Chapter 61: Deciphering the Scroll

Gao De shook his head and cast aside these pointless distractions.

He reached out, took the box containing Basic Magic Potion from beside the wooden table.

He opened the box.

“It’s almost gone,” Gao De said, staring at the three vials neatly arranged inside—only one remained full, the other two were empty.

He pulled out the last vial of Basic Magic Potion.

Looking at the crystalline liquid inside, Gao De couldn’t help muttering, “This stuff is as addictive as any drug.”

The astonishing cultivation efficiency after consuming Basic Magic Potion was addictive.

Once accustomed to the swift, exhilarating sensation of magic-potion-assisted cultivation, stopping made his old methods feel sluggish and jarring—no matter how hard he tried, it felt unbearable.

It’s hard to go from luxury to frugality.

He gently pulled the stopper and drained the entire vial, ensuring not a single drop remained, before beginning his daily cultivation.

After finishing his “One Section Stronger Than Six” Nanfu-style cultivation, Gao De didn’t rise immediately—he instead began constructing a spell model.

Two days had passed since he acquired two new spell formulas.

For these two days, he had been trying to construct the [Read Magic] spell model, but luck hadn’t favored him—he failed consecutively.

“If I could fully reconstruct the Spirit-Communicating Potion recipe, with magic potion assistance, I could master any cantrip within a day,” Gao De muttered to himself.

These past failures came close several times—just a hair’s breadth from success; if his mental control were slightly stronger, he’d have succeeded.

Still, even with setbacks, he should master [Read Magic] within these next one or two days.

Thinking this, Gao De calmed his mind and once again attempted to construct the spell model within the Spell Star Ocean.

Half an hour later.

Gao De suddenly opened his eyes, a faint hint of joy in his gaze.

He silently spoke.

“Wind Spirit Moon Shadow.”

Instantly, a rudimentary information interface appeared in Gao De’s consciousness.

In the spell column, directly after [Detect Magic], a new entry now appeared: [Read Magic].

[Read Magic] (Divination, 0th Level): You may decipher magical inscriptions on objects—books, scrolls, weapons, etc.—that cannot be read by ordinary means. Such deciphering typically does not activate the magic contained within the inscriptions.

Furthermore, once you have cast this spell and deciphered a specific passage of magical script, you may thereafter understand that same passage without needing to cast [Read Magic] again.

“Finally succeeded!” Gao De exclaimed.

He suppressed his excitement and urgency, opened his cabinet, took out the scroll left by Sage Seda, and spread it flat on the table.

The scroll was covered in obscure, incomprehensible magical script.

Learning a new script required unimaginable time and effort.

In his past life, mastering a foreign language often took years.

Fortunately, in this world, magic—an inexplicable supernatural force—existed.

Gao De subtly shifted his intent; his magical energy flowed, and a star-trail flashed across the newly constructed [Read Magic] model in the Spell Star Ocean.

His eyes suddenly glowed, an invisible magical surge stirring within.

Gao De gently traced his finger over the magical script on the scroll, his gaze fixed and following each movement.

At this moment, language was no longer a barrier.

Though the magical script still looked like gibberish to Gao De’s eyes, the meaning behind each character unfolded one by one in his mind:

Seris Magical Academy, I, the Tenth Headmaster of Seris Magical Academy, write this letter.

Its purpose is to recommend the bearer—regardless of origin, age, or prior experience—with the supreme honor and privilege of direct admission to our academy, exempt from any form of entrance examination.

This exceptional privilege is no trivial matter; it has been granted only in the rarest moments of the academy’s history, to individuals or families who have demonstrated extraordinary potential, or made significant contributions—or possess great potential—to the Duchy or the Academy. The bearer, though unnamed here, has been personally verified by me and granted this unparalleled recommendation.

I firmly believe that Seris Magical Academy, as the most distinguished magical academy of the Duchy, possesses both the capability and the duty to open the gates of knowledge and power for the bearer.

I urge your Council, upon receiving this letter in any year, to accept this recommendation and grant the bearer the most honored reception and support, arranging for direct enrollment under a senior master suited to his talent and aspirations.

May the light of magic guide the path; may wisdom and courage forever accompany the name of Seris.

Gavin Hogg [Official Seal] “This is...” Gao De was stunned.

The scroll’s true nature completely exceeded his expectations.

Before deciphering it, Gao De had speculated wildly: perhaps an ancient secret, a treasure map, or even a magic potion formula—he never once considered it might be a letter of recommendation.

No, it shouldn’t even be called a recommendation letter; “recommendation” was too weak a word for what this text contained.

“This is just a guaranteed admission slot.”

Gao De murmured.

He knew this well.

Regardless of origin, age, or prior experience—even the most powerful “guaranteed admission slot” imaginable.

“I just don’t know what level of academy Seris Magical Academy is, where it’s located, or whether it still exists today,” Gao De pondered.

To be honest, he felt a momentary tug of desire.

Having experienced the education system of his past life, Gao De understood better than anyone how vital a structured foundational education was.

It was like the foundation of a thousand-story tower.

A master leads you through the door; cultivation depends on the individual.

True achievement isn’t taught—but getting through that door is indispensable.

Yet upon deeper thought, Gao De immediately faced reality.

He had never heard of “Seris Magical Academy” before—this proved the academy either no longer existed, or lay far beyond the reach of Hogen City.

If the former, there was nothing more to say.

If the latter, under current circumstances, Gao De would not abandon his herb garden and leave Hogen City for this admission privilege.

First, he lacked the ability to travel long distances.

Second, abandoning his steadily functioning business for a so-called “exempt recommendation letter” was irrational.

Though the letter stated, “Your Council must accept this recommendation regardless of the year received,” everyone knew a death pardon, once discarded, was just a discarded scrap—bowing before ancestral spirits was all that remained.

Such oath-like promises worked only by luck.

The expected investment bore no proportion to the expected return.

At least for now, this “exempt recommendation letter” held little value for Gao De.

Gao De felt disappointed, but carefully stored it away.

“Maybe I’ll need it someday?”

After all, the scroll clearly stated: “Regardless of origin, age, or prior experience, the bearer enjoys the supreme honor and privilege of direct admission.”

“I should ask Pierre about it—he might know of Seris Magical Academy.”

“After all, it was left by Sage Seda; it’s likely a academy from the Duchy of Sein,” Gao De thought silently.

The Duchy of Sein was large enough already; Gao De found it hard to believe Seda held a “guaranteed admission letter” from a foreign academy.

“But if Seris Magical Academy truly belonged to the Duchy of Sein, why didn’t Sage Seda use this letter himself?”

This hypothesis raised new questions, leaving Gao De utterly baffled.

(End of Chapter)