"I Became a Witch, but Now Everyone's in Love with Me!"

Chapter 42: City of Science and Technology 002
 
"This is going to take quite some time—let's talk about it when you're on vacation. Jasmine!"
Halfway through his sentence, Myrtle suddenly waved a hand to change the subject and called out toward the back room.

"What is it, Mom?"
Jasmine emerged from the alchemy room, still dressed in her signature leather armor. She placed a wrapped gift box on the front desk, looking slightly impatient.
"Would you like to accompany Jiang Cha to the assessment site?"
"Why not you, the master?"
Though she grumbled, Jasmine immediately grabbed Jiang Cha’s hand and said, “Let’s go. You’re here for the low-level alchemy certification exam, right?”

"Yes, and there are a few other things too… Master, what about the end-of-month test?"
Jiang Cha nodded, her voice timid, glancing questioningly at Myrtle.
"That’s fine. How could I not know your progress?"
"..."
"Still, you should be cautious."
Seeing Jiang Cha’s silence, Jasmine scolded gently.

But what Myrtle said was true. Jiang Cha had been coming by nearly every weekend to ask questions. There was hardly a need for a formal test—no one understood her learning progress better than Myrtle did.
"Is the assessment building hard to find?"
As they left the house, Jiang Cha noticed Jasmine had no intention of letting go of her hand. Her nervous blush faded, and she asked softly.
"It’s honestly a pain. For some reason, those old witches insisted on hiding the Alchemy Guild. First-timers usually spend at least half an hour trying to find it."
Jasmine sighed, recalling her own miserable experience.
"I got seriously lost back then."

"Really?"
Jiang Cha nodded. Knowing Myrtle’s personality… she didn’t dare ask why her master hadn’t gone with Jasmine at the time. It would only reopen old wounds.
The Alchemy Guild was indeed hard to find. Academy Island’s city planning was haphazard, with all sorts of winding alleys and turns.
In just over ten minutes, Jasmine had already led Jiang Cha through nearly ten different alleyways. They would exit one, walk a short stretch of main road, then disappear into another. Jiang Cha felt that if she didn’t have a good sense of direction, she’d never find her way back.

"By the way, Sister Jasmine, ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) do you know what the 'shortcut' Master mentioned was?"
"Probably a world fragment."
Jasmine recalled, then patiently explained to the puzzled girl,
"I heard her mention it once. She said a friend had commissioned her to do something, and the reward was a world fragment."
"A world fragment?"
"It’s a broken piece of a world. Normally, a world only shatters after it's completely desolate and lifeless. But due to residual laws and a drive toward completion, these fragments can develop into small, unique worlds."
"But everything in it would be incomplete, right? Even the life and the stories that happen inside..."
"Exactly. The 'world script,' or fate lines, are disrupted."

"Then isn't it pretty much useless?"
Jiang Cha was surprised. These fragments couldn’t generate stable resources. They were far less valuable than the resource world Lina had—and could disappear at any moment.
"But it’s still a world. When it collapses, witches can extract certain benefits."
"You can ask my mom about the specifics. She understands it better."
Jasmine shrugged.
Her situation was different—she wasn’t a naturally awakened witch like Jiang Cha. She hadn’t needed world fragments early on. Most of what she knew came from books, so her knowledge was a bit fuzzy.
"I’m guessing my mom plans to let you enter one during spring break. Don’t worry, it’s just a month away. Fragmented worlds are still dangerous. Just focus on getting stronger this month..."

"We’re here."
After half an hour of walking, Jasmine stopped in front of—how could it be described?
A cyberpunk underground market? A slum from a fantasy novel?
It was a ramshackle district, with strange-looking witches in black robes manning street stalls.

"Surprised?"
Jasmine looked at Jiang Cha and grinned.
"A little, yeah."
Jiang Cha’s expression was conflicted.
"I thought the Alchemy Guild would be… I don’t know, more refined. It’s a guild, after all."
"Hahaha~ That’s just how they are. Hey, boss! Open the door!"
Jasmine laughed and shouted toward a nearby vendor.

"What do you want to buy, sir?"
The witch answered hoarsely, her tone slow and eerie.
"If you don’t open the door, I’ll go home and complain to my mom."
"No, no, no! Please don’t let that bastard Myrtle come here. I’ll open it, okay?"
As if a nuclear bomb had been dropped, the witch’s eerie demeanor vanished instantly. She broke into a flustered smile, even her voice softening.
She didn’t look old at all—in fact, she seemed about Jasmine’s age.

"What brings you here today, little Jasmine?"
"I’m bringing my sister for a certification assessment."
"Oh? So this is that bastard Myrtle’s apprentice?"
The witch raised her eyebrows and looked Jiang Cha up and down with curiosity.

"Yep. Myrtle’s apprentice. Now hurry up and open the door, or I’ll open it myself. If the president finds out, your paycheck’s getting docked."
"Okay, okay, I’m on it."
Jiang Cha didn’t quite catch what the witch did—it seemed like just a simple gesture, and no noticeable magic wave followed.
Yet suddenly, a space portal opened in the crumbling wall behind her.

Unlike the short-distance portals used at Aislyn’s Witch Academy, this one surged with magic.
"Isn’t this a bit excessive for alchemists?"
"All guilds are like this. Especially here on Academy Island, where tons of weirdos are drawn in every year..."