Chapter 67: The Pathway of Spellcraft

Murphy pondered and asked, "What if I don't want to rely on the 'Magic Network'? Can I visualize the most detailed outcome in my mind and directly complete the magic?"

Haldan shook his head, "That's impossible. Human perception only goes as far as 'objects'. We can imagine a grain of sand, but how can you imagine all the angles and grooves on it? The positions and states of all the silicon dioxide in it? If you can't, then all the gaps in your imagination are filled by the 'Magic Network'."

"What about using a model or formula?" Murphy continued, "For example, gold. We know its atomic composition and crystal structure. I can build its overall model; it's just a simple unit cell repeating. Can't I generate it directly without the 'Magic Network'?"

After some thought, Haldan said, "I don't think it would be that simple."

"I mentioned the Probability Payment Hypothesis earlier. The probability of a gold atom emerging from quantum fluctuations is extremely small, let alone generating an entire macroscopic piece of matter..."

"Okay, let's change the example. What if we make the 'Reducto' spell tear an object into regular shapes? Like this table in front of us, connecting the midpoints of opposite sides to form two intersecting centerlines, and using them as the tear lines to split the table into four even pieces?"

"That..." Haldan hesitated, "In theory, it should be possible. But your description and imagery are still quite vague. For example, how straight are the two lines you draw? Are they visually straight, or mathematically strict straight lines? Or, are you tearing apart van der Waals forces or chemical bonds?"

Murphy: "If I want to split this table into four pieces along two mathematically straight lines, cutting through molecular interactions, chemical bonds, or even strong and weak nuclear forces, can that be done?"

"If that's how you imagine the result and cast the spell, you're only setting a few rules and not completely replacing the 'Magic Network'. For example, how exactly do you sever those electromagnetic, strong, and weak nuclear forces? The process is somewhat like you providing the construction plan, but the actual road-building is still done by the Magic Network."

"Unless your perception level reaches the nanoscale, and you can perceive the existence of molecules and atoms, even protons and neutrons, and dictate all their subsequent related movements to separate them. Only then can you be said to have bypassed the 'Magic Network' and completed the magic yourself."

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

After thinking, Murphy said, "Relying on a black box doesn't equate to omniscience and omnipotence."

Like those novel protagonists who rely on their golden fingers; without it, they are nothing.

"Magical power is also a black box," Haldan said. "But I think I understand what you mean, boss."

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

"We humans perceive the world in 'objects'. When we want to operate on macroscopic objects, this level of perception is sufficient, like making a book float or throwing a rock."

"We can understand and manipulate objects at this perception level with classical physics."

"But if you want to finely manipulate smaller substances, your senses, like vision and touch, need to at least distinguish objects at that scale, like seeing a cell through a microscope. You can only manipulate something precisely if you can perceive it."

"And this is just a possibility."

"In fact, I suspect, just as there is a precision in our control of our bodies, there might also be a minimum precision problem in a wizard's control of magical power, which is control precision."

"Besides the hard conditions of perception precision and control precision, you also need a wealth of knowledge at various cognitive precisions."

"At the most microscopic level, it's quantum physics; at the material level, it's chemistry, polymer chemistry; at the cellular level, it's molecular biology, cell genetics; at the organ level, it's medicine, physiology; at the object level, it's classical physics, and on a larger scale, it's relativity and cosmology."

"This knowledge will help you construct the path with the least 'probability payment' cost."

"Lastly, you need strong computational capabilities to process the massive amount of information and calculations involved in the process."

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

"But without the 'Magic Network', you have to construct this optimal solution yourself."

"In summary: perception precision, magical power control precision, knowledge, computational ability... all are indispensable. But if all these conditions are met, you can have abilities similar to the Magic Network."

"You can manipulate magic and the world at will, from the macroscopic mountains and seas to the microscopic particles and fields. Your spells will fulfill all your wills. By then, you will be omniscient and omnipotent."

Murphy was silent for a while, then stood up, "Thank you for enlightening me. Your conjectures and hypotheses about magic are very valuable."

"I'd like you to establish a research group, like the transformation group, to study how to enhance these four abilities in wizards."

Murphy patted his shoulder, "Congratulations, you've found the second pathway for a wizard to ascend to godhood."

"I want to name it: 'The Pathway of Spellcraft'."

...

"Things are getting tough here," Murphy received a call from Patrick after returning to the ground. "By next week at the latest, a full investigation might be launched. They've involved the tax department now, asking for all our accounting information."

"FXXK!"

Murphy cursed silently, but remained calm on the phone.

He reassured Patrick, "Prepare to transfer core businesses. Worst case, we'll move to Iceland or Southeast Asia. What's there to fear? If we can build one Umbrella, we can make a second."

"Guess that's the only way," Patrick sighed on the other end.

As they spoke, Murphy saw a familiar news report on the TV.

He frowned and turned up the volume.

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

"The warehouse, located in the south section of the Wilhouse Storage Center in the old dock area, was rented by Pansibo Company two months ago for storing hazardous chemical products."

"There were no casualties from the explosion. The exact cause is still under investigation. Now, on to another news item..."

After confirming that the warehouse mentioned was indeed his, Murphy quickly hung up and called his hazard team. "What happened? Wasn't it supposed to be non-lethal traps? What exactly did you use?"

"A few animal traps and a couple of trip mines."

"Trip mines?"

"We set claymore mines at some points. If the intruders were deterred by the earlier traps, they wouldn't trigger them."

Murphy: "..."

Claymore mines?

You call that a non-lethal trap?!