Felix had waited a long time for this moment.
Now, he was finally about to integrate his first gene.
He had deliberately skipped Gilgamesh's gene. Though it was immensely powerful—far surpassing the Three Witches in their current state—it was ultimately just brute force, rigid and inflexible.
Magic was different.
It was versatile. Adaptive. Filled with possibilities.
That was what excited Felix.
Especially the Evil Eye. Its ability to influence and charm others could be terrifyingly useful in modern society.
The Tyranis Hive Mind's cold, mechanical voice echoed within him:
"Do you wish to incorporate the Evil Eye gene?"
"Yes."
Felix took a deep breath, answering without hesitation.
"Incorporating. Genetic assimilation initiated."
He barely made it to his bed before the pain hit.
It surged through his body like wildfire, tearing through every nerve. His vision blurred as agony drowned out all thought.
He had to admit it—Akina's Speedster had done an incredible job. That single evolutionary branch had become the cornerstone of an entire magical civilization. Felix quietly crossed her name off his internal blacklist of troublesome players.
Thirty agonizing minutes later, he could finally stand.
It worked.
His mental strength had skyrocketed to a frightening level—but along with it came instability.
"So this is the Evil Eye's side effect…" Felix murmured. "Such dark impulses."
Cruelty. Lust. Violence.
The thoughts clawed relentlessly at his mind, urging him to surrender. For a moment, he truly understood Circe.
His body burned with unrestrained desire. A fleeting, dangerous thought crossed his mind—heading to Dongcheng, finding a woman, any woman, and indulging himself without restraint.
He clenched his teeth.
No.
He had to stay in control.
Felix forced himself to calm down and began practicing the meditation method recorded in A Beginner's Guide to Meditation and Magic, written by the Three Witches.
He sat cross-legged on the bed, eyes closed, breathing slow and deep.
It was difficult—far harder than he expected.
Without a teacher, without guidance, he was stumbling blindly. New witches were personally instructed by Medea and the others. Felix had no such luxury.
He didn't dare enter the sandbox to ask for help.
All he could do was laugh bitterly at his own situation.
Still, he didn't give up.
After nearly half a day of effort, something finally clicked.
The breakthrough was small—but revealing.
Thanks to the immense mental essence he had accumulated during the three great extinction events, his foundation was absurdly solid—far beyond that of any ordinary human.
"At this rate," Felix exhaled, "I'll become an apprentice wizard in less than three days… and learn my first real spell."
Relief washed over him.
He would become the first true wizard of the modern world.
Ordinary humans had no access to supernatural power. They lacked the necessary genes—and Earth had no cultivation system to begin with.
That was fine.
He'd build one.
"If Earth has no magic," Felix said softly, "then I'll create it myself—in my sandbox."
He organized his thoughts.
The next step was clear: introduce more supernatural species and refine the structure of the magical civilization.
If the Evil Eye alone had caused such dramatic change, what would happen once even more extraordinary lifeforms entered the system?
The thought made his pulse quicken.
---
The Next Morning — 6:00 AM
Felix stood before the massive sandbox once more.
Fifty years had passed within it.
What he saw left him momentarily speechless.
---
The Kingdom of Babylon — Year 146
The twin guardian witches of Babylon uncovered traces of Circe's dark sect deep within the Balchik Mountains.
The kingdom mobilized its full strength.
War erupted.
The conflict devastated both sides, leaving scars that would never fully fade.
---
Year 154
A cry of ecstatic revelation echoed through the royal palace.
"This is it! This is fusion! This is Truth! One element dominates another—each has its bane, and each has its master!"
It was Cassandra, the Witch of Spring.
Overseeing medicine and livestock, she led the court witches in relentless experimentation. At last, she grasped the foundation of Alchemy.
Her greatest achievement followed soon after:
The Witch Factor Compatibility Potion.
It drastically reduced genetic rejection between humans and Evil Eyes, triggering a wave of witch awakenings across Babylon.
The kingdom officially entered the Era of Witches.
---
Year 167
Medea and Cassandra discovered Circe's location and launched a decisive offensive.
They failed.
For the first time, they felt it.
Aging.
Fear crept into their hearts.
---
Year 171
Desperate, Cassandra turned to the Genesis Epic.
Her research bore fruit—she recreated the legendary Potion of Longevity, once used by Gilgamesh himself.
---
Year 198
Now over two centuries old, the two great witches had reached the end of their path.
Time could be delayed—but not defeated.
Within Babylon's grand palace, a black carriage drawn by two majestic Arrahs came to a halt in a vast stone plaza. Bathed in golden sunlight, two figures stepped down.
They were youthful. Radiant. Beautiful.
Magic had preserved their forms—but not their fate.
Before them rose a towering temple and a colossal statue: a faceless man with a three-eyed raven perched upon his shoulder.
Mercury.
The god of wisdom.
The one who had bestowed upon Babylon the Three Great Disciplines—Meditation, Magic, and Alchemy.
The witches approached the temple, tears shimmering in their eyes.
"O great god Mercury…" they whispered.
"We've come to see you once more."
They were the women who had ushered in an age of miracles.
And now, at the end of their journey, they had returned to the beginning.