My setting is above yours!

Chapter 74 cleared! The principal's reward, Knowledge-Seeking Experiment Files (8k5)

"I'll do a quick run, is that alright?"

Ron's voice wasn't loud, but it immediately silenced all the noisy discussions.

"Quick, quick pass?"

"Catch them all at once? How is that possible!"

"This guy is insane..."

Someone muttered to themselves, looking at Ron with a blank expression, not understanding how he could make such a choice.

To be honest, aside from Yu'an's lackeys, most of the freshmen didn't have much prejudice against Ron.

Many of them had watched the live broadcast of the college entrance examination and knew how capable Ron was.

Yu'an was able to pass the 404 test, and if Ron, who had previously defeated Yu'an and was clearly more capable, participated in the test normally and faced the three waves of trials step by step, no one would doubt that he could pass.

But he insisted on making this choice for the sake of saving face...

It's important to understand that the freshmen who are able to participate in the opening ceremony here are, after all, students of Moen University, and their horizons are far broader than those of the average person.

Everyone knew that the abilities 404 used were definitely not something a Level 3 could withstand in one go—

Even the strongest Lv.3 is still human. Superpowered individuals who are stuck within the limits of human capabilities can only deal with enemies within those limits!

404 did a great job with the assessment. Each of her attacks was kept within the range of Lv.3's abilities. Although the difficulty increased gradually, it made each candidate feel as if they were facing a powerful Lv.3 attacking at full strength, and they had the ability to cope no matter what.

But if all these abilities were combined and released at once...

At least in the world, there is absolutely no possibility that a Level 3 ability user could unleash so much power at once... nor is it possible for any Level 3 ability user to resist all of this!
"Speedrun? Haha, speedrun?!"

"Has he fallen into delusions and started talking nonsense in an attempt to grab attention, Ron!"

At this moment, watching Ron jump onto the stage, Euan disregarded his bleeding chest and seemed to have forgotten the pain. He laughed heartily at Ron, bending over with uncontrollable laughter.

Compared to those who hadn't truly experienced all the trials, Yu'an, who had genuinely felt the oppressive atmosphere, naturally understood better what the consequences would be if he had to face three waves at once...

Although she didn't know how 404 managed to do it, Yu An clearly felt the unimaginable pressure falling on her during the final wave as the pendant rotated.

His personal reality was suppressed to the point of being almost impossible to unfold; he could only barely use his abilities by desperately utilizing the formula...

Ron's personal abilities are so much weaker than his, he might not even be able to use his powers!
If we really have to face all three waves, then we have to deal with the countless abilities of the first two waves while this ability is completely suppressed!
Even just the countless elemental creations from the first wave would be enough to give Ron a run for his money.

after all……

With his abilities suppressed, he was practically no different from someone without any abilities. Even if he wasn't facing the test of 404, a level 5, but just an ordinary level 3, he would have absolutely no chance of turning the tide!

He looked at Ron, grinned, and without even bothering to say anything sarcastic, jumped off the stage without hesitation and turned to leave.

What's there to mock?
What's there to care about?
So arrogant, so ignorant of one's own limitations...

Ron's defeat is a foregone conclusion!
He didn't need to care at all; he could just watch Ron make a fool of himself!

404 frowned, looking at the somewhat lazy young man in front of him, whose temperament was strangely similar to his own, and for a moment he couldn't tell what kind of person he was.

She could see pure confidence in Ron—

He was absolutely certain that he could pass his own test, and might even be able to pass it quickly and easily...

But why should he do that?
No permissions, no [ability formula]...

At the same time, lacking the magic circuits of those magicians, they are destined to be unable to perform those deconstructive magic spells—

Is he simply arrogant and conceited, or confident and calculated?

I need to give it a try...

Perhaps he is the right person.

404 terminated Hestia's analysis of Ron and asked:
When did you advance to Lv.3? Before or after the college entrance exam?

“After the college entrance exam,” Ron paused, “or more precisely… yesterday.”

Although it was actually two months ago, Ron was determined to carry out the lie thoroughly and avoid letting anyone see through it.

"Another one who only reached Lv.3 after the college entrance exam..."

404 shook his head, his confidence in Ron's ability to pass the test diminishing further.

"Are you sure?" she asked lazily. "It's not too late to regret it now."

"I am sure."

"Ha, you've got some guts... Well then, I won't hold back."

404 chuckled softly, unusually alert, unlike before when he was lazy and just waved his hand casually, sometimes not even bothering to glance at the examinee.

She looked intently at Ron, and the sky-blue prismatic pendant slipped from her palm again, spinning rapidly.

This time, even the patrol officers who weren't close to the stage, but were just watching the assessment from the side of the auditorium while yawning, felt an oppressive atmosphere that seemed to freeze the air...

His personal reality was suppressed and blocked by this oppression, and was forced into his body.

He subconsciously tried to open up his personal reality, but found that breaking free from the constraints imposed by 404 was not easy.

Perhaps he could easily shatter this constraint by activating Artemis's authority, but if he relied solely on himself, solely on his current personal reality that was gradually surpassing humanity...

It may take quite a bit of effort.

Meanwhile, 404's actions did not stop.

With a wave of her hand, it seemed as if the world had been ripped out, and the scene before Ron's eyes froze for a moment, like a live stream with a slow connection, before being illuminated by tiny points of light...

Countless magic missiles of different colors, extraordinary magic of different [potion sequences]...

And a gleaming silver spear made of countless fragments—

They all appeared behind 404, piled up densely behind her, almost touching the dome of the auditorium!

Seeing this scene, the freshmen who had been muttering to themselves and discussing what Ron was really thinking suddenly fell silent.

It was so dazzling.

It's...too hopeless.

That's what everyone thinks deep down.

If anyone in the back row previously thought that Ron's claim showed genuine ability, and that he might actually pass the test...

But now, knowing that their personal reality would be suppressed and they would become powerless, everyone is certain that Ron will never be able to complete the game.

If you don't have superpowers, how should an ordinary person deal with these different abilities?
No one can find the answer.

Honestly, if they were on that stage right now, the moment they realized their abilities were restricted, they would probably have already given up.

but……

Standing on the stage, Ron faced the rapidly spinning sky-blue prismatic pendant, watching the countless dazzling lights, and easily unfolded his personal reality.

He not only didn't feel any pressure, but when he glanced at the screen displaying the Dimensional Update Manual, he even felt like laughing.

[The "Setting: Fantasy Dissolution" is being eroded by a slight "mystical influence."]

[Performance impairment: 1%]

"Restriction Spell"? Magic?

Excuse me, this is Lv.3 [Illusion Dissolve], which can resist magic and dissolve mystery. After Lv.3, it can spread to one's personal reality to take effect. It can unconditionally dissolve all magic, regardless of its effect, as long as it comes from mystery. As soon as it touches the mystery, it vanishes into thin air...

What is a mechanism?

That's what you call a mechanism!
How cliché! Playing magic in an ideal city?
Do you know what version mechanics and restraint relationships are?

Ron curled the corners of his lips into a smile as he watched the barrage of comments rain down on him...

Then, do nothing.

He simply stood there, and the countless colorful magic missiles that flew towards him seemed to evaporate into thin air, shattering and dissipating—

[The "Setting: Fantasy Dissolution" is being eroded by a slight "mystical influence."]

[Performance impairment: 1% → 2% → 3%...]

Sure enough!

Ron had long realized that while these missiles were indeed magical, the "mystical influences" they contained seemed to pale in comparison to the magic he had encountered during the "Potion Age"...

Even the extraordinary magic from the [Potion Sequence] was noticeably weaker than normal magic—

After all, if they really possessed the same destructive power as in the "Potion Era," Yu'an wouldn't have been able to leave office alive!

Ron might not know about other things, but how could he not know the strength of the ghosts in the [Death] sequence?
That kind of thing, without the abilities of [Illusion Dissolve] or [Anti-Mystic Equation], is not something a Level 3 esper could easily handle on their own...

The abilities of superpowered individuals are all top-tier specializations. Yu'an can only control gravity, and his personal reality isn't strong enough to arbitrarily distort reality at will. He shouldn't be able to quickly dispel the ghost.

But the ghost clearly became illusory and then dissipated after touching his personal reality...

Clearly, the magic used by 404, passed down from the "Potion Age," may appear similar in form, but its essence may have undergone significant changes.

As the magic was easily dispelled, 404 was clearly taken aback, and the way he looked at Ron changed instantly.

Expectation, surprise, contemplation, doubt...

She was silent for a moment, then suddenly raised her hand again.

The hands of the clock seemed to pause for a moment, and the world seemed to have been pulled away by a frame—

The lance, which she had deliberately slowed down and was slowly flying toward Ron, which looked like it was made up of silvery fragments, suddenly changed its appearance.

From a somewhat messy, fragmented composition, it has transformed into a solid, sharp, and intricately patterned silver lance.

Its speed changed immediately, becoming hundreds or thousands of times faster than before when it moved as slowly as a snail!
In an instant, the lance flashed with a brilliant silver light, its sharp tip easily piercing Ron's personal reality. Though seemingly intangible, it produced a piercing tearing sound.

Ron immediately felt a huge shock to his personal reality, and his expression turned serious.

wrong……

This attack was not like the previous one, which resembled some kind of imitation magic!

It's far too powerful... It's like the power unleashed by a true superhuman using their extraordinary abilities!
How could it suddenly transform from that fragmented structure into such a clearly more powerful magical weapon...?

404: Since the original magic couldn't test me, should I try using a stronger magic?

Ron pondered for a moment, but he had already activated [Vector Manipulation], preparing to control gravity and magnetism to forcefully stop the lance.

After all, even if it originated from magic, Yu'an's previous actions proved that it possessed physical properties and was within the influence of [Vector Manipulation]...

However, Ron soon realized that he had been too cautious.

Ron didn't even need to use [Vector Manipulation] to affect the lance; it was already incapable of harming him.

[The "Setting: Fantasy Dissolution" is being eroded by an extreme and excessive "mystical influence."]

[Performance impairment: 96%!]

It only managed to get two or three meters away from Ron with its supersonic speed before it became exhausted and stopped, only to be completely erased by [Illusion Dissolved]...

At the moment it disappeared, the clock hands on the stage wall pointed exactly to 5:00 PM, and then spun rapidly, instantly turning to 5:30 PM.

However, Ron was clearly not concerned about this matter; he was still recalling the scene before him, lost in thought.

Before the silver lance disappeared, because it was so close to Ron, Ron caught a glimpse of it and managed to make out what it was.

It was not an ordinary lance, but a creation formed from flowing silver mist. The dense patterns on it were not static, but fluctuated with the silver mist as if they were alive.

Moreover, these patterns are not ordinary patterns at all—

That's ancient Rodoran!
Although it was only a fleeting glimpse, and the silver lance vanished in an instant, Ron still recognized a few lines of text.

“'Mystery' and 'mithril'…”

Ron murmured to himself, deciding that once he returned to the "Potion Era," he would definitely search for the related [Potion Sequence].

Just now, 404 used this spear to directly increase Ron's [Illusion Dissolve] damage by 91%!

This level of damage occurred after he had already advanced to Lv.3 and used [Illusion Dissolution]...

Ron couldn't even imagine what kind of sequence ability 404 had used!

This is definitely from a genuine [Potion Sequence], and may even possess the power of a Sequence Six or even a Sequence Five...

I have no idea how 404 is used.

Could it be that she really isn't just a Level 5 superpowered individual...?

She even ventured into the [Potion Sequence] in this era, existing as a powerful superhuman?
Ron fell into deep thought and stood there without saying a word.

But... no one else knows that Ron fell silent because he was trying to figure out what sequence ability 404 had used.

The freshmen below the stage stared at Ron in disbelief, and for a moment they were speechless.

In their view, Ron had been standing there quietly since he took the stage, and all abilities he possessed were shattered and dissipated within a five-meter radius around him.

Even the lance that had suddenly become much stronger, far surpassing the one that Yu'an had barely managed to block with all his might and using the [Ability Formula], was ineffective.

It only rushed within three or four meters of Ron before stopping, shattering, and dissipating, failing to have any effect on him.

Even with three waves of attacks combined, 404 couldn't budge Ron no matter how hard they tried...

This performance is far superior to that of Yu'an!
At this moment, Yu An, who had just stepped off the stage and refused to leave with the school doctor in order to watch Ron's assessment, suddenly couldn't hold back anymore.

His smiling expression froze, like a rooster that had been clucking but was suddenly grabbed and strangled.

What a joke!
How did he manage to do that?!

Clearly, there's no [ability formula], and in reality, he's not as powerful as me...

That kind of performance... could it be...?

Yu'an recalled what his father had told him about the "historical void" and the "Anti-Mystic Equation." No wonder Tian Ting Media invested heavily in Ron, supporting him in completing Prometheus's "Experiment of Knowledge"... He had been blessed by the "Anti-Mystic Equation"!

This guy is so lucky...

Euan's face was grim as he stared intently at Ron.

At that moment, as if sensing Yu'an's gaze, Ron slightly turned his head and looked at Yu'an.

"Stop looking, I don't take on apprentices."

He shrugged: "You don't have the talent... You can't learn it like this."

Yu An's face immediately darkened.

He wasn't stupid; he could tell that Ron was deliberately mocking his earlier words, "Watch and learn carefully," when he went on stage...

Hmph... It's just the blessing of the [Anti-Mystic Equation]!

What use are they in actual superpower battles?
When the monthly exam comes, I'll show you what true strength is...

Superpowers aren't about being special in these minor details to beat others!

What truly judges the strength of a superpowered individual is their personal reality and computational ability...

He's just a superhuman who hasn't even been able to construct a [power formula]!
Yu An gritted her teeth, unwilling to humiliate herself further, and turned to leave decisively.

Watching You An hurriedly run away, Yun Xiaoxiao, who had secretly sat in the back row, raised her phone and snapped a series of photos of You An fleeing in panic.

Then, along with the photo of Ron standing motionless while receiving all the abilities, he sent it all to An Hui:
[Yun Xiaoxiao: [Images], [Images], [Images], [Images], [Images]...]

She then briefly explained what Ron had done in a few words, and then typed resentfully:

[Yun Xiaoxiao: Hagi Hui, you're such a good liar!]

[Yun Xiaoxiao: Your childhood friend is clearly Ron, but every time I ask you, you say he's just an ordinary person from the outer city who came to District D, like you. If I ask again, you say he's in debt, has average grades, barely passable abilities, low emotional intelligence, and average looks. This afternoon, you even pretended not to know Ron—]

She paused, then her slender white fingers pounded the phone screen as if she were about to shatter it.

[Yun Xiaoxiao: You liar! You're a super, invincible, top-tier liar!]

At this moment, An Hui, who had been taken to the school hospital by the school doctor and had been resting on the bed for a while, gradually recovered. When she saw the chat history that popped up on her phone, she couldn't help but raise the corners of her mouth.

Standing on the stage without saying a word, pretending to be an expert, is that how you quickly pass the principal's assessment...?

Although it seemed shocking, An Hui had expected it all along.

Ron is so strong, it's only natural that he could do something like this, right?
But Xiaoxiao...

An Hui looked at the questions in the chat history, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. She deliberately replied to Yun Xiaoxiao with only three unanswerable words—

[An Hui: What happened?]

[Yun Xiaoxiao: ?]

【Yun Xiaoxiao: ! 】

[Yun Xiaoxiao: (99+ unread messages)]

Everyone was incredibly shocked to see Ron pass 404's test so easily, and 404 himself was no exception.

She stared intently at Ron for a long time, scrutinizing him as she pondered something, her brows furrowing slightly, as if she wasn't in a good mood.

She suddenly said:

"Where are you from?"

Ron was taken aback when he heard the question.

He had anticipated various issues with 404 errors, but he never expected this person's first question would be this...

Will District D be subject to regional discrimination?
He was amused by his own absurd thoughts and almost couldn't suppress the urge to smile.

He adjusted his expression before answering:

"I used to live in Zone D, but because of my good college entrance exam results, [Tian Ting Media] invested in me, so I've been living in Zone B for the summer..."

"Sector D..."

404 muttered to himself, his expression gradually softening.

She looked at Ron, and a hint of joy finally appeared in her eyes.

404, a smile playing on his lips, no longer displaying his previous lazy and indifferent demeanor, gave Ron a thumbs-up:
"very good."

She praised softly, her tone full of nostalgia:
"I haven't seen someone like you in a long time..."

She was silent for a moment, as if she was thinking about something.

But in the end, he shook his head and banished the nostalgia from his mind.

Perhaps because she was in a good mood, she casually said:
"Three thousand... no, five thousand, five thousand credits."

"Your performance deserves this reward—and it's far from enough."

404 looked at Ron with appreciation and said gently:

"Tell me, what do you want?"
"You can think of me as the legendary Holy Grail, or as an all-powerful wish-granting machine..."

"—As long as what you say is within my authority, I can give it to you as a reward."

As she spoke, she played with her long hair, watching it twirl around her fingertips, forming an infinity symbol.

"The miracles I can perform are limitless."

...Isn't this Lv.5 a little too confident?
Looking at 404's matter-of-fact attitude, Ron was momentarily at a loss for words.

The miracles that can be done are infinite... Suppose Ron says he wants to become an all-knowing and all-powerful God, does a 404 error really make him do it?

It feels like pure self-aggrandizement and verbal deception...

However, despite this, Ron did not actually make such a tactless request.

He didn't want his request to be rejected because it was too difficult, and besides, as the president of Moen University, 404 might actually be able to get something useful to him within her authority...

After a moment's thought, Ron said seriously:

"I want access to Lab Zero... Could you give me that?"

As Ron spoke, seeing no response from 404, he subconsciously added:

"If that's not possible, even just related items are fine with me, as long as you think it's acceptable!"

He does need some information about Lab Zero and [Prometheus] and its [Experiment of Knowledge]—

Ron should prepare early if he has the chance, and he doesn't want to end up like Ald, suffering a lot of setbacks in the "Experiment of Knowledge".

404 glanced at Ron. His words seemed to have come as no surprise to her, and she did not show any negative reaction to his words.

Laboratory Zero's experimental privileges...

She looked at Ron, hesitated for a moment, then suddenly walked towards Ron, brushing past him.

Ron smelled the strong scent of green apples, along with a hidden, indescribable, pungent odor, almost like disinfectant...

As 404 walked past Ron, he took the opportunity to lean close to Ron's ear and whisper in a voice barely above a whisper:

"Come to the principal's office in a little while... I can wait for you for a maximum of thirty-seven minutes."

After she finished speaking concisely, she immediately brushed past Ron and walked to the front of the stage.

"Okay, it's over."

She reverted to her previous lazy demeanor. "He's the last candidate... To the remaining students who didn't participate in the assessment, I hope you won't regret it later."

As 404 spoke, he waved his hand, and the auditorium doors suddenly opened out of thin air, no longer tightly closed as before:
"That concludes today's opening ceremony. Students, feel free to do as you please—don't forget to check your class schedule on the school's official website. Tomorrow is your first day of classes, so don't make a bad impression on your teachers."

"See you again when you have a chance."

As she spoke, she simply disappeared.

She had barely uttered a word when she inexplicably vanished, just as elusive as when she first arrived at the auditorium, like an incomprehensible mystery…

Ron stared blankly as 404 disappeared, the whispered words of 404 still seemingly echoing in his ears—

Should we go to the principal's office to find her?

He even said he'd only wait thirty-seven minutes...

No matter how you look at it, a 404 error doesn't mean a rejection!
What exactly is she going to produce that she can't do in front of so many students, but only in the principal's office...?

Could it be that within her authority, she could really hand over control of Lab Zero to me directly?!
The more mysterious the reward for 404 was, the more it aroused people's imagination, and Ron's heart was filled with anticipation.

He hurried toward the auditorium exit, during which many students came up to him, trying to establish a connection and get to know Ron, but he politely declined them all…

During this time, Yun An and Marcus also excitedly gathered around Ron:
"Brother Luo! I told you you were invincible!"

Yun An laughed heartily, fanning himself with his folding fan. Marcus, unusually, didn't disagree with Yun An and nodded earnestly.
"No wonder you're the top scorer in the college entrance exam... How about we grab a bite to eat together later?"

Seeing how easily Ron passed the 404 exam, they decided to invite him out for a meal so that the newly acquainted roommates could get to know each other better...

Unfortunately, no matter who comes now, they can't stop Ron from going to the principal's office.

He made up a random excuse to decline, then hurriedly went to the [Central Hub] and swiped his student ID on the control panel—

Countless locations appeared on the [Central Hub], from the hundredth floor above ground to the underground laboratories that required access. Ron looked for a long time but still couldn't find the principal's office.

But soon, after searching carefully, Ron finally found the [Principal's Office] option, separate from the others, in the corner of the last page.

However, according to the label for the "Central Hub," it's not located within the normal Moen University City, but rather on the clock tower outside of Moen University City...

Seemingly due to permission requirements, this option remained grayed out. Ron waited a while, and it seemed the 404 error granted him the necessary permissions before the option lit up, allowing Ron to select it.

The next moment, Ron appeared in front of a closed steel gate, with a card access control next to the gate.

Ron tentatively swiped his student ID, the access light changed from red to green, and the steel gate slowly opened.

What came into view was a place that looked like a laboratory, with all sorts of experimental equipment scattered everywhere, looking quite messy.

A table was placed in the corner, which was the only relatively tidy place. All the misplaced utensils next to it were haphazardly piled together and moved aside.

At this very moment, at pointer 404, the Lv.5 president of Moen University is sitting at his desk, holding a thick stack of files and carefully examining them.

Hearing Ron enter, she didn't even look up, and said very crisply and decisively:

"I've seen your file... You signed a confidentiality agreement, learned the secrets of 'The Hollow,' and accepted investment from [Tian Ting Media]—"

"You want to complete Prometheus's Experiment of Knowledge and become the last Lv.5, right?"

Is that a very direct question?
Are all Lv.5 members of 【Moen Business】so straightforward?

Ron looked at 404, who was sitting at the table, munching on a green apple while looking at the thick files. Seeing no hostility from her, he didn't bother to hide his intentions and said bluntly:
“That’s right… I want to take control of the sector permissions of [Prometheus] and become the final Lv.5.”

"Ha...that's ambitious."

404 chuckled, finally putting down the file and looking at Ron:

"But I don't recommend you do it."

She looked at Ron seriously, and seeing his hesitant expression, clearly unwilling to accept it, she gently advised him:
“You don’t need to resist… I don’t want to waste your talent, nor am I saying this to hinder you.”

"If you give up the Prometheus Experiment of Knowledge, I can give you control over Hestia right now."

"So, are you tempted?"

What are the responsibilities of Hestia?

How strange... This is the second time that someone has tried to get Ron into the Lv.5 level of another AI sector's access group before he even participated in the [Knowledge Experiment].

No matter how you look at it, this whole thing seems a bit abnormal.

Presumably, becoming a holder of access to other intelligent brain sectors before participating in Prometheus's "Experiment of Knowledge" must have had some special implications...

Ron didn't want to experience firsthand whether it was good or bad.

Upon thinking of this, Ron immediately shook his head.

"No... I still want to try Prometheus's Experiment of Knowledge."

Although he was promised on the spot that he would become a Level 4, Ron was not tempted at all.

He could refuse Leonard's invitation before, and he can refuse 404's invitation now.

He didn't want to be stuck at the top, spending his entire life as a mediocre Lv.4, losing any chance of competing for Lv.5...

"My permissions don't allow me to directly grant you ownership of Lab Zero. You must achieve the top ranking in your department by the end of this year to be eligible to compete for Lab Zero..."

"Then, this is all the reward you can get."

404 sighed and tossed the file in his hand to Ron.

"This is the experimental file left behind by the professor who attempted to complete the 'Prometheus' experiment and destroyed Lab Zero. I've granted you access to it; you can view it now—"

"Take a look. Once you've seen it, you'll understand why I advised you to give up."

Ron was taken aback upon hearing this.

The professor's lab records?
Isn't that Teacher Deng Yin?
Unexpectedly, Professor Deng Yin left behind experimental records... Considering that his experiment had already triggered the "void," he was clearly on the right track.

I think I can learn something useful here...

He looked expectantly at the experimental file in his hand, only to hear the error message "404" again in his ear:
"Actually, I wanted to save your life..."

She sighed as she spoke:
"After all... to complete this [experiment of seeking knowledge]..."

"But we're going to the 'spirit world'."

(End of this chapter)