Hogwarts: The Bloodline Wizard

Chapter 7: Did I Suddenly Get Dumber?

October 31, 2020

The quiet environment made Ivan deeply appreciate Madam Pince's rule against loud noise in the library. The regulation was clearly necessary.

As a basic theoretical book on Transfiguration, A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration wasn't overly difficult, but its thick pages made it impossible to finish in a short time.

An hour passed in the blink of an eye, and Ivan had only managed to read a little over a third of the book. After some consideration, he continued reading, and it took him another hour and a half to finish the entire book.

After more than two hours of continuous reading, Ivan felt a bit lightheaded when he finally put the book down.

These ancient magical books often included obscure and cryptic phrases, as if to emphasize the mystery of magic. For someone like Ivan, who was used to modern textbooks, this was quite jarring.

"Maybe this is what being a wizard is all about," Ivan muttered to himself, thinking that this somewhat mystical way of thinking might be the key to a wizard's talent.

At least, that's what he told himself, since he couldn't understand it otherwise!

[Ding! After some serious reading, you find A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration dry and difficult to understand. Proficiency in Transfiguration has slightly increased.

Note: Reading progress for A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration: 27%]

The system notification surprised Ivan again, as he hadn't received any prompts when reading textbooks during class.

Was it because he hadn't finished any book before?

Ivan suddenly realized the difference. He had never finished reading a magical book before, so this must be the trigger.

With this in mind, Ivan couldn't help but吐槽 (mock) the system's game-like notification tone.

After finishing the book, Ivan felt that while there were some parts he didn't fully understand, it wasn't as dry and difficult as the system made it out to be.

As for the 27% reading progress, Ivan could understand that.

Anyone who's read a book knows that finishing it doesn't mean you've memorized and mastered all the content. Otherwise, wouldn't everyone get perfect scores on exams?

"Now, let's see how amazing this so-called Genius Experience Card really is," Ivan whispered to himself, then spent 100 academic points to exchange for the card.

[Remaining time: 00:59:59]

In an instant, Ivan felt as if something had exploded in his brain. The knowledge he had recently learned and the books he had read seemed to pour out, only to be quickly categorized and summarized within half a minute. His thoughts became clearer and more organized.

It was like upgrading from an old, sluggish computer to the latest model.

A minute later, Ivan opened his eyes and gently ran his hand over the cover of A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration. Without even opening the book, the content he had read earlier flashed through his mind.

The previously cryptic and obscure phrases now made sense in context.

A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration, as a foundational textbook for young wizards at Hogwarts, had undoubtedly been revised multiple times. It was concise and straightforward—at least for wizards.

When Ivan flipped through the book again, he found that he already understood most of the content. All that was left was to revisit the parts he had skipped over before.

Page 3, Chapter 2, Page 7, Chapter 13…

Ivan's hands flew through the pages of A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration, and the reading progress in his mind increased rapidly.

In just twenty minutes, Ivan had finished rereading the entire book.

[Ding! After some serious reading, you find A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration simple and straightforward, offering no challenge. Proficiency in Transfiguration has significantly increased.

Reading progress for A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration: 100%!

Reading reward: 5 academic points]

[Transfiguration has reached Level 1. Current proficiency: (12/200). Reward: 5 academic points]

As Ivan put the book down, two notifications sounded in his mind.

Notably, the upgrade in Transfiguration didn't come with any special effects—no golden light or sudden power boost. Ivan simply felt that casting Transfiguration spells was no longer a challenge. At the very least, turning a matchstick into a needle was now a piece of cake.

Even with his less-than-ideal wand, Ivan could perform the spell effortlessly, though the effect might be slightly weaker.

This confirmed Ivan's earlier guess: increasing proficiency didn't directly boost his strength but rather reflected his current abilities through the proficiency system.

With about thirty-seven minutes left on the Genius Experience Card, Ivan didn't waste any time. He rushed to the nearest shelf, grabbed a copy of Fundamentals of Spell Theory, and started reading.

As soon as he opened it, Ivan realized the book was thicker than he had expected. It covered the principles of common spells and included some theories on magical energy.

Under normal circumstances, Ivan would have found such a theoretical book dry and boring. But this time, he was thoroughly engrossed. He didn't even notice the system notifications that popped up in his mind, completely immersed in the sea of knowledge.

However, halfway through the book, Ivan's expression changed. His once-clear mind felt as if it had been shrouded in fog, and his flowing thoughts were abruptly cut off.

It was like being interrupted mid-stream while relieving oneself.

Did I suddenly get dumber?

Ivan stared blankly at Fundamentals of Spell Theory, struggling to adjust to the sudden drop in his cognitive abilities.

After standing still for a while, Ivan finally realized what had happened. He tapped his slightly dizzy head and checked the remaining time on the Genius Experience Card—it had run out.

Looking at the half-finished book in his hands, Ivan reluctantly opened it again. But the remaining content now seemed far more complex and difficult to understand. His reading efficiency dropped dramatically, making it hard for Ivan, who had just experienced the genius mode, to accept.

After struggling through a few more pages, Ivan sighed and put the book down.

After an hour in genius mode, Ivan had gained a deep appreciation for the power of this exchange.

It wasn't just about increasing learning speed by a few times. It was a comprehensive boost to comprehension and thinking abilities, turning a mediocre student into a top-tier scholar—or even a prodigy!

With this mode, there was almost no knowledge that couldn't be understood. You just had to learn it!

End of Chapter