Shepherd Tantra

Chapter 902: The Key to the Ghoul (Two in One)

Aiwass remained silent and looked up at Lucifer.

He was so tall that it even reminded Aiwas of the experience of facing the Giant Prince in the past.

Now that I think about it, the reason why the giants became so tall... is probably because of the trace of blood left by the Supreme Sky.

When Zhigaotian was still the king of the winged beings, he must have been just as tall...

“…He and I are different.”

Aiwass took a deep breath, trying to use a stronger posture and say something more powerful, but in the end he only uttered a pale whisper: "Don't confuse us."

This was different from the righteous and powerful words he had used when he had said to Cardinal Galatea, “I am not a snake.”

For some reason, Aiwass felt guilty when facing Lucifer. It was as if he had really made a mistake, or as if his conscience was only hurt by the innocent eyes like a child.

Aiwass's words were closer to a weak defense than an angry warning: "I don't remember anything... I am just a discarded remnant."

It was a hesitation that made him feel as if he really owed him something.

It was as if he had done something wrong to him in the past, and the shame and remorse were deeply engraved in his heart. Now that time has passed, he has long forgotten the story and the people of the past, but he still vaguely remembers the feeling of indebtedness.

But I really don’t know him!

"I usually tell the truth."

Aiwass said seriously: "I never have any ill will towards others."

“Snakes are the same,” Lucifer replied without hesitation, “When snakes lie, they always tell the truth.

"Every word he said is true when taken separately - aren't you the same kind of person?"

Lucifer's words pointed directly to Aiwas's heart: "You said 'I'm telling the truth', but in your heart you were saying things like 'I'm telling the truth sometimes when I lie' and 'Foxes are very good at lying'."

"...Don't read my mind!" Aiwass frowned.

"I don't read minds, because the doors of all living beings' hearts are open to me. Just as you can see colors and smell flavors, winged people can also feel the 'hearts' of others."

Lucifer just smiled gently and knelt on one knee again: "However, you are indeed different from the snake. When the snake uses the truth to deceive people, he always believes it in his heart. But you will say words in your heart to convince yourself... because you still can't regard the false as the truth."

Aiwass felt an inexplicable sense of anxiety - after re-merging with Aleister and achieving spiritual peace and perfection, he rarely felt anything that could touch his heart.

But now, in front of the remnant soul of Tiansi from the old world, Aiwass felt as if he was still an ignorant child.

"Why do you always kneel before me?"

Aiwas frowned and said to Lucifer sarcastically, "I am not your king, so there is no need for you to pledge allegiance to me."

"Because you are too small, much smaller than a snake."

Lucifer was not angry at all, but patiently explained: "I need to be at eye level with you to show that we are equal; and I kneel to you to express my goodwill - this is what the snake taught me. He told me that kneeling is a ritual to distinguish between superiors and inferiors.

"I have no intention of conquering your being and soul, nor do I want to use the authority of the 'King of Winged Ones', so I will rest my wings here. I will perform the reverse ritual to show my friendship. It is like swallowing teeth and retracting claws, or sheathing a sword."

Just as he said himself - as the love and light abandoned by his true self, Lucifer's words were indeed full of kindness.

Aiwass also realized his own gaffe.

He pursed his lips and faced his mistake calmly: "I'm sorry, I don't know why... I was a little out of control just now."

"That's a good thing."

Lucifer said gently, "This just shows that even the 'Snake' feels guilty about this matter - he had to cut out his guilt so as not to affect his actions. This proves his friendship for us, doesn't it?"

“…Is that what you think?”

Aiwass was speechless for a moment.

He didn't know how to explain it - even though Lucifer had learned the human language, he couldn't quite understand the thinking patterns of ancient people like Lucifer.

“That’s right,” Lucifer nodded slightly. The golden giant was just as brilliant and flawless as He looked. “His feelings for us are genuine, but for a higher purpose, he had to abandon us. Just like the tribesmen who would sacrifice their lives to reach the highest.

"He sacrificed me without my consent. I am not satisfied with this. But he felt guilty and in pain, so I forgive him. He cut off his own goodness, which is you. Your pain is exactly what he suffered in the past. If a person has sinned, he must repent, and if he repents, he must atone for his sin.

"So I ask you - will you deceive me again, like the snake did in the past."

After finishing his explanation, Lucifer repeated his previous words and extended his hand to Aiwass.

However, at this time, Aiwass's mentality and understanding had become completely different.

He gradually began to understand Lucifer's thoughts——

The handshake just now was a reunion with old friends; and the handshake now is the real "first meeting" with Aiwass.

"I won't."

He spoke in a sonorous voice, tightly holding Lucifer's huge right hand: "But I won't make promises like 'I will never betray' or 'I will never lie'...

“I can only say that everything I have done is worthy of my heart.

"I will never do anything that I will regret. I will never cut out my regretful heart."

Hearing this, Lucifer smiled happily.

He said gently: "Then you and he are not the same person.

"Nice to meet you, my friend. You look a lot like a friend of mine... What's your name?"

"...Aiwass."

Aiwass did not say his last name, but after a long silence, he only said his first name.

Compared to the family represented by the surname "Moriarty", the name "Evans" is the name that Aiwass himself truly recognizes - that is, his real name.

He believed that Lucifer could sense it.

Although it is just a remnant soul, a piece of consciousness, a pile of embers, a solidified yellowed photo...it is completely different from the guy who became the Fallen Angel.

But at least Aiwas hoped that the other party could sense this sincerity.

"I sense it, friend."

Lucifer smiled lightly and relaxedly: "Sure enough, it is worthwhile to guard here all the time..."

"…Protection? Value?"

"People should stick to what they do. This is also the lesson the snake taught me."

Lucifer mentioned snakes almost every three sentences, but Aiwass felt that there was nothing wrong with what he said: "The snake said that if you persist until the end and then give up, it is almost the same as giving up at the beginning. Therefore, if you make up your mind, you must go to the end and never look back.

"I have been guarding here since the day my old self ascended to heaven. I watched the sun shine forever on the earth, and everything in the world remained unchanged. I could feel that the passage of time outside was constantly wearing away my preservation technique, and the time I could hold on was getting shorter and shorter. The power of the Tao seeped in, and the souls of the children I preserved here gradually turned into demons, and in the end no one could talk to me.

"But I think I should at least wait until the first group of people arrive here. I want to tell them how the sun died and how the stars were born. I want to tell them the truth of what happened back then, and let them know why the Fallen Angels were born... I want them to be careful of the lies of the Snake, which are always true."

At this point, Lucifer smiled and looked at Aiwass: "But I didn't expect... the first person to come here was still 'Snake', just like in the past. Oh, sorry... I forgot, you are not a snake. Just a friend who looks like him.

"In this way, my mission is accomplished..."

"and many more!"

Seeing that Lucifer's body was gradually becoming transparent as if he was about to leave his last words, Aiwass quickly spoke out to stop him, "Tell me the story of the 'Snake'! And how I should be careful of him... Now he and I are enemies in conflict! But I know nothing about him..." "...You are actually the shed skin of the 'Snake', right?"

Lucifer said something shocking.

Seeing Aiwas' pupils shrink slightly, Lucifer smiled and said, "Because 'Snake' mentioned it to us.

"He is not a god, but he knows a lot about gods. I have asked him before, and he always tells the truth - he said he was reborn here from the future, and the end of the world came in the distant future. He has been reincarnated several times, but has never been able to break the cycle. His familiarity with me also comes from this."

Lucifer said gently, "He said that he could become friends with me every time. He seemed a little sad when he said this. I didn't understand why at that time...but now I know. It's because every time, he needs my help to ascend to heaven again.

"But I think... if it's because of this reason, there's no need to apologize to me. The world is destroyed, time is turning, and thousands of disasters and changes will happen again. The most painful ones must be those who are still struggling. On the contrary, we who are muddle-headed will live happily and die peacefully.

"He came to be my friend with the intention of killing me in the end. All I enjoyed was the joy of having a friend, while he had to endure the torment of his own conscience.

"He told me that he would leave behind many shed skins. He would cut off a large amount of his self and the most important part of his memory in every era, letting them experience life and expand before taking them back into himself, using this method to maintain his humanity. Although I don't know why he lacks humanity since he is not a pillar god...

"The snake said, people can only have one pair of eyes and one life in this world. People can only see what they see and experience what they experience. But if you cut yourself in half, you can have many lives... If you can't solve a problem with your own knowledge, maybe someone else can solve it.

"From the looks of you, you should have a way to solve the apocalypse, right?"

The golden giant’s voice was gentle and calm, giving people warmth and strength: “Come on.

"Since you are right, you can eat him."

"Shall I...eat him? Eat Huan Tiansi?"

Aiwass' pupils dilated.

Is this actually possible to accomplish?
"of course."

Lucifer affirmed, "Snakes have said that snakes never lie. In the past reincarnations, there have always been victorious snake sheddings. He himself was once a snake shedding in a certain period of history, and is no longer his original self. Since he can win, then you can win too."

After hearing this, Aiwas suddenly understood!
This is extremely important information.

Many unsolvable problems became clear in an instant.

Aiwass knew almost everything!
Why did Huan Tiansi's behavior seem so different from that of Huan Tiansi in ancient times, and why was he so determined to leave this world? Why did the Pillar Gods bet on Aiwass, but no one tried to kill Huan Tiansi in advance? Why did the Shepherd finally forgive and spare the Fallen God, and use his own life to destroy Huan Tiansi's plan? And...

Aiwass's system!

——It is subtly different from what I had guessed before entering the Tower of Babel.

Now, he can basically deny the speculation that "the system comes from Huan Tiansi's memory" - because Huan Tiansi is closely related to the birth and destruction of this tower, and it can be said that there is nothing unrelated to him. In this case, how could Huan Tiansi's memory be missing something here?

Come to think of it, there is one more thing——

When Aiwas briefly became a cardinal, he saw a sentence in the robe of the [Cardinal's Certificate] he had just made:

["——Hello, hey, hey? Can you see this line?"]

He had already denied that the words came from the Lord of Scales and Feathers, but now it seemed... it was so cheerful and carefree, and it didn't seem like it was left by Huan Tiansi. It seemed more like Aiwas himself... but an even more cheerful Aiwas.

Aiwass had no objection to the fact that he had a system because he had memories of the game "Ouroboros" when he was on Earth. In other words, it was all within his cognition.

Here comes the problem.

"James Moriarty" does exist in the game.

But James returned from the end of the world!
He obviously only experienced one life, and that was the life in which Huan Tiansi chose to become the "Endless Knot" and the life in which the Tail-Linking Ring Ceremony was not carried out!
——If my experience is exactly the same as in the game, then what about the seven previous lives that have the same memories as me?

James obviously doesn't have any deep memories of Aiwass, otherwise his attitude towards himself wouldn't be like that. But if Aiwass has the memory of the end of the world and a system that can learn quickly, there is no reason why he won't become a big shot.

In other words, it is highly likely that Aiwass in the past few lives did not have a system and did not have the memory of "Ouroboros"!

The "memories of past lives" that were taken for granted seemed to turn into countless broken glass fragments at this moment.

From this perspective...there are only two possibilities.

One possibility is that those "Aiwass" who have no system and no memory of "Ouroboros" were regarded as "sacrifices" from the very beginning. They are not special, just like other snake sloughs.

And the mere nine lives was definitely not enough for Aiwas to have a taste of so many professions and items, to master them in advance, and to build a nearly perfect system. Therefore, the system was made up of all the "snake sheddings" split by Huan Tiansi. It would definitely not be like this life... only splitting out the shepherd and Aiwas, and no extra snake sheddings.

Another possibility is that the plot of "The Ring of the Tail" in Aiwass's memory never existed from the beginning.

This is obviously impossible - because even Huan Tiansi's own behavior is predicted by the "game plot".

If we rule out this possibility...

Huan Tiansi clearly had a strong hostility towards Aiwass and tried to occupy his body many times, but he never really did it; He clearly knew that Aiwass had already made a countermeasure against the Ring of the Tail and had the support of many Pillar Gods, but he still planned to execute this plan step by step, as if he knew nothing...

All kinds of strange behaviors were explained at this moment.

——He is trying to "restore" the game plot!
Lucifer said that those "snake skins" "contain the most important part of memory", but for Huan Tiansi, what is the most important memory?
That is the proof that he is a time traveler from another world!
He constantly distributes his memories as a time traveler to the material world, cultivates an ignorant "time traveler", and then devours the other party after fighting with him. In this way, he constantly emphasizes "who I am" so as not to forget himself in the long cycle of reincarnation.

Although Huan Tiansi lived for nine lifetimes, in a sense he may have only lived for three lifetimes...

In the early days, there was no savior James who came back from the future, nor was there Aiwass who had a love-hate relationship with Huan Tianshi. He became Tianshi and the pillar god "Tail Ring" from ancient times, but he was completely unable to save the world...

At that time, Huan Tiansi might have realized something.

Then he prepared for a long, long time... He led the "Fallen Angel" to the "right path", brought James back from the day of the end of the world, gave the sacred entity to Jacob to cut... awakened Aiwass and his system, and cultivated the most important chess piece.

——The most important thing about the “key” is that it fits perfectly.

If the locks are changed, the key may no longer work.

But this key cannot be replaced in any way...it is Huan Tiansi's "true self"!
Therefore, Huan Tiansi made a lock in reverse order for this key!

Prepare the stage, prepare the script, prepare the actors, and restore everything to what you see in the game until the actors come on stage - and smash it all to pieces.

He didn't dare to kill Aiwas directly, nor did he dare to take over his body directly... It was because he was worried that his excessive interference would cause bugs in the "script"!

At that moment, Aiwass thought of what he had said to Professor Moriarty:

"——If I were a key, I would eventually be a ghoul key."

At that time, Professor Moriarty smiled happily.

At that time, Aiwass didn't know what he was laughing at...but now, he seemed to understand a little.

The professor may not know the "history" that he has not experienced, but he is the one who can best feel the traces of his fate being involved and changed!

He realized that the fate of the world was being manipulated by others, and finally realized that "the key to everything" lies in Aiwass.

That's why he laughed so happily when Aiwass said that!
"my friend."

At this time, Lucifer said gently: "If you lack courage or strength...then accept my gift.

"When you stand in front of the snake, please say hello to him for me. Tell him that I have never hated him."

As he spoke, he gradually faded away.

The three pairs of solid white wings inlaid with gold behind him fell to the ground one by one with clanging sounds.

Lucifer's remaining voice still echoed in the air:
"I'm just a little sad - we could have faced the end together, and he wouldn't have to be so alone... lonely to the point of madness..."

(End of this chapter)