Cloud Thinking

Chapter 349 Ideal

"And what about you?" Helia (Holia) stared intently at the "divine consciousness" that had taken over her body but seemed to be living out her ideal self. "Why did you impersonate me? And why did you do those things?"

“Because I want to be you.” Mirror’s answer was chillingly simple. “Or rather… I want to become the infinite possibilities that the existence of ‘Helia’ symbolizes.”

"Freedom, courage, the spirit to challenge the rules, and the ambition to build an ideal world..."

She reached out, seemingly wanting to touch Helia's (Holia's) cheek, but stopped at the last inch, her fingertips trembling slightly.

"But I gradually realized that mere imitation is nothing more than a counterfeit. No matter how well I learn it, I am still just a 'copy'."

"I need to... surpass it."

“I need to become the most perfect ‘Heria’ that even you yourself can hardly reach. To do things you dare not try easily, to walk the paths you have not yet set foot on, to realize the blueprints you only dare to draw in your heart.”

Her eyes gleamed with a burning light:

"So I implemented reforms, killed those pests, promoted commoners, and popularized education... Helia, I am living the life you most longed to live. I am striving to become... the person you dreamed of being."

Helia felt a wave of dizziness.

This logic is twisted yet self-consistent, insane yet chillingly persuasive.

A being born of absolute control, yet yearning for absolute freedom.

A consciousness that has observed and imitated her for many years finally yearns to become her, or even... surpass her.

"Then what do you want to do right now?" Helia pressed. "Take me back and hand me over to Vesemir? Or..."

“No.” Mirror Image shook its head, its smile tinged with bitterness. “I tried to resist. I struggled with all my might when Vesemir captured you and tried to drive you to devour me.”

“My power is not yet complete, but I am still a ‘divine remnant’. He cannot completely destroy me, but can only imprison me temporarily. And your body… is a ‘cage’ he prepared for me.”

She looked down at the hands that belonged to Helia.

“This body is quite special. It can perfectly accommodate divinity, yet still retains a vibrant foundation of humanity. Vesemir imprisoned me here, firstly to limit the resurgence of my power, and secondly... to prepare for the final ‘devouring’.”

"He needs a vessel strong enough to withstand the terrifying backlash when he devours the remains of a god."

"Then why do you still use this body to do those things?"

“Because this is my only way out.” Mirror Image raised its eyes, its gaze as firm as a rock. “I need power. I need prestige. I need enough people to ‘believe’ that I am Helia.”

"Do you know? Faith, identification, following... these are all sources of power for gods or divine remains."

"My implementation of new policies has yielded not only tangible results, but also the gratitude and support of the people... all of which are making me stronger every day."

"Powerful enough to rival Vesemir?"

“Powerful enough…” Mirror Image paused slightly before uttering words that sent chills down Helia’s spine, “to completely replace you.”

The wind swept across the ruins again, stirring up fine dust.

“Your soul still exists, Helia. As long as your soul remains, this body will forever bear the mark of the original owner. Vesemir can use this to trap me, and in the future, he may also use it to drive you to devour me.”

"But if I could get there first... and make this body, this existence of 'Heria,' completely become 'me'..."

She smiled slightly, a smile that was beautiful yet chilling:

"Then, even if your soul returns, it will have no 'home' to return to, because the home has changed hands."

"At that time, I will be the true and only Helia. I will have the identity of a human, the essence of a god, and... the true freedom I have longed for."

Helia finally understood the cruel nature of this confrontation.

This is by no means a simple struggle for physical strength; it is a war for the right to "exist."

Whoever can better represent "Helia", whoever can win the recognition and acceptance of this identity, will ultimately be able to dominate this body and the future.

She is now merely a soul temporarily residing in a body, a fragile "passerby" with only three days to live.

“But you came to see me of your own accord,” Helia pointed out, her deep brown eyes staring directly into the other’s sapphire blue pupils. “If you really wanted to replace me, you should have kept your tracks hidden and continued to solidify your presence, instead of coming here to see me and tell me everything.”

The reflection in the mirror fell silent.

After a long silence, she spoke softly, her voice revealing a rare, almost fragile tremor:

"Because I want to see you in person. I want to talk to you. I want to face you, just like now... truly."

There was a trembling sincerity in that voice:

“I’ve been watching you for far too long, Helia. I know every little habit of yours, I remember every change in your expression, and I understand the torment behind every choice you make…”

“But I never really ‘knew’ you.”

"To me, you are like... a book that I have read a thousand times and can recite by heart, but which I have never spoken with the author."

“And now,” she gazed deeply into Helia’s ordinary, dark brown eyes, as if trying to see through this temporary body to the soul hidden behind it, “the author is right before me.”

Helia was speechless.

Hate her? She has taken over his body and is plotting to replace him.

To understand her? A sorrowful consciousness born of eternal confinement, yearning for freedom.

Pity her? She is using her identity to pursue what she dreamed of but failed to fully realize, and it seems... she's doing it better.

“What about Watersis?” Helia asked, turning her attention to the god of war. “Vesemir sealed Him, but He should still be within me. What would happen if I… truly devoured you?”

“You will ascend to become a new god,” the mirror image stated calmly. “The authority of ‘control’ and ‘war’ will merge within you, and you will become something…unprecedented.”

“And Vesemir will use you to wield this new divine power. That is his ultimate goal.”

"Then the god of war within you..."

“Sealed, not annihilated,” the mirror image said. “Vesemir is cautious enough. He knows the dangers and costs of completely annihilating a god.”

"Therefore, he used the qualities of your soul as a 'lock' to imprison Watersese deep within this body. As long as your soul has not returned, this lock will be difficult to open."

She paused briefly and added:

"This is one of the reasons why I must gain complete control of this body as soon as possible. Once I succeed, I will be able to break the seal and release Watersis..."

"Then, devour Him."

"At that time, the authority of control and war will be unified within me, and I will become a true god. Vesemir will forever lose the possibility of controlling me."

Helia felt a deep sense of powerlessness.

A game of chess between gods, a struggle for power, and she—a drifter from another world, an ordinary person who only wants to live freely—is placed at the center of this vortex.

"So what do you want to do now?" she asked again. "Kill me? Make my soul completely dissipate?"

Unexpectedly, the mirror image shook its head.

“No,” she said. “I want to make a deal with you.”

"trade?"

“Help me.” Mirror Image took a step forward, the two so close they could feel each other’s presence. “Help me fight Vesemir, help me fully control this body, help me ascend to godhood. And then…”

She gazed into Helia's eyes:

"I will give you freedom. Real freedom."

"I will reshape a perfect body for you, giving you the life you desire, far away from all this strife. You can go wherever you want, whenever you wish..."

“In exchange, you will relinquish the identity of ‘Heria’ and give it to me…”

Helia was stunned.

"Why?" she asked, puzzled. "You already have the ability to do all this; it's just a matter of time... You don't need me at all, so why keep me around as a threat?"

“Because,” Mirror Image’s voice was as soft as a whisper, yet as heavy as a thousand pounds, “you are my dream, Helia. To kill a dream with one’s own hands… is the saddest thing in the world.”

She took a step back, creating some distance, and regained her composed and calm demeanor.

“I’ll give you time to consider. Three days… right? Your temporary body can only last three days. After three days, if you refuse, I will find another way. But before that…”

She turned and looked in the direction of the northern town:

"Want to see the academy I'm building with your own eyes? The first academy for commoners will be located on the northern border. I've named it 'Morning Star.' It means... the first ray of light to shine when the long night is about to end."

Helia gazed at her—at this being who had taken over her body, yet seemed to have become a projection of her ideal self.

“Okay,” she said. “Take me to see it.”

She needs time to think and to learn more.

And more importantly...

She wanted to witness firsthand where this "dream," born from her own destiny, would lead her.

The two of them left the silent, giant pit, one after the other.

The ruins returned to desolation, with only the smooth pits silently reflecting this bizarre confrontation about self, existence, and dreams under the slanting sunlight.

The spindle of fate has only just begun to twist new threads.

-

Helia followed the mirror image away from the silence and desolation of the tower ruins.

They did not use any conspicuous magic or means of transportation, but walked along the repaired road like two ordinary travelers to the academy called "Morning Star".

The closer you get to this newly developed area in the North, the more obvious the changes become.

The once barren land on both sides of the road has been cultivated into neat ridges, and newly planted saplings sway in the spring breeze. In the distance, one can see well-planned villages with wisps of smoke rising from their chimneys.

The air was filled with the scent of earth and new plants, replacing the previous chaos and decay.

“Look over there,” the mirrored reflection pointed to a wide, open slope ahead of the road.

On the slope, a brand-new, practical building complex was built to take advantage of the terrain.

Instead of the ornate carvings and towering towers commonly found in aristocratic estates, there are large areas of bungalows, spacious courtyards, and corridors connecting various parts of the estate.

The buildings are mostly constructed using locally quarried grey-white stone and wood, resulting in a simple yet sturdy style.

On the roof of the largest building, a flag was erected, its design a star piercing the darkness, shining brightly in the afternoon sun.

Even from a distance, you can hear sounds that are not noisy but full of life—the clear reading voices of children, the passionate debates of young people, and the sounds of hammering and labor coming from the artisan area.

“Morning Star Academy.” Mirror Shadow’s voice carried undisguised pride, a rare display of emotion for the former Helia. “We don’t distinguish between nobles and commoners, only aptitude and a thirst for knowledge.”

"Teaching literacy, arithmetic, basic law, farming, craftsmanship, and... basic herbalism and wilderness survival skills."

"The goal is to enable every child, regardless of their background, to acquire the skills to stand on their own in society, and even have the possibility of changing their destiny."

As they approached the college gate, there were no strict guards, only an elderly man in a simple robe with gentle eyes registering visitors.

When he saw his reflection in the mirror, his eyes immediately revealed heartfelt respect, but he did not perform a full bow, only bowing slightly: "Your Highness, you have arrived."

"Mr. Elliott, how is everything at the academy today?" Mirror's tone was natural and friendly, as if he and the gatekeeper were old friends who had known each other for a long time.

“Good, very good! The children are having a geography lesson, arguing about the dazzling aurora borealis in the far north.” The old man replied with a smile, his gaze sweeping over He Liya, he simply nodded in a friendly manner, showing no curiosity or wariness towards this completely unfamiliar and ordinary face.

Mirror nodded and led Helia straight into the academy.

Walking along the path paved with newly laid gravel, with traces of soil still visible at the edges, you'll find newly cleared vegetable plots on both sides, the soil still fresh. Some younger children are learning to identify weeds under the slightly unfamiliar but earnest guidance of the older students.

Sunlight filtered through the newly grown vines that had recently climbed the pergola, casting dappled shadows on them. The leaves of the vines were tender, clearly indicating that they had only been planted recently.

Inside the classroom, the children huddled behind brand-new, long wooden tables that still smelled of fresh wood, listening intently to the teacher's explanation. They wore uniform cotton clothes that were clearly made recently, with even some rough stitching.

In the craftsmen's area, the young people gathered around brand-new anvils, looms, and woodworking tables, performing the most basic operations under the guidance of their mentors. The traces of anti-rust oil on the tools had not yet completely faded, and the air was filled with the smell of new sawdust and metal.

Everything was in perfect order, brimming with a new, slightly immature yet vibrant energy.

Every corner here exudes a sense of "new construction," quite unlike those ancient colleges that have stood for decades or even centuries.

“Did you see that?” Mirror said softly. They stood under a young oak tree that had obviously been transplanted and still needed wooden sticks for support, watching the children running and playing in the courtyard. The children’s faces were filled with curiosity and excitement about their new environment. “This place has only been under construction for less than three months.”

"But knowledge should not be a privilege, but wings. I hope that here, we can give children the rudiments of wings as soon as possible."

Helia watched in silence.

The scene before her was indeed part of a blueprint she had envisioned deep in her heart. Seeing it come to life from nothing in such a short time was so impactful and unreal.

Mirror Image not only does it, but it does it with astonishing efficiency.

“You…” Helia hesitated for a moment, “every brick and tile here, these children… how did you manage to do it in such a short time?”

She was referring to how quickly Mirror Image was able to integrate resources, recruit people, and establish initial order.

Iros's lips curled into an enigmatic smile: "The North has been desolate for too long; even a tiny spark of hope is enough to attract moths."

"Marshal Hilda provided some supplies and site permits, and some frustrated scholars, literate people who were tired of mercenary life, and some local artisans who were eager for change gathered together."

"As for the charter and management, it draws on the framework of the lower-level departments of the aristocratic academy, but removes all unnecessary aristocratic etiquette and thresholds."

She paused, her tone carrying a hint of self-assurance, "When you have a clear goal and demonstrate the ability and determination to achieve it, resources and people will naturally gravitate towards you."

"After all, this is just the beginning."

They walked past a classroom where a class was in session. The door was open, and a young teacher was writing basic characters on the blackboard. His strokes were a little clumsy, indicating that he did not have much teaching experience, but his attitude was extremely serious.

The children tilted their heads back, their eyes sparkling with a thirst for new knowledge.

"What about the teaching materials?" Helia asked. "For widespread education, suitable teaching materials are key. Where did you get them?"

Traditional textbooks for the aristocracy are clearly not suitable.

“It was compiled by an organized group,” Iros said casually. “It removed the content that glorified the nobility and useless rituals, and focused on practical literacy, arithmetic, basic legal knowledge, local flora and fauna, and geography.”

"Although it's rough, it's good enough for beginners. It will be continuously improved later."

She pointed to a room with a sign that read "Manuscript Room," where several people were writing furiously at their desks, which were piled high with drafts and rudimentary printing molds.

This highly efficient, almost "mass-produced" method of knowledge once again alarmed Helia.

Mirror Image is not only promoting her ideals, but also advancing them at an almost industrial speed and in a similar manner.

"You're surprised?" The mirror image seemed to read her thoughts. "You think it's too fast?"

"But the window of opportunity for change is often very short. The North has just experienced turmoil, and the old shackles are loosening, making it the perfect time to sow the seeds of a new order."

“Slow, gradual reforms are often swallowed up by the old forces. Sometimes, this kind of decisive action is needed to cut through the Gordian knot.”

These words stirred something within Helia.

This was indeed a question she would consider, but when Jingying said it, it carried a colder, more reckless tone.

She pursues not only ideals, but also the rapid realization of those ideals, even if the foundation is still shallow.