Clockwork Bride

Page 334

To be fair, Hayden could completely understand Mithras's ideas—and his proposed theories of capitalism, technology, and productivity. It was foolish to shy away from capitalist development in feudal times; everyone must acknowledge the crucial role the bourgeoisie played in historical development. Because one must eat one bite at a time, and walk one step at a time. Trying to achieve utopia overnight would only lead to chaos, just like with other fallen angels.

At least thanks to Mithra's efforts, in a capitalist society that encourages hard work, people's personal lives can indeed be improved, a new economic cycle can be established, and various products and total social output will increase. This is a good thing for all mankind, right?

Compared to the feudal society ruled by fallen angels, the bourgeois revolution was undoubtedly a beacon of progress. It was clear that Mithras was better positioned to create a world suitable for all people than to continue enduring the dark rule of the fallen angels.

As for the more distant and better future, we will naturally need to continue taking it one step at a time. After all, Mithras himself acknowledged that it would take several hundred more years for technology and productivity to further develop and reach the ultimate stage of utopia, perfect society, and utopian harmony.

In the original history, the new gods of capital eventually became the source of evil, solidifying classes and distorting justice.

But this time, Hayden was right there, watching over them. As long as he was on guard, he could prevent the dragon-slaying boy from becoming a dragon himself, and the light of progress from turning into a cancer… What's wrong with that? Hayden should be able to do it!

"Come with me, Loki."

Mithra once again earnestly said,

"If you're worried that my words are just empty promises and I can't keep them, then please stay by my side and watch over me, please lend me a hand. I know you've witnessed my failures. So, I hope that this time, you, the time-altering being from the future, will make up for my shortcomings. What's wrong with that?"

Logically speaking, there really isn't.

However, Hayden couldn't help but wonder: "You shouldn't lack companions, so why are you so insistent on recruiting me? Don't you have seven comrades? What about Guanyin and the others?"

“Guanyin, are you talking about Miaoshan and the others?” Mithra shook her head. “They can’t fully understand what I understand either; at most, they can only understand a part of it. I suppose that’s a kind of intellectual obstacle.”

“But you, a person from the future, are different. You can understand everything I see, so you are certainly of special value.”

His gaze upon Hayden was devoid of falsehood, as pure and unwavering as that of a child, utterly straightforward. He truly possessed an immaculate and pure conviction.

The world today is a dark age where powerful fallen gods act with impunity, bullying the weak and exploiting lives. Among them, the great hero who stands up for the common people and challenges those who are not as powerful as him is Mitra.

Therefore, the words spoken by such a person are dazzling and brilliant. Thus, he can lead the people of this era and usher in a new one.

That's clearly the case, but why—why couldn't Hayden believe in his brilliance?

Why did he stop and worry?

Why did Hayden hesitate when such a hero reached out to recruit him?

We all know that our goals and what we pursue are the same.

So why did Hayden still fight him?

If there's any concern that Mitra might misbehave, fall into depravity, or fail, then as he said, Hayden can simply stay by his side and keep an eye on him. If that's still not enough, Hayden could even cut off his head and take over the reins himself.

So should he reject Mithra's proposal? But Hayden couldn't find a reason to do so, and the result would probably only be a deadly struggle that would harm the lives of millions.

Should they accept Mithra's offer? Logically, it seemed flawless, but Hayden had a bad feeling.

After much deliberation, Hayden... finally made up his mind.

"it is good."

He nodded and said,

“I will act as an advisor and watchdog to help you—but if you go astray, I will kill you.”

These words, however, brought a childlike, radiant, and confident smile to Mitra's face.

"Thank you, Loki. You can rest assured. I can see everything, and I know I will never let you down."

He seemed to have victory firmly in his grasp.

"Let us work together to create a world where all people can live in equality, freedom and happiness, and where there is no more suffering and oppression!"

418: Take it one step at a time

that's it,

After that, everything seemed to unfold as if it were perfectly natural.

First, Hayden went to Odin and the others to explain the situation, stating that he planned to follow Mitra from now on.

Odin didn't say anything about it, he just stroked his beard and nodded, as if to say he understood.

As for Thor and his companions, the other great wizards of Asgard felt great regret at the departure of Loki's friend.

"Damn it!" Thor, the hot-blooded warrior, exclaimed with particular regret. "Mitra, this so-called great hero, just came once and swindled our hero away. What a waste!"

"It's not that I'm completely leaving you. It's more like I'm acting as a liaison between Asgard and the Mithra Group, going back and forth like a window."

Hayden could only try to comfort Thor... but as he spoke, he suddenly felt something was off: "Brother Thor, why are you starting to call Mithra a great hero too?"

"Huh?" Thor looked at Hayden with a strange expression. "Because he really is a great hero, right? — Of course, he's still a little bit inferior to me, Thor."

As Thor spoke, he extended his index finger and thumb, making a short distance between them with a serious expression.

Apart from Odin and Thor, the other Aesir archmages present couldn't help but laugh.

Hayden smiled along, but he was a little worried inside.

Mithras's radiance was so dazzling that wherever he went, light was cast upon him, drawing everyone's attention. All things love the sun, so everyone loved Mithras; he was truly the object of countless affections. When he spoke with elegance, everyone was captivated by his wisdom.

fortunately,

Even among these unconventional Assamese barbarians, there is still one wise man who will seriously and thoughtfully consider certain issues.

So Hayden took the opportunity to secretly ask him, "Brother Odin, what do you think of Mithra?"

"He should be able to do anything he wants to do."

Odin gazed at the eastern sky, now tinged with the golden light of dawn, and spoke.

“I don’t deny that he could very well create a better world than we have now, one that would allow most people to have a better life. Mithra has that power.”

"But when he successfully creates such a new world, the power and destiny of the entire world will be in his own hands. We will never have a chance to change a world that he can mold at will. Regardless of whether Mithra acted kindly or not, I think it is difficult to be optimistic."

As expected of Odin, the most visionary man in the Northern Lands. The concerns he and Hayden, this man from the future, had were not so different.

Any excellent system can be ruined, and any excellent leader can turn things around and mess things up (even if his ideas are good).

On the other hand, at the same time, they both worried about a problem that even Odin's one eye could not see a solution to.

"So, what should we do?"

Odin shook his head and said, "Mithra is riding the wave of power now, and no one can go against him. We can only do our own thing well and take it one step at a time."

After thinking it over, it seems that this is the only way.

Hayden had previously stated that those who try to solve all problems at once and expect to get things done perfectly in one go are bound to run into trouble. Therefore, Hayden could only continue as he had said, taking things one step at a time.

Stay by Mitra's side, observe, analyze, gather intelligence, and search for solutions—yes, intelligence. And he didn't want intelligence already in writing, nor conclusions drawn from future people reading history books. Hayden wanted the most authentic, firsthand intelligence.

Whether it's formulating a plan to deal with Mithra or putting it into practice, nothing can be done without personally knowing his situation.

Because there is no magic bullet that can solve all problems simply.

"Odin, don't forget what you promised me last time."

Before parting, Hayden said to Odin, "When the final war between good and evil comes, did you promise to lead the people to help me?"

Odin sighed: "I knew your promise was a scheme to get us to do things for you—but oh well, I've got a pretty good idea of ​​what's going on. It's not a bad thing for us."

Hey, it's so convenient to deal with reasonable people.

After Hayden finished laughing, he led Angela toward Mitra's group.

As he walked away, Thor's words, spoken by the passionate man, could still be heard from behind him.

"Farewell, Loki! Don't forget that when we meet again, we will still be sworn brothers!"

Before Hayden arrived in this era, he certainly could not have imagined that he would establish such a relationship with the future new god of capital, and hear him say such sincere words of farewell.

"The arrangements of fate are truly incredible."

Thinking of this, Hayden couldn't help but murmur with emotion.

"What humans call fate is merely a web woven from the will and desires of all living beings," Angela said leisurely beside him. "Whatever happens is actually the result of people's choices and accumulations. There is no such thing as fate's arrangement. The way things have unfolded is also due to your own choices."

These words made Hayden scratch his head: "Angela, so do you think I made the wrong choice?"

“It’s too early. It’s not time to judge. Choices in this world aren’t always black and white.” Angela smiled slightly. “But I really appreciate that you often stop to ask me, to ask yourself, and to reflect on whether you’ve made a mistake. I really like that habit of yours. I really appreciate that when you have doubts or question your actions and decisions, you stop and think about it, just like checking a map to make sure you’re not lost.”

At this point, she glanced at the Mitra Group's massive flying warship and added, "A person who has absolutely no doubts about themselves is prone to making mistakes."

Hayden understood what Angela meant.

Hayden often struggled with his choices. Was his decision a mistake? Would it ultimately bring even greater disaster upon the world?

While believing in himself and striving relentlessly down the path he had chosen, Hayden was also constantly doubting whether he was right and troubled by it.

However, Mithra never doubted—he never doubted his own correctness.

Between the two of them, whose mind and will are stronger?

Hayden buried his worries deep in his heart and then boarded the Mithra Group's flying warship.

--------------------------------

After that, everything unfolded as if it were perfectly natural.

Later history books record how Mithra united the various factions of mortal magicians who had been fighting on the earth under his command... or at least basically united them.

Everyone began to study the arcane technological revolution promoted by Mithra, and how to replace the original feudal aristocratic divine race with a capitalist faith and social structure.

In fact, within each of the new gods of capitalism, there are wise men like Odin who notice the hidden crisis behind Mithra's brilliant light. In South America, there's the Smoke Mirror; in Italy, there's Apollo. Clever archmages all sense the terrifying nature of Mithra.

However, Mithra's power had now become undeniable. Most of humanity had begun to embrace his ideals and yearn for the new social order he envisioned. After all, most people disliked the arrogant and domineering world of the Old Gods.

Who wouldn't want a world where happiness and equality can be achieved through hard work and diligence?

As the old gods and fallen angel kings of Europe, West Asia, and Central Asia were defeated one by one, and then the old gods of the Americas actually rebelled—only then did the remaining fallen angels and old gods finally realize that the rebellion of mortals was truly a matter of life and death.

However, by the time he hurriedly jumped out of bed, it was too late. What followed was a great war. Europe, Asia, and many other regions were engulfed in flames. Mithra won victory after victory in this conflict.

The fallen angels, arrogant as rulers of the world and possessing overwhelming power, were completely unprepared. However, perhaps all rulers of all ages have had their wisdom eroded by carelessness and arrogance, ultimately leading to their downfall.

Over the years, Hayden had acted as "Loki," serving as a liaison between the Mithra Group and Asgard, much like a diplomat. Because he didn't want to draw attention to himself, he deliberately avoided doing anything too conspicuous, only occasionally offering clever ideas.

However, Mitra still trusted Hayden's advice implicitly. Soon, everyone within the Mitra Group knew about "Loki," an advisor from Northern Europe who was deeply favored by Mitra. Hayden could only carefully navigate this situation, trying not to let Freya and Guanyin remember him too clearly, lest the karmic connection be disrupted four hundred years later.

Interestingly, although Hayden was careful not to draw attention to himself, Angela, the robot, was constantly around him, yet she didn't attract much attention. Only Mitra himself, with his sharp eyes, occasionally sensed that Angela seemed a bit strange, but even he probably didn't see through her true nature.

Maybe.

Time passed day by day, and Mitra had achieved unprecedented success. He possessed wisdom, charisma, and military talent, and had won the loyalty and respect of all the bourgeois archmages—or at least a necessary alliance. Mitra began to gather a large army among them, preparing for a general offensive against the remaining forces of the Old Gods.

Finally, Asmodius, the strongest and most rebellious fallen angel king, led his son Mara, the Great Free King, to prepare for the final battle in East Asia—especially Japan.

This war between the old and the new, which resembles Ragnarok, will soon come to an end.

419: Witnessing History

In the war between the old and new gods, the great arcanists from different regions and cultures eventually developed different magic and styles.

For example, Odin and his Aesir independently developed their own runic arcane system, and were inspired by Hayden and Angela's previous tricks. Finding flesh and blood too weak, they began crafting mechanical bodies, creating fully cyborg Valkyries, and heroic spirits of steel. Their magic was inherently, and further began to focus on, matter—practicing their magic from a pragmatic perspective, transforming, reshaping, and refining matter, incorporating runes and spells into the process, and integrating supreme magic.

The human body is fragile, so they create immovable objects that endure for millennia, using their silent, exquisite, and durable structures to prove the power of their creators. The steel forged by the Northerners, and the mysteries residing within it, are truly terrifying.

As for the Smoke Mirror in South America, everyone knows what He did. He betrayed the poor Feathered Serpent God who wanted to rebel (Hayden didn't get involved, but he'll rescue him later anyway), leading the entire South American pantheon to defect to the camp of the new arcane gods. They also brought their age-old life magic into the realm of arcane magic. From viruses to giant whales to nerve cells, the great South American magicians used their hands, stained with blood and mud, to comprehend the truth of life.

Life is the activity of sex, eating, and the war and flight response. They consume all things, and after death are transformed into new life and flesh, thus achieving immortality. Hayden has already seen enough of the bizarre life cycles they ultimately create, so there's no need to elaborate further.

The great arcanists of Italy and the Mediterranean region chose to wield their immense elemental power, storm Mount Olympus, and utterly defeat the Olympian gods. However, many of these Olympian gods were fallen angels. For example, the infamous Zeus was the fallen angel Zadki-el. Since they could not be killed, they could only be sealed away.

So these great arcanists had a brilliant idea: they first drained the secret fire from the Olympian gods and locked them away, then gave themselves new "divine names" to replace the original Olympian names. Zeus became Jupiter, Hera became Juno, Poseidon became Neptune, Athena became Minerva, Ares became Mars… Although the beings inside had been completely replaced, even the names of the gods had changed, they still claimed to be the original costumes.

Names hold immense significance in spiritual magic. The fallen angels on Mount Olympus were drained of their secret fire and sealed away, even their names stripped away. Just as a tortoise relies on its shell for protection, but once an insect burrows into a crack in the shell, it is left helpless as the insect devours its body, these fallen angels were rendered useless as well. Hecate, whom Hayden also knew, was defeated and sealed away by Mars at this time.

Since then, building upon this foundation, the archmages of Mount Olympus have mastered the most advanced techniques for manipulating the elements—fire, air, kinetic energy, gravity, radiation, light, sound, waves… guiding, reshaping, transforming, enhancing, blocking… the elements they summon represent the natural energy of the earth itself. They have mastered the cutting-edge arcane arts of adjusting and controlling light, fire, and electricity, capable of summoning storms, controlling light and darkness, and conjuring tsunamis.

These are not usually tricks, but it must be admitted that the new gods on Mount Olympus have indeed mastered the most visually striking arcane powers.

...Material, life, and elemental energy—the three new god groups, each with its own distinct culture and style, have all developed their own arcane systems and areas of expertise, and all are extremely powerful. Each new god group has its own ideas and path, and has not completely followed Mithra's guidance and teachings.

Because Mitra is already strong enough. We're already following the direction of his ideas, and if we completely learn magic from him, won't we really lose our autonomy in the future?

So, what about the Mitra Group at the same time? What makes them so formidable?

Mithras chose to explore the magic of the mind because he naturally believed that the most powerful force came from his own and others' minds, thoughts, and spirits.

Under this philosophy, the Mithra Group first developed magic that could enhance the speed, precision, and power of arcanists' thoughts, honing their perception and intellect at the most fundamental level. At the end of this path, they even pursued the mastery of magic that could control the power of the soul.

To master the mind is to master the world.

Furthermore, the Mithra Group was the first to develop a mechanism that sharpens one's thinking, allowing arcanists to engage in multiple mental activities simultaneously or rapidly absorb external information. The Mithra Group was also the first to develop magical techniques capable of creating purely telepathic mental links, reading and influencing the thoughts of other beings, shaping mental illusions, and manipulating the collective consciousness of humanity.