Wizard: Unlimited Profession Slots Chapter 693 - 326_2

Cassandra hesitated briefly at the query: "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, after we’ve consumed numerous civilizations and taken in vast amounts of knowledge, will we remain the same people we once were?"

Ron’s eyes deepened with intensity: "Or will we turn into some horrifying patchwork assembled from the recollections of innumerable deceased beings?"

A profound hush descended upon the restaurant.

This inquiry pierced the most profound dreads harbored by each person present.

Amid the ceaseless campaigns of domination, what sort of evolution awaits the dominators themselves?

"A fascinating philosophical inquiry," Cassandra responded with composure, even as a trace of bewilderment colored her tone:

"Yet I believe such concerns are pointless. The mighty shall endure as mighty, and merely ingesting the recollections of the feeble won’t alter their core nature."

Still, Ron spotted her left hand quivering faintly beneath the table—a telltale sign of her inner turmoil.

Evidently, the query had resonated deeply with her.

Uther’s spectral form grew fainter: "Maybe... it’s time we examined the far-reaching effects of this path of growth."

"What sort of effects?" Cassandra’s voice sharpened with a touch of irritation:

"Growing more powerful? Accumulating greater wisdom? Securing additional assets? All of these are positive developments."

"Or morphing into a mishmash of the societies we’ve swallowed."

Ron interjected evenly, "Shedding our sense of self and drifting as specters from bygone eras."

These words exploded like a detonation, demolishing any remaining calm around the table.

"That’s sufficient." Cassandra declared icily, "Tonight, we’ve gathered to mark the dawn of a fresh epoch, not to delve into abstract musings."

For the first time, she discarded her soft exterior.

Eve stared down at her soup bowl, her complexion draining of color: "Mother, I sense..."

"You sense what exactly?" Cassandra’s stare turned piercing: "Do you find it excessively harsh?"

She gave a subtle shake of her head:

"Eve, it’s essential that you start seeing these matters from an elevated viewpoint.

Across the cosmos, notions of pure good or evil don’t exist—only the divide between the powerful and the powerless.

We possess the power to bestow upon these societies benefits they could never achieve alone, and in exchange, we’re entitled to claim recompense."

"This is precisely the topic I intended to explore with Ron this evening," she directed her attention to Ron: "Concerning the actual framework of the multiverse."

Cassandra rose and approached one of the dining room’s walls.

Upon her touch, the wall seamlessly morphed into a vast display, revealing an intricate three-dimensional chart of the cosmos.

"To begin, grasp where we stand."

Cassandra indicated a radiant zone at the map’s core:

"Our home is the Seventh Quadrant, a fairly nascent sector of the universe, roughly a few billion years in age.

Within this quadrant, the core principles of existence hold steady: carbon-based lifeforms, cycles of energy, and a straightforward progression of time..."

Her digits glided across the chart, highlighting various distinct zones:

"The Beast Race, Lizardmen, Dwarves, Half-beastmen, Goblins, Elves... none of these sub-groups were native to the Main World originally.

They hailed from separate planes in the Seventh Quadrant, each with their own distinct societies and pasts."

The display commenced with archival scenes, depicting the grand spectacle of the "Great Exploration" era from the Second Age:

Innumerable portals materialized in the emptiness, with forces from diverse races crossing into varied realms.

Certain ventures were invasions, others pacts, and a great many involved compelled mergers.

"During that time, the Wizard forebears thought that consolidating these peoples under unified rule would yield substantial gains."

Approval laced Cassandra’s words:

"History confirmed their wisdom.

Merging varied races spurred technological advancements and cultural flourishing. The Dwarves’ mastery of smithing, the Elves’ arcane skills, the Beast Race’s battle instincts... all these now form vital pillars of our society."

Her finger shifted to yet another section of the map:

"As for the stranger entities you brought up—the Dragon Species, Time Hounds, Elemental Creatures, Eye Demons—they originate from wholly alien quadrants."

The projection expanded to a broader view, unveiling twelve colossal quadrant domains:

"Every quadrant operates under unique foundational rules. The Third Quadrant consists of unadulterated energy, hosting entities in elemental states; the Ninth Quadrant features wildly unstable temporal streams, spawning temporal beings such as Time Hounds; regarding the Elder Eye Demons..."

She halted momentarily:

"They hail from the First Quadrant, the most ancient expanse of the cosmos. The life there surpasses ordinary forms, nearing the essence of primal cosmic principles."

Ron scrutinized the cosmic diagram intently, his spirit brimming with yearning for boundless horizons.

"Connections across quadrants pose significant challenges," Cassandra went on to elucidate:

"They demand extraordinarily advanced tech and enormous power expenditures, explaining why outsiders from other quadrants are so scarce among us."

"Yet it’s their scarcity that amplifies their worth."

A spark of avarice gleamed in her gaze:

"The temporal control of a Time Hound, the elemental purity of an Elemental Lord, the vital force of a True Dragon... such assets represent treasures our society can study and harness."

"Now, onto more tangible topics."

Cassandra settled back into her seat with poise, sipping from the luminous spirit sourced from beyond:

"As for the policy shifts I revealed before, I suspect you may harbor some doubts."