Chapter 3086: Kalishi's True Plan

Although Kalishi did not say that Zhamu Dasi would definitely use the Computing Power Pool to collect Psionic Energy, as long as such a possibility existed, it could not be ignored, especially since, as the Northland side, they saw little benefit but faced such high risks.

For a moment, Laruian even regretted bringing Kalishi to see Xia Duo, so he immediately stated his position to Xia Duo, "I think we should just forget about plotting for the Artifact; the risk is too great and the gains are not worth the loss. We already know Zhamu Dasi's schemes now, so we can just be more vigilant in the future; there is no need to take risks."

Regarding this persuasion from Laruian, Xia Duo was noncommittal. To be honest, if Laruian hadn't said this, it would have been one thing, but since he actually said it, he instead suspected whether the other party was coordinating with Kalishi to deliberately incite his greed and competitive spirit.

However, he was not the type of person to easily make decisions or give up on something after hearing a few words from others. He had his own judgment. He ignored Laruian and continued to ask Kalishi:

"Then what about you? What role do you play in this matter? What do you hope I will do next?"

"I am merely a pawn chosen by Zhamu Dasi that he cannot control."

Laruian responded to Xia Duo with only this sentence, while simultaneously turning to Laruian and bowing solemnly, "Please forgive me for having withheld information before. Now, in the presence of Consultant Xia Duo, I can state the true plan."

"The true plan?" Upon hearing this, Laruian almost flew into a rage on the spot. It was only thanks to Xia Duo's presence that he suppressed his outburst, merely questioning coldly:

"What exactly is he plotting? Is he just afraid of the backlash from Contract Magic?"

"Elder Laruian, please be patient; all your doubts will be answered shortly."

Before the Princess, there was Master Wuweilun who had already thought of completely resolving the climate issue through Ascension to Godhood, but that person did not have as much luck as the Princess and ultimately failed. However, because of this spirit of active sacrifice, their soul was saved by the Princess and did not perish completely.

And it is very likely that one loss would mean losing the entire game.

They place greater importance on consciousness and the mind; contracts using the Mental Image World as a medium, or even complex oaths, are almost absolutely reliable.

Therefore, Xia Shao was subjectively willing to believe Kalishi, because he also looked forward to Arcane Magic having a breakthrough, even if the path forward lay in Psionic Magic, which he did not particularly like.

He had not failed to see Elves who dared to sacrifice themselves, such as that last Guardian of Aifuruisi who, at the time of the Northland Alliance's founding, paid with their own life to hand over the Wuweilun legal system to the Crown King of Keman to exchange for equal status for the Aifuruisi refugees in Keman.

It might even be that if someone had a very flexible bottom line, they wouldn't lose their power at all; after all, Psionic Energy is determined by the mind, so perhaps there is a type of Psionic Energy that can tolerate casual lying and oath-breaking!

Even if there was a tremendous temptation—perhaps as Kalishi said, Arcane + Psionic = closer to Reality, and it might even be the shortcut to advancement that the great Arcanists of Netheril have been desperately seeking, but so what?

"This—"

Deliberately letting Kalishi be exposed, intending to make the Alliance believe everything was under control, thereby relaxing the supervision and protection of the Computing Power Pool, and once the Artifact was completed, Kalishi would defect again and return to Zhamu Dasi's camp.

"So when I learned that Zhamu Dasi wanted to use the Alliance Public Computing Pool to build an Artifact, I knew my opportunity had come. What I truly want to do is not to become the keeper of the Artifact after it is finished, but to personally build a true New Artifact that fuses Arcane Magic and Psionic Magic, and then gift it to the Northland Alliance."

As for Kalishi's side, it was another situation entirely; for a Lingneng Dashi to create an Artifact, they must abandon their own Mental Image World, which means losing their power, and they would also completely die.

The risk is truly and definitely real!

Perhaps this could prove their determination; if they dared to sacrifice themselves for the sake of the Alliance, how could they fear mere Contract Magic!

"In the Alliance, I see the hope of realizing my ideals. I hope the Alliance can make good use of this Artifact and go further and further on the path of pursuing Reality."

Yet he dared not fully trust Kalishi, because once trust was misplaced, the price might be something he could not imagine.

The idea of wanting to build a brand-new Artifact that fuses the two magic systems of Arcane and Psionic, rather than just a Psionic Artifact, and even preparing to gift the Artifact to the Northland Alliance, was completely beyond Xia Shao's expectations.

Whether among the upper or lower classes of Elves, there is no lack of those willing to sacrifice; in this regard, even Netheril is actually not inferior. To say nothing of the distant past, there were countless sacrifices during the early period of expansion.

Even if what the Kalishi before him said was all true, there was no guarantee that the other party was not hiding something. After all, not long ago, they had hidden things from the Evereska Council of Elders, and even lied, not hesitating to endure the backlash of Contract Magic for it.

As he spoke, Kalishi looked at Xia Shao again and stated their plan, "In the process of recognizing the true face of the Anti School, I gradually realized what it is I truly want to pursue. It is not to dominate everything, nor is it to create a perfect Mental Image World; my goal has always been only one: the most fundamental Reality of this world."

He had originally thought that Kalishi might want to use the power of the Northland Alliance to seize a newly created Psionic Artifact, or even go further to control the Artifact and seize power in the Alliance, or that this was simply a play directed by Zhamu Dasi.

One must swear by the foundation that a Psionic Mage insists on most deeply in their heart for it to have binding force.

As for recent years, there was the Princess who voluntarily undertook the Elven Ascension Ritual and ultimately succeeded in ascending to godhood through her own Wisdom and Courage, even jumping out of the old framework of the God of Nobility designed by the Elves for humans, and finding the true path of the Order God.

As for why it is "almost," of course, the price of breaking an oath can be said to be large, but it can also be said to be very small. For a Psionic Mage, the price of breaking an oath is merely the loss of power.

Coming to the present, Xia Shao was subjectively willing to believe Kalishi, but as a member of the Alliance with a voice, he had to consider things thoroughly for the Alliance.

The Secret Ritual Chamber fell into silence once more. At this moment, both Xia Shao and Laruian were shocked by the plan Kalishi had described. Setting aside whether it was true or false, the idea itself was quite astonishing.

Moreover, according to Xia Shao's understanding, whether the Contract Magic within Arcane Magic could actually restrict Psionic Energy was another matter! Contracts between Psionic Mages usually must use the Mental Image World as a medium.

"With the help of Arcane Magic and Psionic Magic, I have already glimpsed a corner of Reality. What I must do next is, of course, to find a way to explore it in depth, but my own wisdom alone is ultimately limited. Only by coming into contact with the wisdom of the masses is it possible to truly achieve the goal."

Under such circumstances, what did telling a few lies matter?

The Ascension Ritual given by the Elves was not without risk. Under those circumstances at the time, no matter what purpose the Princess had in taking on this matter, it was in fact an active sacrifice.

Xia Shao had never imagined that Kalishi would have another plan, and judging by their tone, it seemed they were prepared to sacrifice themselves to complete this brand-new Artifact that fused the two magic systems, thereby benefiting the Northland Alliance.

For the vast majority of people, betraying their own truest heart is more agonizing than accepting any punishment, not to mention a group like Psionic Mages who specialize in matters of consciousness and the mind.