Chapter 413 I Overestimated Him
The research on Virtual Realm No. 178 continued until late at night. Thanks to the efforts of the researchers at Corinta, the time behind the virtual realm was advanced by another fifty years.
However, the research progress was not smooth.
As time went on, nothing happened except that the virtual channel connecting the two worlds itself became weaker.
The Grey civilization behind the virtual world seems to have run out of new insights to share with their "Creator".
Their latest technological advancements were beyond the comprehension of the researchers at Xuebang. Even the all-knowing new god, Colin, began to struggle to comprehend the scene before his eyes.
This is inevitable.
Every father will come to a day when he gradually cannot understand what his children are thinking and doing.
For the researchers in Colin Tower, the only obsession is probably the blue world. They want to know the follow-up of the "Universe Spirit Foundation", and they want to know whether those creatures that look like humans still believe in "Colin", and... whether they can get in touch with them across the No. 178 virtual realm.
This is not only the obsession of the researchers, but also a thought that Luo Yan has in his heart even though he did not say it explicitly.
Although he knew that it might not be his hometown, he was still very curious about what the Earth was like in another timeline, and how he would live in that world...if there was one.
Unfortunately, however, in the past fifty years, the Grey civilization has not conducted any new virtual explorations.
And that blue world disappeared from the sight of the researchers in Corinta.
All signs indicate that the two worlds are drifting further and further apart, whether it's the blue world and the world of the Grays, or the world of the Grays and the world of Xuebang.
All the magicians had a bad feeling in their hearts.
The scene they saw at this moment was probably the final "end".
The history of the Grays continues to move forward, and the exploration of the virtual world is just a small episode in their colorful memories.
They did not persist in exploring the void like the Solipsis, but became "ordinary people" like their fathers, continuing to walk in the material universe with awe of spirit, soul and void.
In this new chapter, "Colin" is no longer the protagonist of their story, but has become a symbol together with Jon, as a page in the doctrine of the "Universal Spirit Sect".
Like all fathers who are reluctant to let their children leave, the "gods" of Corinta are also reluctant to part with the gray people in the virtual world No. 178.
At this time, an assistant teacher suddenly suggested.
"If this continues, they will eventually forget us. Why don't we choose another messenger from among them while we still have influence over them?"
This suggestion has been recognized by many researchers.
However, some researchers believe that the failure of the Cosmic Spirit Foundation has foreshadowed the future of this option.
For example, Miller.
With an admiration for the incredible unity and cohesion of the Grey civilization, he clearly expressed his opposition.
"...I object! If we are unwilling to let go, we will eventually repeat Merck's mistakes! We still have some source power available in our virtual realm channel, but by then, I'm afraid even this little bit of source power will be gone!"
This was not the real reason in his mind.
But compared to the illusory longings and satisfaction with the current happiness of the "children", this practical reason is easier for other "gods" to accept.
The debate in the Corinthian Tower lasted for a long time, but no one could convince anyone else.
In the end, everyone turned their attention to Prince Colin, waiting for the true "Creator" to decide the fate of the Grays.
Facing those expectant eyes, Luo Yan thought for a long time, but gave an answer that made most "fathers" feel disappointed.
"That's enough."
Looking at those faces that couldn't let go, he spoke in a gentle tone.
"No matter how new a god is, he will eventually become an old god."
"Our 'children' have become their own gods. In an age where everyone is a god, it would be unethical for us to continue clinging to their hands."
"Jon is dead."
"Let 'Colin' go with him."
…
A few days passed since then.
With the completion of the research on Virtual Realm No. 178, the researchers at Corinta have shifted their research on the virtual realm from theoretical exploration to the development of existing resources.
They no longer used source power to accelerate the passage of time behind the virtual realm, eagerly heading towards the distant future, but let time flow naturally, cherishing the last bit of time for the two worlds to share insights, and striving to gain more enlightenment from the present of Virtual Realm No. 178.
Just like they were doing in Virtual Realm No. 440.
Because there was no work that required personal command, Luo Yan temporarily left Corinta during this period and focused his main energy on arranging "afterlife".
For example, the establishment of the Virtual Realm Resource Reorganization Committee, the arrangement of the Magic Science Laboratory, and the curriculum arrangement of science classes, etc.
The office of the Virtual Realm Resource Reorganization Committee.
Rather than a traditional scholar's study, this place resembled a neatly organized archive. Towering bookshelves reached the ceiling, neatly stacked with files labeled with different virtual realm numbers.
Behind rows of desks, clerical staff working at their desks are meticulously copying reports submitted from various mage towers and filing them one by one.
Teaching assistants and tutors walked hurriedly around, occasionally stopping in front of a project board to discuss something in a low voice.
The air was filled with the dry scent of old parchment and ink.
Due to the clear division of labor and responsibility, everyone here can focus on the work at hand without having to worry about trivial matters outside of work.
At least for now.
Luo Yan was very satisfied with everything here, and this was another precious "legacy" he left for Xuebang after the idea of "science" -
He referred to modern academic project management experience and designed a more "scientific" resource allocation management system for Xuebang's virtual world research!
Here, each virtual realm exploration is managed as an independent project.
Some people are responsible for the early risk assessment and resource review, while others are responsible for following up on project progress and material allocation. All projects that enter the approval resource list must undergo strict registration and value assessment, and then be transferred to the seminar for review and interview procedures.
Any scholar who has objections to the distribution of resources can apply to attend the seminar and raise questions during the question-and-answer session.
To a certain extent, this system has ended the chaotic era in the past when resources were monopolized by a few scholars and research results and risks depended entirely on the personal conscience of scholars.
Of course, whether to continue using it depends on Xuebang itself.
The rules of any game are just rules. The factor that truly determines whether a game is a quality game or an entertainment game ultimately lies in the "players" themselves.
If the dear "Ariste II" replaced the cleaners in this office with his own people the day after he left, then even if he introduced the Solipsian management techniques, it would be useless.
Of course.
If that guy really did that, it might not be a bad thing. After all, any beautiful thing needs shadows to set it off.
Sitting behind the desk at the back of the office, Luo Yan leisurely sipped tea and admired the work he had created with his own hands.
At the same time, Miller, who had just completed archiving the No. 178 virtual world research materials, was reporting the progress of the paper to him with a beaming face.
"Your Highness! Our harvest far exceeded our expectations! Although we regret not being able to see the story of the 'Gray' civilization to the end, our output in Virtual Realm No. 178 has already completely surpassed that of Virtual Realm No. 440!"
"Not only have we found a more efficient and stable mining method than Mentor Merck's crude 'harvesting' method, we've also strengthened the passageway of Void Realm No. 178 to an unprecedented degree of security! Although we haven't yet decided what to get from the Grays, the vast amount of source energy accumulated in the Void Realm's passageway is more than enough to turn this Void Realm into a long-term, high-quality meal ticket!"
He took a deep breath, and his excitement subsided a little, but the admiration in his tone remained unchanged.
"...As for the theoretical progress, it's even more astonishing. Whether it's the Grays' psychic network or the 'virtual realm within a virtual realm' phenomenon we discovered during our exploration, any one of them alone is a major research discovery worthy of appearing on the front page of the Sage's Journal!"
Salvaging virtual world resources is Xuebang’s forte.
Although it is impossible to directly salvage the "technology" that does not exist on the continent of Os, the treasures that can be used to condense the soul and the rare materials that can be used to make powerful magic devices are temptations that even the sages cannot refuse.
Luo Yan was pleased that Miller and his team were able to recover quickly, but seeing that they seemed eager to publish the paper immediately, he still gave them a kind reminder.
"Good work. But... you should stop giving the editor of the Sage newspaper a hard time lately. It's okay to write the paper slowly."
"Why?" Miller looked at his mentor, who had suddenly poured cold water on him, puzzled and said in surprise, "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! We will redefine the model of virtual realm research. No one will ever suspect that we are doing something useless—"
"You will understand after I leave." Luo Yan looked at the young man and smiled, his tone calm, as if he was talking about a trivial matter that had nothing to do with him.
Miller was stunned for a moment, then he realized the shocking information behind this sentence, and the excitement on his face froze instantly.
He lowered his voice and asked tentatively.
"You...you're leaving?!"
"Yes." Luo Yan nodded frankly.
Miller stared blankly at the respected prince in front of him, and was speechless for a moment.
Even though he had thousands of words in his heart that he wanted to say to keep her, those words were stuck in his throat, and in the end, only bitter and hoarse words came out.
"……Why?"
He is a smart man.
Although he usually does not show enthusiasm for the power struggle in the tower, it does not mean that he can't see anything.
All recent signs indicate that the great sage thousands of miles away is intentionally supporting Professor Uriel of the Holy Energy School to balance the scientific school advocated by His Highness Colin. Many scholars who were originally close to His Highness the Prince have begun to change sides again.
Downplaying Colin's positive role in the "Maze Trial Incident" is a typical sign.
Although the three thousand apprentices and hundreds of teaching assistants who experienced that incident all knew that it was His Highness Colin who put an end to Professor Ariste, who was corrupted by Chaos, the Sage's Newspaper, by avoiding the main issue, pointed the credit to Ophelia and others who blew up the core of the maze.
This is the second method in the upper level of the tower.
Not only do they want to establish a new faction to replace the Thorne Society and fight against the "Science" school, they also want to establish another faction within the Science school, thereby dividing Colin's personal influence and provoking conflicts between the two factions.
This may not be an order issued by the Great Sage himself.
But those who live in this tower are all extremely intelligent people. They only need a glance or a cough from the great sage to naturally understand the hidden meaning in his saliva.
Then, all of this layout will be completed automatically through collective unconscious behavior.
The Grays of Void Realm 178 connected their minds with a psychic network, and the sages of the Academy could do this easily without the help of magic.
Miller originally thought that the prince would be an exception. If he was an undisputed noble person, he would not have to go through all this. However, it turned out that he was overthinking it.
It's the same for everyone who comes here.
"Why leave... I can tell you there are many reasons for this question."
Luo Yan put down his teacup, stood up, walked to the window overlooking the entire snowfield, and continued speaking with a smile.
"But if you ask me to tell you the story myself, I'd rather tell you the most poetic one... Some birds are destined to belong in the wider sky."
He turned around, looked at Miller who looked reluctant, and smiled gently.
"Don't be so depressed. We are not separated by an insurmountable void. We live under the same starry sky. If you miss me one day, just write to me, or... you can come to Janna Continent to find me."
A strong impulse surged into Miller's heart.
He even wanted to abandon everything in the school at this moment, leave this cold snowfield that has imprisoned countless geniuses, and follow the footsteps of His Royal Highness the Prince to see the wider sky.
However, there are too many things that are hard to let go.
He thought of his colleagues, the eager young apprentices in the Magic Science Laboratory, and the countless research projects on the wall that had just begun and were waiting for them to complete.
Some things can never be done again once you leave Xuebang.
Perhaps, one day in the future he will make a choice.
But now, he wanted to stay here and inherit the "scientific" spark that this prince brought like a glimpse of a brilliant genius.
Perhaps one day in the future, this tower will change something because of his insignificant efforts.
If not...
It's not too late to make other choices then.
After figuring this out, Miller took a deep breath, raised his head, and looked at Luo Yan with an unprecedented firm gaze.
"Your Highness, I won't beg you to stay, but I do ask that you inform me on the day you leave. At least allow us to stand by the window and see you off, and don't leave quietly..."
"That's for sure."
Luo Yan smiled, with a hint of mischievous smile in his deep eyes, and spoke in a gentle tone.
"When I came here, I flew from the sky. When I leave, I will naturally fly away from this snowy field."
"When that day comes, it will be hard for you to not see me."
…
In addition to a scientific virtual realm resource management system, Luo Yan also prepared another "gift" for his young apprentices.
It was neither a powerful magical device nor a magic book with obscure spells, but something more valuable than both.
The next day, in the Magic Science Laboratory, he gathered his students and announced a seemingly unremarkable decision.
"Sages have their own journals, and we're going to create our own academic journal," Luo Yan announced with a smile. "Let's call it Science."
As he spoke, Luo Yan turned his gaze to James Wall-E.
"Can I ask you for this editor-in-chief job?"
"No problem, Your Highness, but... can I really do it?" Upon hearing this surprising decision, James' face was full of flattery, but there was also a hint of hesitation in his eyes.
He believed that His Highness Colin had chosen him out of trust, but he doubted his qualifications and authority.
Can a silver-level mentor really shoulder such a heavy burden?
Looking at the unconfident Mr. James Wally, Luo Yan smiled and gently dispelled his concerns.
"Of course, rather... you are the most suitable candidate."
After a pause, he continued.
"Our journal is different from Sage. You don't have to consider the interests of the Great Sage Tower, or even the interests of the academic community. Your focus is solely on academic research. As long as a paper is groundbreaking, regardless of whether the author is a candidate or a sage, you should give it due scrutiny. Once you confirm its academic value, you should find the most outstanding scholars in the field to conduct a double-blind review of the manuscript."
Ophelia asked doubtfully.
"...Double-blind?"
Luo Yan said with a smile.
“Simply put, it means obscuring the names of contributors and reviewers until the manuscript is published, so that only the editor-in-chief knows whose manuscript is on whose desk.”
Ophelia's eyes lit up.
“That’s a great idea!”
Not only Ophelia, but everyone else nodded and praised this groundbreaking idea.
Although with the development of technology and the increase in subdivided fields, double-blind will gradually lose its anonymity function, and people who know the subject can guess who wrote the paper by just looking at the beginning of the paper, but at least this idea is still groundbreaking in this era.
The content of the first issue of the journal was determined after discussion, and everyone agreed that Ilana's "Path Optimization Equation", which was ruthlessly rejected by the "Sage Daily", was the most suitable choice.
Not only because of its own academic value, but also because of the almost rude reason for rejection given by the Sage Newspaper:
They want to highlight the difference between Science and the Sage!
Bain and Hard planned to write a conceptual paper on the "explosive thermobaric bomb" as the journal's first "applied science" article.
As for the printing of the journal, Luo Yan handed it over to Alberto, a reliable shop owner on Artisan Street, who occasionally took on some book printing jobs.
With the efforts of many apprentices and teaching assistants in the Magic Science Laboratory, they quickly printed out the first batch of publications.
This book "Science", with its plain appearance and without any official background, was born on an ordinary afternoon.
You don’t need a school registration to subscribe to this journal; even shop owners on Craftsman Street can subscribe as long as they have an address.
All you need to do is send a letter to the Magic Science Laboratory and attach a subscription fee of 1 silver coin and your subscription address. The editorial department will then send the latest issue of the magazine to the subscriber's dormitory, office, or wizard tower at the beginning of each month.
The emergence of the journal Science did not shake the authority of the sages, but it triggered an unprecedentedly fierce debate among young apprentices and assistants.
"This is simply wishful thinking! Magic is the art of communicating with the source of power, a divine gift! How can it be defined by cold mathematical formulas?" An elderly teaching assistant in the lounge looked at the journal in his hand with disdain.
He would never admit it because he couldn't understand it.
"But it can explain the 'conservation of magic energy'!"
Hearing the dismissive slander, another young teaching assistant immediately retorted.
His eyes sparkled with excitement, and he continued speaking excitedly as he looked at his stunned colleagues.
"Especially that path optimization equation! By the grace of Saint Sith, this is the first time I've discovered that the design of magic circles and spells can be so concise and elegant! Isn't the pursuit of higher and more powerful truths our ultimate goal as magicians?"
"This is a blasphemy against tradition! It's a blatant challenge to the sages!"
"No! This is the original intention of the establishment of the school - to explore the unknown!"
A heated debate about "traditional magic" and "mathematical axioms" has quietly ignited in every corner of Xuebang.
No one knew where this spark of thought would lead the tower, but it certainly brought a possibility that no one had ever imagined to this unchanging, cold snowfield.
The wisdom of mortals is not completely useless.
…
In stark contrast to the calm surroundings of Prince Colin, Professor Uriel Ackley of the Tower of the Holy Energy School has been enjoying a flourishing career recently.
With the fall of Ariste Thorne, he, as another "Grand Sage Candidate" pushed by the conservatives of the Sage Council, almost naturally took over most of the political legacy left by Ariste.
With the support of caring people, everyone regarded him as another rising academic star after Ariste.
Uriel was undoubtedly elated by this unexpected honor; the countless accolades and tributes greatly satisfied his vanity. However, beneath his gentle and compassionate scholar's mask, a subtle worry lingered.
He knew very well that he was just a chess piece pushed to the front by the great sage to check and balance the imperial prince.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but it also comes with deadly danger.
He must make every move carefully!
That day, he was in his private laboratory, admiring a treasure he had just retrieved from the Void Realm. It was a green crystal, emanating an incomparably pure power. Simply gazing at it could make him feel the nourishment coming from the depths of his soul.
Uriel had an intoxicated expression on his face, and was thinking about going to the meditation room to try out the effect of this thing.
However, at this moment, an apprentice knocked on the door and reported to him in a panic that the journal called "Science" was circulating among students.
This was Uriel's instruction.
Anything concerning His Highness Colin must be reported to him in detail.
"A privately-founded journal?"
Uriel stopped what he was doing, his gray-blue eyes narrowed slightly, "Is the paper being published the same one that was rejected by the Sage Journal?"
The apprentice nodded and added.
"Yes, Master! All the apprentices in the Mage Tower are discussing this matter now! You know, that prince is very popular among the young apprentices and assistant teachers..."
He didn't dare mention Prince Colin's name in front of Professor Ouriel and could only use "that prince" instead.
Uriel's heart sank suddenly, and a sense of tension gripped him, but his face remained calm as he looked at the apprentice and said.
"You should step back first."
"yes……"
The apprentice withdrew respectfully.
As the laboratory door closed, Uriel's expression immediately darkened. He paced back and forth in the room, alarm bells ringing in his head.
What does Prince Colin want to do?
He subconsciously linked this incident with Prince Colin's conspiracy, and suspiciously guessed the other party's motives.
Is this a warning to others?
Or is he declaring war on the faction behind him?
Or...is the sword pointed at him?
The more Uriel thought about it, the more anxious he became, and beads of sweat even appeared on his forehead.
After all, his past was not completely clean, especially the forbidden research on "Soul Weaving Technique" involved too many things that were inconvenient to talk about.
What if Colin uses the influence of Science to expose his old negative information?
After all, he was not Professor Alistair, who had seen a lot of ups and downs. Until a month ago, he was still the "Prince of the Prince" and never thought that the position of "Sage Substitute" would one day be his turn.
Not daring to delay, Ouriel immediately used his connections to get a copy of the inaugural issue of Science from another junior apprentice.
He locked himself in the study, carefully opened the seemingly ordinary journal, and read it word by word, trying to find hidden traps or vicious innuendos between the lines.
However--
He was disappointed.
It seems that it is really just an ordinary academic journal?
Aside from Ilana's brilliant essay, the remaining articles are just interesting ideas and not offensive in any way.
It is even cleaner than the Sage's Journal. After all, the Sage's Journal often publishes news or official opinions, but this journal is really just a journal.
Uriel was stunned.
He leaned back in his chair, feeling that his punch, which was full of power, hit a ball of cotton solidly.
The tense feeling of facing a great enemy seemed extremely funny at this moment.
"Could it be... am I overthinking it?"
He muttered to himself, feeling confused and annoyed that he had wasted so much inner drama, but that emotion soon turned into disdain.
Taking out a handkerchief and wiping the sweat from his forehead, Uriel's face regained a smug smile, and he muttered to himself sarcastically.
"I overestimated him."
(End of this chapter)
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