The abnormal Emenas returned to its former peaceful state. With the exception of Osuna, who remained in a deep sleep, the other infected students recovered one by one, and most of the students returned to their previous lives, but with some differences.
At the Northern High Tower Academy, the Witch of Books, who had served as the dean for hundreds of years, officially resigned. The new dean was a well-known sage, Gold, the Magic Sequence 9 Quantitative Balance.
There was a knock on the door outside the office.
"Enter!"
The old man sitting in the office looked at the yellowed old book in his hand and responded. A young man pushed the door and walked in.
"Hello, Dean, I'm Jack."
The student looked at the old man a little nervously. He had sparse white hair and a thin face, but he looked very healthy.
"Sit down."
"yes."
Jack walked to the sofa nearby and sat down, his legs together and his hands resting uneasily on both sides of his body.
This was the first time he met the new dean, and he was currently just an ordinary student. Not only were his grades not excellent, but he had also made a big mistake this time.
"Can you tell me what happened?"
The dean put down the notes he had handed over, which contained intricate records of various matters in the academy. It was hard to imagine how the former dean, Si Ye, managed to handle so many miscellaneous matters. He was like a tireless machine.
A faint sigh rose in his heart, and then he looked at the student in front of him, who was one of the vortexes that caused various things in the academy some time ago, a third-year student named Jack.
Judging from his resume, although this student worked very hard, he was not outstanding and did not have many highlights. However, he still wanted to know why he embarked on this path, or why the witch chose him alone.
"Yes, Mr. Dean..." Jack then recounted what had happened before.
"So, you were disheartened by the failure of your experiment and accepted the witch's charity, right?"
"...Yes." When answering this question, Jack lowered his head, feeling ashamed and embarrassed, and his voice trembled a little.
"Nothing, just look up."
Gold waved his hand and looked at the young man before him. He had short, light blond hair and a decent appearance, but his clothes were a bit ordinary and his shoes looked a bit worn. There were faint bloodshot eyes, suggesting he hadn't slept well in the past few days.
"I heard from some students that you are extremely hardworking, is that right?" In fact, that is no longer hard work, it can even be said to be self-abuse, Gold thought silently in his heart.
"Not really. It's nothing to be proud of..." Jack's voice was a little bitter. He worked so hard but couldn't achieve the desired result. Instead, he accumulated a lot of depression, anxiety, resentment and the like.
"Um....."
Gold looked at the young man in front of him and seemed to see many similar figures overlapping in him. There were more than one students like him.
There are many students who work hard while in school, but not everyone can make it to the top. This has to do with talent, direction, effort, opportunity, etc. Many times, success cannot be achieved just by hard work.
The dean, who had experienced a lot in his life, spoke up.
"In fact, whether in academia or across various industries, there are always many people who are obsessed with 'standing out', that is, competing for the top few places, but they are completely unaware of how slim the possibility of success is, or even that it is simply a luxury. I don't deny that competition can promote progress, but competition also brings pain, and sometimes this pain far outweighs the gains."
He continued, as if recalling the faces in his memory and the figures that had aged over the years.
"Sometimes, when you've devoted a long time and effort to something, even to the point of exhaustion, you find that nothing has changed. Your grades haven't improved, your parents haven't loved you more, your teachers haven't noticed, your friendships remain the same, your salary hasn't increased, your popularity hasn't risen, your prospects are bleak, and you have no motivation to do anything..."
"Don't doubt it, this is actually a situation that many people will encounter. In fact, it's the same for him, you, and me."
"At this point, you'll become extremely anxious and begin to doubt the very purpose of your efforts and the meaning of competition. At first, you'll doubt your own talent and abilities, and then you'll deny your own personality and background. As your failures mount, one day you'll suddenly realize that not everyone has to reach the pinnacle of their industry or circle to succeed."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"Since ancient times, more people in this world have had to be content with mediocrity. Let alone a lifetime of mediocrity, at least eight or ten years, or even decades of long-term mediocrity."
His voice suddenly gained strength: "What does it mean to strive for the top? Often, this is actually a form of mental kidnapping by those who are already at the top, exerting pressure on those in the middle and lower reaches."
"It's like they're saying that if you don't make it to the top, you're a failure, worthless, bad, and unlucky, thus satisfying their sense of superiority. Then they let you keep swimming for those few spots so they can profit."
“So competition gradually becomes the source of your pain.”
The dean's voice gradually softened.
[So, even if you are not at the top, it does not mean that you are not excellent. You have worked very hard and have done a great job.]
I am very proud to have a student like you.
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