Chapter 211 – Individual Runes

Chapter 211 – Individual Runes

Lady Amisha had been lecturing at length about the origins of witch alchemy, and the more Mo Lan listened, the more confused she became.

“If all witch alchemy runes were discovered through individual experiments, and drawing them with magical power automatically produces the corresponding effects, then what’s the point of systematically studying the theory? Why not just learn all the runes and rune combinations directly?”

That would be even easier than Magic, which required you to refine your own casting instructions!

“The meanings of individual runes aren’t nearly as easy to understand as you might think. A textual definition can only describe a rune’s basic, limited effects. It takes a degree of imagination to truly understand one.

Moreover, many individual runes produce vastly different effects depending on the medium they’re applied to.

These nuances are very difficult to master through self-study, and that is precisely why this alchemy theory course exists.

There are currently one hundred and eight known individual runes, each with a wide range of meanings and effects.

For example, this rune here—you should recognize it, yes?”

Amisha drew a circle with her pen, and inside the circle was an inverted Earth numeral “8.”

(Rune diagram attached)

Mo Lan recognized it instantly. “The books in the library have tons of those!”

“Exactly! This is the rune with the ability of ‘Solidification.’

But ‘Solidification’ is merely this rune’s most basic meaning. It’s not limited to solidifying Magic.

Magic circles that seal Mana use it. Increasing an object’s durability uses it. Magical crucibles use it. Binding-type magical items use it. Even building a Witch’s Home can use it…

If you absolutely had to give it a definition, it would be that it can maintain something in a fixed state.

As for what that ‘something’ is—that’s determined by the medium, additives, and other runes.

In truth, even that definition is still imprecise, and you shouldn’t try to pin down an extremely precise definition for it.

Because once you define it, its capabilities become limited, and you lose further possibilities.

To truly master and utilize it, you need to understand it through various rune combinations and magical items, forming a vague mental impression.

Only then can you preserve the rune’s creative potential.

Making magical items by following alchemy blueprints—that can hardly be called knowing alchemy, and it offers no real prospects.

Don’t forget, drawing runes requires the participation of magical power, and magical power is governed by our thoughts and will.

Without understanding a rune, you can only draw the most rigid, most ordinary versions. You won’t be able to replicate even slightly complex rune combinations, even if you’re copying them directly.

For those without much alchemy talent who don’t plan to study the field in depth, rigidly memorizing the basic textual definitions of runes is a valid shortcut—it saves upfront investment and yields quick results.

But for those who want to study alchemy seriously, learning this way is self-sabotage.

Understanding runes, forming flexible rune impressions, wielding runes freely, designing rune combinations based on circumstances and needs, and crafting magical items—that is the proper and solid path of alchemy.” Amisha said.

Mo Lan was dumbstruck. “I’m doomed! I’ve already read nearly a third of the Mo-Pic books from Mo Lan was dumbstruck. “I’m doomed! I’ve already read nearly a third of the Mo-Pic books from 《The Witch’s Complete Alchemy Compendium》, and I memorized all the individual runes’ diagrams, meanings, and drawing methods ages ago.

I’ve even memorized quite a few rune combinations and classic alchemy blueprints.

Now whenever I think of an individual rune, all that comes to mind is its exact appearance and corresponding definition.

Doesn’t that mean I’ve learned the runes in the most rigid way possible?

The Mo-Pic books never said I shouldn’t memorize them like that!”

She had memorized everything at first glance—solid, clear, and precise—completely at odds with the vague, flexible impressions that were supposed to be formed. In her current situation, the more clearly and rigidly she had memorized the rune definitions, the worse off she was.

She had essentially gone down the wrong path.

The first Waterloo of her Sorceress career had arrived without warning. Curled up in the soft sofa, she couldn’t relax anymore.

She looked anxiously at the Headmistress. “Is there any way to fix this?”

Amisha: “…”

Nothing like Mo Lan’s situation had ever come up before. Alchemy theory was always taught before the introductory alchemy practicum, so any young witch serious about learning alchemy would study the theory first.

But now there was a young witch who had gotten ahead of herself and memorized every single individual rune before alchemy theory class had even begun.

She silently cursed No. 101 for being unreliable—when granting Mo Lan library access, she hadn’t even warned her!

And No. 69 had failed in her supervisory duties too!

“You really memorized all of them? There’s no wiggle room at all?” Amisha asked, still clinging to a sliver of hope.

Mo Lan shook her head. “With my memory, remembering things clearly is easy—remembering them vaguely is the hard part. It’s like I transcribed the Mo-Pic books directly into my brain.”

“Then you only have one option,” Amisha said with a sigh.

“What option?” Mo Lan perked up immediately.

“Memorize every rune combination and alchemy blueprint you can find—the more the better.

Then categorize and organize them according to the individual runes they involve.

For each individual rune you study, you need to analyze what effect that particular rune contributes within those rune combinations and what meaning it represents.

Then compile all the effects and meanings together and identify the connections between them.

Finally, based on that information, use your imagination to extrapolate additional possible effects of the rune, then verify and research whether they can actually be realized.

This process may not allow you to form a vague rune impression, but it will free your understanding of runes from rigidity and gradually make it flexible.

Whether it’s vague or not is secondary—as long as it’s flexible, that’s what matters.

The only drawback is that compared to never forming a clear, fixed understanding in the first place, this approach is considerably more complex and difficult. Very few witches would choose to learn alchemy this way.”

Worried that Mo Lan might be discouraged, Amisha added some reassurance:

“Difficulty has its advantages too. Learning this way will give you an extremely solid foundation in rune application and rune combination construction.

You’ll be a bit slower than others at learning individual runes in the early stages, but later on, learning to construct rune combinations will be much easier!”

“It’s not hard, not hard at all!” Mo Lan genuinely breathed a sigh of relief and sank back into the sofa. “It basically just means that after I memorize all the individual runes, rune combinations, and alchemy blueprints, I analyze and process everything in my head one more time!

This learning method might actually suit me better.”

The thought of forming vague rune impressions gave her a headache, but memorizing vast quantities of rune effect samples was right in her wheelhouse.

Other witches’ rune impressions were mystical and nebulous—a hazy mass with indistinct boundaries.

Hers would be a massive collection of effects and meanings from every angle, supplemented by her own imaginative extensions and expansions—a clear yet enormous mass that, thanks to those imaginative extrapolations, also had indistinct boundaries.

No limitations meant perpetual flexibility and perpetual creativity.

Now she understood completely.

Amisha had been worried that her own oversight might cause Mo Lan to struggle endlessly with alchemy or even give up studying it altogether. Hearing Mo Lan’s response, she finally put her mind at ease.