The black sun hangs high

Chapter 387 "Return to One"

Compared to the exaggerated self-introduction Theseus gave during their first formal meeting, her words now were noticeably more sincere.

In Theseus's voices, Hughes discovered that the peculiar madness that had always clung to her seemed to have dissipated considerably.

If it weren't for the fact that her words still retained some of her unique "funny" air, Hugh would have even begun to suspect that this was a performance deliberately staged by Theseus.

"Don't worry, I'm very serious and earnest about some things...you know what I mean."

Theseus, as always, saw right through Hugh's thoughts. She let out a strange laugh and then said, "Well, at this time, a long time has passed since I first met my mentor."

She paused, as if seeking confirmation from her distant and complex memories, and then Theseus confirmed, "Yes, it has indeed been a very long time."

"Although I have never liked using those precise scales to measure time, from your perspective, the interval between these two periods is probably several hundred years, or even thousands of years."

"..."

Upon hearing these words, Hugh silently typed a question mark in his mind.

Although he himself has completely deviated from the realm of normal humans and even life on a certain level, he still continues his original way of thinking. From his perspective, he really has no way of understanding what it feels like to spend hundreds or thousands of years in one breath.

He turned his attention back to the coastal defense line.

Although the actual battlefield was vast, and the creatures and creations involved in the battle were boundless, from high above one could see that this defensive line backed by the ocean was being gradually compressed. The enormous army composed of different creations and their families seemed to have turned into a wave, while the defensive line had become a dam, but it was clearly unable to withstand the powerful impact and erosion.

Behind this "dam" was the figure constantly manipulating azure magic and interfering with the battlefield using various large-scale spells and ancient rituals.

In Vaan, the image of the goddess of magic, Mel, has always been very fixed. In almost all paintings and sculptures, this extremely important goddess always gives people a special feeling. She is by no means a young girl, but she is definitely not an old woman either.

She is often portrayed as a mysterious, gentle, and highly scholarly wise woman.

Just as Hugh had seen in Theseus's memory.

The concept of time has indeed left no trace on her, and the black shadows that guard her side, constantly changing their shapes into various strange forms, are even less bound by the passage of time.

Hugh couldn't help but ask, "I remember you repeatedly emphasizing that Mel... your mentor, she is not a so-called god, but if she is just a powerful mage, how could she have survived for so long?"

"That's a really stupid question you asked."

Theseus sarcastically remarked without reservation: "As human beings, our lives are of course limited, but with enough power, the length of life can naturally be extended. And if an already powerful individual receives the 'favor' and 'blessing' of the gods on top of that, then the length of life becomes a complete joke."

At this point, Theseus's feminine tone, which he had been using throughout this period, gradually faded, replaced by his original cold, neutral voice: "There is a word that would be very appropriate here, and that is 'chosen by the gods,' but here 'chosen by the gods' does not refer to the so-called chosen people of the gods, but to a broader category of agents who are valued and chosen by specific gods."

“My mentor, in order to ensure that these ‘inferior races’ that are not valued by other gods can continue, took the initiative to become the ‘chosen one’ of the sea, that is, the ‘chosen one’ of Carron.”

And so, Theseus recounted that lost past in his cold voice.

At this moment, a new change finally occurred on the battlefield below.

The first wave of psychedelic waves, imbued with the colors of life, has reached the shore. Thus, the new force that emerged from the ocean abyss has entered the battlefield. Under the power and will of Calron, those beings that originally maintained the form of giant fish or sea monsters have begun to undergo further changes—over the past, they have accumulated enough knowledge and fully understood everything on land.

Just like the scene Hugh had seen before.

These creatures, "transformed" from pure life force, quickly grew limbs and tissues adapted to the land. They swiftly broke through the defenses that had been compressed to their limit and stormed into the army, which was mainly composed of the Earth Mother Goddess's followers, with an extremely ruthless attitude.

An even more brutal and bloody battle ensued.

Soon, as more sea creatures landed, the precarious battle line was pushed back, and all the members who had participated in the defense withdrew, handing over the subsequent battle to these sea-dwelling "allies".

As the scene unfolds, an invisible, strange fluctuation envelops the surroundings, relentlessly kneading and influencing all consciousness within its range.

Hugh was not spared either, but when these invisible hands manipulated by the Black Sun Rift reached out to him, the pre-prepared protective measures and the slowly rotating metal discs immediately came into play. They silently brought these "intruders" who were trying to interfere with his mind and tamper with his memories under their control and assimilated them with a purer, higher power.

"This is practically a major surgery..."

Hughes examined the magical imprints he had crushed and devoured, and frowned, saying, "I'm afraid that after today, all the St. Steel officers who participated in the gathering will be completely transformed into puppets who firmly believe in the Society's ideals. At that time, it will probably be impossible to bring them back to their senses."

"So, it's really necessary for you to come here."

Theseus sneered: "While you can't completely tamper with their 'minor surgeries' for the sake of secrecy, you can easily adjust some key points and plant some loopholes in advance."

As Theseus spoke, the Roots of Destiny, which lay dormant in the swamp of spirits, became active. Perhaps because they felt the call of the god they worshipped, these roots, which were usually very rational and humble, became more fanatical than ever before. They climbed outward from the grooves of the disc and pressed their bodies tightly against the patterned and grooved surface of the disc.

“Go, draw upon the deep power of these little guys… What they can alter, we can certainly do as well, but you must be careful.”

As he spoke, Hughes became aware of the change in his mental state. With the help of Theseus and the Roots of Fate, Hughes could clearly see the obscure traces of magic around him, and he could even see one fragile will after another undergoing "transformation".

Needless to say, these wills came from the officers who were loyal to the Saint Steel royal family and still harbored fear and resistance towards the Black Sun Society. Now, they were focused on the bizarre scene unfolding below and were completely unaware of the change in their thinking.

After confirming that he was not being watched by powerful beings like Khrushchev, Hugh immediately began to act.

Manipulating the mind and altering memories have long been instincts of the Fate Roots that feed on negative emotions. Even if Hugh doesn't understand the specific principles, he can still complete this series of operations that he has never touched before by relying on that vague guidance.

There were many consciousnesses in distress, but Hugh did not try to "save" them one by one. Instead, he boldly made reverse contact with the magic in operation and began to inject his own will and ideas into them.

However, as Theseus warned him, he did not go too far.

The loyalty of the officials that the Black Sun Society expected was "generously" preserved by Hugh, but he carefully left many "cracks" in these modified and influenced wills.

Under normal circumstances, these "cracks" do not interfere with the surface results, and the officers will have a set of perceptions that conform to the Black Sun Society's expectations. However, as long as they are subjected to specific stimuli and influences, these cracks will rapidly expand and completely collapse.

"Yes, Not Bad."

Theseus watched Hugh's "transformation activities" with amusement. He seemed to be in a good mood. Hugh even heard the crisp sound of him "opening the beverage can": "You can be considered my 'chosen one' now... At least your good talent for making things up wasn't wasted."

Hughes had no time to pay attention to his words.

He felt as if he had become a sculptor carving a statue, with the power of fate as the carving knife in his hand. Under his manipulation, all traces of doubt and resentment towards the Black Sun Society, love for his motherland and nation, and pursuit of past beliefs were buried under a cracked shell.

The moment he finished the task, Hugh immediately chose to stop.

He did not deliberately "implant" these officers with ideas such as "joining the Dawn Society" or "defecting to the Legal Committee," but kept the influence and transformation of their thinking in a relatively reasonable state.

This is a very important insurance policy.

Hugh didn't want to leave any obvious traces of his actions, so the alterations he ultimately chose were all in line with the mindset of a Saint Steel soldier. Even if he were accidentally exposed, the Black Sun Society mages responsible for the interrogation would probably just think that it was the result of a mistake in their own ritual.

Just as Hugh withdrew his power, the modification of the officers' will was "largely completed," and below, the illusion originating from the ancient era entered a new phase.

The original battlefield had begun to recede, replaced by an extremely calm sea. Looking around, Hugh found that he could not find any landmasses. Clearly, the ocean had undergone countless expansions, and Calron's influence on the world had probably reached its peak. Even the black sun suspended in the sky seemed to have dimmed considerably.

"This is……"

"Shh, just watch for now."

Theseus interrupted Hugh's question, saying slowly, "I'm also very curious about how these guys will portray that scene..."

Hughes was astonished. He was equally curious about the "scene" Theseus had described, so he focused his gaze on the center of the sea.

There, the seawater seemed to have lost its meaning of existence.

There wasn't a ripple, no wave, not even the slightest undulation...

On the flat sea, Mel's figure knelt alone, her clothes and appearance unchanged, the azure still gently surrounding her, like a ribbon floating beside her.

The next instant, the vast sea in front of her was cleaved open.

A gigantic sphere, far exceeding the limits of human imagination, slowly emerged from the depths of the ocean. Its size was so exaggerated that even a portion of it was visible, almost filling Hugh's field of vision. Before him, Mel's figure appeared incredibly small, almost indistinguishable.

Just like a narrator, Theseus's voice rang in Hugh's mind.

“Carjung, or we may also consider it as the ocean itself, and the sum total of all life.”

"In the understanding of Carjung, or rather the entire community, life should be 'unified'. When the dispersed individuals have completed their goals and fulfilled their so-called mission, they should return to the community and, like other individuals, integrate their thoughts, memories, and will into one."

"According to the original plan, when the ocean completely submerges the land and Calron completely devours the other gods, this world will be completely integrated with Him... The great Calron will become a second black sun, becoming an existence equal to the Abyss, and because it has lost its sacrifices and hunting grounds, the Abyss will gradually decline."

"Charjung, great Charjung."

Theseus rarely sighed, "Behind the so-called 'unity' lies endless greed. He will eventually devour everything, and even the Dark Abyss Palace is only a matter of time for him."

"What you are seeing now is a scene of a greedy will preparing to devour its own chosen one."

“The journey from the sea to the land is now complete, so Charon no longer needs any agents or chosen ones. All power should be withdrawn and returned to one.”

At this point, Theseus laughed happily: "But how can we let Him have His way?"

(End of this chapter)