Chapter 308 - 291: Right or Wrong?

Chapter 308: Chapter 291: Right or Wrong?

"Alright, enough. I think the Space System is pretty good. I actually like the atmosphere here."

Lloyd said with a sigh of resignation.

The researcher’s face lit up, a grin spreading across it like he’d just found his patron for the next few years. He quickly said:

"That’s more like it! Come on, I’ll show you around."

As he spoke, he raised his hand, preparing to make a few gestures in the air, probably to open a Teleportation Gate to leave.

But the old professor held up a hand, stopping him.

"Let him do it."

The moment he spoke, all the researchers present turned to look, their eyes fixed on Lloyd, anticipating his performance.

As an outstanding young man who never let anyone down, Lloyd had no choice but to take out his brooch and say with a sigh:

"Well... alright... I’ll give it a shot. It might take a while, and I might not succeed..."

As he spoke, he followed the same method he’d used before to calculate spatial coordinates. First, he infused the brooch with Spiritual Power, causing it to radiate outwards like radar. Then, he used his inspiration to probe the ’things’ his Spiritual Power touched.

His previous calculation to enter Mizkatoke had already mapped out the general area, so the region he needed to survey now was drastically smaller. It was like narrowing down the search from a vast, fixed expanse of ocean to a single, small island.

Naturally, this made the process much easier and more efficient.

What Lloyd found a little strange, however, was that he’d heard the other researchers compare the Alternate Space beyond the physical world to a turbulent river. They said its flow and fluctuations were so great that it was difficult to pinpoint specific coordinates.

’But I don’t feel that at all. To me, this Alternate Space just seems vast, but relatively stable, like a calm, waveless sea.’

’Is this difference a result of my Spatial Domination ability? Does it make me see the Alternate Space differently from them?’

Lloyd spent a few seconds pondering this but didn’t dwell on it. He’d have plenty of time to study it later.

So, he asked:

"So... where to?"

"Huh? Already?"

The friendly researcher was taken aback.

The old professor’s eyes widened as well, and an irrepressible look of astonishment surfaced on his aged face.

They knew how incredible Lloyd was from the data, but they had never witnessed his efficiency firsthand.

"How could he be that fast? What makes him so fast?"

"It’s that brooch of his! Yes! It must be the brooch!"

"Don’t get ahead of yourselves! Let’s wait for the final result. His calculation isn’t necessarily accurate!"

The researchers were, as expected, starting to delude themselves again...

The old professor, however, remained relatively calm. He asked in a low voice:

"Can you locate the university’s largest Knowledge Square?"

Upon hearing this, the other researchers breathed a collective sigh of relief. Their agitated mood began to subside.

The old professor was raising the difficulty. This request was many times harder than calculating Mizkatoke’s coordinates from the outside world; it was a challenge on a whole different level.

Calculating a large target area like ’somewhere outside the research institute’ might have been possible.

But pinpointing the spatial coordinates of a specific, fixed location with such detail was incredibly difficult to calculate.

The difficulty in spatial calculation lay not in ’distance,’ but primarily in ’size.’

Calculating for a small, nearby target was many times more complex than calculating for a massive one.

After all, Mizkakotok University was massive and sufficiently conspicuous. The Knowledge Square, by comparison, was minuscule.

Furthermore, the problem had other hidden difficulties—

Due to the unique nature of the research institute, Lloyd would not only need to locate the coordinates of the Knowledge Square but also simultaneously calculate the coordinates of the institute itself. This was like having to find two answers at once, squaring the difficulty.

While everyone present who was qualified to enter the institute could open a Teleportation Gate to the Knowledge Square from here, they weren’t using coordinates they had calculated themselves. Instead, they relied on the fruits of their predecessors’ labor—results paid for with time and, in some cases, lives.

According to the institute’s historical records, it had taken five long years of calculations to determine the spatial coordinates from the institute to the Knowledge Square. The process had even involved several accidents that claimed the lives of three outstanding researchers...

Moreover, opening such a Teleportation Gate required the aid of advanced, specialized equipment—

Don’t be fooled by their hand gestures to ’open the gate’; the critical components were actually a bracelet on their wrist, an accessory at their waist, and a specially made compass over their heart.

Definitely not some complimentary brooch given out at matriculation.

Therefore, given the more granular coordinates, the doubled calculation load, and the lack of proper equipment, the researchers present were not optimistic about Lloyd’s chances of success.

For them, this was a good thing. They wouldn’t have to work so hard to delude themselves anymore.

But Lloyd, apparently unaware of the ’trap’ the old professor had set for him, actually nodded and replied:

"I’ll give it a try..."

With that, he tapped the brooch and began to calculate carefully.

But with that first tap, he immediately realized something was off.

’This space I’m in feels... special? If I only use one set of coordinates, it’ll probably affect the final accuracy and open the Teleportation Gate in the wrong place.’

’But it’s not a big deal. I just need to run the calculation one more time and add the institute’s location. That should solve it.’

So, Lloyd tapped his brooch again, directing the radiating Spiritual Power to probe the area closer to him.

This increased the computational load slightly, enough to make Lloyd wish he had some scratch paper.

But there was nothing at hand...

’Forget it. Mental math it is...’

Lloyd had no choice but to open one hand and trace a few figures on his palm with the fingers of the other.

Seeing this, a series of gasps erupted from the onlookers:

"Is... is he calculating it in his head?"

"Ugh... ah! My head... I... It’s all an act. He’s just putting on a show. Yes... it’s all fake!"

"He’s not human... He’s not human..."

"Don’t panic! We don’t have the result yet! Don’t fall apart now!"

Even the old professor’s pupils contracted, and the corners of his mouth started to twitch.

’I can’t believe it. I raised the difficulty, and this kid is still trying to find the spatial coordinates with simple mental math?’

But the final gate hadn’t opened yet, so he managed to keep his composure.

’It should be impossible. He might open a Teleportation Gate, but there’s no way it leads to the Knowledge Square.’

But just as the old professor began to reassure himself, Lloyd nodded, a confident smile spreading across his face.

"Should be good to go. I’ll open it now."

With that, he tapped the brooch with a more complex frequency, following the results of his calculation.

A spatial fissure opened, and a black wooden door materialized within it.

As was his habit, Lloyd used his inspiration to check the other side. Finding no danger, he prepared to push the door open.

But just then, the old professor stopped him, saying:

"W-Wait a second!"

With that, he reached out with a trembling hand, swiped through the air, and smoothed the Teleportation Gate out of existence.

"Huh? Did I get the calculation wrong?"

Lloyd asked, surprised.

"No... it’s nothing... It’s just... we’re chronically short-staffed here."

The old professor gave a baffling reply, then announced in a loud voice:

"Alright, everyone back to your work. Stop paying attention to him, and don’t get curious about the final result."

The other researchers paused for a moment, then nodded vigorously and tore their gazes away from Lloyd.

Lloyd, however, was completely bewildered.

’So... did I get it right or wrong?’