"It's just a technique I have uniquely developed." Hayden quickly replied, "Which great mage doesn't have a couple of skills they've honed on their own? That's normal, isn't it?"
Mitra smiled.
"That's normal."
He said it very casually.
"But it's not normal for such advanced technology to exist in this era. Loki, are you from the future?"
what! ?
Wait a minute!? Why was it exposed? It was exposed just like that!?
Is this even reasonable?! Why?!
This was truly unexpected, and Hayden was completely stunned.
But Mitra, instead of continuing at this crucial point, raised his head and, just like Hayden had before, looked up at the stars in the night sky: "Hmm, the celestial signs are excellent. Even the stars are foreshadowing our victory."
His tone was matter-of-fact, as if it were an indisputable destiny.
However, Mitra's words made Hayden realize something. He looked into Mitra's eyes, at the four turquoise pupils, and suddenly understood: "Futurism!"
"Yes."
Mithra readily admitted it.
My right eye can see the future, though not too far into the future; my left eye can see the past, though not too far into the past either. The further back in time, the harder it is to see clearly.
Hayden was stunned.
"Uh, so how far is it?"
If it's just a few seconds of future or past vision, then it's not a big deal.
Mithra's next reply shocked Hayden even more: "Four hundred years before and after. At that point, it's very difficult to see clearly; there are only a few images left."
Hayden was truly stunned this time; he was almost numb.
A precognitive ability spanning centuries?? How are we supposed to defeat an enemy like that??
"So I knew we would win."
Mithra continued,
“I know we will achieve a great victory within a few decades. I see clearly the future battles, the difficulties that will arise, and how to overcome them. Within a few decades I will end the rule of the gods. For the next few centuries, I should be able to bring peace and prosperity to the whole world.”
...If we take this feudal era of old gods as a reference point, then we can only say that the next four hundred years will indeed be peaceful and prosperous. Hayden was well aware of this, so he kept his thoughts to himself and did not refute it.
Moreover, from Mithra's words, Hayden also sensed that although Mithra's vision of the future sounded frightening at first glance, he probably couldn't really see the future clearly hundreds of years from now.
That being said, the mere ability to foresee the battle situation over several decades and to know the exact time and position of everything ten years from now already makes one feel that this war is completely unwinnable.
“If you really had such precognitive abilities, then you wouldn’t need to come to me at all.” Hayden rubbed his temples. “So what if you know I’m from the future? Someone who can see the future in the present is no different from someone from the future.”
“Although I can see the future from the present, I can’t see why you came here.” Mitra changed his attitude and said seriously, “You must have returned to this era from a future more than four hundred years away, right? Although I can’t see why you came back, I can at least see that we are quite destined to meet.”
"You've returned from the future, so you're probably not here for sightseeing or archaeological research. I suspect you've come back to change the future, and that future is related to me. Is that right?"
噫
Hayden now genuinely feels that dealing with intelligent people who have precognitive abilities is incredibly troublesome.
Mithra has already asked this much question, so how should Hayden answer?
After thinking for a moment, Hayden first asked in his mind: "Angela, how are you doing over there? Are you able to come and fight at full strength?"
"Of course, no problem." Angela replied immediately. "Master, are you sure you want to fight Mitra now?"
"I'm not sure. So I'm going to tell him something now and see his reaction," Hayden told her. "The outcome of this conversation could determine everything."
Upon hearing Hayden's words, Angela said nothing more and nodded in response.
After confirming this, Hayden also turned his attention back from the conversation.
Then he made up his mind and said to Mithras, "Centuries from now, the new societies, systems, and ideas you create today will bring about global catastrophe and suffering. Mithras, I have returned from hundreds of years in the future to deal with you in order to avoid that terrible future!"
Hayden actually chose to confront them!
Actually, his confession wasn't entirely the truth. Hayden didn't intend to actually kill Mitra in this era—he dared not play with time like that, fearing it would cause even more troublesome world catastrophes. However, Hayden was indeed very curious to see how Mitra would react to his confession.
He did not anticipate Mitra's next reaction.
"So it really was this? I knew it."
Mitra gazed at the starry night sky above and nodded.
He made no preparations for battle and seemed to show no wariness of Hayden.
"I've long suspected you might be a time traveler from the future who came to kill me, but because of the distance, I can't see the future you come from. However, I've also studied time paradoxes, although it's all just theory to me—you should have considered that if I were to actually kill me now, it could lead to an even worse future?"
“Of course I’ve thought about it.” Hayden frowned. “So you think you can convince me to give up with just that? Surely not.”
"of course not."
Mithra laughed again.
“But I have thought of a better way. Why do we have to fall into this cliché of killing people through time travel? I have a good idea—Loki, since you are from the future, you must understand what I want to do better than anyone else in this era, and you can also supervise me from the side.”
"Since you're worried, then stay here and watch with me. If you really think I've done something wrong, you can warn me or offer suggestions. If even then you still think my actions will bring suffering and disaster, that's fine too."
"If that's the case, you can come and chop off my head anytime you want."
417: Very confident, victory is assured
Who could have predicted this?
Hayden never expected that just when he thought the probing with Mitra was about to end and a final battle might be about to begin, Mitra would make such a startling statement.
These words surprised Hayden.
"What are you surprised about?"
Mithra's smile only grew brighter.
“I can tell that you are definitely the only person from the future in the world. You come from a place far beyond the future that I can see, so at times you may even be more valuable than me. I need your knowledge, I need your vision, and I need your advice and warnings at crucial moments. I need you very much.”
"If the price of all this is just being watched by you, if I could be beheaded for just making a mistake, then it seems too cheap to me."
His tone was gentle and sincere, his eyes seemingly gazing into the distance. Perhaps he was indeed looking towards the future, hundreds of years from now.
"You say that the future world is suffering and calamity caused by me today, which is why you came back from the future to deal with me. But killing me casually could also cause even greater disasters in the future."
"What reasons do you have to kill me? You don't have any deep-seated hatred for me, nor have any of your parents or relatives been directly harmed by me, right? You're not some greedy person trying to seize my position and become the leader of the new era, are you? It seems you don't even care about your own interests. You only came back here from the future because you think the future I created might pose a greater threat to innocent people, right?"
Mithra spread his hands.
"In that case, I surrender to you now. Just keep me under surveillance and maintain a fighting force that poses a risk to me. Wouldn't that change your fate and prevent a terrible future?"
His tone sounded very sincere. What most people would consider nonsense, he spoke with an air of self-assurance, as if victory was assured.
The human eye is an organ for sensing light. In reality, it cannot actually "emerge" light.
But Mithra's eyes, like a blazing sun, seemed to truly emit light and illuminate the darkness.
...Actually, he might just be saying that to fool Hayden. Mitra might already have decided in his heart to trick Hayden into revealing information about the future, and then kill him afterward.
Which side holds the truth?
"To put it simply," Hayden rubbed his temples, "you want me to follow you around, to help you adjust the direction of the future, to avoid a terrible future, to ensure the future world has a bright future, and not be destroyed... and the benefit is, if I still think you're no good, still the source of disaster, I can cut off your head anytime?"
“Not only that.” Mitra raised his head. “If you can finally conclude that my existence is detrimental to the well-being of all beings, then I will not resist. I will just sit on the ground and let you chop off my head.”
Wow
That's really a very tempting proposal.
Hayden has several reasons for not immediately launching a violent attack on Mitra; one is that he is afraid of ruining the future. Another is the question of how this battle will ultimately unfold.
Mithra is currently only at the level of a Bodhisattva from four hundred years ago. Angela, on the other hand, possesses the fighting power of a Bodhisattva from four hundred years in the future. In a battle between the two, Angela should be the clear winner.
...But how will this battle turn out?
[Angela, if you were to engage in battle with Mitra right now, what environmental damage might the fighting cause?]
Angela immediately replied: "The current victory rate is 100%, but 40%-70% of Earth's structure may be damaged by the aftershocks of the battle. The mortality rate for all humanity will be approximately 99.99%."
Therefore, this is not a casualty figure that can be taken lightly.
Hayden would feel much more at ease if they could fight on the moon or even on Mars. The problem is that if they fought on Earth now, Mithra might not cooperate.
Conversely, if Mithra were truly willing to accept no resistance and have his head chopped off by Hayden, the cost would be significantly reduced...
Mithra must have understood the potential impact of his words before making this suggestion to Hayden.
So what should Hayden do now?
After some thought, he made a decision.
“…Then, Mithra, I will interrogate your very foundation.”
Finally, Hayden spoke, asking directly and decisively.
"Anyone who wants to become an emperor, leader, or politician must answer one question—what kind of new world do you want to create? And how exactly do you intend to create it?"
"Don't answer carelessly. Because you know, I've come back from your failed future. If I determine that you're still not up to par, I won't hesitate to take action."
Mitra finally stopped laughing when Hayden asked him this time.
He suppressed his smile, pondered for a moment, and then said, "I want to create a world where everyone can live happily and equally, where there are no more differences in bloodline or birth, and where no one needs to suffer oppression or pain."
Hayden nodded. "I understand. But how do you plan to do it?"
“Through technology,” Mitra said calmly. “We will bring most of the magical technology and knowledge currently monopolized by the gods to everyone, so that everyone can create happiness through their own efforts.”
“I know this doesn’t sound pleasant,” Hayden continued, “but there are indeed differences between races, and bloodlines do have power. Orcs are less gifted in magic than humans, while fairies are better. Even if they learn the same magic, there will be inequality. What can be done about that?”
Even setting aside the possibility that divine blood makes one stronger, different races do excel in different areas. Orcs possess greater muscular strength than humans, which was very useful in ancient times, but what use is it in an era where arcane magic is highly developed? It's also an undeniable fact that mortals learning magic are unlikely to match those of lower-ranking gods like dwarves and elves.
“It’s all about technology,” Mitra said with a smile. “My friends and I are already developing a new technology that uses magic to modify human genes, allowing everyone to obtain god-level or even stronger talents than the gods. If everyone can obtain the talents of the new gods, the original differences in bloodline and race will no longer matter. Although it’s not yet practical, I can see the future, and I know that this technology will definitely be successfully developed.”
Uh
Strictly speaking, Mitra wasn't wrong. Coordinator technology did indeed develop successfully in the future. And, strictly speaking, if gene editing technology is used wisely, it is indeed possible to achieve equality for all beings from birth.
It's strange. This technology and thing were so good in theory, so why did they turn out wrong later?
“Such technology, if applied to all sentient beings, would certainly require an enormous amount of resources. Until those conditions are met, it will likely lead to even greater inequality and oppression based on birth.” Hayden rubbed his head. “You can see that future, can you? I already have. How do you plan to solve this problem?”
“Through technology,” Mitra said calmly. “Perpetual motion machines and unlimited energy can be developed by us in the future. I have already seen it, I already know it. As long as I obtain unlimited energy, I can make all sentient beings equal. It’s just that this will require hundreds of years of research.”
"As for how to maintain social equality and avoid class solidification and oppression before that time comes, that depends on the ruling techniques of us leaders."
“In the future as I know it, you have already failed,” Hayden coldly reminded him.
"But aren't you here this time?"
Mithra smiled slightly.
“This time, you can stay by my side to monitor, remind, and warn. Together we can steer this great ship, guiding it in a direction we both agree on, until it can sail safely forever, no longer decaying or falling into depravity.”
"Do you still think you'll fail?"
Hayden did not speak.
After a while, he continued, "Then what about the modern gods? And those fallen gods from beyond the heavens? What will become of them in the new world you've conceived?"
“I will certainly prepare a place for the old gods who are willing to accept the new world order and do not intend to resist. For example, I will certainly not mistreat a god-king like the Peacock King in the new era... But those who have committed many evils and still want to resist stubbornly will definitely not be allowed.”
Mitra said coldly,
"Most of the immortal fallen gods from beyond the heavens are wicked beyond measure. Reflecting on what those jackals have done over the past few thousand years, there has never been any other choice but to completely defeat them."
"For the sake of the new world and the new era, we must defeat and seal them all. To do this, of course, we must rely on our ever-advancing technological capabilities."
The fallen angels… Mithras said those stubborn fallen angels deserved to die, and Hayden didn’t disagree. He himself had just knocked Azazel down and sealed him underground, and he had dealt with several fallen angels before, knowing that almost all of them were sick.
The fallen angels almost universally toyed with the lives of others. Even if they had their own justifications, it was still an unforgivable act. Hayden had no intention of defending them, nor did he offer any sympathy.
"…………"
--strangeness
Strange. Strange. Strange?
How come Hayden found that Mithra's words actually made a lot of sense as they continued to be discussed with him?