Millennium Witch

Li You sensed someone speaking beside him in an unfamiliar language, yet he seemed to be able to understand it.

He opened his eyes and found himself lying in a bed. In the doorway, a slightly blurry figure stood there, looking at him and saying, "Hmm, finally awake. How did you sleep last night? Is the bed comfortable?"

“…Me?” Li You looked at the slightly blurry and transparent figure in front of him and realized that it was a strange woman wearing a white coat.

"Yes, who else would be in this room?" the female figure said with a smile.

"Hmm... I can sleep here..." Li You said, glancing around. The room's layout seemed familiar; although the fluorescent vines were gone, it was exactly the same room he had woken up in on the ninth underground floor. Considering the phantom he was talking to, the answer seemed obvious.

He traveled back to the past in the form of hallucinations or dreams!

Is it because of the fog on the tenth basement level?

Did he fall asleep in the fog and connect with the history of this underwater facility?

It doesn't sound very scientific, but it seems like that's the only way to make that connection!

"I'm fine as long as you can sleep here," the female figure said. "It'll be breakfast time soon, so hurry up and change your clothes and get ready to wash up."

“Oh, okay…” Li You nodded obediently like an ordinary little girl. He answered in Chinese, while the hazy woman used a foreign language. Yet, they could understand each other, which was undoubtedly evidence of a dream.

Seeing Li You get out of bed, the woman left. Li You peeked around the door for a while, and soon heard her talking to other children from the doorway of the next room. This gave him a rough idea of ​​the woman's identity—she was either the dormitory supervisor or a teacher…

So this is actually a boarding school?

Perhaps because it was a dream, everyone appeared slightly transparent and hazy, like NPCs in a game, which didn't create too much tension for Li You.

He found a blue children's uniform, underwear, shoes, and socks in the closet of the room. Then, through the half-length mirror on the inside of the closet, he saw a little girl with long silver hair and dark red eyes, quietly looking at him in the mirror.

The girl had delicate and beautiful features, a slender figure, and wore children's clothes that seemed completely out of place with her temperament, making her look like a beauty who had stepped out of a painting. Slowly, she gave Li You a faint smile, which looked somewhat awkward but was also very endearing.

After a tense standoff with the little girl in the mirror for more than ten seconds, Li You stopped his awkward smile and looked at the silver-haired, red-eyed girl in the mirror who had also regained her expression. He wondered if this was what he looked like now.

So beautiful! I didn't even realize it at first; I thought I was seeing a ghost... And how should I put it? Although I'm very unhappy about being transmigrated into the wrong gender, thankfully the original owner wasn't ugly, so it's not unacceptable to me...

Forget it, now is not the time to think about these trivial matters!

Shaking his head, Li You changed his clothes and left the room. He went with the children's troop to wash up, eat breakfast, and finally went to a small classroom to wait for the morning class.

During the roll call in the morning class, Li You finally learned his own name, or rather, the original owner's full name.

“Yvette Loshivia”.

"arrive."

She raised her hand and said to herself, "From this moment on, I am Yvette Losivia."

……

After roll call in the morning class, the first lesson was a Chinese language class, which taught a language from another world called "Black Tide Language". However, the teaching method was very special - all the children had to enter the computer room, lie on a specially made metal chair, wear a helmet-like device, and then learn on their own in the virtual world by following the guidance program.

Unable to determine when the dream would end, Yvette was exceptionally focused during this learning process and was also amazed by the head-mounted device in this world, which was simply virtual reality from science fiction novels.

However, to prevent students from getting distracted, there are restrictions on access permissions in the teaching mode, locking out most functions. This prevented Yvette from getting much information, only knowing that it was a "head-mounted visual terminal" and accompanying teaching software produced by a company called "Gravity Group", and that it used an unfamiliar technology called "Rune Group".

"Rune...set?"

As she pondered the word, Yvette guessed that the technology tree of this world might be quite different from what she had imagined.

After class, before lunch, all the children have to undergo a physical examination, and the medical room is in the room next to the classroom.

During the queue, Yvette obtained some specific information by asking other children.

"You mean, this isn't a school?" Yvette asked in surprise.

"Don't you know?" The speaker was a little girl at the front of the line, also a semi-transparent phantom. "This is the 'Ishsan Black Tower Research Center'... You didn't get in here because you have a genetic disease?"

"Genetic disease? What's that?"

"I don't know. Before they brought me here, the director said I had this disease and that it would flare up when I grew up, so I had to come here for long-term treatment," the little girl said.

"Who is Grandpa Dean?"

"The director of the orphanage I used to live with."

"Oh oh..."

Soon, after making inquiries from various sources, Yvette finally pieced together a relatively clear picture of the situation here—

This is a research center belonging to the super pharmaceutical company "Black Tower Pharmaceuticals". Because it is built underwater in the dark, it is often called "Abyss Base".

In response to the government's call to provide free health checkups for children in many orphanages, the company discovered that many orphans suffer from a special genetic defect. In order to research and develop a cure for these rare and incurable diseases, the company has partnered with various orphanages to bring the affected children there for long-term observation and treatment.

The lake outside is a huge crater lake. The entire Abyss Base is built on top of this extinct volcano called "Mount Ish." According to the staff here, Mount Ish last erupted tens of thousands of years ago, and the magma chamber below has completely solidified, posing no risk of eruption.

But what happened next that caused everyone here to die, with monsters roaming outside and only the original owner seemingly still alive inside...

Images from many classic works flashed through Yvette's mind.

Could it be that they are researching some terrible biological weapon here, using the children in the orphanage as test subjects, and that the virus leaked, contaminating the entire base along with the crater lake outside?

The reason why no outsiders have come to clean up or collect the bodies at this base for so long is because of the spread of the virus, and no one dares to come.

What about the original owner?

The original owner was able to wake up unharmed in the base, perhaps not because of the time travel, but because she mutated and became the only person who could adapt to the virus.

Or even the original virus?

Okay, this is getting a bit too far off. This isn't Resident Evil or Prototype... Yvette stopped her wild thoughts and followed the other children into the examination room one by one.

The physical examination process is not complicated and does not require lifting clothes. You just need to stand on a testing machine for a while and have some blood drawn.

After leaving the room, Yvette saw the woman guarding the door and said, "Dr. Tebbsa, may I ask you a question?"

Tebissa is the lady who wakes them up in the morning and then takes them to the computer lab for classes. She seems to have originally been a researcher here, but was temporarily reassigned to be the children's caregiver. Her full name is Tebissa Clovis.

Upon hearing Yvette's question, she said gently, "Yes, what is your question, Yvette?"

“What are runes?” Yvette asked.

“Oh, this,” Tebbsa said. “It is the foundation for magical research and the cornerstone of human civilization. Simply put, it is like individual dots that, when combined, become you, me, all kinds of matter, all kinds of magical elements, and everything in the universe.”

"……magic?!"

"Yes, it's magic. You should be familiar with this word, right? I see a lot of kids these days who want to be great magicians when they grow up."

"Can I start learning magic now?" Yvette asked quickly.

"Now? Don't rush it. First, focus on mastering your Chinese language. When you get older, you'll naturally encounter courses like rune compilation, but you might not even like them then," Tebbisa said with a smile.

Chapter 4 Learning

Upon receiving Tebbsa's reply, Yvette's first reaction was that this civilization's technological level must have reached a considerably high level. After all, the term "rune compilation" sounded almost like operating magic as a program.

But then she became worried.

She didn't know when this dream would end. If it lasted a long time, she could seize the opportunity to gain useful knowledge and live a relatively peaceful life. But if it lasted a short time, it would be terrible. Once she left this dream, she would be alone in the ruins, and finding a food source would be a major problem.

We can't really go and gnaw on the vines, can we? Those things are bluish and glow, who knows if they're poisonous.

“Dr. Tebesa, I feel that my studies still need improvement. In my spare time, may I go to the classroom to use the ‘Vision Terminal’ again?” Yvette asked.

She believes that the most important thing to solve now is the language problem. Once she has mastered the Black Tide language, she can go to the library on this floor to study on her own, and she will not be so passive in obtaining information.

“Okay.” Tabitha was a little surprised, but nodded anyway. “Just come to my office and let me know when you need it, and I’ll open it for you.”

"Thank you, doctor." Yvette nodded slightly.

After the physical examination, Tabesa and the attending physician distributed several bottles of medicine to each of the twenty-odd children. These bottles had no text on them and looked exactly like cheap, unregulated products from a small workshop, except for the slightly different color of the bottles.

As instructed by the doctor, these medications must be taken once a day. The dosage will vary depending on the severity and type of the genetic disease in each child, and each dose must be taken under adult supervision.

This is too much like using a lab rat! Yvette shook her head inwardly, but since it was a dream, she ate it anyway, so she didn't hesitate when taking the medicine.

……

After lunch, there were no classes in the afternoon, so it was all free time.

Presumably due to concerns about the difficulty of supervision, all the children were taken to a huge activity room with many educational toys and drawing books suitable for preschoolers, as well as playground equipment such as trampolines, which seemed perfect for killing time and tiring out their energy.

Because Yvette had previously applied, she was able to re-enter the computer room and use the visual terminal there for learning.

Wearing the terminal again, Yvette entered the virtual space this time and found that most of the previously locked functions were now unlocked, indicating that this was not a teaching mode and that she could operate freely on the software.

With a simple mental adjustment, she transformed her surroundings from a clean, dark space into a pre-made beach scene, with a very realistic environment.

Then she saw a cute, cartoon-style plush toy appear in front of her, saying, "This is 'Happy Classroom,' a self-learning program developed by Gravity Group. What kind of learning would you like to do?"

"Who are you?" Yvette asked. She felt that the doll's movements were very human-like, and it was on a completely different level from the AI ​​in the previous teaching mode.

However, considering that the current "teaching mode" is not controlled by a teacher-machine, this may be the true nature of AI in this world.

"I'm Firefly, your good friend. You can come to me with any questions~" A smile appeared on the face of the AI ​​program's rag doll.

"Any question is fine?" Yvette's heart skipped a beat. "Then do you know about a luminous vine? The light is bluish-green, and it looks like it's flowing beneath protective tissue. It can grow for hundreds of years in dark environments without any care..."

"Based on the information you provided and the existing database, the plant you described may be Magic Light Vine, Mor Vine, or Ancient Dust Radiance Vine. Among them, Magic Light Vine is the closest to your description and is the only plant that can live for more than a hundred years." The rag doll moved its little hand and cut out a plant image.

“Yes, that’s it, the Magic Light Vine.” Yvette was certain.

“Okay, according to my database, the Magic Light Vine is a genetically modified plant manufactured by Lintui Biotechnology Company. Its product labels are ‘bio-lighting’ and ‘magical self-sustaining plant,’ and its theoretical lifespan can reach over 2800 years…”

"Flowering interval is 100±5 years, flowering lasts for 3 weeks... Seeds are powdery, natural dispersal success rate is <0.1%... Advantages: zero-energy lighting, extreme durability... Disadvantages: requires regular pruning to avoid excessive tangling..."

Listening to the AI's rambling reading of data, Yvette gestured a width of about 40 centimeters: "If the main stem of the Magic Light Vine were to reach this thickness, how many years would it take?"

This was the size of the thickest main stem she had seen in the ruins.

“To reach this size, under ideal conditions, calculations show that it would take approximately 288 to 315 years.”

"Three hundred years..."

Yvette paused for a moment, then checked the units of measurement with the AI ​​in front of her. She found that the time units and various units of measurement in this world were very similar to those on Earth. This meant that the 300 years mentioned here were exactly the 300 years she had imagined, a genuine 300 years, almost the lifespan of the Song Dynasty.

So, the Abyss Base in reality has been abandoned for 300 years without anyone taking care of it?

What's going on? Has the outside world been destroyed too? Did I get transported to a post-apocalyptic wasteland?

After a long silence, Yvette finally decided to put the question aside for now and asked instead, "Then answer me, how do I learn magic? For example, if I want to use a spell immediately, what is the fastest learning path? It needs to be one with zero learning curve."

Firefly: "Analysis request: 'Zero-threshold, instant magic usage solution'... Recommended solution: rent or purchase a 'magic terminal'..."

"Or it can be free!"

Firefly nodded: "Okay, budget constraints detected, switching to the 'Junk Collector Special' plan..."

"..." A garbage collector?

"Zero-cost magic activation plan (at your own risk). Plan 1: Scavenging... Plan 2: Making your own homemade spellcasting device..."

"Stop, stop, stop."

Yvette shook her head repeatedly: "What kind of recommendations are you making? Why are there parentheses that say 'at your own risk'... Can't you come up with something more normal? Like a more natural, more primitive method?"

Firefly: "Okay, here's the solution that best suits your needs—'Retro Meditation Method.' Environment compatibility...meditation posture...core principles...rune recommendations...theoretical effects..."

This is right.

Yvette listened intently, trying to memorize every detail, when the AI ​​in front of her said again: "Supplementary explanation: This method is a cultivation practice from an ancient civilization approximately 3 years ago. According to modern pedagogy, reaching the entry-level magic power standard (10 magic points, enough to cast a stable illumination spell for about 30 minutes) through pure natural meditation takes an average of 7 years and 4 months. However, for beginners who inject the lowest level of active rune sets, it only takes 4.6 minutes..."

"...Therefore, natural meditation has been officially removed from the 'Recommended Spellcaster Training Program,' and is now used more for self-cultivation and character development. Please do not regard it as a regular learning path for spellcasters..."

“Beginner level... Illumination... Seven years…” Yvette was somewhat bewildered. Was this meditation technique really that weak?

but……

It seems she didn't have any other choice.

Who changed her clothes in Chapter 5?

Guided by AI, Yvette spent an afternoon learning how to use this retro-style "wellness art," completing her initial introduction.

But after trying it, she realized that meditation couldn't save her.

Once she leaves this dream, she will immediately face a survival crisis due to food shortages, and the effects of meditation will not become apparent for several years. By then, it will be too late, and what use will it be?

Then, around four or five o'clock in the afternoon.

After being reminded by Dr. Tebbsa, she had to remove her vision terminal and go with the doctor to the large cafeteria at the end of a corridor on the floor for a meal.

"...Little girl, you're at the age where you're growing, you should eat more." The uncle serving Yvette's food in the cafeteria said warmly.

Glancing at his right arm, which had been completely replaced with a metal mechanical arm, Yvette smiled sweetly: "Thank you, Uncle."