In "Mecard's" memory, the teleportation spell based on the background fluctuation of the magic network is a skill that every high-level mage who goes out to perform tasks must master proficiently.
As for the teleportation spell based on six-dimensional coordinates, it does not exist in McCarde's memory. From this, Shado also speculated that it has been too long since the empire was destroyed and some of the spells have been lost.
But the Arcane Empire has a library, so it shouldn't be difficult to save some magic materials. Xia Duo is more likely to have deliberately blocked it.
After all, six-dimensional coordinates contain too much information and are too specific. As long as a high-level mage rebels or is captured, the entire base may be exposed to the elves' vision.
By then, it is estimated that no one below a high-level mage will survive.
In McArdle's memory, before he became a high-level mage, he lived in a large underground base, and everyone had to receive academic lifelong magic education.
In a base like that, living is not a happy thing, nor is having children. Everyone who does not become an official mage before the age of sixteen must pair up and give birth to at least two offspring. Even if they become one later, they must still have children.
And if you can't become an official mage, it will be even worse. You have to keep giving birth to children endlessly. Men are fine, but it is just a monthly injection task, which is more of a psychological discomfort. Women have to bear the psychological and physical pain at the same time.
double suffering.
Even if the base's top brass uses all kinds of brainwashing tactics, the pain itself is difficult to soothe.
As for the official mage, if you cannot become a high-level mage, you will have to stay in the base your whole life, either becoming a magic technician or a human battery for high-level mage (including above).
Only when you become a high-level mage can you have the permission to go out, but that is only for going out. If you want to return to the base, you must save enough points.
In addition to accumulating points, the only way to return to the base is to die. After death, you will be resurrected at the base for free, but the price is an extremely heavy debt.
Shado recalled everything in the base, and he felt quite confused about McCard's constant desire to return to the base.
Of course, if he had not given up information involving subconscious thinking patterns when sorting out McCard's memories, he might now be able to understand McCard's thoughts.
…
After the transmission was completed, Xia Duo was surprised that he appeared in a forest. Not far away, he could even see a group of elves and civilians picking fruits together.
At this moment, a cold voice came from behind a huge tree, "It's a beautiful scene. The empire used to be like that, or even more beautiful than that!"
Xia Duo quickly turned around to look, and saw that the person coming was a short-haired woman wearing a light green elf sword uniform and a long sword at her waist.
But Shado didn't dare to neglect him at all, because this woman named "Elise" was the immediate boss of "Mecard" and she was also a senior arcanist.
In a place like the [Department of Vengeance], a woman can become a senior arcanist instead of being reduced to a reproductive tool, which shows how powerful she is.
Such people are rare even in Netheril.
"Sir, McCard is reporting to you!" Sha Duo saluted respectfully according to McCard's tone.
The woman did not speak, but walked slowly to Xia Duo, looked directly at Xia Duo with her sharp eyes, as if she was observing something, and then said after a long time:
"The mission failed. Apart from you, only Peter came back. Do you have anything to explain?"
When Xia Duo heard this, he suddenly felt bad. There were obviously four people of "McCard" when they escaped back to the shelter, so why was only Peter going back?
"We encountered an ambush. The Cormanthor demon already knew where we were going. If it weren't for the ambush and the participation of higher demons, I wouldn't have been able to come back alive."
Xia Duo almost gritted his teeth and said seriously. After speaking, he did not forget to unbutton his shirt, revealing half of his body that was eroded by negative energy.
But Elise was not moved at all by this, and she didn't even move her eyes. Instead, she continued to ask: "Then what do you think caused the leakage of your attack target?"
"I dare not say." Xia Duo hesitated for a moment, but still did not blame Peter directly, because he did not know what Peter said when he went back. If the blame was passed to him, then he would probably be blamed for blaming each other now.
Think of the two as conspiring to betray.
There is no need for clear evidence, as long as there is suspicion, you can justifiably arrange a fatal mission for him. Although the Arcane Empire is shattered, its background is still not shallow. A mere new high-level mage is just a consumable.
But you can't say nothing, otherwise you may end up taking the blame yourself.
Xia Duo's hesitation made Elise frown. She snorted coldly and said, "I order you to say it!"
"Sir, I clearly remember that all four of our group escaped back to Temporary Shelter No. 025, but then I temporarily passed out while trying to heal my wounds, and when I woke up, they were gone."
"You mean - as a member of the same task force, they abandoned you while you were still alive?"
"Well--"
Xia Duo didn't know how to answer. Maybe what Peter said when he went back was that the three of them discovered the pursuers and deliberately diverted them away. Then two of them died, leaving only one Peter to go back.
But it's also possible that Peter was saying that McCard was the betrayer.
Even Elise may not be telling the truth at this moment, maybe all four Peters have gone back!
In this way, if he bites randomly, wouldn't he confirm his identity as a betrayer?
Shado guessed that if there were other survivors who returned, they might be treated in this way. The so-called Peter returned alive alone was just Elise's statement.
Perhaps Jason among the four is still alive, or perhaps they are all dead. Except for McAdor, who is now Shado, everyone else is alive.
This is simply a different kind of prisoner's dilemma.
Xia Duo could only choose to tell the truth, "I'm not sure if they abandoned me, but it's a fact that I didn't see them when I woke up."
He is not sure now whether the betrayer is Peter, but what is certain is that the betrayer must be one of the four of them.
Otherwise, the betrayer might be Elise, or even someone higher up, which would be terrible.
Sha Duo was just thinking about Elise telling him "Welcome to join us" with a serious face, when he heard Elise's cold voice from outside——
"Kill them!"
Following Elise's gaze, Sha Duo understood that the "them" the other party referred to referred to the group of elven civilians who were picking fruits not far away.
Xia Duo couldn't help frowning. If it were "McCard", he would naturally be able to kill civilians without any hindrance, because this itself was his mission. But now that "McCard" has changed its "inner core", Xia Duo cannot
I don't really agree with this approach.
But it seems that the current Arcane Empire can do nothing but madly attack various active forces in Cormanthor, including civilians.
It is definitely impossible to win a head-on confrontation. Without the support of a huge population with war potential, even if every battle can be won, it will eventually fall into an unstoppable decline.