Chapter 177: Opening the Door to a New World for Tan Han
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 177: Opening the Door to a New World for Tan Han
"A Portable Ley Line Operating System?"
Tan Han stared curiously at the mass of mosaics in front of her. It was so blurred that she couldn't make out anything inside.
However, she didn't believe Xiao Han was the type to show off for no reason, so she was certain her friend was definitely up to something.
"But... why is it just a blur?" Tan Han finally voiced her confusion.
"Oh, it's because I have the Gaze Tracking Anti-Peeping Feature turned on. Some things shouldn't be poked and prodded at by people who are just here to watch the show," I replied.
"So... am I just here to watch the show?"
"What are you saying? My academic friend, you naturally have the right to see it." I manipulated the system to switch to multi-user sharing under the anti-peeping state and transferred a set of permissions to Tan Han.
This was also my way of acknowledging the final result of our bet.
However, I noticed that this portable system couldn't share all its functions. For instance, things like the multi-user light screen follow-mode were only available to me as the primary operator.
Once she obtained the shared ley line permissions, the mosaics in Tan Han's eyes gradually dissipated, replaced by a 3D model so detailed it made her scalp tingle.
"What is this?" Tan Han shook her head. Looking at it just now had made her feel a bit lightheaded.
"This is a spellbook model. It's a visual entity presented after physical modeling, used to assist in research," I explained carefully.
"A spellbook? That light orb? That thing can be materialized and modeled into an internal structure? How is that possible?"
Tan Han's first instinct was disbelief. That light orb—the spellbook—was an intangible object that required mental strength to communicate with. How could it contain so many invisible structures?
But on second thought, it seemed perfectly logical. If a spellbook could release spells through mental control, there had to be a clear, defined process behind it. It was simply that she hadn't been able to explore that domain herself.
"Dismissing something as impossible just because it's novel isn't the reaction a Academic God should have," I remarked.
"Sorry, I misspoke," Tan Han quickly realized her error and apologized.
At the same time, she felt as if a massive door was swinging open before her!
This... this is the true essence of transcendent power, isn't it?
Tan Han felt as if she were undergoing a spiritual ascension, one that cleared the fog from her uncertain future.
After arriving at the Witch Academy, she had been surrounded by countless Senior Sisters who constantly fed her common knowledge and warnings. They taught her everything from basic mana sources to spellbooks, the classification of spellbook tiers, and Witch Meditation Methods.
She felt as though she had reached the pinnacle of the academy the moment she enrolled.
She knew the most powerful spellbook was the Million Divine Spellbook. The highest level she could obtain in the academy was the Myriad Methods Book. As a freshman, she had already obtained a spellbook with a thousand-point over-consumption limit. It seemed that taking just one more step forward would put her at a height no one else in the academy could reach.
The only thing limiting her was the number of mana sources she possessed.
But even with mana sources, there was a cap on how many one could carry before becoming a Transcendent Witch—roughly ten thousand. This was one of the reasons why the highest-tier spellbook available at the Witch Academy was the Myriad Methods Book.
This feeling of seeing the end of the road at a single glance was truly unpleasant for Tan Han, even if she only had ten years before graduation.
The things mentioned before—the witchification process, promoting to a Transcendent Witch—felt too far away. she had even been wondering if she should pick up some side crafts, like alchemy or other methods.
But now she understood. She knew what she should be doing in the academy.
Spellbooks!
These masterpieces that utilized transcendent energy to form terrifying spells—their structure was what she truly needed to study! She could hardly imagine what kind of brilliance transcendence would radiate in her hands if she mastered the means to construct a spellbook.
At the very least, she wouldn't be like she was now, mindlessly firing off spells.
No... actually, she had already witnessed that brilliance. That Fireball Spell, that Standard Consumption spellbook that had utterly suppressed her from start to finish...
"This... which spell's spellbook is this?" Tan Han couldn't help but ask.
"A Standard Consumption spellbook, the Fireball Spell," I said with a smile. When it came to the Fireball Spell, Tan Han was surely no stranger to it.
"The Fireball Spell!"
Upon hearing my words, the desire in Tan Han's eyes became almost palpable, making me feel a bit uneasy.
"Are you okay? I know you're eager to learn, but we have to take this one step at a time." I waved my hand in front of Tan Han, signaling her to stop daydreaming.
"Huh? Oh, right. You're right. A skyscraper starts from the ground; we really do need to start from the basics." Once Tan Han snapped out of it, she immediately reined in her earlier loss of composure.
Her reaction had indeed been a bit extreme, but she couldn't be blamed. Anyone would be dazed for a moment when faced with such a temptation—even Tan Han was no exception.
"So, I'd like to ask, how exactly is this achieved? If I want to start now, what materials do I need to prepare, and what knowledge do I need to cram?"
"Whoa, that's too many questions at once," I said, looking at Tan Han. In truth, I was only half-baked myself. If I tried to teach Tan Han, it would be the blind leading the blind. That was why I never intended to teach her personally.
Besides, it wasn't like Tan Han didn't have a teacher. Given her talent, if she went to ask or self-study these basic concepts, she would probably learn more than I could ever tell her.
"Also, I'm a freshman just like you. If you want to understand these things, you'll get a much clearer answer asking your mentor than asking me," I corrected her.
"This..."
Tan Han felt an itch in her heart. Being told nothing when she wanted to know everything naturally made her anxious, but she didn't dare push too hard. She was afraid such an attitude would provoke Xiao Han's resentment.
"What? Does Teacher Lina not usually teach you the common sense of transcendence?" I asked curiously.
Most counselors handled three to five classes at once, but Sister Naiden was different. She only had to look after our Class 14. One could say she spent an enormous amount of time on me... or did she? I usually saw her looking quite leisurely in her office.
Well, maybe not. I never went out of my way to disturb Sister Naiden, so I didn't actually know what she was busy with.
I had a feeling the research group she formed was purely for show—an excuse to set up a private classroom and a dedicated class just for me. And it was located right near her office. That kind of treatment was truly top-tier.
"Teacher Lina... I'll go ask her." After some thought, Tan Han decided to test the waters with her counselor first.
Although the counselor was very fond of her, she had never heard her mention this specific use of a spellbook.
No... it seemed it had been mentioned, but not in these terms. It was usually called "Micro Modification" or "Spell Adaptation."
Thinking back carefully, Teacher Lina had indeed said that when a spell is used enough times and one understands it deeply enough, one can use mental strength to "grind" with the spellbook. This allows the spellbook to display power far beyond its original parameters and makes it much smoother to use. Eventually, it's no longer the person adapting to the spell, but the spell adapting to the person.
Furthermore, adding in the concept mentioned by the commentator during the match replay: the Magic-Modified Spellbook!
If a spellbook could be modified at will, that would be incredible!
"Then you should probably get going, right? You only earn the right to communicate once you've understood the basics."
"I'm sorry, I can't explain these concepts to you like a teacher would. My ability to express them is lacking. If I try to relay a teacher's understanding, I might lead you astray. Instead of that, you're better off asking your mentor directly. As Transcendent Witches, their understanding is at least guaranteed to be correct. We can discuss any discrepancies together later."
"It's fine, you're right." Tan Han nodded and stood up. "Anyway, thank you for showing me the magical world inside a spellbook. I should try to explore it myself until I reach a level where I can truly converse with you." Tan Han said with a smile. Even without me, she would have eventually asked her teacher once she learned the concept of spellbook modification, but becoming an "academic friend" in name had solidified her resolve to walk this path.
"Yeah, good luck," I said with a smile.
Talking to smart people was so much easier. I hadn't expected to shift the burden so quickly, saving me a lot of breath.
Even though Tan Han had won the bet and I had acknowledged her status, she didn't use the opportunity to cling to me. This proved her immense self-control.
Moreover, she had a very competitive personality, even vowing to reach a level where she could converse with me.
Though... I wasn't actually that far ahead of her. With her learning speed, she'd probably catch up to me in no time. I suddenly felt a sense of urgency...
However, there was a very thick barrier between us: the gap in Spirit Vision.
It was like a person born blind trying to imagine the concept of color.
Spirit Vision was truly the sturdiest wall in transcendence—the method by which the bottleneck isolated the world.
After seeing Tan Han off, I was alone once again. The contestants in the Arena were still fighting; many were engaged in friendly matches for the bottom fifty rankings.
Since they weren't fighting for the top spot, these low-pressure matches were often more surprising than the elimination rounds. They were truly letting themselves go.
Meanwhile, I continued my understanding and construction of the basic consumption spellbook. The speed of this construction was definitely getting faster. There was no secret to it; it was simply a matter of practice making perfect.
However, I soon encountered situations where I needed to look up information. Fortunately, even the Portable Ley Line Operating System could link to the library's data, just like the equipment in the laboratory.
The more I worked, the more I felt my own shortcomings. If only I were one of those geniuses with a photographic memory who understood everything at a glance. But that was just wishful thinking.
When I finally grew tired of the data, I stood up, stretched, and checked the time on my phone.
Chronologically speaking, it was still quite early. But I was already thinking about how to go buy those potions. Sister Naiden had suggested the Witch Plaza, so I didn't mind heading over there to take a look.
I had a bye for this afternoon's match, so I shouldn't have been hanging around the Arena anyway.
So, I decided to go buy some of those potions to try out. I'd use them to get through these next two days. After the Freshman Competition ended and I obtained that spell—the one whose name I still didn't know—I would make more specific arrangements.
I had been to the Witch Plaza before. Last time, Sister Bai had accompanied me. Now, I was going alone.
Last time, I had been too preoccupied with looking at clothes to pay much attention to potions or magic potions, but I had the impression they were sold there.
Moreover, I wasn't just going to buy them blindly. I searched the library on my phone first to confirm the name of the potion that improved memory or granted photographic recall.
However, after finding the relevant data, I was nearly confused by the concepts of "Potions" and "Magic Potions." Both seemed to be "medicine," and both were liquids you drank for an effect.
First was the concept of a Potion. Potions originated from the research and experimentation of Medicine Stone Alchemists. They were clear liquids created using alchemy.
These potions offered many of the effects I needed. For example, the mental strength potion Sister Naiden gave me, potions to strengthen the physical body, poison and detoxification, healing, or even those with... "indescribable" effects. These were all Potions.
Medicine Stone Alchemists would record the entire refining process and materials for these potions. This gave rise to another profession: people who didn't study the depths of Medicine Stone Alchemy but instead focused on potion recipes and attempted to replicate them. These were Pharmacists. They could mass-produce potions and even understand the underlying mysteries enough to create production lines, effectively driving down the price of specific potions.
Then there were Magic Potions.
Magic Potions were considered a skill unique to witches because they required the use of mana—transcendent energy—during the refining process. Magic Potions required a vast array of materials to be brewed. Unlike Potions, which mostly used materials with medicinal properties, Magic Potions were much broader. Anything could be used. This was because Magic Potions weren't necessarily meant for healing or saving lives—though they could do both. Instead, they were brewed to produce liquids with various special effects. Consequently, these liquids were often not clear and transparent like Potions.
Sometimes, brewing a Magic Potion required the coordination of various rituals. Such Magic Potions could have even more unique or terrifying effects, often accompanied by horrific side effects. After all, rituals usually involved the Rule of Equivalent Exchange. To achieve a miraculous effect, an equal price had to be paid.
For instance, there were Curse Magic Potions, Gender Swap Magic Potions, Bloodline Transformation Magic Potions, and even Magic Potions that could grow phantom limbs. They all existed, but they all came with significant side effects.
Additionally, there was one point to note: a witch taking a Gender Swap Magic Potion would not turn into a boy. In the Witch Race, the only gender was "Witch." No matter how they transformed, they would still be a witch.
However, the Phantom Limb Magic Potion did work. But a witch's terrifying life level would constantly expel the external effects of the potion. Thus, even a potion claiming to grow a permanent phantom limb would only be a time-limited effect for a witch.
A witch was, ultimately, a witch.
Furthermore, whether it was a Potion or a Magic Potion, those with significant effects were very expensive. The starting threshold for payment was usually Mithril.
Of course, both Potions and Magic Potions had low-end versions or those with poor effects. Those were much cheaper and could often be bought with Red Copper. Some common potions could even be bought with regular money!
Though the amount of money required would certainly be exorbitant.
Higher-grade Potions and Magic Potions might even require payment in Orichalcum, or were only available through private commissions and bartering. It was clear that the potion and magic potion industry was a world of extremes—either a feast or a famine.