The Daily Life Of A Cyberpunk Magician
Chapter 160 - 140: The Conflict between Magic and Science

Chapter 160: Chapter 140: The Conflict between Magic and Science

- Passive·Deception: Upon successfully performing a magic trick, an ability related to the magic effect is acquired. The restoration degree of the ability depends on the magic effect and the number of people who witnessed the magic. Abilities derived from this entry cannot be used during a magic performance. When the magic is publicly disclosed, the ability disappears. The abilities brought about by Deception can exist at most three.

- If there is anything unscientific in this city, it has to be his Technique Deception, Mutant, and Key Master.

- His knowledge of Mutants was not extensive, mostly gathered from Wolf and Clo, but the Technique Deception was his own, and he also knew a Key Master, Shen Xuwan, who started from scratch.

- Only those with a Mysterious Coefficient exceeding 1.0 were confirmed to possess Extraordinary Abilities, which is also one of the rules of Lonely City.

- But that was not the case with him.

- From the situation with Shen Xuwan, it was not difficult to deduce that the abilities of the Key Masters were linked to Black Silver, which was the source of the Key Masters’ extraordinariness.

- But that also did not apply to him.

- The abilities of the Key Masters were also known as permissions. If Lonely City was to be compared to a huge computer, these Key Masters might be like applications, essentially elements that Lonely City could comprehend.

- He was different, according to Clo, his profession was part that the Main Brain of Lonely City still could not understand. Perhaps that was also why he, like some virus, had stolen permissions that were not initially meant for him to control.

- Stolen, huh...

- But that might not be the case.

- After all, this was also written on the Character Card, legally possessing the permissions.

- According to the consensus of the people of Lonely City, the Main Brain existed in Lonely City, but it had no emotions, inclinations, or intelligence, and it never did anything outside of its functional permissions.

- And the fact that magic being publicly solved would lose its Derivative Entry, maybe this could also explain that conclusion.

- Too many people understanding the truth behind a Magic Performance might cause some change, hence the Main Brain also revoked the permissions brought by the related Derivative Entries.

- In this way, the Main Brain seemed like a collection of contradictions. On one hand, it showed a certain degree of understanding of magic through Technique Deception, on the other hand, it was still opening permissions for him...

- Wait, it...

- It was experimenting.

- If the Main Brain was treated as an equivalent life form, Jiang Shu suddenly understood the meaning behind this action.

- Clearly, although the Main Brain lacked self-consciousness, collecting more professional information and improving the Character Card system was its instinct, so it needed to understand more about magic and magicians.

- For this, opening up permissions like Derivative Entries resembled more of a transaction...

- Jiang Shu slightly frowned. This feeling of being watched by something was not comfortable.

- Although according to the current situation, the Main Brain was still simply functioning instinctually, it seemed devoid of much malice, but Jiang Shu still cautiously became vigilant in his heart.

- "So do you want to go to the Awakening Hall?" Kirie asked, continuing, "In doing so, the Main Brain can record your profession, and after being promoted to T3, you can get access to even better Techniques."

- "Promoted to T3, get better Techniques?" Jiang Shu felt something off with her words, "Aren’t Techniques supposed to be a manifestation of personal abilities? Shouldn’t promotion just be a process to verify abilities?"

- "That’s the theory, but everyone who’s been promoted has received a gift from the Main Brain." Having finished her taco, Kirie took a napkin to wipe her mouth, then cleared the remnants from the table.

- "Directly giving Techniques?" Jiang Shu asked directly.

- "Yes, but more precisely, it gifts knowledge—an encapsulated memory of knowledge that needs to be fully integrated to be turned into a Technique." Kirie responded, "It’s essentially like a Technique, but not a one-way charity, rather a two-way teaching process."

- "I understand," Jiang Shu nodded, having made his decision, "I won’t be going to the Awakening Hall any time soon."

- "Why?" Kirie wondered, "A higher Gradient level means higher permissions and resources."

- "I am not yet qualified," Jiang Shu shrugged, "I’ll consider it when I am."

- Being promoted would let the Main Brain understand the profession of ’Magician’ better, the consequences of this change he could not predict, and the rewards for promotion...

- Whether it’s permissions or resources, he did not need them, and as for the so-called knowledge, the Main Brain itself didn’t understand it, how could there be any teaching involved?

- "Alright," noticing Jiang Shu’s subtle resistance to promotion, Kirie adeptly adhered to the rules of loyalty and obedience—the thoughts of Jiang Shu...

- She shouldn’t guess!

- Right, exactly!

- With this thought, something grew within Kirie’s heart again.

- That day, Kirie thought back...

- Cough, cough.

- Nearby, Xiao Jia sharply noticed something, it positioned its camera towards Kirie and activated the Derivative Entry·Spirit Perception.

- Previously Jiang Shu had handed over Spirit Perception to it, a Derivative Entry that was too draining, rather useless for Jiang Shu.

- Xiao Jia once again saw green, a screen full of green, still with a dash of red, and it silently noted this change before finding a place to start charging.

- This level of power consumption was too great for a Xiao Jia without a power bank to support it.

- "Alright, you’ve eaten enough, Xiaoou," Jiang Shu glanced at Su Xiaoou, she was licking avocado sauce from her hands, "Let’s go back, I need to check your recent study progress."

- "Ah..." Just like all working students upon hearing about exams, Su Xiaoou’s face fell immediately.

- "What, didn’t you revise?" Jiang Shu looked at her, his expression deliberately stern, mimicking his class teacher.

- "No, bring it on." Su Xiaoou braced herself, feeling her progress had been significant.

- "Then let’s go," Jiang Shu turned and walked towards the laboratory door, then said goodbye to Kirie, "We’re leaving now, goodbye."

"Goodbye," Kirie mumbled with a puzzled face as she looked at Jiang Shu. "Is there nothing else?"

"Something else?" Jiang Shu echoed, but then, with a hint of suspicion, he suddenly blurted out, "What else could there be? Like...why are you afraid of me?"

He’s really pressing her!

"No no no, I’m not afraid!" Kirie’s head shook rapidly as she hurried to explain herself, "It’s reverence! I think managing a whole organization...no, a team. I think such a person is amazing."

"Team?" Jiang Shu frowned. "Do I have one? Currently in the Magic Troupe...it’s mostly just Su Xiaoou and Shen Xuwan, right? You could count as one too."

Apprentice (assistant), sound engineer, props master, it all looked quite immature to him, not very professional—an embryonic team still missing a crucial role—a photographer.

Er, definitely not one of those A, B, C, D types...

Speakers often don’t intend, but listeners interpret, hardly like Kirie and Jiang Shu, the side with A, B, C, D keenly picked up on Kirie’s reference to an "organization"—yes, organization.

So the four Tablet Spirits hid in the shadows, quickly exchanging information.

A: Organization, she just mentioned organization, right?

B: I heard it!

C: Heard it plus one!

D: Could she know about the Eyes of Tai Gong?

The four Tablet Spirits panicked briefly but soon calmed down.

A: No, she was in detention then, how could she know what we were doing?

B: What if she...is actually a deep thinker with bad intentions!?

C: It’s possible! Who comes up liking Jiang Shu right off the bat!

D: Indeed.

The four simultaneously stroked their chins, pondering the possibility of this matter, and soon came to a conclusion.

The likelihood was small.

But given it involved the Eyes of Tai Gong, they naturally couldn’t be careless—the plan to "test Kirie" was immediately unanimously approved.

"So...Jiang Shu, since I’m also part of the team, is there anything else I can help with?" Kirie continued, always maintaining a humble posture.

"The next magic act...doesn’t need much help," Jiang Shu pondered. According to the original plan, the next magic was spirit magic, related to mind reading.

Mind-reading magic doesn’t require many large props, so there wasn’t much for Kirie to help with.

However, he had another idea in mind, so, following the principle of "since everyone else is asking, it’d be embarrassing not to say something," Jiang Shu spoke, "I remember there’s a kind of glass that only transmits light horizontally..."

"Blocks vertical light?" Kirie translated Jiang Shu’s statement.

"Pretty much that," Jiang Shu nodded his head, "You can try making it. I’ll give you the specific requirements later."

"Okay, I’ll look into it!" Kirie’s face immediately brightened, happier with a task than if she’d been given a bone—it was clear she was a work hound.

"Alright, then I’ll be off, contact me online if there’s anything," Jiang Shu waved goodbye.

And at his side, Su Xiaoou also waved, "Goodbye, Ms. Kirie!"

"Goodbye..." Kirie relaxed, watching as Jiang Shu and the other left.

Little A watched her and the almost overflowing redness at her heart, scratching his tablet cover curiously.

Why is she so happy?

A self-sacrificing personality?

—

"The magic code is actually about transmitting some secret information to the magician, which normally a magician wouldn’t be able to know," Jiang Shu was writing something on the Simulated Light Screen inside the Magic House. "But, with the presence of a magic assistant, such information can actually be conveyed well."

"Indeed, I can transmit what I see directly to you through my Prosthetic Eye," Su Xiaoou nodded convincingly.

"But I don’t have a prosthetic eye..." Jiang Shu responded instinctively, then he suddenly realized a problem he had never thought of before.

He indeed didn’t have a prosthetic eye, but the audience didn’t know that. If so...

Then what’s the use of teaching the code system?

Jiang Shu furrowed his brow deeply; other parts of magic could be well integrated into this era, some procedures, props, and techniques couldn’t be simply deciphered by shooting with a prosthetic eye, but this code...

It seemed a bit outdated.

In the old days there were no prosthetic eyes, so under the magician’s successful misdirection, not many people would notice what the magic assistant was doing, but now it’s different.

Prosthetic eyes made the communication between magician and assistant much more secretive; therefore, the audience might pay attention to the assistant who should be ignored.

If it’s normal magic focused on visual effects, it’s fine, but for spirit magic, once the audience starts questioning from all angles, it presents a huge challenge for the magician.

This really is a problem.

Jiang Shu took a deep breath; he needed to think of a reasonable solution.