Chapter 225: The Test (4)

Louis observed William standing blankly before the Iron Door.

“Ugh! You infuriating bastard! Is your head just for decoration?” He pounded his chest repeatedly. “I’ll burst if I don’t do this!” The frustration threatened to consume him. “Why don’t you get it? It’s just that!”

How could a Master-class expert like him be struggling over such a trivial problem?

”…Did that bastard win his Master position through gambling?”

It was a reasonable suspicion for Louis. Of course, William wasn’t lacking in ability. The issue stemmed from Louis’s own exceptionally high standards for what constituted a Master.

As Louis glared at William with contempt, the latter began retracing his steps.

I need more data. There’s no answer here.

Louis glared at William’s retreating back as he disappeared around the corridor’s bend.

Returning to his laboratory under Louis’s withering gaze, William continued grappling with the problem. Time slipped by unnoticed until dawn’s first light painted the sky. The room bore clear evidence of his all-night vigil - scraps of paper littered the desk, chair, and floor, each scrawled with cryptic numbers. Behind him, the blackboard overflowed with indecipherable equations.

“Ha…” William groaned, rubbing his gritty eyes. His face radiated pure frustration.

Damn it!

He’d painstakingly pinpointed the legacy’s location, yet now found himself stymied by a single equation. The realization of his own incompetence hung heavy in the air.

It was none other than himself, a Master.

I really can’t figure this out…

He racked his brain, trying to solve the problem by reciting it over and over, and frantically searched for any relevant data to help him crack it.

But not only did he fail to find an answer, he couldn’t even uncover a single clue.

Well, I guess this isn’t my field of expertise.

Even for a Master, there was naturally a difference between one’s primary research area and other fields.

William’s main area of focus was High-Intensity Circuitry.

The Iron Door’s problem fell under the domain of Mind Conversion Material research.

Grr, if this were a problem in my specialty, I wouldn’t be struggling like this.

He tried to console himself with that thought.

And he continued to ponder.

Should he keep obsessing over this problem and continue researching it?

Or should he swallow his pride and seek help?

After a brief internal struggle, William decided to ask for assistance.

Better to pursue practical solutions than waste time on these trivial problems!

With Victor’s legacy right under his nose, he couldn’t afford to twiddle his thumbs.

Fortunately, among the Masters at the academy was an expert who had spent his entire life researching Mind Conversion Material.

He would surely be able to solve this issue.

Having made up his mind, William quickly left his laboratory.

His destination was not far from his own research space.

Though it was early, given his colleague’s tendency to be perpetually holed up in his lab, William was certain he’d find him there.

As expected, no sooner had William knocked than he heard a voice.

Knock, knock.

“Who is it?”

“Reporting in, Harold.”

”…William? Come in.”

Upon receiving permission from the room’s owner, William opened the door and entered.

As he did, his eyes fell upon a room as disheveled as his own.

Harold, seated at his desk, adjusted his glasses and looked up at William.

Seeing William’s haggard appearance, Harold snorted and asked, “Did you stay up all night?”

“Yes, and it seems you did too, Harold.”

“I had some overdue research to catch up on. But what brings you here at this hour?”

“I need your help.”

“Help? You? From me?” Harold’s face showed genuine confusion.

Though both were Masters, the exchange between William and Harold had been limited. Both being intensely private researchers, they had never managed to develop a proper rapport.

Given William’s pride, it was truly unexpected for him to ask for help.

Under Harold’s watchful gaze, William cleared his throat.

“Ahem. I’ve been working on a recent problem…”

Rather than explaining verbally, William chose to demonstrate his point. He wrote down the problem he’d been reciting repeatedly on the nearby chalkboard.

Tak-tak.

The chalk danced across the surface as Harold’s face, initially curious, suddenly hardened. Only when William finished writing did Harold speak.

”…I believe I understand why you’ve come to me.”

The problem on the chalkboard concerned Mind Conversion Material. After scrutinizing it intently for a moment, Harold swallowed a gasp.

“Hmm… William… Did you find this problem somewhere?”

“I stumbled upon it by chance. I’m sorry, but… I can’t reveal its source.”

The request for help without disclosing the origin might have sounded rude, but Harold didn’t mind. His mind was completely occupied by the problem written on the blackboard.

Huh…

The relationship between Mind Conversion Material and dimension coefficients. This was precisely the field Harold was currently researching. For someone who believed himself to be the best in this area, William’s problem came as quite a shock.

Who could it be?!

Moreover, the problem already contained a ritual for calculating the total attribute power in one dimension. It was a much simpler ritual compared to the one Harold had completed.

Seeing the shock on his face, William cautiously asked, “How… do you know the answer?”

Harold shook his head in response. “I don’t know where you found this, but whoever came up with these issues isn’t an ordinary person.”

“You mean even you can’t solve it, Harold?”

“It’ll take some time. With enough research, I should be able to figure it out.”

William was astonished. He’d thought the problem was difficult, but to see even Harold shaking his head… On one hand, he felt relieved that it was natural he couldn’t solve it himself.

While William stood there in shock, Harold had been staring at the problem for quite some time. Suddenly, the corners of his mouth twitched upward. It was a mischievous grin, full of the playful spirit of an old man.

Harold looked at William and asked:

“More importantly, if I help you with this, what will you do for me?”

“Hmm… What do you want?”

“Can I use this problem?”

“Pardon?”

“I was already struggling with what to make the final question. Perfect timing. This will work.”

William’s face scrunched up at these words.

The final problem mentioned by Harold.

He instantly understood its implications.

William clicked his tongue.

“Your taste remains as… unconventional as ever.”

“Traditions exist to be preserved.”

“And you’re the one who created this tradition, aren’t you?”

“Since I established it, I should uphold it even more diligently. So… may I use this problem? If you grant permission, I’ll research and provide the answer.”

William pondered Harold’s proposal for a moment. Though his expression remained troubled, he eventually nodded in agreement.

“Very well. However… please ensure there’s no leak.”

“What leak? Even if it were to leak, what would be the problem? Who could possibly understand its significance? If anyone manages to provide the correct answer, we should immediately appoint them as Master.”

William nodded at Harold’s resolute response. He found himself in complete agreement with the sentiment.

”…Do as you see fit.”

“As you wish. I’ll conduct some research on these issues and inform you of my findings.”

“I’ll await your results.”

Thus, William and Harold sealed their mysterious pact.

As William left the laboratory, Harold’s mischievous smile grew wider as he gazed at the problem written on the blackboard.

Three days later.

Unlike usual, students remained seated in the lecture hall during break time. They sat diligently studying their books. This scene had been repeating since the semester exams began two days prior.

They had reduced their sleep to memorize expected questions over and over again. Even those who had been studying hard until the last moment before the exam. Though their faces showed exhaustion from the final written test, they didn’t let go of their tension.

Especially now, as they faced this particular upcoming exam, their nervousness intensified.

Muttering…

People were muttering like madmen everywhere, repeating what they had memorized.

What made them nervous was that this test was from Harold’s subject.

Master Harold visited Transcendence Academy as a professor once every five years.

His test questions were as meticulous as his strict personality, and they were said to be the most difficult among all subjects.

In extreme cases, some students would submit blank papers without solving even a single problem within the time limit.

But that wasn’t the only problem.

After the test, Harold made students compile their incorrect answers, requiring ten sheets of paper for each wrong question.

The story of how students who scored zero still remembered Harold’s test questions ten years after graduation was a well-known anecdote among Transcendence Academy students.

While all the students trembled with worry over the upcoming exam they’d soon have to take, Louis’s face brimmed with irritation.

What the hell is that idiot William doing?

Just days ago, Louis had practically delivered the solution to William’s doorstep, yet the fool couldn’t even take a bite.

According to Fin’s report, William hadn’t made a single move since returning from his visit to Harold.

I never thought… I can’t believe a Master would fail to solve that one problem.

They say “No Way” kills people.

And now, the impossible had truly come to pass.

Afterward, William sought help from Harold, and rumor had it they’d struck some kind of deal.

But since then, there hadn’t been any significant updates.

Louis had finally managed to drag William to the table, but seeing him refuse to use utensils was driving Louis to the brink of madness.

Overcome by frustration, Louis made up his mind.

Fine, I’ll feed you mouth-to-mouth if I have to.

Even the most incompetent person should be able to chew and swallow properly.

But there was one problem.

How can I teach him without making it obvious?

He couldn’t exactly shout it at him, could he?

“Mmph…”

A frustrated groan escaped Louis’s lips.

More pressing than the academy’s upcoming exam looming before him was how to feed William properly without starting rumors.

As Louis agonized over William’s situation…

Druk!

The instructor working under Harold entered through the front door.

The moment the students saw the thick envelope in the instructor’s arms, their eyes wavered.

The instructor smiled at the attention focused on him.

I was just like them once.

During his time at Transcendence Academy, the instructor had also been a student in the hellish cohort that came around once every five years.

As he observed the students, it was as if he were looking at his own past. The instructor briefly reminisced about his school days, but his eyes quickly turned cold.

Memories were memories, and now it was time to fulfill his duties.

“Put away your books. And as I say every year, if you’re thinking of cheating… go ahead. If you’re confident you won’t get caught.”

The instructor’s fierce gaze swept over the students.

“For reference, I’ve caught 52 cheaters in my seven years as an instructor. You know what happened to all of them… right?”

There was no way they wouldn’t know.

Day two of the exam.

The cheater from third class.

He had been expelled without mercy the moment his cheating was discovered.

Without even a shred of leniency.

“I hope there’s no fool in this class who’ll throw away a lifetime’s opportunity just to get a moment’s ease. Well, even saying this, there’s always one or two idiots each year who’ll gamble their lives on crazy stunts…”

Gulp.

The students swallowed hard at the instructor’s biting criticism.

Watching the nervous students, the instructor opened the envelope and took out the exam papers.

“Alright, begin.”

The moment the words left his mouth, the instructor started passing out the papers.

Rustle… rustle…

As the papers circulated, moans began to escape from the students who received them first.

“Ugh…”

“Haaah…”

The exam’s difficulty lived up to expectations - it was the worst.

“Ugh…”

The students buried their heads in their work as soon as they saw the problems, desperate to make the most of every second. Even after the exam ended, their lamentations would come too late.

Louis, seated in the back row, was the last to receive his test paper. As he scanned the questions, his eyes widened in disbelief.

Glimpse… glimpse…

He couldn’t comprehend the situation.

…?

His gaze was fixed on the final question:

The problem he had written on the Iron Door, word for word without a single error, was now reproduced exactly on the test paper.

What kind of bizarre situation is this…?