Chapter 413: Chapter 186 Self-Deception
The azure car carried two death gods, plunging toward the Great Rift, like raindrops merging into the sea, without causing the slightest ripple.
Pressing a button, the screen switched, showing a dark room on the television screen. Shortly, the door was pushed open, and Teda entered in the dim light.
Teda appeared much older, his skin like withered bark tightly clinging to his bones, his face grim as a corpse, enveloped in a thick aura of death. Yet, in the sunken, black hole-like eye sockets, there was a bright gleam.
In the Alchemy Workshop, tremors continuously shook the place; dust flew and settled in every corner. Flesh entwined with every inch of the building, scarlet blood oozed from it, forming pools of blood on the ground.
The intense scent of blood filled every corner, resembling the stomach cavity of some massive beast, where the hard walls turned soft like stomach walls lined with viscous substances.
Thin blood-colored filaments gently swayed, like seaweed in the ocean, but upon closer inspection, one would find the fuzzy surface was actually countless tiny mouths, craving fresh flesh and blood.
The King’s Shield Guard’s attack had begun, bombarding the Alchemy Workshop, attempting to break open the tightly shut doors. Teda clearly had no ability to resist so many enemies, but fortunately, the Alchemy Workshop possessed the Void Realm, and under its protection, they couldn’t break in for now.
Teda walked to the center of the room, then slowly knelt by the bedside, bowing his head as he took the pale, bloodless hand in his.
"She still betrayed me and left with your soul."
Teda pressed the cold hand against his forehead, his voice devoid of emotion.
"I don’t know why, but upon realizing she had escaped, I actually felt... somewhat relieved."
Teda gently rubbed the hand, hoping to bring warmth to it.
"It’s good, she finally left, she should have done so long ago."
Aimou’s figure gradually dissipated in his mind; from now on, Teda wouldn’t need to think about anything concerning her. Teda knew Aimou was a strong child, and during her time as the Delusional, he had taught her everything he could. He believed she would live well on her own.
Now, he only needed to focus on his own matters.
"I know this is wrong, but I just can’t stop. If I don’t do this, I will regret it for the rest of my life."
Teda fell silent. He wished to forget everything and start anew, but whenever he closed his eyes, he always saw that scene.
In the raging sea of fire, Alice stared at that Celestial God-like figure, her lively eyes turning numb, hollow...
Teda’s desires, like a boulder rolling down a hill, could not be stopped from the start. Either he achieved his dreams, or he would crash into dust.
So, Teda knew his fate from the beginning, yet he still willingly forged ahead.
Looking at Alice lying in bed, in the silence, ideals gradually crumbled. His demeanor became increasingly frenzied and deranged, as if another mad will was devouring his rational soul entirely, rendering control impossible.
"Damn it!"
Teda cursed softly, his eyes red.
"Aimou escaped with your soul; I should have taken out the Constant Motion Core first!"
Like a split personality, intense hatred ruled Teda’s mind. His face twisted, hands clenched forcefully, as if he wanted to grasp an Iron Hammer to smash Aimou’s skull and pry open her heart.
Teda soon regained clarity, panic seizing him as he looked at his own hands, seeing Alice’s hands bruised from his grip.
"I’m sorry, I’m sorry..."
Frantically, Teda rubbed Alice’s hands, panic thick in his voice, rough skin repeatedly irritating the pale hands until they bore many abrasions.
"No, no, no..."
Holding his head firmly, Teda stood up shakily, expressions of agony shown clearly.
Though only he and Alice were inside the room, Teda felt it crowded, teeming with faces flashing before his eyes, shouting or whispering loudly at him.
Eerie mutterings rose and fell in his mind.
"Shut up, damn it, I told you to shut up!"
Under Teda’s angry shouts, the surrounding whispers quieted at last, but he knew this was only temporary. They hadn’t left; they still lingered close by.
Bloodshot filled the hazy eye sockets, no longer resembling human eyes, but a beast’s gaze.
Glancing at the suitcase beside him, though tightly latched, a chill seeped out from it.
"It’s you..."
Teda knew the source of the disturbance.
He gently opened the suitcase, undoing the sealed closure, and in that instant, even the air became restless.
They started again, roaring, whispering, laughing, mourning...
A cacophony buzzed around Teda’s ears, yet he seemed not to hear, reaching out trembling hands to cradle that heart.
It had clearly separated from the flesh, losing all its blood, yet it continued to beat on its own, as if the concept of death were meaningless to it.
"Immortal Heart..."
Teda’s gaze was as if looking at a glistening gem; he reached out and gently caressed its sticky, warm surface, treating it like an infant, whispering strange words to it.
He stepped forward, moving slowly, until he stopped by Alice’s bedside.
Teda gazed deeply at the sleeping Alice, knowing she was about to awaken...
"Humans are truly complex beings, it’s hard for me to understand their behavior of self-deception."
Sai Zong leaned on one side of the sofa, watching Teda spiraling into madness on the screen, his tone indifferent, coldly evaluating from the absolute perspective of an observer.
"He knows very clearly that this is wrong, that his actions will never lead to a good outcome... yet he does it anyway, stubborn beyond words."
Sai Zong’s words paused for a few seconds, followed by an uncontrollable delight, "From sanity to madness, I love this despairing process.
"In the human mind, throughout their lives, there are always these wishes they strive for even if it costs their lives. If they can’t achieve their purpose by sacrificing everything, they fall into hysterical madness and then self-deception, continuously hypnotizing themselves..."
The Tyrant’s tone was filled with sympathy, followed by uncontrollable laughter, "Therefore, they are so easy to manipulate, just a little bit of charity, a little hint of hope, and they’ll risk everything for it."
"Your target shouldn’t be this old thing, right? He’s already crushed by his own desires, seeming to have no value whatsoever."
Sai Zong picked up the remote control, pressed a button, and the scene switched again, focusing on Aimou.
Aimou had already said goodbye to Bologue again, as if severing a connection, she felt a sense of relief, her steps quickening.
To avoid meeting Bologue again, this time Aimou chose a brand new route, instead of heading deep into the Great Rift, she turned the other direction and ran towards the streets of Opus.
Her eyes were filled with hope, as if a new life was right in front of her.
"She’s another self-deceiving child; she doesn’t really think the Fantasy Species can fulfill her wishes, does she?"
Sai Zong thought of something and continued to laugh, "Ultimately, the Fantasy Species itself is a kind of self-deceptive product."
"To fulfill a wish, the imaginary fruit is created, which cannot directly realize a specific desire but instead grants it a sort of possibility," the Tyrant softly said, "turning a definite zero into a minuscule one."
"How naive, even with such a tiny chance, so what? Do you really think this tiny possibility means realizing a wish?"
The Tyrant let out a series of mocking laughs, "Even after paying such a great price, unable to reach fulfillment, will just plunge her into deeper despair..."
Sai Zong followed up, saying, "By then, you’ll be the only one reaching out to help her."
The Tyrant nodded with a smile; it’s a trap Aimou cannot reject, if she wishes to fulfill her desires, she will eventually kiss the Tyrant’s palm.
"But your plan is not perfect, there are still many variables."
Hearing Sai Zong’s words, the Tyrant asked, "Such as?"
"Such as, if she really uses the Fantasy Species to fulfill her wish?"
"Are you serious, Sai Zong?"
Sai Zong was silent for a few seconds, amused even by himself, self-mockingly said, "Yeah, how could that be possible?"
They all knew, the Fantasy Species was merely a beautiful hope, merely imparting a possibility to the cruel reality, rather than completely achieving a wish.
The Tyrant scrutinized Sai Zong, who still wore the costume playing the dog, with a dog mask on his face, big ears drooping down the sides of his cheeks, an inexplicable absurdity in this situation.
"Ultimately, whether it’s humans, or you, or me, or the so-called Devils... aren’t we all deceiving ourselves?"
The Tyrant’s words carried an uncommon sense of sadness.
Sai Zong didn’t intend to discuss this topic with the Tyrant, he looked at Aimou on the screen and asked something else.
"Why her?"
The Tyrant watched Aimou’s silhouette; she was so beautiful, captivating.
"We’re all bound by our own Original Sin," the Tyrant gazed at that dazzling soul, "drawn by its inclination."
"Just like that lazy fellow, he loves to observe others’ lives, so he chooses the one who can bring him a spectacular scene..."
Sai Zong understood the Tyrant’s implication and asked, "Is Aimou very greedy?"
"She’s incredibly greedy; she yearns for everything that comes with being human..."
The Tyrant’s voice softened.
"Of course, greed alone isn’t enough; she is so unique, one of a kind in the world."