Hogwarts: From Selling White Peppers to Becoming a God

Chapter 67 The Path of Spellcasting

Murphy thought for a moment and asked, "If I don't want to rely on the 'magic network,' can I visualize the most detailed result in my mind and directly complete the magic?"

Haldane shook his head. "That's impossible. Human perception only reaches the level of 'objects.' We can imagine a grain of sand, but how can you imagine all the edges and grooves on the sand? How can you imagine the position and state of all the silica in the sand? If you can't, then the blank spaces in your imagination are filled with a 'magic net.'"

"What about using some kind of model or formula?" Murphy continued. "For example... gold. We already know its atomic composition and its crystal structure. I can construct its overall model. It's just a simple repetition of a unit cell. Can I generate it directly without using the 'magic net'?"

Haldane thought for a moment and said, "I think things are probably not that simple."

"I've mentioned the probability-based pay hypothesis before. The probability of a single gold atom being generated from vacuum fluctuations is extremely small, let alone the probability of generating an entire mass of macroscopic matter..."

"Okay, that example isn't right. Let's try another one. For instance, how about using the spell 'Tear Apart' to rip an object into regular shapes? Like this table in front of us, connect the midpoints of opposite sides to form two intersecting midlines, and use those as tearing lines to split the table into four even pieces?"

"This..." Haldane hesitated for a moment, "Theoretically, it should be feasible. But your description and imagery are still very vague. For example, how straight are the two lines you drew? Are they just straight lines in appearance, or straight lines in the strict mathematical sense? Or, did you break van der Waals forces, or chemical bonds?"

Murphy: "If I wanted to divide this table into four pieces using two mathematically defined straight lines, severing all intermolecular forces, chemical bonds, and strong and weak nuclear forces along the path, was that even possible?"

"If you imagine the result you want and use it to cast spells, you've only set a few rules, not completely replaced the 'magic network.' For example, what's the way to sever those electromagnetic forces and strong and weak nuclear forces? This process is roughly similar to you proposing a construction plan, but the people actually doing the work and building the road are still the magic network."

"Unless your level of cognition has reached the nanometer level, and you can perceive the existence of those molecules and atoms, and predetermine all the subsequent related trajectories for each atom and molecule, and even protons and neutrons, so that they are separated from each other, then you can be said to have basically bypassed the 'magic net' and personally completed this magic."

"But what's the point? You might as well just wish for a sharp knife to cut the table into four pieces."

Murphy thought for a moment and said, "Using a black box doesn't make one omniscient or omnipotent."

Just like those protagonists in novels who rely on cheat codes, without those cheat codes, they are nothing.

"Magic is actually a black box," Haldan said. "But I think I understand what you mean, boss."

"However, completely replacing the 'Magic Network' may be extremely difficult. First, you need to adjust the precision of your perception."

"We humans perceive the world in units of 'objects'. When we want to manipulate a macroscopic object, this perception precision is sufficient. For example, we can make a book float or launch a stone, etc."

"We can use classical physics to understand and manipulate things at this level of perceptual precision."

"But if you want to manipulate finer substances, your senses—sight, touch, etc.—must at least have something that can distinguish this scale, such as seeing a cell through a microscope. Only when you can perceive it can you manipulate it finely."

"This is only a possibility."

"In fact, I suspect that, just as we have a certain degree of precision in controlling our bodies, wizards may also have a minimum precision in controlling magic, which is the precision of control."

"In addition to the hard requirements of perception accuracy and control accuracy, you also need to have enough knowledge, knowledge of various cognitive precisions."

"At the most microscopic level, it is quantum physics; at the level of matter, it is chemistry, polymer chemistry; at the cellular level, it is molecular biology, cytogenetics; at the level of tissues and organs, it is medicine and physiology; at the level of objects, it is classical physics, and so on. As the scale continues to expand, it reaches the level of relativity and cosmology."

"This knowledge will help you build a feasible path to 'probability-based payment' with the lowest possible cost."

Finally, you also need powerful enough computing power to handle the massive amounts of information and calculations involved in the entire process.

"When you make a wish, as long as your wish is precise enough, you may get an optimal solution."

"But without the help of the 'magic network,' this optimal solution must be built by yourself."

"In summary: perception accuracy, magic control accuracy, knowledge base, computational ability... none of these can be lacking. But once all these conditions are met, you can possess abilities similar to the Magic Network."

"You can manipulate magic at will, control everything in the world, from macroscopic mountains, rivers, lakes and seas to microscopic particles and fields. Your spells will achieve all your will. At that time, you will be omniscient and omnipotent."

Murphy was silent for a moment, then stood up. "Thank you for your explanation. Your conjectures and hypotheses about magic are very valuable."

"I would like to ask you to establish a research group, just like the Transformation Research Group, to study how to improve these four abilities of wizards."

Murphy said, patting the other person on the shoulder, "Congratulations, you've found the second path for wizards to become gods."

"I want to name it: 'The Path of Spells'."

……

"I can't hold on much longer," Murphy said as he returned to the ground. Patrick called immediately afterward. "A full investigation might be launched by next week at the latest. They've already involved the tax authorities and want to access all our accounting information."

"FXXK!"

Murphy cursed under his breath, but remained calm as he put the receiver to his ear again.

They could even reassure Patrick, "Let's prepare to relocate our core business first. At worst, we can go to Iceland or Southeast Asia. What's there to be afraid of? If we can build one protective umbrella, we can build a second one."

"Well, that's just how it is."

Patrick on the other side also sighed.

While on the phone, Murphy saw a news report playing on the TV, and the images looked somewhat familiar to him.

He frowned and turned up the TV volume.

"This station reports that an explosion occurred in a warehouse in the dock area."

"The warehouse is located in the southern section of the Willhouse Storage Centre in the Old Docklands area. It is a specialty chemical storage warehouse that was leased by Pensbury Company two months ago, reportedly to store hazardous chemical products."

"No casualties were reported in the explosion. The specific cause of the explosion is still under investigation. Now let's look at another news item..."

After confirming that the warehouse mentioned on TV was indeed his, Murphy quickly told Patrick and hung up. He then dialed the emergency response team's number. "What happened? Wasn't it supposed to be a non-lethal trap? Why did it explode? What kind of thing did you use?"

"A few animal traps or similar snares and two or three trip mines."

"A trip mine?"

"We have set up Claymore mines at some locations. If the enemy is deterred and retreats after encountering the previous few ordinary traps, they will not be triggered."

Murphy: "..."

Claymore mines?

You call this a non-lethal trap?!

(End of this chapter)