Chapter 414

[Real-Time Best Gallery]

[World’s First Human Retinal Ganglion Cell Connectome Released]

(Janseol Clan – Optic Nerve Connectome.jpg)

Over 10 trillion synapses have been perfectly mapped out.

Now, theoretically, any treatment for optic nerve diseases can be produced in laboratories around the world if only they set their minds to it.

In the end, it seems to be just a matter of whether it comes out quickly or slowly.

Induced pluripotent stem cells required for reconstructing damaged areas can also be found easily on the site without complex experiments.

Even causes of blindness that are unknown can be treated by comparing MRI or PET scans.

Those with a bit of money abroad seem to be bringing in dozens of theoretical magicians to treat blindness using the Akashic Records.

Let’s vote at this point.

The greatest genius in human history, who unlocked vision by releasing the optic nerve connectome without a patent, No Name – Upvote

No, Jesus, who healed the blind by spitting in the dirt and rubbing it on their eyes, is greater – Downvote

【Recommendations – 9792】 【Downvotes – 813】

[Comments]

-I don’t want to go to hell, so I pressed both up and down. Please understand.

└ Yeah~

└ I can agree with that, haha.

└ Under the assumption that both are true, Jesus is indeed more impressive, haha.

└ Modern-day Jesus, wow!

-The upvote collector’s performance is insane.

└ Tomorrow, it’ll probably pass 20,000.

└ From now on, if anyone asks my MBTI, I should say NAME.

-Other things are also amazing, but isn’t this a Nobel Prize-worthy achievement?

└ “Humanity has conquered vision.”

└ I guess you watched the blind broadcast, haha.

└ This is definitely at a level where it could be put in textbooks around the world immediately.

-Can this guy really be human? Mastering mathematics, philosophy, medicine, sociology, education, computer science, magic, and alchemy all at once?

└ Even von Neumann would be clutching his neck if he had to learn all that, haha.

└ Don’t compare him to someone who learned number theory at 12.

└ No Name seems to have been in a time-out in the realm of time and mind for about a thousand years. It doesn’t make sense otherwise.

└ Let’s start forgiving after a thousand years.

-I’m an alchemy major, but the quality of the paper is just insane. It’s pure essence only.

└ The Andersen-Kealu conjecture is just 5 pages.

└ The optic nerve connectome paper ends up being only 3 pages if you exclude the section on radiation surgery.

└ The philosophy paper exceeded 70 pages, though?

└ Gaming addiction “100 pages.”

[Humanity Missed an Opportunity for Advancement.]

After watching the blind broadcast yesterday, I thought about it a lot.

First of all, Amiris’s ‘n’ circuit class will be replaced with quartz instead of granite slabs, reducing the number of those engaged in that line of work, and treatments for overcoming epilepsy and visual impairments will likely emerge soon.

The seven papers are said to cause tremendous ripples in their respective fields.

But what about the gaming addiction paper?

It simply argues that your opinions are wrong and ends there. There’s nothing else.

What if humanity missed the chance to advance because of organizations calling for game regulations?

What if in a parallel universe, No Name had made a tremendous discovery that led to this paper?

I felt a bit bittersweet about that, so I wrote this down.

[Comments]

-Now that you mention it, I see what you mean.

-But it seems they were really upset, haha.

-But we did catch all the tax thieves in our country. Cheers~

-What is No Name doing? Haven’t they been in time-out for long enough?

-I think achievements should be acknowledged regardless of their character flaws.

└ They still haven’t figured it out. No Name has a great personality.

└ If they don’t even trust their acquaintances, they must be brainwashed by some wrecked V-tuber, haha.

Unlike math proofs, the process of determining the authenticity of the connectome was straightforward and simple.

It was enough to administer synapse-activating factors according to the map and check the responsiveness with an amplification magic circle.

Just as when Professor Shinya Yamanaka developed iPS cells in 2007 and caused a worldwide stir, labs around the globe immediately jumped into developing treatments for optic nerve diseases.

Foreign journalists quickly boarded planes heading to Korea.

Star scientists are usually busy being called here and there.

They might have been invited to events hosted by the president or might be in the middle of interviews with the media.

As they get busier with TV shows, entertainment programs, and advertising shoots, they can’t afford to waste any more time for smooth coverage.

However, while a reporter was seeking out information on No Name’s recent activities, they encountered shocking news.

On the first day of December, when the first snow began to fall, No Name was still isolating themselves, having blocked all communications.

D+41.

***

“Do you really have to get the surgery from No Name, So Wol? We have many skilled doctors in our country. Can’t you reconsider?”

His father’s words made So Wol’s expression visibly darken.

“I’ve told you several times that it’s not the type of surgery you’re thinking of. And it’s much safer with No Name. They create regenerative essence directly from the original Akashic Record.”

“So Wol, stop bothering your dad. It’s rude to say that after coming all this way.”

“I’m just worried about our daughter…”

“I’m sorry, Na Me. I’m ready whenever you say so.”

So Wol bowed her head in apology.

Ban So Wol’s parents arrived in Korea early in the morning.

Having lost vision in both eyes suddenly at the age of thirteen, she had lived seven years like that.

“The virtual reality allows me to see, right?” gradually wore down her heart.

Although it wasn’t incorrect, it was still not something that should have been said.

Even though she could expand her aura to sense the surfaces of objects, it’s different from ‘seeing’ the world.

Like a 2D existence dropped into a 3D world.

Na Me held So Wol’s hand and guided her to her parents.

“Please tell each other you love one another. If the ending is good, you’ll think that the days when you couldn’t see weren’t all that bad.”

Ban So Wol’s family shyly comforted each other upon hearing those words.

Seeing the warmth of their family, Na Me let out a small smile.

The surgery room was Na Me’s room.

In fact, it was somewhat ambiguous to even call it a surgery.

What Na Me had to do was simply maintain the magic circle for an hour.

Instead, just because the treatment was easy, she didn’t neglect the preparations.

While creating the optic nerve connectome, they analyzed the thickness of Ban So Wol’s optic nerve layers and checked for retinal diseases.

They installed cleanliness magic throughout the room, turning it into a sterile environment.

“Do I just lie down here?”

“Yep. It won’t hurt, so I won’t use anesthesia.”

“Ugh…”

Just as So Wol was about to lie back on the pillow, she suddenly sat up again.

“It really doesn’t hurt. Even a 5-year-old wouldn’t cry. Would a 5-year-old cry? Fine, let’s say 10 years old.”

With a skeptical expression, So Wol gingerly lowered her upper body.

Na Me handed Ban So Wol a personal wand and made her grip it with both hands.

“It includes a component that regulates eye pressure, so your eyes will feel a bit cool. Kind of like skiing without goggles.”

“You’re making it sound a bit scary all of a sudden.”

“You’ll manage it.”

“But Na Me, have you even skied before?”

“Uh… no.”

“Wait a moment—”

[Cast: Diagnosis]

[Joint Cast: 3D Interference]

A small magic circle appeared above So Wol’s right eye.

Soon after, a 3D hologram mimicking her eyeball enlarged and floated above the magic circle.

The reason why Akashic Record treatments are said to be easy yet difficult lies right here.

The minimum qualification requirement is 5th circle triple casting.

The hand gripping the wand tightened.

With intense focus, Na Me pierced a very fine magical needle into a section of the hologram.

Neuronal ganglion cells would be generated at the corresponding point precisely.

[Cast: Akashic Record]

“Hmm…!”

So Wol trembled slightly at the sensation she had never felt before.

As the Akashic Record was cast, one rune would split into tens of thousands, millions, or even trillions, generating a series of information.

Runes infused with mana were drawn into the magic circle, travelling through the thin needle.

From now on, it would be a monotonous passage of time.

Na Me sat on the side of the bed and struck up a conversation with So Wol.

“We’ll process the right side for 19 minutes and 41 seconds. Then to the left for 18 minutes and 37 seconds. Take another 15 minutes to rest. This might take longer than LASIK.”

“It feels weird. It’s like someone is licking my eye with an ice cream tongue.”

“What do you want to do once you can see, Noona?”

“Umm.”

So Wol hesitated, repetitively parting and pressing her lips together as she pondered.

“On my way home, I’ll listen to this week’s new songs, eat pork belly for dinner, and take a warm bath.”

Na Me, perplexed, asked,

“All of those aren’t related to sight at all.”

So Wol chuckled softly.

“Even if I hear a song, no more notes will be visible. Even if I eat pork belly, I won’t see the pig, and even if I take a bath, I won’t see the hot springs. If what shouldn’t be seen isn’t seen, won’t that make what should be seen stand out even more?”

“To me, that sounds like mere sophistry.”

“Teehee. I pretended to be wise since I’m in the philosophy department at Korea University. But, I’ll just be with Mom and Dad. I want to see your cute face too. I can only see you on screen for now.”

Ban So Wol tried to hold back her giggles.

“So now I still feel like you’re a celebrity, No Name. I’m talking to a celebrity in a dream right now.”

A brief pause followed as the conversation fell silent.

“I guess I don’t quite match up with that celebrity vibe.”

Na Me’s voice, tinged with a slight sigh, showed unmistakable gloom.

“Why?”

“It’s great that people pay attention to me, but the gap between how they perceive me and how I am seems to be growing wider. At some point, it has become unbearable.”

“That sounds like a concern typical of idols.”

“Actually, it’s a childish concern. Naturally, as social fame accumulates, I have to show a manufactured image rather than my true self.”

“What is your true self, Na Me?”

“I don’t know that well either. One thing for sure is that it isn’t the way I am now.”

“In this world, there are no childish concerns. Then how about taking this time to think about it? You’ve always been busy, so you probably haven’t had the chance to reflect on yourself.”

The Akashic Record soon turned towards her other eye.

In the meantime, So Wol was pressing down on her treated eye with white gauze.

The sound of the magic circle turning seeped into the silence.

Na Me ultimately couldn’t come up with an answer.

“Okay, press down on the left as well. After you open your eyes, it will be very clear for an hour before gradually going blurry. Just so you know, your vision will return to today’s level over a week.”

“Was it successful?”

“Yep. It doesn’t feel real, does it?”

“Well, I can’t see anything because of the gauze. I don’t feel any overwhelming excitement yet.”

“That’s because you expect it to definitely happen. How did you feel when the acceptance announcement was made for Korea University’s philosophy department? I’m sure it wasn’t like you owned the world.”

“Well, it felt nice. But like you said, I wasn’t jumping for joy. More like a relief that I got through without any variables?”

“I’ve experienced something like that too. I worked hard for one goal, and when I reached the top, it wasn’t as great as I imagined.”

“Na Me.”

“Yes?”

“You can act a bit more like a kid. No one will think you’re weird for it.”

Na Me mulled over Ban So Wol’s words for a long time.

After fifteen minutes, Na Me reached out to remove the gauze.

“Is it time to take it off now?”

“Uh, just a moment.”

But Ban So Wol stood up with the gauze still stuck to her eye.

She stood by the door, took a deep breath before opening it.

“Oh Na Me, I’m feeling a bit teary right now. If I can, wouldn’t it be better to hold it until I’m with my parents? The impact will be greatest that way, right?”

“Haha, what’s that? Are you calculating every single tear you shed?”

“I just showed you that you’re like this right now. Definitely strange, isn’t it?”

“Uh… yeah.”

“Just cry when you want to without being conscious of it. Someone who has shed tears of sadness can also shed tears of joy, as an old man once said.”

Ban So Wol did a half turn.

She lowered her hand holding the gauze and gently raised her long eyelashes.

“So small… cute… and beautiful.”

The tears that had accumulated flowed down her cheeks and brushed against her lips.

With her eyes closed, Ban So Wol hugged Na Me with a slightly trembling voice.

“Thank you, Na Me. I’m so happy right now. The happiest in my life. I’m so happy that I can’t stop the tears. Heh.”

Contrasting her calm tone, her tear ducts were pouring out clear drops like a broken faucet.

Thinking back to how Ban So Wol usually presented herself with a steel-like demeanor, it was unthinkable that she would burst into tears like that.

Yet somehow, Na Me thought that this moment of her crying suited her remarkably well.

***

[Breaking News) No Name Drops Out of Seviron Academy. Future whereabouts uncertain.]