All kinds of streamers receded like tides, and in the resplendent and resplendent rotunda, the figures of archbishops disappeared into the air.
Daniel also stood up after attending the meeting of the Supreme Bishops Conference, and bowed slightly to greet Selina Geerfen, who was still in place: "Then, I will check the situation of the pan-consciousness stability barrier first, Selina archbishop."
"Thank you, Archbishop Daniel," Selina nodded slightly. "Your security team is very important to us now."
After a flash of light, Daniel also left the hall. In the huge indoor space, only Selina Gerfen, who was standing quietly, and a cloud of deep purple and silvery white spots floating above the round table were left. , a starlight aggregate whose surrounding contours fluctuate.
After a long silence, a long sigh suddenly came from the starlight aggregate: "Selena, today's situation reminds me of seven hundred years ago."
"The situation is really bad, Your Majesty the Pope," Selina said softly, "even... worse than seven hundred years ago."
"The druids have failed, and the people of the deep sea have lost themselves in the deep sea. The road we stick to seems to be facing a desperate situation," the voice of Pope Megaul III sounded quietly, "Perhaps in the end we will have to Completely abandoning the entire spiritual network, and even costing the lives of hundreds of compatriots... But compared to these losses, what I regret most is that our seven hundred years of hard work seems to be... "
"Your Majesty, it's too early to say these things," Selina suddenly interrupted Megal III, "We haven't reached the point where we have to make a decision, the things in the No. 1 sandbox... at least for now. They are being held tightly by us."
"But it is already consciously trying to escape, it has realized where the boundaries of the cage are, and next, it will try to break through the boundaries at all costs. If it leaves the No. 1 sandbox, it can enter the mind network, and With the help of the psychic network, it can pass through those compatriots living in the real world and rule over reality. At that time, I am afraid that we will really call it 'He'."
Selena remained silent, but recalled her experience in Phantom Town in her heart, and recalled the "extra person" who almost returned to the City of Dreams with the exploration team.
Although Phantom Town is just an "overflow projection" and not the body of the No. 1 sandbox, when the pollution has gradually spread, if the things in the projection want to enter the spiritual network, they are the "things" in the No. 1 sandbox. One of the attempts to break out of the cage.
She couldn't help clenching her fists a little harder, and couldn't help but think of the darkest and most desperate days seven hundred years ago.
The pollution from the gods took thousands of minds away, and the most steadfast priests and believers fell into frenzy overnight. The "Lord" who was once deeply revered became an indescribable monster, and the church inhabited was torn apart. My compatriots are lost and fallen in the frenzy...
Those who stayed awake paid an unimaginable price to rebuild the order, and it took hundreds of years for the surviving compatriots to recover step by step, just because of that little hope that was almost self-deceiving, these wandering in the rational Survivors of Borderlands and Madness paranoidly made plans to get to where they are today.
Then, all roads were cut off in just two or three years, and seven hundred years of persistence and that faint hope were finally proved to be nothing but delusions of mortals' blind arrogance.
All efforts are just paving the way for the gods.
But... Is the matter of "trying to survive" really just a delusion
Selena raised her head, looked at the slowly wriggling starlight aggregate in midair, and said calmly: "Maybe our path is wrong, but it doesn't mean that the right path doesn't exist. In the final analysis, we also Only tried three paths."
The voice of Megal III came: "What you said... reminded me of Franken's last message to me before merging with the body of the false god."
"Your Excellency the Grand Master..." Selena blinked, "What did he say?"
"He said, 'There are many roads, I'll try one of them, and if it's not right, don't give up'," Megaul III's voice was calm and indifferent, but Selina could hear a trace of emotion from it, "Now Think about it, he may have been vaguely aware of hidden dangers in our three roads at that time, but it was too late for him to remind us, and it was difficult for us to try other directions."
"The druids try to create a humane 'controlled god', we try to cut off the chains from the depths of the soul, the people of the sea try to upgrade the elements, and merge with the wreckage of the Lord of Storms..." Celine Na said one by one, "Now it seems that when we first discussed these three paths, we may have been too arrogant."
Megaul III was silent for a long time before he opened his mouth and said: "Anyway, since we chose and opened the road of cutting off the chains, then we must face everything about it, including preparing to bury this road, That's ... the responsibility of the Blazers."
"Yes, as you said."
"Rest, I have to think about the future of the order."
Selina lowered her head, and in her perception, the consciousness of Megaul III gradually moved away from this place.
She kept this posture for a long time, and it was not until a few minutes later that her voice sounded softly in the empty chamber: "...the pioneer..."
…
After the meeting ended, Hetty returned to her office in the Government Affairs Hall alone without communicating with anyone.
The entire third floor of the government affairs hall is very quiet. On the rest day of Zhou Shi, most of the non-urgent matters will be left to be dealt with next week, and the office of the Grand Consul will also be rare and quiet.
The heating device made a slight humming sound, and warm air was blowing from the ventilation pipe in the corner of the room. The magic spar lamp on the roof had already been lit, and the bright light dispelled the gloom at dusk outside the window. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, you can see the lights on both sides of the street opposite the square. Citizens who have enjoyed their leisure time on the rest day are returning home under the lights, or going to the pubs, cafes, and chess and card rooms in the streets and alleys for a small gathering.
Looking at the citizens coming and going, looking at the imperial capital far away from the darkness amid the artificial lights, Hetty suddenly thought of the words he heard in the previous meeting—
Gods did not create humans, humans created gods.
"Is the same for the Goddess of Magic..."
Hetty couldn't help talking to herself, and gently outlined the four basic runes of wind, water, fire, and earth with her fingers in the air, then she clenched her hands into fists, put her fists against her forehead, and whispered the magic The honorable name of the goddess Mirmina.
This is the standard procedure for mages who believe in the goddess of magic to perform simple prayers.
As a somewhat special god, Mirmina, the goddess of magic, does not have a formal church and priest system. Mages who are in charge of extraordinary power and lack awe of the gods mostly regard the goddess of magic as a kind of psychological sustenance or worthwhile. Worshiping the awe-inspiring "origin of knowledge", but this does not mean that the "divine nature" of the goddess of magic has been shaken and weakened in this world.
Gods are real, even mages who are keen to explore the truth of the world and believe that knowledge and wisdom can explain the operation of all things, also recognize this, so they undoubtedly believe that the goddess of magic is a real god.
It's just that their feelings for this god may seem "reasonable" and "peaceful" compared with other believers' feelings for the gods they believe in.
The mages are all shallow believers of the goddess of magic, Mirmina, but they have almost never heard of fanatics of the goddess of magic among the mages.
And Hetty... tentatively, she could be regarded as one of the more pious mages who believed in the goddess of magic.
This point, even if she knew about the rebellious plan, even if she participated in and promoted many "theocratic secularization" projects of her ancestors, it has not changed.
Because in her concept, these things are not detrimental to the brilliance of the goddess of magic itself-the gods have existed like that, since ancient times, they have existed forever, they are as natural as the stars in the sky, not due to the actions of mortals Some changes, regardless of "the secularization of theocracy" or "the conferment of theocracy", are nothing more than correcting wrong behaviors in the process of mortal beliefs. Even the more drastic "rebellion against the plan" is more like mortals getting rid of the gods An attempt to influence and go out of one's own way.
It's all mortals' own business, and has nothing to do with gods—this may be the way of thinking of most mages.
However, what she heard at the meeting today shook the foundation of the gods.
The result of praying to the Goddess of Magic was the same as before. Hetty could feel a mysterious and inexplicable power surging in a very distant dimension, but she could not hear any oracle from Mirmina, nor could she feel the arrival of divine magic. .
Mirmina is the only god who almost never sends oracles, or even shows miracles and magic spells. If it weren't for the most basic feedback from her prayers, the mages might not even be sure about her. The gods still exist.
"Goddess...you should be able to hear it?" In the short silence of receiving feedback after praying, Hetty whispered in a tone as if talking to herself, "Maybe you don't have time to respond to every voice, but you Should be able to hear it...
"Are you really created by the collective thoughts of mortals... Are you an existence like stars, or are you a collective illusion of us mortals..."
Mirmina, the goddess of magic, did not respond. Only the indescribable feeling of detachment, holiness, and tranquility still floated in Hetty's heart, but soon, this feeling of peace caused by the feedback of prayers suddenly disappeared.
Hetty heard a knock on the door panel behind him: "Hetty, didn't I disturb you?"
Hetty turned around quickly and saw Gao Wen standing at the door, she hurriedly saluted: "Ancestor—what do you want from me?"
"It's nothing, I just saw that your door is open and there are still lights inside, so come and have a look." Gawain walked into Hetty's office and glanced at the latter casually, "I saw you as if you were praying just now?"
"I..." Hetty opened her mouth, but nodded lightly after a little hesitation, "I'm praying to the goddess of magic, Mirmina."
"Ah, I remember you are a follower of Mirmina," Gawain said without surprise, "Looking at you, you're feeling a little restless, right?"
"I made you worry," Hetty lowered her head, "Actually, I'm fine."
"It's a pity that I'm not a believer in any god, and it's hard to empathize with you at this time," Gao Wen patted Heidi's shoulder lightly, "But I know that the concept that has accompanied me for decades is suddenly challenged. It’s an uncomfortable thing for humans.”
Hetty looked at Gawain, and suddenly asked boldly: "In your time, how many people did not believe in any gods like you?"
"...much more than you can imagine," Gawain said slowly after a moment of silence, "but people who don't believe in gods are not necessarily people without faith."
Hetty tilted her head slightly, thinking and feeling a little bit: "A lot of what you say is always full of philosophy."
"Sometimes it's just the experience summed up by the predecessors." Gawain shook his head with a smile, then looked into Heidi's eyes, "Can you come out by yourself?"
"able."
"That's good, but if you really encounter difficulties or confusion that you can't get out of, you can come to me at any time—we are family."
Hetty looked at Gawain and suddenly laughed: "Of course, ancestor."
"Today is a rest day, let's go back early," Gao Wen hummed, glanced at the sky outside, and said with a smile, "On the last day of this year, don't work overtime in the government affairs office. I will give you extra permission tomorrow." Take a day off and have a good rest—I will help you arrange the things here."
This time, Hetty laughed from the bottom of her heart: "Yes, ancestor!"
The two left the room. In the huge office, the light of the magic spar lamp was silently extinguished. As the darkness surged in, the light from the street lamps from the square and street outside also dimly shone into the room, outlining all the furnishings in the office. shadowy.
In the silence, a little light suddenly appeared.
At the position where Hetty once outlined the four basic runes and prayed to the goddess of magic, a group of translucent glow suddenly condensed, and after a few seconds, it broke silently. It flew across the room like a firefly, and was gradually absorbed by the printers, magic net units, and magic net terminals installed in the room, without any trace remaining.