Chapter 771: The Third Thesis (5)
Whenever he met brilliant researchers under the guise of Van or Victor, Lennok sometimes had a thought.
Explorers who, with every encounter, presented unique and brilliant ideas that even Lennok secretly admired.
Madmen who weren’t bound by norms or morality, who casually broke taboos, transcending the ethics of good and evil.
He wanted to converse about the knowledge and wisdom they’d gained, the conclusions they’d reached after countless hours of research.
If he hadn’t started his research career as Evan, would his path have been different?
If he hadn’t met Aris in the library back then, what would Lennok be researching now?
It was the hidden side of another researcher, a notion Lennok had vaguely entertained.
But he never expected to encounter such a hotbed of taboos, a place he thought he might someday reach, right here.
Artermeyer. The Doctor of Pandemonium. The architect of the Ascension Gate.
A genius researcher who had never revealed his own appearance, conveying his will only indirectly.
As Lennok pondered this unexpected encounter with a eccentric figure, Dylan, sensing the subtle tension, quickly interjected.
“Old man, this professor is busy, so if you’re going to talk nonsense, talk to me—”
“An immortal of the Cult?”
At that single remark from The Doctor, who had briefly shifted his gaze, Dylan’s bluster instantly ceased.
The Doctor ignored his reaction and, with his hands in his pockets, said,
“Amplifying only the body’s regenerative abilities while maintaining a human form is something only experts of the Cult’s caliber can achieve. You have an interesting thing by your side.”
“…”
A single remark that casually pierced Dylan’s most painful and sensitive vulnerability.
Even knowing Dylan’s gaze had turned cold behind his mask, The Doctor muttered indifferently,
“It wouldn’t be strange for it to break down at any moment, so put a leash on it at an appropriate time. Most experiments discarded by the Cult have obvious outcomes.”
Having finished his words, The Doctor seemed to have completely lost interest in Dylan and looked back at Lennok.
“More importantly, I have a few questions about your research.”
“Dylan. I will speak with this person myself and send him away.”
But even as Lennok feigned ignorance to calm Dylan, he was certain the man before him was The Doctor himself.
The indifferent tone, completely unconcerned with the other party’s reaction or attitude.
The unilateral stance of not showing interest in what he already knew.
It all perfectly matched what Lennok had felt when he encountered The Doctor as Victor.
As the other mercenaries, sensing the mood, hurriedly took Dylan away, Lennok descended from the podium and looked at The Doctor.
Lennok gestured for Tatiana, who was watching from a distance, to stop, then looked at The Doctor.
“There isn’t much time left until the seminar. If you have something to say, let’s finish it quickly.”
“Regardless of the era, technological advancements always arrive suddenly.”
The Doctor looked at Lennok, smiled, and said,
“Minor catalysts. A few singularities. And lunatics who know how to think a little differently.”
“…”
“And for Vulcan, I believe Kaiser Bajur has played that role.”
The Doctor muttered with a slightly strange expression, as if recalling distant memories.
“He was an excellent pioneer, an ideal project leader. The Black Consumer Project was an absurd plan that no one but a genius of his caliber could have ever directed.”
“What does talking about Kaiser Bajur have to do with—”
“That’s why, even while funding Vulcan, I barely touched that side. I believed it was different from what I pursued in Machina.”
The Doctor, carefully observing Lennok, stroked his chin and said,
“So… so reading your thesis made me reflect a little on my own decisions.”
“…”
Only then did Lennok realize why The Doctor had personally come to the presentation venue for Evan Vylun’s third thesis.
The two theses Lennok had published under Evan’s name.
The Doctor already knew the underlying theme contained within those two seemingly different theses.
“It was a message, wasn’t it?”
The Doctor asked.
“You don’t want to change the world by yourself. You want others to realize something yet unknown.”
“…”
“The two theses you wrote had different topics, but their essence was the same. Will the third be similar?”
The Doctor wasn’t merely interested in the content of Lennok’s third thesis. He was purely asking if Lennok would maintain the same approach this time, the method by which Lennok had naturally sought to make certain facts known through his previous theses.
A question only The Doctor could ask, having known the same things as Lennok, having researched the same problems, and having provided a completely different answer in the form of the Ascension Gate.
It was a question only The Doctor could ask. And because of that, Lennok too could answer.
“I’m not certain.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m not asking a question while already knowing the answer.”
“…”
Lennok countered, addressing the silent Doctor.
“To ask questions not to confirm what one already knows, but to know. Is that not closer to the essence of inquiry?”
Regardless of his personality, origins, or the taboos he had committed, Lennok acknowledged The Doctor’s abilities and achievements.
It was a respect offered to the architect of the Ascension Gate, who had delved deeper into the world’s secrets than anyone else.
Lennok’s recent reply was an answer given with the utmost sincerity, as a fellow researcher.
The Doctor, too, seemed to understand the meaning of those words, and remained silent for a long time.
The Doctor, who had been staring intently at Lennok’s face without a word, spoke offhandedly.
“Before I came here, I thought you were someone who desired the same thing as the Director.”
“…”
“Intuition beyond logic. A craving whose direction couldn’t be guessed. I thought that even if the goals were different, the destination would surely be the same… but it seems that’s not the case after all.”
The Doctor didn’t even explain who the Director was, or what it meant to desire the same thing.
Not because he expected Lennok to understand, but perhaps because he simply didn’t care whether he understood or not.
He didn’t even care if his affiliation with Pandemonium was exposed.
All he desired was to satisfy his curiosity.
If the process left a meaningful impression within himself, he considered it enough.
Just as Lennok thought this and was about to end the conversation.
“But it’s certainly a method I hadn’t considered before. There’s definitely something to learn from that way of thinking.”
The Doctor looked directly at Lennok and, for the first time, smiled with a different expression.
“Originally, I intended to confirm your research here today and even take it over, but I’ve changed my mind.”
“Take it over, you say?”
As Lennok frowned at words he never expected to hear from him.
The Doctor took his hand out of his pocket, extended it to Lennok, and replied.
“If you’re still asking questions because you want to know, then I suppose I can hear your answer first.”
“…”
“So, next time, come and see the research I’m conducting for yourself.”
With those words, The Doctor surrendered himself to the mercenaries approaching to escort him away.
“I’ll tell you what I thought while observing the wishes of geniuses and monsters right beside them.”
Unlike when he first approached Lennok, The Doctor was surprisingly compliant as he was led away.
Perhaps his only goal was to converse with Lennok, and he had little interest in the research presentation itself.
He might have thought there was no need to attend in person since the broadcast would be relayed throughout Vulcan anyway.
But more than that, Lennok subtly furrowed his brow as he examined the object The Doctor had handed him.
A dusty, old floppy disk. A storage format so outdated that compatible equipment seemed scarce.
It was difficult to easily guess The Doctor’s intention in giving this to Lennok.
Perhaps even this was The Doctor’s own way of showing goodwill.
As Lennok tucked the floppy disk into his pocket and turned, Jenny subtly approached him and asked.
“Are you really okay with this? If necessary, we can filter out strange people among the attendees. It’s not too late yet.”
“I understand that the content of this seminar itself will be broadcast throughout Vulcan as soon as it begins.”
Lennok replied without wavering.
“If there’s an issue with the presentation, objections will come in sooner or later. If it’s just a matter of sequence, there’s no need to go to the trouble of filtering attendees.”
“No, but there’s a certain atmosphere to a live event…”
Jenny, who had been grumbling somewhat unconvincingly, eventually gave up and shook her head.
“No. I understand. The professor will handle it.”
It seemed like a response that left room for contingencies, but this was someone who had achieved results even at an expo watched by Vulcan’s citizens.
No matter how much preliminary research Jenny did or how meticulously she set things up, in the end, she had no choice but to respect the principal’s opinion.
Perhaps it was fortunate that he didn’t seem like someone who would panic when faced with refutations or objections.
Vwoom!!
No sooner had she finished speaking than a different vibration, unlike before, resonated from down the hallway.
A powerful, weighty reverberation, completely different from before, that seemed to alter the entire atmosphere of the magic tower.
Jenny glanced at the time and nodded.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes. All necessary preparations are complete.”
Lennok said, handing the bag he was carrying to Jenny and Felix.
“Finally, let’s just place the items in here, one on each seat, and then we’ll start immediately.”
“What’s… this?”
An electronic device in the shape of a thin tablet.
A simple appearance with no design elements other than a touch-sensitive screen.
Lennok smiled as he watched Felix turn back, holding the tablet in both hands with a puzzled expression.
“The fate of this seminar depends on that. We should hope it works well.”
“…”
Meanwhile, Tatiana and Jenny’s expressions subtly stiffened the moment they picked up the tablet.
Their wavering expressions seemed to show a faint unease rather than anticipation or excitement.
But Lennok ignored them and began operating the screen in front of the podium.
“Let the people in. We will now begin the seminar.”
Fwaba-ba-bat!!
Dazzling lights pouring down from above the main hall. Hundreds of cameras densely packed on all sides of the walls and ceiling.
Every time he moved his hand or took a step, countless lenses followed, zooming in and out repeatedly.
Even this brief moment of stillness would be projected onto tens of thousands of screens via broadcast stations across Vulcan.
But what weighed most heavily on Lennok was not some intangible pressure or imagination.
It was the gazes of hundreds of people themselves, who completely filled the seats in front of the podium.
“…”
Officials from across the mega-city had come to attend Evan Vylun’s seminar.
City Councilmen from the City Government Central Council. Executives from megatech companies in core districts. High-level wizards from major magic towers.
Those who operated in the shadows but maintained a foothold in the open, like the Cartel and the Hexagonal Fortress.
The Technology Advisory Committee, where brilliant researchers and engineers were gathered.
Authorities from various business divisions across the mega-city, holding key positions, whose faces Lennok didn’t even know.
Employees of collaborating businesses and research institutes that had established branches and engaged in trade in cooperation with Adamant Thunder’s Magic Tower.
All of them had personally visited Adamant Thunder’s Magic Tower to witness Evan Vylun’s presentation.
Even with each organization and institution sending only their key personnel, their numbers reached into the hundreds.
“Adamant Thunder himself won’t be attending, right?”
“We’ve already confirmed with his subordinates. They say his blood scent isn’t even detectable within District 49.”
A clear alibi that the blood-crazed wizard himself had not come here.
The baseless hope that he wouldn’t stage a show of force in the middle of the magic tower.
And the overwhelming benefit of witnessing Evan’s presentation firsthand, which outweighed all other risks.
All these conditions and circumstances strangely converged, creating a situation that ordinarily shouldn’t have happened.
“…”
“Gooooo…!!”
In the uncomfortable silence where no one spoke, everyone merely gazed down at Lennok’s face. Some scrutinizing Evan’s appearance.
Others seemed intent on grasping the seminar’s content. Some were engrossed in fiddling with the tablets placed on their seats.
What value this upcoming seminar held, and what repercussions it might bring.
Was it the manifestation of a desire to predict and preemptively seize that future, even if just slightly?
In the midst of this profound silence, with no host to guide the event, and only cameras panning across the hall.
Lennok picked up the microphone.
Kiiing…!!
Even the rustling sounds were amplified, piercing the audience’s ears, yet no one frowned.
A persistent and sharp intensity, eager not to miss a single word Lennok would utter from the very beginning.
Feeling that keen and chilling atmosphere, which could by no means be called friendly, with utmost clarity.
“I would like to greet the officials who have applied to attend this seminar.”
Lennok slowly began.
“I am Evan Vylun, Assistant Professor of the Department of Elemental Studies at Rebatenon University. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Some applauded, while others merely stared at Lennok’s face without moving.
Even these clearly divided reactions were all captured by the cameras.
“This seminar is a place to present the achievements of my ongoing integrated master’s and doctoral program, and I will be submitting results based on the experience I gained in the Department of Elemental Studies.”
Lennok wasted no time, quickly finished his remaining greetings, and moved to the main topic.
“As I have been researching while teaching undergraduates, I have incorporated an educator’s perspective into this thesis for the completion of my integrated master’s and doctoral program.”
“Thesis?”
At that word, one of the silent city council members spoke first.
A middle-aged woman with somewhat hazy eyes, seemingly from the House of Representatives, asked.
“Are you saying, Assistant Professor Vylun, that this presentation will be about your third thesis?”
“Yes.”
Lennok nodded, raising a remote control with his other hand.
Pabat!!
“The topic of my third thesis, a result refined with the perspective and know-how of an educator, is—”
Lennok pressed the button to turn on the screen, then immediately opened his mouth as he looked at the blueprint displayed on it.
“A magical learning device for those who need to learn.”
“This is risky…”
In the back, far from the center of the main hall where the audience seats and podium were set up.
Tatiana, watching Evan as he began his theoretical explanation, muttered inadvertently.
Jenny immediately turned her gaze upon hearing that.
“What, is there a problem already?”
“No, it’s not that there’s a problem, but…”
Tatiana replied with a look of discomfort.
“It’s too obvious a topic. Many will find it trite, failing to meet expectations for a third thesis.”
“…”
Not all magic towers, with their hundreds of years of history, adhere to conservative traditions and teaching methods.
The number of exceptional wizards is, first and foremost, a magic tower’s asset and its power itself.
Even with heaven-bestowed talent, one cannot neglect effort, and the direction of effort can sometimes overcome predetermined limits.
Organizations with open mindsets and excellent magic systems have consistently sought ways to efficiently teach magic.
“Methods of teaching magic to the talented have been exhaustively researched. It’s long been concluded that no matter how novel the attempts, individual ideas have limits.”
Suggestion. Domination. Brainwashing. Methods to forcefully elevate the mind, as well as using the power of curses to forcibly imprint spells, were openly used even hundreds of years ago.
Rumors of wizards who died trying to directly engrave incantations or mana flow into their brains are an open secret in old magic towers.
Furthermore, there’s no need to mention relying on the power of items or artifacts.
“It’s been concluded that to gain assistance from items in the process of one-on-one magic transmission, at least relic-grade artifacts are needed to show about a 20% increase in efficiency. To achieve greater efficiency than that, a large-scale ritual involving hundreds of people simultaneously would be required.”
“The reactions are already divided. This is definitely dangerous as it is.”
Instead of focusing on Lennok’s ongoing presentation, more and more people fiddled with their tablets.
They seemed to be scrutinizing the tablet’s performance and appearance, looking for something to point out, rather than trying to understand the presentation’s content.
Not a few of them were already guessing the nature of Lennok’s presentation and thinking ahead.
Tatiana explained with a darkened complexion.
“If it’s merely a matter of knowledge transfer, then mobile apps or video materials are sufficient. They probably think there’s no need to see more once they hear the term ‘learning device’.”
“Indeed, there are even apps that teach basic mana manipulation techniques…”
Jenny, having dealt with various stolen goods herself, immediately understood what Tatiana was saying and wore a serious expression.
“Professor Vylun chose the wrong thesis topic? I suppose this is an unexpected situation, right…?”
“Who knows. He kept the theme and content hidden until just before the presentation, so all we can do is guess. However, one thing bothers me…”
Tatiana muttered.
“If it was Van, he would have checked the contents of the thesis the professor was going to present beforehand.”
“…”
“For now, we have no choice but to rely on that and observe the situation.”
Jenny and Felix understood the meaning of Tatiana’s words and fell silent.
Because they knew very well how Van handled things.
Even more so because they had spent a considerable amount of time with that wizard and had worked on many things together.
He was someone who generally got along well with everyone, had a subtly relaxed side, and was generous towards others’ mistakes or impoliteness.
But when it came to his own work, he was someone who left not even an iota of room for error.
How many superhumans and monsters had been ground down by his cruelly merciless hand so far?
If it was an agreement personally orchestrated by Van, there’s no way he wouldn’t have verified the value of Evan’s thesis.
All three knew this, which was why they couldn’t act rashly even after hearing Tatiana’s words.
Because they trusted that if the wizard they knew had finished reviewing this matter, it surely held significant meaning.
“Felix. Go up there and hold onto the generator.”
Jenny sighed, glancing upward.
“If push comes to shove, I’ll stop the seminar using a power outage as an excuse to change the atmosphere. We’ll force a break and talk directly with the professor.”
“No objections.”
As Felix said that and quietly disappeared, Tatiana tilted her head.
“But, there’s no way Professor Vylun wouldn’t know what I know… Perhaps there really is a hidden move?”
“Right.”
Jenny replied, her eyes never leaving the podium.
“He left them alone even knowing there were attendees taking a hostile stance. Professor Vylun knows too. The only problem is…”
The presence of countless cameras currently filming this main hall.
“This seminar is being broadcast throughout Vulcan right now. Can the professor really win a battle of public opinion against those people?”
Whether Evan Vylun still has elements remaining to reverse public opinion regarding his thesis.
And whether he can quash such public opinion itself with a successful presentation.
In either case, succeeding in front of experts from every field is undoubtedly an exceedingly difficult task.
But knowing all this, Evan Vylun himself chose this topic and set the stage.
At the moment Tatiana was intently gazing at Lennok’s face with a tense expression, Lennok slowly walked forward, holding the tablet.