A God Driven to Suicide

The God of Magic, a god who died before he was even born. Moreover, his death was orchestrated by Arcane Mage.

"After we became archmages, we studied the power of magic in detail."

Recalling the situation at the time, Li Lin couldn't help but smile wryly.

"Having gained power, it was natural for us to investigate its source. We are mages; what we need is power we can control, power that is entirely our own. With caution, the thirteen archmages joined forces and cast a massive spell, almost unprecedented in history—tracing its origins back through the power of magic. Just as every river has a source, the power of magic must also have a source. And then, we obtained the result."

This was an unprecedentedly powerful spell. Thirteen archmages worked together, spending ten days and ten nights, finally arriving at the final result, which astonished them. After ten days of analysis and searching, the archmages were shocked to discover that the source and end of the magical power and the _book_ were actually the same! It was like a snake biting its own tail, trapped in a vicious cycle?

This illogical thing should never have happened, yet it did. Moreover, the archmages discovered that the magical powers were gathering together, forming a new entity.

A new life.

This discovery shocked and terrified the archmages. In their journey to becoming archmages, they had interacted with many clergy and had some understanding of the existence of gods. Gods are the personification of concepts and rules, a product of rules endowing souls and life. Therefore, magic, as the rule of the world, is naturally no exception.

Fortunately, magic is different from other rules. While concepts like good, justice, light, darkness, and evil have existed since the multiverse began, the power of magic, utilized by humanity, only came much later. Therefore, it's normal that the God of Magic appeared later than other gods.

The archmages naturally wouldn't let this opportunity pass them by. They couldn't allow the God of Magic to appear, because if he did, all God of Magic power would fall into his hands, something the archmages didn't want to see. So, after realizing this, the archmages began searching for a way to kill the God of Magic.

To be precise, it was about killing the yet-to-be-born God of Magic.

However, new problems arose.

Even though they were extremely hostile to the God of Magic, the archmages like Li Lin knew that the current ability of magic to condense and converge was entirely due to this God of Magic. If they killed the God of Magic but didn't have the means to deal with the ensuing troubles, then the magical power of the entire world would collapse, and at that time, all mages would become useless.

Ultimately, the archmages found a way to kill the God of Magic while simultaneously dividing his power. This way, magical power would remain bound and suppressed, continuing along its predetermined path instead of collapsing. Finally, the archmages launched a challenge, successfully killing the God of Magic before he could awaken. They then divided his power, merging it with their own souls to become Arcane Mage.

"Looking back now, we should have realized the problem back then."

Li Lin frowned.

"The twelve magical factions were successfully separated, but none of us thirteen Arcane Mage gained the power to manipulate magic. Indeed, we Arcane Mage possess immense power that other mages can never obtain. However, we cannot, like gods, bestow or take away the spellcasting abilities of others. We cannot manipulate other people's spells, nor can we make those without magical talent use magic, much less deprive mages of their power. Looking back now, we were so focused on killing the God of Magic that we neglected our original purpose. After all, at that time, we were merely archmages, not gods. Our understanding of gods and their power was still lacking."

Gods can reward their followers with divine arts and powers, or punish them by taking them back. The ability to grant and withdraw these powers at will is the most powerful manifestation of a god's strength. Few can resist a god and retain these powers.

Now that I think about it, the power of the God of Magic should have been divided into fourteen parts.

"Owner."

Upon hearing this, Angela couldn't help but ask a question.

"Are you missing something? There are twelve schools of magic, but thirteen Arcane Mage? I've always been puzzled. If the power of the God of Magic is distributed according to schools, then what's with the missing Arcane Mage?"

That's me.

As he spoke, Li Lin pointed to himself.

"I did not obtain the Root power of any magical school; what I obtained was the concept of 'magic' itself. If the power of other schools is like the bones, muscles, and internal organs of the human body, then my power is the physical body that encompasses all of them. I specialize in all magical schools, I am proficient in all schools of magic, and I can use all types of spells. This is my power, the power of the 'Dominator'."

All magical power, regardless of faction, will submit to Li Lin's hands. The title of "Dominator" now seems well-deserved.

"If that's the case..."

Angela her eyes.

"So those Magic Controller must be the fourteenth Arcane Mage? Like, 'Manipulator' or something."

"Theoretically, that's true. The formation of the God of Magic comes from the power of the twelve magical schools, the power to overwhelmingly dominate these powers, and the power to manipulate them at will. I always thought that having obtained the Power of Domination, I had already obtained the power of manipulation. But now it seems that the gods are truly intricate beings; they even separately delineate the power of manipulation."

Li Lin shrugged.

"However, this also explains why there are five Magic Controllers... When the God of Magic was murdered, there were only thirteen of us, or rather, in the entire world, only thirteen mages had the ability and qualification to control and ensure that the God of Magic's death would not affect the world, while simultaneously seizing the God of Magic's power. Therefore, the separated Power of Manipulation, without a suitable vessel, naturally shattered. However, it will not disappear. As long as magic exists, the power of magical manipulation will also exist. Therefore, if we cannot completely seal this power, then even if it doesn't appear now, Magic Controller will reappear in this world in the future."

"Therefore, we must re-condense the 'Power of Manipulation' into a single entity and absorb its existence."

As Eternal Library that records even the secrets of the birth of gods, it quickly came to a conclusion.

"This is difficult. After all, the Power of Manipulation is currently divided into several parts, and no one knows for sure. The Power of Manipulation I obtained from the embryo can only manipulate level zero spells. In other words, not everyone can become Magic Controller just by having Power of Manipulation of manipulation. The amount of Power of Manipulation represents the level of magic they can manipulate... This is the only thing that gives me peace of mind. From this perspective, those five guys should have received the largest amount of Power of Manipulation, but even if their combined power were not enough to control the barrier spell that had entered a self-controlled state, it would still be insufficient. That is to say, even if their power is very close to the manipulation ability of the God of Magic himself, it does not mean that they are equivalent to the manipulation ability of the God of Magic. If their power were truly complete Power of Manipulation, then even a spell in a berserk state should be able to be suppressed and controlled by them. After all, the biggest difference between gods and mortals is that they can do things that mortals can never do."

Li Lin closed his eyes as he finished speaking, while the others exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of what to say.

However, it was Angela was the first to break the silence.

"I understand."

"Clear?"

Yi Aier stared at Angela in surprise.

"What do you understand?"

"A method to reclaim the Power of Manipulation."

Angela revealed her most characteristic, cruel, and wicked smile.

"Since, according to Master, these Power of Manipulation have been dispersed, then why not just find them again? Just capture everyone who possesses Power of Manipulation, and let Master absorb their Power of Manipulation until it's completely absorbed. Whether the Power of Manipulation is divided into hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands of parts, as long as we find them and absorb them, isn't that enough?"

"How foolish..."

"But it's very useful."

Although Yi Aier quickly frowned, Nia nodded.

"Indeed, Miss Angela's method seems simple and arduous, but it's not a difficult task for us. We have plenty of time, resources, and manpower. If killing tens of thousands of people can guarantee the future security of the empire, I'm confident we'll succeed."

"Arrest them all, kill them all, investigate them all, absorb them all. What are we afraid of?"

A glint of murderous intent and excitement flashed in Angela's eyes.

"Two-thirds of the people on this continent are useless members of the Five-Nation Alliance. They're all going to die anyway, so why not contribute to our master's great empire? I've long felt that simply killing them is too boring; a little something new would be nice."

Perhaps this last sentence is the key point.

"That's the decision."

Li Lin finally made his decision. As Arcane Mage and one of the sealed bodies of the God of Magic who possessed the concept of "magic," he absolutely could not allow this most powerful force to leave his hands.

"I will immediately create magical artifacts to detect the Power of Manipulation. Angela, until then, do not kill any more residents of the Federation. Completely surround them. The Power of Manipulation of the God of Magic must be reclaimed, at any cost."

Li Lin said the last sentence almost through gritted teeth.

Soon, the study returned to its usual peace and tranquility.

You seem disappointed.

Nia was the only one who didn't leave. Even Angela had used the excuse of dispatching her undead army to leave, but Nia stayed behind. At this moment, she walked behind Li Lin and watched his figure.

"... That's true."

Li Lin sighed, revealing an expression of utter exhaustion for the first time.

"Because it means that all our Arcane Mage' efforts over the years have been in vain. Why did we even kill the God of Magic? It was to prevent magic from being manipulated, and what was the result? We failed at the last hurdle, failing to obtain the most crucial part... If those guys were still alive, they'd probably kill me right now. Destroy the God of Magic of God of Magic? What grudge do we have against him? If we hadn't noticed his ability to manipulate magic at will, why would we have even bothered with him? In the end, the God of Magic is dead, and we haven't obtained the Power of Manipulation. All our efforts over the years..."

At this point, Li Lin's voice gradually lowered.

"In the end, it wasn't the Five-Nation Alliance that destroyed the Magic Empire, but ourselves."

This is not your fault.

Nia reached out and hugged Li Lin.

"Li Lin, the path of a mage is inevitably fraught with failure, and the cost is immeasurable... You understand."

"I understand, but the price we pay might not be something we can afford."

Li Lin looked at his hands.

Why did they overlook the power of the God of Magic's Power of Manipulation at that time? Was it because the God of Magic hadn't yet fully developed? Or was it because they had become complacent after the great battle? Li Lin carefully recalled everything that happened. Killing the God of Magic dividing his power—every step should have been flawless, without any problems. The power Power of Manipulation should have affected them, but at that time, it didn't work. How could that be? Even if the God of Magic was still in an embryonic state, he was still a living being, with an instinctive resistance to the threat of death. When Li Lin and the other thirteen archmages went to kill him, they encountered extremely strong resistance. Under those circumstances, the God of Magic shouldn't have held back, and his personality hadn't even fully developed; frankly, he wasn't particularly intelligent. During the battle with the thirteen archmages, the embryonic God of Magic even made many serious and elementary mistakes. Although he overwhelmed them with his innate magical power, he ultimately failed.

We failed, didn't we? Why? Why was our most important strength lost?

Li Lin clenched his fists, unable to understand what exactly went wrong back then.

It was only a cold, soft touch on his lips that brought him back from his reverie.

"Nia... you..."

"This is not your fault, Li Lin."

Nia took two steps back, lowered her head, and blushed slightly.

"You once told me that a mage's greatest failure is not trying and failing, but regretting failure. Because it's already happened, no matter how much you regret it, it's useless. Rather than regretting what can't be rectified, it's better to avoid making the same mistake in the first place; that's the most foolish thing to do."

At this point, Nia raised her head, her gaze unwavering.

"The destruction of the Magic Empire is not your responsibility, Li Lin. Even with the Power of Manipulation, you cannot stop those greedy people. Those soldiers, those invaders, they did not come to invade the empire because they possessed the power to manipulate magic; they came here to occupy our land. Magic has never been a sin. Moreover..."

Nia paused slightly at this point.

"If you agree, I'm willing to be the first test subject."

Upon hearing this, Li Lin's expression finally darkened.

"Wait, I think..."

"How many years do you think we've been together, Li Lin? I am the Eternal Library, the recorder of ancient history. I have been with you for 1,345 years and 20 days. You just stated the solution, didn't you? Only magic that operates autonomously and is not controlled can be manipulated. Of course, I understand that altering the operation of magic is impossible now, but we... magical weapons are possible."

As Nia spoke, she placed her hand on her chest.

"Once we sever our soul connection, we will become autonomous, unmanipulated weapons, won't we? In that case, no matter how powerful the Magic Controller is, they won't be able to control our power."

Upon hearing this, Li Lin finally froze.

He gazed into Nia's eyes, clear and transparent, without the slightest fear.

Indeed, this was exactly his idea; a magical weapon that operates autonomously cannot be controlled by Magic Controller.

That's theoretically true.

However, the Empire's prohibition of autonomous, uncontrolled magical weapons was not without reason.

Just like in movies about humans on Earth, where autonomously thinking robots eventually rule over humanity, autonomous magical weapons could also bring disaster. Of course, if it were merely autonomous action, it wouldn't be so unacceptable. However, magic itself possesses terrifying effects. Once the contract is terminated, the autonomous magical weapon will go berserk, lose its mind, and become unrestrained.

After investigation, Li Lin and the other Arcane Mage concluded that Magic Power itself possesses a corrosive nature, and since magical weapons are man-made objects, their souls are no different. Therefore, they are not as perfect as naturally occurring life forms to resist the corrosive power of Magic Power. Normally, relying on the contract between master and servant, the magical Weapon Spirit can resist the corrosive power of Magic Power itself. However, once the contract is broken, the soul of the Weapon Spirit, now without protection, will be corrupted by Magic Power, causing it to go berserk and cause terrible harm.

The more Magic Power a magical weapon is, the more likely it is to suffer a backlash.

Although Nia had spent a full thousand years, even she dared not draw magic from the outside during that time. Instead, she continuously consumed the Magic Power stored within her body to avoid a potential Magic Power outburst. The other weapons, realizing they might not be able to hold on, rushed to fall into slumber and be sealed away for the same reason.

The soul of a magical weapon is, after all, not nature, but a man-made thing.

"I refuse."

Under Nia's gaze, Li Lin firmly shook his head.

"I will not sacrifice the Seven Ring Spirit Envoys in a meaningless and uncertain way, especially not you—the first of the Seven Ring Spirit Envoys, Nia. You must remember your duties and tasks, and your..."

Li Lin stopped there and glanced at the sky.

"I will not give up. To prevent the same mistake from happening again, this time, even if it means rivers of blood, I will never give up."