39: EMO Green

The next day.

Green woke from his slumber, twisting his neck that had fallen asleep.

Following his usual habit, he tidied up and took a refreshing hot shower.

With an arrogant stride, facing the sun at eight or nine in the morning... Green hummed a tune cheerfully as he headed to the library for self-study.

This day was the end-of-month holiday.

There were no classes, no need to go to the laboratory, and no need to attend Mentor Jordan's special training class.

This day was the academy's designated day off, only one day a month.

Apprentices could freely arrange their schedules... On the way... Green saw many teenagers, about ten years old, going for an outing together, with occasional bursts of bell-like laughter, those were Green's junior apprentices.

Looking at the vibrant figures full of youthful energy, Green couldn't help but sigh, feeling old.

Entering the library on the fourth floor of the Wizard Tower... Green saw that the entire library was packed, with many apprentices engrossed in the ocean of knowledge.

It was quiet, with only the occasional rustle of turning pages, indicating that people were indeed here... This library is my battlefield!

Green, with a touch of chuunibyou, inwardly shouted... Green returned to his usual spot.

He opened yesterday's class notes, preparing to review them thoroughly.

After a long while... Green put down his notes on Celestial Astrology; he no longer needed them.

Just now, while flipping through them... Green could easily understand complex formulas, as simple as 1+1=2 in elementary school.

Green knew this was the gift his Golden Finger had given him yesterday.

Now Green needed to gain a comprehensive re-understanding of himself before he could proceed with the next step of learning... Three hours.

It only took three hours.

Green completed a comprehensive self-assessment.

Green discovered a phenomenon:

All the courses Green had comprehended yesterday, whether it was the abstruse Pharmacology or the complex Celestial Astrology, all the knowledge Green had encountered had been completely digested and made his own.

It was as if a computer had been cleaned of viruses and formatted; all related knowledge had become a part of Green.

It was not like before, when Green would get dizzy from studying, and the knowledge he learned would be:

One part was his own,

Three parts needed review,

The remaining six parts were all returned to the teacher.

And five parts of those six were residual junk in Green's mind, causing him persistent mental weakness and a lack of stamina for learning...

Since Green had already previewed most of the key courses from the previous two years.

So, riding this momentum, Green now didn't need to spend time repeatedly reviewing the courses from the past two years.

This gave Green more to think about... The function of this Light of Origin seems to be to help Green understand and digest what he has learned.

Like anti-virus software, it needs junk first before it can function—to clear the junk.

Similarly, Green must first acquire various knowledge, and only then can the Light of Origin function—to aid in understanding and digestion...

"Uh..."

After understanding the working principle of the Light of Origin... Green fell into an emo state again...

Are you kidding me?

Everyone else's Golden Finger is so grand and powerful, directly adding points like a deep blue system.

As long as a skill reaches the entry level, Deep Blue can help you upgrade it all the way to a divine skill.

But Green—

He has to suffer painstakingly first, become a top student, thoroughly learn and understand all kinds of knowledge.

And then—

The Light of Origin will deepen, strengthen, and help him digest and absorb based on the knowledge he has already learned.

No wonder this Golden Finger is called—

Hundredfold Harvest for effort.

So it means.

If Green slacked off and didn't learn any new knowledge, then the Light of Origin would have no effect at all.

Doesn't that mean—he has no Golden Finger at all?!

...Green's heart was filled with a string of unspoken curses—

He didn't know whether to say them or not.

The emo lasted for quite a while, and Green still couldn't let it go.

The fake top student was about to become a real top student...

Thinking about the long period ahead, where every day would involve intense study, like hanging by the hair from a beam, or pricking oneself with an awl,

Studying by the light of fireflies in winter,

Collecting snow and fireflies,

And hanging books on a bull's horns.

Green instantly felt his life turn bleak.

Study, what's there to study...

"I'm not studying today, I'm too annoyed. I'll go chat with Oakes and the others..."

Green put down his book and got up to leave... Their usual spot, the Beef Burger Shack.

Today, it was just Green, Oakes, and Allie.

Bigg couldn't make it because there was a pest infestation in the Botanical Garden where he worked, and he couldn't leave.

"Come on, Oakes, have one with me." Green hadn't even had a drink yet, but his mind was already a third muddled.

"Cheers..."

"Cheers... You two should drink less..."

"The most precious quality of a Wizard is to maintain rationality. Don't drink too much and affect your brain."

Allie said, holding a glass of orange juice, and couldn't help but recall Green's dazed look one morning, advising him with some concern.

"Tsk, what's a little ice beer? I drank six big glasses yesterday, it was like drinking water..."

"Gulp... Gulp..."

Green said, taking a big gulp of beer.

Oakes and Allie exchanged glances.

Both of them were completely bewildered.

They hadn't heard that Green had encountered any setbacks or difficulties recently.

"Cough, cough..."

"Green, as your brother, I'm here to lend you a shoulder when you need it."

"Come on, lean on my shoulder and have a good cry, you'll feel better after you cry..."

Oakes generously offered his left shoulder.

"Green, let me tell you, no one has ever cried on this shoulder of mine before, I'm making an exception just for you, so remember that."

"Get... lost..."

"I'm very strong, I don't need your shoulder at any time."

"I... I... I'm just a little troubled, that's all."

Being provoked by Oakes, Green immediately couldn't sit still. How could a man admit his weakness, especially in front of his crush?

"Green, what's bothering you? We can help you brainstorm..." Allie took a small sip of orange juice and asked curiously.

"Yeah, yeah, I can offer some advice too, brother..."

..."Sigh..."

Green sighed and said,

"It's just that today I was studying... studying,"

"Suddenly, a thought popped into my head: this ascetic-like studying, I will have to continue it for a very, very long time in the future..."

"Maybe twenty years, maybe fifty years, maybe forever, until the end of my life..."

"I can't see an end, I don't know where a destination might be..."

"We always say—

Just hold on for another five years;

It'll be fine once I pass the Junior Apothecary qualification exam;

It'll be fine once I become an Advanced Wizard Apprentice..."

"We are always pursuing the next goal, comforting ourselves that the hardships of today are for the enjoyment of tomorrow..."

"But tomorrow after tomorrow, how many tomorrows are there?

Where exactly is my home?

And so..."

"A feeling of panic spread from my heart. I didn't dare to think about it anymore; the more I thought, the more anxious I felt..."

"So, I came to you guys to vent..."