Chapter 90: Paradox

After Dali's low voice fell, the blood dropping from his fingertip immediately formed a new Decree on the Trensost Brass Book.

This Decree differed from the previous Decrees; it was no longer silver‑white but tinged with a faint blood hue, standing out starkly among the silver Decrees.

When this Decree appeared, the space‑time around Dali seemed to freeze in that instant.

The Trensost Brass Book no longer produced new Decrees; it seemed Stunned, as if a tightly running machine suddenly jammed, causing the entire system to collapse.

The situation was Obviously clear now: the Trensost Brass Book had fallen into a paradox.

The earlier Decree explicitly stated that, without permission, the Trensost Brass Book was prohibited from being touched by any living being; this Decree even considered that the touchers might not only be humans but also other animals and even extraordinary species, thus employing a broader concept—living being.

Now, Dali Telunsuoste, as the owner of the Brass Book, can touch the Brass Book, and the appearance of this Decree directly leads to a paradox.

Dali Telunsuoste clearly falls within the category of living beings, so his touching the Trensost Brass Book should violate the prohibition. Yet as the owner, Dali, due to the newly appeared Decree, may touch the Trensost Brass Book; the two Decrees thus conflict.

"Dali Telunsuoste, as the owner of the Trensost Brass Book, does not belong to the generally understood category of living beings."

"Dali Telunsuoste touching the Trensost Brass Book without permission can be regarded as touching it under a permitted state."

The Trensost Brass Book began to generate new Decrees again, attempting to correct the paradox caused by that Decree's appearance.

However, Dali did not give the Brass Book more time; his hand landed on the Brass Book and he picked up the Rule Book.

And this directly caused the state of the Trensost Brass Book to be altered by Dali.

This contradicts the Decree that forbids altering the state of the Rule Book.

The Rule Book fell into a paradox again.

Whoosh—…

The Trensost Brass Book began to flip rapidly, Decree after Decree continuously appearing, the speed increasing, almost one per second, each new Decree emerging to try to remedy the paradox caused by the previous Decrees.

Soon, the Trensost Brass Book flipped to its final page; when the latest Decree appeared, it still could not remedy the earlier paradox, and even after forming a complete set of Laws, the Trensost Brass Book gave up entirely and fell into silence.

The crisis was temporarily resolved.

Dali Telunsuoste began to flip the Brass Book, his eyes—iron‑gray and dark‑red interwoven—coldly watching the world Underlying Rules recorded on the Trensost Brass Book.

As time passed, the light in Dali's eyes gradually dimmed, his autonomous consciousness began to return, and information about sealing the Brass Book clearly surfaced in his mind.

"If contradictions arise among Decrees and cannot be corrected, or if the pages are fully filled yet fail to form a sufficiently tight rule system, the Trensost Brass Book will, after one hour, at the junction between its front and back halves, add a clause stating 'The following rules are invalid'."

"As this clause takes shape, the rules written thereafter will gradually disappear, returning the pages to blankness…"

"Once the latter half is completely blank, the 'The following rules are invalid' clause will be erased, and the Trensost Brass Book will repeat its previous behavior until a sufficiently rigorous law capable of intervening in all aspects is formed…"

In the classroom on the other side.

"What was that sound just now, did you hear it?"

Ma Er Fu frowned, looked at Ke La Bu and Gao Er, and asked.

Just now, while he was practicing the Levitation Spell, a voice from the adjacent classroom suddenly came through, startling Ma Er Fu.

"It sounded like someone shouted, and there was speaking," Ke La Bu said.

"I heard it too, but couldn't make out what was said," Gao Er added.

The walls of this underground classroom are thick; they could vaguely hear a sound from next door, but could not discern what was said at all.

"Someone in the next room?"

"Could it be a teacher?"

Ma Er Fu's expression shifted, a look of delight appearing on his face.

"I'll go check."

He really didn't want to be stuck in this rundown classroom; if a decree later required all students to return to the dormitory, they'd be in trouble.

At this point it would be best to find a teacher, figure out what happened, and at least have that teacher escort them back to their house's common lounge.

"But we can't walk outside, and your Levitation Spell…"

Ke La Bu stopped speaking there.

Ma Er Fu had just attempted the Levitation Spell; the result was mediocre—though it made things rise, they soon crashed back to the ground.

"Idiot! We only need to go through the back door; the other classroom is just over a meter away, right?"

Ma Er Fu said.

The front and back doors of the two classrooms are very close; indeed, there's no need to go through the front door.

Immediately, he headed straight for the classroom's back door.

That door had been abandoned but was not locked; Ma Er Fu easily opened it, and less than a meter away lay the adjacent classroom's front door.

Ma Er Fu peeked out and saw the neighboring classroom's door ajar.

"This distance shouldn't be a problem..."

Ma Er Fu thought.

"Leviosa Spell."

Ma Er Fu drew his wand and cast the Levitation Spell on himself.

His body quickly floated up; though not very steady, no mishap occurred.

"Give me a push."

Ma Er Fu said to Ke La Bu.

At this moment he couldn't control the force well; he could only make himself hover, unable to steer his flight.

Ke La Bu promptly gave a push to the hovering Ma Er Fu, sending him drifting toward the neighboring classroom's door.

The little over a meter distance, Ma Er Fu quickly floated to the doorway.

He glanced at the interior of the classroom.

It was dark, nothing clear; he only felt a vague black silhouette deep inside the classroom, holding a book.

He immediately dispelled the Levitation Spell, landing at the doorway.

"Hello, which teacher is here? I am a first‑year Slytherin student, Ma Er Fu, and I would like to know if you could escort me back to Slytherin's common lounge."

Ma Er Fu said, pushing open the classroom door, looking toward the dark depths of the classroom, he took a step forward.

The next moment.

Ma Er Fu's legs went weak, and with a pa— he knelt directly on the ground.