Chapter 7: Did I Suddenly Become Dumb?

The quiet environment made Ivan feel deeply grateful to Mrs. Pince, the librarian. The library's strict no-noise policy really was necessary. 

As a basic textbook on Transfiguration, *A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration* wasn't particularly difficult, but its thick pages were clearly not something that could be finished in a short period. 

An hour passed in the blink of an eye, and Ivan had only made it through just over a third of the book. After thinking for a moment, Ivan continued reading, and by the time he finished the entire book, another hour and a half had passed. 

After reading for more than two hours straight, Ivan put the book down, feeling a little dizzy. These ancient magical textbooks often included strange, mysterious words that made no sense, as though only such cryptic terms could convey the mystical nature of magic. For Ivan, who was used to modern textbooks, this was hard to get used to. 

"Maybe this is what being a wizard is like," Ivan muttered, thinking that this rather metaphysical way of thinking might be a wizard's true gift. 

Anyway, he couldn't understand it! 

[Ding, after a period of careful reading, you find A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration dull and hard to understand, but your proficiency in the Transfiguration Spell has slightly increased. 

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

The system prompt in his mind took Ivan by surprise once again. After all, no such prompt had appeared when he was reading the textbook during class. 

Did it require finishing the book? 

Ivan suddenly realized the difference—he had never actually finished reading any magical books before, and that was likely the key. 

Once this thought occurred to him, Ivan couldn't help but gripe about the system's notification tone, which sounded just like a game log. 

Ivan felt that after finishing the book, although there were some things he didn't fully understand, it wasn't exactly "dull and hard to understand." 27% progress made sense to him. 

Anyone who had read a book knew that finishing it didn't mean you could immediately memorize and use everything in it. If that were the case, wouldn't everyone ace their exams? 

"Let's see how powerful this so-called 'straight-A student experience card' is," Ivan muttered, and then he spent 100 points to redeem the experience card. 

[Remaining time: 00:59:59] 

In an instant, Ivan felt like something exploded in his brain. The knowledge he had recently learned and the books he had read seemed to pour out uncontrollably. Within half a minute, it was classified and summarized, and his thoughts became clear. 

It felt like switching from an old, outdated computer to the latest model. 

A minute later, Ivan opened his eyes. His right hand gently brushed over the cover of *A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration*. Although he hadn't turned the pages yet, the contents he had read earlier were now vivid in his mind. 

What once felt obscure and incomprehensible, the cryptic words and phrases now seemed to have a new interpretation when combined with the context. 

As a textbook for teaching young wizards at Hogwarts, *A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration* had likely been revised many times. It was refined and concise, at least for wizards. 

As Ivan flipped the pages and reflected on what he had read, he realized he had mostly understood the contents. What remained was to revisit the sections he hadn't quite grasped the first time. 

The third page, the seventh page of Chapter 2, Chapter 13... 

Ivan's hands quickly flipped through *A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration*, and the progress in his mind also increased rapidly. 

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

[Ding, after a period of careful reading, you find *A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration* clear and straightforward, with no challenge left. Your proficiency in the Transfiguration Spell has greatly increased. 

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

Reading reward: 5 academic points] 

[Transfiguration is now at Level 1, current proficiency (12200), reward academic points: 5] 

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

Notably, there was no sensation of improvement when the Transfiguration Spell leveled up. There were no flashy golden lights or other effects to indicate any kind of boost. 

But after understanding the principles of Transfiguration, Ivan felt that casting the Transfiguration spell was no longer difficult. At the very least, turning a matchstick into a silver needle was now a piece of cake for him. 

Even with a not-so-glamorous wand, it wouldn't affect his performance. The effect would just be slightly weaker. 

This aligned with what Ivan had previously suspected—proficiency didn't directly enhance his abilities but instead allowed him to express his skills through increased mastery. 

With about 37 minutes left on the straight-A student experience card, Ivan wasted no time and hurried over to the bookshelf, grabbing the nearest book, *Detailed Principles of Basic Charms*, and started flipping through it. 

Upon picking it up, Ivan immediately realized this book was thicker than he had expected. It explained common magical spells and included some theories about the composition of magical power. 

If it had been at another time, Ivan would have likely found such a theoretical book dull and boring. But this time, he was reading it with enthusiasm. Even when the system prompt sounded in his mind, Ivan didn't pay any attention, fully immersed in the sea of knowledge. 

However, halfway through the book, Ivan's expression changed. His previously clear thoughts seemed to be veiled in a fog, and the continuous flow of ideas was abruptly interrupted. 

It felt like being in the middle of freely letting water flow and then suddenly being startled into forcing it all back. 

Had I suddenly become dumb? 

Ivan stared blankly at the *Detailed Principles of Basic Charms* in front of him, momentarily struggling to adapt to the sudden shift in his intellect. 

After standing there for a while, Ivan finally realized what had happened. He lightly tapped his slightly dizzy head and took another look. The 30 minutes remaining on the experience card had already passed. 

Ivan looked at the half-finished pages in his hand, unwilling to give up. He turned the pages again, but the remaining content seemed to have become suddenly profound and difficult. His reading efficiency dropped drastically, much to his dismay, as he compared it to his earlier experience with the straight-A student mode. 

After only reading a few pages, Ivan sighed and set the book down. 

Having experienced the straight-A student mode for an hour, Ivan had gained a deep understanding of how powerful this card was. 

It wasn't just about speeding up learning by several times—it was a complete enhancement of comprehension and thinking abilities. It could truly turn a poor student into a straight-A student, or even a genius! 

With this mode, there was practically no concept of being unable to understand something. Just keep learning, and it's all doable!