“That quick?” Victor couldn’t help but express his surprise. He knew that such a project would typically require a team of at least three or four lazy programmers a whole month to accomplish. Procrastination was a common thing among them (he included), after all.
“Well, it’s only for Aleph-tier spells at the end of the day. How complex could it be?”
Victor couldn’t deny it, even if he wanted to. Lizbeth’s programming prowess was remarkable. In fact, it was safe to say that her coding skills were miles ahead of his at his peak. She was practically an AI in disguise — or she might truly be an AI. Yes, that would explain her exceptional abilities.
“Hey! You must be thinking something rude about me, I’m sure!” Holy crap, she’s sharp!
Lizbeth’s accusation jolted Victor back to the present, forcing him to clear his throat and look away. “N-No… I don’t get what you mean by that.”
“Anyway.” Lizbeth gestured toward the holographic screen as she spoke. “I'm trying to mimic the process of spell modeling as accurately as possible. The program I made utilizes advanced machine learning. It can learn through data samples that you feed it, and the more are thrown in, the better it is at computing results. However, there are a few catches.” she emphasized, locking eyes with him.
“Oh, pray tell.” If anything, it would be weird if it didn’t have some sort of shortcomings.
Lizbeth raised her finger to enumerate each point. “One, without enough samples, it won’t be able to produce spells,” she began. “Two, anything produced by the program will still require manual testing and refinement.” She added her middle finger to the count. “Three, you’ll need a high-end computing body or computer to simulate this program; otherwise, it will take a long time to process.”
The first two points were relatively manageable, as they were natural steps in the process of creating functional spells. It was the final point that caused Victor the most concern.
At present, the Nexus Beacon was the closest thing Victor could call a computer in the academy. The Shadowlink Marks were only wireless interfaces of the said computer — they were akin to monitors to a server’s CPU in a sense. On top of that, the Nexus Beacon single-handedly handled the entire network behind the Shadowlink Marks. Overloading it could lead to unforeseen consequences. Consequently, acquiring a dedicated computer solely for this purpose was needed, and the only place to get one would be Earth.
“In the end, I really don’t have any choice but to rely on Earth’s technology,” Victor said to himself with a self-deprecating smile. How ironic.
But where would he get the computers?
Teleporting to Earth to purchase them was out of the question since he wasn’t capable of doing that, not to mention the lack of Earth’s currency. While the players would most definitely be the answer to this quandary, he would need this for his personal use to create his own personal magic spells. It wouldn’t be appropriate for a developer to ask their players to create content for the game, would it?
Fortunately, alternative solutions were available: Numerous companies offered free cloud services that could be utilized in such scenarios, for instance. All he needed to do was approach the problem strategically.
“At any rate, let’s think about it again when we cross that bridge,” he concluded; a well-thought-out approach would be needed here.
----------------------------------------
Three days had passed since the invasion event, and now William was milling about in front of the Headmaster’s Office door. To his relief, it wasn’t just him who was called here. In fact, every player that had promoted to first-stage Initiate Attunement was instructed to come here, including his friends Zero, Mike, and SuperNova, who had broken through just a day prior.
Murmurs of uncertainty and speculation filled the air, and sometimes, occasional nervous chuckles and comments would ensue. This dozen or so people couldn’t keep their calm; obviously, the event a few days ago was still vivid in their minds.
“Guys, what do you think is the reason for us being called here? Have we done something wrong?” William was the first to ask that question out loud, silencing the others.
“Maybe we triggered some kind of hidden plot.” Mike chimed in. Contrary to anxiety, there was a glint of excitement in his eyes. “I mean, look at us. Aren’t we all literally the rankers of this game? Besides, it wouldn’t be the first time, right?”
“Well, there’s been a talk about the recent upcoming update, hasn’t there? Could be related to that,” Zero pointed out.
“So, it’s really a new update! But why are there no announcements?” Supernova scratched his head.
“I wonder what they have in store for us.” Locktekei looked at the door with expectation.
“I-I hope it’s not going to be something dangerous.” One of the only two girls among them raised her concern. William recognized her as the healer girl with green hair who previously joined the invasion event — MsMelody.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
William nodded in agreement and addressed the elephant in the room: “So, who’s going to knock on the door?” Even though this wasn’t the first time he and his friends were called here, the others who didn’t share the same experience avoided eye contact and fidgeted nervously, making him and the rest follow suit.
“Hey, don’t push me!”
“Who just groped me?!”
“Fuck off, who wants to grope a guy with a flat bum like you.”
“So it’s you!”
He swept his gaze to all the people here — exactly twelve people, including him. And yet, none of them seemed willing to step forward and make the first move. Shit! What a bunch of chickens. Even Zero, who was usually quick-witted, remained uncharacteristically quiet, as if he went into deep thought. It was evident that he tried to run from this responsibility… That was quite atypical of him.
Determined to show the dependability of a veteran player, William stepped forward to break the impasse and reached for the door, showing his usual bravado. However, before his hand could touch the wooden surface, a voice resonated from within.
“You are here? Come inside.” And with those words, the door swung open of its own accord.
At that moment, William realized the gulf that separated them from the enigmatic figure inside. Even with his newly acquired powers after becoming a true acolyte, freely using mana to force open a door was not something within his capability yet… There was a lot in this game that he still had a hard time learning and achieving before he had the confidence to call himself an expert.
“Esteemed Headmaster!”
“Respected Headmaster!”
“Sir Astralium!”
“…”
The other players rushed to say their greetings, and some of them were outright uttering words of adulation and praise. It was as if they had been preparing for this moment their entire lives — in fact, they were so good at it that they would easily put even seasoned politicians to shame.
Fuck! You guys were scared shitless to knock but were the first ones to suck up on him. William cursed these hypocrites in his heart before he, too, joined in to utter a word of deference of his own.
Nevertheless, the young man they were addressing, with his cool demeanor and sharp features, remained unfazed by the flattery, nodding ever so slightly as he stated, “Mm, let’s not get into the formalities too much. Step in, all of you.”
““Yes!””
With palpable enthusiasm, all the players stepped forward, positioning themselves a few meters in front of the headmaster. As had occurred previously, the door behind them seamlessly sealed itself with a touch of magic.
“Let’s cut straight to the point, shall we?” The headmaster articulated every syllable with deliberate slowness, capturing the attention of everyone present. “I have convened all of you here for a matter of great importance; I have a personal assignment in mind for you all.”
Personal assignment!
This meant that they were going to receive a special mission, perhaps even a rare and unique task activated under specific conditions. William was thoroughly convinced of this.
“Headmaster, we are at your disposal. Please, command us as you see fit!”
“Yeah! We will do everything you wish us to do!”
“We pledge to accomplish whatever task you lay before us!”
“I also will give it my all!”
“What a bunch of sycophants!” was what William said in his heart. Yet, outwardly, he presented a different demeanor, addressing the headmaster with respect and readiness. “Esteemed Headmaster, I, Prominence, stand prepared to embrace your command.”
The headmaster, however, responded with a shake of his head, issuing a word of caution. “Don’t just go ahead and accept without knowing what it entails. Be warned; it’s going to be a gruesome and difficult assignment. You can refuse it if you so desire…” After a brief pause, he continued, “Now, who among you is willing to embark on a hunting expedition with me?”
As soon as his voice fell, hands shot up throughout the room, some players even elevating both of their arms, as if wishing they possessed more limbs to express their eagerness. The sight left William — originally keen himself — astonished, and even the headmaster seemed momentarily taken aback by the players’ unwavering zeal.
“Very well, it seems your decision is unanimous. Nevertheless, the academy must not be left defenseless. Thus, I shall divide you into two teams, comprising six members each.” He announced, “I hereby appoint Prominence and Zero as the leaders of their respective teams, and the rest of you can decide your affiliations among yourselves.”
“Woohoo!” William couldn’t contain his excitement upon hearing the announcement, striking a triumphant pose and shooting a smug glance at his fellow players. You heard that? I’m the chosen leader!
On the other hand, Zero maintained a composed demeanor amidst the revelation and took the opportunity to seek clarification, raising his hand: “Esteemed Headmaster, if I may, can I ask you something?”
“You may proceed.” The headmaster gave a nod of approval.
“Um, I’m curious: Which team will have the honor of accompanying you on the hunt first, and could you perhaps enlighten us on the timing of our expeditions?”
“Prominence’s team shall embark today, whereas your team will have its turn tomorrow. I’ll grant you half an hour to get ready yourselves and assemble by the forest’s edge on the south. Is there anything more you wish to know?”
“That covers my inquiries. Thank you.”
“All right then. You are all dismissed to prepare. As for the specifics of the mission, refer to your Shadowlink Marks for comprehensive details,” explained the headmaster.
““Understood, Headmaster!””
With that, William and the others nodded and quickly scurried away from the room with eager steps.
----------------------------------------
Once the players were gone to make ready for the hunt, Victor couldn’t suppress a small, amused chuckle. The whole scenario struck him as both shameless and utterly humorous. Before he even had the chance to explain anything, they would do their best to please him. This unabashed eagerness made even the usually stoic Victor feel embarrassed.
He was pretty certain that, should he instruct them to leap into a pool of lava with the promise of adequate rewards, they’d do so without a second thought. In a strange sense, they were akin to stunt performers, albeit a particularly extreme version.
“Pfft, players really are a curious breed, aren’t they?” remarked Lizbeth, the fairy, materializing with a mischievous laugh.
“Huh, funny. The same could be said about you, right?” he teased.
“How rude!” She stomped on thin air, crossed her arms defiantly, and puffed out her cheeks.
“I’m joking, I’m joking. Well, mostly. Anyway, I suppose I’d better get ready myself.” Before Lizbeth could retort with another sentence, Victor fled the room.