Young People Should Remember Moderation; When You're Old, It'll Be Too Late
"Endless pages, Magic Book that can never be finished..."
Upon hearing this, Russell murmured something and tried to turn to the last page of the Book of the Vishanti. The book indeed possessed extraordinary Magic Power. It had about twenty or thirty pages, but with each turn, the first page would merge into the cover, and a new page would appear at the end.
Endless, never-ending!
Russell closed the Magic Book and carefully placed it back on the shelf. Suddenly, he realized he was starving. He hadn't eaten for many days, and most importantly, he was thirsty; his throat felt like it was on fire.
It felt strange; my body and mind seemed to be in two different worlds. My body was extremely tired, as if I might collapse at any moment, but my mind was extremely active due to excitement. This must be the charm of knowledge.
Russell knew that time hadn't sped up; its flow had always been constant. It was simply that his intense focus on thought, his concentration so intense, his immersion in the vast ocean of magic, had caused him to lose track of his surroundings and forget about time.
As Einstein said, time flies when you're sitting with a beautiful woman. Russell understood this to some extent; when he and Natasha had sex for three days straight, time really did fly!
"You haven't had a drop of water for ten days, and you haven't slept or rested. Your physical fitness is truly amazing!" Ancient One exclaimed. "I could do that when I was young, but I can't do it now that I'm old. Young people should remember to be moderate, because it will be too late when you get old."
These words seemed to have a hidden meaning. Russell's eyebrows twitched, but he didn't retort, "Master Gu Yi, can I come to the library again next time?"
"Yes, you can come in anytime. Go and rest for a bit now!" Ancient One led Russell out of the library and handed him an antique-looking black key.
"This is?"
"The key to Kamar-Taj will close the gates outside the temple. You can use this key to open the passage." The two arrived at the gate in front of the square. Ancient One stroked his beard and said, "Originally, I planned to wait until you were starving before bringing you out, but your men seem to be getting impatient. If you don't show yourself soon, they'll blow up the temple."
"I'm so sorry, I'll go out and give them a piece of my mind right away." Russell's face darkened. The subordinates that Ancient One was referring to were definitely Natasha and Jason. Considering that Jason only knew how to wield a big knife, the demolition team member was undoubtedly Natasha.
This is ridiculous!
The portal isn't open, so what are you going to do with Kamar-Taj? Do you even think you can destroy it?
Russell felt he needed to give Natasha a good talking-to. If he really wanted to blow up Kamar-Taj, sending a package addressed to "Ancient One" would be more likely.
The following days were exceptionally peaceful. Russell stayed in Kamar-Taj to study magic, which gave him a sense of being isolated from the world.
Of course, his seclusion was intermittent; he would leave Kamar-Taj every five days to meet with Natasha. Besides engaging in some regular physical and mental exercise, he would also give Natasha instructions to relay back to Hydra, ensuring that his prolonged absence wouldn't cause unrest among the troops.
Regarding the portal to Siberia, Russell had asked the Ancient One. The distance was too remote, colder than the Himalayas, and going there would be torture. So he simply stayed in Kathmandu. At least the climate there was pleasant, and he could relax and enjoy nature when he got tired of reading.
He had originally considered developing Hydra's influence in Nepal and controlling the area around the temple, but since it was Ancient One's territory, he ultimately didn't dare to proceed.
The Book of the Vishanti contains too many spells, Russell became obsessed with it, waking up every five days. He learned only a handful of spells, but his understanding of magic grew ever deeper.
Not every spell you see can be learned. Take Russell as an example; he was never meant to support his teammates. If you fight alongside him, don't expect him to heal or increase your defense. You should be grateful if you don't get any negative buffs.
Russell, however, always grasped life-related spells with ease. For example, he learned tailoring and, with some materials, mended his tattered black robe. The Master Gu Yi commented that he had chosen the wrong profession; whether it was warrior, tailor, or alchemist, all would have been more promising than sorcerer, yet he had chosen the most difficult one.
Russell scoffed at this, saying, "Don't think that just because you're the Sorcerer Supreme, you really understand magic. A true mage should be proficient in both magic and martial arts. Mages who only cultivate Magic Power and spirit are heretics; a teleportation portal and a backstab are enough to send them on their way."
Although, he hasn't learned how to use teleportation yet...
The Master Gu Yi's assessment was quite accurate: Russell's talent in magic was mediocre, or rather, the spells recorded in the Book of the Vishanti were not suitable for him. Apart from broadening his horizons, the only use of this book was to increase the Magic Power within him during meditation.
The Book of the Vishanti was too long; Russell felt he wouldn't finish it in his lifetime. Besides, the number of spells he could learn was limited, so he turned to other Magic Book. To be fair, it wasn't that the Book of the Vishanti wasn't good enough, but rather that it was too good for a mediocre reader like Russell. He needed to find some simpler, more accessible introductory books.
The beginner's books such as "Sayings and Quotes," "Magic Usage Guidelines," "Spell Analysis," "Witchcraft Guide," "Nova Cosmology," and "The Solomon's Classics" are more suitable for his current level and understanding.
After a brief immersion in the Book of the Vishanti, Russell quickly realized that in the world of magic, one shouldn't always think about powerful spells; only those that suit oneself are the strongest. The magic in the book always belongs to others; it can be learned from but not copied. The spells that suit Russell must be found by himself. With sufficient magical skill and theoretical foundation, he can forge his own unique path.
And these fundamentals are kept in the library!
Having grasped this principle, Russell's bookshelf automatically changed, and the books on it underwent a significant transformation. The Book of the Vishanti disappeared, replaced by easy-to-understand books such as alchemy guides, encyclopedias of spells and runes, and analyses of magical theories.
However, there was one book that surprised Russell: the Book of Death, a book whose very name sounded ominous, and the origin of many Magic Book.
The Darkhold
It is said to have been written billions of years ago by a fallen ancient god. The book can influence the energy channels released by the Earth, borrowing the power of that god.
The Magic Book that grants instant ascension is incredibly powerful, but the price is equally high. The power of the ancient demon god will corrupt the soul, kill the user, and use their body to allow the demon god's projection to descend to the mortal realm.
Russell hesitated for a moment, but his strong curiosity led him to flip through a few pages. The blank pages gradually revealed text, which could be any kind of language, directly entering the depths of the viewer's Mind Stone.
This book is too eerie. Russell suppressed his increasingly intense desire, put it back on the shelf, and immediately left the library. He then went to find the Ancient One a couple of cups of tea before he gradually calmed down.
"Ancient One, you didn't tell me that reading books could be risky!" Russell complained. "If I hadn't stopped, I might have summoned Evil God to Earth."
The Master Gu Yi remained calm as always, casually retorting, "No, you can't do it, you don't have that ability."
Russell was so angry that his liver ached. His hard-won composure crumbled again. He left Kamar-Taj, found Natasha, and messed around recklessly before finally calming down in a period of post-coital reflection.
Sure enough, nothing relieves stress as much as sex!
After all the passion fades away, everything becomes empty, and everything seems tasteless. What pressure is left?
And so, Russell spent a year in Kamar-Taj. Time flew by unbelievably, and if he hadn't met with Natasha every now and then, he would have found it hard to believe that so much time had passed.
Through the intelligence provided by Natasha, he also learned about many major events happening outside. The Führer with the Little Mustache Führer was dead; Berlin had fallen, and he had taken his own life in his basement. Japan had also been brutally beaten a few days earlier, tortured by 'the fat man' and 'the little boy,' and was currently discussing unconditional surrender.
World War II was not far from its official end, and as for the last of the Axis powers, Italy and the Italy, let's not even mention them.
As time flew by, Russell's strength grew like Rocket. Even the harsh Ancient One raised his evaluation by one level, from a half-baked amateur to a more accomplished one, barely qualifying him as a sorcerer.
It's not that Russell was truly lacking in strength; in fact, he surpassed many Kamar-Taj sorcerers in actual combat. However, the Ancient One's standard for judging a sorcerer's strength was their magical proficiency, not the amount of destructive power they could unleash.
Just like the monks of Shaolin Temple, even if a martial monk knocks down the abbot with three punches, he will not be called a master!
Russell pulled down the attribute panel: "It's time to leave this world and go explore other places..."
[Host: Russell]
Strength: 45 (30+15)
[Body: 64 (50+14)]
[Intelligence: 60 (42+18)]
[Wealth: 97,900]