After receiving Tabitha's answer, Ivette's first reaction was that this civilization's technological level had to be remarkably advanced. After all, the term "Rune Compilation" sounded as though magic were being operated like software programs.
But immediately afterward, she felt somewhat worried.
She did not know when this dream would end. It would be fine if it lasted longer—she could seize the time to absorb useful knowledge here, and life was relatively comfortable. But if it lasted only a short while, she would be in trouble. Once she left this dream, she would be alone in the Ruined Base, and even finding food would be a huge problem.
She could not seriously start chewing vines, could she? Those things glowed bluish-green. Who knew whether they were poisonous?
"Dr. Tabitha, I feel that my studies still need improvement. During my free time, can I go to the classroom and use the Vision Terminal again?" Ivette asked.
She believed the language problem remained the most urgent issue. Once she mastered Black Tide Language, she could study independently in this floor's library, and obtaining information would no longer be so passive.
"You can." Tabitha was somewhat surprised, but she still nodded. "Just come to my office and tell me whenever you need it. I'll open it for you."
"Thank you, Doctor." Ivette dipped her head slightly.
After the physical examinations ended, Tabitha and the attending physicians handed out several jars of medicine to each of the twenty-odd children. There was no writing whatsoever on the packaging, making them look exactly like unlicensed products from some tiny workshop. Only the colors of the jars differed somewhat.
According to the doctors' instructions, the children had to take the medicine once a day from then on. Different children required different doses depending on the severity and type of their genetic diseases, and every dose had to be taken under adult supervision.
This was way too much like being laboratory mice! Ivette shook her head inwardly. But it was a dream, after all. Taking it was taking it, so she did not hesitate when it was time for the medicine.
After lunch, there were no afternoon classes. The entire afternoon was free time.
Likely because supervising them was difficult, all the children were brought to a massive activity room. It had plenty of educational toys and picture books suitable for preschool children, as well as playground equipment like trampolines. It looked ideal for burning off energy and passing the time.
Since Ivette had submitted a request, she was allowed to enter the computer room again and use the Vision Terminal there to study.
When she put on the terminal again and entered the virtual space this time, Ivette discovered that most of the previously locked functions had been unlocked. That also showed this was not teaching mode, and she could freely operate the programs.
With a simple mental adjustment, she transformed the spotless dark space around her into a preset beach scene. The environment was highly realistic.
Then she saw a chibi-style rag doll appear before her. "This is Happy Little Classroom, a self-study program developed by Gravity Group. What would you like to study?"
"And you are?" Ivette asked. The rag doll's movements felt extremely humanlike, entirely unlike the AI from the previous teaching mode.
But considering this was not the "teaching mode" controlled by the teacher's terminal, perhaps this was how AI in this world was supposed to perform.
"I'm Firefly, your good companion. You can come to me with any questions~" The AI program's rag-doll face broke into a smile.
"Any question?" Ivette's heart stirred. "Then do you know of a luminous vine plant? Its light is cyan-blue, and it looks as though it flows beneath its protective tissue. It can also grow for centuries in dark environments without anyone tending to it..."
"Based on the information you provided and the existing database, the plant you described may be Magic Light Vine, Mor Vine, or Ancient Dust Brilliance Vine. Of these, Magic Light Vine most closely matches your description and is also the only plant that can live for over a hundred years." The rag doll moved its little hand and brought up a picture of a plant.
"Yes, that's it. Magic Light Vine." Ivette was certain.
"Very well. According to my database, Magic Light Vine is a genetically modified plant manufactured by Scale Shedding Biological Company. Its product labels are 'Bio-illumination' and 'Mana-autotrophic Plant.' Its theoretical lifespan can exceed 2,800 years..."
"Flowering interval: 100±5 years. Flowering duration: three weeks... Seeds are powdery, with a natural propagation success rate of <0.1%... Advantages: zero-energy lighting, extreme durability... Drawback: requires regular pruning to prevent excessive entanglement..."
As she listened to the AI chatter through the information, Ivette gestured a width of around forty centimeters. "If the main stem of a Magic Light Vine had to grow this thick, how many years would it need?"
This was the size of the thickest main stem she had seen in the Ruined Base.
"At that size, under ideal conditions, calculations estimate approximately 288 to 315 years."
"Three hundred years..."
Ivette froze for a moment, then confirmed the units of measurement with the AI. She discovered that the units of time and various measurements in this world differed only minimally from those on Earth. That meant the three hundred years mentioned here were exactly what she imagined: a genuine three hundred years, nearly the lifespan of a Song Dynasty.
So the Abyss Base in reality had been abandoned for three hundred years, and no one had come to deal with it?
What was going on? Could the outside world have been destroyed too? Had she transmigrated into a post-apocalyptic wasteland?
After remaining silent for a long while, Ivette finally decided to set the question aside for now and asked instead, "Then answer this next: how do I learn magic? For example, if I want to use a spell immediately, what is the fastest learning route? Something with zero barriers to entry."
Firefly said, "Analyzing request: 'zero-barrier, immediate magic-use solution'... Recommended solution: rent or purchase a Magic Guide Terminal..."
"One that doesn't cost money!"
Firefly nodded. "Understood. Budget restrictions detected. Switching to the 'junk collector special' solution..."
"..." Junk collector?
"Zero-cost magic activation solutions, at your own risk. Plan One: scavenging route... Plan Two: homemade improvised casting device..."
"Stop, stop, stop."
Ivette shook her head repeatedly. "What are these recommendations? Why is there even an 'at your own risk' in parentheses... Isn't there anything more normal? Something more natural, more primitive?"
Firefly said, "Understood. The solution that best meets your needs is—the Retro Meditation Method. Suitable environment... meditation posture... core principles... rune recommendations... theoretical effects..."
That's more like it.
Ivette listened carefully and tried her best to remember every detail. Then she heard the AI before her continue, "Additional note: this method was a cultivation practice from the ancient civilization period approximately 30,000 years ago. Modern educational research has verified that reaching entry-level mana standards through purely natural meditation—10 Mana Points, enough to cast a stable Illumination Spell for approximately thirty minutes—takes an average of seven years and four months. Beginners injected with the lowest-tier Active Rune Group need only 4.6 minutes..."
"...Since then, natural meditation has officially been removed from the 'recommended spellcaster training program.' It is more often used for self-cultivation and nurturing one's temperament. Please do not regard it as a conventional path for spellcaster training..."
"Entry-level... Illumination Spell... seven years..." Ivette was somewhat dazed. Was this Meditation Method really that weak?
But...
She seemed to have no other choice.