**Chapter 7: Did I Suddenly Become Stupid?**
The quiet environment made Ivan deeply appreciate the rule enforced by librarian Madam Pince. The library's prohibition on loud noise was clearly necessary.
As a foundational text on Transfiguration theory, *A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration* wasn't overly difficult. However, its substantial thickness meant it couldn't be finished quickly.
An hour passed in the blink of an eye, with Ivan having only read a little over a third of the book. After a moment's consideration, he continued reading. By the time he finished the entire book, another hour and a half had elapsed.
After reading continuously for over two hours, Ivan felt slightly lightheaded when he finally put the book down.
These ancient magical texts often included peculiar, mystical, and rather obscure vocabulary, as if this was necessary to emphasize the mystery of magic. Ivan, accustomed to modern textbooks, found it quite hard to adapt.
"Maybe this is just how wizards are..." Ivan muttered to himself, thinking that this somewhat abstract way of thinking might be where wizarding talent truly lay.
At any rate, he couldn't wrap his head around it!
*Ding! After a period of careful reading, you find 'A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration' dry, difficult, and hard to comprehend. Proficiency in the Transfiguration Spell has increased slightly.
Note: Reading progress for 'A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration': 27%*
The system prompt in his mind was another surprise, as reading textbooks during class hadn't triggered similar notifications before.
*Does it require finishing the book?*
Ivan suddenly realized the difference. He hadn't finished reading any magical book cover-to-cover before. That must be it.
Having formed this idea, he then吐槽ed the system's notification, which was no different from a game log.
Ivan felt that after finishing the book, while there were parts he didn't fully understand, it wasn't to the extent of being "dry, difficult, and hard to comprehend," was it?
The 27% reading progress, however, he could understand.
Anyone who has read knows that finishing a book doesn't mean you've memorized all its contents and can apply them flawlessly. Otherwise, wouldn't everyone get full marks on exams?
"Now, let's see just how powerful this so-called Top Student Experience Card is," Ivan murmured to himself. He then spent 100 points to exchange for the card.
*Remaining Time: 00:59:59...*
In an instant, Ivan felt as if something had exploded in his mind. Knowledge recently learned, content from books read, all seemed to surge forth uncontrollably, only to be categorized and summarized within half a minute. His various thoughts gradually became clear...
It felt like switching from an old, sluggish computer to the latest, top-of-the-line model.
A minute later, Ivan opened his eyes. His right hand gently brushed over the cover of *A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration*. Without even opening it, the content he had read earlier surfaced in his mind.
Those previously obscure, mystical words and phrases, when combined with their context, now seemed to offer new interpretations.
*A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration*, as a foundational textbook for young witches and wizards at Hogwarts, must have undergone numerous revisions to be refined and concise... at least for wizards, that is.
When Ivan reopened the book to revisit it, he found he already understood most of the content. What remained was to re-examine the parts he had previously skipped because he didn't grasp them.
Page 3, Chapter 2... Page 7, Chapter 13...
Ivan's hand flipped rapidly through *A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration*, while the reading progress index in his mind soared...
In just twenty minutes, Ivan had finished rereading the entire book.
*Ding! After a period of careful reading, you find 'A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration' straightforward and unchallenging. Proficiency in the Transfiguration Spell has increased significantly.
Current reading progress for 'A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration': 100%!
Reading Reward: 5 Academic Points*
*Transfiguration Spell has reached Level 1. Current proficiency (12/200). Reward: 5 Academic Points.*
Two prompts sounded in his mind the moment Ivan set the book down.
It's worth noting that leveling up the Transfiguration Spell gave Ivan no special sensation—no golden flash of light, no feeling of enhancement.
However, after understanding the principles of the Transfiguration Spell, Ivan felt casting it was no longer a challenge. At the very least, the trick of turning a matchstick into a needle was now effortless for him.
Even holding that rather uncooperative wand wouldn't hinder his performance much anymore, perhaps just making the effect slightly weaker.
This aligned with Ivan's earlier guess. Increasing proficiency didn't directly boost his power; it was more like the system quantifying and displaying his existing ability through the proficiency metric.
Seeing that the Top Student Experience Card still had about thirty-seven minutes left, Ivan didn't hesitate. He dashed to the bookshelf, grabbed the nearest book—*Detailed Explanations of Basic Spell Principles*—and began reading.
Upon picking it up, Ivan realized the book was even thicker than he'd imagined. Its content covered analyses of common magical incantations and some conjectures about magical power composition.
A purely theoretical book like this would normally have struck Ivan as dry and boring. But this time, he found it quite engaging. He didn't even pay attention to the system prompt that sounded midway, completely immersing himself in the ocean of knowledge.
However, halfway through the book, Ivan's expression changed slightly. He felt as if his previously clear mind had been shrouded in a fog, and his constantly flowing thoughts were forcibly interrupted.
The sensation was like being startled while urinating and having to hold it back suddenly.
*Did I suddenly become stupid?*
Ivan stared blankly at the spell principles book in front of him, momentarily struggling to adapt to the sudden change in his cognitive abilities.
After standing there dazed for a while, Ivan finally snapped out of it. He gently tapped his slightly dizzy head and checked. The remaining thirty-plus minutes on the Top Student Experience Card had indeed run out.
Looking at the half of the book he hadn't finished, Ivan unwillingly opened it again. But the remaining content suddenly seemed profoundly difficult and obscure. His reading efficiency plummeted by several times, a change Ivan, who had just experienced the "top student" mode, found hard to accept.
After reading only a few more pages, Ivan sighed and put the book down.
After experiencing the one-hour "Top Student" mode, Ivan gained a deep understanding of its power.
It wasn't just about multiplying learning speed several times over. It encompassed a comprehensive enhancement of comprehension and analytical abilities, utterly transforming an average student into a top-tier scholar, even a prodigy!
There was almost no knowledge that couldn't be understood. You just learned it!
After reading only a few more pages in his now-normal state, Ivan sighed and placed the book back on the shelf. The stark contrast was too much to bear. He decided to leave the library and return to the Gryffindor common room. Perhaps some mindless fun with wizard's chess was what he needed after such an intense mental workout.