Chapter 49

"He's just copying it!"

The boy shouted loudly. Seeing that Mage Gehrman didn't respond, he jumped up and down, his face turning red with anger:

"Fine! You don't care about this! — I'll tell my grandfather! Do you still want to pass this year's assessment for your magic tower?"

What kind of background does this brat have? Such a big mouth! Someone who can decide the assessment of a magic tower—could this brat be a second or even a third-generation mage?

Gereit quickly bent down, took out all the papers from his backpack, and tidied them up before handing them over. Mage Gehrman flipped through each sheet, suddenly snorted coldly, and threw the manuscript in front of Gereit:

"I told you to organize it, and this is how you organize it?"

"Ah... Oh?"

When did you tell me to copy it?

Gereit was taken aback. But the Mage's words clearly exonerated him from the charge of copying without permission, which was greatly to his advantage. Gereit wasn't stupid and immediately bowed his head in acknowledgment:

"I was careless."

"You didn't even get the capitalization right! The letter order is a complete mess! — Copy it again!"

"Ah... Ah? Yes!" Gereit was overjoyed and quickly agreed. He could copy the book! He could copy it openly! Great!

The dictionary is indeed useful!

I said it, anyone learning a new language can't resist the charm of a dictionary! You've learned magic script, but you don't need to learn Elvish? Or Dragonish? Wait, does this world even have Dragonish and Elvish?

He gathered his thoughts and quickly caught up, following behind the Mage. Mage Gehrman walked a few steps, suddenly stopped, and said to his disciple:

"Keep an eye on him!"

His tone was slightly stern. Elliot hurriedly agreed, and Mage Gehrman swayed as he left. Elliot maintained his respectful posture until his teacher's figure disappeared into the elevator, then turned to look at Gereit.

"I'm sorry for causing you trouble." Gereit quickly apologized.

When the boy was shouting, Elliot pretended not to see and walked away. Gereit saw everything clearly in the library. Now, reflecting on it, Elliot's deliberate leniency was clearly noticed by Mage Gehrman, and he really felt bad about it.

Gereit's apology made Elliot, who had been a bit sulky, soften his expression. He picked up the manuscript, flipped through it, and suddenly patted Gereit hard:

"You're really lucky!"

"Yes." Gereit relaxed and smiled, still a bit shaken. Elliot glanced at the boy beside him and shook his head:

"You're in a good time, you know? — The Magic Council assesses each magic tower every year, counting the number of mage apprentices taught and any new magic developed. Low scores mean less funding, and a tight budget for the whole year.

It's almost June, and the assessment period is coming. Research hasn't been going well... Your little gadget is quite interesting and can help us get by..."

Thank goodness! Copying the dictionary is indeed useful! Gereit sighed in relief, his shoulders drooping. Mage Elliot flipped through a few more pages of the manuscript, suddenly looked up, and sighed deeply:

"My teacher told me to watch over you... sigh, you don't even know the letters, teaching you is so troublesome. I need to do an experiment, so—"

He muttered a few words, then raised his hand and pointed at Gereit's forehead. A cool, spiritual light flashed, and Gereit felt his head swell as if it had been stuffed with something. Elliot waved his hand:

"Study on your own, I'm leaving!"

Gereit turned around sharply. On the open pages of the book, the magic script he had never studied or recognized before was now clear to him, word by word.

Level 1 Magic: Comprehend Languages?

Such words flashed through Gereit's mind. He had seen this spell in web novels and games before, with a time limit based on the mage's level. So, when the time is up, I'll forget everything?

Gereit didn't have time to thank him, and quickly wrote down all the letters in order on a piece of paper. When he turned back, Elliot was already walking away hurriedly.

"Thank you!" Gereit shouted, leaning on the door frame. He turned to the bookshelf, eager to start, and pulled out the *Basic Meditation*.

Meditation is the foundation of a mage! The sooner, the better! While the effect of Comprehend Languages lasts, I need to memorize this book so I can practice it when I get back!

He flipped open the cover and scanned the page, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Meditation is a lifelong practice for a mage.

— Hela Yuril, Year 382 of the Magic Era"

Thank goodness, I can understand it.

The book was written in magic script, not some strange language, so there was no need to decipher it. Every word was familiar, and the author was very considerate...

Gereit focused and read each word. Whether it was written for new apprentices or because of the author's friendly nature, *Basic Meditation* was very simple and easy to understand. It started with the meaning of meditation:

Meditation is a method for mages to hone their mental power, using it to observe and reflect the world.

Hmm...

Every word is familiar.

Every term is understandable.

But put together... what is mental power? My attention? Thinking ability? Brainwave activity?

Can't see it, can't touch it, would an EEG help now?

Or, could the brain-computer interfaces developed by Musk help extend mental power outside the body?

Or, is it not brainwaves but the magnetic field of brain neurons?

Gereit suppressed his thoughts and calmed down, starting to read the book. Time was limited, and he didn't know if he could finish copying it, so he read and memorized it at the same time. After reading it once, he read it again. When he was halfway through the book, his mind suddenly became fuzzy, and then...

The text on the page turned into large, distorted patterns, occasionally interspersed with a few words he recognized.

The spell's duration had ended.

As soon as it was over, everything was erased, without a trace of memory left.

Gereit sighed in frustration. He spread out a new sheet of paper, flipped *Basic Meditation* to the first page, and, using the illustrations and a few scattered words as reminders, began to write from memory.

The meaning of meditation.

What is meditation.

How to start meditating, how to calm the mind, and enter a state between sleep and wakefulness, first focusing, then dispersing.

How to use mental power to touch the world, what to expect during the first meditation, and what to avoid...

Line by line, page by page, without realizing it, a stack of written pages piled up on Gereit's left side.

An unexpected harvest!

Tonight, I can try my first meditation!

The world of magic, here I come!