Chapter 167: Memory Blind Box
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 167: Memory Blind Box
"Xiao Han? Is your afternoon match over? What brings you to the laboratory?"
Lab 8401 wasn't far from Ji Niang’s office—only a few doors down, in fact. Ji Niang naturally sensed my arrival quickly, especially since I was heading straight for her office anyway.
"Yeah, my match for the afternoon is finished. I came by mainly to ask for your help, Teacher. It’s about the Mana Sources."
"Oh, right. I remember now. I forgot that your current mental power isn't enough to interfere with a Mana Source yet."
Ji Niang realized her oversight as soon as I spoke. After handing over the resources earlier, she had just up and left, forgetting quite a few things—not just the Mana Sources, but also the Ley Line memories. If those weren't used correctly, they would be a complete waste.
"Do you even forget things like that, Teacher?"
"Heh, I thought you’d go to your Sister Bai for help. I didn't expect you to come to me," Ji Niang brushed it off with a casual excuse as she walked over to me. "But incorporating five hundred Mana Sources at once... the feedback that's going to give you will be quite terrifying. It'll be much more noticeable than that time with the hundred or two."
"Are you referring to the Witchification of the Mana Sources? What exactly is Witchification?" I asked, taking the opportunity to clarify a concept I was still hazy on. My understanding of Witchification was limited to the idea that it turned boys into girls, caused the body to continue developing, and changed one's race from 'human' to 'Witch.'
"More or less. Witchification is, of course, the process of completely transforming you into a Witch. Didn't I give you library permissions? You can look it up yourself; the records there will be much more thorough than any verbal explanation I could give."
"Alright..." Since Teacher Ji Niang wasn't going to elaborate, I let it drop for now. I then took out all the encapsulated Mana Sources from my storage equipment. Seeing five hundred Mana Sources piled up was a spectacular sight.
With a mere wave of her hand, Ji Niang opened the capsules. The Mana Sources gathered together and were easily funneled into my body.
The influx of such a massive amount of Mana Sources brought a strange sensation—a feeling of being completely filled. Strands of mana began to dissipate, promoting my Witchification in a way I couldn't yet comprehend. In that moment, my body underwent subtle, quiet changes, though it wasn't something that would happen overnight.
"Teacher Ji Niang, how much mental power do I need before I can use Mana Sources on my own? Roughly how many threads?"
The energy of a Mana Source was definitely linked to one's mental power. In the meditation methods, there was a unit of measurement called a 'thread.' One thread of mental power was roughly equal to one unit of mental energy.
"It has nothing to do with how many threads you have. 'Threads' are just a unit used in Witch meditation methods to measure the quantity of mental power; it's also a means of using that power more efficiently. But mana, as a transcendent energy, isn't a matter of how much mental power you have to interfere with it—it's a matter of the quality of that mental power. Think of mental power as a string; there is a fundamental difference between a cotton thread and an iron wire."
Teacher Ji Niang corrected my premise before explaining further.
"If you want your mental power to interfere with mana, it doesn't depend on how much you have, but on the enhancement brought by Witchification. Mana is a transcendent power that only Witches can control. Only by getting closer to the essence of a Witch can you interfere with mana. So, in the end, it all comes back to Witchification."
"So we're back in a circle?"
"Exactly. Just take it slow. The more Mana Sources you have, the higher the efficiency of your Witchification will be. However, you need to understand one thing: the efficiency of someone with two Mana Sources isn't double that of someone with one."
"Diminishing returns?" I quickly realized the problem.
"Correct. The more you have, the sharper the decline, until eventually it just hovers within a certain range. If there were no diminishing returns, the Academy would just use millions of Mana Sources to mass-produce Transcendent Witches like an assembly line. Do you understand? In the early stages, you should definitely fight for more Mana Sources, but after a certain point, extra Mana Sources are just numbers." Ji Niang returned to her seat and continued explaining the precautions.
"But even so, the more Mana Sources, the better, right?" Even if Mana Sources were just a cap on your 'mana pool' and became negligible later on, they should still be great for things like battles of attrition, right?
"The more the better? Not necessarily. Do you really think that just because a Mana Source is in your body, it belongs to you?" Ji Niang chuckled at my comment and continued her explanation.
"It's not mine?"
"Of course not. Witches command mana; Mana Sources are a power exclusive to Witches. You are merely walking the path to becoming a Witch—at most, you're a Prospective Witch. Rather than saying you own the Mana Sources, it's more accurate to say you are carrying them. You've never truly owned them. Even now, the only way you can use them is by drawing mana through a spellbook. Without a spellbook, you can't do a thing."
"So, only when the quality of my mental power improves—meaning my Witchification reaches a sufficient level—will I be qualified to truly own the Mana Sources?" I asked tentatively.
At this stage, the existence of Mana Sources and spellbooks made me feel as though there was a pathetic barrier between me and the Transcendent. I was merely a user of transcendent power, not its master.
"Truly mastering a Mana Source will have to wait until you become a Transcendent Witch. Being able to interfere with mana only means you have the qualification to independently use the mana within the source. Don't overthink it. This is a Witch Academy; just follow the path the Academy has laid out for you. Worrying about things you can't do yet is just asking for trouble."
Ji Niang waved her hand, advising me not to dwell on it, even though she was the one who brought it up.
I had no choice but to suppress my curiosity for now. As Teacher Ji Niang said, I had special library permissions now. If she wouldn't tell me, I could just look it up myself.
"By the way, there was a crystal-like object in that batch of resources I gave you. You haven't used it recklessly, have you?" Ji Niang asked at the opportune moment.
"That? Not yet. I didn't know what it was, so I didn't dare use it. Does it have something to do with the Ley Lines?" I asked curiously. I had been planning to ask about it, but the teacher beat me to it.
"It is indeed related to the Ley Lines. I believe you've read the materials on Ley Line stagnation before? That's right—that thing is one of the rewards from the Freshman Competition: Ley Line Memory. It has many names—Earth Memory, Memory Crystal, and so on. These are refined, effective memories that won't interfere with your personal cognition."
"You mean if I use it, I can learn the knowledge within that memory?" My eyes lit up as I asked.
This was exactly the kind of 'learning for dummies' method I needed. Please, give me more of these!
"It's not that magical. Having that part of the memory doesn't mean you can just do it. You still need to study and completely transform it into your own ability. It simply saves you the process of initial learning and comprehension, but you still have to digest it to make it yours."
"That's still incredible. Since this is a product of the Ley Lines, there must be a lot of them, right? Are there other ways to get them?"
"What? Charmed by the benefits already? Yes, the Ley Lines can produce many Earth memories, but most of them are useless, or even fragmented and chaotic. Only after being streamlined and refined into something useful can they be used normally. Furthermore, the content of the memory is uncontrollable; it's all down to luck. You understand, right?"
"I see..." I pulled out a Ley Line Memory crystal. "Then Teacher, what kind of memory is in the ones you got for me?"
"No idea. You'd have to ask the Witch who refined them. But memories are hard to define anyway. So, this is basically like opening a blind box." Ji Niang shook her head, indicating she didn't know either. However, the fact that it was used as a reward meant the memory inside at least wasn't useless.
Fighting for these Ley Line memories in the Freshman Competition was a roundabout way for the Academy to let students understand related knowledge. Perhaps it would give them a cognitive foundation, giving them an advantage if they chose to walk that specific path.
Even if it didn't help directly, it served as a form of exposure. Broadening one's horizons was always a good thing.
"A blind box?" Hearing that word, my lips couldn't help but twitch. Didn't that mean it was entirely dependent on luck?
My luck... well, it was complicated. It seemed I’d have to bathe and change clothes before using this?
"Yes. Want to try it now? I can teach you how to use it, then you can do the rest yourself when you get back." Ji Niang took the Ley Line Memory from my hand and looked at me.
"Of course."
"Alright then, let me explain. This memory is carried by Ley Line energy, so you need to use your mental power to guide it. You have to ensure the memory enters your mind without becoming fragmented. Like this—use your Spirit Vision to see it more clearly."
"Okay." I nodded. Even without Ji Niang's reminder, I would have used Spirit Vision instinctively. I had already developed the habit of using Spirit Vision to observe everything; I was essentially integrating the Spirit Vision perspective into every aspect of my life.
In the past, I had avoided it like the plague in order to live a normal life. Now, it was my greatest reliance as I navigated the Transcendent world.
I could see the crystal sprouting branches of Ley Line energy. Under the guidance of Ji Niang's mental power, the memory flowed along that energy into my mind.
In that moment, it was as if I were watching a revolving lantern, reviewing a stranger's memories.
I could sense the figures of various Senior Sisters. I couldn't see their faces clearly, and it felt as if countless overlapping shadows were merged together.
They were repeatedly performing an unknown exercise. Simultaneously, a "voice" like a narrator echoed in my head.
It was as if it were telling me exactly what this was.
This is a Body Strengthening Technique training skill. It can stretch the entire body, pull the tendons and bones, and enhance physical constitution and flexibility. It is an auxiliary training skill used in conjunction with transformation magic for close-quarters combat.
"How does it feel?"
"Ugh... a bit dizzy... but it really is a segment of memory... I remember it very clearly..." I replied, clutching my head.
"Dizziness is normal. After all, it's a forced, foreign memory. Well? What did this memory give you?" Ji Niang asked curiously.
"It seems to be a set of Body Strengthening Technique training skills," I said honestly.
"Body Strengthening Technique... oh, I remember now. The Academy does have that course. I didn't expect it to be that memory. It's... passable," Ji Niang nodded and evaluated after hearing my description. "So, you won't need help with the rest, right?"
"No, thank you, Teacher," I said, still holding my forehead. It took time to digest and adapt to the memory; clearly, the initial shock hadn't passed yet.
"The aftereffects are quite strong, right? That's why you can't use these things too frequently. If you use too many, be careful that the memories don't get scrambled. Just watch yourself. It's best not to use more than three a day—maybe three or four, but don't push it much further than that."
"Understood," I nodded. I had about a dozen of these in my storage equipment. That meant even if I used them at the maximum daily limit, it would take several days—roughly until the end of the Freshman Competition.
And since the rewards after the competition also included these, it looked like I wouldn't be able to escape this "blind box" life for the next few days.
I just hoped I wouldn't pull any memories that were too ridiculous.