Chapter 422: The Dilemma of Deriving Spells from the Knowledge Tree
As soon as I opened the door, I spotted Qiu Ruxin, newly awakened and adorably clad in her pajamas, lounging on the living room couch with the television blaring — apparently engrossed in whatever show caught her fancy.
“Huh? Is Sister Xiao Han already out this early?” Qiu Ruxin exclaimed, her eyes widening in surprise. I couldn’t help but wonder if Sister Xiao Han had pulled another late-night escapade, returning only now with quite the tale to tell!
“What kind of look is that? Do I look like the sort who stirs up trouble for no reason?” I chuckled at her incredulous expression. While she hadn’t spoken up much, her eyes were making all manners of statements.
“Uh… maybe not…?” she stammered, avoiding direct eye contact. The whole “Catastrophe Witch” label she threw around wasn’t exactly comforting in this context.
“I just went out to practice some martial arts. Don’t overthink things! By the way, how’s your progress with the Witch Meditation Method going?”
“Um… I’m still kind of floundering…” Qiu Ruxin scratched her head, a hint of academic shame glimmering in her eyes.
“Well, since you’re still in the dark, it’s high time you hit the books! After becoming a junior witch, sticking to your meditation is essential. You’ll need some seriously stout mental power to help you snag greater strength in the Extraordinary realm.”
Not too surprised by her lack of progress (I mean, the Witch Meditation Method isn’t exactly beginner-level stuff), I snapped my fingers, summoning my Illusionary Clone to stand beside me. Since Qiu Ruxin was idle, I might as well put her to work, right?
After all, a morning spent dozing on the couch watching TV? What a waste of precious time!
For a moment, my attention was snagged by the television program. The channels were limited here, thanks to the Excavators’ meddling, which had stunted the growth of entertainment in this world. We barely had any variety shows!
Soon enough, the channel Qiu Ruxin was on switched to the news.
I found myself somewhat intrigued as the news broadcast began reporting on the global connection issues plaguing the Plant Network this morning.
Predictably, they attributed the chaos to maintenance workers at the Wanlian Main Network Tree giving it a fresh breath of life. All while praising those tireless supporters for their hard work, of course.
They knew how to spin the narrative! Not to mention they can throw shade at the Excavators for being so nosy lately, advising the public to stay safe and minimize their outings.
“Ugh, boring.”
When the news continued its monotonous droning, I decided to power down the TV and headed back to my room.
After last night’s research, I had new insights regarding the Memory Shelf Spellbook, and it was time for some fancy spell derivations.
Getting hands-on made a eureka moment hit me! Back when I didn’t know much about spell derivation and expansion, I used to call my modifications “magic alterations.”
That was just me stumbling around like a blindfolded chicken, relying on dumb luck. I finally understood Teacher Ji’s frustration over those experiments. Deriving spells without a clear aim? Absurd! That was only scratching the surface of basic transformation spells!
What I was about to mess with — the Memory Shelf Spellbook — needed a solid goal, a detailed plan, ample reserves, and a thorough understanding of the relevant knowledge to aim for miracles. Blind attempts like before were destined to fail spectacularly!
As I began intertwining the Plant Network framework with the Spellbook, numerous issues sprang up. While many remained unresolved, I knew it was just a matter of time. The biggest snag? The derivatives of the Knowledge Tree Spellbook didn’t meet my expectations at all!
After an entire day’s worth of tweaks, I emerged with a half-baked “Knowledge Tree: Prototype” Spellbook. The framework was up, but categorizing knowledge and memories? That was the real headache!
Of course, I could always take the easy route, start from scratch, and relearn everything I’d studied before. The current framework could auto-sort the knowledge. But nah, I didn’t want that! I preferred the slow, methodical approach and a good chunk of my memories weren’t from books anyway.
Plus, I stumbled upon another problem. Even though I could categorize and index information while acquiring it, all that did was elevate my experience to a higher tier — it didn’t even match the Knowledge Tree’s caliber!
With the Memory Shelf, I could, albeit with some hassle, build multiple shelves to store memories, achieving a similar outcome without jumping through hoops.
The integration of the Plant Network Spell Model merely added a systematic management tool into the mix.
Just like the Plant Network now faced the same dilemma: when data overflowed, a solid retrieval system was necessary! The locals opted for artificial intelligence search methods.
Ultimately, the connectedness between the derivatives of the Knowledge Tree was still too weak…
I found myself deep in thought after spending an entire day. If this was the result of my Knowledge Tree Spellbook derivation, I was seriously unsatisfied!
Sure, it was way better than the old Memory Shelf Spellbook, but until it hit my expectations, I clearly had work to do.
What followed was a long, tedious process of tidying up knowledge. It felt just like when I first learned all of this, taking plenty of time, except now I was revisiting it with a more focused lens. I even had the joy of sorting out all that useless knowledge too.
Maybe I should set up a temporary memory zone for the Knowledge Tree Spellbook? Some memories are time-sensitive; when they’re useless, I can clear them out, preventing any unnecessary distractions when the important moments arrive. Nobody likes their brain playing hide-and-seek with a catchy tune when they should be focusing on exam answers!
Clearly, I needed to give the act of forgetting equal importance.
After all, the Memory Shelf had its limits. Even if I derived it into the Knowledge Tree, theoretically, there’s still a ceiling to what it could handle.
Compared to the Memory Shelf? The Knowledge Tree continuously branched out, like limbs and leaves extending endlessly.
I closed my eyes, picturing that consciousness space where the Knowledge Tree resides. Back then, the Memory Shelf felt like a dull row of shelves, but now it had transformed into a robust tree — albeit one that looked rather withered without any leaves.
I realized those branches represented my classifications of knowledge and memory. I needed to nourish this tree with my memories to see it flourish. Eventually, it would sprout new branches and leaves at the ends!
Even without my efforts to classify unorganized memories, the root system of the Knowledge Tree was already starting to dig in slowly, tapping into the residual wealth left by the Memory Shelf.
However, this was painfully slow. Without my intervention, it would take years to passively organize!
So, I decided to actively dive into all this.
Such introspection drained six whole days!
When I finally fed all memories and knowledge into the Knowledge Tree, it transformed completely.
Looking at this magnificent tree, with its thriving leaves woven from my memories and knowledge, I was practically buzzing with an electrifying sense of achievement! The thrill of change through my own efforts was invigorating!
After days of calm contemplation and reviewing my knowledge, I recognized something important.
The so-called derivation process wasn’t a rigid stage at all; it could keep getting better!
During my quiet time, I realized the revelation of integrating the “Live and Learn” spell into the Knowledge Tree would be ideal!
The “Live and Learn” spell, enhancing connections between memory and knowledge, would create impressive synergy! How could I contemplate that?!
But the issue remained; the “Live and Learn” Spellbook was a separate entity itself! Considering whether combining spells from different books was even feasible? Seriously, who knew? I wasn’t about to risk dismantling the “Live and Learn” Spellbook just to explore this idea!
Thus, I planned to start digging through ideas in my “Extraordinary Knowledge” as inspiration.
With “Live and Learn” so seamlessly aligned with the Knowledge Tree’s goals, it hit me: I needed some solid theory to back this connection up.
If I fixed my sights on this, it might not be long before I could get clues when this miniature world bumped up against the main one!
It felt a bit like trying to strike gold!
To be honest, I preferred a smarter approach.
So, for the time being, I planned a “world tour,” checking out the various Wanlian Main Network Trees to see if inspiration might strike me.
As for the fact that many countries are hiding their Wanlian Main Network Trees from prying eyes? Please, what a joke!
Once I took control of one, I’d have the Plant Network under my thumb, granting me indirect control over a global web, meaning I could easily pinpoint the locations of the Wanlian Main Network Trees in this world.
I wouldn’t be surprised if they had no clue how much higher my knowledge of the Plant Network was compared to theirs!
Perhaps their applied skills had outpaced mine over the years, but too bad for them: I was about to hit them with a dimension-reducing blow!
No matter how clever they thought they were with their tricks, I was swinging around the highest authority here!
I shared my travel ideas with Qiu Ruxin, hinting that this trip wasn’t solely about mapping out the Wanlian Main Network Trees. I wanted to put “Read thousands of books, travel thousands of miles” to the test!
Not to mention, exploring new vistas could broaden my horizons, exposing me to new experiences and sights I’d never seen!
Besides, enhancing my insights would benefit my foundational knowledge, embodying that balance between work and play!
Ever since I joined the Witch Academy, I’ve pushed myself non-stop. When I thought I was taking a break, all I could manage was worry about how long it would be before I needed to jump back into the fray.
I used to struggle to learn, have fun, or move forward. It was like turning my life into an unwieldy jigsaw puzzle.
Even if my plans looked tidy from the outside, it was merely a façade — a deep-laid self-deception, flagrant irresponsibility!
Not being able to focus on something fully? Now that’s tragic.
True, not being able to concentrate on studying isn’t a big deal. I’d wager most people could relate. But try saying that about not enjoying playtime? Now, there’s the real sorrow!
I decided to stick with my plan: travel, explore, learn, and reflect.
When it’s time to have fun, I dive in. And when it’s time for study, I finish up my Knowledge Tree Spellbook diligently. My reluctance to truly enjoy play stems from uncertainty about the future.
After all, who knows if I’d get another chance to do it again?
Humans are wired for compensation. Even with a thrilling time, there can be dissatisfaction lingering, over-occupying your thoughts, even impacting your wellbeing.
So, this opportunity? I wanted to nip that issue in the bud!
In essence, wasn’t this just about embracing the spirit of unity between knowledge and action?
This time, I’d take Qiu Ruxin along too! I couldn’t leave her here, worrying about her safety. Plus, I needed her tears of wild growth, an Extraordinary item for those insights into “Extraordinary Knowledge”!
Now, I’d grown quite laid-back. Sure, I may qualify to touch the “Extraordinary Knowledge,” but diving deep into a vast Spellbook still felt beyond my scope.
For now, it was all about harnessing the nuggets of “Extraordinary Knowledge” for my self-improvement, as the Great Spellbook was simply out of my league!
“Hey, Sister Xiao Han, I put together a globe-trotting itinerary based on the global positioning of the Wanlian Main Network Trees you provided. It should come quite handy!”
“Wait, you made this yourself?” I asked, surprised. I already had a world tour planned but needed detailed mappings for travel routes, housing, etc.
“I searched for these on the Plant Network over the last few days. I compared tons of global travel tips. It should be fine!”
“Thanks a bunch! I appreciate it.”
“No trouble at all! It’s an honor to travel around the world with senior sister!” Qiu Ruxin beamed.
“Is it? Just keep in mind, our globe-trotting adventure might hit a snag at any moment!” After all, I knew the Void Exploration Team was supposed to arrive in a month, and several days had passed already. Their arrival might bring a timing twist, but I was definitely going to greet them as one of the first to reach this world!
I mean, how could I resist introducing myself as the “wild junior witch” to those teachers and academy heads? Those shocked faces? Pure entertainment gold!
“Uh-huh, I get it. You mean the teachers from the Witch Academy, right?” Qiu Ruxin nodded, her eyes glimmering with a hint of excitement. If the academy’s mentors, even the headmistress, came, she could skate right into the Witch Academy and escape this “sea of suffering”!
“Exactly! But plans can change quickly, so your travel itinerary is already more than sufficient!” I smiled, a hint of praise lacing my tone.
At that moment, I fell into meditation again, pondering when Sister Bai would be back. I wanted to travel the globe with her too!
But if such an opportunity arose, I’d definitely want to journey with her to a vast new world — no, scratch that! I wanted to explore multiple worlds in the void with Sister Bai!
Though of course, that would hinge on me leveling up enough to safely navigate such a perilous environment. If not, I might just stumble into a world and end my journey prematurely!
