Embers of Embers

Chapter 581 The Civil War
Lorenzo had seen a lot of monsters and monsters along the way, but now facing the pioneer, he actually had an unexplainable feeling, as if there was a hole of blood clogged in his chest and he couldn't spit it out.
The others felt similar to Lorenzo. In this gloomy moment, this pioneer who had followed several people all the way and helped from time to time actually jumped out. Judging from his demeanor and words, he seemed to He is the secret keeper that several people are searching for.
"This……"
Lorenzo almost wanted to speak, but he held back the last words as he tried hard to calm down.
This guy who had the truth about the world just walked over casually and sat by the campfire, waiting for questions from a few people.
"You...are the secret keeper?"
"Well, it was, to be precise," the Herald replied.
"Ever? What do you mean?"
Lorenzo continued to ask. Judging from the attitude of the pioneer, he was not prepared to hide anything. It seemed that he could answer all Lorenzo's questions.
"We had differences in our ideals. They chose to stay in the shelter, hiding from the world and being forgotten, while I chose to leave here and have been wandering in the world."
The pioneer didn't make any unnecessary movements. After he sat down, he did nothing but make a sound of reply. The bonfire reflected the silver armor into a golden color, but it was difficult to illuminate the darkness under the helmet.
The pioneer was silent. He rarely spoke actively. He basically answered whatever Lorenzo asked, and remained silent for the rest of the time.
This is a somewhat strange guy. He is controlling everything as if he is arranging the plan. He makes Lorenzo and the epidemic doctor meet and fight, but he also saves them in distress and prevents Leviathan's attack. Until now , and explains all the problems here.
Pioneer's series of operations make it unclear what his purpose is, and it is difficult for Lorenzo to judge what his position is. However, judging from the information Lorenzo knows, the ultimate leader of the Final Society is also a living person. He had been living with the old monster for who knows how long, and his behavior was quite predictable.
After all, after living for such a long time, it is normal to have some mental problems.
The conversation came to a standstill for a while. Lorenzo had too many questions in his mind. Now they were all crowded together, and he didn't know where to start.
"Is the Keeper still alive?"
Lorenzo asked. Although the Herald "used to" be the Keeper of Secrets, Lorenzo was still wary of the identity of the Final Society.
Because of different ideas, they single-handedly created the Final Society?That association whose pursuit is absolute death?This is in serious contradiction with the essence of the existence of the Keepers. The Keepers are for continuation, while the Pioneers are for the end.
"Probably, I haven't been back for a long time."
The Herald thought, his memory was too big, and the memories of the past became bloated.
"I remember that people from the Victoria family came here before. It was probably a few decades ago. At that time, the condition of the secret keepers was not very good... They are probably all dead, and there may be a few alive."
Strange yet familiar memories emerged before my eyes. The pioneer had not been back for too long, and everything seemed like a lifetime ago.
"Who knows? I've been gone too long."
"So they're all dead..."
Hearing this, Lorenzo felt a little disappointed and looked at these silent monuments.
The Herald noticed Lorenzo's gaze and he continued.
"They are not here. These things are just monuments to commemorate those who died in the war, and as arrays to strengthen the area of ​​influence of the antimeme, and even to envelop the entire field."
Listening to the pioneer's words, Lorenzo was in a daze, and then exclaimed.
"They're not here!"
Looking around, this is the end, where can the secret keepers be?
"Do you think that as a shelter to preserve the fire of human civilization, it would be easily built on an explosion crater?"
The Herald seemed to be smiling, or he might not be smiling, it was probably an illusion, and Lorenzo was a little unsure.
Listening to the pioneer's words, Lorenzo couldn't help but look at the ground, under the layers of ice, in the darkness that was beyond the reach of his eyes.
"It was a huge artificial creation made entirely of Forbidden Alloy... which is what you call Holy Silver. It had multiple layers of protection. At that time, the enemies started a war here. On the surface of the earth, the war continued. After several months, we finally ended the war relying on [Final Echo].
People within the range of [Final Echo] had their information wiped directly, and the terrain was drastically changed by subsequent explosions, but this did not affect the shelter buried deep underground. It is even said that we later used this [Final Echo] The aftermath of , established today’s antimemetic protection circle. "
The pioneer picked up his spear and tapped it lightly on the solid ice.
"They are right below. According to the usual reincarnation iteration, they should come out to greet you, but now it seems that they are all dead."
The Herald sighed and continued.
"But there is nothing we can do about it. The Keepers are different from us. We have embarked on the road of sublimation, so we will enjoy a short eternity, while those guys still adhere to the 'purity' of human beings, and their lifespan is only an instant. A moment."
The pioneer hadn't told anyone this for many years, and Lorenzo didn't need to ask anything. He continued to tell the story.
"This was part of the reason for our differences at the time. The Keepers believed that the road to sublimation was a sharp double-edged sword. Sooner or later, those of us would cause disaster. Just like the root cause of all this, we cannot continue to stay in In the shelter.
But human lifespan is limited. If they don’t do this, the Keepers will not be able to continue the story. For this reason, they choose to combine their bodies with steel to become monsters that are neither human nor ghosts, and replace one organ after another with complex machinery. Until it's beyond recognition.
Compared with me, they were the real monsters, but they thought they were pure. I couldn't convince them, and I couldn't be convinced by them. I left with a person who arrived at the shelter at that time. "
The pioneer was puzzled and kept talking to himself.
"So it's strange, isn't it? Everyone has become a monster, but they are extremely strict on the 'way' of becoming a monster."
"No, they are right. What the machine changes is only the body, but it does not distort the soul... Sublimation makes us greater, and it also tends to be inhuman. In the body of a mortal, a soul that does not belong to humans grows."
Watson knows far more about sublimation than Lorenzo does, and she speaks from her own perspective.
"Probably...I will also struggle with these later, but gradually, these are not so important. Anyway, all those guys are dead. This fire that has continued for countless reincarnations has finally been extinguished."
The pioneer noticed something and pointed to the bag beside him.
"Is that wine?"
"Well, we originally wanted to celebrate these at the gate of truth."
The epidemic doctor picked up the bag. Anyway, the Black Angel can carry a huge amount of goods, so he took the drinks with him.
"Oh, it feels pretty good. The last time we drank here was at the celebration banquet. Because the supplies were almost destroyed, we simply mixed alcohol with water to make do."
The pioneer picked up the wine bottle and poured it under his dark helmet. After a while, he said with some loss.
"Those guys may be right. I used to like drinking, but now I can't taste the taste of these wines... They are unnecessary things to maintain life. Unnecessary things do not consume energy. Reasons to acquire.”
As he spoke, he poured the remaining wine into the bonfire, and the fireworks became more brilliant.
"Anything else to ask?"
The pioneer slowed down and asked again. Lorenzo could feel the stiffness in his tone, like a guy who hadn't spoken to each other for hundreds of years and spoke again, with a dry and stale tone in his voice.
"What is the significance of your creation of the Final Society?" Lorenzo asked again.
He is not eager to find out the answer to the mystery, just like peeling off the cocoon, he wants to construct a complete history from the broken words of the pioneers.
Why did pioneers give rise to such groups and intentionally perpetuate them?
"It doesn't make any sense. I left the shelter and wandered around in this world with nothing to do. Some people happened to like to deify me, so I just went along with it... In fact, it was quite interesting. It was like watching ants worshiping another person. Like more great creatures, the long life is too boring, so I use this kind of thing to pass the time."
The Herald spoke very casually, as if these deaths and endings that lasted for centuries were really just games to pass the time to him.
Lorenzo observed. Although he couldn't see the face of the pioneer, he could feel the emotions rolling in it. This feeling of déjà vu was something Lorenzo had briefly experienced in someone's body.
Watson...
Gazing at the dark armor from the corner of his eye, Lorenzo had felt it in Watson, this detached attitude from ordinary people, the... divinity that abandoned all emotions and distracting thoughts.
"Then... why is the end of all things?"
Why do the pioneers still spread this idea of ​​silent death?And because of his ideas, endless death and strife have arisen. No matter how many times the Demon Hunting Order goes out to hunt, they will come back under the guidance of the Pioneer.
The Harbinger laughed, this time his laughter was distinct and had a metallic timbre.
"Holmes, why do you think a person believes?"
"Is it because he must be believing in something?"
The Herald turned his head, staring at Lorenzo from the darkness beneath his helmet.
His eyes couldn't help being drawn to the darkness, and Lorenzo felt as if he was facing an abyss.
What's underneath the armor?A human being, a ghost that has been wandering for centuries.
The Herald continued.
"But, believing is not enough. What really matters is the actions you take after believing."
"They believed you and then died? Does death mean anything?"
Lorenzo's hand couldn't help but reach for the sword bag, which was filled with sharp nail swords.
The pioneer noticed Lorenzo's small movements, but he didn't care. He carried that kind of transcendent divinity. Whether it was Lorenzo or the epidemic doctor, they were just ants to him. Would you care about an ant? Do you show off your power?
As Watson said at that time, king against king, against general.
The Herald is an entity that can repel Leviathan. Neither Lorenzo nor the Plague Doctor can confront him head-on.
"Do you think I bewitched those people? Like a cult leader, tricking them into dying?"
The Herald smiled even wider.
"Actually, the reason why the Society of the End is like a cult group is because I did it deliberately. After all, Edron has a demon hunting sect, so I think I should have something to fight against this old friend. Let this long life not be too boring."
He suppressed his smile and asked calmly.
"Holmes, would you lie to a child?"
"will not."
"why?"
"Childish and boring."
"Then why do you think I would deceive mortals?"
The scene was silent for a few seconds, and Lorenzo could feel that a ferocious smile was showing under the darkness of the helmet.
That was a taunt from the divine, who was aloft, looking down at all living beings.
"I didn't lie to them, I just let these children see the 'real world' and then they chose to die. That's it. It's simple."
"Impossible, how could anyone be willing to die?"
Lorenzo refused to believe it, but his firm tone gradually became looser. He thought of something. The Herald seemed to know the changes in Lorenzo's mind. He watched Lorenzo's expression, trying to see something in it. Same.
"Yes, even if the evangelical church promises that wonderful kingdom of heaven, few people are willing to devote themselves to it, right?
In the final analysis, the beautiful kingdom of heaven is just "inducement". This method will not work. The most primitive and strongest human emotion is fear, and "coercion" is the primary force that forces people to take action. "
The pioneer said and stretched out his hand. The metal-covered fingertips were only a few dozen centimeters away from Lorenzo. Lorenzo could reach him as long as he stretched out his hand.
“It’s like a simple multiple-choice question.
You can live timidly, but then you have to face endless torture, like you are in... hell, right!In hell, but if you die now, you can escape the torments of hell.
Of course, many people don't care about these things. After all, hell is too illusory, so I let them see the "real world" and step into the "hell" in person.
You know what happens next, basically everyone is willing to die to escape the torture of hell. "
The Herald spoke almost crazy words. Lorenzo had thought that he might be the keeper of hope, but now it seemed that the Herald was an unpredictable monster.
"Do you want to try it? Holmes, do you want to see these with your own eyes? In fact, I am quite curious whether you will do the same thing as them after entering hell, such as raising the nail sword and cutting yourself Cut off his head."
"You lunatic."
Lorenzo couldn't understand the Herald's words, but he could feel the madness and darkness in them.
"How could it be? I just let them see it. I never interfered with their decisions." Pioneer said.
The epidemic doctor and Watson on the side fell completely silent. They didn't know how to join the conversation, and they might also be frightened by the words of the pioneer. They thought that what was coming was hope, but now it seems that it is a darker existence.
"So why is this happening? Why is there such an existence as 'hell' that makes people so frightened that they commit suicide?"
Lorenzo held back and continued to ask questions to the pioneer.
The pioneer is unknown to his friends and foes, and he seems to be a madman who has lived too long and has some mental problems. The most important thing is that Lorenzo does not have the power to fight against him. Faced with such a madman, Lorenzo can only endure him. Uncover more information before the conversation completely collapses.
"Well... it's a long story. Your question involves the origin of all stories."
The pioneer seemed to be very leisurely and not in a hurry. His helmet turned towards the epidemic doctor, and he seemed to be signaling to the epidemic doctor.
"What is the end of sublimation!"
The epidemic doctor hurriedly asked, the flesh and blood under the mask wriggled violently, and countless scarlet pupils were watching the pioneer closely.
If the pioneer was not too mysterious and the knowledge in his mind was still useful, the plague doctor might have been swallowed up by the ecstasy in his heart, and started to dissect the pioneer with his sharp claws... Well, this is just a thought.
The Plague Doctor doesn't care about any damn conspiracies, and he has no interest in those terminal societies. He just wants to know what is at the end of this road.
Facing the anxious epidemic doctors, the pioneer replied like this.
"What do you think is the end of sublimation?"
The epidemic doctor paused, and he confided all his experiments and conjectures.
"Evolution! Evolution! Endless evolution!"
From bacteria to animals, from holding a stick to wielding a sword.
"Life is driven."
The epidemic doctor said.
"Predators prey on their prey, and the prey tries to become stronger in order not to be preyed on... Mortals mastered steel and fire. They defeated all creatures and dominated the world. Then internal disputes arose until one The most powerful king unites them all.”
“But this is not the end.
Life is driven. It is like an upward spiral. From the beginning, it can no longer stop. It will keep rising and rising. In the end, it has only two states: either it is completely extinct, or it never stops. On the rise! "
The plague doctor's body began to squirm, as if he would be unable to maintain his human form and would collapse into a ball of raging flesh and blood.
"Then what?" Pioneer encouraged.
"Then……"
The plague doctor thought as he looked at Lorenzo and then at the Black Angel.
"Get rid of the cowardly flesh and blood and sublimate into a greater existence, a completely empty spirit body, no longer bound by the body and time.
This is the end of sublimation. "
This is the end of sublimation, an answer that everyone has already guessed, but what the epidemic doctor told was only the first half of the answer. His words were spoken uncontrollably, telling the other half of the answer that only existed in his mind.
“But just like the difference between tadpoles and frogs, larvae and butterflies, are we still us at that time?
We are no longer bound by flesh and blood, just as butterflies are no longer bound by the earth. Human ethics and morality are meaningless to us, and glory and interests have become wasteland. "
This is the divinity of the Herald, no... not so much divinity, but rather this is the reason why he lost all humanity.
He is no longer human, and he can no longer empathize with humans.
he said as the Herald laughed and clapped.
"Look, don't you already know the answer?"
"But... but how are all these connected?"
The epidemic doctor can't figure it out. There are too many questions about demons, erosion, spirits, nothingness. Even if they know these, the world is still full of doubts.
"Come and imagine such a being."
The Herald tried to guide them in describing what it would look like.
"It is an existence of nothingness. All human cognition, whether it is rules, ethics, morality, honor, joy, sorrow... love, all of these are meaningless to it, just nothingness, just like ...as if you were telling a History of the World to a beast.
Pointless, right?What it cares about is whether it will be full for the next meal. Understanding things like "World History" has no meaning on whether it will be full for the next meal. It has no need to understand such things. "
The pioneer was like a child having fun. He kept watching the expressions of several people, expecting their reactions to satisfy him.
"Don't think that beasts are inferior. Don't you think that compared to humans, monsters are more perfect beings?
Powerful strength, tough bodies, terrible pollution and spread, they can rapidly increase in value and expand, but humans need to be pregnant for ten months, during which there are still a lot of risks..."
"How can they compare with humans." Lorenzo interrupted the pioneer.
"Why not? Why do you think humans are better?" the pioneer asked, "Because you can think and have wisdom?
Is this kind of thing important? "
Faced with the words of the pioneer, Lorenzo, who had a sharp tongue, didn't know where to start for a moment.
"What do you think is the essence of life? Holmes, love and peace? Or glory and merit? This is nothing. Under the dust of the years, all this is nothingness."
The pioneer leaned back comfortably and his voice became slower and slower.
“The essence of life is continuation, reproduction, and reproduction of individuals.
The one who survives to the end is the winner. "
The Herald laid the spear flat in front of him, and his tone became a little sad.
"So, that's pretty much it. It will probably take a few centuries, maybe a few years, who knows? I might lose all my humanity and turn into that nihilistic beast.
There's nothing we can do about it. Maybe things like 'self' and 'human nature' are the shackles that limit us? "
Listening to the pioneer's words, Lorenzo only felt his hands and feet getting cold.
Self, wisdom, love, humanity...these things that are regarded as treasures by human beings may be the truly vicious poisons. Only by abandoning them can we enter a greater existence.
It becomes a beast of nothingness.
"Yes, this is the answer. This is what happened here. The noble existence launched a war against the lowly existence."
The pioneer looked around and said wistfully.
"I didn't understand why at the time. We are all humans...but now it makes sense. Do beasts need any reason to eat?"
Lorenzo could vaguely see those ethereal beasts running across the sky, leaving eroded footprints and alienated monsters.
Maybe there really are gods or demons in this world, maybe they are disguised by demons, maybe they are those nihilistic beasts, in short, all of these are humans themselves.
Or...human beings in the past.
Lorenzo stared blankly at the stars and muttered to himself.
“This has never been a war between humans and demons.
This is a civil war between humans and humans. "
He looked towards Herald.
"Did we win?"
The pioneer replied.
"The war never ends."
(End of this chapter)