Chapter 634: The Prototype of Runes: Primordial Totems

“So, at the Witch World's Great Library, starting is easy, but to go higher and master more special power, you can only rely on yourself, right?”

“That is, of course. There is no free lunch in the sky. To become a Transcendent Witch, even if you know nothing, the Witch World's Great Library will guarantee you possess the power to start. This is a benefit of being a Transcendent Witch, but to go higher and farther, you can only rely on your own efforts.”

“Generally, the number of Spellbooks available for sale at the Great Library rapidly drops off after the Myriad Spellbook level. Basic Spellbooks are very common; one Magic Power Source can exchange for one. Many newly established Witch Academies in the Void, if they plan to introduce Spellbooks, usually stock up on these large quantities of Spellbooks from the Great Library to provide a foundation for the academy's operation, which also helps reduce inventory.”

“Myriad Spellbook... Wait, are Spellbook grades at the Great Library also differentiated by Magic Power consumption?”

I inquired curiously.

This seemed... a little different from what I had learned?

And here I thought this was only a tradition of our Main World Witch Academy?

“Spellbooks don't have overly specific grades because there is no unified standard. I assume Xiaohan already knows that Magic Power consumption and Spell power are not entirely proportional, right?”

“It doesn't matter. Once you get to the Witch World's Great Library, you'll know that the Spellbooks you can buy are all common types, and most of them adhere to the rule that Magic Power is proportional to power. There is another type: Spellbooks whose power does not match their consumption. These are affectionately called substandard Spellbooks.”

“Um... alright, I understand. If the ratio of Magic Power to power doesn't conform to the general rule, it's either a substandard product or a high-quality Spellbook that has been snapped up?”

“Exactly that's the meaning. So the Spellbooks you can buy basically follow the rule that the greater the consumption, the greater the power. Don't worry about those details.”

“Then the Reincarnation Spellbook I possess belongs to the category of high-quality Spellbooks?”

I continued to ask.

Now that I understood what they ultimately wanted, I didn't mind helping them guide the conversation.

“Of course! And not only that, the Reincarnation Spellbook is not just a high-quality Spellbook, it's a Spellbook that is rarely available on the market! The number of times it has appeared in the Witch World's Great Library is countable on one hand!”

“Is it that rare? But Big Sis Mei said that my Spellbook is still substandard because of certain technique thresholds. This Spellbook can only be perfected by me once I learn True Editing myself in the future.”

“Of course, it's extremely rare!”

Belica was also very excited to explain to me, and at this moment, her tone became a little embarrassed.

“So Xiaohan, I heard you were the primary force behind this Reincarnation Spell. I'm guessing... you have quite a few insights into this Spell, right?”

“Mhm, quite a few indeed, but the Reincarnation Spellbook wasn't really my original goal; it can only be said to be a product made midway through what I have to do...”

“Not a goal... a product made midway... Xiaohan, you are truly... truly leaving me speechless...”

Hearing my words, Belica felt hit by ten thousand critical strikes!

“Is Big Sis Belica interested in the Reincarnation Spell? However, I apologize, but I still need this Spell to complete a very important matter of mine. Moreover, due to the lack of many key techniques, it has a very high usage threshold. Even Academy Head Mei cannot use it, and forcefully using it would only yield the effect of a general Resurrection Spell.”

“Oh! Xiaohan, you misunderstood. I don't have any designs on your Spellbook. I mainly wanted to understand the insights regarding the creation of this Spellbook. I shamelessly asked Academy Head Mei for her data just recently, and reading it made me itch to know more... so...”

“So Big Sis Belica wants my insights?”

I inquired.

However, I was also internally lamenting the other party's speed.

How long had it been?

After returning from the Academy Head's office, I spent quite some time researching the Seed of Knowledge experiment in the lab, but it was probably less than a day.

After all, I directly shared the Great Tree of Knowledge information, making it easy to synchronize with the progress of the Witch Sisters.

But the other party's efficiency was too fast, wasn't it?

“Yes!”

Belica nodded repeatedly.

She hadn't expected me to bring it up first, so she naturally had no reservations.

At the same time, she secretly gave Big Sis Bai a thumbs up and felt that the deal was almost sealed.

“Is it possible? I want everything, including the information about those special techniques! I am willing to pay any price I can afford for it!”

“Um... this... there's no need to be so dramatic.”

I quickly reassured her, seeing her determined look.

After all, I hadn't expected the other party to be so persistent.

“Then what do you want? Anything I can offer, I can consider for exchange! Precious Transcendent materials? Magic Power Source, Spellbooks?”

“Hmm... those things... I'm actually not very keen on them...”

I quickly waved my hand.

Although I had heard that the complete Reincarnation Spellbook consumed 500,000 Magic Power as a starting point, for now, I didn't need to exchange it for Magic Power Source.

As for Spellbooks... I really wasn't lacking.

I already had many Spellbooks, and the derivative types of those Spells were even more numerous, covering too many areas.

This included Teacher Ji Niang's Reverse Summoning Spell and Academy Head Bev Ailana's Crystallization Spell, which she gave me.

I already had too many special Spells to research.

“Then what do you want? Knowledge! How about knowledge and books? I know you have the Great Tree of Knowledge and the Seed of Great Knowledge, so you're not lacking in conventional knowledge, but I also have many good things that you haven't been exposed to yet. Would that work?”

“Of course.”

I readily agreed.

Exchanging knowledge for knowledge—there was nothing fairer than that.

Furthermore, I had no intention of ripping the other party off.

“Eh? You agreed that quickly?”

Belica hadn't expected me to agree so readily.

Although she had heard that Xiaohan was very generous in sharing, if she had known the other party was so generous, would she have needed all that buildup?

One should know that when she saw something she liked in the past and visited to acquire it, she had even been turned away before.

Since she was the one who came seeking the exchange, the other party naturally held the initiative even in an equivalent exchange.

“Mhm, I don't see anything I could refuse about such a reasonable suggestion.”

I said with a smile.

“Big Sis Belica, are you overcomplicating things about me? I don't understand those twists and turns. Compared to those, I prefer a more direct approach.”

“Great! I love your way of communicating, Xiaohan! Directness is good! Then... then shall we talk about this matter now? Um... these people are also interested in the data and insights of the Reincarnation Spellbook.”

“Sure. Are these Big Sisters interested too?”

“Mhm, I'm quite interested in it too. However, I probably won't research it as deeply as Belica. I'll store it in my portable library.”

The Witch Sisters on the side also spoke up.

“How about we exchange equivalent knowledge?”

“Of course, that's fine.”

I nodded.

After all, knowledge was the most priceless thing.

“Then, Xiaohan, what kind of knowledge are you looking for? My collection has knowledge on many topics, things that even the Witch Academy's library might not have.”

As Belica spoke, she summoned a corner of her collection hall from her independent space.

But even so, the neatly arranged bookshelves still crowded the space behind her.

“I heard you once tried Alchemy. I have many Alchemy Handbooks here. Most of them were personally written by me, guaranteeing that most of the content involved cannot be found in the Witch Academy's library. Whether it's Potion Alchemy, Energy Transmutation, or Biological Alchemy, I have a complete set here.”

“Wow...”

Seeing these books, I was instantly tempted.

However, I still restrained myself from the act of White Prostitution by using the Earth Vein Appraisal Spell on these books.

“Or these...”

Belica waved her hand, and the books on the other side of the bookshelf also lined up.

“These are research materials related to Runes. I heard Xiaohan has extensive research in Runology, and even learned to cast Spells Bare-handed by relying on Runology and self-study Spellbook disassembly.”

“Yes, I am indeed very interested in Runes.”

I quickly said, and this interest was even greater than Alchemy!

Because Runology was the fundamental subject that supported me until now.

Understanding Runes truly provided a level of fearlessness towards many things.

It felt as if, as long as I knew the Rune Ritual and the rules of Compound Runes, I could accomplish anything!

As long as I was given time, there was no problem!

This was the confidence that learning Runology brought me!

The Runes I currently understood were mostly common ones, and I was even used to many Compound Runes, understanding what they represented upon sight.

What I needed now was to understand the more "boundary-pushing" Runes and the rules for forming more "unique" Compound Runes.

Since Big Sis Belica said that these were not available in the Witch Academy, their value was so high that I would even beg Belica in return!

However, before speaking to make my choice, my gaze fell upon a book.

“Hmm? This book... Primordial... Totem? What is this?”

I asked curiously, pointing at it.

“Hmm? Did I take out too many?”

Belica was a little surprised, but she looked in the direction I was pointing.

“Primordial Totem. Oh, that one. Totems, how should I define them? You can understand them as something similar to a Rune Ritual, but they are not the same thing.”

“What do you mean? Are Totems also combinations of Runes, similar to more complex Compound Runes?”

I inquired curiously.

“No, Runes are not Totems, and they are not related by composition. It should be put this way: Totems are the prototype of Runes.”

“Wait... Prototype?”

Hearing this, I paused, needing a moment to process.

“Can you elaborate simply? I seem to be interested in Totems now.”

“Alright then I didn't expect Xiaohan to be interested in Totems too?”

Belica shook her head with a smile.

“I've researched Runology, but I genuinely couldn't get into Totems, so I don't have many research handbooks on Totems. The Totem data isn't even complete, as research is very sparse, and it can't even be summarized into systematic knowledge like a Runology book.”

“Xiaohan, you should understand what Runes are, right? Runes are often referred to as the language of the Void.”

“Mhm.”

I nodded, indicating I understood this concept.

“But that statement is not entirely accurate. It should be said that Runes are a language of the Void that can be cognized by a life consciousness. That they can be cognized and utilized—that is what a Rune is.”

“Being cognized means they can be summarized. What effect each basic Rune corresponds to—that is cognition. And Spells composed of Runes, Alchemy using Runes, Transcendent techniques, and so on—those are all utilization.”

“But Totems are called the most direct language of the Void. They do not change because of the life in the Void. A Totem might be interpreted, cognized, or utilized, but only a very small part of it. And the part that is interpreted exhibits similar characteristics to Runes, so saying that Totems are the prototype of Runes is not an exaggeration.”

“Ah?”

Hearing this explanation, I paused again, needing some time to digest it.

“I have another analogy that I hope can help you understand it.”

Belica organized her thoughts and then spoke again.

“Mhm, good. Please be direct.”

“Have you heard of different types of written language? Take two examples: one is a phonetic script composed of letters, and the other is a pictographic script evolved from imagery. Do you understand this concept?”

“Mhm, I understand.”

I nodded.

“We compare the phonetic script to the Rune system, where each most basic Rune unit is like a letter. Each letter can also represent some meaning, and when they combine to form a word, that's like a Compound Rune. Letters have corresponding meanings, and words also have corresponding, more complex meanings. This is a very apt description of the Rune system.”

“Then we compare the pictographic script to the Totem. The most Primordial pictographic script is the closest representation of the form of things; it is both the most visual and the most abstract. We can recognize what the most Primordial pictographic script represents at a glance because we have a basic understanding of the forms of many things in this world.”

“But we don't understand the Void, so we are completely ignorant of Totems.”

“However, as we gradually learn and constantly engage with the Transcendent in the Void, we gradually gain a basic understanding of the Void. Only then can we have vague guesses, or rather, epiphanies, about specific Totems. But everyone's understanding is different, and the fields involved are also different, so the interpretation of it is also different, do you understand?”

“Only the deeper one's understanding of the essence of the Void, the more qualified one is to have a deeper understanding of Totems. The threshold for learning Totems is everywhere. It not only tests one's own ability but also one's comprehension!”

“Do you understand now? Runes and... Totems. If you insist on being interested in Totems, I can only advise you to merely scratch the surface. Failing to gain anything on your first attempt only indicates one thing: you don't have the comprehension for it.”

“Not having the comprehension means that if you still want to learn Totems, you can only rely on accumulation, which is a process where effort yields half the result. I suggest that if you lack the comprehension... don't touch Totems again until you become a Transcendent Witch, at least. I don't want you to be so delayed by Totems that you can't even advance to Transcendent Witch. That would make me very guilty.”