Chapter 56 - 55: Deciphering the Scroll

Chapter 56: Chapter 55: Deciphering the Scroll

Gaode shook his head, tossing those stray thoughts to the back of his mind.

Reaching out, he grabbed the box containing the Basic Magic Potions from the side of the wooden desk.

He opened it. "I’m almost out," he muttered. Looking at the three neatly arranged vials inside, he saw that only one remained full. The other two were already empty. He took out the final Basic Magic Potion.

Staring at the crystal-clear liquid inside the glass, Gaode couldn’t help but sigh, "The addictiveness of this stuff could rival hard drugs..."

The astonishing cultivation efficiency brought by the Basic Magic Potion was highly addictive. Once he grew accustomed to the exhilarating, high-speed progress of cultivating with Magic Potions, stopping would make his usual Cultivation Technique feel sluggish and disjointed. Every session would become unbearably frustrating. It was truly harder to step down to frugality after experiencing luxury.

Popping the cork, he downed the Basic Magic Potion in one gulp. Only after making sure not a single drop was left did Gaode begin his daily cultivation.

After finishing his "one dose outlasts six," "Nanfu"-style cultivation session, Gaode didn’t stand up immediately. Instead, he transitioned smoothly into constructing a Magic Model.

Two days had passed since he purchased the two new Magic Formulas. He had spent both days trying to construct the Magic Model for [Reading Magic], but his luck hadn’t been great—he had failed repeatedly.

"If I could actually complete the Spirit Communication Potion Recipe and rely on that Magic Potion’s assistance, I’d probably be able to master any Trick within a day," Gaode muttered to himself.

During his failures over the past two days, he had often been just one final step away. If his Spirit Control Power had been just a bit stronger, he would have succeeded. However, no matter how many setbacks he faced, he should be able to master [Reading Magic] within the next day or two. With this in mind, Gaode calmed his thoughts and began another attempt at constructing the Magic Model within the Magic Star Sea.

Half an hour later.

Gaode snapped his eyes open, a faint hint of joy flashing in his gaze. He chanted in his heart, "Wind Spirit Moon Shadow."

Instantly, a simple information interface surfaced in his consciousness. Under the Magic column, right behind [Detect Magic], a new entry had clearly appeared: [Reading Magic].

[Reading Magic] (Prophet, 0th Ring)

You can decipher Magic Texts on objects such as books, Scrolls, weapons, and more that cannot be read through any other means. This decryption typically will not trigger the Magic contained within the text.

Furthermore, once you cast this Magic and decipher a specific passage of Magic Text, you will be able to comprehend that same text in the future without needing to rely on Reading Magic again.

"Finally succeeded!" Gaode exclaimed with emotion. Suppressing his excitement and eagerness, he opened his cabinet, took out the Scroll left behind by Mage Seda, and unrolled it flat onto the desk.

The Scroll was covered in obscure, incomprehensible Magic Text. The time and energy required to learn a new language was unimaginable. In his past life, it often took years to truly master a foreign language. Fortunately, in this world, there existed an inexplicable Extraordinary Power known as Magic.

With a slight shift of his will, Gaode’s Mana began to flow. In his Magic Star Sea, a Star Orbit flashed across the newly constructed Magic Model of [Reading Magic]. His eyes suddenly lit up as an invisible magical fluctuation surged within them.

Gaode gently traced his finger over the Magic Text on the Scroll, his focused gaze following the movement. At this moment, the language barrier ceased to exist. Although the obscure Magic Text still looked like illegible chicken scratches to his eyes, the underlying meaning behind each symbol unfolded clearly in his mind, one by one:

Cyrus Magic Academy,

I pen this letter in my capacity as the Tenth Dean of the Cyrus Magic Academy.

My intention is to recommend the bearer of this letter—regardless of their background, age, or past experiences—to be granted the supreme honor and privilege of directly entering our academy for study, bypassing any form of entrance examination.

Such an exceptional privilege is of the utmost importance. It is reserved only for exceedingly rare moments in our academy’s history, meant for individuals or families who have demonstrated extraordinary potential or who possess significant contributions or latent value to the Duchy and the academy.

Although the bearer of this letter is not explicitly named herein, their qualifications have been verified by me, and they are bestowed with this paramount recommendation.

I firmly believe that the Cyrus Magic Academy, as the most preeminent Magic Academy in the Duchy, has both the capability and the responsibility to open the doors of knowledge and power for the bearer.

I implore the Academy Council, regardless of the year this letter is received, to honor this recommendation. Please provide the bearer with the most distinguished reception and support, and arrange for their direct enrollment under the tutelage of an Advanced mentor suited to their talents and aspirations.

May the light of Magic guide the way, and may wisdom and courage forever accompany the name of Cyrus.

Gavin Hogg

[Official Seal]

"This is..." Gaode was dumbfounded. The "true identity" of the Scroll was completely beyond his expectations.

Before deciphering it, Gaode had entertained numerous theories about the Scroll. He thought it might hold some incredible ancient secret, a treasure map, or perhaps even knowledge like a Magic Potion Recipe... Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine it would be a recommendation letter.

No, calling it a mere recommendation letter was an understatement. "Recommendation" implied a suggestion, but according to the text, it went far beyond that.

"Isn’t this basically a guaranteed university admission?" Gaode murmured. He was all too familiar with this concept. Regardless of background, age, or past experience... And it was a "guaranteed admission" with the absolute highest authority.

"I just wonder what tier this Cyrus Magic Academy belongs to, where it’s located, and if it even still exists today?" Gaode pondered. Honestly, he was tempted for a brief moment.

Having gone through the education system in his past life, Gaode knew perfectly well how important a systematic foundation was. It was like the bedrock of a skyscraper. A master could only lead a student to the door, while cultivation depended on the individual. True greatness couldn’t be taught, but that initial step of being guided through the right door was absolutely crucial.

However, upon closer thought, Gaode immediately snapped back to reality. He had never heard of the name "Cyrus Magic Academy" before. This proved that the Magic Academy either no longer existed or was located extremely far away from Hogan City. If it was the former, there was nothing more to say. If it was the latter, given his current circumstances, Gaode wouldn’t just abandon the Medicinal Garden and leave Hogan City for a mere enrollment qualification.

First, he currently lacked the capability for long-distance travel. Second, abandoning his decently functioning business for a so-called "exam-exempt recommendation letter" was simply irrational.

Although the letter explicitly stated, "I implore the Academy Council, regardless of the year this letter is received, to honor this recommendation," it was common knowledge that even an Immunity Token could be revoked on a whim—the authorities just had to kowtow to their ancestors’ spirits and pretend it never happened. Whether this kind of oath-like promise would actually hold up depended entirely on luck. The expected investment was completely disproportionate to the expected return. At least for now, this "exam-exempt recommendation letter" didn’t hold much value for Gaode.

Gaode felt a bit disappointed, but he carefully put it away regardless. "Who knows, maybe it’ll come in handy in the future?" After all, the Scroll clearly stated that "regardless of their background, age, or past experiences," the bearer would be "granted the supreme honor and privilege of directly entering our academy for study."

He thought to himself, "I’ll find a chance to ask Pierre about it. He might know something about this Cyrus Magic Academy.

"Since it was left behind by Mage Seda, there’s a high probability it’s a Magic Academy within the Sean Duchy."

The territory of the Sean Duchy was vast enough. Gaode found it hard to believe that Mage Seda would possess an "exam-exempt recommendation letter" from a foreign Magic Academy.

"But... if this Cyrus Magic Academy really is a Magic Academy within the Sean Duchy, why didn’t Mage Seda use this ’recommendation letter’ himself?"

Under this assumption, a new wave of doubts surfaced, leaving Gaode utterly baffled.