Who says I can't become a Grand Master?

Chapter 66 First Life Crisis

"Money? Who doesn't need it? Ah! Of course! Except for that girl Gu Xintong."

Xia Qiwei complained while gently stroking the steering wheel.

Zhang Qingzhe glanced at the Porsche crest on the steering wheel: "If I didn't buy such an expensive car, I definitely wouldn't be short of money."

"How can that be? I just love cars."

Zhang Qingzhe's lips twitched slightly.

These "witches" are truly unrestrained to an extreme.

My younger sister also opens blind boxes without any restraint.

He initially thought it was just that the "little witch" lacked self-control, but now, seeing Xia Qiwei like this, he was filled with worry for his sister's future.

---

Xia Qiwei got out of the car and led Zhang Qingzhe toward the checkpoint.

The checkpoint is designed to resemble a highway tollbooth.

Behind the window sat a female clerk with a dignified appearance.

"Professor Xia, you've arrived." The female clerk greeted her with a friendly smile.

"Hmm!" Xia Qiwei nodded and turned to Zhang Qingzhe. "This is your senior, two years ahead of you."

Zhang Qingzhe paused for half a second, then realized—it seemed this person was also a graduate of Green Island University.

Being able to work in this position, isn't that considered a civil service position?

Although the environment looks harsh, the benefits should be quite good.

The clerk smiled at Zhang Qingzhe: "A freshman? You're really handsome."

Upon hearing this praise, Xia Qiwei's expression immediately became one of pride, like someone returning to their hometown with their child and being praised by their neighbors.

"He's my apprentice now," Shaki said.

"Really? You became a professor's apprentice in your freshman year. It seems you're not only handsome, but also very talented."

"Of course! I'm not just bragging, but if he gets a government job after graduation, he'll probably be your boss very quickly."

Zhang Qingzhe felt that the professor was getting carried away again.

Making such arrogant remarks to someone's face is likely to offend them.

But surprisingly, the clerk's smile widened even more:

"Even Professor Xia praised you so highly, so you must be really amazing. If you ever get promoted in the future, don't forget your senior! My name is Luo Jingjing, remember that!"

"Senior, you flatter me too much," Zhang Qingzhe said modestly.

Luo Jingjing greeted everyone with a friendly smile while efficiently processing the temporary pass.

"Junior, you haven't passed the formal assessment yet, so you can only stay in the low-risk area. Make sure to stick close to Professor Xia."

Luo Jingjing handed her ID through the window and winked at Zhang Qingzhe, "Senior doesn't want to see you get into trouble."

---

After passing through the checkpoint, Zhang Qingzhe was still reminiscing about Luo Jingjing's kind and professional smile.

"The professor should really learn from him; look how well he speaks."

"What can I do? That's how all witches are." Xia Qiwei adopted a "what's the use" attitude.

"Isn't this shirking responsibility? My sister isn't like you."

"That's because she's just a 'little witch' yet. Once she becomes a 'great witch,' she'll naturally become like me."

Zhang Qingzhe did not refute, but he completely disagreed in his heart.

He didn't believe that the "witch" would become less and less common sense as she got older.

He really wanted to say to Xia Qiwei:

Professor, just admit it, you used to be a "little devil," which is why you grew up to be like this.

The two slowly descended the grassy slope.

The grass underfoot was thick and soft, glistening with a moist green in the sunlight, with a few clumps of wildflowers dotting the landscape.

The surrounding woods were not very dense, allowing sunlight to filter through the gaps in the branches and leaves, casting bright, shimmering spots of light on the grassy slope, which flowed silently with the swaying of the branches and leaves.

Just then, a gust of wind suddenly rose from the forest, carrying with it the faint howls of wild beasts.

Zhang Qingzhe's [Magic Circuit] trembled slightly—a clear signal that a crisis was brewing.

"Professor!" he called softly.

"Oh, I heard you."

Xia Qiwei responded with a sound of agreement, then glanced discreetly at the boy beside her.

Zhang Qingzhe showed no sign of panic, maintaining his usual composure.

But one hand had already quietly slid towards the card pack, ready to grab the card that was launched out at any moment.

A series of crisp snapping sounds came from deep within the woods.

A pale shadow darted out of the forest.

Just as Zhang Qingzhe was about to dodge to the side, Xia Qiwei grabbed his wrist.

The Great Witch had already grasped a card with her fingertips, and a torrent of magical energy poured into it.

hum-

A translucent shield unfolded in front of her, its surface adorned with flowing hexagonal patterns.

Zhang Qingzhe recognized it as a [Shield Card].

He used the low-level shield in the dream simulation.

But the one in front of us... in terms of both defensive area and magic fluctuations, it has at least reached the mid-level.

boom!

A bone spear shot through the air and slammed into the front of the shield.

Ripples spread across the shield, and the bone spear was violently bounced to one side.

Several large trees in that direction were snapped in half at waist height.

The power of this attack was no less than that of a howitzer.

This made Zhang Qingzhe truly realize the immense gap between the "Great Witch" and ordinary students.

Splash, splash...

A dense rustling sound came from the forest, and something was rapidly bypassing them, arcing towards their rear.

Zhang Qingzhe focused intently on the sound, his gaze locked onto the gaps between the trees.

In that instant, he saw a pair of scarlet eyes.

The pair of pupils left two red afterimages in the woods, like the taillights of a car on a winding mountain road at night.

"Professor, it's circled around!"

Xia Qiwei turned around upon hearing the sound and drew out the second card.

Once she had locked onto her target, she pointed towards the air in the forest.

A blazing fireball shot out, causing a massive explosion in the forest and knocking the beast that had attempted to ambush it to the ground.

Succeeded?

Zhang Qingzhe was just about to breathe a sigh of relief—

Whoosh!

The sound of something cutting through the air rang out again, and... there was more than one.

"Be careful!"

Xia Qiwei pulled him over and re-established the shield.

A series of rapid impacts rang out as several pale bone spears struck the shield, sending bone fragments flying everywhere.

Zhang Qingzhe quickly focused his attention and observed, his heart tightening suddenly.

They were completely surrounded at some point.

A group of grotesque monsters stood menacingly on the perimeter.

They look a lot like forest wolves, but they are much larger than wolves, with a shoulder height reaching the waist of an adult.

Beneath the gray-black fur, large, bulging muscles bulged out.

What's most unsettling is the stark white exoskeleton covering their bodies.

These bone plates extended from the spine to the joints of the limbs, gleaming with a cold texture in the dim light.

Even more bizarre are their bulging backs—

There were several bone spears standing diagonally there, like the quills of a porcupine.

At this moment, all the bone spears were slightly adjusting their angles, aiming simultaneously at the two people in the arena.

"Professor, what is this?" Zhang Qingzhe asked in surprise.