Chapter 324: If Just a Little Earlier...

Chapter 324: If Just a Little Earlier...

Cassandra strode slowly toward the podium, each step measured with an air of calm authority.

The podium, constructed from otherworldly materials, emitted a faint glow beneath her feet, as if responding to the terrifying mana coursing through her body.

The "Time Crystals" embedded along its edges began pulsing rhythmically, perfectly synchronized with her heartbeat.

As she came to a stop, the entire "Constellations Hall" fell into a deathly silence.

Thousands of mages held their breath, the air thick with tension so palpable it felt suffocating.

Luo En activated his "Hermit's Insight", meticulously observing the subtle reactions from the crowd.

Young mages' eyes sparkled with excitement, like hungry beasts catching the scent of blood, while seasoned academics wore expressions of concern, their clenched fists betraying inner turmoil.

Most intriguing were the transformations among the Observatory members.

Those suffering from Abyss erosion displayed an unsettling eagerness.

"It seems my earlier hypothesis was correct", Luo En analyzed the abnormal phenomenon mentally. "The aftereffects of Abyss erosion have caused them to resonate with Cassandra's specific energy fluctuations?"

"My fellow colleagues."

Cassandra's voice echoed through the chamber, her gentle tone starkly contrasting the commanding aura she'd displayed moments ago.

"What I just demonstrated are merely the tip of the iceberg of our true potential."

Her purple eyes swept across the assembly.

"To ensure smooth conquest operations, the Schoolalliance will implement new management systems."

The first policy announcement caused immediate uproar.

"Compulsory conscription: All mages at or above the Moonlight Rank must participate in otherworldly conquests. This is no longer a personal choice, but a civilizational responsibility."

Murmurs of discontent spread among traditionalist mages, but Cassandra didn't allow objections.

"Of course, considering mages' different specializations, conscription will be implemented flexibly."

She unfurled a policy manual where detailed classifications shimmered into existence.

"Combat mages will directly participate in frontline battles, enjoying the highest loot distribution rights. Research mages may choose rear support roles, focusing on otherworldly technology analysis and application. Administrative mages will handle governance and resource development in conquered territories."

This detailed division visibly eased many academics' concerns.

"Considering our school's long-term development needs", Cassandra continued, "we'll retain a certain percentage of researchers for traditional teaching work, ensuring knowledge lineage remains uninterrupted."

The second policy drew equal attention.

"Battle merit evaluation system: Traditional academic contributions will now parallel conquest achievements. Publishing a top-tier paper will carry the same merit as conquering a small civilization."

She displayed a complex scoring table.

"This system doesn't devalue academic research but fairly evaluates all contribution forms. Whether discovering new spell principles or opening new resource channels for our school, both advance civilization."

The third policy addressed core interests.

"Otherworld resource management: All conquest-obtained resources will be centrally managed and distributed by Conquerors, but usage rights will be allocated according to contribution levels."

This explanation eased many researchers' worries.

"Participants will receive priority allocation, but resources won't be monopolized. Any mage can apply for research and usage opportunities, just with differing priorities."

The most controversial policy concluded:

"Otherworld sentient beings management system. We'll establish comprehensive classification systems to ensure every sentient being contributes where most suitable."

Carefully avoiding provocative terms like 'enslavement', she used more diplomatic phrasing.

"Otherworldly beings demonstrating cooperation during combat will attain 'Protected Citizens' status, enjoying basic survival rights and development opportunities. Those persistently resisting will be categorized as 'Labor Resources', contributing power to Schoolalliance's construction."

Most surprising was her arrangement for marginalized mages.

"For mages unable to participate in conquests or advanced research, we'll provide ample teaching and administrative positions."

She displayed a detailed social division chart.

"Aged mages can focus on teaching in secure environments, nurturing the next generation. Those in poor health may handle logistics management. Even weaker mages can serve in basic administrative roles within already fully-conquered safe realms."

This policy framework brilliantly addressed potential objections - academics fearing forced conscription had research alternatives, traditionalists saw academic value maintained, ordinary mages gained fair resource access, and even those unable to adapt to the new era found proper arrangements.

Whispers began circulating when an elderly guardian in traditional academic robes cleared his throat.

"Archmage Cassandra, respectfully, our 'defensive strategy' has ensured mage civilization's survival until today. I've studied some aggressively expansionist otherworld civilizations - most vanished into historical oblivion."

This elderly guardian, Edgar Black, was one of Crystal Spire's theoretical researchers. Though his voice trembled, his conviction remained unshaken.

Cassandra turned toward him.

"Researcher Edgar raises an excellent point. Indeed, conservative strategies enabled our survival - undeniable merit."

She waved her right hand, conjuring a massive multidimensional map projection.

"But Researcher Edgar, do you consider 'survival' and 'prosperity' synonymous?"

The map displayed mage civilization's development trajectory over several epochs - a slow, steady upward curve.

Then projections showed comparative development speeds of other known civilizations.

"See this red line? This represents our civilization's trajectory - stable, predictable, reassuring."

Her finger traced the mage civilization's blue curve.

"These others are development data from otherworld civilizations I've encountered."

Dozens of differently colored curves appeared, most showing steep upward trajectories. Some civilizations developed ten times faster, others a hundredfold.

Researcher Edgar's face paled. "But rapid development often means instability and greater risks..."

"You're absolutely right."

Cassandra nodded agreement before pivoting.

"But Professor Edgar, have you considered - when other civilizations surpass us so greatly, does our 'stability' still hold meaning? A vastly superior civilization deciding to conquer us could render our accumulated ten thousand years of progress just a joke."

Suddenly a young female mage challenged her.

"But Archmage Cassandra, conquest means conflict and death. Your displayed spoils and policies are indeed impressive, but at what cost? We might become the next victims. None of us possess your strength."

Luo En carefully observed the questioner's micro-expressions and mana fluctuations.

Surprisingly, the young mage's emotional state remained remarkably calm. Though her tone questioned, her heartbeat, mana flow, and even pupil reactions displayed almost transcendent calm.

"This isn't typical physiological response for genuine anger or concern..." Luo En noted this anomaly, beginning to monitor other questioners' states.

Facing this sharp question, Cassandra's expression turned serious.

"Mentor Liana, your question touches the core controversy of conquest policies. I won't avoid it - honesty must form our foundational basis."

Her purple eyes filled with profound sorrow.

"Yes, lives were lost during the conquests, and most of those were likely our own during the early explorations."

Cassandra's voice trembled slightly:

"But Mentor Liana, I ask you to consider another question.

How many mages have died in the Abyss during our decades of 'peaceful' development?

How many academics were lost due to lack of advanced treatment technologies?"

She waved her hand, projecting a set of shocking statistics:

"Since the Fourth Epoch, mages who died in Abyss Exploration: 2,847.

Researchers who perished in experiment accidents: 1,923.

Academics who succumbed to terminal illnesses and erosion aftereffects: 4,651.

This doesn't even include those permanently disabled by Mana Overload, spiritual contamination, and other causes."

Liana Mentor's expression shifted subtly, but Luo En noticed her physiological indicators remained unnaturally stable.

"These deaths are the cost of our 'peaceful policy.'"

Cassandra continued:

"If we'd obtained the Decoding Civilization's Life Recoding technology a millennium earlier, those academics who died from terminal illnesses would still be alive today.

If we'd mastered the Reaper Civilization's Time Manipulation techniques five centuries ago, those Abyss Exploration accidents could have been reversed."

Her voice grew more impassioned:

"Mentor Liana—tell me, which is more acceptable: letting 2,847 mages slowly die in the Abyss, or sacrificing 200 warriors in a swift conquest to obtain the technology to save them?"

The audience fell into stunned silence.

Numbers held brutal power—they transformed abstract arguments into concrete life-for-life comparisons.

But Luo En's sharp perception detected a subtle coordination in the mana fluctuations of several "questioners" in the front row.

Though they played different roles, their mana frequencies shared a similar Resonance pattern.

"These individuals were likely arranged beforehand..."

He remained mentally alert, scrutinizing the speech's careful design.

Cassandra continued her presentation:

"I understand concerns that conquest might alter our essence.

This worry is reasonable—I've wrestled with it myself."

Her expression turned complex and profound:

"Yet through interdimensional conquest, I've seen a harsher truth. In this universe, there are no true 'bystanders.'"

The projection shifted again, displaying several dim nodes labeled "Extinct Civilizations."

These nodes no longer emitted light, leaving only gray shadows—like cosmic tombstones.

"The Fourth Quadrant's Peaceful Alliance—a civilization union built on principles of peace and cooperation."

Cassandra's voice turned eulogistic:

"They created a perfect democratic system where every decision required endless deliberation and voting.

They considered war barbaric, force the mark of ignorance."

The projection showed the alliance's final moments:

Beautiful crystal cities collapsing instantly under twisting tendrils, countless lives vanishing in despair.

"When the 'Limping One' invaded, they still debated whether the entire civilization should flee.

By the time their meeting concluded, the entire alliance had been absorbed into that ancient entity's Domain.

Hundreds of Domains, trillions of lives, erased from history by excessive 'democracy.'"

A middle-aged mage in the audience asked shakily:

"But... couldn't we acquire knowledge through exchange instead of war?"

This time the questioner's reaction felt genuine—Luo En sensed real fear and confusion in his heart.

Cassandra turned toward him, eyes showing understanding:

"Mentor Havis, your viewpoint is absolutely correct in ideal scenarios.

Diplomacy and negotiation are indeed more civilized ways to gain knowledge. I'd prefer this method too."

She paused, tone growing heavier:

"The problem, Mentor Havis, is when the other side refuses to engage as equals—how effective is your diplomacy then?"

The projection displayed another civilization's destruction:

"The Seventh Quadrant's Academic Republic—a civilization devoted to accumulating knowledge and research. Their library held a century's worth of wisdom crystallized in knowledge crystals.

When the Mechanical Federation attacked, they sent their most outstanding diplomats, offering their most precious knowledge crystals as bargaining chips."

The image showed robed academics standing before a mechanical army, hands holding glowing knowledge crystals.

"How did the Mechanical Federation respond?"

Cassandra's voice turned sarcastic:

"They killed all diplomats, seized the knowledge crystals, then continued attacking.

Because in their logic—why settle for half when conquest gives you everything?"

This example left Havis Mentor opening his mouth, but no rebuttal emerged.

"This is our reality."

Cassandra continued:

"In this brutal universe, only civilizations strong enough can afford moral discussions or diplomacy.

A weakling's kindness is often a joke to the strong."

She paused, scanning the crowd:

"In such circumstances, conquest isn't greed—it's self-defense.

Not to satisfy power lust, but to gain the ability to protect those we love."

This personal framing clearly created strong emotional Resonance.

Her argumentation was masterfully crafted.

She avoided mentioning specific atrocities of conquest, instead framing it as forced self-defense through "rejected requests" and "unfair exchange terms."

This rhetoric made conquest seem like necessity rather than aggression.

"There's an even more crucial point."

Cassandra shifted to governance costs of conquest:

"We're not destroyers—we're integrators."

The projection showed conquered civilizations under her rule:

Orderly cities, productive industries, different species working in suitable roles.

Though clear rank hierarchies existed, the scenes appeared relatively harmonious.

"See how these former 'enemies' now live?

They have stable food supplies, appropriate jobs, basic safety.

Their knowledge and culture are preserved and even developed."

She pointed deliberately at specific details:

"This is the original Crystal Civilization's artisan district. They continue producing traditional artwork, now with better materials and tools.

Those are the Mechanical Federation's technicians, developing even more advanced equipment with our support."

"Conquest doesn't mean destruction—it means optimization."

Cassandra's voice carried confidence:

"We integrate different civilizations' strengths into a more efficient, powerful system."

Yet Luo En's Transcendent Perception revealed subtle details—

At the image edges, massive monitoring devices and armed guards hinted this "harmony" was enforced.

"Archmage's rhetorical skills are indeed masterful."

Luo En analyzed calmly:

"She's repackaged conquest as salvation, enslavement as integration, forced labor as cooperation.

Most cleverly, some examples might even be partially true—making the lies far more convincing."

The audience erupted into enthusiastic applause.

As the clapping began, Luo En noticed subtle details—

Uther's Phantom Husk projection flickered slightly among the crowd, its unstable glow betraying the old professor's inner unease.

This silent signal between them was clear: Maintain your critical thinking!

Cassandra, seemingly oblivious, continued projecting detailed risk analysis charts:

"This is our conquest strategy framework. Its core principle is 'Gradual Expansion' and 'Safety Margin Control.'"

The charts showed cautious, systematic planning:

"We won't recklessly attack civilizations beyond our capabilities or fight on multiple fronts simultaneously.

Every conquest operation undergoes detailed strength evaluation and risk calculation."

She pointed at a key metric:

"Our safety standards require any conquest operation to have over 85% success probability, with casualty rates below 15%.

Only objectives meeting these conditions are included in the conquest plan."

Cassandra's tone turned conspiratorial, like sharing intelligence:

"Our intelligence networks have deeply investigated neighboring civilizations.

Analysis shows most powerful civilizations are currently at developmental bottlenecks or facing internal conflicts."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end