It seems Celine and the others weren't exaggerating when they described Eleanor as "approachable"...
Imagining Akalys in her place, Roland found it hard to believe that the extraordinary leader who exuded an aura of ice would say such a thing.
"No, no... I believe you." He waved his hands repeatedly. The North Slope Mountain was still connected to a large industrial area, and suddenly taking flight would be a disaster.
"You could at least wait until I've activated the core instruments before believing me." Eleanor said with a hint of regret. Judging by her tone, it seemed she was genuinely disappointed that she couldn't demonstrate her abilities on the spot.
Roland was beginning to understand the Third Seat's personality.
Just because she didn't consider herself a qualified leader didn't mean she was ordinary. She had aspects she took pride in—anyone who could become Above Extraordinary was exceptional.
"By the way... when did you wake up?"
"About fifteen minutes ago."
So you've been eavesdropping from the beginning! Roland grumbled inwardly. "Then why didn't you tell us?"
"No one said I had to announce my waking up to the whole world." Eleanor replied matter-of-factly.
"Then why did you speak up just now?"
"What else could I do? You wanted to embarrass my junior even more?" Both rows of eyes on her head rolled upwards, creating a rather spectacular sight.
It's more embarrassing that you suddenly "woke up"!
Seeing Roland speechless, Eleanor changed the subject casually. "Honestly, I'm quite satisfied with you so far."
"Why?" He found it hard to keep up with her train of thought.
"Because there are no signs of mining here." Eleanor replied. "This area is now connected to me, and I can feel it. These God Stone Pillars are mostly intact, which proves you haven't been trying to take them."
Did she mean that he hadn't mined the God Stones, and therefore didn't intend to control the witches? Roland took a moment to understand what she was saying. "Celine should have told you about the Witch Union. Don't you believe her?"
"Of course I do. It's just that people are easily deceived by illusions, especially when it comes to kings with unlimited power. Disguise isn't difficult." Eleanor said methodically. "Even if you're acting like this now, it doesn't mean you'll continue to do so in the future. Being prepared is something every leader considers. If you were wary, you wouldn't resist the temptation to mine this God Stone mining area. Secretly arrange for mining and storage, in preparation for the witches' power growing too large to control, while maintaining a friendly facade on the surface. Isn't that common?"
Roland sighed softly. "That's because too many people see witches as different. In my eyes, they're just humans with unique advantages in some areas."
"Even if the witches occupy the entire kingdom's upper echelons, it wouldn't matter?"
"What you really want to ask is about Akalys's proposal, right?" Roland asked bluntly. "As long as humanity can continue, witches will definitely return to their peak."
"They even told you about that?" Eleanor showed surprise for the first time.
"Not really. I saw it in the Time Imprint." Roland said frankly. "Akalys is actually falling into the same trap. If you replace witches with humans, isn't this just stating the obvious? If outstanding people can't lead the clan, then that clan is destined for no future. Similarly, if those in power no longer seek the benefit of the entire clan, they'll inevitably fail to maintain their position."
Random awakenings and inability to inherit... magic, in a sense, is a special talent that doesn't separate the gifted from the group. What's truly worth being wary of is artificial selection and specific inheritance. That makes it difficult to resolve the conflict between the two through time.
"You..." Eleanor stared at him for a long time, probably trying to read his true thoughts from his expression. But after a moment, she gave up. "I'll wait and see. What's your plan next?"
"First, a large-scale transformation of North Slope Mountain, to turn it into a suitable aerial fortress." This was why Roland didn't let her raise the floating island immediately. Whether it was actively attacking a new God-Made God or heading to the Bottomless Land, a solid supply reserve was needed as a foundation—once they left Neverwinter, it would be difficult to get supplies. "Can you estimate the volume of the floating island?"
"That shouldn't be a problem." Eleanor blinked, indicating her agreement. "Apart from the ore reserves, the Red Mist Tower will also amplify the effective range, so even if you wanted it to be as big as a God-Made God, it wouldn't be possible."
"How exactly did the Red Mist Tower grow?"
"I'm just as curious about that as you are, so I spent a little more time examining this body. Then I discovered that it can turn God Stone Pillars into part of its body. In simple terms, God Stones don't show signs of life under normal circumstances, but when combined with the mother body, they begin to self-proliferate. Of course, this process changes the essence of the God Stones, reducing their strength and removing their ability to suppress magic."
"Then..." Roland hesitated for a moment, "can you create Red Mist?"
This question made Eleanor sigh. "I can. In fact, I've not only mastered the various characteristics of the Mother of Souls, but I've also learned more about the details. For example, the Red Mist Ephemera, which is, on another level, a type of demon, and other demons are produced in a similar way."
"Do you mean—" he asked in surprise.
"That's right. Whether it's Berserk Demons, Fear Demons, or Hell Lords... I found information about them inside the Mother of Souls's body. But to hatch these demons, some key parts are missing—and the mother body that completes this part is called the King."
Roland was speechless for a moment. He knew that demons didn't need to mate, but he didn't expect that they maintained their existence in this way.
"In other words, I also have the possibility of becoming a Demon King—it's ironic, isn't it, a Witch Third Seat who can one day breed demons." Eleanor glared at him at this point. "So remember what you said, don't keep me here forever."
That depends on the progress of magic technology, not me, Roland thought helplessly. But he was thinking even further—through consciousness transfer, Eleanor obtained all the information about the Mother of Souls almost without hindrance. This, like learning knowledge, can be regarded as a narrow inheritance. And according to this trend, mutual inheritance, infiltration, and promoting evolution between different races can be said to be an inevitable result. Why did the gods have to go to such lengths to use the War of Divine Will and inheritance fragments, a either-you-die-or-I-die method, to forcibly promote this process?
The second is consciousness itself.
In stark contrast to the low level of technology in this world, the contact and transfer of consciousness is so easy, as if there are no technical barriers at all. If it's barely understandable that the gods have such abilities, why can the underground civilization, demons, and humans also do this?
You know, in his original world, even the most basic things like perceptual simulation can only exist as a concept, only appearing on the big screen.
He vaguely felt that the two were not unrelated.