Chapter 824 - Conflict
It comes from a curly-haired baboon… Audrey was momentarily unsure if Mr. World was referring to a real curly-haired baboon or someone who couldn’t be considered human.
In the Loen Kingdom, curly-haired baboons were a common term used to mock others, often used as a joke for low intelligence.
From the looks of it, Mr. World doesn’t wish to provide any further explanation. Alright then, I’ll just treat its origins as that of a real curly-haired baboon… Audrey didn’t ask further as she said, “Didn’t I visit a place that had the tradition of worshiping dragons while seeking out the traces of a mind dragon?”
“But didn’t you discover that the mind dragon lived in the sea of collective subconscious in the local residents? And to ensure your safety, you chose to leave?” Cattleya replied.
“You went back?” Fors asked with a guess.
Audrey shook her head.
“No, I’ve long left the area. I’ve only heard of a rumor recently.
“An archaeological team entered one of the villages in that area. A member suddenly went mad at night, and the mental illness seemed contagious. The other members went mad in turn as they killed each other or themselves. Eventually, not a single member survived.”
Alger was just about to say something when Cattleya said, “This matches the traits of a mind dragon.”
“I have no doubts about that. I’m just curious if the mind dragon will remain in that region,” Audrey expressed her thoughts.
“No,” Alger and Cattleya replied in unison.
Sitting at the long mottled table, The Fool Klein made a connection to something else.
The “anchor” of the deities!
He suspected that the region’s tradition of dragon worship was an “anchor” to stabilize the mind dragon’s state!
Before such traditions ceased its practice, that mind dragon likely doesn’t need to worry about the problem of an “anchor.” Therefore, after it leaves, it can hide in a new region’s sea of collective subconscious. It doesn’t need to take risks to enter the different dreams to create faith. This way, the three Churches will lack clues to finding it. After all, they aren’t experts in this domain. Even with the corresponding Sealed Artifacts, they will, at best, only be capable of entering the sea of collective subconscious or force the mind dragon out… Instead, the Psychology Alchemists might be able to figure something out… As Klein thought casually, he made The World say, “The tradition of dragon worship is very beneficial in stabilizing the mind dragon’s condition. You can get people to take note of such matters. If large-scale changes occur, then it means that the mind dragon is creating similar traditions in other places.”
He originally wanted to mention that he suspected the mind dragon to be an angel, one at Sequence 2, but on careful thought, he found it impossible to determine that.
Indeed, when humans reach Sequence 2 and reach the level of an angel, they will need the “anchor of faith” to secure themselves to prevent themselves from going mad. But that is a dragon in the true sense of the word, an ancient Beyonder creature. It has the madness inherited from its ancestors, and even if it’s cleansed and weakened every generation, it’s definitely easier for it to lose itself compared to humans. Therefore, it might be a Sequence 3, or even a Sequence 4 that needs an “anchor” to resist its inclination of losing control.
“That folk tradition is beneficial in stabilizing the dragon’s condition?” Audrey asked in doubt and puzzlement.
“Yes.” The World didn’t give an explanation aside from providing an affirmative response.
Audrey subconsciously turned her head to look at the other end of the long bronze table. She began considering if she needed to consult Mr. Fool and pay the corresponding price.
Upon seeing this, The Fool Klein surveyed the area and said with a chuckle, “Why do you think the various deities want to spread their faith?”
This… Isn’t it because God loves the world so much… This standard and orthodox answer surfaced in Audrey’s mind.
Following that, she, Alger, Cattleya, and the other members thought of the second answer.
“Stabilization of one’s condition!”
No way… At that moment, Fors found her brain lacking. No matter how good she was at coming up with stories, there was no way she could come up with something like that!
To think that’s the case. No, I can’t eliminate the possibility that Mr. Fool is only mentioning one of the possible reasons. “He” is secretly eroding away the Lord of Storms’s authority… This is related to godhood? I should consult Her Majesty about this in the future… Cattleya nudged the heavy glasses on her nose bridge as she made a guess.
Alger had previously seen the picture, and when he heard such matters, he no longer had that trembling sense of paralyzing fear. Instead, he began seriously considering why faith could stabilize the conditions of a demigod creature.
The other members, including Derrick, felt a little horrified. They felt that what they had heard was sacrilegious. They didn’t dare think too deeply about it or say a word.
This wasn’t something that only involved the evil gods like the True Creator. It had an intimate connection to the seven orthodox deities and the existence of the City of Silver Creator!
The Fool Klein didn’t say anything further as he allowed them to maintain their silence while he appeared extremely relaxed.
After about ten seconds, Audrey forced a smile and said, “That’s all I’ve encountered recently.”
What she meant was that that was all from her, and it was the others’ turn!
Fors and Emlyn had nothing they encountered that was worth informing to the others. They shook their heads, indicating that they had nothing to say.
Of course, the latter actually wished to flaunt his victory of the hunting competition that won him the ring made by the Ancestor.
Alger thought for a moment and looked at Gehrman Sparrow.
“Can that picture be shared with everyone?”
He believed that the picture was directly connected with certain matters that happened in Afternoon Town and the Giant King’s Court. It gave The Sun some prior knowledge of what would be discovered or encountered if the City of Silver were to continue exploring. From that, he would be prepared ahead of time, allowing him to avoid danger. And it was because of this that sharing was a better choice than keeping it to himself.
“I don’t mind.” Klein had similar considerations as he made The World reply.
What picture… It seems to be very important… This is a picture Mr. Hanged Man and Mr. World saw during their partnership in finding the Tyrant card? Audrey waited in curiosity.
Gazes were cast over as Alger obtained Mr. Fool’s approval as he conjured the picture of the City of Silver Creator being eaten by the Kings of Angels.
The bloody, sinister, terrifying, and dark picture instantly left the Tarot Club members stunned. Even the knowledgeable Cattleya momentarily lost her ability to think.
Who are they? What are they doing? This is way too brutal a meal, right? Us Sanguine no longer do such things ever since the Fourth Epoch… We respect life and only drink blood… Emlyn was quite stunned by what he saw. As he had never seen the six statues in the Tudor ruin, he was unable to recognize the three figures.
Back when The World shared the images of the six statues, he had yet to join the Tarot Club.
However, he recognized the victim from the resplendent cross. “He” was likely, perhaps, probably the Creator of the City of Silver, the legendary ancient sun god. In a previous free exchange segment, The Sun had shared with them the corresponding symbols and Sacred Emblem of the Lord that created everything.
I-isn’t this the Eternal Blazing Sun, the Lord of Storms, and the God of Knowledge and Wisdom who Mr. World once presented? Why are “They” eating a human. No, “They” are feasting on the ancient sun god, the Creator of the City of Silver! Audrey was dumbstruck as she instinctively suspected if someone had distorted or blasphemed the images of the orthodox deities.
As Fors trembled in fear, she found the picture that was filled with darkness and evilness to have a form of aesthetics and was of high artistic value.
In her mind, she had already come up with a title, a title for the picture: “The Last Supper!”
Cattleya had never seen the six deities’ statues before, and she only knew the ancient sun god. She subconsciously frowned and blurted out, “Kings of Angels?”
“Yes, at least the three present were,” Alger said without any doubts. However, he wasn’t sure who the dark infant inside the City of Silver Creator was.
As he spoke, Alger glanced at Derrick and noticed that the youth’s eyes were glazed over; his thoughts a mystery.
At this moment, Derrick’s mind was filled with misery and despair.
He believed that the one being eaten was the Creator which the City of Silver believed in. He had also recognized the surrounding three to be the Eternal Blazing Sun, the Lord of Storms, and the God of Knowledge and Wisdom!
This made him suspect the term “Forsaken Land of God.”
In the various tomes in the City of Silver, they emphasized that God had forsaken the land due to certain reasons. It made them turn into the People of the Dark; therefore, as long as everyone repented from the bottom of their hearts and pleaded for forgiveness, the day would come when God would truly return to illuminate the entire world with sunlight.
That’s not right, no amount of repentance or seeking forgiveness can redeem the City of Silver… Derrick muttered inwardly. That’s because God is dead. Eaten and never to return…
This meant that the City of Silver’s miserable pursuits and hope were only a mirage, one that would never be fulfilled.
After a long silence, Audrey said, trying to convince herself, “This is a distortion of the legend of how those three gods were born from the soul of the Creator?”
Three gods? Cattleya’s and Emlyn’s eyes constricted at the same time, having figured out the general meaning of the picture. They knew what alarming matter it represented.
“Perhaps, but there’s no way to explain that infant,” Alger replied.
He silently glanced at Mr. Fool, and he realized that this impressive existence had no intention of speaking. All “He” did was watch silently.
With Audrey silent, the remaining members of the Tarot Club didn’t say a word either.
This silence continued until Alger dispersed the picture and turned to ask Derrick, “Have you investigated the matter regarding your former Chief’s mausoleum?”