Chapter 82 – Organizing Materials

Chapter 82 – Organizing Materials

“I don’t need to write a thesis anymore, but I still have to study and practice magic, and there are so many books to read,” Mo Lan said.

“My goal is to read every single book in the Academy library before graduation, memorize them all, learn every Witch Magic spell, and raise my magic level as high as possible! Even without the thesis, there’s never enough time no matter how I look at it—how can I afford not to push harder!”

This goal was far too ambitious. Vasida and Sylph had absolutely no way to argue against it.

They hadn’t even finished the thesis due tomorrow, yet they were still thinking about going back, throwing together a simple lunch, and taking a nap!

They couldn’t compare. Not even close.

“By the way, Vasida, you stayed up late last night too, but you look much better than Sylph. Is that because of the Devouring Stomach?”

Mo Lan had noticed that morning that Vasida’s dark circles were the smallest and lightest, but she hadn’t had a chance to ask until now.

“Mm! Eating seems to restore a tiny bit of energy.” Vasida held up her fingernail to show just how small. “Really just a tiny bit. It seems to be a new effect—before, it could only restore stamina and mana.”

“That’s wonderful!” Mo Lan said enviously. “If you develop it further, maybe someday you’ll be able to replenish all your energy just by eating, and you won’t need to sleep at all!”

Vasida: “…”

Thank goodness her Devouring Stomach hadn’t ended up in Mo Lan’s body. Otherwise, Mo Lan really might squat in Breadfruit Grove, neither eating nor drinking nor sleeping, just practicing magic and reading books.

Vasida and Sylph drifted off in a daze.

Mo Lan practiced the Spring Water spell at the well for the entire noon, consuming over two hundred Mana.

After the afternoon Culinary Magic class, she returned to the Dormitory to organize her reading materials.

She sat at her desk, laid out a stack of blank parchment, several bottles of different-colored ink, and their corresponding quill pens.

Then she channeled her mana and activated the Transcription Spell.

The quill pens on the desk stood upright all at once, dipped into the black ink bottle, and then hovered above the parchment.

It was as if an invisible hand were holding the pen, ready to write.

Reading comprehension question formats and speed-reading techniques from various countries on Earth flashed through Mo Lan’s mind.

Combined with the theory textbooks she had already read, inspiration struck all at once.

As her thoughts crystallized, the quill pen began to move, writing in large Witch Script letters on the topmost sheet of parchment: “Fundamentals of Magic Theory Reading Workbook.”

The parchment hopped aside on its own to dry while the quill pen continued writing on the second sheet…

The quill’s writing speed was extraordinarily fast, lagging only slightly behind her thoughts.

Sometimes when she hesitated, the quill would even pause and tap impatiently to urge her on.

Thanks to the Transcription Spell’s writing speed, Mo Lan spent five evenings and produced a 《Reading Skills Development Plan》, a 《A Guide to Reading Techniques》 a 《Basic Magic Theory Reading Workbook》 a 《History of Witches Reading Workbook》, a《Continental History Reading Workbook》, six volumes of 《Basic Mathematics》 and six matching exercise booklets.

Mo Lan even gave them simple bindings. “Headmistress! I’ve finished organizing everything. How should I deliver them to you?”

“Tomorrow morning, Amisha in the black robe will come to collect them from you!”

*

Saturday morning, Mo Lan had just finished her Breadfruit Cake breakfast when there was a knock at the Dormitory door.

“Coming!”

She opened the door to find the Lady Amisha who usually taught their classes standing outside, holding her usual broomstick.

“Headmistress, good morning!”

“Good morning!” Mo Lan hurried to invite Lady Amisha inside, pointing to the seventeen books on her desk. “They’re all here!”

Amisha picked up one of the books. It turned its own pages in her hands without any wind, and in less than three minutes, it had flipped from the first page to the last.

Then she picked up the next one.

“That fast—can you actually read the words?” Mo Lan was thoroughly puzzled.

Though she couldn’t see Lady Amisha’s energy Halo, she could sense that she must be casting a spell.

Even though she was burning with curiosity about this reading method, Mo Lan didn’t dare interrupt.

Seventeen books—in less than an hour, Lady Amisha had picked up and flipped through every one of them.

“Well written! Quite suitable for young witches,” Amisha said. “I’ll submit these to the Witch Council as soon as possible. Wait for my word!”

Amisha was about to leave with the books when Mo Lan hurried to stop her. “Headmistress! How were you reading so fast just now? Is it magic? I want to learn it too!”

If she could read at that speed, getting through the entire library would only take a few months!

“It’s Teacher Traci’s Sorceress Magic speed-reading spell. It’s included in the 《Book Magic》 text you transcribed on Monday.

However, I wouldn’t recommend learning it right now. The cost of casting this spell is permanent mana.

Just now, reading those dozen or so books cost me twenty permanent Mana,” Amisha said.

Mo Lan saw Lady Amisha off and immediately came back to open 《Book Magic》.

Sure enough, the speed-reading spell was in there. At the Apprentice level, it cost the usual five permanent Mana to purchase.

But just as Lady Amisha had said, the casting cost of this spell wasn’t expendable mana—it was permanent mana.

It was essentially burning mana to speed up reading, and it only accelerated reading speed without affecting comprehension.

There was also a speed-memorization spell that similarly consumed permanent mana. Its effect was roughly equivalent to her current photographic memory ability—essentially burning mana to briefly boost memory.

Mo Lan checked her Status Card.

【Mana: 496/992 Mana】

Her total mana had been naturally growing and was about to break through to Intermediate. It wasn’t worth buying spells that burned permanent mana.

Even as a Sorceress, she couldn’t sustain prolonged use of speed-reading.

The whole reason she was studying so hard was to grow stronger faster.

Frequently burning mana to read would only turn her into a knowledgeable but physically helpless armchair theorist.

Without mana, she couldn’t even cast spells—what was the point of talking about power?

She couldn’t exactly cross worlds and save Earth with nothing but the knowledge in her head, could she?

The speed-reading and speed-memorization spells were only suitable for rare reading opportunities, time-critical situations requiring rapid information intake. It might be useful if she ever managed to touch a secret book from a Mage’s library, but otherwise its use was very limited.

Only someone like the Headmistress—a Beyond Peak powerhouse with over ten thousand Mana—could afford to spend twenty permanent Mana just to quickly read a few books. Even still, one wondered why a witch who could split herself into multiple bodies would bother. Was she showing off?

Anyway, these were not spells an Intermediate Sorceress like her should be learning. Mo Lan closed her Grimoire.

Compared to the speed-reading and speed-memorization spells, there were other spells better suited for her right now.

After a busy week, she had finally finished organizing the reading and math textbooks and delivered them to the Headmistress. Now she finally had time to learn the spells she had been wanting to try since last week!

Mo Lan opened 《Fire, Light, and Water》.