Witch, Fireball and the Evil God of Steam-Chapter 752 - 118: Golden Fleet, Set Sail!
Merlin stumbled out of the sanctuary, fortunate enough to witness the process of the sky being torn to pieces. Once again, the colossal entity that loomed over the City of Truth transformed into fragments, plummeting towards the ground like raindrops.
Perhaps Observer 009 experienced a similar scene when it fell.
Different times, different places, but the same ending.
After centuries, the committee mentioned that the Holy City had made what they believed to be the most thorough preparations, conducting billions of simulations, only to face yet another tragic failure... It was at this moment that Merlin realized the difference between Ethan and the Old Gods—he completed evolution, just like those humans with souls.
Yet, the Holy City's understanding of Ethan remained stuck on that of the Old Gods.
They believed the Old Gods were the origin of all mysticism, the only distinct system in the universe that could threaten the Holy City. They transcended all things, possessing supreme power, and were thought to have no possibility for further advancement. However, Ethan surpassed this common knowledge when facing the starship.
Just as he said...
Awakening amid the ranks of refugees, descending upon the empire of the Sixth Epoch as a "human" was a trial to understand the soul, and his results were immediate.
In the falling rain of light, Merlin vaguely saw a girl with long green hair beside Ethan, an incarnation of the Wind Elemental Elf. Her existence was not unfamiliar to the sanctuary's residents, yet after severing contact with the sanctuary, the Holy City could not obtain information regarding "human Ethan."
As an "observer" who witnessed Ethan's adventure, Merlin finally grasped the secret of elevating elements.
Ethan imbued the Elemental Elves with souls, creating more entities like shadows. When the two sides met again hundreds of years later, there were already five other entities beside Ethan, comparable to shadows.
This transcended Merlin's understanding.
He could not discern what it meant when the Old Gods acquired souls and completed evolution, but it certainly was not good news for the Holy City—they might still know nothing about the other types of elements.
But regardless, he became a witness.
Unlike Observer 009, the "Angel's" vitality was much stronger. Even cut into countless fragments, the holy brilliance did not extinguish. Ethan gazed down at the remnants scattered at his feet, and these broken pieces reflected the image of another unfamiliar city.
He locked eyes with a figure within the mechanical shrine, the ruler of the "Eternal Empire."
The other side was also observing this long-destroyed city through the light that had not yet been extinguished.
It saw the essence, not being misled by human appearances.
After the shadow faded, the city's weather underwent a dramatic change. A hurricane instantly engulfed the city, the falling fragments observed the typhoon's eye.
Located within the starry river, Observer 010 brought back new footage.
Yet another unknown cosmic anomaly, akin to the starship that was lost after entering a black hole hundreds of years ago. This time, they were swept into a terrestrial storm, shredded into pieces.
"It's time for simulation number 54."
Before the last light faded, Ethan proposed a suggestion to the entity within the mechanical shrine, "This time, you should try to cross the storm."
In Ethan's view, the defeat of the "Angel" had only one cause, a lack of wind resistance.
He patted the shoulder of the green-haired girl as a sign of commendation, and she shyly ducked her head, smiling with pursed lips.
This is the literary girl, the Elemental Elf who only plays high-level games.
Yet for the scattered "Angel" fragments across the city's surface, this was nothing short of the devil's smile. As her gaze swept over the leftover energy, the final brilliance was ground to dust.
Just before the last shred of energy dissipated, Merlin felt something, recklessly lunging towards the fragment closest to him, causing him to land heavily on the ground.
Ethan was right; it was not yet over. Simulation number 54 had begun, and he still needed to uncover new truths.
It's time to leave the laboratory within this cage and enter the true "human society."
His body and the glow from the fragments amalgamated, and for humans, this was the process of the body's dissolution and death. "Puppets" could not resist adjudicators; they would revert to their initial state. But before the death of the committee's special citizens, they revealed an important piece of information.
Only the body was returned; their souls would continue in a way even the committee could not comprehend.
At the moment he lost sight, Merlin felt a certain calling.
It was a summons from the Holy City.
And just as he was about to lose consciousness, he vaguely sensed another two souls colliding with him, appearing to want to hitch a ride on this "free ride."
"Squeeze in, squeeze in!"
The familiar voice gave Merlin much relief.
They successfully squeezed into the vehicle, and as for where the vehicle was heading or what awaited them there, they knew nothing.
They would have further unexpected encounters with Ethan at some time and place in the future, and perhaps by then, Ethan would still require the information they provided.
As the city returned to tranquility, the black cat ran briskly to Ethan, climbing onto his shoulder along his arm in the manner of Lindong, having fully grasped Lindong's subtle thoughts.
