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Page 325
The Witch God Society was a loose organization composed of several disciples of the Witch God. These disciples had mostly transformed into liches, and their long lifespans left them with little inclination to move around, so they simply slumbered scattered across the southeastern continent.
[You heard all this from Cambynash. She didn't return to the Witch God's Guild with you because Dragonhorn Territory is currently relying on her power to maintain the magic network jammer given to it by the Black Hat. If she doesn't stay in Dragonhorn Territory to continuously disrupt the network, the undead army in Dragonhorn Territory will be instantly annihilated by the magic network once the connection stabilizes.]
[Your first arrival in the Southeastern Continent, after some searching, led you to the descendant of the Witch God.]
The descendant of the Witch God doesn't seem like a living person; at least, you couldn't sense any life force from him. After some negotiation, you successfully convinced him that you were the one who could upload necromancy spells to the magic network, and you went together to meet the Witch God's Life Box.
[The Witch God's Life Box was enormous, resembling a public shrine, and didn't seem easy to hide. The Witch God's descendants confirmed this; when the Witch God fought the Goddess, he struggled greatly to escape with this Life Box. Fortunately, when the Goddess caught up with him, she subconsciously overlooked its size, thus saving him from certain death.]
[I heard that the last words the Witch God spoke before falling into slumber were, "It's a pity the goddess didn't come to ascend to the throne." I wonder what he was regretting.]
[However, will the goddess of magic also be involved?]
In short, you invoked the will of the Witch God for a moment before the Life Box. During this time, you seemed to sense a large number of soul fluctuations within the Witch God's Life Box, as if many souls were wandering inside. Considering the Witch God's control over necromancy, you suddenly became curious: could the Witch God possess the ability to bring the dead back to life?
After a long while, you finally received the witch god's reply. The life box, which resembled a *sheshuo*, rattled, and you seemed to hear a vague, ambiguous statement within it.
"The events here are beyond calculation; all the chaotic tributaries have been cut off. Only the helmsman of fate can see through everything. The Witch God Society will come to an end."
The descendant of the Witch God was stunned for a long time, scratched his head, and after hesitating for a while, explained to you: "It probably means that the rest of us will no longer come out of the mountain..."
Well, overall it's neither a good thing nor a bad thing. Apart from Cambinash, who's staying in Dragonhorn Territory, the other members of the Wizarding Order will remain dormant, at least they won't be exploited by the Black Hat organization anymore.
However, you always feel that the descendants of the Witch God didn't quite explain things clearly. The Witch God's Life Box said a whole bunch of things, it couldn't possibly be translated into just this one sentence, could it? He didn't just list a bunch of titles like introducing a person...
On your way back, as you pondered this question, a sudden thought struck you, and you gasped, muttering, "Could it be..."
[You recall hearing Arte mention before about the divination methods of the sorcerers, which involved using a vast amount of information, based on logic close to the essence of the world, to predict the likelihood of events occurring.]
This method of prediction, while perhaps not as mystical as prophetic magic, is surprisingly close to reality, and the more information one knows, the more accurate the shaman's divination becomes.
In simple terms, it's like a big data model that trains itself with knowledge that is almost fundamental to the world over a long period of time. Then, when recent events are input, it can produce a relatively accurate prediction.
However, in the simulation, those minor matters are almost nonexistent! You discovered this from the very first simulation; the actions of individuals on the continent of Atlantis, unless they directly affect you, have virtually no impact on the major events simulated.
Could this be what the sorcerer meant by "cutting off all the tributaries of chaos"? Because there are no more minor events to build his predictive model, even the sorcerer can only drift along with the major events of the time?
[You pondered for a moment, then thought it was quite possible. After all, the Witch God was a deity whose consciousness remained relatively normal after being brutally beaten by the Goddess, unlike the mad god Jeanneum, whose combined brains were so dense that they couldn't even form a complete brain. It was understandable that he could perceive a change in the essence of the world.]
[However, this won't affect you for now. It just means you probably won't be able to rely on the power of the Witch God Society in this simulation.] You shook your head and returned to Titania.
Not long after, you learned from Cambinash's messenger that the cooperation between the Wizard God Society and the Black Hat Organization had broken down. The Wizard God Society then swiftly withdrew from Dragonhorn Territory, leaving no time for farewells or even a chance to persuade the Black Hat Organization to stay.
[You continue to manage your territory as usual, while painstakingly searching for members of various black hat organizations. However, this work is extremely difficult. You have spent more than half a year and have only found some small Karami plans (2). Apart from helping you break the inducement plan in a small area, there is nothing particularly significant.]
[Time quickly moved to the fourth year after the founding of Titania. You had just finished reading the news in the floating island's bulletin, "The Warriors' Round-the-Field Journey is Temporarily Suspended: All Warriors Will Gather in Andora for Field Training," when a letter from the capital arrived at the gates of Titania. You received the letter from Carter Sham, whose hair was graying and showed signs of premature aging, and were suddenly struck by his words that he was about to retire and return home. You were momentarily stunned.]
Watching his humble departing figure, you recalled his arrogant demeanor when you first met the examiner, and couldn't help but sigh at the unpredictability of life.
[You then open the letter and find a mission letter to confer the title of Duke. The objective is to use your powerful city of Titania to defend the outer space of the floating island for two years. After that, you will receive the title of Duke.]
[This matter isn't difficult. Your city of Titania already possesses immense strength; if not in the top five, it's certainly among the top ten of the floating islands. Therefore, you can completely control its free ascent.]
However, it's not as simple as it seems. After the Goddess Church retreated to the floating islands, the entire floating island system gradually collapsed. Now, the distance between islands is gradually increasing, and who knows when an island lord might drive his island out to the open ocean.
However, the most important thing is that you guessed a piece of news from it.
The "Magic Network Landing Campaign" is about to begin again.
As expected, within a month, the Magic Network was abuzz with trending topics such as "Give magic back to mages," "Make mages great again," and "A mage's life matters too." The main conflict revolved around the recent turbulent situation and the fact that mages, as mages, lacked sufficient means of self-defense.
[You immediately saw through the fact that the Black Hat organization was pulling the strings behind the scenes, but it was all in vain. Although you know the Goddess Church is a good organization, it can't silence public opinion.]
Soon, all the magic network nodes throughout the Kingdom of Norard were activated, seizing control of the magic network. You, however, with your independently crafted node created by the little bird, established your own magic network around the city of Titania.
[You were already somewhat prepared for this change. In your perception, the magic network nodes acted like a system with extremely strong binding force on magic elements, establishing the previously free magic elements into a new, more robust magic network in a similar form to before. You called it the "Queen's Magic Network," while the previous magic network was called the "Goddess Magic Network."]
The "Queen's Magic Network" is gaining immense momentum, and you are like a small boat in a tidal wave, unable to stop its advance. Finally, you decide to bring all your people into Titania City, take to the skies with your independent local area network, and avoid the battle between the Queen and the floating islands.
As for you, you intend to meet the Queen.
[But before that, you first brought Jennifer, whom you hadn't seen in a long time, back from the holy city of Promea, and took her back to Titania.]
The reason we haven't seen each other for so long is that the Church of Light has been dealing with the Will of Light. As the situation escalated, the Will of Light retreated underground, while Jennifer and Holnet went on an exploration there. You, however, were too busy with your affairs on the surface to accompany them.
This expedition lasted an extremely long time, so much so that Jennifer and Holnet's eyesight was somewhat affected. Finally, after several battles with the night elves, they learned of the whereabouts of the Will of Light and resolutely set out to search for it.
Jennifer doesn't remember much about the battle with the Will of Light, only that after the fight reached a point of near unconsciousness, boundless power suddenly surged within her, sealing away the Will of Light. However, the price was that Holnet became the vessel for the Will of Light, forever slumbering in the "Void" beneath the earth.
[Later, Jennifer learned that when the Pope saw they hadn't returned for many years, he knew something was wrong. Without much hesitation, he immediately canceled the original "Cultivation of the God of Light" plan and instead anchored the image of the God of Light onto Jennifer. As a possessor of pure light, Jennifer had a perfect capacity to accommodate the light power of her followers, which allowed her to briefly become the God of Light during the final battle.]
"What? 'It's simple, I'll just become a god,'" you couldn't help but think to yourself. But you still admired the Pope's decisiveness. This formidable figure who carved out the Church of Light in the wilderness, despite playing the "fate god" role, was surprisingly reliable.
However, the Cult of Light's plan to cultivate a god also failed. Jennifer, who had briefly broken through to the divine realm with a mortal body, suffered injuries and could only recuperate. In short, it was a lose-lose situation.
[You have learned that Pope Toylai of Romnia has caused them great trouble. Several years ago, after you moved away from Tree Peak Village, Toylai established a stable communication with the underground. As a result, the Will of Light devoured the life force of many surface plants, and the Pope himself became increasingly lost until he was finally consumed by the Will of Light.]
After defeating the Will of Light, Jennifer had painstakingly estimated that without the incident with Toyla, the Will of Light would have needed at least several decades to regain its fighting ability, and based on the original progress, the Cult of Light would certainly have been able to handle the situation by then.
[After a moment of contemplation, you suddenly realize that the relocation of the villagers of Shuluan Village might have been intentional on Tuo Yilai's part. It's highly likely that he informed the capital before entrusting this task to you, which led to the series of events that followed.]
Fortunately, you now know about the Will of Light's conspiracy... You let out a long breath, put the matter to yourself, spent some final moments with the girls, and left Titania.
[An enormous floating island now hovers above Lundia. You stand on the edge of Titania, glancing back at your family trapped on the floating island, then looking down at Lundia on the land.]
The once bustling Herod Mage territory is now deserted. The landlord of the apartment at No. 21 Tianhai Street, where you once lived in the simulation, has likely already changed his life with the evolution of the magic network.
All the places where you once left your memories have changed beyond recognition. Even if you can live a peaceful life under the protection of your personal magical network, what good is it? You're merely clinging to life, clinging to this simulated warmth.
These words crossed your mind, and you transformed into a giant dragon, flapping your wings and swooping down towards the capital.
Chapter 328 A Real Man's Ten Seconds
The omnipresent "Queen's Web" is like a viscous ocean; you only truly feel its suffocating pressure the moment you leave Titania.
Compared to the freedom and laxity of the "Goddess Magic Network," the current Magic Network has completely disciplined the magical elements within its range. You can feel that the magical elements in the air, as soon as they receive the instructions of the Magic Network, will immediately generate spells or be infused into the mage's body.
[You lingered briefly above Lundia, using the abundant magical energy there to study the new magic network for a while.]
[The first thing you'll notice is that your access to the Magic Network has been affected. You no longer have the same level of control as before. Although the Magic Network key is still in effect, it's like watching a stripper suddenly put on clothes—even if she's still dancing, it just doesn't feel right.]
"I really want to take off the clothes on the magic network..." you murmured involuntarily. As a remnant of the previous dynasty, you definitely still prefer the days when you could access the magic network whenever you wanted. Although the current magic network has truly achieved full coverage of both open and open spaces due to its dense nodes, the magic elements are a bit too rigid.
[You then discover that under this powerful constraint on magic essence, mages do indeed have higher privileges. Previously, using spells required a response from the magic network, but now each mage, based on their mage level, possesses certain magic network permissions. They can allocate and prepare spells at any time, reorganize their spell trees, and even reset their skill points, receiving a corresponding percentage of magic network points in exchange for unlocked spells.]
In other words, the current "Queen's Magic Network" is far more convenient than the "Goddess Magic Network," much like how every mage now has a "personal cloud save," making the path to becoming a mage much easier.
Despite this, a sense of unease arose in your heart. While it was true that the mages had regained some control over magic, the more mature the magic network seemed to mean the less need for independent research into magic.
When the "server" nodes of the magic network filled the Kingdom of Norard, it seemed that even the step of using memory runes to improve the response speed of the magic network was no longer needed. Mages almost became players on the server of the Kingdom of Norard, rather than researchers delving into its essence.
Although it's true that not everyone is suited to studying magic, you still feel it's not a good idea. Your past life's experience tells you that increasingly user-friendly electronic products will only produce a bunch of dumb college students who can't even unzip a file...
You exhale, having gained some initial understanding of the new magic network. Overall, you still feel that the "Goddess Magic Network" is better, offering certain conveniences and fostering a diverse range of magic styles among mages. Although its advantage in reducing spellcasting materials has led mages to gradually become reliant on it, it still offers significant room for independent research and development.
[Unlike now, where a mage with Magic Network certification is required to control the magic elements under the control of Magic Network nodes.]
You shook your head, about to leave, when suddenly you noticed the shadow of a sofa slowly appearing beside you, and then Lady Oriana's figure gradually emerged on the sofa.
"Long time no see, Titan."
Orianna's slightly tired voice came through the sofa. She had her legs crossed and was resting on one armrest, leaning against the other armrest. She smiled and looked at you, saying:
"He's been quite the competent city lord these past few years."
"You flatter me, Lady Oriana." You gave a mage's salute, somewhat surprised. Although you hadn't followed Oriana's initial plan to cooperate with the association in negotiating with those forces as the master of a mage tower near Lundia, your relationship with the association had always been good. It was just that you hadn't seen Oriana for a long time.
"The Queen's abilities were indeed somewhat unexpected, but fortunately, the Mage Guild was prepared." A hint of regret crossed Orianna's face as she said, "Unfortunately, it wasn't enough; this is the best we can do in the end."
You listened with some curiosity to Orianna's brief account. According to her, although most of Lundia's infrastructure was built by the Mage Guild, this subtle and gradual effort could not compare to the nurturing influence of the three schools. And after the three schools gradually and completely sided with the Queen, the core strength that the Mage Guild could rely on had almost withered away.
She tells you that of the three schools in Lundia, only Queen's Academy was originally affiliated with the capital. Green Vine Academy was a commoners' academy, clearly separate from the capital, while Bogu Academy was a research-oriented institution that rarely dealt with political matters.
However, gradually, due to a lack of funds, Qing Teng Academy was increasingly coveted by the Imperial Capital, while Bo Gu Academy, after receiving numerous research orders from the Imperial Capital, was gradually drawn into a trap. It wasn't until they discovered that their research was being used for strange purposes that Bo Gu Academy realized they had become tools of the Black Hat organization, but by then it was too late.
"If I had persuaded you to establish Herod Academy back then, things might have been different," Orianna sighed. "You could have taken some of the pressure from the capital and, with our support, trained mages who favored the guild. Unfortunately, at the time, I was only thinking about you as a Titan and didn't consider your elven companion."
[You pondered for a moment, deciding that this plan wasn't entirely unfeasible. Ultimately, consolidating the entire Herod Mage Territory in this simulation was merely a stopgap measure, intended to reduce the girls' influence on the world and clarify the strategies of various factions. Back in reality, you'll definitely continue your work in the Herod Mage Territory.]
[Orianna then told you about the current situation of the mages in the guild. The guild already had some concerns about the over-reliance on the magic network, and they advocated that mages should base their power on themselves, turning both the magic network and traditional magic books into their own strength.]
[But this is undoubtedly an extremely arduous path. With a lack of materials for research and an increasingly relaxed environment, the mages of the association must attempt to inscribe magical runes on the soul and perform spellcasting without a medium—this is undoubtedly a form of arduous training.]
Fortunately, they eventually found a path they could refer to, and this path... turned out to be the path of warriors and bloodline warriors?!
Yes, the warrior path integrates combat skills into one's bloodline, which is similar to the guild mages' goal of engraving magical runes into their souls.
However, this path is still too difficult. To accommodate a large number of spells, the soul must be tempered to be strong. In order to adapt to such a soul, the physical training cannot be neglected either, otherwise, one will be constantly backlashed by the excessively powerful magic, leading to an early death.
In other words, amidst the prevailing "glass cannon" mentality on the magic network, the mages of the guild found a way out... by becoming magic warriors.
[You're shocked to hear this, thinking, "So you've saved yourself decades of detours? The ultimate goal of a mage... is actually a warrior?!"]
"However, the Association is clearly still figuring things out," Orianna whispered, rubbing her temples. "Many of the Association's mages have already secretly gone to Andora, where there is still a faint trace of the original magic network, enough for them to adapt to life in the highlands."
[After some thought, you told Orianna about Torso's background. Although Torso is a somewhat specialized single-attribute mage, he has self-taught himself the path of a magic warrior. With the theoretical guidance you provided, he has also developed training methods such as magic element tempering, which should be of some help to the association.]
Now that you've covered the history of the Mage Association, you can help them plan their future.
Before leaving, out of curiosity, you inquired about the relationship between Orianna and Emperor Pova.
Orianna raised an eyebrow, her mature and alluring eyes narrowed slightly, she snorted, and kicked you two hundred kilometers away.
[While screaming and clutching your butt as you fly, you vaguely hear Orianna's sarcastic shouts coming from afar, and you immediately widen your eyes in horror.]
[Lady Oriana was actually Emperor Pova's first love! In her youth, as the heiress of a magical family, she had sponsored Emperor Pova with many magical potions. However, when her power reached a bottleneck, in order to explore the mysteries of magic, she decided to climb the Path to Godhood, which was still on earth at the time, to seek inspiration for powerful spells.]
After promising Emperor Pova that they would marry upon her return, Orianna set off. She spent several years on her path to godhood, her immense talent inspiring her with techniques such as "Orianna's Mobile Turret" and a series of legendary spells, enough to pave the way for a generation of mages. However, by the time she returned to land, Emperor Pova's children were already old enough to run errands.
[Oriana, seeing Emperor Pova already surrounded by wives and concubines, was so angry she laughed. Without using any magic, she rushed forward and gave Emperor Pova a vicious beating. Unfortunately, Emperor Pova's skin was too thick; she didn't get her fill, and her hand even hurt a little.]
[Orianna, now a defeated woman, rejected Emperor Pova's invitation to join his harem and even kicked the head of his statue into the starry sky in public. She didn't say anything, though, since he hadn't been heard from for several years. She knew she was wrong, but she was incredibly angry. So much so that she practiced boxing for a year out of spite, waiting for the right moment to beat Emperor Pova up again.]
Time passed, and Orianna built a cohesive mage association from a loose mage organization, while Emperor Pova became infamous and tyrannical throughout the continent of Atlantis. The two had not seen each other for a long time.
One day, just as Orianna longed to see Old Pova after so long, an incredibly powerful goddess of magic suddenly appeared on the continent of Atlantis. This goddess of magic, upon her debut, utterly defeated all the gods, large and small, even chasing the sorcerer god of death for thousands of kilometers, forcing him to retreat to the low-lying, rugged southeastern continent. Finally, exhausted from her battles, the goddess of magic clapped her hands and departed from the path to godhood, stepping beyond the plane of existence.
[Amidst this turmoil, the mage world was naturally in turmoil. The magic net left behind by the goddess was a completely new and exciting invention, containing only "official spell formulas" collected by the goddess from all over the place. Even so, it filled the mages, who were struggling to gather materials, with curiosity and excitement.]
As for their first impression of using the Magic Network, all I can say is that they didn't understand it, but were greatly impressed.
In short, by the time Orianna recovered from the upheaval in the mage world, Emperor Pova had already shattered the path to godhood and broken through the boundary.
[Orianna remained silent for a long time after this outcome, and finally, in her anger, she had no choice but to clean up the mess in the mage world and take responsibility for her association.]
Many years have passed in the blink of an eye. Although she vaguely senses that Emperor Pawa is still near the boundary outside the plane, she has never thought of ascending to the divine realm to see him again. Perhaps some of her feelings remained in the path to godhood of the past, and collapsed along with it.