Otaku Witch

Dorothy, somewhat helplessly, packed up the Magic Potion Box and began discussing the real reason she had come here today.

"Senior, I want to understand more about The Third King, especially the Devil King. The information on the Magic Network is too chaotic, so I wonder if you have more reliable materials here. Of course, it would be better if there's someone here who specializes in this knowledge."

The Homebody Witch said with a look of anticipation.

"Information about The Third King?"

Upon hearing the young lady's request, senior Dina first pondered for a brief moment but soon her brows furrowed tightly.

"Miss, there are indeed many books about the feats of The Third King here. I can have someone compile a list of books for you. As for someone specializing in this research…"

The intellectual senior adjusted the single frame glasses on her face, her tone becoming somewhat conflicted.

"There is someone, but it's just that senior Fanny's personality…"

Dina shook her head, then changed the subject.

"Miss, I suggest you study the book list on your own."Nôv(el)B\\jnn

This response sparked Dorothy's curiosity. Continue reading on empire

"What about that senior? If it's just a difficult personality, I think I can handle it."

After all, she was asking for a favor, so naturally, she should lower her stance. Moreover, it is common for talented people to have quirks, which the Homebody Witch didn't find problematic.

If she really couldn't find anyone to consult, she would have to study on her own, but since there actually was someone in the Eye of True Sight club who studied this, Dorothy didn't want to waste more time.

Although learning was not a difficult task for her, there are always subjects one prefers over others.

Her interest in studying lay primarily in the theory and application of Magic; she enjoyed the process of researching and developing new Spells. However, she found the dry Witch history and biographies rather dull and sleep-inducing, too uncomfortable to deal with.

She struggled with five thousand years of history in her previous life, and in this life, the history of the Witch World spanned over a hundred thousand years. Moreover, the deeds of The Third King permeated the entire history of the Witches; essentially, studying the deeds of The Third King was the same as studying Witch history.

Even the youngest Devil King's deeds traced back twenty thousand years.

This was too difficult.

Therefore, Dorothy thought that as long as senior Fanny's personality wasn't too outrageous, she might be able to tolerate it.

Faced with her probing, Dina sighed and spoke again.

"Miss, are you familiar with the curse of knowledge?"

She didn't directly speak about that senior's circumstances, but rather posed this question.

Dorothy was startled, then came to a realization, somewhat at a loss for words.

"Ah, so, senior, you mean to say that senior Fanny has been afflicted by the curse of knowledge?"

She now understood why the senior Dina in front of her preferred letting her study on her own rather than introducing her to the senior who specialized in Witch history.

The curse of knowledge, although named a curse, is actually more like a psychological and mental illness, troubling even the powerful race of witches.

As previously mentioned, the strength of witches might be immense—some exceptional individuals might surpass the limits of otherworldly races at birth—but in the realm of the spirit, witches are no different from mortals.

Apart from a few outstanding exceptions, the lifespans of powerful witches who stand at the pinnacle of the Witch World are mostly filled with tumultuous, tear-stained tales of growth; they all forged their strong hearts through constant trials and tribulations.

Where some succeeded, naturally, others failed. The glory of those who succeeded was mostly alike, but the reasons for those who failed varied greatly, with the curse of knowledge being one of the most common.

The mainstream growth paths for witches nowadays are the Path of Omnipotence and the Path of Omniscience. Those who embark on the Path of Omnipotence are mostly born privileged—nothing much to say there, they just win by lying down.

However, the majority of witches who take the Path of Omniscience, which at first glance seems easier, face risks and challenges that are not easily understood by outsiders.

It's just like Dorothy often heard in her past life, you can try hard at other things, but with math, if you don't get it, you just don't—that's the same with magic.

Every year, countless witches on the Path of Omniscience are driven mad by the esoteric and difficult magical knowledge. They weep and wail, proclaiming, "I really can't do this," yet stubbornly pull all-nighters and drive themselves insane with study.

This is the most common manifestation of the curse of knowledge—the Fool's Furious Impotence.

Yes, indeed, there are many types of the curse of knowledge—it is simply a generic term for psychological and mental issues caused by knowledge in witches, much like there are many types of cancer.

The Fool's Furious Impotence is among the mildest forms, and for such mad-learning witches, throwing them into a hospital for treatment by a Spirit System witch doctor could still save them. However, other, more severe cases of the knowledge curse prove much more problematic.

Human self-perception is a fascinating and very subjective phenomenon, typically shaped by a combination of one's environment, knowledge level, and personality. If broken down slightly systematically, it involves the id, ego, and superego.

A simpler way to understand this is through the three components of instinct, emotion, and reason. (PS: These are all settings I made up; if you're a psychology expert, don't take it too seriously. I'm just a novelist, not versed in those academic depths.)

People often say knowledge is power, and that is indeed true, especially since witches can directly convert knowledge into strength—the more profound their knowledge, the stronger they become.

Some might say with great power comes great responsibility, which is quite idealistic.

With great power often comes greater desire—for not everyone has the enlightenment to self-sacrifice; most people, upon suddenly becoming rich, would not think about charity or giving back to their country but would rather rush to enjoy life by purchasing homes and cars first.

This is the struggle between instinct and reason, with our emotional self lying between them to provide balance.

The same applies to wealth as to knowledge. When a witch on the Path of Omniscience desires knowledge beyond the constraints of her emotion and reason, the curse of knowledge manifests, greatly impacting her psyche.

To put it plainly, this gives rise to the mad scientist, the zealot in pursuit of truth, and the terrorist dabbling in forbidden dark magics, among others.

Most of the crimes in the Witch World today stem from this, and it goes without saying how disastrous the consequences are when those in power lose control—especially when those powerful beings are akin to deities, as a loss of control can birth an Evil God.

This is the truly terrifying aspect of the curse of knowledge—those who couldn't learn and went mad from it are a minor issue. The real problem is those who became too absorbed and possessed by their learning.

Well, take Zhang San, who has studied law all his life and suddenly decides to test his theories.

Isn't that terrifying?

Yes, it truly is terrifying.

And now, senior Dina is saying that there is indeed such a victim of the curse of knowledge within the Eye of True Sight club. At this moment, Dorothy feels like running straight out the door as fast as she can.

.....The homebody witch shivers.....