The Nether Scroll

Borne did not know that, due to one of his manuscripts, an undercurrent was surging through Seventon. The Earl, having only realized the situation after seeing the article Borne submitted, was left completely dumbfounded. Soon after, he received a "cordial" greeting from the Dean, and the funding that was usually squeezed out only after much delay was approved with surprising speed. Even the Tower Spirit's functional permissions were increased by ten percent.

Looking at the newly restocked material vault, the Earl felt for the first time that these items were a bit "too hot to handle," and he began to wonder if his decision to send Borne to the academy early had been a bit hasty.

How long had it even been, and he had already stirred up such a massive hornet's nest?

At this moment, Borne wasn't overthinking it. With these compensatory points, he could finally exchange for a few spells. Currently, he was essentially a "lite" version of Gandalf; his magic could only light a candle, and if he encountered an enemy, he would have no choice but to roll up his sleeves and brawl.

Stepping into the third floor of the Wizard Tower again, Borne noticed that the place seemed exceptionally "lively" today. One had to understand that because the Wizard Tower had a "Tower Spirit," which acted as a central terminal, most people—unlike Borne, who wandered around aimlessly not knowing what he was looking for—would directly search for the information they needed through the Tower Spirit. Once they found their books, they would leave; very few people lingered here, especially near the entrance.

But today was different. There were quite a few people, and Borne could clearly feel that his arrival instantly attracted many gazes. However, these people clearly hadn't undergone professional "training."

This attempt at concealment was just too damn fake...

Some were holding books that clearly didn't belong in this section, pretending to read them with feigned focus. That was fine, at least they were dedicated enough to put on a show; judging by their attire, they appeared to be commoner students.

The few nobles in the distance were a bit more excessive. They didn't even bother to conceal their actions, standing in small groups with their heads bowed, pretending to chat while glancing over at him from time to time. It left Borne speechless.

Were they tailing him? Or looking for someone else?

Speechless as he was, Borne didn't pay them much mind. He headed straight to the spell section and spent one point to have the Tower Spirit help him conceal his presence.

As Borne's figure vanished before their eyes, the few people tailing him revealed expressions of astonishment.

"Eh? Is that a new teacher? He looks quite unfamiliar."

"Doesn't seem like it. Didn't you see the robe? It's a gray robe..."

"Couldn't see the face, but judging by his temperament, he shouldn't be a commoner..."

"Or perhaps a senior student?"

"Unlikely. I recognize almost all the resident instructors and teachers in the academy, and I've never seen this one. Although I didn't see his face clearly, judging by his build and height, he isn't that short."

The lead noble seemed to glance to the side, his pupils shrinking instantly as he whispered, "Shut up! Let's go..."

With that, he took the lead and walked away quickly.

"???"

The others exchanged confused glances and followed suit.

After exiting the Wizard Tower, the lead noble looked back with a gloomy expression.

"It seems it really is him—a freshman!"

"A freshman? How could a freshman use invisibility magic in the Wizard Tower?"

"Idiot, didn't you notice there was no magical fluctuation? That was the Tower Spirit masking his figure. If the floor reflection hadn't been off, we wouldn't have even realized he was standing right next to us eavesdropping!"

"The Tower Spirit? Damn, how many points would that cost?"

"Regardless of who wants to submit a manuscript now, they have to follow his template. Do you think he'd be short on points?..."

After the stalkers left, Borne's figure reappeared, and he immediately felt a pang of pain in his heart.

"Tower Spirit" invisibility had a time limit, and renewing it consumed points. Borne had only stood there for a few minutes and had already been charged over a dozen points—enough to exchange for a Level 1 spell.

High fees were one thing, but getting caught on top of that? That service deserved a negative review.

Where exactly was the customer complaint button?

Not knowing how high the Tower Spirit's intelligence was, Borne could only grumble to himself.

Although he hadn't gathered much information, he could infer from their fragments of conversation that they were looking for the author of that manuscript.

Wait! Doesn't this mean I just gave myself away?!

Borne then realized that a freshman shouldn't have so many points; wasn't this effectively admitting he was the one who submitted the piece?

He had been laughing at them a moment ago, but it turned out the clown was actually himself...

Ever since he realized he had transmigrated to the world of Toril, Borne had been emphasizing caution and discretion. He never expected that he would be completely exposed so soon after the semester started.

Having his identity revealed right at the start, getting caught even after using a "pen name" to submit a manuscript—it felt like he hadn't even cleared the "newbie village" yet.

In novels, small characters like this were usually just cannon fodder...

If the cannon fodder were this intelligent, his prospects were looking a bit grim!

Borne sighed slightly. It was too difficult...

The points he had just acquired were already being eyed by others. Wealth truly moved the heart!

Although he hadn't been enrolled for long, he knew that points were the hard currency of the academy. Most commoners exchanged points for gold coins, but nobles only accepted points because the "Tower Spirit" only recognized points.

Magical plants, laboratories, and spellbooks could all be obtained in the Wizard Tower as long as one had enough points, which was why points were always in such high demand.

However, the ways to earn points were limited. Aside from ranking rewards, one could earn them by completing academy tasks, but these were rare and mostly "monopolized" by the noble groups.

Submitting manuscripts was the only true way to get rich quick. As long as it was accepted, one earned points, and subsequent borrows earned "royalties," making it the top choice for commoners.

Although the elite education of the nobles gave them an earlier start than commoners, any commoner who could make it in was one in ten thousand. Commoners generally enrolled only after their bodies matured at fourteen and their talent was tested, whereas nobles could enter at eleven or twelve.

The hardships of life coupled with exceptional talent often allow commoners to surpass their peers eventually. Furthermore, since research papers require painstaking study, this leads to a much higher submission acceptance rate for commoners compared to nobles.

This is why nobles are always hoarding points. Although the Enforcement Squad prevents them from robbing others openly, they still use various other means to exchange for the points in the hands of commoners. After all, points cannot be eaten, and since commoners have family and friends outside the academy, these point exchanges are technically "mutually consensual!"

Borne's first point was obtained in just such a manner.

Where there are people, there is a world of strife!

Even in an academy that seems harmonious on the surface, the competition is extremely fierce!

However, since they have come to beg from him, if he doesn't show his fangs, they will just treat him like a sick cat!

He couldn't beat a lich or take down a dragon, so surely he could handle a bunch of little brats!

Borne gripped the wooden token and contacted the Tower Spirit to activate his permissions.

As the scene before his eyes shifted, by the time he regained his senses, he had already arrived in a strange room.

The surroundings were completely enclosed by stone walls, protected by a powerful magic array, and in the center stood a pedestal holding an exquisite box.

This must be the box containing the Nether Scroll.

Borne walked forward, and the moment his hand touched the box, a wave of magical energy swept over him, reacting with the wooden token in his hand.

With a slight mechanical click, the box opened automatically, and the golden scroll lay quietly in the center.

Borne took a deep breath to steady his emotions; he had finally seen the legendary Nether Scroll.

Opening the scroll, it was a thin piece of gold foil as supple as a cicada's wing, eight by ten inches—just a little shorter than a sheet of A4 paper.

As Borne's gaze focused on it, silver characters moved across the surface as if they were alive. They were not any language Borne knew, yet he could automatically understand the meaning of every single character.

Consciousness transmission? Or "Divine Script"?

Legend has it that the languages of gods have similar effects. Although Borne had never encountered one, he was certain this was not the language of gods; this type of rule-based magic script seemed to be intelligible to any intelligent being who inspected it.

The opening passage discussed the analysis and crafting of longswords, complete with diagrams and text explanations.

The information on the scroll was 'read' very quickly. As if it knew Borne had 'finished reading,' the text on the scroll shifted and rearranged itself, forming entirely new content!

This time, it changed to the forging and dismantling of necklaces. Borne felt a sense of wonder; this was truly magical!

Borne knew he only had one hour; time was tight, so he focused all his attention and began to memorize rapidly.

Years of practice had given him a unique reading method—he didn't seek to understand immediately, but simply stuffed all the various information into his brain.

He didn't know if it was an illusion, but as he memorized faster, the text on the scroll changed even more rapidly. The scroll in his hand began to emit a faint golden light, shifting from Borne actively memorizing to passively absorbing; the 'characters' on the scroll seemed to 'drill' into his eyes, and inexplicably, a great deal of knowledge appeared in his mind.

He was familiar with this feeling; it was similar to when he awakened the memories of his past life. If awakening those memories had been like an avalanche that directly submerged him, then this time it was like snowflakes fluttering across the sky.

However, as the snowflakes grew heavier, the memories hidden deep within his mind surged like an avalanche, submerging him once again—and the snow refused to stop falling...

When Borne finally regained his senses, the Nether Scroll in his hand had vanished, and his brain felt as if it were about to split open.

"...Hm? A nosebleed?!"

Borne quickly tore off two strips of cloth and stuffed his nostrils.

Is this clearing out a cerebral infarction...

The 'memories' awakened this time were quite substantial. Perhaps because his mental power had grown stronger after promoting to an Arcanist, Borne did not faint as he had before.

And these fragments of memory...

Am I really awakening? Is this really a transmigration?

Or am I a native of the world of Toril, having merely accidentally acquired the memories of a visitor from another world?

Too many memories caused Borne to fall ill again; his divergent thinking immediately plunged him into self-doubt.

Fortunately, his normal bodily functions pulled Borne back to reality.

He was hungry...

"Forget it, why think so much? Does it matter if I'm a transmigrator or a native? I am who I am!"

"Let's fill my stomach first!"

Borne sat on the pedestal, took dry rations from his magic pouch, and began to eat while organizing the extra memories in his mind.

This time, not only had he gained a vast amount of magical knowledge, but also many fragments of memories from his past life. The key was that these memories contained a great deal of data regarding the world of Toril and the multiverse.

Past...

Let's just call it his past life.

He hadn't expected his past self to be a board game enthusiast, because apart from hardcore gamers, very few people would bother looking up background lore just to play a game.

And that background information, such as timelines of major events, was exactly what he needed most right now.

Is this my cheat?

That's fine; if it were some sort of system or messy golden finger, he really wouldn't dare use it.

In addition to a massive amount of informational memory, another spell rune had appeared in Borne's mental space!

The first spell rune was [Light Orb].

"It really is Arcane..."

Hmm... My mana has increased somewhat; using bugs to promote to Arcanist is indeed viable.

However, an Arcanist promoted via the Nether Scroll is clearly not as strong as one who achieves promotion through independent enlightenment. It's just like in cultivation stories where those who advance by taking pills can't beat those who cultivate normally, but the advantage lies in sustainability. Through this method, one can "produce" a large number of low-level spellcasters.

When the base of the lower level is large enough, the base of the upper level can increase, or even multiply!

Borne Ioulaum connected his consciousness to the new magic rune.

[Identify]?

It seems reasonable to infer that the spells obtained from the Nether Scroll are judged largely based on the knowledge contained within the scroll itself.

Borne fiddled with the half-eaten white bread in his hand and cast [Identify] on the [Bread].

A stream of information was fed back immediately.

White bread: Main ingredients are flour, milk, cream.

Effect: Increases satiety.

Borne rubbed his chin, pondered for a moment, and cast [Identify] on the [Bread] again. This time, he not only increased his mana but also used his mental power to penetrate it.

Half-eaten white bread: Made from fine flour with a small amount of cream and milk, fermented and baked.

Effect: Restores a small amount of stamina, reduces hunger.

"The name has changed, the content and effects have become more detailed, and there's even a simple introduction to the production process!"

Borne used [Identify] several more times in succession; each time there were changes, and the descriptions became increasingly detailed.

Suddenly, a bright idea struck Borne, and he cast [Identify] on himself.

Name: Borne Ioulaum, Race: Human, Gender: Male, Affiliation: Netheril, Physical Health: Good.

Borne: ...

What the hell is this...

And what the hell is this "Physical Health: Good"?

But now is not the time to study this. Borne contacted the Tower Spirit and discovered that more than a day had passed.

After a few interactions, Borne also discovered that this Tower Spirit lacked distinct intelligence; it was somewhat similar to the machine intelligence (retarded) of his past life.

Just as he was about to issue the command to "exit," a sudden, interesting thought popped into Borne's mind, and then his lips curled into a wicked grin...