Chapter 754 [Survival of Civilization·Iron Crown]
Xia Xiu stared at the old man in front of him. The strength of the other party made him realize that if this confrontation continued, it might only make the situation more uncontrollable.
He sighed softly and changed the [Lever of Heaven] in his hand from a battle stick to a more low-key 15-inch magic wand. The silver light quickly faded and turned into a warm brilliance.
The three incarnations gradually disappeared into his body, taking away the suffocating sense of oppression.
He showed his kindness to the old man.
The old man still stood there, his eyes calm and restrained, quietly observing every tiny movement of Xia Xiu.
Xia Xiu noticed that the old man was very surprised by the seeming existence of the [Incarnation of the Master], and... admired it.
"You are a seeker, right?
You remind me of my father. You are just like my father. You are both children of Vajuma and Mekhane; you are sons of flesh and machine, symbolizing Human civilization originated from the combination of life and reason, and was also limited by the contradiction between these two forces.
You are like my father, you are both Apollos. ”
Xia Xiu's eyes narrowed slightly, and his heart was slightly shaken.
【Wazijuma】and【Mehane】......
The two are just different in pronunciation of the old man. In Terran language, these two are [Adabos] and [McCaan].
Judging from the semantics, the old man should not be talking about the think tank, but the existence of the two themselves - the God of Infinity and Brokenness that he covers.
The son of flesh and machine...
Perfect prosthesis...
Once again, he thought of the scene when he was born in Terra, the scene of his awakening on the [Spiral Road], and the deal between the four monarchs and himself.
Before he went to the [Spiral Road], he had been shrouded in a unique Mi Mu, similar to the [obstacle of knowledge and vision] - he had never recalled that his appearance before and after his birth were basically the same. details, and he forgot some of the relevant memories before he came to Terra.
Ever since he participated in the Interpretation War, everything that happened here has been disconnected from the past memories, and has also undergone tremendous changes from the original so-called "game".
Previously, the Four Monarchs turned into the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and made deals with themselves because of the so-called "Perfect Prosthetic Body".
Xia Xiu pondered for a moment, quickly organizing words in his mind.
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Of course, I'm listening."
The old man said happily.
"Of course, but I hope your speech is more valuable than silence. My father always said - your speech must be more valuable than silence."
When Xia Xiu heard this, he subconsciously stretched out his left hand to rub his chin.
It seems that if you want to get the answer from this unfathomable being, you must be concise and concise without going into details.
So, he raised his head and asked three simple but profound questions in a clear and calm tone:
"Who are you? Where are you from? What are you doing here?"
Very classic philosophical questions.
After the words fell, the air seemed to be quiet for a moment, and even the echoes around him paused slightly.
The old man was stunned for a moment, and then laughed softly.
His laughter was not loud, but it was as loud as a bell, with a power that penetrated the soul.
He spoke slowly, with appreciation in his voice:
"Three questions go straight to the point. A wise person uses the fewest words to paint a huge picture."
"Simplicity is the soul of wisdom, verbosity is the body of superficiality." Xia Xiu replied.
Hearing this, the old man became even more happy. His eyes showed some admiration and he adjusted his stance slightly.
"It seems that this old man likes this style of tone..." Xia Xiu thought in his heart, and he was ready to give in to what he liked.
"Great, I like the way you expressed it, now it's time for me to answer."
The old man paused, then slowly raised his hand to tidy up the brown ancient clothes, his movements gentle but with a solemn sense of ritual.
He stared straight at Xia Xiu, his weather-beaten eyes shining with an indescribable depth of light.
"So, let me answer your first question first - 'Who am I.'"
Before he finished speaking, the old man suddenly took steps and walked slowly towards Xia Xiu.
The footsteps were clear and powerful, and the air seemed to be weighed down by an invisible force.
The old man got closer and closer, until the distance between the two was only an arm's length.
Close enough to easily launch a devastating attack.
Xia Xiu narrowed his eyes slightly, and the light in his golden pupils flickered for a moment. He restrained his instinctive fighting reaction and tightened his fingers on the magic wand slightly, but did not make any hostile move.
He just stood there quietly, staring at the old man in front of him, waiting for his next words.
The old man stopped and stood in front of the blond young man.
His gaze passed over the blond young man's dazzling golden pupils, and a trace of complex emotions flashed through his eyes, which were both probing, a little sarcastic, and even mixed with a touch of imperceptible sadness.
He slowly raised his finger and pointed at the mural on the east wall. The golden man standing before the sun wheel wears a shining crown and holds a silver-tipped staff.
The old man's voice was low but clear, echoing throughout the temple.
"I am the third son of the Sun, the last guardian of Ode Papadopolis."
"My name is - Set."
As he spoke, he raised his chin slightly, like a noble prince.
He added meaningfully:
"I am Seth—the real Seth."
[Set] - One of the Nine Pillars in the Book of the Dead, the god of drought and storms.
Of course, besides this [Set], there is another [Set].
One of the first three sons, brother of Cain and Abel.
Seth's eyes fell back on Xia Xiu, a smile appeared on his face, with an inexplicable meaning.
His eyes swept over Xia Xiu's body, and finally stopped on his golden eyes, as if he saw countless hidden secrets in them.
"My eyes have seen..." Seth whispered, "You have traces of information from other blood descendants of Vazjuma on your body... I feel the fluctuations of the solar ship."
Seth's eyes were fixed on Xia Xiu, as if waiting for confirmation.
"You also killed his information owner. I still feel... my brother's aura in you... [(Cain)]... you killed his information owner with a destined death. ”
Xia Xiu's fingers gently turned the magic wand, which was a kind of calm defense that also kept him calm.
He didn't like the old man being so close to him, and that mysterious, leisurely, yet faintly oppressive aura made him feel uncomfortable.
What alarmed him even more was what the old man mentioned about him.
[Osiris] who won Fei II, [Cain] who impaled the king...
The triple halo behind him was trembling slightly at the moment, making a sound of heat dissipation. This was the result of high-intensity aether operations.
He could feel a strange and cold gaze peering at him.
This gaze was as precise as a razor, bypassing all barriers and reaching the periphery of his own information fragments.
As the [Crown One], Xia Xiu's existence has long been like an "information integration body". Only information bodies with a deeper level than him can achieve confrontation at this level.
And Seth has obviously reached this level.
Moreover, the other party observed directly without any disguise, which was a bit provocative.
Despite this, Xia Xiu did not show any panic.
His curiosity overcame all discomfort at this moment. He tilted his head slightly, his tone low but with a trace of undisguised interest:
"Cain? Is he your brother?"
Seth nodded, with a self-deprecating smile on his lips.
He turned around and pointed to a fragmented mural on the wall. The figures on the mural seemed to have lost their clear faces for some reason, and the remaining outlines were blurry and sad.
"The name of this mural," Seth whispered, with a hint of deep fatigue and sigh in his voice, "is - 'The Betrayal of Three Sons'."
The old man's fingers slid gently on the rough surface of the mural, his movements slow and careful, as if he was afraid of disturbing the memories sealed in it.
His eyes rested on the blurry outline, and heavy emotions showed in his eyes, as if he was dragged into some distant past by unforgettable pain.
"His voice was low and slow, and every word seemed to be excavated from the depths of memory.
"This painting symbolizes the conflict between the three sons and also foreshadows the division and decline of the kingdom."
"His three sons, they represent-reason, jealousy and betrayal respectively."
Xia Xiu listened quietly, his eyes following where the old man's finger pointed, and the images on the mural became more and more vivid.
His triple halo flashed slightly, and the shadows of three incarnations faintly appeared behind him, as if responding to some kind of resonance.
The old man continued:
"The eldest son... he is the embodiment of machinery and rationality. He is known for his logic and calm wisdom, but it is this blind pursuit of rationality that makes him try to replace his father, use logic to strip away human nature, and believe that only machinery and reason can is the eternal answer.”
"He made a passionate speech to the people of the world, calling for reason and rationality, and asked his father to hand over the throne to him."
"The kingdom bowed to the first son and worshiped him as a god, but his father cursed him, saying that his pursuit would lead to irreversible rigidity and destruction, so he would destroy the land and his followers. .”
"He was exiled and forced to wander in the most desolate place in the world until the sun rose in the west and set in the east."
The man on the mural has a serious face, holding a finely carved but angular scepter, and his eyes show indifference.
"Second son..."
The old man's finger moved to another place.
"Symbolizes over-reliance on the power of flesh and blood. He believes that blood and force are the only ways to inherit the throne. He launched a rebellion out of jealousy of his father's power, trying to seize the king's power through violence and conquest."
"He raised an army and ravaged his father's land, razing the world to the ground with sword and torch, but he was struck down by his father and locked in a stone tomb deep underground."
His fingers traced the image of a strong man on the mural with anger and anxiety in his eyes.
"I think the story is not as simple as the above. You ignored the real contradiction."
Xia Xiu looked at the mural and asked a real core question.
He didn't completely believe the words of the man named Seth in front of him, because the words of the other party were full of various symbolic meanings.
When the old man spoke, he keenly sensed that something was wrong.
If the eldest son symbolizes machinery, the second son symbolizes flesh and blood.
So, the real conflict lies not with their father, but with their brothers.
For Sarkia and Brokenness.
Xia Xiu has an extraordinary keen intuition.
Seth looked at Xia Xiu and couldn't help but admired again:
"You are indeed the unifier of flesh and machine."
Seth continued:
"Indeed, there are many details in the story. The story just mentioned is just a macro narrative, and the real details are yet to come.
In fact, the real cause of the war was the conflict between flesh and machine. At that time, the eldest brother Cain and brother Abel had already fought a war over the throne.
However, there was a brief pause in that war.
At that time, brother Abel came out of his tent and offered peace to my eldest brother Cain.
But at that moment, the eldest brother, who claims to be the most sensible...
He was indeed his father's child, and he still had the most profound instinct to devour everything in [Vazjuma]. He picked up the Iron God's Spear from the ground, and he killed brother Abel.
He pressed Abel's body beneath him and shouted crazily that he was the legal master of heaven and earth and the only legal heir to his father's throne.
Then rationality returned... He burst into tears, regretting everything he had done and feeling extremely desperate.
He brought Abel's brother's body to the gate of his father's city and called out to his father.
The father... cut open his eldest brother's body, fed the arms he used to kill Abel to the wolves, and then placed several curses on his soul.
From then on, he was destined to wander the world, and every land he set foot on would be cursed.
He was also cursed with perfect memory, so that he could never forget the fear in Abel's eyes when he was struck by a spear. ”
"When his father came back with Abel's body, brother Abel had changed."
"His spirit was severed from his body, filled with a truly terrible hatred, and he brought the werewolf organization into the world."
"It's ridiculous."
"The elder brother who followed reason used the most bloody means to kill his brother; the elder brother Abel who believed in blood and force tried to persuade reason with love."
"In the end, they all went to extremes and went back to the starting point."
"The father felt sorry for what had happened to his son. He put brother Abel into a stone cave where he could hate him forever.
But let me tell you - even a father filled with despair is still scary. During that time, the gods trembled at the sight of him, and so did I. ”
The old man's finger rested on the end of the mural, where the missing person was.
He paused and his tone became deeper:
"The youngest son... his father's favorite son. He was intelligent and charming. He inherited his father's crown, but due to greed and betrayal, he stole [the survival of civilization] for himself."
"While his father was sleeping, the youngest son came into his father's room and took the crown from his head.
This is the greatest betrayal, because what a father loves most is his youngest son..."
The old man paused again, and continued with a hint of exhaustion and sadness in his voice:
"When his father's kingdom collapsed, he cowardly fled into the night.
Father... when the sun turned the world into a smoky ruin, we... those who followed the few disappeared into the shadows.
Pursued by the kingdom and his eldest and second sons, we have been fleeing in the dark night for thousands of years.
All they want is the crown, all they want is [the survival of civilization].
For this they searched all over the world.
But it hid, stayed away from them, until they faded into legends, and finally legends turned into myths.
When I finally returned to the sun, the world had changed again.
The fields are lush, the forests are lush, and the weather is sunny.
The people who escaped with me rebuilt their families, and their families spread throughout the new world.
People who describe this place call it the Youyang Plate. ”
Xia Xiu stared at the mural. He already understood something, but he still asked in a low voice:
"What is their end?"
The old man turned around and looked at Xia Xiu, with complex emotions in his eyes:
"The eldest son was swallowed by flesh and blood and became its eternal slave; the second son was imprisoned by his own reason and trapped in an endless logical maze; as for the youngest son..."
The old man's voice was low and somewhat sarcastic.
"He put on the iron crown, but was crushed by its weight and fell deeper into the abyss. Everything he coveted eventually came back to bite him."
Seth said in an extremely sad tone:
"This mural not only symbolizes the past, but may also foreshadow... the future."
Xia Xiu's eyes were still focused on the murals on the east wall, his eyes sharp, as if he wanted to discern a deeper truth from those faded pictures.
He spoke slowly, his tone mixed with temptation and curiosity:
"Why doesn't the younger son return the iron crown to the sun?"
Seth was startled for a moment, then a slightly mocking smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
He slowly raised his hand and pointed at the picture in the mural, the golden man, and the other's staff and crown. His voice was lowered a bit, and every word contained a certain irony.
"Why?"
Seth's tone was a little sad.
"Because the kingdom has long been destroyed by his betrayal."
"My father was the founder of Ode Papadopolis. He used the power inherited from [Vazjuma] and [Mehane], combined with abnormal technology and knowledge, to build this extraordinary city.
This city is the first great city where humans and abnormal forces combine, and is known as the "place where existence comes".
Audapaupadopolis means ‘city of radiance’ or ‘source of life’ in our language. ”
Seth then asked in a desperate tone:
"Why not return it?"
"Because the kingdom has long perished because of him. The real Ode Papadopolis, that glorious kingdom, was destroyed by his own hands. But he is arrogant and shamelessly claims to be...the last guardian."
"We had actually been hiding from him for a long time, and after brother Abel was killed, I knew there would be other brothers who would kill their own brothers to take my father's crown - so I stole the crown and ran away.
My children hid like bugs with me.
Because I felt my father’s anger—a certain inescapable rage.
It was like a heat wave, a purgatory, hitting him in all directions like a storm, scaring away the few people who remained in the city.
But we endured it until a hundred years later he recovered and returned to his empty halls.
But we...we heard some legends.
In the disappearance of the crown, the dark host on the fleet of longships, the king dancing under the scarlet star, the legend of the father who stood alone against them. ”
His eyes were full of self-scorn, self-contempt, pain, and self-blame...
His eyes fell on the broken lines on the mural. Those images that had lost their original bright colors seemed to be responding to his accusations.
"He knows that the glory of the past can never be restored, and he is not worthy of standing under the light of the sun anymore."
Seth's voice echoed in the empty temple, and every word seemed to carry a deep-seated resentment.
Xia Xiu frowned slightly, a thoughtful light flashing in his eyes.
His eyes swept across the mural and landed on the vague ruins at the feet of the golden man:
"So, his so-called protection is just to cover up his crimes? Just to deceive himself and others to maintain some kind of non-existent glory?"
Seth suddenly sneered. He stared at the golden eyes of the blond young man, and for the first time there was coldness in his eyes.
"Deceiving yourself?"
Xia Xiu looked directly at the opponent without fear.
Seth quickly withdrew his gaze and said in an extremely self-deprecating tone:
"Yes, this is not only self-deception, but also a betrayal of the past. He stole the Iron Crown, he destroyed the kingdom, but he tried to stand on the ruins and pretend that he was still the child of the sun."
When Xia Xiu heard this, he gently turned the wand in his hand, and his golden pupils flashed with complex light.
His voice was low but with a hint of undoubted power:
"So, what he protects is never the kingdom, but his own crimes."
Seth's eyes were focused on Xia Xiu, and a trace of complicated emotions appeared in his cold eyes.
He nodded slowly, his voice low but filled with endless resentment:
"Yes. What he protects is his crime. He uses lies to justify his betrayal, and uses the brilliance of the Iron Crown to cover up his despicability."
Seth paused and his eyes fell on the mural again, his eyes becoming deep and distant.
He continued:
"The next question is, you ask me, where do we come from...billions of years ago-"
"Billions?" Xia Xiu couldn't help but interrupt him, with a hint of uncertainty in his tone.
"Are you sure you didn't use the wrong quantifier?"
Seth's eyes flashed with a sarcastic smile, and he whispered:
"Nothing wrong, I might even say, or longer ago.
Billions of years ago, we were once as young as the world and creation itself.
It’s just that a long time has passed when we really move, when we really act in the material world, when we really exercise wisdom, and when we really study the truth - so those billions before are all void and meaningless. of. ”
"However, in the beginning..."
The old man's tone gradually became lower. He slowly raised his head, his eyes seemed to penetrate the temple, looking back at the endless past:
"We see the God of Steel dotting the sky with fiery stars; the God of Flesh and Blood spilling the first drops of blood onto the earth, giving it life.
The snake and its dark brother laid the foundation of what was right and wrong, and I, then, was just a child. ”
Seth's tone suddenly paused, with an indescribable emotion:
"I witnessed the first sunrise when the world began to move. I witnessed that moment of glory... and I witnessed its demise."
He paused and looked at Xia Xiu deeply, with a hint of meaning in his tone:
"I think the facts I told you may not be the answers you expected.
"Maybe," a self-deprecating smile appeared on the corner of the old man's mouth, "you will think this is just a crazy old man talking to himself and boasting, but..."
Before he finished speaking, his expression suddenly became serious, and his eyes seemed to be burning with a kind of true knowledge that penetrated everything. He said in a low and solemn voice:
"We do see the sum total of all dimensions and reality. We see the beginning of the universe, and we also see the tree, which symbolizes knowledge."
Xia Xiu's brows wrinkled slightly, and there were waves in his heart.
He intuitively felt that this was not a lie, but what exactly was this "tree"?
The old man ignored Xia Xiu's doubts. His eyes seemed to be recalling some grand truth, and his voice seemed to echo from the depths of endless time:
"It is the bridge between "existence" and "non-existence", symbolizing wisdom, creation and the pursuit of truth. At that time, our number was still very few. We lived in an infinite mysterious world, the haze of creation Shrouding the planet ”
The old man walked slowly, and his fingers gently traced the stone pillars in the hall. They were engraved with ancient symbols that were difficult to identify.
His voice is low but full of power:
"However, in the midst of that haze, we learned many great truths.
We study, observe, and learn over millions of years. When we learned what we could do, we came here and built the first city in the land, Ode Papadopolis.
Right here, this is where "being" has been.
Back then, men and women with unimaginable power walked the streets of the city of Ode Papadopolis.
Me and my brothers, the man with the miraculous eyes, the king in the crimson cloak, the dragon and the lord of the sky, the messenger of Saturn and so on.
But the greatest of these was the first king of the world.
He is the sun, he can create mountains with a snap of his fingers, reach across the wilderness with a lift of his feet, and summon the sea with a loud shout.
His voice was light and strong, like the whisper of a thunderstorm on the horizon.
He was armed with a spear that was said to be capable of killing gods. His gaze transcended heaven and witnessed the realms beyond.
We call him the Sun because we believe he is the embodiment of the joy of creation. ”
"'Existence'..."
The old man paused and his tone became even lower:
"This is exactly what I want to say. I believe you have witnessed many incredible [miracles], but I want to tell you that there are only two true gods in this world."
He looked up at the dome of the hall, as if he could reach the end of truth through this sky. His voice gradually became deeper and louder:
"'Existence' and 'non-existence' - they are not entities, nor thoughts - they are existence and non-existence."
Xia Xiu's eyes flashed slightly, and there was a hint of shock in his golden pupils.
He listened quietly without interrupting the old man.
"When the work of Being is done," the old man's voice sounded like a bell in the storm, "what remains of truth becomes a snake - a being that only studies where it comes from, learning what it is about itself - it The lost truth.
And the other one, "non-existence", was once the shadow of "existence".
"Non-existence" contains "existence", which, as a long nothingness, extends beyond the world - beyond. ”
Seth's eyes were as blazing as fire. He stared at Xia Xiu and his tone was as shocking as thunder:
"They coexist as the truest knowledge. Everything that ever was, right or wrong, happens simultaneously before them. The world was created when these truths were first realized."
The atmosphere in the hall was like solidified amber, and there was an indescribable solemnity in the air.
Xia Xiu still stood there, with complex emotions flashing in his golden pupils.
He stared at Seth, as if waiting for more revelations.
Seth raised his head slightly and his eyes fell on the carvings on the top of the hall.
"I said before that 'tree' is the sum of all dimensions and reality.
It is the origin of all things, the source of all creation and the Old Gods.
The existence of the tree transcends time and space. It was jointly created by the [Three Brothers of Death] and the most compassionate [Spark of Creation], and what protects it is the ancient [Poisonous Snake]. ”
"The three brothers are one of the [original architects]. They built the bones and soul of the world, and the [spark of creation] is the recorder and interpreter. The spark lights up countless lives with its never-extinguishing brilliance. Truth and wisdom. Together they create the 'tree', placing it at the top of all things and making it the core of the world."
"And the center of the tree..."
Seth paused, and his voice became deeper, with some indescribable awe:
"The center of the tree is [The Exile's Library].
A vast treasure trove of knowledge that transcends time, space, dimensions and reality.
There are stored the books of everything that has been written, is being written, has not been written, and will never be written.
The knowledge is so extensive that it is unparalleled, and the library itself is built on the back of the [Poisonous Snake]. ”
"The library is on the back of a snake?"
Xia Xiu repeated in a low voice, with unconcealable surprise in his voice.
Seth nodded, a complex emotion flashing through his eyes.
"Yes, the snake is the guardian of knowledge and also the seducer. It guards the truth of the tree, but also extends a fatal invitation to those who dare to climb the tree. My father -" "My father, in the snake Under the guidance of the teacher, I walked into the library, into the forbidden place where all the books that have been written, unwritten, and will never be written are stored. ”
"He is the one who gets his wisdom from the trees."
Xia Xiu stared at Seth with blazing eyes, the wand in his right hand gently tapped his left hand, and his tone was full of exploration:
"So, what is the wisdom that your father picked from the tree?"
The corners of Seth's mouth twitched, revealing a bitter smile.
He turned around and his eyes fell on the huge tree shadow in the mural again. After taking a deep breath, he said slowly:
"There he learned to resist. No longer willing to be dominated, he was determined to usurp the throne. He shattered...his own 'father's' throne."
Xia Xiu frowned slightly and said in a low but clear voice:
"His father?"
Seth nodded, as if recalling a painful and unforgettable past:
"His father, the Iron God [Mehane], was one of the original creators."
"My father, the sun. He longed to be freed from that endless bondage, and the first flame of betrayal grew in his heart. He plucked wisdom from the tree, met a woman who called herself Lilith, and united with her , gave birth to two children - Cain and Abel."
His voice dropped:
"Afterwards, Lilith left him. My father cut a rib from his chest in the shape of a snake and used it to shape my mother. I was their only child. But my birth came at a heavy cost—— My mother died soon after due to extreme weakness.”
Xia Xiu's thoughts sank slightly, Lilith...
Deducing another information complex that was defeated by himself in the war, the true darkness of the Crimson King is engraved in Hope's body.
He knew that the Lilith in Seth's mouth was not a projection of information, but the real Lilith.
On the east wall mural, in addition to the two sons, among the four other people surrounding the sun, the naked woman with a snake wrapped around her body should be Lilith.
Seth closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and continued:
"After my mother passed away, my father was never the same. He became lonely and silent, but the number one sin began to grow in his heart - jealousy. He began to look up to the sky, longing to make that sky his. He would That piece of sky is regarded as a symbol of his ambition and conquest."
"When we built this city, Ode Papadopolis, the first city of 'humanity', he already longed for more.
He touched creation itself, reaching out to another dimension. He became the first man to transcend the order of the universe. ”
Seth slowly raised his head, with a trace of fear and awe in his eyes:
"He took certain things from another world, another 'existence'...the most important of which is a crown."
"It was a crown of iron - he snatched it from another piece of 'being' and called himself 'King of all existence'.
In this land of existence [the Promised Land], he ascended to the throne of power. ”
Xia Xiu quickly understood the meaning of the sentence on the front wall:
『They will know what existence is——』
Seth's voice gradually became lower, as if he was recounting a taboo truth buried by history:
"He is still kind and beautiful, but his desire grows stronger. He longs for more, and his gaze penetrates the earth, the stars, and beyond. He needs to obey its call."
"It?" Xia Xiu keenly captured the key points in Seth's words.
Seth nodded slightly, his eyes deep, as if he could see through the end of time:
"That crown, that is [the survival of civilization], is his irresistible call. Only the 'most ambitious people' can be recognized by the crown.
The youngest son of the Sun steals the crown... but - he is no better than his father, and [the survival of civilization] cannot exert real power in his hands. ”
"Only the father can ignite the crown, and only the superman who is both human and divine can control the crown.
For the sun, for Apollo - he could no longer think of anything but the greatness of the universe. ”
Set's tone was tired, and the memory pained him, but he continued.
He answered Xia Xiu's last question - what was he doing.
"In the beginning..."
Seth spoke, his voice laced with weariness and regret.
"I've been running away."
"The kingdom is broken, and the successive blows and betrayals have made my father exhausted.
The first son, his most loyal general, led his soldiers to resist his father's rule; the second son, his wisest child, led the people to try to rebuild a new kingdom; as for the third son..."
Seth's voice paused slightly, as if he was suppressing his emotions.
"When his father was helplessly sleeping, he stole the Iron Crown in a self-righteous way, thinking that this was a way to relieve his father's worries."
"The loss of the Iron Crown and the betrayal of his youngest son made my father extremely angry."
"He cast a curse upon the whole kingdom and upon his descendants."
Seth's tone became deeper and deeper, and a flash of pain flashed in his eyes.
"The land of the kingdom became a wasteland, and the cities were covered in smoke and ruins. He inflicted extreme punishments on each of his three sons. Then he left Ode Papadopolis."
"Leave?" Xia Xiu repeated in a low voice, trying to capture the deep meaning hidden in this sentence.
Seth nodded, with a trace of sadness that could not be concealed in his tone:
"Yes. He left."
"Perhaps it was because of the war that he was unable to maintain the balance between flesh and machinery. He was afraid that the earth would be swallowed by the unknown force.
So, he left, but no one knew where he went.
Maybe he's dead, maybe he's rotting deep in the core of the planet, no one can tell. ”
Xia Xiu didn't speak, just listened quietly, thinking of the desperate scene when this "father" dragged the entire kingdom into the abyss.
Seth's voice continued to echo in the hall.
"Later, in order to atone..."
Set's tone was filled with regret.
"The younger son began to look for the person who could truly inherit the Iron Crown. After experiencing one civilization after another, he met someone who could wear the crown.
The man wore an iron crown, which he called [Apollyon]. ”
"[Apollonia] built his own halls, temples, and libraries. He was the hope of mankind, the closest thing to a father's will I have ever seen."
Seth raised his head, with a hint of light in his eyes, as if he was recalling those short glorious years:
"In his time, every old man on the land of Youyang knelt down to him and respected him as the 'King Beyond Darkness'. When he passed away, the crown was passed on to his son Uwen, and I left
After saying goodbye, I returned to the East - to this city that my father and my brothers built together. I found peace here, and for the first time in billions of years since my birth, I was able to rest. ”
He paused, his eyes dim:
"So, I can finally rest."
"Then what?" Xia Xiu broke the silence, with an invisible pressure in his voice.
Seth let out a long sigh and his voice lowered, as if it contained aftershocks from the depths of time:
"When I woke up, the world had completely changed. New power and a deeper darkness had descended."
"The bloodthirsty appeared in the east; the Daevites and their crazy king took up arms against the west and started a thousand long bloody battles;
The descendants of [Apollonia] - my friend's family - call themselves the Lords of the Sky, and are conquering every colony on the continent and plundering every ruler.
In the West, rumors spread that there was a race that came from the darkness and was extremely powerful. They used trees and roots to make weapons. These wars came to the world and engulfed everything. ”
Seth’s voice was low but full of strength:
"You can find the ruins of these wars, but you will never understand them. Those wars are so old that their meaning has long been lost, but they laid the foundation for the future world."
"Next," Seth's eyes were deep, as if looking through the hall in front of him towards the end of time, "I can only watch. I watched for thousands of years, one king after another came and went, each time They all inherited the throne with blood and curse, but my father’s iron crown always wears on their heads.”
His voice was filled with endless fatigue and vicissitudes, but the majesty that had witnessed a long history was still there.
"I saw the Daevite hero slaying the only son of the King of Heaven II on the battlefield of the Holy City. I saw Ultan El Meto, the mad magician, raining fire from the highest heavens, To burn the [Firstborn] of the East, until Malus the Wrathful, the grandson of the old King of Heaven, pulled him down from the heights and burned him to ashes.”
Seth paused, as if sorting out the broken memories of those long years, and continued:
"I also saw Joel Apologna crossing the sea to meet the kings called [the children of the night]. Her end was to be buried alive and then sacrifice her heart to their terrible goddess. The tree - the deep sins of mankind are buried in the roots of that tree."
Xia Xiu stood there without interrupting.
His fingers gently rubbed the magic wand in his hand, and he frowned slightly. He was obviously full of doubts about the ancient names and events in Seth's narrative, but he was also full of curiosity.
"I can only watch and wait, while the world keeps turning."
Seth raised his head, with an ancient sadness in his eyes.
"Then Sarrus VIII, the eighth king of heaven, crossed the sea and destroyed the last of the alien races. When Sarrus IX buried their princess, the powerful blasphemy that princess brought with her would also destroy into his kingdom”
Seth's voice was filled with painful memories:
"With deep sadness, I watched the kingdom of mankind crumbling, and watched Salus suffer betrayal from all sides. His knights knelt down to the evil god one after another, degenerating into monsters and beasts. Lahire in the West, and Beina Ogier, Hector to the south, and Lancelot to the east - he was once the chancellor of Sarus, but betrayed him and became his last enemy."
Xia Xiu raised his eyebrows slightly, his voice was low but with a hint of uncontrollable interest:
"Lancelot? King Arthur? The Sword in the Stone?"
"The last ally?" Xia Xiu raised his eyes slightly, seeming to be curious about this title.
Seth's gaze fell in the distance, as if he saw that earth-shattering battle through the mists of time.
"For several weeks, Lancelot fought a long battle against the ancient dragon Bharata, the sea-lord Arcturus, and the last of the Daevite kings. They were the last of the great heroes, but now forgotten. The battle took The lives of each of them were taken away, and only me and Bharat were left.”
There was a painful tremor in Seth's voice:
"Bharata, in his last gasp, tore Lancelot's stinking heart and threw his broken body to the Palace of the Sunset. But Bharat left, taking his last life with him, leaving behind I am alone.”
"The last titanosaur also died because of me."
His eyes dimmed:
"What's left, are my brothers. They wander in search of our father's Iron Crown. I imagine my father is out there too, assuming he's not slowly rotting away in the heart of Terra."
Seth took a deep breath, with a hint of self-mockery in his voice:
"The crown was lost long ago, and when the profane darkness swallowed up Sarus IX, the Iron Crown fell with it. And when the palace of Apollonia collapsed in one night, the last of the heavenly kings died, and the kingdom of men once again Torn apart.”
His voice dropped, almost as if he was mumbling:
"[The Children of the Night] rode their huge and terrifying ship across the ocean, plundering everything they could take away. Those who could not be taken away were left behind forever on this desolate land. .”
Children of the Night...
Xia Xiu recalled the records about [The Children of the Night]. He had read through the encrypted documents of the Kingdom of Heaven and knew a fragment of the records about this race:
[The Daeva army is so powerful that no one can stop it, but it is not always such a giant beast.
When the empire first emerged, the unification was complete and the Matron Governing Council was established. The newly born Daeva used straw boys and wood beasts stolen from [The Children of the Night] to form an army and expand the army.
One of the early tactics was to target the enemy's small farming communities, plunder their livestock, and capture many slaves; thus Daodiwa learned to cut off the enemy's food and grass first, and then advance to the city.
It is said that rituals will be performed to understand the outcome of the battle, and if the outcome is not to the mistress's liking, the tactics will be changed. Therefore, Daodiva's military power has not only become synonymous with overwhelming power, but also equated with unpredictable asymmetric warfare. 】
——"Excerpt from Devite Sociological Analysis".
The Nightborne, one of the constructs of Daevite's otherworldly military, are mentioned several times in the dating back to the First Occult War Meem fragments, but there is no specific mention of their origins.
I didn't expect to hear this from Seth's mouth.
What is certain is that the history and civilization described by Seth took place before the First Supernatural War, and are even older than the Glory Era.
Xia Xiu raised his head, with a searching light in his eyes, and said in a steady voice:
"What happened next?"
A look of heaviness appeared on Seth's face, as if the dust buried deep in his memory had been lifted off again. He took a deep breath, and his tone was low but full of majesty like telling history:
"Later...the great flood came."
His eyes became deep and distant, as if he was looking at an irreversible past.
Xia Xiu couldn't help but combine this matter with the Kingdom of Heaven's [Crisis Sequence·Yuktra Hill/World Tree], and he also thought of what is closely related to him now - the Ivy War.
The Ivy War is essentially related to the new collapse thing [Golden Tree] formed by the combination of two [Crisis Sequences].
The original intention of the Kingdom of Heaven to participate in the Ivy War is actually very simple - to cut down the [Golden Tree] as soon as an opportunity arises.
Seth's words continued:
"Why it came, I don't know. But I always feel that it has an inseparable relationship with the melee of gods and the war of flesh and machinery. Those wars have devoured countless worlds and eventually pushed them all to destruction. Abyss.”
There was a hint of chill in Seth's voice, as if the distant disaster scene was reappearing before his eyes:
"The arrival of the great flood was accompanied by intermittent extraordinary heavy rains. Rain is not an ordinary natural phenomenon, but some more ancient magic. The water level continues to rise, reaching a height of 1.3 to 2.8 kilometers, swallowing up all lowlands. Those who cannot adapt to survive underwater, or cannot find shelter in highlands, will inevitably die from the rising water level. ”
"The sea will not swallow it up, nor will the path of growth and darkness -"
Xia Xiu remembered the only words left on the south wall. He frowned and asked in a low voice:
"Has all life been destroyed?"
Seth shook his head and continued:
"Not everything was completely destroyed. Some old world forests actually adapted to the new environment. Trees grew in the floods, forming floating ecosystems beneath their branches. I'm sure this was the result of some entity exerting magic at the time. But beyond that, the remaining ecosystem, including most of its animals and plants, was completely destroyed by the flood. ”
His tone became heavier, as if he was describing a doomed tragedy:
"Whatever human civilization existed at that time was wiped out in this disaster. After the flood receded, the surviving human settlements were reduced to the primitive state of hunting and gathering. The once glorious civilization was gone, only broken Ruins and undecipherable symbols remain for posterity. ”
"But..."
Seth paused, a complex emotion flashing through his eyes.
"The dramatic decline of human civilization is not just the result of the flood itself. What is even more deadly is that after the disaster, a powerful force began to introduce a reverse Meme effect to the world. It was a kind of thaumaturgy that used floods to The catastrophe completely erased some of mankind’s memories of the past.”
"Erase memory?"
Xia Xiu's eyes flashed with sharpness.
"What's the purpose?"
Seth sneered and replied:
"Obviously, the purpose of that power is to completely cut off humans from their violent and thaumaturgic past. This reverse Meme effect has weakened most humans to an almost inhuman state. They no longer even have the ability to understand history, The ability to inherit civilization.”
"It's a pity..."
There was a touch of sarcasm in Seth's voice.
"Those attempts to clear away abnormal history are ultimately in vain. Because soon, the Red King came to the world."
"The three monarchs of chaos also followed, bringing new wars and disasters."
Seth paused, a trace of exhaustion that could not be concealed appeared on his face:
"The Red King was the most powerful being of that era. He made Daeva surrender and inherited the entire legacy of [The Children of the Night].
At that time, the Daevite army had mastered many ancient magic arts based on the finds found in the ruins, including the 'blood magic' that was lost in the great flood. The terrifying military [Tree Pets] of the [Night Sons] were also reawakened and carried forward by Daeva. They developed more than fifty subspecies after the flood and adapted to various battlefield environments.
It is no exaggeration to say that Daeva at that time was the most powerful country after the Great Flood. ”
"The Red King almost ruled the entire planet, but because of his change of faith, the inheritance of blood magic fell into the hands of another... person who amazed me - he followed the path of flesh and blood. Even further than my father, he nearly enslaved [Vazjuma] and built a throne worthy of the Iron Crown
He built a huge palace and paradise in [Vazjuma]'s body, and his throne controlled the power of the boundless beast. He was already at the level of my father. I thought at the time that he would be the one to truly unify the planet... ”
Xia Xiu listened silently. Of course he knew who was looking for the Dao Iron Crown. He also knew what the paradise looked like, and he had even seen what the throne looked like.
He was one of the heirs in line to that palace and throne.
Moreover, when the other party mentioned the Red King, Xia Xiu immediately thought of the history of the Chaos Monarch at that time.
The reason Seth mentioned the three Chaos Lords was because [Salesh] had not yet been born at that time.
The birth of [Sales] is inseparable from the battle between Robert Brom and Ion.
This is another incident related to machinery and flesh and blood.
"What if..."
Xia Xiu's thoughts surged, and he secretly speculated:
"If the man on the mural is indeed Robert Brohm, the timeline and history don't seem to match up."
He recalled the records in history and whispered to himself in his heart:
"Robert Brome was supposed to be a hero in the post-Flood era, a contemporary of Ion. However, this mural shows that he was actually a contemporary of the sun, which is simply impossible..."
< br>
His golden eyes shone calmly and sharply, and he came to a bold conclusion in his mind:
"Unless there are two Robert Brohms in history."
He raised his hand and pointed at the iron man on the mural, his voice was calm but with a hint of questioning:
"Seth, do you know Robert Brom?"
Seth followed Xia Xiu's fingers to look at the mural, and his eyes fell on the figure made of iron. There was some contemplation on his face, and he nodded slowly:
"Of course I know... He is a prophet, the prophet of [Mehane]."
"Prophet?"
Xia Xiu's tone rose slightly.
Seth's voice was low and determined:
"Yes, he once represented the father of the sun, that is, [Mehane]-the embodiment of reason, who came to meet the sun.
At that time, [Mehane] was already broken, so the prophet walking on earth represented the will of the Iron God.
He paid my father the highest tribute in the name of reason and order, and was pleased that my father had spread the ways of reason throughout the kingdom.
He...was Cain's teacher. ”
"Cain's teacher?" Xia Xiu's tone was full of surprise.
"So why did he appear in the post-Flood era to compete with Ion? He didn't belong to that era at all."
Seth withdrew his gaze, and there was a hint of complexity in his eyes:
"You're asking a good question. In fact, I did meet a man named Robert Brom in the post-Flood era, but that man was extremely stupid. He didn't know what he was interfering with."
< br>
Xia Xiu slowly exhaled, a light of understanding flashing in his eyes.
He said softly:
"That's it... Robert Brom in history is two people. One is the real prophet, the messenger of [Mehane]; the other is the person who was replaced in the post-Flood era."
< br>
"No wonder... Ion's rise is traceable, but Robert Brom's unification of the mechanical city-state seems hasty and abrupt, like some kind of miracle... or some kind of manipulation by an external force, as if he was originally meant to Suppressing Ion and being born.”
Three of the four main outsiders surrounding the sun on the east wall are already known.
A king in crimson robes, with a flaming crown on his head, extending a hand of friendship - the Crimson King.
Next to him was a naked woman with a snake wrapped around her body - Lilith.
A man made of iron - a prophet.
There is another one, a wizard in dark blue robes, who is he?
"Who is the last person on the east wall mural?" Xia Xiu asked directly.
Seth raised his gaze and stared at the wizard on the mural, with a subtle smile on his face.
There was a bit of weirdness in his tone, even mixed with some complicated emotions that couldn't be concealed:
"Wondertainment."
"Wen De Ting Mente?" Xia Xiu frowned and repeated this awkward name.
Seth nodded, his eyes wandering between the outlines of the wizard on the mural.
His voice was low and slow: "He...or they, are a mystery. Some call him a genius, others call him a madman. His name has different legends among many civilizations, but most of them are related to ' Toys' and 'children'."
Xia Xiu narrowed his eyes, as if he found it unbelievable:
"Toymaker?"
Seth smiled softly, but there was something strange in his smile:
"Yes, one, or a group of children's toy manufacturers. But the things they make go far beyond the category of 'toys'. The power contained in those toys is enough to subvert a city or even a world."
"Wendettinment is a strange being, so strange that even those of us who have witnessed countless reincarnations of times cannot truly understand him. He is stranger than any existence I have ever seen. He is always like a shadow. The same, walking between order and chaos. His purpose and intention will always be a mystery."
Xia Xiu stood there quietly, with his head slightly lowered, and fell into deep thought.
His golden eyes flickered in the dim hall, like burning flames.
He digested every word Seth said in his mind, comparing the symbolic and meaningful parts with his own knowledge.
This ancient being knows everything and is surprisingly candid.
This attitude is completely different from the Riddlers on this land who like to hide every word in layers of fog.
"I also want to remind you of something," Seth's voice broke the brief silence.
He raised his head, with an indescribable heaviness and worry in his eyes, "Be careful of the original demon."
Xia Xiu looked up at him and said doubtfully:
"The original devil?"
Seth nodded and took a deep breath.
"The four knights of Apolonia."
"Rachel was the first to kneel, followed by Lancelot, Ogier, and finally the reluctant Hector."
"They swore allegiance to Sarus IX, but their hearts changed when the blasphemous words of the blasphemer rose from the ground."
His palms slowly clenched, as if he was controlling his emotions.
"They fell. They became monstrous in appearance, like the ancient fae gods. Their hideous appearance became known as the Curse of Sarus IX for their treachery."
"Lancelot was good at using the scepter, so his arm was deformed. His mind was occupied by anger and destruction, and he had no other thoughts. When he climbed over the mountains and ridges, the sound he made was like a herd of pigs screaming. Call.”
Seth paused, as if recalling some unbearable scenes, his voice was trembling:
"I have seen Rahel moving invisible in the west, like a dark shadow. Noble Hector sleeps in the south, his dreams disturbed, and here Lancelot still lies, but his body ...not cold.”
"Why?" Xia Xiu asked.
Seth took a deep breath, and his voice became more solemn:
"For once again the indestructible blasphemer, as they say, appeared in the sky. Lancelot prayed to it, hoping that it would give him great strength."
Xia Xiu's right hand tightened slightly, and his fingertips brushed over the magic wand in his hand.
He whispered:
"You mean, some things are still moving and some things are asleep?"
Seth nodded, with a deep worry in his eyes:
"Yes, these original demons are not completely dead. And the burden of this city will eventually exhaust my energy, and I will not be able to protect it forever."
He turned his head and looked directly at Xia Xiu, with a hint of sadness in his voice:
"So, I need your help. I'm not truly immortal, but just living long enough doesn't mean I can live forever."
"This city and its secrets will be passed down to you - the holders of the Original Book, the Sons of Man. You must keep these secrets."
At this time, Xia Xiu's questions surged out of his mind. This was the first time he knew how many times.
"The Original Book..."
He whispered, a hint of inquiry in his tone.
"You've mentioned it many times, but what exactly is it?"
Seth looked at Xia Xiu with a faint light in his eyes.
"My father was inspired by the serpent's guidance when he set up his throne in the beginning of time. He found the 'Fruit of Knowledge' in the library on the tree, the First Book.
The word ‘book’ may not be entirely accurate, but it’s the closest way to describe it. ”
His finger gently pointed in a direction of nothingness in the air, as if the library was suspended at the other end of this space.
"We mentioned the snake's library before - the largest treasure trove of knowledge in the universe. Its growth transcends time, space, dimensions and reality.
The words in those halls describe everything about "being and existence".
The "Original Book" not only describes "existence", it is "existence". ”
Xia Xiu's brows furrowed slightly, his hand gently stroking the wand, and his mind quickly sorted out the complex information.
Seth continued, with a little regret in his tone:
"That book contains the most fundamental truths, truths that can never be understood by man or beast.
‘How and why’…
These and many more things are recorded in the book. ”
Seth paused, his gaze became deeper, and there was a touch of weakness in his tone:
"I once tried to read that book to know the truth. But I failed. I once believed that as long as I could understand it, I could correct all the mistakes in the world. But I was just a confused and ignorant child."
Seth sighed softly, his voice becoming deeper and deeper:
"I almost got lost in another book..."
"Another book?" Xia Xiu asked immediately.
Seth's eyes darkened, he turned his head to look at Xia Xiu, and said slowly:
"There are two books in the library - the 'Original Book' and the 'Non-Existence Book'."
He paused, with a hint of fear in his voice:
"The latter also contains truth, but it is an impossible truth, a truth that does not exist. Its content is dark and ancient, about all existence that cannot be understood."
Xia Xiu's fingers tightened slightly, with a cautious look in his eyes, and he whispered:
"Does the library still exist?"
Seth replied:
"The barrier created by the spark still exists, but it will fail one day.
Some people know what's out there and they're going to look for it. ”
After a moment of silence, Xia Xiu's eyes flashed with complicated light.
He gently rubbed his chin, as if weighing the authenticity of certain information.
Heaven is the holder of the "Original Book", so maybe Eden is...
Many of the deepest secrets of heaven flashed through Xia Xiu's mind.
"The Original Book", "Spiral Road", "Twin Doors"...
"I would like to ask, how did you determine that we are the holders of the "Original Book"?"
he asked suddenly, with a hint of inquiry in his tone.
Seth looked at Xia Xiu and said slowly:
"The reason why I can be sure is because you have the aura of "non-existence"...
It is strange, very strange that you are something impossible and yet it has been programmed by existence.
Your essence is the same as my father's, and you are both impossible. In some ways, you are all children of flesh and machine.
That's why I tell you everything I know. ”
Xia Xiu's eyes narrowed slightly.
【! ! ! ! ! 】
[The above related settings refer to the "Complete Plan", and the second setting is carried out in a unique way. 】