Otaku Witch

The layout and ambiance of this club square made Dorothy feel quite nostalgic. She reminisced about the memories of attending markets in her childhood at her rural family home.

It was similar, with people crowding the streets, a sea of heads in every direction; makeshift stalls on both sides of the road, displaying all sorts of curious and bizarre items—foods, drinks, toys, you name it, they had it.

Therefore, as she strolled through such a lively atmosphere, Dorothy's heart gradually found tranquility. She didn't hurry straight to her destination. Instead, she slowed her pace, accompanying her junior sister who found everything fascinating, to tour the club stalls.

Well, it was evident that these clubs were going all out for new members, with a never-ending array of impressive activities. They really brought out their best-kept secrets.

Some clubs focusing on Armed Witches started performing a variety of fancy battles, attracting crowds of new students with their magical powers blended with flashy Martial Arts.

Other clubs led by Research Witches began showcasing their research findings, with Magic Tools of various functions dazzling onlookers, making one wish to possess all.

Beyond that, some peculiar clubs also started to make their move, offering Magic Creatures Zoos, Necromancy Haunted Houses, Water Dragon Shrine Amusement Parks, and all sorts of strange things—just about anything you couldn't imagine, the whimsical Witch Society could bring to life.

Not only did the unworldly Little Fox gaze in wonder, but even Dorothy was impressed, acknowledging that these witches truly knew how to play. The clubs from her previous life paled severely in comparison.

What's more, these were only the stalls of the small-scale clubs at the front half of the club square. The arrangement of the stalls here was quite deliberate, with the smaller clubs placed nearer to the entrance so that new students could see them as soon as they entered, giving these small clubs a chance to recruit first. Whether they could seize this opportunity depended on their efforts.

As for the recruitment points of the medium to large-sized clubs, these were located further back, and their presentations were a step up compared to the previous small-scale clubs.

It was essentially like upgrading from a roadside stall to a supermarket, or from a street performance to a grand theater—the scale and quality of the exhibitions were leagues above those of the smaller clubs.

However, Dorothy personally felt that the presentations from these larger clubs were not as innovative and interesting as those from the smaller ones. It's like some people thinking that food from a roadside stall tastes better than that from the adjacent fancy restaurant—purely a matter of personal preference.

If there had to be a reason, it would be having dined at restaurants too often and finding their flavors monotonously similar, somewhat wearisome. And these restaurants weren't even top-tier, merely average in taste. The sensory impact they offered might genuinely be less compelling than those unique, individual-styled snack stalls.

The performances by the medium and large-sized clubs were mostly those of a conservative nature, less prone to mistakes. They looked good enough but were ultimately just student level.

As someone who frequently browsed the Magic Network, Dorothy had seen all sorts of master-level performances online. Compared to real masters, these student productions were just okay.

She had a personal preference for the unbridled creativity and youthful vitality displayed by the small-scale clubs.

Of course, liking something was one thing, and making an actual choice was another. As mentioned before, the choice of a Witch Society played a large part in post-graduation employment. The employment support provided by medium and large-scale clubs was beyond what the small clubs could offer.

Students had to decide between something fun but unstable or stable but uninteresting.

As for Dorothy's choice...

She chose none of them.

Only the powerless who can't control their fate make passive choices. The true power players create their own options.

Working a job was out of the question for her, not in this lifetime. Accustomed to freedom and laziness, she couldn't bear constraints. She could inherit Mother Dragon's vast fortune with just a nod, but her inclination to reject such treatment from a position just below the top meant she certainly was not going to work under someone else.

Dorothy planned to start her own society in a while, as a step toward fulfilling her dream and to begin searching for companions beforehand. As for whether she would ultimately find anyone, she wasn't too concerned. If worst came to worst, she'd simply go solo.

In any case, just go for it—that's all there was to it. If she failed after giving it a shot, she would deal with it then. If she didn't even try out of fear of failing, that was when she would truly have regrets.

"Senior sister, it's getting late. We should hurry to the exam. Which department are you planning to apply to?"

Little Fox Audrey, who was by her side, had finally calmed the excitement of her first shopping spree. After visiting the interesting small-scale club booths, she had become somewhat indifferent by the time they reached those of the medium and large-sized clubs.

To ordinary witches, these seemingly high-class places might be novel and impressive, but for Audrey, they were already all too familiar.

After all, every time her family took her out to eat, it was to the most luxurious private room of the highest-tier restaurants, and every outing involved reserving venues a day in advance. As for shows and theatricals, the best performers in the Witch World were the entertainers at her home.

She was truly sick of it.

Moreover, it was supposed to be her guiding her senior sister around, yet it turned into her senior sister accompanying her shopping. Now that the day was getting late, Little Fox felt somewhat ashamed.

So she proactively had her Puppet ask about her senior sister's intended School to apply to.

"Which one? Of course, all of them," Dorothy was taken aback by her junior sister's question but then answered as though it were to be expected.

"I plan to take exams in all Nine Major Schools, I'm in a rush to accumulate points and raise my rank. You must know about ranks, right, junior sister?"

Although she didn't know much about her junior sister's family background, given her status as a Demon Witch, the terrifying Magical Power she exuded, and the fact that she had an aunt who was a master of two disciplines, it was clear that her junior sister's origins were extraordinary and she was definitely aware of the concept of Witch Ranks.

Moreover, without going into details, if her junior sister was of ordinary birth, she definitely wouldn't dare to step out every day with a face that could bring disaster to the state and the people. Such a high profile would have got her kidnapped back home to cause trouble.

In a world where extraordinary strength is intrinsic to the self, public security isn't as easily managed as in her previous life. Even though Witch Society generally leans towards order and peace, with various laws and regulations restraining the populace, there are always some bizarre criminal cases every year, particularly those involving personal relationships.

Therefore, it's better to be low-key when you're out and about.

This was one of the reasons why Dorothy hadn't dared to show her true face until now.

Even though she now had backing, Mother Dragon's strength wasn't her own. Until she was powerful enough to protect herself, she didn't plan to tear off her disguise. Isn't it nice to grow in secret?

However, the key to growing in secret is still growing, not the secrecy. She mustn't mix up the primary and secondary aspects.

Ever since her previous act of playing dumb turned out too well and her family truly treated her as a fool, not even telling her about something such as Witch Ranks, Dorothy had learned her lesson. It was fine to remain low-key on the outside, but she could be a bit more high-profile in other aspects, like her academic pursuits.

A student's main job is to study, so it's only natural for me to excel academically, right? No one's going to target me just because my grades are too good, are they?

emmmm, those wicked people surely wouldn't be that idle, right?n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Dorothy wasn't quite sure about this herself.

Forget it, no matter who comes, they can't stop me from racking up points today. I'm going to take—and pass—all the exams I can in one go.

Audrey: "...."

Ah, taking all of them?

Little Fox was a bit doubtful if her keen ears were failing her. She widened her eyes in confusion, looking at her senior sister beside her.

"What's wrong? Any problems? I've just studied a tiny bit more than others, nothing odd about that, right?"

Dorothy was dissatisfied with her junior sister's seemingly astonished reaction, frowning as she asked.

"Ah, no, no problems at all, senior sister. As long as you're happy. But since you're taking so many exams, the ordinary clubs won't suffice for you. Let's go to the Eye of True Sight club. Only there can satisfy a scholar as knowledgeable as you with their exams,"

Little Fox, now somewhat intimidated, used a respectful tone. She thought for a moment and then pointed towards a majestic building that resembled a library in the distance.

Dorothy nodded in satisfaction,

and then she took Little Fox's hand and hurried straight towards that building.

Before entering the door, Dorothy thought it over and, reconsidering her current goth outfit, snapped her fingers with a loud pop.

The next moment, the goth chick vanished, replaced by the familiar sight of the girl with the broad bangs, black-framed glasses, a scarf, and the plain, old-fashioned braided pigtails.

Well, since I'm already somewhat of a celebrity at the school, what's one more flea to worry about? I might as well be a little more prominent in this guise.

Read the latest on empire

"Oh, senior sister, you... isn't that the one from the campus network..."

Little Fox was stunned by her senior sister's dazzling transformation and struggled to speak smoothly because she recognized that the girl before her was the hottest topic on the campus forums.

But Dorothy didn't care about her junior sister's shocked reaction. She just nodded to her and then strutted confidently to push open the grand doors of the library-style building.

Hmm, the examination hall lies ahead, and since my disguise as the untouchable Student Council President is already common knowledge, there's nothing more to fear.

"Attention, everyone, I'm here for exams, all nine subjects."

Upon her entrance, the staff members inside all looked up at this uninvited guest. They were initially stunned, but almost all of them soon realized her identity, creating a mild stir. But before the commotion could escalate, everyone heard a pleasant yet exceedingly arrogant declaration.

.....The little witch proclaimed confidently.....