Chapter 1001: Future Variables, The Best Choice

Back in the study, Niya was still reading, but Xia Duo did not want to bring up topics related to Seventon again, lest Niya develop the idea of going to Seventon once more.

So he said, "There was a small problem in the Territory, but it has been resolved now!"

This was not exactly a lie; it was indeed a small problem in the Territory, and since the matter had already occurred, it could barely be considered resolved.

Niya did not doubt Xia Duo's words; having spent so much time together, she understood his temperament quite well, and she knew that if there were anything she could help with, Xia Duo would not keep it from her.

"It's good that it's resolved! But I want to return to the Tower of Time now. I just finished reading a portion of the materials and happen to have some ideas I want to try. I'm worried about making a mess of your study here."

Xia Duo thought for a moment and did not object. Initially, he had brought Niya out only because he was worried she would sneak off to Seventon, but now Niya had temporarily dismissed that thought.

Keeping her here by force would only cause many inconveniences. Furthermore, if Niya were determined to go to Seventon, he could not stop her; this was merely a way of expressing his thoughts.

"Since you want to go back, take Yabo and Pamela with you. The Green Pearl Forest has Trolls; I'm really worried that if they run around outside, they'll be caught and eaten by Trolls."

This was not impossible. After all, while Pegasi can fly, they cannot fly forever; as long as they land on the ground, or even fly a bit lower, they could be targeted by Trolls.

These were Niya's precious darlings; if they were truly eaten by Trolls, Xia Duo would at most feel regret, but Niya would likely be distressed for a long time.

"Mm, I'll go call them!"

Niya also considered this possibility and immediately sent a Sending to Pamela. Yabo was playful; unless it was Xia Duo ordering it, it might even ignore Niya's Sending.

But Pamela was still obedient. As long as Pamela returned, Yabo would also follow back docilely.

Although Pegasi possess Wisdom, they are not as complex as humans and are still relatively simple. Niya had taken care of the two Pegasi for a long time and had long since figured out the temperaments of these two big guys.

Sure enough, not long after the Sending, the sound of wings flapping against the air came from outside the study window, along with Yabo's mischievous and dissatisfied neighing.

Returning to the Tower of Time and watching Niya walk into the Laboratory, Xia Duo finally felt a bit more relaxed.

Originally, he had planned to head to Leisen Territory after the celebration to visit the Lord of Leisen and inquire about the various information involved in the experiment that caused the other party to lose their Magic abilities.

But clearly, in the current situation, it was not suitable to travel.

At the same time, in order to cope with the various variables that might be triggered after the Princess's Ascension to Godhood, Xia Duo urgently needed to reach the Magic Net Eighth Layer, thereby becoming a Senior Arcanist.

This goal could not even be called a goal originally, because it was an effect that would naturally be achieved when he conducted research related to the Plane Domain.

Now that he had to temporarily abandon his research related to the Plane Domain and turn a past non-goal into his primary goal, it really made him sigh with emotion.

He sighed at the impermanence of worldly affairs and sighed that his past self had been too optimistic.

Before becoming a Great Arcanist, one really cannot relax. This was still under the condition that the environment of Netheril was relatively stable; if it were changed to the Wizard world in some novels.

Where everyone is full of deceit, wouldn't one be unable to rest for even a moment, needing to treat leveling up as the sole goal and achieving the supreme state as quickly as possible just to relax slightly?

This is actually similar to the debate between the ideal and reality of pursuing happiness versus pursuing money on Earth; happiness does not necessarily require money, but having money is certainly easier to obtain happiness than not having it.

It all depends on each person's choice.

Now Xia Duo had chosen reality; he needed the power boost brought by being a Senior Arcanist, and more importantly, the improvement of his political status within the Seven Towers and even the entirety of Netheril.

Not becoming a Senior Arcanist might not have any bad effects, but clearly, in the current situation where the future is full of variables, becoming a Senior Arcanist allows one to possess a higher ability to resist risks.

In the past, with the Princess there, he did not need to consider too much; as long as he had a certain ability to protect himself, all other interests outside of his own were within the rules.

As long as the backer was stable, under normal circumstances, interests would also be relatively stable, and it would not be easy for any mishaps to occur.

But now that the Princess has lost contact and it is uncertain whether she can return in the future, Xia Duo must consider the various impacts brought by this variable.

First of all, self-preservation is definitely not a problem, but other interests outside of his own safety are not necessarily guaranteed.

He had already considered the situation of the future deteriorating too much; in fact, there were also good situations.

If the Princess could truly descend her power and intervene in the Mortal Plane at will, then becoming a Senior Arcanist would also be conducive to him obtaining higher gains.

In this situation, Xia Duo really had no other better choice.

Of course, he could also do as Archmage Bulundesi, a Councilor of the Arcane Union with whom he had previously communicated, hinted: join Jilan Tower.

This might also be a good choice, but its only benefit was stability and a safety net; even if the Princess returned, it would not have much impact.

Anyway, he had no formal affiliation with Giles Tower, just being a Pioneer, not to mention the connection through Niya; the Princess could not possibly do anything to him because of this matter, but special treatment or the like would likely not exist anymore.

If it were when Xia Duo had just transmigrated, he might have agreed to Bulundesi directly, but now, he was only one step away from being a Senior Arcanist, so naturally, he had to pick and choose, consider everything thoroughly, and strive for the greatest benefits for himself.

In fact, how the future turns out is largely not up to Xia Duo to choose, but is decided by the Princess.

The best-case scenario for the future would be the Princess returning and then sweeping away all unstable factors internally;

And the worst-case scenario is that the Princess cannot return (cannot descend influence), and Giles Tower is also controlled by people who do not get along with the Princess.

But even in the worst-case scenario, it is almost impossible to endanger his own personal safety, especially after Xia Duo becomes a Senior Arcanist.

Since that is the case, why not gamble on the best-case scenario?

Or rather, this best-case scenario is also the situation that best aligns with Xia Duo's interests; if he dared not insist on this from the beginning, then there would be no need to push for any reforms or guide any trends.

Doing nothing and staying in the Tower of Time without going out would be enough to live a stable life, with no worries about food and drink.

But clearly, the life Xia Duo wanted was not just about having no worries about food and drink.

And to become a Senior Arcanist and actively face the variables of the future, the only thing Xia Duo lacked was time, or rather, in a situation where the future might change at any time, the only thing he lacked was a Projection Plane.

Looking back now, Xia Duo discovered that when he and Niya left Seventon, it was slightly panicked and lacked thoroughness.

At that time, he could have completely gone to the Arcane Union first to take a trip to a Projection Plane; for the current Main Plane, the time flow of the Projection Plane is extremely fast.

The time consumed during this period would mostly be the time spent traveling to the Arcane Union and applying for an Astral Projection; if he acted quickly, he could have completely left Seventon calmly with Niya as a Senior Arcanist.

Of course, if time could flow backward and let Xia Duo return to the past to experience it again, he would still choose to leave immediately.

If he were truly blocked in Seventon by someone, that would be no different from having swallowed a fly.

In the eyes of those with ulterior motives, not only is Niya's identity a tool that can be utilized, but even Xia Duo himself might not necessarily be seen as a tool to utilize Niya.

All these things, as Xia Duo recalled them at this moment, could not help but make him sigh.