Chapter 4: What a Boring Life You Led
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Even though Mia still wanted to talk to Baiyi for a little while longer, she had no choice but to leave as her class was about to start soon. Hugging her textbooks and her notebooks close to her chest, she bade goodbye to Baiyi as she jogged out of the door to her class in high spirits. Her ponytails bounced behind her, making her look like a chirpy little bird that was slowly disappearing from Baiyi’s sight.
After she left, Baiyi sat down by the side of her little desk and continued going through the textbooks that Mia had left behind. While he was doing that, he was mentally exchanging ideas with the other Voidwalkers regarding their next step.
The historical textbook that he was browsing through was a book titled "The Chronicle of Isythre". The book contained the history of mankind in the huge realm of Isythre. This was a compulsory subject in the Celestial Fortress Academy for freshman year. The pages of the book were fully scribbled with the youthful and beautiful handwriting of a little girl. It appeared that Mia paid serious attention to such subjects as well.
Baiyi turned the book to its last page and at the very last row at the bottom of the book, there were some notes that Mia had added on earlier: Year 1009 in the new calendar was the year that the wise and affable President Xewter passed away… It was a shame that I was not able to enrol into the Celestial Fortress Academy at that time. Because of that, I was not able to meet this legendary president in history at all…
Hmmm... No need for any regrets. At least he gets to see you now… Baiyi then mentally spoke to the Voidwalkers, "I found out from Mia that it is Year 1019 right now on the new calendar. So this means that the President Xewter right here refers to the Thirty-Third Walker, Sir Apprentice, isn’t it? Has it already been 10 years since the youngest Walker joined us?"
"10 years already? Time really does fly! I’d never expect that time would pass by so quickly when I exchanged experiences and memories with all the mentors," the Apprentice replied humbly. However, it seemed like there was a slight hint in his tone that implied he had been enjoying life in the Void.
You would not be so calm and collected any more after staying here for another few years, Baiyi thought to himself. If his memory served him correctly, he remembered that the First Walker entered the Void in Year 233 of the old calendar. Based on the fact that the calendars are changed every 5000 years, the First Walker must have already been imprisoned in this hellhole for more than 5000 years already! As for Baiyi who had met the Sorcerer at the very beginning, it appeared that his own time in the Void was not brief as well.
After spending a short while trying to estimate the amount of time that he was stuck in the Void, Baiyi returned his attention to the body that he currently possessed. Holding up his right hand, he shifted the power in his body and gathered a ball of dancing flame on his index finger. The flame leapt from his index finger to his middle finger and then subsequently transformed into a globe of rolling water. As the ball was passed on to the ring finger, it transformed again into a dazzling light sphere.
"Just like everyone had predicted, the power I have right now is stronger. I can transform easily now." As he was speaking, he waved his hand and dispersed the green ball of Nature Energy on his little finger. With just the time span of a few breaths, he managed to transform his power into four different types of magical attributes. This was something that would be rated as extraordinary by ordinary people.
However, it was a whole other story in the eyes of these Voidwalkers. "But this is such a waste! The energy of the Void should not be put to use on simple things like that," said the Archmage.
The power that was used by the Voidwalkers was not something shallow like Mana or Chi Prowess, but instead, it was the ultimate power that they called Void Energy. The infinite and limitless Void could be described as a space of darkness and loneliness but at the same time, it was also a force field that was isolated from all things. The Voidwalkers who inhabited the Void could use their powerful thoughts and consciousness to assimilate with the Void and transform it into their own energy.
Compared to Mana and Chi Prowess, the Void Energy was more powerful and pure and the nature was much more similar to a person’s physical strength. Transforming Void Energy into Mana was not something difficult but it was considered a wasteful action.
"Since this is such a powerful and useful thing, why are the people in this world so against this power?" Baiyi could not help but ask this question although he had an inkling of what the reason might be.
In truth, since a few thousand years ago, there were already people who were trying to connect to the Void that existed outside of the realm of reality and tried to harvest this power. However, the research was eventually listed as taboo until the practice gradually became extinct. The churches and some other theology cults would use violent methods to deal with any one who tried to establish contact with the Void. From that alone, one could see how superstitious and serious they were when it came to this matter.
Because of that, the Void remained an inexplicable mysterious concept in the eyes of mankind. The attitude they had towards the Void was not the same as the hatred that they had for wicked or vicious beings like the devils. Instead, it was more of a feeling of superstition and a fear of the unknown. It was exactly this reason that the Voidwalkers who could use and harness the power of the Void was not entirely welcomed by human beings.
"Please be careful, Sir Hope. Please don’t expose your powers carelessly in front of someone that is not your match. Otherwise, you might draw the attention of the churches and their ruthless execution." The Paladin advised, "I used to join in the eradication of such taboo activities in my past life. It was a cruel and merciless action. These violators did not really get their hands on the Void Energy, they had merely intended to study it. Even mere curiosity was enough to bring them to trial in the interrogation chamber, where they would likely never be able see the light of day again…"
Baiyi found the entire thing ridiculous. He was rotating a black ball of energy in his palm as he said, "Seriously, how scared is your God of us?" The black ball was the amount of Void Energy that he was able to release and it was also the maximum level of power he could sustain. Swiftly, he dismissed the power in order to avoid unnecessary problems but at the same time, he could not help but said, "All of us have more or less the same level of power. Based on what exactly that your God can enjoy the respect and worships of the commoners while we are treated like scums of the black jail instead?"
This topic seemed to have touched on the faith of the Paladin because he chose to remain quiet while the voice of the Charlatan could be heard continuing the conversation, "Some things in this world would always be unfair. After all, we already lost in the sense of appearance and temperament…"
Of course I understand this but can you please don’t use such contemporary examples to deliver your message? Baiyi thought to himself. A question slowly arose in his mind. Am I... a bad influence to this group of supernatural beings who came from another world?
Even though Memory Exchanging was the best method to kill time, not every single Voidwalker was willing to exchange their memories. For instance, the walkers who were born with a strong sense of justice would never exchange their memories with the Lich nor was everybody interested in the memory of the Caveman.
However, Baiyi’s memory was totally different. Almost every single Voidwalker showed a strong sense of interest in his memory. It was because he came from a whole new world that they had never heard of before, not to mention the fact that he came from a world which was more civilised and advanced than their world. The luscious and splendid cultures on Earth had successfully attracted each and every one of the Voidwalkers.
On top of that, Earth was a place bustling with news and informations all thanks to the invention of the Internet. Even as a mere commoner, Baiyi was exposed to more things in his 20 over years of living than these supernatural beings who had lived up to hundreds of years. After all, given the situation that they were in, their lives were like a sitcom that was repeating itself over and over again for several decades. How could it be compared to the movies, dramas, novels, anime and games that could be found on Earth? This was something that they would never have been able to dream up. Obviously they would be attracted to these kind of new things, wouldn’t they?
Most of the Voidwalkers were the top in their own fields and leagues. Being able to reach that kind of level showed that they themselves possessed a strong thirst for knowledge and a strong sense of curiosity. Coupled with the fact that the things on Earth were originally attractive, it was perfectly understandable for them to show so much enthusiasm towards the cultures on Earth.
What would one see if one was to look back on the memories of these supernatural beings? Well, it definitely would not be as brilliant and interesting as what was usually described on the internet. For instance, the Sorcerer’s memories for most parts went like this:
Cultivating, researching and then listening to the reports from the ministers about a town that was hit by some natural disasters that had caused the peasants to lose everything.
Cultivating, researching, receiving the representatives of some neighbouring countries who had come on formal visits, receiving goods and gifts from them and then distributing them to the victims of the natural disasters.
Cultivating, researching and listening to the reports on the pregnancy of one the concubines.
Cultivating, researching and then suddenly remembering the fact that he had never slept with the concubine before and then giving out orders for her to be executed and for all her family members to become labourers at the border.
Hmm, that was pretty much it to the First Walker, also known as the Sorcerer’s memory. When he thought about it, that life seemed kind of pitiful, didn’t it?
Let’s take another look at the Lich’s memory. It pretty much went like this:
Cultivating, researching and summoning new skeletal soldier.
Cultivating, researching, helping a soldier to find its skull that had been used as a football.
Cultivating, researching and killing a group of greedy adventurers.
Cultivating, researching, equipping some death riders with the gears that he found on the adventurers’ bodies and using the rests of the gears to polish the skeletal dragon.
Cultivating, researching and rescuing some unlucky skeletal mages who were trapped underneath the feet of the skeletal dragon.
For him to become a lich, was it not because of the fact that only a dead person could bear such life? But still, both of the memories from the Lich and the Sorcerer put together were still less interesting than the Caveman’s memory.
The Caveman’s life went something like this:
I captured a big wild boar today! So delicious!
I hunted a mammoth today! How yummy!
I killed a man from another tribe today. Erm… This can’t be eaten, can it?
I got my hands on a dragon cub today! Ptooey! What a disgusting taste!
That was right! The memories of most of those beings were pretty much this boring. In fact, if one were to think about it properly, it was precisely because they had spend most of their lives repeating this monotonous cultivation routine that they managed to successfully cultivate to the highest level.
Therefore, as a result, each and every one of the Voidwalkers exchanged their memories with Baiyi, allowing him to be the only person in the group who possessed the knowledge and experience from all of them.
It was exactly because of that reason that Baiyi who was in possession of immense power and great knowledge was not worried even though he was now temporarily trapped with Intermediate Level power. He was not the least bothered by Mia’s weak strength as well. With him as her teacher and mentor, it was only a matter of time before she eventually grow more powerful.