Ding Yumian woke from her deep sleep.
Her vision was blurry, and her head felt heavy and groggy. When she moved, she felt a faint, stabbing pain.
"Where am I...?"
Ding Yumian murmured, her lips dry, and tried to recall what had happened before she passed out.
She only remembered that her roommate had smashed the bracelet her grandmother had left her... Then her magic had gone out of control, and after that, a boy had rushed in...
"You're awake?"
The voice beside her helped bring her blurry vision into focus.
"It's you."
Ding Yumian spoke weakly. "Did you save me?"
"Save you?"
Dongfang Chen sounded puzzled.
"I only restrained you when your magic went out of control. How is that saving you? Even without me, nothing would have happened to you."
Though someone else might have gotten hurt.
Dongfang Chen thought to himself.
"No..."
Ding Yumian shook her head and said nothing more.
If her magic had gotten out of control and killed all the students in a dorm building, she would have been consumed by endless regret.
He had restrained her, preventing the students in the dorm from dying and sparing her that burden. Wasn't that a kind of salvation, too?
"This is the infirmary at Mingzhu Academy. How are you feeling?"
Dongfang Chen asked patiently.
After all, the system had identified her as "Xiao Yi Xian."
Although he had completed the mission to control the Woeful Poison Body, he still hadn't completed the encounter mission with "Xiao Yi Xian."
To complete the encounter mission, the two of them had to exchange names.
If not for that condition, Dongfang Chen wouldn't have waited patiently in the infirmary for Ding Yumian to wake up.
After all, Xin Xia was waiting for him to go look at houses with her.
So Dongfang Chen said,
"My name is Dongfang Chen. What's yours?"
"I... My name is Ding Yumian."
When Ding Yumian looked at Dongfang Chen's handsome face, her cheeks suddenly turned red.
Just as she was about to lose control and erupt, he had rushed in and saved her, sparing her the guilt of killing the teachers and students in an entire dormitory building.
To Ding Yumian, it felt just like a prince saving a princess in a fairy tale.
That said, she wasn't actually a princess...
Dongfang Chen had no idea what Ding Yumian was thinking.
He was thinking about the system.
Just moments ago, he had completed the encounter mission with "Xiao Yi Xian," and the system had rewarded him with the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture.
The Seven-Colored Poison Scripture from Battle Through the Heavens wasn't just a Dou Qi cultivation method.
It was more like an encyclopedia of poisons.
It recorded not only how to cultivate the Woeful Poison Body, but also how to prepare various poisons, the principles behind their toxicity, and other specialized knowledge.
Although Dongfang Chen didn't have the Woeful Poison Body, he did have Poison Magic.
With the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture combined with his Poison Magic, he was confident he could use poison even better than Ye Chang from the Original Work!
His Poison Element was still just one step away from the Intermediate Level, but with the deadly poisons and poisoning methods recorded in the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture, even a High-Tier Mage would fall victim!
Just then,
Dean Xiao and Dean Fu entered the infirmary.
"Yumian, how are you feeling? Is anything bothering you?"
Dean Fu asked with concern.
Putting aside his status as an Archmage, he was a very kind old man.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have taken Ding Yumian back to the school after seeing how she was all alone and helpless.
"Yumian, this was my fault. I shouldn't have put you in the dormitory."
Dean Fu sighed.
He and Dean Xiao had just finished investigating what had happened.
It was simply a case of dormitory bullying.
Ding Yumian had only just arrived. At the time, she was thin and didn't look rich or influential.
Naturally, she became an easy target in the dorm.
During the bullying, her roommate deliberately smashed the bracelet Ding Yumian's grandmother had left her.
The immense grief caused Ding Yumian's Calamity Talent to go out of control.
"Yumian, the school has expelled the people who bullied you, and we'll also hold them responsible. Don't worry. The school will see that you get justice."
Dean Fu spoke firmly.
Ding Yumian nodded weakly.
She wasn't a saint, and she didn't say anything about letting them off the hook.
Seeing that the matter had been dealt with, Dongfang Chen leaned toward Dean Xiao and said quietly, "Dean Xiao, my challenge was cut short because of this. What about my vacation...?"
"We can discuss your vacation."
Dean Xiao looked at Dongfang Chen with a shrewd smile.
"If you hadn't been there, a lot of trouble might have come of what happened to Ding. The school will give you credit for it."
Dongfang Chen smiled too.
"So, about my vacation..."
"So the school has decided to give you a chance to train in the Three Step Tower."
"What?"
Dongfang Chen stared blankly.
The Three Step Tower? What did he need a chance to train in the Three Step Tower for? He wanted a year off!
The Three Step Tower was a very special magical building on Mingzhu Academy's Main Campus.
It was filled with Elemental Energy. If a mage trained inside, it could speed up their progress.
One day of training inside could even be worth a month of training outside!
But that wasn't what Dongfang Chen wanted.
He wanted a vacation! A whole year off from school!
Without that year off, he couldn't complete the task assigned by the Crazy System.
So Dongfang Chen looked at Dean Xiao with a grim expression and asked, "Dean Xiao, can I exchange my chance to train in the Three Step Tower for a year off?"
At those words, not only Dean Xiao but even Dean Fu was stunned.
Was there really a student who'd rather give up a chance to train in the Three Step Tower in exchange for time off?
Dean Fu hurriedly said, "Dongfang Chen, you might not understand what the Three Step Tower can do. Actually..."
"No!" Dongfang Chen waved his hand. "I know, but compared to a chance to train in the Three Step Tower, I'd still rather have a year off."
Dean Fu was at a loss for words. Why was this student so stubborn?
He'd rather give up the chance to train in the Three Step Tower for a year off. Could he have School Phobia?
No, that didn't make sense. If he had School Phobia, why had he even taken the entrance exam for a magic university?
Dean Xiao took a deep breath and said, "I'll approve your year off, but you'll have to help the school with something."
"What?"
Dean Xiao glanced at Dean Fu, then at Ding Yumian.
"You'll need to help take care of Ding Yumian."
"Sure, that's easy. If Ding Yumian loses control again, I can restrain her. I can also teach her how to control her Mental Power."
"No." Dean Xiao shook his head. "I mean, you'll need to keep Ding Yumian by your side at all times."
Dongfang Chen: "???"
Dongfang Chen glanced at Ding Yumian. She looked frail and delicate, and after years of malnutrition, she was extremely thin, like a beauty clutching her chest in sorrow.
She was nothing like the campus goddess in the Original Work, who had both perfect looks and a perfect figure.
He had to keep Ding Yumian by his side and take care of her?
What kind of good fortune was this?
Before you continue