[Location]: District 1 · White City · Central Examination Institute
There were no desks, no chairs, no paper, no pens, and certainly no annoying footsteps of invigilators pacing around. There was only the smell of ozone specific to high-density ether.
Inside the "Holographic Silence Hall," spanning over five kilometers in diameter, tens of thousands of translucent [Mind Access Pods] were arranged like a colossal honeycomb. Each pod flickered with a faint blue light, indicating Ultra-High Frequency Processing. It was terrifyingly quiet; not even a breeze could be heard.
Because all the storms were happening inside the examinees' heads.
But in the waiting area before entering the pods, the atmosphere presented a brutal and distinct "Species Segregation."
On the left side sat a group of calm, native-born Witches, engaging in some extreme humblebragging.
Hathaway spotted a Dragon Witch floating in mid-air, reading Void Vogue. Her massive crystal wings didn't flap; they just hung there like expensive jewelry.
Next to her sat a black-haired girl sipping milk tea. Every time she blinked, the air condensed into frost. Her eyes were Azure Orbs encasing Fractured Ice—[Siren Racial Talent · Eye of Eternal Frost].
"So annoying," the Siren sighed, pointing at her swirling eyes. "This damn thing permanently locks 14% of my mana pool. I feel so claustrophobic..."
The Dragon Witch rolled her eyes without looking up.
"Be content. A blink can turn a High Witch into an ice sculpture. If I had an instant-cast [Frozen Sun], I'd happily sacrifice 20%. Stop flexing, or someone might sack you."
The conversation among these Native Witches was filled with "First World Problems of the Strong."
On the right side, however, was a group of Transmuted Witches who looked like they were "Going through Violent Culture Shock."
Hathaway’s gaze landed on a woman sitting in the furthest corner.
She was impossible to miss. Golden hair flowing like liquid sunlight, features sculpted to perfection. Though wearing a novice robe, the air around her distorted with heat-haze.
Mana Leakage, Hathaway analyzed, her crimson eyes narrowing slightly. She has no control over her new body.
The "High-Spec Recruit" was clutching the sleeve of a volunteer responsible for maintaining order, crying her heart out like a toddler who had just been robbed of her candy.
The volunteer she grabbed was wearing a conspicuous Yellow Cap—the absolute legal red line: [Minor / No Flirting].
Hathaway moved slightly closer, pretending to check the time, but her ears were tuned to the conversation.
"...That silver-haired demon... She said I had 'some potential', then kidnapped me... Sob..."
The Golden Woman wailed, her voice cracking with the indignity of it all.
"I was the Incarnation of the Sun! I ruled the Golden Plane for twelve thousand years! I had ten billion believers chanting my name!"
Hathaway raised an eyebrow. Ah. A former God-King.
"She turned into a weird dragon and shattered my Divine Kingdom with one slap! And then..."
The Former Goddess continued her breakdown, clutching a thick copy of the 'General Manual of Language, Spells, and Runes' to her chest like it was a cursed artifact.
"And she insulted my Wisdom! I told her I spent twelve thousand years perfecting the 'Ritual of the Golden Sun'! I meticulously designed it so my high priests had to walk barefoot across red-hot iron and offer the blood of their firstborns to prove their absolute devotion. It was a masterpiece of faith and pain! Only then would I grant them my divine healing!"
The Goddess sobbed louder, her golden eyes filled with the indignation of a misunderstood artist.
"And do you know what that demon said?! She looked at my sacred ritual and scoffed! She said: 'Congratulations. You invented a twenty-four-hour torture sequence just to trigger a basic [Cure Light Wounds] spell that takes a six-year-old child 0.5 seconds to cast! Your mana utilization rate is 0.004%!' She called me a 'sadistic, glorified battery'!"
The Yellow Cap volunteer looked awkward, but the Goddess wasn't done.
"She dragged me here, and—and she expects me to comprehend the 'Three Laws of Dimensional Folding'! I can recite every formula in this book flawlessly, but I don't understand what any of it means! I don't even know what a logarithm is! I am a God! Why do I need to calculate mana density?!"
"And it gets worse! She scanned my soul and sneered! She said: 'The Conversion Ritual inflated your hardware to 50,000 Mana Units. But your operating system is still running on a 2KB Belief Engine from the Stone Age.'"
"She told me to flush the sludge out of my brain and pass this primary school literacy test before I saw her again, or go farm dirt! Ughhh it's so humiliating..."
50,000.
Hathaway caught the number instantly. She looked at the weeping Goddess, doing a cold, ruthless calculation in her head.
She ruled a Golden Plane for twelve thousand years. She gathered the faith of billions. She ascended to Godhood. And after the massive boost of the Witch Conversion Ritual... she ended up with 50,000.
Hathaway touched her own chest.
I am eighteen years old, and I have 42,000. 12,000 years vs 18 years. The gap isn't just in power. It's in Efficiency.
Hathaway didn't feel fear. She felt a cold, intoxicating Civilizational Arrogance.
Hearing the Goddess whine about her "masterpiece" of making mortals walk on hot coals made Hathaway want to laugh.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
What an absolute waste of time, Hathaway thought, looking at the God-King with genuine pity and deep contempt. If a Witch lived for twelve thousand years, she would have uplifted her civilization to the Interstellar Age. Twelve thousand years of absolute rule, and her greatest achievement is inventing a bloody, primitive theater to stroke her own ego? No wonder Heidi called her a '2KB Stone Age engine'.
The Yellow Cap volunteer listened, her expression shifting from "Ew, stop crying on me" to "Holy mana, you hit the jackpot."
"Wait a minute, Auntie." The Yellow Cap's eyes went wide. "Silver hair? Turns into a Dragon? Toxic mouth? Dumped you here and left? That's Lady Heidi! The 10th Seat!"
The Yellow Cap patted the Former Goddess on the shoulder with a look of pure envy.
"What are you crying for? You basically won the cosmic lottery! Lady Heidi is famous for being obsessed with beauty and geniuses! Do you know how many Servant Army soldiers queue up just to be her familiar? She personally converted you? And sent you to take the A1?"
"She is grooming you as an Arch-Witch Reserve! Stop crying! Start analyzing! Throw that rotten 'I am a God' ideology into the trash! As soon as you pass the A1, you belong to the Lucent Family! That is generational wealth right there!"
The Former Goddess froze mid-sob, a teardrop hanging from her impossibly long lash. "Re... really? That demon... was actually nurturing me?"
"Duh!" The Yellow Cap replied. "Read the book! Tear out the chapter on 'Power of Faith'! From now on, your fuel is Math and Mana!"
Hathaway stood aside, her heart skipping a beat at the name "Heidi."
That silver-haired girl who rewrote reality with a finger. The Arrogance of Knowing All. She looked at the weeping God-King. Beautiful, powerful, dense. She certainly fit Heidi's aesthetic.
Tch.
Hathaway felt a subtle emotion rise in her chest. A bit of envy that this God-King was personally converted by Heidi, and a bit of disdain that this God-King was such an academic failure.
But immediately, a stronger sense of Crisis washed over her. She subconsciously touched her inner pocket, where she kept the Napkin Booklist Heidi left her.
Lady Heidi thought she was the kind of genius who considered the A1 a "game for idiots." Lady Heidi favored her because she seemed like an anomaly in the Ludwig family. She thought Hathaway was on the same level as this "Arch-Witch Reserve."
That was close... Hathaway looked at the Former God-King and thought: If she found out that I almost failed this 'Primary School Literacy Test'... she would definitely show that disappointed look, and then gracefully take the napkin back, right?
I absolutely cannot let that happen! Since I am someone Lady Heidi values (unlike this idiot God-King), I cannot lose. I must maintain my 'Genius Persona'. I cannot drop the mask!
Snap.
Flash.
A crisp, mechanical sound cut through her internal monologue.
Hathaway blinked. She looked to her left.
The Dragon Witch, who had been elegantly reading Void Vogue a moment ago, had lowered her magazine. Her "Cool, Aloof High Witch" persona had vanished.
In her hand was a high-end [Crystal-Lens Recording Device].
She wasn't hiding it. She was blatantly aiming the lens at the crying Goddess. Hathaway heard her voice—low, vibrating, and filled with the absolute joy of a gossipmonger. She was dictating her message out loud to her device.
"Voice Message to [Dragon's Den Gossip]," the Dragon Witch commanded, grinning. "Subject: You won't believe this. Heidi picked an illiterate crybaby. Caption: 'Future Arch-Witch currently breaking down over basic algebra. Heidi has a weird fetish confirmed. LOL.'"
Snap. Snap.
On the other side, the Siren Witch didn't care about mana constraints anymore. She whipped out her crystal. A Holographic Screen projected into the air, visible to everyone nearby.
Hathaway glanced at the floating text.
[LIVE STREAM: Witch Network Forum]
[Title: LMAO. Look at this Boomer God crying over math. #Heidi'sPet #A1Exam]
[Viewers: 12,402]
"Look at that, chat," the Siren narrated loudly, pointing her camera like a weapon. "Look at the size of that snot bubble! She's holding that General Manual like it's radioactive! It's majestic!"
Hathaway heard the distinct ding-ding-ding of donation notifications coming from the Siren's device.
"Thanks for the rocket, 'VoidWalker99'! And yes, betting pool is open. Odds on her failing the written test are 1:1."
The atmosphere in the waiting area shifted instantly. It wasn't hostile. It was worse.
It was an Academic Roasting Session.
But the most terrifying sight wasn't the adults. It was the Yellow Cap Volunteer.
Hathaway watched with wide eyes.
This girl was barely fourteen. A middle-schooler wearing the symbol of protection and innocence. She was supposed to be the helpful junior.
But Hathaway saw the shift. She saw the girl's eyes light up—not with empathy, but with the specific, predatory gleam of a teenager spotting Content.
"Hold on, hold on!" the Yellow Cap chirped, pulling out her own limited-edition crystal.
She didn't comfort the Goddess. She leaned in next to her, invading her personal space with zero hesitation.
"Look at the camera, Auntie! Say 'Logarithm'!"
Click.
The flash blinded the poor Goddess. Hathaway watched the result in real-time. The girl checked the photo and giggled.
"Priceless," the Yellow Cap muttered loud enough for Hathaway to hear. "This is going on my wall. 'Me and Heidi's new pet failing middle-school math'."
The Former God-King froze mid-sob.
She looked up, her eyes red and swollen. She looked at the Dragon Witch recording. She looked at the Siren streaming.
And she looked at this Child—this mere infant of a Witch—throwing a peace sign next to her academic misery.
The Goddess: "..."
Her tears stopped. Not because she was comforted, but because she was Traumatized.
She had ruled a world for millennia. She was used to fear, worship, or hatred. She was not used to being treated like a village idiot by a middle-schooler.
"W-why..." the Goddess stammered, her face turning from pale to beet red. "Why are you all recording?!"
"Because we are Sisters!" The Dragon Witch called out cheerfully, not putting her camera down for a second. "And Sisters keep receipts!"
"Welcome to the Coven!" The Siren laughed, waving at her livestream audience. "Your illiteracy is our entertainment! Don't worry, we'll bully you about this for the next 200 years!"
Hathaway stood there, her mouth slightly open.
She looked at the chaotic, joyful scene. She looked at the little girl in the Yellow Cap, who was busy airdropping the photo to the Dragon Witch.
So this is it, Hathaway realized with a jolt. They start young. The 'Academic Elitism' is apparently hereditary.
A strange feeling washed over her. It wasn't disdain. It was... Relief.
I was too serious. I was acting like a boring adult. A true Witch takes the photo because it's Funny.
Hathaway felt a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. A genuine, nasty, playful smirk.
I can't be the only one left out. That would be unsociable.
She hurriedly reached into her pocket and pulled out her own crystal. She aimed it at the stunned, red-faced Goddess.
The frame was perfect: The exact moment the God-King realized she had joined a society of ruthless, high-IQ trolls.
Snap.
[Image Saved: Asset_GodKing_Math_Meltdown_HD]
The Dragon Witch heard the shutter sound and looked over. She didn't see a competitor. She saw an accomplice.
The Dragon Witch winked at Hathaway and flashed a subtle thumbs-up.
Nice angle, Rookie.
Hathaway winked back.
Thanks, Senior.
She put the crystal away, feeling lighter than she had in a month. She touched the napkin in her pocket again.
The crushing weight of the "Genius Persona"—the fear that she was a fraud holding a stolen ticket—evaporated into the cool air.
Heidi... Hathaway thought, a genuine, amused smirk playing on her lips. I was so terrified that you would take this napkin back if I wasn't perfect. I thought you only collected 'Monsters'. But looking at this illiterate mess you personally converted... I realize now. You don't just want power. You want Entertainment.
You picked a God-King to cry over a math book for you. And you picked me... probably hoping I'd do something equally chaotic.
Hathaway patted the pocket gently, no longer clutching it like a lifeline, but tapping it like a poker chip.
Don't worry, Lady Heidi. I might not be a God-King. But I promise... Her crimson eyes narrowed, gleaming with a newfound, dangerous confidence. ...I'm going to be a lot more fun to watch than her.
[Identity Confirmed: Hathaway von Ludwig]
[Race: Native Witch (Ludwig Bloodline)]
[Current Status: Logic Reconstruction Complete / Emotional Modules Isolated / Scum Level UP]
Hathaway stepped past the Former God-King, who was now burying her face in her hands to hide from the paparazzi, and walked into her assigned Access Pod No. 14002.
The glass door hissed shut. Silence enveloped her.
It was time to validate her existence.