The domed ceiling was inlaid with countless star crystals, each reflecting different constellations and star trails. The walls were covered with ancient star charts, with a faint scent of lavender lingering in the air.
The observatory was filled with various peculiar divination tools.
In the center of the room was a huge long table, covered with various divination instruments: a crystal ball, a bronze mirror, a feather pen, and several sheepskin scrolls inscribed with prophecies. The most striking feature was the telescope in the corner—its lens had eyes that blinked adorably now and then.
It would also pivot to peer out the window.
"Are the many elements filled with fairy tale vibes in the castle part of Teacher Morgan's research on the fairy tale theme?" Ian turned to the second page of the book again.
He held the book in his hands and walked to the velvet armchair in the center of the observatory and sat down.
The moment the book opened, a colorful curtain of light was projected into the air. Accompanied by a surround sound effect—the sound quality was as clear as the top-tier magic phonograph.
A gentle female voice began to narrate.
"A long, long time ago, in the glass kingdom at the end of the rainbow..."
Ian's eyes widened. In the floating curtain of light, countless tiny points of light coalesced into vivid scenes: a crystal castle, talking flowers, and a princess wearing glass slippers. Even more magically, the text on the book's pages was also changing in sync, with each letter leaping as if alive, forming new paragraphs.
He tentatively touched the projection of the "Glass Castle," and the touch was smooth and icy, while the text on the pages instantly unfolded a detailed description:
[Glass Magic: A variant of High Tier Transformation Techniques, capable of temporarily converting any substance to a transparent state...]
"This is no fairy tale book..."
Ian muttered to himself.
He turned the pages in amazement. Each fairy tale concealed some profound magic principle: "Three Little Pigs" demonstrated the differences in the strength of various protective spells; "Little Red Riding Hood" revealed the seven great taboos of transformation techniques; even "Ugly Duckling" became an ingenious metaphor for bloodline magic.
"It's basically a magic textbook disguised as a fairy tale!"
Upon reaching the chapter on "Sleeping Beauty," a wisp of light purple smoke drifted out from the book, and when Ian reached out to touch a tower, the entire book played a piece of melodious harp music.
On the pages of "Snow White," there was even a detailed tutorial on how to create a poisoned apple.
It was truly too immersive.
Just as the book narrated to the point where Snow White was about to be awakened by a kiss,
the seven dwarfs in the book suddenly went crazy, grabbed mining tools, and furiously smeared over the text, burying Snow White along with her coffin in the ground in the blink of an eye.
[Not suitable for children]
Some text appeared.
With some playful humor directed at Ian from the Black Witch.
Of course.
In the clever Ian's mind, the item Teacher Morgan left behind was definitely not just to teach him magic. The fairy tale mystery on the book's title was probably the real theme.
Indeed.
The fairy tale part of the whole book only occupied half of it.
The other half contained other content.
[Fairy tales are not just stories told to children. They are echoes of history, whispers of the magic world, the hopes we once held.]
From "Red Hat Girl" to "Undersea Song," each story seemed to carry some hidden power, not just simple fantasy legends, but real pieces from magic history.
The following content was no longer moving images and voiceover, but a series of analyses and studies written in elegant and rigorous handwriting, authored by Teacher Morgan.
"Fairy tales are not stories but another way of expressing history."
Ian held his breath and continued reading. Teacher Morgan's notes were as precise as a magic potion class formula, each section of analysis accompanied by exact magical data. She traced the magic origins of 327 classic fairy tales circulated in Europe over the past millennium and discovered that 89% of them contained real historical events.
Ian's fingertips trembled slightly. The text revealed not only academic discoveries but also a near-obsessive dedication. Teacher Morgan was not researching fairy tales but was attempting to prove a larger thesis.
When he turned to the chapter on the "Fairy Tale Magic Decline Curve," the book's pages automatically unfolded into a gigantic magic chart. Countless fluorescent lines interwove in the air.
Forming a curve that declined steadily from the top left corner to the bottom right corner.
Morgan annotated with her signature sharp handwriting beside it—the golden period of fairy tale birth: AD 900-1600.
Magic Power Decline Turning Point: After the implementation of the International Confidentiality Law in 1692.
Estimated time of complete disappearance: End of the 20th century.
These were obviously research summaries derived from the book Ian had brought to her before. Below the chart was a series of complex magic mathematics formulas. Ian barely recognized a few variables: M (Magic Power Concentration), H (Hope Index), T (Time Variable)... Morgan even constructed a complete mathematical model, repeatedly verifying with seven different algorithms.
The final conclusion was highlighted in bold text with a large font.
According to my theoretical calculations.
1990±5 years will be the last time window for the birth of a 'true fairy tale.' After that, the magic realm will enter the 'post-fairy tale era'—an era without hope.
Upon reading this.
Ian was also somewhat stunned.
1990—that's exactly the era he lived in! He eagerly turned to the last chapter: "Fairy Tale and Hope Conservation Law." The notes here were relatively new.