Chapter 186: Even Tan Han Will Encounter Setbacks
After leaving Teacher Ji’s office, I inexplicably gained a “junior.”
Even now, I still find it hard to believe that everything happened so mysteriously.
“Xiao Han, do you usually conduct spellbook research here?”
Upon entering Classroom 8401, Tan Han was also surprised, as it looked like an ordinary classroom, albeit a bit messy.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t expect anyone else to come here, so it’s a bit cluttered. I’ll clean it up right away.”
I quickly said, explaining that the mess was due to my testing of spells, and also because it got messy while searching for inspiration. After all, when you’re in a creative mood, it’s easy to trigger wonderful ideas, but it turns out that this method only makes things chaotic.
“I’ll help out too.”
Seeing that I had already started tidying up, Tan Han came over to assist as well. After all, in name or fact, she had already joined this research group, and it was natural for her to contribute a little.
I naturally didn’t refuse Tan Han’s help; having her around would help us clean up faster.
However, as Tan Han was tidying up, she curiously asked about various items, as there were many things here that she had never seen before.
With Tan Han’s involvement, I quickly realized something: previously, my research had been solely for my own benefit. Studying spellbooks was to help me understand what a spellbook was. Modifying spellbooks was to temporarily gain enough power to face the new student competition, and learning runes was to better comprehend the nature of spellbooks.
Teacher Ji organized and summarized these findings based on my research, ultimately contributing to the output of this group.
However, any research group has clearly defined research topics, segmented phase plans, and division of labor.
It hadn’t been an issue before, but now that Tan Han had joined, many problems began to surface.
“By the way, Xiao Han, what is the current research topic of the group? What phase is the main research project at? My abrupt joining shouldn’t disrupt your plans, right?”
“Um… you might be disappointed. The terms you mentioned don’t really apply here; this research group initially only focused on a very simple study of the Fireball Spell. The first Fireball Spell spellbook I acquired was provided at the very start of the experiments.”
“Really?” Tan Han seemed a bit incredulous, as it greatly deviated from her expectations.
“It’s absolutely true. I have no reason to lie to you. At the moment, we don’t have a clear goal, or rather, Teacher Ji still feels that I haven’t reached the level to start formal topic research. After all, we’re just new students who have just come into contact with the extraordinary. Right now, it’s all self-exploration.”
“Self-exploration?” Hearing this, Tan Han frowned, but she couldn’t help but ask, “What do you use to explore?”
“Of course, it’s Spirit Vision. As the minimum threshold for students admitted to Extraordinary Academy, its importance plays an absolute role in the extraordinary field.”
At that moment, Teacher Ji also came out from the office and casually responded to Tan Han’s question.
“Spirit Vision?”
Tan Han was a bit taken aback; she naturally knew this ability. The admission requirement for Extraordinary Academy is to awaken Spirit Vision, which she developed when she was very young.
At that time, after awakening Spirit Vision, she saw many things she had never encountered before, but they quickly vanished and could no longer be seen. However, that episode left a significant psychological shadow on her.
She told her parents about it, but they happily said that she had awakened Spirit Vision.
They even carefully explained the classification of Spirit Vision levels to her. It was during that time that they first introduced her to the power of the extraordinary.
From then on, she became obsessed with the kind of power that transcended common knowledge, but she couldn’t access such power until she heard that she could enroll in Extraordinary Academy when she grew up, where she could gain extraordinary powers. Additionally, her grandmother was a devout follower of the Holy Light, so she grew up in such an environment and eventually applied to Holy Angel Academy under her grandmother’s expectations.
However, life took an unexpected turn, and she ended up at Witch Academy.
Now, she stood here once again.
“Yes, Spirit Vision is a window to the extraordinary, a shortcut to reach the extraordinary truth through this ability.”
“So… the so-called research on spellbooks is actually using the power of Spirit Vision to observe the extraordinary world?”
“I won’t deny that statement. Any idea or thought can become a possibility in exploring the extraordinary. From the look on your face, I believe you often overlook the capability of Spirit Vision, don’t you?”
“Yes, it left a significant… psychological shadow on me when I was very young, and it still does to this day. Is that world really the true extraordinary world?”
“That is just a glimpse of the extraordinary. Only seeing a part without daring to proceed is not a good habit. Since you just arrived, let’s start with the most basic practice. Do you have a basic spellbook? Any one will do, Fireball or something else.”
As Teacher Ji spoke, she opened the Earth Vein Operating System, just as she had done when she originally taught me.
I quietly continued to do my own things, and I tidied the place up properly. I even used the Cleaning Spell to clean the area thoroughly, taking this opportunity for a good spring cleaning.
Soon, some time passed.
“I’ve tried a third time. Are you sure you can’t see anything?” Teacher Ji asked from the side.
After all, she had only taught elective courses before, and her few experiences with individual teaching were with the easygoing Xiao Han.
Now, having to teach a true genius, she realized that there were no true geniuses; there was just a teacher who worked hard.
“I can’t see it clearly. Even when I actively use Spirit Vision, I can only see that there seems to be something inside.”
“Is that so… from the perspective of not reaching the extraordinary level, you’re probably at the second level of imaging with your Spirit Vision? When did this happen?”
“Probably around the time of the college entrance exam. At that time, I could distinctly feel that my Spirit Vision seemed to exhibit some changes; it should have been around then,” Tan Han replied after reflecting.
“Reached the second level right after entering school?” Teacher Ji murmured. This pace was undoubtedly rapid, and there were even signs of external intervention. Many students at Witch Academy might only touch the second level of Spirit Vision by the time they graduate.
After all, everyone’s situation is different, so teaching isn’t uniform. The main application space for Spirit Vision is primarily after reaching the extraordinary.
Thus, it isn’t that the academy doesn’t want to teach students about spellbooks; it’s just that they cannot.
But even though Tan Han was progressing at such a fast pace, perhaps accelerated by the examination ceremony, she was still far from meeting expectations.
But thinking back to her previous conversation with Lina, she managed to embrace the idea.
Tan Han had her own path to pursue, a direct road to the extraordinary. However, the process was undoubtedly tedious. Lina had seized this opportunity to present Tan Han with her own choice.
Although it seemed to offer freedom, Lina naturally understood the stakes involved, treating it like cultivating a “hobby” for Tan Han, one that was chosen by Tan Han herself.
It can also be seen as a means for Tan Han to preview the path after reaching the extraordinary, which is beneficial for her future development.
At this moment, Teacher Ji was akin to accompanying a young lady in her studies, allowing her to enjoy while not neglecting essential matters.
The script was supposed to unfold this way until more Fortune Seeds appeared, altering the original narrative.
Or perhaps everything developing this way might also be an interference of the script, taking this variable of the main world into account—the Innate Spirit Vision User.
“Since you can’t see, then there’s no need to force it. This isn’t something that can be accomplished in one go. Perhaps we should look at it from the perspective of the spellbook model.” Teacher Ji didn’t mention what was unfeasible but directly shifted the topic, walking over to the resource database to select a spellbook model.
“This model… differs greatly from the one made by Xiao Han.” Tan Han looked at the presented model and reached out to examine it, but her mind was filled with the dense models she had seen earlier in the arena. As the saying goes, comparisons highlight differences.
She felt as if what she was currently looking at was as simple as a primary school textbook, yet the realistic point was that even with such a model, she still couldn’t understand what it meant.
“Make the complex simple and strike at the essence. The essence of a spellbook is to cast spells, and this model clearly presents various structures inside a spell.”
“Then if we don’t use a spellbook, can we directly cast spells using this structure?” Tan Han asked.
“Good question, it can indeed be done.”
“Then why don’t we learn this instead of using a spellbook?”
“Do you want to know why?”
“Um.”
“Hehe, because of practical choices, a spellbook is a higher form of expression than casting a spell. Perhaps you may not understand the reason behind this yet, but no one in this world is a fool. Some things can only be grasped at a certain level, leading to a deeper understanding of its benevolent intentions.”
“So there’s no explanation?” Tan Han’s words hit the core of the issue, exposing Teacher Ji’s reluctance to offer an explanation now.
“Yes, later you can ask your teacher to arrange for you a higher-level access to the library. A significant portion of the information you may need to search for will likely not be accessible to ordinary students. Alternatively, you can ask Xiao Han for help, but it’s also convenient for you to have your own access, right?”
Teacher Ji admitted this directly but quickly shifted the topic back to Tan Han’s dealings with Lina, as she had reasons to suspect that Lina felt Tan Han asked too many questions, so she passed the hassle off to her.
“Okay, I will go seek out Lina. By the way, about this spellbook model…” Tan Han continued to question, pointing at it.
“Today, just focus on understanding the structure of this spellbook. Furthermore, you might not even grasp the essentials today. If something is unclear, directly look it up. You can rely on Xiao Han’s access for now. If you don’t understand something, feel free to ask Xiao Han. If you both are stuck, then come to me; my office is right next door.”
“Alright.” Tan Han’s gaze remained fixed on Teacher Ji. Although there was still a hint of doubt in her eyes, she accepted the current situation.
Meanwhile, I silently marveled at how terrifying Tan Han was—she even made Teacher Ji take a step back.
As Teacher Ji prepared to leave, her gaze shifted back towards me, primarily observing the strand of fortune around me, which seemed to have increased. Confirming this, she paid no further mind.
At that moment, I was trying out research on other spells on another Earth Vein Operating System, and I was also starting to learn “Practical Spellcasting,” delving into the basic theories of Illusion.
Indeed, the spellbook I was researching this time was the Illusionary Clone, a spell that was very useful and was specially gifted to me by Sister Bai.
Therefore, I needed to make full use of it and ensure that I didn’t break this spellbook.
Currently, I was examining theoretical knowledge related to illusions, which would help me understand the essence of the internal structure of this spellbook.
“Xiao Han.” At this moment, Tan Han suddenly called out to me.
“What’s wrong? Did you run into a problem?” I raised my head, curiously observing Tan Han. Although I knew she would encounter difficulties and that the research path would be fraught with challenges, I didn’t expect Tan Han to call out to me the moment Teacher Ji left.
“No, I’m just curious about something.” Tan Han wasn’t looking at me anymore but was instead holding the opened spellbook placed on the Earth Vein Operating System with both hands.
She seemed to be observing it earnestly, though the confusion in her eyes lingered.
“What is it?”
“I can’t see clearly… what exactly is it?” Tan Han lifted her confused eyes toward me, resembling a novice seeking knowledge.
“I truly want to know how you manage to analyze a spellbook so deeply, seemingly effortless, while I feel like there’s nothing in front of me. My gaze magnifies the spellbook, and even if I see the microscopic particles flowing through the spellbook, I still can’t discern the internal structure, what it is, as if I am separated from it by two worlds.”
“Um…” I instinctively made a sound, unsure of what to say. The atmosphere felt rather awkward.
“Even regarding mental power, I simply perceive it as a sphere—it’s a spellbook, and the contents inside are chaotic. Xiao Han, is what you’re seeing also through Spirit Vision?”
“Mm.” I nodded and turned away.
“Could I ask what your current level of Spirit Vision is?”
“My Spirit Vision…” I sighed, as Tan Han finally posed this question. It wasn’t that I couldn’t answer, as being an Innate Spirit Vision User wasn’t something too uncommon. Furthermore, this was not the first example; I was just a special case.
I feared that revealing it would hurt Tan Han, and I didn’t consider it something worth flaunting in front of others. It was something to be enjoyed quietly by myself—what use was there in boasting to others?
Even if someone inadvertently asked, what of it?
“Is it something not good…”
Just as Tan Han was about to give up when she saw I wasn’t responding, my phone rang.
“Oh, sorry, someone is contacting me. I’ll step out for a bit.”
At that moment, I picked up my phone as if it were a lifesaver. After apologizing, I walked out.
Once outside, I realized that the caller was none other than Sister Bai!
“Hello~ Sister Bai, why are you contacting me so early? Is something wrong?” I asked with anticipation, as usually, Sister Bai wouldn’t deliberately reach out to me unless there was something to discuss. I hoped it wasn’t bad news.
“Um, Xiao Han, where are you? I’m knocking on your villa door. Your roommate said you aren’t there, nor are you in the baking room.”
“Oh, I’m over at the experiment building. Is something the matter?” I asked out of curiosity, but quickly realized, “Wait! Sister Bai, you went to my villa!”
“Yeah, I thought you’d be there since it’s a rare free time, and your roommates seemed nice.”
“Is… is that so? Haha, by the way, Sister Bai, what’s your reason for reaching out to me? If there’s something, you can come to 8401 to find me.”
“There is indeed something, but since you’ve given me your address, I’ll leave the surprise for when we meet~”
“Huh? Tell me now~”
“Wait for me; I’ll be there soon. Just sit tight.”
“Hey? Sister Bai! Don’t hang up!”
I looked at the end of the call a bit dejected, but at the same time, I felt a slight excitement about what surprise Sister Bai was referring to.
As long as it wasn’t something bad.
