Free Web NovelChapter 53: Chapter 51: Mirror Image Mysteries Hall
Mo Ning cleared the chaotic thoughts from his mind and fixed his gaze on the motionless Obsidian Statue.
The Stone Book in the statue’s hands suddenly changed.
The Stone Book began to emit a faint glow. The light wasn’t harsh; it was a gentle radiance that seemed to shine past his eyes and into his very soul.
The cover began to tremble, quivering slightly as if something inside was eager to break free.
This seemed to be a hint—it was time to choose a Witchcraft.
Mo Ning glanced over in surprise and gave the command, "I want to learn Witchcraft."
An ancient, weathered voice rang out from the darkness, echoing like an old chime in the emptiness:
"The Mysteries Hall displays a total of 34,258 types of Sub-zero Level Witchcraft. Of these, 4,825 are in the combat category, and 29,433 are in the non-combat category.
"Each major category is further divided into multiple subcategories. For example, Witchcraft in the combat category is divided into offensive, defensive, support, and reconnaissance types.
"You can also filter by describing a function, for example: ’I need a Sub-zero Level Witchcraft for fast movement.’
"Different Witchcraft have different Spiritual Strength requirements. Please specify your required Spiritual Strength and the specific Witchcraft category."
Mo Ning gasped.
’Over thirty thousand Sub-zero Level Witchcraft?!’
He had thought a few thousand would have been a lot. After all, they were just the lowest-level Tricks. How many variations could there possibly be?
Only now did he realize that over the long ages, generation after generation of Wizards had hunched over their desks, deducing, repeatedly experimenting, and constantly improving, carving such a vast legacy into this most inconspicuous cornerstone.
It was common knowledge that the number of non-combat Witchcraft far exceeded that of combat Witchcraft.
He had once read in a book that Wizards had created hundreds of Sub-zero Level Witchcraft just for cleaning a house.
Wiping tables, sweeping floors, cleaning walls, washing curtains, and so on—each had its own dedicated Sub-zero Level Witchcraft.
It made him wonder if some janitor had transmigrated here, intending to make his trade flourish in the Wizard World.
Mo Ning suppressed his surging shock and gave a specific command:
"Show me all Sub-zero Level Witchcraft in the combat category with a Spiritual Strength requirement of no more than 0.55."
CLICK!
A faint sound.
It was like a stone wall cracking deep within the earth, or a long-sealed door being pushed open from the inside.
The cover of the Stone Book actually opened.
The next moment.
A torrent of multicolored orbs of light erupted from between the pages, like a flock of long-caged birds finally freed.
They scrambled toward the sky, spreading out and unfurling, gathering into a brilliant cloud of light above the statue’s head that illuminated the entire gloomy hall.
Each orb of light clearly represented a Sub-zero Level Witchcraft.
Mo Ning looked up, the cloud of light reflecting as a myriad of tiny sparks in his pupils. He couldn’t help but marvel in a low voice, "So many?"
The mystical power of the Secret Hall naturally informed him of the exact number of light orbs—1,374.
There were 4,825 combat Witchcraft in total. After he set the threshold of 0.55 Spiritual Strength, filtering out more than half, there were still over a thousand left.
As Mo Ning’s gaze touched the first orb of light, information flowed into his mind like a stream:
[Witchcraft Name: Roar.]
[Witchcraft Level: Sub-zero Level.]
[Effect: Uses the power of Witchcraft to simulate a thunderous roar, severely startling the target and causing a slight dazing effect.]
[Spiritual Strength Requirement: 0.5.]
[Learning Costs: 3 Black Tower Points.]
Mo Ning shook his head slightly.
He remembered an item from Dawa’s Grocery List called the "Thunderous Conch" that had a similar effect.
The other new apprentices were short on cash and would never spend money if they could avoid it.
But he had already amassed a four-figure fortune; there was no need to be so stingy.
So there was no need to learn this kind of Witchcraft.
With a thought from Mo Ning, the orb of light representing "Roar" silently vanished.
His gaze darted rapidly between the orbs of light, searching for a Trick that suited his needs.
The number of Witchcraft Models that a Wizard’s or Apprentice’s Spiritual World can carry is strictly limited.
This limit is directly tied to one’s Spiritual Strength.
Each permanent model for a Sub-zero Level Witchcraft requires an average of 0.03 Spiritual Strength to maintain.
In addition, one can also carry some temporary models—models that collapse after a single use, like disposable utensils.
The number of temporary models is roughly half the number of permanent models.
In the Ancient Wizard Era, there was a specialized term to describe this limitation—Spell Slots.
But this wasn’t set in stone.
There was a way to break through it: by deeply optimizing a model to better fit one’s own Spiritual Traits, thereby reducing the Spiritual Strength value required to carry it.
Under normal circumstances, almost no newcomer would waste precious time optimizing Sub-zero Level Tricks.
After all, studying the Knowledge of Divination and working hard at Meditation to increase one’s Spiritual Strength were more pressing matters.
But Mo Ning was not "normal circumstances."
He had done just that.
And he had done it more than once.
During his hundreds of days and nights in the Royal Library, he had always read books while simultaneously using the Eye of Truth to optimize the Sub-zero Level Tricks he learned.
Reading and recording, deducing and optimizing—all proceeded simultaneously without interfering with each other.
This kind of "Dual Threads" operation had long since become as simple as breathing for him.
The reason Mo Ning had decisively applied for the "Flash" research project on his first day at the academy was precisely because of the vast experience he had accumulated during that time.
And the result of optimizing models for over a hundred consecutive days was that the Spiritual Strength required for his Spiritual World to carry permanent models had dropped to an average of 0.025.
Calculated as a percentage, that was a full 16% reduction.
Therefore, before entering the academy, even though his Spiritual Strength was only 0.52, his Spiritual World had already solidified twenty permanent models for Sub-zero Level Tricks,
a full three more than normal.
On top of that, he had ten temporary models.
One could say it was "stuffed to the brim"!
According to Mo Ning’s understanding, most newcomers typically had between five and ten permanent models solidified in their Spiritual World.
This was because both their energy and time were limited.
Now, with the second group assessment approaching and his Spiritual Strength increased by 0.03, Mo Ning planned to select a batch of Witchcraft to replace those he temporarily didn’t need.
This so-called "replacement" was known in professional terms as Spell Slot substitution.
To put it bluntly, it meant dismantling old, unneeded models to free up more space in his Spiritual World for new Witchcraft Models.
After a good while.
The brilliant cloud of light was gone.
Only 16 orbs of light, representing 16 different types of Witchcraft, hovered motionlessly before Mo Ning.
He planned to spend a few days mastering these 16 new Witchcraft.
That way, he could better ensure his own safety during the upcoming wilderness survival assessment.
Mo Ning’s gaze drifted to the first orb of light, and information quickly appeared.
[Witchcraft Name: Fast Sliding.]
[Witchcraft Level: Sub-zero Level.]
[Effect: Uses the power of Witchcraft to drastically reduce the friction between one’s boots and the ground for a short period, achieving the purpose of Fast Sliding.]
[This Witchcraft’s fastest sliding speed can reach 120 meters per second. Be sure to maintain your balance and avoid obstacles in your path, or you will likely injure yourself.]
[Spiritual Strength Requirement: 0.55.]
[Learning Costs: 4 Black Tower Points.]
Mo Ning’s gaze paused for a moment on the words "4 Black Tower Points."
Most Sub-zero Level Tricks were priced at 2 or 3 points. A price of 4 meant the academy classified it as "relatively powerful."
The Illusion Flash he had previously improved was in the same tier.
The theme of the next assessment was wilderness survival. Although Fast Sliding was a support Witchcraft, at a critical moment, it was a life-saving skill.
A small smile touched the corners of Mo Ning’s lips. ’The wilderness survival is a group assessment. If we run into a monster we can’t fight, I just need to be faster than everyone else.’
The greatest difficulty of this Witchcraft wasn’t constructing the Witchcraft Model—after all, it was only a Sub-zero Level Trick, so there was a limit to how hard it could be.
The real difficulty lay in—control.
A speed of 120 meters per second converted to 430 kilometers per hour, equivalent to the high-speed rail from his past life.
Moving at high speed by sliding in a highly complex wilderness environment, a moment of carelessness could lead to crashing into a tree, a rock, or anything else one shouldn’t crash into.
It didn’t even rule out the extreme case of "crashing to one’s death."
The Witchcraft description specifically pointed this out, which showed that there was no shortage of unlucky fools who had injured themselves.
Precisely because it was so difficult to control, most people wouldn’t even consider it.
But Mo Ning was full of confidence.
’Mere control, what’s so hard about that?’
The Eye of Truth possessed a powerful simulation function. By expending a certain amount of Spiritual Power, he could train repeatedly in the Simulation Space.
’If a thousand practice runs aren’t enough, then I’ll do three thousand!’
’If three thousand isn’t enough, then I’ll do ten thousand!’
A challenge that made others shrink back in fear was, for him, just a matter of spending a little more time.
Mo Ning calmly gave the command: "I want to learn Fast Sliding."
The feedback from the Mysteries Hall came instantly.
[Transaction Notice: Serial Number 7-118-256, Mo Ning.]
[Confirmed learning of Sub-zero Level Witchcraft "Fast Sliding." 4 Black Tower Points have been deducted. Current Balance: 1081 Black Tower Points.]
[Witchcraft Model infusion commencing.]
The orb of light flashed and shot instantly to the space above Mo Ning’s head.
