Learning

Learning

After hearing Tabitha's answer, Ivette's first thought was that this civilization's technological level must be remarkably advanced. After all, the term "Rune Compilation" sounded exactly like they were operating magic as if it were software.

But then she became somewhat worried.

She had no idea when this dream would end. If it lasted longer, that would be fine—she could seize the time to absorb useful knowledge here, and life was relatively comfortable. But if it ended quickly, she would be in trouble. Once she left this dream, she would be alone in the Ruined Base, and food alone would become a huge problem.

She couldn't really chew on vines, could she? Those things glowed bluish-green, and who knew whether they were poisonous.

"Dr. Tabitha, I feel that I still need to improve my studies. In my spare time, can I go to the classroom and use the 'Vision Terminal' again?" Ivette asked.

She felt that the language issue was still the most urgent problem. Once she mastered Black Tide Language, she could study on her own in the library on this floor, and obtaining information would no longer be so passive.

"Yes." Tabitha was a little surprised, but she still nodded. "Just come to my office and let me know whenever you need it. I'll unlock it for you."

"Thank you, Doctor." Ivette dipped her head slightly.

After the physical examinations ended, Tabitha and the attending physicians distributed 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, except the jars came in different colors.

According to the doctors' instructions, they had to take these medicines once a day from now on. Different children required different dosages depending on the severity and type of their genetic diseases, and every dose had to be taken under adult supervision.

This was far too much like being laboratory mice! Ivette secretly shook her head, but since this was a dream, she might as well take them. She did not hesitate when it was time for the medicine.

After lunch, there were no classes in the afternoon. It was all free time.

Perhaps because supervising them would be difficult otherwise, all the children were brought to a huge activity room. There were plenty of educational toys and picture books suitable for preschool children, as well as play equipment like trampolines. It looked perfect 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, Ivette discovered that most of the functions that had previously been locked were now available. That meant it was no longer in teaching mode, and she could freely operate the software.

After making a few simple adjustments with her thoughts, she changed her surroundings from a spotless dark space into a preset beach scene. The environment looked extremely realistic.

Then she saw a chibi-style rag doll appear before her. It said, "This is Happy Little Classroom, a self-study program developed by Gravity Group. What would you like to learn?"

"Who are you?" Ivette asked. The rag doll's movements felt incredibly humanlike, on a completely different level from the AI in the previous teaching mode.

But considering that 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 you have~" The AI program's rag-doll face broke into a smile.

"Any questions?" Ivette's heart stirred. "Then do you know about a kind of glowing vine? Its light is cyan-blue, and it looks like it flows beneath the plant's protective tissue. It can also grow for centuries in dark environments without anyone caring for it..."

"Based on the information you provided and the current database, the plant you described may be Magic Light Vine, Mor Vine, or Ancient Dust Brilliance Vine. Among them, Magic Light Vine most closely matches your description, and it is also the only plant capable of living for more than a century." The rag doll moved its little hand and brought up an image 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 produced by Scale Shedding Biological Company. Its product labels are 'Bio-illumination' and 'Mana-autotrophic Plant.' Its theoretical lifespan can exceed 2,800 years..."

"Its flowering interval is 100±5 years, and blooming lasts for three weeks... Its seeds are powder-like, and its natural propagation success rate is <0.1%... Advantages: zero-energy illumination, extreme durability... Defect: requires regular pruning to prevent excessive entanglement..."

As she listened to the AI chatter away while reading the information, Ivette gestured a width of around forty centimeters. "If the main stem of a Magic Light Vine were to grow this thick, how many years would it take?"

That was the size of the thickest main stem she had seen in the Ruined Base.

"At that size, under ideal conditions, calculations estimate it would take 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 this world's units of time and measurement differed very little from Earth's. That meant the three hundred years mentioned here were exactly what she imagined—three real, genuine centuries, 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 world outside have been destroyed too? Had she transmigrated into a post-apocalyptic wasteland?

After a long silence, Ivette finally decided to put that 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's the fastest route to learning it? Something with zero barrier to entry."

Firefly said, "Analyzing request: 'zero-barrier, immediate magic-use solution'... Recommended option: rent or purchase a 'Magic Guide Terminal'..."

"One that doesn't cost money!"

Firefly nodded. "Understood. Budget limitation detected. Switching to the 'special deal for scavengers' plan..."

"..." Scavengers?

"Zero-cost magic activation plan, use at your own risk. Plan One: scavenging route... Plan Two: homemade primitive casting device..."

"Stop, stop, stop."

Ivette repeatedly shook her head. "What kind of recommendations are those? Why is there even a 'use at your own risk' warning... Isn't there anything more normal? Something more natural, more primitive, for example?"

Firefly said, "Understood. The following is the option that best fits your needs—the 'Retro Meditation Method.' Suitable environments... meditation posture... core principles... rune recommendations... theoretical results..."

Now this was more like it.

Ivette listened carefully, trying her best to memorize every detail. Then she heard the AI before her add, "Supplementary note: this method was a cultivation practice from the ancient civilization era approximately 30,000 years ago. Modern educational research has verified that reaching the beginner mana standard through purely natural meditation—10 Mana Points, enough to maintain a stable Illumination Spell for around thirty minutes—takes an average of seven years and four months. Meanwhile, beginners injected with the lowest-grade Active Rune Group require only 4.6 minutes..."

"...Since then, natural meditation has officially been removed from 'recommended caster training programs.' It is more commonly used for self-cultivation and emotional refinement. Please do not regard it as a conventional path for learning magic..."

"Beginner level... Illumination Spell... seven years..." Ivette was somewhat dazed. Was this Meditation Method really that weak?

But...

It seemed she had no other choice.