Chapter 260: Accumulation and Learning in the Library
As I walked, I flipped through the materials and information I had taken from Teacher Ji. A large portion of it was guidance that she had provided after her own study, while I was only looking at a small part of it.
If I wanted to modify the Memory Shelf spellbook further in the future or even derive from it, these contents were essential for me to understand. After all, if possible, I didn’t want to rely on Teacher Ji all the time.
Adjusting my glasses slightly, I opened my phone to use the reverse camera to look at myself on the screen. There was indeed a hint of pretentiousness in my scholarly appearance…
Well, after seeing it a lot, even I couldn’t quite stand it. I took a photo to send to Sister Bai, in case I ran into her at the library later and couldn’t recognize her—it would be awkward.
Moreover, Sister Bai had also started getting busy lately, so I should try not to disturb her when there’s nothing going on next time.
But soon enough, Sister Bai replied with a “?” and showed concern about my situation.
I briefly explained my circumstances, chatted for a few moments, and then ended the conversation. What the heck… she didn’t even comment on whether I looked good. Is it because I didn’t show her my leg ring?
But I thought Sister Bai was worrying too much. After all, this was an academy; no one dared to be reckless, especially since I had changed my appearance.
However, after leaving the teaching building, I began to change my mind. I wasn’t sure if it was just my imagination, but as I stepped out, I felt some people’s gazes glancing at me, faint yet present.
Their outfits were somewhat outlandish, which quickly reminded me of those guys from the Witch Club…
No way… is this my first time seeing… oh, should I count this as my second experience with campus bullying? Their demeanor exuded an unfriendly vibe, and they seemed to be loitering around without purpose.
Their gazes on me felt like being watched by cold-blooded creatures, especially when their eyes shifted to follow my movement, scrutinizing me.
What a hassle… I really want to take care of this group to avoid being bothered… wait!
Why am I having such strange thoughts? Thinking about killing someone just seems bizarre, right? This is not a dream world anymore.
It must be the influence of witch transformation on me!
Ignoring these troubles, I made my way to the library. What I saw earlier made me realize the real threat from others in the Witch Academy; this was no joke.
But I still didn’t understand why they were finding trouble with me as if I was a target. Is it because I hadn’t shown any strength that could crush them in the dream world?
Or are they simply taking advantage of me, thinking I’m easy to bully and preventing me from finding any peace?
After all, the Witch Academy had the Wei Ji Team patrolling. If there was a major disturbance due to magic, they would notice immediately; however, ordinary spells would not be as easily detected. It seemed like a blind spot for their activities.
Moreover, the Witch Academy was vast, and the Wei Ji Team couldn’t cover everything, but the central teaching area would definitely be under strict surveillance.
Even so, I could still see them lurking around, probably just acting as messengers or testing me like cannon fodder.
But unfortunately, from this moment on, Yang Yuelan had disappeared, and there would soon be a new white-haired girl named “Yue.”
Upon arriving at the library, I chose a seat on the first floor, keeping to my previous habit. To prevent being approached by any scheming seniors like last time, I made my best effort to find a relatively secluded spot.
After setting down the materials I had, I began looking for books related to runes.
I trusted my reading speed and note-taking method, so whenever I saw a book on runes that piqued my interest, I would take it. If I couldn’t finish it today, I would take it home. If I didn’t finish at home, I would continue tomorrow.
“Rune Literature? I must be frank—randomly reading like this serves no purpose; it’s disorganized…”
“Huh?” I turned around and saw a senior beside me. Confirming she was talking about me, I wasn’t sure how to explain.
I was called out for being foolish…
“You’re trying to fish for attention from seniors, aren’t you? I’m really tired of people like you, taking so many books without learning anything and not letting others read.” She scrutinized me as if she had just figured something out, her tone implying she had passed judgment on me.
“I’m sincerely studying. If my actions inconvenience you, I apologize, but don’t lump me in with that type of person.” I retorted without holding back. Not to mention that everyone has their own learning methods; labeling someone without understanding is something I deeply resent.
Even if the runes I studied were diverse and eclectic, I wasn’t disorganized, especially since I had the Memory Shelf. Structuring knowledge is easier for me than for anyone else.
Therefore, after taking the books I was interested in, I turned to leave without wanting to engage with her further.
This was just an episode, a common occurrence whenever I drew attention to myself in the library, like being approached while reading.
Once I started reading, I would employ a versatile magic spell, as knowledge isn’t a single, independent entity; it interacts and is interlinked.
After using this spell, the content recorded on my Memory Shelf became even more dynamic.
This included not only the content of the books but also associative content, which captured the reflections and insights arising from my reading, recorded as “notes.”
This not only greatly improved my learning efficiency but also brought a new way of understanding. Humans have finite minds, but the effects of magic are limitless; certain knowledge can only be acquired through continuous association.
Time passed quickly.
These days, many seniors in the library had noticed a new regular patron. The prominent white hair of that girl stood out greatly among the ordinary crowd.
However, even though the seniors in the Witch Academy enjoyed various hairstyles and hair colors, or wielded different powers that altered their hair and eye colors, white hair was still rare.
After all, to those who hadn’t adapted to a long lifespan, white hair represented aging and was associated with negativity.
However, if you ask me, this world lacks the age-old tradition of venerating white hair and youthful features, but I believe that one day everyone will become fans of white hair; it’s just that the road is still long.
The seniors who enjoy studying in the library naturally welcomed another quiet companion like them.
And those opportunistic seniors who approach others in the library had also come to recognize me.
As soon as they spotted that distinctive white hair, they knew I was someone who wouldn’t be easily approached; even if you initiated conversation about rune literature, I wouldn’t engage in any other topics. Because of this, for the next few days, no one disturbed me.
Many seniors began to think of me as a “steel straight girl.” In the Witch Academy, relationships between girls had become quite common, often as a way to relieve pressure and seek emotional support and companionship.
Moreover, the older the senior, the more they felt that the girls around them were quite charming…
For those seniors who still adhered strictly to their s*xual orientation, they could easily leave campus to pursue true love or engage in other activities to shift their focus. Although there are many restrictions for leaving school, there are always ways to make it happen.
Just like Bai Yu back then, who lived outside the academy for a long time.
After all, the Witch Academy was very open to teaching. If you’re willing to learn, you learn; if not, it’s up to you. Isn’t the Witch Club just like that?
In these days, many exciting things happened in the Witch Academy. Although I was immersed in the library all day, I wasn’t out of touch with my phone.
First, as my silence ceased, the excitement cheering for me gradually faded, replaced by Tan Han becoming the main force of the new students. During this time, Tan Han had contacted me multiple times, asking about my situation, why I hadn’t been seen, and even inquiring about secret realm exploration. Most of my responses were direct rejections. Moreover, with Tan Han’s awakening and realization of her own path, she voluntarily withdrew from Teacher Ji’s group. Although she hadn’t been in the group for long, it was still her path.
If it’s the right one, continue down it; if wrong, cut losses in time. I’m sure Teacher Ji would fully agree with her application to withdraw.
I wasn’t surprised by this; I felt Tan Han’s very presence even just as a nominal member of Teacher Ji’s group was a burden because she didn’t belong there.
With my absence, those students from Class 14 were the most anxious. If I didn’t occasionally chat in the group, they might still think I had gone missing.
Although they seemed to have gotten used to the class leader’s absence, most still remembered the good times we had.
With Teacher Ji’s series of incentives and sources of rewards being announced, other classes were envious as well.
Many were astonished that the class leader would share her rewards with others. Of course, some felt it was taken for granted, as the resources from the first place had numbered in the thousands—clearly prepared for the other classmates in the class. Speaking of which, the rationale they had was well-reasoned.
In response, Teacher Ji merely observed coldly; she wouldn’t correct this even though she was the instructor for Class 14. She had no obligation to correct it very explicitly. Just like when they came to her to complain about being unfair, she would still just watch from the sidelines; the Witch Academy wouldn’t revolve around them.
Teacher Ji only agreed to my request and privately gave Tu Xingyue an additional reward that I had prepared for her, hoping she would like it.
This seemingly charitable act from Class 14 brought significant pressure to the other class leaders.
Many class leaders felt that the rewards they had earned weren’t enough even for themselves, let alone sharing with others.
Naturally, there were also moral coercion and stubbornness involved, but the twists and turns of these had nothing to do with me, simply the greed of the weak.
Don’t talk about not fearing poverty but fearing inequality; don’t get fooled by the relaxed atmosphere of the Witch Academy. The extraordinary world is inherently one of the survival of the fittest. This is the fundamental reason why, while I value knowledge and skills, I must also grasp the essence of strength.
During this time, news about the Witch Secret Realm was also announced, with the message released jointly for students in grades one to three, as the first three years are fixed theoretical courses. Generally speaking, without personal means, students’ combat strength wouldn’t differ significantly.
This time, the secret realm event was nominally hosted by the Witch Academy club and was supposedly voluntary registration; the Witch Secret Realm Association would screen applicants.
Sharp-eyed individuals naturally noticed Tan Han’s emergence. It could be said that her strength was noteworthy even among third-year students, making others take notice. However, the acknowledged number one among the new students, Yang Yuelan, did not appear on such lists, which directly caused many of Xiao Han’s fans to nearly storm the Witch Secret Realm Association. In the end, it was the president who clarified that Yang Yuelan had not registered; thus, she wasn’t on the list, emphasizing that participation was primarily voluntary, and so on…
This matter eventually calmed down in front of everyone. As one of the few who understood the underlying situation, Renata was also questioned by the current president, ultimately having to accept their capricious decisions.
But they also knew a bit about the inside story.
As long as the reserved spots appeared, completing the school’s tasks would allow for support from the remaining academy.
The implication that Yang Yuelan wasn’t being valued by the academy was quickly picked up by those with connections, so they soon shifted their focus back to Tan Han.
Tan Han’s arrival had received various support from the academy since her enrollment. This tangible care was evident to everyone; the dark horse would ultimately still struggle against the academy and the heavily invested seed candidates.
Thus, they concluded that blindly following the academy’s pressure on Tan Han was the correct move. Additionally, during this secret realm trip, Tan Han outshone a plethora of seniors, seemingly determined to prove herself as the top freshman.
If they could recruit her, that would be best. Many clubs expressed dissatisfaction at Tan Han joining a baking club, and numerous seniors patiently extended olive branches to her time and again.
However, Tan Han had not accepted any of it.
In fact, Store Manager Shali also advised Tan Han to consider leaving, sincerely asking her to do so because Shali recognized Tan Han’s value and felt that staying in this shallow pond would not allow her to flourish.
Shali wished she could say the same to Xiao Han, but unfortunately, she hadn’t encountered her yet. Although she received messages in return, they mostly involved Xiao Han being busy.
Shali lamented that she seemed unable to keep up with the thoughts of the academic overachievers.
Meanwhile, I continued to stay in the library, reading books, still focusing on runic literature.
Runic literature is truly endless, but the library holds a limited collection of runes. If I used advanced permissions to access more books, I might discover new runes; however, I didn’t take that route.
As mentioned earlier, rune knowledge is inexhaustible. I only understood, learned, recorded, and comprehended.
Any single rune studied independently could be backed with higher-quality literature and information than I currently possessed. So, knowing what to focus on really mattered.
In these less-than-seven days, what I did was merely getting familiar with the runes and their characteristics, accumulating my foundation, and expanding my horizons. This way, when studying spellbooks, I wouldn’t find myself in darkness when encountering a rune.
Only in times of real difficulty would be the moments to dive deep into a specific rune.
This is similar to how Teacher Ji conducts research, requiring massive amounts of literature to reference.
Vast knowledge sometimes looks impressive, but more often, it’s to facilitate research rigor; ultimately, one needs to seek professional literature for practical investigation and comparison.
At this moment, I closed the book and gently picked up the coffee beside me, taking a sip.
Another book finished. These days, I had also learned the reading style of those seniors. In the initial days, I had been somewhat reserved and serious; the exam-like seriousness indeed allowed for more efficient learning, but it wasn’t sustainable for me.
After a while, I found I needed to use the knowledge and action unification spell for suggestion to concentrate while reading until a senior kindly persuaded me and treated me to a cup of coffee, prompting me to slowly learn to relax.
If you can’t relax while reading, you won’t be able to absorb anything.
Although this leisurely reading method had lowered efficiency, if I continued with the previous style, the decline would probably be even more pronounced.
Thus, this relaxed reading approach was the optimal solution for my current state.
If an action cannot be done in a way that is enjoyable, it will hinder efficiency. The premise of this theory is that one must have strong self-control, understanding what they need, and not using it as an excuse for indulgence; otherwise, it would be meaningless.
After having a preliminary understanding and recognition of runes, looking back at my previous modifications to spells suddenly felt as if I had gained clarity.
What benefited me the most was the three derivative techniques I had developed for shaping spells.
The most impressive of these derivatives was “point collection.” After understanding runes, I delved deeply into it because while exploring runes, I noticed a class of runes I cared about. Their effects together were expressed as “spell penetration,” further enriching the concept I had on point collection’s armor-piercing techniques.
This should not be termed as an improvement; rather, it was a fusion of spell penetration with armor-piercing actions.
If previously I had purely employed special techniques for violent armor-piercing, then overlaying the spell penetration effect onto this armor-piercing maneuver elevated it to a new level.
This week of learning had also taught me humility. When a person recognizes their insignificance in the face of knowledge, only then can they qualify to start climbing the mountain named knowledge.
Originally, I was ambitious and wanted to touch on everything, but simply using point collection techniques along with one “spell penetration” kept me busy enough.
Had I not realized that this week wasn’t the right time to study spell penetration, I might have gone off the rails again.
I collected the books related to runes from my table and placed them back in their original spots, while some other books had been reserved by other seniors.
During these days, I also discovered that there is a learning circle within the library, with the rune literature circle being the one I interacted with the most. I was also pulled into this group chat.
I got to know some seniors interested in runic rituals. Although I wasn’t familiar with their names, we chatted well in the group.
They also recommended specific runic books to me. My rapid learning of runes was undoubtedly aided by the group’s leader.
The senior who mocked me on the first day was also from this circle. Later, I resolved the conflict in the group since she was pushed to the edge by girls like me back then, so she had reacted that way without thinking. I didn’t mind it; I would almost have forgotten it if I hadn’t brought it up.
“Um… is this the book you wanted? I finished it. You mentioned wanting this one in the group, right?”
“Ah? Thank you, you finished it so quickly? But this book on rune literature primarily discusses the rune combinations for alchemical rituals. Are you also intending to explore alchemy?”
“Uh, I guess I have that thought.” I replied.
Mainly, I wanted to try something new.
Ever since experiencing the rhythm of battle, sitting still for too long without moving made my body feel like it was rusting.
Of course, mainly, I also wanted to connect with the outside world a little; being away from it for too long could bring about trouble.
“Really? I have seen you discussing various runes in the group; you seem to know everything. I plan to pursue alchemy as well. Senior, guide me!”
“Uh… let’s talk about it later. I might not be in the library for a while; I plan to do some other things.”
“Ah? Not coming anymore?”
“Mm.” Being called senior by other seniors felt a bit embarrassing, but there was also an odd sense of satisfaction.
