Chapter 4357: Virtue |
Rean had sent the initial blueprint containing his ideas only a few minutes earlier, so he wasn’t expecting any immediate response. Even if Flugel saw it right away, the Guild Master was usually buried under mountains of work. At the very least, Rean assumed it would take a few days before anyone seriously looked into the concept.
That assumption lasted all of a few minutes.
"Rean!"
A voice suddenly echoed from behind.
Rean turned around and immediately saw Flugel barging into the workshop. The Guild Master looked as though he had traveled at full speed without stopping for a single moment.
"Oh! Guild Master!" Rean greeted him with a smile. "Have you come to take a look at my airplane? It is turning out quite good, right?"
"Airplane?" Flugel glanced at the enormous skeletal structure occupying the center of the workshop. Compared to the version Rean had originally brought months ago, it had already undergone countless modifications. Entire sections had been redesigned, new rune pathways had been added, and several experimental systems were currently being installed. Even someone who knew nothing about arrays could tell that the project had advanced considerably.
Still, Flugel quickly shook his head.
"Forget the airplane! This teleportation blueprint of yours!"
Even then, Rean felt the reaction was a little excessive. "It is just a concept."
Flugel looked as though he wanted to say several things at once. However, before he could begin, he noticed the numerous Array Masters and Blacksmiths working nearby. Although everyone pretended to focus on their tasks, it was obvious they were listening.
"Come with me," Flugel said. "Let’s talk somewhere else."
"Sure." Rean turned to one of the nearby Array Masters. "Dristan, you take over from here. Just keep adding the rune layers according to the latest design."
Dristan nodded immediately. "Very well."
A few minutes later, the two arrived at a private room near the back of the building. The moment the door closed, Flugel turned toward Rean and asked the question that had been bothering him since he saw the blueprint. "Tell me honestly. Does it work?"
Rean shrugged. "Who knows?"
Flugel nearly choked. "What do you mean, who knows?"
"It means exactly what I said," Rean replied. "I haven’t built it yet. I just noticed that my Godly Pressure Array Runes might be able to solve the biggest problem teleportation arrays have always faced. Instead of fighting against Godly Pressure while trying to bend space, the formation could potentially use Godly Pressure itself to force space to bend."
Rean sat down and continued explaining.
"The fundamental issue is that nobody had ever created an array capable of controlling Godly Pressure before. That’s why nobody thought about approaching the problem from that angle. You seem very impressed, but let’s be honest here. My Godly Pressure Array Runes have countless applications. Even if I never thought about teleportation arrays, sooner or later, another Array Master would have realized the same thing."
Flugel fell silent for a moment. Objectively speaking, Rean wasn’t wrong. Once the ability to manipulate Godly Pressure through arrays became available, someone would eventually attempt to apply it to spatial formations. The concept itself wasn’t impossible to imagine.
Still, there was a major difference between eventually discovering something and discovering it now.
"Perhaps," Flugel admitted. "But you already provided a complete theoretical framework and an initial blueprint. Even if someone else eventually reached the same conclusion, you may have saved us decades of research. Besides, none of that changes the fact that you were the one who created the Godly Pressure Controlling Array Runes in the first place."
To Flugel’s surprise, Rean didn’t look remotely excited. "I told you before. I’d rather keep my name hidden. So go ahead and take credit for it if necessary. Better you than me."
Flugel stared at him. Rean genuinely meant it. Most Array Masters spent their entire lives chasing recognition. Some became obsessed with leaving their names in history. Others constantly fought for influence, authority, and prestige. Yet here was someone who actively tried to avoid all of those things.
"If possible," Rean added, "I’d prefer that arrangement lasts forever."
Flugel opened his mouth, only to realize he had no idea what to say. Eventually, he simply sighed. "Fine. First, we need to determine whether the concept actually works."
He quickly shifted into business mode. "I’ll establish a new research team and personally oversee the project. The Disguising Array Project will be transferred to another leader. Compared to this, almost everything else can wait."
Then Flugel suddenly looked at Rean. "But... Maybe I’m not the best choice. Do you perhaps want to lead it?"
"Huh?" Rean blinked. "Not really."
The answer came so quickly that Flugel almost laughed.
"I’m more interested in finishing my airplane. Just make sure the resources keep coming. I have a feeling I might go a little overboard. Pun intended. Hahaha!"
Rean immediately laughed at his own joke.
Flugel’s mouth twitched. He already knew exactly what that meant. The moment additional resources became available, Rean would probably pour all of them into that flying monstrosity he was building. Still, Flugel couldn’t really complain. Considering everything Rean had already contributed to the Guild, there was nobody more deserving.
"Fine," Flugel finally said. "As long as the resources are being used for array development, you’ll have them. Now let’s return to this teleportation concept. We have a lot to go through."
The discussion that followed lasted an entire day and a half. At some point, meals stopped mattering. Sleep stopped mattering as well. The two continuously exchanged theories, calculations, and possibilities while refining the initial concept. As new questions emerged, Flugel contacted several high-level Array Masters through his RC and brought them into the discussion.
Naturally, Rean’s identity remained hidden.
Even so, the excitement among the participants was impossible to miss. If the theory proved correct, it would fundamentally transform transportation throughout the Celestial Plane. Many of the researchers involved were ascenders from different Great Voids.
In their original worlds, long-distance teleportation was often commonplace. Arriving in the Celestial Plane and discovering that such transportation methods were prohibitively expensive had always felt frustrating.
To them, it was as if civilization had advanced in countless areas while somehow remaining behind in one crucial field.
Now, for the first time, they could see a path forward.
The implications were enormous. Trade routes could change. Military deployments could change. Communication between distant regions could improve dramatically. Entire industries could be reshaped. By the time the discussion finally ended, everyone involved looked exhausted, yet not a single person regretted participating.
Eventually, Flugel stood up. "Alright. I think that’s enough for now. I’ll contact you again if any new issues come up."
Rean nodded. "No problem. Although you should try solving those issues yourselves first. It won’t do much good if I’m the only one who understands how these runes work."
Flugel narrowed his eyes. "You created the Godly Pressure Controlling Array. I’ll give you that. But don’t underestimate the rest of us. We know how to build arrays, too." His expression grew somewhat smug as he added, "Perhaps you won’t receive any calls at all."
Rean simply smiled. "That would be great."
Something about that smile immediately irritated Flugel. More specifically, it looked suspiciously like Rean didn’t believe a single word he had just said.
"We’ll show you."
With that declaration, Flugel left.
...
...
...
...He called back the very next day.
The moment Rean accepted the communication request, he saw Flugel’s face on the other side. The embarrassment was obvious. Several seconds passed before Flugel finally cleared his throat. "Ahem..."
Another few seconds passed. Then he reluctantly spoke. "It is also a virtue to admit when you are wrong."
"Hahaha!" Rean burst out laughing. "Yes, Guild Master. It is indeed a great virtue. Go ahead. What was the problem?"
Flugel’s expression darkened even further.
Unfortunately for him, this would only be the beginning. As the teleportation project progressed, there would be many more calls, far more than Flugel would ever willingly admit.