Chapter 372: If you want to take something, you must first give it

On the morning of the third day after the news spread, Luo Yan came to Professor Hector's office at his "invitation".

This is his second time sitting here.

Unlike the relaxed and friendly atmosphere last time, this time the atmosphere in the office was obviously much more solemn.

Professor Hector Lane stood in front of the glass window, silently watching the snowy scene outside the window, and did not speak immediately. His thin and upright back was filled with suppressed anger, which made the air in the room seem to freeze.

As for why he didn't get angry in front of His Highness Colin -

That's of course because the opponent is no weaker than him.

Whether it is status or strength.

Luo Yan was not in a hurry. He calmly sat down on the sofa for guests, quietly waiting for the professor who held a high position in the university to speak.

The teaching assistant next to him saw this and quickly stepped forward to pour him a cup of black tea.

Public opinion is one thing, and personal feelings are another. No matter what they said in private, most of the teaching assistants had a good impression of this generous and benevolent prince... especially when they were standing in front of him.

In the end, he didn't dare to leave His Royal Highness the Prince alone for too long. Hector silently vented his anger in his heart, then slowly turned around.

He looked at Luo Yan with a complex expression of grief and sorrow on his face, as if he was trying hard to suppress his emotions.

"Your Highness Colin!" He finally spoke, his voice hoarse and heavy, "I think, regarding what happened in Virtual Realm No. 440 yesterday, can you... give me a reasonable explanation?"

It was a tone that wanted to criticize but didn't dare to say it too harshly. It was commonly heard in the court of the Holy City by eunuchs who seldom showed up in public and who were skilled in this art of language.

Faced with this accusatory questioning, Luo Yan simply picked up the teacup and gently blew away the mist, as if he had no idea why the other party was so angry.

"Explain? Professor Hector, I don't quite understand what you mean."

Looking at Colin who was still "playing dumb", Hector couldn't help but twitching his eyebrows, and said while suppressing the resentment in his chest.

"Now the entire Great Sage Tower knows that you have used up all the source of power behind the virtual realm in a single experiment! Excuse me, you are not studying the virtual realm, you are clearly playing--"

"I'm just conducting my first experiment," Luo Yan calmly put the cup back on the tray, "Experiments will consume some energy, is there any problem with that?"

Professor Hector was speechless for a moment, and he opened his mouth for a long time without uttering a word.

Looking at Professor Hector who was unable to refute, Luo Yan paused, then continued in a gentle tone.

"Besides, the virtual world didn't disappear. It just ran out of energy, causing the connection to be temporarily disconnected. What if it reconnects on its own one day?"

Hearing Luo Yan's confident speech, Professor Hector's eyes widened and he almost fainted.

He finally understood that his Royal Highness the Prince was not interested in the treasure behind the virtual realm at all. This guy might be tinkering with the virtual realm just out of curiosity about the virtual realm itself, or he might just want to prove something.

He let out a long sigh, forced himself to suppress the anger in his heart, decided to try a different approach, and began to persuade earnestly.

"Your Highness, this is not the way to do research on the virtual world!"

He quickly walked to the sofa opposite Colin and sat down, leaning forward, and spoke earnestly in the tone of an elder, as if to say, "I'm doing this for your own good."

"Every step of our exploration of the virtual world must be done with great caution. We need to conduct a lot of observation and data analysis to make the slightest intervention. Your radical experimental strategy is like dancing on the edge of a cliff. It's really too reckless! What if... what if we can't connect forever? Such examples are everywhere in the history of Xuebang!"

Facing Hector's worry, Luo Yan seemed unusually calm, as if he didn't care about the worst case scenario at all.

"That won't happen. The Solipsians have not stopped praying, and I'm sure they will be more active than ever before... Just wait and see, it won't be long before there will be results."

He has absolute confidence in this.

However, this unfounded confidence caused Hector's blood pressure to soar again.

"That's just what you thought!" He almost shouted, "What about your promise to me? You said you would treat it well!"

"Professor Hector, let me emphasize again. First of all, the passage to the virtual world has not collapsed. There is not even any sign of collapse. It just runs out of energy. This does not constitute a violation of my promise."

Luo Yan picked up the black tea of just the right temperature, blew away the heat gently, took a sip, and his eyes suddenly became sharper as he looked towards Professor Hector.

"Secondly, are you teaching me how to do things?"

If it weren't for Professor Hector helping him get this virtual world, he would never have come here for tea.

I, Roxie Colin, need to explain things to a professor like you?

The temperature in the office dropped by more than ten degrees; even the crackling flames in the fireplace became much more obedient and docile.

The teaching assistant standing in the corner of the room didn't dare to breathe. He wanted to sneak out of the room, but he didn't dare to make any sound.

It was the first time he saw the always elegant and easy-going prince showing such a majestic expression.

Hector's Adam's apple moved, and he stared at Prince Colin, clenching the armrests of the sofa with both hands.

However, the tense atmosphere did not last long and suddenly ended with the old professor's concession.

He took a deep breath, calmed himself down, put a smile back on his face, and spoke in a tone that seemed very considerate.

"You misunderstood, Your Highness. How dare I teach you how to do things? I am just... standing in the position of a friend, giving you advice from your perspective! If you feel that it is a bit difficult to undertake this project alone, we can actually try another way of cooperation."

He leaned forward again and proposed a compromise in a persuasive tone.

"You provide the resources and authority granted by the Council, and I will provide my experience and technical support. You will take 60% of all the outputs of the project, and I will only take 40%. As for the research results and honors produced, they all belong to you!"

"You don't have to do anything to have all of this... What do you think?"

Luo Yan was not surprised at all about Professor Hector's compromise. Instead, he was surprised that he had taken so long to reveal his true purpose.

A smile appeared on that handsome face, but his eyes turned cold.

Luo Yan gently placed the red teacup in his hand back on the tray with a crisp sound, then looked directly into Professor Hector's eyes and spoke righteously.

"Professor Hector, the reason I came to this bitter cold land is not to look for treasure, but to explore the unknown truth."

His voice was calm, yet it carried an irresistible majesty.

"In your eyes, is it that I study the virtual world just to tinker with those boring junks and those empty glory and titles? You are insulting the prince of the empire!"

Professor Hector was shocked.

He thought that the other party would either accept it readily or bargain, but he never thought that the other party would directly turn to the glory of the nobility.

This hat is a bit too big!

“No… no, Your Highness, that’s not what I meant!” Hector waved his hands hastily, looking a little embarrassed, trying to explain, “I’m just… just worried that you’re too young and will encounter unexpected bottlenecks in your research…”

Luo Yan raised his hand and interrupted his pale defense.

Looking at Professor Hector, whose face turned pale and blue, Luo Yan suddenly leaned back on the sofa and gently put down the old professor who was being roasted over the fire.

"Of course, I understand that you have good intentions. The suggestion just now must have been made unintentionally."

"Yes..." Hector swallowed the words in his stomach and took the step given by His Highness Colin.

Luo Yan looked at him and nodded.

"Well, I hope this is the last time. Don't say similar things again in the future."

"yes……"

Looking at Professor Hector who lowered his head, the teaching assistant standing in the corner of the room was completely dumbfounded.

He could never have imagined that this old professor, who was notoriously bad-tempered and as stubborn as a donkey, would be as docile as an old dog in front of His Highness Colin.

But soon his expression changed.

Especially when he thought that he had seen another unknown side of Professor Hector. When the old man came to his senses and realized that he had seen something he shouldn't have seen, he would definitely beat him to death until he left this wizard tower...

Fortunately, at this moment, a slight "bang" sound saved him, and the door of Professor Hector's office was pushed open!

Assistant Coach Miller rushed in without regard for etiquette, his wizard robe disheveled from running, his face a complex expression of shock, ecstasy and disbelief.

"Miller! You..." Hector was about to explode, but was ignored by Miller.

"Teacher! It's bad... No! It's great! Virtual Realm No. 440... the virtual realm channel has opened by itself again! Moreover, the energy behind the channel this time is even more abundant than before! It's incredible!" Ignoring Professor Hector's murderous gaze, Miller shouted excitedly.

These words were like a bolt from the blue, instantly striking Hector Ryan on the head.

All the scolding, preaching, and even threats and inducements he had prepared were stuck in his throat, and he couldn't utter a word.

He looked at Luo Yan in amazement, then looked at the teaching assistant who was holding on to the door frame, his mind went blank.

How is that possible?

How could a virtual realm that had been depleted of its source energy possibly reopen itself in such a short time? !

How did this guy do it?!

Virtual Realm No. 440 is no longer important.

What he was more eager to know now was what exactly did this prince do to make the virtual realm channel, which was opened again, contain more abundant source power than before!

The abundance of "source power" means that they can extract more substances from behind the virtual world, and the risk of channel collapse will be reduced!

In other words——

The passage to Virtual Realm No. 440 is surprisingly more stable!

Looking at that dumbfounded expression, Luo Yan showed an unfathomable smile on his face, as if everything was under his control.

To be honest, he did not expect that the virtual realm channel would be opened again so quickly, but this did not prevent him from taking the credit for himself.

"It seems... the people in the other world need me. I have to leave first."

He stood up, slowly straightened his wrinkle-free collar, and spoke to Hector, who was still petrified, in a slightly apologetic tone.

“…Goodbye.”

…

Two majestic white horses drew two graceful arcs in the thin air of the northern border, carrying Luo Yan and the anxious Miller back to Corinta, fifty kilometers away, at the fastest speed.

As soon as he stepped into the hall of the Mage Tower, Luo Yan saw a group of teaching assistants whispering excitedly and in awe in front of the huge magic circle.

“Incredible…”

"The timeline behind the virtual world has actually moved forward!"

"What's even more incredible is that the connection between us and them has not diminished over time! Has this happened before?"

"I see... this is how the source of power is used!"

Even though these scholars of the Source Law School still do not realize that the power behind the virtual world is not the so-called "source power", this does not prevent them from updating the theory of the Source Law School on this basis, and they feel incredible about His Highness Colin who has innovated the theory of source power.

At this moment, the virtual lens located in the center of the magic circle not only regained its stable and clear light, but also became even more transparent!

The magicians standing around the lens quickly noticed His Highness Colin and bowed to him, their faces filled with respect and piety.

"tutor!"

Luo Yan nodded in response, then quickly walked through the crowd and came to the lens.

With just one glance, he saw the earth-shaking changes on the other side of the virtual realm.

The once peaceful and tranquil pastoral scenery has disappeared, replaced by a world of towering gray chimneys and densely packed multi-story buildings!

Thick black smoke rose from the chimneys, tinging the once blue sky with a gray hue. Intertwined brass pipes crisscrossed the alleys that were dark, like dense capillaries that transported nutrients to the flesh and blood of the concrete.

The whole world is like a wound-up brass clock, running fast in the midst of steam and haze...

Time has obviously taken a big leap forward!

"My goodness...how many years has this been accelerated?!" Tafu, who was lying on Luo Yan's shoulder, whispered in astonishment, with surprise written all over her face.

Luo Yan did not answer her question, but just quietly looked at the world behind the virtual world, searching for clues from the complicated scenery.

Amidst all these earth-shaking changes, the only thing that remained unchanged seemed to be their “viewpoint” - the huge rock.

It is still the center of the world.

But at this moment, it is no longer just a spiritual totem in the wilderness, but has become an altar standing in the square!

In order to prevent it from being corroded by acid rain, the devout Solepsi even built a huge dome for it and a not-so-high wall around it!

As the evening bells rang, the day-to-day pilgrimage began, and the devout Solepsis gradually gathered in the square.

Some of them wore dark suits made of fine materials, while others wore ragged clothes that barely covered their bodies. Some wore tall hats and black veils, held gorgeous canes inlaid with gems, and some walked forward with a limp.

The priest in a long robe was staring at them, his eyes like ash beneath his dense tentacles.

They no longer offered poor crops, but instead reverently threw gold or copper coins one after another into the pool of water built into a "holy pool" around the boulder.

Amid the crisp sound of tinkling bells, what they prayed for was no longer a good harvest, but endless wealth.

After completing their prayers, they left with satisfaction, as if their prayers had been answered and as if they had truly received the blessing of the gods.

Luo Yan knew without guessing that there would always be a few "lucky ones" among them who would be successful in business in the near future, and would come back here with more gold coins to fulfill their vows, becoming living examples to inspire other believers.

And those unfortunate people whose prayers were not answered and who were still penniless naturally disappeared quietly in the crowded crowd.

Just as Luo Yan was wondering how high the gold coins in the pool would pile up, the Solipsian pilgrimage finally ended.

As another bell rang, people in luxurious clothes and those in tattered clothes left the scene together. Several clergymen in long robes and tall hats closed the gate of the wall, and then quietly salvaged all the gold coins in the holy pool.

Relying on limited clues, Luo Yan immediately made a preliminary guess -

This is a steampunk world dominated by the church.

His miracle of "granting a good harvest" caused the population of this civilization to explode over a long enough period of time.

Continued abundance solved survival problems and also gave rise to new desires.

They were no longer short of food, but were now madly craving gold.

It’s a pity that, I don’t know if it’s because their world is too small, there is not enough land to allow them to escape from the old order and give birth to new ideas.

Therefore, instead of entering the Age of Enlightenment normally, they went further and further down the old path, giving birth to a "Leviathan" that lurks in the shadows and dominates everything!

This fate was undoubtedly tragic for the Solipsis, but it was just right for the Xuebang magicians who were observing them from the other side of the virtual world.

"We succeeded, Your Highness! And as you can see, not only has the virtual realm passage been opened again, but the 'source power' behind it is more abundant than ever before! This, this is too amazing! How did you do it?!"

Miller looked at Luo Yan excitedly, the fanaticism in his eyes was exactly the same as that of the Solipsi people behind the virtual world.

The other researchers standing nearby were the same; their expressions were as if they had witnessed a miracle performed by the gods themselves.

This incredible and almost "world-creating" feat has completely exceeded the comprehension of ordinary magicians like them.

At this point, no one doubts that His Royal Highness Colin is right and sacred!

Although Luo Yan could not see the eyes hidden under the tentacles behind the virtual world, he could imagine that when he stood in front of the Solipsi people, they would have the same expression on their faces as if they had seen Saint Sis.

"There's nothing surprising about this, Miller. I just saw into their deepest desires and granted them the miracle called harvest. You have to remember one sentence: if you want to take something, you must first give it."

Luo Yan calmly answered Miller's confusion, while looking at the scenery behind the virtual world, and continued with interest.

"…But to be honest, I was also surprised. I didn't expect that when I saw them again, they had actually evolved to the industrial age."

Not only that—

As he observed carefully, he suddenly discovered that the murals carved on the walls around the boulder and the gods surrounding the boulder corresponded one by one to the assistants in the Mage Tower!

Obviously, while they were observing the Solipsis, they were also observing themselves in the virtual world!

He even saw himself on the mural—the godlike self who held up a magic wand and bestowed miracles of abundance on the world behind the virtual realm!

They saw him!

However, they did not seem to fully understand the mysteries of the virtual world. They just painted the miracles they saw or dreamed of on the walls, hoping to please the "gods" in this way, just like a child who worships his father and raises the toys in his hand in front of his father.

"Youyou, can you absorb the power of faith from the other side?" Luo Yan asked silently in his heart after thinking for a moment.

As expected, a regretful voice reached his ears.

"No, Lord Demon, Youyou just tried it, but it didn't work at all."

As if it was worried that the Demon King would think he was useless, it added in a low voice.

"Youyou thinks... maybe it's because the other side is a completely different universe from ours? This is different from the planet Kao. That planet is just farther away from us, but it is still physically reachable. As for the world of the Solipsis, I'm afraid we can only observe their existence through the virtual realm."

"I see."

Luo Yan nodded in understanding. In fact, he had already guessed this possibility long before, but he just had a glimmer of hope that he could absorb the opponent's power of faith.

But it doesn’t matter. Even if he can’t obtain the opponent’s power of faith, he can still get or comprehend other useful things from the virtual world.

He is full of confidence about this.

The only problem at the moment is that they can only gain very little information from this level of external observation.

Luo Yan's gaze fell on the "priests" in gorgeous robes who were salvaging gold coins in the "holy pool" in the virtual lens.

He needed a chess piece.

And there happens to be one here.

Turning his gaze to Miller who was waiting beside him, he said calmly: "It turns out that our interference in the world behind the virtual world is effective. Now, we must continue to increase the intensity of our interference."

This time, Miller had no objections.

After witnessing the miracle in the virtual world with his own eyes, he had no doubt that no one in the entire Tower of Great Sages understood what source power was better than this prince!

Not only that—

He believed without a doubt that from today on, all the magicians of the Source School would go crazy because of their discovery!

He bowed deeply and answered respectfully in a tone that was almost like an oath: "Please give the order! Master! We will follow you till death!"

Looking at the respectful Miller and the assistant coaches around him, Luo Yan's lips curled up into an intriguing smile.

He is an expert at playing tricks.

Looking at the prosperous but deformed new world and the sneaky priest in the lens, he issued new instructions in an unquestionable tone.

"Tell them my last name."

His voice was not loud, but it was like an oracle, echoing clearly in the silent hall.

"as well as--"

“The time has come.”

(End of this chapter)