Spellcasting Gods

"Ah, you mean that fragment hidden in my ex-girlfriend's soul, right?" Zhang Cheng clearly hadn't forgotten about it, but he didn't seem to care too much about it.

In his view, that fragment of soul had been separated from him for far too long, and after undergoing multiple evolutions in his life form, a mere fragment of his soul from his mortal days was nothing at all.

But Gru disagreed, shaking his semi-circular head as he explained, "Yes! That's it! Don't underestimate it! The soul is the most mysterious, and also the most difficult to understand and use, rule in the entire universe. It gives life independent consciousness and wisdom, allowing life to transcend itself in continuous evolution. Especially a fragment of a ruler's soul, if used properly, can have unimaginable chain reactions."

"Please continue, I'm listening." Zhang Cheng straightened his posture slightly, abandoning his previous nonchalant attitude.

“Although the fragment of your soul was cut off when you were a mortal, it still maintains a close connection with you. Imagine what would happen if someone used this fragment of your soul as a medium to resonate with your soul?” Gru’s voice trembled with a deep sense of unease.

"What will happen?" Zhang Cheng's face turned serious as he realized the situation was dire.

"It's very simple! This will cause you to have a collision with the object of resonance, from consciousness to thought! Then it's fusion! You and he will eventually become one! From two separate consciousnesses merging into one consciousness. I don't know if the final result will be one of them devouring the other, or if you will both lose a part of yourselves and generate a completely new subjective consciousness, but one thing is certain, that is, you will bring unimaginable disaster to this universe."

Gru did not use any exaggerated adjectives, nor did he use dramatic intonation to create an atmosphere of panic; he simply described what he thought might happen.

Undoubtedly, he did not want to see such an outcome, nor did he want to cause irreversible damage to the entire universe.

"So... he hasn't given up on his plan to devour me? Heh, very good, excellent. Should I say he truly lives up to his reputation as another version of me?"

Hearing that the Initialists' plan was still as insane as ever, Zhang Cheng's eyes blazed with intense excitement and anticipation.

"Tell me! What do you mean by causing the ruler to lose his immortality?" Gru was clearly not interested in getting involved in the grudges and conflicts between the two, so he changed the subject and began to cautiously probe the topic that interested him.

It's important to understand that a ruler is not a life form in the ordinary sense; it's not even certain whether the word "life" can be applied to it.

First, although the Overlords also possess physical forms, they have transcended all dimensions, like an observer standing outside a box called the "Universe." Any methods used within that box are ineffective against them.

Secondly, if one Overlord destroys the physical body of another Overlord, the latter's body will quickly be rebuilt with the help of the main string. During this process, no attack or interference can stop this rebirth. In other words, even an Overlord has no way to truly kill another Overlord.

Finally, and most importantly, the rulers have become one with the "main string" that maintains the multidimensional universe. They themselves are equivalent to the main string. Once the main string has a problem, the universe in the region will completely collapse, forming something ten thousand times more terrifying than a black hole.

In a distant era, there was once a collapse of the main chord.

No one knows exactly what happened. All that is known is that at the edge of that area, an absolute forbidden zone was formed. Anything that tries to approach it, whether it be a celestial body or a ruler, will disappear without a trace, as if it had never existed at all.

Apart from the Overlord, other life forms do not even have corresponding memories, and they do not even retain time points.

That is precisely why researching methods to kill the Overlord is taboo; even the most insane individual would not easily cross that line…

Chapter 1127 The True Taboo (Part 2)

Do you know what eternity is?

Zhang Cheng obviously didn't answer the other party's question immediately, but instead brought up an interesting topic.

The definition of eternity is completely different in different eras and for different intelligent life forms.

For example, for humans, who have a relatively short lifespan on Earth, a few hundred or even a thousand years is a very long time in their eyes, and can be described as eternal.

However, for some long-lived races that can live for one or two thousand years, eternity is a more enduring concept, even rising to the level of spirit and soul.

But all of these are far removed from the essence of eternity.

Because in higher-dimensional universes, time itself does not exist; it is merely a measure used by the three-dimensional universe to measure the time from the Big Bang to the present.

However, in reality, the universe has never been a celestial body that was born from the Big Bang, slowly expanded outwards, and eventually perished, as many people believe.

On the contrary, it is a cycle, a continuous process of expansion to compression and then expansion again.

However, for some low-level civilizations in the three-dimensional universe, it is impossible to observe the changes in the higher-dimensional universe, so the wrong concept of time is used as the standard for measuring eternity.

Gru is a ruler, so naturally he wouldn't make such a basic mistake.

He stood there for a moment, pondering, before replying in a strange tone: "Eternity is a state, something that cannot be destroyed or erased, something that exists no matter what happens. Without a doubt, in this universe, what can be called eternal, besides the omnipresent rules, is only us, the rulers. Even those gods who claim to possess all sorts of extraordinary powers are merely ants under the rules."

"So your point is that eternity is an indelible state, and to some extent it represents a supreme power, isn't it?" Zhang Cheng summarized with a smile.

“That’s right! Although your understanding is slightly different from what I meant, it’s fine overall.” Gru nodded seriously.

"It seems my view differs somewhat from yours. I believe that eternity is less an objective state of being and more a psychological change. For example, every ruler firmly believes in their heart that only they truly understand the essence of the universe, and they never experience self-doubt. Imagine if one day you start to doubt yourself, deny yourself, and constantly think about the things you've done in the past, could you still guarantee your eternal immortality?" Zhang Cheng's eyes gleamed with a strange light as he casually posed a hypothetical question.

Indeed, one of the most important reasons why the Dominator can stand at the end of all life's evolutionary paths is that it has merged with the main string and become part of the supporting structure of the entire universe.

But the real secret to their eternal existence has never been this; rather, it is a mindset, a self-affirmation that derives the power to control the rules from the main theme.

Only by firmly believing that one is right and all other rulers are wrong can one form an absolute domain centered on oneself, a domain that resists all external changes.

And this realm, completely isolated from the outside world, is precisely the true secret of eternity.

In other words, if the rulers begin to doubt themselves, the realm surrounding their bodies and even souls will gradually weaken until it disappears completely, at which point consciousness will be forcibly expelled from the main theme little by little.

At this point, the ruler can be killed.

This was undoubtedly the first time Gru had heard such a novel theory, and his emotions began to fluctuate violently. It took him several minutes to barely suppress them before he asked in a somewhat uncertain tone, "Is this the result of the research? To dismantle the will of a ruler from within and then kill him?"

Zhang Cheng smiled and shook his head: "No, there's no need to be so tense. I don't intend to kill anyone, at least not right now. Besides, this theory is still just a hypothesis, far from being put into practice. I need time to advance the experiments and prove that the theory is correct. So, are you interested in joining?"

"You wouldn't be thinking of using me as a test subject, would you?" Gru asked meaningfully.

"Hahaha! How could that be! We're allies, and friends with some common interests. Don't worry, I won't target you. Instead, I plan to go after that guy who's been lurking in the shadows watching me."

After saying that, Zhang Cheng raised his head and looked at the sky outside the balcony window, as if he were staring at something.

“I know it’s no use trying to persuade you now, so just go for it. Remember, don’t be too arrogant. I admit you have extraordinary potential, but the Overlord isn’t so easy to deal with.” Gru released a barrier, isolating the entire magic tower from the outside world.

Caution has always been his style of doing things, and he didn't want to leak information at such a crucial moment, which could trigger a series of major changes.

"Ah! I've been fully prepared for this for a long time. See that Chaos Tree that endlessly draws energy from the planet's core? When it blossoms and bears fruit, that bastard who loves to pry into other people's privacy will definitely jump out. I promise I'll give him a huge surprise then..."

As the last word escaped his lips, Zhang Cheng's pupils suddenly flashed with a star-like light, and one of his hands gently pressed down on a book on the table.

Unlike most books, it is made of pieces of unknown metal, and when you touch it, silver lines flow across the pages.

Staring at the strange book, Gru immediately realized that this young junior was fully prepared and would not stop no matter what.

After a brief silence, he couldn't help but speak up to advise, "You'd better be careful. If possible, it's best not to kill our compatriots, even if they show some hostility."

“Kill? No, no, no, how could I bear to destroy such precious experimental material? I will seal him away, place him on a dissection table, dismember him into eight pieces, and personally touch and feel each blood vessel, nerve, and internal organ structure. If conditions permit, I will also try to control him, turning him into a puppet and servant who obeys my every command. Just as you said before, this universe has been silent for too long; it's time to make a sound and tell all civilizations that an unprecedented upheaval is about to begin…”

As he spoke these words, Zhang Cheng no longer concealed the surging darkness and madness in his mind...

Chapter 1128 Falling from the Sky

Gru left, just as he had come, without disturbing anyone, quietly without making a sound.

But Zhang Cheng knew that this overlord, whose appearance resembled a giant beetle, would never keep his secrets.

Before long, his insane plan will be discovered by the rulers of those Chaos factions, and these rulers will certainly take action, either to stop it or to support it.

Regardless, he personally instigated the war, making the already perilous universe even more dangerous.

But he didn't regret it, and had long forgotten what regret felt like.

As he continued to affirm himself on his path forward, he, like most rulers, became absolutely arrogant, determined to go all the way even when he was wrong, killing all the right people so that he would be right.

That's right!

Doesn't that sound a bit like Bismarck's famous quote, "Truth is always within the range of cannons"?

But in reality, the sovereign is indeed a special kind of being that exists between objectivity and subjective control.

They represent a kind of ultimate consciousness of the universe, and they also use their supreme authority to transform the universe in order to maintain this continuous cycle.

This means that if a ruler could kill all the other rulers and then gradually tamper with the rules, he could impose his own "wrong" will on the entire universe.

Sometimes, Zhang Cheng even felt that the purpose of the rulers was not to maintain the status quo, but to have fierce competition among them until the strongest one was chosen to become the supreme ruler of the entire universe.

But now, for some reason, the rulers seem to have reached a tiny peace agreement, even completely prohibiting the research into how to kill each other.

This is neither in line with the laws of biological evolution nor with the inevitable outcome that even if only two intelligent life forms remain, they will still distinguish between primary and secondary ones.

It goes without saying that Zhang Cheng is a person who hates peace, craves war, craves killing, and craves to hear the roar or scream of despair erupting at the moment of death.

From the depths of his soul, he exuded the most primal and profound darkness, as if he had merged with the dark universe.

……

Just as Zhang Cheng was once again lost in thought, forty kilometers away in the Tilsburg River, the elderly general had led his army ashore. With a furrowed brow, he stared at the river blocked by sunken ships and rocks, and asked in a heavy tone, "How long will it take to clean up this garbage?"

“Those damned traitors have sunk at least fifty ships. It will take weeks to clear the rocks alone. What’s more, we didn’t bring any tools. We probably won’t finish in two or three months by hand,” an adjutant replied dejectedly.

There's no way I can not feel dejected!

Looking at the soldiers standing on the riverbank, staring blankly at the vast, lush marshes, one can tell how heavy a blow this insidious move dealt to the once high-spirited army.

In their expectations, the mob gathered by the nobles could quickly capture the castle, even if they held out for only two or three days, and then it would be time for the much-anticipated legal looting.

In particular, the private property of rebellious nobles was no longer protected by law. Valuable assets such as land, castles, and gold coins naturally had to be handed over to the national treasury, but silver coins, cloth, statues, and decorations could all be divided up privately by the soldiers.

But now, before they even reach their destination, the other side has already blocked the convenient waterway.

If nothing unexpected happens, their only option next is the perilous Great Swamp.

Staring at the rock-like protrusions on the riverbank, the old general sighed helplessly: "Alas! Crossing the swamp will cost us at least a third of our soldiers, and even those powerful steel golems. But if we stay and wait for the river to be cleared, we will undoubtedly lose the initiative in this war, allowing the enemy to make their preparations at their leisure."

“You are right! Now make your decision. In any case, we must continue to fulfill our duties and bring Her Majesty a glorious victory.” The adjutant patted his chest forcefully and gave a solemn bow.

Just as the old general was hesitating, about to give the order to cross the swamp, a teleportation portal suddenly appeared out of thin air.

next second...

Isolde emerged from the other side, leaning on her staff.

He first observed the surroundings before saying in a half-joking tone, "My dear General, I imagine you're worried about how to get to your destination, aren't you?"

"Of course, Your Excellency, Chief Archmage of the Palace. What, do you have a good idea?" The old general's face revealed a strong sense of anticipation.

After all, spellcasters are always mysterious and powerful, and magic can do countless things that normal people cannot.

“A solution? No, I don’t have any good solutions. Clearing so much shipwreck and rock at once would take a considerable amount of time, even with a legion of spellcasters. However, not being able to clear the river doesn’t mean we can’t besiege the city. If you don’t mind, I’d like to speak with you privately.” As he spoke, Isolt glanced at his adjutant, who was standing close by.

The latter was quite sensible; without saying a word, he immediately bowed, turned around, and left.

After he had walked away completely, Isolde explained with a half-smile, "Actually, you don't need to worry about marching. Her Majesty the Queen has already prepared a large army for you, which can appear directly at the gates of Tilsburg at any time. Right now, all you have to do is come with me to destroy the rising confidence of those rebels. Let them understand how miserable the fate of traitors is."

"Another large army? I've never heard of it before!" The old general stood there dumbfounded.

You should know that he is one of the young queen's few confidants, and he knows almost everything about the movement and deployment of every army in the kingdom.

"Hahaha! This army is a bit special! Only the Queen and I in the entire kingdom know that it's a sharp blade that can strike the enemy's vitals at any time, and it won't be used unless absolutely necessary. Come, follow me, and I'll show you just how extraordinary this army is. Trust me, you'll love them..."

Having said that, Isol grabbed the other person's arm, quickly and loudly chanted a spell, and slowly disappeared from the spot under the gaze of countless eyes.

When the old general recovered from the dizziness brought on by the teleportation, he was shocked to find himself standing directly in front of Tilsburg's formidable walls and gates...