The weightlessness from falling from the sky was but an instant.
Ronald didn’t have time to savor this bungee-jumping-like experience, as the next second, his feet were already stepping back onto the floor.
By the time everything in his vision cleared,
he found himself back in the Data Research Society’s underground laboratory.
As Ronald made his choice,
the illusion brought about by the trial of the "original" vanished quite abruptly.
It was at this moment that the blue magical energy, which had been teetering on the edge of a rampage, began to converge rapidly around Ronald and finally gathered in the palm of his hand.
When the dust settled, a book with no reaction whatsoever was held in his grasp.
"So it is as I thought..."
Ronald looked down at it.
Indeed, the artifact he now held in his hands was the same one he had just encountered in the trial, the book that Harl had riskily experimented with before.
Unfortunately, aside from himself, the laboratory was empty.
Harl and Edwards, also drawn into the illusionary trial by the "original," hadn’t even left their corpses behind.
Undoubtedly, these two Caster who had once served the Scroll Research Society had departed this world, left behind forever in the unfindable trial world after the failure of their trial.
At this moment, standing at the laboratory door, Hughes was the first to rush in.
This Caster scanned the laboratory but could not find Harl or Edwards anywhere, no matter how hard he looked.
Being a Caster capable of leading the "original" experiment,
Hughes certainly understood what this phenomenon meant.
Ronald’s two former colleagues had obviously perished in the trial of the "original."
With a complex look and a sigh, Hughes slowed his steps as he continued towards Ronald.
Behind him, Daedalus walked over at a leisurely pace.
His gaze firmly fixed on the "original" in Ronald’s hands, the old man immediately confirmed:
"Ronald, it looks like you have succeeded."
"Mission accomplished," Ronald nodded.
In the face of Daedalus’ gaze, he generously handed over Daedalus’ Book while also opening his other hand to show he was not hiding anything.
"The process was somewhat troublesome, but fortunately, I succeeded."
"It’s just a pity about Harl and Edwards..."
After receiving Daedalus’ Book from Ronald and flipping through it to confirm its authenticity, Daedalus adopted a somber expression and nodded:
"Yes, it is truly sad."
"Our two faithful companions have departed just like that."
"However, Ronald, did you suffer any injuries in the trial, do you need healing?"
Ronald glanced out of the corner of his eye at his own hands.
The injuries sustained during the trial hadn’t followed him back to reality.
There were no signs of injuries, whether it was the bleeding palm or the excruciatingly painful shoulder.
So he shook his head:
"It seems there are no problems."
Upon hearing Ronald’s response, Daedalus immediately continued:
"That’s good to hear. If you find any hidden dangers later on, you can come directly here to the Research Society, and we will make sure to take care of everything for you."
After a few words, Daedalus then walked out of the laboratory with the "original" in hand.
However, as he reached the laboratory door, he didn’t forget to make a final promise to Ronald:
"Ronald, you’ve really been through a lot this time."
"I give you my word that I will secure the promised rewards for you in the shortest possible time."
"Work relating to the ’original’ is significant, and now I have to deal with some related matters; if you have any questions, just ask Hughes."
"Since that’s the case, then I look forward to your good news."
After a few words, Oppenheim had no further delay.
And as Oppenheim’s hurried figure left through the laboratory door, Ronald turned his gaze to Hughes, who was still in the lab.
It’s not that he was so devastated as to have a mental breakdown, but compared to the times Ronald had seen Hughes leading research.
Now, he did indeed appear less vibrant.
Sitting somewhat lonely on a chair in the laboratory, the man looked upon everything in the lab with a complex expression in his eyes.
There seemed to be some reminiscence, and some letting go.
Ronald quietly walked over and sat next to Hughes before starting on a less sensitive topic,
"Mr. Hughes, I remember Mou Li was also working here before."
"How come she’s no longer seen around here?"
Upon hearing Ronald’s question, Hughes shook his head with a bitter smile.
"As for her, she should be above, changing her own state by now."
"The school she belongs to is quite unique, and it’s not feasible to keep the current situation continuous. But you don’t need to worry, from the time I joined the research club in my youth, that lady has always been in control."
Hearing Hughes’s words, Ronald’s mouth twitched slightly, almost imperceptibly.
He noticed the ’from the time I joined the research club in my youth’ in Hughes’s statement.
If he wasn’t mistaken, Mou Li’s age didn’t seem to be consistent with what Ronald had observed.
In the "Scroll Research Club," Mou Li was likely a senior member with quite some ’tenure.’
And thinking of the original text...
Such a text involving psychology is not something even Ronald, who had read it in full, could easily speculate on her abilities.
Faced with this reality,
Ronald could only marvel at the myriad peculiarities of these casters.
While Ronald was mixed with emotions due to this discovery, Hughes, sitting beside him, shifted his gaze towards him.
As a researcher who had weathered many storms,
In just a few minutes, Hughes had completely accepted the reality, and his expression returned to its proper calmness and stability.
Then, out of habit as a researcher, he began to inquire of Ronald,
"Ronald, you just successfully passed the original text trial, right?"
"Though it may be presumptuous to ask, out of a researcher’s curiosity, I hope you can talk about what happened during the original text trial."
Ronald quickly perceived the potential in the other’s question.
Seeing that he was about to leave the "Scroll Research Club," he posed a less cautious counter-question:
"Do you plan on continuing to attempt the trial of this original text afterward?"
Hughes immediately shook his head,
"That’s not the case."
"According to our school’s records, the environment each person faces after entering the trial will have subtle differences, and it’s suicidal to simply copy someone else’s experience."
"My inquiry is simply to reference the pronunciation of the ’spell’ you experienced."
Hughes explained, his expression extremely earnest.
And having interacted with this researcher for some time, Ronald had come to understand this caster’s character.
After pondering for a moment, Ronald then spoke in the pronunciation of Ancient Greek,
"I still roughly remember this word, Daedalus."