Spellcasting Gods

It wasn't until nearly noon that he sat down at a roadside restaurant with a distinctly Mexican flavor, intending to sample some of the local delicacies.

Before he could even pick up the menu and decide what to eat, a short-haired woman in a white knee-length dress suddenly walked in, sat down across from him, and greeted him in slightly accented English: "Good afternoon, Mr. Zhang. If you don't mind, could you tell me how you managed to win over Speaker Cosmo in just one day?"

"Hehe, the Speaker's temper isn't as bad as you think. In some ways, he's one of the easiest people I've ever met to get along with." Zhang Cheng smiled mysteriously and shrugged.

Without a doubt, the visitor was none other than Ms. Yvonne, another member of the Supreme Council who had entrusted him with the mediation.

Although the woman was over forty-five years old, due to her elven bloodline, she still looked like a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl, giving people a pure and beautiful feeling.

In reality, the powerful light magic she possesses is enough to melt a modern ship made of steel weighing tens of thousands of tons in just a few minutes, making her a veritable human mobile artillery platform.

"Cosmo is easy to get along with? That's the funniest joke I've ever heard. You know, thirty years ago, when I was just a clueless little girl, he personally led a group to wipe out an Indian tribe that was trying to awaken an ancient god sleeping in this land. More than 1,500 people, including priests, warriors, elders, women, and children, were all killed, even infants. By completely erasing everyone who knew the god's name, he resolved the crisis once and for all. And you think this guy is easy to get along with?" Yvonne retorted with a cold laugh.

Clearly, her lineage as a light elf in Norse mythology instilled in her a strange sense of justice and compassion, and filled her with disgust for the Speaker's near-genocidal methods.

Zhang Cheng shrugged nonchalantly: "So what?"

The world we live in has always followed the naked law of the jungle: the strong make the rules that benefit themselves, and the weak can only obey and accept their dominance.

If someone is weak and doesn't realize their own weakness, or even desires to do something to overthrow the rule of the strong, then no matter how miserable their final fate may be, it is entirely their own fault.

The underground world is like this, and so is the world of ordinary people.

Otherwise, why do you think so many countries were invaded and bombed by NATO after World War II?

The reason is simple: first, they are the weak; second, they attempted to rebel against and overthrow the order established by the strong; and ultimately, the nation faced an inevitable war—a war destined to result in devastating losses regardless of victory or defeat.

"So you're a social Darwinist who supports Cosmo's ways?" Yvonne frowned instinctively.

She was clearly very dissatisfied with the answer, and her eyes revealed strong doubt.

"It's not a matter of support or opposition. I'm not someone with a fixed stance. As long as my interests aren't infringed upon, I'll unconditionally support whatever decision the Speaker makes," Zhang Cheng corrected, raising a finger.

But then he seemed to remember something and immediately added, "Of course, if you can offer me something that appeals to me, I will support you as well, just like this mediation."

In addition, I do have some inclination towards social Darwinism.

It is important to understand that the competition of survival of the fittest is an objective law of nature and a necessary prerequisite for biological evolution. A stable and comfortable living environment may be a good thing for an individual, but it is an absolute disaster for a species.

Interestingly, in modern society, many economically developed regions are trying to improve welfare in order to help those who have been eliminated or failed.

The American education sector has even put forward the idiotic slogan of making every child a winner.

They simply don't understand that doing this, besides reducing children's competitiveness, has absolutely no positive effect whatsoever. Ultimately, it leads to their inability to adapt to the harsh competitive pressures of society, causing them to become swindlers, beggars, vagrants, and criminals who rely on government assistance for a living.

Believe me, when humans make decisions out of good intentions or compassion, the results are generally not good. Even if it has some effect in the short term, in the end, it will almost always be a complete tragedy.

"Hmph! It seems you're just like Cosmo, your heart already filled with coldness and death. Oh well, I'm not here to discuss these things with you anyway. Here, take this, it's the agreed-upon payment. I hope we won't become enemies in the future."

After saying that, Yvonne stood up, placed a worn-out leather suitcase that looked very old-fashioned on the table, and then turned and disappeared into the crowd.

Two or three minutes after she left, Zhang Cheng casually ordered a few dishes, and then, taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, carefully reached his hand into the box.

moment!

My fingertips touched the densely packed ancient books, stone slabs, and rubbings of murals inside, numbering as many as thirty or forty.

Just as he was about to take out a document to check, he suddenly heard a woman's voice beside him: "Hello, sir, may I sit here?"

Looking up, I saw a Latina girl in her early twenties, wearing glasses, and carrying a thick stack of textbooks, looking like a high school or college student.

Since lunchtime is peak dining time, this well-known local restaurant was already full of customers, leaving sharing a table as the only option.

"of course can!"

Zhang Cheng politely gestured for them to proceed, then ignored the other person and took out an ancient book covered with Semitic symbols from his suitcase and began to read it.

Although this book did not originate from that ancient race in the Middle East more than 7,000 years ago, but rather from a Sasanian Manichaean priest who collected and organized information on supernatural forces remaining in ancient Semitic ruins more than 1,500 years ago, it is a record of such information.

Many parts of it even have detailed annotations, so even someone who knows nothing can use the descriptions to complete some interesting magical rituals.

Waiting for the food to be served is undoubtedly very boring, especially since smartphones aren't that advanced yet. You can't browse the internet for information, and there aren't many fun games to play.

So within minutes, the Latina girl across the table turned her attention to the weathered pages of the parchment book.

Soon, an expression of utter astonishment appeared on her face, and she couldn't help but exclaim, "Sasanian Pahlavi?! My God! This is an ancient book from the medieval Sasanian dynasty!"

"Huh? You can understand it!" Zhang Cheng looked up in surprise as well.

After all, once the Persian region was completely Arabized, Middle Persian was not something that just anyone could understand; only a very small number of experts and professors could barely read a portion of it.

Chapter 655 The Mysterious Ancient Book (Part 1)

"Of course! I'm a graduate student in the Archaeology Department at UCLA. But is it alright that you didn't even wear gloves when you were flipping through them? You know, thousand-year-old parchment books are very fragile, and the slightest carelessness could cause irreparable damage."

The young woman was clearly very interested in her field of expertise, her eyes fixed on the cover of the ancient parchment book.

Zhang Cheng smiled and shrugged: "It's alright! I'm only interested in the words and knowledge recorded inside. As for whether the book will be damaged as a result, that's not my concern."

"My God! Do you know how much a rare, out-of-print Manichaean parchment book from the Middle Ages is worth? Even the starting price is hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars! Even if you don't cherish these precious artifacts, you should at least cherish your money," the girl said, rolling her eyes in exasperation.

Just a few words had passed, and the edges of the pages beneath the parchment had already begun to crumble, causing her to feel a pang of heartache.

After all, among all antiques and cultural relics, books and texts, which are difficult to preserve, are often the rarest and also provide a great deal of reliable evidence for archaeological research.

"It's just a few million dollars, do you think I care?" Zhang Cheng asked without looking up as he quickly flipped through the document.

Undoubtedly, he was in a very relaxed state of mind, which is why he was chatting casually with the other person, enjoying this ordinary and peaceful leisure time.

"Shit!" The female graduate student wearing glasses finally couldn't help but swear.

After being choked several times in a row, even someone with a good temper would eventually lose their temper.

"Hahaha! Just kidding, don't be angry." Seeing a hint of anger on the other person's face, Zhang Cheng finally let out a triumphant laugh and handed over the ancient book he had finished reading. "Here, take it as my apology for my rudeness earlier."

"Give it to me? You don't have any bad intentions towards me, do you?" The girl instinctively covered her chest, her eyes filled with vigilance.

"Please! Miss! Even if I had ulterior motives, I would at least find a beautiful woman who looks pretty and has a figure as curvaceous as a supermodel. You're still a bit short of that standard." Zhang Cheng mercilessly crushed the other woman's pitiful self-esteem.

Enraged, the girl blushed instantly, puffed out her rather ample chest, and retorted loudly, "What's wrong with me?! Let me tell you! I have at least dozens of guys chasing after me at school!"

"So you're hoping I have designs on you?" Zhang Cheng stroked his chin with interest, looking the other person up and down at several sensitive parts of their body.

"No! No! Damn it! I almost fell for your trick!"

Having received higher education, the young woman quickly realized she had fallen into the language trap within seconds and regained her composure.

Upon realizing this, Zhang Cheng couldn't help but chuckle and tease, "Look, you women always have two extreme contradictions in your hearts. On the one hand, you hope to be charming and attract the attention of every man; on the other hand, you worry about getting hurt and always protect yourself by keeping people at arm's length. Do you remember what I just said? Think about it carefully, and all the answers are in there."

The words had barely left his mouth!

A waiter brought over a huge plate and served all of the dozen or so dishes at once.

After carefully checking the dishes and finding nothing he disliked, he took the initiative to invite, "If I'm not mistaken, you haven't had a chance to order yet, have you? If you don't mind, let's eat together, it's on me."

"Have you always been this self-righteous?" The girl raised her chin slightly, her tone revealing undisguised sarcasm.

"No! I used to be very humble and cautious, and I would never offend anyone unless absolutely necessary. But then things changed, and I suddenly realized that being too low-key is not a good thing. It will attract a lot of swarms of ignorant flies and bedbugs. Often, showing a little aggression can save you a lot of trouble. Also, I sincerely suggest we eat together, otherwise, even if you order, the kitchen can't bring the food up quickly within forty-five minutes."

After saying that, Zhang Cheng picked up a honey-glazed roasted chicken leg, placed it on his plate, and began to gnaw on it with relish.

The girl turned around and glanced at the crowded restaurant. She bit her lower lip and hesitated for a moment before picking up a chicken roll and stuffing it into her mouth, eating it in big bites.

Despite the variety of dishes, the total amount was not large. The two of them devoured all the delicious food in no time.

After finishing the last grilled shrimp, Zhang Cheng wiped his mouth with a napkin, placed the banknotes, including the tip, on the table, and walked outside with his worn-out suitcase.

Before he had gone fifty meters, he heard the female graduate student calling out from behind: "Hey! Wait! You forgot something!"

The girl, holding the ancient parchment book aloft, chased after them, panting.

"No, that's not mine, it's yours. Have you forgotten that I just gave it to you?" Zhang Cheng stopped and shook his head with a half-smile.

"Really giving it to me? According to what's written in this book, it could fetch at least five million dollars at an auction, and with a bit of luck, it could even sell for ten or twenty million."

The girl had clearly read the descriptions and interpretations of the Manichaean priests' magical rituals of the ancient Semitic people, and understood the immense value of the book. In addition, given the fascination of many wealthy people with magic and supernatural powers, it was reasonable for it to sell for an astronomical price.

"Yes, it's yours. But I suggest you don't get too caught up in it; some things are beyond your control. Oh, and just to be safe, I should leave you my phone number. If your life is ever threatened, remember to call me, and I can provide protection."

As the last word was uttered, a piece of paper with a phone number on it appeared out of thin air in the girl's palm.

When she looked up again, she found that Zhang Cheng had vanished without a trace, as if he had never been there at all.

"Good heavens! Could I have encountered some kind of paranormal event?"

The female graduate student instinctively shivered, but fortunately it was noon and the warm sun quickly dispelled her subconscious unease and fear.

After stuffing the note with her phone number into her jeans pocket, she immediately jumped into a beat-up used car and drove straight to UCLA.

Filled with excitement, she couldn't wait to show the book to her mentor and conduct a comprehensive assessment.

If this book isn't a forgery, then she might be able to use this opportunity to publish several influential academic papers, establish her position in the archaeology field, and no longer have to worry about finding a job after graduation...

Chapter 0656 The Mysterious Ancient Book (Part Two)

UCLA, a top-tier university ranked among the top 15 in the world, is renowned as a cradle of talent in American business and finance, high-tech industries, and film arts.

However, compared to those more popular and lucrative majors, archaeology is undoubtedly a relatively quiet field.

After all, anyone with a bit of ambition and desire would not choose archaeology, a profession that is destined to rely solely on government funding, foundation sponsorship, and donations from the wealthy to make a living.

Of course, the world will never lack people who give up everything for their ideals and interests.

As a tenured professor in the Department of Archaeology, Dr. Craig, who is nearly seventy years old, is a guy who is passionate about exploring, excavating, and protecting the most important heritage of human civilization. For this reason, he does not even want to get married or have children.

Just as he was about to examine a tattered parchment scroll that had been delivered not long ago, supposedly found inside the walls of an abandoned castle in Eastern Europe, intending to decipher some of the contents from the illegible handwriting, the tightly closed door was suddenly pushed open with a bang.

A female student wearing glasses rushed in, holding up an old parchment book and shouting, "Professor! Guess what I found!"

“Mansa! How many times have I told you! Don’t be reckless! As an archaeologist, the most important thing is to stay calm at all times, because only calmness allows you to make decisions quickly and protect artifacts that are easily damaged by environmental changes.” Craig frowned and reprimanded her mercilessly.

Because there are relatively few archaeology students, he can accurately call out everyone's name.

"No! Professor! Please read this first! I promise you'll be just as excited as I am after you read it." Without another word, the girl called Mansa placed the rather heavy parchment book in front of the old man.

Although the latter was a little unhappy, out of professional ethics and love for archaeology, he carefully put on protective gloves, gently stroked the pages, and began to read the contents letter by letter.

In just a few minutes, the calm expression on his face turned to surprise, then to shock, and finally his hands began to tremble slightly involuntarily.

A full hour later, Craig took off his glasses, took a deep breath, and asked with a serious expression, "Where did you get this book?"

Please don't tell me it was done through illegal means!

do you know?