Is It Weird for a Guy to Apply to a Witch School?-Chapter 461 -

Chapter 461: The Great Tree of Knowledge?

“Uh… can't I be here?”

I looked around the void I was in, and then turned to face the figure identical to me.

Even now, using my basic understanding, I could guess the current situation.

My consciousness had lost control of my body, but it hadn't blacked out.

The Tree of Knowledge derivative spellbook was the final temporary dwelling place for my mental consciousness.

After all, the Tree of Knowledge carries my memories and knowledge.

As it continuously evolves, it is implicitly becoming a part of me.

I don't know why this Spellbook is so unique.

Perhaps this is the truest form of coexistence between a Spellbook and its holder in the final stage.

Teacher Ji Niang had emphasized to me many times that, having not yet achieved Transcendent status, I had never truly owned a Spellbook.

But the Tree of Knowledge feels like a part of me; it is an extension of the genuine, owned power I possess on the spell and Transcendent level.

“No, what kind of chaotic nonsense are you concocting in your head?”

At this moment, the Illusory Subconscious Avatar suddenly spoke, interrupting my thoughts.

“I’m not allowed to think now, is that it? Are you here to welcome me?”

“You’ve got a lot of nerve. Have you ever seen yourself welcoming yourself? Don’t ask me why I’m here. I don’t know either…”

“You really don't know?”

I still asked tentatively.

“I am you, aren’t I? Are you expecting me to be your portable old man advisor?”

“Aren't you?”

“Then I’ll have to give you a demonstration of schizophrenia, you know?”

“I’ll pass on that, then.”

I waved my hand.

Just as I was about to say something else, a disturbance broke the tranquility of this void.

Countless rune rituals emerged from the void at that moment.

This phenomenon made me look up again at the gigantic Tree of Knowledge and the [Transcendent Knowledge] falling from the void.

The Tree of Knowledge stood tall in this void.

Its lush branches stretched toward the sky, and its immense trunk glowed with the brilliance of knowledge.

The memories flowing within were clearly visible, and the intricate, interwoven network formed this enormous Tree of Knowledge.

With the plane beneath my feet as a boundary, its roots extended downward into the void.

From a distance, the entire Tree of Knowledge looked like a rootless floating plant… hovering in the void.

“What is happening?”

“Don’t ask the obvious. The [Transcendent Knowledge] is invading. You already know this, don't you?”

“Alright…”

I shrugged, feeling a little helpless at being ruthlessly exposed by myself.

“Stop with the 'alrights.' Are you just going to stand there and watch this situation continue?”

At this moment, my Avatar turned around, shifting from facing me to facing the anomaly.

“What… can I do?”

“Are you still putting on an act? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! You keep making excuses to reassure yourself that this [Transcendent Knowledge] isn’t yours. You just want to console yourself so you won't be so sad when you finally lose it. Now it has been delivered right to your mouth!”

At this moment, the Avatar seemed to possess emotions, transforming into the truest internal self, here lamenting my lack of drive, her voice and tone escalating to a shout by the last word.

“Don’t force me to slap you! Don’t you want to peek at the truth of the Grand Spellbook? Come on! The Tree of Knowledge lacks the most crucial element. We don’t know what it lacks, but we know that without it, the Tree of Knowledge is a rootless floating plant!”

“…”

This was the first time I had ever seen myself get angry.

Although her words were restrained, they directly hit home.

“Go! Attach that [Transcendent Knowledge] to the Tree of Knowledge!”

At this moment, the appearance of the Avatar blurred.

The next moment, she had completely adopted a new face.

“Little Han, hurry up. If you don’t go now, I’ll spank you, you know?”

“You! Don't scare me by using Big Sis Bai’s appearance!”

I quickly exclaimed.

“Little Han, don't blame me. This only proves that you are harder on yourself than anyone else. You don't want to disappoint Big Sis Bai, do you?”

At this moment, the Illusory Avatar, wearing Big Sis Bai’s appearance and using Big Sis Bai’s voice, continued to provoke me.

“I will not disappoint Big Sis Bai. However… doing this is very risky, isn't it?”

In the end, I was still somewhat hesitant.

The other party was myself; she understood what I was thinking.

What the Avatar proposed was what I was thinking internally, but I had never truly voiced it.

When the Tree of Knowledge Spellbook reached a bottleneck, how could I not have thought of using its source, the [Transcendent Knowledge], to break the predicament?

I had thought about it, wildly.

But I instinctively suppressed the idea, because a voice kept echoing in my mind: it doesn't belong to me.

But I also had a counter-response: it can belong to me, and… easily.

Now, a single reality suppressed both voices: this Small World belonged to the Main World.

It didn't belong to the Witch Academy, it didn't belong to the Academy Head, and it wouldn't belong to me.

But now, Academy Head Bev Ailana had given me the opportunity to acquire it.

This was one of the fundamental reasons why my subconscious kept repeating this thought.

Regardless of whether this offering was a charity, an investment, a sign of optimism, or a casual act, this opportunity had landed in my hands.

In fact, many clues before had already indicated that the ownership of this [Transcendent Knowledge] would be mine, but as someone who is extremely conservative internally, I had ignored them one by one.

It seems as if the subconscious is forcing me to make a choice, urging me not to hesitate, but in reality, I am just seeking a thought that allows me to feel at ease.

And concern over the danger of doing this.

Integrating the [Transcendent Knowledge] into my body, into the framework of the Tree of Knowledge, I cannot predict the consequences of doing so.

Perhaps everything will go smoothly, and the [Transcendent Knowledge] will become a part of the Tree of Knowledge as I desire.

Perhaps everything is wrong, just my wishful thinking, and I will lose everything.

“What are you afraid of? You’ll be ruined if you lose everything? Don’t forget how long it took you to develop to this point? Will it be harder to reach the current level again with the experience you’ve gained? If people look down on you for a temporary setback, are you also looking down on yourself? You clearly know that you will rise again eventually!”

The Avatar's words were highly inflammatory.

Even though I hadn't said anything, she managed to pierce my heart with her monologue.

“Break those tedious worries, put down the hypocritical mask, and stop caring about what others think! Haven't you been doing that? Or was that just an act to reassure yourself?”

“Stop talking. You’re being very noisy.”

I let out a long sigh, reached out, and pressed a hand against the Avatar's cheek.

Finally, I didn't hesitate to push her away.

The Avatar's figure dissolved into broken memories, dissipating into the void.

In the final moment before the Avatar disappeared, a smile still lingered on her lips—a smile of satisfaction and relief.

Because I knew I had already made a choice.

“So, what should I do now?”

I sighed softly, seeming to question myself, and also trying to find a solution.

But regardless, I needed to go to that Tree of Knowledge first.

I walked forward slowly.

With every step, ripples appeared beneath my feet, displaying my past memories.

As I moved forward, knowledge collided, sparks of inspiration flying past me.

The [Transcendent Knowledge] transformed into a sky full of stars.

Each twinkling starlight shone with the brilliance of runes.

It was different from the Transcendent Knowledge I had previously encountered; it was more fractured, as if turning into nourishment and pouring into this space, sinking beneath my feet.

The roots of the Tree of Knowledge absorbed it like a nutrient.

The Tree of Knowledge was evolving on its own, as if it would thrive even without me.

Unknowingly, I had already reached the very base of the Tree of Knowledge.

Looking up, all I could see was the canopy that obscured my vision.

A strong sense of déjà vu made me instinctively reach out until my palm touched the main trunk symbolizing the Tree of Knowledge…

In that instant, my consciousness seemed to merge into that ocean woven from memory and knowledge. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

My consciousness felt an indescribable connection with the Tree of Knowledge.

I felt like I was drifting along a stream where memories and knowledge converged, flowing downstream.

“What are you still thinking about? Just as you thought, the Tree of Knowledge is already different from other Spellbooks. It is even more complete than the Spellbook Shelf Spellbook that we mastered in a special way. Think carefully with your own mind! How should those fractured [Transcendent Knowledge] be used to fill its deficiencies! What do you most need the Tree of Knowledge to become!”

“I…”

I looked at the suddenly appearing subconscious.

Then I suddenly realized.

I understood that my main consciousness was being overwhelmed by these memories and knowledge, while my subconscious was still firmly aware of what needed to be done, so it reappeared to correct my current state of submergence.

“I… need the Tree of Knowledge to… grow infinitely!”

As my words were shouted out, the Avatar also showed a satisfied smile.

“Yes! Go and absorb that [Transcendent Knowledge]! Align with the Tree of Knowledge and absorb it! Let it completely integrate into the Tree of Knowledge… We have no knowledge or experience regarding the structure of a Grand Spellbook. We can only use this clumsiest method to retain this [Transcendent Knowledge]… You know that if you can't retain it now, it will be gone forever, right? Go for it! It's better than having nothing at all.”

Yes… it is better than doing nothing at all!

At this moment, the roots of the Tree of Knowledge spread wider under my will, solely to absorb all the [Transcendent Knowledge].

The Tree of Knowledge seemed to become unprecedentedly massive, yet it continued to expand.

The absorbed [Transcendent Knowledge] flowed through the roots into the main trunk.

The runes and rituals, containing terrifying and incomprehensible information, violently impacted the existing framework of the Tree of Knowledge.

And in a certain instant, I suddenly realized I was directly facing the Transcendent Knowledge and Transcendent Rituals that had previously been a blur of mosaic just by looking at them…

Has Spirit Vision… improved a bit more?

The Tree of Knowledge transformed into my most solid backing at this moment.

I was desperately squeezing out all the power of the Tree of Knowledge.

The memories I possessed, the knowledge I mastered, were fiercely deconstructing the unknown runes I couldn't touch.

At this moment, I was unprecedentedly manic.

I was slowly and surely eroding those fractured [Transcendent Knowledge].

Every time I deconstructed a tiny part of it, it would transform into the most fundamental nourishment for the Tree of Knowledge, turning into the power I wielded to resist the violent impact of the [Transcendent Knowledge].

At this moment, I felt terrifyingly strong.

This was not the strength of power, but the strength of deconstructing Transcendent objects.

My brain and thoughts have never been so clear and transparent.

My calculations have never been so easy and smooth.

My reserves have never been so rich and abundant.

The knowledge I had previously recorded and piled up in the corners of the Tree of Knowledge was now actively utilized.

It could be said that from this moment on, I had truly broken the barrier between the "Tree of Knowledge and me" completely.

When this solid barrier was broken, my cognition and consciousness seemed to have transcended.

The Tree of Knowledge was no longer a simple Spellbook; it had become a part of me.

Just as I had said before, that unintentional guess had turned into a prophecy, predicting everything at this moment.

Although the "invasion" of [Transcendent Knowledge] was far from over, I knew that all of this was no longer a problem I needed to worry about.

I suddenly had a moment of enlightenment.

I didn't need to rack my brains asking myself how to achieve something, but rather to adhere to my own principle… I can do it… because power adapts to the strong, not the strong adapting to power.

The moment I understood that I needed power, the distance between power and me was only the distance of my outstretched hand.

Because the strong are never defined as those who possess great power, but as those who can reach out and grasp power in any situation.

Internal strength is what matches the strength of power.

Otherwise, no matter how terrifying that person's strength is, they are merely a slave to power.

You would realize that it is not that power cannot exist without the person, but that the person cannot exist without power.

With such a clear subordinate relationship, how can such a person be called strong?

At this moment, my mindset also changed.

If before, I faced the [Transcendent Knowledge] with a lack of confidence and fear, hesitant about how to proceed, now I was confident, curious, and eager to try, even if I didn't know the exact way to do it.

“The Tree of Knowledge can't endure this continued ravaging by the [Transcendent Knowledge]. It seems I need to find another way to retain it rather than stuffing it into the Tree of Knowledge all at once.”

I muttered easily to myself.

The situation that had previously felt like a disaster was now inconsequential.

“The Tree of Knowledge is a rootless floating plant. I think that since it's a tree, it should be rooted in soil, not floating in this void of consciousness.”

“Good idea.”

I glanced at the Avatar.

Sure enough, my brain works quickly.

The Avatar me is still me, so if the Avatar is smart, I am also smart.

I turned to look at the Tree of Knowledge, which was now utterly ruined by the [Transcendent Knowledge].

Memories were shattered, and knowledge was withered, but they transformed into dead leaves falling to the ground, which were absorbed by the Tree of Knowledge and converted back into nutrients, causing new branches and buds to sprout.

Destruction also means rebirth.

The [Transcendent Knowledge] shattered the original framework of the Tree of Knowledge, but it was rebuilt upon the foundation of the [Transcendent Knowledge].

I casually caught a falling leaf.

Knowledge and memory formed the two sides of the leaf, interwoven to create the most basic unit of the Tree of Knowledge.

What I needed to do next was to capture and precipitate the [Transcendent Knowledge] that the Tree of Knowledge couldn't "digest."

They would turn into the soil of the Tree of Knowledge, giving the roots of the Tree of Knowledge a place to take root, and the roots would fix the soil, ensuring the Tree of Knowledge had a stable source of "nourishment."

This process of absorption might continue for a long time, but it would sustain the development of the tree more enduringly than the violent method used before.

Perhaps when the Tree of Knowledge completely absorbs the [Transcendent Knowledge], it might become a true Grand Spellbook, right?

However, no one can say for sure, can they?

Moreover, the Grand Spellbook is not the only destination for [Transcendent Knowledge].

Instead of maximizing the potential of the [Transcendent Knowledge], I am more inclined to thoroughly develop and perfect the Tree of Knowledge.

This order of priority and urgency is what I should be focusing on.

It is not that the [Transcendent Knowledge] is inherently more important than the Tree of Knowledge, but that for the sake of the Tree of Knowledge's growth, I am willing to transform the [Transcendent Knowledge] into the nourishment that sustains it.

Precisely because of this clear understanding, the Tree of Knowledge has become a part of my life.

Even the [Transcendent Knowledge] is merely its growth nutrient.

Although I know that the development of the Tree of Knowledge is largely derived from this [Transcendent Knowledge], I clearly recognize that the Tree of Knowledge is not a simple manifestation of the [Transcendent Knowledge].

And the current Tree of Knowledge has already become the carrier for this [Transcendent Knowledge].

Everything is now settled within my plan.

When the impact brought by the [Transcendent Knowledge] subsided, I felt the perception of my body slowly returning.

I had no attachment to this place, because I knew that after experiencing this, I had also mastered the trick to returning here again.

Perhaps the next time I come here, I won't need to lose consciousness anymore.

When the perception of the body returns to the void, consciousness will be presented in this sea of consciousness opened up for me by the Tree of Knowledge.

It's a pity that this sea of consciousness, or sea of spirit, is still too empty, apart from this single Tree of Knowledge.

I looked back at the only tree in this void, and the land mass formed by the [Transcendent Knowledge], and finally, without hesitation, chose to embrace reality…