Chapter 56: The Way of Balance Lies Within

In Wage City, the rumbling upward steam towers pierced through the clouds like an alternative steel volcano, spewing out mist enough to shroud the entire city.

Engines roared, gears whirled.

Speeding bullets streaked across the pitch-black night sky.

Shimmering magic illuminated the dim stars.

During the night, the massive tolling of bells echoed within the Steel Capital, shaking away layers of water mist and scaring off those wretched things hiding in the darkness.

At this moment, fifteen hours had passed since Xu Xi fell asleep in the meditation room.

A thirst originating from his body's instinct.

Caused him to slowly wake up.

"I didn't expect to sleep for so long this time." Opening his eyes, the familiar environment of the meditation room came into view. Xu Xi glanced at the mechanical wall clock and couldn't help but sigh.

But it was normal; after all, he had worked for nine days and nights straight.

Gurgle.

Gurgle.

Summoning a large glob of clear water with a wave of his hand, Xu Xi replenished his fluids while stretching his slightly stiff body.

Overall, Xu Xi was very satisfied with the results of this sleep.

Not only was all the physical fatigue eliminated.

But his sluggish spirit had also recovered.

"It's time to start the next step. After flipping through so many historical records, I finally have some clues." Xu Xi looked back at the corner of the meditation room.

There, on a temporarily laid magic stone slab, the girl with gray-silver hair was still sleeping quietly.

Xu Xi walked over.

He performed a simple check.

After confirming that Klisa's vital signs were still fine, he returned to the workbench with peace of mind and focused his gaze on the stacks of handwritten notes.

The writing was very fine and densely packed.

Listing detailed information on different categories of the Demon Race.

It could be said that Xu Xi's current knowledge regarding the Demon Race had reached a very profound level.

Some obscure or fragmented knowledge was also understood and completed with the help of the [Observer] and [Mortals Wisdom] traits.

"The name 'Demon Race' is a definition created by humans themselves. Strictly speaking, they should actually be called the Ancient Race or the Primordial Race."

The meditation room felt even more empty and quiet in the late-night hours.

Xu Xi sat down again.

From the bottom of many manuscripts, he pulled out a brand new blank sheet of paper and wrote down new key points.

"The claim that the gods created the world is clearly false."

"If the gods truly had such great power, they wouldn't need the faith of mere humans."

"Therefore, the correct history should be as written in the 'Biography of Mage Rebgewo'—the world was born from Chaos, and elements gave rise to all things."

"And the so-called Demon Race are the first batch of living beings in this world."

"Possessing an incredibly powerful Physical Body and innate abilities bestowed by the world, they have extraordinary strength surpassing other races from birth. The strongest among them can even contend with deities."

"The only flaw is that the emotions and desires of pure-blooded Demon Race members are extremely unstable, causing them to be completely cut off from the path of mage cultivation."

"Only special cases like Klisa, whose Demon Race Bloodline is not deep and whose emotions have collapsed, can learn magic without being affected by it."

Steam surged, occasionally pushing open the copper top covers.

Making a clattering sound.

Accompanied by the fine and soft rustling of the pen tip rapidly rubbing against the paper, like a light breeze passing through ten thousand leaves.

Looking at the information on the Demon Race he had recorded, Xu Xi fell into deep thought. Perhaps the flaw of the Demon Race was no accident.

The development of things.

The development of the world.

Has always followed the most basic Law.

That is, from nothing to something, from Chaos to order.

When the Magic World was first born, even the world itself was incomplete. The so-called Demon Race was actually a manifestation of the world's disorder.

This is also why the Demon Race was later replaced by the gods.

Because the gods symbolize order and regularity—they are the embodiment of the world's orderly operation.

"Looking at it this way, the reason for Klisa's coma is clear."

Xu Xi put down his pen.

Looking at the wet ink on the paper, he slightly raised his head, staring at the dark and dim ceiling, and let out a sigh.

It's neither a disease nor any kind of curse.

The reason for the witch's coma is that the Demon Race Bloodline is fighting against the mage's Mental Energy. They represent disorder and order respectively, as incompatible as fire and water, unable to let each other be.

Previously, the witch was weak, pitiful, and helpless, with a frail body and sluggish spirit, so there was naturally no need to worry about this.

But with the mutation in Alenson City and the influx of a large amount of wailing and despair, the Demon Race Bloodline was activated.

After advancing to Elite Mage, her Mental Energy also had an unprecedented Breakthrough.

And so.

Body and spirit, disorder and order, demon and god.

The fates symbolizing two different paths are fiercely contending within Klisa's body, sometimes slow and sometimes urgent, causing Klisa, the owner of the body, to oscillate repeatedly between coma and consciousness.

Not being in mortal danger now doesn't mean there won't be in the future.

"Tricky…"

Gently rubbing his throbbing temples.

Xu Xi had a complex expression.

Although he understood the cause of the coma, how to solve it and what to do remained a huge problem.

To be honest, this Domain involving gods and demons is somewhat advanced for an Archmage.

But Klisa's body doesn't contain true gods or demons, and Xu Xi isn't an ordinary Archmage. With the great power of his traits, there is still a chance for things to turn around.

…

[You have discovered the truth behind the witch's coma]

[Your understanding of the Magic World has deepened]

[You have gained insight into the truth of the world]

[For your excellent performance and keen observation, your Observer trait has improved to a certain extent, and your observable range has expanded]

[You begin to think about how to correctly and effectively help the witch. For this, you have conceived two methods]

[The first is to independently strengthen either the Demon Race Bloodline or the Mental Energy, letting it completely devour the other. In this way, the witch will wake up without opposition]

[The second is to balance disorder and order, allowing the powers of demon and god to coexist within the girl's body]

[You pondered for a long time and finally chose the second method]

[For the witch, for Klisa Christina, both body and spirit are indispensable. No matter which one is missing, she will suffer a heavy blow because of it. You cannot bear to see such a tragic situation]

[Mortals Wisdom activating… Observer activating…]

[You begin to explore the true meaning of balance]

[You are delighted to find that in an unconscious state, Klisa instinctively harmonizes the two powers, causing them to become intertwined. This is also why her eyes have evolved into a rotation of black and gold]

[You act decisively, setting up a unique magic circle in the meditation room to suppress Klisa's Demon Race Bloodline]

[At the same time, you light the spirit clearing grass to awaken the girl's ignorant consciousness, allowing her to take control of her own Mental Energy to guide, dominate, and manipulate the neutralization of the two forces]

[The Way of Balance lies within]