Chapter 146 - 96: Early Access to High-Level Power, Your Foresight is Astonishing (2)
「An instant later.」
The countless bookshelves dissolved in an instant, like a mirage.
Only thirty-two tomes, held aloft by an invisible hand, flew out from the void and arranged themselves in a line before him.
Every book was a mirror image—that was why this place was called the "Mirror Library." He couldn’t view their contents, only the brief information floating beside them.
Mo Ning’s consciousness swept across the tomes, each glowing with a cold light, and a flicker of excitement shone in his eyes.
He knew full well that it was nearly impossible for new students to get their hands on any of the books before him.
The Black Tower Library would only open to new students on their fifteenth day, but their access level was extremely low. Books that cost more than 30 Black Tower Points to borrow wouldn’t even be displayed.
Only after becoming a First Level Apprentice would their borrowing privileges increase, allowing them to access more books.
He had been incredibly fortunate to gain access to the Mirror Library, which was why he could see these tomes.
And for Wizards, knowledge meant power.
In other words, he had gained early access to a higher tier of power.
Mo Ning’s gaze fell upon the first tome, and lines of information quickly materialized:
[Title: *Abyssal Gaze: Breaking the Spiritual Threshold Under Extreme Pressure*, Author: Cohen, First Level Wizard]
[Summary: Uses an extreme training method to stimulate a leap in one’s spiritual threshold.]
[Requirements: Spiritual Strength below 20. Recommended for those with a Physique Value of 1 or higher.]
[The author recruited 100 subjects for a controlled experiment; 76 completed the full training regimen.]
[Subjects’ Spiritual Strength increased by an average of 0.22 points within one year, with a maximum recorded increase of 0.34. With long-term training (five years), the average increase is 1.04 points, with a maximum of 1.52.]
[Disclaimer 1: This training process is extremely painful. Attempt with extreme caution. The author and Black Tower Academy assume no responsibility for any resulting disability, mental collapse, or death.]
[Disclaimer 2: This training method does not cause the "Spirituality residue" side effect associated with Magic Potions.]
[Borrowing Fee: 75 Black Tower Points / 15 days]
When Mo Ning saw the mention of "Spirituality residue" in the second disclaimer, he couldn’t help but laugh.
He already knew from various notes he had read that the Secret Technique Faction and the Magic Potion Faction had been at each other’s throats for years.
The Magic Potion Faction always emphasized that their potions had "no barrier to entry and immediate effects upon consumption," while passive-aggressively pointing out how difficult Secret Techniques were to master.
This was, admittedly, the primary drawback of Secret Techniques.
If an Apprentice lacked a sufficient Divination Foundation, they couldn’t fully comprehend a Secret Technique even after spending a hefty sum of Black Tower Points to purchase it. That money would essentially be thrown away.
Furthermore, using a Secret Technique was often painful—sometimes excruciatingly so.
But Magic Potions had their own major problems.
First was the issue of Spirituality residue. Nearly all Magic Potions listed side effects, and in essence, those side effects *were* the Spirituality residue.
What was worse, the more potions a person consumed, the more Spirituality residue would accumulate. This created a significant hidden danger that, in severe cases, could lead to madness or even death.
Second, they were generally expensive. For example, a Moonlight Potion, which only increased Spiritual Strength by 0.02 to 0.03 points, cost a whopping 60 Black Tower Points.
In comparison, *Abyssal Gaze* cost 75 Black Tower Points to borrow, and completing the training could increase one’s Spiritual Strength by an average of 0.22 points within two years. The two weren’t even in the same league.
For another comparison:
Long-term practice of the High Mountain Magic Breath Technique had a cap on Spiritual Strength improvement of about 0.04 to 0.05 points per year, and it lost all Effect once one’s Spiritual Strength surpassed 1.5.
This was according to Divination calculations, and it was far inferior to *Abyssal Gaze*.
Mo Ning stared at the book and finally shook his head. "The risk is too great!"
’The completion rate for the technique is only 76%, and it comes with the risk of disability or even death. I’m not a gambler, and I’m not willing to take such a huge risk.’
With a single thought, *Abyssal Gaze* promptly vanished.
「Five minutes later.」
The thirty-two tomes faded away one by one like a receding tide, leaving only two hovering in the void.
[Title: *Starlight Resonance Secret Skill Research*, Author: Luo Ta, First Level Wizard.]
[Summary: Utilizes Magic Potions, Incense, and Low Level Magic Resonating Crystals to construct a "Stellar Environment," allowing for the slow and steady increase of Spiritual Strength while ensuring an extremely high degree of safety.]
[Requirements: Spiritual Strength below 30.]
[Subjects’ Spiritual Strength increased by an average of 0.35 points within one year, with a maximum recorded increase of 0.46. With long-term training (five years), the average increase is 1.65 points, with a maximum of 2.12.]
[Disclaimer 1: This Secret Technique is exceptionally effective at clearing Spirituality residue from the consumption of Magic Potions.]
[Disclaimer 2: This Secret Technique has a high probability of causing apathy and a loss of interest in everything (including members of the opposite sex and personal hobbies). This state may last for four to five days after each use.]
[Borrowing Fee: 155 Black Tower Points / 15 days.]
Mo Ning’s gaze lingered the longest on this book.
The "loss of interest in members of the opposite sex" from the second disclaimer made his expression turn strange.
’But its advantages are too dazzling—painless, safe, and it even clears away Spirituality residue.’
’The only downside is the cost—it’s expensive.’
’It’s not just the borrowing fee; the cost of actually using the Secret Technique is even higher.’
Mo Ning had specifically looked up the price of a Low Level Magic Resonating Crystal, and the result made his mouth go dry: 100 Black Tower Points per crystal.
Although one Resonating Crystal could be used five times, the cost per use was still substantial.
’Most Apprentices probably couldn’t bear the cost, but with the fortune I have, it’s not a concern.’
The other book was:
[Title: *A Brief Analysis of the Spiritual Web Secret Needle Technique - A Method for Enhancing Spiritual by Stimulating Human Spiritual Points with Flash Spiritual Needle*, Author: Ximan, Second Level Wizard.]