Mystery: Good Witch

Chapter 1441 Human Nature

Mythical creatures acquire humanity through their own experiences...

Christina first glanced at her sister Dorothy, who immediately lowered her head to think, and then looked at Christina, who had asked the question, with some doubt in her heart.

Because the answer to this question seems obvious:
The "Calamity" witch before me is the offspring of two gods of the Fourth Age. She is born with the extraordinary characteristics and status of Sequence 2, and is absolutely in line with the definition of a "born mythical creature".

And now He appears fully human, no different from the other angels Tina encountered.

Doesn't this prove that even mythical creatures born with only divinity can gradually acquire humanity?
Could this witch be testing Dorothy and me's observation and inductive reasoning abilities...? She seemed to want to answer directly, but then felt that things weren't so simple.

Ultimately, Tina doesn't quite understand the specific definitions of humanity and divinity. Her only clues are the few words spoken by Anne Gustave, who was also born in the Quaternary period and whom she met on her journey today, as well as the mystical knowledge instilled in her by the Genie. Therefore, even when answering the first question, her understanding of humanity and divinity remains only superficial.

At this moment, Dorothy also looked up, as if helping her sister, or perhaps pondering more questions, and asked Chrismona:

"Could you explain the definition of human nature?"

“Of course,” Christina smiled and answered gently, “but before you can understand human nature, you must know what true divinity is.”

"I think you've all heard the saying, 'All things possess divinity.' In mysticism, this isn't just a general statement, but a summary and conclusion. Because all extraordinary characteristics and supernatural powers originate from the original Creator, as well as the personalities He split off from and the children He gave birth to. In a narrow sense, these great beings that existed in the universe from the beginning can be called gods, and the spirit they left behind is the most substantial divinity that all extraordinary beings must contend with."

"I've never heard of that..." Tina retorted inwardly. For some reason, the legend of the original creator made her feel somewhat uneasy, so she pressed on as soon as the other person finished speaking:
"Is this the kind of divinity that mythical creatures are born with?"

Chrismona shook her head and said:
"No, it is they, or rather we, who are fighting against this divinity that originates from the Creator, from those great beings of the beginning."

"Surprising, isn't it? This kind of true divinity isn't a good thing for us either. It can make us extreme, crazy, chaotic, and even give birth to another will within us, gradually making us no longer ourselves."

"In this respect, my parents, those two true gods, are no different from me. They also need to fight against the spiritual remnants of the original creator and the will originating from the pinnacle of two paths. However, compared to other gods, they have a greater problem because of the path they chose."

"In this process, because most of their energy and emotions are used to fight against and suppress true divinity, the indifference, ruthlessness, or even a certain kind of prejudice and cruelty they exhibit are the outward manifestations of 'divinity' of mythical creatures and gods."

As she explained, Christina walked to the "Night Pillar" formed from His body and reached out to touch the smooth obsidian surface that remained intact even after thousands of years.

So, did Her parents become more cold-hearted and paranoid due to some special experience, and even ultimately kill their own daughter? Tina sighed, then asked:
"What about humanity?"

With her arm withdrawing from the pillar of night, the Witch of Calamity smiled slyly and asked:

Why is human nature called human nature?

Huh? Tina froze for a moment, while Dorothy beside her immediately reacted, frowning as she replied:
"Because it's defined based on human emotions?"

“A clever girl,” Chrismona nodded slightly, “Even mythical creatures, even those born great beings, possess the instinct for survival. They value themselves and seek advantage while avoiding harm. This is the foundation of self-awareness and the driving force that allows every living being to survive. These thoughts and desires are also within the definition of ‘humanity.’ However, humans usually regard the behavior of mythical creatures that merely possess these perceptions, or have been driven by these perceptions and desires and have lost a higher level of humanity, as the influence of divinity.”

Tina suddenly realized that this was the divinity she had previously understood. After the other party explained, this vague understanding was divided into two parts: the spirit left behind by the original creator and great beings, and the superficial divinity that gods and mythical creatures exhibited in order to fight against this spirit.

"So, the higher level of humanity they lack is the humanity we understand?"

She asked thoughtfully.

"That's right. Humans have many words of praise for it: courage, sacrifice, justice, compassion. They regard it as a shining point of the human spirit. Of course, negative traits such as cowardice, selfishness, and ruthlessness are also part of human nature. Whether good or bad, they are the strongest emotions that burst forth in a short life. As time goes on, these fervent emotions will gradually cool down and gradually recede into the basic level of humanity."

"Christopher replied."

The most intense emotion in her short life... Tina finally understood what this born mythical creature wanted to express.

Because they are born as angels and possess the most powerful abilities that are difficult for ordinary people to comprehend, mythical creatures have not gone through a vulnerable stage where they need help and support from others. They cannot experience such intense emotions or the role of such a high level of humanity. Even if they do, it is only the most basic instinct. Moreover, they have to fight against the spiritual imprint of the original creator and great beings within their extraordinary characteristics, and what they show are indifference, selfishness and other "divine" traits.

To enable them to gain true and widely recognized "humanity," they must be brought closer to ordinary people and pass through the initial stage of character and cognition formation.

So the answer to the third question is… Tina pondered, glancing sideways at her sister Dorothy, and with Dorothy's encouraging look, solemnly answered Chrismona:

"I believe that as long as the way of birth and the growth experience are appropriate, mythical creatures born in the first place can acquire a wide range of 'humanity' in terms of cognition."

"You should be a successful example."

After she finished speaking, she looked nervously at Christina, waiting for her evaluation of her answer to her last question.

The witch, both alluring and innocent, charming and adorable, simply smiled and said:
"During my thousand years in the underground tombs, I gradually learned about these beautiful things through observing humankind, and there was far more than one mythical creature that was more human than me."

"You have passed the test of the questions. I hope you can remember these answers and truly believe that they are correct."

He nodded to Tina, without making any other move, and the darkness around the three of them gradually shattered, like a glass curtain wall breaking into fragments, scattering starlight.

They returned from the world in the mirror to reality.

The faint sound of breaking glass made Tina look around in a panic. She found that the three of them were still by the "Night Pillar" in the empty hall, but the Trier University student who had led them to the depths of the catacombs was nowhere to be seen.

“He was bewitched by the mirror magic and has left. I will take care of sending him back to the surface,” Chrismona said, glancing at the stone staircase leading to the fourth level behind the Night Pillar. “You can go to the deeper parts of the tomb now.”

"Thank you."

Tina expressed her heartfelt gratitude, then pulled Dorothy along as they ascended the clean stone steps that didn't resemble an ancient Quaternary building, heading towards the final seal of the "Genius."

Even after leaving the dim light of the candle, the white-robed witch remained standing, watching the direction the two girls had gone. ————

The most obvious difference between the fourth-level tomb and the three above is that the roadside is no longer piled with countless skeletons, making it appear more spacious and clean, but also more deathly quiet.

Walking through the deserted passage, Tina felt that the candle in her hand was her only source of warmth, while in the darkness further away, it seemed that countless man-eating monsters were lurking, but they dared not approach because they were afraid of the light.

"Genius, Genie?" To dispel the growing fear in her heart, she called upon the sealed being again, "Can you sense the exact location of the seal?"

"Of course, I feel I'm getting closer and closer, just one step away from true freedom."

The majestic voice now sounded somewhat cheerful.

Is He truly as Anne said, possessing only divinity and no humanity...? The doubts that had accumulated during the previous exchange lingered in Tina's mind, prompting her to ask:

"Genius, do you possess humanity?"

This question caused the other person to fall silent briefly, and it also made Dorothy, who was leading the way into the depths of the tomb, turn around.

"Did you think I wasn't listening to that witch's 'test' of you just now?" The genie suddenly laughed, his rough voice echoing in the two girls' minds. "He couldn't say some things, so he explained them too simply. But even beings born great have a basic humanity defined by humans. But for them, it's just a survival instinct, a kind of code of conduct. Just like I also pursue freedom, and therefore seek cooperation with you. I will seek advantage and avoid harm, and I will bow my head in the face of the strong. Of course, I will also abide by the contract and will not easily break it."

Hearing the answer, Tina felt a little relieved.

As their journey neared its end, her biggest worry was that after helping the Genie break the seal and gain freedom, he would renege on his promise, and as ordinary people, she and Dorothy would lack any means to retaliate.

That witch angel clearly knew something. Hopefully, she was right about this born mythical creature, which is why she let us into the fourth floor... Tina muttered to herself, raising her candle and walking towards her destination, the direction where the genie's presence was growing stronger.

After passing through several ancient tombs, the two arrived at a collapsed hall. In one corner, there was a downward slope. The slope was not paved with bricks, but only with dark red soil. The interior was filled with mist, as if it led to an abyss.

According to the genie's instructions, the last seal is located below the slope.

Tina and Dorothy exchanged a glance, then held each other's hands tightly as they stepped onto the slope together in the candlelight.

To their surprise, the slope became gentler as it went downhill, and it expanded rapidly on both sides, soon turning into a vast expanse of muddy land.

The grayish-white mist grew thicker, and seemed to emit light from within, allowing the two to see further into the distance without the aid of candles.

It was a city shrouded in fog, its outline barely visible.

“That place used to be Trier in the Quaternary Period, a terrifying area that even angels and gods dared not easily enter…” the Genie suddenly sighed. “Of course, all the pollution there has been removed, and it is physically connected to this underground tomb. Although there is no great danger, it hides many secrets, so there is more than one angel guarding it. The one you just encountered was only one of them.”

No wonder Lady Chrismona wanted to stop visitors from entering the fourth level of the catacombs… Tina seemed to understand, while Dorothy wondered in her mind:
Are they all mythical beings born that way?

“It should only be Christina, who is on duty this month,” the genie replied, then urged the two, “Don’t worry about that, just put me on that stone altar over there.”

Tina stared intently into the thick fog and noticed a stone altar about 1 meter high standing abruptly on the empty muddy ground. Three ritual candles were fixed on top with melted wax, and some sacrificial items that had not yet rotted or deteriorated were placed there.

On the altar was engraved a symbol that Tina was somewhat familiar with: the "Fool," composed of a pupilless eye and twisted lines.

Sure enough, even if this guy wasn't sealed away by the Fool, he's still inextricably linked to that deity...

Tina carefully took out the "Wishing Lamp" from her handbag and placed the golden lamp, still warm from her body, on the stone platform.

Instantly, the surrounding gray-white mist surged toward the altar as if drawn by it, enveloping the sealed artifact.

Dorothy quietly grasped "Arods" and gently stroked it three times to activate the magic mirror, while Tina held up her handbag as a weapon to shield her sister.

If something really goes wrong, I, who caused the problem, can still help her cover it up... Just as Tina was preparing for the worst, the enveloping mist became condensed, like two giant hands, one grasping the "wishing lamp," and the other groping on the lamp lid for a moment before tearing it open.

A golden-blue light flowed out like water, and one ray of golden light was projected onto the gray mist, transforming into a human figure, which was the "genie" that Tina had seen in her basement earlier that day.

The figure shook its head, its gaze hardening into something almost tangible. It swept its gaze across the gray mist, the altar below, and the distant, illusory city outline before finally settling on the fully alert Tina and Dorothy, and uttered a majestic and authoritative voice:

"Haha, finally, all the seals have been broken, and I am free again!"

"And you have summoned me to grant me one wish."

"What?!" Tina's eyes widened, and forgetting her initial wariness, she couldn't help but shout:
Where is your sense of contractual obligation?

"Hmph, the spirit of the contract? Now that I've regained my power, I have a hundred ways to confuse your will and twist our agreement..."

The genie scoffed, hands on his hips, dismissing the promise he had made so confidently earlier.

But His gaze lingered on the gray mist around Him, which seemed to have changed somewhat. After a moment, He suppressed His arrogance, lowered His tone slightly, and continued:

"Of course, I was just giving an example. The 'code of conduct' I mentioned earlier is all true..."

"Tell me, what is your wish?"

(End of this chapter)