Chapter 165 - Coincidence and Stiffness
Chapter 165 of "Exploring Technology in a Wizard World" unveils: After a while, Richard walked onto the deck.In the night, the deck was engulfed in... Continue the story!
After a while, Richard walked onto the deck.In the night, the deck was engulfed in darkness, crowded with many people, yet no Wizard was to be seen. Everyone was whispering, clearly puzzled.
âWhereâs the Master Wizard?â
âYeah, where is the Master Wizard?â
âDidnât the Master Wizard ask us to come up to the deck?â
âItâs not another sudden disappearance like last time, is it?â
âBut what is this all about, really? Shouldnât it be explained first?â
âExactlyâŠâ
Listening to the crowd, Richard also felt puzzled. Just then, a voice reverberated across the entire deck.
One couldnât see the person speaking, but could clearly hear the voiceâit was the voice of Wizard Dempsey.
âThis is Dempsey. Iâm informing you now that tonight, we will conduct the second test. Yes, the second test, but donât be nervous; itâs an informal test. As long as you are careful, you will not be eliminated. On the contrary, thereâs a considerable gain to be had. Now, look up.â
Hearing these words, everyone tilted their heads upwards.
âWatch carefully,â Dempseyâs voice instructed.
Suddenly, in the midnight sky, about ten meters above the deck of the giant vessel, a half-meter diameter golden orb appeared, resembling the sun.
With a âbang,â the âsunâ exploded into countless points of light, scattering down from the skies like a starry descent, or akin to an assembly of fireflies, enveloping the entire huge ship.
âHow beautiful!â a student couldnât help but exclaim. Amidst the admiration, a black shadow, as if drawn by the spectacle, suddenly plunged into the region showered with light points.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a bird the size of a seagull covered in dazzling, colorful feathers, swiftly flying through the area bathed in light points, greedily consuming them like one famished.
One appeared, then a second, a third, a fourth⊠Eventually, dozens, then hundreds of identical birds emerged, continually flitting about the area covered by the light, consuming the light points endlessly.
The crowdâs surprise turned into astonishment, then from astonishment into caution.
They realized that despite the birdsâ beautiful appearance, their attack power was not weak. Several birds, in their frenzy to consume the light points, crashed into sails, their sharp beaks piercing large holes through the sturdy canvas. If one were to collide with a person, even if it didnât pierce through, it would still leave a bloody wound, hence the need for vigilance.
At that moment, Dempseyâs voice resonated once again.
âThe birds you are seeing now are called âGriffin Seven-colored Birds,â and they are considered the most basic form of demonized creatures. They are nocturnal, attracted to light; itâs quite common for a night-sailing ship with lights on to attract one or two. But as you can see, creating such an extensive display of light can draw hundreds.â
âOf course, itâs not guaranteed to be successful every time. This time we were simply fortunate to have encountered a flock of âGriffin Seven-colored Birdsâ nearby, which is why so many were attracted.â
âThis is rather fortuitous for you.
You should know that these âGriffin Seven-colored Birdsâ are considered quite valuable creatures. Their feathers can be used as casting materials for many spells, their flesh can be utilized to make potions, and their bones and innards, when ground to powder, can feed certain animals and plants with special dietary needs.â
The most valuable part of them is their feathers, which are purchased at a high price in the White Stone Tower.
This time, the reason itâs called an unofficial test is precisely because of their existence.
âIâve created the conditions for you. You can try to capture them and obtain their materials. Once youâre at the White Stone Tower, you can sell them to those in need and receive a certain reward to help improve your lives.
Of course, the âGriffin Seven-colored Birdsâ are aggressive, but compared to the pirates youâve encountered before, theyâre much safer. So, as long as youâre careful when you strike, capturing one could benefit you greatly. All right, thatâs all I have to say. You can go ahead.â
As soon as Dempsey finished speaking, almost everyoneâs eyes were fervently fixed on the so-called âGriffin Seven-colored Bird.â Not everyone found satisfactory items when searching the pirate ship, but now, looking at the âGriffin Seven-colored Bird,â they finally felt there was a way to compensate.
According to Dempsey, catching a single bird could be incredibly beneficial, so wouldnât capturing several mean a fortune?
In the next moment, no one knew who took the lead first, but everyone began to attack, and the deck suddenly bustled with activity.
In the crowd, Richard narrowed his eyes at the so-called âGriffin Seven-colored Bird,â pondering, and couldnât help but speculate in his heart:
Could these âGriffin Seven-colored Birdsâ be the ingredient listed on the parchmentââRainbow Birdâ?
Itâs possible, very possible.
Considering that One-eyed had little contact with the Wizard World, the name âRainbow Birdâ could very well be a term he coined himself. The more commonly used name could indeed be the âGriffin Seven-colored Birdâ as Dempsey had mentioned. Dempsey had also said that the blood and flesh of these birds could be used to make potions, which corresponded perfectly.
But isnât this too coincidental?
Although according to probability theory, itâs entirely reasonable that one would be informed to participate in an unofficial test, which involves killing the attracted âGriffin Seven-colored Birds,â right after discovering the lack of âGriffin Seven-colored Birdâ blood, which is a necessary ingredient for potions.
After all, Griffin Seven-colored Birds are nocturnal creatures easily attracted by light, which is probably how One-eyed previously obtained the âGriffin Seven-colored Birdâsâ blood to make potions.
It all can be logically explained.
But then again, even things that can be explained by logic sometimes still donât seem quite right.
For instance, if a coin is flipped and it lands on heads nine times in a row, the chance of it being heads on the tenth flip would be one in two. But if the tenth flip really results in heads, it still feels unscientific to some, even though, from a probability standpoint, itâs perfectly scientific.
If the number of coin flips increased to nineteen, twenty-nine, ninety-nine, or nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine, and under the premise that it continuously landed on heads, the strangeness becomes even more apparent if the next flip is still heads.
In some ways, such phenomena could be considered coincidental or even dramatic.
Itâs like the deliberate plot settings in novels, or the âjust happenedâ stories often retold in modern Earth life.
The current situation is completely explainable by logic, probability, and science, but Richard always felt something was slightly off, a bit⊠contrived.
However, Richard didnât continue to dwell on it, since the timing was not yet ripe, or to put it another way, he didnât want to risk delving too deeply into an unknown field without having reached a certain level, to prevent getting stuck.
One step at a time was the best approach.
âFirst, letâs confirm whether the âGriffin Seven-colored Birdsâ flitting through the night sky are indeed the same as the âRainbow Birdâ on the parchment. If not, then I really might be overthinking it,â Richard mused to himself.
Looking up at the âGriffin Seven-colored Birdsâ in midair, considering how to make his move, he suddenly heard a voice from behind, âHey, want to borrow my sword?â
âHmm?â