Cassandra paused for a moment at the question: "What do you mean?"
"I mean, when we’ve devoured enough civilizations and absorbed enough wisdom, will we still be who we were?"
Ron’s gaze became profound: "Or will we become a monster cobbled together from the memories of countless dead?"
The restaurant fell into a deathly silence.
This question touched the deepest fears in everyone’s heart.
In the endless conquest, what kind of transformation will the conquerors themselves undergo?
"An interesting philosophical question," Cassandra replied steadily, though there was a hint of confusion in her voice:
"But I think such worries are unnecessary. The strong will always remain strong, and will not change their essence just because they absorb some memories of the weak."
However, Ron noticed her left hand trembling slightly under the table, a habitual gesture of unease.
Clearly, the question had struck a chord deep within her.
Uther’s phantom became dimmer: "Perhaps... we should reconsider the long-term consequences of this developmental model."
"What consequences?" Cassandra’s tone turned slightly impatient:
"Becoming stronger? Gaining more knowledge? Acquiring more resources? These are all good things."
"Or becoming a hybrid of the civilizations we’ve devoured."
Ron calmly added, "Losing our identity and becoming ghosts of history."
This statement was like a bomb, shattering the last traces of peace at the table.
"Enough." Cassandra said coldly, "We are here tonight to celebrate the start of a new era, not to engage in philosophical debate."
It was the first time she had torn off her gentle facade.
Eve looked at the bowl of soup, her face turning pale: "Mother, I feel..."
"You feel what?" Cassandra’s gaze became sharp: "Do you think it’s too cruel?"
She shook her head lightly:
"Eve, you must learn to view these issues from a higher perspective.
In the universe, there is no absolute good or evil, only strong and weak.
We have the ability to provide these civilizations with value they could never obtain, and correspondingly, we have the right to demand compensation."
"This is what I wanted to discuss with Ron today," she turned to Ron: "About the true structure of the multiverse."
Cassandra stood up and walked toward one wall of the dining room.
When she touched the wall, it instantly transformed into a massive projection screen, displaying a complex 3D map of the universe.
"First, you need to understand our location."
Cassandra pointed to a glowing area in the center of the map:
"We live in the Seventh Quadrant, a relatively young region of the universe, about a few billion years old.
In this quadrant, the fundamental laws of life remain the same: carbon-based organisms, energy circulation, linear flow of time..."
Her fingers slid over the map, marking several different areas:
"The Beast Race, Lizardmen, Dwarves, Half-beastmen, Goblins, Elves... these sub-races are actually not the original inhabitants of the Main World.
They originally lived in other planes within the Seventh Quadrant, having their independent civilizations and histories."
The projection began playing historical footage, showcasing the magnificent scene of the "Great Exploration" period in the Second Era:
Countless teleportation gates opened in the void, armies of various races traversed between different worlds.
Some were conquests, some alliances, and many more forced integrations.
"Back then, the predecessors of the Wizards believed that unifying these races under one management could bring greater benefits."
There was an approving tone in Cassandra’s voice:
"And it proved they were right.
The fusion of multiple races brought us technological leaps and cultural prosperity. Dwarves’ forging techniques, Elves’ magical prowess, the combat instincts of the Beast Race... these have all become important components of our civilization."
Her finger moved to another area on the map:
"And those more peculiar beings you mentioned—the Dragon Species, Time Hounds, Elemental Creatures, Eye Demons—they come from entirely different quadrants."
The projection shifted to a more macro perspective, displaying twelve enormous quadrant regions:
"Each quadrant has different fundamental laws. The Third Quadrant is a world made of pure energy, where beings exist in elemental forms; the Ninth Quadrant has incredibly chaotic time flow, giving birth to time creatures like Time Hounds; as for the Elder Eye Demons..."
She paused:
"They come from the First Quadrant, the oldest cosmic region. The beings there have transcended conventional life forms and are close to a primordial cosmic law."
Ron carefully observed the universe map, his heart filled with a longing for infinite possibilities.
"Interacting between different quadrants is not easy," Cassandra continued to explain:
"It requires extremely complex technology and huge energy consumption, which is why beings from other quadrants are so rare here."
"But precisely because they’re rare, their value is even more precious."
A glimmer of greed flashed in her eyes:
"The time manipulation ability of a Time Hound, the pure energy constitution of an Elemental Lord, the power source of a True Dragon... these are valuable resources our civilization can learn and utilize."
"Now, let’s talk about more practical matters."
Cassandra sat back down gracefully, taking a sip of the glowing liquor from the Otherworld:
"Regarding the policy reforms I announced earlier, I assume you might have some concerns."