High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 1581: Chapter 325: Nails, Pliers, and Locks

”Within the law lies the path of immortality, contention is the guardian of the undying.”

Duke Milton did not wish to engage in any disputes with the witch on any topic, using an ancient verse to quickly bypass Su Shi Jun’s pride, turning the conversation back to his desired topic:

”My father once told me, ’If you wish to walk steadily on the path of truth, you must understand the true meaning of ’contention’,’ and war is the most intense and clearest part of all ’contention’.”

Because Milton’s quoted words involved the legendary Clan Leader of the Karen Family, Su Shi Jun and William Tabbot had to express sufficient respect, quietly listening to the passage.

Then Milton asked Su Shi Jun, ”Since war is so important... how do you think the war between wizards should be conducted?”

Su Shi Jun hadn’t yet opened their mouth.

Having listened for a long time, Mister Wolfman couldn’t help but sneer repeatedly, ”Magic, blood, and claws, that’s the answer even a newly born wolf cub knows.”

”That’s why you’re called the barbarians among wizards.” Milton did not conceal the contempt in his eyes.

William let out a low growl from his throat, a hint of blood-red appearing in his eyes.

Su Shi Jun didn’t want the Moon Council to lose face in front of the many Big Wizards of the Black Prison Castle, quickly turning around to mediate, ”Wizard wars? Should be both sides setting up their formations, then with a shout, start bombarding each other with fireballs?”

By the end of her words, she couldn’t help but laugh.

As the saying goes, ’A backward glance with a hundred alluring smiles,’ the witch’s smile seemed to drain the color from the entire lounge, even brightening the dark world outside the window considerably.

Under this smile, the werewolf and vampire forgot their mutual abhorrence and confrontation.

Milton was stunned for a few seconds before coming back to his senses.

”Of course not,” he explained eagerly, his voice hoarse, ”Small-scale, low-intensity conflicts—like duels between three to five low-level wizards—can be as you said, throwing large fireballs at each other, setting magic traps, preparing formations in advance. Restrained by ability, such conflicts at most might destroy a few mountain peaks, overturn one or two rivers.”

”But large-scale, high-intensity wars are different.”

”Because large-scale wars involve high-level wizards. The battle between two high-level wizards requires preparation from a dimension beyond reality, a higher dimension.”

”For example, you need to consider whether the opponent will use Divination Magic to foresee your preparations in advance and make targeted arrangements; or whether the opponent might strike you down blackhandedly, going back along the timeline to dissolve the battle before it happens; or if the opponent is ready with six or seven soul artifacts or life boxes, even if you defeat the opponent in a duel and kill them, you cannot completely root them out... Then a brief conflict could evolve into a prolonged torment.”

”The battle between two high-level wizards is already so complex, then with dozens or even hundreds of high-level wizards participating, the complexity of large-scale warfare will grow exponentially... such complexity is enough to make the brains of the most powerful Great Divinors boil instantly, plunge the highest-tier Divination formations into chaos.”

”Truly terrifying.” Su Shi Jun immediately deduced the frightening scene, shaking her head repeatedly, even the fox tails behind her settled down, temporarily giving up any intention to teach the vampire a lesson.

”Without a doubt.” The Vampire Duke nodded empathetically, took a small sip of red wine, revealing the lovely small fangs at the corner of his mouth, steadied himself before continuing, ”...Therefore, to avoid such horrific scenes, wars with high-level wizards must be well-prepared with ’pre-battle arrangements’.”

”Pre-battle arrangements?”

”In the words of the old-school wizards, it’s about preparing ’nails, tongs, and locks’.” Duke Milton said something unintelligible again.

”Speak plainly.” The witch urged slightly displeased.

Duke Milton wanted to say he was a vampire, not human, so he naturally couldn’t speak in human terms.

But looking at the witch’s expression, the Duke dared not continue jesting, instead quickly summarizing the three concepts just mentioned: ”This means, ’fix the nail at the pivotal points of destiny, confirm the single possibility with a pincer movement, and then lock the battlefield with the Eight Doors Golden Lock.’”

As he spoke, the vampire raised his hand and wiped, a faint red mist obscured the tall floor-to-ceiling windows.

Through the mist, many slender golden threads could be vaguely seen weaving throughout, constructing a dense net, forming a classic ’Klein Model’—a simple representation of high-dimensional concepts in a low-dimensional world.

”Very interesting.” The witch folded her arms, looking at the model within the red mist, her face showing a seriousness of contemplation.

”If one simplifies the world seen from the perspective of high-level wizards into this model,” Duke Milton pointed virtually with his hand, stabbing the interwoven nodes of golden threads on the Klein Model, ”The nail needs to be nailed on these nodes... These are the destiny nodes in the long river of time and space.”

”Destiny is both sensitive and doubtful. It is like a rabbit covered in fine long fur, any slight movement of grass and wind that touches a certain piece of fur can scare this rabbit into running wildly in every direction.”

”The most common saying among diviners is ’Destiny has risks, divination needs caution’, wizards proficient in divination skills sometimes only need to throw a small stone into the river to completely alter the life of certain opponents. When the diviners throw stones big and numerous enough, they might even block the River of Destiny, collapsing the entire world.”

”How to find destiny nodes becomes the most studied topic among diviners.”

”Human life is like a lamp, converging into a river, it is known as the River of Destiny.”

”In this world, every ten seconds, forty-one Life Lamps light up for lives that enter this river; and every ten seconds, eighteen Life Lamps leave this great river, drifting into the Ruins, slowly extinguishing.”

”The lighting and extinguishing of most Life Lamps will not bring any impact to this world because they are too insignificant, so small that from birth to disappearance, hardly anyone knows... But there are always some Life Lamps that, because of their particularly special positions, their lighting and extinguishing affects thousands upon thousands of other Life Lamps, even leaving deep imprints in the long river of time and space.”

As he spoke, Duke Milton grasped the node he had just been pointing at.

Slowly pulling it up.

As if lifting a dim little lamp. But behind this lamp, a vast golden net was drawn up, filled with countless brilliant Life Lamps:

”Many wizards have discussed the same question, what would the world have become if Mr. Qiu Chuji had not passed by Niu Family Village back in the day?”