I Almost Believed It

"No, I can't tell you about the future." Ancient One's refusal was very decisive, leaving no room for negotiation.

"Why?"

"This is for your own good! Uh, let me think, how should I explain this to you..." Ancient One paused slightly, then said leisurely, "Refer to Schrödinger's cat. Put a cat in a box, along with a small amount of radioactive material. There is a 50% probability that the radioactive material will decay and release Poison Gas to kill the cat, and there is a 50% probability that it will not decay and the cat will survive."

Russell: ￣△￣

"Whether the cat in the box is alive or dead can only be known by an external observer opening the box. In the quantum world, the cat is in an uncertain wave state of life and death superimposed. Whether the cat is alive or dead can only be determined after the box is opened and the external observer observes it, when the matter manifests in the form of particles."

Russell: ￣△￣

"The future in reality is a quantum state, chaotic and disordered, containing countless branch states and full of uncertainty. If I tell you about the future, you will know what will happen in the future. The certainty of the observable about the future is in conflict with the uncertainty of the quantum state, so it will inevitably destroy this future timeline, and your future will change accordingly."

Russell: ￣△￣

"What, judging from your expression, didn't you understand?"

Russell withdrew the emoticon, his expression pained as if he were enduring something. After a long while, he failed to do so, and finally released the thousand alpacas deep in his heart, complaining, "I understand now, I'm just... just a little surprised. It's quantum physics? I thought you would explain it using magic theory."

"I want to use magic too, but I can't!"

"No!? Can't you explain it?"

"It's not that I'm incapable, it's that you are," Ancient One sighed. "Your magical skills are too poor. If I say too much, you won't understand; if I say too little, it's hard to explain."

Russell: "..."

Honestly, if it weren't for your age and my respect for elders and care for the young, I would have already punched you in the face with this fist the size of a clay pot!

"Heh, you?" Ancient One scoffed, showing no respect and loudly mocking him.

Hearing the Ancient One's sarcastic words, Russell's face turned red with anger, veins bulged on his forehead, and his teeth clenched so tightly they made a grinding sound. Then...

He chickened out!

No, being cowardly in front of the Sorcerer Supreme isn't cowardice; Russell doesn't think there's anything shameful about it. On the surface, the Ancient One was mocking him, and in reality, she was mocking him, but the Ancient One was right—he was indeed no match for her.

As a good young person who has inherited the traditional virtues of the Chinese nation, one should not lose one's temper or become violent towards an elderly person just because they said something hurtful. Russell knew that at this time, a smile would suffice, and there was no need to take it to heart.

A Buddhist saying goes: If that old man slanders you, deceives you, insults you, laughs at you, despises you, or hates you, never pay him any attention. He just wants to provoke you and then take the opportunity to extort money from you. Endure your resentment for now. After a few years, when he kicks the bucket and you've outlived him, it's not too late to go dance on his grave!

As Russell thought this, his mood improved considerably. The sky seemed bluer, the air fresher, and even the wrinkles on the Ancient One's forehead appeared more pronounced.

"First of all, these are forehead wrinkles, not facial wrinkles. Secondly, that Buddhist saying isn't used like that; you've changed it too much." Ancient One analyzed Russell's thoughts, picking at each point. "Finally, as for whether you can outlive me, you can certainly outlive me physically, but it's not certain about your soul. At my level, dying is too difficult."

Russell: "..."

I really want to complain, but I have to hold back, otherwise I'll learn a new skill.

He said dejectedly, "Ancient One, could you please stop reading my thoughts? Didn't you say before that everyone has secrets and we should respect other people's privacy?"

Ancient One was shocked, his beard trembling. "What? You don't want me to read your mind? Then... why didn't you say so earlier? I always thought you liked it, so I deliberately cooperated until now."

Russell: (￣_,￣)

Haha, that was a great performance; I almost believed it.

"If you don't like it, you could have just refused when I read it the first time! Young people these days are too cunning. Unlike me, I'm straightforward. I either like it or I don't like it. I'll never hide it or keep it inside." Ancient One shook her head repeatedly, sighing that Russell was too shrewd. In the end, she generously forgave him. "Forget it, I'll let it go since you're young and naive."

"That..."

"Don't worry, now that you've spoken up, I won't read your thoughts without your permission in the future."

"Heh!" Russell gave a forced smile and walked into the library, exhausted. If he didn't leave soon, who knows who might be dancing on the grave.

"Wait a moment."

Ancient One suddenly called out to Russell, her face serious and her eyes sharp as knives. "Master Russell, please remember, it is good to learn with a humble attitude, but you must never completely believe the knowledge in books, otherwise you will only be a half-baked sorcerer for the rest of your life."

Russell was taken aback, then bowed deeply. "Master Gu Yi, thank you for your guidance, I will keep it in mind."

Ancient One waved her hand and gently closed the door. "It's not about giving guidance. The knowledge is there; how much you learn depends on your own ability. There's one more thing to remind you: if you can't open certain Magic Book, don't force it, because they just don't like you, or rather, they're not suitable for you."

The sentence seemed to have no beginning or end. Looking at the closed door, Russell was completely bewildered, but soon he understood the meaning behind the Ancient One's words.

The library has three floors. The first floor is a public area with a large number of bookshelves containing almost all the Magic Book on Earth, and even some from other planets. Some of these books record the magic of Asgard.

Even some Magic Book from beyond dimensions can be found here.

The second level is the private domain of the Kamar-Taj sorcerers. Each person has a bookshelf containing their understanding and annotations of magic, but this private territory is sealed off, and outsiders cannot enter without the owner's permission.

The third level is the domain of the Ancient One, the Sorcerer Supreme, and contains her library—essentially her personal understanding of magic. If the Ancient One deems the time right, she may open the third level to certain individuals, but this requires an extremely high level of magical proficiency; otherwise, one will not be able to understand it.

Russell wandered the first level; the space here was far larger than he had imagined. It must have been enchanted by some kind of spatial magic, as every hundred steps he took, a new distance would automatically appear in front of him. The books were countless, so many that it was enough to make one's scalp tingle. It was simply impossible to read them all in one's lifetime.

Indecisiveness struck Russell; faced with a dazzling array of books, he was at a loss for which to choose. Knowing himself to be a mediocre mage with weak foundations, his first priority upon arriving at the library was to brush up on his basic magical knowledge.

Just then, the bookshelves on the first floor began to move on their own. In Russell's view, the bookshelves were stretched and elongated, then turned upside down and twisted, until finally a lone bookshelf appeared in front of him. Apart from that, all the bookshelves on the entire first floor had vanished.

"The Magic Book chooses the person, not Magic Book other way around. Is this what the Master Gu Yi meant by 'suitable or unsuitable'?" Russell clicked his tongue in amazement, picked up a heavy Magic Book, and chose it for a simple reason: the cover was big and cool, and it looked very impressive.

"The Book of the Vishanti..."

Touching the symbols on the cover, Russell's eyes gleamed, as if he had obtained an extraordinary Magic Book. He couldn't wait to open the cover and start reading from the first page.

The book records a large amount of White Magic, such as healing spells, restorative spells, and non-offensive spells that increase movement speed, strength, and defense. The most numerous are defensive spells, such as protective shields and magical barriers.

"A benevolent Magic Book, professionally buffing yourself and your companions, enhancing your strength. After reading it, you'll become a super healer." Russell skimmed through the pages, eager to know the contents of the other pages.

Next, he saw spells that converted Magic Power into telekinesis, and some scattered life skills, but ultimately they were all auxiliary spells.

Some of the spells particularly tantalized him, such as those that allowed levitation on water or flight. He also came across a spell that could turn tap water into white wine or even green tea; this spell was categorized as a life skill spell, and the person who added it was... the Ancient One.

"I reckon it was him too, no one else would be that bored!" Russell said, his face darkening. "Speaking of which, were those cups of tea I drank earlier tap water?"

"It's not tap water, it's really tea, tea I grew myself. Master Russell, don't assume I'm the only one who recognizes you just because I created this spell. Didn't I drink it with you before?" Ancient One stood beside Russell, stroking her beard as she criticized him.

"I see. It's tea you grew yourself. I'm sorry, I misunderstood you." Russell scratched his head awkwardly and said apologetically. Even someone as thick-skinned as him felt a little embarrassed at being caught talking badly about someone behind their back.

Ancient One generously replied, "It's alright, it's just a slight misunderstanding, it'll be fine once it's explained."

"You have such magnanimity..."

As they were talking, Russell suddenly froze. Ancient One didn't say anything either. The two stared at each other, and the scene instantly fell silent.

Holy crap, why were you spying on me like that? You weren't even here just now.

"You...you...when..." Russell pointed at the Ancient One, his fingers trembling as he struggled to utter a complete sentence.

Ancient One glanced at the Magic Book in Russell's hand and said with a deep look, "Don't misunderstand, I came in to see if you've starved to death. You've been in the library for a full ten days!"

Russell gaped in disbelief, standing there like a block of wood for a long while before shaking his head. "Impossible. If it were ten days, I would have finished reading this book by now."

Ancient One smiled and shook her head, "The Book of the Vishanti contains the most powerful known White Magic in the world. The spells recorded in it can never be used for offense, only for defense. Besides, it has countless pages; you can't possibly read them all!"

There will be another update later. Go wash up and go to bed. Read it again tomorrow.