The so-called troubles.
First came the invitations from the major forces, banquets, balls, afternoon teas with noble ladies, and so on...
After turning them all down one by one,
Lin Suo realized that Meinehoer, who he had entrusted to sell a batch of medicines, had unilaterally breached the contract, although they did pay a small price.
But it was just nauseating.
The money from selling medicines was no longer of importance to him. With his current wealth, it was all small change.
On the other hand, since establishing a cooperative relationship with the Goblin Technology Research Institute,
there was no need for him to pay for the two Level Seven materials, Memory Alloy and Liquid Metal, anymore.
Three words: Use as needed.
The only caveat was that however much he used, he would have to exchange with the Goblin scholars knowledge of equal value.
In the Empire’s upper echelon squabbles, Goblins never participate.
The most troublesome thing for Lin Suo was the imperial marriage.
Now, Lin Suo had only two choices: accept the Emperor’s arranged marriage and clash head-on with those covetous figures, overcoming capital with talent.
Or, he could hide in the Golden Academy to teach, and based on the deputy headmaster’s attitude last time, he would most likely be protected.
But once he chose this, there would be no chance for him to hold the position in Scholar Forest or lead the research in Magic Rune Study.
Someone from among the Duke Families would certainly step forward to take charge.
If he played it safe here, turned over his current research materials, then there would be no trouble.
Bet it all to turn a sports car into an aircraft carrier, or step back to turn the sports car into an airplane.
Both paths had their benefits.
And both had their drawbacks.
It was difficult to choose, more so than the many decisions he had faced before.
Therefore, after the Earl’s investiture ceremony.
Lin Suo returned to the Golden Academy to contemplate, arguably the most important moment in his life.
He asked himself what his heart truly desired.
He still had a great passion for research, especially when progress stalled, he could cheat with the Power of Synthesis.
Each time he created something new, he was filled with a sense of achievement and fulfillment.
He enjoyed researching, exploring the unknown, and understanding the world.
But being forced to deeply research a prescribed topic, stubbornly sticking to one project, that wasn’t what he wanted.
In his view, learning enough Magic Rune Study to create his own Lifebound Witchcraft was enough to abandon the field.
Ultimately, whether it’s Magic Rune Study, Advanced Language Study, or even all the things he has learned up until now, there was only one purpose.
And that was to become stronger!
Status and identity were only means to acquire resources for getting stronger. This choice now seemed like two diverging paths of destiny.
To become a tightrope-walking researcher, or a climber striving for the pinnacle of with Wizardry...
These two paths were originally not in conflict.
It was human factors that ascribed to them the meaning of conflict.
He didn’t want to be fixated on studying Magic Runes, the mere Magic Runes of the Crow-man had already allowed him to develop Evolution Core Technology, if he went on to study the various Magic Runes from the near-God era.
It would be too much to bear.
His life was plain but warm, ordinary but comfortable, free of conflict and strife. Watching the students’ dramas, he would secretly chuckle.
Drinking tea with friends, having romantic chats with a beauty, imparting feel-good philosophies, enjoying the pleasure of gradually increasing one’s strength.
Lin Suo could live a lifetime .
And he liked this kind of life.
"The good person, even when lost in pursuit, will eventually realize that there is a right path."
Lin Suo didn’t consider himself a good person, but he was certainly not a bad one.
A knock on the door came, and Lin Suo was momentarily perplexed, letting the Magic Hand open the door while he continued to slump on the couch.
The deputy headmaster entered from outside and saw Lin Suo slumped into a heap, giving a knowing smile.
"How are you feeling?"
"You’re here to see me make a fool of myself, aren’t you?"
The deputy headmaster shook his head, sat down opposite Lin Suo, and poured himself a cup of tea without asking.
"Your place isn’t bad, quite unique."
"If you like it, I’ll give it to you."
"Then I won’t be polite."
Is that a human saying?
Seeing Lin Suo choked and unable to speak, the vice-principal changed the topic. He wasn’t actually going to punish him to that extent; he was just used to scolding students and momentarily hadn’t held back.
"Do you have any ideas yet?"
Lin Suo wasn’t surprised by this.
After all, he was a wizard above the Ninth Ring, a top-notch being on the Padolon Continent, and it was clear he knew what Lin Suo had been through these past few days.
He hesitated only briefly before shaking his head.
"I haven’t figured it out yet."
The old man smiled kindly.
"Would you like to hear the opinion of someone who’s been through it all?"
Lin Suo’s eyes lit up.
He nodded his head frantically like pounding garlic, sitting up straight as a sign of respect.
For some reason, every time he had a one-on-one encounter with the vice-principal, he always felt an inexplicable sense of peace and comfort.
Lin Suo suspected he might be under a charm spell, but he had no proof. (Mist)
"When I was young, I was also a Wild Wizard and faced the same problems you’re facing."
Lin Suo realized it didn’t matter what environment the vice-principal had been in as a Wild Wizard given his mysterious age; he just wanted to hear about the experience.
"Every choice we face in life can lead us to a different destiny."
"You seem to have a lot of experience leading to different outcomes?"
The vice-principal nodded, completely unaware of Lin Suo’s malicious intent.
"People turn into isolated islands, wandering through dark forests stalked by monsters.
Travelers gaze at each other from their separate ships, their lights cutting through the fog, illuminating a spear’s length ahead.
And I, who shuttle between the rivers, looking at other silent travelers from afar, am I to destroy or to unite?"
Damn riddle-speakers never meet a good end.
"This is a theory that the Great Sage Merlin put forward when creating the Wise Man’s Stone."
The old man continued speaking, regardless of Lin Suo’s reaction.
"When the World Tree decayed, and all began to wither, every life was in a state of panic, until a new vitality was discovered."
Lin Suo pointed at the sky.
The old man nodded in affirmation.
"It seems you’ve also noticed."
Last time when the old man used the shape of planets to map the world for Lin Suo, Lin Suo was sure of his speculation, an idea he had had for a long time.
But due to the "logic" he had learned from novels, he always assumed that the Wizard World should involve planes or something...
There were also subsidiary spaces, such as the Deep Sleep Realm.
There exist other worlds too, like the Elemental Realm, the Undead Realm, and the Abyss.
This had always made Lin Suo unsure.
However, using the content of novels to determine the logic of reality is beyond absurd, a huge mistake.
The entire Wizard World is a planet!
The stars above... are the universe!
To be honest, he couldn’t imagine what a Cosmic Flow Wizard would look like, but after his last encounter with the culture of the Crow Court, Lin Suo’s perception began to expand towards the heavens.
Star Spirits are born from the universe.
That statue represents the collapsed core of a Star Spirit after death.
Destiny is truly ineffable.
The old man waited for Lin Suo to understand before continuing.
"Back then, faced with the same troubles as you, do you know what I chose?"
"What did you choose?"
Lin Suo asked in cooperation.
The old man looked out the window at the sky, speaking calmly.
"The elites of the Four Great Colleges have all gone to the other side of the Starry Sky. I believe that your future lies in the Star Sea as well, an opportunity offered by the college far greater than what those mediocrities at Blue Castle could provide."
Lin Suo was at a loss for words.
A sense of epic grandeur surged silently in his heart.
With that said, everything made sense.
Padolon was too small; it was impossible for the place to maintain its ancient structure unchanged with so many graduates over the generations.
There wasn’t any mention of a Noah’s Ark plan when the world faced imminent ruin; it was just a bunch of Demon Wizards messing around by using the method of celestial spheres intersecting—a desperate measure to delay the inevitable.
"So that’s how it is; I’ve made up my mind."