Chapter 654: Dice
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The projection of the Atomic Universe was deep and profound. Elements were dissecting and particles were gathering all the time, presenting a superposition of destruction and creation. It did not collapse even when it was faced with the Thunder Hell but created a bizarre view inside the narrow library together with it."
Fernando was briefly stunned. "You're almost level-three legendary… The feedback of the real world because of the probabilistic explanation of the wave function?"
He still remembered Lucien's solemn face when he declared that 'determinism must die'.
"Yes." Lucien nodded his head and took out two papers. "Together with 'A Probabilistic Explanation of the Wave Function', they constitute the foundation of quantum mechanics. That is the basic law of the microworld."
"'A Heuristic Narration on the Uncertainty Principle', 'The Commutative Principle of Waves and Particles'…" Veins bulged out of Fernando's forehead when he read 'uncertainty', which reminded him of 'probability', a concept that should be sent to hell!
"…A pair of non-commutation values cannot be determined at the same time. If you know one of them accurately, the other will definitely be uncertain. For example, if you completely grasp the speed and mass of an electron, you will lose track of it and cannot discover it at any location…"
The first paper was on matrix mechanics that Fernando was familiar with. However, apart from a mathematical interpretation, Lucien also gave specific arcane significance as a response to the arcanists who had been criticizing matrix mechanics for its lack of actual significance.
However, Fernando would rather the arcana significance did not exist!
That was because it denied their effort to explore the world again. In the end, we will never learn the specific information of an electron no matter how hard we try? Grasping one's quality accurately will inevitably result in the uncertainties of the other quality?
The uncertain, probabilistic microscopic particles were the cornerstones of the matter that constructed the whole world. So, matter was also uncertain and probabilistic? Made of matter, were people uncertain and probabilistic, too?
It was almost the most absurd and hilarious theory?
Thinking for a moment, Fernando said gloomily, "It is caused by observation? Microscopic particles are too small and can easily be disturbed, so all our observation will cause them to change. That's why we cannot grasp the value changed by the other value when we determine it?"
He could more or less accept such an explanation, because it would mean that the two values could still be measured, and the world would still be observable, not full of probabilities as Lucien described!
Thinking for a moment, Lucien sighed, "My conclusion is inferred through mathematical approaches based on the premises. That is to say, nothing else is involved. So, the uncertainty principle is an intrinsic quality of the microscopic particles that has nothing to do with observation methods. As for why they show such a quality, we will still need to work on it."
Fernando's face had blushed a long time ago. The veins on his forehead were protruding, and the wind blew even faster. The dark and depressing atmosphere had completely blocked the bright rays of light.
Finally, he managed to contain himself and began to read Lucien's last paper. The first part of the paper made him feel better, because it was the tale that Lucien described before, about the blind who touched the dragon! Since the microscopic particles could not be perceived for real, they could only be described by the experiment results, even though the results were contradictory to each other.
However, Lucien then described the uncertainty principle as a fundamental law caused by the wave-particle duality with the notion: when the particle feature was more obvious, the wave feature would be gone, and vice versa. They were also a pair of non-commutation values.
The three papers constructed a self-consistent logic explanation that revealed the law of matrix mechanics and the microscopic domain, but such a law was definitely not something Fernando would like to see!
Boom!
Thunder that was countless times louder than just now burst out. Fernando stared at Lucien in the eyes, with electric arcs bouncing in his pupils. The terrible view of arriving chaos even appeared in his left eye.
Lightning struck the library and destroyed the bookshelves.
"If the initial statuses cannot strictly determine the subsequent development of matters, and if the microscopic domain is full of uncertainties, our world will be even more chaotic and disordered than Abyssal Maw. It's impossible for us to live and consider!"
A torrential rain poured down, but it was eclipsed after it entered the vast universe.
Lucien seemed to be standing at the center of the boundless Atomic Universe. He said in a low voice, "The determinism in a broader sense met difficulties in the N-body problem a long time ago. As for the microscopic domain, it's a place where the original concepts have to be abandoned. The uncertainties in the microscopic domain do not mean the uncertainties of the macroscopic world."
The N-body problem was an astrophysical notion. Its simplified version was the three-body problem. To wit, in a system made of three planets, because of their complicated influences on each other, it was in fact impossible to calculate their accurate trajectories. One could only get the solutions of certain moments in certain parts, which was in violation of determinism. However, in the school of astrology most believed that it was only because the current mathematics were not developed enough yet.
"Why are there so many differences between microscope and macroscope?" Fernando roared even more terrifying than the thunder.
Surrounded by the elemental planets, Lucien replied, "That's exactly what we need to work on."
"You don't know anything, and everything needs to be worked on, and you are bold enough to raise such a theory?" Fernando was even more infuriated, which had caused the weather changes around. Hellen, who was supervising the Allyn magic tower, had noticed the anomaly and informed Douglas and the other grand arcanists, fearing that she might not be able to get things under control on her own.
Lucien stepped forward in the profound projection of the universe. "This conclusion is based on the experiments so far. It matches the other theories and phenomena in the microscopic domain most!"
"Even if it is wrong, it should not be disapproved by the obsolete theories but by the new experiments!"
As he spoke, Lucien pushed his monocle.
"Master, calm down first. Devise an experiment to falsify it."
Fernando understood that it was only Lucien's explanation, in which only the uncertainty principle was inferred rigorously. Therefore, he managed to get his emotions back under control after a few breaths, before he declared aloud.
"I can't and I will never accept your theory. I can't agree that our world is built on dice!"
The thunderstorm stopped, but the wind was still blowing, exactly like what was on Fernando's mind. It was even more depressing for Lucien than the previous doomsday view. "Has my teacher, who always supported and protected me, taken the other side on this 'path', too?"
At this moment, Hellen walked in and asked in suspicion, "What happened here?"
Douglas, Brook, Hathaway, Oliver and Vicente arrived in one minute. If Fernando and Lucien had a fight, the whole Allyn would probably be destroyed.
Fernando snorted and pointed at the paper on the desk. "Copy them and read them for yourself. Remember, it's still only Lucien's dream talking and must not be taken seriously!"
Even Douglas was more or less scared when they saw the papers on the desk. After hearing Fernando's explanation, and seeing that he was still standing in one piece, they finally copied the papers and browsed through them.
After a long time, the library became dark again, and a cosmos where planets collapsed and destruction enshrouded everything. Oliver said coldly, "Absurd. This is utter nonsense! This is entirely different from the world in reality! It can only exist in dreams!"
The magnetic field twisting the surroundings with the dancing electric currents, Brook also said solemnly, "We cannot observe the uncertainties of matter in reality. It is safe to say that, if we can observe them, it will mean that our very existence is ridiculous and contradictory to it!"
Boom!
The noise of collapsing were even more horrifying than thunder!
In the library, more and more complicated, unbelievable views surfaced.
Clear, delicate and translucent snowflakes dropped, bringing in unimaginable frigidness, mixed with Hellen's intermittent murmur, "Experiment results… Determinism… Prophecies are probabilistic… Matters are probabilistic… The world is also probabilistic?" Even she could barely control her own feelings and emotional changes anymore.
Spots of elements blossomed like colorful flowers, which gathered into a torrent. Indifferently, Hathaway read the paper, her eyes unfocused, as if she were looking at the experiment data in her laboratory far, far away. "Probabilistic? Then, all the laws will be wrong…"
A cold and silent desert, with monuments standing everywhere, arrived. The two needle-like spots of redness jumped intensely on Vicente's face, as he said, "If the wave function of electrons is probability wave and a superposition of all their possible locations, something terrible will happen. It will result in the loss of objectivity and actuality, and we have never observed such terrible things in reality yet. At the very least, we exist here for real."
A hazy mountain and a rippling lake that were as beautiful as the real world's appeared, pacifying all the weird views except for the electric currents.
Under countless brilliant stars, Douglas was unusually rigorous. "We believe in arcana instead of gods because it encourages us to observe and consider things with the law of causality. We believe that a unified law is behind all the natural phenomena, which influences different things with its variations. The foundation of everything I said is the reasonableness and comprehensibility of the world."
"Even though all the observations so far are probabilistic, I still maintain that a definite cause, not an intrinsic quality, leads to such probabilities.
"Lucien, the truth of the world is no dice!"
As the starlight dangled down, the dark shadow of gravity caused heavy depression, resulting in the reduction of space.
"That's right! The truth of the world is no dice!" Oliver shouted, almost losing his cool and turning into 'roaring Fernando'.
Brook also nodded in approval. "The truth of the world is not dice!"
"Do you hear that? The truth of the world is not dice!" Fernando roared again.
Together with their declaration, the destructive storm, the collapsing planets, the twisted magnetic field, the lighting bolts and the curved space burst out again.
BOOM!
"…The truth of the world is not dice!"
In the roars, the sentence came at him like Light of Judgment.
The Atomic Universe appeared again, and Eternal Blaze generated by fusions in the infinite space drove away the depression and darkness.
Standing at the center of the illusionary universe, Lucien shook his head. "Mr. President, master, Mr. Brook, Oliver…"
After a brief pause, he fought back with an even firmer voice:
"Don't stipulate what the truth of the world is and what it is not!"
Chapter 655: New and Old
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
"Don't stipulate what the truth of the world is and what it is not?"
Hearing Lucien's firm declaration, Douglas, Fernando and Brook fell into brief silence. It was true that just because they believed the truth of the world was not dice did not mean that it was certainly not. Their thoughts were only their own ideas. They were not the spokespeople of nature after all.
After ten seconds, Douglas heaved a sigh. "I'll prove that the truth of the world is not dice with experiments. In fact, has it ever occurred to you that the cloud of probabilities does not exist at all? What the wave function indicates is the community of electrons that matches such probabilities, but a single electron. They do not exist everywhere but have a fixed route that is closely related to the probabilistic distribution. They are only in a disordered state after passing through the monocrystal because we cannot observe and confirm them."
He reflected on himself although he was unwilling to admit Lucien's probabilistic explanation and uncertainty principle. It was inappropriate to mistake the truth he believed in for the real nature of the world. Instead, he should prove that Lucien's theory was wrong by finding its self-contradictions or with strict experiments. That was the right arcana attitude.
Therefore, he proposed his opinion based on his impression after reading the paper.
The Land of Truth was gone, and so were the other unusual views. Lucien also canceled the Atomic Universe and replied solemnly, "Mr. President, ignoring the contradictions of your speculation to many deductions, we can find out whether it is correct by the double-slit experiment."
"If the electron has its own trajectory like the real particles, it will only be able to pass one slit at a time and cannot appear in both, and whether or not the interferometric fringe will show solely depends on the distance between the two splits. So, if the double-slit experiment with electrons works, how will the electron know exactly the distance between the slit it goes through and the other slit, thereby asking itself to land in one area instead of the other?"
It's like a maze which had seven entrances that were marked in different colors but only one exit that was in blue. For 'waves' that could extend in space, it would essentially be opening the entrance and the exit at the same time, and it naturally knew that the blue path was the correct one. However, for particles that had fixed trajectories, they would not know the status of the exit after they opened the entrance. How could they make themselves walk on the correct path every time instead of any wrong channels?
For Douglas, Brook and the other legendary sorcerers, the double-slit experiment was the hotspot in the War between Wave and Particle. Easily understanding what Lucien tried to say, they nodded and agreed that the experiment could confirm whether or not electrons were ubiquitous like ghosts before they were observed.
Lucien went on. "In fact, the experiment can confirm many other things. If the interferometric fringe does appear, what will happen if we shut the other slit when the electron passes through one of the slits? Will it go to the screen according to the route of interference, or will it 'immediately' go to the other slit that has been shut, thereby reaching its destination in the way of diffraction?"
For Douglas, Fernando and Hathaway who favored the particle theory, such an experiment made electrons even more astonishing and weird. If the electron changed its state, it would either suggest that it was the real wave that did not have any feature of particles, which was why it could pass two slits simultaneously, or that Lucien's explanation was true that it was probability wave that existed everywhere in space. Or maybe, there would be another even more unbelievable possibility, which was that electrons were intelligent and had their own self-awareness. That was why it could 'perceive' and 'know' what happened to the other slit and change itself accordingly.
Although the last possibility fit the status of the magic world, it did not agree with the very existence of human beings. If the foundation of matters was conscious, did it mean that every human had countless thoughts that did not belong to themselves?
Seeing that the president and his teacher thought in silence, Lucien nodded and said, "I know that the double-slit experiment's requirement cannot be met yet, but I also know that many legendary spells are applied before they are explained. I have no doubt that you will complete devices that can accomplish the experiment. Everything will be clear after that."
At this moment, Oliver looked at Lucien solemnly, no longer like a playboy. "Even if the double-slit experiment works out, it will not prove that your probabilistic wave is correct. It will only further prove my theory that electrons are real waves that only behave as particles as wave packets in special statuses."
Lucien smiled. "Oliver, your idea contradicts many experiments, as can be seen by the messy spots of light. Also, your explanation has certain problems even in your own paper that deals with the atomic structure. I believe somebody must've pointed it out for you. The particle nature of electrons is undeniable, as proved by the experiments with mass, electric charge and momentum."
"Problems can be rectified. It is at least more trustworthy than your probabilistic explanation. That's like the dream talk of a lunatic." Oliver expressed his hatred of the probabilistic explanation. "I will find a way to prove that it is wrong!"
He turned around and left. He needed a quiet environment to find the critical flaws in Lucien's papers.
Seeing that Oliver left, Douglas looked at Lucien solemnly, "I will try the double-slit experiment with electrons. I will also devise thought experiments."
Thought experiments were experiments that were purely imagined. All the other factors and restraints were eliminated, and they purely discussed whether or not the result could be achieved in perfect conditions. It was a common approach that the arcanists adopted.
Brook nodded slightly. "Let's discuss when the experiment is done."
"I believe that many experiments agree with your probabilistic explanation, but I also believe that your explanation and your quantum mechanics are not complete. You must've ignored many things." Douglas said gently but firmly before he left with Brook and Vicente, leaving Fernando, Hathaway and Hellen stunned in the library.
Fernando stared at Lucien with his red eyes, and Lucien looked back at him fearlessly. After a long time, he finally waved his arms. "I need to calm down and think how to prove that your probabilistic explanation is wrong."
It was a disruption of the whole arcana and magic system. Even someone as open-minded and caring as him had to choose the side of truth in his mind. That was the glorious belief that had been passed on from the Magic Empire to the Congress of Magic for too many years!
Lucien nodded slightly and sighed, before he left Fernando's library with Hathaway and Hellen.
Hathaway had basically resumed her calmness. Thinking for a moment, she said, "Electrons as clouds of probabilities are more unacceptable than electrons as waves, but if all the results prove so, we have to accept it despite our resistance. The world is not based on our thinking. However, you cannot persuade us yet."
She also expressed her objection, but she was not as determined as Douglas, Brook and Oliver.
It was not because her attitude was better, or her mind was more open, but because the fields she were best at were atoms, elements, particles and the new alchemy!
Hellen was back to herself from her daze. Looking at Lucien, she asked dizzily. "In the report you submitted, the Pathway of Immortality appears very similar to your description of the cloud of probabilities. Were you inspired from there? But how could the quantum state of microscopic particles appear in the macroscopic world? Is that the mysteries of immortality? The real secrets do not lie in the Chamber of Immortality but the Pathway of Immortality?"
As Douglas' half student, she did have keen instincts. Not participating in the debate, she rationally remembered the report on the Pathway of Immortality that Lucien submitted.
"It's true that I was inspired by that, but I drew most of my conclusions from the experiments. As for why the Pathway of Immortality manifested the weirdness of the microworld in the macroscopic domain, that's what we still need to work on. Perhaps, the mysteries of immortality are truly contained there." Lucien had guessed that somebody would associate his probabilistic explanation with that, so he 'admitted' it frankly.
Now that it was endorsed by the Pathway of Immortality, Hellen was deep in thought, and Hathaway scratched her chin, too.
"I will devise experiments to check whether or not the probabilistic explanation and the uncertainty principle are correct." Said Hellen honestly. "Just because it is the case for the Pathway of Immortality doesn't mean it is the case for electrons. What if it represents something else?"
However, she sounded much more neutral than Brook, Oliver and Vicente.
...
Because proof of the probabilistic explanation and the uncertainty principle hadn't appeared, Lucien did not have to build the atmosphere for the arcanists to accept it gradually like he did before. He simply combined the three papers into 'Basics of Quantum Mechanics and the New Alchemy' and submitted it to the Arcana Review Board.
Without a question, the paper was transferred to the members in the field of elements. As a newly-promoted member, Larry saw the papers at his home.
"Mr. Evans' papers?" Those papers certainly could not be given to his students for review. Larry read them himself with great interest.
As he read on, the round face on his beard was completely frozen, as if he were confronting the most terrible and ferocious monster that was about to break free and swallow the whole arcana system!
"How could it be so… This explanation is too absurd…" Murmured Larry. But he soon recalled the results of his many experiments. Frowning, he said, "Perhaps, such an explanation is not entirely unacceptable. There must be other factors between the microscope and the macroscope that extinguish the probabilities. At the very least, the world we live in is concrete, objective and material."
He had grown in the tide brought by the new alchemy in the past few years. Therefore, he acknowledged the new alchemy and the uncanniness of the microscopic particles from the bottom of his heart. The influence of the previous experience and theories had greatly dwindled, and he did not resist such a preposterous theoretical explanation too much, particularly when it matched many experiment results and could resolve a lot of problems.
Chapter 656: Different Attitudes
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Larry had been perusing Lucien's papers until the night fell. After the resistance in his heart was gone, he realized that the paper had brought him tremendous enlightenment.
"…Now, what I want to say is that something may be wrong with determinism, because certain processes are probabilistic and irreversible…" Repeating the sentence, Larry rubbed his eyebrow and murmured, "How chaotic and disordered the world will be without strict patterns? It is actually not so. No, sometimes, certain things are in utter chaos and cannot be predicted at all."
"Damn it. I should leave the problem alone now. The fantasy theory in the microscopic domain should not be introduced into the macroscopic world. Even though it works in the microscopic domain, I believe that some other factors will collapse the wave function and determine the result during the extrapolation." Larry cursed in a low voice and decided to comment on the paper only from the microscopic perspective in case his head explodes.
That was because the theory seemed to contradict the reality. It couldn't be probabilistic waves that existed everywhere, right? Could they appear in his laboratory, the headquarters of the Will of Elements, and the Allyn magic tower at the same time?
After a long time, Larry brought out all his experiment records and research papers in the microscopic domain, analyzing them from the perspective of probabilities, the uncertainty principle and the commutative principle. The result was within his expectation, but he found it more or less unacceptable. It was the most self-consistent theoretical explanation so far that could resolve certain problems that hadn't been resolved yet!
Without him knowing it, it was already dawn. Larry picked up his quill and wrote after pondering for a moment, "…At least in the microscopic domain, no experiments so far can prove that Mr. Evans' probabilistic explanation is wrong. Also, it resolves the problems that occurred in Mr. Oliver's explanation of the wave function…"
"…The commutative principle has also unified the particle feature and the wave feature of electrons from the philosophical perspective, allowing us to 'see' the wonders in the microscopic domain more clearly… As to whether the uncertainty principle is an intrinsic quality of particles or a phenomenon caused by observation, it will require our investigation with magic experiments."
He hasn't quite figured out why the probabilities and the uncertainties of the microworld could not affect the macroscopic domain. It probably involved the conditions that were never considered or discovered before!
"Perhaps, those factors or conditions are the nature of the soul and magic, and the reason why magic patterns can achieve magic effects…" After finishing the review, Larry began to think unrestrainedly.
Without anybody realizing it, the new-generation arcanists who grew in the tide of the new alchemy had stood on the opposite side of the earlier sorcerers including the many grand arcanists. The torrent of changes forced them to move forward with their arcana instincts.
In the meantime, Dieppe, who had been admitted by the Arcana Review Board by the Evans Prize in Arcana, had similar reactions when he read 'Basics of Quantum Mechanics and the New Alchemy'.
He thought that, having come up with the wave-particle duality of the microscopic particles, he was an open-minded arcanist with wondrous thoughts. However, he found that his imagination was not enough when he read the paper. The probabilistic explanation of the wave function, the unacceptable, ubiquitous cloud of probabilities, and the two arcane values that could not be determined simultaneously… Everything was beyond his imagination and recognition!
"This is a disruptive challenge against determinism, at least in the microscopic domain!" In his shock and subconscious resistance, Dieppe was more or less exalted, feeling like he was a warrior who was charging at the obsolete order, like one of the epic heroes who buried the Magic Empire!
The roars of charge resonated with the poignant collapse of an old age and the sound of hope in the rise of a new one!
Such a vision made his blood boil. He was both scared and captivated, like when he proposed the wave-particle duality.
"Will it result in the reconstruction of the whole arcana system? Will it turn the Congress on a new page?" He mumbled and read somewhat zealously, hoping to understand Lucien's papers from every perspective.
Having lost his resistance, he found that Mr. Evans' paper explained the many experiment phenomena perfectly and set up the theoretical foundation for matrix mechanics and wave mechanics, even though it appeared so absurd and self-contradictory on the macroscopic scale!
"If we don't consider the transition from the microscope to the macroscope, Mr. Evans' paper that contains the three theories is the 'relative truth' that is best and most apt for the microscopic domain so far. However absurd it may appear, I have to admit that it correlates with many experiment data. I suggest that all the arcanists study the new alchemy according to the explanation until it is falsified. However, don't rush to construct your cognitive world with it…"
"I believe that the falsification of the three fundamental theories will lead to exuberant developments in the microscopic domain. Whatever is proven in the end, and whether or the explanations are wrong, the process will be one of sowing and harvest in itself…"
As he wrote the review, Dieppe felt the trend of time for the first time. He almost couldn't wait to jump into it and leave a mark of his own on the age to deserve the path of arcana that he had chosen!
...
In Tower, Neeshka and Samantha, who had come to ask the Prophet questions for days, were stunned by the paper in their hands. Bergner, on the other hand, walked to the window. Looking at the buildings that were as small as ants and the brilliant stars in the sky, he sighed, "It's finally here…"
Just like his vision, the blast that disrupted the foundation of astrology came! After ruining one old theory after another, Lucien Evans had finally focused his eyes on determinism, one of the foundations of the current arcana and magic system!
Also, he in a way denied the value and significance of exploration, because it was impossible to determine the location and the momentum of an electron simultaneously however hard they tried!
Woken up by the Prophet's sigh, Neeshka said solemnly, "This is ridiculous and hilarious. It's just an explanation without any theoretical reference and utterly in violation of the macroscopic world! I believe in the fundamental law of the world that strictly dominates everything. It's the goal and the momentum for us to press our arcana studies."
"I have my own persistence about determinism, too. However, we cannot reflect such persistences to our arcana attitude. Perhaps, Lucien will prove his explanation with experiments at some point. Therefore, what we should do is to falsify it with experiments. Until then, blind belief and obstinateness won't be helpful."
The Prophet corrected Neeshka's attitude. "Of course, I also believe that, even though Lucien could explain the probabilistic explanation, the cloud of probabilities, the quantum superposition and the uncertainty principle, he must've ignored the other influential factors. Otherwise, our world wouldn't be what it looks like right now."
Samantha nodded, her eyes losing focus. "I cannot imagine a world of probabilities where the very existence of myself is uncertain…"
She had been firmly on Lucien's side when it came to the wave-particle duality of light, but she chose the side of opposition this time as firmly. It was nothing personal but solely about her own worldview and her belief in arcana and magic!
After Neeshka and Samantha left, Bergner looked at the vast starry sky again.
He seemed to have an illusion, where the brilliant, splendid old age collapsed unstoppably, and from its ashes arose a new epoch that was even more magnificent.
"Uncertainties?"
He asked himself in a low voice.
...
Inside the Mind Garden…
When he saw Lucien's paper for the first time, Atlant, the Eye of Curse, found it unacceptable just like others did. In his eyes, the world was obviously reasonable, understandable and predictable with the law of causality.
However, during his resistance, his face gradually changed, because Lucien's detailed description of the cloud of probabilities and the superposition state were somewhat familiar to him!
Suddenly, the way to become a demigod offered by Benedict III stuck in his head!
"Isn't… Isn't this the form of existence after the transformation? Was Lucien inspired by the Pathway of Immortality?" Lights were flickering inside his eyes as he was more shocked than ever.
"Is this what Lucien Evans got after studying the way to become demigod and the mysteries of immortality? He is laying the theoretical foundation for his path to become a demigod?"
The more he thought, the more shocked he became. Atlant began to read it in a different attitude, his resistance gone. He discovered that the theory could not only resolve the problems in the microscopic domain right now but also shed light on the path for him to become a demigod. That was the status of the real beings!
...
Inside the pope's library in the Holy City…
'Basics of Quantum Mechanics and the New Alchemy' was already placed on Benedict III's desk.
"Denying determinism and Thanos Demon?" He snorted first, but he fell into utter silence as he read on, as if he were completely fascinated by the paper.
Ripples suddenly spread out inside the library. They seemed to be everywhere all of a sudden!
Suddenly, the feeling was gone, and everything was back to normal. Shocked, Benedict III said, "Quantum superposition?"
He fetched a file from the void. The handwriting on the book was still fresh. The title of the book was 'About the Nature of the Power of Faith and How to Control and Absorb it Effectively'.
Inside the Realm of Gates, when Benedict III was too shocked to control himself, 'Monster Viken' also appeared and said with a half smile and half surprise. "Quantum superposition?"
Chapter 657: Incompleteness
Inside the royal palace of the Holy Heilz Empire…
Rudolf II also saw 'Basics of Quantum Mechanics and the New Alchemy' that the Congress of Magic did not keep confidential through his intelligence channels.
Ever since the 'incident' in the underground palace of the Sun King, he had been paying attention to the studies of the Congress of Magic and benefited a lot from it. Naturally, he wouldn't let go of the paper which described the most fundamental law of the microscopic domain, even though it was merely an explanation so far. After all, as a knight caster, he did not have a cognitive world and was not scared of its collapse and destruction, but of course, the side effect was that the research products of the Congress of Magic could not improve him directly. He could only seek inspiration from them to figure out his own path.
"Absurd! Is the nature of the world a die? Determinism does not work, and all the initial statues cannot lead to a unique result? Many processes are irreversible?" However incomplete his memories were, Rudolf II believed in 'determinism' from the bottom of his heart. That was the essence of his experience and wisdom in the past. He couldn't help but criticize it angrily.
However, as he read on, his face became rather interesting. Suddenly, his body was twisted and spread out, as if he existed everywhere.
The spreading cloud collapsed, and Rudolf II became normal. He talked to himself half in delight and half in confusion, "Quantum superposition?"
Although he had found a way to transform into such a state by studying the mysteries of the primeval devils and gods when he was still Thanos, he knew only the application but never knew what the state was and on which theory it was based. Therefore, his path entailed a lot of dangers, and one needed a bit of luck in order to succeed.
"Lucien Evans was inspired by the Pathway of Immortality, which allowed him to associate the mysteries of demigods with the mysteries of the microworld?" Rudolf II thought to himself. The paper was exactly what he was most desperate to know, but he was more or less anxious since it did not have any convincing proof or subsequent developments. "Is Lucien Evans keeping more information about the quantum superposition to himself, considering that it is about the demigods after all?"
At this moment, the determinism in his head was already very dim, because his own status had suggested a lot of things. "It seems that determinism is a nature of the macroscopic world. By transforming oneself into the state of quantum superposition, one would be entering the microscopic domain and getting rid of determinism, thereby turning into a demigod who could return from the river of fate?"
He tried to understand Lucien's paper according to his experience. In the end, he sighed and said, "I need more experiments and phenomena to prove it instead of believing it blindly, or it will be very troublesome if it is proven wrong later."
…
Inside the Atomic Universe, Lucien was gazing at the vast starry sky out of the window. A thick pile of papers were placed on his desk, with words and symbols such as 'power of mind?', 'power of faith?' and 'congregation of special electromagnetic waves?'.
They were the vague thoughts that he came up with after studying the fake gods.
Pinocchio's voice suddenly echoed. "Master, Mr. Douglas and Mr. Fernando have come."
Lucien was suddenly back to himself. Hiding the papers on his desk, he went out to greet the guests.
Fernando was still wearing his bright red magic robe. He asked loudly the moment they met, "The quantum superposition you described was inspired by the Pathway of Immortality and the status inside?"
They had obviously found the connection after they calmed down.
In Lucien's papers, not only was the cloud of probabilities described, but he had also proposed the notion of quantum superposition and even explained certain experiments with it.
"It's true that I was partly inspired by that." Lucien admitted 'frankly'.
While walking to the drawing room under Lucien's lead, Douglas said, "But it's a status close to the demigods. How can a microscopic particle like the electron boast that? Simple analogies and comparisons are inappropriate."
He sounded as firm and determined as before. The mysteries of demigods and immortality made him more considerate, but his beliefs could not be changed so easily. That was his understanding about the world throughout his life.
"When I processed the experiment data and considered the explanation of the wave function, I discovered that it would be easier to solve the problems after introducing the status, so I did it. It was merely a bold hypothesis, and what we should do next is to verify it with rigorous experiments." Said Lucien gently.
Fernando nodded. "I checked my experiment record. Perhaps, the probabilistic explanation is one way to go, but probabilities and uncertainties shouldn't be an intrinsic nature of the electron but are caused by external reasons. There must be a certain situation that leads to the electron's uncertainties and probabilities. As a result, the quantum state is gone when the micro scope transitions to the macro scope. As long as we find the reasons, we will be able to transform and become demigods with fewer flaws and insidious problems than Thanos and Viken did."
The probabilistic explanation was obviously the best theory so far from the perspective of experimentalism. However, Fernando had reached a conclusion from the classic law of causality. Now that the result of probabilities and uncertainties had appeared, there must've been a reason that caused it.
"Up until now, no signs have indicated that. They can only be described as the intrinsic nature of the electron." Lucien said gently but persistently, "Or rather, in our current studies, there are still experiments that support external reasons. Do not multiply entities without necessity."
Fernando glared at him, unable to understand his doggedness. "We can boldly assume a theory that includes a broader range, before we verify it carefully. Have you even forgotten that? How are you going to explain the differences between the micro scope and the macro scope? How can you describe the transition? How can you explain the collapse of the wave function?"
"Also, I have my own ideas about uncertainties, and I've devised a thought experiment to falsify it." Douglas suddenly interjected when he listened to their debate. Then, he took out paper and a pen, drawing a picture to illustrate his experiment where an indirect approach was adopted to calculate an electron's momentum while determining its location.
Fernando had obviously seen the experiment before. He looked at Lucien attentively and intimidatingly, waiting for his answer.
Lucien picked up the paper and considered. It was slightly different from the classic examples in his spirit library, but the mechanism was more or less the same. After reading carefully for a while, he said, "Mr. President, the change of mass will result in other changes in the gravitational field. You didn't take that factor into consideration…"
Douglas and Fernando had been looking at Lucien. After hearing that, they focused their eyes on the paper.
After a long time, Douglas finally said, somewhat bitterly, "I've forgotten the general theory of relativity that I've been studying recently."
After that, his bitterness was gone, and he said as firmly as before, "I still believe that your quantum mechanics is incomplete. At the very least, you haven't considered how the microworld can be transitioned to the macroscopic scale. Perhaps, that's the mysteries of demigods and immortality."
The conclusion was obvious. There must be an internal reason why the bizarre phenomena of the microworld were not reflected to the macroscopic domain."
Holding back his temper, Fernando spoke in a low voice, "I'll propose a hypothesis to explain the collapse of the wave function…"
The experiment result and the Pathway of Immortality reduced their resistance against the probabilistic explanation and the wave-particle duality. Instead, they began to look for the incompleteness in Lucien's theory and hope to explain everything from a higher level.
After their conversation, Douglas and Fernando both left. One of them was tall and at ease, and the other was short and hasty, but they seemed equally relentless.
Natasha walked into the drawing room and sighed. "Mr. President and Mr. Fernando are truly persistent, or even obstinate, one might say…"
"Not exactly obstinate. Perhaps, they are persisting in the truth…" Remarked Lucien with mixed feelings, which confused Natasha.
Because of the report on the Pathway of Immortality, Brook, Hathaway and Oliver slighted changed their attitude and were less rejective about the quantum superposition and the cloud of probabilities. Instead, they began to try to prove the incompleteness of Lucien's current theory, and that the world would be in serious trouble if Lucien's explanation worked!
…
Over the past year, Annick and Sprint had often been to the library to read the recently submitted papers that were not published yet. Their arcana expertise had been soaring, and they had what it took to participate in the cutting-edge studies now. Reading the papers was no pressure for them, provided that they were not as complicated as the general theory of relativity or matrix mechanics.
When they read the papers, they always checked if their teacher had any new product of research. This time, they found 'Basics of Quantum Mechanics and the New Alchemy' as they wished. So, they began to read it on their way back to the institution.
Annick tripped over a box in the corridor, forgetting to cast his spell, but he still held the paper tightly, with his eyes fixed on it.
"A probabilistic explanation… The uncertainty principle…" He kept mumbling similar words, and so did Sprint, who showed no intention of helping Annick to be back on his feet.
Hearing the noise, Heidi walked out of the institution, only to see them standing and lying like statues. She was stunned. "Are you some sort of performance artist now?"
Because of the economic development, the pace of society had been hastened. Many bards had adapted the light music into popular music that could be sung and spread more easily. As a result, a bunch of peculiar artists had emerged in Rentato. Lucien had nicknamed them 'performance artists'.
"Cloud of probabilities… Quantum superposition…" The two of them simply ignored Heidi.
Heidi frowned and robbed Sprint of his paper, starting to read it herself. It didn't take long before she also became a statue.
Then, the same change happened to Katrina, Layria, Chelly, Lowi, Blake and Alfalia. It was not until a long time later that Heidi finally took a long breath and said, "According to our teacher, the microworld is more weird than magic and more unbelievable than imagination… Have we entered the age of fantasies?"
"However, I think it explains the current experiments very well. There's no reason why we shouldn't use it from the perspective of pragmatism." Sprint expressed his opinion.
Katrina also nodded. "Our teacher's theoretical explanation is basically self-consistent. Determinism only works in the macroscopic world…"
They were as good as senior-rank arcanists in the fields of new alchemy and quantum mechanics. Also, having been lectured by Lucien for a long time, they focused more on experiment results and were less bound by the previous experience and theories.
Annick rose to his feet. "I think that our teacher's theory explains the wonders of the microworld, but I also believe that such wonders must have their own fundamental reasons."
With their dissemination, Lucien's paper had been learnt by most people before the new year. Therefore, while Onore, Clark and the other students of the Holt Magic College cried that the textbook of new alchemy had to be rectified again and that the three papers were so deeply perplexing and unacceptable, they did feel that their hearts were trembling violently.
"If the theory is proven by any experiment… so many people wouldn't make any progress for the rest of their life, if their heads are still intact above their neck at all…"
Chapter 658: Fleeting Time
In April of 827, it was warm in Rentato with a gentle breeze.
Wearing a neat female knight suit like how her idol, Queen Natasha, was dressed, Heidi sat in a tea shop on Rose Avenue, appreciating the piano song while reading 'Herald of Arcana and Magic' on the table.
Ever since the South Church was banished, the terms such as arcana, magic and alchemy were known by more and more people, who were full of curiosity about the charming, mysterious fields even though they could not understand the sophisticated theories and did not have excellent talents.
Also, as more and more generic schools and Landings were established, more and more ordinary people had learnt how to read. 'Arcana Voice' was no longer enough to satisfy the citizens who wanted to know more. As fans of 'News of the World', they were very familiar with the anecdotes in the world of arcana and magic, and they adored the famous arcanists and sorcerers as much as they adored musicians and playwrights.
In their community, it was considered cool and fashionable if anybody could discuss the cutting-edge concepts in arcana, even though they did not understand the meaning of the dizzying words at all.
Therefore, 'Herald of Arcana and Magic', a popular version of 'Allyn Impression', was created, and the circulation was surprisingly good. According to Heidi's noble friends, quite a few nobles were thinking of setting up similar newspapers.
Sipping the Count Red Tea, Heidi read the newspaper casually:
"After Prince Lucien 'Atom Controller' Evans proposed to solve the radiation problem by quantizing the electromagnetic field, Mr. Annick and Sprint respected it as 'second quantization' and applied it to the electronic system, achieving excellent results. The two arcanists who won the Holm Crown Ring and the Silver Moon Medal for the model of electron spin at such a young age have shown their talents again."
Reading the news that did not involve any specific theories, Heidi couldn't help but click her lips. Although she could keep up with Annick and Sprint in microscopic studies, and she could understand the sophisticated theories, she was not as distinguished as them and merely had a few products that were far from astonishing. However, in the field of 'artificial intelligence', she had made remarkable progress.
After her conversations with her teacher, and after too many thoughts and experiments, Chelly, Lowi, Alfalia and she had a general plan for the design of 'artificial intelligence', which had been named by their teacher as 'Heidi-Chelly A. I. System'.
As for the alchemical products needed, thanks to Katrina and Layria's material knowledge and Hathaway and Hellen's magic crystals, and thanks to the joint research of hundreds of arcanists who worked in a similar field, they already had the fundamental parts they needed after more than a year of work. They had transformed the electronic tubes they designed before into the smaller and more convenient transistors.
"However, the current arcana theory cannot completely explain the mechanism of the transistors. They can only be roughly manufactured and applied with magic, which means that their demand is high and cannot be popularized. Are we obliged to use the electronic tubes for a long time in the future?" Heidi raised her hand and combed her hair, deeply upset by the problem.
Recalling that she had come to Rentato exactly to get away from the problem, Heidi decided not to dwell on it anymore. Therefore, she focused her mind on the newspaper again.
"Mr. Douglas, the Emperor of Arcana, has published two solutions of Evans' equation of gravitational field. He believes that one of the solutions describes the special celestial body when tremendous matters are focused on one point in space. They will establish a 'horizon' around the celestial body. Even the light wouldn't be able to escape it. It's the most terrifying body that can swallow everything. It has been named 'black hole'."
"The other solution is a complement to the first solution. It describes the electric black hole formed by charged matter, whereas the first 'black hole' neither carries electricity nor spins…"
"A black hole…" Heidi thought to herself. As a sorcerer close to the senior rank, and as a student of a grand arcanist, she knew more than what was reported. "Mr. President also believes that the Host Star of Destiny that the black hole corresponds to is the reason why the people whose fate does not have a track appear. It's not true to say that their face doesn't have a track, but the track can only be observed and determined by intermittent phenomena… My teacher's conditions seem to be similar. Does he have a dual-body system made of a general Host Star of Destiny and a black hole?"
Shaking her head, Heidi thought to herself. "After Mr. President observes the black hole in space and confirms the arcana significance of the two solutions, his gravity magic will be even more terrifying. Well, so will my teacher's."
Although it was impossible to create a real black hole, Douglas could certainly simulate one in his cognitive world and project it out. The effect would be extraordinary. As the constructor of the field equation, Lucien would certainly earn similar benefits.
At this moment, a few young men, who appeared to be from the No. 5 generic school nearby, read the newspaper in a low voice. "Mr. Fernando, the Lord of Storm, has published his discoveries. The rays of electric curse in element decay show a sign of energy non-conservation. Also, the spectrum is continuous and non-quantized…"
"Based on that, he speculates that a tiny particle that does not carry electricity is released together with the rays of electric curse. It's a new particle that is different from the other fundamental particles. He has named it 'neutrino'. He has also proposed the possible situation when the atomic nucleus decays and pointed out that the undiscovered Force of Water in the four fundamental forces may be contained in the process…"
"How awesome. They can boldly predict a new matter just based on certain experiment phenomena! Arcanists are so cool…" The students discussed it in a low voice. Arcanists in their eyes seemed to be gods that mastered the law of the world and predicted everything according to it.
Heidi smiled at them as if she were looking at herself when she was still a teenager. At that time, she also felt that sorcerers were mysterious and powerful. That's why she was fascinated and dedicated to the infinite ocean of arcana studies."
Turning her head around, she checked her watch and realized that there was still time, so she kept reading 'Herald of Arcana and Magic'.
"Ms. Hathaway, the Lord of Elements, and Mr. Fernando, have published their preliminary theories on element decay based on reverse engineering and the current studies in the micro scope. Of course, the theory is still rough and does not contain detailed magic structures… They have shared the third Evans Prize in Arcana and the Holm Crown prize for the remarkable contribution… It has offered us a new source of energy and a glimpse at the mysteries of things."
"Ms. Hellen, the Witch of Iceland and Ms. Hathaway, the Lord of Elements, have published their research on crystals again. They have established a superb system after two years of in-depth studies in the field… Hopefully, they will win the fourth Evans Prize in Arcana…"
"Mr. Raventi, Mr. Morris and Mr. Gaston have made both theoretical and practical breakthroughs in the synthesis of life matter…"
"Mr. Dieppe, Mr. Larry and Mr. Jurisian have independently processed the Oliver-Brook Wave Equation with the theory of relativity, but they also admit that their attempts have failed. They do not agree with certain experiments and will lead to strange results where the energy is negative…"
"Mr. Felipe has submitted a standard textbook on anatomy, which lays a solid foundation on the emerging hospital system…"
Almost all the introductions on 'Herald of Arcana and Magic' were about the research in the cutting edge, but even so, they had taken up quite a few columns dazzlingly. It suggested that the golden age of arcana had come after years of development. The products were surging out so crazily that even the sorcerers found it hard to catch their breath.
"Twenty legendary sorcerers. Finally more than before…" Heidi somehow thought of that after reading the paper. The grand development in the microscopic domain and the research on the general theory of relativity have yielded results. Morris, the Silver Miser, and Annonis, the Astrologer, had both advanced.
Heidi folded the newspaper and put it before her. She shook her head. "Only good news? In the past year, many arcanists halted because of the probabilistic explanation and the uncertainty principle, just like Mr. Donald…"
Just like how they did not consider the meaning behind 'quantum' before, most arcanists treated Lucien's 'Basics of Quantum Mechanics and the New Alchemy' with a pragmatic attitude, but the result was surprisingly good, because it explained most of the experiments in the past and bolstered the development in the microworld by accurately predicting many things. Therefore, a lot of arcanists had changed their attitude.
The debate about the three principles remained unabated in all journals and symposiums. Douglas, Brook, Fernando and Oliver proposed many thought experiments to falsify it, only to be corrected by Lucien who pointed out their mistakes and inconsiderations. Later, the arcanists who supported Lucien's principles joined the debate, too.
The debate did not gradually die down until Lucien submitted another paper. When he studied the particle exchange with the wave equation, he realized that the particles followed Chloe statistics when they were symmetric, and they followed Hellen-Fernando statistics when they were asymmetric. Therefore, the probabilistic explanation went one step further.
"Such peace is only temporary. I can feel that a terrible storm is now brewing…" Looking at the empty teacup before her in a daze, Heidi had a sense of suffocation. "All the achievements in the microscopic domain in the past years will be completely unified by the storm…"
At this moment, a square iron monster stopped next to the teashop after a squeak. Then, a middle-aged man in black suit got off and approached Heidi. With a warm if not adulating smile, he asked, "If I may ask, are you Ms. Heidi?"
"Yes. Are you Mr. Buck from the police department?" Heidi rose with a smile.
Buck took off his hat and bowed. "It's an honor to meet you, my lady. With the help of such a distinguished sorcerer as yourself, I'm sure that the serial murder case will be cracked soon."
Because sorcerers were capable of many weird spells, the police department also requested the Congress of Magic's help when they had problems in their investigation by issuing tasks. However, Buck did not expect that Ms. Heidi of the Atom Institution would come this time! Why would the arcanist who had been dedicated to the arcane frontier be interested in such a small task?
After they sat down, Buck took out photos of the crime scene and gave them to Heidi. After the magic cameras were simplified, they were at least affordable for the police department now.
Heidi took them over and checked. She immediately frowned. Although she had done many autopsies herself, she still subconsciously found the brutal and bloody pictures repulsive.
In the first photo, the abdomen of an ordinary person was cut, and all the viscera were taken. Around the dead body was the dirty, filthy slum of the city.
Chapter 659: The Hospital
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The pile of photos were taken from five victims. Some had rotted. Buck explained to Heidi,
"Three days ago, some workers took off earlier in the evening because some magic circles in Claire broke. On their way back to Sardni through Egret, they heard a bitter scream from the victim in the first picture. They checked on it. One of them was a magic apprentice. The murderer had left. They only found the body, not even any footprints. Later, we found four more bodies hidden around in the sewers. All the organs were gone, and no clues were left."
Heidi nodded, "The body was badly rotten. The case might have happened even earlier than we think, and I'm sure there are more bodies to be found. But I wonder why the murderer did not simply destroy the bodies."
"It's not easy to destroy the bodies. There are no piranhas in the rivers in Rentato. The bodies had to be moved to the black forest." said Buck. He had been assuming that the murderer was not a powerful sorcerer or knight, but maybe just an ordinary man. He saw no point in a sorcerer or a knight attacking those poor people.
Heidi shuffled the photos and asked, "Any missing people reports from the recent months?"
Buck looked a bit embarrassed, "Egret is a poor district, and is full of people who come to Rentato seeking opportunities. The population is constantly changing, so even the gang leaders can't figure out who have gone missing…"
Heidi put down the photos, "I'll take a look at the bodies and the scenes where the bodies were found. It's hard to tell from the black and white pictures."
She had a bad feeling about these cases. All the victims' organs had gone missing. There was definitely something going on.
Heidi's words were exactly what Buck had been expecting. He hurriedly stood up and said, "Please come this way."
He walked to his police car and opened the door for Heidi. After Heidi got in, Buck walked around the car and got in the driver's seat.
Turning on the engine, the steel machine monster started roaring.
"The size of a car has been greatly reduced…" Heidi made this heartfelt comment when she saw the comfortable interior of the vehicle.
Buck grinned, "That's true. In the past, a car was too big to run on the streets. Those sorcerers simplified the magic circles for producing cars and also lowered the requirement for materials. Part of the magic steam engine has also been replaced by the new energy resource…"
An older-version vehicle would take up all the space of a street in Rentato. After the improvements, however, now at least two cars could run through the streets in opposite directions and the sidewalks could still be retained. But still, cars were very expensive and only the nobles and national departments could afford them. Although Buck was one of the leaders in the police department, if he had not been picking up Heidi, he would not have access to this car.
Heidi gave the metal door of the car a gentle stroke and felt the texture. She knew that it was because of Layria and Katrina's contribution to materials science that the requirements of alchemical circles could finally be lowered to such a degree.
She knew how difficult the simplification was. Thanks to the guidance and development of new alchemy and element research, material synthesis had also made good progress.
Apart from Layria and Katrina, those sorcerers from Atom Institution like Lazar and Rock, as well as Larry, Ulysses, Timothy and K… Thousands of sorcerers were doing their best.
Material science required countless experiments to gather experience. Even prophecy could only do a little to help. There was no luck in this field!
Those ideas that the dwarves brought from their own steam culture also had inspired the sorcerers who tried to simplify the production of cars. They had thus extracted the energy-intensive resource: coal burning element. Also, they had started looking for new alternative energies such as solar power, which was once only used in magic towers.
The sorcerer's knowledge was profound. Their old ally, the elves, were also a great help.
Thinking of the great changes that had been taking place in the congress and in the four countries along the strait, Heidi felt very encouraged. She was proud living in such an era.
Heidi thought to herself that although she was not as talented as Annick and Sprint in the microscopic realm, and not as patient and sensitive to the properties of materials, she believed that she would make her own achievement in artificial intelligence, and one day she would win the Holm Crown prize.
Her fists clenching, Heidi encouraged herself. She was rather thrilled thinking of the future that, once soul pieces were added in, those cold machines could also think and deal with most problems like human beings and even faster than many arcanists. Among the six students of Lucien Evans, only Heidi and Chelly had not yet won a top prize.
Very attentively Buck drove the car. He said to Heidi, "Lady, we're first heading for the mortuary in Violet Hospital."
"No problem." said Heidi. She would like to take the chance to visit the hospital, which had made many followers of the Church realize that the Saint Truth was not the only power that could cure diseases. The Congress of Magic could also do the job!
Although Buck was feeling a bit nervous driving, he still did not want to leave his important guest alone, so he tried to start a conversation, "Cars are not yet fast enough. In the future, the speed should be further improved by advancing power magic circles and finding new resources. Herald of Arcana and Magic said that the Lord of Storm, Atom Controller, the Lord of Elements have finished the initial theoretical research on radioactive element decay. Does that mean that the decay energy can be used to power cars in the future?"
"Nuclear you mean…" Heidi was a bit amused. Obviously, Buck was piling up the terms that he saw in the newspaper.
Nuclear power was a major focus in Atom Institution, and the research was led by Mr. Lucien Evans in person, with his closest friends and students as supporters. This most cutting-edge energy was even too powerful and precious for most senior-ranks, not to mention using it in powering cars.
Heidi joked, "When we finish the study on the miniaturization and popularization of controllable nuclear fusion using magnetic confinement we should be able to increase the speed to the next level…"
She shot out the long sentence within only a couple of seconds.
Controllable nuclear fusion was the ultimate goal of the project, which would provide the most powerful energy ever to Allyn, the city floating in the sky. However, they were still far away from it. In fact, they were still looking for ways to control the process of nuclear decay.
"Controllable nuclear fusion using magnetic confinement…" Buck chewed the mysterious words well, trying to remember them. When he got back, he could use the words to show off. This was the most cutting-edge arcana study, not the outdated information from the newspapers – Ms. Heidi said it!
At this time, a beautiful white building appeared at the end of the road. Buck gently put on the brake and stopped in front of the hospital. Then he hurriedly got off and pulled open the door for Heidi,
"Here we are."
Heidi got out and looked at the hospital building from outside. She slightly nodded as the building looked in fact quite clean and even sacred. She never expected that those necromancers would run a place like this.
Pushing open the glass door, Buck led Heidi to the mortuary. On their way they ran into many doctors and nurses wearing white gowns. They were apprentices, low and middle-rank sorcerers selected who studied necromancy. This place was not only a place for treating patients, but also a place for their experiments. Therefore, many of them were volunteers here.
Of course, all the experiments had to be permitted by the Congress of Magic. Any illegal experiments would lead to severe punishments.
So far, Violet Hospital had been running for a year. Because of the free magic potions and alchemical facilities provided by the sorcerers and the Congress of Magic, the treatments here were relatively cheap. People had good words about this place. Therefore, the doctors and nurses were given a strange title – Magic Angel.
On their way, they saw an excited crowd in front of them. Some nurses and doctors were surrounding a tall and thin man in black coat, all trying to ask questions.
Heidi recognized the man who always looked sick.
"It seems that Mr. Felipe is quite popular here."
"Mr. Felipe is here today to have a lecture on human anatomy and cell memory for the doctors and nurses." Buck explained. The way he looked at Mr. Felipe was full of reverence. He was told that he could turn a pile of flesh into a human.
Heidi and Buck kept walking to the mortuary. After they turned around, they could still hear the conversation.
"Mr. Felipe, so in anatomy…"
"Prof. Felipe, in terms of cell memory…"
At this time, Felipe said gloomily, "Don't call me prof."
The nurses were all very surprised. Why? Professor was a title to show great respect in Holt Magic College.
Heidi burst out laughing. Buck turned to look at her, wondering why.
"Nothing." Heidi waved her hands.
Around the corner, the mortuary was at the end of the corridor. Buck pulled open the gate and they both walked in this cold place.
Juxtaposing the five corpses, Heidi studied them carefully. At this moment, she was no longer a lady but an arcanist.
After a long time, Heidi frowned and said, "Judging from the wound and the way that the guts were taken, it was four murderers who killed the five victims. They did not care about possible damages on the guts, either."
"A gang crime?" Asked Buck solemnly.
Instead of giving a reply, Heidi cut five pieces of flesh from the five corpses and said, "Bring me to the crime scene."
She vaguely had an idea.
Chapter 660: Summoning
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
In the Egret District…
Passing through the low and shabby cottages, Buck led Heidi to a quiet, dilapidated place that was dominated by grass. It was creepy even during the day.
"This place is occupied by some homeless guys, but they are busy with their lives during the day. That's why they are not here." Buck pointed at the shaking wall and said.
Zigzagging by a few muddy rooms that could collapse at any point, Heidi saw the crime scene in the photo. Filthy water was flowing, and flies were flying everywhere in the stench.
"The homeless have absolutely no sense of house maintenance. The entrance of the sewer is very close, but they still litter randomly." Buck cursed. Even an experienced police officer such as himself was frowning in such an environment, not to mention an arcanist from the Atom Institution like Ms. Heidi!
Although it was not the field that Heidi was best at, she had abundant adventure experiences thanks to the Congress of Magic's mandatory missions. Compared to the nests of trolls and giants, this place was as clean and comfortable as a noble lady's garden. So, she walked over without frowning and looked for clues with spells.
"The storm last time destroyed a lot of traces…" Heidi confirmed her guess from the magic feedback.
Buck looked at her hopefully. "Yes. That's why we asked the Congress' help. Is there anything you can do to help us?"
He did not use the full name, 'Congress of Magic', showing that he was one of the pro-sorcerers.
Heidi was not as naughty and playful as she usually was in the murder scene. Instead, she solemnly brought out the remains of the victim and performed a localization spell of the school of astrology.
The flesh in her hands suddenly melted and dropped on the ground, pointing at somewhere far away.
"Originally, the spell can only localize living creatures, but after modification, it can also trace the dead. As long as the murderer still has the guts, we will be led there." A layer of blood wriggled on Heidi's left hand.
Buck was amazed by the extraordinary magic and more determined to send his son to the generic school for elemental magic education.
This time, it was Heidi who led Buck. They traversed the Egret District and searched for the murderer.
After they reached an intersection, however, the blood in Heidi's hands stopped boiling. As if the last vitality had been worn out, it began to emit stink.
"My lady, what's up?" Buck asked concernedly.
Heidi looked around gravely. "The connection of the 'kindred' was cut off, which is something that only magic, divine power or the strength of a knight can achieve."
"What?" Buck was rather surprised. A sorcerer or a knight was involved in a murder case against the poor? What were they up to?"
Heidi sniffed. "I asked before why the murderer did not destroy the body. It seems that it was not because they were incapable but because they had other purposes."
"Other purposes?" Buck knew many secret files, but he still lacked 'common sense' compared to Heidi, an experienced sorcerer.
Heidi looked around and said casually, "Generally speaking, this is related to evil rituals or cults. They have to ensure that the original body still exists when they use the guts…"
"Then, I'll submit your conclusion, my lady." Buck wavered. This was something that was too much for himself. Let the higher-level knights of the police department, or maybe a senior-rank sorcerer, handle this!
He looked at the intersection. One road led out of the city, and the other led to the other side of the Egret District. He said, "The murderers must've escaped out of the city. It's hard to find them now."
Heidi was rather excited to encounter evil cultists. She brought out her crystal ball eagerly and said, "I don't know about that. Let's confirm it first."
In Rentato, she was not scared that she would encounter an enemy that was too strong for her. Battles that were too intense would surely be discovered by the expert who guarded the Nekso Palace.
The transparent crystal ball was darkened by the magic power. Then, brilliant stars glowed, connecting to a belt of light that pointed in a direction.
"They went to the other side of the Egret District…" That was everything Heidi got from her astrology. "Let's go over and take a look."
Buck was slightly upset, but not having the courage to object, he could only follow.
"Ms. Heidi is a sorcerer close to the senior rank and a student of a legend. She must have powerful items. It won't be a big deal even if we encounter evil sorcerers or cultists…" Thinking about that, he gradually calmed down.
At this moment, he saw that Heidi had been playing with a silver badge that was engraved with symbols of elements. It seemed to be a mini version of the periodic table. Even many civilians were aware of it and thought that it boasted the magic power to resist evilness.
Heidi chuckled. "It's the medium for a magic ritual."
"A magic ritual…" With Buck's knowledge about magic, shouldn't that be something that had to be prepared in advance?
As they spoke, they reached a corner of the slum along the road. It was a crowded and lively place.
"If they are cultists, there must be a lot of them. So, we can ask the locals whose house is frequented by strangers or has weird noises at night. That way, we should be able to find some clues." Buck offered suggestions based on his experience.
Heidi smiled. "Thank you for your trouble, Detective Buck."
Before a rickety hut stood a wrinkled old lady who was hanging her washed clothes.
"Greetings, my lady. I'm Buck from the police department. I would like to ask you a few questions." Buck showed his badge courteously.
The old lady wiped her hands, somewhat stunned. "Mr. Detective, please ask."
That was the normal reaction when the poor people met police officers. Buck nodded and asked, "You must be familiar with the neighborhood, right? Is there any household that is frequented by strangers or has obstreperous noises at night?"
The old lady thought for a moment and said, "No, I didn't notice anything. I hardly go to other places in the neighborhood."
Buck put his badge back. "Do you know anybody who knows the neighborhood better?"
"Yes, Mr. Monroe of the Black Brotherhood." Said the lady in a low voice, as if she were scared of this Mr. Monroe.
Buck nodded. "Bring us to him."
"No, please, officer, ask somebody else." The old lady waved her hands in panic.
How could Buck compromise? Under his demand, the lady shut her door and led him and Heidi to walk on.
Below the low houses, women were washing clothes, men were chopping wood, and kids were watching the strangers curiously.
"How lively." Remarked Buck.
Frowning, Heidi looked around and did not talk.
At this moment, the lady stopped before the most eye-catching two-floored house in the slum. "Sir and madam, Mr. Monroe is inside."
She knocked on the gate while she spoke.
Heidi suddenly said, "We'll visit Mr. Monroe another way. Duty calls."
"What?" Asked Buck in confusion, but Heidi's voice echoed in his mind. "Back off. Let me handle this, or I may be unable to take care of you."
"Why?" Buck grew anxious. Was this the legendary telepathic bond?
Heidi chuckled. "The poor in the slums have to work for ten hours in order to survive, so only kids and some women can be found in such areas during the day. Look. How many men are at home? How do they feed their families?"
Buck was saturated with cold sweat. He did not have much down-to-earth experience. If it were the common police officers under his lead, they might've noticed something wrong a long time ago. He simply said, "Right, we have to return to the police department. We'll visit Mr. Monroe tomorrow."
"Hehe. You want to leave when you have already noticed things?" A cold and hoarse voice resonated with the intense stink of blood.
Inside the spacious hall, hearts, intestines, livers and other organs were placed in a weird pattern. Not only were they as red as if alive, but they were even fluctuating in rhythm.
All the men, women, and children stood up, their mouths splitting apart and revealing their thorny teeth. Their eyes became crimson and cold, with the air of evilness and paralysis.
The old woman next to them was suddenly dried, like a broken balloon, but then she suddenly expanded and spoke with a male voice. "Are you leaving?"
She raised her finger. Buck immediately felt that he was unable to move anymore.
"Finger of Death?" Buck heard Heidi's voice in the telepathic bond.
When the black air pierced at him like a needle, Buck thought numbly, "Am I going to die?"
At this moment, he felt that his body became illusionary, before it became steady again and appeared on the other side of the street.
"This is…?" In shock, he realized that Heidi brought him away with a blink under the attack.
In the meantime, 'Douglas's Absorbing Wall' appeared and blocked the crimson rays from the monster.
"You're not in the senior rank. How can you perform Spell Trigger?" The male voice blurted in surprise, his old-lady body collapsing all of a sudden.
At this moment, the man organs inside the hall began to wriggle and gather into the weird shape of a human.
Heidi chuckled. "I am not in the senior rank, but who says that Spell Trigger is limited to the senior rank? The magic where spells are stored in advance and triggered by different conditions happen to my specialty. It's a comprehensive application of storage, control, computation, input and output. I cannot simplify all of them, but I can simplify some of the modules… Maybe, the fifth circle will be the threshold for the senior-rank sorcerers later!"
She did not seem in a hurry at all, but her left hand pressed the silver badge nonstop, as if she were casting a complicated spell.
The monster jumbled by organs roared furiously, "I don't understand, but you are not going to survive! Are you capable of any other senior-rank spells?"
He was about to complete his body. Those mouth-split monsters, on the other hand, blocked the street and disrupted flight.
Watching the red eyes, Buck felt that his legs were shaking. He could only place his hope on Heidi.
After her left hand was done, Heidi suddenly tossed out the silver badge, before she made a weird chant, "The roars from space summons the Atomic Universe…"
The monster lunged out the moment he heard the spell. His body was stretched into a long curtain of blood, corrupting everything around.
He knew very well that the legends were almost as powerful as gods. So, a lot of magic rituals had to be performed by summoning and communicating with different legendary demiplanes. For example, many rituals of the Hand of Paleness required the enhancement of 'Silent Hell', 'Skeleton Land' and 'Resting Place'. Generally speaking, one would be able to borrow the strength of the legends as long as their rules were met, unless they intentionally blocked their demiplanes.
What he found hard to believe, however, was how short the magic ritual was.
It was also stored in advance?
The chant stopped, and it became extremely quiet. A black sky descended with many illusionary planets of elements.
'Arcana Light' illuminated in Heidi's hands, and the projection inside the Atomic Universe expanded abruptly. The fusing planets showed up like suns.
Under their assistance, the overwhelming and scorching light swept across the whole slum, melting those red-eyed monsters whose mouth was split.
"Noooo!" The monster of guts cried miserably.
Chapter 661: Bird of Death
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
In such pure light, Buck couldn't help but close his eyes, but the dark red eyes of the monster of guts which contained infinite hatred and desperation still lingered in his head. His back was also soaked with cold sweat.
Then, he felt that an overwhelming, terrifying will brush his body, paralyzing both his mind and his body. He wasn't back to himself until a long time later, but the will was already long gone. The brilliance before him that looked like an arriving sun had also disappeared, and so did the monster of guts and his many child monsters.
Looking at the street around that had been basically ruined, Buck trembled. If he had investigated the area with a common officer, they would have certainly been among the people who went missing.
"My lady, has the monster been destroyed by you?" Asked Buck carefully, not just because he was worried about the monster making a come back, but also because he was deeply awed by the lady before him who smiled all the time.
Looking at the pieces of the silver badge on the ground regretfully, Heidi replied, "Theoretically speaking, it is impossible for the monster to come back to life."
Nor was it impossible to restore the silver badge…
Summoning the power of a legendary demiplane required complicated and expensive magic rituals. Even though she asked for the help of her teacher's 'Atomic Universe', the necessary process of communication was still mandatory. Therefore, in order to prepare most of the procedures of the ritual that could be modularized, one would need extremely expensive materials to make the special alchemical items. Even though she had worked for years in the Atom Institution and published a lot of papers, and she had a part-time job in the Holt Magic College, she could only afford one or two of such items.
She was simply crushing the enemy with money!
Hearing Heidi's reply, Buck took a long breath in relief. He reminded himself that he must not get involved in similar incidents in the future, or he wouldn't know how he got killed after he died!
Looking at the shaking two-floored house, he proposed, "There should be clues inside."
Heidi nodded in agreement. She was about to walk in, when she suddenly had a strong feeling of dizziness. It was obvious that her spiritual power had been exhausted. She evaluated his status and thought to himself, "Even if 'Spell Trigger' can be simplified into a fifth-circle spell later, I'm afraid that the standard for the senior-rank sorcerers will still be the sixth circle. The people whose cognitive world is not substantiated cannot be called senior-rank, because they can only afford one quasi-advanced spell under the help of external devices."
Seeing that Heidi was pale and breathing fast, Buck asked concernedly, "My lady, are you alright?"
"I'll be fine after a rest." Heidi took out a dosage of 'Water Song' and drank it. She immediately felt coolness in her stomach.
Heidi needed to rest. Not having the courage to enter the shabby building on his own, Buck thought of random topics. "My lady, was the spell you used just now a simplified version of 'Eternal Blaze'?"
The battle in the sky of Rentato between the Congress of Magic and the South Church were witnessed by most of the ordinary people because of 'Paradise on Earth'. As a result, 'Eternal Blaze' became a synonym of the most powerful magic for people like Buck.
Heidi smiled. "Not exactly. I simply borrowed the power of fusion simulated in my teacher's 'Atomic Universe' in order to build up my 'Arcana Light'. It sort of contains the qualities of 'Eternal Blaze'."
If it were really a simplified and minimized version of 'Eternal Blaze', it would've been impossible for them to resist the explosion which took place not far away. They would've been burnt up by the storm energy and the high temperature.
After a while, Heidi's face was back to normal. She enhanced herself and Buck with plenty of magic effects, before the two of them entered the second floor prudently.
The scorched interior of the hall was the last evidence that proved the existence of the monster of guts. At the center of the hall was a weird, illogical magic circle. Even though it had been destroyed, Heidi felt obvious dizziness when she saw it, like the recoil of a failed hypnotization. Buck, on the other hand, was so enthralled that he almost failed to come back to himself.
"Don't stare at it. Something is wrong with this magic circle." Heidi patted Buck's shoulder.
Buck trembled hard and moved his eyes away. He thought in fear, "Magic is really terrifying…"
He was even more determined to let his son study magic, because those who did not know magic would certainly suffer setbacks in a magic society!
The two of them searched every room in the building carefully and found a middle-aged man in a black robe inside a secret chamber. His body was intact, but his bulging eyes were utterly lifeless, as if even his soul had been completely annihilated by Heidi's magic attack just now.
Heidi examined the body with magic. She suddenly exclaimed in astonishment and opened the black robe of the leader of murderers, before she cut the abdomen of the body.
Inside the abdomen was utterly empty. There were no entrails at all!
"This is…?" Buck stepped back in shock. The man was alive without guts and could even perform magic? Was he one of the liches in the tales? Or maybe, was he a victim himself?
Heidi frowned and searched for all experiment records. However, the black-robed, middle-aged man was very prudent. Few clues were left behind.
"It seems that he was a fifth-circle sorcerer who couldn't keep up with the development of arcana. Due to the fear of being abandoned by the age and the hate for being surpassed by his peers, he embarked on the path of improving his strength through foul magic rituals under the enchantment of a mysterious person named 'Bird of Death'. The beginning of the ritual seems to be transforming himself into a living corpse that does not have guts, after which he will be able to extend his life by depriving others of their internal organs…"
"Since then, his magic strength had advanced into the senior rank, and he was capable of the talented quasi-spell abilities such as devils and other magic creatures, like 'Finger of Death'…"
Examining the clues she had found comprehensively, Heidi restored the black-robed, middle-aged man's experience.
Buck's forehead was soaked with cold sweat as he listened on. When Heidi looked at him and asked for his opinion, he blurted out, "The Bird of Death must be a night watcher. They corrupt the few undetermined sorcerers in order to undermine the Congress' image among the people. We have to strike their crime and clarify the misunderstanding!"
If such a case of evil magic rituals spread out, the ordinary people would inevitably associate sorcerers with gore and ferocity. Although it was only a bias, nobody would be able to consider carefully now that such a terrible thing had happened. Therefore, they had to find a scapegoat to shoulder the criticism!
"It is possible…" Heidi did not say anything, because that was indeed a possible answer. Then, she comforted Buck, trying to relieve his concerns. "Don't be scared. Those sorcerers are the minority. Most of the sorcerers are normal. It's like there are murderers and thieves among the citizens of Rentato, but you cannot consider the citizens of Rentato to be murderers and thieves. It is not mathematically correct."
Buck nodded his head quickly, not having any objection at all.
"I'm going to bring the files and items in this place back to the Congress and ask the senior-rank astrologers to deal with them. I'll try to find more clues and find out who the Bird of Death is." Heidi pointed at the crime spot and said.
"Thank you for your trouble, my lady. Even if you hadn't mentioned it, we would still send the files and items to the Congress. Nobody is better than dealing with such problems than the sorcerers of the school of astrology are." Buck rubbed his hands and said eagerly.
After collecting the files and items, Heidi and Buck left the two-floored building. When they passed the hall, she looked back at the second floor and frowned, before she said in a low voice, "Is it the Church?"
Chapter 662: Preparations
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
After she returned to Allyn, Heidi did not go to the Task Zone to report the case, or to the Sorcerer Administrative Department to ask the senior-rank astrologers to deal with the files and items involved in the case of evil magic rituals, but to the external part of 'Babel' and enter the 'Atomic Universe' under the lead of the servant.
She felt that there were many weird things in the matter, and that she had to report it to her teacher.
Inside the Atomic Universe, the real Babel Tower rose into space from the planet of iron, releasing a fantastic sense of beauty.
"Good afternoon, Your Majesty." Heidi saw Natasha the moment she entered and hurried to greet her, somewhat in a panic. She admired Natasha's character and lifestyle, so she was rather nervous when she was faced with her.
Amused by Heidi's awkwardness, Natasha scratched her chin and asked, "I'm not a monster who feeds on human flesh. Why are you scared of me?"
"No, I'm just…" Heidi hurried to explain.
Natasha waved her hands and interrupted her. "Your teacher is waiting for you."
"How, did my teacher know that I was coming?" Heidi's anxiety was relieved now that they were talking about business. Before Natasha replied, she talked to herself, deep in thought. "I summoned the power of master's demiplane. Perhaps, Master paid attention to what happened around me at that time."
While thinking, she came to the library under Natasha's lead and saw her teacher smiling at her on the chair behind the desk.
Lucien was still wearing the double-breasted suit. His hair was slightly longer, and his monocle was glimmering under the illumination of the sunlight from the window. "I basically know what happened before. Give me the files and items."
"Master, I don't think that it's as simple as that. There seems to be something deeper and weirder to this magic ritual…" Heidi handed the files and items over to Lucien.
"I know. I will discuss with Mr. President, my teacher and Granny Hathaway. You were very keen. It's true that the appearance of such evil magic rituals can be misleading." Lucien browsed through the files. "You will submit your mission later. The rest of this incident will be too much for you to participate in."
Heidi nodded solemnly. "Alright, master."
As the queen of Holm, Natasha naturally paid enough attention to the matter, too. It was not until Heidi left that she looked at Lucien gravely and said, "I feel that it's related to the seven primeval devils. Cutting the guts was only a superficial procedure, and what they really wanted was the feeling of pain… Viken knew that you discovered his identity and therefore exposed the way of transformation through primeval devils without bothering anything, so that internal conflicts would burst out in the kingdom and the Congress first?"
"Greed, the source of all troubles." Lucien sighed. "It's impossible to investigate whether Viken asked the night watchers to disseminate it or somebody else was behind it. We can only fight back in other ways while we focus on our own business in secret."
Natasha nodded and slightly frowned. "The primeval devils are very tricky and can hardly be completely purged. Thankfully, the blood power of 'Sword of Truth' is a bane for them. Lucien, have you finished the analysis of your legendary spells? Are you ready to advance into level three of legendary?"
For the grand arcanists, there were barely any obstacles in the first three levels. Since Lucien had published enough important papers in the past two years, he was only half a step away from level three. However, it was a major challenge to reach the peak from level three. Until Lucien published the new alchemy, there had only been two peak legends among the Congress! Also, Oliver, Hellen and Vicente hadn't made the breakthrough even in the age of the grand development of arcana.
As for the leap from peak to demigod, of so many top legends after so many years, only Thanos and Viken achieved a flawed success. It's not hard to imagine how difficult the process was!
"I've already analyzed 'Snow Goddess's Anger' and 'Silent Blue' and obtained the information I wanted. I'm now improving 'Snow Goddess's Anger' with my new discoveries and turning it into a new legendary spell." Lucien did not keep anything from Natasha and introduced his work.
As a matter of fact, it was easier for him to advance than it was for other grand arcanists, because 'Eternal Blaze' was already shaped in Lucien's cognitive world although it was a spell that only level-three legends could learn. He could make a breakthrough under the assistance of magic rituals easily.
Right now, Lucien had constructed nine legendary spells inside his soul, namely 'Atomic Fission', 'Vengeful Gaze', 'Space Staff', 'Evans' Hand of Uncertainties', 'Luxury Cracking', 'Abrupt Magic Reverse', 'Mental Fulmination', 'Storm Barrier' and 'Mirror of Fate'. After the improvement of 'Snow Goddess's Anger' was completed and the spell was successfully constructed, he would reach the summit of level two of legendary and advance with 'Eternal Blaze'.
Natasha looked at Lucien curiously. "Improve? You've learnt a lot from the two ice-type legendary spells?"
"Temperature manifests the thermal movement of molecules. The more intense their activity is, the higher the temperature will be, and vice versa. When it comes to the legendary level, the regular temperature-reducing methods can only achieve poor results. So, I need to analyze the two ice-type legendary spells, find the part on their models that reduces the temperature, and relate it to actual arcana significance…"
"The result is similar to my anticipation. My time to reconstruct the model can be saved, and I only need to make improvements to some degree. Also, such a method will play an important role in the studies in the microscopic domain." Lucien pointed at the files on the desk and said.
Natasha was somewhat interested by what Lucien said. "I'm told that the legendary sorcerers of Cabin of Palmeira have been relatively weak because they do not understand the arcana significance of the ice-type legendary spells and can only construct them brutally with their spiritual power and shallow understanding. As a result, those spells are hard to learn and cannot achieve the best effect."
"Ms. Hellen is almost one of the best arcanists, but she had to construct 'Snow Goddess's Anger' by force when she learnt it, too."
She grew even more curious as she talked. "What exactly have you obtained?"
"…" Lucien thought for a moment and tried to describe the idea of restraining molecular movements by the magnetic field or the laser as simply as possible. That would make the ice-type legendary spells even closer to absolute zero.
Natasha's eyes lost focus as she listened on. She rose abruptly and tried to smile, "I need to practice my blood power now. I'm feeling that I'm closer and closer to the realm of legendary!"
Watching Natasha flee in amusement, Lucien shook his head and picked up an invitation from his drawer, on which it wrote:
"Dear Mr. Principal: The sorcerers of the college are full of confusion and frustrations regarding the development in the microscopic domain and the new alchemy. Even the faculty can barely understand them. We wonder if we can invite you to hold an open class for us, so that the mist on the teachers' and students' path forward can be cleared…"
Lucien was deep in thought. Suddenly, he tapped the invitation and opened his mouth. "Pinocchio, ask Leo to go to the Holt Magic College and tell them that I will hold an open class about the microscopic world in one week."
As he spoke, he looked at his magic laboratory. The materials that he exchanged 'Hundred-eye Ghost' for and the countless improvements and modifications could finally be put into use now…
"Understood, my lord." Pinocchio replied merrily, as carefree as ever.
...
Inside the conference room of the Highest Council…
Lucien introduced Heidi's mission report and concluded, "Obviously, this is very similar to 'Viken's Special Summoning Ritual'. The ritual to cut the guts and transform into a living corpse was meant to fill the sorcerer with pain. He was strengthened not because of the ritual but because the devil of pain had been projected into his heart."
Douglas picked up the topic. Looking around at the members of the Highest Council, he said solemnly, "The detailed files about the primeval devils are reserved to the senior-rank sorcerers, and the sorcerers of such a level wouldn't mess with the treacherous devils unless they have special reasons. Therefore, I suspect that Viken intentionally leaked the real way to become a demigod, which tempted certain sorcerers…"
"From the incomplete files we grasped, we know that it's enough to become a demigod by transforming into primeval devils. They also need to gather the power of faith. Therefore, we have to investigate cults. I'll ask the Holmish Church to cooperate with us. I hope that we do not overlook the problem."
All the members fell into a brief silence except for Fernando and Hathaway who heard about it earlier. However, there was no telling whether it was because they were shocked or for other reasons.
After a minute, Brook broke the silence. "Such cults are highly hazardous and must be curbed. We must not show any mercy even if anyone of the Highest Council is involved."
He seemed suspicious that some legendary sorcerers or archmages were behind it and therefore warned them in advance.
After giving everyone a reminder, Douglas added, "Based on the Pathway of Immortality and Lucien's transformation experience, the mysteries of demigods are related to quantum superposition. We can find safer ways by studying the microscopic world. There's no need to march forward at the risk of being corrupted by the primeval devils."
Vicente, Atlant and the other members of the Highest Council all nodded in approval. After more than a year, they respected the experiment results and acknowledged the probabilistic explanation, but just like Douglas and Fernando, they believed that probabilities and uncertainties were not the nature of microscopic particles but because of other hidden factors. As long as the 'external conditions' were found, it would be able to introduce the microscopic status into the macroscopic world, thereby embarking on the path of demigods.
With dawn and hope ahead, naturally, nobody was willing to walk on the dangerous sideway.
After the meeting, Lucien, Douglas, Fernando and Hathaway discussed the earlier problems. Suddenly, Douglas said, "I've constructed the model of 'Gravitational Lens' and realized that the distance of the planets we calculated before is wrong. So, I plan to prepare for another super-remote space jump in the next two years to search for planets."
Lucien looked at Douglas without being surprised. "Mr. President, I believe that planets exist, but I don't think your attempt will succeed. If it's purely the problem of the gravitational lens, the enigmas at the end of the Boundless Ocean wouldn't exist, and we would see our planet after we jump into space."
Lucien had a few guesses about the matter, but he had to confirm many things first.
Douglas nodded his head. "I know, but I have to give it a shot. Perhaps, I'll find something interesting there that will offer clues for us to solve the puzzle."
As he spoke, his voice became lower. "I've improved a few legendary spells and almost created a legendary alchemical device that can support the double-slit experiment with electrons. I believe that there will be a conclusion about the microscopic domain very soon."
"Of course." Lucien took a deep breath.