In the library.
The midday sunlight filtered through the stained-glass windows and fell upon the heavy notebook in Xian's hands. He gently opened it, revealing hundreds of obscure and intricate black patterns.
These patterns were all magic runes he had copied over the past two days using a quill made from crow feathers.
Not only could he write them, but he could also swiftly reproduce them without error during Ilith's hundreds of random questions.
There was no connection between the magic rune patterns, making them no less difficult than asking someone from Blue Star to learn English, French, Russian, and Japanese all at once in a single day. According to Ilith, many mages carried around a thick Magic Rune Compendium because they too occasionally forgot how to write certain runes.
Thinking about it that way, it was no wonder Ilith had been so devastated that she turned into a broken record. If he were in her shoes, his Dao heart would probably have collapsed on the spot too.
"Language Comprehension, I'm sorry. 1.4 Billion, I underestimated you."
As Xian flipped through the fruits of his labor from the past two days, he silently apologized to his Status Blessing.
When learning magic runes, he felt as though divine assistance was guiding him. After looking at one two or three times, he could commit it to memory. As for writing them, since he was hopelessly clumsy with his hands, he simply used Absent-mindedness to switch hands and let his fingers move on their own.
He finally had the answer to that question.
1.4 Billion + College Student = AlphaGo of the magical world.
"Ilith, is the next step learning to write with magic power in the air?"
Xian asked the girl beside him, who was still repeating, "I'm such a failure," and seemed to have faded into gray and white.
"Yes, Your Highness. As long as you can learn aerial writing, then layer magic runes to cast spells, you will be able to advance to the rank of mage."
Having snapped back to her senses, Ilith answered weakly.
At that moment, she was mentally exhausted and only wanted to return to her room, bury herself beneath the blankets, and have a good cry.
So her supposedly unparalleled magical talent had all been a lie? Teacher, you lied to me! "But the most important issue is that Your Highness's current magic power is still far below the standard required for aerial writing."
As Ilith spoke, she forced herself to raise a finger wrapped in white light and began writing in the air.
Swish, swish, swish! Accompanied by the sound of magic power writing, like pages being sliced apart, an intricate white-glowing pattern appeared in the air—the basic magic rune, Water.
Once the drawing was complete, Ilith lightly tapped it with her fingertip. The pattern transformed into a clear stream of water and fell freely to the ground.
Bang! A puddle appeared on the floor.
"Please give it a try," Ilith said softly.
This girl was lucky she did not have to mop the floor. Xian grumbled inwardly as he gathered Blank Magic at his fingertips and began writing.
Swish, swish! After a few sounds, he had completed only a tiny portion of the Water Magic Rune before he could no longer continue.
There was no other reason: the white light at his fingertips had completely dissipated. He even felt a wave of dizziness in his head, as though he had stayed up all night gaming for several hours.
"Your Highness, Great Mage Byers once said that magic power is also a manifestation of vitality. Once it is exhausted, it will burden the body as well," Ilith explained.
"My current magic power cannot even draw one-tenth of a basic magic rune?" Xian asked in surprise.
"Your Highness, you have only meditated for two days. Having this much magic power already counts as astonishingly rapid progress."
Ilith gave a bitter smile, a trace of bitterness appearing on her delicate face.
This rate of magic power growth through meditation was already slightly faster than hers.
For some reason, hearing His Highness say that made her feel awful. She even wanted to get angry with him.
Fortunately, she was still rational. She was merely a weak, helpless, pitiful little girl. How could she possibly provoke the lofty Heir to a Kingdom of 1.4 Billion Citizens? "By the way, Ilith, about how many times more magic power do you have than me?" Xian suddenly became curious about the girl's reserves.
Ilith thought for a moment and held up a jade-white finger.
"A hundred times?" Xian asked tentatively.
Ilith shook her head.
"A thousand times?" Xian's pupils suddenly constricted.
Ilith shook her head again.
"Ten thousand times!" Xian cried out in shock.
"Mm, perhaps eleven thousand or twelve thousand times," Ilith said uncertainly.
"My god, then how long would I have to meditate before becoming a mage?"
Xian collapsed onto the wooden floor, doubting his entire life.
If his meditation speed did not change, did that mean he would need to meditate for ten thousand days—nearly twenty-seven years—before becoming a mage? He had thought that after gaining a cheat, he could freely cast magic: become a mage in three days, a god of magic in five, and casually throw around forbidden spells after ten.
"Ah, His Highness seems to have misunderstood," Ilith thought.
Although she was still a mage in terms of rank, her magic power had long since matched, or even surpassed, that of Morning Star Stage mages.
Seeing the Black-Haired Youth looking so dejected, Ilith was about to explain when she suddenly remembered the blow she had suffered earlier.
The girl silently closed her mouth.
She would let His Highness suffer for an hour—no, ten minutes—first. This was her tiny revenge as the weaker one.
A moment later, once the misunderstanding had been cleared up, Xian let out a long sigh of relief.
According to Ilith, he only needed to meditate with the Moonlight Meditation for about another two months to accumulate enough magic power to advance to mage.
"Ilith, is there any way to increase magic power quickly?"
Although his current rate of magic power growth was already considered very fast in this world, Xian was still not satisfied. In this dangerous world, aside from the "common sense" he had already acquired, strength was undoubtedly the most important thing.
"Yes. One method is the natural growth of magic power as the body develops, but Your Highness can no longer rely on that method."
Ilith glanced at Xian's tall build and spoke softly.
"Another method is using aids such as magic potions and magic crystals. However, not only are those things extremely expensive, they are also almost impossible to buy. The moment they enter the market, they are quickly purchased."
Xian roughly understood. One was an innate advantage, while the other required spending money afterward. Given his current circumstances, neither method was available to him.
Tap, tap, tap.
At that moment, someone lightly knocked on the library's Oak Door.
"Your Highness, I've brought your meal." Anlìyà's gentle voice came from outside.
A moment later.
Xian and Ilith enjoyed the food Anlìyà had brought together.
Today, the girl had brought a bowl of pure white creamy Mushroom Soup, made by simmering wild mushrooms and cream with a few emerald-green cilantro leaves.
The Mushroom Soup was rich without being greasy, and incomparably delicious. Xian drank three bowls in a row before he finally stopped.
Before you continue