Chapter 616
"Yes, I am the witch," Xia'er nodded slightly, her gaze dropping to the ground, refraining from casting any more impolite glances at the other person.
"You're the one from that... what's it called? The Witch Academy?" Lex heard Xia'er’s name and seemed intrigued. He asked, "Your academy is quite interesting; it really just teaches people and records some history."
At this point, Lex appeared to have a thought, letting out a sigh. "If only other religious states were like that, then there wouldn't be any dark sects at all."
"Indeed," Sadana nodded in agreement upon hearing this.
As a member of the dark sect, Sadana resonated with Lex's words.
"Unfortunately," Lex shifted his tone, looking at Xia'er, "the Witch Academy seems to hold a 'seed,' but the true symbiote that possesses the 'seed' doesn't seem inclined to leave any power behind. Thus, the academy can only engage in minor skirmishes."
"If that symbiote could embrace the ideals of the Tower, perhaps they could even establish a history academy there..."
Xia'er had heard of the Tower's ideals.
The Tower had initially gathered so many people based on a single term—"Will of Life."
This was a unique term from a spiritual language, but if translated by meaning, it could also be rendered as "Free Will" or "Self-Awareness."
The Tower emphasized that human initiative transcends religion and deities, advocating for self-choice over the complex rules of religious states.
One of the implications of the Tower's ideals was that human consciousness should control the "seed," rather than merely coexisting with it.
Of course, even now, the Tower had not discovered a way to fully control the "seed." However, in the process of exploration, they had created a powerful civilization that stood out in the old days.
Xia'er pondered the meaning behind Lex's words, while Sadana seemed to suddenly realize that Lex had strayed off-topic.
"Director Lex, we came to discuss the application..." Sadana stepped forward, handing the application to Lex. "The former vice-director already approved it, but since you’ve returned, we need your consent..."
"Oh, if she already agreed, you really didn’t need to ask me. Let me take a look..." Lex glanced at the application, nodding slightly.
But soon, as if casually, he looked up at Sadana and asked, "That's a good idea... but why choose the 'Cocoon of Light'?"
"Remedais just submitted the 'Heart of Blood Source' not long ago. Wouldn't it be better to use the remnants of the 'Heart of Blood Source' for research? Plus, you don’t have so many restrictions on its usage."
"After all, this is a religious experiment, and there will be refugees joining as believers..." Sadana explained, lowering her head. "If it’s the 'Cocoon of Light,' there have been experiments, and it’s relatively stable. Even if it fails, it won’t cause widespread harm."
"Well... not bad. Being able to think of the consequences already puts you ahead of ninety-nine percent of the students. They only think about grand spectacles when applying for topics." Lex stroked his beard, smiling as he spoke. "I approve."
Lex raised his hand, and the pen on the desk flew into his grasp. He signed his name directly on the application in front of him.
"However, you need to study the selection of 'deities' carefully." Lex seemed to recall something and said, "You should be well aware of this, Sadana."
"Yes, I know," Sadana nodded repeatedly.
The dark sect emphasized how to reasonably establish rules for religious states, guiding them toward a better direction. Some extremists even believed they should directly influence the selection of deities.
Interference and how to interfere were issues the dark sect studied. Here, Lex was merely reminding Sadana from the perspective of a senior in the sect.
In Lex's view, Sadana wouldn’t cause any major trouble since her resource application was minimal. Decades ago, there were even more outrageous applications than hers, which nearly resulted in the creation of an entirely new religious state.
However, that experiment had led to a student losing their mind amidst faith and power, fully embodying a deity, and even preparing to send troops to the Tower to seize the remaining remnants of the "Cocoon of Light."
Although the Tower intervened to end that farce, from then on, the dark sect's religious experiments could only be confined to a very small scope. Once they began to expand, they would face strict oversight from the Tower.
"Alright, you can go now. Remember to say hi to Remedais for me. I might go see her in a few days," Lex waved at Sadana.
"Okay, thank you, Director!" Sadana politely bowed with the application in her hands before turning to leave. But as she reached the door, she seemed to realize that Xia'er hadn’t followed.
"Witch... are you coming?" Sadana called out softly to Xia'er.
But in the next moment, the bookshelf in front of them seemed to suddenly fill the space, completely isolating Sadana from Xia'er and Lex, who were instead enveloped by the canopy above.
Sadana froze for a moment, trying to call out Lex's name beside the bookshelf, but her voice seemed unable to penetrate. As she moved alongside the bookshelf, it felt like traversing an endless maze.
Realizing something, Sadana turned and ran out of the director's office.
This was beyond her ability to resolve; she needed to call Remedais for help.
Outside, Sadana felt anxious, but inside the office, Xia'er was surprisingly calm.
She looked up, surveying the surrounding corridor of bookshelves... and began to ponder a question.
Whether in the old days or in reality, the abilities of those who became extraordinary were remarkably similar...
So why did the high-tier "Ascetics" and "Avengers," once eroded by potions, all tend to undergo a similar insect-like transformation, while other paths also exhibited their own converging mutations?
Why, in the old days, did those who wielded the same abilities not "insectify" after going mad? Xia'er recalled the monsters she had fought in the Abyss; only a rare few had insect-like bodies and wings.
"Do you need something from me?" Lex looked up at Xia'er, speaking slowly.
At this moment, Lex had lost the cheerfulness and talkativeness he had shown towards Sadana, his demeanor now much colder.
The application only bore Sadana's name, and the witch before him didn’t seem like someone who merely accompanied Sadana. Moreover, when he had asked Sadana to leave, the girl had remained unfazed.
All signs indicated that this red-haired girl had come specifically to find him.
"Yes," Xia'er met Lex's gaze and nodded gently. "I want to ask you about the 'Cocoon of Light.' You brought it back to the Tower, right?"
Lex's brow furrowed slightly beneath his glasses.
He could sense the aura emanating from the girl before him... an aura that made him quite uncomfortable—much like those "seed" symbiotes he had seen outside.
Faith was also a part of the Will of Life; you had the right to choose a belief, provided it was your own choice. Thus, there were a small number of students within the Tower who held external beliefs.
Lex simply found this aspect distasteful.
"Yes, that was me," Lex replied, still unaware of Xia'er's true intentions.
"Could you describe in detail how you discovered the 'Cocoon of Light' and the 'Abyss'?" Xia'er inquired. "In exchange, you can ask me some questions."
"You?" Lex chuckled, teasingly. "What does this have to do with you?"
Lex was subtly mocking the girl’s lack of respect. In his view, she had no standing to engage in an equal conversation with him, let alone exchange opinions.
If she had come as a student seeking guidance, Lex might have spoken kindly and offered detailed instruction. But it was clear that she had come prepared for negotiation, and she expected to stand on equal footing.
"Well," Xia'er nodded, "I opened the rift to the Abyss."
Lex was about to say something, but as Xia'er’s words sank in, he paused.
What do you mean you opened the rift?
It was akin to a powerful hero who, hundreds of years ago, toiled in a mysterious lair to unearth a treasure for the benefit of all, only for a child to come centuries later and ask why she had left something at the lair's entrance for him to take.
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