Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 734 - 678: Nine Locks, Concept
Dean Mellock supported himself with his left hand on the office desk covered in deep teal velvet, the other hand holding Lyle’s proposal. This posture had been maintained for an hour, and Lyle was certain that the content he had written was not so obscure to warrant such scrutiny. His emotions had also shifted during this hour, from initial confidence, through boredom and into surprise, to his current unease. Even the influence of the illusion was temporarily suppressed as his gaze crossed the desk and settled on the face under the wide-brimmed wizard’s hat. Dean Mellock sported a chestnut-brown beard today but hadn’t touched it at all.
"Mr. Plague Doctor~" The tone of the Dean’s voice drew out longer, his sigh causing Lyle to shiver for the first time in a while.
"Dean Mellock!" Lyle straightened up instinctively, his back leaving the chair, with an awkward expression as if bracing for the rejection of his first application, yet he still held some reluctance. "Is there a problem with my proposal?"
The Dean’s voice became cheerier, "Not at all. I fully appreciate the great influence Dragon Professor and Scholar Professor have had on your writing. This proposal could reach an above-average level in my memory, but..." The intentional buildup awakened Lyle’s fears exactly.
"But why is Mr. Raymond the main subject of your dream crafting experiment?" He raised the brim of his hat, observing the young man with a lucid gaze, eyes shining with complex thoughts—Lyle could at least discern concern and resentment.
Why choose Mr. Raymond? Of course, because he is powerful. If the Dream Crafter could work on Mr. Raymond, then it would surely be useful for the majority of Andrey’s forces. Moreover, Lyle and Raymond had deep ties; Mr. Raymond was an indulgent senior who would likely agree to assist Lyle provided he explained himself well. Lyle’s creation of the Dream Crafter had other uses too. It could not only help Liches to dream, but it could also collect user templates containing information. Lyle would use these to populate Dreamland, creating templates for NPCs, skills, professions, and bosses in the virtual game. That’s right, Mr. Lyle Butler very much wanted to replicate a Mr. Raymond as a boss in Dreamland, where those drowsy elves would be smitten under the holy light, and just thinking about it brought him joy.
Of course, these were definitely not things he could candidly tell Dean Mellock. He didn’t want the Dean to lump him together with those fun-seekers from Andrey.
"Mr. Raymond is the most cooperative and valuable test subject I can think of. I am confident that I can persuade him."
The Dean seemed to believe Lyle’s words, pausing for a moment to look at Lyle, covering his forehead, then glancing at him again with a hesitant expression, "Are you certain it has to be Raymond?"
Seeing the Dean’s tone relax, Lyle covertly employed psychic analysis to confirm the elderly gentleman’s mindset. This was the time to press his luck. Lyle placed his hands on the desk, leaned forward, the beak of his Plague Doctor mask almost reaching the center of the desk. His tone was firm, exhibiting an unmistakable scholar’s presence.
"Dean Mellock, I regret having to say this, but I must strive for excellence in my research. I submitted my application to you because I wish to procure the Lich Crown. I require the best conditions to achieve the best outcomes. You’ve read my proposal, so you naturally understand the value of this project. If you have any doubts, please voice them. I am not unreasonable."
Dean Melock’s eyebrows twitched; he seemed surprised and looked at Lyle with a new respect, though faint, Lyle could hear a pleased hum from the Dean’s aged frame.
"You’ve grown a bit, Mr. Plague Doctor." Dean Mellock stroked his beard, "Though it may be somewhat premature, giving this to you shouldn’t pose too much of a problem." He reached into the air, and a shining object materialized in his hand. The bright light dazzled Lyle, who squinted, "Is that a Gold Brick?"
"Indeed, this is your reward, the Andrey Model of Excellence Award."
"Really?" Andrey has an award like this?
"No, it’s fake." Dean Mellock occasionally showed his sense of humor.
"..." Although Lyle was not pleased to see his respected elder suddenly lose stature.
Lyle took the gold bar-shaped object. It had a rough cover; it was a book.
"Salvation Association Member Files, abridged."
"Why is it golden?"
The Dean’s face darkened, markedly ominous, and it was not directed at Lyle.
"Because this is Raymond’s archive, Raymond’s alone."
Lyle was somewhat surprised; he remembered what the previous Salvation Association archive was like. They were roughly the same size, yet Mr. Raymond’s excerpt, Lyle roughly estimated, was one-fifth the thickness of the complete volume. It was imaginable that Raymond Mellock was an extraordinary and gravely regarded entity within the Salvation Association.
Mr. Dean wanted to use Raymond’s archive to make Lyle realize the danger he represented.
"Flip directly to page sixteen, Plague Doctor. Raymond Mellock is the only ten-lock Mystic of our era, standing at a height unreachable by us Spellcasters. The power he possesses is the unknown that we yearn for. The Calamity of Holy Light is a precious treasury to Andrey, but let’s focus on the key points, newcomer."
Lyle heeded the instruction and turned to the corresponding page; dense text filled his vision, but Lyle couldn’t understand it. It was not in the language of Emon, but in curse runes written according to the Mummy’s Spellbook. Lyle placed his palm over the page. A prickling pain originated in his brain as new information seemed to be directly etched onto his cerebral cortex. Lyle continually absorbed the knowledge related to Mr. Raymond, with Mr. Dean also providing interpretations on the side.
Page sixteen discusses...
"Magic Lock level, The Ninth Lock, Conceptual."
"Known entities that have stepped into this level: [Punishing Angel], [Father of Dragons] (additional)."
"The Conceptual level is known to the Salvation Association through [Punishing Angel]. It’s a higher level above the leadership of the eight locks. Mystics who enter this tier possess unimaginably steadfast wills, which are so strong and frightening that they can partially interfere with the reality of Principle, or rather, Truth. The Conceptual level of the Ninth Lock on the Ascensessor’s path can corroborate its existence with the Principle of the proxy’s path."
"Indeed, our world comprises many powerful and potent spiritual concepts; together, they constitute the rules of this world."
"The concepts of the Ascensessor and the Principles of the proxy are difficult to distinguish in terms of strength due to many external factors."
"But there is one thing that has been confirmed by the Salvation Association."
"Fundamentally, the Ascensessor determines the concept, while the Principle determines the proxy."
"For example, the difference between [Punishing Angel] and [Annihilator]. The might of [Annihilator] is because he acts on behalf of the Principle of annihilation. The strength of [Punishing Angel] is because of... himself."
"It is reasonably hypothesized that once a concept is formed, if its creator is unable to execute it for any reason, the concept will transform into a Principle, seeking a proxy."
"After multiple encounters and intelligence exchanges with [Avenging Angel], the Concept of the Ninth Lock practiced by [Punishing Angel] has been confirmed."
"The Concept is [Justice]."
