within her body instantly invigorated her.

’What is this?’

She hadn’t noticed it before, but now she carefully focused on the sensations within her body.

A magical and familiar power flowed silently throughout her. It seemed to be on the surface of her skin, in her organs, within every cell and every bone, and even inside her faintly shimmering soul.

It had the luster of a transparent Crystal, tinged with blue and purple, and it glittered brightly in her spiritual senses.

With a mere thought, this magical power gathered wherever she willed it.

’Can I do it?’

A playful impulse rising within her, Su Su began her own little experiments with a tentative mindset.

Like obedient threads of silk, or like swirling halos of light, it extended from her fingertips and danced around her body.

At Su Su’s command, it transformed into chains, then into butterflies.

"Hahahaha~~"

Her crisp laughter echoed both inside and outside the room.

’It’s so obedient! So natural! It’s like an extension of my own limbs!’

Su Su played joyfully, forgetting even the pain in her body. When she looked at the "Dawn Seal" that appeared in her palm along with her thoughts, her heart filled with even more delight.

’Is this... Magic Power! I’m a real Dawn Witch now!’

"CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP~~"

A round of applause interrupted Su Su’s reverie. At some point, Qin Xiaoxia and Doudou had appeared at the doorway. The plant-like guy and the red-haired "woman" so beautiful that even Su Su felt a trace of envy were not there.

"Not bad, not bad at all. Very impressive control. You truly are Su Su, our Crystal Ball Witch!"

Qin Xiaoxia was generous with his praise and teasing, which made Su Su blush a little. But it was undeniable that Su Su’s performance was indeed quite stunning.

"Hmph, this silly girl is just so-so!"

Doudou muttered disdainfully from the side, staunchly denying that Su Su’s control over her Magic Power was in any way superior to that of a certain Mischievous Elf.

"Are you hungry, or do you want to rest some more?"

Hearing her Mentor’s concerned question, Su Su took stock of her body.

Although she was still in some pain, her spirits were too high to rest now. She didn’t feel hungry either. Then, something suddenly occurred to her.

"I’m not hungry, and I don’t want to rest, Mentor! Why don’t you teach me how to use my Magic Power right now? I really want to try it out!"

’Good, a sensible girl.’ In truth, that was exactly what Qin Xiaoxia was thinking too.

"In that case, let’s first test if your Magic Power’s nature includes the tendencies we predicted! We might even be able to create a Magic Technique unique to you!"

Su Su understood what Qin Xiaoxia meant. This was about the hypothesis they had made long ago—to leverage what she was best at.

She tidied her messy hair and dress, then happily followed Qin Xiaoxia up to the attic she had visited once before.

"By the way, from now on, this attic is for your exclusive use."

Qin Xiaoxia said to Su Su in a half-joking tone, which made her smile even more brilliantly.

’So it’s true, only after getting the Dawn Seal am I truly accepted. Before, he was in a hurry to get rid of me after I visited, but now I have my very own room!’

Entering the spacious attic room, her senses told her it was completely different from last time.

The clutter was gone, and the room was very clean. The desk had been replaced with a wider, more proper one, not the kind from before that looked like it needed a book to prop up its leg. Her own cartoon-print bag was sitting on top of it.

There was also a small table and chairs, a tea set, and even a beanbag chair. Although they were all a bit old, they felt incredibly cozy.

"Make do with this for now. If you have other requests, we can gradually improve things later."

Qin Xiaoxia said apologetically.

"No, no, no! This is already great!"

Su Su was genuinely happy from the bottom of her heart.

"Alright, in that case, let’s cut the chatter and begin. The power of the Secret Realm will also help you stabilize your Magic Power. If things look like they’re going wrong, I’ll stop it immediately."

The attic curtains were drawn, plunging the room into darkness.

Su Su quickly washed up using the water in the basin on the attic’s washstand, then sat down at the desk, keeping her mind calm and steady.

This time, there was no person sitting across from her for a divination reading, nor was there any other suitable medium.

All she had were two lists provided by Qin Xiaoxia. One was a list from the lower ranks of the Forbes list, and the other was a list of locations and names of various Gold Ores he had compiled, some of which also included the names of the mine owners.

"Use your Magic Power to seek out the good and evil within their souls."

Doudou abruptly added from behind.

"Let the show begin."

Besides nearly shattering the mental calm Su Su had just managed to gather, his unthinking remark also earned him the N+1th heavy knock on the head.

PS: Chapter 1/3.