In the name of the true god

Teach me now?

Jude readily agreed, getting up to draw the curtains first, then unconsciously lowering his voice slightly: "How do I teach you?"

"First, tell me your understanding of the law of similarity." Allen put his hands behind his back, looking every bit the senior.

"The law of similarity is the resonance between appearance and essence. The way to apply it is to try to align oneself with the goal of resonance. In this process, self-awareness and the goal of resonance can easily become confused, leading to a loss of control. Therefore, it's necessary to establish an additional anchor point to recognize who you truly are when necessary." Jude shared his current knowledge. "Furthermore, when imitating a target, inanimate objects are safer than living ones, but the essence of imitation is not to become the target, but to grasp the target's characteristics and use these characteristics to compensate for our shortcomings. Therefore, imitating living things is more valuable..."

Allen listened, nodding slightly. "Anything else?"

"That's all." Jude shrugged. "I haven't had much contact with Vincent Monroe, and that's all I've learned so far."

"The most insightful part of your statement is the first sentence: the law of similarity is the resonance between appearance and essence. If you can skillfully apply this law to anything, you can unleash unimaginable power." Allen posed a question: "Let me ask you a question. What do you think are the differences between humans and dogs?"

The difference between humans and dogs...

Such a broad question...

Should we answer this from a biological perspective or a cognitive perspective...?

After a moment's hesitation, Jude chose the most instinctive and intuitive difference: "Humans are primates, dogs are canines."

"And what are the similarities?"

"Similarities..." Jude replied, following the same line of thought, "Biologically speaking, we are all mammals."

"If you want to imitate a dog, your answers about differences and similarities are far from sufficient," Allen said, dissatisfied with Jude's response. "Remember this important logic: you need to first find the similarities between yourself and your target to better imitate them. Then! After successfully imitating them and becoming the target to some extent, try to identify the differences between you and your target!"

The familiar feeling of attending class is back.

Jude instinctively wanted to sit down again and get paper and pen to take notes.

Allen was getting into it: "Resonance sorcerers specifically imitate others to amplify certain abilities within themselves. In other words, you need to understand the differences between a dog and you, and whether those differences are useful to you. If you don't understand these fundamental questions, imitation will be meaningless."

Jude said thoughtfully, "The greatest advantage of dogs is... their sense of smell far surpasses that of humans."

"That's right!" Allen affirmed at the opportune moment. "A dog's sense of smell is thousands of times stronger than a human's! If you need an even stronger sense of smell in a particular situation, you can try mimicking a dog to deal with emergencies."

"First, use the similarities to become a dog, and then, after becoming a dog, have a dog's sense of smell..." Jude sorted out the relationship, "Can a sense of smell be considered different? I think the standard for difference is having or not having, just like humans don't have wings, but birds do."

"Whether it's there or not, more or less, stronger or weaker, from the perspective of the law of similarity, the essence is the same," Allen explained specifically. "Also, it's not really about turning you into a dog. I'm just saying this to make it easier to understand. To be precise, a first-tier resonance mage can only perform the most superficial and brief imitation. By deliberately making a certain posture or movement, they can acquire a basic trait of the target for a very short time."

Surface imitation.

Deliberate action.

The basic qualities to achieve the goal in a short period of time.

Jude then asked, "So, is it possible for us to use the law of similarity to grasp things we don't actually have? Like, turning into a bird?"

This is a very crucial concept.

If even things that one does not possess can be "conjured" through imitation.

Bird's wings...

Fish gills...

Even cannons, tanks, or even just 'turning' into a volcano or a bolt of lightning—wouldn't that make you invincible?

To exaggerate even further.

Imitate the gods!

Then what about the four holy churches?

"Do you know about the three levels and nine stages?" Allen asked.

Jude, being cautious, did not give a direct answer: "Tell me."

"The Law of Similarity mastered by Resonance Sorcerers, which is related to the Law of Contact mastered by Wizards, can both be divided into three levels and nine stages to distinguish their strength in mastering the laws. Among them, the first two levels of Resonance Sorcerers are imitation and simulation."

This filled in part of Jude's cognitive gaps.

Based on what Edmund and Allen had told him, he now knew that the first two levels of the law of contact were "tracking" and "transmission," and the first two levels of the law of similarity were "imitation" and "simulation."

just.

The words “tracking” and “transmission” sound distinctly different.

At first glance, there seems to be no essential difference between "imitation" and "simulation".

"At least on the broad level of 'imitation,' we are not yet able to grasp what we don't have at all from the object of our resonance; we can only use it to enhance our own traits. Such as speed, strength, smell, and vision—these are common ones," Allen answered Jude's question based on the level of the law of similarity.

really……

The imitation was not as exaggerated as one might imagine.

Otherwise, the first major level alone would be enough to ascend to heaven and descend to the earth, and the unknown third major level would probably be able to crush even gods to the ground.

"What's the difference between imitation and simulation?" Jude was extremely curious about the core difference between the Descent of Gods leader, who could overwhelmingly defeat Priest Rodney, and the Resonance Sorcerer, who was at the first level.

"This is too profound, even I only have a vague understanding of it..." Allen raised his chin. "Alright, no matter how much theory you talk about, it's not as good as putting it into practice. Try imitating a dog."

what?

So you're already starting to imitate...?

Jude first took out his wallet and pulled out a 10-gold note: "I'll use this as an anchor point, it should work, right?"

"As long as you believe that money can help you understand who you really are, that's fine. However, the first level is just a superficial imitation, and generally it's not easy for you to go astray, so there's no need to worry too much."

"it is good."

"Let's begin."

start……

How to begin...

The theory and practice of this are completely different things...

Jude awkwardly bent his arms and placed his hands down naturally: "Like this?"

Allen crossed his arms and took two steps back, giving Jude ample room to maneuver: "Go with your gut feeling for now, and I'll correct you as needed."

Depend on……

It feels like you're deliberately trying to make me look foolish...

Jude took a deep breath, knelt down, and tried his best to imitate the dog's movements, crawling two steps.

"Did you feel anything?" Allen asked.

Jude's mind went blank, overwhelmed by shame: "I didn't feel anything..."

When Allen saw Jude's flushed cheeks, he realized, "You're embarrassed, aren't you?"

"Yes," Jude suggested, extremely embarrassed. "Why don't you go to my bedroom and let me get into the swing of things?"

"No need for that." Alan skillfully crawled on the ground. "Watch me."

Jude turned his head to look.

Allen moved around the living room with a calm demeanor, his movements completely natural and unhurried.

Is this the self-cultivation of a Resonance Warlock...?

Selflessness...

Selflessness...

Jude tried to calm himself down, then imitated the dog by shrugging his shoulders and making his limbs move more like a dog.

however.

Before he could calm down and fully immerse himself in the dog's state...

Alan suddenly turned to him and barked seriously, "Woof woof woof."

Jude pursed his lips, his face tense, and the little bit of mental preparation he had managed to build up crumbled instantly.

No...

This is absolutely insane!