Essence

The world is on fire.

What the King of Kudel saw was a scene of destruction akin to Hell.

The royal city was no longer the prosperous place it once was. Raging flames and black smoke shrouded everything, and even the deafening shouts of battle had vanished, leaving only a deathly silence. He stood trembling on the palace balcony, his long sword gripped in his hand, his once solemn robes now stained with blood. Behind him lay corpses—servants, ministers, guards—each mercilessly swept up in the vortex of death. The nation was utterly destroyed, beyond redemption.

Footsteps approached, and the king turned around, trembling, to look at the young mage before him.

"Arcane Mage..."

"Kudel has been destroyed."

Li Lin stared at the palace hall littered with corpses, his expression unchanged.

"Next, only you are left."

Facing the mage before him, the king gave a wry smile.

He had never imagined that this nation would end in his hands, and in such a way. But whether he could imagine it or not was one thing; now, the shadow of destruction was undeniably before him, leaving him no room for escape or resistance. The last barrier was utterly useless. Faced with the overwhelming tide of the undead army, the soldiers collapsed like sandcastles battered by the waves, offering no resistance for even half a second. Incredibly, seeing his soldiers defeated, his subjects slaughtered, and his city burned, the King of Kudel seemed utterly unsurprised, as if it were all perfectly natural. Or perhaps, he had foreseen this end all along.

"That's right, Kudel is destroyed."

The king sighed, a hint of weariness flashing across his aged face. If, if he had seen through the mage's true nature the first time he appeared before him, perhaps... no, not even one percent. Even if he had recognized him as Arcane Mage, what difference would it have made? It would have only hastened the destruction of his kingdom.

"So, what do you plan to do?"

Li Lin's expression was so calm that it seemed he was discussing the weather rather than the destruction of a country.

"I am the King of Kudel."

As he spoke, the king gripped his longsword tightly and stared directly at the enemy before him.

"Then I will protect my country!!"

With a shout, the king raised his longsword and lunged at Li Lin. But Li Lin didn't even bother to raise an eyebrow at the attack. He simply extended a finger of his right hand, and a dark red beam of negative energy shot from his fingertip, piercing the king's body without resistance. The icy claw of God of Death immediately gripped the old king's soul and heart, then easily ripped them from his body. After the spell took effect, the king still swayed, taking several steps forward before collapsing to the ground. Only then did he finally achieve the same equality as everyone else, regardless of status, position, gender, or ability. Death took away everything they possessed in life equally, leaving only this corpse.

In this way, Kudel was completely destroyed.

Stepping over the old king's corpse, Li Lin walked onto the balcony. He stood in the same spot as the old king, admiring the scene before him, until someone behind him walked up to him and spoke.

How's it going?

"Everything went very smoothly, Arcane Mage."

Shirley's pale complexion had improved considerably, and it wasn't just the sight of the undead slaughter that had terrified her. In fact, the tension she felt when Li Lin faced the old king had nearly cost her her life. She was extremely worried that the old king might reveal his past attempt to form an alliance with the Magic Empire. However, with the old king's death, Princess Shirley's last worries finally dissipated.

Li Lin naturally understood what Princess Shirley was thinking, but he clearly had no intention of touching on that topic.

How are your troops preparing?

"... All preparations are complete, Arcane Mage. So far, three nations have agreed to join our attack, however..."

You don't need to worry about the cleanup.

Li Lin interrupted Princess Shirley's hesitant speech.

"Just do your best. As long as you don't invade my territory, I don't care what you do."

"I understand, Arcane Mage."

Princess Shirley remained silent for a moment, then bowed in response. She then turned and left the palace, which no longer had an owner.

If the little one saw this, she would be so excited she wouldn't be able to contain herself.

Gazing at the statues of the Five Heroes in the plaza below, now obscured by mountains of corpses, Li Lin couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh. He then reached into his robes and pulled out a piece of pure white jade. On its smooth, white surface, a woman's face was contorted in agony, a silent lament emanating from her soul crystal, as if mourning all that lay before her.

"This is the fate of your people, Catherine."

Li Lin stared at the soul crystal before him, the very soul of one of the Five Heroes he had extracted from Catherine. Now, he wanted the hero to witness firsthand the utter destruction of the country he loved and the people he protected.

"Your crimes of attacking the Magic Empire should be paid for by your own people... I think that's quite reasonable. Now, how do you feel hearing the cries and wails of these people? Do you recall that when you invaded the Magic Empire, weren't you doing the same thing? Then there's no need for repentance or sorrow, is there?"

"...!!"

Chaotic and frantic information erupted from the soul crystal, but Li Lin remained completely unmoved. He simply stared coldly at the soul of the saintess before him, then shrugged.

"It's a pity the little one isn't here... Well then, let's all watch the destruction of the Five-Nation Alliance... Next, it'll be Lalia's turn."

If Angela knew what Li Lin was doing right now, she would definitely clamor to get involved, but she had more important things to do right now—although her ultimate goal was still to get back to Li Lin's side and get involved.

"The Power of Origin?"

The professor sat in his swivel chair, fiddling with a sculpture he had unearthed from who-knows-where.

"That's right."

Angela out her chest triumphantly.

"The Power of Origin of the world is infinite, manifesting in various forms. I can sense that your power is mixed with the aura of creation and destruction; this is proof that you have obtained the Power of Origin. And the golden rune threads you are playing with are proof that this power has materialized."

"Then, why me?"

The professor interrupted Angela with a cold laugh.

"Why is it me who received the Power of Origin, and not some random cat or dog on the street? The old lady selling tea eggs? Or some kid who's copying non-mainstream trends?"

"The Power of Origin will autonomously choose its possessor."

A red glint flashed in Angela's eyes.

"Only those who possess the same unwavering belief as their Root are qualified to possess the power of that Root. Those immature brats aren't even worthy of licking my shoes, let alone possessing the power of the Root. Although I don't know what you truly intend to do, your actions are absolutely a manifestation of the Root —you attempt to destroy all things while simultaneously creating them. It is precisely for this reason that the power of creation and destruction has chosen you—of course, I believe luck is also an indispensable element."

"You mean... once I possess this power, I can destroy and create at will?"

"Of course, but you absolutely cannot do it."

Upon hearing this, the professor narrowed his eyes slightly, casting a cold glance at Angela was naturally displaying her pride.

"Why?"

"It's simple, because you are human."

Angela glanced at the professor smugly.

"While I acknowledge that humans possess extraordinary abilities, such as willpower, this does not negate your inherent weaknesses. The human body is fragile and short-lived, utterly incapable of withstanding the absolute power of creation and destruction. In your current form, you can at most utilize only one-tenth of it. If you wish to attain the absolute power of the Root, then learn from your master and abandon this weak and fragile human body to be reborn. Only in this way can you truly grasp its most essential power. I do not know what you intend to do, human, but I can see a dangerous yet grand ambition in your eyes. Isn't sacrificing for one's cause also a virtue of humanity?"

"If it's necessary, then I absolutely wouldn't mind doing it."

As he spoke, the professor shrank back into his chair and interlaced his fingers.

"So, I've heard your nonsense, kid. What evidence do you have to support this rambling?"

"Of course I have evidence."

Angela revealed a smug, arrogant smile.

"Because I am also a holder of the Power of Origin, though my characteristics are somewhat different from yours... Moreover, I need to rely on your Power of Origin to return to the place I wish to go. The 'destruction' aspect of your Power of Origin can shatter the barriers of this world, thereby 'creating' a passage to a new world. If you succeed in doing so, wouldn't that prove that what I said is correct?"

"Compared to a bachelor's degree certificate that costs twenty-five yuan at a street stall, your words obviously have more credibility."

After listening to Angela's explanation, the professor flexed his fingers and pondered for a moment.

"Very well, I agree to help you this time, kid. This is at least more interesting than my usual experiments, and if you're not lying to me, then I'll achieve my goal much faster."

"Very good."

Upon hearing this, Angela revealed her usual innocent and carefree smile, sat back down in her chair, then kicked her legs idly and looked curiously at the man in front of her.

"Although I don't particularly care, the fact that you were chosen by the Power of Origin creation and destruction is astounding. What exactly do you intend to do?"

My goal is simple.

Upon hearing this, the professor revealed the same smug and ecstatic smile.

"I will destroy this stagnant world, forcing humanity to abandon what they rely on and kneel at my feet. Supported by their current scientific civilization, they brazenly mock my discoveries and research. So, I will utterly destroy their proud civilization and build my world upon its ruins! Anyone who opposes me will die. Only those who acknowledge and humbly kneel before my discoveries and submit to me will be worthy of life. Just imagine, wouldn't it be fascinating to see these humans, who believe in the power of technological civilization, bowing before a power they will never understand, trembling and admitting their stupidity and shortsightedness?"

"Interesting, very interesting indeed. It's a sight that's exciting just to imagine. Humans have no respect for anything outside themselves, and I've never thought that's a good thing. Indeed, if ruthless methods can make them realize this and put away their arrogance, then it would be a good attempt."

Upon hearing this, Angela's eyes also lit up with excitement.

"Now I finally understand why the Power of Origin chose you. If I didn't already have a master, watching Earth's civilization crumble by your side would be quite a pastime. But alas, I too must help my master achieve his lofty goals and ideals. Those will be a spectacle no less magnificent than yours, you know? Sadly, you'll never see it."

The professor remained unmoved by Angela's words.

"There's nothing to regret. I have no interest in brats. I'll start preparing immediately, and once it's done, you can go wag your tail and fawn over your pedophile master."

"Master doesn't just like little girls, he won't let any woman go."

"That's terrible. You should pray that the world doesn't have AIDS."

"You don't need to worry about that for me, human. Oh, and take this."

Upon hearing this, Angela did not refute it. Instead, she reached into her skirt, took out a booklet, and threw it in front of the professor.

"What's this?"

Staring at the thick booklet before him, the professor looked at Angela was standing up, with some confusion.

"This is a little alchemical gadget that Master once taught me, but unfortunately, I couldn't grasp that kind of power, so I've never been able to learn it. I'll just hand it over to you, human. In my long life, I've seen many humans, some powerless idiots who only dream, and others powerful fools who cower in fear. Humans like you are rare. I'm tired of this world; the new world Master inhabits is much more interesting to me. However, if you can recreate an Earth different from the one I know, that wouldn't be bad—consider it my personal sponsorship. Compared to me, your Root power should be more capable of handling these complex and strange things."

"You brat, so self-righteous about spending other people's money, I really don't know if your owner has given you any proper upbringing."

Despite saying that, the professor still reached out and picked up the booklet from the table.

"Although I don't know if it will actually work, I'll accept it anyway. After all, you're the first person to support my plan so much. Even the stray cats and dogs I'm currently taking in have a lot of complaints about my plan. Despite being experimental animals, they don't understand that they should wag their tails for the owners who feed them meat and bones. They're such a troublesome bunch."

Do you need my help?

Upon hearing this, Angela revealed a wicked, alluring smile.

"If I were to intervene, I guarantee those stray animals would become your most loyal servants. Of course, if possible, how about giving me that Persian cat? Although it's only a flawed product with half the power of the Root, it's barely qualified to be taken back to its master as a maid."

"I appreciate your kind offer, but I have more faith in my own abilities and destiny."

The professor shrugged and declined Angela's offer.

"However, there is something I do need your help with."

"Oh?"

"I have some understanding of the spatial dimension theory you mentioned, and according to my current understanding, simply opening the passage won't take you back to that dimension. According to you, your master, who had no morals towards women, lived in this dimension, didn't he? Therefore, I need something related to him to set a marker, whether it's an artifact or his illegitimate child. Bring it back to me; I need to use its power to find that strange world you spoke of."

"Give it to me."

Upon hearing the man's request, Angela frowned, but quickly relaxed.

"I will definitely get you what you want. However, you'd better do it quickly, because you should know that my patience is very limited."

As Angela turned around, intending to leave the strange basement, the professor's voice rang out again.

"By the way, I'm still a little curious. What kind of Power of Origin do you possess? If I could use this so-called Power of Origin to destroy and create new worlds, what about you, brat?"

Hearing this, Angela turned around and looked proudly at the man in front of her.

"The Power of Origin I possess is life and death... to grant death to existing life, awaiting the birth of new life; this is my Power of Origin... as long as life and death exist in this world, I will never perish."