Chapter 391 Jealous Alistair and the Ubiquitous Colin
In the evening, the afterglow of the setting sun gilded the Great Sage's Tower with a layer of golden warmth. Almost at the same time as the bell rang, Luo Yan arrived at Professor Hector's office as scheduled.
As soon as he entered the door, Hector immediately stood up from behind the desk and walked towards him with an irrepressible smile on his face.
"Haha, Your Highness! You're finally here! Please take a seat!"
"Professor Hector, you're welcome."
Luo Yan smiled and nodded, then sat down on the familiar guest sofa as skillfully as if he was returning to his office.
The Corgi who was waiting on the side immediately perked up when he saw him coming and quickly poured him a cup of steaming hot tea.
The tea soup is clear in color and exudes a refreshing fragrance.
This was Professor Hector's most prized "Silent Snow Bud," crafted from the petals of an ice lotus from the Far North glacier. It was said to enhance the clarity and clarity of a mage's spiritual power during meditation. Normally, he himself would be reluctant to drink it, but now his assistant offered it to him.
In the past, seeing his teaching assistant wasting such a talent, the stingy Professor Hector would have frowned even if he didn't say anything.
But now he was in a very good mood, and these insignificant flaws were not worth his attention.
Besides, it was he who personally ordered that His Highness be treated well.
Just three days ago, the paper published by Corinta in the Sage Newspaper shocked the entire Great Sage Tower.
As the "recommender" who supported Colin in obtaining the No. 440 virtual realm research permission, Hector was very proud this time.
Not only did scholars from the same school express their admiration and compliments for him, but even the respected Great Sage expressed his rare recognition of his work.
Luo Yan drank his tea calmly, and while talking with Hector, he also observed the expression on the old professor's face with great interest.
Just as Corgi had revealed to him in advance, although the expression on that old face was being restrained, the raised corners of his mouth and eyebrows still revealed the joy in the old man's heart.
"Your Highness, your paper is truly eye-opening to me! Especially your deduction on the phenomenon of 'spiritual resonance', it's simply a stroke of genius!"
"Professor, you're too kind," Luo Yan said calmly, smiling as he took a sip of tea. "I'm simply summarizing some observed phenomena. And for this achievement to be truly remarkable, the contributions of many researchers at Corinta are invaluable. On the other hand, I've only done a small part."
"Haha, you're always so humble!"
Hector smiled broadly.
After the pleasantries, he leaned forward slightly and finally got to the point: "Your Highness, the Sage Council has reached a new resolution, and... it's unprecedented good news!"
When he said this, he kept the other person in suspense and paused for a moment to wait for His Highness Colin to ask.
Luo Yan was not interested in cooperating with him at first, but when he saw the anxiety and eagerness on that face, he couldn't help but smile and satisfied him.
"What is it?"
Seeing the curious look on His Highness Colin's face, Hector smiled complacently and continued with a sharp gaze.
"There are three official resolutions. First, the Council fully affirms your research achievements in Virtual Realm No. 178 and officially withdraws the previous risk warning! This means that your research methods can now be used as reference and learning by all scholars!"
"Secondly, to support your pioneering research, the Council has decided to provide greater resource support to your 'Magic Science Laboratory', including but not limited to priority in funding and personnel deployment!"
Looking at Professor Hector who looked excited, Luo Yan calmly drank a sip of tea and just listened quietly, without much change in his facial expression.
He doesn't care much about praise and resources.
The former is just an empty title. At this point, regardless of whether it is recognized by the Council or not, Colin's name and scientific school have been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people in the Tower of Great Sages.
As for the latter, it was nothing more than worldly money, which was exactly what he lacked the least.
Luo Yan believed that Professor Hector must also be aware of this.
If it's just a small matter, there's no need to tell him in person. Just let Mr. Corgi pass on the message.
Luo Yan gently blew away the mist on the teacup and waited for his chef to bring the "main course" to the coffee table.
And just as he expected, Professor Hector suddenly lowered his voice, and his solemn tone was filled with an unprecedented excitement.
"Finally, the third resolution, and the most important one!"
"The Council has decided to establish a special committee to review the virtual resources that have been frozen due to channel failure!"
"Oh?" Luo Yan put down the teacup in his hand, an interested look on his face.
He had heard Hector mention once before that Xuebang adopted the attitude of squeezing out as much as possible from most of the virtual world resources that were about to be exhausted.
But there are also some in the virtual realm, who are so weak that they can't even take out a feather pen.
For this virtual realm that has neither development value nor research value, the top management of Xuebang has decided to temporarily freeze it.
In the words of the great sage Doliuque, they must always leave a little hope for future generations.
Although Hector has not yet explained the content of the review work of this special committee, Luo Yan can guess based on common sense that this is to "reorganize the bankruptcy resources"!
Just as he thought in his heart, Hector tried hard to control the excitement in his voice and announced in a solemn tone.
"This special committee will be responsible for selecting virtual realms with potential for restoration and commissioning new research teams to conduct restorative research based on your research ideas!"
"As the executive chief of this special committee, you will be directly involved in the two-way screening of resources and talents!"
The air in the office was silent for two seconds.
Even though he was mentally prepared, Luo Yan was still greatly surprised by the generosity of the Great Sage Tower.
Joining the special committee established by the Sage Council means that he will have the power to evaluate and even allocate the most core strategic resources of the school!
His influence will no longer be limited to a small Corin Tower, but will be able to radiate to the shadow of the entire Great Sage Tower!
Although it is true that Xuebang is a vassal state of the empire, they are ultimately two different systems... Do these guys trust me so much?
Or perhaps these magicians were certain that they would not stay here forever, so instead of choosing someone from the other school, they decided to let an outsider like them be the chief executive.
But no matter what—
A happy smile appeared on Luo Yan's face.
"That's really good news. Thank you, Professor Hector."
Upon hearing this, Professor Hector's face showed even more joy.
"Haha, Your Highness, you're too kind. This is all you deserve. Speaking of which... this special committee will inevitably have to work hard for you in the future. Those frozen virtual world archives are piled up like mountains, and picking out the valuable ones from them... is no easy task."
When he said this, he rubbed his hands a little embarrassedly and chuckled. He looked like a child who was drooling over candy but was too embarrassed to speak.
"Of course, if... I mean if, during the review process, Your Highness discovers some resources that are particularly suitable for my Mage Tower... I'd appreciate your... ahem, please take care of it."
This old-fashioned professor was obviously not good at asking others for favors. He spoke in a roundabout way and even felt a little embarrassed after he finished speaking.
Looking at Professor Hector who wanted to speak but was too embarrassed to do so, Luo Yan smiled. This little thing was certainly no problem for him.
"Of course, your academic ability is recognized by all scholars. Even if we didn't have a relationship, I would still give you priority... Professor, please don't worry too much."
In a place like Xuebang, what is most lacking is talented researchers. Just picking up a brick and throwing it down can knock down a large area.
Since the decision is in my hands, who can I give this opportunity to?
As a demon king, his first choice is of course those who have the remote control in their hands.
Hector's old face flushed, he scratched the back of his head, and laughed as if to ease the embarrassment.
"Haha, that's true... I'm not bragging, but I'm one of the most famous Void Realm researchers in the Great Sage Tower. Otherwise, they wouldn't have chosen me if they weren't recruiting students."
He was the only one smiling in the office.
“…”
Looking at Professor Hector talking to himself, Luo Yan silently picked up the teacup on the table, drank the tea to hide his embarrassment, and sighed in his heart.
With this guy's emotional intelligence, he actually managed to get a professorship. I guess he really has some real skills...
…
While the Demon King's corruption was silently spreading towards the top of the tower, the owner of another godhead was also not idle.
Professor Ariste, a giant of the School of Source Law who had always lived in seclusion among his apprentices, suddenly changed his usual style and began to appear frequently in the public eye.
In the upper library of the Great Sage's Tower, a highly experienced instructor was pondering over a complex rune matrix.
Just as he was sighing at the model, Professor Alistair, who was passing by, suddenly stopped, glanced at it casually, and said lightly.
"Why not reverse the direction of energy conduction? This isn't a very complicated question; you're just overthinking it."
Those lighthearted words were like a thunderclap, leaving the instructor stunned. His eyes were filled with suspicion at first, but soon that suspicion turned to ecstasy.
"Thank you - Professor Alister?!" The moment he raised his head, he suddenly realized who was the person who gave him advice.
And at this moment, he was completely dumbfounded.
A glint of disdain flashed in Ariste's eyes as he looked at this ignorant fool, but he still responded gently and humbly.
"You're welcome. It's my... honor to answer your questions." He took some effort to utter the last word, as if it were an obscure spell.
The mentor opened his mouth wide, as if he had really been hit by a spell. He didn't come back to his senses for a long time, with a look of seeing a ghost on his face.
Ariste didn't waste time on this "confused woodrat". He smiled and nodded, then walked away amid the subconscious gazes of countless scholars.
Another time, in the corridor leading to the library, a candidate accidentally dropped the files in his hand to the ground because of nervousness.
Just as he was hurriedly preparing to pack up, he found that Professor Alister had squatted down and picked up one of the volumes for him personally.
The apprentice was flattered and mustered up the courage to ask a question that was so naive that it was almost ridiculous, about the nature of the source force.
Everyone thought he would be laughed at or scolded, but instead of getting angry, Ariste patiently stopped and answered his questions with the simplest metaphors.
For a time, rumors about Professor Ariste's generosity, wisdom, and willingness to mentor younger generations spread throughout the Tower of Great Sages like a spring breeze.
Although many teaching assistants and tutors wondered why this big guy suddenly changed his personality, objectively speaking, these actions did change his reputation.
Especially to those apprentices who are not familiar with him.
However, behind this praise lies an anxiety that no one is aware of.
Late at night, in Ariste's private study.
He stared at his reflection in the mirror, his eyes fixed on the ring that symbolized the power of the Thorne Society.
A twisted gray mist was slowly emerging from the ring, wrapping around his arm and winding into his shadow.
That is his godhead—
The fragments that Avano gave him.
"Xiao Wa, our efficiency is too low," Ariste said with impatience in his voice. "This insignificant power of faith is just a drop in the bucket. It's not enough for me to reach the bottleneck."
He gave this godhead who claimed to be from Avano, the Crown of Pride, a catchy code name, so that he wouldn't forget what to call it and accidentally let it slip at a critical moment.
The gray mist rolled happily, and in a gentle voice, it comforted him: "Be patient, my master. In this regard, you must learn more from your opponent."
"Colin..." Alistair's eyes turned cold instantly.
"That's right," Xiao Wa's voice was tinged with laughter. "He is using his own way to erode the faith of the Saint Sith bit by bit, and in the name of the Saint Sith. Haven't you noticed? Now half of the people in the tower are talking about him, and even regard him as the chosen one of the Saint Sith... Haha, what foolish mortals, as short-sighted and ignorant as bugs."
Alistair's voice was icy cold.
"I know what he's doing, you don't have to egg me on."
"I didn't," the gray mist form appeared incredibly innocent. "I was just warning you to be careful... Besides, at this point, it's not appropriate for you to attack him, is it? He's more terrifying dead than alive, and you might not be his match."
"Just a platinum level." Alistair snorted coldly.
"Don't underestimate the Platinum level. Besides... aren't you also a Diamond? Actually, you're only slightly higher than him."
Before its master could lose his temper, the twisted gray mist disappeared.
…
A few days passed since then.
Ariste patiently continued to play the role of a "people-friendly scholar", doing what His Highness Colin once did.
He traveled between various seminars, generously sharing his knowledge, and occasionally stopped to personally guide the young apprentices who were full of admiration.
certainly--
Not all of those who looked at him were admiring. Most of them were scholars who were startled by his inexplicable courtesy.
When an old fox suddenly starts to show goodwill, no one will think that it has changed its nature and become a vegetarian. They will only suspect that they are being targeted.
In contrast to him, Prince Colin has rarely appeared in the public eye recently.
It was as if the two people had swapped identities.
The council seemed to have reached some resolution recently, and the prince was busy dealing with the matter, devoting almost all his energy to it.
His classes were occasionally taught by his assistant, and sometimes even by his apprentice.
But surprisingly, no one thought it was inappropriate. The atmosphere in his science class was no different from usual, and the discussions were even more lively than usual.
After all, it takes some courage to ask questions to the prince, but it does not take too much courage to ask questions to the prince's students.
But Ariste saw this as an opportunity!
On this day, Ariste suddenly made a rare announcement that he would personally open an open class for the apprentices of the School of Source Law.
As soon as the news came out, the entire lecture hall was packed, and even the aisles were filled with students who came to see him... just like when Prince Colin gave his lectures.
Looking at the packed classroom, Alistair showed a meaningful smile on his face.
Although he admitted that the prince from the Holy City was good at studying the virtual realm, he was still far behind himself in terms of academic status.
As long as he wants, he can make up the gap between the two sides in minutes!
"Now that most people are here, let's get started." Alistair cleared his throat and announced the start of the class.
The content of the course is the basic part about the composition of source force in source force morphology.
Although the lesson plan was prepared by his tutor, he could easily learn this superficial knowledge without even looking at the lesson plan.
No matter how Nowell viewed his identity as a scholar, the title of "academic rising star" he won twenty years ago was not something that fell from the sky.
At least in the Source Law School, the only one who could surpass him in theory was probably his mentor, the great sage Dosuluke.
The classroom atmosphere was lively. After all, it was a lecture by a famous teacher. Everyone was fascinated by the lecture and took several pages of notes.
Ariste was also very satisfied.
Especially during the class, he suddenly found that teaching apprentices was not as boring as he had imagined.
Recalling superficial knowledge not only helps him relax his brain, but also helps him recall those obvious but easily overlooked details of knowledge.
Maybe I could consider taking a few more classes.
Bathed in admiring gazes, Alistair thought so and announced the start of the question-and-answer session, asking the teaching assistant standing nearby to call the roll for him.
Hands were raised one after another.
Soon, an apprentice sitting in the front row was chosen by his assistant. He stood up excitedly and spoke in a shrill voice.
"Professor, regarding the principle of 'observation before hypothesis' that you mentioned earlier, it reminds me... His Highness Colin said that before we consider the why, we must first examine the whether. Is this the same principle?"
He had obviously thought about it seriously and tried to integrate the new knowledge he had learned.
As for why he didn't ask the core question related to the source of power, but instead asked about a trivial matter, it was of course because that was the only thing he understood.
This is actually normal. The more notes you take, the less you understand.
Generally speaking, professors will not argue with apprentices. After all, everyone knows that it is normal for these rookies to have empty heads and not understand.
However, the words "His Highness Colin said" were like an invisible sting that pierced Ariste's heart accurately.
On the podium, the gentle smile on his face froze instantly, and his eyes, once full of wisdom, became extremely cold and ruthless.
A suffocating spiritual pressure flashed by like an invisible storm, and even the professor sitting in the back row couldn't help but hold his breath.
The classroom was silent.
The atmosphere, which was boiling with academic excitement just a second ago, was now so silent that you could hear a pin drop.
The apprentice who asked the question turned pale, and under the horrified gaze of his companions, he slowly sat down, his body shaking constantly.
He probably won't be well all day today, and he'll probably get better slowly tomorrow.
Realizing he had overreacted, Alister quickly got his emotions under control.
That gentle face gradually regained its composure, but the gentleness and patience of a "people-friendly scholar" were gone.
"I don't deny that what he said might make sense, but you don't have to repeat it to everyone like a parrot. I don't think that His Highness would want you to be so stupid."
"Especially since we're not talking about the same thing at all."
He answered the question briefly in a calm tone and then announced that the question-and-answer session would continue.
But after he finished speaking, no one raised their hand for a long time, and everyone was trembling with fear.
A hint of annoyance flashed in Ariste's eyes, although he carefully hid it deep in his eyes.
"Since you don't have any questions, let's end the get out of class."
After leaving the classroom, he couldn't help but start to reflect.
Am I too kind to these guys?
As a result, they gradually forgot about humility.
At this moment, Alistair suddenly thought of Colin again, and his gentle expression almost twisted again.
The seed of jealousy had quietly sprouted in his heart. Although he himself was aware of it, perhaps this was the price of becoming a god.
At least, this time Xiao Wa did not try to persuade him to calm down. Apparently, a little temper is harmless to the gods.
Anyway, people who respect him will still respect him, and people who hate him will not stop hating him because of what he did.
…
A few days later, an invitation letter from the top of the tower was delivered to Ariste's desk, stamped with the seal of the great sage Dolulak.
Seeing the familiar emblem, Ariste's expression froze, a trace of panic flashed in his eyes, his face turned pale, and his hands and feet were cold.
He looked so flustered, like a child who was caught cheating on an exam.
He subconsciously looked at the mirror beside him, and the distorted gray mist slowly seeped out from his index finger as if by appointment.
It spoke soothingly in the voice of a child.
"Calm down, brother. No one can see me except you, not even a demigod... Your suspicious look will only give you away."
Ariste cursed, lowering his voice to a hoarse tone.
"You underestimate that old man. He's seen everything! He knows everything! Not a single detail escapes his eyes!"
Xiao Wa suddenly smiled.
Ariste felt a little annoyed by its indifferent attitude, but he could do nothing about it and could only speak in a deep voice.
"why are you laughing?"
Xiao Wa sighed and said.
"I'm laughing... You and your apprentices are actually very similar. You're not even two sides of the same coin, but printed on the same side. Can I say that name? If it were him, even if Saint Sith stood in front of him, he would be able to smile and chat with him. When talking about the Holy Light, Saint Sith might even think he was one of his own—"
"Enough, shut up!" Ariste cursed.
For a moment, he couldn't tell whether he was angry because he was being compared to the apprentice, or because his own godhood was mocked as being inferior to that man.
But now is not the time to hesitate.
He grabbed the letter, hurried out of the study, and headed towards the elevator...
The private garden of the great sage Doluluk is located at the top of the Tower of Source Law.
Under the huge glass dome, exotic flowers and plants are evergreen all year round, nourished by magic, making this small world look like a corner of God's kingdom.
Outside the dome is the endless blue sky.
The stars are within reach here.
This is the pinnacle of the Great Sage's Tower, the pinnacle of the entire academy, and the pinnacle of prestige and power in the magic world!
When he was young, Ariste had imagined countless times that he was standing here, overlooking this world of ice and snow as the master.
However, by middle age, this ambition has long been worn away by reality.
His mentor, the living legend of the nation, showed no signs of fading away and might even outlive him.
Facing this unfathomable mentor, Ariste suppressed all outward emotions and tried hard to control the uneasiness in his heart.
I hope he, who is so busy with his work, doesn't notice my recent abnormality...
However, just when he was feeling anxious, the great sage Dosuluke behaved as usual.
Unlike his majestic posture at the meeting of the great sages, he was leisurely pruning the branches of a glowing orchid.
Seeing Ariste coming, the white-bearded old man nodded gently and motioned his beloved disciple to sit on the stone bench beside him.
"You seem to be very active lately," Dosuluke said in a steady and slow voice, with a warm smile on his face and deep eyes that made it impossible to tell the depth of his thoughts. "I heard that you've recently started teaching the apprentices again?"
"I'm just sharing some of my humble thoughts, hoping to contribute a little to the future of Xuebang." Ariste replied humbly.
"Haha, that's good."
Dosuluke's voice was tinged with nostalgia, as if he was reminiscing about the passing of time. It wasn't that he wouldn't age, but he was aging more slowly than the average person.
"Time flies... It's been so many years. Do you still remember those basic theories?"
Ariste said respectfully.
"Of course I remember. You taught me that."
Dosulfk smiled gently.
He did not continue with this topic, but continued to chat with him about the latest progress in cultivation and virtual realm research, as if this summons was just an ordinary conversation between teacher and student.
Just as Ariste gradually relaxed his vigilance, the great sage seemed to casually put down the gardening shears in his hand and suddenly spoke.
"By the way, Alistair, regarding the newly formed 'Special Committee'... the Council has already made a decision."
He paused and continued in a very soft voice.
"I intend to appoint Prince Colin as the chief executive, fully responsible for the selection and restoration of those weakened virtual realms."
(End of this chapter)
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