Another leisurely (decadent) day of college life came to an end. Fang Ran strolled back to his rented apartment, only to get ganked halfway upstairs by the aunties on either side. After suffering the triple fatal blow of "dating, work, grades," Fang Ran barely held on until he reached his apartment.
Then he collapsed onto the bed.
"Ah... ah... I can't do this anymore. I'm exhausted."
"Heh, you spent the entire day's classes either zoning out or sleeping, and you still had the nerve to say you were exhausted?"
Ling reluctantly flew out of Fang Ran's pocket. Seeing him lying there like a salted fish gazing at the stars, she could not help letting out a cold, mocking laugh.
"I can't hear you. I can't hear you."
Fang Ran rolled his eyes, turned over, and pretended he had heard nothing.
"Tch."
Ling snorted, then landed on the table and silently began browsing the news on Night Web.
One person and one Power Bank passed the time like that. Without a phone or computer, Fang Ran lay on his side on the bed, bored out of his mind as he watched TV.
"Perfect idol of the new era, Little Sky Maiden Shui Lianxin releases her first album!"
The TV continued airing its usual boring programs, and Fang Ran felt like he was about to fall asleep.
He kept watching until it was completely dark outside.
"It's time."
Ling suddenly floated up and spoke to Fang Ran.
Σ(°△°|||)︴Fang Ran.
"Uh... time for what?"
Fang Ran asked cautiously. Ling glanced at him.
"What do you think?"
"Uh..."
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!"
A hundred meters above the night sky, Fang Ran let out a howl like a pig being slaughtered!!!
He clung tightly to Ling with both hands, trembling all over in terror. He did not dare close his eyes, nor did he dare look down!
Logically speaking, after having been carried through the air by Ling once before, Fang Ran should not have been reduced to such a pathetic state.
Except...
This time, Ling had withdrawn the telekinetic force supporting Fang Ran.
"Let me down! Let me down!!! Down! No! No! Stop!!! Stop it!!! Stop! Stopppppp!!!"
Fang Ran practically cried at Ling. Right now, he was essentially gripping a flying Power Bank without any external support whatsoever.
Flying over a hundred meters in the air!
"Shut up! You coward! You can't even handle this height—what are you going to do in the future!?"
Ling paid no attention to Fang Ran's heart-wrenching cries. She even raised their altitude a little higher.
"I was wrong!! I was wrong!! I shouldn't have been so reckless! I was wrong, I was really wrong!"
"Heh, what are you scared of? Don't you have The Float?"
Ling said calmly, raising them a little higher again.
"Fuck, I'm so scared I'm about to piss myself! Even if I could fly, it might not help in a situation like this!!"
Fang Ran felt his fingers were about to give out. In his heart, he frantically apologized to his former PE teacher once again.
Sorry, Teacher. I shouldn't have thought you were an idiot for testing pull-ups every time when only one person in the entire class could pass. I'll definitely train my arm strength properly from now on.
"Hehehe, that's none of my concern. Ti auguro Buona fortuna."
Then Fang Ran felt his grip slip, and his entire body plunged into an unsupported expanse of air.
He fell straight down.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!"
A rough, heroic roar echoed through the night sky.
A question.
If your high school physics teacher had not already passed away from rage because of you, you should be able to answer it.
How long would it take for someone to fall from a height of one hundred meters?
All right.
If you froze for a second at that question and did not know how to solve it, or only vaguely remembered it afterward...
Then you had probably returned all your high school physics knowledge to your physics teacher. Hopefully, the old man had not been angered to death by you.
Ignoring air resistance, it took just over four seconds for someone to fall one hundred meters. Even with air resistance, it would not exceed five seconds.
At that moment, after Fang Ran had spent a second screaming in terror after Ling threw him down, he finally remembered that he had The Float. But before he could take out Silver Severing Dragon Tooth and touch The Float, the ground had already "smashed" toward him.
Four-odd seconds were simply not enough for Fang Ran to react.
Mom, your son has failed you. I might never find a girlfriend.
Fang Ran felt even his thoughts had stopped. That was the only thought left in his mind.
But when he was one meter from the ground, something viscous suddenly wrapped around him. Fang Ran felt as though he had fallen into a lump of modeling clay, and in the end, he lay sprawled flat on the ground.
Ling slowly floated down and looked at Fang Ran, who lay there with the corners of his mouth twitching and his legs cramping, as if Parkinson's had suddenly relapsed.
She sighed speechlessly to herself.
Well, the first step of training had already failed.
He had died before ever setting out.
This was a common Night Battle method for training newcomers. A simple test like this could reveal a person's mental fortitude, adaptability, endurance, and a whole range of other qualities.
Yet as Ling looked at Fang Ran, this hopeless mess, she completely understood now that he had no chance.
Forget it. She could only take it slowly.
"Recovered?"
After waiting for a while, Ling spoke slowly. Fang Ran shakily braced himself on his knees and barely stood up, then looked at Ling with an expression of utter grief and indignation.
"I must have owed you in a past life!"
"Cut the crap! Since you decided to step up your training, this is naturally the foundation. Otherwise, how long do you think it'll take you to reach D-rank, until the year of the monkey!?"
Fang Ran's face was full of bitterness, misery, and regret over having tried to show off and agreed to this loli-voiced demon's proposal!
In the data space, Ling rolled her eyes and grabbed him as she flew up again, though this time she used telekinesis to support him.
"In Night Battle, the major categories of Abilities each have their own advancement methods. Mm, you can think of it as cultivation or something."
Ling began explaining as she flew.
"Those people on the Mystic Side generally raise their ability values through meditation, sitting in contemplation, and things like that. The Tech Side is more complicated. Ability users cultivate their minds, while tech users hone their technical knowledge."
"Generally speaking, that's how it works between the two opposing sides of technology and mysticism. But Night Battle Abilities come in every imaginable variety. I once knew someone with the powers of a monster from your Huaxia ghost stories. He grew stronger by devouring souls."
Ling spoke lightly, as though she did not care much, but Fang Ran shuddered when he heard it.
Fuck, there are even Abilities like that!?
Ling glanced at him and sneered. "When someone like you exists with a Magical Girl Ability, is it really that surprising for someone else to have a monster's power?"
Fuck, can you read minds!?
With Ling instantly exposing what he had been thinking, Fang Ran stared at her in shock.
"So, if you want to advance to D-rank, training yourself and increasing your ability values are indispensable!" Ling concluded calmly.
"Then how does a Magical Girl-type Ability train and grow?"
Fang Ran could not help interrupting with his loose mouth.
In anime, weren't those girls always born with extraordinary magic power, with mana far beyond ordinary people? Then every one of them could throw around magic like a pro. Other than being a bit brainless from constantly talking about love and justice, they were ridiculously strong and did not need training at all, right?
Why was it that when it came to me, I had no talent at all and had to painfully train myself every night?
Fang Ran had expected Ling to give him an answer, but to his surprise, she gave a chuckle and replied with utter irresponsibility.
"How would I know?"
Damn! So you didn't know!
Then why the hell did you throw me out of the sky just now, you damn grandma!
Fang Ran was in tears, too angry to speak.
"But a person's own abilities are fixed: speed, strength, physical energy, intelligence. As long as the system recognizes your overall strength, you will naturally level up. Even if you never use Cardcaptor Sakura's Ability and instead wield a huge sword with ferocious skill, that would work too."
"My dear lady, with these skinny arms and legs, even if you worked me to death, I couldn't wield a huge sword."
Fang Ran said with dead-fish eyes.
And the fact that I had no choice but to use Cardcaptor Sakura's Ability made my heart hurt even more.
"That's why I prepared some simple basic training for you."
"This is the route. As long as you make good use of your Ability and follow it to reach the final objective, you'll pass tonight."
At that moment, Ling's voice suddenly became especially gentle. There was no sarcasm or cold laughter; her sweet loli voice spoke softly.
And Fang Ran immediately became alert.
"Really?"
Fang Ran was like a rabbit cautiously hiding at the mouth of its burrow.
In the data space, Ling immediately smiled, like a big bad wolf holding a carrot outside a rabbit hole. She said something thoroughly unscrupulous to fool Fang Ran.
"Of course. When have I ever lied to you or tricked you..."
"..."
WitchSpring3 goes on sale today. The author has been sealed to the bed by his phone and can't get up.
Uh... sigh, my favorites still aren't increasing, so I have no motivation to break the seal and write the second chapter.
You'll definitely understand me. acting cute
Before you continue