Chapter 603: An Ambition-Filled Inspiration—The Myriad Methods Bookshelf
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 603: An Ambition-Filled Inspiration—The Myriad Methods Bookshelf
"It seems I’ve succeeded."
I spoke the words to myself, marking a perfect conclusion to the task at hand.
The new Omni-Link Main Network Tree would need time to grow—far longer than it had taken for the condensed seed to sprout.
I turned my head slightly toward the space where the mentors of the Witch Academy remained hidden. With a faint smile, I offered a silent gesture of thanks for their "protection." Since they had chosen not to reveal themselves, I couldn't exactly thank them with any great fanfare.
However, I was receiving a flood of inquiries through the information sharing of the Tree of Great Knowledge. They were clearly curious about exactly what I had just created.
In truth, if I had been forced to create something like the Omni-Link Main Network Tree from scratch, I never could have done it.
To be precise, it wasn't a matter of just needing more time; I simply couldn't have done it at all. The new Omni-Link Main Network Tree clearly bore the shadows of its predecessor. Without the foundation laid by this civilization, I likely would have had to find some other way to realize my current vision much later down the line.
The basic framework had been built for me, and I had chosen to accept the internal data. By adding my own understanding and the methods at my disposal, I had finally completed this work.
Perhaps the current form of the Omni-Link Main Network Tree wasn't the absolute best choice for achieving my goals, but it was the most suitable choice within my immediate reach.
I had no intention of hiding the function of the Omni-Link Main Network Tree from the older sisters of the Witch Academy. In fact, I wouldn't even hide what I intended to do with it.
If I relied solely on myself, completing this vision would be far too exhausting.
As the saying goes: there is no need to waste your own precious time on things you can have others do for you.
Once you understand what must be held in your own hands and what can be shared, life becomes much easier.
Having finished the organization and sharing of information, I was in a rather good mood.
Expanding my mental power, I discovered that the group of people who had built a sanctuary near the Omni-Link Main Network Tree were still nearby. Even though I had released the restrictions of my domain, allowing them to flee, they had chosen to stay.
I glanced at the Omni-Link Main Network Tree, then sent a wisp of the Power of Knowledge to drift around its perimeter.
In the next instant, I vanished, reappearing beside the crowd.
"I’m surprised. You chose not to leave?" I asked, looking at the group.
Upon seeing me, they instinctively recoiled, but eventually, a few stepped forward to shield the others.
"Lord Calamity Witch... we did not know you would arrive so suddenly..."
"My business here is finished. If you wish to return to the Omni-Link Main Network Tree to continue building your sanctuary, I won't stop you," I said.
My gaze fell upon the people at the front. They looked familiar—some of the seven I had encountered when I first arrived. They were currently quite far from the Omni-Link Main Network Tree, situated near a water source.
"Yes... we understand. Thank you for your mercy."
The speaker’s tone was incredibly humble. If they had harbored any thoughts of defiance before, the events of the past day or two had taught them that they possessed absolutely zero capacity for resistance.
A power like mine could crush them as easily as stepping on ants.
From their perspective, when I told them to go back—even if I only said I wouldn't stop them—they felt they had to go back, even if that Omni-Link Main Network Tree was now a withered, collapsed ruin.
"I’ve gained quite a bit just now. If you return to the original site to build your sanctuary, I might even lend you a hand. I happen to be in a very good mood."
Seeing their terrified expressions, I didn't bother correcting them. Rather than telling them not to fear me, it was better to leave things as they were. At least if they feared me, they wouldn't cause me much trouble.
After all, to make someone stop fearing you, you have to lower your own rank to match theirs. Mutual respect is the prerequisite for equal coexistence. If I told them not to fear me but still expected them to obey my every word, wouldn't that just be a double standard?
So, rather than wasting effort on that, it was better to maintain the status quo. At least they would listen to me.
Case in point: their eyes lit up the moment they heard I would help them. They seemed especially convinced by my flimsy reasoning of being in a "good mood."
Or perhaps they simply had no other choice. Facing a being like me, even refusing a gesture of goodwill might provoke displeasure.
In their minds, if a Calamity Witch could help them on a whim for reasons they couldn't fathom, she could just as easily slaughter them all in a fit of rage if they rejected her.
I had to admit, there were some clever heads among them. At my mere suggestion, they began to move. However, they had many wounded, elderly, and children, so they couldn't travel quickly.
My space teleportation spells weren't suited for moving such a large crowd at once, so I chose to walk back with them.
Though it wasted some time, I didn't mind. Watching them cast aside their prejudices and grudges to help one another was a form of entertainment in itself.
In this atmosphere, I found myself reflecting on how I was drifting further and further away from the life of an ordinary person.
Still... I occasionally stepped in to provide healing for the injured. It was a matter of balancing benevolence with authority. After all, I would have work for them to do later. The more people who were mobile now, the faster they could help each other return to the Omni-Link Main Network Tree.
As for their profuse words of gratitude, I simply tuned them out. They weren't necessary.
When they finally reached the site of their former sanctuary, they stood in awe of the collapsed, massive main network tree. What kind of power could cause such a flourishing giant tree to wither and shatter into pieces in just a day or two?
Looking at the fallen branches that had crushed the surrounding woods, they realized that if such a thing had landed on them, there wouldn't have been a ghost of a chance of survival.
Then, their gazes shifted to the stump of the original tree. There, a new sapling was growing at a rate visible to the naked eye. Its new leaves were so vibrant and full of life, untouched by the passage of time.
"The original site is heavily damaged. It can be rebuilt once it's cleared," I said.
"I... I’ll organize the men to clear the area immediately," someone beside me stammered.
"No need. It would take you forever," I said, stopping them.
When it came to clearing debris, magic was the most efficient tool—especially for someone like me, who possessed a vast array of derived spells.
As I stopped them, they turned back with confused expressions, unsure of what I intended to do.
But then, they heard a snap of my fingers. The gentle forest breeze suddenly turned sharp and urgent.
An invisible storm swept past everyone. The gale whipped up fallen leaves, weeds, and every piece of movable debris, lifting them into the air before tearing them apart with explosive force.
It all happened in a flash.
It was a very ordinary Gale Spell.
Combined with a high degree of precision control, I used the wind to lift the debris into the sky, then employed the derived spell, Gale Rend, to shred it. Finally, I let the wind carry the fine particles far away to decompose naturally.
On the ground, I used a soil-turning technique derived from the Earth Movement Spell and Earth Spike Spell, uprooting weeds and shrubs so the Gale Spell could carry them off.
Finally, an earth-system derived spell organized and compacted the ground.
The massive commotion terrified the people, but they quickly calmed down once they realized they were unharmed.
Witnessing scenes they hadn't seen in their entire lives gave them a new understanding of the power I wielded.
After all, purely destructive power is one thing; using that power with the precision to achieve a specific goal is quite another. This was one of the ways I understood the significance of basic spell derivations.
Even minor spells could accomplish miraculous things. Perhaps that was the true purpose of their existence.
Once the surroundings had been cleared with such overwhelming efficiency, the crowd looked at me, unsure of what to do. Since I had handled everything without their help, they felt utterly useless.
I, however, didn't see it that way.
I walked up to the few individuals who seemed to hold some authority and waved my hand. An image from the Tree of Great Knowledge appeared before them.
It was a 3D model and topographical map of the surrounding area, created using the Ley Line Identification Art.
"This is where we are now. Your sanctuary will be built here. I will use magic to assist with the basic construction, so at least you won't have to sleep leaning against tree trunks tonight. I have only one requirement: the original Omni-Link Main Network Tree is destroyed. Do not touch the new tree growing in its place. Do not even let your corpses cross into the area I have cordoned off with my power. Do you understand?"
"We understand! We understand!"
They nodded frantically, terrified that a moment's delay would turn them into the very corpses I mentioned.
"Now that we’ve covered the warnings, let’s discuss the layout of the sanctuary," I said, my tone softening slightly.
"Lord Calamity Witch, we don't ask for anything luxurious. Just enough to get us through the night..."
"I’m the one doing the work, and yet you’re the ones being picky," I chuckled. My casual tone did little to put them at ease.
"We're sorry... we..."
"Stop apologizing. Look at this. Should a temporary sanctuary like this suffice?" I pushed the magical projection toward them. On the 3D map of the terrain, a new structure had appeared.
Their eyes widened in shock.
They recognized the location, but the previously empty space was now occupied by a massive structure resembling a walled city. They had expected to scavenge materials for simple shacks to keep out the night chills, but this... while primitive compared to modern skyscrapers, it was far beyond anything they had imagined.
I wasn't surprised by their reaction. My goal was to settle these people here, so I used the most convenient materials available: soil, stone, and plants.
I wasn't a master architect, nor could I design a bespoke architectural complex for this specific terrain in such a short time.
Naturally, I had used a reference. If one wanted to build a structure in the forest suitable for a small tribe, the Forest Elf race had the most expertise.
However, my Tree of Great Knowledge hadn't synchronized data from the Forest Elf Transcendent Academy yet. I only had access to the descriptions of Forest Elves in the Witch Academy's library and basic architectural information.
I had used the Knowledge Shadows to manage and generate the design based on that information.
The materials for such a forest stronghold were everywhere.
I used the Stone Pointing Spell and Wall Creation Spell (derivations of earth magic), and plant weaving techniques derived from the wood-system Vine Spell.
These spells were second nature to me. Once I ascended to become a Transcendent Witch and learned Real Editing Technology, these derived spells would completely break free from the framework of their original prototype spellbooks and become independent spellbooks in their own right.
It was hard to imagine just how terrifying the collection of spellbooks I would wield at that time would be.
Because of this, a spellbook that was vital to me—but which I had long neglected—once again took center stage in my mind.
The Spellbook Shelf Spellbook.
This was the awkwardly named spellbook Ji Niang had given me. Back then, I had swallowed the "pie in the sky" promise Teacher Ji Niang had painted for me, using the resources I didn't need from the competition to trade for this high-consumption spellbook that most considered useless. But it had ended up being a massive help.
Without it, I wouldn't have had a convenient way to use spellbooks after severing the Ley Line Shackles. Although the Dean surely had other plans, they wouldn't have been as convenient as this.
Once I understood the concept of "completely mastering a spellbook," I realized that even a Transcendent Witch couldn't fully master every spellbook they owned. It wasn't that they couldn't, but rather that it wasn't worth the effort.
Because it wasn't worth it, one had to make choices about which spellbooks to keep, which was a problem I would have to consider in the future.
One thing was certain: I would not abandon these spellbooks.
Therefore... I needed a better way to house them.
I didn't know how Transcendent Witches stored their spellbooks internally when they weren't using something like the Spellbook Shelf Spellbook, but they certainly had a way.
Thus, the Spellbook Shelf Spellbook was likely optional for a Transcendent Witch.
However, I still remembered what Teacher Ji Niang had told me: the true value of this spellbook lay in its derived spells. Whether she was telling the truth or just tricking me didn't matter anymore.
Because... I already had many inspirations for this spellbook. Or rather, I’d had these ideas for a while, but since it wasn't urgent, I had put it off until now.
As my control over transcendent power deepened, that inspiration became increasingly concrete... Perhaps the Spellbook Shelf Spellbook could also be integrated into the system of the Tree of Great Knowledge.
Hypothesize boldly, experiment rigorously.
I had already chosen a name for this ambitious inspiration—the Myriad Methods Bookshelf!