Chapter 982: Celestial Spellcraft: Miniature Garden (5)
Vulcan, District 35. Deep within Whitestone National Park, where the Vylun Research Institute is located.
Lennok, having exited the tumultuous press conference, immediately headed somewhere.
He easily shook off the pursuing reporters and passed through the research wing’s security system.
SLAM!!
The central laboratory of the quiet research wing, where the commotion outside couldn’t even be heard.
“Case 16 exit. Substitute Particle plug-in complete.”
“Good. Trajectory guidance program imprinting is also done. Please scan right away.”
“Confirmed. Should we start the screen compatibility check at the same time?”
“Excellent. Assuming you haven’t forgotten the rebound canceling.”
Dozens of researchers moved busily, immersed in their work.
“Ah, Professor Vylun……!!”
Professor Raphael belatedly spotted Lennok and whipped his head around.
“It seems I’ve interrupted.”
“No, it’s not that…….”
Raphael, only then realizing Lennok had been watching them, said with an awkward expression.
“It’s been a while since we worked while looking at each other’s faces. I didn’t even realize you were here. My apologies.”
“What do you mean by ‘not working while looking at each other’s faces’……?”
“As long as we remember the name tags on our lab coats, there’s no problem distinguishing one another, is there?”
Raphael explained, leaving Lennok to tilt his head in confusion.
“If you remember voices and names, you don’t need to bother looking up to check faces.”
“…….”
Was this really something that should come from the mouth of a project leader who had just been working in such perfect harmony with his researchers?
But other researchers didn’t even bat an eye at Raphael’s words.
Instead, they simply continued their work in silence, as if accustomed to such an attitude.
Raphael, perhaps noticing Lennok’s bewildered reaction, cleared his throat and changed the subject.
“Ahem, more importantly, please take a look at this. It’s truly fortunate you came at just this moment.”
Raphael quickly retrieved a stack of papers from a nearby shelf, opened the table of contents, and presented them to Lennok.
“We’ve succeeded in identifying the regularity of the magic particles used in Common Magic!!”
“Is that so?”
“Yes! It was a brilliant achievement born from firmly establishing research priorities and concentrating the necessary capabilities.”
Raphael nodded.
“The immediate development of new Common Magic is impossible without you. Therefore, we have been focusing on the process of systematizing the Common Magic system using existing magic theories.”
Raphael, having completely forgotten the awkward atmosphere from moments ago, was now explaining his research with a joyful expression.
He was a person whose natural disposition transcended that of a mere researcher; he found the joy of life in research and work.
While sometimes his devotion bordered on the eccentric, based on what Lennok had observed, he wasn’t inherently malicious.
“In the case of the Common Magic system, the magic particles transform just before the magic activates, changing to be compatible with any attribute of magic.”
Raphael said with a proud expression.
“We call this the Substitute Particle.”
“The Substitute Particle, you say.”
Raphael rapidly flipped through the papers in front of Lennok, who gave a suitable affirmative nod.
“The current theme of research at the institute is to observe the properties of the Substitute Particle and find its regularity. The goal is to use Common Magic and collect the transformed particles—”
“Excuse me, but I don’t think this is the time for such discussions.”
A grim-faced, white-haired man interrupted from behind Lennok, who had been listening to the explanation.
“Hayward.”
“Long time no see, Director.”
Hayward was a researcher who studied Common Magic, and one of the individuals who witnessed the entire upheaval when Lennok turned the institute upside down.
Since Raphael had been scouted by the institute, Hayward had been the manager responsible for finance and administration rather than research.
Hayward set down his coffee cup and massaged his shoulder with a tired expression.
“You caused such a ruckus outside, and here you are calmly listening to a research report.”
“Haha.”
“Hayward. What are you talking about? A ruckus outside?”
Hayward replied, looking at Raphael, who was tilting his head with a bewildered expression.
“Our Director just turned all the Common Magic Learning Devices into trash.”
“…Hmm?”
“You said you would free yourself from hardware constraints by building a virtual space to assist incantation, didn’t you?”
Hayward pressed his temples with a troubled expression.
“It sounded like you even mentioned a mobile phone application. Could you give a brief explanation?”
It seemed Hayward had heard everything about the situation outside before coming to find Lennok.
His appearance at this very moment, when Lennok met Raphael, was probably to help the institute’s core personnel grasp the situation.
Lennok nodded and immediately raised his hand.
“Considering the media reports, it was a bit exaggerated, but in truth, it’s not such a grand concept.”
“Wh-What?!”
CRACKLE!!
Instantly, all the monitors in the lab went dark, and a soap-bubble-like sphere floated into view.
As the flustered researchers fumbled with the screens, Lennok said casually.
“Leaving the learning device as a hardware component during the Common Magic development process proved inconvenient in many ways.”
“Hmm, that’s…”
“But, greatly enhancing the performance of the learning device to release a new terminal would require a lot of budget and time, which we lacked.”
Lennok tapped the soap-bubble-shaped sphere on the monitor and explained.
“So, I completely transferred the computational processes that the learning device was originally supposed to handle to the Cybernetic Space.”
“So, I don’t understand that part of the explanation.”
Hayward asked with a troubled expression.
“How can something that was only possible through a learning device be replaced by Cybernetic Space?”
“Because the incantation assistance server I built in Cybernetic Space imitates the laws of reality.”
FLASH!!
Inside the soap bubble that appeared on the screen, magic power surged.
The magical light completed a small magic circle, radiating light and brightly illuminating the screen.
Just as the researchers realized it was Luminescence, the Common Magic founded by Evan Vylun, their faces stiffened.
“If specific magical movements are input into this server, it can perfectly imitate and predict the operation of Common Magic.”
“…….”
“The user then downloads the magic flow calculated by the server, overwrites it onto their innate magic, and materializes the spell. Done.”
Lennok lightly dusted his hands in front of the speechless researchers.
“In other words, it’s a virtual server that only functions to process the incantation of Common Magic on your behalf.”
“This is…….”
A frozen silence fell among the researchers who had been listening to the explanation.
Though the theory and explanation were simple, everyone understood that the outcome held truly unrealistic meaning and value.
The value of the Spell Assistant Server wasn’t merely limited to processing Common Magic on one’s behalf.
Lennok had, in essence, just stated that he had succeeded in breaking down the boundary between reality and Cybernetic Space.
“This…… is not a technology to be used simply to replace learning devices.”
Hayward said with a grim expression.
“It’s an achievement that should be formally theorized and published as a paper. Why did you release it this way?”
“It’s not that significant. In fact, all I did was commission the programming to make that theory work in Cybernetic Space…….”
The Spell Assistant Server was a concept created by translating Celestial Spellcraft: Miniature Garden into Cybernetic Space.
Since the Miniature Garden spellcraft, being an Old World spell capable of affecting reality through a catalyst, it was natural for phenomena occurring within the server to connect with reality once it was transposed into Cybernetic Space.
In that process, all Lennok did was ask Davi to code and program the Miniature Garden spellcraft.
Of course, it was encrypted to prevent the original form of Celestial Spellcraft from being exposed, so it wouldn’t be discovered, but since it was already an existing spellcraft commercialized as a technology, publishing it as Evan Vylun’s paper was unsuitable.
Hayward sighed and shook his head.
“Fine. But at the very least, you must handle the patents yourself, Director. You’re not planning to just watch another research institute steal the ownership of this technology, are you?”
“I’ll take care of that part myself.”
“Freedom from the necessity of learning devices… that will be quite an interesting story.”
Unlike Hayward, Raphael showed strong interest in the server Lennok had explained.
“It grieved me to see the infinite potential of the Common Magic system shackled by the inferior performance of hardware.”
“Is that so?”
“Director. Surely you don’t believe that, do you? Look what the professor did to collect Substitute Particles.”
Hayward scratched his head and gestured irritably towards one side of the research wing.
“He kept buying up Common Magic Learning Devices, using them once, and then discarding them.”
“…….”
Common Magic Learning Devices lay scattered, completely broken with shattered screens.
Hundreds of dusty tablets were carelessly discarded in the corner of the hallway.
“Ahem! Chief Hayward, you’re being a bit harsh.”
Raphael, perhaps feeling a pang of guilt, hastily tried to defend himself.
“To collect Substitute Particles, you have to push the learning device’s performance to its limit. I never intended to damage the equipment, but due to the terminal’s output limits—”
“See? He suddenly becomes eloquent when he feels a sense of crisis.”
Hayward grumbled.
“Why didn’t you answer like that normally?”
“……Chief Hayward, whose side are you on?”
“Naturally, I’m on the Director’s side. Is that even a question?”
Perhaps because they had both been in the same predicament and experienced the upheaval when Lennok turned the institute upside down, Lennok smiled and raised his hand, watching the two researchers bicker without reservation.
“I plan to entrust future media responses to Chief Hayward. If you have any questions, would you please speak now?”
“I understand the concept of building a virtual space in Cybernetic Space to handle the computation and incantation of Common Magic.”
Raphael immediately asked.
“However, who is responsible for the capacity, maintenance costs, and management required to build the server? If that part isn’t coordinated, research will inevitably be hindered.”
“That’s a good question.”
Lennok nodded.
“I also wanted to take this opportunity to introduce a new researcher to you all.”
“A new researcher?”
WHOOSH!!
At that moment, all the lights in the lab went out, plunging the surroundings into darkness.
In the middle of the darkened lab, the central monitor lit up, and someone appeared.
[Greetings, everyone.]
“……A mask?”
Beyond the faint static, something wearing a blue fox mask was looking at them from inside the screen.
“They’re a hacker from the Deep Web, and they helped me in the process of building the server in Cybernetic Space. We got along quite well, so after a test, they agreed to join the institute.”
Lennok, watching the fox mask from behind the researchers, smiled.
“They will be working as the leader of the Spell Assistant Server-related project from now on.”
[Professor Evan Vylun has explained the situation.]
Something wearing a fox mask said in a clear, resonant voice from beyond the screen.
[All the researchers gathered here are talented individuals, but it seems they need my help when it comes to programming.]
“Indeed… we didn’t have many experts in that field at the institute.”
“Is it a new scouted hacker since the job posting went out?”
“No, I thought we were finally getting a junior, but it’s remote work?”
The researchers, open-minded enough to have interviewed and joined the newly built Vylun Research Institute, seemed to accept the appearance of a new researcher, perhaps due to the recent job postings.
[You will all follow my instructions… Heh heh.]
“……?”
[Ah, excuse me. You will follow my instructions and concurrently manage the server and assist with the Cybernetic Space project, aiding in computations.]
Trying to act calm, but it was clear they couldn’t hide their excitement. The fox mask cleared its throat and spoke.
[I am a very meticulous person, so you must unconditionally follow my directions without objection—click.]
Again, the fox mask suddenly slumped its head down mid-sentence.
Raphael stared with his mouth agape, and Hayward asked with a suspicious expression.
“Director. Is this really someone we can work with?”
“……Of course, you don’t need to worry.”
Lennok, pressing Davi down with one hand, who was trying to assert dominance the moment they met the researchers, said with a smile.
“I plan to manage them well so they don’t go astray.”
While learning Celestial Spellcraft from Claris, Lennok concurrently handled his work at the Vylun Research Institute under his Vylun identity.
He taught Obaekro to the mercenaries visiting the Magic Tower and observed training sessions with Felix.
While taking care of overdue tasks during his journey to Kundara, the anomaly suddenly occurred.
“A message from the first checkpoint?”
[The intelligence agent dispatched to the checkpoint made direct contact.]
Olivera’s private laboratory.
A secret chamber created by her, an 8-level wizard, by adjusting her Domain.
Olivera, who had directly summoned Claris and Lennok, replied.
[Frankly, I have an inkling of what it means to receive contact at this point in time…]
Was it a trick of the ear, or was there a faint sneer mixed in Olivera’s voice as she spoke?
Just as Lennok noticed that subtle incongruity and was about to say something, Olivera’s Mystic Eye glinted from beyond the veil.
[It’s fine. If they want it, it’ll be faster to speak directly.]
Olivera, propping her chin on her hand from beyond the veil, raised her hand, and a screen opened in the air, beginning to play a video.
CRACKLE…!!
The faint static cleared, and bright light appeared on the video.
Pale, flickering illumination that seemed to blind the eyes.
“What, isn’t the anesthesia worn off yet?”
Above the light, a man in green surgical scrubs looked down at the screen.
SMACK!!
With a low mumble, he slapped the screen, and the camera suddenly whipped to the side.
[Ah, there. Now it’s in focus.]
Only then did the man nod, seemingly satisfied.
[Open your eyes wide and look this way. I know you’re connected to the optic nerve.]
“…….”
The man seemed to be talking to the camera screen while simultaneously addressing someone beyond the screen.
The moment Lennok narrowed his eyes at his unsettling demeanor.
[Hello. Is this our first time meeting?]
The man in surgical scrubs looked down at the screen and said with an indifferent expression.
[I am Avesta Chapman, Conjunction Spell Master of the Order Alliance.]