Chapter 412: Preparation Before Returning to the Small World
Because the idea was too sudden, after saying goodbye to the Academy Head, I ran for a while before I realized I had used a teleportation spell to leave the Academy Head’s office.
Taking advantage of this moment of inspiration, I didn’t care about anything else, such as visiting Teacher Ji, or the few people in my dormitory; those thoughts were temporarily set aside. I even forgot to ask if Sister Bai had come yet…
But based on Sister Bai’s situation, she might not return so quickly. Right, maybe I should at least let Teacher Ji or the Academy Head know before I leave. I wouldn’t want Sister Bai to be unable to find me, crying and making a scene at the Witch Academy; that would be terrible!
However, the image of Sister Bai crying and making a fuss… strangely made me feel amused. I couldn’t even begin to imagine the expression on Sister Bai’s face.
After my thoughts settled, I knew it was time to focus on the task at hand.
Once teleported, I arrived at the teleportation landmark in the Grand Library of the Witch Academy. After all, if I wanted to know where the most information was, it would definitely be the library.
However, books in the library basically had a fee, let alone someone like me wanting to prepare to download a large volume of materials; the cost would be astronomical.
But at this moment, money and knowledge were no longer equivalent for me. Money could be earned again, but time and knowledge wait for no one.
I wasn’t even sure how often Qiu Ruxin would perform a ceremony, and for this return trip, I didn’t plan to procrastinate. I intended to stay there after I arrived; anyway, it had already been confirmed that this world was a small world colliding with the main world, and knowing its background would definitely influence my mindset.
It would also be a good idea to go there in advance to meet up with the Witch Mentors and Academy Heads who would arrive in about a month.
I didn’t even know how many Academy Heads there were in the Witch Academy, and as a student of the academy, not knowing this basic knowledge felt somewhat inadequate.
However, I didn’t actively search for that information. After all, compared to understanding how many Academy Heads there were, the books in the library were much more appealing. Moreover, I didn’t have much interaction with those Academy Heads; even if I might in the future, that was a matter for later.
Upon entering the Grand Library, I directly used my privileges to access the deeper areas of the library.
On my way, I had roughly planned what I was going to do. Basically, it was mainly about acquiring knowledge, divided into two types.
One type consisted of a large amount of knowledge that wasn’t particularly important, which I would download and store using the Earth Vein Operating System.
The other type included content that wasn’t voluminous but was crucial; for that, I needed to rely on my Memory Shelf.
Because the content viewed through the Memory Shelf was basically linked to my memory, I could practically learn and apply spells in real time.
Right now, using the Earth Vein System was only a compromise; there wasn’t enough time, and I couldn’t just transport the Witch Academy’s library to that small world, could I?
Besides, when I have the time later, I will also read through all the knowledge contained here to catalog them onto my Memory Shelf, as in some ways, the Memory Shelf belongs to me.
Here in the library, I also paid using Aoqin to conveniently purchase and download e-books. The part-time Senior at the front desk stared at me with a look of shock, as if she thought I had lost my mind for using Aoqin in the library.
Is this preparing wealth to pass down three generations?
Oh no, for a student who hasn’t achieved extraordinary status, not even the next generation…
But I persisted; this habit of not treating money like money seems to have developed in that small world. Sigh… I’ve grown accustomed to spending money lavishly…
But it can’t be said that my expenses weren’t worth it; paying for knowledge is also an investment in myself—a very worthwhile deal.
Next came a long and monotonous process of waiting for downloads while constantly reading, studying, and understanding…
This time, the content I was looking at included not only detailed explanations of rune ceremonies but also many other topics, such as axioms, theorems, conjectures, and formulas related to the extraordinary level.
Equally, I began to pay attention to mathematics, physics, chemistry, etc. The more I studied the extraordinary, the more I realized the importance of the fundamentals. Mathematics is a great tool for expression, and the process of learning physics and chemistry is also a way to cultivate thinking. Even if they might not apply in the extraordinary field, the values of their concepts are worth referencing.
Don’t think that this is trivial; it’s really necessary.
Even in the realm of physics, the same laws might not apply to different environments, such as macro and micro levels, let alone the difference between surface physics and the extraordinary.
Some laws or concepts are simply known, while not knowing them would be something I could never imagine.
For me at this moment, the so-called depth is not just about accumulating knowledge; it’s also about cultivating thought and enhancing ideology. The more universally applicable these foundational elements are, the more they need to be valued. The ideas and concepts they encompass cover both the ordinary and the extraordinary.
But undoubtedly, the learning process is painful. Many things in the world can be achieved with a little push, but for subjects like mathematics and science, lacking talent means one can only stare blankly.
No doubt, I belong to the kind who can only stare blankly. With the Memory Shelf, one could say I possess the “Divinely Chosen Literary Talent” and can remember everything, but that doesn’t apply to science.
Only practical spellbooks have a slight effect in this aspect, but those spells aren’t as immediately effective as the Memory Shelf. Being slow-witted means being slow-witted; even a lively mind requires training.
I maintained this state for several days. I could only say that I gained a lot, but it was still not enough.
However, today I encountered an acquaintance at the library.
“Xiao Han? Oh! It really is you!”
At that moment, I looked up in response to the voice and saw Betty’s figure.
“Betty? What are you doing at the library?” I adjusted my glasses slightly, a bit surprised.
“Oh, I upset my mentor again and came to the library to lay low.” Betty sighed as she plopped down in front of me. “By the way, I haven’t seen you in days. Where have you been, Xiao Han?”
“Me? I went to do something very important. Sorry, I seemed to have forgotten to tell you.”
“Alright, you didn’t even reply to any messages on your phone. I don’t know what you were up to. But… I must say, your social circle is really small. When I want to find you, I don’t know where to look besides using my phone.” She immediately started pouring her complaints to me.
“Indeed, I’m sorry to trouble you. I’m not very good at dealing with others; too many interpersonal relationships disrupt my life rhythm, so I don’t have many friends.”
“Then as your friend, shouldn’t I feel honored?”
“That is true. Remember to pay your friend fee each month. Thank you.” I joked.
“Ah? Friend fee? Just put it on my tab for now. Let’s not charge interest since we’re friends, okay? When we’re not friends anymore, I’ll settle it properly.” Betty also joked back.
“Of course.” I smiled for a rare moment; this kind of joking wasn’t bad.
“Not to call you out, but… wait?” Just as Betty was about to continue our conversation, she suddenly realized my book was a bit off. “Math?! Wait, what are you doing with the Earth Vein System? Downloading… books?”
“Yeah, supplementing my basics. Some things are truly frustrating; I regret not studying hard enough before. Now that I have to catch up, it’s really painful.”
“Um… stop looking at these things… How about we check out alchemy? Runes work too! Why are we looking at these? To learn that one fireball plus another fireball equals two fireballs?” Betty said a bit “fearfully.”
“Pretty much. One fireball plus another fireball is a continuous firing fireball that’s an extension of the fireball spell, while one fireball plus another fireball, when fired, is equivalent to a double fireball derived from the fireball spell. The effects are the same, but the essence is different…”
“Wait! Are you still Xiao Han? Quickly switch me back to the original Xiao Han! Are you becoming obsessed with your studies?” Hearing my confusing explanation, she quickly stood up and shook my shoulders.
“How could that be? I’m only expressing the differences in the operations and results in the simplest way possible… Alright, alright, I see you don’t understand, so let’s not delve into that. Anyway, I won’t do anything useless. Your confusion comes from not having a clear understanding of the essence of the situation.”
“Okay, okay~ Our little Han is really amazing~ I won’t talk about these professional topics anymore. By the way, could you please tell me what you’ve been up to?”
“How to put it? I’m just going to a special place to broaden my horizons. Also, in a few days, I might disappear again for a while, and you won’t be able to contact me by phone. That’s quite normal.”
“Normal? What do you mean? You’re allowed to leave campus?”
“Um… to some extent… yes, it counts as leaving campus?” I pondered for a moment and then spoke.
After all, going to another world should also be considered leaving the campus, right?
“Wow… that’s pretty impressive! Generally, it’s very difficult to get approval for a first-semester leave of absence.” Betty seemed to remember something. “By the way, since you can leave campus, you must know about that, right?”
“That? Which one?” I looked up in confusion, unsure of what riddle she was referring to.
“The rumors! I heard from a senior who went out and came back that there’s currently a rumor circulating outside, saying our world is about to undergo a great change. The news is spreading from various extraordinary academies!”
“What do you mean? It’s spreading from extraordinary academies? Shouldn’t we know more than the outside world? Why even mention the outside world?”
“Um… well, anyway, our world seems to be about to have a void collision with another world! This is just unofficial news though.”
“Hmm?” At this moment, I showed a serious expression, taking off my glasses to look at Betty. “It’s already spread?”
“Ah? Wait! Xiao Han, why are you so calm? You can’t be saying you knew in advance, right?”
“Pretty much.” I replied vaguely.
Otherwise, I can’t just say that I’m the lucky one who’s progressing faster than those exploration teams in the void, right?
But since the Extraordinary Academy has already started warming up and laying the groundwork for this matter, it means that this will soon gradually be revealed. Moreover, when the two worlds collide in the void, it would lead to numerous spatial portals appearing at the overlap between the two worlds, which will be impossible to prevent.
“No! Xiao Han, knowing such explosive news, you aren’t considering me at all? This important matter… I’m so hurt!” Betty looked very sad, appearing neglected.
“Keep your voice down; this is still a library.” I placed my index finger over my lips to signal her not to get agitated.
“Um… not to say that, Xiao Han, but you shouldn’t just stay silent and say nothing? Doesn’t hiding secrets feel heavy?” Betty realized her own loss of composure and instinctively looked around. Thankfully, I was in a quieter corner.
“Don’t worry, I’m not what you would call a blabbermouth, so I can keep secrets.” I said, but… given the current situation, the news about the arrival of the small world would likely be announced soon, so it could hardly be called a secret.
“What you’ve kept is not a secret, it’s sensational gossip! Quickly tell me, is this news true?”
“It should be reliable.” I replied.
“And what else?”
“This incident has caused many Witch Mentors and Academy Heads to personally investigate the situation.”
“I know that, but I didn’t expect the Academy Heads to go as well. How many went?”
“How would I know? I don’t even know how many Academy Heads there are in the Witch Academy!” I shrugged.
“Okay, anything else?”
“Um… this incident could last several years or more…”
“Several years? That long? Wait… Xiao Han, you’re sounding hesitant. Your tone doesn’t sound like sharing information but rather like you’re weighing what to say. Are you hiding a lot from me?”
“Then if I said I’m going to the world that is about to collide with ours for an investigation, would you believe me?”
“No, do I look like a fool?”
“There you go; information like this is better understood for fun. When the matter actually happens, the mentors will intervene, and we can just watch.” I said helplessly, since honestly speaking, she doesn’t even believe it, so what could I do?
“Alright, alright~ let’s leave it at that.”
“Hmm, just like that. Just don’t disturb me; my time is quite precious right now.”
“Okay, okay~ Our little Han, the university scholar, study slowly. I’ll just sit here, don’t worry. I won’t disturb you; I’ll just read some books to pass the time until my mentor calms down and I go back.” Betty said, taking out her phone and turning it off to prevent her mentor from calling her back.
Later, she could just say she stayed in the library for further study, didn’t notice her phone ran out of magic, and it would be perfect.
Betty’s arrival added some interruptions, but I didn’t mind it.
Days passed, and the fatigue from heightened mental activity made it challenging for me to keep up, so I took this opportunity to temporarily set aside the heavy cerebral activities and did some other things for a balance of work and rest.
As for what I did… naturally, it was crafting the runes for my Reverse Summoning Spell, along with learning some simple alchemical item crafting and enchanting techniques in alchemy. Although I wasn’t very skilled, I had a solid theoretical knowledge base to support me, so I wouldn’t be as half-hearted as before.
I made several small alchemical gadgets for summoning myself, planning to give them to people I knew, such as my dormitory buddies, Teacher Ji, Betty, Sofiry, etc.
Even if I planned to stay in that small world until the mentors arrived, I needed to have a backup plan.
However, I also told them not to summon me too frequently; being summoned excessively would annoy me.
After finishing these tasks, I also returned to reading, filling in gaps with the best content. I had a feeling that, unless something unexpected happened, Qiu Ruxin should be about to perform the ceremony.
As I sensed a surge of summoning guidance, I immediately reacted, quickly packed my things, and sent out the edited group message, serving as a little presence for those I knew. After finishing all this, I let out a huge sigh of relief.
“Small world, here I come again!”
Using the fastest speed, I teleported away from the library to an uninhabited corner. After all, the Reverse Summoning Spell creates quite a stir, and I didn’t want to disturb others like a teleportation spell would.
Once here, I raised my hand, a wave of extraordinary power surged, and the Reverse Summoning Spell was activated!
