His Majesty took a moment to ease his discomfort, then looked at her with an intriguing gaze.
"I have seen many ancient dragons," he said in a low voice, "but one like you..."
"I'm not exactly normal to begin with," Su Cheng interrupted him. "Sorry, but I'm really curious. You said the ancient gods wanted to save this doomed world—at least that's what they once claimed, right? Did they say why it would be destroyed?"
"No," the silver-haired young man said with disgust. "No, wait, maybe they did, but it was probably just a pathetic lie."
"Well, let's just assume it was fake," Su Cheng said, not wanting him to go crazy again. "What exactly did they say?"
"The Source Fire," he pursed his lips. "Logos once mentioned this term. Loki said that in all planes, all energy comes from the Aether released by the burning of the Source Fire. Our magic, battle aura, and life are all made of it. It is also because of it that this world is sustained. But the life of the Source Fire is not infinite. If one day it burns out, all planes will collapse and disintegrate..."
A few thoughts suddenly rose in Su Cheng's mind. "Can't Aether be recycled?"
The silver-haired young man shook his head slightly. "...No, someone asked a similar question. Lore said that primordial Aether is an extension of the Source Fire, the cornerstone that constructs the world. Once used by people, especially for spells and combat skills, it forcibly distorts and releases the power of the laws within the Aether to produce an effect. This is burning. The burned Aether loses its power and turns into disordered dust in the void."
"That's really strange," Su Cheng frowned. "No book has ever mentioned that the energy of magic and combat skills comes from the same source."
"So this might just be nonsense they made up, just to trick us into trusting them—"
He said impatiently, "Look at what we've become. You're not a first-generation ancient dragon, are you? Although I don't know your age, I can feel that the time span your soul has experienced is at most a few thousand years..."
Su Cheng was speechless.
In principle, this statement was true, but it seemed completely different from what he meant.
Su Cheng couldn't help but feel a headache coming on. "Sorry, I know you don't want to recall these things, but I'm really curious. Seriously, could turning you into dragons really save the world?"
"No," he let out a helpless, long sigh, seemingly trying hard to remember for a few seconds. "We... are the plan negotiated by the Creators and that snake. They wanted to create a brand new creature that defies the laws, changing us from our souls to our bodies. They said this might grant us a power that would allow us to reverse the disordered dust back into primordial Aether."
Su Cheng was silent for a few seconds. "So their theory was that normal creatures, whether elves, humans, dragons, or gods, cannot achieve this reversal. But if an unconventional new species appeared, they might be able to. Wait, so could you?"
"No! Of course not!"
The silver-haired young man roared in anger. "All those years! Maybe thousands of years, maybe tens of thousands, we spent in chaos. Caecilius could still sleep in the constantly collapsing and reshaping planes, but we couldn't rest. We could only tear each other apart constantly, gaining clarity in some brief moments. Many of my friends killed themselves because of this, because they couldn't bear it all!"
Su Cheng hesitated to speak. "But have you ever tried—"
"...No!" he interrupted her. "I know what you want to say. They once brought me the so-called disordered dust. I tried, and I couldn't do it. If I had done it, maybe all of this would have been worth it. Of course, I'm not even sure what exactly they gave me. Now I think it was all a ridiculous lie. They were just curious about the power of the dragons, so they stole the dragons' flesh and blood and infused it into us, turning us into bloodthirsty monsters. Except for blood, we can hardly..."
"And now?" Su Cheng felt a little sad. "Are your moments of clarity lasting longer and longer?"
"...Maybe," he said grumpily. "Probably because I'm almost completely fused with that dragon blood, so it's a bit better than at first. But that doesn't mean I like it. And even though I have no fondness for dragons either, and I don't want to admit it, staying around dragons makes me a bit more lucid."
"Yeah," Su Cheng patted his shoulder. "I believe that one day you will be able to walk out, walk out of your past, walk out of this palace, and maybe become a free and happy mercenary."
The silver-haired young man looked at her with a weird expression. "A mercenary?"
Su Cheng remembered that the mercenary guilds in this era weren't as large-scale as they would be in the future. "Uh, yes, because it's relatively free—"
He was silent for a few seconds. "Did you just call me Sasha?"
"Oh, I have a friend who looks a lot like you."
"...I like that name," he said righteously. "If that day comes, I might use this name. But now I'm going back to sleep, and I hope you leave quickly, because you still carry the blessed aura of those things on you."
"No problem," Su Cheng stood up. "By the way, do you have a map, or could you tell me where your country is located?"
"This is not my country, I'm just sleeping here. Those foolish humans touched the bloodstains left by me and my friends!"
He complained as he stood up. "And then they got their wish for immortality. Even when I was an elf, I never wanted children. Now look, I've become their progenitor, and there are many people calling me father. Damn it, sooner or later I'm going to leave this place..."
Looking at him cursing, Su Cheng suddenly felt that this image overlapped with the one in her memory.
His Majesty gave her a brief description of the location. Once she figured out the direction, she directly activated her spatial magic and teleported away.
Although judging from some of her previous teleportation experiences, she seemed destined to run into weird people no matter where she landed.
The conversation she just had with Sasha gave her many conjectures.
Some clues were gradually starting to connect.
"Moonlight grass pudding! Five copper coins each!"
"Mead caramel muffins! Forty copper coins a box! Buy three, get one free! Brewed with our exclusive fruit wine..."
Su Cheng raised her head, looking up at the clear azure sky and the warm, golden sun.
Ahead was a bustling street crowded with people. Colorful stalls were set up on both sides, with solid-colored, striped, or spotted tarpaulin awnings looking like countless stranded little colored boats.
The sounds of peddling, conversations, clashing pots and pans, and sizzling grease echoed all around.
There was also a sweet, rich aroma.
On a long table diagonally in front of her, stacks of steaming, freshly baked cakes were piled high, with more constantly being brought out from the shop behind.
The rich scent of milk intertwined with a caramelized fragrance. The honey was crystal clear, the chocolate sauce thick and silky, and the various fruit chunks were plump and brightly colored.
The stall across the way sold colorful hard candies, blown and stretched into various shapes, ranging from cute flowers and little animals to short swords and shields.
It was so crowded around her that she was practically carried forward by the throng of people. She passed another cart where glass tubes of all sizes were filled with vibrant jams: translucent cherry, bright citrus, thick mango, and distinct blackberry—next to them were high stacks of bread rolls in various sizes.
The stall owner was skillfully stuffing jam into the bread, then handed a long, baguette-like roll to a customer.
That customer had dark golden curly hair, and his turned-up collar hid his jawline, revealing only a prominent nose and deep-set eyes.
His long eyelashes drooped like golden threads, half-concealing eyes that were a mix of cyan and blue.
When Su Cheng got a clear look at his face, she was instantly rendered speechless.
The blond man turned his head, glanced at her, and walked forward as if nothing had happened.
Expressionless, he squeezed into the crowd and entered the shop opposite, where several copper pots were boiling syrup, filling the room with an intense sweetness.
Clips were hung with golden-red fruit skewers—hawthorn, strawberries, candied dates, and more—wrapped in a crystallized sugar shell like a layer of ice, sparkling like gemstones.
Two white-haired men walked out from inside.
Su Cheng's footsteps paused.
Their hair was as pure white as mountain snow, and their facial contours were exceptionally exquisite and handsome, featuring sharply aggressive lines that were neutralized by an elegant and profound temperament.
The man on the left had a silk ribbon tied across his face, perfectly covering his eyes.
The man on the right seemed to turn his head casually.
Su Cheng met those blue eyes.
It was not a color that could exist in the mortal world; it was like a galaxy condensed with the brilliance of countless wisdoms, possessing endless layers of depth.
The surface held the coldness of a glacier, the middle was the sky after a rain, and the deepest layer churned with the vortices of a nebula.
The edges of those vertical black pupils were adorned with silver gleams, like the text of billions of scrolls floating and sinking, living and dying in a continuous cycle, as if gazing into the universe itself.
For a moment, Su Cheng felt as if she had fallen into a surging torrent, where all possibilities and unknowns, thousands of developments, unfolded magnificently like an avalanche.
She saw countless answers and truths, being reshaped and cleansed within them.
"...It's not as delicious as you said."
Until a familiar voice awakened her.
With mixed feelings, Su Cheng looked up at a certain old friend.
Camus—or who knew if He was even using that name right now—was gnawing on that bread, wearing an expression that was hard to tell whether He was happy or annoyed.
Su Cheng: "..."
Su Cheng: "You clearly like it."
The two white-haired men smiled almost simultaneously.
Their physiques and face shapes were exactly the same. Even though they wore different clothes, it was obvious they were twins.
Of course, considering Their identities, the term twins might not be entirely accurate.
The blond man stiffened and turned back to look at her, "Who said that?"
"I did," Su Cheng crossed her arms. "I can only say that I know you better than you think."
The blond man frowned at her.
"For example," Su Cheng drawled, "if one day you decide to live as a human, or in some similar identity, I guess you'd be a blood mage and then become a mercenary. Oh, I also know you definitely don't hate the Black Dragon King. Right, you might name yourself Camus, and, you think I'm very pretty."
The blond man looked at her as if he were sizing up a lunatic. "...Except for the last one, which is indeed true by human aesthetic standards, what on earth is the rest of that?"
Su Cheng looked up at the sky, "Then let's wait and see."
"I think what she said is true," the white-haired man on the right said with interest. "That should be quite amusing, too."
Camus turned his head to look at Him, "Why would I want to be a human?"
The man on the right waved at Su Cheng, then turned and walked toward the corner of the street, gradually moving away from the noisy market.
"It might not be your choice," He continued to answer. "You know that if that day really comes, they will definitely destroy you and divide your authority. Only then can they completely rewrite history and refresh people's memories."
"...Whatever," Camus said coldly, lowering his head to gnaw on the bread again. "It's all your game anyway."
"I wouldn't call it a game," the white-haired man smiled, looking at Su Cheng. "After all, except for the ending, everything else is predestined."
Su Cheng walked a few steps closer. "...You two."
She looked down at the glowing two-headed snake emblem on her hand. "You know, I thought you liked turning into children."
"We have many forms," the blindfolded white-haired man said. "If you try to define me, it will imprison you. You must see through the superficial to grasp the truth."
Su Cheng blinked. "Is your relationship with the World Reflector very bad?"
The other white-haired man smiled. "If there isn't a sufficiently fascinating labyrinth, what joy is there in walking out of it?"
Su Cheng took a deep breath. "Your Highness Loki, you once told me that you would always answer my questions."
Those charming blue eyes looked at her. "...Anyone, anytime."
Su Cheng nodded slowly.
She hadn't been sure at first, but upon seeing these two with Camus, she understood that this must be the so-called Serpent of Truth.
And Their good student, the God of Memory.
Because the book mentioned the God of Wisdom, it would occasionally use plural descriptions, but when describing His head, it would switch to singular.
One of the manifestations of His true form was a three-eyed, two-headed snake. The left head, the Seeker of Knowledge Lore, symbolized true knowledge and exploration; the right head, the Insightful One Loki, represented true sight and rationality.
Of course, these were all merely people's understandings of the gods.
Su Cheng: "Human life, magic, and battle aura, are they all aether? Why has no one ever pointed out that they share the same origin?"
Loki was noncommittal. "Aether is just a name. The foundational energy that constitutes all planes is interconnected. When it comes into contact with different souls, it is influenced by different laws and presents itself in various states, which is the direct result you see. For most intelligent beings, thousands of years of research have only tracked the trajectory of this energy after its transformation. If you want to feel the source, you must at least possess authority."
Su Cheng hesitated for a moment. "Becoming a god?"
"Yes, essentially, authority grants you coordinates, giving you an anchor point in this world, allowing you to be truly immortal and indestructible—as long as there are still people thinking, learning, and desiring knowledge, I will exist forever."
"...At most, being banished to the void?"
"Banished?" Loki repeated the word. "Location has no meaning to me, but if someone hopes that I will no longer influence this plane, they might try to do so."
Su Cheng: "But he wouldn't succeed either, right? After all, you have plenty of methods, and he has lived for a few thousand years at most."
The twin-bodied God of Wisdom simultaneously revealed a subtle smile.
It was not a superficial emotion like pride or arrogance; it seemed to harbor something else entirely.
"I like humans," Loki said, raising the sugar-coated fruit in his hand. "They possess a very fascinating spark—creating order out of chaos, extracting joy from the mundane."
"This is also truth," Lore tilted his head slightly, seemingly gazing at her. "It does not promise eternity, nor does it explain fate. It only expresses, in this very moment, 'I am sweet.'"
Su Cheng: "...So you just like eating sweets, which means if someone banished you, you would still find a way to come back and eat them."
Camus turned his head away, looking as though he wanted to laugh.
Su Cheng let out a long sigh. "I have another question. If you knew all along that the Source Fire would extinguish once the ether was fully released, that primal ether would cease to exist and the world would be destroyed, then why did you teach elves and humans magic? Or let them learn any power that would consume even more ether? And why create races like orcs and humans, who reproduce much faster than elves?"
"We were never involved in the creation of any race, dear lady. However, the ether consumed merely to survive is minuscule. The consumption of an entire town's residents over hundreds of years cannot compare to a single elemental spell that humans would consider complex."
Loki explained patiently, "As for why we taught them, I simply liked doing it. At first, we were just us, until, through my interactions with the elves, I discovered that I could embrace authority, connect more closely with this world, and see more truths..."
"Mhm," Su Cheng chimed in softly. "You chose to become the God of Wisdom."
"...And then we discovered that the Source Fire would extinguish," Lore said unhurriedly. "For us, even if the ether is depleted, we still have ways to survive. But this was a very interesting subject, so we decided to try and solve it. Of course, Loki was also very curious to see if those intelligent races could help us, or figure out a solution on their own."
"Could they?"
"No. As mentioned before, beings without authority find it very difficult to comprehend the nature of foundational energy on their own, making it equally difficult for them to participate in our plans—"
Su Cheng could not help but interrupt, "Is this the conclusion you reached after having volunteers undergo modification experiments?"
Camus, who had been silent all this time, looked at her. "You met Salfenorius?"
Su Cheng: "The current Vampire King whom you turned into a skin-and-bones dragon? Yes. It is truly a miracle that you still remember him."
No wonder Sasha wanted to change his name.
Camus looked entirely devoid of guilt; of course, He also did not seem to have participated in that plan.
As for the two-headed snake beside Him—
Su Cheng did not expect to see apologies on the faces of Ancient Gods anyway.
Su Cheng: "...Anyway, more deities appeared later on. Was that because you wanted more helpers? With Their emergence, the number of believers grew, and more people gained power—"
She trailed off as she spoke.
Su Cheng's eyes widened slightly. "The number of powerful individuals among humans kept increasing, consuming ether faster and faster, until a great war broke out. This kind of war affected civilians to some extent, but those who died in greater numbers were the cultists who possessed power."
The God of Wisdom listened quietly.
Lore revealed a thoughtful expression. "That person you mentioned before really likes this style of doing things."
Su Cheng put a hand to her forehead.
If this was referring to the God of Illusions, then all the answers were glaringly obvious.
The Mirror Enigma Society had instigated the war between the Secret Cult and the Holy Church.
Therefore, in an era where powerhouses emerged in large numbers—the era when the lesser gods rose to power—many masters died because of the great war. From a certain perspective, this alleviated the consumption of ether.
