Like Amon, Nietzsche was a miner in Duc when he was a teenager. That was more than a hundred years ago. At that time, Bablon, Assyria and Hittite were experiencing chaotic wars. The ruler of Syah had changed hands several times. The living conditions in Duc were much worse than they are now.
The barren land here could only grow a small amount of barley and beans. There were few sheep grazing on the edge of the Charcoal Forest. One spring, when all the sheep had been eaten, Nietzsche felt that the food was tasteless, so he went hunting in the forest to the east of the town. A strong miner could also become a good hunter. Although the forest was dangerous, Crazy 'Ole had hunted many times on the edge of the forest since he was a child.
This time, Nietzsche walked a long way. Along the way, he hunted some prey and roasted them into dried meat, which he carried on his back. Unknowingly, he had already passed through the territory of the cave dwarfs and entered the steep Euphrate Valley. When he was chasing a deer, he accidentally lost his footing and fell from the cliff. Fortunately, he was entangled by vines in mid-air. After breaking many vines, he stabilized his body and climbed to a very secret place. As a result, he found a body that had just died and obtained the person's belongings in a sunken place under the rock to shelter from the rain.
The deceased was an advanced mage. In the melee, he used a magic tool to escape from the pursuit. Due to his serious injuries, he fell to the ground in this remote place and finally died. The mage came from the Marduc Shrine of Bablon. At that time, Bablon was at war with Hittite, so he must have been an enemy of Hittite. He left his last words on the cave wall with a knife.
The difference between Nietzsche and the ordinary miners in Duc was that he could read. Nietzsche's grandfather used to be the clerk of Duc. During the war, he broke the law of some dynasty and was punished by being stripped of his status as a noble. In the last few years of his life, he taught his grandson how to use a clay knife.
The place where Nietzsche fell was far from any human habitation. Opposite him was the rapid Euphrate River, and behind him was a steep cliff. The seriously injured mage lacked food and medicine. In pain, he begged and prayed to Marduc for seven days and seven nights, trying to get mercy and redemption. Finally, before he died, he gave up all hope.
In his last words, the despairing mage expressed that he no longer wanted to return to the shrine. If anyone found him, he requested to be buried here in the traditional way of his family and to bring his belongings to his wife and children. In return, the mage left behind all the secrets of magic he knew, including not only the various stages from the lower to the advanced, but also the information on how to advance from the intermediate to the advanced. Among his belongings were a staff engraved with markings and several precious magical artifacts.
That was the turning point in Nietzsche's life. He learned magic in private. Fortunately, he was not seriously injured and had enough food in his backpack. He stayed here for several days, recording all the contents of the magic and burying the mage. Relying on his strong body, he climbed up the cliff along the vines with the mage's belongings.
The people of Duc all thought that Nietzsche had lost his life in the forest. But ten years later, Nietzsche returned to Duc, claiming that he had been captured by the cavemen while hunting and had been a slave in their village for ten years. Now he finally had a chance to escape from the forest.
But no one knew that Nietzsche was now a sorcerer who had just returned from Bablon City, the capital of the Kingdom of Bablon.
He was going to Bablon City to return the mage's belongings. As a third-level sorcerer, Nietzsche could handle many situations on the way as long as he was careful. Only in the outside world did Nietzsche realize the uniqueness of the mining skills he had learned since he was a child. When he obtained the mage's belongings, he already had the agility and reflexes of a second-level warrior. It was not entirely luck that allowed him to survive the fall.
But when he obtained the mage's belongings and performed the ritual of "Power Awakening", he gained the ability to communicate with the energy of the outside world. It was the so-called power bestowed by the gods. Of course, he chose to learn magic.
In Bablon City, Nietzsche finally found the mage's widow, only to find that the family had declined and was in trouble. Most of the priests in the shrines were hereditary, inherited by the eldest son or son of the family who was most suitable to learn magic. The mage was a priest of the Marduc Shrine in Bablon City. His only son was not yet an adult and could not inherit the position of priest.
Her husband's whereabouts were unknown, so the mage's widow owed a large debt. The creditor was a noble in Bablon City. He asked the widow to marry him in order to take over the territory and inherit her husband's position as a priest, which was common in times of war.
Nietzsche's arrival helped the mage's widow out of trouble, because the mage's belongings were very valuable, almost equal to half of his family's wealth. Otherwise, his disappearance would not have caused so much trouble for the family.
The widow was very grateful to Nietzsche. Out of kindness, she told him in private, "If you follow my husband's last words and become a sorcerer, don't reveal your identity. Keep hiding until you become a supreme sorcerer. At that time, everything will change dramatically. That is, if you are lucky enough!"
Then she told Nietzsche to leave as soon as possible, or there might be trouble. Her worry was not wrong. After leaving Bablon City, Nietzsche was hunted down. Maybe the noble wanted to vent his anger. Nietzsche used magic to kill his pursuers. Fearing that his identity as a sorcerer would be exposed, he snuck back to Duc.
Nietzsche lived in Duc for another ten years. Like the other miners, nothing unusual happened. Ten years later, he left Duc again and traveled the continent. It seemed that he did not take the law of "Duc's registered miners are not allowed to leave without permission" seriously. At that time, he was already a seventh-level supreme sorcerer.
Nietzsche traveled all over the continent for another ten years and had many incredible experiences. When he returned to Duc, he was already an eighth-level supreme sorcerer. It was said that the mayor at that time wanted to hold Nietzsche responsible for leaving without permission, but for some reason, the matter was left unsettled. Since then, Nietzsche had been living in Duc. No one paid attention to him. They just regarded him as a crazy old man who liked to talk nonsense.
Body arts and magic could not be practiced at the same level. This was an oracle and a law since ancient times. After obtaining the relics of the mages, Nietzsche awakened the "power bestowed by the gods" and began to specialize in magic. He achieved something close to the highest level. But later, there was a problem that bothered him. Before learning magic, he had actually begun to learn something similar to body arts and reached the level of a second-level warrior.
When a boy in Duc came of age, the blessing ceremony presided over by the priest in the Shrine of Mourrin was in fact similar to a ceremony to awaken some kind of power.
Nietzsche knew nothing about it at that time. That was why he gave up body arts and focused entirely on magic. Unexpectedly, he became a supreme sorcerer. So he began to suspect that there might be some unknown secret behind it. But when he wanted to start practicing body arts again, he found it extremely difficult. He even lost the strength of a second-level warrior when he was young, and his physical strength was barely equivalent to that of a first-level warrior.
After all, he was old and had not practiced body arts for many years. Possessing eighth-level magic made him very strong, but it was already good enough that he could maintain his physical health and strength that surpassed that of an ordinary person. This unsuccessful attempt frustrated Nietzsche, and at the same time, he was even more confused. It seemed that because of this, he could never break through to the ninth level in magic.
So Nietzsche often disappeared from Duc and returned after a while. Of course, no one cared about this crazy old man anymore. Crazy 'Ole began to ask around the continent for anecdotes that interested him, stories of famous supreme mages and warriors, their lives and training, and legends about the gods in the shrines.
Crazy 'Ole began to suspect that some of the so-called gods were described as demigods, no different from ninth-level supreme mages or ninth-level warriors. So, were they only demigods, or did they become real gods later on? If so, was it possible for mortals to become immortals? If so, how could they become gods?
He also suspected that magic and body arts could be practiced at the same level, or that they were originally one, but were deliberately divided into two parts, making it difficult to practice at the same level. There might be some undiscovered mystery in it, the secret to becoming a god.
Crazy 'Ole did not get the answer. When he was over a hundred years old, he realized that it was impossible for him to verify it himself, so he placed his hope on a successor. After searching for a long time in many places, he finally found a talented child in a small village belonging to the sepat of Cape. His name was Bair, and he was the son of a shepherd.
Crazy 'Ole taught Bair everything he knew, hoping that he could solve the mystery that had puzzled him for most of his life.
What happened next was needless to say. The last place Bair escaped to was also a dense forest between the mountains and the Euphrate River. He might have come to Duc to find Crazy 'Ole, but he could not shake off a large number of pursuers. No one knew what magic Bair cast on a cat, but the cat was able to pass through the heavy siege and the steep mountains to Duc, bringing a message to Crazy 'Ole.
It was not that the cat could speak. One of Bair's best magic was message magic. He sealed a message on the cat. After Crazy 'Ole read it with magic, the message disappeared.
Bair's message was as follows:
Dear teacher,
Your guess should be right. It is not impossible for mortals to become gods. The secret lies in the practice of magic and body arts. No matter which one they are, breaking through the ninth level is the achievement of gods. However, simply practicing magic or body arts is extremely difficult, and there is almost no possibility of further advancement. This is the conclusion I reached after reading the biographies of countless supreme warriors and supreme mages in history.
In fact, it is impossible to practice magic and body arts at the same level, at least that is what we have seen. There is one exception, and that is the most basic and almost insignificant technique of Duc. Teacher, you taught me that first. But you are also a Duc miner. You have made great achievements in magic, but you could not make a breakthrough in body arts. Apart from age and physical limitations, it is indeed a puzzle.
I may have discovered a secret over the years. The practice of body arts is the same as that of magic. There are different kinds of tests. This kind of test is not specifically mentioned. Those warriors who advanced to the next level may have unintentionally met the requirements, but there is no clear summary. If this is a method left by the gods, then it is possible that some content was deliberately ignored from the beginning.
There are many more people who practice body arts than magic. Many people do not know what kind of test they have unintentionally passed. They only think that they have relied on hard work, perseverance, and a little luck. They are right, but I want to unravel the secret behind this luck. People do not get lucky out of thin air.
I have studied the experiences of countless warriors, both low-level and high-level, and have summed up some patterns in their experiences. These may be the content deliberately ignored by the ancient books.
If magic and body arts were originally one, and they were combined as a method of practice, then there was a special order. Just like music, it could not be messed up. Otherwise, there would be no way to practice at the same level, and one could only give up on one achievement in order to obtain another.
If you go astray from the beginning, it will be very difficult to give up the power you have gained and start over again. I am not sure about these, and it is still just a guess. The secret of becoming a god may be among them. Even if it is indeed the secret of becoming a god, most people can only look at it and sigh, because whether it is a ninth-level mage or a ninth-level warrior, it is quite rare in this world.
I am thinking about it and have not come to a definite conclusion. I have taken the Adoratrice of the Temple of Isis and the Gods' Tear, which may help me solve this secret. Because of this, I have been hunted by a large number of mages and warriors. I can only convey this message to you, teacher.
– Your student, Bair
Crazy 'Ole finally finished talking about the past and sat down to drink in silence. Amon did not speak for a long time. Even if he had a stomach full of questions, he did not know where to start. These topics were too profound for him, beyond his imagination.
They had been talking for the whole afternoon. It was getting dark, and it was time for Amon to go home for dinner. By now, Crazy 'Ole had finished a jar of wine, but there was no drunkenness in his eyes, only a trace of inexplicable tiredness. He put down the cup and said, "Amon, I have watched you grow up and trained you since you were a child. Your potential and aptitude are even better than Bair's."
"Ah!" Amon didn't answer. He felt that Crazy 'Ole was implying something. It seemed that Crazy' Ole was plotting something against him.
As expected, Crazy 'Ole continued, "I wanted to train you into an excellent supreme sorcerer, but every time I think of Bair's message, I always feel that we should be more cautious. We can't make the first step wrong."
"Me …?" Amon did not finish the sentence.
Crazy 'Ole looked at him and smiled. It was a strange smile, "Of course it's you. Otherwise I wouldn't have taught you so much. You know how to write two common languages on the continent, and I taught you how to mine parangons in another way, so that your body and spirit could get the best training. But you never really learned magic and body arts. I've been waiting for this day."
"What's wrong with this day?"
Crazy 'Ole did not answer. He changed the topic, "Amon, if you become a sorcerer, you should know from my and Bair's experience that to ensure your safety, you have to wait until the day you become a supreme sorcerer. Of course, the identity of a warrior may be a good cover, if you study body arts and magic at the same time. My child, don't you want to? Even if it's to repay an old man like me, you shouldn't refuse. "
Amon rubbed his head and replied, "Yes, why wouldn't I? I'm just the son of an ordinary miner in town. Why should I refuse? Even if it's not to repay you, I'm willing. You won't harm me. "
Crazy 'Ole smiled bitterly, "Harm you? I don't know if I'm harming you or not. But I often think of Bair. If it's harming him, I'm afraid he would be willing to be harmed by me in this way, so that he could have such a wonderful life. I have only one wish for you, and that is to solve the secret of the gods. "
Amon said, "That's too far away. How can I compare with Bair's achievement? I can only imagine."
Crazy 'Ole shook his head, "It's all up to you. If you really try, you may not succeed. But if you don't solve the mystery, you'll be living in the world of Chaos forever. So, at least we can try."
"How do you want to teach me?" Amon asked.
Crazy 'Ole nodded with satisfaction, "You're a special child. Although you're shocked and confused, you're still calm and clear-headed after listening to so many incredible things. Let me tell you, I don't know what secret Bair solved in the end, but I'm sure of one thing. "
"What is it?" Amon asked.
Crazy 'Ole: "That is the first step to gaining power."
"Awakening two powers at the same time?" Amon asked. "You already have a solution?"
Crazy 'Ole smiled again, "You're so smart. You immediately thought of this after listening to my introduction. But there's a slight deviation. It's either awakening two powers at the same time, or awakening one power. This power contains two sides. I look back on my life and trace it back to the source, the inspiration I got from the skills of the miners in Duc.
Gabriel asked if you've learned body arts. In fact, you haven't. You just have a strong body and some magic skills that you haven't learned yet. Now I'm going to test you to see if you can awaken that power. But you have to be careful. Awakening the power of two sides also awakens the desire of two sides. It also includes the first test that body arts practitioners have to face, but it's often overlooked. "
"How do you want to test me?" Amon asked.
Crazy 'Ole's eyes narrowed into slits, "Tonight, go to the cold spring and do something. Come back to me when you've succeeded."
**
Background of this chapter –
Marduc: the king of the Bablon Kingdom and the patron of Bablon City since ancient times. According to legends, he belonged to the same divine family as Enril, the king of Assyria and the Hittite Kingdom. It was said that Marduc's father was Ea. Both "Ea" and "Enril" were sons of "Anu".
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