Dictionary

"Quick, let go! I'm suffocating. I'm fine, just in a bad mood." Ace struggled weakly.

"Oh, oh." Marina hurriedly released Ace. "What is it? Did some girl turn you down?"

"I'm still a child," Ace said unhappily. "I've been compiling a Dictionary recently, and there are some difficulties I can't resolve for the time being. That's all."

"Mom doesn't understand what a Dictionary is, but I know my son is the smartest. You'll definitely solve it. Now hurry and eat. I'll tidy things up." Marina spoke with an indulgent look on her face.

Ace had finally lifted a corner of the mysterious veil shrouding the extraordinary world. For the first time, he began keeping a diary in this world, using the writing from his previous life.

In the diary, he recorded in detail the formula for Ace's version of the Wisdom Potion, the formula for the poison, the data from the white-rat experiments, and the dosages and changes after consuming the potions. At the end, he wrote:

"Although I have successfully used mental power to interfere with matter, I cannot explain this phenomenon. I cannot indulge in the joy of gaining extraordinary power. I should calm down and think.

Which specific ingredient in the Wisdom Potion plays the decisive role? Are there substitutes or better alternatives? Why can mental power interfere with matter? What exactly are demonic beasts? Why does extraordinary power exist? What is the essence of the extraordinary? Why did I transmigrate? Why are the two worlds different?

I should ask more whys. Though I cannot answer them now, as long as I persist in objective and neutral research, one day I will uncover the truth of this world and answer every one of the questions above."

After several days of experimentation, Ace discovered that overusing this telekinesis-like ability caused splitting headaches. However, every time he used it to the limit, the ability improved somewhat. Through continuous experimentation, Ace worked out a crude method to strengthen mental power, which he called the Mental Power Training Method.

Use mental power to move as many objects as possible, of as many different types as possible. Stop when mental power is close to exhaustion, then empty the mind and rest. After that, eat large amounts of meat and remain in an absent-minded state. Mental power would recover faster, and its upper limit would increase to some extent.

In essence, it was similar to how ordinary people trained their bodies. Physical training used intense exercise and balanced nutrition to strengthen the body, and mental power could be trained the same way.

This was probably only the most rudimentary method. Perhaps extraordinary creatures had better methods, or perhaps he needed to capture some living Low-level Demonic Beasts with special abilities for experiments, Ace thought.

He was already somewhat impatient, but the timing was still not right. After all, he was not yet an adult, and his fighting skills were not refined enough. He was not qualified to become a demon hunter even if he wanted to. As for buying living Low-level Demonic Beasts, that was even harder—his wallet was not thick enough.

After thinking it over calmly, Ace decided to finish compiling the Dictionary first, promote it to the Ministry of Culture and Education through Teacher Peter, and strive for a city-state reward.

After his mental power increased substantially, Ace's overall comprehension, associative ability, memory, and reactions all improved greatly. In the past, even if he read something carefully once, he could only remember the general idea. Now, after just one reading, he could quickly recite and understand the entire text from memory. Many things clicked with the slightest explanation.

Peter had said more than once that Ace had accumulated knowledge and was now flourishing. It would be a pity if he did not devote himself to scholarship.

At the end of October, at Peter's villa in the First District, Peter and Ace completed the final proofreading of the first edition of the "Common Tongue Dictionary."

The cover bore the words, "Co-authored by Peter and Ace," while the title page read: "Dedicated to every seeker of knowledge who loves wisdom."

Looking at the freshly completed Dictionary, even Peter, who was usually rather stern, wore a gratified smile.

"This is a book that will change the way people learn, a most fundamental reference work. Master and student alike will leave our names in the history of Medimous City-State. As this book gradually spreads, Scholars from other city-states will come to know and praise us as well.

"From today onward, you are a qualified Scholar. I will apply to the Ministry of Culture and Education for Scholar status on your behalf, so there is no need to worry about Citizenship either." Peter spoke kindly to Ace.

"I'll leave everything to you, Teacher." Ace answered with a slight bow.

"This is an epoch-making masterpiece, plain yet important. The Goddess of Wisdom once said that reading good books makes one wise and humble, fulfilled and confident; books are the wellspring of wisdom. This Dictionary will redefine learning. It is a vessel for beginners sailing the ocean of knowledge."

Grand Minister of Culture and Education Gailuo gave the birth of the Dictionary the highest praise. He was Peter's close friend and was extremely satisfied with the "Common Tongue Dictionary" co-authored by Peter and his student.

The Citizenship that had long weighed on Ace's father's mind would also be resolved. Ace received a Golden City-State Contribution Medal issued by the Ministry of Culture and Education, equivalent to the great merit of beheading a hundred men. He was also recognized by the Ministry as a City-State Scholar, a special public post that came with a special stipend and lofty status. In addition, he was awarded a two-story villa with only a front yard in the First District. After maintaining this status for three years, Ace would become a Formal Citizen.

Ace's family moved into the First District. As Romon looked at their new home there, tears uncontrollably welled up in his eyes.

What he had failed to accomplish, his son had accomplished for him. The glory of their ancestors had not faded. Beginning with Ace, all three generations would be citizens. Marina was equally emotional. Her son's status was rising higher and higher, and his abilities were growing greater and greater. As his mother, she felt immensely proud.

A few days later, in Peter's study.

"Ace, you will not need to pay tuition anymore. I believe you are ready to graduate. My standard for a disciple's graduation is passing a city-state professional examination. I think you can easily pass the City-State Language Examination and obtain a Language Practitioner's Badge. Of course, if you still wish to study medicine, I will recommend you to study under Tailos at the beginning of next year."

"I will take the language examination, but I still hope to become a great doctor. Saving lives and healing the wounded is my lifelong dream. I heard that Doctor Tailos requires everyone to start as an apprentice. I may not have enough time for that, so I hope to hire a doctor and study exclusively three days a week."

Ace now had a stable special stipend and could afford the expense of hiring a private tutor.

"Haha, don't worry. You are a City-State Scholar, after all. How could you become an apprentice again? I will speak to Tailos. You can go to him three days a week to study medicine exclusively, without needing to do chores. The tuition may be rather expensive, though. You cannot study for free like an apprentice."

"I will follow your arrangements in all things. Teacher Peter, I have a suggestion. The Dictionary is of great significance to learners, and many people will surely need it. Even if we strictly forbid it, we cannot prevent people from copying it privately. Why not simply make the Dictionary public through the Ministry of Culture and Education and allow everyone to copy it for free?"

"That would indeed benefit the Dictionary's spread, and we would gain quite a bit of fame as well. But we would lose the profits we deserve, which does not fit with my principles."

"I have a way to make up for our losses. Through observation, I discovered that nobles often use engraved seals to stamp their signatures. Why not apply that method to books? We would not need to copy books by hand. We could carve wooden printing blocks for the Dictionary and print it directly. It would be efficient and standardized. As long as the blocks are carved correctly, every printed Dictionary would be completely accurate. If the workmanship is good and the price reasonable, who would copy one by hand?"

"Ace, you truly have far too many ingenious ideas. Sometimes I really want to crack open your head and take a look. We can invest together. You handle the management, and we split the profits equally. How does that sound?"

Peter had never been a pedantic man who held himself above worldly concerns. He had enough business sense to see that this was a promising path.

If you think this is good, please save this book and cast a few recommendation votes!