High in the sky in the northeastern part of the Northern Empire, the dark clouds at night were torn apart by a black dragon shadow, and a long track was pulled out between the thick clouds.
It can be seen that there is a golden spar in the center of the dragon shadow's chest, releasing the brilliance of the sun. It shoots a straight light, sweeping the land along the way like a searchlight, and just above the head of this giant dragon, There stood a figure looming in the darkness.
"The more I try to exert my full strength, the more I realize that human posture has its limits."
In mid-air, standing between the black horns, Joshua whispered to himself: "From the recent battles, I deeply understand that purely human posture and soul are completely unable to perform. my power."
"unless… "
"—Unless you're not a human being!"
Behind Joshua, No. 3, who was sitting on a raised scale on the black dragon's neck, suddenly spoke and muttered in a low voice. She had been silent at first, holding the wings engraved in her hands in a daze, but because she heard the warrior talking to herself, He couldn't help but interject a word.
Joshua immediately turned his head, stared at No. 3, and said somewhat strangely: "Who taught you this?"
The artificial intelligence girl did not hesitate, but thought about it seriously before replying: "Many lichs, druids and various extraordinary professionals who can transform like to say this... But Joshua, this But these are things only evil villains would say."
You are quite scary to begin with, but if you keep saying that you are not a human being, you will really be regarded as a villain! The girl originally wanted to say this, but in the end she did not speak.
"But on this point alone, they are not wrong."
He noticed that there was something in No. 3's words, but Joshua didn't pay attention to it. Moreover, after thinking about it carefully, he found that there were quite a lot of people who were not human beings in the extraordinary world. After learning this, Joshua did not delve into it. He shrugged, turned his head, and continued to stand on top of the black dragon, looking at the clouds and horizon that continued to extend in front of him.
He whispered: "But No. 3, the most important thing is not to be inappropriate."
“But beyond.”
"Beyond what?"
No. 3 became interested in what the soldier was talking to himself. She stood up, changed her position closer to Joshua, and then asked: "Beyond humans? But haven't you already had the power to surpass humans?" … No, even the giant dragon has been surpassed by you. Is there any creature in Mycroft's world that can surpass you in terms of pure power?"
"Yes. But it's not just transcendence in that sense."
Nodding, Joshua shook his head again, and he said calmly: "Objective evaluation, the human body is actually very perfect - a developed brain, the instinct to work together, strong endurance, and the ability to run fast for a long time , can eat the digestive systems of most plants and animals, can sustain life for a long time relying only on water, will use coma and amnesia to protect itself when encountering excessive mental shock, and is born with the most perfect tool in nature' hand'."
"It can be said that in an era without extraordinary abilities, it is actually inevitable that human beings can stand out from all things with their bodies alone. Such body and brain, as well as spirit and soul, are already perfect and do not need to be changed. The extraordinary abilities Appearing is nothing more than becoming stronger on this basis. Until the gold level, the basic human body is perfect."
When Joshua said this, not only No. 3 was listening, but even Hei, who was flying, changed his attention and listened carefully. Joshua has always been taciturn on weekdays. Even when communicating with friends, he only occasionally speaks a few words. The soldier always thinks alone. If he hadn't shared his thoughts with them this time, he would rarely see him. So much to say in this regard.
"But that's the bottleneck - for battles beyond the gold level, the human body and size will be insufficient. Why is my fighting form a hundred-meter-tall steel giant? Because with my strength, if I were still the size of an ordinary person, I would not be able to fight at all. It is unable to cause effective strikes to other targets and will simply 'pass through' them. Four arms are easier to understand. Compared with two hands, four hands have twice the strike efficiency, and they can also take into account the front, rear, left, and right. If Okay, maybe a few more will be added in the future.”
Having said this, Joshua sighed: "Carbohydrate-driven muscles, no matter how huge the energy is, cannot move mountains and unload mountains. Even if it has the power to evaporate lakes and rivers, its own body will first I can't bear it. In order to break through, the ancestors created the ultimate intention of power and smashed this bottleneck. This is what I call 'beyond human beings'."
"Not just physically, but also technically and spiritually."
"No matter how complicated the technique is, in the final analysis, it is the method of movement of the body and energy. As long as you can perfectly control all the organs and energy in your body, and have the reaction ability to match your own strength, then no matter what technique it is, you can easily master it, even foreigners. Inhuman skills can also be seen through one's own vision and through energy simulation. The one who breaks through this level is the ultimate skill."
"The mental power that is too strong due to meditation and exercise even suppresses the soul, and the senses that are too sharp make people unconsciously become crazy and extreme. In order to regulate their own hearts and balance this spiritual power, the ancestors Many methods have been thought of, whether it is lich transformation, soul transformation, or persistent meditation. However, these methods cannot be standardized because each person is different. People who have overcome this bottleneck can only be called the ultimate soul. "
"The three ultimate meanings, in the final analysis, are created by human beings in order to break through the limits of 'humanity'. The legendary strong ones are nothing more than reaching the extreme on this road and completely sublimating from pure human blood. He emerged and became a super being, just like me. The transformation of lich, druid, and various secret skills of other extraordinary professions are all another way to break through one's own limits. I came here, Exploring the mist of divine misfortune is precisely to find the truth about the ultimate meaning of the soul. Thanks to Ger, now I have a clear idea of what the ultimate meaning of the soul is that I need."
Having said this, Joshua paused for a moment. He seemed to have fallen into a brief meditation, but he woke up again after a while. The warrior said: "The lich transformed his body and soul through secret techniques, and gained the ability to control magic and The absolute advantage of spiritual power. By imitating various powerful beasts in nature, druids also found new ways to break through the limits of human beings. But no matter what method it is, there is one thing in common... No. 3, Black, do you know?"
“…”
After waiting for a few seconds, Joshua did not wait for an answer. He knew that the two people were still accepting the information he said, so he smiled and said, "That is wisdom."
"Summarizing the techniques for tempering the body from generation to generation, sorting out ways to break through the limits, summarizing the techniques one after another, and determining the most perfect way of energy operation...Imitate beasts, learn from nature, sublimate what you already have, and create Brand new, this is wisdom.”
"Human wisdom is the first and most powerful weapon of mankind. Its existence itself is to transcend the past and break through the limits. Because of it, there are countless attempts in the past and hundreds of results now."
At the main clock of No. 3 and Hei, Joshua raised his hand and pointed at his brain: "Although I am not good at government affairs and don't like complicated things, I still have confidence in the wisdom of how to become stronger. . His Majesty Ger blessed us and said that he hopes that our descendants will surpass them... This does not refer to pure strength, but to stand on their shoulders and let wisdom go further. On the 3rd, you have The inheritance of Gel, if you can integrate the contents of the imprint and create something of your own, it means that you have surpassed Gel, even if your power is still not as good as Gel at that time."
He smiled and said: "That's right, you are an artificial intelligence that has surpassed God—doesn't it sound great?"
"The same is true for civilization. As long as latecomers stand on the shoulders of their predecessors and continue to study and make progress, civilization will continue to become stronger, surpass itself, and move forward.
"Ha ha… "
Not knowing how to answer, No. 3 could only respond with a chuckle, but for some reason, she suddenly felt a little bit more motivated in her heart, which had been a little dazed ever since she got Ger's seal. This was a senseless feeling. Reasonable emotions, but she just felt that there was an inexplicable impulse that made her want to keep moving forward as Joshua said.
"Joshua..."
Suppressing the emotion in her heart, No. 3 looked at the warrior who was once again lost in thought. She couldn't help but say, "Have you broken through the ultimate meaning of the soul?"
"not yet."
Hearing the artificial intelligence girl's question, Joshua shook his head and answered, but then he said in a relaxed tone: "But it's not too late, I already understand what is making me uneasy."
He stared at the land that kept passing by beneath him, and the lights that kept appearing and disappearing in the dark night. Joshua stared at the plains, mountains and cities in the northeast of the northern empire. His heart had calmed down, even with the power of divinity. It was still pulsing in his body, but the warrior could look at it calmly, something that contained unparalleled power and was extremely dangerous.
—I already understand.
The so-called strength does not require patience or suppression at all.
There is no need to care about whether your power will damage other things, whether it will affect friends and relatives, and there is no need to restrain your desires at all.
"Divinity is a part of me, and the desires it arouses are also my desires, so."
Joshua spoke softly: "People who are influenced by their own desires, who let their power go out of control, everything they say is the sophistry of the weak and a sign of lack of ability. The reason why I do this There is only one reason for being affected by divinity and thinking about how to fight it, and that is that I was too weak before and couldn't even bear my own strength."
“Now, I am willing to accept the influence of divinity over me—I accept this power as a part of myself.”
"And still act on my ideas."
After seeing the forms of gods such as Xing Zheng and Geer, Joshua had a deeper understanding of divinity.
Although they are 'gods' that stand out from humans and winged beings, they have maintained their true nature and have not been swallowed by divinity. Ger did not turn into the storm and the sky, and Xing Zheng was not a lunatic who blindly relied on power to implement 'justice'. They both used their own methods to achieve their own ideals and wishes while satisfying their divinity.
All this is because 'divinity' is only a part of them, and their beliefs and will are enough to contain and control this power.
Thinking of Ger, Joshua turned his head and looked at the engraving in No. 3's arms. He asked curiously: "I wanted to ask just now, but I was in a hurry to leave, so I didn't ask... No. 3, don't you take this thing away?" Get up?"
"What? Ah, this... engraving?"
No. 3 blinked and looked at the complex rune engraved in her arms that looked like a pair of 'spread wings'. She paused, and then said hesitantly: "Actually, Joshua, don't be angry... Actually, I think His Majesty Ger was right before, I am not a winged person."
Having said this, No. 3 closed his eyes, as if he was afraid of Joshua's rebuke: "Indeed, I am just an ordinary artificial intelligence. No. 3 Mobile Fortress Control Center, there are more than a dozen existences like me, It's just that I survived... And this is the inheritance His Majesty left to the Winged People. Even if I take it, I don't have a real body to train with."
"You are not an ordinary artificial intelligence."
But after hearing this, Joshua did not rise up. He just shook his head, and then said with a smile in the surprised eyes of No. 3: "You are a unique artificial intelligence, my good assistant, No. 3."
"A dozen of the same existence? Your soul is unique, just like the souls of all living beings in the world. You don't need to care about your race or identity. You are just yourself, just like I am just Joshua."
Having said this, Joshua shook his head and said, "Obviously, you didn't listen to me at all just now. Can't exercise without a body? You are looking down on the inheritance of the gods. Didn't I say it before? The essence of transcendence lies in the transcendence of the soul, body and skills. Even if you don't have a body, you can still start from the soul's ultimate intention and the skill's ultimate intention. If your soul reaches an advanced level like mine, you can condense matter out of thin air to shape the body. It’s also a small matter. I will help you in this regard.”
With Joshua's character, saying this level of comfort and encouragement is already the limit. No. 3, who knew how the warrior used to train the members of the Black Knights, couldn't help but say something after hearing the warrior say such gentle words. A chuckle. But after laughing, the girl still sighed softly deep in her heart.
"Just... assistant?"
"Woo——"
Suddenly, accompanied by Hei's long groan, Joshua and No. 3 looked at the earth together. The golden and red lights on the plain were brightly lit, and the Magherent River shone brightly under such light, like a golden satin.
The lights of Moldavia can already be seen.
They went home.
I was drunk yesterday...I'm sorry...there's another chapter tonight
(End of chapter)