Chapter 296: Metaphors About the World
At this moment, I followed the Academy Head obediently. Although I didn’t understand why the Academy Head sought me out, the fact that they approached me indicated that trouble was looming.
However, as we walked, I wondered why such a prominent Academy Head didn’t attract any attention from the senior students we passed by.
“It’s strange, isn’t it? They can’t see me.” The Academy Head seemed to have noticed my confusion and brought up the topic.
“Hmm…”
I nodded, but at this moment, the Academy Head felt somewhat illusory, yet also real. Could it be another clone or a form similar to an Illusionary Clone?
“You should have figured it out by now. The form that came to see you is a clone. I’m quite busy, especially now, so I can only meet you this way. Can you guess what kind of clone this is?”
“Uh… Illusionary Clone? But Spirit Vision can see the information of real existence… Is it a derivative effect of the Illusionary Clone, which makes it invisible to others?” I speculated.
“It’s not that; the spell sequence for Illusionary Clones doesn’t create real physical clones. It seems your symbiosis with Spirit Vision might make it hard for you to distinguish between the false and the real time. Otherwise, you should have recognized it immediately.”
“A clone existing in real time?!” I quickly caught on to the Academy Head’s answer.
“Exactly. A clone created in real time is basically invisible to students with foresight and imaging level Spirit Vision. They might catch a fleeting glimpse now and then, but most would think it’s an illusion. It seems the innate Spirit Vision has had an effect on you that you might not even be aware of.”
“Is that so…”
“It’s alright. I’m just curious about some traits of the innate Spirit Vision. Let’s return to the main topic. Think of this as compensation for my abrupt testing of you; I will answer the questions you have at the moment.”
“Academy Head, didn’t you say you were very busy? Why are you so leisurely discussing these matters with me?”
“My real self is busy, but clones are not. This clone was created for this purpose, so feel free to ask any questions you have.”
“Then can I ask the Academy Head why you’re so busy?” I probed, instinct telling me it might be related to the recent mortality cases in the nightmare incident.
“Countering Abyss Demons, an extraordinary race that seeks to invade the Main World. I’m dealing with their encroachment right now… Would you like me to tell you about the Abyss Demons?”
“Uh-huh.” I nodded. Many matters were beyond my understanding, but since I had the chance to learn, I wouldn’t pass it up. The more I understood, the more I could connect the dots.
“Think of the Abyss Demons as comparable to the Elves from Aphhemia Academy and the Extraordinary Wizards from the Wizard Academy. They are one entire extraordinary race. Currently, there are four extraordinary races represented by the three top academies in the Main World and the Witch Academy. The Abyss Demons want to become the fifth, but we are not allowing that, so they resort to using various means to attack forcefully. Coincidentally, the script has emerged, and the game is reflected in that script…”
As the Academy Head explained, I gained a rough understanding of the current structure of the Main World and information about the Abyss Demons.
Indeed, this world was still not peaceful. Yet, even the forms of struggle were beyond what an ordinary person could see; generally, they could only observe the surface, while the world appeared serene…
“So… regarding this nightmare incident… deaths, what about that…”
“Almost. It’s somewhat complex. How should I put it? Among the Abyss Demons, there exists a type known as… Dream Demons, which can traverse the Dream World. Quite unfair, right? Dream Demons existed before the Truth Witch of the Soul and were once the most hopeful entities to explore the boundaries between Dream and Reality. To this day, we still do not know whether Dream Demons are alive or if they are Dream Creatures assimilated by the Abyss Demons.”
“So, it’s all the Dream Demons’ doing?”
“Correct. They have caught the scent of Fortune and entered the Dream. We neglected the defense of Dreams in the Main World. However, their idea of invading the Main World through Dream Demons is wishful thinking. You can rest assured about this.”
“Uh-huh.” I nodded, though I couldn’t feel any sense of security. Wasn’t this akin to being attacked at my doorstep?
Maybe even the Academy Head thought this matter was a big mess. It was clearly just a planned distribution of fortunes, yet the Abyss Demons had interfered.
“Then… Academy Head, your reason for seeking me shouldn’t solely be to tell me this, right?”
Having learned about the existence of Dream Demons, I somewhat understood the situation. Since the Academy Head had mentioned that nightmares wouldn’t harm people, the only ones capable of causing deaths would be the Dream Demons.
So I got straight to the point without further ado.
I was well aware that the Academy Head was under no obligation to come and explain everything to me. There was a high likelihood she wanted me to do something. I couldn’t forget that to break away from the script… I needed to heed the Academy Head’s arrangements.
In fact, I didn’t really have a choice, did I?
“Of course. Did I not message you earlier? If you wish to break free from the script, this is a great opportunity.”
“But… Academy Head, didn’t you say that the way to break from the script is to sever the Earth Vein Shackles?”
“That’s not contradictory, is it? I know you have many questions, such as what the Earth Vein Shackles are, how to sever them, and how this relates to entering the Dream. Just listen to me explain slowly; that’s the reason for creating this clone. This matter requires me to elaborate on every detail face-to-face.”
I nodded, feeling less anxious. After all, even the Academy Head wasn’t in a hurry. Why should I be?
Keeping a calm mindset, many things were simply that easy.
“Last time, I merely provided a brief introduction to the concept of Earth Vein Shackles. However, this is just a term. Although calling it shackles, it also serves as a type of protection for you. The Earth Veins bear the operation of the world, and the flow of soul material represents the cycle of life’s birth and d*ath. d*ath means the soul material returns to the Earth Vein for circulation, while rebirth means the Earth Veins condense soul material to bestow life. This is the most fundamental life cycle of the world. For you, the Earth Vein Shackles are akin to… an umbilical cord. I hope you can understand this metaphor.”
“It ensures the necessary conditions for your survival in this world, and it also serves as proof of your relationship with the world.”
“From a developmental perspective, eventually, a person will sever their umbilical cord from the mother, which symbolizes cutting the Earth Vein Shackles and leaving their world. However, just looking at the present, by choosing not to be born, you effectively choose not to leave this world, making it unnecessary for you to sever the umbilical cord.”
“The metaphor of the mother and child is simply to help you understand your relationship with the world. If you don’t sever the umbilical cord, it means you still have a connection to the mother, thus she can have complete dominion over you. This dominion includes… life and d*ath.”
“The consciousness of the world is analogous to that of the mother, while the script functions like prenatal education, selecting the best child for birth. However, not every child is qualified for prenatal education; the Fortune Seed is that qualification. Now that you understand the current script situation, the qualifications for prenatal education have been dispersed, but only one will be born, meaning the others will become nourishment for the one that survives to the end. Those children lacking the qualification for prenatal education should feel lucky to become nourishment, as without external help, they would forever be stuck in this world.”
“So… the Child of Fortune is the only existence allowed to leave the world by the world’s consent?”
“Correct. However, let me clarify; they are the ones that must leave because that is the result chosen by the world’s consciousness. When the world selects you to exit, you must strive, rather than linger and rely on the mother’s protection.”
“So the Child of Fortune is essentially a laborer chosen by the world’s consciousness to repay it? How does the world ensure that the Child of Fortune returns the favor once separated from its control?”
“Thus, the prenatal education must be done properly; that is the significance of the script’s existence.” The Academy Head explained.
Also, because of this, the Child of Fortune, as a child selected by the world’s consciousness, can influence its decisions. Controlling the Child of Fortune is the first step in transforming the Main World to replace the soul material-based world with one of pure soul essence.
But there was still one point Mei Linde hadn’t mentioned: what specific role did those who interfered with the script and invaded the Main World play?
If I had to say… perhaps they were the bad guys?
Interfering with prenatal education, nurturing the world’s children, they provided resources, ultimately controlling the Child of Fortune. The absence of resistance from the world meant consent, which is equivalent to the world’s consciousness “selling children.” They were truly malicious.
Even the foreign witches had deeper connections with the world and other races, but these were things that couldn’t be directly stated.
“It seems I’ve strayed a bit off topic; let’s talk about how to sever the Earth Vein Shackles. The process of severing the Earth Veins is also a form of game-playing with the world’s consciousness. Only the Child of Fortune can leave the Main World, as it’s recognized by the world’s consciousness.”
“All others essentially provide a survival environment for the Child of Fortune, much like your existence. To the world’s consciousness, you are merely a resource that cycles within the world. Your departure signifies a reduction in world resources; the stronger you are, the more resources you take away, and thus the greater the resistance you face. Therefore, if you wish to leave, you need to exchange equivalent resources outside of the world. However, generally speaking, the world’s consciousness will demand more than what you represent in terms of resources.”
“Does it have to be resources from outside of the world?” I asked, but deep down, I had an inkling of the answer already.
“Of course. Do you think the resources you possess belong to you, in the eyes of the world’s consciousness? It has no significance, similar to when you use your parents’ money to pay for your own freedom. Would they agree? No, because it already belongs to them. In fact, you are an asset of your parents. That’s reality; this world is like an unemotional parent.”
“Is it that complicated? Then I can’t possibly do it, can I?”
“Then that’s where I come in! I will assist you, as promised. I will provide a resource sufficient for the world’s consciousness to make an exchange. For me, it’s basically insignificant.”
“Thank you, Academy Head.”
“Don’t mention it. You don’t have to thank me because compared to what you need to do, this is nothing.” The Academy Head shook her head and continued speaking.
“The world’s consciousness generally doesn’t communicate with the outside. Do you know what that means? It means that if there’s no means of communication, even if you possess abundant resources, you won’t be able to exchange your way out. Because it cannot grasp the notion of those resources being used for your release, you need to obtain a… qualification to communicate with the world’s consciousness, even if that’s passive communication. Even a mere glance of awareness could suffice.”
“Then… for those graduating seniors, is it also that difficult to sever the Earth Vein Shackles?”
“Certainly not. For you, the graduating seniors have already achieved extraordinary witches. At the extraordinary level, one can accomplish many things relying solely on life levels. Although the world will still hinder one’s efforts to leave, it can comprehend your intent to leave. When you prove your determination and offer equivalent resources or costs, the world’s consciousness will weigh the pros and cons. The more chips you lay down, the sooner the world’s consciousness will make the choice to let you go. This is a transaction; however, you don’t have the qualifications to do so. Ultimately, it’s still about your strength, and this strength refers not to battle power but to your life levels having not yet reached the extent to contend with the world’s consciousness.”
The Academy Head patiently explained the reasons behind this. The principle sounded simple and felt so, yet in the end, it was still a game of qualifications. Strength served as the qualification for this transaction.
I lacked the qualifications; hence, I would need to contribute more.
“So… couldn’t you, Academy Head, also help me achieve this?” For instance, the Academy Head bringing me out of this world could also be understood by the world’s consciousness. However, I did not ask outright.
“Sure, and it would be easy. But if you choose to do so, you need to be prepared to bear the consequences.”
“Consequences? What consequences?” I was somewhat surprised that the Academy Head had directly put it forth.
“If so, you will owe me an extra favor. Debts of gratitude are hard to repay, you should know that, right? There’s a way in front of you that doesn’t require you to repay any favors. What do you choose?”
Hearing the Academy Head say this, I was momentarily taken aback. Just a favor?
But I quickly realized that the Academy Head had it all planned; it appeared she was letting me strive for myself, but surely she would also accomplish some task in the process, such as resolving this Fortune struggle?
If I chose the favor, to repay her, the Academy Head might still have me help her with this matter, which would be akin to achieving the same goal by different means… Essentially, she had me in her grasp.
It was somewhat like me asking the Academy Head to help me sever the Earth Vein Shackles. I would be willing to do anything, yet the result would be that the Academy Head had me rely on my efforts to sever the Earth Vein Shackles…
It stripped down to whether I wanted to actively make myself a tool or passively become one…
“Alright then… Academy Head, what should I do?” I spread my hands and looked at the Academy Head, accepting that reality.
“It seems you understand well. Intervene in the script and disrupt the Abyss Demons’ plans to prevent them from obtaining Fortune. It’s best that you don’t gain any Fortune midway; that is what you need to do.”
“What if I accidentally gain some Fortune?”
“Then just d*e once to return the Fortune, and leave the rest to me.”
“d*e… once?”
“Not true d*ath; just changing bodies. Or are you still fond of and reluctant to part with your current body?”
“Changing body… this…”
“So you have some concerns?”
“No, no.” I shook my head. I was a transmigrator; I certainly wasn’t the type to care about my own body.
“As long as that’s the case. If you really worry, you can just avoid Fortune altogether, and it won’t be that troublesome.”
