Chapter 94: Intelligence – Based Magic [Information Mimicry]

“I’d say I understood… maybe half of it at best.”

To be honest, even calling it half was Jiang Cha flattering herself.

The knowledge held by the First Great Sage was as vast as an ocean, and her exploration of the Necromancy School had already reached a level that no other witch could even begin to comprehend.
Still, Jiang Cha had at least caught a glimpse of that sage’s unique interpretation of death magic.

The “faith” mentioned in those theories didn’t refer to the witch’s faith.
After all, the witch race had already transcended life and death—nearly unifying both the Underworld and Hell themselves.
For such beings, revering or worshipping death was utterly impossible.

However, death faiths truly did exist across the multiverse.
In countless worlds, the God of Death was second only to the Creator in power and reverence.
And when any belief system accumulates followers on that kind of incomprehensible scale, it becomes a resource of staggering magnitude.
After all, faith itself can create gods.

No one really knows whether faith came first—spawning deities of belief—or whether some brilliant entity first discovered that it could use mortal faith as a ladder to godhood.
But at the very least, the Lord of Death is a real conceptual existence.

Just that—a concept, not a sentient being.

According to Jane Pell, the Great Sage, the current “Lord of Death” was a chaotic, will-less force, governed purely by the instinct of death itself.

In a way, it paralleled the principle behind the Mystic School’s “God-Creation” magic.
Mystic magic required the caster to first construct a temporary deity, then substitute mana for faith to invoke divine power and shape it into a spell.
That’s why the Mystic School was regarded as the most versatile among the Six Schools.

Necromancy, however—particularly spells like Bone Shield, Bone Spear, and Graveyard of Bones—followed a similar ritual structure…
Except for one thing.

Because the “Lord of Death” actually exists, necromancers don’t need to construct a “temporary god.”
That step is simply skipped.

And that, precisely, was why Jiang Cha had found those three spells’ inscriptions so strange.
They were missing a crucial link—something entirely outside the scope of normal magical analysis.

For beings that bordered on omniscient and omnipotent, creating matter wasn’t a big deal.
Even the Archmage of the Elemental School could generate physical substance, though far less refined than what the Creation School’s sages could produce.
Still, conjuring enough material for a few sub-forbidden spells? Entirely feasible.

And since the Lord of Death is a mechanical, instinct-driven entity—essentially a divine power server—while mana itself is an ideal offering, it makes perfect sense that the Necromancy School could contain matter-generating spells.

So, did this theory have any practical use for Jiang Cha right now?

Not really.

But that’s the nature of learning—whether it’s technology or magic, it’s all about slow accumulation.
Knowledge that seems useless today might someday prove vital.
Or it might not.
It might just sit quietly sealed away in the archives of her memory.

But so what?

Satisfying curiosity is itself one of the purest joys of any intelligent being.
And besides, Jiang Cha had gotten something out of this reckless episode.

“The Great Sage’s knowledge is too advanced for me right now.
But at least my mana quality improved a bit… and I did manage to learn one high-tier necromancy spell.
So, I’d say I didn’t waste her generosity?”

Mephisto took a slow sip of tea—barely masking the urge to punch this humblebragging witch in the face—then smiled gracefully.

“Would you like to go see her?
Violet’s been talking about you nonstop.
Ever since she sensed your mana yesterday, she’s been begging to visit.”

“Sure.”

Even setting aside the fact that babysitting Violet was technically part of her commission, Jiang Cha couldn’t possibly refuse an invitation like that—not after everything Violet had gifted her.
And honestly, she needed a break.

Her mind was completely fried from the overload; no potion could fix that overnight.
A day of rest was the best she could manage.
So she might as well spend it with her adorable little patron.

---

“Jiang Cha!!”

Mephisto hadn’t exaggerated—one look at the tiny girl’s enthusiasm was enough to see how much she adored Jiang Cha.

Maybe it was because of her beauty, or maybe because she was the only witch in the academy willing to play “necromancy house” with her.
Either way, the child’s pure affection was unmistakably genuine.

“Is Jiang Cha a necromancer too?”

The black-haired girl scooped the child into her arms—her slender frame hugging Violet’s meter-tall body in a slightly comical mismatch of proportions.

But Violet didn’t mind at all. She just blinked her big, inky-black eyes, curiously studying Jiang Cha’s face.

“Why do you think that? I’m not a necromancer, you know?”

“But Mama said no one but necromancers could learn high-tier death magic so fast!
…But your scent isn’t right.”

The little one sniffed deeply, brow furrowed, then brightened again.

“But I like your scent! It’s a lot like Mama’s!”

“…”

Jiang Cha almost choked.
Oh no—you can’t just go around saying someone smells like the Great Sage!

Still, she had a good guess what Violet meant.
It was probably because of the lingering death mana still clinging to her after last night’s “incident.”

“Do you like it, Violet? If you do, I can keep it this way.”

She smiled softly and poked the girl’s cute little nose.

“No.”

Before the child could answer, Mephisto interjected firmly.

“No one but necromancer witches can safely hold large amounts of death mana for long… You know the rule—death is equal to all living things.”

She spoke from experience.
Though not a necromancer herself, having grown up alongside Violet had given Mephisto plenty of insight into death magic’s dangers.

“Oh… really?”

Violet’s bright face dimmed instantly—her disappointment almost cartoonish in how clearly it showed.

“It’s fine.”

But Jiang Cha smiled again.
Before either of them could question her, a faint blue light shimmered over her body.

Innate Magic — [Information Collection], Activate.
Wisdom Magic — [Cognitive Overlap], Activate.

Her mind kicked into overdrive.
All five hundred of her thought circuits spun up to maximum, processing every scrap of knowledge she’d gained—cross-referencing the Great Sage’s death theory with her own magic development techniques.

In just five seconds, a brand new low-tier spell had taken shape.

Wisdom Magic — [Information Mimicry].

“Wow! You smell just like me now! Jiang Cha, you’re amazing!!”

The little girl lit up again, bouncing happily in her arms.

Mephisto, meanwhile, could only sigh inwardly.

Did I just invite a monster into my home?

Forgive her—
even a refined noble witch couldn’t think of a word more fitting than monster.