Chapter 42: You’re Far Inferior to Ajef

Chapter 42: You’re Far Inferior to Ajef

Facing the eager gazes of countless Thunder Magic practitioners, Yu Sheng'an smiled faintly and said:

"My purpose in attending the Joint Research Meeting aligns with its very mission—to collectively discuss and solve magical challenges, not to barter for personal gain. As for why this metal wire can convert Thunder into Light Energy, I can explain the principle to you all right now. It’s quite simple..."

Under the astonished stares of the crowd, Yu Sheng'an casually elaborated on the theory that "resistance causes the object to heat up and subsequently emit light."

"I’ve experimented with over a hundred materials and was fortunate enough to find this one, which performs exceptionally well in emitting light. However, I’m certain that in nature, there are even more superior luminescent materials waiting to be discovered. If any of you find such materials in the future, I hope you won’t forget to inform me."

Everyone was stunned.

No one had expected Ajef to share such invaluable knowledge so freely.

They were no ignorant children.

They understood perfectly well that while these concepts might sound simple, uncovering them through research without prior knowledge would be as difficult as scaling the heavens.

How many experiments, how many variables to eliminate, how many sleepless nights of toil would it take to arrive at the concept of "resistance"?

"The fact that you practice magic, sir, is a blessing to the art itself!"

Stanford stood up, solemnly placing a hand over his chest and bowing his head in deep respect.

Whoosh!

Every mage in the Joint Research Meeting rose to their feet in unison, turning toward Yu Sheng'an and mirroring Stanford’s gesture of reverence.

At this moment, regardless of any conflicts of interest, every single person present was moved by Ajef’s magnanimity.

Including Dandell.

Seeing this, a faint smile appeared on Yu Sheng'an’s face.

Those who disdain petty gains must have grander ambitions.

Whether it was induction into the Hall of Fame or rewards of magic artifacts, Yu Sheng'an lacked neither. The former was within his grasp through his control of public opinion, while the latter was secured by his inheritance from Tang En’s estate.

Given this, why not trade goodwill for loyalty?

With that thought, Yu Sheng'an stood and said, "You’re too kind. Actually, I came here with a problem of my own, hoping to seek your collective wisdom. I’d appreciate any help you can offer!"

"Sir, you flatter us. Please, go ahead."

The crowd grew visibly excited at his words.

A problem that stumped Ajef was surely no trivial matter. Solving it might very well lead to a miracle—a chance to make history.

"My question is this: How can the effects of magic be transmitted remotely through a medium and released at another location? Or, to put it differently, is there any means to cast magic without inscribing magic runes?"

Yu Sheng'an’s words left everyone dumbfounded.

Truly a genius proficient in three schools of magic—even the problems he ponders are this profound and esoteric!

For a time, the room fell into intense contemplation as everyone furrowed their brows and racked their brains, launching into a storm of ideas.

Proposals were raised one after another, only to be swiftly refuted.

The atmosphere in the Joint Research Meeting grew increasingly heated, even devolving into arguments.

"Sir Ajef, if I may be blunt, your idea is utterly un-magical! Only the unreasonable gods could achieve such a thing!" someone finally blurted out in frustration.

"In my opinion, Ajef's idea is quite similar to Summoning Magic. Isn't Summoning Magic essentially about transmitting the current magical effect to another location for release?" someone casually remarked.

Yet little did they know, this offhand analogy, combined with the earlier complaint, struck Yu Sheng'an like a thunderbolt, instantly clarifying his thoughts—he knew what to do now.

Yu Sheng'an's proposed issue ultimately went unresolved, as no one could think of a practical solution.

Stanford even said with a hint of shame, "Mr. Ajef, after I return, I’ll definitely look through the materials for you to see if we can solve your problem."

Already having an idea in mind, Yu Sheng'an politely replied, "No rush. It’s not an urgent matter, so don’t worry about it."

But the more Yu Sheng'an downplayed it, the more embarrassed Stanford felt. Still, he said nothing further, silently vowing to himself that he would study this problem thoroughly if given the chance. If he could solve it, the boost to his strength would be anything but trivial.

The Joint Research Meeting finally concluded at dusk.

One had to admit, mages truly possessed remarkable stamina. If such an intense meeting were held on Earth, it would have knocked out a large crowd.

Even so, after the meeting ended, a group of Thunder Magic practitioners surrounded Yu Sheng'an, eagerly seeking his insights on "Thunder-to-Light energy conversion." Yu Sheng'an held nothing back, answering every question, and soon, a lively crowd had gathered before the hall of the Magic River.

Of course, not everyone was interested.

For mages who had already specialized in other schools of magic, this knowledge was merely worth understanding—there was little point in deep study. Thus, while some joined the discussion, others hurried away.

Among them, a female Archmage named Jennifer left with particularly brisk steps.

She swiftly departed from Felix, her figure vanishing in a flash.

When she reappeared, she was already inside the inner residence of the March estate.

The residence was walled with bluestone, intricate magic runes carved into its surface, making it resemble a miniature Magic Tower.

In the spacious courtyard of the inner residence, a middle-aged man lay on a recliner, staring blankly at the sky.

He was none other than March, a member of the Willis Magic Plantation Association, whose legs had been severed and body shattered by Yu Sheng'an. Now, his legs had been reattached, appearing no different from an ordinary person’s—except for the unmistakable air of despondency clinging to him.

"You missed the Joint Research Meeting today. A pity," Jennifer said, looking at March with a trace of sorrow in her eyes.

"A pity? Afraid I haven’t been humiliated enough?" March turned his head toward her, his expression mocking.

Unfazed by his sarcasm, Jennifer replied, "Today’s meeting confirmed the conjecture that 'Thunder can be converted to Light'—and it has highly practical implications."

"What did you say?" March’s pupils dilated as he abruptly sat up.

He specialized in Thunder Magic. If Thunder could indeed be converted to Light, it would mean he could wield the power of Light Magic out of thin air! Even if he couldn’t cast fifth- or sixth-tier spells, the boost to his strength would be anything but insignificant.

"Do you know who made this discovery?"

"Who? Stanford?" March asked.

Stanford, despite being only an Archmage, is recognized as the most likely Thunder Magic practitioner in Felix to break through to the Grand Archmage realm. Some believe that with a custom-built Magic Tower, he could achieve this breakthrough.

"Ajef!"

"Who?" March's pupils trembled as his hands clenched the armrests of his recliner, his expression twisted with disbelief.

"It's Ajef."

"Him? Th-this... how is that possible?"

In that instant, March deflated like a punctured bladder, his face ashen, lips quivering.

"There's nothing impossible about it. He's already published this knowledge at the Joint Research Meeting. It won’t be long before the Empire's official website announces the news."

Jennifer sighed. "March, losing to him isn’t shameful. Stop wallowing in self-pity, alright?"

"I’m not wallowing! I’m furious! He beat me half to death, burned down my plantation, yet he walks away unscathed? That’s not fair!"

Something in Jennifer’s words must have struck a nerve, because March suddenly shot to his feet, bellowing in rage.

Jennifer, who had been patient until now, finally snapped, her voice sharpening.

"You want fairness? If you truly seek fairness, why take your anger out on Eileen? She’s just a magic apprentice! If she were Dorothea, would you dare? Huh? Would you? You wouldn’t even dare raise your voice at her!"

"March, you’ve disappointed me. You’re nothing but a coward! Compared to Ajef, you’re leagues behind!"

Jennifer pointed beyond the courtyard walls and roared,

"Open your eyes and look outside! The world has changed! The Internet God has transformed the Keville Empire. Magic is no longer the exclusive power of a privileged few—even children playing in the mud in the countryside could be learning it!"

"Do you even know that Ajef has developed cold-resistant, high-yield black grain? This winter, the Empire will usher in an unprecedented harvest! Felix has already decided to admit two thousand more magic apprentices next spring! And it’s not just Felix—every magic academy is planning to expand!"

"Do you know Stanford has been assigned to Twit Town? The Empire promised to build him a Magic Tower! Do you realize what that means? It means he’s likely to ascend to the Grand Archmage realm! Once he does, the entire Twit Forest will become his domain! He’ll be the most probable candidate to reach the God of Magic!"

"And you? You’re still whining over a single plantation!"

"You cling to the luxuries of Willis, reveling in its magical atmosphere, treating the borderlands as some frozen wasteland. But do you realize that in five years—no, three at most—a wave of common-born mages will rise? The places you refuse to go, others will fight tooth and nail to claim!"

Jennifer’s face flushed crimson from shouting. She took a deep breath, her eyes filled with final resolve.

"This is the last time I’ll visit you. In a week at most, I’ll leave Willis too. If you act now, you might still secure a Magic Tower. Wait any longer, and there’ll be nothing left."

With that, magical fluctuations surged around Jennifer, and her figure vanished.

March stood frozen in the courtyard, his face drained of all color.