Chapter 169: The Academy Exchange Follows
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 169: The Academy Exchange Follows
Right now.
In the laboratory, I was studying the first hundred-mana-cost spellbook I had acquired: Elemental Spirit's Blessing.
When cast, this spell didn't possess the terrifying aura or the massive destructive power of the Flame Lord that Tan Han had summoned earlier. However, the hundred-point mana consumption was still staggering. Whether it was the layer of protection currently covering my body or the translucent, humanoid sprite floating before me, both were manifestations of that immense, concentrated energy.
If left undisturbed, this spell could persist for a long time.
The sprite I had summoned was a Fire Elemental Spirit. Her presence caused the temperature in the lab to rise significantly. I seemed to be able to communicate with her, and she was perfectly obedient to my commands. However, if I had to judge whether this spirit counted as "life"—a being with self-awareness and cognition—I would say no.
It lacked the spark of life. This was a subjective judgment, but the spirit was clearly just a spell effect, possessing only the "cooperative behavioral logic" predefined within the spellbook. It was essentially a transcendent form of artificial retardation; that was the best way to describe it.
The blessing on my body was also fire-aspected. I could even feel my Fire Affinity boosting the spell's power!
Since my mental power was a form of Pan-Affinity, I had never truly known what it felt like to have a specific elemental affinity. Now, I knew.
That feeling of effortless control was incredible—it was truly like the difference between using a real arm and a prosthetic!
It seemed the hundred-mana cost was well worth it. Just the boost to the corresponding elemental affinity alone significantly increased my combat strength. Furthermore, the Elemental Spirit would coordinate with me in battle and would even sacrifice itself to protect me without a moment's hesitation.
Comparing it strictly to Tan Han’s Flame Lord, it might fall short in raw combat power, but in terms of overall utility, it was far more versatile than a simple Flame Lord summoning. After all, this was just a spell effect.
After witnessing the spellbook's capabilities, I pulled up the panel for the Ley Line system. I needed to create an external virtual model of the spellbook's results and then use that to deduce a plan for a "micro-modification."
I called it "deduction," but until I fully understood the various structures and functions of the spellbook, it was really just a brute-force method—trial and error. I had to slowly feel my way through, summarizing the functions based on the feedback received after casting.
This was the standard procedure for researching a spellbook. However, I had Spirit Vision, which allowed me to skip a vast number of meaningless steps and go straight to the core.
The only thing I wanted to modify in Elemental Spirit's Blessing was the "random" nature of the summoning. If I could designate the element, its value would increase a thousandfold!
Don't assume that "random" means you can get whatever you want as long as you have a large enough sample size. Don't think that with enough mana sources, you can always cycle through until you get the element you need. In specific circumstances, certain probabilities are effectively locked.
For instance, when I was spamming Fireball Spells in the arena, the environment became saturated with fire elements, making it highly probable that a Fire Elemental Spirit would be summoned.
Looking at it that way, the spell seemed reliable enough. But to put it bluntly, didn't that mean it only worked well when you already had the upper hand? If you were trapped in an opponent's home field, a random Elemental Spirit might actually be more suited to your enemy. Fortunately, your own spells couldn't help the enemy, or the value of this spell would be even lower.
Still, it was a high-consumption spellbook, so it wasn't exactly useless. From a structural standpoint, its potential for development was vast. There were many parts I didn't recognize yet because I lacked the reference materials.
I looked at the library permission card Teacher Ji Niang had given me. It granted high-level access, which should be enough to find the relevant data. Moreover, this card could link with my phone and the Ley Line system, similar to a student card, as it also contained a surge of Ley Line energy.
"Found it... Elemental Spirit's Blessing. There are even analytical papers on this spell within the academy." As I opened the files, I noticed several requirements. For example, some data had explicit Spirit Vision level restrictions; otherwise, the descriptions would be incomprehensible or impossible to replicate.
After all, the mind cannot conceive of things it has never seen, let alone conduct experiments based on such data. However, after a quick browse, I saw that the highest requirement was only the second stage, "Imaging." It posed no restriction on me at all.
As time passed, I gradually came to understand the internal structure. It would still take some time before I mastered it as completely as I had the Fireball Spell, as the complexity of this spellbook was incomparable. The reason I estimated it would only take a few days to master was that my experience with the Fireball Spell had made me quite proficient in researching spellbooks.
The first restriction to be broken was, naturally, the "randomness." Now, the Elemental Spirit's Blessing spellbook allowed for a designated element.
I tried casting the spell again. A Water Elemental Spirit's blessing appeared on me, and a pale blue phantom manifested before my eyes.
"It seems I really can designate it now."
I wiped the sweat from my forehead. My hard work hadn't been in vain. This was much more difficult than modifying the shape of a Fireball Spell; there were so many more factors to consider, especially regarding the summoning ritual.
"Wait."
I soon realized a problem. The original Fire Elemental blessing hadn't dissipated. The water and fire elements were clashing, creating an elemental conflict.
The main issue wasn't the conflict between the blessings, but the fact that two Elemental Spirits were now coexisting!
I didn't recall this spellbook having the ability to summon multiple spirits. Where did I go wrong to cause this error?
Though this error seemed like a "good bug"—and a useful bug isn't a bug, it's a carefully designed feature—that didn't mean I didn't want to understand which part of the structure caused it. This was a result achieved by pure accident!
I naturally had to master this technique; perhaps I could apply a similar architecture to other spells. Besides, if I wanted to modify this spell further, what if I accidentally caused this multi-summoning ability to vanish?
Just as I was hurriedly preparing to dive back into the work, the door to 8401 was pushed open.
"Hmm?"
I looked up at the opening door. No students should be coming to this floor. I only breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Teacher Ji Niang.
"Teacher Ji Niang, you're back?"
I instinctively checked the time and realized how fast it had flown. It was already evening. At the thought of night, my stomach began to growl.
"I suppose I am." Upon entering, the preoccupied expression Ji Niang had been wearing quickly shifted. She looked curiously at the spellbook I had unfolded and asked, "Oh? You've already started working on a spellbook of this level? How's the progress?"
"Uh... progress is slow..." I said modestly. It was true, though; in half a day, I had only managed to fulfill one requirement and triggered a beneficial bug, without even having time to test for unknown risks.
"Slow? Slow is normal," Ji Niang said with a nod after a brief glance. This was the kind of progress a freshman should have. Her previous performance had been a bit frightening.
However, she had mainly leaned in to see if I had started messing with Rune Editing. Seeing that I was still just adjusting and modifying the spellbook's structure, she didn't feel the need to worry too much.
In truth, modifying a spellbook wasn't an insurmountable task. Once a person's Spirit Vision reached the second stage, Imaging, they were qualified to learn the techniques for dismantling spellbooks and could even adjust the structure to a certain extent.
This was known as "micro-modification."
It was also called "spell adaptation." Such micro-modifications didn't change the form of the spellbook much, but they made it smoother and more tailored to the user's habits.
Ji Niang looked back at me, then at my unfolded spellbook. Structural adjustments of this magnitude were already far beyond the scope of "micro-modification."
This was the advantage of a high Spirit Vision level.
Mental power is the first force life masters, and it is also the most fearsome tool. Where Spirit Vision sees, mental power can reach. Combined with the Witch Meditation Method to refine mental power into threads, the controllable limit of this tool is further enhanced.
The reason Real Editing can only be mastered by Transcendents is partly because only mental power at that level of quality can support the complexity of such operations.
"Don't be in such a hurry. You've been busy all afternoon, haven't you? Why not relax a bit? Balance work and rest." Ji Niang pulled over a chair and sat down.
"I'm fine. I haven't been busy the whole afternoon. I just discovered a problem and was trying to figure out where it came from."
"A problem? Let's hear it. If you run into a problem, there's no need to force yourself to find the answer alone. That doesn't prove you're brilliant; it just wastes your time." Hearing that I had encountered a problem, Ji Niang spoke up immediately. She wasn't particularly fond of the obsession with finding answers entirely on one's own. Solving problems is still a learning process; you can try yourself, but there's no need to bash your head against a wall. Even if you force a result, it only brings a momentary sense of achievement while wasting a vast amount of time. In that same time, you could ask someone or look up data to find multiple solutions.
Before reaching the boundaries that no one has yet crossed, one must learn one thing: to seek outside help.
Stubbornly struggling with a problem is a sign of disrespect to the predecessors who already cleared the path. What, do you want to prove you're greater than the greats? Instead of looking for a sense of superiority here, you'd be better off following their path, catching up to them, and competing with them at the very edge of knowledge.
"Well, I've run into an issue. This spellbook is Elemental Spirit's Blessing. I modified the internal structure to change the random summoning into designated summoning. Although the modification was successful, it can now summon multiple Elemental Spirits simultaneously. Originally, this spellbook couldn't do that." I moved aside and pushed the spellbook toward Teacher Ji Niang, explaining it to her.
"Isn't that a good thing? Why do you sound like it's a bad thing?"
Ji Niang looked at the internal structure of the spellbook, but hearing my description, her lip couldn't help but twitch. She clearly couldn't understand my train of thought.
"Subjectively, yes, it's good. But I don't know how I did it, so I don't know how to preserve this trait. If I don't understand the principle, I might accidentally make it disappear during further modifications."
"So that's what you're thinking. A greedy thought, indeed. Though, to be fair, I'd think the same way."
Ji Niang skillfully took over my spellbook. Then, just like me, she opened the online library on the Ley Line system and began searching for data...
Well, it seemed that even a Transcendent Witch needed to look up data for corroboration.
I didn't find it odd at all. In fact, I leaned in to learn what keywords Teacher Ji Niang used and what channels she searched through. This was very important to me; otherwise, faced with just a search bar, I wouldn't even know how to find what I wanted in an unknown field.
One could say I benefited immensely from watching Ji Niang's process.
After a while, Ji Niang combined the data and began explaining it to me. She solved my problem and even helped me download all the materials she had just found.
Her efficiency left me in absolute awe.
"Thank you, Teacher."
"It's nothing. It's all stuff you can find yourself. Go ahead and play with it." Teacher Ji Niang pushed the spellbook back to me, handing back control.
"By the way, it's getting late. You should probably head back, right? Before you go, there's something I should tell you. It doesn't really matter if I say it now, as the academy will be sending out a campus-wide notice soon anyway."
"Oh? What is it?" I asked instinctively, though I already had a guess. It likely had something to do with why Teacher Ji Niang had rushed off this afternoon.
"After the top ten are chosen in the Freshman Competition, the Witch Academy will host an exchange competition between multiple academies. The stated goal is 'exchange' between freshmen—to understand the differences between various Transcendent academies. Of course, that's just PR talk. In reality, the other academies are coming with ill intent. When the exchange competition starts, don't hesitate to go for the kill."
Teacher Ji Niang spoke very casually, even the part about "going for the kill," as if she were mentioning something trivial.
"Huh?"
I felt very strange. What kind of development was this? I couldn't help but complain, "Is it really necessary for freshmen to have such frequent exchanges? School has barely started. What is there even to 'exchange'?"
"Heh, what do you think? Freshman exchanges are never about the freshmen; they're about exchanging Luck. The Freshman Competition is just the format. If you don't exchange now, you won't even get to eat their dust later," Ji Niang grumbled in response.
Some things are just like that. You know they're unreasonable, but you shouldn't ask why things are developing this way. Instead, ask what is driving this development, who ultimately profits, and then look at the faces of those profiting to see how they twist the facts.
"Anyway, tomorrow—at the earliest—the other academies will start arriving at our Witch Academy. The first to arrive will likely be Afuhemi Academy, so don't be surprised. Also, mention this in your class group chat. Give them a heads-up so they don't freak out tomorrow."
"Okay, will do," I said with a nod.
Afterward, I tidied up all the equipment. The issue with the spellbook was resolved, so I had no reason to stay any longer today.
Time to head back.
I'd also mention the exchange with the other academies in the class group. After all, freshmen who were still naive about the Transcendent world would be intensely curious about other Transcendent academies.
But every Transcendent academy has its own hardships that only its students know. Others only ever envy the glamorous exterior. I wondered how much "tough love" these freshmen would have to endure before they understood that.
On the way back, I posted the news in the class group. It wouldn't be long before the academy sent out a formal notice, but not all students checked those.
As soon as I popped up in the group, the students who had been lurking immediately surfaced. The mutual aid group was still discussing today's Freshman Competition. Since it was their first time experiencing such an event, they seemed even more invested than I was as a participant.
However, they were quickly drawn in by the notice I posted. After all, this was an exchange competition involving multiple academies!
While other Transcendent academies might not compare to the Witch Academy, they still had many things that attracted them—like the novelty of different races.
Moreover, many students complained that in the Witch Academy, they were surrounded by nothing but beautiful girls and felt like they were being "turned." With this exchange, the Witch Academy would likely see a breakthrough presence of males.
Though, the Witch Academy already had students who were originally male.
Like everyone in my dorm, for instance.
I had a feeling that once this news spread, it would spark even more heated discussion than the Freshman Competition. The academy network would likely be flooded with it.
For me, this was actually a good thing. I didn't particularly enjoy being the subject of so much online gossip.
After I sent the message, the class group erupted in a frenzy. I received a barrage of private messages from people asking me all sorts of questions, and I was so busy I could hardly keep up.
By the time I returned to the villa, the black night sky hadn't prompted any lights to turn on inside.
"No one's home?" I pushed open the door curiously. It seemed the place was indeed empty...
They were all in the living room watching TV yesterday. Did they go out to party tonight?
And they didn't even bring me! Our bond really has weakened!
I immediately took out my phone and contacted Hong Chenyi. She was the one I felt least burdened about bothering.
"Hong Chenyi, where are you guys?"
"Eh? Sister Xiao Han? We're out having fun! I didn't realize it was so lively here at night. Do you want to come over, Sister Xiao Han? We probably won't be back for a while."
"You went out? Whose idea was it? Didn't anyone think of me?"
"Eh? We thought you were busy with a million things every day, Sister Xiao Han, so we didn't want to disturb you. But since you said that, we'll definitely contact you first for any future activities!"
"Fine then. I'm hanging up."
"Oh, Sister Xiao Han, do you want us to bring anything back? The snacks here are really good!"
"Forget it, you guys enjoy. I already ate on my way back."