Chapter 1055: "Ordinary" and the "Perfect Human"
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 1055: "Ordinary" and the "Perfect Human"
"It worked."
I met the gaze of the Spell Life before me. Its pure biological instincts were untainted by any trace of desire.
It was so fragile—so fragile that I could dominate its very existence with a single thought.
Because it was both a life form and a spell held in my hand.
With just a flick of my mind, I could grant it or strip away its fear of death, its pursuit of glory, its reflections on the meaning of life...
This "outcome" shattered the heavy solemnity I usually associated with the act of creating life.
For a fleeting moment, it allowed me to experience a shift in perspective—from an "individual" enjoying life to a... "God" creating it!
But the moment that consciousness began to sublimate into divinity, I forcibly suppressed that surge of emotion.
God... what an arrogant title.
And more importantly, I didn't like it.
The First Generation Elder noticed the subtle shift in me during that brief instant, but the change vanished just as quickly, returning to normal like a mere hallucination.
"It is indeed a success."
"It’s amazing... the existence of this life, its Life Sequence was actually carved out from nothing." I looked at the First Generation Elder and spoke.
Then, I voiced my doubt: "Does this... does this mean this form of life has appeared before?"
"Undoubtedly, yes," the First Generation Elder nodded in affirmation. "However, in all my long years, I have never heard of anyone capable of achieving it in this manner. It may have appeared in another form, but it has never been dominated as you have done."
"As expected, the geniuses of this world are as numerous as the stars..." I lamented.
"Is Xiao Han lamenting because she didn't open up a completely new form of life? Truly, there is no need for that. Not every Life Sequence is opened by hand; most are nurtured by the Great Power of the Void itself. The 'Endless Void' is not an exaggeration; it is truly infinite. Even if each world only nurtured a single race, the infinite worlds of the Void would eventually produce the vast majority of Life Sequences through the method of exhaustion."
"Oh, no, I was just making a passing comment. I mean, if even a Little Witch like me, who isn't even a Transcendent yet, can do it, there's no way no one else in the Endless Void has managed it, right?" Hearing the First Generation Elder’s explanation turn increasingly toward consolation, I hurried to explain myself!
I really didn't mind that at all; it was just a simple observation!
The First Generation Elder was interrupted by my frantic explanation, then she understood and gave a relaxed smile. "Listen to you..."
What did she mean, "even a Little Witch who isn't even a Transcendent"?
If those words got out, they would surely draw maximum aggro. Wasn't that just a roundabout way of belittling Transcendent experts?
However, the First Generation Elder didn't care about that, because in her eyes, Xiao Han truly had the right to say it.
Our brief conversation defined the nature of what I had just accomplished.
But the First Generation Elder was more clear-headed about the implications.
"Xiao Han, why don't you give this type of life a name?"
"Eh? Me? I think I'll pass... Since it's a life form that has already existed, there's no need for me to name it." I shook my head and declined the suggestion.
What a joke—I'm a total disaster at naming things!
Before coming to the World-Casting Courtyard, I had named a Plant Spirit "Linger"~
"Generally speaking, when a new life form or race is born, its name is etched upon its Life Sequence. If there isn't one, it means it wasn't a Life Sequence opened by a person. As the discoverer of a new race, or the one who revived it, you have the right to leave your mark of discovery. It's just like the Ancient Remnant Ice King's race; when they were revived in the Main World, we knew their racial name immediately."
"Ah? You can do that?" Hearing the First Generation Elder's words, I found it incredible, yet... it seemed feasible!
After all, no one could stop someone from doing so. It was like a climber reaching the highest peak; they had the right to leave a "was here" sign at the summit.
It wasn't about destroying the environment; it was a testament to life's conquest!
"Why not? If you don't want to define their life, Xiao Han, why not try to see its own naming?"
"There is no name... their existence on the Life Sequence is as clean as a blank sheet of paper." I shook my head.
"Then what are you waiting for?" the First Generation Elder urged. After speaking, she inconspicuously withdrew her hand, which had been trembling with a momentary surge of excitement, acting as if nothing had happened.
"Alright, but I'm really bad at names..." I sighed.
"How will you know if you don't try?" Sister Bai encouraged from the side.
"True. Then this type of life... shall be called—Spell Life?" I suggested. After all, whenever I thought of it, my default setting for it was "Spell Life," simply because it was born from a spell.
But in my view, this kind of life didn't just originate from spells. The fact that no one had discovered it meant that this kind of life had been born in some corner of the Endless Void—perhaps some still remained... or perhaps they were fleeting.
"Spell Life? That works. Simple and easy to remember," the First Generation Elder appraised.
And so, this pure form of life finally had a name of its own.
My attention returned to the "Spell Life" formed by the effect of the Elemental Spirit's Blessing spell.
Next, I added a Language Granting to it, much like the "Fabricated Memory" I had attached to Linger in the Dungeon World. This memory was pure information and data; it wouldn't rewrite the life form's cognitive guidance.
"Mas...ter..."
A very faint call emanated from the spirit-like phantom before me.
Its cry of "Master" was a title of respect born from its creator—me. The entire meaning of its birth originated from me, so it was naturally willing to give everything for me, including its life.
"I'm here." I looked at it with a complex gaze. It couldn't understand my current feelings; unconsciously, I felt as if an insurmountable "lifespan gap" stood between us.
But... lifespan was merely a span of time.
"It can speak?" The First Generation Elder looked at it in surprise.
"Yes, I used a template from a Language Contract to create a Fabricated Memory," I explained.
"Will it desire to live a little longer?"
"No. Although I could make it feel that way... I won't." I shook my head.
"Is that so? A wise choice. I thought you would treat them the same way you treat the Fool's Dream."
"The Fool's Dream is special."
"Special? I suppose so~"
The First Generation Elder said no more. In her view, if Xiao Han held special attachments and persistence toward these Spell Lives—beings destined to fade away—it would actually be a bad thing.
Even though she held the mindset of not interfering too much in Xiao Han's choices, she still felt the need to clarify the relationships involved.
But now, it seemed... that was no longer necessary.
Next, I experimented with every type of spirit within the Elemental Spirit's Blessing spell, trying them one by one, constantly modifying them to achieve the most perfect adaptation.
However, I only experimented with this one spell. If I were to go through every other spell, time wouldn't permit it.
Finally, after bidding farewell to the First Generation Elder, Sister Bai and I left the place together.
"Sister Bai, by the way, how did you get to the World-Casting Courtyard to see the First Generation Elder?" As soon as we were out, I asked curiously.
Sister Bai clearly hadn't been brought in by the Academy Dean like I was, because she had been the only witch there.
"Me? I was sent a message by the First Generation Elder through the Tree of Great Knowledge. I didn't expect to end up there until I actually arrived." Sister Bai reminisced briefly, still filled with wonder even now.
I had mentioned the World-Casting Courtyard to Sister Bai before, but I hadn't gone into too much detail, as it involved a being like the First Generation Elder.
"Huh? It was that straightforward?"
"Yes. So I didn't expect it either. The First Generation Elder also told me she got my contact information from Dean Mei."
"Then... what exactly did the First Generation Elder want with you? Was it really about the Dream Domain Order?" I asked.
After a brief interlude, this meeting had basically turned into a conversation between me and the First Generation Elder. If I hadn't been the one to call Sister Bai during that interlude, I would have thought the Elder used Sister Bai just to get me to come over.
"Yes, that was the case initially. She was very interested in the concept of the Dream Domain and enjoyed listening to my understanding of the Primitive Dream Realm. She didn't interfere or correct me at all; she just listened to my narration."
"Is that so? Perhaps not interfering is the right way. The concept of the Primitive Dream Realm is extremely abstract. You could say that whatever an individual perceives it to be, it will manifest in that corresponding form. The Primitive Dream Realm is like a white cloth; any perception of it is just one angle of looking at it, rather than a wrong viewpoint that can be dismissed."
"Really? What if I feel that dreams are reality?" Hearing my explanation, Sister Bai instinctively looked for a loophole.
"It's not impossible~" I looked up at Sister Bai, and then my entire body shrank, transforming into the form of a Fool's Dream.
The unfinished Grand Fool's Dream Transformation Spell!
In the next moment, my body became dream-ified, and my physical form existing in reality entered the Primitive Dream Realm.
However, even without the dream invading reality, Sister Bai could still see me in my "Dream State"!
Having entered the dream, my body floated up without any support until I was at roughly the same height as Sister Bai.
"Sister Bai, guess what state I'm in?"
"Is this the... Dreamification you mentioned to me, Xiao Han?" Sister Bai's eyes widened.
"Exactly~ Or rather, it should be called Reality Dreamification. However, this talent hasn't been fully perfected yet, and it can't perfectly explain the question you just raised. But I think... it's something to look forward to."
"It's truly miraculous. The more I see, the more amazing it gets."
"Isn't that what being a Transcendent is all about? Turning the impossible into the possible. Perhaps that was my very first understanding of Transcendence."
"Turning the impossible into the possible? What a unique perspective. Back then, not just me, but many of my classmates perceived Transcendence as merely having great power. In your words, power has instead become a byproduct of possibility. Perhaps this is the gap between genius and the ordinary?"
"Not at all~ Transcendence can be power too. Did you forget that phrase? The one I always say!"
"The way you choose to understand Transcendence is the way Transcendence will respond to you," Sister Bai finished the sentence for me.
"Right~ That's the one!" I responded happily. "Let's not talk about that. Sister Bai, did the First Generation Elder say anything else to you?"
"Other things... hmm... she also talked to me about my major, the Ordinary subject. And then..."
"And then what?"
"And then, Xiao Han, have you heard the First Generation Elder mention the 'Perfect Human' concept?" Sister Bai suddenly asked.
"Eh? Perfect Human? Why would the First Generation Elder mention that to you?" I asked back in disbelief.
The First Generation Elder had mentioned it to me as well, and she told me that even Dean Mei didn't know much about the concept—Dean Mei had learned about it from her.
Was she now mentioning it to every witch she met?
"It seems Xiao Han knows about it." Seeing my reaction, Sister Bai quickly realized several things. "Yes, the First Generation Elder did indeed mention that concept to me."
"Why? Just curious. Doesn't the Perfect Human just represent the perfect life form? Sister Bai, don't tell me you're secretly researching things related to the Life Domain too?" In my Fool's Dream state, I circled around Sister Bai, brimming with curiosity.
"That... probably doesn't count? According to the First Generation Elder, she mentioned it to me mainly because it relates to my Witch research subject."
"Subject? Ordinary?" When I placed the words "Ordinary" and "Perfect Human" together, I suddenly had an indefinable realization. Two almost unrelated terms made me think of a long string of possibilities and impossibilities.
"Yes. The First Generation Elder said that within the Great Soul Subject, there is also a branch attempting to explain the unreachable realm of the Perfect Human, and that is 'Ordinary.' What is a Perfect Human? What kind of existence is a Perfect Human when viewed from an Ordinary perspective? The Elder said many things that were difficult for me to grasp, but between the lines, she was asking me what kind of witch I wanted to become."
"..." Listening to Sister Bai's account, in a sudden flash of insight, I seemed to understand!
The Ordinary subject, when not linked to the Perfect Human, was a "jack-of-all-trades" springboard. It was a path leading to other subjects, especially when one hadn't yet decided on their lifelong path. The Ordinary subject allowed a witch to quiet her mind and ponder how she should realize her value and goals.
The Ordinary subject wasn't something one could research forever... and the Perfect Human was also a theoretical, completely unreachable ideal.
Perhaps the Perfect Human manifested in a different form in everyone's heart. Therefore, with "Ordinary" as the premise, one could decide how to "incubate" their own path.