NOVEL WEB Chapter 41: Solving the Puzzle with Programming
Victor observed the players exploring the new virtual shop with a faint smile. He overheard some of them expressing dismay about the prices, but he had purposefully set them at these levels for a reason. In his days back at the Arcane Radiance College, even for an acolyte to purchase a single Aleph-tier spell model, they would have to fork out ten mana crystals. Thus, the price he set was beyond fair and even dirt cheap.
It was essential to note that a novice-grade mana crystal was equivalent to ten platinum coins. If one were to equate ten mana crystals with one thousand merit points, then the players were accumulating nearly one mana crystal’s worth of merit points on average every single day. This was more than a hundred, if not a thousand times, what the commoners earned in the same span.
On the other hand, the pricing of the magic knowledge was not arbitrary either. His past experience aside, Victor wanted the players to value knowledge, to instill the essence of being a Magus — pursuing knowledge — to their very cores. Only by doing this would they have a deep appreciation for knowledge. Besides, merit points didn’t have much use beyond these purchases currently.
Following his speech, Victor proceeded to assign tasks to the players. With ten new players joining every day, they could swiftly commence the construction of the fortifications. The pace of this project would only accelerate as more players logged in to the game.
Since the harvesting of the thornwood stems was cut short yesterday, the players assigned to the construction group turned their attention to inspecting the academy grounds. Consequently, work on the earthen wall could commence immediately. Additionally, Thunder and his group had gone the extra mile, crafting various small wooden traps designed to ensnare smaller animals, which would enrich the meal’s menu.
These players were diligent and industrious; they were willing to contribute to the academy’s development even without specific missions, unleashing their collective creativity to help him. It was a level of dedication and effectiveness that he couldn’t have hoped for, especially when compared to the typical acolytes found in traditional Magus academies. In those institutions, many students came from aristocratic backgrounds, and even though the professors were essentially official Magi, they often harbored a disdain for manual labor to some degree.
Victor sighed with satisfaction as he considered the “cheat” he had gotten. “Well, that’s that. I should hurry up and carry out my last delivery,” he murmured to himself.
Today would mark the last of his trips to the village to collect potatoes, although he didn’t intend to stop visiting altogether. However, this adjustment in his schedule would reduce the frequency of his travels between the academy and the village.
***
Break time, in the kitchen.
A group of players gathered in a corner, their discussion revolving around the enigmatic headmaster. As they savored their meals, curiosity buzzed among them like a constant undercurrent.
“Guys, have you ever wondered where the headmaster disappears to during the day?” the first player started.
“Hmm… I used to think he was out hunting game in the forest,” chimed in another as he fixed his nonexistent glasses, “but lately, he’s been returning with an array of tools, seeds, and even an assortment of seasonings. Wonder where he got all these items.”
“Mmm. It’s peculiar, isn’t it? It feels like there’s a hidden place — a settlement perhaps — where he acquires all these resources. In a game that mimics reality so closely, it would indeed seem unnatural for items to just materialize out of thin air,” analyzed a thoughtful player.
“Why don’t we try to follow him?” someone else suggested.
“Don’t. That’s a bad idea… Remember the recent death? The forest is filled with magical beasts as strong or even stronger than that; we won’t reach the destination without losing our lives on the way. Besides, we don’t even know where the settlement is.” The thoughtful player shook his head.
“You’re right. It’s better to wait until the storyline reveals the place by itself or at least when we’re stronger and more prepared.”
These speculations and inquiries weren’t simply idle chatter; they were the musings of none other than Alfred and his four companions from the first batch of players. When lunchtime came, they gathered together to discuss more about the game’s recent event. But instead, the conversation had taken an unexpected turn.
“Oh right!” Storm suddenly interjected with a spark of excitement in his eyes. “How’s the progress on that puzzle, SuperNova? If Cyber doesn’t renege on his promise, you can ask him anything about the game!”
SuperNova, not one to easily dampen Storm’s enthusiasm, lowered his head and replied, “It’s… not going well so far. I enlisted the help of my friends to crack the required code, but it proved to be beyond our abilities. So, we took it to one of our IT lecturers, and he was intrigued by the puzzle. He even brought in other IT professors to help. Honestly, it’s become a hot topic at my university.”
As the owner of the server, Alfred was aware that SuperNova was majoring in Computer Science. He might not be the best person to solve this puzzle, but he had connections.
“Seriously, it’s that complex?” Mike asked, genuinely intrigued. His profession had a lot to do with computers, after all.
“Indeed,” SuperNova confirmed with a nod. “But I think we should have it solved soon, so there’s hope.”
As their small talk continued, more and more players gathered in the kitchen to have their lunch. The place had essentially turned into a bustling, tableless small cafeteria.
Prominence commented on the crowd, saying, “It’s getting pretty crowded in here.”
“There seem to be some promising new players,” Alfred chimed in thoughtfully, “In fact, most of the players in the game are from our Discord server. Maybe that’s one of the driving forces behind the unity we’re experiencing?”
“Well, we don’t know for sure.”
***
Victor stood before the perplexing puzzle that had consumed his thoughts for an entire day, his fingers poised over his holographic interface. He opened the private chat with SuperNovaX, knowing that he had finished with the program. Success meant gaining access to an array of valuable spells, but failure could cost him dearly.
Firstly, the duration for which the academy’s magic barriers hold was a looming mystery. Would it be a month, a week, or perhaps even a day? The longer the barriers stood strong, the more time he would have to adequately prepare for the impending arachnid horde. However, if their protection lasted only a day... Well, I suppose I can escape by myself… but if the academy’s destroyed… then what was the point?
Secondly, Victor surmised that completing the current side mission was likely a prerequisite for triggering the next main mission. Without the guidance of that main mission, he would be navigating in the dark, confronting the unknown without a clear path forward. There was nothing more unsettling than facing the specter of uncertainty itself.
SuperNovaX: “Here’s the working code for the puzzle.”
SuperNova sent an attached programming file with the name “StrangePuzzle.java,” indicating that it was a Java program and required a specific application to run. Fortunately, as a former programmer himself, he was familiar with and had the necessary application installed prior, and upon opening the file, he was confronted with more than five hundred lines of code. For a single puzzle to require five hundred lines… I sure have underestimated it.
SuperNovaX: Seriously, it’s way more intricate than I anticipated. Who’s the genius behind this, if you don’t mind me asking? Is it an AI? But it’s a bit too unorganized to be solely AI…”
An AI, huh. Victor had thought of solving this puzzle using AI himself, but the sheer lack of organization in the puzzle made it unsuitable for standard machine logic. It was bound to produce false positives most of the time, rendering the approach impractical. As a result, he had abandoned the idea.
CyberWarlock: “Believe it or not, one of our top programmers got carried away after watching too many riddle videos on YouTube. He created this as a prank with the help of AI, saying that the game should have this level of puzzle at a minimum. So, we all made a bet that if a player could solve it, he’d have to take on extra work for the company and buy us dinner. But enough small talk; I’m about to test the code now.”
SuperNovaX: “All right. Hit me when you’re done testing. I want to test the night system as soon as possible…”
CyberWarlock: “Sure.”
Speaking of which, after Victor had lifted the login restrictions for players via the Academy Inhabitant List, a total of twenty-eight players had chosen to remain within the game without logging out. This fact had left him rather surprised, to be honest. Who would have expected that there were so many lazy people who didn’t have to go to work during the day?
Of course, today might also be just an exception because of the hype.
Putting that aside, Victor compiled the code and waited with bated breath. In just a few seconds, the solution to the puzzle materialized before him, like a key to unlock a treasure trove.
“Ah, so this is the answer to the puzzle,” muttered Victor, a wry smile creeping across his face. The puzzle that could have taken an official Magus days or even weeks to decipher had been unraveled in an instant by a mere code. It sparked a genius idea within him: Why not enlist the help of programming to construct a spell model from scratch?
For starters, he could hire a group of unpaid programmer interns. Yes, basically no pay. With some guidance and a grasp of spell models, they could be trained to create these intricate constructs. Perhaps even developing a specialized software and AI altoge—
“—Y’know!” Out of the blue, the voice of a fairy broke his thought bubbles, jolting him. She materialized beside him, exuding a sassy aura that cut through his contemplation like a dagger through smoke. “If you were going to use programming to solve this, you might as well told me; I can do it in a jiff.”
“Whoa, there.” Victor took an involuntary half-step back. “How many times do I have to tell you not to startle me? I thought you were a ghost for a sec.”
The fairy responded with a playful smile. “Hehe.”
Geez… Is the reduction in her pay not enough to knock some sense to her? Nevertheless, what Lizbeth said made perfect sense. She was the brains behind designing and coding the entire official website for the game, after all. Her ability in programming was crystal clear.
Victor recalled hearing about high-ranking Magus towers having fairies capable of managing the towers, much like AI. These magical beings possessed remarkable computing abilities, assisting Magi in their research endeavors, including the construction of intricate spell models. In many ways, Lizbeth’s role paralleled them.
“Whatever.” He shook his head and turned his attention back to the puzzle in front of him. “Let’s just get this over with.”
With practiced precision, Victor began constructing a spell formation based on the code’s output. Every gesture was deliberate, every incantation exact. With a precise wave of his hand, he activated the formation, causing luminous strings of light to materialize and weave intricate patterns with the glyphs etched on the wall, creating an array of sequences.
Victor held his breath as the arrangement concluded, half-expecting the ominous backlash that had plagued him before. But this time, nothing happened. The wall before him seemed to shimmer and waver, and then, slowly, it split open, revealing a concealed room beyond.
The room, bathed in a soft, ethereal glow, was a stunning sight to behold. It was adorned with white stone pillars on all sides, each one imposing and meticulously carved. Pedestals were strategically placed throughout, upon which mana crystals rested. On the ground, there were complicated and detailed patterns — the barrier formations that he was looking for.
Victor’s heart quickened as he entered, his eyes fixed on the mana crystals. Cyan in color and radiating a brilliance far surpassing that of typical mana crystals, they were unlike any he had seen before.
“Advanced-grade mana crystals!”
