The Demon King is unfathomable

Chapter 375 A School Full of Talented Individuals

The storm stirred up by the No. 440 virtual realm continues to ferment.

Colin's "Virtual Realm Interference Theory" not only shocked the professors who held virtual realm resources and authority, but also the mentors and teaching assistants who had no opportunity to explore the mysteries of the virtual realm. They were all shocked by that groundbreaking theory.

And so, the aftershocks of the storm spread down from the top of the Great Sage's Tower, layer by layer, and soon swept across the entire academic community!

The sensation caused by this was no less than that of the "Solipsians' reaction after hearing the whispers of the ancient gods".

If Prince Colin was previously just a controversial and gossipy "figure of the moment," he now undoubtedly has an additional title: "scholar" or even "pioneer."

Furthermore, this title was not declared by him, but rather bestowed upon him voluntarily by the magicians of the Academy!

Aside from those insignificant honors, another impact was that the mages of the Great Sage's Tower finally began to take his teachings seriously.

And the word "science," which was once unfamiliar and even bewildering to countless people, has suddenly become the hottest topic on Xuebang (a Chinese academic forum)...

The entrance to the "Magic Science" laboratory was almost bursting at the seams with apprentices who had come from far and wide.

"...Please, Mr. Jamie! Please take another copy! I've written my application three times! I'm begging you, at least take it to His Highness Colin for a look!" A senior apprentice was almost pleading as he handed the application to the bewildered Jamie.

Before the taciturn young man could take it, a strong and burly magician squeezed in, speaking with great enthusiasm.

"Take a look at mine too! Look at my resume. Professor Colin's arguments about 'mechanics' perfectly align with my previous research on power amplification magic arrays! I swear, I will definitely become his most reliable assistant!"

Jamie opened his mouth wide, but couldn't utter a single word.

He couldn't figure out what exactly this "coincidence" meant. It couldn't be called "coincidence" just because the names sounded similar, could it?
These are completely different things!

On the other side, Ram was also surrounded by several female apprentices, and sheets of "resumes" filled with formulas and mechanical drawings were handed to her like snowflakes, leaving her overwhelmed.

"Senior Ram, look at mine! My family has been alchemists for three generations, and I've been interested in the decomposition and combination of matter since I was a child! Instructor Colin's 'chemistry' theory is practically tailor-made for me, I'm sure I can satisfy him!"

"I... I'm not a senior student, just a preparatory student, I've only been here for a little over two months..." Ram's cheeks turned as red as apples; shy by nature, she was really not good at handling such situations.

The girl, who seemed to be a senior student, widened her eyes and, while taking back her resume, looked her up and down suspiciously.

"Then how did you get in?"

Ram stammered and couldn't speak. His aggressive gaze and imposing aura were so strong that the already shy and timid woman shrank even smaller.

"Everyone, please go back now!" Jamie stepped forward and shouted at the crowded room with all his might, "The lab has no plans to recruit new apprentices at the moment! Instructor Colin doesn't have time to look at resumes... If there are plans to expand recruitment, His Highness will issue an announcement!"

He paused, then called out again.

"If you really want to enter that prince's laboratory, you might as well go to his class first to experience it and see if you can accept his theories... In addition, we were actually recruited from Prince Colin's class, and I really recommend that you do so!"

Based on his understanding of that prince, the prince seemed to prefer personally discovering talent rather than waiting for resumes to be delivered to him.

Upon hearing this, some of the apprentices gathered at the laboratory entrance finally dispersed.

Although it won't be long before a new group of people gathers around and repeats what just happened.

These fanatical mages came not only from the Source School, but also from apprentices who had come from other mage towers in the northern wastelands.

Those who traveled thousands of miles to come here were not necessarily all driven by a yearning for "science." Many others simply wanted to squeeze into the laboratory to gain qualifications because His Highness Colin possessed a promising virtual resource, and perhaps even get a co-authorship on a paper.

Watching those dejected figures leave, Ram couldn't help but whisper to Jamie beside him, "I feel like this place is even more bustling than the registration area for the annual 'Sage's Trial'."

Jamie nodded in deep agreement, his face full of emotion.

"yes……"

The registration for the Sage's Trial comes shortly after the apprentice recruitment and is primarily for graduates who are about to leave the various mage towers.

Although they were not qualified to participate as they had just joined the school, they still saw the huge crowd from afar.

That was truly like a thousand troops crossing a single-plank bridge...

……

The popularity of the "Magic Science" laboratory was just the beginning; its influence quickly spread from the laboratory to Prince Colin's "science" classes.

The classroom, which had been somewhat deserted before because "Professor Colin is never stingy with credits," was once again filled with crowds of people, and now it's so crowded that it's almost impossible to find a seat.

The spacious classroom was so crowded that there was barely enough room to step inside.

Hundreds of students arrive an hour early for each class to secure a seat, just to grab a good spot near the front. As the aisles fill up, the classroom windowsills quickly become overrun with students' enthusiasm, with some even standing outside the windows.

Unlike before, these students who came here by reputation are no longer there for those few "free" credits; many of them didn't even register for the course in the first place.

Almost everyone came here with a pure thirst for knowledge and curiosity.

Among those who were auditing the class were not just teaching assistants, but also some mentors and even professors...

Barrett sat in the crowd, looking at Colin, the instructor on the podium, who was explaining the "lever principle" in a simple and easy-to-understand way. His face was half admiration and half regret.

He admired Prince Colin for achieving such remarkable success in such a short time, but also regretted why he always let opportunities slip through his fingers when they were right in front of him.

He was obviously the one who came first...

Looking at the magic apprentices who were listening intently and frantically taking notes in their notebooks, Barrett suddenly felt a sense of urgency.

He finally stopped daydreaming and calmed down to listen attentively to the lesson.

“…Give me a crowbar long enough and a sturdy fulcrum, and I can even pry up the entire Great Sage’s Tower with just my bare hands!” Luo Yan’s voice was clear and magnetic, echoing in the ears of every listener. “I know this may sound unbelievable, but I believe that once you’ve listened to my previous lessons, you will understand why I say this.”

Sgein rubbed his slightly sore temples, took a deep breath, put down his quill, and raised his hand. After receiving permission, he pushed back his chair and stood up, asking with a curious expression.

“But sir, magic can do just as well as a crowbar, and wouldn’t it be easier for us to use magic than to find the crowbar you mentioned that is long enough?”

He didn't understand why this prince kept emphasizing the power of mortals, when the prince himself was an extraordinary being.

Since the start of this course, His Highness has never once spoken about the theory of magic, and the few spells he has demonstrated have all been of the Iron level.

Thinking of Professor Alistair's urging, Skyein was also a little anxious. He hoped that His Highness could quickly enter his area of ​​expertise so that he could stand out.

Otherwise, as the number of students in the class increases, it will be even more difficult for him to attract the prince's attention with his magical talent.

Looking at this inquisitive young man, Luo Yan smiled faintly and answered his question in a friendly tone.

"That's right. I never deny that magic is a powerful tool; in fact, I am quite skilled in it myself."

Then why——

Just as Skye was about to ask a question, Prince Colin, who was standing on the podium, continued speaking.

"...However! Magic is a powerful tool, but that doesn't mean mortal wisdom is useless. The two things not only don't conflict, but can complement each other! For example, if I have a flame in my hand and I want it to burn brighter, the correct way, besides increasing the output of magic power, is to infuse it with a little bit of 'wind' power."

Luo Yan waved his hand, and a flame shot out from his fingertip. Then he gently blew on it, and after a moment of disorientation, the flame indeed burned even brighter.

Skyein's eyes widened.

It wasn't that he didn't understand how bellows could make the fire burn brighter, but rather that he suddenly remembered Prince Colin's explanation of the concept of "combustion" in a previous lesson. That dormant knowledge in his mind was suddenly awakened by the flickering flames!
Almost every apprentice can conjure fireballs, but no one has ever thought deeply about the principle of "combustion".

In an instant, he felt as if he had been enlightened.

It's not just him.

Several professors sitting in the back row of the classroom also showed thoughtful expressions, as if they had made a connection and thought of something related to their research.

Thinking about it further...

It turned out to be the case.

Professor Hector, his hood pulled low and hidden in the shadows of the back row, nodded thoughtfully, suddenly gaining a new understanding of Prince Colin's paper.

If we interpret "the interference theory of the No. 440 virtual realm" as a spell, then the "science" that His Highness expounds in class is probably the source of his power.

The former is like the ever-changing "techniques," while the latter is the "principle" that remains unchanged despite all the variations!
Hector, realizing this, suddenly felt a pang of regret.

He shouldn't have been prejudiced and treated the prince's teachings as a joke. If only he had come to listen to this so-called science class sooner!

Standing on the podium, Luo Yan did not notice or care about Professor Hector's feelings.

As an actor with professional ethics, his responsibility is to play his role well, not to pay attention to the expressions of a particular audience member.

"...If I can move a mountain with magic, then knowing the structure and mechanics of that mountain, I can do the same thing with less magic."

"Of course we should learn magic. It is a gift bestowed upon us by Saint Sith, and a destiny given to us. However, we should also realize that power takes many forms, and magic should not be the only answer to all things in the world."

"There is no single truth in our universe. Any discussion about 'single' is not science, but religion... Of course, this is just my personal opinion."

Applause erupted in the classroom.

Even Professor Hector, sitting in the back row, couldn't help but clap his hands, though he quickly lowered them.

He had sneaked in to attend the class, not wanting Colin to notice him.

Skye nodded as if he understood, and sat back down.

Although His Highness Colin still hasn't given a clear definition of science, he seems to have a vague understanding of what it is.

For example, Professor Arist's theories are not science.

It is religion.

The gentleman would discuss with him why the sky is green, but he wouldn't discuss whether the sky is actually green, when it is green, or which light lasts longer and shines over a wider area.

But Prince Colin is different.

He would tell his students that they should have their own thoughts, including thoughts on what science is. They should be explorers of knowledge, not blinded and bound by dogmas in the name of knowledge, spending their entire lives trying to prove that snow is not snow, towers are not tall, and resorting to sophistry.

The seed planted in his heart began to sprout.

And it wasn't just him!

The hundreds of magicians sitting in the lecture hall gradually had flames of hope burning in their eyes, like torches being lit.

The bell rang to signal the end of get out of class.

Luo Yan glanced at the time and said with a smile.

"Back to our previous topic, I now need you to go back and think about how to use scientific principles to improve the magic you are familiar with." "You don't need to create new magic; just use the spells you know best! Let's make things that originally required bronze-level spells be accomplished with fewer, or even lower-level, spells!"

"This question is worth one credit! Students who haven't taken my course can also share their thoughts; just submit your assignments to my teaching assistant."

Looking at the crowded classroom, Luo Yan continued in a teasing tone.

"Also, to those students who didn't come to class, please pass on my message to them. I don't have to teach every single class, but don't miss out on the free credits... After all, many of you came here for this, am I right?"

A burst of good-natured laughter filled the classroom.

In this friendly atmosphere, Luo Yan announced the end of get out of class and then gestured to the teaching assistant who was waiting nearby that he could leave work, even though the latter's work had only just begun.

He's going to be busy from now on...

The students poured out of the classroom like a tide after class, chatting excitedly and carrying their voices toward the public library of the Great Sage's Tower.

Looking at the rows of bookshelves that had been completely checked out, the elderly librarian stared in utter bewilderment, his eyes wide, muttering to himself.

"This is unbelievable! The book 'A Study of Early First Era Arithmetic Theory and Magic Circle Design' in Section 7, Row B, is covered in dust older than me, and it's been completely borrowed! When did these brats become interested in archaeology?!"

Standing next to the administrator, the young assistant whispered, "It's probably Professor Colin's science class, sir. I heard it started because of a paper, and now all the young men and women in the Great Sage's Tower are studying his so-called 'science'..."

The Great Sage's Tower has a rich collection of books, including not only magical works, but also some books that record obscure knowledge and have little to do with magic.

This kind of knowledge is not of much interest to most people. Only some magicians who are engaged in archaeological research occasionally borrow it to take a look, so the library does not have much of it.

Faced with the sudden and explosive increase in borrowing demand, the library was instantly overwhelmed by the crowds.

"Science...heh..."

The administrator sneered and muttered in dissatisfaction, "I think it's nothing more than the strange skills of ordinary people. I really don't know why the prince of the empire would be interested in that kind of thing."

True power is always bound to the soul.

No matter how much that prince tries to argue, a commoner's musket can never defeat a nobleman's wand, and this has been true for the past thousand years!

"Perhaps... the Holy City behind that prince has some plans?" the young assistant said uncertainly.

I heard that recently, Hell has developed a thing called the Magic Crystal Cannon, which can be operated by just a few goblins and has caused the Imperial frontline troops a lot of trouble.

The Empire has long been critical of the slow progress of the Academy's research on the magic crystal cannon, and it is unknown whether the prince's arrival is related to this matter.

The administrator pursed his lips, not expecting it to be so far away.

"No matter what he's up to, just wait and see, this unhealthy trend won't last long!"

However, he was unaware that the "evil influence" brought by Prince Colin showed no signs of abating over time. Instead, it subtly took root and sprouted in every corner of the Great Sage's Tower.

In a corner of the public training grounds of the Great Sage's Tower, two magic apprentices with bronze-level strength were deep in thought, staring at a dummy target.

They were all students of Prince Colin, and at that moment they were studying the homework assigned by the prince—"How to accomplish the greatest thing with the least amount of magic".

Since their specialty is fireball, it was natural for them to choose "increasing the power of fireball" as the topic for their assignment.

Moreover, His Highness Colin had given him some ideas on how to improve the power of the Fireball spell in science class, so this topic shouldn't be too difficult.

However, that's how it should have been.

But when they arrived at the experimental site with great enthusiasm to verify it, they found that things were not as simple as they had imagined.

"No, still no..."

After a failed attempt, Bain dispersed the fire element he had gathered in his hand and complained with a frustrated expression.

"The effect of wind element on the combustion of fire element is limited. Once a critical point is exceeded, the power of the fireball will not only not increase, but will also weaken due to the instability of its shape... What exactly is wrong? Why is His Highness Colin able to do it?"

"Could it be because his mental strength is stronger than ours? That's why he can better fuse the wind and fire elements together?" Had looked troubled and scratched his head as he analyzed, "If that's the case, I'm afraid we'll never be able to replicate that prince's experiment no matter what."

The two had clearly listened attentively to the science lesson, but it was obvious that they had not yet fully grasped the meaning of "knowing not only what it is, but also why it is so".

Of course, this is also related to the fact that the knowledge their instructors imparted in class was still quite superficial, and many things were just meant to be a starting point.

Considering the students' limited understanding, Luo Yan hasn't yet covered the periodic table or oxygen, only vaguely mentioning that combustion requires air and human respiration also requires air. Therefore, miners on the continent of Gana usually carry a candle when going down into the mines, using its light to determine their safety.

After a discussion, the two fell silent, and only the whooshing sound of other apprentices practicing wind blade techniques in the distance could be heard on the training ground.

Had unconsciously stared at the magical flame lamp used for lighting at the edge of the training field. Watching the flickering flame, his thoughts drifted back to Prince Colin's class.

In that instant, something suddenly occurred to him, and his eyes widened as if a bolt of lightning had struck his mind.

"Wait... Bane, we...we seem to have misunderstood! No! We've gotten ourselves into a dead end!"

Bain looked at him, puzzled.

"What do you mean?"

Hader's breathing became rapid, and his voice trembled slightly with excitement.

“We’ve been thinking about how to use fire to ‘burn’ the enemy to death… but do you remember? Colin mentioned in class that burning flames requires something we can’t see… called, called ‘air’? Not only flames need that stuff, we need it to breathe!”

Upon hearing this, Bain reacted almost immediately, his eyes widening in surprise.

"You mean...we can attack the air around the enemy with fire instead of attacking the enemy directly?!"

“That’s right! That’s exactly what I mean!” Had clenched his fist excitedly, lowered his voice, and spoke rapidly, “We can modify the spell slightly, appropriately lower the temperature of the flames, and instead make the burning range wider! Like fireworks, with a bang, it will burn up all the air in the entire training ground! Guess what will happen to us, and the other apprentices in the training ground?”

Following Harder's train of thought, Bain swallowed hard, his voice trembling slightly with excitement.

"Those who stay inside will suffocate and die..."

That's definitely not a pleasant way to die.

But it's absolutely efficient!
Hader nodded excitedly, indicating that he thought so too.

"correct!"

Their eyes met, and they both saw a mixture of excitement and fear in each other's eyes!

Although they were eager to verify their hypothesis immediately, the training ground was too large, and their magic power was far from sufficient to complete a spell of that scale. Moreover, the other magic apprentices certainly wouldn't cooperate with them.

However, even so, they are still capable of verifying their conjectures on a smaller spatial scale.

For example, burning away all the air in a five-meter-deep well is more than enough with bronze-level fire magic. They only need to combine the incantations of two fireball spells and then let the first fireball explode at a specific time.

The second fireball will be less destructive, but it will quickly fill the narrow space and deplete the air in that space.

If there happens to be a steel-grade magical beast that is not good at jumping in this well, then that magical beast will undoubtedly be killed by them!
Based on this inference, they immediately made a further assumption: in specific scenarios such as mazes, with the improved explosive bullet that explodes in two stages, there is a good chance to use the suffocation effect to kill monsters stronger than themselves with very low consumption!

And it can also prevent damage to the materials on the monsters!
Although their assumptions were full of unreliable inferences and did not consider the safety of the spellcaster, it was just a homework assignment after all. They did not need to write every conclusion as flawlessly as if it were a thesis.

His Highness Colin has always been lenient with his students' assignments; basically, as long as they put them in, they can pass, let alone the fact that they put them in a serious manner.

Bain and Harder completed this imaginative assignment with great enthusiasm and solemnly handed it over to Prince Colin's teaching assistant.

At that moment, the two had no idea just how incredible their submitted assignment was in the eyes of players in another world—

These NPCs actually managed to come up with a "thermobaric bomb"!

Although this thing wasn't very effective against skeletons, all the players couldn't help but feel a sense of urgency.

Urban Citizen: "Holy crap, are the developers going to increase our difficulty level?"

"6666!" (Emotionally stable)

Gou Shi: "Can I give these two guys a zero? These kinds of people need to be suppressed. (Funny)"

"Once you're dead, you're no longer afraid of ghosts: 'Foolish! Are humans meant to be suppressed? Just let the Demon King corrupt them! (laughs)'"

"..."

In the study of the faculty dormitory, the fireplace flames roared, and a lazy young dragon was fast asleep under the desk, making comfortable snoring sounds.

Just as the players were debating whether to give this imaginative idea a perfect score or a zero, a certain idle demon king also noticed this unusual assignment.

When he read through the entire assignment, a look of surprise immediately appeared on his face.

"Talent."

Although these two guys' assignments were rough, lacked theoretical basis, and were too idealistic, their imagination alone is worth more than 90 points.

After all, they weren't standing on the shoulders of giants; at most, they were just inspired by their own work. To be able to think of so many things from a single example is quite remarkable.

Without the slightest hesitation, Luo Yan put the assignment in his drawer, intending to hand it to his teaching assistant later so that he could help bring the two people into his lab.

"Hehehe... Demon King, congratulations on discovering another treasure! Oh no, two!" Youyou, who was floating to the side, let out a smug laugh.

But not long after, it probably saw the posts from the players and became anxious again.

"But Lord Demon King, they are, after all, apprentices of the Academy. Aren't you worried that they might use the knowledge you taught them to turn against you?"

Luo Yan smiled faintly.

This is the problem he is least worried about.

"Hell's greatest threat has never been the Empire, and the Empire's greatest threat has never been Hell. If we broaden our perspective, when the light of enlightenment shines on this snowfield, the first to worry will never be ourselves."

Seeing Youyou's still confused expression, Luo Yan spoke succinctly.

"If you really can't understand, just think of us as using someone else's chicken to hatch our own eggs."

This sentence must have triggered some keyword, because Taff, who was lying under the desk, suddenly trembled, her tightly closed mouth moved, and she mumbled something as if in a dream.

"No, it can't be done..."

"I really can't go any further."

Luo Yan: "...?"

(End of this chapter)