chsdbacks Page 161
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"Listen, young Titan," the Dwarf King said solemnly.
"Although I don't know why you've become curious about the Magic Network, I must advise you: don't get involved with it. Even Powaloden keeps his distance from it."
"Why?" A few guesses popped into your mind, but you still asked, puzzled, "The magic net is just a tool. All mages use it now. It can't possibly harm people, can it?"
"Well..." the Dwarf King shook his head and said, "Most of our current speculations about the magic network are rather chaotic, and I don't want to confuse you by revealing them. But one thing is certain: in this world, the goddess existed first, and then the magic network came into being."
He stroked his beard and continued, "The goddess has left this plane, but the magic network still exists. No one knows if the goddess is still using the magic network to observe everything in this world..."
"The last person to leave this plane via the Path of Ascension was Powalodden, and after his departure, the Path of Ascension collapsed into the floating islands we see today. No one can now cross into another plane without using the Path of Ascension." The Dwarf King gazed wistfully at the dark ceiling and sighed.
"Different families occupy the floating islands, attempting to use a mere island to ascend directly to the stars—it's truly laughable."
You scratched your head, suddenly remembering Gan Gan's experience, and looking at the dwarf king's leisurely expression, you abruptly asked:
"So why did you hide the dwarven palace in the deep pit of the floating island?"
"Naturally, it's to secretly occupy a few newly formed floating islands..." The Dwarf King suddenly realized what he was saying halfway through. He coughed violently for a few seconds, intending to pretend nothing had happened, but your wide, bulging eyes made him embarrassed. He could only chuckle awkwardly and explain:
"Haha, how could that be? Of course, we're just counting how many floating islands are still in existence..."
You stared at the Dwarf King, silent, your suspicious gaze torturing his very soul.
"Hey, stop looking at me like that! It's creepy!" The dwarf king shuddered, rubbed his arms, and sat back on his throne, saying:
“Okay, it’s like this…”
[Through the Dwarf King's narration, you learn that the plane itself possesses the ability to self-repair, just as Earth repairs its environment. Over thousands of years, the path to godhood will also be slowly repaired.]
The method of repair is the "atmospheric circulation" of magical elements. Rocks will continuously condense in the deep pits of the floating islands until they are large enough to float up and become part of the existing floating islands, pushing the leading floating islands higher. Over time, they will re-enter the starry sky and become a path to godhood.
"Of course, rather than believing that those families will unite to rebuild the path to godhood, we should believe in ourselves!" The Dwarf King slammed the hammer on the side table of his throne and shouted.
"Once the newly formed floating island I've conquered becomes the largest, I'll take the entire palace and all the dwarves to the heavens. They won't build this damned path to godhood; we, the race most skilled in forging, will build it! We'll build it for hundreds of thousands of miles!"
"Wow, that's a grand ambition." You clapped your hands and asked, "So, how many floating islands have you collected by now?"
[“…” The dwarf king was silent for a moment, then scratched his head and laughed heartily, “Um, isn’t your audience with the king over yet, haha…”]
"There can't be none at all, can there? So many weaklings?" you exclaimed in surprise.
"Two!" the Dwarf King roared in fury. "One every ten years! If I wait a hundred years before venturing out, I'll shock everyone!"
"…Impressive." You politely complimented, then changed the subject, asking, "Let's not talk about that. So, what exactly happened twenty years ago?"
The Dwarf King paused, then slowly exhaled, saying, "Twenty years ago... to be honest, now that I think back, I can't really remember exactly what happened..."
A few minutes later, the effects of your royal wine wore off, and you left the dwarven palace. Before you left, the dwarven king looked at you with a complicated expression and said:
“Young Titan, this may be the last time we meet. In the future, either I will survive until you are old enough to leave this world, or you will rise to power and leave the stars while I remain in the same place. In any case, if you ever have the chance to write your autobiography, be sure to remember my name…”
"...Dwarf King—Daddy!"
"What a lunatic!!!" You snapped out of your drunken stupor, took a deep breath to calm yourself, and then pondered the dwarf king's words.
"At the time, all the dwarves' early warning devices were issuing warnings, it seemed there was monster unrest in all areas?" You stroked your chin, recalling the magic network at the monster port, a few guesses forming in your mind, and continued to think:
"This unusual scene made the dwarves sense that something big was about to happen. After being attacked by monsters one after another, they were like frightened birds. At this time, the abnormal settling of the magic atmosphere made them panic. Even using the alchemical machine that drained the magic, they could not remove the magic from the tower. The feeling of being surrounded by the magic net finally made the dwarf king decide to let them all sink..."
"I have to admit, if I hadn't known that monsters were driven by the magic network, even I would have chosen to hide after this series of anomalies..." You imagined that scene and suddenly felt a chill run down your spine, muttering to yourself:
"Is this what they call the prevailing trend? It's an invisible yet terrifying pressure..."
"Oh no, I forgot to ask him about alchemy." You shook your head and sighed. "I wonder if he, as the Dwarf King, knows anything about the Elves. Sigh, the more you know about history, the more you realize how little you actually know..."
You spent the night lost in thought, and as the sun rose the next day, you resolved to dedicate this simulation to exploring unknown historical facts, even if it meant delaying your training and dealing with other potential unforeseen events.
You have to admit that if you want to solve a problem specifically in a simulation, there will inevitably be many necessary sacrifices.
After reflecting on your gains from the trip, you returned to your normal life. Since most of the mages who went out have not yet returned, the academy is still on holiday. You resumed serializing your novel, hoping to quickly reach the level of a high-ranking mage. Only after you have the ability to protect yourself can you confidently pursue the truth of the past.
[You created seven or eight worthless spells in quick succession, quickly finishing the serialization of your novel, "Young Ra." After careful selection, you decide to begin serializing "The Record of the Goddess of Janium" next.]
"In the second half of this year, the fantasy novel 'The Chronicles of the Goddesses of Yanium,' set in the kingdom of Andora, will officially begin serialization. I will continue as the writer, and I will use the rich and colorful divine culture of Yanium to bring everyone a story full of local flavor, achieving success in both literature and art..."
[You uploaded the synopsis to your final spell, then breathed a sigh of relief. After a week of frantic writing, you'd quickly reached the fourth ring level. Although the magic power your poorly crafted spell generated was minimal, little by little, it adds up, and this progress should accelerate even more once your new novel is released.]
"But before all the busyness begins, I'd better pay a visit to Teacher Yin first..." You hesitated for a moment, then stepped out of your room after a long absence, glancing at the tall, lush forest within the mage's territory.
"Actually, I should have gone to see her on my first day back..." you sighed. The unknown fears about the magic network in the Dwarf King's words made you involuntarily anxious, to the point that you began to pursue strength too urgently, neglecting many things.
You shook your head, walked out of the mage's territory, and while looking at the leisurely crowds on the quiet streets of Lundia, you unconsciously quickened your pace, thinking to yourself:
"Will Teacher Yin be waiting for me? She must be wondering if I've found the things she left in the dwarven ruins back then... Does she want me to find them, or not? Girls' minds are so hard to fathom..."
You walked to No. 21 Tianhai Street, glanced at the quiet apartment building, scratched your head, walked to Yin Xiuer's door, and knocked.
"Coming, coming." Yin Xiu'er's voice came from inside the house. After a series of quick but steady footsteps, Yin Xiu'er, wearing a shirt and vest, opened the door.
"Hey, Little La?" Her gentle voice held a hint of surprise as she quickly welcomed you inside. After handing you the slippers she had specially prepared for you, she sat back down at the small table by the window, saying:
"When I went to tutor Robin recently, I heard you'd been 'in seclusion' indoors! Now you're out... wow, you're a fourth-circle mage already? Little Ra, that's amazing!"
You sighed helplessly and sat down at the small table opposite. The narrow table couldn't even comfortably accommodate two people's legs. Yin Xiuer nervously pulled her legs back, gently hugging her knees as she sat down, and asked, "Little La, is there something you don't understand during your studies?"
"You could just contact them through the beacon!" you couldn't help but laugh and complain, then shook your head and asked, "Mr. Yin, I found something you left behind, you..."
"Huh?" Yin Xiu'er paused, then buried her head in her knees, unconsciously twirling her braid with her fingers, and said in a muffled voice, "I...I understand..."
Chapter 174 Sigh, he still relies too much on Brother Niu.
[Silver Hur's reaction made you hesitate. After thinking for a moment, you didn't continue talking about that matter. Instead, you began to recount some interesting stories and customs about the elves and dwarves that you knew.]
"On this trip, I heard many interesting anecdotes... Teacher Yin, did you know? Legend has it that there's an Impressionist portrait of a farm boy hanging in the art gallery of Guanzhuang City," you said with a mysterious air.
The visiting elf saw it and said, “This must be an elf, for he is standing in the forest and the fields.” The blacksmith’s dwarf saw it and said, “This must be a dwarf, for he is holding a hammer and is about to go to work.”
"The Lundians, upon seeing this, said, 'This must be a sorcerer. Do you see his vacant gaze and barely clothed appearance? It's caused by too much magic netting.'"
[Silver Xiuer's attentive expression gradually turned into one of speechlessness. She scratched her head, utterly perplexed, and finally couldn't help but laugh.]
"In those days, appreciating paintings was indeed a trend, but what kind of custom or interesting story is this!" Silvershur couldn't help but complain. "I thought you were going to tell me about some kind of little story about an elf festival or a dwarf folk tale!"
"Hey, what's that?" You immediately straighten up to listen attentively, raise your hand curiously, and ask, "Teacher, I want to hear a story!"
[Silver Xiuer was indeed fooled by your tricks. Looking at you, she instantly switched into teacher mode. After somewhat embarrassedly fidgeting with her hands, she said:]
"It's been quite a few years since I last heard those stories, so there might be some parts that aren't clearly recounted. Please don't mind, Little La..."
You sit at the low table and begin to listen to Silver Shrew tell the story of the past...
[Contrary to your preconceived notions of elves from your past life, perhaps because the Herods are all half-elf races, they also have a lively and festive side, though this is usually only shown during elven festivals.]
Throughout the long history of the elves, two festivals stand out as particularly important. One is the Flower Dance Festival held in early spring each year. To pray for the Mother Goddess and for a better world, the elves gather together to exchange different flower varieties they have collected and cultivated. On the day of the festival, they use racial magic to make their favorite flower bloom.
After the Flower Dance Festival, the elves would plant the flowers that had bloomed during the festival. These flowerbeds, bursting with blossoms, would then bless the nearby towns with good harvests in the coming year. Over time, this practice evolved into the custom of flower markets in human society.
The second festival is the Homecoming Festival in late autumn. Every late autumn, when the grass and trees wither, the elves return to Herod City from all over the world. In the city, they sing and pray, sharing their travel experiences and reflections on life with the Mother Goddess and their companions.
So when autumn and winter arrived, and the entire continent fell silent, the elven territory became the most bustling place. Many travelers from all over the world came to witness this grand occasion and brought elven legends back to their respective worlds, and elven culture became increasingly popular.
[Of course, this was when the Elf Mother Goddess was still alive. A hundred or two hundred years ago, the Goddess of Magic appeared out of nowhere, creating the unprecedented miracle of the Magic Network, which even moved the Mother Goddess. After the Goddess of Magic left this plane—or some say before—the gods of Atlantis also inexplicably left, and the Mother Goddess was among them.]
After the Mother Goddess departed, the elves were lost and confused. They spontaneously organized various festivals and celebrations in an attempt to summon her back, but to no avail. As the number of festivals increased, it became difficult to find two classic festivals like the Flower Dance Festival and the Homecoming Festival, and thus, no new festivals followed...
You listened with great interest, recalling the people you met at the Crown Stake City Flower Market, and couldn't help but chuckle to yourself. Although people are no longer familiar with the Elf Festival, those beautiful aspirations have been preserved, and that's enough.
"As for the folk tales of the dwarves..." Silvershur hesitated for a moment, then said with a slightly sarcastic tone, "I can only say that they are very characteristic of the dwarves..."
[The legend of the dwarves—at first, upon hearing the name, you might have thought it was a story like those ghost stories or supernatural tales from your past life. But as you listen, you suddenly sense that something is amiss…]
Legend has it that during the reign of the ancient dwarf king Yeye, a tale circulated about a dwarf who was found drowned in a wine vat in the dead of night. According to the neighbors of Tower Fort, they had seen the dwarf go out and gather unfamiliar fruits and snake gall to brew wine. It was believed that this angered the dwarf god of wine, who then cursed him to drown in the vat.
After this legend spread, the dwarves discarded the sulfur saltpeter, horsewhips, jade milk, and even the chewing matter of beautiful young girls that they had prepared for brewing wine, and from then on, they only dared to brew wine according to the standard specifications...
"What urban legend! It sounds like he died from poisoning himself by brewing wild wine... Is this some kind of nationwide sanitation and cleanliness plan by the Dwarf King...?" you muttered, turning to look at Teacher Yin, who was still telling the story.
Another widely circulated legend tells of a dwarven mage who once wielded a magical network, possessing extraordinary talent and unparalleled learning. His martial arts prowess was even more formidable; he was said to be able to lift a cauldron and spin a wheel, a true prodigy, and was even rumored to be able to rival the Titan King Powva.
However, fate is unpredictable. During a meditation session, he happened to encounter a natural phenomenon of disordered demonic energy. Caught off guard, he became deeply entrenched in it, his body filled with the chaotic demonic energy, and he was on the verge of exploding and dying.
Fortunately, he was always physically strong, so he didn't die on the spot. However, this wasn't a long-term solution, so he came up with a plan: Dwarven martial arts often involve circulating internal energy and releasing it during an attack to increase lethality. Coincidentally, he also had demonic energy within him, so he decided to use the same method to release the disordered demonic energy.
But what method should he use? The dwarf pondered for a long time before finally devising a method befitting the situation—as mentioned earlier, he was incredibly powerful, like a whirlwind; indeed, he was that kind of martial artist, always relying on strength first. Thus, after a fierce furnace-breaking battle, the chaotic magical energy transformed into a seven-colored ray, instantly shooting towards the sky, leaving behind a contrail that lingered for a long time.
However, amidst this magnificent scenery, the dwarf's chest exploded due to the excessive recoil. Although he was eventually rescued, all his magical power and martial arts skills had vanished, and this once-great genius had fallen!
[Afterwards, commentators from various races remarked: Even if dwarves have a habit of physical training, their rarity in training with bulls has already sown the seeds of disaster. This particular dwarf was simply too confident and too reliant on his bull brother! Alas!]
After this, the dwarves became more cautious about magic. After all, no one wanted to be uncontrollably invaded by disordered magic energy during meditation and end up exploding. Over time, dwarves who used magic almost disappeared.
"Wow, I've learned so much!" you exclaimed inwardly. "First, you need to train like a bull; second, you can't rely too much on your 'bull brother'! Wow, this story is practically tailor-made for me!"
However, after the initial shock, you frowned, realizing that the story ended with the dwarves no longer using magic. You stroked your chin, thinking to yourself:
"Could this be a story fabricated by the Dwarf King to confuse the public, or is it actually true?"
[You snapped out of your reverie, looked at Yin Xiuer who was still racking her brains for the next rural legend with a tense expression, and said with a smile, "Teacher Yin, you actually remember these stories very clearly! It seems you haven't given up your study habits at all!"]
"Huh?" SilverShull paused for a moment, his expression tightening before gradually relaxing. He then smiled helplessly and said:
"Little La, habits aren't so easy to change..."
You lifted the small table and placed it aside. Taking advantage of Yin Xiu'er's stunned moment, you unceremoniously sat down next to her, grinning as you said:
"It's okay! After all, we are all individuals made up of the past. Some habits and memories we can't let go of, so we don't have to. Just live in the present!"
"Oh dear, oh dear..." Silver Shul was squeezed so tightly by you that she had nowhere to go, and she couldn't bear to push you away, so she had no choice but to shrink herself up and lean slightly against you, saying:
"That's true, but I don't know either... Little La, let's talk about something else..."
"Ms. Silver Shul." You turned to face her and called her name. Seeing her freeze instantly, you chuckled inwardly, then said seriously:
"You can't keep being unable to face your own heart like this. As a teacher, shouldn't you take care of yourself first? If you can't even soothe your own soul, how can I, as your student, trust you?"
"Huh?!" Silver Shul looked at you in astonishment. She had never imagined that she would be reprimanded by her own student, and one that she couldn't refute. She could only remain silent for a moment before explaining, with a hint of grievance:
"I...I can teach you well..."
"Look, you have absolutely no confidence!" you interrupted her, straightening up and shaking your head.
“Teacher Yin, I admit you’ve always worked very hard in life, but is that really reasonable? Have all the hardships you’ve endured brought you the rewards you deserve? Are the ideals in your heart still shining? If so, are you sure you can achieve them through your current methods?”
"Me!" Yin Xiuer clenched her fist, a flash of resentment at being denied flashing in her eyes. However, that resentment quickly turned into a dim disappointment. She lowered her head and said in a muffled voice, "I don't know..."
"If you are a teacher, but you don't know the meaning of your efforts, how can you encourage us to work hard?"