Chapter 176: Portable Ley Line Operating System
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 176: Portable Ley Line Operating System
After discussing the matter further with Teacher Ji Niang, I resumed my new experiments with the spellbook.
For instance, I was trying to teach an Elemental Spirit that could only manipulate fire how to utilize its element more efficiently to cast spells—essentially nesting one spell within the spellbook of another.
Originally, I had thought about nesting my most familiar spell, the Fireball Spell, but at Teacher Ji Niang’s suggestion, I switched to the Elemental Shot. It was a spell even more basic than the Fireball Spell, capable of adapting to various elements, making it a much better fit for a spell that summoned random Elemental Spirits.
Otherwise, if I nested the Fireball Spell and later summoned a spirit of a different element, it might not be able to cast it at all, or worse, it could trigger a compatibility conflict.
"Is that your delivery arriving? Xiao Han, take a break. Don't force yourself like this when you're stuck for ideas." At that moment, there was a knock at the door. Ji Niang took a quick glance outside and spoke to me.
"Mm."
I set aside my work. To be honest, I was quite hungry. Although the food I’d ordered wasn't as good as a sit-down restaurant, the taste wasn't bad.
"Xiao Han, while you eat, I’d like to have a chat with you."
"Hm? Sure, go ahead, Teacher Ji Niang." I paused for a moment at her words, then continued unpacking the delivery containers.
"Do you find researching the Blessing of the Elemental Spirit spellbook difficult?"
"It is quite taxing," I admitted.
"And what about your research into the Fireball Spell or the Wind Blade spell? Is that difficult?"
"That... isn't really that hard anymore..." I replied, reflecting on it.
"Then, are you able to 'mod' spells like the Fireball Spell on the fly during combat? To make the spell more suited to the situation?"
"I can't say for sure about other spells, but for the Fireball Spell, I think I can."
"You think you can? Heh, do you even hear yourself? You're already capable of adapting a spell to different combat scenarios in the heat of battle."
"But... that's only because I have an absolute understanding of the Fireball Spell..." I said hesitantly.
"Is there a problem with that? Only by having a fundamental understanding of a spellbook can you fully utilize the bursts of inspiration that come during combat. Remember those geniuses I mentioned earlier? That’s exactly how they are. The moment they get a new spellbook, their first priority is adaptation and understanding. No one gets a flash of 'modding' inspiration for something they don't understand. You can do it now, but only with the Fireball Spell."
"So, Teacher, are you saying I have the same kind of talent as the people you mentioned?" My eyes widened, and my chopsticks even froze mid-air.
"What I’m saying is that the level you should be focusing on right now is Standard Consumption Spellbooks like the Fireball Spell, rather than being overly ambitious and aiming for high-level spellbooks!"
Seeing my reaction, Ji Niang dropped the act and poked me right in the forehead. That poke definitely carried a hint of personal frustration.
"Uh... Teacher Ji Niang, if you're unhappy with me, you can just say so. There's no need to go in such a big circle, right?"
I spoke with a touch of exasperation. If she was advising me for my own good, of course I would listen. Besides, I really did feel that researching the Blessing of the Elemental Spirit was a bit beyond me right now.
But thinking back on my mastery of the Fireball Spell, I suppose I really was quite impressive...
And I actually had quite a few Standard Consumption Spellbooks now—fifteen or sixteen, if I counted them up.
It was a staggering number, but it also meant my knowledge was a bit cluttered.
"I’m trying to persuade you in a way you can accept, so you don't get stubborn. Don't all geniuses have a bit of arrogance?" Teacher Ji Niang said casually, crossing her arms.
"But I’m not arrogant at all, Teacher. We've spent enough time together; surely you can see that much?" I immediately protested. Her words felt like a direct challenge to my character!
"I can see it. You act humble enough on the surface, but who knows what the real you is like? Put that High-consumption Spellbook away. Don't overextend yourself, or you'll pull a... oh, I almost forgot, you don't have those anymore."
"That... Teacher, was there really a need for that jab? Do you still not see me as a girl?"
"You aren't a girl to begin with. You are a Prospective Witch. There is a fundamental difference between a Witch and a girl," the teacher corrected.
I didn't push the issue further. Instead, I finished my meal quickly and went back to studying Standard Consumption Spellbooks.
During this time, Teacher Ji Niang gave me a brief rundown on how spellbooks were categorized by their consumption levels.
Spellbooks with single-digit consumption were called Standard Consumption Spellbooks. Those in the double digits were Medium Consumption Spellbooks, followed by High-consumption Spellbooks, and then Over-consumption Spellbooks.
This was the limit of what we freshmen could typically access. Even Tan Han only possessed one Over-consumption spellbook with a thousand-point cost.
Spells that consumed ten thousand mana marked the beginning of a qualitative change; these were called Myriad Methods Books. The next jump in category was even larger: the Million Divine Spellbook.
The limit of what one could obtain within the Witch Academy was a Myriad Methods Book. The Million Divine Spellbook was merely a legend, something impractical. After all, no one could obtain a million Mana Sources during their time at school. Unless there were extraordinary circumstances, resources would never be tilted toward a single individual to such an extent. So, even if someone were given a Million Divine Spellbook, they wouldn't be able to use it.
Time flew by. As I continued my research into Standard Consumption Spellbooks, the afternoon matches were about to begin.
I hadn't made much progress yet. Familiarizing oneself with a spellbook wasn't something that happened in an instant. Even if it was an Evocation spellbook like the Fireball Spell, the differences were vast due to the different elements involved.
After all, there was such a thing as "Elemental Theory," followed by "Advanced Elemental Theory," "Progressive Elemental Theory," and so on.
I really, desperately needed a spell for photographic memory right now! There was just too much knowledge to memorize and learn.
"Leaving?"
"Eh? Yes." I reflexively responded to Teacher Ji Niang’s question.
Although I had a bet with Tan Han that I would have a bye this afternoon, and I trusted her intuition, I still had to go. If I didn't show up and ended up with a bye anyway, anyone could see there was some behind-the-scenes manipulation. So, I had to be there.
"Take this with you. I see you're always busy, though I don't know with what. This should help improve your efficiency and save you from running back here so often." As she spoke, Ji Niang handed me something.
"What is this?" I held the object, which looked like a pair of headphones, though it clearly wasn't. It seemed more like a pendant to be worn around the neck.
"It's a Portable Ley Line Operating System. Since you can't manipulate mana right now, you can't bring out the full performance of a mana-driven phone. You can try this. While it can't match the performance of the big machines here, there aren't many restrictions on you using it."
"Huh? This is a Ley Line Operating System?" I looked at the small device in shock. It bore no resemblance to the Ley Line Operating Systems here.
The difference was even greater than that between a desktop computer and a laptop. Despite my surprise, I hung it around my neck. It was simple to operate; I saw the iconic energy start button and pressed it immediately.
"Mm. But because so many components were removed, this system takes a while to boot up. It has to link to the ley line energy of your current location. Also, it's best not to wander around too much, or you might lose the connection. Reconnecting is a bit of a pain."
"I see. I probably won't be running around when I'm using the system anyway, so that shouldn't be a big issue," I said, delighted. With this, I could perform virtual modeling of spellbooks whenever I wanted. The fastest way to familiarize oneself with a spellbook was to use a Ley Line Operating System to reconstruct its structure in another format.
Plus, it allowed for detailed annotations, which was incredibly convenient.
This method would even allow me to study without using Spirit Vision, saving me from unnecessary brain overload.
More importantly, if I completed a spellbook model based on my Spirit Vision perspective, others could use this method to understand the spellbook as I saw it.
Of course, that was the ideal scenario. More often than not, even if I expressed it, they wouldn't be able to understand...
Then again, it might just be that my communication skills were lacking. What I saw through Spirit Vision was too abstract; even with modeling and annotations, it was hard to explain what was going on.
It was hard to imagine, but if Tan Han and I ever researched spellbooks together, her biggest hurdle might just be figuring out how to understand what I was trying to express.
At this moment, I finally understood what Teacher Ji Niang had told me back in the dream device. The information carried by language and text still couldn't describe the information presented by Spirit Vision.
Language and text were too shallow. So... could something like Runes work?
Could a Ritual composed of Runes be considered a special kind of language? A language for communicating with the Void?
If one understood Runes, then the words they formed would be the most direct effect, bypassing the level of comprehension to directly convey their meaning.
For example, if a combination of Runes expressed a Fireball Spell, even someone who didn't know Runes would understand that the "meaning" of this cluster of Runes was a Fireball Spell.
Because it literally was a Fireball Spell. Wasn't that the ultimate form of pictographic writing?
Heh... it seemed I was getting a bit ahead of myself.
"Well, Teacher Ji Niang, I’m heading out now."
After saying goodbye to her, I returned to the arena. I arrived just in the nick of time and didn't have to wait long before the afternoon's match schedule began.
The 25-into-13 confrontation!
The stakes were incredibly high.
I scanned the remaining contestants and even spotted Shi Huiyu among them!
She was actually that strong?
It felt like Hong Chenyi wouldn't be able to keep her down. Was Hong Chenyi actually the submissive one?
Regardless, as long as Shi Huiyu didn't run into me or Tan Han, she had a very high chance of making it into the top ten.
As the matches were arranged, the final roster came out.
The moment the schedule appeared, a roar went up from the crowd. There was a bye in this round, and the name next to it was mine, complete with a portrait photo for everyone to see.
Seeing the result with my own eyes, I couldn't help but want to laugh. Tan Han had really called it. Although she said she hadn't asked anyone, there was probably no point in dwelling on it now. Maybe it was just the guidance of her so-called "Luck"?
"Congratulations~"
Tan Han stood up and smiled toward me.
With that beaming face of hers, anyone who didn't know better would think she was the one who got the bye.
But she really was happy—at least now she could become my "academic friend" in name.
I could imagine that after this match, she would definitely use this as an excuse to come find me.
"Congratulations to you too," I whispered, though no one heard me. I sat in the contestant viewing area, which offered an excellent vantage point for every match, but I wasn't about to waste my time.
Ji Niang really was thoughtful. I desperately needed this Ley Line Operating System here at the arena.
However, I also realized just how slow a "slow boot-up" for a portable system could be. It took at least several minutes; even my computer at home didn't take that long. If the location was poor, the time to link with the ley line could be even longer.
Still, watching the operating system communicate with the ley line energy through Spirit Vision was quite interesting—at least it was a novel sight.
The floating light screen that followed the system was also quite fun. I could already feel many eyes turning toward me once the screen activated. Although students often used Ley Line Operating Systems in class, they had never played with one like this.
After all, who could resist a cool, floating light screen that followed you around?
It even supported gesture interaction.
This was my first time trying a portable version. It felt similar to the lab system, but the UI was different and would take some getting used to.
After familiarizing myself with it for a bit, I discovered a real gem!
The Gaze Tracking Anti-Peeping Feature!
With this, the screen would precisely render the image based on my line of sight. To anyone else without my permission, the screen would just look like a blurry mess.
This meant that even if I were to watch videos in a crowded arena, no one would know. I absolutely loved this feature!
Of course... I’m a pure-hearted person; I would never do such a thing. Mostly because I don't have any "resources" right now (not).
In any case, this meant I didn't have to worry about people hovering over my shoulder and asking what I was doing while I researched spellbooks. Don't ask; if you ask, I’m just playing with pixels.
Trying to discuss professional matters with people I was destined to have no intersection with was a losing game from the start. They just wanted to satisfy their ignorant curiosity, but it was my time being wasted.
Just as I finished building the model for the Fireball Spell, Tan Han finished her battle on the field at lightning speed. I had to admit, "crushing strength" was the only way to describe it.
Then again, it would have been the same for me. It was as if two "smurfs" had suddenly appeared in the freshman competition.
If I hadn't gotten a bye, there would probably be another victim. No doubt, Tan Han would be the one sitting out the 13-into-7 round tomorrow.
Most people had probably anticipated this kind of arrangement, so there wasn't much dissatisfaction; they mostly understood.
But those who just wanted to see the world burn were a different story. There were plenty of "amusement seekers" in the Witch Academy who wanted nothing more than to see blood flow into a river.
There was a reason I chose to build the Fireball Spell model first.
First, it was the spellbook I was most familiar with, so it was good for practice and review.
Second, this was a new Ley Line Operating System, and I hadn't had time to sync it with the lab's data. Combined with a bit of OCD, I wanted to model and archive all my spellbooks one by one.
The most important reason was that Tan Han would likely be coming over soon. Given my current situation, she would definitely be asking questions, and this would give me something to show her—and perhaps lead her through the gates of a new world.
As a genuine top student, her thinking was surely more active than mine. We should be able to produce some very interesting sparks together.
And reality played out exactly as I expected. After finishing her match, Tan Han hurried off the field and headed straight for me.
I glanced at the empty seats nearby. These belonged to contestants who had been eliminated early and likely wouldn't be back for a while.
"Come sit with me. You just finished your match; do you want to go grab a bottle of water and rest?"
"No need, that match didn't take much effort." Tan Han declined my suggestion and sat down beside me, just as she had before.
"Xiao Han, what's this?"
"A Portable Ley Line Operating System."