Chapter 147: Above the Bonfire
“When a Divine Descendant advances to a Hero, their lifespan increases dramatically. Their lifespan is generally close to 200 years, with the longest-lived nearing 400 years. Perhaps when we advance to a level similar to a Hero, we will have more time.”
“That doesn’t fundamentally solve the problem. Even if lifespan increases, 200 years is too short. How can we answer the Four Questions of Ace?”
“I believe that only by becoming an existence similar to a Deity, possessing eternal life, can we pursue the infinite Four Questions of Ace in eternity!”
“Setting aside how unrealistic it is to become a Deity, even if we could become one, would we truly be eternal? Would we possess endless wisdom?”
“I agree with you. Even the Deities may not be truly eternal or truly omniscient.”
“Then how do we solve this problem? Will we Wizards never truly understand this world, never know the secrets behind the supernatural?”
…
Ace listened to the discussion. His heart was filled with delight. This discussion, similar to a brainstorming session from his past life, allowed him to experience a collective academic atmosphere for the first time.
Though their ideas were rudimentary, the future brilliance was promising once they were refined. He grew increasingly eager for the establishment of the Wizard Academy.
“Respected Torch-Bearer, what are your thoughts?” Betty, sitting on the Apprentice Model 1, looked up at Ace with a yearning gaze.
“That’s right! The Torch-Bearer must have the answer!” The other Wizard Apprentices buzzed in agreement.
Ace, floating above the bonfire, smiled slightly and said: “To clearly answer the Warren Dilemma, we must first understand a few other questions.”
“Your discussion has been very insightful. Here, I would like to ask all of you a few questions.”
“First, what do you all consider to be Reality?” Ace asked the Wizard Apprentices with a smile.
Bayen attempted an answer: “Respected Torch-Bearer, are you referring to things that actually exist?”
Ace listened, smiling without answering.
“Is it the things we can observe?” another apprentice asked.
Ace still smiled without answering.
The Wizard Apprentices scratched their heads in frustration. Ace smiled and said: “The so-called Reality, conceptually, is everything that actually exists and everything that possibly exists. Reality encompasses everything known and unknown. Anything that fits the definition is Reality.”
Ace quietly watched them think, then continued: “Now that we have clarified Reality, I want to ask you the second question: Can the Deities fully know Reality? Or, put another way, are the Deities truly omniscient?”
The crowd pondered. Bayen, sitting closest to the bonfire, stood up and said: “Respected Torch-Bearer, I believe that a Deity, as an individual, cannot be omniscient.
Just like the Goddess of Elegance, She can at most know the majority of things concerning elegance. It is unknown whether She is even omniscient in the domain of absolute elegance.”
Betty was inspired and continued: “Even the Deities collectively cannot claim to know all Reality. At the very least, they cannot know the Reality of the Demons and Devils.”
Daina also stood up, bowed to Ace, and summarized: “Then can we conclude that even the Deities cannot fully comprehend Reality?”
The assembled apprentices agreed. They discussed amongst themselves and gradually reached a consensus: the Deities are seemingly not omniscient.
Ace floated above the bonfire, looking down at the crowd. He recalled a saying from his past life: When man thinks, God laughs.
He spoke: “Even I cannot definitively answer that question. However, we can make the following deductions.”
“We must define the Deities. What is a Deity?
Deities possess power far beyond that of mortals. That is beyond doubt. They can even know many things in a specific domain. But historical records and even the myths show that the Deities make mistakes and can even die.”
“We are called desecrators by the Divine Descendants. If we assume their claim represents the will of the Deities, yet we are not immediately destroyed, we can deduce two possibilities: either their claim is false, and the Deities do not view us as desecrators, or the Deities are incapable of omniscience.”
“Then, what are the Deities?
They are naturally existing entities with incredible power and unique domain authority. They are far stronger than us, but the time may come when you, assembled here, may reach their level of existence.”
Ace paused, giving the Wizard Apprentices time to think, then said: “This leads to another question: as humans, how should we understand Reality? Or, how do we approach truth?
Our lives, compared to the Deities, are like the light of a firefly to the blazing sun. Can the firefly’s glow illuminate the path of truth?”
“That’s right. The Deities cannot claim omniscience. We cannot even compare ourselves to the Divine Descendants, so how can we pursue truth?” an apprentice said in despair.
“We possess a stronger heart for pursuing truth than other supernatural beings!” another apprentice countered.
“What good is a strong heart? How can we possibly surpass the Divine Descendants, or even the Deities?” yet another apprentice asked.
Bayen frowned deeply. There must be a way. Our Wizard’s path, the supernatural path, has just begun. We will definitely be able to comprehend all this. But relying solely on ourselves seems insufficient. What should we do?
How can we solve the damned Warren Dilemma?
“Respected Torch-Bearer, how can we pursue truth, answer the Warren Dilemma, ultimately answer the Four Questions of Ace, and approach truth?” Daina respectfully asked Ace. At that moment, she felt transported back to the past. Her thirst for knowledge completely dominated her.
“You all know that a standard ruler can measure the length of various objects. What kind of existence, then, can serve as the measure for all Reality?”
“I believe that the thinking being is the measure of all things!”
Like thunder from a clear sky, the crowd seemed to feel all things tremble. Devils whispered temptations, Demons roared loudly, and the gods raised their thunderbolts, threatening to destroy everything!
Ace ignored the hallucinations. He spoke clearly: “We are born mortal, but we are creatures who can think. This is our greatest talent.
Merely being able to think is not enough. The key is how to think correctly—rational cognition. Those who achieve this can be called thinking beings!
A thinking being will inevitably walk the correct path of understanding Reality. A single thinking being with a limited lifespan cannot complete this path, but a collective of thinking beins will persistently and continuously complete this path of cognition, this supernatural path, this path of Magic, this path of truth!”
Ace floated in the air. The bonfire crackled fiercely. A gentle breeze rose, gently stirring his robe. He raised his hands high and said loudly:
“Perhaps one day, my life will reach its end. But as long as you can still think correctly, the Wizard’s path will not cease.
The Torch-Bearer raises the torch of rational cognition, leading the fire-seeds through the long night. If the Torch-Bearer is about to die, if the flame of life is about to extinguish, which of you is willing to raise the torch and become the next Torch-Bearer?”
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