Chapter 338: The Constant

Translator: Kris_Liu Editor: Vermillion

"So... you can’t find the law from the data collected?" Lucien asked carefully. He had found the way to talk to Fernando. Lucien had to purposefully make some mistakes to hide the fact that sometimes he actually knew more than his teacher.

Fernando walked back and forth impatiently in the study, "No. Based on the Equipartition Theorem, I’ve worked out a formula. Although it works perfectly with long waves, it just produced a stupid error with short waves. Can you imagine what the formula told me? It told me that the shorter the wave is, the greater the energy that can be produced. If that is true, the pope would be kneeling on the ground and kissing the tip of my shoe right now!"

Anything, such as the sun and the fire, that was above absolute zero could produce thermal radiation. It was a common belief in the Congress that the nature of the thermal radiation was the electromagnetic waves of different wavelengths. Meanwhile, as the temperature rose, more short waves of different frequencies would emerge. Within the spectrum, the visible light could have different colors. For example, the pure flame had colors including dark red, crimson, tangerine, orange-yellow, bluish-white and so on, which was in line with the change of the wavelength.

Hearing Fernando’s growling and feeling his bad temper, the name, Ultraviolet Catastrophe, suddenly came to Lucien in his mind. He did not expect that Fernando first figured out this formula.

"Can I... Can I take a look at the formula?" Lucien asked very cautiously.

Fernando yelled, "I’ve been staring at it for the whole night! I didn’t leave anything out!"

However, Fernando did not stop him. Lucien picked up the piece of paper curiously and saw the formula Fernando scrawled. The formula was exactly the same as the one in Lucien’s memory!

Seeing that Lucien was just holding the paper there but did not say anything, Fernando thought that he was verifying the formula. He waved his hand very impatiently and said, "Forget about it! This is so stupid."

When Fernando was pissed, he was also very tough with himself.

Lucien did verify the formula. What Fernando said was true.

After a while, Fernando released a long sigh, "Read the letters for me first. We’ll do another round of experiment again later."

"Yes." Lucien nodded. Then, he picked up the first letter. It was from Douglas, the Emperor of Arcana.

"...Based on the experimental data you gave me, I figured out an empirical formula from my perspective. I still believe that the nature of the thermal radiation is not the electromagnetic waves, but molecular emission from heating..."

Fernando cut in, "When it comes to thermal radiation, he’s still talking about his Particle Theory."

"Maybe we can change our perspective..." Lucien tried to be euphemistic.

Fernando curled his lip and said, "Maybe he’s the only one who can say these things without being affected. Go ahead. Let’s see what the formula is."

Lucien was a bit nervous. If the formula was again the same as what Lucien learned in the world that he originally came from, a world-shaking finding would be approaching them.

"...This is my formula. But it only works with short waves. As for the calculation of long waves, it has failed..." Lucien was totally shocked. The formula was the same!

Maybe the data collected was not accurate? Lucien could not help wondering. The closer they were to the answer, the more nervous and suspicious Lucien felt.

"It works... with short waves...? So, Particle Theory can lead to a formula that works with short waves..." murmuring, Fernando was confused.

historical

Lucien stayed focused and started to verify the two formulas in his mind using the two theories. Meanwhile, his heart beat faster and faster. He felt that a corner of the world’s truth was going to be revealed.

Was the constant going to be the same?

According to Lucien’s understanding, if there was a big difference between the two worlds, the physical constants should be different as well, which was possibly the reason why magic existed in this world. However, if the physical constants were the same, Lucien should be still in the same universe, unless there was something else that he did not understand!

After a while, when Lucien just finished verifying the formula using Particle Theory, Fernando finally calmed down a bit, "Write back to Douglas and attach my formula in the letter. See what he says. Also, copy the letter to Brook, Hathaway, Oliver, Hellen, and Vicente. Give them both of the formulas."

Lucien stopped thinking and tried to slow down his heartbeat. He pointed at the other letter on the table and said, "Mr. Brook also sent a letter here."

"Open it," said Fernando briefly.

Lucien read the letter at a moderate speed, "...Based on your data, I’ve worked out an empirical formula from the Equipartition Theorem. But the formula is ridiculous. It only works with calculating long waves, but it’s like a disaster when it comes to short waves..."

The letter was basically the same as what Fernando just said, and so was the formula Brook provided.

Fernando remained silent for quite a while. And then he said in a low voice, "Write the letters as I said. I need some time to think."

Then, he closed his eyes and leaned back against the chair.

After Lucien finished writing the letters and gave them to the Adamantium Golem, he also started working on verifying the other formula.

Time passed by. The other formula, after being verified, still remained exactly the same as Fernando’s and Brook’s answer.

Lucien’s mouth was a bit dry. His heart was beating fast again. Lucien was very nervously waiting for the answer. Staying focused and calm, he started to put the two formulas together to make it fit both of the scenarios. When doing this, everything faded away from Lucien, except the voice of demon and devil lingering in his ears, which made him feel dizzy from time to time.

Lucien’s black eyes became cold. He was totally dedicated, and the formula slowly came into being.

...

In the headquarter office of Arcana.

Drummond pushed open the office door and pointed at the couch, "Ms. Isabella, please."

Isabella was wearing a long, light green dress, decorated with fine laces and designed pleats. There was also a nice-looking floppy hat on her head. A long, light-purple ribbon banded her hair.

Taking off the hat, Isabella handed it to her student, Rachel. There was a gentle smile on her face, and her blue eyes showed her sincere appreciation, "Drummond, thank you very much."

"I was just pushing it a little bit. Most importantly, those grand arcanists want you to win the Laurel." Drummond smiled and pointed at the upper floor, "Also, your research findings deserves the prize."

Isabella was a typical Holm beauty. She had black hair and blue eyes, looking rather elegant and well-mannered. She slightly shook her head and said, "There are still lots of people who oppose my finding like it’s always been. In the past, countless arcanists missed the Laurel. Without your help, maybe I would also be one of them."

"Don’t doubt yourself! You finding’s a huge progress! Think about the influence your paper has brought to the Congress. Most sorcerers needed to admit that the paper has made a great contribution to including Illusion into the arcana system!" Drummond seemed to be a bit worked up. He was totally on the side of the Congress, and also a determined arcanist. He disliked the division between the organizations and groups a lot, especially Family of Sorcerer, the typical conservative and old-fashioned one following the ancient tradition.

...

About twenty floors above the headquarter office of Arcana, Lucien had finished putting together the two formulas. The formula looked so familiar to him that he felt difficult to breathe properly.

After a few minutes, he finally started to bring the sample data into the combined formula.

As Lucien knew that, for the first time, he was going to see part of the truth of the world, he was so nervous and anxious that he was experiencing auditory hallucination as if horrible enemies were trying hard to make him distracted.

"Stop! Stop right now!" The devils in the abyss were shouting. They were going to tear Lucien apart with their sharp claws!

"Stop what you are doing! I’ll give you power and wealth and anything else you want in the world!" The demons from the hell were also terrified. They wanted to lure Lucien.

"My child, come here. This is the bosom of the mother, the bosom that once hugged every deity. You will enjoy the eternal peace and happiness here!" said the angel to Lucien mercifully.

These words failed to get in Lucien’s ears. He only cared about the constant.

...

In the headquarter office of Arcana.

Standing beside the window, Drummond stared at the pedestrians as small as the ants down there on the streets and said to Isabella confidently, "This is another major victory of arcana. Your name and your contribution will be remembered by the whole magic world and the history."

"This is a wonderful era for arcana." Isabella smiled sincerely.

...

"Maggot! Trivial human beings! I’m gonna kill you and take out your guts! I can smell your blood!"

"Anyone who does not show respect to the demon shall be punished by destiny!"

"You profaner! The origin of the evilness in the world! You shall stop now, or you’d bear endless agony!"

These were all the different voices in Lucien’s ears.

Lucien was only a step away from the final answer. He paused a bit and then broke through the barrier.

The demons, devils, and angels all burst out the sharp scream and they melted like the piles of snow under sunlight.

Lucien saw the constant. The familiar constant now looked very creepy.

The constant... was the same as the one from the Earth?

It was the same!

All the illusions broke into pieces. Begging for mercy, the angels and demons disappeared completely. The world went back to normal.

However, in Lucien’s eyes, everything looked different now!