Chapter 300: Ideal

But when she saw who was in front of her, she froze.

"Luo De kid?"

"Miss Lucy, good evening."

This fiery woman was the innkeeper, and besides that, she ran a small bakery in Shi Ying Town.

Luo De often patronized her bakery, and since he was already a well-known figure in Shi Ying Town, they naturally knew each other.

"Sorry for the commotion—we caught a vicious criminal here. Could you please notify the Garrison Commander to come over?"

Miss Lucy glanced inside, turned pale, and quickly stepped back several paces.

"I'll go right away!"

With that, she turned.

A flash of sword light.

Luo De's 【Sword of Devotion】 had already been drawn and sheathed.

Miss Lucy's terrified expression hadn't even faded.

The head rolled off along the tilt and landed on the ground—still no blood, no flesh or bone texture.

Looking at the corpse's hand, it clutched a glass vial filled with black-red blood; the tiny array on it had been traversed by magic halfway, nearing activation.

Luo De immediately cast an Identification spell.

It displayed as 【Bestial Plague Blood】.

"Miss Lucy may be fiery, but she's actually the type who hides at the first sign of trouble."

"I see."

The fallen head opened its mouth—clearly Shemus's voice.

Luo De looked down at the head, his expression unreadable.

"Are all of you Bahadur people this disgusting? Always making me want to kill."

"Disgusting is a personal subjective perception—it only reflects your own view. Moreover, we clearly pursue a greater ideal, one you cannot be expected to understand."

"Hohoho."

Luo De remained expressionless, showing not the slightest interest.

The air grew cold for one or two seconds.

Shemus couldn't hold back his urge to speak:

"Aren't you going to ask what our ideal is?"

"If you want to talk, I'll reluctantly listen—just hope it's not boring."

"What a hateful tone, Forest Warden Luo De."

His tone carried dissatisfaction.

"Before I describe our beautiful vision, let me ask you a question, Mr. Luo De—do you believe human society evolves gradually and smoothly, or is it propelled by sudden, massive technological breakthroughs?"

Luo De sighed.

He raised his massive pruning shears in his left hand, aiming them at Shemus's puppet head.

"Say it if you want to, don't if you don't. I don't answer questions."

"Fine, fine! I won't ask then. You're really forceful, Mr. Luo De."

Shemus adjusted his throat.

He continued: "Bahadur believes it's the latter—and that to advance human society, we must accelerate such change. Clearly, this transformation can only be achieved through magical means. We call these innovations capable of triggering major societal shifts 【Magical Singularity】."

Luo De let out a mocking chuckle from his throat.

"Among the Bahadur students I've met, I've never encountered anyone like you."

"That was before. Since the Sacred Spark from the alternate dimension appeared, Bahadur Magical Academy has shifted its entire strategic focus, mobilizing every available resource toward the 【Magical Singularity】."

Shemus's face lit up with excitement, "And at the same time, the Board of Governors has unanimously deemed the 【Magical Singularity】 technology—Ascension to Divinity!"

Alright.

Luo De finally understood.

Bahadur Magical Academy's goal was to create gods—not necessarily to become one themselves, but to discover a stable magical technique for Ascension to Divinity.

"Not bad. Sounds interesting."

Luo De clapped.

He didn't care what Bahadur Magical Academy's grand ideal was.

Ascending upward and adapting to the times was biological instinct—especially now, with the alternate dimension unstable. The emergence of a god capable of suppressing powerful cosmic beings didn't sound like a bad thing.

As for questions arising from it—"What would the world be like after the cost of becoming a god?" "How would super-strong individuals affect society?" "What would other peak-class figures do to achieve divinity?"—Luo De, lacking any social responsibility, had no intention of pondering them.

After all, he was just a lowly sixth-rank. It wasn't his place to think—and even if he did, he couldn't change anything.

Stay optimistic.

Maybe their cost of ascension is small—even if a sky full of gods appeared, it wouldn't matter.

Maybe there's a divine realm, and once you ascend, you're instantly transported, leaving the physical dimension untouched.

Luo De found his own thoughts amusing and couldn't help laughing.

"You get me! I can tell!"

Shemus suddenly brightened, staring intently into Luo De's eyes, "Your tolerance is immense, your vision unbounded! You understand the importance of Ascension! Unlike those stupid commoners!"

"Finished? Now it's my turn, Kali Site."

The Society of Images director turned his gaze and saw the exquisitely beautiful, glowing white elf lady on the ground, completing a full array, already activating.

He snorted.

"Wait—you really thought I didn't notice? I've said all this, and you only conjured up such a crude positioning ritual? Your elf brains are stuffed with wild boar shit."

Mid-sentence, his expression changed drastically, as if he'd seen a ghost.

The array on the ground erupted with intense magic—completely different from the structure of a positioning ritual.

A veil of domain power dissolved, revealing the true array—complex, intricate, profound.

Intense magic friction hissed sharply.

"【Shadow Curse Pursuit】?? 【Deception Domain】?? How is this possible?!"

Luo De stomped on the head.

He grinned, teeth bared: "You really thought only you could use it?"

The puppet head offered no reply.

Clearly, the opponent had severed the connection immediately—but it didn't matter. The spell was already active.

"Where is he?"

In response, Kali Site picked up a palm-sized silver mirror at the center of the ritual array.

"Judging by direction and distance, he's deep within the Kuo Plains—and constantly moving. Too far. I don't recommend chasing him."

"Then let's leave it for now. By the way, what is this 【Shadow Curse Pursuit】?"

The elf swayed, face as pale as snow.

Seeing her about to collapse, Luo De rushed over and caught her.

The moment he touched her soft body, he knew she was utterly drained of magic.

"【Shadow Curse Pursuit】 is a spell combining curse and tracking—it continuously erodes the target's life force and magical energy. Far more complex than I imagined. Even short-term use drains me heavily. But that guy won't escape easily."

Kali Site whispered weakly in his arms.

(End of Chapter)