Chapter 162: Self
Ace interrogated himself repeatedly in his heart for a long time. He opened his eyes and said to the mirror image:
“I have indeed gone down the wrong path. Even to eliminate the influence of the Abyssal Whispering, I should not lose my emotions. Without emotions, I become a pure tool. My direction was reversed.”
“This is the feeling of being human. Emotions and humanity are indispensable. Losing them means losing a complete self!”
“Yes, the emotions need to be returned to you. The one who should truly become a pure tool is me. As a mirror image, I cannot exist long-term. Being emotionless and purely rational suits me better.”
The mirror image replied rationally.
“Besides that, there are two other problems that need to be solved.”
“First, how to break the influence of the Abyssal Whispering. The whispering greatly disrupts emotions, bringing a large amount of negative emotions and suggestions. This must be solved.”
“Second, how to maintain our constant synchronization. As a pseudo-collective life, being out of sync for a long time will create extremely serious hidden dangers.”
The host body Ace continued.
“Regarding breaking the influence of the Abyss, I think we might be able to learn from the Mechanized Mind’s suppression of the chaotic instincts of Abyssal creatures.”
“We need to create a Magic Item that, when emotional fluctuations reach a certain threshold, can automatically suppress the fluctuations, restore reason, and reinforce self-will.”
“The tool runes needed are the Suggestion Rune, Calm Rune, Emotion Suppression Rune, and Will Rune. The purpose is to induce calm thinking, reinforce one’s own will, and enhance the sense of self-existence.”
“The ultimate goal is to ensure the integrity of the self, unaffected by the Abyss.”
The mirror image Ace slowly explained his idea.
“This is a temporary solution, but not a long-term one. We need to observe the projection forms of more other creatures, learn their projection methods, synthesize the strengths of many schools, and improve the current Projection Ritual to fundamentally solve the problem.”
The host body Ace frowned, thinking carefully before answering.
“Then let us first return the emotions to you. Please cast Mechanized Mind on yourself first.”
The mirror image Ace said with a smile.
After the host body Ace activated the Soul Spell Mechanized Mind, the two began to synchronize their minds again. Ace’s emotions began to return in full. Accompanied by the rhythmic trembling of mental power, Ace’s soul also trembled.
He felt that the important part of his existence that was missing, leaving his heart empty, had returned.
Ace’s eyes regained their warmth, shining with the light of reason and humanity. He immersed himself in memories.
Everything from his past life flashed by like a subway train. Those were his most precious memories, the source of his humanity and his mode of thinking.
His daily interactions with his parents in this life, forging iron in the Eighth District, watching Romon lament his own failure, feeling distressed by his mother Marina’s hard work, and being moved by Romon’s act of selling the ancestral armor to pay for his tuition.
Teacher Peter and the others, the Bonfire Festival at Cimali Port, and the memories of getting along with the Wizard Apprentices on the journey.
“This is me. The human me, the original me. Because of being moved, because of humanity, I stumbled upon luck and was promoted to an Advanced Wizard Apprentice, becoming an existence comparable to a Pseudo-Hero.”
“How can I abandon my emotions now and turn myself into a tool?”
Tears slowly flowed down Ace’s face. Mechanized Mind only suppressed emotions to the extreme, but it did not eliminate emotional fluctuations entirely. Although somewhat faint, he had found himself again, found his original self.
“On the path of pursuing truth, I lost myself in power and knowledge, almost losing my self! If I become a purely rational tool, what is the point even if I find the truth?”
Ace slowly opened his tearful eyes. He looked at the mirror image and said gently but firmly: “As a mirror image, you have now returned all emotions to me. In the collective of Ace, I, as the host body, will bear all joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, bear all the self.”
“As the extension of the concept of Ace, you only need to undertake partial functions. Maintain pure rationality, become an academic clone, and contribute to my research on Magic and the cultivation of apprentices.”
He had straightened out his thoughts. Creating a mirror image through projection was the first step for the life form Ace to go from singular to plural.
This step was extremely difficult, accompanied by many problems and hidden dangers—the Abyssal Whispering, the inability of the mirror image and the host body to synchronize in real-time. However, the evolution of life had begun, and he must not give up eating for fear of choking.
Discovering problems is not scary, nor are hidden dangers. These are all new research directions. All problems and troubles are the beginning of new topics, and all of this will ultimately make him more perfect and stronger.
Ace synchronized with the mirror image again and activated the Soul Spell Mechanized Mind, along with a variation of the Soul Spell Advanced Apprentice Promotion Guidance: Limited Thought Imprint.
Accompanied by the pulse of Mana, two complex rune structures appeared in front of Ace. Under Ace’s manipulation, they approached each other. Accompanied by the linking of magical patterns, they gradually became a complex Rune Array.
He moved his hands with the pulse of Mana, investing a bit of his spiritual will into it. Similar to the brainwashing effect of Advanced Apprentice Promotion Guidance, it was absorbed by the Rune Array, carrying Ace’s mental suggestion for the mirror image: Loyalty, Rationality, Emotional Detachment.
He naturally pushed the Rune Array to the mirror image’s chest. The mirror image accepted it calmly. The complex Rune Array appeared on his chest, then vanished, invisible to the naked eye.
Emotion is the source of humanity. As a mirror image, in the absence of constant synchronization, reducing emotion, maintaining rationality, and becoming an emotionless tool is safer, more reliable, and in line with Ace’s interests.
“Then, Host, it is your turn to welcome the apprentices and their families who have traveled from afar. Please allow me to retire first to research how to create a Magic Wonder that suppresses intense emotional fluctuations when they reach a certain threshold, reinforces self-will, and enhances self-cognition.”
The mirror image bowed 45 degrees to the host body Ace, then retreated.
“Wait!”
The host body Ace suddenly said. He walked quickly forward, rushing to the mirror image’s side, and yanked off the cowlick on his head—the Spirit of the Book, which was digesting the supernatural knowledge gained from the Northern March!
The Spirit of the Book suddenly lost its little nest and transformed back into a chubby little doll. Yawning, he looked confusedly at the two Aces and said: “I’m so full, so sleepy. So much knowledge to digest. Why are there two Aces?”
Ace shook his head helplessly. The Spirit of the Book was dizzy from being stuffed with knowledge and had forgotten that Ace could create clones. He transformed the Spirit of the Book into a plump cowlick, inserted it into his own head, and nodded with satisfaction.
When evacuating from the Northern March, he had taken some portable items from the underground magic laboratory using the magic stomach pouch. Now was the time to prepare for rebuilding the magic laboratory.
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