Chapter 2218: Chapter 2218

"There's no need to probe, Difference Engine. You must be well aware of what I did after I left this tower, aren't you? Even with your core inside, you wouldn't have relaxed your control over the outside world. You should know everything I've done, so asking me ... I don't think even stalling for time is necessary, is it?"

Jenkins inquired, standing before the window in the moonlight.

"Yes, I am indeed aware that your friends found a fragment of the Creation Slate."

That was news to Jenkins. No one had mentioned that Magic Miss and the others had found such a thing. Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs Novᴇl_Fire(.)net

"I... suspected as much."

He absolutely could have. With Magic Miss's abilities, he could only imagine the miracles she could create if she managed to gain something from a fragment of the slate.

But none of that was Jenkins's trump card. After understanding the hint Oviya had been trying to give him all along, he knew there was no way he could lose this battle. That was why he was here now, speaking with the Difference Engine in an almost leisurely manner.

The cat in his arms also wanted to wait until its opponent had fully become a Beast of Calamity before striking. It would be a better demonstration of its power and importance. Although fighting the Difference Engine after it fully merged the primordial steam engine with the Mechanical Heart would be troublesome, the cat of today was not the cat of a year ago.

After following Jenkins for so long, sneaking so many good things to eat, and recuperating slowly in a pleasant state of mind, the power Chocolate had lost by forcibly entering the material world had been mostly replenished. While it couldn't be said to be at its peak, it was more than enough to handle a newborn Beast of Calamity.

The cat was just that confident, so it was more than happy to stall for time here with Jenkins.

"Then what gives you the confidence to speak to me here?"

The gear-person asked, then offered a compliment.

"Worthy of a god who commands the power of lies. As expected, you are forever inscrutable... Could it be your cat?"

To this day, the Difference Engine did not know Chocolate's true identity. While Chocolate's self-proclaimed "perfect" and "clever" disguise was riddled with flaws, only those who were frequently around it could spot them. For someone like the Difference Engine, who had seen Chocolate only a few times, it was impossible to guess the cat's true nature as long as Chocolate was deliberate in its disguise.

"I know your cat is not normal; otherwise, you wouldn't have brought it here. Does your cat possess spatial powers? Could it tear open the spatial walls of this Mysterious Realm and let the Orthodox Churches in? No, you should know that the fighting strength of the Orthodox Churches is meaningless in our battle. If you want to win, your greatest chance is to face me alone."

Hearing its speculation, a faint smile appeared on Jenkins's face, but he neither confirmed nor denied it.

"Let's skip the question of my trump card. Before we begin in earnest, I'd like to discuss something more valuable."

"What do you want to discuss?"

"I want to know, among those seven goals—unwearying, fearless, hardworking, vigorous, selfless, whimsical, and peaceful—which of them did you arrange? Or perhaps, you arranged all of them?"

"Just indulge my curiosity."

"I arranged none of them. As I said, this Mysterious Realm was already here, waiting for you. I simply arrived a step ahead and distorted some insignificant details. You should believe that fate is arranging this final journey before our decisive battle, giving us a chance to walk through this era together. I think we should both enjoy this journey, not wonder if it's a trap."

"I never thought it was a trap, I just found it strange. These seven, which one might call important, benevolent qualities, appeared in such a humorous fashion. Since fate arranged it, was it trying to give me some kind of hint? Selflessness was tainted with a utilitarian mindset, vigor was shackled by the cautiousness of an adult, the unwearying miner had been exhausted for a long time, the source of whimsical ideas was the desire for fame and fortune, the fearless sailor was running from something, the hardworking woman was afraid to face the future, and beneath the peaceful, indifferent exterior was an ambition that refused to be ordinary. Don't you find that rather interesting?"

Jenkins asked, shaking his head.

"Indeed, it is interesting. The variables of the human heart are difficult to calculate. You, more than anyone, should understand that there are no pure people in this world, and no pure hearts. A heart cannot remain pure; it will always be mixed with something else. These seven people represent your era, Savior. Do I need to repeat such a simple truth?"

The gear-person in the shadows replied.

"Yes, complexity and impurity. So, does the Difference Engine dare to absorb such impure hearts? Are you not afraid of polluting yourself?"

The gear-person did not deny this point.

"Pollution? No. I am absolute rationality. In fact, a half-broken, incomplete soul is what suits me best. Nothing is perfect. If I had a perfect body, perfect computational power, and a perfect soul, I would only invite the jealousy of fate. Being absolutely rational, I will treat everything I absorb as a model and a reference variable. The power of the human heart cannot pollute me, unless my soul is made whole."

It seemed, then, that completing its soul and then corrupting it from a human perspective was one possible path to victory. But that was far too much trouble; Jenkins would not choose that path.

"We've talked enough. One last question for you: what do you think of this era?"

Jenkins asked. He still stood by the window, but most of his body was cloaked in darkness. The brightest things in the shadows were Chocolate's eyes, yet Jenkins's silhouette was clear enough that it looked as if the cat's eyes were growing from his chest.

For now, only the hand toying with the diamond was still bathed in moonlight. Reflecting the lunar glow, the gem was breathtakingly beautiful.

"That's quite a large question, but I can answer. Your era is the best of times, and the worst of times."

"Interesting. A year ago, when I first became an Enchanter and walked out of the church onto the streets, I said something very similar when I saw this era for the first time. Were you eavesdropping back then?"

"How would I have known who you were then, Savior Williamette? That is why I say you understand me best. The best of times: a great development—an explosion, even—in culture, economy, and industry. Every moment gives birth to new ideas, new concepts, and new thoughts. Opportunities are everywhere. But it is also deeply unfair. The vast wealth you have created has not been distributed with any semblance of equality among all the people here."

"Savior Williamette, you are the king of a human kingdom. Can you imagine how many families' living expenses are covered by a single one of your meals? It is not fair. And with the dual order imposed by the kingdom and the church, people cannot even find room to resist."

"Therefore, I say this is the best of times, and this is the worst of times."

"Then from your perspective, have there been similar eras in the past?"

Jenkins asked again. This was not small talk; he was genuinely curious.

"There have been. It is not uncommon for the civilizations of intelligent beings in the material world to reach their zenith in various forms. In a way that relates to you, there was the golden age of the elves."

Although that history was ancient, Jenkins had heard of it—a time when the elves ruled the entire material world, bringing other non-human races and humanity under their dominion.

"Then how did the golden age of the elves begin its decline?"

"There was a problem with the World Tree. The World Tree's decay caused a rapid decline in the elven population, weakening their control beyond their core territories."

"So, the decline of elven civilization was due to the World Tree, not its own internal problems. While not exactly a natural disaster, it wasn't self-inflicted either... Are there any other similar examples?"

"The dragons, too, once developed a powerful civilization. Though they are not a humanoid race, their art, architecture, and creativity are equally worth remembering."

"And how did the dragon civilization decline?"

"It was destroyed by the apocalypse. You should know that among the Beasts of Calamity, there is one related to dragons..."

"The Nine-Headed Dragon King that Assimilates All Things?"

That one had not appeared in the nine-story tower.

"Yes. I once thought of finding its power to deal with you, but unfortunately, I could not. The appearance of that Beast of Calamity was due to the dragons' own ambition. This world, after all, is dominated by humanoid intelligent life, so the dragons came up with a wondrous idea. Hmm, very wondrous. Why don't you try to guess what it was?"

The gear-person issued an invitation to Jenkins.

"They wanted to use their own bloodline to pollute the bloodlines of other races, thereby assimilating all things in the world?"

His tone was one of amazement, but his words were a statement of fact.

"Not entirely correct, but close enough. From a human perspective, you can imagine what a mad idea that was. Therefore, it was only natural that during this cross-species transformation, strange individuals inevitably appeared. From the madness of these vast numbers, a low-probability event was magnified, and that Beast of Calamity was born in a nearly impossible way."

"Truly... That must have been a lesson learned the hard way."

It was a textbook example of digging one's own grave.

"In that respect, the end of the dragon era is very similar to yours. Both were destroyed by the greed and intemperance of the race."

"Our era will not be destroyed. Besides, the end of the dragon era wasn't because their own society had developed to the point of collapse. That, too, should be considered an external force... No, that's not quite accurate. In any case, the end of the dragon era wasn't due to its system. The destructions of civilizations you've witnessed never seem to be because of systemic failure, but because of supernatural factors."