642: Become Mortals! Become the Protagonists of This Era!
The ferry approached a tomb near the Abyss River.
Wizard Warwick did not hesitate, stepping directly onto the tomb city. He crouched down, using a Focus Spell Monocle lens to lean over and examine the rocks on the ground. "It's just ordinary M-type magical granite; that matches. In the Age of Stars, alchemy was nowhere near as advanced as it is today."
"If the base materials of this ship-burial tomb complex were high-level magical materials, then this city would definitely be a forgery from later generations or a product of subsequent eras. But if it's this kind of fine granite, then it fits the timeline."
"These magical granites are products of nature. Although beautiful, they are naturally occurring. They are functional and reliable, but mining them is extremely destructive to the environment, so the White Wizard Association has restricted their extraction for a long time."
Wizard McKinley chuckled. "Then even if we tear this city down and sell it as high-grade magical granite for construction, it would be worth quite a lot of money."
"Now that magical granite mining is restricted, the annual output is limited."
In the next moment, he saw both Witch Shirley and Wizard Warwick looking at him with gazes like knives.
Wizard McKinley hurriedly said, "I'm joking."
"Everyone, I am also a professor of Archaeology. How could I not know the value of historical materials? Hahaha... I'm just joking."
Under their murderous glares, Wizard McKinley quickly raised his left hand and promised, "I swear by all my savings that I have absolutely no intention of tearing down this city to sell M-type magical granite."
"I'll stop joking."
Warwick gave a cold snort. "You really shouldn't joke around so carelessly."
Locke scanned the city. He saw that the main body of the city was built from M-type magical granite, and the various buildings had a special ancient style.
Parts that should have been civilian houses all possessed the structures of fortresses.
This reflected how, during the Age of Stars, medium-scale wars could break out at any time. Countries were constantly at war, and in that era, civilians almost never enjoyed peace.
Unlike the current Modern Magic Era where peace was the main theme, most of the mortal societies within the Wizard World had entered a long period of peace.
As Locke and the others walked through the streets and alleys, they noticed these ancient buildings had very few windows. The few places resembling windows were equipped with devices like crossbows.
What made Warwick's face darken was that they saw several corpses on the street that had turned into dry bones, with only their wizard robes remaining.
Warwick inspected them briefly and confirmed their identities. "Some are local wizards from the Qionghua Enclave, while others are wizards from your Cloud Marsh. Look at this one; this is actually a wizard from the Rose Council, and this one is from the Storm Tower."
"They must have fought each other on this street. Some buildings show signs of destruction. I just don't know why they died here."
Warwick frowned and used an Archaeology spell, Summoning the King of the Dead. A tall Black Warrior undead appeared.
He communicated with the undead for a while but eventually shook his head slightly toward Locke and the others. "I didn't find any useful information. This street should be safe."
"At least I didn't detect anything. Or, there's nothing for now."
Witch Shirley examined the corpses and said, "Based on my years of experience examining bodies, these people were basically not Archaeology Wizards. In other words, they didn't come here for an archaeological expedition."
"They probably didn't come here for academic research, but to find some kind of special magical resource."
Locke frowned. "In other words, these wizards treated this place like a wild Wizard Secret Realm and barged in."
Locke suddenly thought of something else. Wizard Secret Realms basically all have wizard echoes. So, would there be an echo of the Weaving Princess in this ancient tomb?
Wizard Warwick was a bit anxious. "In that case, we should quickly find the location of the princess's main burial chamber within this tomb complex."
"If those laymen find it first, they might destroy the historical information of the ancient tomb. That could lead to certain mysteries being buried in history forever!"
"Never to see the light of day again!"
Locke said, "Warwick, we must maintain our previous pace. This tomb city is very dangerous."
Reminded by Locke, Warwick nodded, took a deep breath, and said, "You're right."
"I was too impatient."
"But if we lose our composure, we might pay an even greater price."
Locke looked down at the bricks on the street surface and saw a line of words carved into some of the granite bricks. [There are one hundred people here. Ninety-nine are mortals and one is a wizard. Among them, who is civilization itself?]
Locke summoned his sovereign book and recorded the negative energy particle field historical data from the brick.
Warwick and the others also noticed this. "Who is civilization itself? It must be that wizard."
Locke frowned and asked, "Is civilization a single person? If civilization is that wizard, wouldn't that mean even if those ninety-nine mortals died instantly, it wouldn't hinder civilization?"
"Is the civilization of one person still a civilization?"
Warwick was stunned for a moment. "Indeed. But why would such a question be left on the ground of the Weaving Princess's tomb complex?"
Locke mused, "If this really is the tomb of that Nameless King from history, then this question is worth pondering. Perhaps it's related to why that Nameless King was hit with the Expulsion Curse."
Warwick looked down at the line of words on the brick and frowned. "But out of a hundred people, only one is a wizard. No matter how you look at it, that wizard is the most important. He should be the leader."
Locke coughed and reminded him, "Mr. Warwick, just a week ago, you were speaking up for those wizards in the Qionghua Enclave who worked hard enough but lacked talent. Have you forgotten so quickly?"
Wizard Warwick instinctively retorted, "Locke, how can wizards and mortals be equated? They aren't even the same species."
Locke gave him a surprised look but didn't argue.
Because it was an irrelevant issue.
After Warwick finished speaking, he also froze. "Wait, that's not right. I also had a time when I was a mortal. Every wizard was once a mortal. To say one isn't a mortal isn't quite right either."
"McKinley, and Miss Holy Master, what do you think?"
"Look, there are more words on the bricks ten meters ahead."
At this point, all four of them opened their sovereign books. The four sovereign books continuously emitted magical radiance, using the [Historical Projection] Spell Model to absorb the surrounding negative energy particle field historical materials.
They were enriching their own sovereign books.
The four of them looked down at the small words carved on the second brick—[If among these hundred people, the ninety-nine mortals are determined to develop their own civilization, to live good lives, wear decent clothes, and build decent buildings; while that wizard is a Necromancer who spends every day with white bones and befriends ghosts, who then is civilization?]
The four of them looked at this passage, puzzled.
Wizard McKinley said, "This Weaving Princess really likes to go looking for trouble."
Witch Shirley pondered, "True. Can a Necromancer even be considered human? If something isn't human, how can it be considered civilization? So... under this extreme hypothesis, the ninety-nine mortals among these hundred people are the civilization."
Warwick and McKinley immediately looked at her with indignation.
Wizard Warwick coughed. "Miss Holy Master, you are biased. But a Necromancer... if they are obsessed with those corpses, they indeed wouldn't have much motivation to develop any other civilization."
"In this hypothesis, those ninety-nine mortals indeed represent civilization more."
Locke said, "It would be better to say that all hundred people are part of civilization. Everyone is a part of civilization, so naturally, there's no need to argue over who is civilization."
The three wizards all nodded in sudden realization. They only then discovered they had fallen into the habitual line of thinking presented by the brick and had been led astray in their thoughts.
It was only because these were the words of an ancient that the three of them were involuntarily led astray.
The three continued forward and found a new carved record on a granite brick 10 meters ahead—'If all hundred people are part of civilization, then why must the ninety-nine mortals listen to that one wizard?'
'Perhaps one day in the future, the status of all mortals and wizards will be equal. Mortals will also decide their own fates. Will that day ever come? My great...'
The four of them focused their gazes.
Because the last part of the writing had been erased out of thin air, leaving only a scar-like mark of destruction.
Locke thought to himself, 'The text on these three bricks represents a very dangerous ideological tendency of the Weaving Princess.'
'The foundation of the Age of Stars was based on the individual power of Wizard Kings maintaining a kingdom, forming various Magic Kingdoms. But these thoughts were already threatening the foundation of that era.'
'If the Weaving Princess only spoke of it, that would be one thing. But if she actually acted on it... then...'
McKinley said with dissatisfaction, "Only wizards can lead those mortals to become better. This princess really can talk nonsense."
Witch Shirley couldn't help but say, "But in that hypothesis, that wizard is just a Necromancer. He would only lead civilization toward destruction. He is nothing; he is just a walking corpse, an underground rat."
"I think those ninety-nine mortals would actually live much happier lives without him."
Wizard McKinley retorted indignantly, "What if that Necromancer summoned the undead to help the mortals in their lives?"
Witch Shirley said, "He wouldn't. He would only turn those mortals into his own skeletons. A Necromancer tramples on the dignity of both life and death; he already looks down on life."
"Since he already looks down on life every day, what moral code in his heart would stop him from harming those mortals? Even if he could deceive himself and hold back at first, as soon as those mortals did one thing he considered an unpardonable evil, he would immediately find a reason to use evil magic against them."
"Besides, the existence of the undead is evil. Undead cannot consume..." Witch Shirley coughed and corrected herself. "The undead are themselves products of negative energy. Just being near mortals will cause them to die quickly."
"I don't believe the existence of a Necromancer has any benefit for mortals."
Warwick was breathing heavily. "Miss Holy Master, isn't your bias against us Black Wizards a bit too great?"
Wizard McKinley said, "Mentor Warwick, I've put up with her all the way! Since she looks down on us so much, why must we act together!"
Witch Shirley gave a cold laugh and was about to speak when she suddenly frowned. Simultaneously, the Holy Master spell guarding her soul, the First Ring Spell Model: Heavenly Maiden's Embrace, flashed through the depths of her soul.
Witch Shirley instantly snapped awake.
At the same time, she looked at Locke, walked directly to his ear, and snapped her fingers. "Wake up!"
Locke was also startled, and then he saw the surrounding environment change drastically. It turned out the four of them had not entered the street at all.
They hadn't entered the city.
They were just standing on the pier where they had landed at the city.
There were indeed many corpses of wizards from the Modern Magic Era on the pier, and the architectural styles inside the city were indeed exactly as observed before, but they had never actually approached them.
Locke saw different colored brick mosaics on the wall next to the steps of the pier.
He saw that these brick paintings depicted the scenes he had just seen while deep in the 'city'; it was an overhead view of a small tomb city.
At the same time, through his Focus Spell Monocle lens, Locke saw the three questions on the bricks within the street scenes in the fine details of these brick paintings.
"This is... a Magic Painting." Locke reacted quickly. "This is a brick painting technique similar to Magic Paintings. All of us fell into an illusion the moment we landed on the pier."
Cold sweat broke out on Locke's back.
Witch Shirley nodded. "If I weren't a Holy Master with the strongest mind among the four of us, we probably would have started infighting already. The brick paintings on this wall aren't just illusions; they also have Enchantment School magic that can make us feel angry and start arguing without realizing it."
"And the three questions in the painting were likely just meant to provoke us. That itself is a topic prone to causing conflict."
Locke glanced at Witch Shirley. "Is that so?"
At that moment, the brick wall mural suddenly began to move on its own, with bricks shifting one by one.
Witch Shirley immediately said, "This isn't an illusion!"
The brick painting turned into a line of words—[Ignorant people of later generations, you dare to step upon the resting place of the Weaving Princess. This place shall become your eternal hell!]
[Giving up magical power is your only choice to leave this place! Become mortals, become the protagonists of this era!]
[This is my Lord's final mercy.]
Locke frowned.
Witch Shirley said, "The brick wall is moving... this seems to be Deformation School magic..."
At this time, Warwick suddenly rushed toward Witch Shirley, saying angrily, "Explain yourself clearly!"
Witch Shirley pushed him away directly. "Get lost, don't touch me. Touch me again and I'll kill you."
Warwick instantly flew into a rage. "Fine, fine, fine, Holy Master girl, then we have nothing more to say. I'm going to kill you today."
Witch Shirley didn't care if he was under an enchantment spell and looking for trouble; a murderous intent flashed in her eyes, and a wand appeared in her hand.
Locke quickly intervened. "Wait, Senior Sister. This man still has the historical materials I need. Right, since this mission is so dangerous, he promised me he would give me the materials before the official operation."
"I'll wake him up now and have him give me the materials."