Eliard glanced at Todd and nodded to Meredith: "What would you like to talk about regarding your father?"
The latter found a chair and sat down, preening his feathers as he asked, "How is he recovering now?"
"His body has been steadily recovering under the influence of the Beacon Tower. I have increased the Tyrant's dosage in the last two years, and I believe the final ritual will be completed soon."
Meredith looked at the old man and said calmly, "I'm not talking about his body, I'm referring to his soul."
Iliad was somewhat surprised and asked in a low voice, "What exactly are you trying to say?"
"Is the creature sleeping in the volcano really my father? Or is it merely a being with similar flesh and blood?"
Iliad stared into Meredith's eyes without speaking.
"Is an individual created by replicating a part of a human body truly identical to the original, even down to the soul?"
Meredith smiled wryly: "Don't we have the best example right before our eyes? Eleanor's clone—Ratchel—is completely different in both personality and values. Following this logic, do the individuals cloned from my father Sutherland's remains truly possess the same soul as the original?"
Iliad stroked his long beard, remaining silent.
"You already knew these principles, and you understand that using human replication to resurrect the ancient sages is a dead end." Meredith shook his head slightly, a hint of fatigue showing on his face. "Actually, resurrecting Sutherland is just a pretext. Your real intention is to control the Alien Association and use it to build your own power, right?"
Eliad said expressionlessly, "Your father's resurrection will be an indispensable prerequisite for the rise of the entire alien race."
"Once news of the resurrection of the sages of Sutherland spreads throughout the continent, the alien races will swarm to Sutherland's banner, coalescing into a powerful army to destroy everything in the mortal world," Meredith said with a smile to Iliad. "And the monster beneath the volcano—its every move has long been controlled by you. Therefore, you are the true mastermind behind this army of alien races."
Iliad sighed: "Grand Master, if you view everything I've done through such a utilitarian lens, it's too much of a blow to this old man's heart... If you doubt my original intentions, I can hand over your father's army to his daughter."
"And then drag me into your war with Eleanor?" Meredith smiled and shrugged. "Thanks, but no need."
“Long ago, I had a beautiful dream, a dream in which my father came back to life and people of different races lived in an equal and just world. But now, a thousand years have passed, and reality has pierced my soul time and time again, and the dream has finally ended…”
Meredith stood up from his chair: "Iliad, broaden your horizons. Power and strength are nothing but a game, and this world is nothing but an experiment."
Iliad stared at Meredith and asked in a low voice, "As a daughter, is this a declaration of breaking with her father?"
"It's not a declaration, more like a piece of advice," Meredith said. "Oh, and there's one more thing. I need to take someone with me. Rachel, she's with you, right?"
Iliad tapped the table lightly with his fingers, looking at the raven-feathered woman in front of him, his expression shifting between light and dark.
“It’s a foolish idea to weigh whether I should stay.” Meredith observed Iliad’s movements and expressions while glancing back discreetly. “Besides, I’ve brought help.”
Looking at Todd, who had remained silent and motionless throughout, Iliad sighed softly: "Grand Master, your actions now are not only abandoning your father, but also violating the oath of the alien race."
Meredith smiled slightly: "I just intend to withdraw from this farce."
Iliad leaned forward, his voice low and menacing: "Then I have one more question, the Tyrant Solvent needed for the resurrection ritual..."
Meredith paused for a moment, then nodded and said, "I will help you complete another batch, which will also be the last batch."
Elijah visibly relaxed. He stood up, walked to the bookshelf, and flipped a handle, instantly revealing a tunnel in the ground.
Watching Illid walk into the tunnel, Meredith approached Todd and whispered, "When you see Rachel later, don't do anything."
The latter nodded.
Following Meredith into the tunnel, Todd arrives at a secret underground prison.
The air was thick with the smell of alcohol and blood, and the ground felt sticky underfoot, giving one a very uncomfortable feeling.
As Eliard walked ahead, he said, "Ratchel discovered our secret, and in my opinion, she knows more about the obelisk in the crater than you or I do."
Meredith replied, "Are you saying that she learned some special information during her time in Twilight City?"
Eliard walked to the door of a cell, turned back and said, "The king of Twilight City, that young man named Todd Fischer, is very likely a chosen one. Rachel must have obtained a lot of information about the creator god from him."
"You interrogated her?"
“No, there’s no need for that at all. She confessed a lot after she was caught.” Iliad said, fumbling for the cell key in his pocket. “However, before that, she had secretly copied a lot of notes from me, and she even sneaked into my laboratory.”
Eliard inserted the key into the lock and turned it hard: "However, I didn't find the notes she copied on Rachel. She must have given them to Sabrina and bought time for the latter to escape."
Meredith asked, "What exactly did she copy?"
"I'm really curious about all the observation records and research books about beacon towers. What exactly is this child trying to do by copying all these things?"
Elijah pushed open the heavy iron door, and with a creaking sound of hinges turning, a jarring clanging of chains echoed from inside the room.
Rachel, her limbs bound by magic-suppressing rings, was chained to the wall with disheveled hair.
She glanced at Iliad as he walked into the cage and said with a light laugh, "Here you are again, seeking answers?"
Eliade turned aside, allowing Meredith and Todd to enter the cell.
The moment Todd stepped into the room, Rachel's eyes widened as if she were seeing the most incredible thing in the world.
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