The Demon King is unfathomable

Chapter 365 Light can be dissected!
Light can be dissected!
Before the students could process this enormous and astonishing information, a breathtaking miracle appeared before them!
The pure white light passed through the prism and was instantly split into a dazzling band of seven colors, which was precisely projected onto the wall on one side of the podium!
"By Saint Sith!"

"How... how did they do that?!"

The younger students gasped in disbelief, thinking that His Highness had silently performed some kind of exquisite illusion.

However, some senior apprentices and mages looked solemn. With their eyesight, they could clearly see that the prism was just ordinary glass, containing not a trace of magic, and was not some mysterious magical artifact.

As for the magic that Prince Colin just used, it was just a simple illumination spell, without any additional spells.

Luo Yan smiled inwardly, taking in the students' reactions below the stage, and was not at all surprised by their reaction.

He had discovered this problem back in Drywood Harbor.

Although the god of machinery brought the world the steam engine and telescope of the Enlightenment, he did not tell the people of this world why the telescope could see far away, or how to see further, or why the steam engine could run, or how to run faster.

The people of this world have not experienced the long process of natural scientific discovery, and the existence of supernatural powers has greatly distracted the intelligent people. As a result, although the humans on this planet possess the technological heritage of the industrial age, and even "magical energy technology" that surpasses the industrial age, the progress of civilization has instead remained in the early Renaissance, which is still bound by theology and monarchical power.

now--

He wants to teach the flowers of the empire this lesson!
"Different colors of light have different 'refractive indices' in the same medium. This is something I discovered by chance when I was on the continent of Gana."

Luo Yan simply threw out a new term, then turned his gaze to a mage tower that was faintly visible in the distance outside the window.

"This explains why telescopes that we improve by adding more lenses always produce blurry images with colored halos at the edges when observing stars at their extreme distances... because different colors of light cannot converge perfectly at the same point."

After a pause, he continued.

"Once we understand this, we can easily design telescopes that can see farther and more clearly."

Luo Yan did not tell these magic apprentices how to solve the problem, but he believed that as long as they understood the principles, solving the problem would be easy.

If I tell them everything, wouldn't I miss out on the fun of exploration and discovery?

Before the students could fully process the new term "refractive index," he beckoned to his assistant, signaling the latter to bring up his carefully prepared props. He then continued to demonstrate a series of experiments, including light refraction and pinhole imaging, manipulating light and shadow with the various props.

Exclamations of surprise echoed throughout the classroom. Whether they were newly enrolled students or teaching assistants who had been with Xuebang for many years, everyone stared wide-eyed.

Especially those students who specialize in illusion magic were completely shocked by this method of manipulating light and shadow "without relying on any magic".

Although they couldn't understand the significance of these technologies or how they would function in actual combat, it was undoubtedly a powerful shock to their worldview!
It turns out that light and shadow can be controlled not only through magic.

It turns out that you can do things that are no less powerful than superhuman abilities with simple tools!

After successfully capturing everyone's attention, Luo Yan waved his hand, signaling the teaching assistant next to him to push away the props on the podium.

His gaze slowly swept across the entire room, from the most focused faces in the first row to the blurry figure tiptoeing outside the corridor, a smile spreading across his face.

Not many people left.

It seems my lesson was quite successful.

Of course, it was also thanks to his status as a prince that he was able to listen to so much nonsense that had nothing to do with magic.

Looking at the apprentices who were digesting the massive amount of information, Luo Yan slowed down his speech, making his easygoing tone solemn and powerful.

"...Although I am a superhuman, I still have to say that what superhuman power can do, mortal power can also do."

"Even ordinary people's hands can create things that extraordinary people have never imagined. As long as you dare to hypothesize and verify... then it is entirely possible."

Sitting in the lecture hall, Kurs curled his lip in disdain. In his opinion, this prince was simply talking without any sense of embarrassment.

The nobility of the empire have no need to worry about their soul level.

They are not only born with top-notch talent, but they also have the opportunity to become the strongest in their next life, without having to pay any price.

As for mortals...

Isn't that just grass in the field and sheep in the sheepfold?
Kurs had no doubt that their only value in life was to serve elites like himself, and that the reason they had fallen to such a state was simply because they hadn't tried hard enough.

certainly--

Not everyone thought the same way as him; for example, Finn, who was sitting next to him, had a gleam in his eyes.

Human hands can create things that even extraordinary people could never have imagined...

Isn't this describing myself?
Although he awakened extraordinary powers, compared to those truly noble mages, he was no different from a mortal.

Besides, he comes from the fields.

Actually, Kurs, who was sitting next to him, was the same, but before he became a mage lord, he had already forgotten where he came from.

"...I do not deny that your pursuit of higher levels of power to break the shackles of the soul level is the right path. This path is paved with your blood and sweat, and you should not give up easily."

"But I still want to tell everyone here—that's not the 'only' way to become a legend, nor is it some unchanging truth!"

"Today's lesson is just a starting point. Rather than teaching you how to throw fireballs more accurately and skillfully, I want to open a window for you."

"Perhaps through this window you can see the scenery I missed on my journey."

"Take what you do best and do it to the extreme, and you can become a legend!"

The classroom fell silent, then whispers began to circulate.

His Highness Colin's declaration was like a boulder thrown into a lake, creating ripples that would last for a long time in the large classroom where thousands of people had gathered.

The students were captivated by the new path he had described, unable to calm down for a long time. Some left dismissively, but many more began to ponder how they should face the future after passing the apprenticeship exam.

As the class was about to end, Luo Yan smiled and raised his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet.

"Before get out of class ends, I have a small homework assignment for everyone... or you can consider it a gift from me."

His tone was relaxed, as if he were talking about the weather.

The students immediately sat up straight, picked up their quill pens, and prepared to write down the instructor's requirements.

They initially thought it would involve some profound theoretical derivation, complex instrument construction, or a repetition of the experiment demonstrated in class—

However, what Prince Colin said next made everyone's pens freeze in mid-air, leaving them speechless for a moment.

"I need you to go back and think about three questions—why is the sky green? Why is water ice? Why is steel soft?"

"Just hand in the assignment to the teaching assistant next to me. His office is..."

At this point, Luo Yan looked at the stunned teaching assistant, who quickly snapped out of his daze and hurriedly continued the Prince's words, saying, "It's at table number 2 on the 20th floor, room 111! You can hand in your homework here, and I'll deliver it to His Highness!"

“Very good,” Luo Yan nodded, then smiled and joked, “The only drawback is that you should call me Mr. or Mentor.”

"Yes..." the teaching assistant said, blushing. He had been so nervous that he had blurted out his true feelings.

The entire lecture hall was filled with a noisy discussion, but no one noticed the little incident that happened on the podium.

The students looked at each other, their faces filled with disbelief.

What is the problem?
Are you kidding?

The sky is blue, water flows at room temperature, and steel is synonymous with hardness.

The question posed by the prince's tutor completely defied everyone's basic common sense, to the point that they couldn't help but wonder if there was some deeper meaning they had overlooked.

Just as the entire audience was stunned and in an uproar, Luo Yan cleared his throat and dropped an explosive reward that caught everyone off guard.

"This course of mine is worth four credits."

He held up four fingers, smiled, and announced, "For any of these three questions, if someone can give me a satisfactory answer, I will award them one credit!"

No professor or mentor has ever been so generous.

If the previous questions had plunged the classroom into a deathly silence, then this sentence was like igniting a volcano!
"One credit?!"

"Did I hear that right? Just one question?"

"Is Your Highness serious?!"

The students went absolutely crazy!

It's important to know that every credit at Xuebang is hard-earned.

They must pass countless tedious theoretical written tests, defeat magical constructs in spell battles, and even risk their lives in the annual, dangerous "Sage's Trial" illusionary labyrinth in order to gain the favor and approval of their mentors.

Never before has a professor awarded credits so "absurdly," giving them in the very first class!
What was a bizarre question that left everyone completely baffled a moment ago has instantly transformed into the world's most fascinating ultimate mystery with the generous reward of "one credit"!
Driven by the immense profits, everyone's brains began to work at high speed, and the entire lecture hall went from silence to uproar, filled with excited discussions and all sorts of far-fetched speculations.

Whether they were genuinely driven by a passion for science or a thirst for academic credits, their enthusiasm was undeniable.

Standing at the forefront of the bustling crowd, Luo Yan couldn't help but curl a mysterious smile onto his lips.

Excellent. That's exactly the effect he wanted.

The seed called "enlightenment" has been planted; let's see how many tender shoots will sprout and how many beautiful flowers will bloom on this barren snowfield.

Even having just one is enough to make it worthwhile.

……

That night, in a private study on the top floor of the Great Sage's Tower, the flames in the fireplace flickered quietly.

This is Professor Aristotle Thorne's study, which is less a scholar's research room and more a nobleman's collection.

The bookshelves weren't filled with books, but rather with trinkets from behind the virtual realm, including unknown metal artifacts and the skeletons of strange beasts.

The heavy, dark carpet absorbed all the sounds, and the air was filled with the expensive and intoxicating scent of incense.

Skain stood respectfully before the desk, reporting to Professor Alistair, who was seated in a large armchair, everything that had happened during the day.

He recounted every detail of Prince Colin’s class in a concise and emotionless tone—from the rainbow refracted by the prism to the pinhole camera trick, and finally the impassioned speech and the three strange questions.

Alister listened quietly, his long fingers tapping lightly on the table, his eyes behind his glasses deep and calm.

After Sgaine finished his report, the professor of the Source Law School let out a low, disdainful laugh.

"interesting."

His judgment of Colin became even more certain—that he was a good-for-nothing who loved to show off and enjoy the worship of ordinary people.

Instead of showcasing his extensive knowledge to win over truly capable mentors, he performed magic tricks for his apprentices in his first lesson at Xuebang.

A spell that could be accomplished with a single incantation was replaced by a whole bunch of bizarre props – isn’t that just a clown’s trick?

Especially the name of this course, which is ridiculously called "Science".

To establish a school of thought in Xuebang, you can't just throw out a gimmicky but incomprehensible concept and then give a few lessons to your apprentices.

As Arist laughed, he couldn't help but think to himself that Hector Raine, that stubborn old man, was probably so eager to help Colin obtain the "Virtual Realm" because he saw the prince's incompetence and attention-seeking nature.

After all, a show-off will soon get tired of the dry theoretical research. When Colin gets bored with the "toy" he discards, it will naturally benefit Hector himself.

If nothing else happens.

Thinking of this, Alistair's lips curled into an even deeper smile.

He could have gone along with it and helped Hector on the council.

In any case, given Hector's status and abilities, he simply couldn't keep this treasure. In the end, this "toy" that Prince Colin had grown tired of would still end up in his own hands.

Who would complain about having too many virtual resources?
“Professor,” Skyein said cautiously, seeing that he was in a good mood, “regarding the three questions His Highness raised at the end…were there any deeper meanings that we failed to perceive? Please enlighten your loyal servant.”

Arist glanced at him dismissively, as if he were looking at a child who had asked a stupid question.

He took off his monocle, slowly wiped it with a silk handkerchief, and said casually.

"When the aurora appears at night, the sky turns green. Water freezes when it's cold enough, so it's naturally ice. And when steel is heated to its extreme temperature, isn't it just molten iron?"

He put his glasses back on, his kind gaze tinged with a hint of mockery. "Such a simple question, you need me to teach you?"

“No, of course not, Professor,” Skye quickly lowered his head, answering humbly, “I was just trying to make sure your plan goes perfectly…”

Alistair waved his hand. "Go down. There's no need to report such trivial matters to me. I'm not interested in his 'games.' Come to me when you have more noteworthy intelligence or new developments."

"Yes, Professor."

Skye bowed and took his leave, quietly leaving the study and closing the door behind Lord Alistair.

His expression was respectful, yet for the first time, a barely perceptible doubt arose in his heart regarding Professor Alistair's seemingly impeccable answer.

Is it really that simple?

Whether it was those three questions, or that prince...

The thought of doubt, like a tiny seed, fell into the garden in his heart, a garden meticulously manicured by authority and obedience.

As night falls, the dormitory area of ​​Xuebang is brightly lit.

The three strange questions posed by Prince Colin were like three spells, stirring up unpredictable storms in the minds of all the students.

In the eight-person dormitory for prospective students, the noise was almost enough to lift the roof off.

The young men gathered in small groups, arguing heatedly about "why the sky is green," with all sorts of wild guesses emerging.

They missed Prince Colin's class, but still heard these three strange questions from other students.

“That’s a credit…” the freckled young man exclaimed. “I wish I had heard about this course sooner.”

“Yes, what a pity,” the well-off boy smiled, glancing subtly in Barrett’s direction, but said nothing.

He didn't blame his friend for not telling them, since they weren't really close. However, in the future, he and the others wouldn't bring this guy along for any good things.

Because I'm not familiar with it.

Unaware of what her roommates were talking about, Barrett was currently engrossed in deep thought at a small table piled high with books.

As a loyal follower and former teammate of Prince Colin, he firmly believed that the prince's question was not a joke, but a riddle that contained the "only answer".

He followed the most direct logic and began to break it down one by one.

Why is the sky green?
This is easy to solve!

In the far north, or during unusual weather events, green auroras can appear in the sky. This is evidence that the sky is green!

He had seen the aurora many times on his way to the Great Sage's Tower!

As for why the water is ice?

This is also easy to answer; the vast snowfields are filled with freezing cold water.

The only thing that bothered him was why steel was soft.

His father was a blacksmith, so of course he knew that iron could be melted into water, but what difference was there between calling molten iron "steel" and pointing at a deer and saying it was a horse?

He pondered this question for a long time, and finally, before the dormitory lights went out, he wrote a 6,000-word paper, using impeccable logic to prove that steel is soft.

Looking at the fruits of his labor, Barrett breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a sense of pride in his "quick wit".

He's determined to get that credit!
Meanwhile, in another noisy dormitory tower, Ilana was also sitting at a small desk, deep in thought.

Looking at the blank paper in front of her, she hesitated to write for a long time, the three questions lingering in her mind like ghosts.

As a clear-headed realist, she instinctively felt that things weren't so simple. The wisdom Prince Colin displayed in the classroom was far from that of someone who would use riddles to trick students. These seemingly absurd questions must have hidden a deeper logic behind them.

But what is it?

She racked her brains but still couldn't come up with an answer. Finally, she sighed and wrote down the answer in her heart.

Dear Colin Mentor:

The sky can be green, but that doesn't mean the sky is green. Water can freeze into ice, but that doesn't mean water is ice. Steel softens when heated by a flame, but we don't call it steel... Perhaps you're asking about molten iron?

Perhaps this isn't the answer you're looking for, but please forgive my limited knowledge; this is the only solution I've come up with after much thought.

After writing the last word, Ilana let out a soft sigh of relief, as if she had unloaded a heavy burden.

She knew that such an answer sheet, filled with philosophical speculation rather than factual statements, was unlikely to earn her the "free" credits.

but……

So what?
Soon, the dormitory lights would be turned off.

Her roommates stopped talking, and she quickly climbed into bed and snuggled into the fragrant, soft blankets.

However, even after closing her eyes for a long time, she still couldn't fall asleep.

A familiar yet distant voice kept lingering in her mind, even entering her dreams—

"That's not the 'only' way to become a legend, nor is it some unchanging truth..."

"Take what you do best and do it to the extreme, and you can become a legend!"

(End of this chapter)