Chapter 174 - 75. Belief

Chapter 174: 75. BeliefAfter yesterday, Mr. Fisher didn’t continue to research the "Soul Completion Manual," which he found somewhat peculiar. From certain perspectives, his recent situation indeed seemed somewhat dangerous. He began to doubt Caleb Wuz, the author of the "Soul Completion Manual," and the real purpose behind leaving the manual.

If he harbored ill will towards the reader, then what was the purpose? To drain the reader’s Magic Power? To bewitch the reader with those bizarre and peculiar pieces of knowledge?

Mr. Fisher reflected on his recent associations with that bizarre knowledge and suddenly felt that much of it seemed extremely dangerous from a human point of view, but to a seeker of knowledge, expanding on those ideas seems like an utterly ordinary affair.

If one were to follow the path of that bizarre knowledge, Mr. Fisher was unclear what kind of end he would reach.

Mr. Fisher suddenly thought of the eccentric Philone and recalled his strange ideas of using living souls as fuel and energy...

If one were to set aside traditional notions, Philone’s knowledge had brought significant changes to him: wealth, power... even Mr. Fisher’s Magic Power quantity and quality had seen tremendous changes because of it, everything seemed to be developing in a beneficial direction for himself.

But ultimately, Mr. Fisher didn’t continue reading. His attitude towards this knowledge still required scrutiny, so he redirected his focus to the academic conference with Schwali that was to take place on Monday.

In the morning, having dressed in the suit gifted by Renie, Mr. Fisher stood in front of the mirror and examined his reflection. The suit, in terms of style and fashion, was exceedingly fitting for him, as if it had been tailor-made, and it was exceptionally comfortable to wear.

Renie was always a headache to deal with because of her mischief, but once you were apart from her for a while, these omnipresent little things constructed the image of a mischievously smiling Witch even more vividly, making you miss her quite a bit.

Like fine wine, when one wakes from drunkenness, one still cannot help but yearn for that deep flavor, even if it can intoxicate you.

Behind him, Carlo observed the handsome gentleman and then thought of that guy’s usually detestable character, feeling that if Mr. Fisher improved his rotten-to-the-core personality, he would likely become very popular with girls.

No, why am I even considering this?

Carlo petted the cat as he suddenly reflected on such thoughts.

Mr. Fisher tidied up his clothes and instructed Carlo to get to the conference venue early to prepare, otherwise, they would not be able to enter later.

After receiving her affirmation, Mr. Fisher set off with his articles and paper drafts in hand.

An academic event was to start with a ribbon-cutting this morning, followed by the long academic conference.

Mr. Fisher saw Moli standing neatly and quite stiffly in front of the lecture building, with a small bag full of books and notes—clearly prepared for the upcoming academic conference. Previously, Mr. Fisher had asked her to meet him here on Monday, and she obediently stood there, not knowing for how long.

"Moli, good morning."

"Morning, Professor Fisher."

Moli smiled at Mr. Fisher, lifted a lock of black hair that had fallen by her ear, revealing her small and adorable human ears. Her dress swung, giving her a beautiful and peaceful appearance.

Moli quickly walked over to walk shoulder to shoulder with Mr. Fisher, also sneakily glancing at his attire for the day. She thought the clothes suited Mr. Fischer, the teacher, very well. Human clothes looked good, a pity that they turned somewhat strange once soaked in water. Dresses were better; hats or men’s wear just didn’t have the same feel.

"Why are you carrying so many books?"

She felt a bit embarrassed and began to explain,

"Well... I wanted to attend the conference, so I read through your papers and articles from the Schwali Forbidden Magic School beforehand. I’m afraid I might not understand some concepts during the discussion, so I brought some books over. I still find their perspectives somewhat difficult to understand..."

"For those who have practiced Magic, their theories indeed present some understanding barriers, but many of the theories in the Forbidden Magic Scholars faction have been verified. They believe that the power of Magic places a burden on people because, in fact, Mages have a shorter average lifespan compared to ordinary people who do not use Magic."

"They think that Magic Power is a manifestation of the body’s hidden energy. If Magic Power comes from the soul, then the lifespan reduction theory brought by Magic would be empty talk. The connection between the soul and the body is still very vague. Following the theory that Magic Power comes from the soul, each step forward also generates a vast number of problems."

"Therefore, the Forbidden Magic School and many Mages who have made achievements in traditional fields started questioning the foundational premise that Magic Power originates from the soul. In this way, their previous research and accomplishments remain valid."

Moli blinked, seemingly suddenly grasping what the professor’s research entailed. In a sense, the core theories of the human Magic World might be overturned by his research, and the life’s work of many Mages would dissipate like smoke.

When people’s accomplishments are denied, those who have invested in them tend to reflexively contemplate the effort they have put into these accomplishments rather than the correctness of the outcomes, and even scholars are not immune to being bound by this rule.

"Then, Professor Fisher, doesn’t that mean you’ve made enemies with many scholars?"

"Not enemies, necessarily, but of course, there is still some skepticism towards my theories."

Mr. Fisher shook his head and looked at the very puzzled Moli; he smiled and explained as they walked,

"Although a portion of scholars may feel dejected and despondent due to their abandoned efforts, in the end, there are still more who maintain their devotion and pursuit of truth."

"The lifespan of humans is fleeting, but the belief in the pursuit of truth has a long and enduring history. Even if one day my body turns into dry bones, there will always be other lives to continue my work, picking up where I left off, like a baton in a relay, until the last person reaches the finish line of truth."

"I have carried forward the philosophies of many elder scholars, and now I pass on this belief to young scholars like you, hoping that you will also make progress on the path of knowledge, discover new things, and make this world a better place."

Listening to Mr. Fisher’s words, Moli’s eyes twinkled slightly, she pursed her lips, and for some reason, her face also seemed to blush.

She clenched the hand holding her small bag a bit tighter, and after struggling for a second or two, she suddenly spoke,

"I... I will work hard!"

Facing her very serious gaze, Mr. Fisher was slightly taken aback.

He had forgotten she was an Ocean Demi-human when making those remarks just now. He had simply been expressing some of his inner thoughts without expecting her to take them seriously, but now that Moli spoke in such a manner, Mr. Fisher was more willing to believe that she was sincere.

In fact, when it came right down to it, even though there were many disappointing things in the human world as it was, particularly Nali... Still, there were many people and things here that Mr. Fisher loved. Perhaps the situation was bleak now, but with these beacons of light leading the way, Mr. Fisher always believed that the future would become better.

To ensure the hope for the future had a chance to endure, Mr. Fisher, holding the Demi-human Girls Completion Manual, embarked on a journey to find the Doomsday individuals.

"That’s the spirit, then keep up the good work."

He finished his reverie, smiled faintly at the girl next to him, and said so.

Moli’s cheeks flushed slightly at this moment, as if something had touched her, causing her heart to race. She quickly hugged the small bag she was carrying in front of her, attempting to suppress her accelerating heartbeat, but alas, the small bag only served to shield her face.

Their pace was swift, quickly reaching the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Moli waited below while Mr. Fisher went up to take a photo with the Schwali scholars and the Prince. Below, Nali’s journalists had set up their heavy cameras and were aiming them at Mr. Fisher and the others up above.

After a few simple speeches and photo opportunities, Ken led them to the meeting building at the back.

The meeting building had five floors and was originally intended for meetings and receptions. There was a huge banquet hall on the first floor, perfectly suited for the main venue of this academic conference.

As Mr. Fisher was following Ken to the meeting building, he noticed with a keen eye four individuals wearing black robes carrying a small box wrapped in black veils. Those in black robes were clearly from the Kado Church, it had been said that Schwali had made a trip to the Holy Church of Kado to dispute with them, which likely involved the item they were carrying.

Mr. Fisher wanted to take a closer look, but his view was blocked by a Schwali scholar. Turning toward him, Mr. Fisher saw him stroking his mustache and smiling at Mr. Fisher,

"Mr. Fisher, are you lacking confidence in yourself, afraid you’ll be rendered speechless by our argument?"

Mr. Fisher was speechless. Just because he glanced once at the "reinforcements" you’ve invited over, it means he’s not confident? Those unaware would think you’ve hidden some ultimate trump card...

Looking at the Schwali scholar who walked on proudly, twirling his mustache, Mr. Fisher deliberately slowed his pace a bit. He waited for his student Moli, who had looked back at him like a little animal trailing behind a large group of people, and he couldn’t help feeling somewhat sorry for her, especially since it was he who had invited her to come.

"Mr. Fisher, please walk this way. The conference room upstairs is prepared for everyone... And this is..."

The school staff glanced at Moli, who was following behind, and just as they were about to ask, Mr. Fisher interrupted them with a casting gesture,

"This is my student; she will accompany me throughout the conference."

"Yes... yes!"

Moli’s consensual expression made the staff member smile, then he nodded, opened the big door, and indicated a direction for them. As Mr. Fisher gazed towards the room in the distance, he suddenly spotted a paper airplane trembling while circling above the ceiling.

This was Carlo’s signal that he was "all set"; he was in position, ready to ensure the safety of these people at any moment.

As Mr. Fisher had mentioned earlier, if Carlo wanted to stay alive, he had to make sure that none of the Schwali officials entering the building would die, and he had clearly recognized this.

After waiting a while, the building was quickly placed under strict lockdown; numerous soldiers patrolled outside, and Magic Detectors were borrowed to ensure no Magic had adhered to the building. Only then did they begin to slowly breathe a sigh of relief, as they established a protective Magic on the outside, similar to one used by Mr. Fisher, which would detect anyone entering or leaving.

But unbeknownst to them, a dim and black light slowly began to creep up from beneath the ground inside the walls of the building. This light wriggled like maggots along the walls, soon isolating the interior and exterior spaces completely.

"Humm..."

The academic conference had begun.