Chapter 188: The Powerful Effects of the Memory Bookshelf Spellbook
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 188: The Powerful Effects of the Memory Bookshelf Spellbook
She’s leaving just like that?
I watched Sister Bai’s hurried departure, figuring she must have her own business to attend to.
Subconsciously, I touched my lips, recalling my impulsive behavior just moments ago. Now that I had cooled down, my rational thoughts had reclaimed the high ground.
Sister Bai has been acting very strange lately—really, truly strange. She’s changed so much from how she used to be. Could it be that she actually has feelings for me?
But to have that kind of relationship with Sister Bai… no matter how I thought about it, it felt… a bit weird, didn't it?
Back when I was still a boy, Sister Bai never showed any interest in me. I could clearly feel that slight sense of distance that exists between the sexes, but now, that barrier was gradually being broken down.
It was because I had become a girl too. Although Sister Bai called us "besties" in name, things had reached a point where even I should have realized what was happening. After all, I had dated a girl before—if Yao Beijuan counted, that is.
But… sigh, I didn't know how to face Sister Bai’s feelings. If this stayed as a friendship, then nothing would change. If it became… something else…
Well, I’d just be at Sister Bai’s mercy, wouldn't I?
Anyway, I already owed her so much. I’d worry about these troublesome matters later.
I picked up the spellbook in my hand. Its name was… Memory Bookshelf?
It felt like every time Sister Bai gave me something, it was exactly what I needed most, whether it was a spellbook or an alchemy item.
Without hesitation, I tucked the spellbook into my body. Let’s see what this thing can actually do.
Inside the spellbook was an introduction to the spell, just as I’d hoped. After all, for a high-value spellbook like this, the lack of an introduction would actually diminish its perceived importance.
Of course, this also saved me the trouble of figuring it out myself; at least I would know how to use it the moment I acquired it.
I pushed open the door and returned to the laboratory.
"Xiao Han, who was that just now?"
"A Senior Sister I know. She came to visit and dropped off a few things."
"I see. But I thought I heard someone shouting outside earlier. Who was that?"
"That? It was quite a coincidence, actually. She’s an Elf from Afuhemi Academy. And also… my ex-girlfriend."
"That was your… ex-girlfriend?"
Tan Han’s eyes widened in disbelief. Although the current social climate was very open, such things between the same sex weren't exactly common. Even though she knew Xiao Han had an ex-girlfriend, she hadn't expected her to show up here.
"Yeah. We went our separate ways after the College Entrance Exam." I nodded and said nothing more. Besides, I had already hinted that I used to be a boy and mentioned having an ex-girlfriend; she shouldn't be that surprised, right?
"So, why did she come here?"
"Oh, I don't know. I was chatting with my Senior Sister, and she misunderstood. She turned and ran, and I didn't feel like explaining."
"Maybe she came to get back together?"
"I doubt it. But I didn't realize you were the type to dwell on past relationships?"
"No, that’s not what I meant. Forget it, I’m not the one involved, so I have no right to judge. Since you’ve made your decision, there’s no need for me to offer my opinion."
"Mm, thanks for understanding." I nodded and returned to my Ley Line Operating System. Talking to a Academic God really was less mentally taxing.
Right now, I was more interested in seeing how effective the spellbook Sister Bai gave me was.
The effect of the Memory Bookshelf required a massive amount of mana upon its first use to shape a "permanently" existing spell effect—specifically, a bookshelf to hold "books." This bookshelf existed within a spell layer created by the magic, and I needed to use my mental power to communicate with it. Thus, the spellbook had a barrier to entry.
First, one needed a large amount of initial mana to meet the threshold. Then, one's mental power had to establish a connection with the spell effect—essentially communicating with the "space" where the bookshelf was stored.
As for how to use the spell, it required a continuous consumption of mana to condense blank books and ink. Writing content into the books also consumed mana continuously.
Once the written content was placed on the bookshelf, it could be interfaced with one's own memory through mental power.
The greatest value of this spellbook was that there was no upper limit to the number of bookshelves or books.
Of course, a person has a limit. The more books there were and the more that was recorded, the greater the burden when interfacing with those memories.
Therefore, the further one progressed, the more time one had to spend organizing these book-memories and streamlining the content.
If a memory reached a point where one understood it well enough without needing to interface with the shelf, the book could be discarded.
One could say this was a divine tool for memorization!
It allowed for rapid memory interfacing and assisted in retention. Once you truly learned something, you could toss the memory from the bookshelf to lighten your burden.
What kind of god-tier spellbook was this?!
However, it had to be noted that once a person used this spellbook and built a massive knowledge base, it could not be transferred. While the spellbook itself could be removed, it maintained a connection on the mental level. To give it to someone else, that connection had to be severed. Without that connection, the spell's effects would instantly collapse. Since there would be no mental power to sustain its existence, the bookshelves and books—which were spell effects rather than physical objects—would simply vanish.
But even so, the value of this spellbook far exceeded my imagination. It was even better than the Practical Learning Spell… wait, I shouldn't compare them like that. The Practical Learning Spell focused on application and thought inspiration. One could say that the combination of these two spellbooks was truly terrifying!
With a massive database and thought inspiration, wouldn't that push Practical Learning to its absolute limit?
Practical Learning would also accelerate the self-learning of these memories, preventing too many books from piling up and burdening me. Although I was a long way off from reaching my limit, it was always better to plan ahead.
As I began to attempt the spell, the spellbook was activated by my mental power. A massive amount of mana was drained in an instant. I gauged the consumption; it wasn't until a large, ancient-looking, symmetrical wooden bookshelf appeared before me that the spell effect officially took hold. The mana consumption was roughly one hundred units.
It wasn't too high for me, but it was enough to deter many others. I wondered if I could use mana-storing alchemy items as a substitute. Probably, since it was a spell.
That was the first threshold of the spellbook. Next was the consumption for books, ink, and the continuous writing of memories.
I discovered that the condensed books had wooden covers and were quite thick—blank volumes thicker than a dictionary. The pen was a dip-style white quill, which I wasn't very used to.
Unfortunately, these didn't seem to be things I could control. If I wanted to perform a magic modification on them, I wouldn't even know where to start. This spellbook represented a field of magic I had never touched before.
Rather than spending a huge price to modify it, I felt it might be better to just adapt to it. I had used dip pens before, anyway; hopefully, it wouldn't be too difficult.
I’d leave the modding for when I had nothing better to do. It wasn't a necessity.
"Xiao Han, what is this?"
The commotion on my side naturally drew Tan Han’s gaze. She wasn't familiar with the effects of this spellbook, and it was her first time seeing a spell effect manifest as such a large bookshelf.
"Oh, just a spell effect. I’m sure you’ll encounter all sorts of strange spells in the future." I didn't give Tan Han an elaborate explanation, and she didn't press for one.
Everyone has their privacy; there was no need to pry, as that would only be annoying.
I silently praised Tan Han for her tact, but my attention remained on the spell effect.
Now that the bookshelf had manifested, the space containing it was also opened.
Calling it a "space" wasn't entirely accurate. Since it was a spell effect and not a physical object, it wasn't a true spatial opening. If it were a real space, it could be used as storage equipment. I already had plenty of those—several storage leg rings, not to mention the massive storage equipment Teacher Ji Niang had given me.
But thinking about it, a spellbook that could open a space seemed like a good idea. It wouldn't be easily stolen or lost. However, such spellbooks were likely very rare.
Once the bookshelf merged into that "place," the next threshold of the spell appeared: communicating with that "space" using mental power, linking them, and forming a state of mutual access.
This would likely be a very thorny problem for most people. The fact that Sister Bai could obtain this spell suggested that this threshold was likely one of the main reasons for its rarity. I wondered if Sister Bai knew that.
But for me, it was a non-issue.
Under Floating World Level Spirit Vision, such an existence couldn't hide at all. Guided by my Spirit Vision, my mental power reached out as easily as taking something from a pocket. This was even easier than the initial link with the spell effect itself.
The moment I established a connection with the spell, the clarity that flooded back was even more useful than the instruction manual engraved within the spellbook.
Now that I had these two spellbooks to boost my learning efficiency, the regret over the Freshman Top 10 rewards was completely gone!
I could now look back at the previous Freshman Competition with disdain. It had made me feel miserable for so long, along with those other academies—the ones that said they’d put the rewards in the Exchange Competition. I would settle the score with each and every one of them, especially Afuhemi Academy. They were the ones who started it and made everyone unhappy.
Of course, that was just a thought for now.
I had more important things to do. I dragged a chair over, sat down, opened the first blank book on the Memory Bookshelf, dipped the quill in ink, and began to record.
The first things I recorded were related to illusions. My decision to mod the Illusion Clone had never changed, and I had been preparing for it for some time.
"Looks like we’re about to become unstoppable. Sister Bai actually found a spell like this?" My Clone came over from Tan Han’s side and whispered to me with a grin.
"Heh. You didn't say anything you shouldn't have to Tan Han, did you?" I asked, looking at the Clone with a cold gaze.
"Your subconscious knows what shouldn't be said. Can't you trust yourself? I just chatted with Tan Han about our measurements and a few other things."
"You even talked about that! And you say you didn't run your mouth!"
"It’s your own subconscious that wanted to show off, okay? You’re the pervert, not me… oh wait, we’re both perverts~ Besides, we’re just flat boards; what’s there to show off?"
"Oh~ wait, not flat boards, just average. We haven't been girls for very long; they’ll get bigger later~"
"I don't need you to tell me that."
After saying that, I ignored the Clone. I had almost thought she would leak my secrets, but she reminded me that my subconscious wouldn't lie to me. Perhaps it was the Clone’s nasty personality that made me think of her as an independent entity?
But she was still me. If there were no other factors, was that what I would be like?
It wasn't surprising, really. I did have the mindset of an amusement seeker; I had just reined it in a lot since school started.
I had even neglected the social life I used to care so much about.
I had told myself that after becoming a girl, I would start a new life and change myself. But looking at it now, I was just the same person with a different gender. In the end, I was still me; nothing seemed to have changed.
The only thing that had changed was the desire to change.
Time passed quickly.
In the blink of an eye, the day was over. I ordered takeout for lunch, and so did Tan Han. She didn't seem to have a habit of eating takeout; her first instinct at noon had been to invite me to the cafeteria. Since we were in the Central Teaching Area of the Witch Academy, the cafeteria was very close.
But I refused. Seeing that, Tan Han lost interest in the cafeteria and ordered takeout like me to save time.
By the end of the day, I had thoroughly mastered the Illusion Clone spell. I had even sparked new ideas for its application based on my current level of mastery.
For instance, it was now easier to control the Clone with my subjective consciousness. I could also differentiate whether the Clone’s behavior seen by the victim was based on my subconscious or the victim’s. Both had their own characteristics; neither was strictly better, but it provided more options.
However, these were just applications based on a fundamental understanding of the spellbook. Compared to these, I still preferred the original, rebellious version—even if that version of the Clone was indeed very punchable.
Furthermore, I had developed other uses, specifically the "mediums" or methods for trapping an opponent in the illusion. Previously, it had always been through spell runes, but now it could be much more convenient. Touch, perception, eye contact, and mental sensing were all derived pathways through which an opponent could fall under the spell.
And… the appearance of the Illusion Clone could be changed. It no longer had to look like me; it could be anyone I remembered, or even someone who didn't exist.
Or, taking it a step further, it didn't even have to be human!
With this, the utility of the Illusion Clone skyrocketed!
If one’s imagination was big enough, the possibilities were endless.
As expected, being a polymath isn't as good as being a specialist. Of course, being both is even better.
This must be the norm for long-lived Witches. The accumulation of time makes ancient Witches even more terrifying. So, what kind of existence must the Primal Witches—the source of all Witches—be?
I didn't even dare to imagine it…
Today, Tan Han had also mastered the theoretical foundation of the Fireball Spellbook, which made me realize just how terrifying a Academic God could be.
Even if Tan Han only understood the most basic theoretical structure of the Fireball Spell, rather than figuring it out from scratch like I did.
It was just the simple model Teacher Ji Niang had given her this morning, but it was still a spellbook.
Of course, my Clone and I deserved some credit for that. I had learned the true meaning of "asking when you don't understand." Tan Han’s potential in this area was something even my annoying Illusion Clone couldn't handle. If Tan Han wasn't a Academic God, who was?
Perhaps I still had much to learn from Tan Han. It was a very realistic realization. I couldn't afford to have any sense of superiority; a true master always maintains the heart of an apprentice.
I understood the "chicken soup for the soul" platitudes, but actually doing it was far too difficult.
"Are you leaving?"
"Yeah, it’s getting pretty late. Why don't you ask Teacher Ji Niang for a Portable Ley Line Operating System? It’s very convenient."
"Mm, thanks, I will. By the way, Xiao Han, does your promise to try the Dream Battle tomorrow still stand?"
"Yeah."
I nodded. I really should give it a try. After all, the Exchange Competition wouldn't be child’s play like the Freshman Competition. Besides, I had a reason to beat those guys up, so I needed to get used to it.
"I see. Then, do you want to go together?" Tan Han extended an invitation. "I have some experience with battles in the dream devices. I can teach you how to use them."
"Thanks, I’d appreciate that."
I nodded. My current understanding of dream devices was limited to when I was learning Spirit Vision and cognition, but the Dream Exchange Competition clearly didn't use that mode.
"Then let’s set a time. The location is the one on the academy notice."
"Mm… how about eight-thirty?" I recalled that the dream devices opened at nine, so going a bit early to wait seemed right. Maybe they’d let us in early since we were students of the Witch Academy?
"Eight-thirty it is, then." Tan Han nodded, confirming the time. "Also, thank you for your guidance today. I’ve benefited a lot. See you tomorrow."
"Mm… see you."