Surviving The Fourth Calamity

Russell, who understood, blinked gently.

The existence of the Dual Soul as One is actually not uncommon in this world.

How should I put it... perhaps because the world is heading towards its doom, childbirth has become a significant issue.

Even at this stage, women who can give birth to healthy children are basically those who have lived in various affiliated small towns since childhood, able to at least have Black Taro to eat.

However, their bodies generally can’t provide nutrition for twins or even multiple births.

Yet, if the occurrence of multiple births is minimal, twins aren’t too unusual.

But once conceiving twins, even noblewomen... they find it hard to keep both children.

Moreover, not every family can provide pregnant women with enough food and nutrients to live normally.

The most troublesome thing is, the better the Mage Aptitude of the child, the higher the demands on the mother’s body... it’s not simply a matter of being well-fed or having enough to drink.

It’s an extraordinarily huge consumption... one that many small nobles, and even Junior Mages, can’t afford.

But who would be willing to give up on such precious children?

In the end, the simplest method emerged: let the weaker child become the nourishment for the stronger one.

Perhaps this approach is too... sinister, hence the child who absorbs their siblings before they’re even born has a 30% chance of becoming a Dual Soul as One.

Moreover, even those children who didn’t become Dual Souls as One seem to inherently lack a sense of security, whether towards their parents or their family, there’s little genuine affection... perhaps they understand while still in the embryo that if they aren’t strong enough, they would be the one sacrificed.

So, throughout their lives, they’ll only pursue power madly.

Yet, for their family, what they want is also for them to become strong.

As long as they can become a High-level Mage, no, actually as long as they become a Mid-level Magician, their presence is the family’s greatest protection.

Even though everyone knows they don’t love their family, no one dares to be sure that extinguishing their family won’t invite retaliation.

They themselves can’t guarantee that... after all, that’s an insult to a Mage; they won’t mourn for their family’s death but will indeed be angered by being provoked by others.

However, Delphus is even more tragic than those people.

Dual Soul as One is definitely one strong, one weak.

The unfortunate weaker soul, even if it squeezes into another body, still becomes a part of the other.

It requires a long time of slumber to have a chance of waking.

If it hasn’t awakened before the main soul becomes a Mid-level Magician, it doesn’t stand a chance.

This weaker soul’s greatest revenge is to let the sibling who could have soared high wander at the Low Rank during their youth.

Time is the toughest hurdle; if one can’t climb high during their strong and vigorous years, how many aging ones can still maintain such ambition and resolve?

Especially as with age, the chance of the other soul awakening grows... Dual Souls are natural enemies.

Between them, from the beginning, there forms a bitter resentment that won’t rest until one perishes.

Once the other soul awakens, this Mage’s life enters the countdown... the other will definitely not give up the chance to become the master of the body.

And every battle between them harms their own soul.

Though having two wills makes their Soul Power strong, ultimately it’s just one soul, even if heavier than other souls, it’s still the same one.

Russell hesitated for a few seconds... he realized his teacher seemed not to know much about these matters.

It figures, the teacher should have received Gilbert’s memory.

That Archmage is famous for only learning basic noble knowledge besides Mage common sense.

Such secretive, dreadful secrets, he wouldn’t even look at.

Gilbert is a true Mage, always disdainful of those noble matters, and the Hainarson Clan doesn’t engage in such rubbish activities.

Gilbert’s memory certainly doesn’t contain information related to these... as for those books in the Magic Tower, they generally wouldn’t record such disgusting and useless topics.

As for Russell, at the beginning, he didn’t think he could go so far on the path of a Mage, so even without giving up, he still prepared for contingencies.

He hesitated a bit.

Of course, not because he wanted to hide any secrets from his teacher.

It’s just that Russell didn’t think his teacher would want to hear about things like this.

He had long realized that ’Gilbert’ valued life greatly.

Therefore, the teacher was so surprised by the presence of the Dual Soul as One... in the other’s world, such things probably aren’t so easily found.

But in this world, what small town lacks them?

Nobles, in the pursuit of their own interests, are always cruel.

Russell sighed.

Normally, Delphus can only dispel this defect and get on the right track when he endures to become a Mid-level Magician... and in this world, an impaired Delphus faces extraordinary difficulty to reach Mid-level.

He knew that possibly his intel might not hold much significance for his teacher’s judgment, but he understood better that he could not conceal intelligence related to Delphus just because ’he thought’ it should be hidden.

”Teacher...” Russell hesitantly began to speak.

”What’s the matter? Want to tell me now?” Hilbert knew full well his young apprentice’s hesitation.

”Delphus’ nature, it’s nothing strange. They must have known from the start that this child was destined to be cold and ruthless.” Russell clenched his fist and slowly divulged everything he knew.

Hill indeed found such matters repugnant.

But he also understood that when something is proposed in the name of sacrifice and salvation, and then becomes commonplace, it’s not something outsiders can easily interfere with.

At least in this world, their way is acknowledged... Though punishments are given, their actions are not prohibited.

For the Defense Tower people to use it without a second thought, it’s definitely not something newly emerged in these years.

They are already so accustomed to such things that they can use them so naturally.

Otherwise, Lansendel’s followers wouldn’t so easily agree to such behavior.

After all, the Lord of Dawn is Neutral Good and would not easily denounce behaviors already established as rules in other worlds.

Thus, his followers would be willing to make use of Delphus.

And they would simply choose the kinder soul.

Or perhaps, because he is the victim, that half of the soul can be saved.

Once he devours Delphus, transforming into a new him, all past matters naturally disappear with Delphus’ vanishing.

In summary, none of this has anything to do with him.

As a Follower of the God of Dawn, he conversed with the salvageable soul from start to finish.

Tsk~

This is clearly a standard Chosen of the Lord of Dawn.

Seemingly reckless and unrestrained, yet actions are all governed by their own set of logic.

For the Lord of Dawn’s followers, the most important thing is to convince themselves.

As long as they believe their actions do not violate Lansendel’s will, they can do whatever they want.

And Hill believes, throughout this matter, he merely watched coldly from the sidelines; no matter who at the Defense Tower proposed and executed this plan, he certainly never uttered a word.

Taking another glance at Delphus, Hilbert softly said, ”Probably never see you again.

As for past things, I won’t hold them against you.”

Russell couldn’t help but glance at the giant screen... Although Delphus’ face was still ugly, that feeling of disgust in his heart had greatly diminished.

Maybe it was when he saw that unwilling struggle, which ended up being utterly meaningless?

Russell gently asked, ”At that time, will this person, who made a great contribution to the Defense Tower, find his family anew, and even his appearance would...”

Since that powerful deity can restore a victim’s appearance, naturally, he could also return ’Delphus’ to his original form.

Hill nodded.

Russell felt a bit lost... Of course, he understood this outcome was a great victory for the Defense Tower.

But he was still unwilling to accept that Delphus’ very birth was a joke.

He hoped more to see a real hero, not a pitiful wretch manipulated until nothing was left.

Hilbert shook his head: ”You don’t need to overthink this.

This world, no, the entire Multiverse, is the same, with its own differences, its own misunderstanding.

Choose to associate with those who share your baseline and stance, respect those who, although vastly different, do not cross your baseline... You may not understand, but do not interfere.

Heh~

Life is full of all sorts, who is really in whose pit? Whose difficulty is what for whom?

So, Russell, remember that having a baseline as a person is crucial.

The you I like is the one with this high baseline, wanting to be a person.

If one day... you forget who you are now... I won’t do much, but I will never see you again.

Understand?”

As for whether Russell would one day cross his baseline, Hill didn’t know either.

But he was unwilling to think about such issues before they happened... Presupposing someone as turning into scum is something Hill generally wouldn’t do.

”I won’t become like that.” Russell’s tone was firm, ”I will never go down a path contrary to yours, teacher.

Rest assured, teacher, I will constantly remind myself.”

Russell fully understood that although their teacher had high demands on them, he never required them to sacrifice themselves for others.

Simply not to initiate harm or insult to others... such a simple constraint, Russell would never violate.