ZeroXScyth (Server Owner): “Do you have any idea about this upcoming update? @Storm Bringer”
Storm Bringer (Administrator): “Well, not much since I haven’t had much time because I was busy with the project lately and all. However, I do have a hunch.”
Prominence: “Master Storm, tell us what you know.”
ButaYaarou: “Senpai, please guide us! 👏🏻”
“…”
Victor didn’t know whether it was at the behest of other people or their admiration for him, but Storm’s responses thereafter became faster than ever. This harbinger of update seemed the center of attention of many in this time of need.
Storm Bringer (Administrator): “Remember the arachnid horde we recently faced? If the game doesn’t back out on its realism, then such a formidable force didn’t appear out of thin air to entertain us players. So, my speculation is that the next update will expand the map that we’re familiar with to incorporate the forest area and entail the inclusion of an instance dungeon, likely to be the lair of the spider monsters.”
Storm Bringer (Administrator): “Of course, given the current progression of players’ meditation levels, the new area would remain perilous. Only those who had ascended to first-stage Initiate Attunement acolytes would be qualified to explore it. We might even encounter new NPCs to aid us, but this remains purely hypothetical at this point.”
The keywords “instance dungeon” and “new NPCs” triggered a flurry of attention among the server members, flooding the channel with a torrent of messages and reactions.
Reading this, Victor was impressed.
Interestingly enough, the two new missions issued by the System appeared to align perfectly with Storm’s predictions. When the next update rolled out, he would make sure to incorporate every detail mentioned by him thoroughly. After all, Storm seemed to have a deeper understanding of the game mechanics than even Victor himself.
Storm Bringer (Administrator): “Speaking of this, I suddenly remember that I didn’t win today’s raffle… Shoot, my progress, which is already at a snail’s pace, is only falling even more behind the others. Now I kinda regret dying in the game.”
Locktekei: “F”
SirLaughsALot: “(2)”
Prominence (Administrator): “Haha, Storm, at this rate, you’ll need a turbo boost just to catch up with the rest of us! Maybe you should even change your username to Slow Bringer. :KEK:”
Storm Bringer (Administrator): “Fuck off and don’t call me that!”
Well, out of the ten incubation pods, two of them were allocated for the true acolytes, while the others remained reserved for the raffle system. This distinction was due to the variation in incubation times. So far, Victor realized that incubating a standard first-stage Initiate Attunement player required 1.5 times the normal duration and two essence points. There were exactly four players at this stage who died in the confrontation, so he only needed to repeat this twice to match the pace of the other incubation pods.
Furthermore, there was also the loss of experience points in the form of meditation progress, which decreased by 20 percent each time a player died. This was a consequence he found out upon the return of the first resurrected batch to the game earlier today. This reduction in experience points could have varying implications depending on the individual players’ mana aptitudes, potentially posing significant setbacks for some.
Reflecting on the recent events, it appeared that the mass demise of dozens of players at once might not have been the most prudent decision, irrespective of the circumstances. Based on this rate, it would require at least five more days to resurrect all the players who died.
Additionally, the death penalty in this game was far more than just the loss of merit points and meditation progress. As the players’ equipment became more and more valuable, the cost of death also came with the cost of equipment loss. This was especially not good for players who liked to play alone.
Storm Bringer (Administrator): “Luck aside, progression in this game is indeed more arduous and time-consuming compared to other games; we can’t simply level up by defeating monsters; we have to learn spell models to be able to cast spells.”
Prominence (Administrator): “That’s true! On that note, why can’t I screenshot or record the spell model? My dream of getting rich fast is dashed! ∑(っ°Д°;)っ”
Victor was aware that several players had attempted to record the spell models using the in-game recording function, only to find the resulting footage censored. He made it a point to prevent any exploitation of this glitch. While he wished for players to progress rapidly, there had to be a regulated framework in place to maintain fairness and balance.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Storm Bringer (Administrator): “This guy can still daydream. Anyway, the only thing that I want to complain about is that although this eases the need for hours and hours of monotonous grinding that we often have to endure in typical online games, it is taking too long! I really, really want to become a powerful magician this instant! Why is there no shortcut…”
Seeing what Storm was complaining about, a vein almost popped on Victor’s forehead. Sure, for these modern people who had grown accustomed to instant gratification, even achieving Initiate Attunement was a lengthy process. But if the acolytes in his former academy were to hear such complaints after seeing their rate of progress, they would die of envy. No, they would incinerate the other party to death for insulting their beliefs — their life-long journey.
ZeroXScyth (Server Owner): “To be fair, it could be that they’re striving to keep the game as realistic as possible. In fact, players who have been engaged in the game may notice that Magus Academy Online’s rules are being improved bit by bit. The development team is also exploring, balancing the lever between reality and gameplay.”
MikeIsHandsome1000x: “My thoughts exactly.”
As expected of a consultant of a large corporation. Even if he’s not as good as Storm at predicting upcoming events and updates, his way of thinking is very logical, Victor thought to himself. If Storm represented the epitome of imaginative thinking, then Zero was the epitome of practicality and reason — two opposite yet complementary extremities of a spectrum.
In truth, it wasn’t that there were no tools or techniques that could aid Magi in accelerating their meditation progress and enhancing their magical abilities. Some of these included special meditation chambers designed to amplify the absorption of elemental energies and mana; magical herbs and potions that heightened a Magus’s focus and increased their infused mana; magic arrays and formations that channeled external energies; and last but not least, magic tools or even artifacts that bolstered a Magus’s meditation efforts.
Precious items such as mana crystals, which Victor had little amount of, could also help to some degree. Magus academies would always have a golden goose or two to support their acolytes’ growth: mana crystal mines or magical plants capable of producing these crystals. Not to mention pocket dimensions or even entire planes, which further amplified their capabilities.
“Hmm, this is indeed something that needs a second look at.” Victor stroked his chin thoughtfully.
Monstrous talent alone would prove insufficient in the face of boundless wealth. It was the strategic blend of these resources that paved the most effective path to success in this world. If Victor had access to the resources typical of a large Magus academy, he would have ascended to the ranks of an official Magus long ago.
Prominence (Administrator): “Still, if the game mechanics are as realistic as they could be, wouldn’t it be cool if we could create our own spell models? Just picture having your own signature spells that you could sell for some serious cash or even spells for, you know… ‘private needs.’ Get what I mean? (͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)”
ButaYaarou: “Can I make my waifu Hu Tao come alive with a signature spell? Better still, if it’s Bailu or Klee!”
SirLaughsALot: “Hello, FBI. I want to report a criminal on the loose.”
Aphrodie96: “Hahaha! It will be funny if I can conjure up slimy tentacles to do ahem.”
GiveMeTheNuclearCode: “Don’t forget about mind control spells!”
Storm Bringer (Administrator): “Geez, you guys are always fixated on the lewd stuff. But I guess the game does offer endless possibilities, so who knows, as long as it doesn’t break the game’s physics and rules… And, of course, regulations; this is the most important thing if you don’t want to get banned.”
Prominence (Administrator): “Oof, there goes my dream again.”
Signature spells? Wishful thinking! Victor mocked these people for their ignorance — they were truly a bunch of ignoramuses.
For a Magus to even create a single working spell model, it could take up to several years. After all, a slight mistake or error in the structure of the spell could potentially cost them their life. Furthermore, they had to undertake numerous calculations to ensure its functionality, let alone make it practical…
Calculations and structures…
Somehow, these two words were familiar to Victor — a programmer in his past life, a magician in his current life. In one way or another, the two occupations shared a similar way of perceiving things.
“That’s it!” Victor flicked his fingers as his eyes shone in enlightenment.
“Wh-What?! Have you come up with another one of your evil schemes again?” Lizbeth eyeballed him from the side with a face that said, “He must be up to something bad again.”
“No! Even better!” The grin on Victor’s mouth grew, spreading across his entire face.
Spell models, in essence, were special kinds of algorithms. In theory, even ordinary people would be able to construct one on paper if they had the necessary knowledge, but doing so would be anything but feasible in real life. Not to mention the need to teach them the requisite magic knowledge — asking individuals without the ability to wield mana to create spell models would be akin to forcing five-year-old children to draw blueprints for metropolitan cities. It was a preposterous notion.
However, what Victor truly sought was the incredible calculation capabilities of computers. These were the keys to his success. So what if these people were substituted with computers? As long as they gave him the things he needed, he didn’t have a single complaint.
If a million computers were simultaneously simulating the creation of spell models, even if each one took a month to complete, wouldn’t he have one million new magic spells by the end of the month? The mere thought of the possibility was mind-boggling!
Of course, the higher the tier of the spell models, the more complex they became. The aforementioned hypothetical situation would only work for simpler spells. Even so, he couldn’t miss out on exploiting what Earth could offer. In the end, what truly mattered was in what way he should exploit his players for his benefit.
Nonetheless, he couldn’t simply tell his players to research spells outright, and some sort of trick in the form of “game mechanic” had to be implemented. Being the one with the most knowledge of spell models, Victor realized that he should be the one to initiate the creation of the prototype program. A program that could simulate the creation of spell models.
Believing Lizbeth was more suited to be the programmer, Victor shared with her his plan.
“I’ll see what I can do, but no promises on when I will be done.” Lizbeth raised both of her hands with a slightly exasperated expression, evidently perturbed by the fact that she was the one who had to do the job.
“That’s fine,” Victor responded with a sneer. “Take as much time as you need to.”