The faint light around the magic circle became cold, and a heavy and stagnant atmosphere gradually surrounded it. Cohen closed his eyes, but his eyelids were shaking at a very fast frequency; Crow's eyes were still dull, and his face was indifferent;
The watcher's eyes kept wandering back and forth between the faces of these two people.
Time passes slowly like this, or in this dark situation, the concept of "time" does not exist at all. Those accumulated things that make people feel the passage of time are just the dirt on the soul... I don't know.
After a long time, Cohen's eyelids finally stopped shaking, and the eyelids under his handsome eyebrows slowly opened, revealing a firm and pure gaze. But paired with his expressionless face, there was nothing domineering at all, let alone Ding.
of weakness.
Seeing how quickly Cohen recovered, the crow next to him only smiled faintly, and there was even a hint of joy in the watcher's expression.
"I want to know the full picture of the Altar of Life." This was Cohen's first sentence after opening his eyes. He didn't even mean to stand up.
"As you wish, let's start from the beginning." The Watcher nodded and explained to Cohen: "The Altar of Life is the product of the highest achievement of my world. It is a system that combines architecture, magic, and strategic psychology. First, the main body of the altar is established.
Deep underground, the location is extremely secretive and can be changed. Even if the Guangming Clan and the Dark Clan know the detailed location of the altar, they can't do anything because even the 'Judgment' magic can't hit the altar. This is why the Altar of Life can exist until now.
the root cause.”
"The altar has dozens of widely separated entrances. These entrances form their own system. Secret magic arrays are established in them to condense energy, so that the entrances can protrude from the ground at different times. The accompanying powerful and chaotic magic elements are enough to
Let the Guangming clan and the Dark clan stay away. After this energy is consumed to a certain extent, the teleportation magic circle closes, the entrance settles, changes position and enters an extremely dangerous unstable state, until the magic circle condenses enough energy and can control itself...
…At the same time, there will be at least two entrances, and the place where you entered is exactly the entrance that is on the eve of closing."
"It seems that we have caught up." Cohen said calmly: "How can we ensure that suitable humans will enter the altar of life?"
"We are human beings, and of course we understand the nature and desires of human beings. Therefore, there is no need for me to do anything special. As long as these entrances exist, there will be human beings who will try their best to enter. The Altar of Life only needs to make a choice.
"Speaking of this, there was an imperceptible smile on the watcher's face: "So, these selected humans are often the strongest people in the world - those who can enter here after going through a series of identification and selection.
, both in terms of talent and ability, they are the best choice.”
"In this case, many people have already come." Cohen smiled faintly: "Character is not considered in the altar of life? How can you ensure that this secret will not be known by the Guangming clan and the Dark clan? How can you ensure that it will not be betrayed?
?”
"Character? What you want to ask about is loyalty, right? Of course you have to consider the altar of life, but unfortunately, real humans will only be loyal to themselves. Ordinary humans will be loyal to certain forces just because they are personally recognized by that force.
And this sense of identity will be linked to personality and growth environment. However, the Altar of Life itself cannot intervene in the growth environment of human beings, so we will not force it. We are not arrogant enough to ask people who have never met before to be loyal to the Altar of Life.
To this extent.”
"Your Excellency, you can see things openly." Cohen nodded: "But we can only look at it this way, it's not sweet to be forced."
"According to this basic logic, people who enter the altar will make three choices." The watcher said: "One is to immediately betray everything here to the Guangming clan and the Dark clan after leaving the altar, but these people are betraying this
After the 'secret', there is nothing else, so their ending can be easily inferred; the second is to remain anonymous, guard this secret all their lives, not talk to anyone and do nothing, live a plain life until they are buried, they do not care about the altar of life.
It causes harm, so don’t worry about it.”
"Then there is the smallest third type of people. They agree with the will of the Life Altar and are determined to inherit and carry forward this mission. Then, they will launch a series of actions to prepare, expose, and fight! For example, before you
The vampires who entered, they decided to guard this entrance forever." The watcher stared at Cohen: "Actually, I don't care if the Light Clan and the Dark Clan know about the existence of the Altar of Life, because they already know it, and one day,
They will also find a way to destroy the Altar of Life! But as long as the Altar of Life spreads this spark before that, humans will carry out this mission! And I also believe that one day, humans will complete this mission! Your Excellency
, what do you think?"
This is the first time that the Life Watchers have used the title "Your Excellency", and they have used it to address Cohen. This at least shows that the Watchers have determined that the two men have equal status with themselves, and have chosen the one with more development prospects among the two.
Cohen makes key exchanges.
Crow was indifferent to the change in the Watcher's attitude, while Cohen faced it all calmly: "The probability of success is very small."
"Your Excellency is right, the chance of success is indeed very small, because from the time humans leave the altar of life, I cannot influence or control them." The Watcher agreed with Cohen's judgment: "Even the third type of people are determined by their own wishes.
To understand this mission, they may even make some actions that are unexpected or even deviate from the original intention of the mission. Such accidents cannot be eliminated by the Life Altar, because human beings themselves are full of variable life."
"Your Excellency is right, nothing is more fickle than human beings." Cohen smiled coldly. Of course, this smile contained some unpleasant memories in the past, such as the Black Skull and Bones Society, cursed magic, and even the burning of the city! Between these things
There are too many connecting clues. However, even though he knew that the source of everything came from the Altar of Life, Cohen could not settle the score with the Watcher.
"We are equivalent to spreading sparks in the 'rebellion'. We must understand the radicalness and paranoia in these human characters." Regarding Cohen's sudden change in expression and the hint of violence in his tone, Shouwang
There was no trace of ripples in the words of the author: "Although the Life Altar gave them suggestions, it was unable to force them to implement them. That was beyond the capabilities of the Life Altar."
After hearing the explanation from the watcher, Cohen's mouth moved, and a smile slowly overflowed. He stood up, laughing and shaking his head, his shoulders still shaking.
The watcher looked at Cohen, doubts surging in his eyes: "Have you ever...had contact with the successor of the Altar of Life before?"
"We can't even talk about contact. It's just the flash of swords." Cohen shook his head and looked back at the watcher calmly: "Because the successors to your legacy are coming one after another, sparing no effort to kill me."
"That's it. I'm very grateful for your honesty." The watchman nodded solemnly: "If you can tell me the reason why I was attacked by them, then I will be even more grateful."
"There is no special reason." Cohen heard the words and smiled: "It's just that your successors unilaterally believe that my existence and the things I control threaten their interests, so they generously and compulsorily
He gave me the hat of the darling of the Gods of Light and the Demons of Darkness."
"Your Excellency is very interesting." The Life Watcher was not surprised at all: "So, are you?"
"The darling of the Light Clan and the Dark Clan? What do you think?" The smile on Cohen's face deepened: "Or, which identity of mine is more beneficial to you?"
"Of course I hope that you are..." A smile appeared on the watcher's face: "The favorite of the Guangming clan and the Dark clan."
"Your Excellency is very wise." Cohen nodded: "But unfortunately, in fact, I am not."
"What a pity." The Life Watcher really showed regret: "I have always hoped to obtain a human being with such an identity. It will be a great help to the Life Altar, because in our counterattack,
There has been a lack of such a person.”
Cohen and the Life Watcher looked at each other and smiled. After this round of exchanges, neither party explored the other's details, so similar distrust did not appear in the long conversation that followed.
"...The strength of the Guangming Clan and the Dark Clan lies in strength, while the advantage of human beings lies in creativity and development. When weighing the two, it is not impossible for human beings to succeed. Time is meaningless to me and the Altar of Life, but
Compared to humans, it is becoming more and more urgent, because the Guangming clan and the Dark clan have been looking to destroy me and existences like me that inherit human will. And every time, the time for the two clans to judge humans is advancing, so
, humans must be fully prepared before this trial of the two clans..."
"What criteria do you use to make your judgment? And how do I know whether it is precisely the preparation activities of humans that are the inducements for the gods and demons to launch judgment? If this is the case, what you have inherited is a group of human beings.
The flames of self-immolation.”
"Even if human beings do nothing, as soon as time approaches the limit of history, the judgments of the Light Clan and the Dark Clan will still be launched. Using brute force to control wisdom and civilization may be a way when humans are in a period of ignorance, but following human beings' own destiny
Development, such a method will inevitably collapse at a critical point. The Guangming clan and the Dark clan are unwilling to give up their transcendent status and the power to manage the earth and sky, so they have only one choice - to destroy, rebuild, and hope to be able to
In the new round of human development, new management methods should be learned from human beings."
"What do you mean, your Excellency, the gods and demons themselves realize that this is a dead end? And they also hope to find a solution?"
"Although I hate the Guangming Clan and the Dark Clan to the core, the answer is yes." Speaking of this topic, the Watcher nodded to Cohen with great difficulty: "It is precisely for this reason that the two clans treat human managers.
The emperors of the empire are extremely tolerant and generous at the first level. They will condone and even actively promote some human groups and imperial leaders to make new attempts...even if these people eventually become the public enemies of mankind, even if these actions will deeply hurt mankind, and even
It hurts parts of both clans.”
"It's actually like this..." Although Cohen had already known that there was such a factor in the reason why the gods and demons indulged him, he did not expect it to be of this extent. When these words suddenly came out of someone else's mouth, it made him even more confused.
He felt a little uncomfortable emotionally: on the one hand, this was an affirmation of his ability, but on the other hand, it also made the eyes of the gods and demons focus more on him.
It can be deduced from this situation that the God King and the Demon King have probably known about the "big plan" of the Sbia Empire for a long time, at least partially! But they have been holding back. There can only be one explanation for this: neither the God King nor the Demon King has known about it.
Seeing this, they believe they have the ability to quickly grasp the situation. In fact, the initiative has been controlled by them until now... The road ahead of Cohen is more difficult and dangerous than before.
.
"You don't need to be too anxious." The life watcher obviously misunderstood Cohen's expression at this time and persuaded: "This huge pressure is not something that a single mortal can bear. It must be done by gathering the energy and wisdom of all mankind.
arrive."
"Me? I don't feel much pressure because I'm used to it." Cohen shook his head: "Okay, I have understood the intentions of your Excellency and the Altar of Life, so let's talk about something practical now!"
"Aren't you going to make some confirmations?" The watchman said with a smile, "What if this is a trap set by the two clans?"
"In my opinion, since the gods and demons know the existence of the altar of life, they will definitely make a fuss about this matter. There will definitely be no shortage of traps and conspiracies." Cohen also laughed: "But after I leave here
, I still have a chance to choose. After doing it, of course I will be a rebel in the eyes of the gods and demons, but the result is unknown. If I don’t do it, I will be loyal to the gods and demons... Just kidding, I can get a certificate in this case!"
"Your Excellency is right." The watchman did not show any dissatisfaction: "In your opinion, what is practical?"
"It's very simple. The altar of life that you represent is looking for agents among humans. However, the overall development of human beings now lags behind the generation you lived in. To compete with the gods and demons that defeated you, it will definitely require powerful help -
"Not only does it require strength, it also requires experience." Cohen followed his usual practice and said, "Please show me everything you know."
"Your Excellency is very direct. In the past, most humans would make such requests tactfully only after taking an oath of allegiance."
"This is a huge gamble with a slim chance of winning. I need to be more confident before I can decide." Cohen said with an indifferent expression: "If you don't show me the cards, how can I decide how much to bet?"
"I don't agree with your metaphor, but I will show you everything you want to know." The watcher was silent for a moment, and after the surrounding light curtain gradually brightened, he began to describe the images on the light screen to Cohen...
"In the period before Emperor Hillel, we humans had vaguely known that magic was not the only law in the world, and conducted a series of tentative studies, and finally established a profound knowledge independent of magic.
It's called physics. The dozens of disciplines derived from it are called technology." The watcher pointed to the groups of images that appeared on the light screen: "Inside, there are those that are completely independent of magic, and there are also those that are similar to magic.
They are combined, but there is only one driving force, which is to study the nature of everything in the world in order to pursue a more direct, convenient and safer way to achieve the goal."
"During the time of King Hillel II, these types of technologies had demonstrated powerful capabilities and were gradually put into practical use, transformed into various tools to serve the people's livelihood, and also used in the military. Because these projects involved huge investments, remarkable results, and huge
It enhances the stability of the political system and allows humans to devote more time and energy to the cycle of self-improvement..."
"In order to adapt to the new technology and new political system, fundamental adjustments have been made to the economy. Material allocation, production and transportation have been included in the imperial plan, and regional and industrial cooperation have been implemented. For example, the food in the south feeds the north, and the ore produced in the north is shipped to
The east makes products, while the colleges in the west provide formulas for the east...The empire forms a whole, and everyone prospers and loses. No one can escape this common fate!"
"The study of magic...the development of martial arts...the quiet rise of philosophical systems...the self-change of the political system...the transformation of the military...the changes in the will of people from all walks of life..."
These images are divided into categories and are all-encompassing, showing in great detail the development of mankind in the era in which the Watchers live. Moreover, they are a continuous linear display of things, from the time of King Hillel to King Hillel III. The trajectory is very clear. Which aspects can be accelerated?
It can be achieved by following the steps, and it will be clear at a glance which things need to be accumulated slowly and gradually!
Even the most important thing is the evaluation of the overall anti-gods and demons plan presided over by the Hillidan Dynasty. Between the advancement and retreat, the gains and losses, the strengths and weaknesses, we have made the most detailed, pertinent, and most to-the-point self-judgment and self-criticism.
The picture is moving, and those familiar and unfamiliar scenes emerge from the ruins of time. They are combined one by one to become a vivid and real world; then they collapse piece by piece, pile by pile, and become silent.
In the empty light and shadow... the watcher's voice was hollow and indifferent, as if after telling people countless times, all the sorrow and anger had been exhausted; it also seemed that the feelings of such scenes and scenes were too complicated, and the fear was too great.
I had no choice but to escape, so I adopted a scripted tone.
Cohen no longer had the intention to delve deeply into the mentality of the Watchers. He devoted his whole body and mind to this flowing history. Obviously, this is a huge recording project, which was started when Emperor Hillel received the Awakening Calendar.
A comprehensive review is also the best effort a dynasty can make!
Even the crow, who remained silent when Cohen communicated with the Watcher, was attentive when the Watcher was explaining martial arts and magic. His eyes flashed, and the muscles in his hands were tense, like a beast that wanted to choose someone to devour!
Cohen, who accidentally looked back and discovered this scene, could only sigh in his heart, what kind of person is Crow? When he faced the Demon Clan Princess in the harem of the Holy City, he only had a sneer on his face. How could Crow be like this?
It is one of a kind.
The watcher in front of Cohen felt at this time that as his explanation became deeper and deeper, the mysterious human being who visited the altar of life would become more alert.
The disembodied watcher does not make judgments by observing the other person's expressions and movements like humans do. He has a more direct way to learn about Cohen's improvement in alertness - this alertness is Cohen's natural subconscious reaction, and even Cohen
You may not even notice it yourself.
I don't know how long it took before the watcher finished all the records in all aspects. Cohen, who occasionally asked a question or two, felt that he was extremely thirsty. He stretched out his fingers and touched, and found that there were cracks in his upper and lower lips.
"...The above is all the information I can show you now. I hope that after getting this information, you can make the most honest decision." The watcher ended the presentation with profound words: "Then, I need to
How long do I have to wait to get your answers?"
Of course, the crow said nothing, but Cohen poured some liquor from the jug and put it on his lips, and asked disapprovingly: "How long do you want it to be?"
"Of course I hope the sooner the better."
"Then you will be disappointed." Cohen licked the wine on his finger: "This matter can only be decided after we go out."
The watchman nodded, then turned to look at the crow. Seeing that the crow had no objection, he said seriously: "I understand your choice."
"Oh? Your Excellency actually understands?" Cohen couldn't help but be curious: "Don't you beg me any more?"
"Actually, your answer is just the key to the next step."
"So what? The answer to one puzzle is another puzzle?" Cohen screamed in his heart. The altar of life actually placed multiple-choice questions in such a critical place. The intention is really sinister - if a human being is facing such prosperity.
After all human civilizations were destroyed one by one, the emotional fluctuations in his heart were extremely strong. At this time, a carefully concealed question was asked, then what was peeked by the altar of life must be this person's true heart!
The follow-up from this...if it is aimed at Cohen's true intentions, it is definitely not a good thing.
"There are no more puzzles, Your Excellency." The Watcher replied: "You only need to defeat me to leave the Altar of Life..."
"What do you mean by victory!" Cohen interrupted the watchman in an almost rude tone: "So what if I just gave a decision?"
"Beat me. This is easy to understand." The watchman said frankly: "If you have made a decision just now, then there is no need to fight and you can leave directly."
"Did you make a mistake?" Cohen shouted: "How about I make the decision now?"
"Thus... the level of combat has increased."
"you……"
Cohen was about to explode, but the crow beside him grabbed him, then took two steps forward and smiled at the watcher.
The lines that make up a smile are like cracks in an iceberg, sharp and sharp! (To be continued)