Chapter 391 The Jealous Alister and the Ubiquitous Colin
In the evening, the afterglow of the setting sun coated the Tower of the Great Sage with a layer of golden warmth. Almost at the same time as the bell rang, Luo Yan came to Professor Hector's office as requested.
As soon as he entered the door, Hector immediately stood up from behind the desk and hurriedly greeted him with an uncontrollable smile on his face.
"Haha, Your Highness the Prince! You're finally here! Sit down, please sit down!"
"Professor Hector, you're welcome."
Luo Yan nodded with a smile and sat down on the familiar sofa, as if he was returning to his own office.
Corgi, who was waiting at the side, perked up immediately when he saw him arriving, and quickly poured him a cup of steaming tea.
The tea soup is clear in color and exudes a refreshing fragrance.
This is Professor Hector's most cherished "Quiet Snow Bud". It is made from ice lotus petals from the Far North Glacier. It is said that it can make the mage's spiritual power become clearer and clearer during meditation. Normally he would be reluctant to drink it himself, but now his assistant offered it to him.
In the past, the stingy Professor Hector would have frowned even if he didn't say anything when he saw his teaching assistant wasting so much money.
But now that he is in a very good mood, these trivial flaws are not worth worrying about.
Besides, it was his personal order to entertain His Highness well.
Just three days ago, Corinta's article published in the "Sage" shocked the entire Tower of the Great Sage.
As the "recommender" who supported Colin in obtaining the research authority for No. 440 Virtual Realm, Hector was very proud this time.
Not only scholars of the same school expressed envy and compliments to him, but even the respected Highness the Great Sage rarely expressed his recognition of his work.
Luo Yan drank tea calmly, and while talking to Hector, he also observed the expression on the old professor's face with great interest.
Just as Corgi revealed to him in advance, although the expression on the old face was trying to be restrained, the raised corners of the mouth and eyebrows still revealed the joy in the old man's heart.
"Your Highness, your paper really opened my eyes! Especially your inference on the phenomenon of "spiritual resonance", it is simply a stroke of genius!"
"The professor is too complimentary," Luo Yan smiled and took a sip of tea, and responded calmly, "I just summarized some observed phenomena. It's just a result. And the many researchers at Corinta are indispensable. On the contrary, I only did a little bit of work."
"Haha, you are always so humble!"
Hector smiled happily.
After the greetings, he leaned forward slightly and finally got to the point: "Your Highness, the Council of Sages has made the latest resolution, and... it is unprecedented good news!"
When he said this, he gave up and deliberately paused for a moment to wait for His Highness Colin to ask.
Luo Yan was originally not interested in cooperating with him, but seeing the anxiety and eagerness on his 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 proudly and continued with bright eyes.
"There are three formal resolutions. First, the council fully affirms your research results in No. 178 Virtual Realm, and officially revokes the previous risk warning! This means that your research methods can be used for reference and learning by all scholars!"
"Secondly, in order 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 allocation!"
Looking at the excited Professor Hector, Luo Yan calmly took a sip of tea and just listened quietly, with the expression on his face not changing much.
He does not care much about praise and resources.
The former is just a false name. So far, regardless of whether it is recognized by the council or not, the name Colin and the scientific school have been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people in the Tower of the Great Sage.
As for the latter, it is nothing more than worldly money, and this is what he lacks the most.
Luo Yan believes that Professor Hector must also know this.
If it's just this little matter, there's no need to talk to yourself in person, just let Mr. Corky pass on the message.
Luo Yan gently blew the mist on the tea cup and waited for his chef to bring the "main course" to the coffee table.
As he expected, Professor Hector suddenly lowered his voice, and his solemn tone was filled with unprecedented excitement.
"Finally, the third resolution is also the most important one!"
"The Council decided to set up a special committee to re-evaluate those virtual resources that have been frozen due to channel failure!"
"Oh?" Luo Yan put down the tea cup in his hand, with an interested look on his face.
He heard Hector mention it once before. Xuebang adopts an attitude of squeezing out as much as possible from most virtual resources that are about to be exhausted.
But there are also some virtual realms, where one is so weak that he cannot even take out a quill.
For this kind of virtual environment that has neither development value nor research value, the top management of Xuebang has temporarily frozen it.
To use the words of the great sage Dosuk - they must leave a little hope to future generations.
Although Hector has not yet explained the content of the review work of this special committee, Luo Yan can guess with just common sense that this is to "reorganize bankrupt resources"!
Just as he thought, Hector tried hard to restrain the excitement in his voice and announced in a solemn tone.
"This special committee will be responsible for selecting virtual environments with restoration potential and appointing a new research team to conduct restorative research based on your research ideas!"
"As the executive chief of this special committee, you will directly participate in this two-way screening of resources and talents!"
The air in the office was quiet for two seconds.
Even though he was prepared, Luo Yan was still quite 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 core strategic resources of the Academy!
His influence will no longer be limited to a small Corinthian Tower, but can radiate to the shadow of the entire Tower of the Great Sage!
Although it is true that Xuebang is a vassal state of the empire, they are two different systems after all... Do these guys trust themselves so much?
Still, these magicians are determined that they will not stay here forever, so instead of choosing someone from the other school, it is better to let themselves, an outsider, be the chief executive.
But no matter what -
Luo Yan had a happy smile on his face.
"This is indeed good news, thank you, Professor Hector."
Professor Hector's face became even more joyful when he heard this.
"Haha, Your Highness is serious, you deserve this. Speaking of which...this special committee will inevitably have to work hard for you in the future. Those frozen virtual files are piled up, and it is not easy to pick out the valuable ones..."
When he said this, he rubbed his hands in embarrassment and smiled, looking like a child who coveted candy but was embarrassed to speak.
"Of course, just in case... I mean just in case, during the review, His Highness discovers any resources that are particularly suitable for the mage tower... Please... cough, please take more trouble."
This old-fashioned old professor is obviously not good at asking people to do things. He spoke in a roundabout way, and he felt a little embarrassed after finishing it.
Looking at Professor Hector who wanted to speak but was too embarrassed to speak, Luo Yan smiled. Of course, this little thing was no big deal to him.
"Of course, your academic ability is obvious to all scholars. Even if there is no relationship between us, I will of course give priority to you... Please don't worry about it too much, professor."
In a place like Xuebang, the most indispensable thing is talented researchers. If you just pick up a brick and throw it, you can knock down a large area.
Since the decision-making power is in your own hands, who should you not give this opportunity to?
As a demon king, his first choice is of course those who hold the remote control in his hand.
Hector blushed, scratched the back of his head, and laughed as if to relieve the embarrassment.
"Haha, that's right... I'm not bragging. I'm one of the most famous virtual realm researchers in the Tower of the Great Sage. If they didn't recruit students, they wouldn't come to me."
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 tea to cover up his embarrassment and sighed in his heart.
With this guy's emotional intelligence, he was able to get into the position of professor. I think he does have some real skills...
...
Just as the corruption of the Demon King was quietly spreading towards the top of the tower, another owner of the Godhead was not idle either.
In the legends of his apprentices, Professor Alister, a giant of the Source Law School who had always been reclusive, unexpectedly changed his usual style and began to appear frequently in the public eye.
In the upper library of the Tower of the Great Sage, a highly qualified instructor was meditating hard on a complex rune matrix.
Just as he was sighing at the model, Professor Alister, who was passing by, suddenly stopped, glanced at it casually, and said lightly.
"Why not reverse the direction of energy conduction? This is not a very complicated problem, it's just that you have made it complicated."
Those words, which were light and gentle, were like a thunder, which made the instructor freeze on the spot. His eyes were full of doubt at first, but it didn't take long for that look of doubt to turn into ecstasy.
“Thank you——Professor Alister?!” The moment he raised his head, he suddenly realized who the person who spoke to him was.
At this moment, he was completely dumbfounded.
Looking at this ignorant fool, Alister's eyes flashed with disdain, but he still responded gently and humbly.
"You're welcome, it's my...honor to be able to answer your confusion." It took him some effort to spit out the last word, as if it was an obscure spell.
The instructor opened his mouth wide, as if he was really hit by a spell. He didn't come back to his senses for a long time, with a ghostly expression on his face.
Alister did not waste time on this "confused wood rat". He smiled and nodded, and then walked away amidst the subconscious attention of countless scholars.
Another time, in the corridor leading to the library, a preparatory student accidentally knocked the file in his hand on the ground because of nervousness.
Just as he was hurriedly preparing to pack it away, he found that Professor Alister had knelt down and personally picked up one of the volumes for him.
The apprentice was flattered and mustered up the courage to ask an almost ridiculous question about the nature of Yuanli.
Everyone thought that he would be laughed at or reprimanded, but instead of being angry, Alister patiently stopped and used the simplest metaphor to answer his doubts.
For a time, rumors about Professor Alister’s generosity, wisdom and willingness to support younger generations spread like a spring breeze throughout the Tower of the Great Sage.
Although many teaching assistants and mentors wonder why this big boss suddenly changed his temper, objectively speaking, these actions have indeed changed his reputation.
Especially for those apprentices who are not familiar with him.
However, behind this praise, there is an anxiety that no one knows about.
In the dead of night, in Alister's private study.
He stared at his reflection in the mirror, and his eyes fell 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 snaking into his shadow.
That's the fragment of his godhead——
∣The fragment given to him by Avanor.
"Xiao Wa, our efficiency is too low," Alister's voice was full of impatience. "This meager power of faith is just a drop in the bucket, and it is not enough to let me reach the bottleneck."
The gray mist rolled happily and comforted him with a gentle voice: "Be patient, my master. In this regard, you have to learn from your opponents."
"Colin..." Alister's eyes instantly turned cold.
"That's right," Xiao Wa's voice was filled with a smile, "He is using his own way to erode the faith of Saint Sith little by little, and in the name of Saint Sith. Didn't you notice? Half of the people in the tower are talking about him now, and even regard him as the chosen one of Saint Sith... Haha, what a stupid mortal, as short-sighted and ignorant as an insect."
Alister's voice is cold and biting.
"It's just a platinum level." Alister snorted coldly.
"Don't underestimate the platinum level, and... aren't you also a diamond? In fact, you are only a little taller than him."
Before the master lost his temper, the twisted gray mist disappeared.
…
A few days have passed since then.
Alister patiently continued to play the role of a "people-friendly scholar", doing what His Highness Colin once did.
He wandered between seminars, sharing his knowledge generously, and occasionally stopped to give personal guidance to the young apprentices who looked full of admiration.
Of course——
Those who looked at him were not all admirers, but more of them were scholars who were shocked by his inexplicable hospitality.
When an old fox suddenly starts to show kindness, no one will think that it has become a vegetarian. They will only suspect that they are being targeted.
Contrary to him, Prince Colin has rarely appeared in the public eye recently.
The two people seemed to have exchanged identities.
The council seems to have reached some resolution recently, and the prince is busy dealing with this matter, putting almost all his energy into it.
His classes are occasionally taught by his assistants, and sometimes even by apprentices.
But surprisingly, no one thought it was inappropriate. The atmosphere in his science class was no different from usual, and the discussion was even more lively than usual.
After all, it takes some courage to ask questions to the prince, but it doesn’t take much courage to ask questions to the prince’s students.
But Alister saw this as an opportunity!
On this day, Alister suddenly and rarely announced that he personally held a public class for the apprentices of the Yuanfa School.
As soon as the news came out, the entire lecture theater was packed, and even the aisles were filled with admiring students... just like when Prince Colin gave his lecture.
Looking at the packed classroom, Alister showed a meaningful smile on his face.
Although he admitted that the prince from the Holy City was good at researching virtual realms, in terms of academic status alone, he was still far behind him.
As long as he wants to, he can even the gap between the two sides in minutes!
"Since everyone has almost arrived, let's get started." Alister 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 plans were prepared with the help of his tutors, this superficial knowledge was easy for him to pick up even without looking at the lesson plans.
No matter how Strange Fog Nowell views his status as a scholar, the title of "Academic Emerging Talent" he received twenty years ago did not fall from the sky.
At least in the Yuanfa School, the only person who can surpass him in theory is probably his mentor, the great sage Duosuke.
The atmosphere in the class was lively. After all, it was a lecture hall held by a famous teacher. Everyone listened with rapt attention and even took several pages of notes.
Alister is also very satisfied.
Especially during the class, he suddenly found that teaching the apprentices was not as boring as he imagined.
The recall of superficial knowledge not only helps him relax his brain, but also helps him recall the details of knowledge that are obvious but easily overlooked.
Perhaps you can consider giving more classes.
Alister, who was bathed in the sight of admiration, thought so, announced that he would enter the question period, and asked the assistant teacher standing aside to call his name.
Hands were raised in a swish manner.
Soon, an apprentice sitting in the front row was chosen by his assistant. He stood up excitedly and spoke in a high-pitched voice.
h "Professor, regarding the principle of "observation takes priority over hypothesis" you just mentioned, this reminds me... His Highness Colin said that before we think about why, we must first study whether it is or not. Is this the same principle?"
h He obviously thought carefully and tried to integrate the newly learned knowledge.
As for why he didn't ask the core question related to Yuanli, but asked a detailed question, it was of course because he only understood this.
This is actually normal. The more notes you take, the less you understand.
Generally speaking, professors will not have the same understanding as apprentices. After all, everyone knows that these rookies are empty-headed and it is normal for them to not understand.
However, the words "His Royal Highness Colin said" were like an invisible poisonous thorn that stabbed into Alister's heart accurately.
On the podium, the gentle smile on his face instantly solidified, and his wise eyes became extremely cold and ruthless.
A suffocating mental pressure flashed away like an invisible storm, and even the professor sitting in the back row couldn't help but hold his breath.
The classroom was completely silent.
The air that was boiling with academic excitement a second ago is now so quiet that you can hear a pin drop.
The apprentice who asked the question turned pale. Under the horrified eyes of his companions, he slowly sat down, his body shaking constantly.
He probably won't be well all day today, and he will probably get better slowly tomorrow.
Realizing that he had overreacted, Alister quickly controlled his emotions.
That gentle face gradually regained its composure, but the gentleness and patience that belonged to a "people-friendly scholar" were gone.
h "I don't deny that what he said may be reasonable, but you don't have to parrot it to everyone, and I think that His Highness doesn't want you to be so stupid."
h "Especially, we are not talking about the same thing at all."
He simply answered the question in a calm tone, and then announced that the question-and-answer session would continue.
But after his words fell for a long time, no one raised their hands, and everyone was trembling.
A hint of boredom flashed in Alister's eyes, although he carefully hid this boredom deep in his eyes.
"Since you have nothing to ask, let's let the get out of class be over."
After leaving the classroom, he couldn't help but start to reflect.
Are you too kind to these guys?
As a result, they gradually forgot humility.
At this time, Alister suddenly thought of Colin again, and his gentle expression almost became distorted again.
The seed of jealousy has quietly sprouted in his heart. Although he himself realized it, maybe this was the price of becoming a god.
At least, Xiao Wa did not persuade him to calm down this time. Obviously, a little temper is harmless to the gods.
People who respect him will still respect him anyway, and people who hate him will not stop hating him just because of what he has done.
Seeing the familiar emblem, Alister's expression froze, a trace of panic flashed in his eyes, his face was pale, and his hands and feet were cold.
That panicked look was like a child who was caught cheating on an exam.
He subconsciously looked at the mirror next to him. The distorted gray mist slowly seeped out from his index finger as if it had been arranged.
It said soothingly in a coaxing voice.
"Calm down, brother, no one can see me except you, not even the demigods... Your suspicious look makes it easy to betray me."
Alister lowered his hoarse voice and cursed.
"You underestimated that old guy, he has seen everything! He knows everything! Not even the slightest detail escapes his eyes!"
Xiao Wa suddenly smiled.
Alister felt a little annoyed at its irrelevant attitude, but had nothing to do with it, so he could only say 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 are not even two sides of the coin, but are printed on the same side of the coin. Can I say that name? If it is him, it is Saint Sith stood in front of him, and he could chat with a smile. When he talked about the Holy Light, Saint Sith might even think that he was one of his own——"
"That's enough, shut up!" Alister cursed angrily.
He couldn't tell for a moment whether he was angry because he was compared to the apprentice, or because he was ridiculed by his own godhead to be inferior to that man.
But now is not the time to hesitate.
He grabbed the letter, hurriedly left the study, and ran towards the elevator...
The private garden of the great sage Dosuk 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 under the nourishment of magic, decorating this small world like a corner of the Kingdom of God.
Beyond the dome is the endless blue sky.
The stars are within reach here.
This is the pinnacle of the Tower of the Great Sage, the pinnacle of the entire academy, and the pinnacle of prestige and power in the magic world!
When he was young, Alister had imagined countless times that he was standing here, overlooking this ice and snow world as the master.
However, when one reaches middle age, this pride has long been tempered by reality.
His mentor, this living legend of the academy, seems to show no signs of fading and will probably outlive him.
Facing this unfathomable mentor, Alister restrained all his exposed emotions and tried hard to control the uneasiness in his heart.
· I hope that he, who is busy with everything, will not notice his recent abnormality...
· However, just when he was worried, the great sage Dosuk behaved as usual.
Different from the majestic posture at the meeting of great sages, he was leisurely pruning the branches and leaves of a luminous orchid.
Seeing Alister arrive, the old man with gray beard nodded gently and motioned for his beloved disciple to sit down on the stone bench nearby.
"You seem to be very active recently," Dosuk's voice was steady and slow, with a warm smile on his face, but his deep eyes made it difficult to see the depth. "I heard that you have recently started to teach apprentices in person again?"
"Haha, that's good."
Dosuk's voice was filled with a trace of nostalgia, as if he was missing the passing time. It's not that he doesn't age, it's just that he ages slower than ordinary people.
"Time flies so fast... It's been so many years, do you still remember those basic theories?"
Alister said respectfully.
"Of course I remember, that's what you taught me."
Dosuk smiled gently.
He did not continue on this topic, but continued to chat with him about the current situation of cultivation and virtual realm research, as if this summons was just an ordinary teacher-student talk.
Just when Alister gradually relaxed his vigilance, the Great Sage put down the gardening shears in his hand seemingly casually, and suddenly spoke.
"By the way, Alister, regarding the newly established '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 Executive Chief, fully responsible for the selection and restoration of those weakened virtual realms."
(End of this chapter)