Chapter 393 His Highness Colin, Fair as the Sun
It is not only the apprentices who need the care of the Demon Lord, but also those scholars who are crying out for care.
Although arranging resources for the restarted virtual world is nominally a "two-way choice", in the case of an imbalance in the supply relationship, the restructuring committee's choice opportunities obviously far exceed those of scholars who are eager to share the dividends of the virtual world but have no connections.
Scholars eager to participate in this virtual world redistribution feast have already lined up in a long queue. Application letters filled the mailbox of the committee office like snowflakes, and even crowded into the Magic Science Laboratory and Luo Yan's dormitory.
What Luo Yan needs to do is to ensure that these resources are distributed to people who are worthy of his investment.
In the "fair" way that these roller kings most desire.
He doesn't need to use this favor to do anything, or ask those mentors and professors to do things for him.
He just wanted these people to repeatedly recall the time when "His Highness Colin" was at Xuebang when they encountered unpleasantness in life and studies.
This is almost certain to happen.
After all, no matter how high they climb, Hector is their ceiling.
Looking at Professor Hector's attitude towards his apprentice, it's clear that this guy must have a lot of anger in his work that he has nowhere to vent.
By then, even if only one-tenth of the scholars with ideals came to Janna Continent to join him, their wisdom would be enough to support a brand new mage tower.
At dusk.
A seminar room dedicated to meetings of the "Virtual Realm Asset Restructuring Committee" held a solemn and dignified atmosphere. The massive black oak table and rows of high-backed chairs symbolized the committee's supreme academic authority, weighing heavily on the hearts of those waiting.
Dozens of mentors and professors who are usually highly respected by students are now sitting upright in the waiting seats like apprentices waiting for the final assessment.
They had different expressions, some nervously stroking the staffs in their hands, some pretending to be calm and closing their eyes to rest, and some were whispering with the people around them, exchanging uneasy glances.
"What is the great sage thinking? He actually handed the future of the school to an outsider..."
"Too young... This is not a good thing. I would rather let Alistair Thorne make the choice. He may not be fair, but at least he is influential enough."
"I don't know, but I think... a committee shouldn't be involved with the 'future of the academy'. Perhaps the Great Sage has his own plans?"
“Sometimes I just don’t understand him.”
"That's normal. If you understand it, you will be a sage."
“…”
The scholars present here are the backbone of the academy, most of them are at the silver and gold levels, and there are even a few rare platinum-level magicians among them.
However, at this moment, the fate of all of them hangs on a thread, waiting for the young man named Colin to choose...
A mentor named Rockwell held his lifelong research notes tightly in his arms, his palms already soaked with sweat.
He had studied virtual reality theory for thirty years, but due to his social incompetence, he had never been given the opportunity to lead a project independently. This was his only chance in life, and he could feel his heart pounding in his chest.
In sharp contrast to the tension and depression in the room was the calmness on one side of the long table.
Luo Yan did not sit on the throne like a tyrant, but sat at the table in an approachable manner.
He was talking quietly with the teaching assistant beside him, occasionally flipping through the candidate's file in front of him, his expression focused and calm.
The more relaxed he was, the more nervous the scholars waiting around him became.
This invisible contrast, far more than any majestic ceremony, highlights the absolute power he holds, although he has never deliberately flaunted this glory.
Finally, he closed the first file in his hand, raised his head, and swept his gentle eyes across the audience.
The room suddenly became quiet.
"Everyone," Luo Yan's voice was clear and steady, temporarily calming everyone's anxiety, "Thank you all for coming."
"Time is precious, let's get started."
Luo Yan gestured to the teaching assistant beside him, who immediately read out the first name aloud.
"First, Professor Camerel."
A slightly plump, arrogant middle-aged professor stood up from the waiting area.
He straightened his master's robe embroidered with gold edges, walked forward with steady steps, nodded casually at Luo Yan, and began his statement directly.
As a fellow Platinum-level warrior, he didn't need to deliberately curry favor with the prince. Luo Yan didn't care whether his attitude was humble or not, and just listened patiently as he continued to speak.
"Regarding the failure of Void Realm No. 100..." His voice was resonant, filled with unquestionable confidence. "I must point out that the situation back then was extremely complicated. Unfortunately, we encountered a rare fluctuation in void energy, which led to a serious rejection of the plane's laws. Ultimately, the root cause of the failure was the Council's serious lack of resource investment back then..."
What is void energy fluctuation?
The scholars in the audience looked at each other in bewilderment, obviously not expecting this guy to talk nonsense right from the start.
Professor Cameron didn't care and continued to speak, using complex academic terms and his own qualifications to pressure others.
Although he did not show arrogance on his face, his words still revealed his contempt for Colin, the "young executive chief."
At the end of his statement, he cleared his throat and mentioned something seemingly casually.
"Even my then-mentor, Professor Alistair Thorne, expressed deep regret over the accident... I beg Your Highness to give me another chance. I will definitely not let you down!"
He believed that by mentioning his teacher's name, this imperial prince, who had once received favors from Professor Ariste, would give him the respect he deserved.
He had heard that the reason why His Highness Colin was able to obtain Virtual Realm No. 440 and Virtual Realm No. 178 was because of Professor Ariste's tacit approval.
Nothing can be accomplished just by relying on Hector's face.
Luo Yan listened patiently to his entire statement, his face expressionless. He didn't comment immediately, but simply flipped through the research file that Velich had just handed him.
After a moment, he raised his head and looked at Camille calmly.
"Professor Camille, I noticed... your report mentioned that the channel attenuation was due to 'unexpected disturbances in the energy tides.' I believe this is what you call 'void energy fluctuations'?"
Professor Cameron looked delighted, thinking that this was a way out given by Colin, so he nodded and said obediently.
"Exactly!"
That was almost ten years ago. If the top management of Xuebang hadn't remembered the existence of this virtual realm, he would have almost forgotten about it.
Luo Yan smiled, and his voice suddenly became sharp.
"My question is, since you've already detected a high-risk energy disturbance, why did you order the extraction of the 'tidal crystals' from behind the Void Realm? Can you explain?"
The confidence on Professor Cameron's face froze instantly, and a thin layer of cold sweat oozed out of his forehead because he was completely unprepared for this question.
"Well...well, of course it's to reduce the losses!" He defended himself calmly while cursing in his heart.
Isn’t this kind of meeting just a formality?
Why are you taking it so seriously?
Luo Yan's lips curled up in a playful arc, and he recounted the thoughts in his mind nine years ago.
"Before the Council officially orders the revocation of your research rights in the Void Realm, you're trying to squeeze out its remaining value... I'm sorry, but I'm not satisfied with your explanation."
His voice was not loud, but it echoed clearly in the silent seminar room.
"You don't even realize where your decision was wrong, and that's what I want to hear. I'm sorry, I can't give you this opportunity, even though it could have belonged to you."
Ignoring the astonishment on Professor Camille's face, Luo Yan looked at the apprentice and spoke in a calm voice.
"Next."
If she is not your type, reject her directly.
Under the complicated gazes of the crowd, Cameron was speechless, his face turned from white to red, and finally he turned around angrily and left the stage in embarrassment.
The entire seminar room fell silent.
Including the teaching assistant sitting next to Colin, everyone was stunned by His Highness Colin's strictness and directness.
They hadn't expected him to show no respect to Professor Alister. This kind of ruthless behavior was extremely rare in Xuebang.
The atmosphere in the waiting area became more tense than the cold wind in the north.
Teacher Rockwell held the notebook in his arms even tighter, and the sweat in his palms almost soaked the old paper.
But fortunately, it is not his turn yet.
The teaching assistant sitting next to Colin cleared his throat and spoke nervously.
"Next, Instructor Rukoro."
As the teaching assistants called out their names, a shrewd and capable-looking instructor walked forward quickly.
Unlike the arrogance of the previous one, his face was filled with a humble and warm smile. As soon as he came up, he bowed deeply to His Highness Colin with an extremely humble attitude.
This may be because his strength is only at the silver level and his coaching experience is still young.
However, considering that he is still young, there is a chance that he can break through the gold level before the age of forty and enter the virtual realm research sequence as a collaborator.
certainly--
It would be even more perfect if I could get my own virtual realm!
He can use this as a springboard to win over mentors who have extraordinary powers and academic abilities superior to his but who suffer from the lack of opportunities to conduct research in the virtual realm to become his "collaborators" and make up for his academic shortcomings.
Facing the teaching assistant who came up to him, Rukoro gentlemanly presented a beautifully bound plan and launched into a highly inflammatory speech.
"Your Excellency, Chief Executive Colin! After reading your masterpiece published in the Sage Newspaper and having the honor of attending several of your open classes, I was deeply inspired!"
His voice was full of ups and downs, full of praise for Colin and his "deep understanding" of the "scientific" school of thought. However, his attitude of being arrogant at first and then respectful surprised the teaching assistants.
It turns out that mentors also have to lick others sometimes.
They thought only apprentices and assistants needed to do this...
"...Your revolutionary theory on virtual realm interference has pointed out a completely new direction for scholars like me who are trapped in the old paradigm! I studied it overnight and skillfully applied the calculus tools you taught me to the modeling of virtual realm exploration. Fortunately, I have achieved groundbreaking results! All of this is thanks to your grace and wisdom!"
"Please allow me to thank you again for your work! Your arrival is the best gift from Saint Sith to us scholars who persevere in the bitter cold!"
He applied for a virtual realm No. 466 with great potential, trying to take advantage of this reform and seize the opportunity.
While listening, Luo Yan casually flipped through the other party's file, but he couldn't help feeling funny in his heart.
This guy probably doesn't even know that Virtual Realm No. 466 is a "native forest" dominated by a complex ecosystem, and he's still talking about the "optimal solution for the rune matrix."
Did this guy get the wrong script?
Luo Yan listened to the entire statement of the mentor with a smile, and that gentle expression gave Mentor Lukoro more confidence.
It seems that he licked the prince to his satisfaction.
"Teacher, thank you for your wonderful presentation." Luo Yan closed the file and asked with a smile, "Before we begin discussing your plan, I'm curious...how exactly do you apply 'calculus' to exploring the virtual realm?"
To be honest.
He himself hasn't figured out how to make this pie round, although this is actually not very important.
The smile on Rukoro's face froze instantly.
This question hit his soft spot directly.
It was obvious that he was just mechanically applying His Highness Colin's scientific theories without truly understanding their core, or even getting started.
But then again...
What is this prince doing so seriously?!
Rukoro hesitated for a long time, beads of sweat sliding down his forehead. He took out a tissue and wiped it again and again, then started thinking about where to throw it away.
Assistant coach Velich saw this and stepped forward to take the tissue from him.
However, this overly insightful act embarrassed Rukoro, who was looking for an opportunity to delay time.
"Well, that... that was a great attempt! We... by taking the derivative of the source force function, we found its... critical point of change... and thus..."
"Oh?" Luo Yan looked at him in surprise and said kindly, "May I have the pleasure of knowing what this source force function is? To be honest... my students and I have only recently figured out the 'optimal path equation,' and this is our only mathematical achievement in the field of source force using function tools... By the way, it hasn't been published yet."
The scholars in the waiting area all showed surprised expressions, exchanged expressions with each other, and whispered to each other.
"Optimal path equation? What's that?"
"No, I don't know..."
"Incredible, he has already applied all that mortal knowledge to magical theory?!"
"But...his lab is full of apprentices, right?"
"Perhaps it was him who did it, and he just brought those apprentices along. I remember that His Highness seemed to like adding names everywhere. His previous papers were..."
If Professor Hector is stingy to the point of being niggardly, then His Royal Highness the Prince is extremely generous.
However, it doesn’t really matter to outsiders who did the research.
Rather than the outcome of this clumsy performance, these scholars are now more curious about what the optimal path equation is and what its function is.
Although His Highness Colin's "science" has not yet played a significant role in virtual realm research, some professors have already used the tools he provided in lower-level magic research fields.
"Okay, that's enough, Mr. Rucoro."
Luo Yan gently interrupted the hesitant Professor Lukoro, but his words were cold and heartless. "Your proposal is excellent, but it lacks the most indispensable soul. What I need is a pioneer, not a parrot."
He is not afraid of offending people at all.
After all, he is a prince of the empire. Even if the authority of the nobility is useless on the snowy plains, he has the "privilege" to ignore all interpersonal relationships and carry out his own will to the end.
Or rather, this is his personality.
Rukoro's face instantly turned purple.
He put away his plan without saying a word, and in the oppressive silence of the audience, he quickly left the stage with a red face.
After a moment of silence, whispers broke out again in the corner of the waiting area. The mentors who came here with the idea of trying their luck had already begun to back off in their hearts.
"Saint Sith, even Master Rukoro was rejected..."
"It seems that flattery alone is useless. This prince is serious!"
Listening to the discussions around him, Mr. Rockwell's already tense mood sank to the bottom of despair.
He looked at the plain research notes in his arms, his heart filled with gloom, and he had no idea what to do.
After all, he was far inferior to Mr. Camilleri, who had once studied under Professor Ariste, in terms of strength and qualifications, and his emotional intelligence and ability to maneuver were not even a hair behind Mr. Rucoro, who became his mentor at the age of 35.
He is just an honest man with no background. How could he possibly gain the favor of that prince?
Unfortunately, he didn't know that his respected Prince Colin liked honest people the most.
These are all high-quality assets.
"Next, Mentor Rockwell."
Hearing his name, a thin instructor in his late fifties shuddered. He held the thick research notebook in his arms, took a deep breath, and walked to the long table with stiff and hurried steps.
He was so nervous that he didn't dare to look up, and his words were a little stammering: "Sir, Your Excellency. I... I am applying for research permission for the No. 247 Void Realm."
A faint laugh rang out from the waiting area. Although it was very soft, it was extremely irritating to Rockwell, who was tense all over.
"I know, Mr. Rockwell, let's get straight to the point." Luo Yan comforted him casually, then opened his plan.
This plan is not very beautiful, but the format is standard and the content is detailed.
Rockwell nodded hurriedly, without any unnecessary flattery, but simply explained his research philosophy and his views on the application subject as if endorsing it.
After stating his thoughts, he placed the thick, yellowed, curled notebook in his hand on the table.
"This... this is all my research on 'the mental fluctuations of dormant individuals' over the past twelve years... My experience is consistent with the situation in Void Realm No. 247. Please give me a chance, I will definitely not... let you down."
Upon hearing this strange research topic, the scholars sitting in the waiting area began to murmur among themselves, some discussing rationally, others laughing disdainfully.
"The mental fluctuations of a dormant individual... What is that? It takes twelve years to research?"
"It sounds like a topic for the School of Spiritual Studies. Why is he here at the School of Source Law?"
"Studying the dreams of a vegetative patient? What's the point of wasting time studying this? If someone can't wake up, why not just let him sleep?"
Luo Yan's eyes fell on the file in his hand.
Virtual Realm No. 247, a cold world composed of countless metal cubes.
He speculated that it was most likely an advanced civilization similar to the "brain in a vat", and the reason why the channel was on the verge of exhaustion was probably because the previous researcher foolishly stole several "batteries" that served as the energy core, causing a large-scale power outage in the entire life support system.
Of course, this is just his guess, and there might be other more exaggerated situations.
Rockwell was obviously limited by the times and could not see that far ahead, but he still put forward a brilliant idea in his plan.
"...I believe those metal cubes might be similar to... vampire coffins," he explained, trying to explain his theory. "The mental fluctuations we detected didn't come from the 'coffins' themselves, but from the beings sleeping within. The previous research failed most likely because the previous professor removed the magic crystal that kept the 'coffins' running, resulting in the deaths of the creatures inside due to a malfunction in the magic circle."
He raised his head, and for the first time, a glimmer of light that only appeared in the eyes of an explorer ignited in his eyes.
"So, I propose that we stop trying to interact with those 'coffins'. If we don't know what they do, don't touch anything. We can try to directly enter the dreams of those sleeping creatures so that we can understand what they are going through!"
He bowed his head sincerely, his voice trembling slightly with excitement.
"Your Excellency, I do not seek any honor. I only hope to have the opportunity to personally verify my lifelong theory...even if it's only this once!"
There was a whisper in the seminar room.
Professor Cameron, who had returned to the meeting place at some point, curled his lips in disdain, crossed his arms and sneered.
"A vampire's coffin? Is this a joke... Where do vampires come from in the virtual world? Are there demons and their lackeys there too?"
His voice was not loud, but it still reached Rockwell's ears clearly, making him blush and bury his head.
There was silence in the seminar room.
Luo Yan did not answer immediately, but gestured to the teaching assistant to get his notes.
After taking the notebook, he flipped through the messy but spiritual notebook, looking at the densely packed pages of text and the inferences full of fantastic ideas, with an expression of surprise in his eyes that revealed an undisguised admiration.
This guy is a talent.
But he is not a talent in the sense of magic, nor a talent in studying mental power, but a talent in the field of "psychiatry"!
In this dark age when medicine is still stuck in empiricism, he is the only one among all the magicians Luo Yan has met so far who has stepped out of the framework of the soul to study the brain.
It seems that the overly abstract supernatural power has indeed distracted the geniuses of the Aos Continent too much, preventing these top smart people from using their intelligence and talents where they should be used.
Luo Yan closed his notes, raised his head, and made a judgment in a gentle and clear voice.
"Mr. Rockwell, your persistence over the past twelve years is admirable. I admire your research and theories. On behalf of the committee, I approve your application."
After saying that, he shifted his gaze from the stunned instructor Rockwell to the equally stunned assistant instructor, Willich, who was standing next to him.
"Villich, please make a note to approve additional start-up resources for the Rockwell Mentoring Program. I hope to see this note become a reality; it will be of great benefit to our world."
"Okay, okay, mentor." Velich quickly came to his senses and hurriedly wrote this down.
Rockwell jerked his head up, his bloodshot eyes filled with disbelief. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Finally, the old scholar, who was nearly fifty years old, suppressed his excitement and bowed deeply to the man in front of him who was much younger than him.
"Thanks……"
"You're welcome, Mr. Rockwell," Luo Yan smiled and said gently, "You didn't get this opportunity because of my charity, but because you impressed me with your knowledge."
Those powerful words silenced the entire seminar room.
Hearing these words as warm as the spring breeze, Rockwell could no longer suppress the emotion in his heart, and tears streamed down his face.
Saint Sith above——
He actually saw the light of fairness in this snowy field where the strong are respected!
Rukoro opened his eyes wide in astonishment, his eyes full of disbelief, and his mouth opened wide, unable to utter a word.
Rockwell?!
This fifty-year-old old antique?
Why?
As we all know, if a magician of Xuebang is still a mentor at the age of fifty, he will basically work in this position until retirement.
However, this prince from the empire did not play by the rules at all and simply ignored this unspoken rule.
He looked around hurriedly, hoping someone would come out to remind His Highness.
However, everyone present here is smart and is counting on others to step forward. How could they stand up and speak at this time?
Except for one person—
"What nonsense!" Professor Cameron, who had returned to the seminar room earlier, cursed and left the venue angrily.
This was the second time he left in anger.
He wanted to see who met Colin's standards, but he didn't expect that the person chosen after him would be a clown!
Camille sneered in his heart.
Just wait and see!
When this messed-up committee has ruined the legacy left to future generations, the Sage Council will eventually realize how foolish it was to choose this reckless guy as the Chief Executive!
At that time, Professor Alistair Thorne will naturally come forward to clean up the mess!
Unlike Camirel who left angrily and the Rukoros who suppressed their dissatisfaction.
While they were complaining and even cursing under their breath, the scholars in the waiting area who were truly talented but lacked background had hope burning in their eyes.
The real crown will never be tarnished by the incompetent rage of clowns. The bugs think that the falling sky just means the dawn of the day for ordinary people.
They finally understood that the young executive chief was not simply strict, nor was he deliberately making things difficult for them, the "commoner scholars."
He is truly God's chosen one bathed in holy light!
He is fairly selecting scholars who are truly suitable for every precious virtual resource!
(End of this chapter)
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