Chapter 191: Dao and Virtue

It was indeed a new Spell that was vastly different from all the Spells he had previously encountered, but Xia Duo could not yet determine whether it was truly a mind-affecting Spell.

But with a new Spell as a baseline, this trade was not a loss.

Xia Duo couldn't wait to take out his Spell Notes and begin recording; the time for the Learning Scroll to be unfurled was limited, so he had to seize the moment. If he could finish recording before the Scroll expired, he could still actually use this Scroll to see what kind of Magic Effect it had.

While recording, Xia Duo was also using Arcane Geometry to calculate and reconstruct this Spell, but the longer he continued, the more Xia Duo felt that this Spell was likely not as simple as a mind-affecting Spell.

He simply gave up on understanding it entirely and focused on recording instead. His speed immediately picked up, and it wasn't until two or three hours later that Xia Duo finished recording completely.

Because he was using written records, the description of the Spellcasting details (the operation of the Magic Net) had to be as precise as possible, without any ambiguity.

Fortunately, Mages had long since formed a set of conventional expressions for Spell recording, and combined with the scientific thinking he brought from Earth, Xia Duo believed his Spell Notes should be more precise than the average person's.

After finishing the record and double-checking it twice, he put away the notes and the Scroll. Xia Duo did not practice this Spell immediately, but instead called out to the Tower Spirit.

"Tower Spirit, command: Inquire, are there any humans imprisoned on Underground Floor One? Can they be used for Spell experiments?"

"Mage Xia Duo, there are currently 2 humans available for experiments."

"I want to apply for one!"

"……"

The Tower Spirit's silence was within Xia Duo's expectations; his current Permission Level was not high enough to directly reserve a living test subject from his residence.

……

Arriving at Underground Floor One, there was still that oppressive feeling; the roars and wails of various creatures were incessant. The last and only time he had come here was with Mage He Sai.

This time, coming alone, the experiment was naturally led by himself. His inner emotions were very complex; last time it was an Orc, this time it was a human.

Although this was a Netherese, an otherworldly person, the same two hands, two feet, and one head still gave him a sense of empathy for his own kind.

A Mage Tower that appeared highly orderly was truly realistic! But sighs were just sighs after all. When he was on Earth, Xia Duo had seen things darker than this, but when it came to his own turn, his long-standing sense of morality still bound him.

He felt that today would usher in a major breakthrough. Whether he would fall from here or reshape and achieve Ascension, no one could predict.

At this moment, Xia Duo suddenly had an urge to flee. Using an unrelated human for an experiment was completely different from killing Lao Neil before. He had killed Lao Neil with peace of mind and satisfaction, but now—

Unease, a little; fear, also a little; there was even a trace of excitement hidden deep in his heart. Netheril had no laws like those on Earth; a Spellcaster was high and mighty.

Xia Duo did not even know how he had asked the duty Mage for the application. It wasn't until he arrived in front of a cell and looked at the metal bars emitting a cold, chilling light that he came back to his senses.

A disheveled middle-aged man was squatting in the corner, his clothes in tatters. He was not wearing shackles, and there was no Binding Magic inside; he looked like just an ordinary person.

Xia Duo took out the Learning Scroll and slowly unfurled it, but he did not activate it immediately. He was still hesitating, or rather, he was seeking a psychological fulcrum for his actions.

Regardless of whether he was deceiving himself, Xia Duo did not want to change too quickly. Although he knew what was most beneficial to him, he still had to have his bottom line.

Perhaps this was what was called moral superiority, but Xia Duo preferred to call this "Personality perfection," or "spiritual civilization construction."

Mages wielded powerful strength; if there was no perfect Personality to manipulate that strength, the final outcome would lead to destruction.

In the past, Xia Duo could not figure it out, but as the power he mastered gradually grew, the power itself would tempt him. After all, who would want to think more when one could achieve their goal simply and crudely?

Once such a trend formed, it would be difficult to turn back. In that game from Earth, the destruction of Netheril might have been just like this.

Xia Duo never believed in invincible power, but he believed in infinite room for progress.

In front of the prison, words like "Heaven and Man Unity" and "harmonious development" flashed rapidly through Xia Duo's mind; there was ancient Wisdom and the explorations of modern people.

In an instant, countless ideas surged, colliding to form a gradually maturing Personality.

After pondering for a moment, Xia Duo activated the Scroll without hesitation.

Living in this environment, his morality could only constrain his inner self for the time being, not the outside world. After clarifying his own cognition, he would no longer be confused by these things.

"The sage is not stagnant in things, but can move with the world."

In the current world, only the strong could set the rules. If he were the strongest, he could let the world run according to the rules he set.

Thinking this way, Xia Duo suddenly felt it was somewhat dangerous. Involving disputes of philosophy was often the Domain of gods; he was still just an insignificant low-level Mage.

It really was a long road ahead!

……

After the Scroll was activated, Xia Duo only "saw" the Magic Net in front of him roll for a moment. He waited for a while, but in the end, no Magic Effect appeared at all!

And the ink on the activated Scroll had disappeared; it looked like the activation had succeeded, yet the middle-aged man in the corner of the cell had no reaction.

Xia Duo tentatively shouted, "Stand up!"

The man tilted his head, but that was all. Xia Duo shouted twice more, but not only did the other party not stand up, he instead let out a weak sneer, "Mage, has the Magic played you into a fool? If you want to kill me, do it quickly! Don't waste my time!"

"……"

Xia Duo was not sure if the Spell on the Scroll had been activated, but even if it had, it should not have been the so-called 【Charm Person】.

That man showed no signs of being charmed at all!

Soon, the Magic Net in front of Xia Duo calmed down, which meant the unknown Spell had ended completely? Or was there no Spell at all? It was impossible to judge!

"Did Ge Li Fei Zi lie to me? Or did I fail to control it well after activating the Scroll?"

A big question mark appeared in Xia Duo's mind. Ignoring the prisoner who was still shouting, Xia Duo immediately returned to the sixth floor.

He was now someone with backing; when encountering problems, he should ask if he needed to.

……

Human nature is complex. The author is actually also hesitating about whether to let the protagonist turn dark. However, a Mage cannot get by alone after all. With communication and contact, there will naturally be rules and bottom lines. For now, the protagonist's bottom line is still a bit higher, so he won't turn dark~~!

But as stated in the Chu Ci, the sage is not stagnant in things, but can move with the world. Being in another world, the protagonist must still kill when necessary. After various basic needs are met, the protagonist will also have spiritual pursuits, such as promoting a certain philosophy, or perhaps this is the only way to become stronger in an objective idealistic world.

Thanks to 【Floating Arcanist】 for the 100 reward!!

(End of chapter)