The First Strange Construction

The book wasn't thick, only fifty-odd pages. Since Chaoyang skipped around and only read what interested him, he finished the entire book in almost fifteen minutes.

He discovered that Glaic Academy wasn't a true academy in the conventional sense, but rather a company with immense power.

The product this Company peddled was knowledge.

And the reason they could achieve this was all thanks to possessing a First-Class Wonder, the "Myriad Machine."

The receptionist's explanation wasn't entirely accurate. There was only one true Myriad Machine, located in Star Mountain City on the Old Continent. It was almost as large as a building. Whether it was for security reasons or not, the Glaic Academy Records didn't include a photograph of it, instead using a hand-drawn sketch to depict its grandeur and incredibility.

Its appearance was entirely different from the "mechanical giraffe" in the room. It was more like a colossal collection of pipe organs, with tens of thousands of metal pipes packed tightly together. A person used for comparison would be as small as a matchstick. Chaoyang conservatively estimated that this pile of pipes, varying in size, was at least thirty meters tall. If there was any similarity to the machine before him, it was that the pipes ultimately converged into an octahedron.

The structure beneath the "pipe organ" was equally complex. At first glance, it resembled rows of massive server racks, but the sketch offered no clue as to the internal structure of these steel cabinets.

Chaoyang also noticed a detail: the entire Myriad Machine was housed in an even larger structure, with no windows visible around it. Given the astonishing span of the building, he inferred from his limited architectural knowledge that this structure was likely located underground.

What the old man referred to as the "main body" was indeed this astonishing machine.

As for how the Myriad Machines in other locations connected to the main body and how book results were retrieved, the Records didn't provide detailed explanations. It was important to remember that radio technology didn't exist yet, let alone ultra-long-range directional data transmission! Chaoyang didn't know if Glaic Academy was deliberately concealing this information or if they simply felt it didn't need explaining.

After finishing the book, he felt goosebumps rise on his arm.

Although the sky-high wish power had already indicated that this world was far from ordinary, there had always been a sense of unreal distance. Now, he realized he was standing before extraordinary power.

More crucially, this extraordinary power wasn't hidden or elusive; its influence on the mundane world had already spread to every corner.

For instance, the Myriad Machine could not only retrieve books but also record knowledge. The Glaic Academy Records clearly stated that any useful knowledge could be uploaded through terminals in various locations. Once it was indexed by the Myriad Machine, a substantial reward would be given. Furthermore, anyone who later accessed this knowledge would generate additional rewards for the uploader.

This was practically a knowledge tax!

No wonder they could build such a magnificent hotel-like academy in Glorious Fortress, all the way on the New Continent. Imagine, if all the books in the world were stored in the Myriad Machine, the wealth generated just from the service fees would likely be an astronomical figure!

And it had no competitors.

Because there was only one Myriad Machine in the world.

In a sense, Glaic Academy had become a monopoly enterprise for knowledge.

So, the question arose: how did this Company obtain the Myriad Machine?

The answer was undoubtedly hidden within the peculiar term "First-Class Wonder."

Chaoyang, filled with excitement, initiated a new query to the Myriad Machine.

"Hello, we've recorded a total of six consultations and three book printouts, with a total charge of five hundred and ten Ceriel," the receptionist at the front desk said with a smile. "After deducting the deposit, you still owe four hundred and ten Ceriel."

I was careless!

As Chaoyang paid, he wailed internally. His excitement had made him forget the academy's exorbitant fees, and only at checkout did he realize he had spent nearly half his savings!

Although he could use his replication ability to skip the payment, it wasn't the best course of action. After all, visiting such a convenient "super library" just once wouldn't be enough, and he didn't want to attract suspicion here for now.

"Thank you for your patronage!" The receptionist's mustache twitched upwards as he counted the money. "People like you, who love knowledge and are willing to spend money on books, are becoming increasingly rare. This is my business card—" He handed over a small card. "May I ask what I should call you?"

Chaoyang took it and looked. It read: "Glaic Academy, Glorious Fortress Branch Manager, Kavli Borde."

"You're... the manager?" he asked in surprise.

"Yes, you thought I was just a receptionist, didn't you? Actually, there's not much difference." The old man seemed to see through everything and said without reservation, "Serving those who love books is my honor."

"A pleasure. My name is... Chao," Chaoyang hesitated before finally choosing the same name as the Detective. "I have a question. The printed books are all stored in the academy, right?"

"Yes."

"Then wouldn't the people who read them first be at a disadvantage? After all, consulting the main body and printing costs over a hundred silver, while later visitors only need to pay ten silver to view them."

"Indeed." He nodded. "But this is only a difference in monetary cost. Those who read first gain knowledge sooner and are more likely to gain a competitive advantage. Just like you—"

"Me?" Chaoyang blinked.

"I can count on one hand the people who come to the academy for the first time and spend five hundred Ceriel. And they all shine brightly in their respective fields. I believe... you will be no exception."

Uh... become a super Demon and shine brightly in collecting wish power? Why does that image seem a bit strange?

"As for those who come later, although they lose the first-mover advantage, they can access new knowledge at a lower cost, which also benefits the progress of the world," Borde continued. "One of the academy's main goals is to continuously push the world forward, and knowledge is indispensable in this process."

Chaoyang coughed twice. "If that's the case, why doesn't the academy simply lower its prices? Or sell books outright?"

"Mr. Chao, knowledge inherently has a threshold. If the academy were to arbitrarily lower prices, people wouldn't flock here and would instead look down on those who acquired knowledge at a high cost." He smiled. "Of course, we also implement many mechanisms to ensure more people can read books. For example, for textbooks used in schools across various regions, Glaic Academy only charges 10% of the fee, and so on. In short, this is a very complex consideration, and I believe headquarters has its reasons for establishing these rules."

Chaoyang remained noncommittal. However, he knew that no matter what he said now, he couldn't change this behemoth of an institution.

On the carriage ride back, Chaoyang saw a steam train passing through the city. It moved slowly but powerfully, its plumes of white smoke stretching long behind it, like a five-clawed cloud dragon.

But this time, his feeling towards this steel machine was completely different from before.

Because Chaoyang knew, it was also a Wonder.