-4- Learning

Upon receiving Tabitha’s reply, Yvette’s first thought was that this civilization’s technological level must be quite advanced. After all, the term “rune compilation” sounded as if magic were being manipulated like software programming.

But soon after, a wave of concern washed over her.

She had no idea when this dream would end. If it lasted longer, that would be fine—she could seize the opportunity to absorb useful knowledge here, and life would be relatively peaceful. But if it ended too soon, it would be disastrous. Once she left this dream, she’d be alone in the ruined base, where even sourcing food was a daunting problem.

She certainly couldn’t resort to gnawing on vines—those things glowed with a bluish light, and who knew if they were poisonous?

“Doctor Tabitha, I think I still need to improve my studies. In my free time, may I go back to the classroom to use the ‘Vision Terminal’?” Yvette asked.

She believed the language barrier was the primary issue to resolve. Once she mastered the Black Tide tongue, she could self-study in the library on this floor, making it easier to acquire information actively.

“That’s fine,” Tabitha said, somewhat surprised but nodding. “Just come to my office when you want to use it, and I’ll unlock it for you.”

“Thank you, Doctor.” Yvette gave a slight nod.

After the physical examination, Tabitha and the attending physician distributed several cans of medicine to the twenty or so children. The packaging bore no text, resembling unbranded products from a small workshop, though the cans differed in color.

According to the doctors’ instructions, these medicines were to be taken once daily. Dosages varied depending on each child’s genetic condition's severity and type, and every dose had to be administered under adult supervision.

This felt far too much like being test subjects! Yvette shook her head inwardly, but since this was a dream, she swallowed her hesitation and took the medicine.

...

After lunch, there were no classes in the afternoon—only free activities.

Probably due to supervision considerations, all the children were gathered in a huge activity room filled with educational toys and drawing books suitable for preschoolers, along with trampolines and other playground facilities. It looked perfect for burning off energy and passing the time.

Because she had applied, Yvette was allowed again to enter the computer room and use the Vision Terminal to study.

Putting on the terminal once more, she entered the virtual space and found that most of the previously locked functions were now accessible. This indicated it was no longer teaching mode, allowing free operation within the software.

With a simple mental adjustment, she transformed her surroundings from a pristine dark space into a pre-designed beach scene. The environment was strikingly realistic.

Then, a chibi-style rag doll appeared before her and said, “This is the autonomous learning program ‘Happy Little Classroom,’ developed by the Gravity Group. What would you like to study?”

“Who are you?” Yvette asked, sensing that this doll’s movements were highly anthropomorphic, unlike the AI from the previous teaching mode.

But given that it was no longer a teacher-controlled session, perhaps this was the true standard of AI in this world.

“I’m Firefly, your good companion. Feel free to ask me anything~” The AI doll smiled warmly.

“Anything?” Yvette’s curiosity stirred. “Do you know of a vine plant that glows? The light is cyan-blue, flowing as if beneath a protective tissue. It can grow for centuries in dark environments without human care...”

“Based on your description and existing data, the plant you mentioned could be the Magic Glow Vine, the Moer Vine, or the Ancient Dust Radiance Vine. The Magic Glow Vine matches your description best and is the only one known to live beyond a hundred years.” Firefly’s little hand moved as it displayed an image of the plant.

“Yes, that’s it—the Magic Glow Vine.” Yvette was certain.

“According to my database, the Magic Glow Vine is a genetically modified plant created by LinTui Biotech. It’s labeled as ‘biological lighting’ and ‘magical self-sustaining plant,’ with a theoretical lifespan exceeding 2,800 years...”

“Flowering interval: 100±5 years, flowering lasts three weeks... seeds are powdery, with a natural dispersal success rate under 0.1%... advantages: zero-energy illumination, extreme durability... drawbacks: requires regular pruning to prevent excessive entanglement...”

As the AI droned on, Yvette gestured a width of about 40 centimeters. “How many years would it take for the main stem of the Magic Glow Vine to reach this thickness?”

This was the size of the thickest main stem she had seen in the ruined base.

“At that size, under ideal conditions, it would take approximately 288 to 315 years,” Firefly replied.

“Three hundred years...” Yvette was stunned. She confirmed with the AI about the measurement units and found that their time and length units were almost identical to Earth’s. This meant the “300 years” was genuine—nearly the lifespan of a Song dynasty.

So, the deep abyss base in reality had been abandoned for 300 years without anyone dealing with it?

What was happening? Had the outside world been destroyed as well? Had she crossed into a post-apocalyptic wasteland?

After a long silence, Yvette decided to set aside these thoughts and asked, “Then tell me, how does one learn magic? For example, if I want to cast a spell immediately, what is the fastest way? It has to have zero barriers to entry.”

Firefly replied, “Analyzing request for ‘zero-threshold, instant magic use’... Recommended option: rent or purchase a ‘Magic Terminal’...”

“Not if it costs money!”

Firefly nodded. “Understood. Budget constraints detected. Switching to ‘junk collector special’ plan...”

“...”

“Zero-cost magic activation plan (risk at your own discretion). Option one: scavenging... Option two: DIY rudimentary magic device...”

“Stop, stop.” Yvette shook her head in rapid denial. “What kind of recommendations are these? And why does it say ‘risk at your own discretion’ in parentheses? Isn’t there a more normal option? Something natural, something primitive?”

Firefly said, “Alright, here is the most suitable plan for your needs—the ‘Retro Meditation Method.’ Environment adaptation... meditation posture... core essentials... rune recommendations... theoretical effects...”

That was more like it.

Yvette listened carefully, striving to memorize every detail, then heard the AI add, “Supplementary note: this method dates back approximately 30,000 years to an ancient civilization’s cultivation practices. According to modern pedagogy, reaching the beginner magic power threshold (10 mana points, sufficient to maintain a stable illumination spell for 30 minutes) through pure natural meditation takes an average of 7 years and 4 months. In contrast, beginners injected with the lowest tier active rune set require only 4.6 minutes...”

“... Since then, natural meditation has been officially removed from the ‘recommended spellcaster training programs’ and is mainly used for self-cultivation and character refinement. Please do not regard it as a standard learning path for spellcasters...”

“Beginner level... illumination spell... seven years...” Yvette was somewhat bewildered. Was this meditation method really so weak?

But...

It seemed she had no other choice.