Energy Crisis

I must admit, the work at Fastherin Academy is truly effortless.

Two classes a week, each lasting about two hours. As a novice teaching assistant, Lanlos had nothing to do for the entire duration of the lectures other than introducing himself to everyone.

Compared to his past life, this ease actually made him feel a bit uneasy.

However, he soon scoffed at his own affectation. Why wouldn't an easy job be a good thing? It meant he would have more time to do what he wanted.

Walking out of the classroom, Lanlos was in no rush to return to his dormitory; for him, that cold, lonely room held no appeal. His attention was currently fixed on the library in the Upper District.

In fact, there were only three floating buildings in the Upper District, and unlike the varying heights and uneven layouts of the lower levels, these three libraries were situated on the same horizontal plane. Connected by suspended corridors, they formed a massive triangular structure.

And the largest one among them was Lanlos's destination.

Stepping through the main entrance, a gentle breeze brushed past Lanlos for no apparent reason. It felt as if he had entered another world; almost all sounds vanished from his ears, leaving him unaccustomed to the silence for a moment.

A barrier?!

Turning back quickly, Lanlos connected with the surrounding magic to extend his perception, and he soon captured a faint, elusive flow of mana. Unlike the naturally flowing mana in the air, this stream was dense and stable, forming a massive "membrane" that enveloped the entire room.

Clearly, the academy had no intention of hiding this magic, and Lanlos soon understood its specific function.

"Haven't seen you before, newcomer?" Before he could finish his excitement, a lazy voice suddenly rang in his ears.

Looking back, Lanlos saw a middle-aged man reclining in a chair, flipping through an ancient book.

Nodding, Lanlos opened his mouth to respond, but unexpectedly, although he could feel his throat vibrating, he heard no sound.

The male elf looked up and glanced at him, a hint of a smile appearing undisguised: "Do you not know where this is?"

Surprise appeared on his face once again; Lanlos realized that although the other man's voice had reached his ears, he hadn't opened his mouth!

"This is the Silent Library. The propagation of sound is ineffective here."

Then you? Pointing to his own ears, Lanlos looked blank. At his display of ignorance, the smile on Teliralun's face widened: "The only people who enter here are spellcasters. The Silent Library barrier blocks the transmission of sound, but it does not eliminate it. Control your mana and let it replace your voice."

Sound is a wave. Does this mean using mana to replace the waves of sound? If that could be done, relying on the mind's control over mana, wouldn't that mean he could control the transmission of sound through his mind?

While amazed, Lanlos quickly followed suit. Operating it felt strange, but it was like using his mind as a throat, vibrating mana to generate "sound waves," and finally transmitting the "voice" to the other party: "Yes, like this?"

"Correct, you did well, though in fact, you don't need to open your mouth at all." Teliralun shook his head with a smile, then got to the point, "So, young man, what are you here to borrow from the library?"

"Some basic materials and analysis of spell models. Do I need to register here?"

"Register? Hahaha!" As if he had heard a funny joke, Teliralun couldn't help but laugh out loud. However, seeing Lanlos's embarrassment, he quickly recovered, "Apologies, young man, I couldn't help myself..."

"I just said, this is the Silent Library, a magical library. Everyone who comes here is a spellcaster. Setting aside the habits of commoners, we don't need so many troublesome rules and regulations."

Seeing that the other party still didn't quite understand, Teliralun sighed and began to explain in detail; after all, this was one of his duties as a librarian: "Every spellcaster's mana signature is different, unique. You should be able to feel that when you entered, the barrier recorded your information through your mana. Of course, if you resist or conceal this record and try to sneak in, I will have to expel you."

"As for borrowing, you only need to infuse your mana into the bookshelf to take down the books you need. The amount of mana infused determines your borrowing time. Remember, you must return them on time, or the 'kind' Spellbreakers will come knocking." Teliralun's smile carried a hint of mockery, as if encouraging Lanlos to go have a chat with the "kind" Spellbreakers.

"Of course, if the infused mana is not enough to be recognized by the bookshelf, then don't waste your effort. The study of magic is a gradual process; reaching for what is beyond your grasp will only cause your mental will to collapse completely in the face of the unknown you cannot comprehend." Waving his hand, the librarian returned his attention to his book, with no intention of answering any further questions. After all, "speaking" with mana was quite tiring.

Although the other party's attitude was clearly perfunctory, Lanlos still silently said thank you and moved forward, beginning his exploration of the library. He did not notice that as he moved forward, the librarian's eyes peeked out from behind the book and rested quietly on him—a gaze that carried a seriousness and sharpness clearly different from before.

Aside from hearing nothing and seeing endless bookshelves, this library didn't seem to have anything else worth marveling at. After familiarizing himself with the "rules" Teliralun mentioned, he arrived at the basic Arcane section. Here, there were not only theoretical interpretations of the Arcane but also what he wanted most: the decomposition of basic spell models.

The pursuit of detailed theory is a lifelong endeavor; for now, he needed tangible knowledge that could become power. To learn a spell, one must fully interpret and learn the array model that constructs it, and generate the corresponding spell effect by correctly activating specific nodes within it.

Learning the decomposition of spell arrays is essential; this is the wisdom and experience of countless great predecessors passed down since ancient times. By absorbing and altering natural mana, spell arrays create all sorts of miraculous spell effects. As it has developed, even without delving into the roots of magic, rote memorization is enough to master powerful forces.

Of course, this inevitably led to what was mentioned before: those who can truly understand and utilize the infinite possibilities of the Arcane are few and far between.

As for the demon knowledge previously learned from Belash and Vihana, it was very different from the Arcane he was currently exposed to.

The Doomguard is one of the many demon races loyal to the Burning Legion, their race known as the Ered'ruin. Before joining the Legion, they were known as the hounds of the Titans, responsible for overseeing the use of Arcane magic. Their mastery of magic is, in the true sense, a power granted by the gods—an enviable talent.

Lanlos, who had once seized this ability through sacrificial magic, knew this well. Regrettably, to escape the Shattered Abyss, he had surrendered all that power to the Keystone. But even if he still possessed this ability to master mana as if it were breathing, he might not be able to use it normally in Azeroth.

The mana in the Twisting Nether and the Astral Realm is vast and chaotic. As long as one's mental will is strong enough to rectify the chaos under the impact of that turbulent mana, one can naturally and easily manipulate this vast power to cast various spells. But Azeroth is different. Under the guardianship of the Blue Dragonflight, there exists a magic network covering the entire world. Under this systematic control, the mana of Azeroth has become stable and docile, making it more suitable for mortal beings to exist.

The difficulty of relying on individual willpower to break through the restrictions of the Ley Line and seize control of a large amount of natural mana is quite immense.

As for what to do when demons invade, the answer is, of course, to rely on Fel corruption or destroy local systems that stabilize world rules, such as the Ley Line, ultimately leading the world into chaos. Then, the demons in the Twisting Nether can invade in full force and bring about the end.

Returning to the subject, the only useful knowledge he had obtained from Belash was the application of Fel, but he only had a tiny bit of Fel left in his body now, and even if he wanted to use it, he couldn't stir up any trouble. Of course, he could ignite Fel by sacrificing his own mana or flesh and blood, but unless absolutely necessary, he wouldn't seek out such suffering for himself.

The Fel originating from his own soul did not recognize this "different" body, and the pain of burning flesh and blood was imaginable. Moreover, after what happened in Golden Branch Village, transforming into a demon in public was simply courting death.

As for Vihana, although she left behind some knowledge and experience in soul magic and allowed him to occupy this body after coming to Azeroth, he could not find a single trace of the brilliant Arcane level the Eredar once created on Argus. Did he accidentally sacrifice it as fuel without looking? Or did Vihana erase it with her own power?

He didn't know; at that time, he had fallen into a chaos from which he could not extricate himself, and he couldn't recall many details.

While thinking, Lanlos reached out and took a comprehensive analysis of some Rank 1 spells from the bookshelf. Opening a page, he quickly memorized the detailed description of the spell.

Ding!

Spell model acquisition complete...

Inputting into root directory: Spell List...

Spell List:

Rank 1: Fireball, Mage Hand (0%)

These past few days, Lanlos hadn't just been focusing on his classes. He was also gradually gaining an understanding of the Keystone's functions.

Simply put, the Keystone was his plug-in, and he was the Keystone's master control system. The Keystone obtained energy and instructions from him, while he utilized the Keystone's ability to digitize his perception, even allowing him to control the functions of certain parts of his brain.

For instance, memory.

For most people, forming a vivid and fixed memory requires repeated practice and review. After all, the brain has a limited capacity, and the information acquired through the senses every day is vast. If one were to remember all of it, they could hardly be called a mortal. Therefore, the brain autonomously screens and filters information, and this filtering and deletion are not under conscious control.

For example, if we want to memorize an ancient poem, an average person often needs to recite and transcribe it many times to leave a memory trace in the hippocampus and create an effective memory.

But now, through the ideological assimilation program uploaded by the Sargerite Keystone, Lanlos can leave a complete memory trace in his mind when needed, using a method similar to personal data processing. Sensually speaking, it is like using a sudden jolt of electricity to carve the memory into his brain.

Of course, the more words and the more vivid the colors of the memory, the more "electricity" it consumes. Although the Sargerite Keystone has its own energy module, it is merely a plug-in and lacks a means of recharging—that is, it has no charging port. It can only rely on the host system for energy, but the mana concentration in Lanlos's current body is too low to sustain its continuous, normal operation.

As for absorbing mana from the natural environment, if this were the Twisting Nether, Lanlos's mental strength would indeed be enough to provide it with sufficient energy. But this is Azeroth. Under the operation of the Ley Line, natural mana tends toward stable order and is mainly concentrated in various Ley Line hubs, leaving the magic energy in the air relatively thin. Aside from what is needed to sustain the body, there is basically none to spare.

One only needs to look at the difference between humans and elves to see this: thanks to the Sunwell, the average lifespan of a High Elf is as long as three thousand years, while humans live for barely eighty. Even more exaggeratedly, the Night Elf and Highborne are theoretically immortal under the protection of the Well of Eternity.

However, there is a way to make him use the mana intended for his body as energy for the Sargerite Keystone: meditation. By lowering the body's physical activity, he creates a surplus in mana consumption. Using this saved mana to supplement the Sargerite Keystone can indeed charge its energy module bit by bit, but the problem is that this is an incredibly long process, and it is a process of draining the pond to catch the fish.

Ordinary spellcasters use meditation to save mana and gradually broaden their body's attraction and "binding" of mana. The excess mana enters the flesh and bones, subtly influencing the body's structure and strengthening their affinity with magic, ultimately achieving the goal of storing more mana.

Interestingly, it is not just spellcasters who meditate; combat professionals in this world who rely on physical prowess also use meditation to strengthen themselves. Of course, since most cannot control mana with their minds, meditation is mostly used as a way to recover quickly after physical training. Although these professionals do not cast spells, because they deal with mana from birth, many have summarized some alternative techniques for using magic.

Things like Invisibility, Mirror Image, Shadowstep, Bloodlust, Berserking, Thunder Clap...

In short, the point remains: mana is the cornerstone of this world. Not only does his own growth require the accumulation of mana, but the functions of the Sargerite Keystone also require vast amounts of mana to activate. After all, this thing has one heaven-defying function: teleportation.

However, through the calculations and cache records of the Sargerite Keystone, he also obtained a piece of crucial information.

Although he cannot charge the Sargerite Keystone normally through natural mana, this world possesses energy sources capable of gathering massive amounts of mana. With the destructive power of Fel, he could completely sacrifice and absorb these energy sources. Not only would that strengthen his own mana affinity to a certain extent, but it could also rapidly replenish the energy module of the Sargerite Keystone.

For instance, individual creatures with powerful mana, sufficient and pure mana crystals, Ley Line hubs, the Sunwell...

Well, at least none of those are options right now.

As of now, to ensure it doesn't shut down at a critical moment, the Sargerite Keystone has entered standby mode, retaining only a tiny fraction of its energy. Now, whenever he uses the functions of the Sargerite Keystone, it rapidly consumes his own mana. Fortunately, simply creating a string of documents does not consume too much.

Just memorizing Mage Hand is certainly not enough. Lanlos flipped through the pages in one go, memorizing almost every category of spell from Rank 1 to Rank 3. A spellcaster's erudition is not just about how many spells they can cast, but most importantly, about identifying spells. To become a competent mage, one must understand the magic used by enemies, companions, and even magitech devices.

Of course, saying that is easy enough. But there are eight schools of magic: Conjuration, Evocation, Divination, Abjuration, Enchantment, Illusion, Transmutation, and Necromancy. Among them, spells like Fireball and Ice Arrow, which focus on energy transformation, are representative of the Evocation school, while Mage Hand is an introductory spell of the Transmutation school.

There are many others. As the saying goes, once you enter the Arcane, the mundane world becomes a distant memory. Mages often give outsiders an impression of being aloof, mostly because of the boundless sea of Arcane knowledge. Fortunately, because his mana cap is too low to access intermediate and advanced magical knowledge above Rank 4, Lanlos has not yet reached that point.

The reason for such regulations is that there have been similar lessons in the past. Beginners in the Arcane are always arrogant, and after learning the theories and analysis of intermediate and high-level magic, many have attempted to use crooked methods to achieve breakthroughs. For example, joint casting or sacrifice.

Joint casting is fine; as long as two or more parties coordinate well and have enough tacit understanding, it won't cause any adverse consequences. But since most people are looking for shortcuts, they naturally wouldn't choose such a troublesome method. Consequently, in the early years, many dark wizards used the blood and souls of animals, or even elves and humans, as sacrifices to meet the mana requirements for activating spell arrays.

Naturally, to promote humanitarianism, that profound knowledge is not open to beginners with immature minds.

After staying in the library for a while, Lanlos had basically memorized the analysis of all the Rank 1 to 3 spells he could find. Although he felt a bit dizzy, whether from mana consumption or excessive memorization, he did not waste his precious vacation time.

The back mountain of the academy, the small island separated by the riverbed, is the back garden of Faelin. The mountains and forests block most of the force of the sea breeze. Lush and quiet, listening to the gentle waves and watching the sun touch the treetops, it is undoubtedly a prime location for vacation and leisure.

At this moment, Lanlos is sitting on a protruding rock face with his back to the academy, looking out at the sunset and the vast sea, his whole person seemingly fused with the beautiful scenery.

If only he weren't focusing all his attention on that string of flickering light and shadow before his eyes.

Vertical axis deviation: 17 degrees... Energy cycle cannot be achieved... Correction: Retract 3.41mm...

Horizontal axis deviation: 9 degrees... Cycle time obstructed, total casting time extended by 3 seconds...

Spell node failure detected... Coordinates (6.94, 11.21, -2.7)... Correction: Node reconstruction...

The feedback from the identification function of the Sargerite Keystone kept ringing in Lanlos's mind, and in front of him, a magic array projection the size of a human face was flickering with a faint glow.

Yes, a projection. Ideological assimilation not only allows Lanlos to understand the feedback of the Sargerite Keystone, but also allows the Sargerite Keystone to understand his commands. Through the comprehensive calculation of drawings and book analysis, the Sargerite Keystone easily placed the standard spell model of Mage Hand in front of him as a 3D projection.

Of course, this process is completed by influencing the visual nerves, and this projection can only be "seen" by him.

However, drawing a tiger with a cat as a model is not an easy task. After all, what controls the brush is not a hand, but mental power.

Model construction complete... Compatibility assessment: 96.2%...

Drawing a circle around the entire array to complete the final circuit node, Lanlos finally breathed a sigh of relief. Then, he guided his mana into the activation node. As the entire array lit up with a faint glow and vanished into a beam of light, he suddenly felt as if an extra "hand" had appeared outside his body.

Of course, it is not a real hand; Mage Hand is more like the addition of a vector force, except that the direction can be changed during the spell's duration. After a simple test of the range and strength of the Mage Hand, he moved his thought, and the connection between his mind and the "hand" was instantly severed.

Mana: 16%

Casting a single Rank 1 spell certainly wouldn't consume that much. Although the projection time was only a short while, this function consumes much more power than memory archiving.

Archiving the memory of the actions used to draw this spell array caused his remaining mana to bottom out, and Lanlos couldn't help but feel a wave of dizziness.

He cannot feed the Sargerite Keystone on his own right now; even the management system that could communicate with him has gone into sleep mode to save power, let alone the teleportation he has been craving for so long.

An energy source, huh?

Lanlos looked behind him. Although his view was obscured by trees, he could still see that golden beam of light shooting straight into the sky. If he could get close to or even touch the Sunwell, the Sargerite Keystone would probably be stuffed full, right?

Fantasizing about draining the Sunwell in front of everyone, a sense of exciting guilt made Lanlos reveal a foolish, dazed grin.

Well, the mana addiction is acting up again.