Chapter 381 Colin, who is "taking advantage of others"
Professor Hector Wren's office is, as always, filled with the dry smell of ancient parchment and aged ink. The towering bookshelves almost touch the carved dome, filled with all kinds of books and files, so neat that they are almost paranoid.
However, the solemnity and tranquility that belonged to the academic holy land in the past were completely torn apart by an anxious and restless atmosphere.
The owner of the office, Professor Hector, a respected figure in the Tower of the Great Sage, was like a lion trapped in a cage, pacing back and forth irritably.
His dark blue mage robe, which symbolizes the Source Law School, was stirred up by the owner's movements and stirred up gusts of breeze, fluttering the piles of documents on the desk, making a slight "rustle" sound, like a countdown to death.
When Luo Yan pushed in the door under the guidance of assistant coach Ke Ji, he saw such an "anxious" scene.
"Professor, Tutor Colin is here." Corgi announced cautiously, and immediately bowed and retreated, and gently closed the heavy oak door.
Hector turned back almost instantly, his eyes fixed on Luo Yan.
The usually calm and composed eyes now lacked any of the calmness of a platinum-level powerhouse.
"What's the matter, Professor Hector, why are you so anxious?" Luo Yan walked into the office as if he had returned to his own home, and sat on the sofa with a smile.
Seeing His Highness Colin's calm and calm look, Hector couldn't laugh or cry, and the anxious anger in his chest seemed to have been punched on cotton.
He sighed heavily, walked quickly to the desk, grabbed the "Sage Newspaper" that still smelled of ink, hurried back to the coffee table, and stuffed the newspaper in front of Luo Yan.
"See for yourself!"
Hector rarely spoke to himself in such a serious tone, especially since he began to dream about inheriting the 440th Void Realm from himself.
Luo Yan raised his eyebrows in surprise, reached out and picked up the newspaper on the coffee table, and his eyes naturally fell on the front page headlines.
The large title also uses bold fonts to demonstrate the authority of its content——
"Risk Warning on Regulating Virtual Realm Interference Research"
The wording of the article is as rigorous and obscure as ever. The opening chapter cited the "serious accident" that occurred in Virtual Realm No. 178 not long ago as an argument, emphasizing that in order to "protect the limited virtual realm resources of the Academy," the Council of Sages made a decision after a long and careful discussion.
This is not news.
It is the resolution of the wise men.
Luo Yan was not interested in those preparatory statements, so he tried to refine the core content of the article.
First, the Council decided to "temporarily restrict" the Mage Towers of various schools except for a few exceptions, and adopt a radical "guided" intervention strategy in the virtual realm.
The second is a supplementary explanation of the "few special cases".
This announcement clearly states that as the pioneer of this research model, Corinta’s research project can continue as a special case, and the board of directors will re-evaluate the risks and benefits of this strategy based on its subsequent results.
If Corinta's research does not go well, or no further progress is made for a long time, they reserve the right to take back No. 440 Virtual Realm.
After reading this, Luo Yan couldn't help but raise a playful smile.
Although the council exerted subtle pressure on him, looking at it from another perspective, this is actually a good thing.
The Void Realm No. 440 is still in the "CD cool-down period". What his subordinate Miller is most worried about now is that others will follow their research ideas and discover the results that they could have discovered themselves.
This researcher's position is still too small after all, and he has even begun to regret publishing his research results prematurely.
Now that the council has issued a resolution to restrict other mage towers from using the research strategy of No. 440 Virtual Realm, this guy should be able to breathe a sigh of relief.
Of course, Luo Yan himself doesn't care.
What does a demon king need academic results for?
What he wants is for the "scientific" school to flourish in the Holy City, and for the name "Prince Colin" to become the sun on the snowy plains!
He pointed a direction towards the future, and it was the same to him whoever walked the road.
Luo Yan gently folded the newspaper and threw it back on the coffee table. His leisurely attitude was in sharp contrast to Hector, who was standing beside him as if he was facing an enemy.
Looking up at the anxious professor, he asked in a tone that was almost teasing.
"That's it? I've finished reading, what next?"
Hector heard this and was so angry that he almost laughed out loud.
Looking at Colin's handsome and "innocent" face, he sighed heavily, as if he was exhausted mentally and physically for a junior who was not familiar with the world.
“Your Highness, my prince, I don’t know if you did it on purpose or if you really don’t understand... This resolution is not just a resolution, but a gesture!”
He hurriedly walked to the coffee table and sat down, stretched out a finger and clicked on the title of the newspaper, and began to "interpret" word for word in a tone that said he hated iron.
"In Xuebang, "exceptions" are not gifts, but shackles called "gifts"! On the surface, you don't have to worry about this resolution, but in fact... everyone is waiting for you to make a mistake!"
"Even if it is just a small mistake, or just no progress for a period of time, your mistakes will be put under a magnifying glass and considered over and over again."
“Maybe you think it’s nothing, just let them go, but for those who oppose you, this is enough! They can immediately and justifiably use today’s resolution to take back your control over the virtual realm, and prove to everyone that their decision today "Prudence" is so far-sighted, it is definitely not robbery in the name of rightness! "
Luo Yan looked at Professor Hector who was studying the newspaper with interest, picked up the teapot on the table, poured himself a cup of tea, and took a sip.
Of course this little trick could not escape his eyes, and he was not interested in Professor Hector's oblique analysis.
What he was interested in was Professor Hector himself.
This old professor interpreted every word in the newspaper word by word, and analyzed it clearly and logically. His flattering look was like sucking the master's spoon, tasting the saltiness of the overnight dishes, and then guessing what the master would poop tomorrow.
Although he did not realize that this was a kind of "flattery", he regarded it as a kind of great "wisdom".
Of course, Luo Yan did not laugh at Hector. After all, the wisdom of survival is also a kind of wisdom, and this is not Hector's own fault.
For a long time, Xuebang has been using artificially created resource shortages and inequality of opportunities to systematically produce these curly and honest tool men, and Hector is just the standout from this system. Those "Milos" who have not stood out can be found everywhere in the towers where sages gather.
This is also the soil where the Demon King's "corruption" can take root and sprout. Strictly speaking, he should thank them.
Light needs shadow to set off.
Seeing that Hector was going to continue his long speech and analyze the far-reaching impact of this matter on the Elemental School and even the entire radical camp, Luo Yan finally raised his hand and gently interrupted him.
"Professor, I am not interested in the mood of the sages, just like they are actually not interested in my ideas and doctrines... It doesn't make any sense for you to tell me this."
Hector's impassioned speech stopped abruptly, and he looked at him blankly.
Luo Yan paused, suddenly changed into an interested tone, and picked up the newspaper pointed by Hector's index finger again.
"But... I am very interested in this "serious accident" mentioned in the newspaper."
Hhi He said, his slender fingers accurately pointed at the inconspicuous number - "Void Realm No. 178". "The Sage" used it as evidence to prove that the success of No. 440 Virtual Realm was just an accident. But in his opinion, the failure of this virtual realm was only due to the stupidity of the experimenter himself.
In the end, that guy only cared about his own interests and what he wanted, but he never asked what the opponent behind the virtual realm wanted.
This is not called "communication."
If the Void Realm No. 178 gave Mentor Merk any inspiration, it was nothing more than using the history of the Grays to warn him—their own ending!
Or the ending of "arrogance"...
"...Teacher Merck's experiment failed, and the world is said to have become an 'irreversible wasteland'? I'm curious, to be more specific, what kind of wasteland is it?"
Hector's thoughts were completely blocked by this sudden turn. He was stunned by this strange focus, nodded subconsciously, and answered along with the words.
"Yes, as for what it is... It is said that the civilization there has completely collapsed. The Grays who could not bear the sacrifice killed their savior, so that the back of the virtual realm became a dead place without faith and soul. It was even worse than the smoky ruins before. It had no research value or development value..."
Before he finished speaking, he saw Luo Yan slowly raising his hand.
At that moment, Hector saw a light in the young prince's eyes that he had never seen in the eyes of other scholars.
It is a look that is mixed with curiosity and absolute confidence, as if a navigator sailing in strange seas has discovered a new treasure.
"Really? But I don't think so," Luo Yan said with a hint of smile in his voice, "Maybe I can try to see if I can...save it."
The office fell into a dead silence.
Hector was stunned on the sofa, as if messed up in the cold wind of the snowfield, completely unable to understand the other person's thoughts.
He originally wanted to warn a lamb that was about to break into the wolf pack, reminding him of the dangers and calculations ahead, but he did not expect that this "lamb"'s gaze passed over the grinning wolves from the beginning, and went straight to the scorched earth that all wolves avoided.
His Adam's apple moved and he struggled to squeeze out a sentence.
"I'm afraid it's difficult... Virtual Realm No. 178 is a resource in the name of Mentor Merck. Even if... even if it has become a wasteland, no mentor will voluntarily give up his virtual realm unless the council deprives it of its ownership."
This is an unbreakable unspoken rule within the academy.
Each virtual realm, whether barren or rich, is a symbol of a mentor's status and qualifications. Especially for a "young and promising" scholar like Merck, who is still relatively young.
He didn't need to guess. There must be someone standing behind this person, but he didn't know which senior person it was.
However, after listening to Hector's words, Luo Yan just smiled, shook his head, and said calmly.
"You are right, virtual realm resources are precious, but that was when Virtual Realm No. 178 was still valuable... As for now, it is more like a trouble that cannot be shaken off."
He could of course guess that there must be a professor or sage behind Merck, and the ownership of this virtual realm resource is definitely not something that a young mentor with no background can control.
But precisely because of this, he had the opportunity to use the research authority of No. 440 Virtual Realm as a "gamble" bargaining chip to negotiate terms with the person standing behind the young mentor——
Aren’t you waiting for me to make a mistake?
Now is the opportunity.
Luo Yan does not need to know who this person is, it is enough to know that the other person is interested in the virtual resources in his hand.
Of course——
There is no need to tell Hector this sentence.
After all, in Hector's view, Void Realm No. 440 is already in his pocket, and he will never agree to gamble on an opportunity with a "low chance of winning".
Even though the virtual realm No. 440 has never belonged to him.
“...Go and give it a try, Professor Hector. Let’s just say that I, Prince Colin, want to take over this mess and share the worries of the academic community. I think Professor Merck will be happy to be accommodating. And I promised him that if No. 178 Virtual Realm produces any results, his name will also be on the paper.”
He returned the newspaper to Hector, patted the latter's shoulder gently, and then stood up from the soft sofa with a smile.
"I'm waiting for your good news."
After saying that, he turned and left the office, closing the heavy oak door.
The office has returned to quietness.
Looking at the newspaper in his hand, Professor Hector looked dumbfounded and had a headache as His Highness the Prince had given him another difficult problem.
“What on earth does this guy want to do?”
Is it possible that he is really addicted to studying the virtual world? !
Hector muttered quietly and put down the newspaper in his hand.
At this moment, he suddenly thought about it. When His Highness Colin spoke to him just now, he seemed to use a tone in which a superior was explaining tasks to his subordinates.
When he realized this, he was angry and funny, and for a moment he had a dumbfounded expression on his face.
His Highness, has he really never treated him as an outsider? He just treated his subordinates as his own people, and now he has become his own? !
"Holy Saint Sith... I beg you, please let this guy go somewhere else to cause harm to other people!"
…
Professor Hector’s prayer is destined to be in vain.
After all, he even prayed to the wrong person.
No matter how much the "honest" professor had a headache due to His Highness Colin's orders, Luo Yan, who strolled back to the laboratory leisurely, was in a good mood.
·The high-level meeting of Xuebang not only did not thwart his plan, but provided him with an opportunity to increase his bet.
If he can solve the "crisis" in the virtual realm No. 178 and prove that it is not a fault of the route but a human problem, his prestige in this tower will undoubtedly reach a new height.
As for failure...
Honestly, he really doesn't care.
Same sentence, after all, this is someone else’s bicycle.
Pushing open the door of the "Magical Science" laboratory, Luo Yan felt as if he had stepped from the gloomy winter into the noisy midsummer.
This "holy place" with a strong academic atmosphere is as lively and lively as ever, and it has not diminished because of his brief departure or return.
The young apprentices were in groups, arguing endlessly about their respective topics, and the air was filled with high-spirited enthusiasm.
Luo Yan was very pleased.
Although his mentality is no longer young, he still believes that this is what young people should look like.
His eyes subconsciously turned to a corner of the laboratory, where he had "arranged" the teaching site before leaving.
I saw Ilana sitting at an oak table, patiently writing something on a piece of paper.
Beside her, Miss Castellon was leaning forward with unprecedented concentration, staring closely at the movement of the pen tip, for fear of missing any detail.
It can be seen that she is really convinced.
…So, we cannot directly think that infinitesimal is zero, but we must understand that it is a "process", a trend infinitely close to zero."
Ilana's voice is clear and steady. , she gently tapped a symbol on the manuscript paper with the end of the quill, "This symbol 'lim' is a tool used to describe this 'process'. You see, when x approaches a infinitely, the value of this function approaches L infinitely..."
Considering that Ophia missed too many classes, she taught her in detail, almost starting from the most basic parts, breaking them into pieces and feeding them to her.
Instructor Colin rarely talks about things in such detail.
His lessons are unimaginable, just like he used a prism to dissect the holy light in the first lesson, giving people a direct impact to the depths of the soul.
Rather than telling his students the secrets, he prefers to lead them through a door and stimulate their desire for exploration and curiosity.
But to say how in-depth his lectures are, that's not true. It depends more on the students to figure it out after class.
It is almost impossible to understand his teachings just by listening to lectures.
Compared with a lecturer who preaches and solves doubts, he is more like a very inspiring enlightener.
"That's it..."
Ophelia let out a sigh of realization, and her sapphire-like eyes shone with the brilliance of enlightenment.
"I couldn't figure it out before, just because I regarded it as a fixed number! It turns out... it is a 'state'!"
She raised her head and looked at Ilana. There was no trace of awkwardness or reluctance on her face anymore, replaced by admiration from the bottom of her heart.
At least for this minute, the arrogant princess seemed to have forgotten her status and was completely impressed by the light called "wisdom".
Looking at Ophia who was immersed in the academic ocean and even forgot her own existence, Luo Yan, who was standing in the distance, nodded approvingly.
Very good.
It seems that she has gradually realized the joy of being immersed in the ocean of knowledge, which makes people want to die and can't stop.
魔王的心腹大患——
-
1！
It is completely different from the bright and vibrant atmosphere of the "Magic Science" laboratory. This is obviously a study, but the light is surprisingly dim and depressing.
The air is filled with the smell of rare ebony wood mixed with some kind of strange incense. The thick velvet curtains block out all daylight from the outside world. Only a few wall lamps powered by magic illuminate the low-key and luxurious interior furnishings with their faint light.
This place is not like a scholar's study, but more like a secret room used by a powerful person to weave a conspiracy.
A middle-aged mage with an elegant appearance and deep eyes is sitting leisurely behind a huge ebony desk.
This person is none other than the boss behind Mentor Merck, and the president of the Thorne Society who controls the shadows of the entire tower like a spider web - Professor Alister Thorne.
At this moment, he was gently shaking the crystal cup in his hand, tasting the scarlet blood-like liquid in the cup, with a comfortable expression on his face, as if all the troubles in the world had nothing to do with him.
Although he spends most of his time meditating in the meditation room and practicing the "breathing and exhalation method" learned from the virtual realm, he occasionally takes some time to imitate the nobles of the Kingdom of Rhodes and enjoy life.
"Professor."
Coming to the desk, Merck bowed his head deeply in respect, not even daring to look directly at Professor Alister who was leisurely tasting wine.
His voice had an imperceptible tremor, and after receiving the permission signal, he continued in a low voice.
"Just now, Professor Hector found me..."
He did not dare to hide anything and repeated Hector's purpose exactly.
The prosperous Prince Colin wants to take over the Void Realm No. 178 that has come to an end!
Hector came here precisely to seek the opinion of his "person in charge", hoping that he could satisfy His Highness the Prince's curiosity - anyway, that virtual realm was no longer useful to him, and now someone was willing to "take the blame" for him.
Merck's heart was beating rapidly as he relayed Hector's request in a low voice.
As for the reason, it is naturally because of excitement.
Having messed up everything, he had already prepared for the worst, and maybe he would never have a chance with the virtual world in this life. However, just when he was desperate, things took a turn for the better... An arrogant imperial noble planned to take over the mess he had messed up.
He wanted to immediately agree to Professor Hector's request, but unfortunately, he was only the person in charge in name only and had no power to make arbitrary decisions.
He could only ask Hector to go back and wait for news on the grounds that he needed time to think carefully, while he immediately rushed here non-stop to ask for instructions from the real master of the virtual realm.
Hhearing this unexpected news, Professor Alister's leisurely wine tasting paused slightly, his cloudy pupils narrowed slightly, and a surprised and amused expression appeared on his face.
Take over Virtual Realm No. 178?
This was really... a development that was beyond his expectation.
He gently put the goblet back on the table, and the bottom of the glass made a slight crunching sound on the ebony table. He stared at Merck, who lowered his head and did not dare to speak, and fell into thinking.
The ink on the announcement warning of risks issued by the Council of Sages has not yet dried, and every line hints at the huge risks involved in the "radical strategy" adopted by His Highness.
However, he acted as if he hadn't seen it. Instead of restraining himself from the research on Void Realm No. 440, he turned around and took over the Void Realm No. 178, which had become a problem?
"Interesting, haha... really interesting."
What an arrogance this is!
How stupid is it?
Alister had a mocking smile on his face.
His Royal Highness the Prince seemed completely unaware that the Great Sage had given him "special" immunity, but in fact he was being roasted on the fire.
Everyone is waiting for him to make a mistake.
As long as he makes a small mistake, the conservatives in the tower can immediately seize this golden opportunity and take away No. 440 Void Realm from his hands!
Thinking of this, Alister's eyes became dark, and a trace of greed appeared behind his cloudy pupils.
For him, Virtual Realm No. 178 has been a completely failed investment, and it is useless to keep it in his hands. Prince Colin was actually willing to take the initiative to pick up this "hot potato", which was a huge benefit to him without any harm!
As long as Colin fails in the Virtual Realm Project No. 178, Virtual Realm No. 440 can legitimately be used as "compensation" for mentor Merck!
As for Colin's success... that almost never happens!
According to Merck's research report, the civilization behind No. 178 Virtual Realm has completely abandoned spiritualism and become an extreme materialist.
Not only do they not have any faith, but they also regard the mysteries outside the territory as evil spirits, and even regard those who have awakened to extraordinary powers as traitors and purge them.
There is no possibility of redemption for this civilization at all. The collapse of the virtual channel is only a matter of time!
Time can be accelerated, but it cannot be turned back!
He raised his eyes and looked at Merck, who was still frightened in front of him, and made a decision in an unquestionably gentle tone.
"Merck, you did a good job. You were right not to agree on the spot."
He first softly comforted Merck, letting Merck's tense nerves relax a little, and then changed the subject and gave the final order.
Respondous in the enthusiasm of His Highness Colin who is willing to share the worries of the Academy. It is commendable. For the overall interests of the Academy, and in order not to let the enthusiasm of such a genius be let down, you agree to give your opportunity to him.』
"But——"
"You have to participate in the research and witness this experiment, rather than waiting for the results outside the door."
Alister's voice paused, and the smile on his lips deepened. He added slowly:
"Remember, the gesture should be noble, and you must let him see... you are in 178 The sweat poured into the Haoxu Realm, and the feelings for that world."
"Yes! Professor!"
Merck's tense body relaxed instantly. He bowed deeply and respectfully, turned around and left, his steps much lighter than when he came.
Hush returned to the study room.
Alister picked up the crystal wine glass again and gently shook the scarlet liquid in the glass. A cold smile slowly bloomed at the corner of his mouth.
He was looking forward to how this naive and arrogant prince would get into the web he had carefully woven...
At this moment, his hand holding the wine glass froze slightly.
That elegant and handsome face, the muscles on half of the cheeks suddenly twisted unnaturally, as if they had suffered a stroke.
That was obviously not a stroke.
Half of his lips twitched slightly nervously, and he uttered a hoarse whisper with a strange tone that was completely uncharacteristic of him.
"You did a good job...get that dangerous guy out of here! I can't stand the smell of him, he just makes me feel sick."
The voice from the underworld sounded in my mind again.
And it seems it's not just in his head!
Alister's eyes suddenly froze, and a trace of madness and struggle flashed through his eyes, but he suppressed it forcefully. He gritted his teeth and squeezed out two words from between his teeth.
"Shut up... I'm not doing this for you!"
"And——"
"Get out of my head!"
The closed curtains are windless and automatic!
Alister vaguely saw a dark shadow on the window glass. Like a hasty spider, it got into the gap in the curtains and crawled into the bottomless night...
The weird feeling disappeared instantly, and his distorted face returned to its original state, as if everything just now was just an illusion.
In the study room, the only sounds left were Alister's slightly rapid breathing and the increasingly alluring scarlet color in the cup.
It's all like an illusion.
Whether it's the voice in the darkness or his crazy soliloquy...
(End of this chapter)