Chapter 1444: The Riddles of the Consciousness
So the descriptions of Eleanor as amiable and approachable were accurate.
Roland thought of Alice — the cold, imposing weight of her presence — and tried to square that with the creature who had just offered to fly a mountain into the air on a whim. He couldn’t quite manage it.
“No — I believe you.” He raised a hand. North Slope Mountain was the center of an enormous industrial district; a sudden lift-off would be catastrophic. “Though I’d rather you not demonstrate right now.”
“You really should wait until I’ve activated the core instruments before believing me,” Eleanor replied, and something in her tone suggested she was genuinely regretful about this constraint. She wanted to show him. He could hear it.
He was beginning to understand her. Not being a qualified leader, as she’d said of herself — that was honest. But it didn’t mean ordinary. She had things she was proud of. Every Transcendent did.
“When exactly did you wake up?”
“About a quarter of an hour ago.”
She’s been listening this entire time. Roland swallowed the curse that rose instinctively. “Then why didn’t you say anything?”
“Is there a rule that one must announce one’s awakening to the world?” Matter-of-fact. Serene.
“Then why speak up at all?”
“What other reason could there be? Did you want me to watch my junior embarrass herself?” The rows of compound eyes at the top of her form rolled upward in unison — a synchronized movement of alien scale that was, somehow, unmistakably the gesture of an eye-roll.
It’s your ‘awakening’ that made it more embarrassing! Roland thought, and said nothing.
Eleanor changed the subject without ceremony. “In all honesty, I am rather satisfied with you.”
He blinked. “For what reason?”
“There are no traces of exploitation here.” Her voice was calm and precise. “From the moment I bonded with this region, I could feel that the foundation of the God’s Stone pillar is fully preserved. You never touched it.”
She means the mine — proof I never had designs on the witches’ power. “Celine should have told you about the Witch Union. Did you not believe her?”
“Of course I did. But people are easily deceived by appearances — especially by the words of an omnipotent King. It would not be difficult for you to fake it. Even if you adhere to a position now, that says nothing about the future. Every leader has to plan ahead for contingencies. If you harbored any wariness toward the witches, you would inevitably be tempted by this mine — secretly arranging extraction, stockpiling, taking precautions against power that might grow too great to contain, all while maintaining a friendly front. Isn’t that what usually happens?”
Roland exhaled. “That is because too many people treat witches as a different species. In my eyes, they are humans with certain advantages.”
“You would be fine even if witches occupied all the important positions in the kingdom?”
“What you’re asking sounds like Alice’s assertions.” He met her gaze directly. “As long as humanity continues to exist, witches will return to prominence. That seems inevitable.”
“They told you that as well?” He heard something he had not heard from Eleanor yet — surprise.
“No. That was what I saw in the Sigil of Recording.” He paused. “Actually, Alice was only partially right. Switch the word ‘witch’ to ‘human’ and the statement becomes something entirely ordinary and expected: if outstanding individuals are prevented from leading a civilization, that civilization has no future. And if whoever stands at the peak stops striving for the good of everyone below them, it won’t last regardless.” He considered it. “Random awakenings, the inability to pass power through bloodlines, magic itself — these could all be understood as distinctive abilities, not as barriers between the talented and the ordinary. The artificial construction of those barriers — designated inheritance, exclusion — that’s what’s dangerous. It’s what perpetuates the divide.”
Eleanor looked at him for a long moment, as though searching for the seam between what he said and what he meant. Then, quietly, she gave up.
“I shall wait and see. What are your plans going forward?”
“A large-scale remodeling of North Slope Mountain — making it suitable as a flying stronghold.” Another reason he had not let her lift the island immediately: before they moved against the new Deity of Gods or traveled to the Bottomless Land, they would need substantial supplies. Once the island left Neverwinter, resupply would be difficult. “Can you estimate the island’s volume?”
“That should not be a problem.” She blinked her eyes — the closest thing she had to a nod. “Apart from the remaining veins, the Red Mist tower adjusts for range and grows accordingly, so it will never be as large as the Deity of Gods. But the scope can be controlled.”
“How exactly do Red Mist towers grow?”
“I was equally curious, so I spent time examining this body.” A pause that felt reflective. “What I found is that it can assimilate the God’s Stone pillar into itself. In ordinary circumstances the God’s Stone shows no signs of life — but bonded to a Mother of Soul, it begins to self-replicate. The rate depends on the quality of the stone; overuse depletes the magic power within it.”
“Then—” Roland hesitated. “Are you able to create Red Mist?”
Eleanor sighed. “Yes. And more than that — I now have control over the various unique abilities of the Mother of Soul, and a deeper understanding of their mechanics than I expected. The Red Mist lake, for instance, is a form of demon in its own right. They are all produced the same way.”
“You mean—”
“That’s right. Mad Demons, Fearsome Demons, Lords of Hell — all of them. The information is encoded within the Mother of Soul. But to incubate demons, certain crucial factors are required — and the one who supplies those factors to the Mother of Soul is what the demons call the King.”
Roland stood silent for a moment. He had known the demons did not need to mate, but he had not thought the process through. In other words, I could become the King of Demons. He turned the irony over once, then let it settle. One of the Three Chiefs — a demon producer. Strange, this.
Eleanor fixed her compound eyes on him. “Remember everything you said. And do not keep me here too long.”
That depends on our advancement in magic power, not on me, he thought, slightly helpless. But the thought that rose behind it went deeper.
Through the shift of consciousness, Eleanor had absorbed all the information stored within the Mother of Soul — acquired knowledge the way one acquired a language, through direct contact rather than instruction. The legacies of different races would eventually mix and evolve through exactly this kind of transfer. That was, he supposed, inevitable.
But then why had God gone to the trouble of the Battle of Divine Will? Why the legacy shards, the racial bloodshed, the long machinery of mutual destruction — when the same transfer could apparently happen like this, directly, without any of it?
And then there was the second question, the one that nagged more insistently.
Consciousness itself.
In a world where the technology was still primitive, the shift of consciousness appeared almost casual — no elaborate technique, no apparent method, no obvious boundary. If only God possessed the ability, Roland might have left it alone. But the underground civilization could do it. The demons could do it. Humans could do it.
In his previous world, simulating perception had been a theoretical concept, the premise of science fiction.
He had a feeling — imprecise, persistent — that the two things were connected.
Chapter 1444 - The Riddles of the Consciousness
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
It seems like their description of Eleanor as being “amiable and approachable” is true…
Comparing her to Alice, Roland found it difficult to imagine that a Transcendent that emitted a cold and imposing aura would ever say such words.
“No… I believe you.” He waved his hand immediately. The current North Slope Mountain was connected to a huge industry district, so any sudden flight would be a recipe for disaster.
“You should really believe me only after I’ve activated the core instruments,” Eleanor replied somewhat regretfully. From her tone of speech, it sounded as though she was extremely regretful to be unable to reveal her abilities right away.
Roland gained some understanding with regards to her personality.
Her self-acknowledgment of not being a qualified leader did not mean she was ordinary. She had aspects that she prided herself with. Anyone that became a Transcendent was a lofty existence without exception.
“Right… when did you wake up?”
“About a quarter of an hour ago.”
So you’ve been eavesdropping from the beginning! Roland cursed inwardly. “Then why didn’t you tell us?”
“Nobody made it a rule that it’s compulsory to announce to the world that they have woken up, right?,” Eleanor replied matter-of-factly.
“Then why did you speak up in the end?”
“What other reason can there be? Do you really want me to see my junior embarrass herself?” The two rows of eyes at the top of her head rolled upwards in unison. The rolling of eyes at such a large scale was quite a magnificent sight.
It’s because of your sudden ‘awakening’ that makes it even more embarrassing!
Seeing Roland speechless, Eleanor casually changed the topic. “In all honesty, I am rather satisfied with you at the present.”
“Why is that?” He realized that he could hardly follow her train of thought.
“Because there aren’t any traces of exploitations here,” Eleanor replied. “Ever since my connection with this region, I can feel that the foundation of this God’s Stone pillar is fully preserved—proof that you don’t have ideas over it.”
She means that I didn’t exploit this mine, which indicates that I’ve never had the intent to control the witches? Roland realized the meaning behind her words. “Celine should have told you about the Witch Union; could it be that you didn’t believe her?’
‘Of course not. It is just that people get deceived easily by facades, especially from words by an omnipotent King. It would not be difficult for you to fake everything,” Eleanor stated bluntly. “Even if you adhere to such a position for now, it doesn’t mean that you will be the same in the future. Planning ahead is a matter that every leader has to consider. If you harbored any wariness, it would be impossible for you not be tempted by this God’s Stone mine. Secretly arranging to mine, storing, and taking precautions against the witches’ power that would become too potent for you to control, while maintaining a kind and friendly front. Isn’t that what usually happens?”
Roland sighed. “That is because too many people treat witches as a different species, but in my eyes, they are just humans with slightly advantaged.”
“You’re fine even if the witches occupy all the important positions in the kingdom?”
“What you’re asking, should be Alice’s assertions, right?” Roland replied bluntly. “As long as humanity continues to exist, witches will definitely return to the peak.”
“They actually told you that as well?” It was the first time Roland heard Eleanor exclaim in surprise.
“No, but that was what I saw in the Sigil of Recording,” Roland admitted. “In fact, Alice has been mistaken as well. As long as the word ‘witch’ is switched to ‘human’, wouldn’t this sentence be normal and expected? If outstanding individuals are prevented from leading the civilization, the civilization is doomed to have no future. At the same time, if the leader at the peak no longer strives for the benefit of the people, the civilization will not last as well.”
In some sense, random awakenings, the inability to have children, and magic power could be considered a special ability, and should have never been a rift between the talented and the ordinary. The most dangerous aspect was artificial selection and designated inheritance, which prevented the misgivings between witches and ordinary people to cease.
“You…” Eleanor looked at him in a bid to figure out his true thoughts. But after a moment, she gave up. “I shall wait and see. What are your plans, going forward?”
“We will be executing a large scale remodeling of North Slope Mountain to be a suitable flying stronghold.” This was another reason Roland did not allow Eleanor to lift the floating island right away. Regardless of attacking the new Deity of Gods or moving to the Bottomless Land, they had to amass a substantial amount of supplies. Upon leaving Neverwinter, it would be difficult to have resupplies. “Can you estimate the volume of the floating island?”
“It shouldn’t be a problem.” Eleanor blinked her eyes and nodded. “Aside from the remaining vein, the Red Mist tower also takes into account the range and augment accordingly, so it is impossible if you want it to be as big as the Deity of Gods.”
“How do the Red Mist Towers grow?”
“I was equally curious as you on this, so I spent a bit more time investigating this body. I discovered that it can assimilate the God stone pillar into the body. Simply put, while the God’s Stone doesn’t reveal any signs of life in an ordinary circumstances, it will start to self-duplicate upon its binding to a Mother of Soul. The process depends on the quality of the God Stone; using it too much will put an end to the magic power within.”
“Then…” Roland hesitated for a moment. “Are you able to create Red Mist?”
This question caused Eleanor to sigh. “Yes, in fact, not only do I have control over the various unique abilities of the Mother of Soul, I even have a deeper understanding of their intricacies. For example, the Red Mist lake can be considered a type of demon as well, as they are all produced in the same manner.”
“You mean to say—” Roland was surprised.
“That’s right, be it Mad Demon, Fearsome Demons or Lords of Hells, they are produced that way… I found information within the Mother of Soul related to them. But to incubate the demons, there are a few crucial factors lacking—and the one to supply the crucial factors to the Mother of Soul is considered King.”
Roland was dumbstruck. Although he knew that the demons did not need to mate, he never thought that they would reproduce in such a manner.
‘In other words, It is possible for me to become the King of Demons as well —Isn’t it ironic, one of the Three Chiefs will be a demon producer one day.’
Eleanor then glared at him. ‘You have to remember everything you said, don’t make me stay here for too long.’
This will depend on our advancement in magic power and not me, Roland thought to himself helplessly. But what was on his mind went deeper— through the shift of consciousness, Eleanor had practically obtained all the information stored within the Mother of Soul, and just like learning, she could, in a sense, obtain the legacies. It was inevitable that the different legacies from the different races would end up mixed and evolved was inevitable. But why would God be superfluous and use the Battle of Divine Will and legacy shards, for the races to kill each other to push for it to happen?
Secondly, what mattered was consciousness itself.
It was a clear cut distinction in the world where technology was still primitive. Access and a shift of consciousness was simple, as though there was no technique or skill involved. If God were the only one that had the ability to do so, Roland would had let it slide. But why were the underground civilization, demons, and humans capable of it as well?
In his previous world, simulating perception remained a concept and only existed in television shows.
He had a vague feeling that the two might be related.