Fortunately, the game system only required Daniel to make the action of flipping through the pages; it didn't strictly require him to genuinely understand the content of the books.
He just needed to maintain the posture of reading and patiently wait for the progress bar to complete.
However, this process was exceedingly long, and he couldn't stop midway.
If he stopped, the progress bar would interrupt, and he'd have to start reading from the beginning again the next time he picked up a book.
It was pure torture!
[You have finished reading a book, your Magic Knowledge +1]
Seeing the system notification, Daniel finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He set down the ancient text and couldn't help but ask, "System, is there any way to speed up the reading process?"
[Increasing the Mental Attribute can accelerate the speed of knowledge acquisition.]
So the Mental Attribute has this use?
Normally, Daniel only flipped through comic books; he never bothered with such profound texts. Naturally, he hadn't discovered this function of the Mental Attribute.
It was a good thing he had unlocked his Mana bar some time ago and casually added some points to the Mental Attribute; otherwise, the reading speed would probably be even slower now.
Daniel shook his head: "No, this is too much torture. I need to find something to pass the time."
He was here to play a game, not to study. At this rate, he wouldn't last long.
Thinking this, Daniel pulled out his phone, only to be surprised to find that the screen detected an available Wi-Fi connection.
"Kamar-Taj actually has internet access? Are they that up-to-date?"
Daniel had originally thought that the sacred place for sorcerers' training would be a place for asceticism and meditation. He never expected to be able to connect to Wi-Fi.
But on second thought, the highest authority figure here was already playing video games, so having Wi-Fi seemed pretty reasonable.
Daniel pulled out his universal key, instantly cracking the Kamar-Taj Wi-Fi password.
It was the English spelling of 'Shambhala'.
"This password is too uncreative," Daniel mumbled. If it were him, he'd definitely change it to a more memorable password.
After he entered the password, his phone connected to the network, and he immediately opened the video feed of a certain app.
"Pay attention: this man is named Handsome Guy Xiao Shuai..."
This is much better!
Daniel happily picked up another ancient text, mechanically flipping through the pages while enjoying the videos on his phone.
With the background noise accompanying him, the originally tedious waiting process was like being under a Time Spell. The speed at which time passed was noticeably faster—it was quite magical.
The following period of time was spent by Daniel almost entirely on flipping pages and scrolling through his phone.
His Magic Knowledge soared, and his phone battery plunged.
It wasn't until the phone battery was completely drained that Daniel reluctantly stopped his 'studying' and got up to leave the library.
He hadn't expected that as soon as he pushed open the door, he'd see a Black man in a sorcerer's robe standing motionless outside. Judging by his sturdy physique, he was clearly a veteran sorcerer who had been practicing magic for many years.
The man nodded slightly: "Hello, I am Mordo. The Ancient One is waiting in the inner sanctum. Please follow me."
Daniel nodded and followed Mordo through several ancient stone corridors until they reached a quiet hall.
The interior was simply decorated. The Ancient One was sitting by a tea ceremony table, skillfully brewing tea. She then gently blew on the cup and took a small sip.
"Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey!"
The Ancient One spat out the tea leaves she had accidentally swallowed.
Daniel: "..."
This grand master is certainly down-to-earth.
"You're here?"
The Ancient One nonchalantly poured another cup of tea and gently pushed it toward Daniel: "This is tea I grew myself. You can't find it anywhere else."
Daniel sat down and downed the tea in one gulp, his eyes immediately brightening: "It's really good. I feel much more energetic."
"Oh, that's because I added a little magic to invigorate the spirit."
"..."
It's confirmed; it wasn't his imagination!
This bald master is definitely not a serious person!
Daniel couldn't help but complain: "Aren't you worried that the other sorcerers in Kamar-Taj will see you like this?"
The Ancient One looked puzzled: "Other sorcerers? Where?"
Daniel was stunned and subconsciously looked around.
He then realized that, at some point, the surrounding space was covered in cracks like shattered glass. Mordo, who had led the way, was long gone. Only he and the Ancient One remained in the entire hall, as if isolated in another dimension.
"What is this?" Daniel asked in surprise.
"This is the Mirror Dimension. It exists but cannot be perceived. Everything that happens here will not affect the real world."
Hearing the Ancient One's explanation, Daniel immediately became wary.
She isn't planning to silence me, is she?
The Ancient One reassured him: "Don't worry, I won't do anything to you. This is just a necessary measure to prevent some morally corrupt scoundrel from eavesdropping."
Daniel raised an eyebrow: "Who is this scoundrel you're talking about?"
The Ancient One's tone was calm: "An old man with a white beard who hates bathing, has a face full of wrinkles, likes to cheat people out of food and drinks, and enjoys snatching people's belongings. If you meet anyone who fits the above description, you'd best stay as far away from him as possible."
The description was quite specific, and an image of a shady old man immediately appeared in Daniel's mind.
"Then what exactly do you want with me?" Daniel was still confused.
The Ancient One didn't answer directly. Instead, she asked, "What do you think of Kamar-Taj?"
"It's... decent?"
Daniel had just arrived and had spent the entire day in the library. How could he possibly know what Kamar-Taj was like?
The Ancient One nodded: "That means you like it. If so, are you interested in becoming the next Sorcerer Supreme?"
Daniel: "..."
Isn't this topic jumping way too fast?
How did we suddenly get onto the topic of the Sorcerer Supreme?
Daniel looked bewildered: "You want me to be the Sorcerer Supreme?"
"Incorrect. It's the next Sorcerer Supreme. After all, I don't plan on dying just yet," the Ancient One corrected.
"But the problem is, with my current ability, I can't be the Sorcerer Supreme."
Daniel was quite aware of his own limits.
With his current strength, if he were to truly encounter a Dimensional Dreadlord, he'd likely just be a punching bag.
"The next Sorcerer Supreme," the Ancient One corrected again, smiling. "Not having enough power now doesn't mean you won't have it in the future. I have high hopes for you."
There was nothing wrong with that statement.
After all, which player isn't incredibly formidable in the late game?
But where does an NPC like you get this confidence? You didn't read the script, did you?
Daniel looked speechless: "No, this is only our second meeting. Why choose me to be the Sorcerer Supreme? There has to be a reason."
The Ancient One looked at him, her gaze profound and serious: "Because you possess a unique potential that I have never encountered in hundreds of years, and your qualifications are very much in line with the requirements of the Sorcerer Supreme."
Daniel remained silent. He felt there was definitely a trap here.
Especially after seeing her "waiting for retirement" status, he suspected that the position of Sorcerer Supreme was probably not a good gig.
Seeing Daniel's expression, the Ancient One chuckled softly: "Of course, this isn't something that can be decided right away. We can discuss this topic later. I still have some time left. In the meantime, you are free to enter and exit the Kamar-Taj library as you please."
Daniel thought this proposal was quite good. He certainly needed to raise his Magic Knowledge in the Kamar-Taj library.
As for the Sorcerer Supreme business, he could leave that for later.