The Memory Palace is the iconic skill of the great detective Sherlock Holmes.
It is a highly systematized, visualized method of memory and thought organization used by the protagonist Sherlock Holmes in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's detective novels.
The "Memory Palace" is essentially a mnemonic technique formally known as "method of loci", originating in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. This method involves associating information to be remembered with specific locations in a familiar spatial environment, helping the brain efficiently store and retrieve information.
In Holmes' context, the "Memory Palace" is depicted as a virtual space existing in his mind—a grand, orderly, and clearly structured "mental architecture". He stores all observed details, reasoning processes, case clues, scientific knowledge, and past cases like items in different rooms, bookshelves, drawers, or corridors of this palace, and "enters" the corresponding location to quickly retrieve needed information when required.
Although the term "Memory Palace" does not directly appear in Conan Doyle's original works, its core concept is deeply rooted in Holmes' cognitive style and techniques.
Ian is also a fan of Sherlock Holmes, and due to this, after acquiring the ability to create magic, he used magic to replicate his own Memory Palace.
This is not considered highly sophisticated magic, but it is definitely very practical magic. Nowadays, he is also implementing this divine learning skill in small classes at Hogwarts.
Of course.
Although this is simple magic for Ian, it still has some learning barriers for most Hogwarts students.
However, this does not prevent Ian, who is proficient in his self-created magic, from absorbing the knowledge of this era in the specially opened floors for Wizards and Priests in the ancient Egyptian library.
The documents from this era have mostly been lost to posterity, belonging to those lost pearls. Ian certainly does not want to miss this opportunity; he intends to use this chance to replicate with memory in batches, and later, when he returns to the future, use magic to condense them into real books.
"I've got to learn this, hmm, that looks good too. Ancient magic isn't without its merits." Purple flames flickered silently in the bronze lamp, casting Ian's shadow onto the curved wall, forming a twisted silhouette. He kneeled on the stone platform in the deepest part of the Forbidden Book Area.
Dozens of papyrus scrolls floated around him, automatically opening.
Each page emitted a faint golden magical glow.
The air was filled with the ancient scent of aged ink and cedar resin, occasionally mixed with a certain fragrance—knowledge has a unique scent to the genius nose in the Magic Realm.
He first perused the volumes listed as forbidden books, such as the "Divinity Grafting Technique", the "Artificial Deity Cultivation Guide", and the "Nineteen Methods of Refining the Essence of the Sun". These books not only recorded how to combine the powers of mortals and divine spirits but also detailed how to create beings with divine powers through rituals and alchemy. However, as he delved deeper into these readings, Ian realized that while this knowledge was powerful, it also carried great risks and moral dilemmas. They are not merely technical explorations but also touch upon the core issues of the essence of life and cosmic laws.
Besides these intriguing forbidden books, Ian developed a strong interest in orthodox ancient magic books. For example, an ancient book titled "Star Power: The Origin of Divination" systematically introduces the entire process of the emergence and development of divination and includes many divination methods that have almost completely disappeared in later generations.
The book mentions that the earliest Divination Masters did not rely on simple symbols or tools but predicted the future by observing subtle changes in nature—such as changes in wind direction, animal behavior patterns, and even the state of plant growth. This is entirely different from the common modern divination methods like Tarot Cards or Crystal Ball divination, and is more closely aligned with the true state of nature.
Ancient magic has its unique aspects.
"Because I possess superior wisdom, my Memory Palace storage capacity is very large, and I have no worries about running out of space." Ian muttered, the silver-white light in his eyes shining brighter. The "Helio-Polis Star Map Secret Scroll" floating before him flipped pages at a remarkable speed, the star maps drawn with gold powder and cinnabar flowed into his consciousness like water.
This is not simple graphic memory but an imprint of the magical understanding infused by the drawing creators—within the Memory Palace magic Ian also utilized the long-lost skill of "Soul Writing" from the Wizarding World, ancient knowledge he learned from the mouths of Wizards in Ancient Greece.
In fact.
The magic of the ancients is not entirely without value, just like the tenon-and-mortise structures in Muggle World architecture, some things continue to remain brilliant even as times change.
"Like this…"
A thick volume bound in crocodile skin on Ian's left suddenly jumped open, revealing pages flashing with blue light hieroglyphs. Chapter Thirteen of the "Nile Alchemy Encyclopedia" meticulously records the method of solidifying moonlight into crystals, a technique deemed impossible in the 18th century, now unreservedly displaying every detail to Ian.