The most powerful wizard in the magic world

In the floating layer of Polar Night City, Maxells and Gerlin were talking in low voices in a dim bar. Outside the bar was endless ice and snow, but inside was a warm and dim interweaving of light and shadow.

"Gerlin," Markles shook the wine glass in his hand with a wry smile on his face, "Do you know how many test subjects we need? I'm almost at a loss."

Gerlin frowned slightly and shrank back to avoid the sight of his neighbor. A trace of uneasiness flashed through his heart, but it was quickly replaced by a firm determination. "We must find a solution. The dungeon in Midnight City is not the only option. For our goal, this sacrifice is worth it."

"You think I want to talk about this here?" Markles muttered in a low voice, his eyes wandering, as if looking for someone to talk to. "The dungeon here is already overloaded, and the number of test subjects has already exceeded the limit. Do you know what that means?"

"War." Gerling said slowly, with a hint of sneer on his face. His voice was as ethereal as a ghost. "Only in war can we obtain more test subjects. What you want can only be achieved through bloodshed."

Markles slammed the table hard, causing the surrounding customers to look at him sideways. "How can you think like that? We have already sacrificed too much. Do we have to continue to use innocent lives in exchange for your experiments?"

"Innocent?" Gerlin snorted coldly, his eyes like a knife, piercing Markles' soul. "In this cruel world, there is no absolute innocence. You and I both understand that only by breaking a bloody path can we create the future we want."

"Do you really believe that the so-called future can be realized in this way?" Markles felt powerless. He lowered his head, rubbing his fingers on the edge of the wine glass, and fell into deep thought. "What is our ideal? Is it worth it to deprive others of their lives for those cold experimental data?"

"I know you're an idealist, but reality is far more cruel than ideals." Gerling's tone became heavy. He approached Markles suddenly, and the light in his eyes seemed to ignite the air. "If we don't make a choice, we will have nothing, even the last chance will be wiped out."

Markles raised his head and looked directly into Gerlin's eyes, as if trying to find out if he still had a bit of humanity. "Let's think about it again. Maybe there are other ways, like looking for partners from outside or negotiating with other castles."

"Negotiation? It's impossible under the circumstances." Gellin's tone was full of disdain. He shook his head and smiled sarcastically. "Will other cities help us? What they pursue is always profit rather than ideal. Have you ever thought about who would care about the survival of Midnight City?"

"But we can't give up. Do we really have to treat the lives of innocent people as a tool?" Markles became more and more agitated. More and more customers were looking at him. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down.

"I understand your concerns." Gerlin lowered his tone and tried to communicate in a gentle manner, "But we have no choice. War is about to break out on the west side of Midnight City. By then, we will need a lot of resources and test subjects. What we have now will not be enough."

"But this is just the beginning. Once the floodgates of war are opened, we will lose more." Markles' heart was heavy, and his eyes showed a trace of unbearable sadness. "What is the purpose of our experiments? In these endless experiments, are there other values ​​to pursue?"

Gellin looked unhappy. "Aren't you willing to give everything for a greater goal? You have to understand that only the strong can survive, and the weak will always be eliminated. I don't want to see us lose any opportunity for cooperation because of a little principle."

"The survival of the strong is based on the oppression of the weak, not on ideals." Markles said firmly, clenching his hands. His obsession with humanity made him unable to compromise. "I refuse to be a cold-blooded experimenter. We have never thought of treating human lives as test subjects."

"You are still too naive." Gerlin said coldly, his eyes as cold as ice. "It is actually unavoidable in Polar Night City. We must take this responsibility. War is the only solution. We can't delay it any longer."

The conversation between the two seemed to be torn apart by the air. As Gerling's words became more and more sharp, the uneasiness in Markles' heart became more and more serious. He fell into silence, and the glass in his hand shook gently. The crisp sound echoed in the corner of the bar, as if echoing his inner struggle.

"Maybe I can ask other cities for help." Finally, Markles' voice was low and firm. There was a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "We can try to find some partners and maybe find other solutions."

"How foolish, Max!" Gerlin's voice was like thunder, interrupting his thoughts. "Do you still trust those castles? Will they fight for you and me? In their eyes, Midnight City is not worth mentioning at all."

"I would rather try my best than become an emotionless machine." Markles responded coldly, his determination was as firm as steel. There was a glimmer of unyielding in his eyes, as if he was fighting against the whole cold world.

"Then continue with your ideals." Gelling looked down on him, threw down a few coins, turned around and left, "But remember, idealism can't change the cruelty of reality. When the war is about to come, don't forget my words."

Snowflakes were flying down the doorway, reflecting the gradually darkening sky outside. Markles looked at Gerlin's back, feeling a lot of emotion in his heart. The wine glass beside him was empty, but he was still thinking about it. The road ahead was like the wasteland outside the Polar Night City, endless and cold.