High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 1560: Chapter 304: The Great Witch in the Little Witch

The Elder Atar of the Wusa Temple once told Zheng Qing, ”The closer you are to the sky, the closer you are to reality. So if you climb the tallest mountain, you can return to the real world.”

Zheng Qing had now climbed to the highest peak of Kela Mountain.

But he also realized another fact—distance and reality aren’t entirely proportional. Sometimes, the closer you get to the sky, the farther you seem from the truth; the more meticulously you observe, the less clearly you perceive the truth.

Just like Zhu Si.

A new Fu Bullet was ”charging” in the gun chamber. Zheng Qing let out a slow breath and opened his eyes. He still didn’t look to check how much damage his previous shot had caused to Kela Mountain; he merely glanced casually to confirm that the Tingdalous hunting dogs had been expelled from this world, then withdrew his gaze.

Instead, his attention landed on Zhu Si riding atop Furry Bean.

Perhaps because it had drank too much mushroom soup, Furry Bean had grown significantly larger. A seven- or eight-year-old girl riding on its back no longer seemed odd.

At this moment, it was wagging its tail, happily sticking out its tongue, letting out low purring sounds from its throat, and eagerly seeking praise from its master.

Zheng Qing half-heartedly gave it a thumbs up.

”Who are you?” The Warlock didn’t bother with probing or pretense; he asked outright as he faced the Little Witch riding on the dog. He was holding the Charm Gun, its muzzle slightly lowered, yet subtly sweeping the area around Zhu Si and Nikita.

Furry Bean nervously pawed the dirt beneath its claws, its eyes filled with unease and confusion. It seemed unable to comprehend why its master was pointing that dangerous thing at it, nor why the once-friendly companions had suddenly fallen out.

Of course, throughout this process, it wisely remained silent, pretending to be a mere stone.

The Little Witch tilted her head, her charming face brimming with certainty: ”I’m Zhu Si!”

”No, you’re not.” Zheng Qing was acutely aware of his own feelings, and at the same time, he could feel a spark of anger igniting. He shook his head stubbornly and pressed her again, ”Who are you? Where is Zhu Si? What have you done to her?”

Seeing the dangerous glimmer in the Warlock’s eyes, this time the Little Witch didn’t play cute.

She quietly stared at him for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

”I am indeed Zhu Si.” The Little Witch jumped off Furry Bean’s back, landing steadily on the inclined slope. Her slightly long robe trailed across the rocky and snow-melt-covered ground, looking a little absurd.

Contrasting with this absurdity was the tone and demeanor in her speech—Zheng Qing found it difficult to accurately describe the unsettling feeling. It was as if she had suddenly become someone else, or as if she had been possessed by some higher-level entity. In any case, her voice was calm, her tone mature, and her gaze carried the weary wisdom of having seen through everything.

Then she patted Furry Bean’s back.

The dog stuck out its tongue and darted back into the void, retreating into its corner of the time rift.

”I am indeed Zhu Si,” the Little Witch repeated the statement, paused, and then added: ”But I am no longer the seven-year-old Little Witch Zhu Si from your memory... I am a ’Zhu Si’ who has lived for a very, very long time in the World in the Mirror and Dreamland.”

As she spoke, her gaze fell upon Nikita, and she suddenly laughed.

”Just like this Little Female Demon,” her eyes on Nikita were filled with sorrow, as if gazing at her own shadow: ”When a soul filled with hope endlessly plummets into the Abyss, it must grasp onto something... something to keep itself from completely losing its mind to pain and torment.”

Zheng Qing’s arm, holding the Charm Gun, trembled slightly.

He swallowed hard, a vague guess forming in his mind—but he would rather not know. He would rather Zhu Si standing before him truly be some entity from the depths of the Starry Sky impersonating her.

”Why is this happening?” The Warlock’s voice quivered, his mind a chaotic mess, unable to think clearly for the moment. He simply muttered, ”You were pretending all along? How long has it been... I’ve been away for just over a month. No, I know time in the mirror is distorted, but... is this all real?”

’Zhu Si’ looked at the bewildered young man and suddenly chuckled.

”It was fake back then!” She pointed a finger at Zheng Qing’s nose, just as the young girl did in the World in the Mirror long, long ago: ”This is Dreamland! How could there possibly be something truly real here?”

This left Zheng Qing utterly confused.

He even began to suspect if he’d fallen victim to some powerful confusion spell; otherwise, how could he fail to understand the Little Witch’s words? Or rather, how could he hear two completely contradictory statements?

Noticing the bewilderment in Zheng Qing’s eyes, ’Zhu Si’ was not surprised.

Because even a seasoned adventurer who had spent years navigating Dreamland would find it difficult to discern the subtle distinctions between reality and illusion in this world. Let alone a young wizard who hadn’t yet received his registered wizard certification and had only been in Dreamland for less than a week.

”Time in the mirror is like the images in the mirror; because it is false, it is unstable.” The Little Witch generously shared her insights with the young man: ”According to your current theories, the dimensions of this world are in disarray...”

”You know Dimension Theory?” Zheng Qing raised his eyebrows.

”An interesting theory,” the Little Witch commented calmly, ”Of course I know it. Because this world doesn’t only contain a group of adventurers like you; and I haven’t only met outsiders for the first time... Besides, when I slipped into the mirror, Dimensionism had already released many seminal papers. My parents often discussed them at home, arguing heatedly... it left a deep impression.”

Whether it was recalling her parents’ arguments or the mention of those two words stirring up old emotions, the Little Witch’s expression suddenly dimmed, and her voice fell silent.

Zheng Qing regretted his careless interjection.

But soon, Zhu Si resumed speaking: ”... Because of the fundamental disarray, what is reflected in reality is the contradiction of cognition. In your memory, you and I encountered each other months ago; but on my timeline, I bid farewell to you a thousand years ago.”

”Yes, in the World in the Mirror, we met a very, very, very long time ago. Long enough that even enduring magic couldn’t stop the chlorophyll from fading, couldn’t stop the arrival of withering yellow.”

She stroked the dry leaf of Mystical Grain on her wrist, using three ”very longs” in succession, a phrasing that tugged at the heart:

”... It’s just that this illusionary and lengthy journey has not fostered growth in ’her.’ It has merely hastened the artificial maturation of a virtual persona within her immature mind—me.”

Although the Little Witch didn’t elaborate on the details, Zheng Qing could readily discern that the ”her” in this sentence referred to the original Zhu Si who stepped into the World in the Mirror, while ”me” referred to the Little Witch standing before him.