Extreme Cold Era: Shelter Don't Keep Waste-Chapter 521 - 490 Inspiration for the "Genius

Although both the Alchemist Association and the Magic Association agreed to this collaboration at the higher levels, both sides also restricted the personnel involved in this research from divulging their crucial technologies to each other.

This caused some technical problems, such as the redundancy of functional structures and outdated techniques, which were heavily criticized by Perfikot.

Although there were issues of insufficient technical level and lack of innovation ability among the participants, the main factor was indeed the restrictions placed on both sides.

However, once this set of things reached Perfikot’s hands, she naturally and swiftly improved it, eliminating redundant and wasteful parts, improving energy conversion efficiency, and could even be considered a technical iteration.

Perfikot’s set of operations was even based solely on her own knowledge reserve and technical strength, without employing the upgrading and optimization capabilities of the Eye of Omniscience. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Nevertheless, even so, it deeply shocked Schopenhauer and Weasley, showing these two young men what it means when the difference between people is sometimes greater than that between people and dogs.

And Schopenhauer and Weasley were those two dogs who were utterly amazed.

They fully realized just how ridiculously talented the Empire’s most genius alchemist, who had made a name for herself in history and was written into textbooks at the age of sixteen, truly was.

Compared to Perfikot, they felt that the past thirty-odd years of their lives had been utterly wasted.

Especially Schopenhauer, although he had already fully recognized the incredible talent of this genius girl through studying Perfikot’s research results.

But when he actually witnessed technical problems that were difficult for him being solved in Perfikot’s hands as easily as a university math professor solving elementary school math problems, he clearly realized that compared to Perfikot, he was like an un-evolved monkey.

"Why do you have such thoughts?" Noticing Schopenhauer’s mindset, Perfikot looked at this young genius, once equally renowned in Langton alongside herself, with some curiosity. After thinking for a while, she said, "You find it difficult because of your knowledge structure, not because you’re dumber than me or due to any fundamental IQ difference between us.

Although I don’t deny there might be no one smarter than me in this world, the problem lies in your restricted knowledge structure. You’ve received the most traditional alchemy education, which has led you to form a mindset that requires finding known theoretical evidence for everything you do.

I’m not saying this is bad, but it undoubtedly deprives you of your innovative spirit. You can only advance along paths opened and planned by predecessors, unable to break free of their established thinking and view problems from a fresh perspective.

It’s like a person walking on a road; because those before you could only walk on it with their feet, you can only follow their footsteps on the path they’ve opened.

You can’t surpass them, can’t break out of the path they created, and certainly can’t board a high-speed train racing by on the side."

At this point, Perfikot couldn’t help but deeply sigh and shook her head with a sense of helplessness, saying, "This is the inherent common problem of traditional alchemists. Those of you who received past traditional alchemy education, especially those born into alchemical families, all have this flaw.

This has become a shackle that limits the ability to play up your talents, and it is the biggest obstacle to your growth.

Some of you might manage to break free from this mindset that limits your development, but others might forever remain trapped in their original comfort zone.

I don’t know which type you are, but I hope you can pave a new path for yourself, as I believe your talent shouldn’t be limited this way, and your achievements should not stop here."

For Schopenhauer, being denied all the education he had ever received with such attitude and tone by Perfikot was undoubtedly something that overturned his three views and cognition.

But as everything in his mind was being negated and overturned by Perfikot, Schopenhauer couldn’t help but ask himself, had he really been wrong? Was Perfikot speaking the truth? Had he really been constrained by that education and knowledge?

The answer was affirmative.

Schopenhauer, who had received the most traditional alchemist education from an early age, was told since childhood to follow the rules of alchemy, follow various physical laws, obey the teachings of his family elders, and so on...

There were too many things he had to follow, and the rules had bound him so tightly that, whether in academic alchemy research or daily life, he adhered strictly to the teachings of elders from his childhood, not daring to deviate in the slightest.

Admittedly, this allowed him to grow along the path his elders had planned for him, proceeding step by step without encountering any setbacks, thereby becoming the genius celebrated by everyone in Langton in a natural progression.

Initially, Schopenhauer was extremely confident in himself. He believed the path his elders had planned was the most suitable, and he believed he was truly a genius, seeing no issue with any of this.

However, when Perfikot appeared and shattered his confidence and pride in ways that went beyond his comprehension, making him start questioning his life, he had no choice but to contemplate whether everything Perfikot said was true.

After all, Perfikot was currently the most accomplished alchemist in the entire Empire and even the world, and she was the authority in the entirely new discipline of Imaginary Alchemy. Even if she were joking, people would take her words seriously.

It’s like if an ordinary neighbor girl told you, who had a doctorate and even a chance to become a university professor, that you were reading the wrong books and became a rote learner. You wouldn’t listen.

But if a top scientist like Einstein or Madam Curie told you that you were wrong, you’d seriously reconsider if you had made a mistake, even if they were just joking, right?

Schopenhauer was undoubtedly in such a predicament now. Already questioning his life due to Perfikot’s brilliant achievements, Perfikot’s words now thoroughly prompted him to start reflecting on himself.

Seeing that he seemed to take her words to heart, Perfikot said to him, "There are some notes of mine in the Lord’s library. If you’re interested, you can take a look; perhaps they might offer you a different approach."