Witch's Embrace

Although these witches gathered together to cover for each other and prey on humans, everything had to be done properly. At least this convent had a Study for the nuns to read scriptures and practice learning.

Heidi nodded: "There is one, but I've never been there myself. Uh, probably no one has, and it likely hasn't even been cleaned..."

She spoke with some embarrassment: "Does Master want to go there? Please wait a moment, and let me clean up a bit before taking you there..."

Hawthorne felt a sense of satisfaction: "No need, just take me there right away."

Heidi didn't refuse. She helped him get dressed, led him out, and after walking through a hallway, quickly turned into the convent's only small Study.

This door certainly hadn't been opened for a long time, and as soon as she pushed it open, dust fell from the door frame. Hawthorne instinctively covered his nose and stepped back, waiting for the dust to settle before looking inside.

On the sunlit side of the room, there were two spacious desks, each with a pen holder containing a few pens and a bottle of ink. But without a doubt, both the desktop, the pens, and the ink bottle caps were covered with a thick layer of dust, clearly indicating that this place hadn't been used for a long time.

On the opposite side of the room were two large bookshelves filled with religious texts and hymns related to the Goddess of Life. Most of these books were brand new and had never been opened.

Looking at this dusty Study, Heidi's expression became even more ashamed, and she couldn't help but lower her head. However, Hawthorne's expression grew increasingly satisfied.

Good, very good.

The witches were too busy with their captives or scouting for new targets to ever come here, giving him the perfect chance to develop covertly!

"Let's go in," he said, stepping into the room, ignoring the dirty dust on the floor. Heidi followed closely, suppressing her distaste; as a witch from the deep sea, she preferred clean and moist environments and naturally had an aversion to dust.

But she wouldn't have to endure for long. Hawthorne had already activated his system, selected the "Study" building, and merged it with this space—

Buzz—

The Purification's white light shone, sweeping away the thick dust. In just a few seconds, the entire room was renewed.

Now, he felt clearly that the room was a part of him. A simple gesture could bring any book to his hand and turn it to any page he desired.

Perfect.

He moved to the desk, and a brand-new notebook automatically flew from the shelf to his hand. A pen from the corner soared out, filled itself with ink, and landed in his hand, ready for note-taking.

Such intelligence and automation filled him with joy, clearing away his previous fatigue and frustration.

Heidi watched him with admiration, then suddenly thought of something, stepped back, and asked, "If Master is going to read here, should I head out for a bit?"

"Mm." Hawthorne nodded, full of ambition, ready to begin his studies. "Go ahead, I'll be fine studying here myself."

Heidi nodded, then gently closed the now-renovated door of the Study, which no longer creaked or shed dust, and left with small, quick steps.

She planned to go out as soon as possible, convert her gemstones into cash, and purchase more Grimoires for her Master.

She quickly walked away, and in the Study, bathed in the soft sunlight from outside, Hawthorne quietly read the Grimoire in his hands. He felt his mind sharp and clear; no matter how convoluted the descriptions, complex the mathematical formulas, or abstract the modeling concepts, he understood them at a glance and learned them quickly!

Oh, I see, so this is what the author meant to convey...

Fantastic, I'm gradually understanding everything!

With a very solid foundation in mathematics, Hawthorne didn't need to learn math as a typical student from the College of Quantitative Analysis would. What he lacked was just Magic Power and the ability to construct spells from mathematical knowledge.

Being a Warlock, his Magic Power inherently came from Heidi, so he had no shortage of it. Thus, with the Study's assistance, truly learning to cast spells was a natural progression.

The sun passed its zenith and began to move westward, with time slipping by unnoticed, even beyond mealtime. However, immersed in the world of magic, Hawthorne was oblivious, eagerly absorbing magical knowledge from the book like a dry sponge caught in a downpour, greedily soaking up moisture.

Finally, after two hours, he managed to construct his first spell learned independently in his mind.

"Mage Armor..."

With the incantation uttered, Hawthorne held the Spellbook in his left hand and gently touched his body with his right. A protective magical field enveloped him, surrounding and safeguarding his person.

It worked!

Everything fell into place, and feeling the stable and sturdy protective field around him, Hawthorne couldn't help but want to burst into laughter.

Although in the instant he signed the magic Pact with Heidi, he had already automatically learned the first-level Spell Create/Destroy Water through their power connection, he didn't feel nearly as excited as he did now.

The reason for this is not only because that spell was given to him by Heidi, rather than earned through his own hard work—thus lacking a sense of achievement—but also because that spell is just an everyday magic, providing him no protection.

Learning Create/Destroy Water hadn't given him any combat advantage, so he still felt no sense of security and naturally, no excitement.

But now, having learned Mage Armor, if nothing else, at least ordinary melee weapons would find it difficult to harm him!

The protection offered by Mage Armor is approximately equivalent to a well-made chainmail. So once he cast this spell, ordinary cuts and blows would no longer affect him.

Moreover, it is lighter and more transparent, covering his entire body more perfectly, including his eyes, without exposing any gaps or weaknesses!

Therefore, from today on, the weapons of ordinary people can hardly harm him.

Ah, from today onwards, I truly am one in a hundred, a person above others.

He thought joyfully, but before he could indulge in happiness for too long, his stomach embarrassingly growled: Grr—

The hunger hit him suddenly, reminding him it was already late and he hadn't had lunch.

Ah, perhaps this is what Tao Yuanming meant by "In moments of comprehension, one forgets about eating"?

I never thought I would experience this myself...

Smiling wryly, he then turned to look out the door and softly called, "Heidi?"

However, there was no response.

This made him frown slightly.

Oh right, Heidi went out and hasn't come back yet.

Should I wait for her?

To be safe, he really didn't want to leave the Study without the witch's company. However, when he sat back down, waves of intense hunger hit him relentlessly, making his temples throb, making it impossible to sit still.

Ugh... I can't take this—learning magic consumes a lot; it's hard to endure...

At this moment, he found himself somewhat missing his past life, where intense work hours led to an upside-down schedule that left him with indigestion and no appetite on time.

I guess sometimes having too strong a digestive ability isn't a good thing...

Hawthorne thought wryly, but there was no choice—this was the price of learning efficiency.

Over the past few hours, his entire body had been operating at peak efficiency: his stomach churning and digesting, his heart pumping blood, transporting massive amounts of oxygen and nutrients to his brain, enabling him to learn his first spell so quickly.

Now, the cost revealed itself. The relentless hunger made him feel restless and slightly dizzy.

Finally, unable to bear it any longer, he looked out the window at the serene environment of the convent and had a bold idea.

The witches seemed to be absent, and it was just a short walk—he could sneak into the Kitchen and cook a meal, and it should be fine, right?

Besides, there wouldn't be anyone in the Kitchen; it would be safe there. The chance of accidentally encountering a witch should be very slim...

The joy from learning Mage Armor still lingered, boosting his confidence a bit. After repeatedly confirming that no one was outside, he took a deep breath and made up his mind. He opened the door, stepped out, closed the door carefully, with his heart racing uncontrollably.

I must hurry!

Without hesitation, he turned quickly, tiptoeing and sprinting towards the Kitchen while trying to make as little noise as possible—

Whoosh—

The convent wasn't very large, so it was only a few steps from the Study to the Kitchen. He sprinted to the Kitchen door in less than half a minute, ensuring no one noticed him.

Perfect!

He let out a slow breath, calmed his racing heart, wiped the nervous sweat from his forehead, and pushed open the Kitchen door—

And then he saw a petite figure in a Nun Robe, delicately built, curiously inspecting everything in the Kitchen.

Upon hearing the door open, she turned her head immediately, her beautiful reddish-purple eyes coldly meeting Hawthorne's gaze.

It was none other than the blade witch, Yuta, who harbored a strong murderous intent towards him!