Chapter 586: The Virtual Conference

Late autumn, a thin mist began to rise.

Though the season for the “Fog Moon” had yet to arrive, the imperial capital of Typhon, Aldern, was always a city of rain and fog. As the constellation of Frost Sky gradually climbed toward the zenith, the mist started to visit this “young” city more frequently—especially after a cold autumn rain, when the fog would unfailingly roll in.

The autumn rains were persistent, and even after they ceased, sporadic droplets still fell from the sky. Between the chill of the rain and the hazy fog, Aldern’s solemn black towers and the countless pointed spires lining the grand avenues stood silently. Mary, a black-haired mage, wrapped tightly in her somewhat worn black robe, kept her head down and hurried along the street corner.

A gentle wind shield blocked the autumn chill and the falling raindrops, yet the foggy scene still sent a shiver deep into her bones. Mary instinctively tightened her robe around her, and her mind flashed to her mentor Daniel’s scowl—if he saw her walking around with her neck hunched like this, he’d surely lose his temper again.

She shook her head, brushing away the unwelcome thought, and lifted her gaze forward.

It was a late autumn street scene. In the countryside, no one would be out at this time of year, but in Mary’s view, several groups of figures moved through the misty haze.

They wore thin, threadbare homespun clothes, felt hats or grimy headscarves atop their heads. Most were men with blank expressions, some children and women with tired faces. They all moved in the same direction, their steps heavy and faces void of emotion—as if these people walking the streets in the morning fog were ghosts emerging from the mist.

Mary knew these were workers heading to the factories—the textile mills, printing houses, rune forges, and the fuel acid plants. Factories had been springing up since last winter, and so had these workers.

The factories brought prosperity, driving the city’s wheels at an astonishing pace. They also restored the once-disempowered minor nobility to lavish banquets and balls. As an apprentice to a grand mage and a rising star in the Imperial Guild of Artificers, Mary had been fortunate enough to attend some of these elite gatherings. She had some understanding of how the factory owners amassed their wealth so rapidly—wealth born from the astonishing efficiency of machines, the emperor’s timely market reforms, and, most disturbingly, from these zombie-like… people.

But the factory owners didn’t care about that.

Mary knew. She knew how her mentor was pushing all this behind the scenes, and she had a rough idea of the grand plan behind this miraculous industrial boom. As one of the few in the know, and a key assistant in her mentor’s scheme, the young mage tightened her robe once more against the cold and hurried through the ranks of these expressionless “new citizens.”

Crossing Palmer Street and passing the towers on the edge of the mage district, she arrived at the residence where her mentor and a few apprentices lived—a lavish mansion in the upper-class district.

The three-story main building, flanked by two towers and two gardens, complete with stables and servants’ quarters, was a gift from the Royal Mage Association’s president to her mentor.

At the gate stood a familiar young apprentice, a freckled face showing a strange expression upon seeing Mary. Before she could speak, he said, “The mentor’s in the cellar. He told me to tell you to come straight down once you’re back.”

The cellar…

Mary’s heart tightened for a moment, but she quickly smoothed her expression and nodded slightly. “Understood.”

She passed through the courtyard, entered the main house, descended the stairs, and reached the cellar entrance. This was a place strictly off-limits to ordinary apprentices and servants. Two vacant-eyed puppet servants stood guard at the door.

Swallowing hard, Mary reminded herself of her mentor’s increasingly kind and gentle demeanor lately, then pushed open the cellar door.

The underground space, transformed by her mentor into a secret laboratory, was brightly lit by magic crystal lamps powered by the arcane network. In a corner, she spotted the black-robed old mage Daniel. Behind him stood a strangely shaped… chair.

It was clearly a magical artifact, set upon a rune-engraved base. Soft glimmers flowed along its sides, strange metal studs dotted the inside of the backrest, which itself seemed wrapped in some kind of enchanted leather. At the sight of the chair, Mary’s mind immediately conjured images of sacrificial devices from terrifying tales.

Daniel lifted his eyelids, his amber eyes fixed on the hesitant apprentice at the door. “Come here. The Master wants to see you.”

Mary took a deep breath.

She didn’t remember how she moved to the chair, nor how she clumsily strapped herself in as instructed. Her mind was consumed by one thought: the day had finally come—her mentor was going to sacrifice her to that dreadful “Master”…

She knew there was a “Master” behind her mentor. Of course she did. The sudden bursts of knowledge and terrifying plans all came from the Master’s design. The scattered fragments of knowledge had propelled Typhon’s arcane technology forward, and the first step of that dreadful plan had already shifted the power balance among Aldern’s nobility. Beyond that were algebra, solid geometry, calculus, rune logic… knowledge both awe-inspiring and terrifying, revealing the true nature of the Master behind her mentor.

It was said that only unspeakable alien gods bestowed such “knowledge” so generously—and that such gifts always came at a price.

“Sit properly. No matter what you see, open your mind and accept it without resistance—or the only one who suffers will be you.” Daniel pressed firmly on Mary’s trembling shoulder, his tone stern and cold.

Mary thought to herself: I might be that price.

Her mentor continued, “You will arrive in a pure space. There, watch more and speak less. The Master’s followers gather there—each far wiser, stronger, and nobler than you.”

Mary swallowed hard, finally daring to ask something to ease her nerves. “When I meet the Master… what should I say?”

Daniel paused, his amber eyes fixed on her. For a moment, Mary thought she saw a hint of approval in his gaze.

“Say your name first,” the old mage said solemnly, activating the chair’s rune trigger, “then say—Learning brings me joy.”

“Ah…”

Before she could ask why, a sudden dizziness swept her into a swirling, surreal vision.

When she opened her eyes again, she found herself in a vast space under a high blue sky, endless waters stretching out, and numerous strange metal platforms.

Mary realized she was no longer strapped to that bizarre “sacrificial chair,” but seated comfortably in a high-backed chair before a grand, wide round table. Around it sat several unfamiliar figures, and opposite her, a tall, burly man quietly regarded her.

In an instant, Mary understood: this was the “Master” her mentor had spoken of.

Though the round table was egalitarian in design, the man’s presence was unmistakably dominant.

Mary hadn’t expected the Master to look like this. She had imagined a terrifying demon or some indescribable entity. But seeing a human form put her somewhat at ease. Just as she exhaled in relief, Daniel’s figure appeared beside her, taking the seat next to hers.

Daniel shot a sharp glance at the still-dazed apprentice. “Stop spacing out.”

Startled awake, Mary scrambled to her feet, stumbling as she recited the words her mentor had told her to say: “I… I am Mary. No surname. And… and… Learning brings me joy!”

The atmosphere grew slightly awkward, but Mary was too nervous to notice. She saw the eyes around the table fixed on her, including a glowing blue spirit-like being who examined her with interest and buzzed, “This child is quite interesting.”

A woman in a red gown, beautiful and elegant, smiled at her. “You’re a little nervous—relax.”

A lively young lady with large eyes and long brown hair beamed, “Ah, you’re the Mary who solved all sixteen of my equations?! Amazing! I’m Rebecca—did you really solve them all by yourself?”

Mary was momentarily stunned. She suddenly felt that things were unfolding quite differently than she had imagined.

Gawain’s expression was somewhat odd as he looked at the black-haired girl visiting the Origin Space for the first time. He saw her initial nervousness and even fear, which made him both amused and exasperated. “Mary, huh? Relax. Welcome to the Origin Lab.”

“Origin Lab?” Mary blinked, about to ask what that was, but then remembered her mentor had mentioned it when adjusting her chair—right when she was most nervous. So she swallowed her question and nodded quickly. “Okay, okay! I… I’m honored…”

Daniel’s face darkened. “Embarrassing.”

Mary shrank back. “Sorry, mentor.”

“It’s fine. This child is talented enough to make up for her little awkwardness,” Gawain said. “I’m curious how you described this network meeting to her. She looks more nervous than normal.”

“I only told her the Master wanted to see her,” Daniel said stiffly. “The Origin Lab is highly confidential. Before entering the network, I told her almost nothing.”

“…Cautious, but sensible.”

Thinking of Daniel’s real-world demeanor and the psychological pressure he put on his apprentices, Gawain could easily guess what kind of girl Mary was.

Well, their problems were their own to solve.

Gawain shook his head slightly, then set aside the newcomer Mary and began the meeting proper.

“First, I have some materials. Jenny, Kamail, Rebecca, activate your respective print terminals and print these out in the real world.”

As he spoke, Gawain activated the memory conversion function of the Origin Lab. Instantly, a dazzling array of runes and intricate lines projected into the air above the round table, quickly breaking down into a series of clear, detailed schematic diagrams.

“These are the elves’ technical documents. This section shows their cooling rune arrays; here is a diagram of their cooling system using oil-based coolants and an immersion heat exchanger. This one illustrates their anti-gravity formation—though it’s incomplete, it should still be useful as a reference. There’s also their shield projection method and the concept behind stacking multiple layers of runes…”

“Wow!” Rebecca’s eyes widened as she took in the complex rune arrays and the exploded views of the devices. She couldn’t help but exclaim in amazement, “Ancestor, your memory is incredible… You’re even better at stealing secrets than Amber!”

“Heddy, remember to log off when we’re done.”

“Yes, Ancestor.”

(End of chapter)