Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Do You Have to Take the Postgraduate Entrance Exam to Learn Magic?
That warm current faded away, and Scarlet Moon withdrew her hand.
The shadows binding her body also dissipated. Ling Xi’s feet touched the ground as she stood on the carpet.
The fatigue in her mind was swept away.
Her body even felt more vigorous than before.
A thought suddenly struck her.
The woman before her was a living, breathing mobile library of magic.
An opportunity.
A chance to break free from her current situation.
In Ling Xi’s mind, the world setting of Era of the Divine Throne rapidly surfaced.
The extraordinary powers of this world could roughly be divided into three mainstream systems.
The path of martial skill, which tempered the body.
Knights and swordsmen converted life energy into battle aura through training—a simple and brutal physical system.
Mages and spellcasters sensed and manipulated the magic in the world through mental perception—a complex system of spells with an extremely high upper limit.
The path of divine arts, relying on faith—clergy and priests borrowed power from the gods, mostly for healing and blessings, a standard support system.
Luo Long was the first type, Yue Qi was the third.
And Scarlet Moon stood at the pinnacle of the second path of magic.
The ultimate embodiment of shadow magic.
Ling Xi herself had originally been a mage who specialized in frost and arcane arts.
This body was naturally suited to walk the path of magic.
As long as she could regain her power…
The look in Ling Xi’s eyes as she gazed at Scarlet Moon changed.
“What is it?” Scarlet Moon’s voice carried a hint of amusement. “I just replenished a bit of energy for you, and you’re looking at me with such gratitude?”
“N… No.” Ling Xi shook her head and picked up the feather duster again.
She did not speak further, but turned around and continued the cleaning work from before.
But this time, her movements were no longer just about completing a task.
She walked to that row of massive bookshelves.
While using [Cleaning Spell] to remove the dust, she quickly scanned the titles on the spines with the corner of her eye.
Foundations of Magic Studies
Introduction to Runic Matrices
Mathematical Models of Planar Transitions
The First and Second Laws of Shadow Energy
The Seven Darknesses That Constitute the Origin.
These titles… why were they nothing like she had imagined?
Mathematical models, first and second laws…
Had she transmigrated into another world, or had she come back to retake advanced mathematics?!
She cleaned with exceptional diligence, yet inside she was frantically complaining, even brushing her fingertips lightly over the book spines that looked headache-inducing at a glance.
This small movement of hers naturally did not escape Scarlet Moon’s eyes.
“You seem quite interested in my collection.”
Scarlet Moon’s voice came from behind her.
Ling Xi’s body stiffened, and her movements stopped.
She turned around and saw that Scarlet Moon had already walked up to her.
“Want to learn magic?” Scarlet Moon directly exposed her thoughts.
Ling Xi tightened her grip on the feather duster and did not answer.
“Want to grow stronger, then find a chance to escape from me?”
“Or… step on me instead?”
It was over.
She had been seen through.
Her mind went blank.
If she answered yes, shadow tendrils would probably tear this body apart the next second.
If she answered no, Scarlet Moon would find her boring and toy with her in some other way.
Scarlet Moon took a step forward.
Her foot landed on the polished floor.
She reached out and lifted a strand of Ling Xi’s silver hair.
“Not speaking?”
“Then I’ll take it as your default.”
“Admirable courage.”
“But what makes you think I would teach a pet that might bite me back at any moment?”
That strand of hair coiled once around her fingertip before being released.
What should she do?
She had to think of something.
A reason that would make Scarlet Moon interested, and also let herself survive.
Ling Xi suddenly raised her head and met Scarlet Moon’s gaze.
“Because a toy that can’t even put up a decent resistance isn’t very interesting, is it?”
The expression on Scarlet Moon’s face froze.
Ling Xi’s voice was not loud, yet it echoed clearly through the hall.
“You brought me back to continue the previous game, didn’t you?”
“But the current me is too weak.”
“Too weak to the point that you can’t even be bothered to act personally—just a single thought from you would be enough to make me completely collapse.”
She took a step forward, closing the distance between herself and Scarlet Moon.
“Can you really enjoy a game like that?”
“One-sided crushing—repeat it a hundred times, a thousand times—it would only become tiresome, wouldn’t it?”
Scarlet Moon’s blood-red eyes narrowed slightly, a glint of scrutiny flickering within them.
“So, I want to grow stronger.”
“Strong enough to stand before you once more. Strong enough that when you crush me beneath your feet, you can enjoy even one extra second of pleasure.”
“Pfft…”
A soft laugh broke the silence.
Then came bright, uncontrollable laughter.
“Hahahaha! Interesting! Too interesting!”
Scarlet Moon bent over laughing, her shoulders trembling.
“Qualification… the qualification to be trampled by me?”
She straightened, extended a finger, and pressed it firmly against Ling Xi’s forehead, making her stagger back a step.
“This is the first time I’ve heard such a fresh reason.”
[Scarlet Moon feels unprecedented delight at your answer. Fate Points +10]
[Current Fate Points: 11]
With such a large number of points gained at once, Ling Xi knew she had won the gamble.
“Very well.”
The smile on Scarlet Moon’s face finally subsided a little.
“Since my little toy has such lofty aspirations, it would be unreasonable for me, as your master, not to indulge you.”
She turned and walked toward the row of bookshelves.
“If you want to become a qualified toy—one that can truly entertain me—you must lay a solid foundation.”
Her slender fingers brushed across rows of book spines before finally stopping on the thickest one.
The book had a black hardcover, without any words or patterns on it.
She pulled it out and weighed it in her hand.
“Then we’ll start with this.”
Scarlet Moon handed the book to Ling Xi.
Ling Xi reached out with both hands and accepted it.
It was heavy.
The weight of this book was comparable to two bricks.
“This is Foundations of Magic Studies.”
Scarlet Moon’s voice sounded above her head. “It is the mandatory introductory course for all spellcasters.”
“In your spare time from work, finish reading the first chapter and memorize it.”
“I will check in three days. If you get even one word wrong…”
She did not finish her sentence, merely tapping Ling Xi lightly on the lips with her finger.
“…the punishment will be very interesting.”
Ling Xi’s body trembled slightly.
She opened the first page.
Dense text and complex diagrams instantly filled the entire sheet.
The fluctuation and decay of magic particles.
The thirteen paradoxes of basic arcane circuits.
The initial model for constructing the sea of mental energy.
She recognized every single word in those titles, yet when combined, they felt like an incomprehensible heavenly tome.
In the game, wasn’t casting a skill just a matter of pressing a button?
How had it turned into thesis seminars here?
The first chapter alone spanned over a hundred pages.
Let alone memorizing it—simply reading it through once would already be a struggle.
“This is basically an impossible task…”