Chapter 309 - 292: The Correct Way to Use Lloyd

Chapter 309: Chapter 292: The Correct Way to Use Lloyd

"Alright... That’s enough for now. I’m going to see the Dean..."

The old professor continued, his voice trembling slightly.

And just before he opened a Teleportation Gate to leave, he made a point to warn the kind researcher from before:

"Don’t let this kid open any more Teleportation Gates!"

With that, the professor gestured in the air, conjuring a Teleportation Gate and vanishing through it.

But he didn’t go to the Dean’s location. Instead, he arrived in a simply furnished office.

The moment his feet touched the ground, he erupted into a violent coughing fit, spewing several mouthfuls of black blood that clung to his goatee.

Then, a web of fine, bloody veins rapidly appeared in the whites of his eyes, turning his once-jaundiced old eyes a shocking, bloodshot red.

Even his skin began to bulge and transform, with blood vessels swelling like parasitic worms, looking as if they might burst at any moment.

He looked to be just one step away from corruption and mutation...

Fortunately, the old professor managed to hold on. He quickly pulled out a vial of potion and GULPED it down, then, as if by Magic, produced a large, thick syringe and plunged it directly into his own chest.

Following these emergency measures, the old professor’s condition gradually stabilized and improved.

He then muttered to himself:

’He actually... got it right... How could he calculate coordinates that are so complex and precise? Ugh... no... Don’t think too much! Don’t Ask Too Much!’

The old professor shook his head forcefully.

’This outcome,’ he thought, ’is something the other researchers, and even I, would find hard to bear.’

’If I hadn’t stopped Lloyd from opening that gate just now, the Space System would have likely seen a bloodbath of epic proportions...’

’This kid... he’s just too brilliant. He seems to have a kind of innate sensitivity to and mastery of Space. He hasn’t even officially started, yet he’s already at a level most people can’t comprehend, perhaps not even beneath my own...’

’But he’s also far too dangerous. If we let him run wild, the other students’ Cognition wouldn’t be able to handle it. That was a close call back there...’

’However, it’s precisely this danger that brings him closer than anyone else to the truth we seek. He’s a sharp blade for finding answers, but if we’re not careful, it could cut others, or even himself...’

’Therefore, he must be carefully nurtured and taught. We have to let the others gradually accept his miraculous abilities, reshaping everyone’s Cognition in a gentle, soothing manner, rather than having it suddenly and violently shattered...’

After muttering to himself for a while, the old professor nodded slowly and continued his thoughts aloud:

’Mmm... such an outstanding and dangerous young talent must, of course, be taught by me personally. I wouldn’t trust him with any other Mentor or professor...’

’Come to think of it, when was the last time I took on a new student? A few hundred years ago? Seven hundred? Or was it eight hundred? Heh, it’s been a long time indeed...’

’Oh well. I’ll go talk to the Dean first. Hopefully, it will be reasonable and let this kid, Lloyd, enroll directly into our Space System... Otherwise, I’ll have to have a serious talk with it about the meaning of reason.’

With that, the old professor once again gestured, opening a Teleportation Gate and disappearing through it.

............

Meanwhile, Lloyd was completely unaware of the old professor’s monologue. He was following the kind researcher through a Teleportation Gate the researcher had opened, arriving at the so-called Knowledge Square.

The square was vast, nearly the same size as the largest one in Radiant City, the Radiant Dawn Square. However, there were very few students around—just a handful of figures, fewer than the surrounding potted plants. It lacked the lively atmosphere of the dueling grounds from earlier and felt exceptionally deserted.

Lloyd glanced around and figured the reason for the emptiness was probably the giant sculpture in the center.

’It’s just too ugly, too bizarre, isn’t it?’

The sculpture looked like a huge, dense pile of books, symbols, and formulas forcibly pieced together into the shape of a human male, posed as if deep in thought with its head bowed.

Its entire face was made of overlapping layers of book pages, looking like it had been sliced up with a knife. Its body was a patchwork of various chaotic symbols, making it exceptionally grotesque. The key part was that its lower body’s male characteristics had also been rendered—as a string of formulas?

’Not only does it look a bit vulgar and sleazy, but it also makes that string of formulas seem incredibly cringey...’

Although Lloyd didn’t recognize the formula, he couldn’t help but pity the people who had to use it in their studies and research. ’I wonder if they’ll be able to see this formula without thinking of this sculpture?’

In short, the sculpture was not only devoid of any aesthetic appeal but also looked exceptionally weird, creepy, and cringey. Even a fashionable young man like Lloyd, who prided himself on his avant-garde artistic taste, couldn’t accept it. ’It seems carbon-based life forms just can’t handle art that’s this far ahead of its time.’

The kind researcher noticed Lloyd frowning at the sculpture and couldn’t help but comment:

"Hm... It seems your aesthetic sense is quite aligned with that of a typical human."

"This thing is so ugly. Why don’t they just tear it down?"

"The Dean won’t allow it."

The kind researcher said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, then pointed to a small, several-story building in the distance.

"That’s the admissions office over there. I’ll take you to get registered first."

"Okay, thank you for your trouble. By the way, I still don’t know what to call you."