Chapter 349: Above the Firmament, Fake Lies

"A different world... as far as you know, what has been changed?"

Wang Yu had heard of the bomb called "Morningstar" more than once, but he found that as his understanding deepened, the perceived yield of the weapon in his mind was constantly being revised upward.

"I do not know. No one knows exactly what changes occurred. The influence of Morningstar spread across the entire world; some observable changes were recorded, but those that are difficult to observe are beyond counting."

"I can only tell you about the observable ones, such as the rift in the continent known as the Sighing Gorge, the elemental planes that were split into four, and the breach blown into the Tidal Barrier on the Endless Sea..."

"But these are not the most important. The true way Morningstar turned everything upside down was by fundamentally altering certain basic aspects of this world that we still fail to comprehend, which directly resulted in abyssal creatures no longer being able to adapt to this realm."

"The explosion of Morningstar certainly did not completely kill the creatures beneath the abyss; many survived. However, the alteration of the world's underlying fabric became a chronic poison, slowly weakening and degrading these creatures until they were completely incapable of posing a threat to this world."

"It could be considered the only weakness of creatures whose adaptability and growth are beyond our imagination. Once they learn and absorb enough of this realm, filling themselves with the power belonging to this world, their ability to learn and adapt gradually degenerates until it vanishes."

"Provided their power reaches a certain level without breaking the boundary, they lose all power to resist the changes in the world's foundation."

Malfarion explained the true reason Morningstar could kill abyssal creatures, a key point being the loophole or defect in their capacity for learning and evolution.

Once they absorbed too much of this world's power, their own alien attributes would gradually fade, and by becoming a part of this world, they would lose their ability to adapt.

"I do not know what kind of abyssal creatures you have encountered, but if I were to guess, they must have been Abyssal Mages or Abyssal Knights, correct?"

Immersed in recounting the history of the abyssal creatures, Malfarion raised his head to look at Wang Yu, who had been listening intently and had just moved his right hand from under the table to the surface, asking where the other had derived the notion that abyssal creatures were weak.

"Yes, that is correct. It must have been an Abyssal Mage used for experiments by the Central Council in the Sky Mechanical City. The power it displayed seemed to me that of a mere, ordinary transcendent being."

Wang Yu nodded, offering his assessment of the giant, armored, starfish-like abyssal creature he had encountered.

"Heh, then that is exactly it. You were facing an abyssal creature that had degraded over countless generations, lingering on the brink of death in this world. The only reason it had not perished was that it had fused with the flesh of a creature from this world—a man-made method that allowed it to barely adapt to this world reshaped by Morningstar."

Malfarion chuckled softly, seemingly amused and speechless at the source of Wang Yu's misconception, before posing a question.

"To this day, aside from the very few kept by the Sky Mechanical City for experiments, these creatures should all be extinct. Yet, as a precaution, we still sealed the relevant knowledge after the Battle of the Abyss Bottom. Do you know why?"

"Hmm... because of the power they learned regarding the gods? As long as someone remembers them, they are difficult to truly extinguish."

Wang Yu responded after a moment of thought; it was the same principle as the unspeakable spread of Void Evil Gods—if one knows of such an existence, not only is one easily corrupted, but the entities themselves can grow stronger because of it.

"Precisely. It seems your knowledge is not as lacking as I thought. The power that abyssal creatures have not yet fully shed is the amplification provided by the Void."

"This seems to have never changed. To prevent hidden abyssal creatures from relying on the Void to survive, we can only choose to seal the information and let the world's memory of them gradually fade."

As the conversation with Malfarion progressed, some of Wang Yu's doubts were gradually resolved: why there was so little data on abyssal creatures, why they were so weak, and so on. His understanding of this world was gradually being perfected through the filling of these secrets.

"Then, do you have any understanding of the origin of these abyssal creatures? That is... the starry sky above our heads..."

Wang Yu thought for a moment and chose to use the abyssal creatures as an entry point. The other party seemed unusually talkative when discussing this topic, and perhaps he could obtain more information about the starry sky in this way.

"The starry sky? We truly do not know much about that realm. It is the home of Void creatures. Things of value or no value often fall from there—stones or precious materials—but the only living things are indeed the abyssal creatures."

"The Dissociation Layer traps us tightly; magic cannot persist within it. There is a fault in the Void there. A knight's flesh will gradually disintegrate after advancing a certain distance, and alchemical materials are much the same as biological flesh; they are destroyed quickly once they cross a certain boundary."

"Our current means are simply insufficient to support us in breaking through the Dissociation Layer. Perhaps there will be an opportunity later, but it is impossible now."

Malfarion waved his hand, indicating that he had no answer for Wang Yu's questions about the starry sky; they only knew what they knew.

"Is there a possibility that the Dissociation Layer is a protective layer for our world, blocking things from the outside to prevent them from invading this realm, such as Void creatures?"

Wang Yu pondered for a moment, applying the role of the atmosphere on Earth to the Dissociation Layer, and asked Malfarion if such a possibility existed.

"Protection? Ha, what a joke. A lure is more like it. The Dissociation Layer does no harm to Void creatures; it only targets us. More than one researcher has perished in the process of exploring it. That thing fluctuates; you never know where its exact boundary lies."

"Many researchers, upon reaching a certain altitude, suddenly find their spells unusable, the Void energy faults, their battle aura fails to circulate, and the alchemical machinery beneath their feet begins to disintegrate. All life-saving measures fail, and they simply perish while being observed by the accompanying personnel below. The reason is that the fluctuating Dissociation Layer engulfed them without warning."

"That brilliant sea of stars is simply a lure, tempting us to explore, only to drown us in the Dissociation Layer."

Malfarion's words were cold, holding an emotion toward the Dissociation Layer that was difficult to summarize simply.

"But as far as I know, there are practitioners of the Astrologer profession, are there not? They seem to be able to traverse the Dissociation Layer to draw power from above the stars, using it to foresee the future, see through hearts, and wield special abilities."

Wang Yu paused again, then asked about the Astrologer he had encountered in the Royal City. The person seemed to draw power directly from the starry sky, and he could sense the gaze cast down from the firmament.

"Astrologers... indeed. These fellows, possessing some unknown talent, often describe hearing calls from above the stars and seeing giant entities moving between the stars, while others cannot perceive what they see. They can also use these invisible things to manifest peculiar powers."

"We still do not know how they obtain this power, as the number of Astrologers is extremely scarce, and many have gone mad. However, you might try to think of something similar, such as... the Void."

Malfarion appeared thoughtful, stating what he knew, and then suggested Wang Yu try thinking laterally.

"The Void... indeed. Obtaining power so casually, strange madness, a 'large-scale' Void? Not entirely, but the two should be connected. Many of the visible things in the Void have colors just like those displayed by the starry sky."

Wang Yu had previously thought there was a connection between the starry sky and the Void, and now, with Malfarion's hint, he was even more certain.

"What is the connection between the starry sky and the Void?"

Wang Yu asked directly.

"I am not a question-answering machine. Is the 'chat' you mentioned earlier just a one-sided Q&A session?"

"Forget it. Let us put it this way: we do not know much about the Void. This thing has likely existed for a very, very long time. Ironically, the ones who have explored it the most are not scholars like us, but those wizards."

"The Void conflicts too severely with the knowledge we possess. We achieve the construction of matter within the framework of rules, while the Void can skip the process entirely, achieving similar effects with chaotic, disordered energy. This is completely contrary to what researchers expect."

"Roland, a friend of my mentor, might be the only one who connected the knowledge we possess with the Void... If it were him, he might truly know something. Unfortunately, he disappeared abruptly at a certain point in time. No one knows where he went."

Malfarion expressed dissatisfaction with Wang Yu's constant questioning, but ultimately chose to answer, while directly stating that they did not have much understanding of the Void.

When the other party spoke of the Void, a name familiar to Wang Yu appeared again: Roland. What this "greatest wizard" mastered was likely not something that could be simply summarized by power or wealth.

"Him again. What on earth did this guy stuff into the material realm he created in the Void..."

His expression remained unchanged, but Wang Yu pondered silently in his heart. He was somewhat connected to Roland because of the key. He had no interest in the "treasure" left behind, but if given the chance, Wang Yu would try to learn more about this wizard.

He chatted a bit more about dragons on behalf of Sieg, but Malfarion indicated that information on that race was pitifully scarce, so Wang Yu stopped talking and began flipping through the infinite pages to transcribe useful content from the bookshelves.

Perhaps because they had grown somewhat familiar after their talk, Malfarion did not comment on Wang Yu rifling through his bookshelves. When the day ended and the notification Astartes had spoken of arrived, Wang Yu stopped his pen, having finished transcribing a book of eighth-circle forbidden spells, put away the infinite pages, and left the library.

The projection of the Machine Spirit Malfarion watched Wang Yu leave the corridor and return to the elevator, then turned and sat back at the table, speaking to the empty space where nothing existed.

"Hmm, this guy is quite strange, both his soul and everything else. You brought him to me just to have me take a look at him for you?"

After Malfarion finished, Astartes' voice echoed in the room, responding.

"Something like that. His soul is very peculiar; I cannot perceive it at all. It was indeed this nature that allowed me to break free from the shackles of the rules and dispose of those disciples who were stuck in the positions of the Central Council and refused to leave. Now, the Sky Mechanical City can finally operate normally."

Malfarion wore a somewhat playful smile, leaning his intangible projection against the chair.

"So, he is your benefactor after all. This is not very nice, being outmaneuvered by those disciples and ending up in such a sorry state. It is fortunate you kept a backup plan, allowing you to borrow this fellow named Wang Yu to resolve the problem. And now you want me to judge his situation? Preparing to strike?"

Astartes' response paused slightly before coming again.

"I have not known him long enough to entrust him with my trust; we are merely wary of each other. The means I can employ cannot kill him before he activates the mark on his right hand."

"And that bizarre power of his could truly destroy the entire Sky Mechanical City. If we really were to strike, it would be more trouble than it is worth, so I only had you confirm it."

At Astartes' answer, Malfarion raised the corner of his mouth in disdain.

"Stubborn, though it is the truth, you are simply too sentimental. Let me share my assessment: he is undoubtedly problematic. Who starts by prying into the starry skies and void entities? He is no researcher, yet to be so curious about such things defies all reason."

"Coupled with that soul of his, which seems entirely nonexistent, he is in all likelihood not a normal human. As for what he specifically is, I cannot say; truthfully, he does not fit among the things I have encountered."

"However, your other judgment must align with mine: his logic is clear, his communication fluid, and regardless of what he is, he does not appear to be a threat."

Astartes seemed to have anticipated Malfurion’s assessment of Wang Yu and offered a brief response.

"Mm."

Malfurion stepped away from the table, pacing before the bookshelves. His phantom fingers traced the spines of various tomes, his gaze and touch eventually coming to rest upon a volume of historical records, a cryptic smile lingering in his eyes.

"Continue your contact with this Wang Yu under the guise of the Machine Spirit. Attempt to discern exactly what manner of existence he is. I know not how much he has perceived, but regarding the identity of the Machine Spirit, he is surely none the wiser."

"Truly, this is the greatest lie you have ever spun for those on this continent who celebrate your achievements. History is far too easily adorned, as are the journals that chronicle such feats. The birth of a soul within a machine—that is not something we are capable of achieving yet, is it?"