Chapter 822: Anticipation
In the icy darkness of the Void Zone, the continuous war had wrecked countless dimensions. Nonetheless, to the immense Void Zone, this was merely a drop in the ocean, not affecting it at all.
“Swoosh.”
A black-robed figure flew in the Void Zone silently. Although he was slow, he still maintained his pace. On his shoulder was a peculiar pitch-black cat.
“Merlin, will we run into danger during this trip to the Atlan Dimension?”
The black cat Didimoss asked softly.
“If we’re careful, there’s not a huge risk. However, since we’re going deep into the Atlan civilization, we’re sure to run into some danger. Didimoss, your swallowing ability is formidable. On some level, you’re even catching up to the Slothful Beast, so you don’t have to worry.”
Merlin glanced at Didimoss. This fat cat had an astonishing capability but his courage had shrunk.
The black cat Didimoss shook his head. “I’m not worried. Currently, I’ve reached a bottleneck. It seems like no matter how I swallow, my strength can’t increase anymore. I can’t even contend against ultimate existences. How can I compare to the Slothful Beast? In truth, sometimes I quite envy that huge fellow, the Slothful Beast. It has low intelligence so even if you’re controlling it, it won’t have any trouble.”
The black cat Didimoss faced a bottleneck as well. He was a mystical creature which had reversed the natural order, gradually transforming from a spirit into a living being. In the boundless Void Zone, this was very rare. Moreover, a life form like this had terrifying potential. No one could even predict the level this life form would finally attain.
“Bottleneck? Didimoss, what do you know?”
Merlin felt that there was something off with the black cat Didimoss throughout this journey. The black cat Didimoss was unlike the Slothful Beast. He had high intelligence, no different from ordinary people.
Moreover, he had come out of the Glorious Land together with Merlin, and their affections ran deep.
“Merlin, the last time when you weren’t around, I implored Arcane Wizard Setoh to search for Master. After a long search, he still couldn’t be found. Someone who can’t be found by Arcane Wizard Setoh is most likely dead. I’m a spirit of the stone carved by Master himself but even Master has died…”
The black cat Didimoss’ tone revealed a trace of sorrow. It turned out he had been searching for the Great Wizard Fidel. After all, back then, Great Wizard Fidel had created the Runic Magic Circle that gave birth to the consciousness of the black cat Didimoss.
The Great Wizard Fidel had created the black cat Didimoss by himself. However, not even the Great Wizard Fidel would have thought that Didimoss would have such a destiny. Through this destiny, the spirit of the stone he created in passing had transformed into a life form which had reversed the natural order.
It was just that the black cat Didimoss could no longer find the Great Wizard Fidel. Back then, the Great Wizard Fidel was very impressive in the Glorious Land, establishing the Dark Magic Region by himself, becoming a peak existence in the Glorious Land through his Runic Magic Circles.
Nonetheless, he was still just a Great Wizard. Between Great Wizards and Legends, there was an essential gap. If one could not surmount that, one was nothing much in the glorious Spell Caster civilization of the immense Void Zone. Perhaps he had died during his travels.
One example was the recent war with the God Alliance. The Mother Tree had controlled four hundred dimensions which were annihilated in one day. There were still millions of Spell Casters in those dimensions. Of course, there were no Legends but the number of Great Wizards must have been immeasurable. All of them died in an instant. In such a war of the vast Void Zone, Great Wizards were very puny.
“Didimoss, what are you hiding from me?”
Merlin felt that the black cat Didimoss was acting fishy. Other than being invigorated after recently waking up, Didimoss at other times would be rather lazy, even dispirited.
After a long moment, the black cat Didimoss said hesitantly, “When I woke up, Augustus came to me and told me that as a creature that reverses the natural order, the biggest challenge is to withstand the pressure of the Void Zone’s power of the natural order! The current me is still a long way from that stage but one day, I’ll reach that point. Anyone who reverses the natural order, who fantasizes about progressing further, becoming on par with ultimate existences or even stronger, would have to face the natural order of the entire Void Zone! However, although one would be powerful after crossing that point, Augustus said that according to legend, no one who reverses the natural order could survive past that point…”
It turned out that the black cat Didimoss was thinking of his future. It was true that life forms that reversed the natural order were wondrous but at the same time, they bore a tremendous pressure. Their growth was not all smooth sailing, and was even a dead end!
“There’s still one such dead end?”
Merlin frowned. He truly did not understand creatures that had reversed the natural order but Augustus should not be wrong. Otherwise, no matter how rare they were in the Void Zone, it was impossible that none of the foreign civilizations had any life forms that reversed the natural order.
The only explanation was that most of them had died due to the natural order. It made sense upon consideration. Life forms that had reversed the natural order would go against it, naturally, being punished and suppressed by the natural order.
“The black cat Didimoss who reverses the natural order due to coincidental circumstances already faces this dead end. If my Illusory World is successful in the future, won’t materializing illusions as reality be even scarier? Do I have no hope of success?”
Merlin immediately realized that he was facing the same situation as Didimoss. Moreover, at that point, the power of the natural order he confronted would be even greater. After all, he was creating a brand new world, an entirely new natural order.
“Hehe, Merlin, you’re different from Didimoss. If you can gain enlightenment and materialize the Illusory World, you might not be in any danger.”
Suddenly, Titus’ voice rang out.
“Titus, are you awake?”
Ever since Merlin’s Mind Heart had merged with the Illusory World, Titus had later fallen completely silent besides saying a few words in the beginning. It was as if he was calculating the Illusory World’s future development.
Now, it looked like Titus was finally awake.
“I’ve been awake for the past few days. You’re going to the Atlan Dimension. How can I not wake up? That’s a truly wondrous dimension, a wondrous civilization…”
Although Titus was in the Illusory World, Merlin did not restrain him. Therefore, Titus could observe everything outside through Merlin’s Mind Heart, similar to the illusion bead.
“Oh right, Titus. You said earlier that if I materialize reality from illusions, there won’t be any danger. How so?”
Currently, materializing the Illusory World did not seem so far-off to Merlin. According to Titus, his Illusory World might be perfected, reaching a high level of accomplishment.
Once the Illusory World was highly accomplished, in the following period, Merlin could start on materializing the Illusory World. This was something Merlin had to face.
“This is what I calculated recently. I’ve thought about the possible risk you might face, which is the natural order’s power! The Void Zone is a type of natural order. It’s like an instrument of precise operation. The occasional errors won’t affect it. It simply had to rectify those errors slowly. Just like Didimoss who reverses the natural order. His dead end is the natural order’s rectification of a previous error.
“However, you’re different, Merlin. Your Illusory World, once it starts to materialize, will be comparable to another natural order. The natural order of the Void Zone would obstruct you frantically. Of course, your Illusory World would erupt with even more formidable strength. If the Illusory World shatters, you’ll die as well. If you succeed, the Void Zone will be powerless against you. It’s just like two countries waging war. If you’ve really reached that point, you’ll be on equal footing with the Void Zone.”
Through Titus’ detailed explanation, Merlin vaguely understood the matter. A creature that had reversed the natural order like the black cat Didimoss, although having done so by coincidence, would never be like Aruba, growing to a point where they could threaten the Void Zone, let alone shatter the natural order.
This was because their strength was too minuscule. In other words, the black cat Didimoss was formed by a part of the Void Zone’s natural order, just that there had been some error.
Nonetheless, Merlin was different. It was as if he was stocking up his strength now, a nation that was stealthily expanding. Once there was a conflict, which was when the Illusory World was materialized, it would be too late for the Void Zone to try stopping him. At that point, it depended on who was mightier.
Thus, if he had reached that stage, Merlin was not in much danger, having at least the capability to retaliate.
Upon learning of the black cat Didimoss’ worry, Merlin consoled him. “Didimoss, you don’t have to worry. Has it been that long since you’ve reversed the natural order to become a living creature? Even if it’s a dead end, it’s still far into the future. Who knows, there might be a turning point.”
“Turning point?”
The black cat Didimoss did not know what turning point could there be. Still, Merlin believed this. If his Illusory World could be materialized, would he still worry about being unable to protect the black cat Didimoss?
Even if Merlin could not materialize the Illusory World as reality, that was no concern. This time, they were heading to the Atlan Dimension. Merlin had great ambitions, harboring the intention to thoroughly resolve the Atlan civilization.
If there came a day when the black cat Didimoss could not avoid his dead end, he could enter the Atlan Dimension. In there, he would not detect any power of the natural order. Even if the Void Zone’s natural order was formidable, so what?
Merlin suddenly had a feeling that back when the Vestigial Tribe took over the Void Zone, were they doing what Merlin was doing now to escape the natural order’s restraints? It was just that they had used a different method.
All at once, Merlin was filled with anticipation toward this mission of entering the Atlan Dimension.