"''Valen Continent'!' You mean the one that takes up several entire bookshelves in the library?" one of the little witches exclaimed, her eyes wide.
"Thankfully, the dean only mentioned Volume Seven!" another chimed in, sounding relieved.
"Oh, you're so naive!" a third witch said, shaking her head. "If Volume Seven is showing up in our homework now, do you really think Volumes Eight and Nine are far behind?"
A murmur of agreement rippled through the group as the realization set in.
"Face it; if we can't answer the dean's questions in every basic magic theory class, she's going to assign us more books to read and essays to write. This is just the beginning."
"And it's not just the basic magic theory classes either," another witch groaned. "What if every theory class is like this?"
"What are we going to do?" someone whispered, almost panicked. "Theory classes are going to be more stressful than practical ones!"
"Who was it that said theory classes would be as easy as reading 'The Young Witch Book'?" a witch muttered, earning a few nervous giggles.
The little witches exchanged anxious glances, feeling the weight of their new reality settle in.
Meanwhile, Lyra calmly wrote down the homework instructions, packed her things, and glanced at her fellow students. Noticing their worried faces, she offered a reassuring smile. "Think about it differently. If we spot the gaps in our knowledge ourselves and then have the dean help us fill them, we'll actually be mastering the material faster. It's a lot more effective and interesting, than just reading the textbooks."
The little witches paused, considering her words. Though some still wore skeptical expressions, no one could find a counterargument.
"Anyway, I'm heading to the library to start copying 'Valen Continent', Volume Seven. Anyone want to come with me?" Lyra asked.
"Let's go!" several witches replied, rallying despite their earlier complaints.
Despite the collective sighs over their homework, the witches knew they couldn't avoid it. As they headed to the library that morning, they each made sure to bring extra blank parchment. Even if they didn't fill their pages with notes from 'Valen Continent', they could at least copy 'The Birth of a Beautiful Cover' a book that would help them craft a perfect witch book.
Once in the first-grade library, the witches formed a long line, eagerly waiting their turn to copy the pages of Volume Seven. But unlike the others, Lyra didn't join the queue. Instead, she found a seat in the reading area, poring over her book thoughtfully.
She had a reason. The night she remade her witch's book, she filled it with as many blank pages as her apprentice-level magic could manage. Out of all those pages, 91 had already been used, leaving her with only nine blank pages. She knew that while these pages would be enough for copying the seventh volume, there was no guarantee the dean wouldn't recommend additional reference books for the essay. If that happened, nine pages wouldn't be sufficient.
Lyra realized that her witch book had reached its apprentice-level limit. To continue expanding her notes and assignments, she would need to upgrade the magic of her book. She recalled Ms. Amisha's advice: the instructions for upgrading the witch book were detailed in 'Lifelong Learning Companion - Witch Book'. Determined, she decided that upgrading her book would be her next priority.
Lyra was deep in research mode, her eyes scanning through the pages as she flipped past the introductory sections on the witch book's basic applications. She was focused; she had a specific goal in mind. Skipping the introductory instructions, she quickly located the section on upgrading.
To advance the magic of the witch book from apprentice level to entry level, she discovered that it required signing one more magical contract. It sounded simple enough; until she read the fine print. The entry-level contract couldn't just be written with her current skills; it required the Golden Pen Technique to be at least at the elementary level.
Lyra frowned slightly. That meant she had an extra step to complete first: upgrading her Golden Pen Technique. Fortunately, the book contained templates for every level of the Golden Pen Technique, as well as the necessary contracts for the witch book. She began reading carefully, realizing that the golden pen's contract itself was integral to upgrading the book.
The steps were similar to the apprentice-level process she had gone through before, but there was a catch: the price had doubled. Each upgrade contract now required 10 units of permanent mana, and since there were two contracts to complete (one for the golden pen and one for the witch book), it would cost her 20 mana in total.
"Twenty mana…" she whispered to herself, running her fingers over the page. "It doesn't seem like much, but I'm only 10 mana away from reaching the high-level witch tier."
She felt the weight of the decision. Giving up that much mana would set her back significantly. But she knew she had no choice. If she wanted to transcribe all the books in the academy library and truly master her studies, she would have to make the investment sooner or later.
With a determined sigh, she made up her mind. "I have to do it," she murmured. Gripping her quill, she began drafting the first contract with her apprentice-level Golden Pen Technique. The pen's magic flared as she wrote the intricate symbols and words. When she finished, she pricked her finger, watching as her blood glowed with the spell's energy before she pressed it to the page.
The contract absorbed the blood, and a soft, golden light enveloped her pen. As the light faded, she felt a surge of energy, her Golden Pen Technique had advanced to the elementary level. The pen now glimmered with a more refined, intricate design, a clear sign of its new power.
Next, Lyra used the newly enhanced technique to draft the contract for the witch book. The symbols flowed more easily, and the pen danced smoothly across the parchment, crafting the contract with precision. She pricked her finger again, signing her name in the glowing ink. The moment the contract was complete, she felt the witch book pulse in her hands. It transformed instantly, its magic expanding. The book, now at the elementary level, could carry up to 1,000 pages, far beyond the 100-page limit it had before.
Excited by the new capacity, Lyra filled the book with the blank parchment she had infused with magic two days ago. She also took the freshly infused parchment from that morning and added it, ensuring her witch book was stocked and ready. Then, she set about copying the remaining essential texts, including the entire set of 'Valen Continent' volumes. By the time she finished, the book still had dozens of pages left, its capacity was impressive, using less than half of its total storage.
She looked down at her witch book, which held hundreds of books' worth of knowledge, yet from the outside, it appeared unchanged. To anyone else, it was just a simple leather-bound tome. But inside, it was a vast library.
Pleased with her progress, Lyra glanced at her character card. Her expression dimmed as she read the mana count: 970. During her initial talent test, she had been only 2 mana points away from the high-level witch threshold. Now, after a week, she was 30 mana points away.
She sighed, a mixture of frustration and acceptance settling in. Although her magic power had been increasing steadily in the past few days, her efforts to upgrade her tools had set her back. "Think of it differently," she told herself. "It's an investment. I've contributed 30 units of permanent mana to advance the legacy of two senior witches and enhance my own skills."
She knew that in order to copy all the critical texts and materials in the academy, she would eventually need to upgrade her witch book and Golden Pen Technique to the advanced level. That would require an additional 70 mana in permanent sacrifices. The road ahead was long, but she felt a sense of determination. If it meant having access to the full breadth of magical knowledge, it would all be worth it.
"Witch magic is such a lucrative field!" Lyra mused to herself, feeling the thrill of it all. But a pang of longing settled in; she still hadn't developed her own witch magic. She could only imagine what it would be like to wield such power, to create spells uniquely hers. For now, all she could do was watch and learn.
The other little witches, who had witnessed Lyra's progress, felt a mixture of awe and dismay. They counted their own mana reserves, which only amounted to about 40 or 50 mana per person. The cost of upgrading the witch book felt daunting. "It's so expensive!" one of them muttered, looking down at her own book.
"No wonder Ms. Amisha warned us not to be greedy," another witch said, shaking her head. "The magic might be powerful, but with our limited mana, it's impossible to keep up with that kind of expense."
Still, despite the grumbling, there was a new resolve in the group. The reality of magic consumption was setting in, and they were realizing that there were ways around it.
"I want to read more books," Amy declared, lifting her chin. "If I manage to read a few extra ones before graduation, I won't have to copy everything into my witch book. It'll save me space and mana."
This time, Lyra didn't have to lead the way. Inspired by Amy's words, the other little witches began discussing strategies. It was as if a spark had been lit among them. They realized that if they read more, they could maximize the space in their books and minimize the mana they used. On the walk down the mountain, several of them pulled out their witch books, reading as they went.
However, their witch books weren't as large or as well-developed as Lyra's, and some witches struggled to balance the heavy tomes while keeping their footing on the rocky path. Lyra, used to multitasking, walked with ease, her eyes on the page but her steps confident. The others were still getting the hang of it, but they were determined. They worked in pairs, with one reading while the other led the way, helping each other stay on course. Slowly but surely, they were learning to read while walking, following Lyra's example.
Above them, older witches on broomsticks zipped through the air, finishing up their own lessons for the day. The younger witches, though, barely noticed, they were too engrossed in their books. The older witches watched with surprise.
"Lilith, I think you were being way too modest this morning," exclaimed a second-year witch. "These first-years aren't just studying hard; they're practically fighting for their lives!"
Lilith, just as surprised, nodded. "This morning, Lyra was the only one reading while walking. Now look at them, all of them are doing it!"
In a matter of hours, the first-year witches had transformed. What began as an individual habit for Lyra had spread, and now all the little witches were evolving; turning their every spare moment into a chance to study.
"We can't fall behind!" Quilin urged her classmates as they sped through the sky. "Let's hurry back. After lunch, we'll study the new wand spells. We can't let the first-years show us up!"
The air filled with the rush of broomsticks, shadows darting across the sky as the senior witches flew back to their studies.
Meanwhile, the first-year witches had a small break. They had a window of time after returning to the dormitories from the castle, enough time to rest and have lunch before classes resumed at four in the afternoon. Most of them took the opportunity to relax and refuel for the day ahead.
But Lyra was different. She had no intention of slowing down. After wolfing down a quick meal of breadfruit cake, she went right back to her reading. The hundreds of books she had copied into her witch book were only useful if she actually absorbed their content. So far, she had only managed to finish reading 'The Magic Wand' cover to cover, one book among many.
She knew that having a vast library stored in her witch book was a powerful tool, but only if she internalized that knowledge. "Books in the witch book are like spells in a database," she thought, "but only what I memorize and understand becomes true power."
Determined, she delved into her next text, eyes sharp and mind focused. Every word she read was another step toward mastering the magic she so craved.