Once the Expeditionary Army undergoes a complete internal split, the entire trajectory of the Wizard Civilization could change.
"But the most unsettling are the rumors about the Tower Master herself."
Eliot’s voice became extremely weak, as if fearful of being overheard by something:
"There were eyewitnesses who described her condition during the battle, using the words..."
He paused for a long time, as if mustering the courage to say a terrifying word:
"There seems to be a trend of ’regression’. "
This word hit Ron’s heart like a heavy hammer.
Regression, one of the most feared forms of alienation by wizards.
It signifies the complete collapse of sanity, the total loss of humanity, turning into a puppet of the will they once envisioned.
Ron recalled Uther’s warnings about the side effects of "Star Eater’s Ravings".
"How is the Expeditionary Army’s morale now?"
"It’s almost hit rock bottom," Eliot answered without hesitation:
"Many wizards have begun to question the purpose of this conquest. They are starting to doubt whether the so-called ’civilization development’ is worth such a huge price."
He added with a bitter smile:
"Moreover, some wizards have even begun privately discussing whether they should quietly retreat on their own."
This kind of internal division and doubt is fatal for any army.
And for the Expeditionary Army, which relies heavily on Cassandra’s authority to maintain itself, it is disastrous.
"What is the Tower Master’s response to these doubts?"
"That’s the most terrifying part."
A deep fear shone in Eliot’s eyes:
"She seems completely unconcerned about these doubts. In the latest commander meeting record I heard, her words to the protesters were: ’The weak have no voice; either obey or become sustenance.’"
"Moreover, she has already started implementing some sort of... Purification plan. Those wizards who openly express dissatisfaction are being gradually assigned to the most dangerous front-line missions. In name, it’s ’atoning for sins,’ but in reality, it’s a form of execution."
This information paints a frightening picture:
An out-of-control Expeditionary Army, a commander undergoing gradual alienation, and a war of conquest that could end in disaster.
And all these consequences will eventually rebound upon the entire Wizard Civilization.
At this point, Eliot sat back down in the chamber.
"The problems with the Expeditionary Army are just the tip of the iceberg."
His voice became even more subdued:
"What truly terrifies me is the change in the Central Lands. Ron, the world we once knew is fading away."
Eliot reached out and gently rubbed his temple:
"You know, now it’s nearly impossible to find any Moonlight Level Mages in the Central Lands. Except for those like my father, who must hold their posts, everyone else has basically fled."
His tone carried a kind of absurd helplessness:
"Among the Seven Major Schools, at least 60% of the Moonlight Level professors from each school have ’applied’ for Otherworld research projects. Note, I say applied, but in reality..."
Eliot gave a bitter smile and shook his head:
"Some were directly conscripted, some fled to avoid potential purges, and others simply out of fear."
He began to list specific cases of personnel loss in detail:
"Two-thirds of the associate professors of the Crystal Tower have joined the ’Magic Development’ project, ostensibly to provide technological support for the Expeditionary Army. But the internal news I heard is that they are actually being forced to develop more lethal War Magic."
"These are the impacts brought by the technological leap..."
Eliot’s voice grew somber:
"The Tower Master’s improvements to the Otherworld portals are indeed groundbreaking. Her improved ’Dimensional Anchoring Technique’ now allows Moonlight Levels to successfully pass through Otherworld portals, which originally required Dark Sun Levels to open."
He sighed softly:
"But this ’convenience’ has completely changed the entire academic environment. Suddenly, everyone can access Otherworld resources and everyone has the opportunity for rapid advancement."
"The result is that everyone is pursuing quick gains, and foundational research that would take decades or even centuries to accumulate is being completely ignored. The magical network information I hear is filled with all sorts of short-sighted project applications."
Eliot began to describe the specific effects brought by this change:
"Some young scholars are abandoning their original research directions for ’more promising’ Combat Magic. I see graduates who used to specialize in botany now learning how to turn plants into weapons of war."
This distortion of the overall environment worried Ron as well.
The healthy development of the academic environment requires enough balance, but now this balance has been completely disrupted.
Eliot’s tone became heavier:
"Last night, my father called me into the study and said that the current Central Lands remind him of the frenzied years in the late Third Era as recorded in history."
"’Everyone knows disaster is coming, so they frantically hold onto the last moments. But the more they strive, the faster the disaster approaches.’ Those were his exact words."
Eliot looked at Ron, eyes filled with confusion and fear:
"And you should know the ultimate end of the Third Era..."
Of course, Ron knew.
The Third Era ended with the "End of Death," which was meant to rebuild the order of civilization and brought about the "Eternal Plague."
The entire Wizard Civilization was reconstructed, and countless lines of knowledge and tradition were thereby severed.
Especially the Necromancy branch, which never fully recovered after the purge, only a few Necromancy Great Wizards survived it.
Eliot seemed to realize his mood was overly bleak and tried to adjust his state.