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Chapter 197: Soul and Life
Unfortunately, Victor Strange ultimately didn't make it. Under the corrosion of the terrifying Reaper Virus, Victor's body rapidly transformed, and his thoughts and sanity gradually faded. The hair all over his body began to fall out rapidly, and his skin lost its color, turning deathly pale.
"What a pity..." Blade shook his head and, before the transformation was complete, snapped Victor's neck.
In Victor's pupils, which were gradually losing their luster, there was a hint of relief.
This was the fate of ordinary humans who were captured. Besides being reduced to pitiful food or becoming one of them, there was no other path.
"That's why this creature, the Vampire, must be completely exterminated..."
Electro shook his head and turned to leave. He had seen scenes far more tragic than this one—hundreds of humans, frozen and stored, being slowly bled at all times to provide fresh blood for the Vampire nobles.
The nightmarish scene was perpetually etched in Max's mind. Seeing the emaciated, forcibly sedated humans, Max's eyes burned with fury.
"While the Vampire Progenitor, Dracula, is still sleeping somewhere, we must kill the Vampires as quickly as possible!" Electro's expression was chillingly cold. The more he saw, the colder his heart became. "A True Ancestor-Level Dracula is not someone we can deal with yet. At the very least, we have to bury the Vampire Kingdom before he awakens."
According to Tony, Dracula had fought against the ancestor of the Mutants, Apocalypse, for control of Earth in a very distant era. He was a very tricky High-Level life form with no obvious weaknesses; Sunlight, Garlic, and silver were completely ineffective against him.
"Whether they are ordinary Vampires or Reapers, they must all be killed. Not a single one can be spared! No matter how those Ghoul Tribe try to stop us, we'll kill every single one that comes!"
"That will likely infuriate some high-ranking officials in the Human Government," Whistler reminded him cautiously.
"There's no need to pay them any mind. They can't even protect themselves..." A malevolent smile appeared on Electro's face as high-voltage currents occasionally flared up, leaving a scorched smell in the air.
...
Tony, dressed in the standard robes of Kamar-Taj, sat across a table from the Ancient One.
Outside the window, the sun shone brightly, birds chirped, and flowers bloomed. Combined with the cool, refreshing temperature and the occasional cool breeze, it created a feeling of comfort.
Warm Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the two figures. The pairing of their robes, one white and one black, seemed harmonious yet contrasting, as if it made the atmosphere in the room clearly distinct.
Harmonious yet different.
On the table, as always, were two teacups with wisps of green steam rising from them. The steam carried the unique aroma of the local mountain tea leaves. The teapot in the very center of the table was also not to be outdone, radiating its own warmth.
"I spent a long time searching in the Library. Apart from a few books sealed by Secret Arts, I found nothing about creating a Soul."
Tony was clad in a black robe, slightly different from the other Sorcerers. Besides the color of the garment, his also had a hood.
Black seemed to fit Tony's character and taste.
He slowly drank his tea, savoring it, though it was unclear whether he was appreciating the fragrance of the tea or pondering the Ancient One's deeper meaning.
"The Soul is something unique to intelligent life, a Spirit Body that carries wisdom and consciousness. Every person has a unique Soul, just like a human fingerprint, forever marked with a distinctive label. Tony, the birth of every Soul is nothing short of an epic myth."
The Ancient One spoke in her usual unhurried tone, a faint, almost imperceptible smile on her face. At first glance, it gave one a sense of intimacy. But on a second look, the smile would vanish, bringing with it an invisible pressure.
Tony frowned slightly, choosing his words carefully. "You once created the artifact, the Cloak of Levitation. A cloak with the ability to recognize itself can absolutely be referred to as a life form, not a simple piece of clothing. It even gets very angry when I call it a 'thing' and wants to fly out and teach me a lesson."
As he spoke, Tony recalled the scene from that day and couldn't help but show an amused expression. A floating piece of clothing, furiously wanting to beat him up, was indeed a very interesting thing.
The Ancient One held her teacup with both hands, her movements completely natural. With impeccable grace, she gently placed the cup back on the table. She slowly extended her index finger and tapped the surface of the tea.
A barely audible sound rang out, like the joyful cheer a drop of water makes as it falls into a pool. Ripples spread out, growing larger and larger.
The ripples continued to expand, gradually spreading from the teacup to everything within sight.
Countless mists, like rainbow-colored clouds, began to appear from nothing, covering all of space-time. They continuously shrank, then gathered more mist. Tony felt as if he were advancing limitlessly into the depths.
This was a feat of Magic Tony could not perform. The time had been too short, and unlike Doctor Strange, that favored child of heaven recognized and adored by the Vishanti, Tony could only manage a stumbling, entry-level Portal Spell.
"Life is the greatest and most brilliant miracle in the Universe. It is because of the dazzling variety of life that the Universe is full of Life Force and vitality; otherwise, it would be nothing more than a silent, forgotten region. Excluding that first batch of Primal Gods from the birth of the Universe, it was among the countless forms of life that groups capable of thought gradually emerged. Intelligent life began to appear, and the mysterious Domain of the Soul finally began to be popularized and discovered among living beings," the Ancient One slowly narrated.
Projections of numerous terrifying Deities, with bodies that could rival planets, appeared one by one under Tony's observation. Even knowing they were temporary Projections conjured by the Ancient One, he still felt his heart palpitate.
These were the ancient Deities of the Universe. For these ancient beings who were born so long ago, later generations uniformly used the term "Celestials" to refer to them.
Even Deities of Yggdrasil like Odin, Zeus, and Haotian were from an era so far removed from the Celestials that the gap was simply incalculable.
"Only intelligent life possesses the most complete Souls, and only a complete Soul is qualified to touch upon higher, more profound mysteries. Tony, you possess a complete Soul, and moreover, you have the Allspark, a tangible manifestation of mysterious energy that has captured the very rules of existence. There is no need for you to artificially create a Soul."
"Tell me, Tony, which came first: the Soul, or independent life?" the Ancient One asked.
If this were before, Tony would have answered without a second thought that the Soul came first. With a Soul, wisdom and consciousness would follow, constructing a basic framework in its image.
But now, it seemed that idea was wrong. After all, even those Clones also had Souls.
(end of chapter)
Unfortunately, Victor Strange ultimately didn't make it. Under the corrosion of the terrifying Reaper Virus, Victor's body rapidly transformed, and his thoughts and sanity gradually faded. The hair all over his body began to fall out rapidly, and his skin lost its color, turning deathly pale.
"What a pity..." Blade shook his head and, before the transformation was complete, snapped Victor's neck.
In Victor's pupils, which were gradually losing their luster, there was a hint of relief.
This was the fate of ordinary humans who were captured. Besides being reduced to pitiful food or becoming one of them, there was no other path.
"That's why this creature, the Vampire, must be completely exterminated..."
Electro shook his head and turned to leave. He had seen scenes far more tragic than this one—hundreds of humans, frozen and stored, being slowly bled at all times to provide fresh blood for the Vampire nobles.
The nightmarish scene was perpetually etched in Max's mind. Seeing the emaciated, forcibly sedated humans, Max's eyes burned with fury.
"While the Vampire Progenitor, Dracula, is still sleeping somewhere, we must kill the Vampires as quickly as possible!" Electro's expression was chillingly cold. The more he saw, the colder his heart became. "A True Ancestor-Level Dracula is not someone we can deal with yet. At the very least, we have to bury the Vampire Kingdom before he awakens."
According to Tony, Dracula had fought against the ancestor of the Mutants, Apocalypse, for control of Earth in a very distant era. He was a very tricky High-Level life form with no obvious weaknesses; Sunlight, Garlic, and silver were completely ineffective against him.
"Whether they are ordinary Vampires or Reapers, they must all be killed. Not a single one can be spared! No matter how those Ghoul Tribe try to stop us, we'll kill every single one that comes!"
"That will likely infuriate some high-ranking officials in the Human Government," Whistler reminded him cautiously.
"There's no need to pay them any mind. They can't even protect themselves..." A malevolent smile appeared on Electro's face as high-voltage currents occasionally flared up, leaving a scorched smell in the air.
...
Tony, dressed in the standard robes of Kamar-Taj, sat across a table from the Ancient One.
Outside the window, the sun shone brightly, birds chirped, and flowers bloomed. Combined with the cool, refreshing temperature and the occasional cool breeze, it created a feeling of comfort.
Warm Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the two figures. The pairing of their robes, one white and one black, seemed harmonious yet contrasting, as if it made the atmosphere in the room clearly distinct.
Harmonious yet different.
On the table, as always, were two teacups with wisps of green steam rising from them. The steam carried the unique aroma of the local mountain tea leaves. The teapot in the very center of the table was also not to be outdone, radiating its own warmth.
"I spent a long time searching in the Library. Apart from a few books sealed by Secret Arts, I found nothing about creating a Soul."
Tony was clad in a black robe, slightly different from the other Sorcerers. Besides the color of the garment, his also had a hood.
Black seemed to fit Tony's character and taste.
He slowly drank his tea, savoring it, though it was unclear whether he was appreciating the fragrance of the tea or pondering the Ancient One's deeper meaning.
"The Soul is something unique to intelligent life, a Spirit Body that carries wisdom and consciousness. Every person has a unique Soul, just like a human fingerprint, forever marked with a distinctive label. Tony, the birth of every Soul is nothing short of an epic myth."
The Ancient One spoke in her usual unhurried tone, a faint, almost imperceptible smile on her face. At first glance, it gave one a sense of intimacy. But on a second look, the smile would vanish, bringing with it an invisible pressure.
Tony frowned slightly, choosing his words carefully. "You once created the artifact, the Cloak of Levitation. A cloak with the ability to recognize itself can absolutely be referred to as a life form, not a simple piece of clothing. It even gets very angry when I call it a 'thing' and wants to fly out and teach me a lesson."
As he spoke, Tony recalled the scene from that day and couldn't help but show an amused expression. A floating piece of clothing, furiously wanting to beat him up, was indeed a very interesting thing.
The Ancient One held her teacup with both hands, her movements completely natural. With impeccable grace, she gently placed the cup back on the table. She slowly extended her index finger and tapped the surface of the tea.
A barely audible sound rang out, like the joyful cheer a drop of water makes as it falls into a pool. Ripples spread out, growing larger and larger.
The ripples continued to expand, gradually spreading from the teacup to everything within sight.
Countless mists, like rainbow-colored clouds, began to appear from nothing, covering all of space-time. They continuously shrank, then gathered more mist. Tony felt as if he were advancing limitlessly into the depths.
This was a feat of Magic Tony could not perform. The time had been too short, and unlike Doctor Strange, that favored child of heaven recognized and adored by the Vishanti, Tony could only manage a stumbling, entry-level Portal Spell.
"Life is the greatest and most brilliant miracle in the Universe. It is because of the dazzling variety of life that the Universe is full of Life Force and vitality; otherwise, it would be nothing more than a silent, forgotten region. Excluding that first batch of Primal Gods from the birth of the Universe, it was among the countless forms of life that groups capable of thought gradually emerged. Intelligent life began to appear, and the mysterious Domain of the Soul finally began to be popularized and discovered among living beings," the Ancient One slowly narrated.
Projections of numerous terrifying Deities, with bodies that could rival planets, appeared one by one under Tony's observation. Even knowing they were temporary Projections conjured by the Ancient One, he still felt his heart palpitate.
These were the ancient Deities of the Universe. For these ancient beings who were born so long ago, later generations uniformly used the term "Celestials" to refer to them.
Even Deities of Yggdrasil like Odin, Zeus, and Haotian were from an era so far removed from the Celestials that the gap was simply incalculable.
"Only intelligent life possesses the most complete Souls, and only a complete Soul is qualified to touch upon higher, more profound mysteries. Tony, you possess a complete Soul, and moreover, you have the Allspark, a tangible manifestation of mysterious energy that has captured the very rules of existence. There is no need for you to artificially create a Soul."
"Tell me, Tony, which came first: the Soul, or independent life?" the Ancient One asked.
If this were before, Tony would have answered without a second thought that the Soul came first. With a Soul, wisdom and consciousness would follow, constructing a basic framework in its image.
But now, it seemed that idea was wrong. After all, even those Clones also had Souls.
(end of chapter)
