Sorcerer: I want to be an Academic Prodigy

Chapter 473: Chapter 472: Step by Step
 

A new day.

Underneath the Traction Lighthouse in the exploration zone of Sky Flow Valley.

Ivan had specially convened a mobilization meeting, which could also be described as an oath-taking ceremony.

The number of participants for this task, including himself, totaled twenty-one, all of whom were present without a single absence.

He stood in the front and looked out, seeing nothing but Level 3 Sorcerers—spanning young, middle-aged, and old generations, including Hotis, the ever-diligent Arcane Wizard.

“None of us are strangers here, so I’ll skip the idle chit-chat. There’s only one purpose for us gathering together—teleportation array.”

“In truth, I do not have such lofty ambitions. The research this time revolves around a minor offshoot of the teleportation array—the Town Recall Scroll.”

“——”

Sorcerers pride themselves on efficiency, and Ivan got straight to the point, briefly outlining his ideas about the ‘Town Recall Scroll.’

The sorcerers standing opposite listened intently to every word, their thoughts fluctuating and varied: some breathed a silent sigh of relief, others pondered deeply, and still others were filled with an eagerness to begin immediately.

“Share your thoughts or concerns—speak freely.”

After Ivan gave his opening address, he signaled them to express their opinions.

“Sorcerer Ivan, by bringing us together here, does that mean the Town Recall Scroll is related to the Traction Lighthouse?”

“Scholar Ivan, is the primary application of the Town Recall Scroll for the battlefield?”

“Scholar Ivan, is the spatial path fixed or changeable, and does it need to be newly generated each time? If it’s fixed, that’s manageable, but it won’t be easy if a new one needs to be generated each time—it’s prone to issues and cannot be popularized among those who don’t command space energy.”

Sorcerers are known for their creative thinking and are eager to voice their opinions, so many spoke up, mostly with questions revealing their various worries.

Ivan simply and succinctly answered, with a clear and decisive attitude.

Seeing how straightforward his replies were, the sorcerers understood that this Scholar had considered everything thoroughly. Everything was ready to go, merely waiting for his command to ‘begin’.

“Sorcerer Ivan, please start assigning tasks. We shall follow your arrangements without any ambiguity.”

The prospects of the task were significant, and it was closely related to the teleportation array. With such a strategic leader at the helm, everyone became even more enthusiastic.

Some urged him with good intentions to issue orders, their fighting spirit evident.

Ivan nodded slightly and proceeded without delay to the next steps of arrangement.

“I know you all have many ideas, and that’s fine. We can reserve them for detailed discussion later. The Town Recall Scroll can’t be completed in a day. During the unfolding of the task, we will have plenty of time and opportunities to exchange views, which I am very pleased to do with each of you.”

“Next, let’s form groups. First is the logistics trio—Tanaya, Mara, and Sorcerer Morris—responsible for providing some rare technical knowledge, as well as sourcing and arranging materials—”

“Then there’s the beacon group, tentatively eight people, who need to take the Traction Lighthouse as a model and experiment to develop a more complex special tower, acting as the foundation for returning to town. This group includes Nelson—”

“The Pathways group of four, involving explorations of the diversity of spatial paths with the runes sorcery array—”

“Finally, the Command Scroll group—four people. I need something akin to a Light Order, to act as the lever for returning to town. It should also have temporary protective capabilities, so even those who do not study space energy can perform a town return—”

“Keep in mind, these groups are not completely independent but interconnected; the focus differs. You will soon understand this.”

“So, any objections to the grouping?”

After he casually formed the groups and briefly described their responsibilities, he paused to observe the reactions. The sorcerers began to discuss silently among themselves.

“Sorcerer Ivan, I, Hotis Tassen, wish to join the logistics group. I’m welcome, right?” Hotis stepped forward to say.

“Of course,” replied Ivan calmly.

His words drew most people’s attention. An Arcane Wizard not only standing by to assist but also explicitly expressing his willingness to help highlighted the importance placed on the task by higher-ups.

What other objections could others have? They thought, let’s quickly set up more specific tasks and start working together.

Seeing no differing opinions, Ivan didn’t ramble on and announced the beginning of the first phase of research. He then proceeded to assign specific tasks for the coming days to each group.

No project of such magnitude could be accomplished overnight—it requires a methodical, step-by-step process.

Ivan was well aware of this; the first phase was just the basic simplified version. The tasks set forth weren’t very difficult, the requirements comparatively loose, and he would involve himself in each group’s tasks, personally overseeing every detail.

The current groupings were provisional; adjustments would be made based on each person’s capabilities and actual performance as the research progressed.

“Sorcerers, begin your task.”

“At your command, Scholar Ivan.”

Sorcerers are known for their decisive actions. As soon as the mobilization meeting concluded, they promptly began their respective activities.

In the days that followed, Ivan led the team through a bustle of fervent activity.

In Sky Flow Valley, rumors persisted unabated.

The opinions of various sorcerers were mixed, some holding high hopes for their research, while others firmly believed they were engaging in deception, and there were even those who harbored secret resentment, eagerly wishing for their failure, especially certain sorcerers who were denied a place on the list.

In a certain lounge, the ‘Four Musketeers’ had gathered once again, but one was missing—Morris had been too busy to join the other three.

“Gloria, what have you been busy with lately? Surely you aren’t really hiding in your laboratory brewing wine, like Greni suggests?” Tuya casually inquired.

“That’s right, but I’m still in the learning phase. It will be some time before I really start brewing,” Gloria answered truthfully.

“With everything that’s happening now, haven’t you heard? They’re all researching teleportation arrays over there, and you don’t have any other thoughts?”

“Morris’s involvement is enough.”

Seeing her nonchalant demeanor, Tuya grew increasingly irritable. Just as he was about to speak harshly, he was stopped by Greni, who was beside him.

“Gloria, has Morris told you anything? Are they really delving into teleportation arrays?” Greni asked softly.

“Probably. Morris said that this time they will definitely succeed,” Gloria said.

“That’s absolutely impossible! Unless they’re not really studying a teleportation array but are using it as a front for something else,” Tuya couldn’t help but retort.

“I wouldn’t know about that. Morris and the others signed a non-disclosure agreement; they can’t reveal specifics to anyone outside of the project. Even if you asked him, he wouldn’t tell you, let alone expecting me to do so,” Gloria continued, bluntly poking holes in his intention.

Tuya’s face darkened slightly, but someone secretly tugged at him, and Greni gave him a gentle shake of the head.

By this time, an independent area had been delineated within the exploratory zone, including the guiding lighthouse, which was handed over to those people to conduct their research. This indicated that the project had touched either one or two arcane wizards in Sky Flow Valley.

Master Hotis had openly made a stand in their support.

Under such circumstances, even if others had grievances in their hearts, they dared not speak or act recklessly.

In fact, in recent days, Tuya had sought out more than one sorcerer privately, trying to stir up some trouble, but everyone was sensible enough not to speak controversially, let alone band together to do anything.

This made him look like a clown jumping up and down.

Thinking of this, Tuya’s face grew even darker as he stood up and walked out in a huff.

“Why go through all this trouble?”

“Sometimes it’s difficult to understand the minds of men. I’ll try to persuade him more, hoping he will take advice and leave Sky Flow Valley. Staying here does him no good.”

After speaking with Gloria for a few more moments, Greni also left the lounge.

Gloria shook her head slightly; she could see clearly that Sorcerer Ivan didn’t give a damn about Tuya at all. Tuya’s scurrying back and forth was utterly pointless and made him seem both ridiculous and pitiable.

Time slipped away unnoticed.

With so many Level 3 elite sorcerers gathered together, the energy they emitted was imaginable. The first version of the ‘Town Recall Scroll’ rapidly emerged under their hands, each day drawing closer to completion.

At that moment, Korram brought back Locke, along with the Silkworm Queen, who was nearly inseparable from Locke.

“Tsk tsk, you do look quite alike indeed, anyone unaware would surely think you’re biological brothers.”

“Boss, who is this silly-looking guy? Is he a new underling you’ve taken on here?”

In the second layer of the Round Tower, Morris happened to be present, and they all started to critique the newly arrived Locke, which immediately painted his face with displeasure.

“You’re also pretty good at talking back directly, which makes you quite similar to me.”

Morris wasn’t bothered by Locke’s ribbing in the slightest.

His mind was filled with novel comparisons about the Secret Technique of One Body Multiple Manifestations, as he knew the man before him was one of Ivan’s manifestations and the first he had seen crafted from the Secret Technique.

Locke was somewhat helpless at this.

“Boss, you’ve gone to great lengths to bring us here, there must be something important for us to do, right?” Locke, uninterested in further conversation, eagerly inquired of Ivan.

Even though the Silkworm Queen was lazy by nature, she, too, was filled with the desire to exert herself for Ivan.

“Yes, I’ve been exploring something akin to a teleportation array recently and need someone to assist me in getting more deeply involved—” Ivan admitted right away without concealing anything, and shared an outline of the situation.

“Uh—doesn’t that just mean being a test subject?” Locke wasn’t stupid; he caught the main point immediately.

“Nonsense, this is a great exploration; there are no test subjects, only like-minded individuals who bravely step forward.” Ivan chided pretentiously, then added.

After hearing his words, both Locke and the Silkworm Queen rolled their eyes.

No matter what was said, the fact couldn’t be concealed that he wanted them to walk through the space channels and feel the changes more intimately.

If that wasn’t being a test subject, what was?

However, the two of them weren’t particularly worried, as their own sorcerer surely had proper arrangements in place, never allowing them to be torn apart by the Power of Space.