Chapter 584: The Courage to Learn is a Beautiful Quality
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 584: The Courage to Learn is a Beautiful Quality
A new day.
The refinement process for the Tree of Great Knowledge had concluded. Compared to its previous state, the newly transformed Tree was significantly more efficient.
The integration of Order allowed the internal operations of the Tree of Great Knowledge to run like clockwork, and my utilization of [Transcendent Knowledge] continued to deepen.
Last time, my development of [Transcendent Knowledge] led to the derivation of the Great Knowledge Seed, a sequence that exponentially increased the speed at which the Tree of Great Knowledge accumulated power.
Now, with the Tree’s upper limits raised and its capabilities enhanced, my inspiration was once again flowing freely.
There was so much more the Tree of Great Knowledge could do. For instance, I had previously been conceptualizing a "channel" for information sharing; thus, the Great Knowledge Sharing Spell was born.
Furthermore, the Great Knowledge Seed was about to be shared with more people. I already had some ideas regarding "incubation" and "seed condensation," especially after combining these thoughts with the concept of "Information Grading." A brand-new idea had taken root.
As for whether it could be realized, I would find out once I tested it later.
Finally… I hadn't positioned the Tree of Great Knowledge as a combat-oriented tool, so I hadn't initially derived any offensive measures from it. Even now, I wasn't trying to push the Tree toward a combat role.
But then again… who said you needed an inherently offensive ability to attack someone?
The rank of a Great Spellbook was right there; their potential was undoubtedly the highest. The idea of using the Tree of Great Knowledge as a means to deal with enemies was a relatively recent thought.
However, I was still weighing the pros and cons to see if it was appropriate.
The main reason I even entertained the thought was because of what Dean Bev Alanna had told me—the threats coming from other academies.
After much deliberation, I ultimately concluded that the Tree of Great Knowledge itself wasn't quite suited for direct attack.
But… the Power of Knowledge was.
And the Tree of Great Knowledge, along with its derived sequences, could serve as the perfect vessel for it.
Setting aside these less-than-practical thoughts for now—some things shouldn't be forced. Rather than demanding results, it was better to let things progress naturally.
As for now… I should get to the meditation that had become my daily habit.
Ever since Dean Bev Alanna sent over the Enlightenment Meditation Spellbook, I would perform a cycle of that meditation after my daily routine to sharpen my mind. As for the Body Cultivation Five Senses training, that had already been integrated into every aspect of my life, so there was no need to set aside extra time for it.
Today was a special day. The refinement of the Tree of Knowledge was complete, and I had gathered the witch sisters to give them a brief explanation.
I mainly outlined my upcoming plans and arrangements.
The most important of these was the integration of the "Great Knowledge Sharing Spell."
It was much like when I first made the Power of Knowledge public.
Back then, I didn't fully understand what that represented. Now I knew: it represented the teaching of the manifestations of Domain Order. It was a tool they could use to refine their own Knowledge Trees. Now, with the addition of the Great Knowledge Sharing Spell, they could rely on the Great Knowledge Seeds to accomplish even more incredible feats!
It was hard to imagine just how much they would "mod" the Knowledge Trees sprouted from those seeds in the future…
But I was happy to let them tinker. After all, being able to try new things fueled by one's own interests and inspiration was far better than being a passionless drone.
None of the witches here owed anyone anything. If someone wanted to leave, or if a new witch wanted to join, I wouldn't stand in their way.
Afterward, I gave a brief talk about the condensation of Great Knowledge Seeds and related issues. To some extent… it felt like I was painting a grand vision, or as they say, "selling them a pie."
The only difference was that I would do my absolute best to make sure that "pie" actually got baked.
But for now, after selling everyone on the dream, I slipped away again.
I wasn't particularly fond of staying in places like the laboratory.
Perhaps it was a matter of first impressions, but the atmosphere of a lab always felt so serious and rigorous. It made me subconsciously tense up, which was hardly conducive to finding good inspiration or new ideas.
If you asked me, I still preferred the old villa. The atmosphere there was relaxing. The lab was better left to the professional witches. Besides, some witches had stayed behind at the villa, having no intention of moving to the lab.
Those witch sisters seemed to have grown used to my absence anyway.
With their abilities, they rarely needed to consult me to get things done. And even if they did, wasn't the Knowledge Shadow still there?
Moreover, with the Great Knowledge Sharing Spell now active and the channels of communication open, they could perfectly well ask me questions through the Knowledge Shadow if they really needed to.
Of course, they could also use the Knowledge Shadow as a medium to have my consciousness descend.
After leaving the lab, the first person I went to find was, naturally, Sister Bai.
Refining the Tree of Great Knowledge had taken many days. Although Sister Bai had come to check on me during that time—sometimes even cooking and bringing me food—it simply wasn't enough.
Now that things had settled down for a moment, she was my first priority.
Besides, Sister Bai had even allowed me to set a teleportation mark in her office.
"Sister Bai… Huh?"
When I materialized in the office, I found that Sister Bai wasn't even there!
However, the other three were.
"Uh… Hello, Sister Miao… Hello, Sister He…" I greeted them awkwardly as I looked at the two figures tangled together in a heated, affectionate embrace.
"Oh? It's Xiao Han~ Are you here for your dear Sister Bai? She's not here right now." Sister Miao didn't seem to care at all; she even tightened her hold on Sister He to keep her from getting up.
"Yeah, I was…"
"Then, sorry… sorry for the intrusion…" My gaze subconsciously drifted to Sister Stacy, who was sitting at the front. She had turned her head and was eyeing me with curiosity.
Looking at this awkward trio… I felt like Sister Stacy had already become a part of Sister Miao and Sister He’s "play."
But looking at the situation now… Oh no, I’ve become a part of it too!
"It's no intrusion~ Xiao Han, you have to get used to it. Witches can be very direct when expressing their emotions. Let me tell you~ your Sister Bai actually wishes in her heart that you would do this with her in the office…"
"Alright, that’s enough, you two! Don't corrupt Xiao Han!" Stacy suddenly stood up and scolded them. It looked like she had been holding it in for a while.
"Don't be angry, Sister Stacy. I'm pretty open-minded~ I won't go bad just because of something like this." I quickly stepped forward to soothe Stacy’s temper. She was a member of Sister Bai’s office, after all; it wouldn't be good if the atmosphere got too strained.
"I'm not angry. Sigh." Stacy let out a soft breath, seemingly adjusting her emotions. "Xiao Han, since you had the time to come over, I assume you’ve finished refining the Tree of Great Knowledge?"
"That's right. It’s reached a brand-new stage, and the Tree has ascended to a higher level. You’re quite attentive to my affairs, Sister Stacy."
"Of course. It concerns the refinement of a Great Spellbook; even as a Transcendent Witch, I find that very significant." Having calmed down, Stacy sat back in her seat.
"I see. By the way, Sister Stacy, do you know where Sister Bai went?"
"Bai Yu… She should be with that mutual aid group. You know she’s been learning Real Editing Technology lately, right? It’s that group—a bunch of witches gathering to exchange insights and such."
"Oh, that. Do you know roughly when she usually gets back?"
"I'm not sure. Sometimes she’s back in the afternoon, sometimes it’s evening. She doesn't always come back to the office every time."
"True. Well, I’ll head back then. Sisters, sorry for the sudden intrusion."
"No intrusion at all~" Sister Miao was the first to respond with a smile.
"It’s fine…" Sister Stacy nodded, but she seemed to be hesitating. "Actually, wait, Xiao Han."
"Hmm? Is there something else, Sister Stacy?" I had already opened the office door, but I turned back curiously when she called out.
"Well…"
"Stacy is too embarrassed to say it, so I’ll say it for her~ Stacy wants to know if that lab of yours where you study Great Spellbooks is still taking in witches." Seeing Stacy being so hesitant, Sister Miao, sitting in the back, spoke up and made things clear.
"Eh?"
"Miao! This is my business! You don't need to butt in!" Stacy turned around with an embarrassed face to confront the two witches, but she didn't deny it. It seemed Sister Miao had hit the nail on the head.
"Sister Stacy, you want to participate in the Great Spellbook project?" I asked formally. No wonder Stacy had been so attentive to my progress with the Tree of Great Knowledge when Yi Yi visited.
While being attentive didn't necessarily mean one was interested in the project, a witch interested in Great Spellbooks would almost certainly be very attentive to the refinement of my Tree of Great Knowledge.
"I… well… is it okay?" Seeing that I had asked so directly, Stacy dropped the hesitation and spoke plainly.
She was an Academic Witch by nature, so her interest in Great Spellbooks was naturally high. After all, the prestige of a Great Spellbook… was simply terrifying!
She had entered the Main World in the same batch as Bai Yu. She had originally heard that there were research projects for Great Spellbooks in the Main World—and quite a few of them—so she had come here as a mentor to build her resume and look for opportunities.
She hadn't been in a rush initially and had her own preliminary plans. But witches… they can't help but compare themselves to others.
She had looked into projects involving [Transcendent Knowledge] and the creation of Great Spellbooks, but she currently lacked the qualifications to touch those things.
Unless she had a piece of [Transcendent Knowledge] of her own to start a project, she couldn't conduct research in that area. Otherwise, she had nothing; the knowledge she currently possessed likely wasn't enough to make the cut.
But then she learned that her office colleague’s "Little Witch" girlfriend was actually able to research Great Spellbooks!
It was a total "critical hit" to her ego.
Then she came into contact with the Great Knowledge Seed, which allowed her to rapidly accumulate knowledge related to Transcendent Arts, instantly shortening her planned timeline.
So… she really wanted to get her hands on Great Spellbook research as soon as possible to build up experience.
That was why she set her sights on me. It was a classic case of "it’s not what you know, but who you know." With this kind of connection, even if I couldn't arrange for her to research the Great Spellbook directly, she could use the opportunity to network with witches who had researched [Transcendent Knowledge] or Great Spellbooks and gain experience from them.
"Of course you can."
"Ah? Really?" Hearing me agree so readily, Stacy could hardly believe it!
She hadn't even introduced what arts she was proficient in, what subjects she had studied, or what certificates she held, and I had already said yes?
"My lab doesn't really have a barrier to entry. Most people are there because of interest. Besides, it might be completely different from the Great Spellbook research projects you’re familiar with…"
"It… it doesn't matter! As long as I can get close to Great Spellbook research!" Stacy was so excited she was almost tripping over her words.
What she needed most right now was experience with Great Spellbook research.
She had considered that Xiao Han’s research team might be unprofessional, or even amateurish. After all, no matter how you looked at it, the other party was just a Little Witch. Where would she find witches who were experts in Great Spellbooks to help her?
So, all she needed was the qualification. Even if it was just a group of witches playing house, Xiao Han was a genuine witch who possessed a Great Spellbook!
In fact… she had two.
Even if it was just studying a finished Great Spellbook, she wouldn't mind at all.
"Alright then… I won't force anything. Sister Stacy, if you’re really interested, just head over to my lab. Any witch is welcome to visit or join at any time. If it doesn't meet your expectations, you’re free to leave whenever you want."
"It’s fine. As long as I’m given the opportunity, I will cherish it." Stacy took a few deep breaths to calm herself. Anyone, even a witch, would find it hard to control their nerves or excitement when experiencing something for the first time.
"Since that’s settled, I’ll be going now."
"Yes, take care."
After a simple farewell, I left Sister Bai’s office.
I had no issues with Sister Stacy joining my lab. Anyone who wanted to come was welcome. This was a Witch Academy; the suffix was "Academy." Even mentors had the right to learn. No one starts out knowing everything, not even Transcendent Witches. The courage to learn is a truly beautiful quality.
Actually, just now, I had wanted to mention that my former counselor, Teacher Ji Niang, had also formed a professional [Transcendent Knowledge] research team.
But on second thought… I shouldn't rashly introduce her to Teacher Ji Niang.
Favors shouldn't be used like that, right?
Maybe if Stacy finds she can't stay in my lab or isn't learning anything, then I’ll consider introducing her to Teacher Ji Niang. After all, Teacher Ji Niang’s research into [Transcendent Knowledge] wasn't as free-spirited as my lab. Their philosophies were different; it would be rude to push her there without some adjustment.
Now, having left the office, I pondered what to do next.
I seemed to have quite a few things to do, but none of them were particularly urgent.
Having just finished the refinement of the Tree of Great Knowledge, it was only reasonable to give myself a little vacation, right?
Maybe… I should go to Sister Bai’s villa and give her a surprise tonight?