Don't disturb the sorcerer's scientific research

Chapter 151 Jia Xiu's Reward Time

The gift presented by Arnold on behalf of the Alchemy Institute is a model that integrates many technologies used in the armor, and its quality is top-notch.

Compared to the plastic figurines that Jia Xiu bought back then, who complained about the price but willingly paid the "intelligence tax," these are far more exquisite.

This model should be genuine; the detection technique has already been indicated as worthy of research in the Frenzy.

However, "Why should I be the one to find a way to destroy these technologies? After all, I'm not exactly a high-level sorcerer."

Jia Xiu wasn't being modest; he really was only LV5.

It's not bad among students, but on a global scale, it's like someone who's just left the beginner's village.

"We invited many people to sabotage the technology used on the armor, saying that progress comes from confrontation. As for other countries learning it, it doesn't matter. As long as it can help the continent better fight against the demons, they can share the technology. This is the emperor's order."

"Wow."

This was something Jia Xiu hadn't expected. It seemed that while the Ukmark Empire's style of doing things was indeed unique, it didn't seem to have the villainous aura that was rumored to be as prominent.

Arnold continued, "And you were specifically invited by the director. We originally planned to contact you after the first semester ended, but since we've met now, we'll just hand you over directly. The director said that although his abilities are limited, your thinking is definitely the most unconventional, and you can definitely find angles that the research team wouldn't have thought of."

For now, Jia Xiu will use "strange" as a positive term.

"Um, you always carry that in your backpack?"

"Because the functions in the backpack are not fully implemented yet, we need to add some weight to simulate the weight of the full version. I figured since we're going to add weight anyway, why not add something that looks nice?"

"Is it possible that the weight is inside the backpack and cannot be seen, so it doesn't matter whether it looks good or not?"

"Huh? It seems so."

Arnold scratched his head, seemingly unbothered by the pain of scratching his head while wearing such thick metal gloves.

"Yeah, so it doesn't really matter whether it looks good or not."

Looking at Arnold's sudden realization, Jashu seriously suspected that the bio-warrior program had some side effects.

For example, it can affect the brain.

"All demons within the city have now been eliminated, and the protective barriers will soon be completely dismantled. Please return home afterward, as the destruction and repair work will begin the following day..."

In the sky, crows carrying amplified communication spells flew across every region of Theldarion.

Here, crows are not considered unlucky. On the contrary, due to their exceptional intelligence among birds, crows are very popular, especially among druids, who often use them as messengers.

As news of the victory arrived, the crystal barrier that had enveloped every building in Theldarion began to dissipate.

The public didn't react much to the good news; they weren't exactly happy, but rather a bit bewildered.

Everything happened so fast.

In just a few hours, they experienced demons suddenly falling from the sky, crystals sealing the house, and then armies appearing everywhere. Right in front of them, not many meters away, they engaged in a huge battle with the demons. The battle didn't last long and ended as soon as it was over.

If it weren't for the fact that some people had actually died and were queuing up to be resurrected, and it wasn't said to be an exercise or some kind of celebration for show, most people would probably believe it.

To prevent stampedes caused by excessive excitement among the crowd after they were freed, the Elf Rangers thoughtfully maintained order.

It turned out that it wasn't necessary, and people weren't in a hurry.

Some people even asked, "Who won the game in the end? The projector went out at the crucial moment. Will there still be an awards ceremony later?"

I don't know if it's because I'm carefree or just slow to notice.

Jia Xiu wasn't sure if there would be an awards ceremony, but he felt it would be a bit strange if there were.

It's unlikely that the runner-up will be able to attend.

“Mr. Jia Xiu, the operation is over, and I should go back to regroup. I hope we'll meet again next time. The project has been a complete success, and I've become a war hero. When that time comes, I'll return…”

"Don't let it happen then."

Jaxiu promptly interrupted Arnold's attempt to make a prediction.

"If there's a future issue, then we'll talk about it later."

"why?"

"Experience tells me that if I speak too soon, I might not have good luck later."

"Okay, goodbye then."

Although Arnold didn't know what principle Jasshu was based on, he decided to believe him for now.

With Arnold's departure, Aurelius, Taco, and the rescue team led by Shiloshak also left.

They're going to a meeting.

The meeting discussed the summary of the operation, how to prevent similar intrusions in the future, how to divide the credit, and who deserves the most credit in future propaganda.

And whether or not to retaliate, and if so, how to carry out the retaliatory action.

If the devils have infiltrated the heart of the mainland and there is no response from any country, it is impossible for the people not to be disappointed in the ruling class.

No matter how many victories are achieved in the retaliatory operation, the primary goal is not to gain face.

In short, although this conflict has come to a temporary end, there are still a lot of things to discuss.

This dwarf, this human, and this brass dragon were just on the same side, but soon they will be representing the Dwarf Alliance, Larwin, and the Spellcasters' Association respectively at a meeting.

Although the Dwarven Alliance did not send a large force, they still made contributions, and they also had some seats at the meeting.

Justina, who made an unexpected appearance, didn't have any mission on her side.

She really did come to see Jia Xiu.

"Jia Xiu, Jia Xiu!"

Justina sent a private message invitation.

"There were too many people just now, and I didn't have a chance to ask you something. It's urgent."

She dragged Jia Xiu to a secluded corner.

"What's the matter?"

Are you sure this is a good way to gain faith?

Justina asked.

"How is it now?"

Jia Xiu didn't quite understand either; from his perspective, the faith-building campaign to "expand the capacity of the Radiant Server" hadn't even started yet.

"They're either a bunch of people asking about divine guidance techniques, or a bunch of people who've been amused and are just praying for fun. They don't seem like serious believers, which makes me seem like I'm not a serious god either."

"Has anyone already prayed?" Jassi asked in surprise.

"Isn't it all your fault?" Justina retorted.

“Hey! Watch your words. How can you call this harming? When someone prays to you, that's also a form of faith.”

"That's true, but there won't be any devout believers here; they'll all just come for fun."

"That's right."

"what?"

Justina didn't know what was wrong with that.

Throughout history, deities have always needed devout, even fanatical, believers. Only such believers can provide a continuous stream of faith.

They pray several times a day, just like doing homework, and hold grand ceremonies on weekends. They even spontaneously preach, willing to give their own lives for the God they believe in, or take the lives of others.

In short, the more extreme a believer is, the more "high-quality" a believer they are.

Justina, who had little experience with God, naturally followed the example of her predecessors and believed that it was essential to have incredibly devout believers.

Unfortunately, she hasn't had one so far.

Apart from Jia Xiu, who was temporarily bound by the partnership and didn't believe at all, the rest were just some casual believers.

As for the new ones added in the last two days, they don't even count as general believers.

They lacked all the qualities possessed by devout believers.

They possessed every single quality that a devout believer should not have!
This is the complete opposite of a normal believer. What kind of believer makes fun of God!

Jia Xiu explained, “It’s like this. First, let’s acknowledge one thing: the population is finite, and the number of devout believers is also finite. If you have more, other gods will have fewer. It’s not that I’m targeting you subjectively, but objectively, your power among the gods is limited.”

That's how all the religious wars in history came about.

Essentially, it is a battle for the "resources" of believers.

"It's not that limited."

Justina looked slightly embarrassed.

"That is why it is difficult for devout believers to develop, and even if they do, they are prone to conflicts with other gods."

"That's the truth."

Justina nodded.

"But they can't control their own followers who offer some faith to other gods just for fun."

"But believers won't believe forever."

“There will always be new believers.”

Justina didn't react at first.

Jia Xiu continued, "Even assuming that everyone will eventually become a fanatical believer in a certain god, there will always be people who haven't become fanatical believers yet, and there will always be people who pray to you. That proves it. Our goal is to make you a traffic god, or you can call you a fun god, so that people will believe in you a little out of entertainment and curiosity."

"Just believe it a little bit?"

Justina didn't quite understand what "traffic god" meant either.

“Even if you have a little faith, the number of believers may not be large, but as long as the base is large enough, it can accumulate into a great force. I call this the strategy of “penetrating the faith market.”

Justina seriously suspected that she had been isolated from the world for some time, as she couldn't quite understand the words that Jasshu was using.

What is meant by "sinking the faith market"?

"Well, it's about always targeting those who haven't started believing yet, and making specific plans to generate traffic for you. We'll talk about that when I'm on vacation. Anyway, you won't miss a little time."

Justina felt that although she was a demigod, trying to gain some faith was like begging on her knees.

We'll have to wait until they're on holiday before we can talk about it.

“However,” Jassi thought for a moment, “since hellish jokes are quite popular…”

"What hell jokes are you talking about? It's not appropriate for me, a member of the Holy Light pantheon, to tell jokes about hell."

"No, I meant a joke that specifically rubs salt into a wound, like the one I told you about the hole in your hand."

"That was definitely hellish."

"How about you first organize a hellish joke contest, with you as the theme. Everyone prays to you and tells jokes, and you can publish the results in the newspaper. Then you can win a popular choice award by readers' votes, and then create your favorite award, um, let's call it the 'God in Circumstances' Choice Award. The winner's prize is a blessing, which you can bestow as you like. If it works well, you can hold it every year."

After some thought, Jia Xiu explained his first plan.

"Does it have to be held every year?"

"If you think it's too little, two seasons a year is fine. But if it's more frequent, I'm afraid everyone will run out of inspiration."

"..."

Justina fell silent for a moment, adjusted her mindset, accepted the fact that it might actually be useful, and continued, "What if I don't like any of the jokes?"

Why choose your favorite joke from a bunch of jokes that make fun of you?

How is this any different from the desperate choice between poop-flavored chocolate and chocolate-flavored poop?

"If you don't like any of them, you can choose the one that breaks your heart the most and call it the 'Person of the Scene' Choice Award. Hey, we can also hold an event like this, like appearing in a city and showing people reading jokes live in public. That way, which one breaks your heart the most would be very effective. My goodness, this show would attract so many fans."

Justina was a little stunned.

It feels like they're torturing her like a devil; it's hard to tell whether they're deliberately messing with her or genuinely helping her.

Perhaps the two were happening simultaneously.

"You have to believe me. I still need to use your magic for experiments. We have a conflict of interest, and I won't harm you."

Seeing Justina's self-doubt, Jassiu said, "Does God's dignity matter?"

"important."

Is faith important?

"It's also important."

Which of these two is more important?

"Do we really have to choose one and discard the other? Isn't there a way to have both?"

"Disaster."

At that moment, Justina went through a fierce internal struggle, and finally, she gave in.

"I choose faith."

"Great! We look forward to your good news. The first Radiant Knight-themed Hell Joke Contest is sure to be a success."

Justina left in a daze.

She felt like she had been tricked, just like some evil gods disguise themselves in various forms to deceive believers.

Jia Xiu is that evil god, and she was the one who was completely fooled.

No, could Jia Xiu really be some kind of evil god in disguise...?

After seeing off the Radiant Knight, Jasmine breathed a sigh of relief.

Another problem solved.

Just recently, Justina's magic power allocation has become insufficient, and the server urgently needs expansion.

Then there is another question.

He looked at the crowd that had almost been cleared out. The event was over just like that. The perfect closing ceremony was interrupted by force majeure, which was understandable.

But what about his championship reward?

Can someone please explain this to us?

We can't just consider the match interrupted and then he loses his reward.

He didn't participate for any high-sounding reasons, such as a sense of honor or to exchange ideas with other top players.

He came specifically for the original crystal replica, which was the champion's reward.

"Jia Xiu."

Margaret then came along.

"What's wrong, Professor?"

"The organizers of the competition just came to me and said that through the last remaining recording of the Eye of Detection, they have confirmed that you have won."

"Exquisite."

"But the awards ceremony won't be happening anytime soon. They said it would have to wait until the damage in the city is repaired, which would probably be a few days from now."

"That makes sense, but what about the prize?"

The ceremony or anything like that isn't important.

"As for the prize, they said if you don't need the ceremony, you can go to the nearest branch of the Spellcasters' Association, verify your identity, and someone will take you to the Primal Crystal Replica Storage."

"Storage location? I'll have to choose one from this pile of crystals myself?"

"Yes... Hey, where are you going?"

"Of course, we're going to collect the award!"

(End of this chapter)