From Wizard Apprentice to Conqueror of Myriad Worlds

The Great White Birch Forest.

The Cabin in the Woods.

The food prepared by the Artificial Soul, Flower, was far better than Mo Ning had expected.

Three mushroom omelets were served on a light-colored wooden platter. Their edges were slightly browned, and they were sprinkled with finely ground spices, releasing a rich aroma that made one’s mouth water.

The eggs were bird eggs Flower had gathered in the Birch Forest, whisked together with chopped mushrooms and unknown wild greens, then pan-fried in hot oil until both sides were golden brown.

The omelets were large and thick, feeling heavy in his hand. With a single bite, a savory-sweet juice gushed out between his teeth.

There was also a steaming bowl of mushroom soup, packed with ingredients. A single spoonful delivered a delicious flavor so intense it nearly overwhelmed his taste buds.

The soup contained not only mushrooms but also some wild greens he had never seen before, as well as some tubers cut into thick slices. They had the texture of a radish after the first frost, but were even sweeter and more refreshing.

Mo Ning couldn’t help but narrow his eyes in pleasure.

Compared to the spartan life at the academy, the standard of living in the Cabin in the Woods was on a whole other level. He found himself not wanting to go back at all.

He thought of his fellow first-years, who were practically eating chaff and wild herbs every day. ’One day, when I have real power in the academy,’ he thought to himself, ’I’ll definitely improve the food in the dining hall.’

Even though he was living the good life, he hadn’t forgotten the others who were still suffering.

Flower immediately noticed her master’s expression. Her voice was tinged with delight as she said, "Mr. Mo Ning, it seems you particularly enjoy the Rock Skin Melon tubers. I’ll plant more of them in the vegetable garden from now on."

The name "Rock Skin Melon" instantly activated the databank in Mo Ning’s mind.

Knowledge from a certain book on rare plants flashed through the depths of his consciousness:

"Rock Skin Melon, found mainly in high-altitude regions. The tuber’s skin is hard, with a texture like stone. In late autumn and early winter, after its stems and leaves have completely withered, the Rock Skin Melon is indistinguishable from a stone buried in the soil.

"Its survival strategy is camouflage—it hides itself within the texture of the earth, causing animals that like to dig in the soil to overlook it."

Back when his eyes had scanned that page, his pupils had only registered the dry, lifeless text.

Now, as he chewed on the sweet, refreshing tuber, those words suddenly came to life.

’A tuber that pretends to be a stone... what an interesting world!’

Mo Ning took a sip of the creamy white mushroom soup and casually asked, "Is the area where the Great White Birch Forest is located at a high altitude?"

Flower answered swiftly, "The Yatu Plateau, where the Great White Birch Forest is located, is one of the three major plateaus within the territory of the Seven Great Kingdoms. It’s also the largest in area."

She then added with a smile full of praise, "It’s truly rare to find someone of your age with such profound knowledge."

The Artificial Soul naturally understood that Mo Ning had deduced the altitude of the Great White Birch Forest’s region based on the Rock Skin Melon’s native habitat.

Mo Ning did a quick mental calculation and was secretly astonished.

The straight-line distance from the Northern Plains, where the academy was, to the vast Yatu Plateau was at least two thousand kilometers. Yet, [Walking into the Painting] could cross such a vast distance in a single step.

Only then did he realize he had greatly underestimated the power contained within this brooch.

After eating and drinking his fill, Mo Ning took out [Dawa’s Grocery List].

The Cabin in the Woods had another magical property—despite its geographical distance from the academy, over two thousand kilometers away as the crow flies, it was still considered within the academy’s bounds.

His Guiding Ring could receive messages, notifications from the Witch Spirit arrived on time, and even the shopping function on [Dawa’s Grocery List] worked just as usual.

Mo Ning submerged his consciousness into it and issued a command: "Open the Mirror Library."

He had gained access to the Mirror Library several days ago, but he had been too busy to check it until today.

In the next second, row after row of heavy bookshelves materialized out of the void, appearing in overlapping layers.

Silent and majestic, they spread out within his Consciousness Space, stretching out as far as the eye could see.

Each one stood over ten meters tall and was divided into twenty shelves.

Every shelf was crammed with books—true tomes, with spines as thick as bricks, their page counts ranging from four or five hundred to over a thousand.

There were at least a hundred thousand volumes.

It was an awe-inspiring number.

But Mo Ning understood that this was by no means the entirety of the Black Tower Academy’s collection. It was likely just the tip of the iceberg, as the academy would never open its true core repository to new students.

He gazed at this forest of books, a faint sense of wonder welling up in his heart.

Books are the most faithful recorders and transmitters of civilization, and the Mirror Library was proof that the Wizards had created a magnificently brilliant one.

Mo Ning issued a more specific command:

"I need books suitable for the novice stage on the subject of increasing Spiritual Strength."

Relying on Magic Potions to increase Spiritual Strength was an effective method, but it wasn’t the only path.

Besides those expensive vials and jars, there was another, more demanding path—Secret Techniques.

Back at Lakefront Manor, he had heard it said more than once:

"The academy library holds many Secret Techniques created by Official Wizards, some of which can increase Spiritual Strength."

In the notes and manuscripts of the Royal Library, he had also seen similar statements many times:

"In the field of Spiritual Secret Techniques, the research of Wizards is in no way inferior to Magic Potion Study.

"Given the importance of Spiritual Strength, this field became a research priority, and over the long ages, Wizards have created countless wondrous Secret Techniques to enhance it."

[High Mountain Magic Breath Technique] was merely a means for him to exchange for resources; it could not become his "major" Secret Technique.