Wizard: Unlimited Profession Slots Chapter 1190 - 486: Cognitive Virus (2)

Ron observed quietly for a moment, then knocked on the door.

Cedric then looked up, his face breaking into a wide smile as he saw the visitor through his glasses:

"Ah! You’re Lecturer Ron Ralph, right?"

He quickly put down the dissection knife and began to carefully remove those silver needles from his arm:

"The technical genius that Cassandra Tower Master mentioned multiple times? Please, come in, come in!"

Those wounds gradually healed under the influence of some kind of healing magic, as if they never existed.

"Sorry to have you see this... rather unseemly scene."

Cedric explained while tidying up the experimental table:

"I am conducting a precise calibration experiment on pain thresholds.

This is extremely important for designing virtual sensory experiences. Any slight deviation could lead to the failure of the entire project, so using myself as an experiment is the best choice."

"Pain thresholds?"

Ron walked into the laboratory.

"Yes!"

Cedric nodded in confirmation:

"You know, traditional virtual reality technology can only simulate sight and sound, but what truly captivates is the tactile experience."

He raised his arms, proudly displaying those silver threads:

"Especially the precise simulation of pain and pleasure. I have implanted different types of pain receptors in my left arm, and pleasure conductors in my right arm."

"Through them, I can experience a sensory world unimaginable to ordinary people, and turn those experiences into reproducible data patterns."

Ron, too, assumed the objective attitude a researcher should have: "Then, what is your ultimate goal in doing this?"

"To create the perfect virtual experience!"

Cedric excitedly walked to a massive projection wall, which displayed densely packed sensory data charts:

"This is the concept you proposed, making the hostile forces to our civilization completely addicted to the false paradise we created, like addicts consuming dream-inducing potions."

"Speaking of which, I must express my deepest gratitude to you."

Cedric suddenly turned:

"It was your genius thinking that pointed us in the right direction—the concept of ’peaceful evolution’ and the technical improvements to the chaos simulation device."

He clasped his hands, his voice trembling:

"Before you proposed these concepts, my research seemed like groping in the fog.

Although it was possible to create perfect sensory experiences, there was a lack of clear strategic goals."

"But now, everything is clear as day.

We are not creating entertainment tools; we are forging the ultimate weapon that changes the course of civilization!"

Ron carefully observed this young scholar before him.

The words from the other party seemed not just mere flattery.

Cedric genuinely regarded him as a research partner, a kindred spirit who could understand his grand ideals.

But... to be honest, someone who practiced live dissection on himself still made him approach with caution.

"May I ask, how did you become interested in this field?"

Upon hearing this question, Cedric’s expression subtly changed.

"It’s somewhat... complicated.

I was fortunate to be a student of the Great Wizard Vinard, the most valuable ten years of my life."

When mentioning Vinard, Cedric’s tone was filled with genuine respect.

"The master was a true genius, his achievements in alchemical constructs were unparalleled in his time.

Whether it was space folding technology or the theory of element aggregation, they far surpassed other scholars of the same era."

Cedric walked to the experimental table, gently stroking those sophisticated instruments:

"My initial research direction also followed in his footsteps:

Trying to create virtual environments indistinguishable from reality, pursuing absolute technical perfection."

"However..."

His voice suddenly lowered, and his gaze behind the lenses became somewhat dark:

"I disappointed the master, not due to lack of ability, but because... of a fundamental ideological divergence."

Cedric stopped his actions:

"The master believed that the highest realm of virtual reality technology was ’infinitely close to the real.’

That is, to create a simulated environment perfectly identical to the real world, leaving users unable to discern truth from falsehood."

"And I..."

His eyes reignited with a fervent glow:

"I believe it should be ’beyond the real’—to create a world more perfect and beautiful than reality, so that users fundamentally do not wish to return to the real world."

This ideological difference sounded subtle, but Ron understood the profound meaning contained within.

The former is the pursuit of technical perfectionism, while the latter is the dream of an idealist.

Cedric walked to another corner of the laboratory, where a wall displayed various old photos and mementos.

"The formation of this ideology is inseparable from my experiences."

He gently caressed a yellowing family photo, his voice becoming softer:

"My parents were the lowest level magic power workers, laboring daily in dangerous alchemy factories for meager pay."

The family of three in the photo smiled brightly, but Ron could see the poverty hidden beneath their plain clothes.

"My family worked desperately in those hazardous factories to support my expenses during my apprenticeship."

Cedric’s voice became calm, but that calmness was more heartbreaking than any excitement:

"In the end... they didn’t live to see me become an official wizard, nor witness the beautiful new life I promised them."

He gently shook his head:

"Reality is too harsh, too painful, and the lives of ordinary people are filled with unchangeable suffering."