Ch. 123 - Let's Start with an Analysis Report

"Y-Yeah... that's right..."

I rubbed the back of my head awkwardly. Being put on the spot like that made my brain short-circuit; I couldn't even string a coherent sentence together.

"An expected answer," Ms. Ji said, her expression unreadable. "But honestly? You're biting off way more than you can chew right now."

Ouch. Her confirmation was nice, but being told I was overreaching still stung.

Was I really trying to run before I could walk?

"However," she continued, pivoting seamlessly, "I'll allow it."

She didn't beat around the bush. She laid out exactly why she was agreeing to this wild idea.

"You know why I picked you for my team. You're a blank slate—a freshman who has never touched transcendence. Molding you is going to be a long process, but I have patience. And the first step of that process? You need to completely master your Psi-vision."

"...Understood."

I nodded. I wasn't surprised by her reasoning, though I was a little taken aback by how blunt she was. But if she wasn't going to waste time on pleasantries, I wasn't going to waste time being dramatic about it.

I just accepted the reality of my situation.

"I like your directness," she said, nodding approvingly. "I suppose that's what makes an innate Psi-visioner different from the rest."

She seemed satisfied with my attitude. Of course, the compliment felt a little convenient. Just yesterday she was teasing me for being hesitant; now she was praising my decisiveness. It was polite fluff, mostly because I didn't exactly bring any other skills to the table that would impress a transcendence witch.

"Now, let's start with the preliminary test."

As she spoke, she placed a hand over her own chest.

Moments later, a complex diagram of crimson energy materialized in her palm. I didn't even need to activate my Psi-vision to see the glow.

I recognized it immediately. I've seen this phenomenon more than once.

It was a Spell Book.

And not just any Spell Book—this was one she had literally just pulled out of her own body. It was practically still warm.

"Yuehan, I assume you're familiar with this?"

"Yeah. A Spell Book," I nodded.

I wasn't sure what her play was, though. Was she giving it to me? Or were we starting the analysis right this second?

Wait—didn't Spell Books degrade if they were removed from a host? Without a carrier, the spell structure usually destabilized and collapsed.

"Exactly. This is the ultimate culmination of spell usage," she explained, holding the glowing orb aloft. "Its creation simplifies the tedious process of learning and casting magic... though, of course, it also puts a ceiling on how much you can modify or extend that magic."

"But overall, the pros outweigh the cons. It's a far more efficient format for recording a spell than writing it down in a tome."

While she lectured, she walked over to one of the lab benches. She placed her hand on the transparent surface, and energy surged. Bright points of light ascended from the tabletop.

I knew that energy signature. It was the pulse of an Earthvein.

I hadn't majored in Leyline Studies or anything, but I'd encountered Earthvein energy enough times to recognize the frequency. I wasn't going to forget it.

So, this lab bench wasn't just furniture; it was an alchemical artifact capable of channeling Earthvein energy?

With a wave of her hand, the energy coalesced into a semi-transparent interface.

It was clearly artificial—the crisp UI design and the structured borders gave it away. This was a built-in feature of the workstation, not something Ms. Ji was manifesting herself.

She placed the Spell Book directly into the center of the glowing panel.

The holographic display seemed to catch it. Through my Psi-vision, I could see the Earthvein energy wrapping around the Spell Book, cradling it so it wouldn't touch the physical surface.

Suspended in that energy matrix, the Spell Book stopped leaking power. The natural degradation I expected was completely halted. It was as if the spell had found a new host to live in.

"Curious about the endgame?" Ms. Ji turned to face me, a knowing smile playing on her lips.

"Are we... going to research this spell?"

"Close, but we aren't running a marathon just yet. We need to verify the basics first." Her gaze locked onto me, her intention clear. "I need to know exactly what your Psi-vision is capable of."

"O-Okay... so what do I do?" I squeaked, feeling goosebumps rise under her intense stare.

"Simple. Use your vision. Observe the Spell Book directly. Then, write me an analysis report. No word counts, no formatting rules. Just record what you see. If you can't describe it with words, draw a picture. Mix and match text and diagrams—whatever works."

"Excuse me?"

My eyes went wide. A report? Right now? An analysis report?

Panic flared for a second. Was I even qualified for this?

But I quickly squashed the doubt. Calm down. This was just a report. More importantly, this was my audition. This was my chance to prove my value to Ms. Ji. If I wanted to be treated like a peer and not a pet, I had to show her I was worth the investment.

I couldn't fold now.

The only real problem was figuring out how to translate the abstract psychedelics of Psi-vision into human language.

"What's the matter? Scared?" Ms. Ji frowned slightly. She clearly didn't like hesitation. Backing down before I even started? That was a bad look.

"No. I'll get it done," I said, keeping my head down but my voice steady.

I knew my initial "Excuse me?" had lost me some points. I had to claw them back with conviction now, or the road ahead was going to be rocky.

"That's what I like to hear."

Her expression softened into satisfaction. She had no interest in quitters, no matter how talented they might be. To her, I was an uncut gem. She was willing to put in the work to polish me, but she needed to be sure I wasn't just a piece of sandstone in disguise.

"Stay here and focus on writing that report. No one will disturb you. I'm going to order some basic lab supplies in the meantime. I look forward to reading your insights." She turned to leave.

"Uh, wait! Ms. Ji? There's no paper or pens in here."

"That is a problem..." She paused mid-step, then circled back to the workstation.

"You should learn to use the equipment anyway. This bench runs on an Earthvein-integrated system. The theory is complex, but think of it as a computer powered by Earthvein energy."

As she spoke, a semi-transparent light screen hovered above the surface of the desk.

I had to admit, it looked cool—way sleeker than a regular touchscreen. It had a manual interface that felt surprisingly high-tech and sci-fi.

"Write your entry in this log. I'll review it right here later, and we can break down your analysis together," she said, pointing to the blank screen. "Yuehan, surely someone your age can figure out the UI without a manual?"

"Piece of cake."

I stared at the screen, my eyes burning with excitement. I couldn't hide my eagerness if I tried.

"Good. If you get stuck, come find me. Or just use the Academy's database search. It's built into the system—you can even look up the user manual for this workstation. Well then... I'm off."

"Okay, see you, Ms. Ji."

I watched her leave, my mind racing.

The Academy system had a search engine? That was basically Google for wizards.

Why didn't anyone tell me sooner? If I'd known, I could have looked up so much stuff by now. Anything I didn't understand—boom, search bar. Unlimited knowledge, here I come.

But I had to shelve that fantasy for a moment.

First priority: finish Ms. Ji's report.

Second priority: figure out how to operate this magical OS.

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