Once the affection level is maxed out, the rivalry begins!

Not long after returning home, before Bai Ze could even check his unexpected gains, he heard the doorbell ring in a rhythm of three long and two short rings.

At this time... no one else should be coming to see him except Lin Tingwan.

His parents are currently working in another city, while Lin Tingwan's family situation is quite special—her parents disappeared when she was very young, and only her mother's relatives took care of her for a period of time, and they still send her living expenses regularly.

Perhaps it was because they were both often left alone at home that their relationship naturally became closer.

Back when she was a delicate girl who couldn't sleep because she was scared after watching horror movies, she also had the experience of coming here to stay.

—Although more often than not, he comes to freeload a meal or play the games he bought.

The three long and two short rings were the agreed-upon signal between the two.

But I just had a fight with her, so what kind of expression should I use to open the door? Is a smile enough?

Bai Ze dawdled through the entryway and turned the doorknob.

Standing outside was his sullen childhood sweetheart.

She was wearing loose pajamas, her black hair, which had clearly been washed, smelled damp, and the ends of her hair hung down to her snow-white neck, with a small water droplet still rolling on it.

Lin Tingwan hugged the banana-shaped cushion, stepped into his house without any politeness, changed into slippers, and rushed straight to the living room sofa.

She leaped forward and buried herself face down inside the sofa, exuding a gloomy aura like rotting mushrooms.

Although Bai Ze could tell that the other party was feeling down, he refrained from saying anything more, considering the reasons behind it.

Let's eat first.

So many things happened in quick succession that he didn't even have time to eat dinner, even though it was already late at night.

There are leftover ingredients in the refrigerator from yesterday; you can easily obtain them by ignoring the deceased on the sofa.

"Come ask me what happened, come ask me what happened, come ask me what happened..."

The resentment of the dead is echoing in the room; if it's not dealt with soon, even the food might spoil.

"What happened?" Bai Ze closed the refrigerator door, sighed, and asked knowingly.

Lin Tingwan sat up abruptly: "I've realized that there are limits to human capabilities!"

"Are you finally going to stop being human?"

Did his efforts backfire, and Lin Tingwan, after being attacked by the mysterious knight, decide to give up her human identity and fully embrace the fate of becoming a witch?

"No, what I mean is that life is always full of failures."

She crossed her arms, as if she had grasped some profound truth, and said, "Bai Ze, you've had some failures lately, haven't you?"

"For example, when I'm preparing to cook dinner, my mischievous friend shows up at my door and pesters me..." Bai Ze tried to list some examples.

"That's a good thing, please treat your best friend well."

The girl said firmly, "In short, I don't think occasional setbacks prove anything; they're just bad luck."

"Could it be that the opponent is too strong?" Bai Ze praised himself.

"How could it be that kind of coward who's too ashamed to show his face—cough cough, it's nothing."

Lin Tingwan abruptly changed the subject.

Bai Ze, prepared to clean up his own mess, sat down on the sofa and looked directly into his childhood friend's eyes: "Have you encountered something upsetting?"

She slowly turned her face to the side, her small nostrils twitching slightly, displaying a composed expression—

"I'm so sad!"

I couldn't hold back for another second.

Tears welled in the corners of her eyes as she clutched her pillow tightly: "It's just as heartbreaking as when the protagonist, who had just become a magical girl, saw her trusted senior beheaded in the third episode!"

"Won't this turn into a serious psychological trauma?"

Bai Ze reflected on whether he had gone too far.

Lin Tingwan is a girl who is easily complacent and seems thick-skinned at first glance, but is not particularly strong inside.

If left unchecked, she might quickly turn into a witch; if she encounters setbacks, it could cause her psychological harm—thinking about it, this girl is just too troublesome.

"I lost to my competitors in what I thought was my strength, and I also lost something that should have been quite important."

Lin Tingwan changed her approach and recounted her ordeal in detail, her eyes brimming with tears as she asked for comfort.

"Winning or losing is only temporary, and you might even get back what you've lost."

While examining the parchment scroll that only he could see, Bai Ze reassured her, "You already have many good qualities."

[Witch transformation progress increased slightly]

—She will definitely cause the witch transformation process to accelerate, what a terrible setting.

"for example?"

Lin Tingwan waited expectantly for the next part.

Bai Ze pondered for a moment: "...The wind resistance experienced by the body while running is far less than the average?"

[Witch transformation progress slightly reduced]

—The word "little bit" is too vague. Could you be more precise?

[Witch Transformation Progress: 32.49%]

The text did change, but what changed even more dramatically was Lin Tingwan's face; specifically, her smile from just moments before was completely gone.

"Anyway, I'm just flat-chested..."

Oh no, she became even more depressed.

"Would you like to have dinner together?"

Bai Ze extended an invitation, indicating that the previous topic could not be continued.

"Am I really useless? My grades were already bad, and even my only strength isn't as good as I thought..."

The girl raised her knees, revealing her pale ankles beneath her trouser legs, curling up like a cricket facing danger. "What, then, is the meaning of human existence?"

"Don't casually escalate this to a philosophical level."

Despite his teasing, Bai Ze patted the other person's head, which was hanging down, and said, "Don't overthink it."

As a result, she lay down on her side, her long, dark hair flowing down his thigh, and a pleasant fragrance wafted into his nostrils.

"I just need some motivation."

Lin Tingwan opened her arms, her chest rising and falling gently like a spring bud. "I'm low on fuel! Lend me some!"

"...No matter what you're doing, I'll cheer you on."

After hesitating for a moment, Bai Ze stroked the girl's black hair and said.

He finally came up with a good way to deal with Lin Tingwan's current situation!

As long as he creates a sense of frustration for her as the [Eternal Serpent Executor] while comforting her in time as her childhood friend Bai Ze, wouldn't he be able to control the progress of her witch transformation at the same time without causing her serious psychological trauma?

Am I... a genius?

Unless the truth is discovered someday—no, how could that be possible?

"Yes, I believe you."

The girl who had been using his knees as a pillow finally smiled brightly, sat up, and patted her cheeks.

"Fuel refueled. Next time I see that opponent... I definitely won't lose again."

"Then I wish you success!"

Bai Ze guiltily looked away. "Can we have dinner now?"

"You can be even more gluttonous than me sometimes, can't you?"

Lin Tingwan was completely oblivious to his efforts to change the subject. "I'll help with the preparations!"

"Thank you, but please sit still for kitchen safety."

"Hello!"

[Witch Transformation Progress: 32.33%]

It seems her confidence has suffered a minor blow.

Bai Ze tied on an apron and stared at the instructions on the parchment scroll.

To completely resolve the issue of becoming a witch, it will probably be necessary to further study one's own abilities.

So far, only Lin Tingwan has been recorded on the list of witches, but she wasn't the only one he could see who had a favorable impression of him.

There was another person at school whom I even tried to win over.

Should we... try to reach out to her?