Chapter 115: Do You Understand?

Chapter 115

Do You Understand?

Boom!!

The poison bomb in Professor Maxim’s hand was hurled swiftly towards its clear target—the young girl in front of her. As the bomb detonated, enveloping the area in a thick cloud of dust, Maxim was confident that her secret weapon had done its job.

"Haha, how was it!? You must be suffering from the poison, right? That’s what you get for being too arrogant. Now you face the consequences..." However, before Maxim could finish her sentence, she noticed something strange.

Normally, the explosion would have a significant impact, especially since it was a poison powder bomb. The poison powder, well-concealed within the bomb, should have lingered in the air for 2 to 3 minutes, ensuring the victim would be affected by the poison. Yet, the scene before her showed that the poison cloud dissipated almost immediately after a brief dispersion. Upon reflecting on the first time she used the poison powder bomb, it seemed to malfunction similarly.

Initially, she didn’t think much of it, especially with the presence of the two genius professors of the institute. Strange occurrences weren’t out of the ordinary. But this time...there was no one else around except her and a seemingly inexperienced student. Moreover...if that student could neutralize her poison, could she still be considered a professor?

The poison powder, an inherited secret of her family, was a hidden card passed down through generations. If it couldn’t harm even a first-year student, it shouldn’t be called a hidden card at all!

However, that was just her thought. She didn’t want to shake her confidence, but the truth remained the truth. As Professor Maxim puzzled over the poison’s effect, Ellie’s small, unaffected figure appeared before her.

"Y-You!" The female professor recoiled in shock upon seeing the small figure. What she saw was the petite girl who was smiling happily and looking at her.

And yes! Maxim’s interpretation of Ellie’s gaze was correct. Professor Maxim had inadvertently helped her. She had generously thrown valuable poison for her purple mushrooms to consume. Well...with such kindness, it wasn’t strange for Ellie to look at the professor with gratitude...

"W-Why? Why aren’t you affected by the poison at all?" Professor Maxim exclaimed in astonishment, seeing the small figure of the student still standing tall and unaffected by the poison.

Ellie shook her head upon hearing the question. For her...it was simple to understand. But the middle-aged professor still asked, “Why aren’t you affected.” Ellie thus looked at her with a hint of exasperation before revealing the truth.

"Professor...don’t you understand yet? You should have realized from the start that using poison powder like this is futile."

"Sigh, didn’t you previously try to use this powder on us? Then, did you see anyone affected? Me, Professor Medik, or Professor Lucien? In fact, if you have a lot of poison powder bombs and want them to be useful before you die, you can give them to me. I assure you I’ll put them to good use."

"You!!"

"Yes? Is there anything else you’d like to ask, Professor? Well then, if you still don’t understand, I won’t hold back anymore..." Ellie sneered, looking at her with a mocking gaze.

"Sorry to be so blunt, but...your poison powder is only slightly more potent than dust. Apologies, but it didn’t affect me in the slightest."

Hearing this, the middle-aged professor’s chest heaved violently. It was unclear if it was from shock or rage, but she stood there, breathing heavily, without making a sound.

"Professor, don’t breathe so hard, or my specially-made threads might just make your head roll off."

Ellie chuckled dryly in her throat. This person had tried to take her hostage, and when that failed, attempted to kill her! How could she let someone who attacked first go?

Did this professor think she was a helpless chick in her hands? That she was so weak that she could be toyed with? If so...it was Ellie’s duty to teach her a lesson: anyone could be messed with, anyone could be attacked, but never her!

Clap, clap, clap.

As Ellie admired her handiwork, a round of applause came from behind her. It was the two professors she respected. One had a serious expression, as if worried about something, while the other looked quite pleased. Yet, she could sense that both of them appreciated her actions.

"That was an excellent payback," Lucien praised without reservation, showing a satisfied expression openly. Well...it should be said that the skills she used to handle the threads and deal with enemies were something this very professor had taught her.

Upon learning that Professor Regan had bestowed the invaluable Soft Jade Technique upon her, Lucien suggested a combat method that complemented it well—fighting with special threads. Ellie executed it well, so it was no surprise that he felt a bit of pride.

Professor Medik, on the other hand, did not encourage Ellie to engage in direct combat. Often seeing Lucien and Ellie working well together, he frequently reminded the young girl that her botanic power was meant for support. Whether he genuinely believed that or was just trying to convince himself was uncertain. He had always thought that way and had taken on supportive roles. Looking back, had he realized earlier that his power could be used for more, he might have chosen a different path.

His long-held beliefs began to crumble when he saw Ellie. Her botanic power proved versatile, using bonded plant’s power to detect enemy movements and possessing the secret card like decomposing objects, a power she seldom displayed but was undeniably potent for hunting...

"It’s good that you’re safe." Medik was unsure of what else to say after seeing Ellie handle one of the institute’s professors on her own.

"Thank you, Professor."

"Mmm, as for the criminals you tracked with your power, Lucien and I have captured them all. The interrogation will begin soon, and we will certainly root out all the wrongdoers." Hearing Professor Medik’s words, Maxim’s eyes widened instantly.

She looked at Ellie, then at the two young professors, and only then did she realize the truth. Ellie wasn’t her victim; she was Ellie’s victim!

This student had tricked her into thinking she had taken her hostage, allowing her to try to extract the whereabouts of the other criminals. Meanwhile, the other two professors were handling the situation. It meant that Ellie had followed her just to buy time!

"You! How dare you do this to me? You all! You all deserve to die! You’re all vile scum!" Professor Maxim, now resembling a madwoman, screamed loudly. She not only yelled but also tried to move towards the nearest person to attack. Her neck bore deep cuts, and the blood was flowing more and more. If this continued, she might die from Ellie’s threads.

Ellie glanced briefly at the two professors and quickly retracted the threads, freeing the middle-aged professor. With both professors present, there was no doubt that no further issues would arise.

Indeed, once Professor Maxim was released, she attempted to cast her water barrier spell, but she was slower than Professor Medik and Professor Lucien.

One used his tree’s roots to bind her so she couldn’t move, while the other sent magic power to interfere with her spirit, ultimately causing the frenzied Professor Maxim to fall unconscious.

"I’ll handle this," Professor Lucien volunteered, and Medik did not object, allowing him to take the female professor away for processing. He then looked at Ellie, who had just demonstrated her immense capability, with a worried expression.

"Come with me to the Botanical Building," Professor Medik said softly after a brief silence. If it had been before, he would have warned Ellie to be cautious and not to make any more reckless decisions, advising her to stay within the supportive role as it was the basis of her magic power. However, after seeing how Ellie handled Professor Maxim, he felt that his previous thoughts were somewhat selfish.

This young girl has far more potential than just being a supporter in the background like he was. If he continued to hold her back, it would be akin to preventing Ellie from advancing to the next level. Deep down, Medik naturally didn’t want that. He wished for the Botanical Building to have other professors besides himself, people who understood cultivation better than he did. He wanted a companion to brainstorm and work with, so at least it wouldn’t be so quiet and would be as lively as it is now.

But that would mean asking Ellie to stay at the institution forever, even though she could become a city lord, maybe a renowned hunter, or anything she could strive for. Did he still want that deep down?

The answer was no...

He no longer saw Ellie as just a student or a successor. She had become like a relative to him. In the few months that had passed, he felt a sense of vitality, thanks to this small girl who, though not very talkative, cared deeply for a professor who usually wasn’t approached unless someone needed his help.

Sometimes she shared things she received from the Setter family with him, whether it was food, precious drinks, or recently, premium tea leaves generously given by the Setter family. The little girl had divided it equally between him and Lucien. Such a kind and thoughtful child...how could he be so narrow-minded?

After the professor and student reached the Botanical Building, Medik was the first to speak up.

"Your performance this time was truly outstanding. Although I want to scold you for putting yourself at risk, with your help, capturing all the criminals didn’t take much time at all. I believe if we report this to the institute, you will surely receive extra points, including for helping other students avoid being killed. From now on, you won’t need to participate in any more competitions. The points you’ve earned should be more than enough for you to pass the first year comfortably."

Medik continued speaking until he finished, then turned away as if focusing on his own work. However, Ellie could sense that his thoughts were still lingering on his words, as if he was contemplating what to say next.

"Even so, I still want to participate in the competition."

"Mmm...is that so?"

"Yes," Ellie confirmed, but she sensed that Professor Medik wasn’t particularly concerned about whether she competed or not. It seemed like his words were just a preamble. Instead of excusing herself as she usually would, Ellie stood still, waiting for the professor to speak first.

Medik pretended to work, but after only 2 minutes, he stopped and looked directly at Ellie.

"Actually, the points you’ll receive for helping capture Professor Maxim will be substantial. However, I...I feel that you shouldn’t take credit for this. Uh, it’s not that I don’t want you to receive these points, but handling a professor by yourself, it might bring more trouble than benefits."

"There are already many ways for you to earn points, such as herbs awaiting to be harvested or participating in competitions. You also have points from helping the young lady from the Fernal family. These points are more than enough for you to use for other purposes as well. I don’t want you to be overly greedy."

"You should know that, as a young woman the Setter family is interested in, your status is very important. Many people are watching you, and some don’t see your value, while others are waiting for you to fail. But these are just speculations and will take time to unfold. But...if the news that a first-year student like you managed to take down a professor gets out, do you think those who are waiting to see how you and the Setter family fare will remain calm?"

"The Setter family is indeed powerful and influential, but there are many who don’t want them to gain any more power. When they see that the Setter family is about to have a young woman who is exceptionally talented for her age, do you think those people will just let that girl fall into the lion’s den? Certainly not. I think they will try to deal with you as quickly as possible."

"Do you...understand what I mean?"