Gould’s tone became heavy:
"But the problem is, this artificial life possesses intelligence and abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and... it has its own thoughts."
The artificial life in the image opened its eyes, and the unsettling gleam in them flickered.
"It regards itself as the ’perfect life’ and feels obligated to transform this imperfect world. So it began secretly spreading its lineage, attempting to convert all creatures into beings like itself."
"By the time Selena discovered it, it was too late. The creature’s lineage had already infected the entire region’s biosphere. Animals, plants, and even microorganisms began to undergo terrifying mutations..."
The image showed a bizarre scene:
Trees growing blood vessels, animals exhibiting unnatural fusion characteristics, and even the air was filled with the smell of blood.
"Selena eventually completely sealed her creation, but the infection could no longer be entirely eradicated."
Gould said calmly:
"An experiment intended to save the world ultimately created a disaster lasting thousands of years."
Ron felt a chill down his spine.
"The second event: Lance’s legacy severed."
The scene switched to another time and space, showing a laboratory that appeared cozy.
"You also know of Lance’s reputation, always trying to minimize pain in experiments. But few know about his choices in the final stage of his life."
An indistinct female figure appeared in the image, surrounded by brilliant illusions.
"Lance established a connection with the ’King of Illusions’ and obtained technology to conduct experiments in a virtual environment.
From then on, his research no longer required real lives as a cost."
Gould’s tone turned somber:
"But the price of collaborating with the great one was far heavier than Lance imagined.
Not only did he himself suffer misfortune, but after his death, his legacy was nearly severed. I heard you’ve seen Lance’s notes and learned some of this."
The scene showed some scattered images:
Scholars suddenly dying in the laboratory, some torn apart by some invisible force, others committing suicide after mental breakdowns.
"The third event: Alexander’s self-destruction."
The final image showed a white laboratory and a young-looking man with a weathered gaze.
"Alexander Jin’s ’benevolence’ was real; he truly only used his own body for experiments. After hundreds of self-modifications, he successfully transformed himself into a living alchemy factory."
The Alexander in the image no longer looked human, his body appeared semi-transparent, with various complex alchemy devices visible inside, operating.
"But the side effects of the transformation exceeded everyone’s expectations. To maintain this form, Alexander needed to constantly absorb life essence. Not from others, but from the entire environment’s life energy."
The image showed changes in the surrounding environment:
The originally lush forest withering at a visibly rapid pace, animals fleeing the area in terror.
"The problem is, this absorption was uncontrollable. Alexander’s existence itself was a massive vortex of life energy, continuously expanding its range of influence."
Gould’s voice grew heavy:
"He tried various methods to control this absorption, including sealing himself. But the loss of life energy was passive and couldn’t be completely stopped."
"Eventually, the entire northwest of the continent became a lifeless desert.
To prevent the disaster from spreading, other great wizards joined forces and forcibly ended Alexander’s existence."
The image showed the final scene:
Several powerful wizards jointly attacking an almost transparent humanoid, which did not resist, quietly accepting the sealing of the void remains.
"A kind wizard who chose self-experimentation to avoid harming others ultimately became a threat to the entire continent, dying under the magic of former companions."
All three cases finished, the ritual room fell into a deathly silence.
Each story struck Ron’s spirit like a heavy hammer. These were not inspiring hero tales, but brutal lessons on how good intentions led to hell.
"Now, young Primordial Wizard."
Gould’s voice echoed in the mirror, carrying deep fatigue and an indescribable sorrow:
"Tell me, what do you read from this history?
Where did these ancient great wizards go wrong in their choices? If it were you, how would you avoid similar tragedies?"
Ron felt the gazes of Gould and Uther focused on him, the pressure as heavy as a mountain.
He closed his eyes, letting his mind become completely calm, beginning to sort out the commonalities of these historical events.
The historical runes in the room also seemed to hold their breath in anticipation.
The time traces, originally flowing like water, at this moment almost congealed into an amber-like state of stillness.
"Three cases, three different choices of paths..."
Ron slowly spoke:
"But I do not think we should judge these predecessors’ lives simply by success or failure."
Gould in the mirror slightly raised an eyebrow; this opening statement was evidently unexpected.
"Oh? Why do you say that?"
"Because the complexity of history far exceeds the simple binary judgment."
Ron walked to the time mirror, seemingly able to see the convergence of countless eras’ light and shadow through the dense cracks:
"If we only look at the results, we can indeed say Selena’s experiment caused bloodline contamination, Lance’s legacy was nearly severed, Alexander became an environmental threat."