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Dear readers, please note that we're skipping chapter 153, for the whole chapter was the author's feelings about the book going premium (the original website's patron system). Don't be surprised when you clicked 'Next Chapter' and it opens up to chapter 154.
Even though Adam had transformed the devil into a magical wand, he didn't make him stay that way all the time. When they weren't in a fight, he allowed him to move around on his own. This freedom made the devil behave more wildly. The devil started feeling nervous, thinking that having such a powerful owner meant it could be destroyed any moment.
Once the devil was gone, Adam went inside his special lab for avatars.
This lab had become huge, having been made bigger many times. All around, there were numbered dishes set in a row, stretching as far as one could see. Each dish had an avatar inside, and they all looked just like Adam.
Adam had just finished studying soul-splitting magic runes. He picked out three main runes from them. With a bit of tweaking, Adam believed he could separate things without touching the soul.
Thud.
A dull sound rang out as the head of one avatar, looking just like Adam, burst open like an overripe fruit, making a messy splash on its dish.
Adam looked at this particular avatar, which had the number 213, and noted down why it failed: Unknown.
That's right, he didn't know why. Adam was sure he got the rune changes right. Now, he could split specific information without messing with the soul. But every time he tried the magic on an avatar, the same terrible thing happened.
"What's going wrong?"
Adam was really confused. Some information was clearly getting into the avatar using his new magic. So, why do they keep exploding?
Not having any idea, Adam decided to take a break from testing. Even if it was just a copy of him that was destroyed, it felt really strange, almost like he was hurting himself.
After stepping out of the avatar lab, Adam looked over all the notes from his tests in the past month. Then, a bright idea popped into his head, and he hurried back inside.
"Starting experiment number 214. Ready the recorder."
"Get the special setting ready."
"Open up the dish."
"Time to draw the runes."
The recorder's emotionless voice echoed around the lab. Adam was laser-focused on what he was doing next. This part was crucial to understand why his tests kept failing.
Bright symbols appeared around Adam's head, making an invisible bridge between his brain and the avatar's. An unknown force wrapped around Adam's soul. He could feel some information being pulled out and moving into the copied brain via the bridge.
Thud.
"Experiment failed again. Reason unknown."
Yet another clone didn't make it. But this time, Adam wasn't scratching his head in confusion. Instead, a spark of realization lit up his eyes. He finally figured out why it was going wrong.
The act of splitting the soul was a deeply complex magic. Even though Adam tweaked it, its core function stayed the same. His modifications made the magic a bit out of sync. What he was separating wasn't tied to the soul or thoughts; it was just a type of spiritual energy wrapped in magic.
While the clone was made using Adam's DNA, its body and brain were way more delicate. They simply couldn't handle these intense magical and spiritual forces. So, the clone's head bursting open was a sad but expected result.
It looked like Adam had hit a wall with his experiments. He couldn't move forward without involving the soul. But then, a bright idea flashed in his mind.
The Mage Network!
Way back when he was just starting out, Adam had wondered about how the high-ranking mages communicated. Battlemages had this massive 'web' connecting all souls, but how did the tower mages, who stayed out of the war, chat quickly?
In terms Adam understood, it was like a 'local area network' or LAN.
He didn't really need to split up so many pieces of soul. If he set himself as the main computer, and the clones like smaller connected computers in this LAN, he could assign jobs. This way, clones could work on their own research projects. They might not get updates in real-time, but Adam could check in and gather data from the network now and then.
Given that the Mage Network already existed, putting this plan in action shouldn't be too hard. Adam felt sure that if he talked to Victor, he could make it work.
Fast forward three days, and after a chat with Victor, Adam had tweaked the tower's Mage Network tech and got it working for the clones.
He decided to set up a network that looked like a tree. The symbols for this LAN were added to his own soul and the brains of every clone. This meant the main Adam was the one starting the network and dealing with the data. Each clone connected to the network through these symbols, which gave them the power to think and process info like a machine.
The downside? The clones couldn't think on their own. They only thought when they were linked to the network. But that was good enough.
This way, clones could think and work within set limits. It was as if Adam had shared a piece of his own brain power without losing any of his smarts. For Adam, this approach was way better than making clones the old-fashioned way.
With this, the All-Adam Laboratory project was a success. Now, Adam's next job was to work out and test the last two formulas in Maxwell's equations: Gauss's law and Gauss's law for magnetism.
For Adam, diving deep into research was pure joy. Engrossed in his experiments, he'd often forget about the world outside.
However, his serene days were suddenly disrupted during his second year's third month as a mage.
A message from the Mage Network snapped Adam back to reality: "Mage Adam, please report to the Assigning Apartment on the Tower's third floor for a Plane exploration mission within the next 24 hours."
Quietly, Adam scanned the room, seeing his numerous avatars engrossed in their tasks. After giving them their next assignments, he called back the devil through their bond. With a mix of excitement and trepidation, he began his journey to the third floor of the Tower.
The task hall was a hive of activity. Dressed in the attire of a level-one mage, Adam blended seamlessly into the crowd. He acknowledged mages he recognized with a polite nod as he continued on. As he ventured further, the number of mages dwindled. Reaching the end, with only a few mages watching with intrigued looks, he stepped into the special task section.
He'd assumed his mission would be handed over by some transdimensional mage, but to his astonishment, it was the Tower's Spirit---whom he once theorized might be a kind of advanced AI.
"Identity confirmed. Level-one Explorer, Adam," the Tower's Spirit's emotionless voice echoed in his mind. After the brief verification, a panel with information and several mysterious tools floated towards him.
"Mage Adam, take three days to get acquainted with your equipment and the mission's specifics. Afterward, use the portal to get close to the provided mission coordinates and start your first task."
As the Spirit of the Tower faded away, the devil's boisterous laughter filled the air. "Ah, ha, ha! At last, the day has come! Prepare, simple folk, for you're about to witness the might of my grand master!"