Chapter 357: Compromise
On the night of the one-hundredth day.
When the punctual knock sounded again, Rhodes finally responded. "Come in."
The door opened, and Frieren's figure appeared as scheduled.
She didn't step in immediately. Her emerald eyes lingered on Rhodes for a moment, as if surprised he had suddenly acknowledged her. Only then did she walk to her usual spot and stand still.
The room was quiet for a moment; Frieren seemed to be gathering her thoughts.
"Regarding methods to extend Master Flamme's..."
"Come here."
Frieren had just started when Rhodes interrupted her calmly.
This reaction was completely different from the past ninety-nine days.
Frieren was visibly stunned, her eyes somewhat confused. But she didn't question him. She walked forward a few steps, getting closer as instructed.
Rhodes looked at her, silent for a few seconds. Then, he reached out and traced in the air with his fingertip.
A magic circle appeared between them. Its structure wasn't particularly complex, yet it emanated a strange feeling, as if it contained some special power.
"Take this." Rhodes flicked his finger, and the magic circle turned into a streak of light, disappearing into Frieren's forehead.
Implanting an entire spell directly into someone else's mind via mental magic was extremely difficult. In the entire world, perhaps only Rhodes and Serie could accomplish such a feat.
A massive amount of information flooded Frieren's mind. She closed her eyes for a moment, digesting it.
When she opened her eyes again, her usually placid gaze brightened visibly. "This is..." Her voice was slightly faster than usual because she sensed the aura of Life Magic within it.
"Is this... magic that can grant Master Flamme eternal life?"
Rhodes shook his head. "No."
The light in Frieren's eyes dimmed a fraction, but she pressed immediately, "Then is it magic that can let her live a few hundred, or even a thousand years longer?"
Rhodes shook his head again, his tone certain. "No."
Hope extinguished completely, replaced by clear confusion and even a rare trace of displeasure on Frieren's usually expressionless face.
"Then what use is this magic?" Her question was blunt to the point of sharpness.
"This is a Stasis Magic." Rhodes explained patiently, as if not seeing her dissatisfaction—or perhaps not caring.
"I know Stasis Magic," Frieren said. "Master Flamme knows it herself. She plans to use it when her life is nearly over to freeze herself in the final moment, like sleeping forever."
Rhodes nodded, then shook his head. "What she described is less 'stasis' and more 'making a specimen.'"
"The moment that magic takes effect, it is completely irreversible. It is a one-way stop. Even I would be powerless to reverse it back to a state where life continues."
Frieren frowned almost imperceptibly—her expression of extreme confusion. "Then is the one you gave me any different?"
"I made modifications." Rhodes confirmed. "The core difference is reversibility. Meaning, the magic can be dispelled at any time, and it won't strip the target of all life force the moment it activates."
"Rather than stasis, it is more like a 'pause.' It perfectly seals everything about the subject—body, mana, even thought—in the state of the instant before casting."
"The fire of life is not extinguished, merely temporarily halted."
Frieren processed these words carefully, but she quickly grasped the key point. She curled her lip—a nearly human expression of disdain that looked somewhat abrupt on an elf's face.
"But what use is that? Master Flamme's lifespan problem still isn't solved, is it? Once the magic is dispelled, Master will still face death."
Rhodes was somewhat accustomed to Frieren's style of pointing straight at the core issue, but he still felt a bit speechless.
As expected, one can't expect elves to think too much. Of course, Serie is an exception.
He said no more. Instead, he turned and walked to a wall of the laboratory, injecting mana into a specific spot with his finger.
The wall slid open silently, revealing a staircase leading downward.
Frieren could sense an even more ancient aura of life emanating faintly from the depths of the passage.
"Follow me." Rhodes said, stepping into the passage first.
Frieren followed without hesitation.
The passage wasn't long, ending in a not-so-spacious secret chamber.
In the center of the chamber was a massive magic circle.
It was magic Frieren had never seen before. She couldn't understand a single rune on it, only barely recognizing it was related to Life Magic based on her limited knowledge.
Floating at the core of the circle was a halo of milky white light, emitting warm and majestic life energy—the source she had just sensed.
"This is the core of the so-called immortality magic. Or rather, calling it Reincarnation Magic is more appropriate," Rhodes's voice echoed in the quiet chamber. "It is also the key reason I could cross a thousand years of time."
He pointed to the shifting halo in the center. "When the lifespan of this human body is nearing its end and the connection between soul and flesh begins to decay naturally..."
"I will use the Authority I master, given by the Goddess of Life, to reshape a brand new body for myself."
"Then, I transfer my soul into the new body. This... is my immortality."
Rhodes paused, looking at the entranced Frieren. "Do you understand now?"
"My so-called immortality is far from what people understand as eternal life."
"It requires Authority from the Age of Gods as a foundation, sufficient strength and stability of the soul itself, and magical knowledge accumulated over countless reincarnations."
"This is a miracle unique to me, impossible to replicate or teach."
Frieren's gaze moved from the shocking magic circle back to Rhodes.
After the initial surprise, a deep sense of loss welled up in her heart.
She was silent for a long time before asking in a voice softer than usual, carrying a final trace of unwillingness, "Can you not... use that Authority to create a new body for Master Flamme too?"
Rhodes shook his head slowly, his tone allowing no question. "Impossible. The essence of this Authority is deeply bound to my soul. It only responds to my will and serves me alone. Creating a body for someone else is impossible."
Rhodes wasn't a god yet. He couldn't use this Authority to forge bodies for others.
Reshaping a body for himself alone was already the limit.
The last sliver of hope was snuffed out.
Frieren lowered her head, her voice returning to its usual flatness. "Then... what does the modified Stasis Magic you gave me have to do with this circle?"
Rhodes didn't answer immediately.
He stared at the magic circle in the center of the chamber and spoke slowly. "If... nothing unexpected happens, then this current body will be my last reincarnation."
"?" Frieren snapped her head up. An absurd thought flashed through her mind, and she blurted out, "You... have lived enough? You plan to die?"
In her cognition, this seemed the only explanation for Rhodes deciding to end his long existence suddenly.
Thwack!
A crisp flick landed solidly on Frieren's smooth forehead. The force wasn't heavy or light, but enough to make her cover her forehead with a "Mmph."
A layer of physiological mist instantly appeared in her emerald eyes as she looked blankly and innocently at Rhodes, who had struck suddenly. This was the first time in years!
Rhodes withdrew his hand. "Who said I've lived enough?" he said grumpily. "I mean, I no longer need to rely on this method of reincarnation to continue my existence."
He pointed to the milky white halo, the center of the circle's power. "What I am doing is constantly researching and attempting to master this Authority, thereby thoroughly understanding the rune composition of human life."
"This is a very long project, progressing slowly, but I have already touched the edges and glimpsed some laws."
"Although the road ahead is still blurry, I have absolute confidence that one day in the future—perhaps in a few hundred years—I can completely decipher the source code of life."
Rhodes turned around, staring at Frieren, who was still rubbing her forehead and hadn't fully recovered from the flick. "Do you know what this means, Frieren?"
Frieren blinked her watery eyes and shook her head honestly.
Authority, life composition, source code... she heard every word Rhodes said, but put together, she didn't understand at all.
She only knew it sounded impressive and complex, but she had no clue what it specifically implied.
Seeing her bewildered look, Rhodes took a deep breath and explained again. "It means I can rewrite my own life composition. I will no longer need to change bodies. I can directly grant my body a lifespan as long as an elf's."
Frieren's eyes widened in surprise.
So this is true immortality!
Before she could digest this shocking information, Rhodes continued, "And when I thoroughly master this technology, the targets for rewriting will no longer be limited to myself."
"Although rewriting life composition for others requires consuming precious Authority power, and the process will inevitably be more complex and difficult, it is theoretically feasible."
Frieren held her breath subconsciously.
Rewriting life composition for others? Granting others immortality too?
She blurted out, "Then doesn't that mean—" She stopped abruptly halfway.
"But... Master Flamme cannot wait until that time."
Several hundred years of research time meant generations of human replacement.
Flamme's remaining life was as brief as morning dew compared to such a long time.
Just as Frieren felt dejected about this, Rhodes suddenly laughed.
"So," he stared at Frieren seriously, "that is why she needs to use the modified Stasis Magic I gave you."
After a brief thought, Frieren realized immediately.
Could it be...
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