Chapter 388 Arrogance
As night falls, everything is silent, only a few stars shine through the high windows, casting a faint light in the secret private study.
The air was filled with the scent of ancient parchment and herbs. A calm-looking middle-aged scholar sat comfortably in an armchair, his expression more focused than ever before.
In front of him, on a piece of special parchment processed with alchemical materials such as troll blood and mercury, ink shimmering with magical halos moved slowly like a worm, arranging itself into lines of rigorous and neat text.
This is a magical encrypted letter.
And its recipient is none other than Professor Alistair Thorne, one of the powerful men in the Great Sage Tower and the master to whom Mentor Merck is absolutely loyal.
The content of the letter was enough to shock anyone who knew the secret of Virtual Realm No. 178, and Ariste himself was no exception.
To Professor Alister Thorne:
I feel deeply guilty about the mistake made in Virtual Realm No. 178.
Due to my own stupidity and incompetence, I failed to understand the essence of your teachings, which led to the irreversible failure of the experiment and failed your trust and expectations. I am also very grateful for your generosity in giving me this opportunity to make up for my mistakes.
With His Highness Colin's generous permission, I had the privilege of observing his subsequent research on this virtual realm. Honestly, I have to admit that His Highness Colin's theory on virtual realm interference is indeed remarkable and truly eye-opening!
He saved this dying virtual world with a method that could be called an art!
That wasn't some kind of magic or supernatural power, but rather a precise dissection of the veins of civilization and the essence of the soul! Each of his steps was like playing a grand symphony, transforming the weaknesses and root causes of human contradictions into notes at his fingertips. I must admit, this kind of insight is a terrifying power that we often overlook in the tower.
We may have underestimated him...
】
Seeing this, Ariste's mouth curled up into a sneer.
He knew very well that the reason why Merck praised the prince so highly in the report was not so much to remind him not to underestimate this guy, but to downplay his own responsibility for failure and to cautiously test his attitude.
However, as a chess piece, Merck's caution is qualified.
He really had to handle his relationship with the prince carefully, especially in recent times, as the school of thought he advocated seemed to be getting more and more intense.
Some professors had begun to feel impatient with the sensational doctrine and thought he should go to the Royal Academy of Arts in the Holy City to teach these convoluted things.
Ariste paid no attention to the loser's harmless schemes, but continued to look down with interest.
In the second half of the report, Merck finally stopped repeating those humble words and began to try to analyze the new virtual world No. 178, which had evolved for ninety-nine years and was presented by "God's Messenger" Jon, from the perspective of a scholar.
And this part is exactly what Ariste cares about most.
He is still very optimistic about Merck's academic ability.
[…As His Highness Colin judged, we are not truly separated from Virtual Realm No. 178. The people of that world still have a glimmer of longing for our voices.
By accelerating the depths of the virtual realm, we successfully established a stable spiritual connection with a native of the realm named Jon. According to his description, we learned that since the death of the previous "Emissary of God," Kyle, the timeline within the virtual realm has advanced ninety-nine years!
Ninety-nine years have completely changed the face of the entire virtual world. If it weren't for the fact that the creatures active behind the virtual world still looked familiar to me, I would almost suspect that this was another completely different world!
The Grays living on that land completely ended the wasteland. Material poverty has ended with the passage of time, although it has been replaced by spiritual desolation.
But even so, they still created a brilliant miracle in a limited time. Even with just a quick glance, I still saw a scene that shocked me!
The land was covered with towering wizard towers, built with materials I had never seen before. Not only that, their outer walls shone with colorful lights, comparable to the light and shadow of high-level illusion magic!
If my guess is correct, it should be a highly dense "Mage Tower Complex" that integrates an illusion defense magic circle!
Countless "horseless carriages" shuttled back and forth on the skybridge between the wizard towers. Their speed was so fast that it even surpassed the pterosaurs and griffins we kept in captivity!
In addition, according to the description of the new messenger of God 'Jon', there is a strange magical device called "refrigerator" circulating in their civilization.
I speculate that this is another mineral similar to "magic crystal" discovered by the Grays after the disappearance of "Ghost Coke"!
If nothing unexpected happens, it may become the new renewable specialty of Virtual Realm No. 178 after the disappearance of the 'Ghost Charcoal'!
The most incredible thing is that attached to this 'magic crystal' is a miniature virtual world they call 'advertisement'. It is said that if an intelligent being gazes at this 'magic crystal' for more than thirty seconds, their consciousness will be briefly drawn into a separate virtual world!
incredible!
In their world, the virtual world is actually something that can be attached to the "magic crystal", and everyone has the opportunity to observe and study it!
At present, we are not sure how they do it, nor do we know whether they can use this technology to observe our world in turn, but there is no doubt that these grays are far ahead of us in material prosperity!
In addition, this "divine messenger" chosen by His Highness Colin also mentioned concepts such as "company" and "bank loan" that we have not observed before. In their world, "company" is different from our world where it is just a business unit, but a social organization that transcends guilds and noble fiefs, and has absolute power over individuals.
A "bank loan" is a harsh contract that allows an individual to advance wealth, but must mortgage his future or even his soul! When talking about this concept, the fearful mental waves displayed by the gray individual even exceeded Kyle's reaction when talking about the predators!
This may be an insight that is of great reference value to us.
Also, it would be great if you could convince His Highness Colin to help us mine some "Ghost Refrigerator". I really want to find out what that is...
】
"Haha, that's really stupid."
Seeing Merck's curiosity and obsession with the refrigerator, Ariste smiled faintly, with a hint of wise contempt in his eyes.
Although he did not directly participate in the research of Virtual Realm No. 178, he inferred the general concept of "refrigerator" just from the literal meaning and the context.
If the resentful charcoal is the medium that carries the faith and desire of the Gray Man, then this refrigerator is naturally a magical device that "can collect cold resentment"!
It is not difficult to draw this conclusion through analysis. The key to the problem lies in what kind of magical device can actually collect the resentful elements in mental power.
He had heard that Hell had similar technology, and thought that this was why they were able to analyze this information through the virtual lens.
The premise for the existence of the virtual realm channel is "resonance", and information beyond cognition cannot trigger spiritual resonance, let alone be transmitted through the virtual realm.
After silently noting down the important information about the "ghost refrigerator", Ariste's gaze continued to move downwards, landing on "company" and "bank loan".
Unlike Merck, who had only a vague understanding of these concepts, Ariste was no stranger to them.
Although Xuebang does not have such a thing, similar organizations exist in the business systems of the Empire and most of its vassal states.
As a scholar who is good at playing political games, Ariste often deals with chambers of commerce and companies in the Kingdom of Rhodes, but he never thought that they could be combined into such an efficient and perfect exploitation model.
Ariste's mouth curved into a genuine interest.
What a subtle form of slavery this is!
Through clever rule design, it does not require swords, chains, or even supervisors. It only needs to make every soul believe that everything they do is for a "better tomorrow."
And as long as tomorrow never comes, this self-circulating and infinitely proliferating system will continue to expand!
"Ah...what a beautiful work! I even feel a little reluctant to let that prince break this wonderful tranquility." Ariste smiled and whispered to himself.
In front of the tightly organized company, his Thorne Society, which relied on economic and academic interests to maintain its existence, was as crude as a child's sand castle.
It turns out that power politics can be played this way!
For him personally, this is probably a more valuable insight into the virtual world than the research reports on the ghost refrigerator and the gray man.
Feeling like he had discovered a treasure, Ariste read Merck's report to the end, studied it twice before putting it back on the table.
His movements were gentle, as if he were tending to a fragile work of art.
Merck's report was only a preliminary conclusion based on his quick glance at the virtual realm. A more detailed report on Virtual Realm No. 178 would have to wait for Colinta's paper to come out.
Prince Colin has already asked his students to start writing their papers. If things go well, they should be able to see the results before All Souls’ Day at the end of the month.
Before that, perhaps they can discover more interesting things...
Merck is optimistic about this.
It can be seen that this messenger of God named "Jon" seems to be much more reliable than the "Kyle" he chose before.
Ariste slowly stood up and walked to the study window.
Looking down at the Artisan Street and the snowfield that were still brightly lit late at night, his face was filled with mixed expressions of admiration and jealousy, and it took him a long time to utter a reluctant compliment.
"genius……"
Even though he had a lot of prejudice against the nobles of the empire, he still had to admit that His Highness Colin was a true genius!
As Merck mentioned in his letter, this method of turning decay into magic goes beyond simple supernatural powers.
It's more like an art.
An art that belongs to the "gods" and plays with civilization and human hearts.
It would be great if we could recruit such talented people!
Ariste had such feelings in his heart more than once, but soon the sincere admiration in his heart was replaced by a slight chill.
If the success of Virtual Realm No. 440 can be explained by chance, then the experimental reproduction of Virtual Realm No. 178 will undoubtedly allow this prince to ascend to the true altar!
No one knows how to develop virtual resources better than him!
This achievement will not only be enough for him and his school to gain a foothold in the Tower of the Great Sage, but will also attract countless magicians who are thirsty for truth to follow him.
The name Colin will become a rising star!
The light of this star will inevitably invade and squeeze the original positions of other stars!
Ariste's gaze fell on the towers of the academy, and his expression became complex and cold. It was as if what he saw was no longer a palace of knowledge, but a steel forest where the strong prey on the weak.
Just like the steel forest that Merck saw in the virtual world!
"Although the tower of Xuebang is very tall," he muttered to himself in a voice that only he could hear, "it is actually... very crowded."
Especially the ecological niche under the top of the tower!
The most core power of the school is firmly held in the hands of the Thirteen Sages, and there are only a handful of corners that the will of the sages cannot penetrate.
The "Thorne Society" that he had painstakingly built for more than ten years was nothing more than a spider curled up in these shadows.
Now, someone has entered his territory and doesn't seem content to just pass by quietly.
A sense of anxiety, like a existential crisis gripping his throat, crawled through Ariste's body. This was the first time he had felt such a distinct sense of anxiety since becoming a Diamond-level mage!
Just as his soul was being burned by the nameless fire, a soft and unfamiliar voice suddenly sounded from the depths of his soul.
"An interesting annoyance."
The sound came without warning, so much so that Ariste was startled and almost activated the defensive amulet on his body.
"who?!"
Ariste turned around abruptly, and for the first time, a look of bewilderment and shock appeared on his face, which was always calm and composed.
His powerful mental strength was like an invisible giant net, instantly sweeping through every corner and every shadow of the entire study!
However--
Empty.
In the study, apart from himself, the only lights were the moonlight streaming in from the window and a solitary shadow cast by the magic lamp on the table.
That voice seemed to be his own illusion.
No--
This is definitely not an illusion!
Ariste stretched out his skinny hand and clenched the wand he had taken from somewhere, his nerves tense and on high alert.
"When the rise of one genius inevitably overshadows the brilliance of another. You were once a cutting-edge scholar in the field of virtual realm research, but that was twenty years ago... Now that you see your former self, what will you do? Suppress him, or... submit?"
The voice sounded again, with a hint of playful smile, as if it was watching a game that had nothing to do with it.
A fine layer of cold sweat broke out on Ariste's forehead.
He was certain that his study and spiritual world were both shrouded in the most advanced protective array, and no entity could intrude without alerting him.
unless--
This invader was far more powerful than him, even surpassing the great sage sitting at the top of the tower!
"Who are you?"
Alistair lowered his voice and asked this question to the empty room. Although he tried hard to remain calm, he could not hide the trembling of uncertainty in his voice.
The mysterious whisper was silent for a moment.
Then, in an intimate yet strange tone, it gave an answer that chilled Ariste's entire body.
"I am you."
“…”
That intimate whisper, like that of a lover, was more chilling to Ariste than the most vicious curse.
His mind went blank for a moment, but the iron willpower forged over decades allowed him to quickly escape from the shock that was enough to drive an ordinary wizard insane.
"You're fooling me!"
Ariste's voice became harsh and shrill, his fear turning completely into anger, completely tearing apart his disguise of elegance and composure.
His powerful mental power created an invisible storm in the study, causing the pages of the book to rustle.
However, the mysterious whisper was not affected at all, but instead brought a smile like a sigh.
"You are fooling yourself. You don't admit your inner fear, you don't admit your jealousy of that 'genius', and you are even more unwilling to admit... this innate arrogance is the truest you under the mask. Why don't you accept yourself? This is not a bad thing."
"Get out of my head..."
Ariste growled threatening words, but the unknown voice just chuckled.
"I've been outside the whole time. If you don't believe me, look in the mirror."
Mirror?
Ariste turned around suddenly and looked at the huge ebony floor-length mirror on the wall of the study, which he used to tidy up his appearance.
The next second, his pupils suddenly contracted and the blood in his body seemed to solidify in an instant.
The mirror was as bright as new, clearly reflecting the scene inside the study, as well as his own face which was slightly distorted by shock.
However, what is incredible is that right next to the "self" in the mirror, there is a ball of gray mist floating quietly, its shape constantly changing!
The gray fog seemed to have life. It sometimes gathered and sometimes dispersed, and its surface kept rolling. Countless twisted and painful faces could be vaguely seen flashing through it, as if they were screaming and wailing silently.
It does not reflect any light, but instead is like a miniature black hole, greedily devouring all the light around it, emitting emotions of chaos and madness.
Ariste subconsciously turned his head to look at the real space beside him—there was nothing there.
But when he looked into the mirror again, the ominous gray fog was still lingering beside his reflection, like a part of him!
A fear that completely overturned his perception of reality gripped his heart.
Even with his diamond-level magical attainments, he couldn't explain what this power was and why it appeared here!
The only thing he could be sure of was that this was neither an illusion nor a mental attack...
"What on earth is this..."
Alistair's voice was dry. He instinctively raised his hand, and a light blue source of energy began to condense at his fingertips, trying to analyze every inch of space in the study again.
He must find out what this strange gray fog is!
However, just as he was about to cast the spell, a clear and rhythmic sound of footsteps was heard in the corridor outside the study.
Then there were three respectful and restrained knocks on the door.
"Professor...it's me, Skyin, your most loyal servant." A young and humble voice came from outside the door.
As if he was worried about the weight of his voice, he hesitated for a moment before adding another sentence.
"I have discovered something about 'Prince Colin' that may be important enough to report to you... You told me before that any new clues should be reported to you immediately."
Ariste was silent for a long time, and the light from his fingertips faded.
He took a deep breath, forced himself to suppress the turmoil in his heart, and quickly glanced at the huge floor-to-ceiling mirror out of the corner of his eye.
The ominous gray fog in the mirror is still there.
It seemed to have sensed the visitor outside the door and rolled even more violently. Countless distorted faces seemed to be showing him a smile full of mockery and expectation through the mirror.
"Here comes the opportunity to verify... the other me."
"Shut up……"
Ariste squeezed out a word from between his teeth and then closed his eyes.
When he opened his eyes again, all the horror on his face had disappeared, and he put on the mask that belonged to Professor Alister again.
"Come in." He said in a calm voice without any emotion.
The door opened automatically.
Skain walked in respectfully.
The young man kept his head down throughout so as not to offend the moody professor with his gaze.
He walked quickly to the desk and spoke quickly in concise and efficient language.
"Professor, I've noticed that Prince Colin has recently become very close to a candidate named Ilana Octavia. While there's no direct evidence that anything beyond friendship has occurred between them, the prince seems to have a fondness for her. Not only has he entrusted her with many important tasks, he's also privately provided her with considerable academic assistance... to the point of causing jealousy among some."
Ariste raised his eyebrows and signaled him to continue with his eyes.
Skyin paused and continued, "What's even more interesting is that Miss Ilana seems to have gotten into quite a bit of trouble recently."
"A woman named Lastina, out of jealousy, is uniting her small group to teach Miss Ilana a lesson in the upcoming 'All Souls' Day Labyrinth Trial'."
"Although you may not be interested in such trivial matters, if we can help His Highness Colin solve this problem at a critical moment, we can not only do him a favor, but also win over Miss Ilana, who is closest to him..."
Skain's words stopped abruptly.
He was about to continue explaining his plan, but suddenly he felt the professor's gaze was like a sharp needle, staring at him with unprecedented sharpness, as if it wanted to pierce his soul on the spot!
Skain's heart skipped a beat and he instantly felt a chill down his spine.
He felt as if his throat was being held by a hand. He could not make any sound, nor could he squeeze in any air.
In front of a diamond-level expert, a mere bronze-level apprentice was as small as an ant crawling under a spider web.
Just when Skyin was about to feel suffocated, the pressure on him suddenly eased.
Ariste spoke up.
"Skain, did you...see anything next to me?"
His voice was a little dry, like a zombie in the maze, which made people shudder.
"Things?" Skain responded timidly, then raised his head blankly and looked in the direction the professor was looking.
There was nothing beside the professor except the ancient tapestry on the wall, the bookshelf beside him, and the mottled shadows cast by the moonlight through the curtains.
"Professor, I don't understand what you mean." Skain answered nervously, but he felt more and more uneasy.
"nothing."
Ariste withdrew his gaze, and the waves in his eyes calmed down in an instant.
He confirmed.
Skain could not see the gray mist floating beside him, nor could he hear the whispers that seemed to come from another space.
Ariste pondered for a moment, as if his recent misstep had never happened. He returned his attention to the intelligence reported by Skain and gave a calm instruction.
"Observe him first. If necessary, you can do him a favor... but don't do it in my name, and don't do anything unnecessary."
"If you get the chance, you can use this as an opportunity to get closer to Colin."
"yes!"
Skyin felt relieved, and his tense nerves finally relaxed.
He obeyed the order respectfully and quickly left the study room, which made him feel extremely depressed, as if he was escaping from there.
The heavy door closed with a click, separating the inside and the outside into two worlds.
The calm mask on Alistair's face disappeared instantly. He turned around suddenly and stared at the huge floor-to-ceiling mirror on the wall.
"Interesting," his voice was a touch playful, "I'm the only one who can see you."
The ominous gray mist in the mirror rolled even more violently, as if enjoying his loss of composure and his gradually growing interest.
"certainly."
That intimate yet eerie whisper rang out again, accompanied by a sinister laugh. "After all, I am a part of you. I grow deep within your soul."
"Stop playing tricks on me. Who are you?" Ariste said, emphasizing each word. "I'm asking you one last time."
Just before Ariste was about to completely lose his patience, the unknown voice finally gave the final answer.
"I am the arrogance in your heart."
"Or rather—your godhood."
godhead?
The anger in Ariste's eyes froze the moment he heard this word, and then turned into complete astonishment and shock.
"godhead……"
He repeated the word in a low voice, as if he was savoring the sweetest honey in the world, and the crazy face in the mirror gradually became covered with a sick smile.
"That's really interesting... Are you saying that I'm a god?"
"Yes, congratulations. Do you need me to present you with the award?" A teasing voice floated out from the twisted gray fog, making it difficult to tell whether it was ridicule or praise.
Ariste stopped smiling.
"No, but I just want to know why me?"
He still had a hint of caution in his heart.
As a scholar exploring the void, he would not be so foolish as to believe everything others said.
and--
He suspected that the sound actually came from somewhere else, perhaps from the void they had been staring into.
The gray mist chuckled.
It spoke in a casual voice, as if it didn't take his fear to heart.
"Actually... there's no particular reason."
"You're not the best choice, and you weren't the one I was looking for in the first place."
"But, it could also be you."
(End of this chapter)
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