Chapter 178: Potential
Ace’s consciousness sank into the mental imprint link network, shaped like two clasped conical hats. Information flowed through the network at breakneck speed, constantly exchanged between nodes.
“This network is somewhat similar to the neural networks of my past life. Only, each neuron is replaced by an individual with independent intelligence. Even if such a network cannot promote my life leap, it possesses immensely powerful potential!”
“If all apprentices advance to Advanced Wizard Apprentices, a network composed of hundreds of people analyzing, dismantling, optimizing, and reverse-engineering runes and Spell Models, and analyzing unknown runes, coupled with the Spirit of the Book’s rule-based deduction and ability to comprehend the unknown—the massive computational power of the entire network has enormous room for application!”
Ace did not rush to begin the third stage. He carefully sensed the computational power of the Wizards’ mental network, his spirit body’s eyes practically gleaming!
This was less than a hundred people. If, in twenty years, the entire territory cultivated thousands or even tens of thousands of Lesser Wizard Apprentices or higher, linking them into a unified surface consciousness mental network… What kind of scene would that be, combining such terrifying computational power, creativity, and excellent communication effects in a brainstorming session?
How many powerful runes would they improve, dismantle, optimize, and reverse-engineer? How many powerful Spell Models would they combine? They could even be used to deduce Heroic martial arts, creating even more powerful martial arts, and so on. The potential was almost unimaginable.
Ace thought of a saying from his past life. This powerful mental network, this psychic network, perfectly echoed the saying: The stage is as big as the heart.
He sensed it with intoxication, imagining that such a highly potential mental network must be controlled by him!
Perhaps he needed to sign a new covenant and create a core Magic Item to completely appropriate the mental network for himself!
Ace thought for a long time. Finally, urged by the mirror image, he began the third stage of the experiment.
Under Ace’s command, all apprentices began to meditate within the network using their optimal meditation methods. Ace himself also immersed in meditation, with the mirror image responsible for recording the experimental process.
In the mirror image’s observation, as the Wizard Apprentices at each soul node began to meditate, the mental vibration frequencies tended to align, and the information flow decreased significantly. As the “Root Consciousness,” the host body Ace spread his unique mental frequency and information flow.
This unique mental frequency and information flow spread rapidly through the mental network to every node. The entire network began to unify, and the meditation effect of several nodes was greatly enhanced.
Every node was siphoning Mana, strengthening their own souls, and nourishing their bodies along the chains connecting soul and body.
There was always some overflowing Mana, flowing along the mental network, quickly spreading throughout the entire network. Within the clasped double-conical-hat-shaped mental network space, a unique Mana environment formed.
This Mana carried partial imprints of the Wizards. It flowed and washed repeatedly within the network, absorbing the unique information flow emitted by Ace. Ultimately, it formed a unique Mana characterized by the collective of Wizards present, dominated by Ace’s information flow and supplemented by the information flow of other Wizards.
“This unique Mana might be called Collective Mana. With its existence, the mental network seems more complete and mysterious, seemingly communicating with nature and the environment with every breath.
This state greatly promoted the activity of the entire network, thereby driving the mental activity of each network node. This should be the opportunity for the host body’s promotion.
It’s just that this activity seems insufficiently intense and refined. The host body’s mental power degree only loosened slightly, not reaching the level of a breakthrough!”
After a long while, the unique environment created by this Collective Mana began to slowly fade. The meditation of the Wizard Apprentices also ended. Everyone had gained significantly. Their meditation effect was basically several times stronger than usual. The high-frequency, barrier-free mental communication gave them many inspirations.
Only Ace’s mental power degree hadn’t moved at all, making him the only person who didn’t gain directly from this experiment.
The crowd returned from the dream-like state of the mental network to reality. Sitting on the rugs, they discussed their feelings in whispers.
“Betty, Betty. Did you feel a bit… that way when linking with others?” Donna asked, blushing. She had just successfully linked with Ancestar.
“Huh?” Betty tossed her golden twin tails, looking at Donna in confusion. During the communication just now, she had been constantly thinking about how to manufacture the new Apprentice Model 1. The other apprentices communicating with her were led by her rhythm, contributing computational power and ideas to her.
Betty felt very satisfied. She wished the communication could be even more barrier-free. How could she possibly think of the things Donna was worried and shy about?
Warren was very excited. The apprentices around him seemed somewhat exhausted and nauseous. In the network, they were chased by Warren’s barrage of questions. Unlike Daina, they hadn’t discovered the secret of controlling information flow with the mental imprint. passively chased by Warren’s questions and forced to think, they almost collapsed.
Caruso closed his eyes to rest. Within the network, he frantically imagined and practiced combat scenarios. As a former gladiator, combat was the only thing he cared about.
But he was also very attentive to learning mathematics because it was a prerequisite for using spells, and spells were the source of power. With power, he could win battles.
In the link, he communicated extremely effectively with others on how to fight. In almost an instant, they exchanged a lot of experience and insight, making him feel as if he had experienced those combat scenarios himself, greatly enriching his experience.
While everyone discussed or reflected, Ace, who had been frowning in summary, finally finished the experimental record in the Magic Diary page of his Grimoire.
He stood up. Abundant Mana overflowed, billowing his black scholar’s robe. He said to the apprentices:
“Our link this time was much more successful than the last. We have relatively completely finished the three stages of the experiment. I thank all apprentices for your cooperation.”
Hearing this, the apprentices quickly stood up, thanking the Torch-Bearer for leading them to link into a mental network and experience unprecedented collective thinking computation and collective meditation.
Ace smiled at everyone. This was the subtle influence of the network. As the strongest node and the “Root Consciousness” of the entire network, many of Ace’s views and behaviors unconsciously influenced them, making them follow spontaneously.
For example, the subconscious emphasis on etiquette from the Peter School would be unknowingly rooted in the hearts of the Wizard Apprentices present.
Ace bowed in return, then said: “Now, we need to conduct the experiment with changed prerequisite conditions. Please adjust your state. I am preparing to hypnotize everyone. Please do not resist.”
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