Racial Mechanisms, Eldridge's Evolution

"Gah? Have you lost your mind?"

Ulysses's eyes widened, his emerald gaze filled with confusion and concern.

"I told you, if your strength rose too quickly, problems would easily arise. Your head's gone muddled. Hurry up and find somewhere to rest..."

"Stop, stop."

Richard raised a hand, signaling Ulysses to stop.

"You say my head's muddled, so let me ask you this: what do you think defines a new race?"

"A definition?"

Richard's question left Ulysses momentarily stunned.

How was he supposed to define a new race?

A change in bloodline?

Not to mention Wizards, even the Gods Civilization possessed quite a few secret arts for fusing the bloodlines of other races.

In this world, bloodline fusion was a very common thing. It was hardly rare for those with powerful bloodlines to interbreed with other races.

If a change in bloodline was defined as a new race, then new races would be far too broadly defined.

Even if one added the condition that it could be inherited stably and that its descendants possessed stable traits—

That would only weed out some cases. Among those remaining, there would still be more new races than one could count.

But if they did not use bloodline, the most distinguishing trait, as the standard, then what should they use to define a new race?

Changes in energy? Changes in habits? Or a complete transformation of bloodline?

"See? You can't say it either."

Richard revealed a slightly smug smile, then his gaze abruptly sharpened.

"In this world, bloodlines can interbreed. Without reproductive isolation as a boundary, the definition of a new race becomes blurred.

But when I saw those Demi-human Wizards, I had an idea.

Perhaps the definition of a new race is not merely a change in bloodline. More importantly, it lies in the