Chapter 775: Ghostly Expedition (1)
[I believe we should focus more on the performance of this learning device, rather than the Common Magic system itself.]
A dark room. Beyond the single glowing screen, an expert passionately spoke.
Before a large audience, he held a sample of the learning device and continued speaking rapidly.
[Let’s first look at the
The expert said that and showed everyone the magic circle he had pre-scanned into the learning device.
[For example, let’s analyze the navigation magic circle built into the Navigator, produced by the Aldrif Magic Tower. Do you see it?]
Next to the magic circle displayed on the learning device, dozens of lines of explanations and data values were rapidly being recorded.
[The curvature of the magic circle. Mana embedding. The linkage between idle run and output. It accurately selects and displays only the core elements that compose the spell.]
The expert pointed to each of these values, reading them out clearly.
[This learning device perfectly filters out dummy data that would be problematic in spell analysis. It’s not limited to a single lineage or attribute.]
……
[Although one cannot cast spells using only this, not being a wizard of the Aldrif Magic Tower, it allows for a much more quantitative analysis of the principles of magic.]
The expert spoke to the crowd as if greatly excited by what he had accomplished.
[I am confident that the mere existence of this learning device will greatly improve accessibility to theoretical analysis. I even cautiously predict that the internal facilities of research institutions directly under the city government might undergo a significant transformation…!!]
“……Davi. You didn’t happen to invest in the research institution’s stocks, did you?”
While Lennok worried unnecessarily, the expert kindly continued to explain the potential and limitations of the learning device to the audience.
[It doesn’t work properly for spells of excessively high Hierarchy, but that’s likely a problem with the learning device’s output, not the system itself.]
“Wrong.”
Lennok, who was packing his bags with his back to the screen, refuted that conjecture instead.
“It’s because spells are distorted depending on the caster’s capabilities. A theoretical analyst might only be able to say that, but…”
The reason the learning device cannot analyze high-Hierarchy spells is that as the spell’s Hierarchy increases, it becomes distorted by the caster’s Mind Imprint mixing in.
The higher the Hierarchy, the less magic or spells exist purely as concepts; instead, they change fluidly in response to the caster.
The basis for such changes naturally becomes the magic system and fundamental Mind Imprint the caster has mastered.
No matter how brilliant an analysis system is conceived, it cannot account for the caster’s Mind Imprint to define variables, so this is likely the limit for a mass-produced learning device.
Contrary to Lennok’s words, the expert on the screen was passionately addressing the audience with an excited expression.
[This is a more excellent analysis device and spell simulator than anything I’ve ever seen in my life. Professor Evan Vylun is a genius!!]
……
[Thanks to this invention, magical theory research will advance another step. If the professor happens to be watching this broadcast, please reply just once…!!!]
Beep!!
A request that seemed heavily aimed at self-promotion.
That expert probably came on the broadcast to make a name for himself with this opportunity.
Lennok felt no particular emotion about the learning device being used as a pretext, but he didn’t feel inclined to grant the request.
“To think someone would already focus on the learning device’s inherent performance…”
Because the existence of Common Magic had become such a hot topic, he thought the learning device wouldn’t get much attention, but surprisingly, the response was quick.
Perhaps it’s because as soon as the third paper came out, experts across Vulcan were dissecting the profitable aspects of Lennok’s research.
[Even from the broadcast Master was just watching, a lot of related posts are appearing on the deep web.]
Davi said that and immediately created a virtual screen, displaying it before Lennok’s eyes.
[Title: An Expert’s Opinion on the Performance of the Learning Device Created by Evan Vylun.jpg]
└The built-in system’s performance is insane. I tested it too; what they say about the features is real.
└I secretly got a prototype from the black market, called some guys over, and took it apart. They said most of the components were garbage-level.
└Are you like a Ten Counts leader or something? How did you get a device that hasn’t even been widely released on the black market? Even people who’ve already disassembled the learning device and are discussing its configuration and parts.
└All parts except the Magic Flow Recreation Module are cheap. It’s optimized so well that it’s baffling how such a system was installed.
└There must be a brilliant programmer working on it. It wouldn’t be a solo project.
└Given the presentation was held at a magic tower, I wonder if he leveraged Adamant Thunder’s connections. Statements that seem to have analyzed every single sample component, whether on the surface or underground.
└Copying the hardware isn’t difficult. The module’s composition is unique, but it’s not impossible to manufacture. The problem is the software.
└The core system code encryption is almost on par with restricted area security. That’s why some people suspect the Central Council’s involvement.
Judging by the tone, it seemed they had already tried every attempt to copy the learning device.
└If a hacker is monstrous enough to break through this, they wouldn’t need a learning device in the first place.
└I heard there’s a hacker who recently infiltrated Balitz Corp.’s security network. There are a lot of people looking for that individual right now.
└No way, I thought this was information only our organization knew, but it was just a rumor everyone knows? Gotta rough up that broker bastard.
“Are they already trying to make replicas? Their actions are swift.”
[Would you like to see other posts?]
There was a lot of talk about the learning device, but the most fervent reaction was, as expected, to the three Common Spells Lennok announced.
Illumination. Variable. Junction. These are universal spells that can be directly cast using one’s own mana, simply by using the learning device as a terminal.
People’s interest in new magic that didn’t rely on magic towers, families, secret arts, or specific groups was truly explosive.
Not only were there sources for the immediately open spells, but detailed conjectures and predictions about the principles of future magic releases were rampant.
└All three spells focus on manipulating mana particles.
└They say academia has already proven that they can be used for circuit design through precise manipulation.
└Given that these three were the first Common Spells shown, it’s clear they were thoroughly intended and presented. There must be more hidden Common Spells.
└He directly said he’d provide future updates, so it’s certain.
└There’s huge interest in the Common Magic that hasn’t been released yet. My job isn’t even related to magic, and it’s this big…
└He doesn’t show everything at once; his plan is to steadily present them as research achievements. Utterly shrewd.
“……Was it too obvious?”
Lennok chuckled, closed the screen, and stood up.
As he said, Lennok didn’t reveal all of the Common Magic just to encapsulate the topic of his paper.
While the learning device’s capacity was woefully insufficient to contain the entire Common Magic system, he also didn’t see a reason to reveal all the Common Magic he knew.
In particular, among the Common Magic Lennok uses, there are several useful and lineage-transcending spells like [Silence], [Soundwave], and [Bloody Chase].
What Lennok wanted was not to share such personal visions with others for free.
But rather to steadily accumulate achievements by updating Common Magic that can be replaced with unique spells as research outcomes.
He intended for it not to end with a single presentation, but to continuously lead to achievements as long as his knowledge allowed.
“For now, I have to rely on the learning device, but once I finish further optimization and build an independent network…”
Literally, it wouldn’t be impossible for the system Davi created to spread throughout Vulcan.
By then, Davi’s Cybernetic ability might also be wielded on an absurd scale.
And the meaning of Lennok spreading the magic he created as a new system and network to the people of this world—
[Heheheh.]
As soon as he heard that, the Cybernetic Spirit in Lennok’s arms chuckled mischievously and wriggled.
It was obvious what it was thinking, but instead of scolding it, Lennok picked up his bags and stood.
Flap!!
Donning a thick shadow robe, he stored his large backpack with a shrinking spell.
He touched his gloved wrist, opened the window, and looked outside.
A chilly dawn, with plenty of time until sunrise.
But Vulcan’s nightscape shimmered brilliantly with lavish lights and neon signs.
“Three more days until the Headrain River flood recedes…”
Lennok murmured, gazing at the dazzling city streets at night.
“If I leave now, I should make it roughly on time.”
His third paper. It wasn’t that he had no desire to observe the impact of the Common Magic learning device and how this city would change because of it.
Staying in this city for a while and experiencing all the praise and criticism as Evan Vylun wouldn’t be a bad thing either.
Leaving this city after dropping such a massive bomb on Vulcan might itself be an illogical plan.
But Lennok knew this and still finished his preparations to leave, putting everything down and moving again.
He knew that not all opportunities come in proper sequence.
And that all the time remaining to Lennok wouldn’t end at the right moment.
A life where he might settle down for days, engrossed in research and learning, only to depart on a journey in the early dawn and not return.
Wasn’t that precisely the way of life Lennok had resolved to live in order to survive in this world?
Whoosh!!
The dark shadow robe, barely visible, blending into the darkness, vanished as if melting into thin air.
Lennok, lightly descending to the ground as if leaping through space, slowly composed himself and checked his equipment.
All Blink spells were fully charged in the Papyrus Argenteus.
Feigenbaum’s Eye was also ready for use at any time.
Cigarettes and painkillers, stimulants and elixirs for mana replenishment.
The diluted Elixir gifted by Aris.
Various personal firearms, including Teremer’s End, and a large quantity of explosives prepared as consumables.
All preparations were complete. After checking the Guide’s Ring, Lennok began to walk between the shadows of the streetlights.
The land of souls located at the border between this world and the afterlife.
The origin of military spirit magic and the oldest city-state on this continent, created for ghosts.
It was time to head to Yorta.