Technological advancements rarely appear in isolation.
Much like the space race during the Cold War, it seemed like vast sums of money and resources were being poured into a cosmic dream with no short-term returns.
It was meaningless, beyond a contest of pride.
But in reality, solving the challenges of space exploration spurred the development of numerous technologies, laying a solid foundation for the superpowers' high-tech development paths.
Technologies developed for goal A often find applications in B, C, D, and E.
This principle applied to Roger as well.
To overcome his own shortcomings, Roger developed the Second Brain and various biological modification technologies.
When combined with newly developed Dimensional Magic, these innovations could blossom anew.
This is what Roger was now presenting to Dumbledore: "Second Reality."
"The International Statute of Secrecy wouldn't allow this," was Dumbledore's first thought after reading Roger's proposal.
In the book, Roger described a technology where the latest version of the Second Brain's absolute memory and thought acceleration, combined with the Pensieve and dimensional media, could, to a certain extent, achieve the virtual reality technology seen in Muggle science fiction.
The very first time he realized the existence of Alaya Magic, Roger had shared some of his ideas with Professor McGonagall, specifically using entertainment industries like movies, anime, and games to influence the thoughts of the masses, thereby accelerating magical research.
However, Professor McGonagall found it difficult. Firstly, wizards who didn't even understand Muggle life trying to create entertainment seemed like a joke. Secondly, things Muggles liked might not necessarily help magical research, making guidance too challenging.
But if virtual reality could be realized, these problems would cease to be issues.
Even if it wasn't the near 100% fidelity of "The Matrix," a level like "Sword Art Online" would be sufficient.
Roger set the background for his virtual reality as the "magical world," replicating wizards' magic one-to-one. If there were any needs regarding Alaya Magic, they could simply issue a version update to resolve them.
This was just the most basic application.
As the saying goes, technology is not isolated. Once Second Reality was built, its applications would be vast.
Looking beyond the immediate, it was similar to the game played by the Trisolarans and Earthlings in "The Three-Body Problem." By instilling unrealistic fantasies about the wizard civilization in the Muggle civilization, countless potential conflicts could be silently diffused.
"The International Statute of Secrecy? I don't think that thing will last for many more years." In Roger's view, with the development of the times, the wizard civilization and the Muggle civilization were bound to merge. Being prepared in advance was not a bad thing.
Before the advent of Dimensional Magic, Roger's power ceiling, like that of all other wizards, had a limit.
But with the emergence of Dimensional Magic, not only Roger but all top wizards who were trapped by that "invisible barrier" now had the possibility of further progress.
The era where true power resided within oneself was about to arrive.
At that point, the International Statute of Secrecy would be like Marvel's so-called Superhero Registration Act – it could only restrict individuals like Iron Man and Captain America, but for cosmic-level powerhouses, it would truly be a joke.
"It's not just the International Statute of Secrecy; if you really intend to popularize this, you'll also need to consider the material and magical difficulties," Dumbledore was not entirely optimistic.
If it were only applied on a small scale, he believed it was feasible.
But global popularization?
With the current output of alchemical materials, it was simply impossible. Not to mention billions of people, even for millions, the wizarding world's alchemical materials wouldn't be enough to supply them.
Unless...
"We'll take it slow. I'm not saying it needs to be done all at once; I know that's unrealistic. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. We'll start with small-scale pilot projects. If the results are good, I'll try to convert it into Muggle technology."
The biggest difference between Roger's magic and traditional wizard magic was his attempt to understand not just how things worked, but also why.
For example, with the neural modification surgery he performed on Harry, if Muggle technology became advanced enough for regeneration, high-precision reconnection, and directed nerve proliferation, then Roger's methods could be technologized.
"But what's in it for you?" Dumbledore asked, somewhat puzzled.
After more than half a year of interaction, Dumbledore felt he understood Roger quite well. While Roger was kind to those around him, he wasn't someone who cared about the overall interests of the world.
He only cared about matters close to him.
He promoted Dimensional Magic not for the development of civilization, but for his own path to Eternal Life. He helped others not out of morality or nobility, but simply because he had promised, felt he owed them, and preferred a more cheerful environment.
The starting point for everything was "me."
Although Roger had already achieved Material Immortality, he still valued his time greatly and wouldn't waste it on meaningless pursuits.
Second Reality offered numerous benefits to both the wizarding civilization and the Muggle civilization.
But for Roger, the benefits didn't seem that significant. Alaya Magic had great utility for ordinary people, but Roger already had the Three-Dimensional Theory. In a sense, the functions of the two overlapped considerably.
Furthermore, bridging civilizational divides was not something Roger, a young wizard lacking any desire for dominion, yearned for.
If he were speaking to other wizards, Dumbledore wouldn't be so direct. But when chatting with Roger, there was no need for subtlety; he could voice all his doubts directly.
"Because my next step towards Eternal Life requires this," Roger, as always, revealed his true thoughts without any secrets.
As he spoke, Roger flipped the book to the opening pages, his fingertip tracing a word.
"Thought acceleration."
"I want to explore the mysteries of cognitive aging. Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth. I cannot achieve everything through mere speculation; I need vast amounts of real data from different people."
"There's an ancient legend: one day in heaven is one year on Earth."
"With my thought acceleration technology combined with virtual reality, people can experience a hundred years of life in one year."
Dumbledore frowned. "This is very dangerous!"
His voice turned somewhat stern.
The mind is a high-risk research field. Treating Second Reality users as lab rats, that's...
Dumbledore worried Roger would become unscrupulous, just like those Dark wizards, in pursuit of his own goals.
"I won't force anyone, but when there are enough people, someone will always volunteer," Roger replied naturally.
Whether in the Muggle world or the wizarding world, there are always people whose lives are nearing their end for various reasons.
If they only had a few months left to live, and they accepted Roger's agreement, opting for higher thought acceleration than ordinary users, they could live for several decades longer in the virtual world! There is great terror between life and death.
Roger believed there wouldn't be a shortage of people willing to accept.
"But..." Dumbledore felt something was off about this, but he didn't know how to refute it.
Seeing Dumbledore's hesitation, Roger spoke understandingly, "It's normal to feel uneasy about new and unfamiliar things. I'll make 30 prototype machines soon, and we can experiment slowly."
"We can take our time with the thought acceleration. We'll start with normal virtual reality, step by step. If any problems arise, we'll deal with them then."
"Your Nirvana Fire, combined with my modification technology, can bring people back even from ashes. There's no need to worry too much."
"What do you say?"
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