The black sun hangs high

Chapter 421 Contradictions
In a daze, Hugh almost thought he had returned to the night he first encountered Theseus in the Dream Sanctuary.

It's the same gaming TV, and the same beanbag chair.

The difference is that the figure leaning against the sofa is definitely not Theseus. Around this blurry figure, Hugh did not see the familiar dark mist, nor did he feel the gloomy aura that Theseus possessed.

Everything seemed very natural.

The only unusual thing is that the outline of the figure is very blurry, looking like a bright light shining through a thin sheet of paper and leaving a fleeting image on the ground and walls.

Hugh saw that the figure was holding a game controller. Judging from the randomly switching images on the TV screen, the user of the controller seemed to be completely unfamiliar with everything in front of him. He didn't even know how to make a specific choice from the list of games and software.

Hugh stood silently and observed for a while, but saw that the other person was still struggling to figure out how to use the equipment in front of him. That look reminded Hugh of the elderly people he had seen in the past when they were just getting used to new things.

He hesitated for a moment, but eventually walked forward slowly.

Everything inside the Dream Sanctuary is ultimately related to Hugh's own safety and interests. If any new changes occur inside the sanctuary, he has no way to avoid or escape them.

All we can do is face it.

When Hughes reached the rest corner at the end of the corridor and came to the beanbag chair, he was surprised to find that the lazy stranger was actually a woman.

Although her outline and face appeared unusually blurry due to some unknown influence, in Hugh's perception, the magical fluctuations she emitted were exceptionally clean and gentle. This reminded Hugh of clear streams flowing through mountains and forests. Moreover, there seemed to be an extremely natural and gentle aura around her.

Everything made Hugh feel very comfortable, and he even couldn't help but want to get closer to the other person.

"Snapped!"

Hugh felt a cold hand pat his shoulder. He turned around in surprise and saw Theseus standing beside him.

This guy is in much better condition than before. The dark abyss mist that makes up his face and body has become dense again, and the black suit he is wearing has been completely repaired.

Theseus did not drag Hughes away, but instead found a chair nearby and sat down next to the rest corner.

Seeing the other person's behavior, Hugh did the same.

However, the sounds they made didn't attract the attention of the female figure at all. She was still slowly figuring out how to use the game console in front of her. After fiddling with the list and menu for a while, she finally made some progress—she finally picked out a casual game that looked fresh and bright, and successfully started it.

Soon, bright, colorful light emanated from the television screen, extending along the dark carpet beneath Hugh's feet, bringing a slightly different atmosphere to this gloomy, oppressive dream space.

Looking at the cute little figures and simple animal drawings that were starting to hop and jump around in the picture not far away, Hughes finally couldn't help but ask that question.

"who is she?"

"There aren't many possible answers; you should be able to guess them."

Theseus's "gaze" was also fixed on that resting corner, but what he was looking at was not the game screen on the television, but the blurry figure bathed in bright light.

After a brief pause, Theseus slowly said, "She gave you her last gift, and the remnants of herself and some traces contained within it were also imprinted in the vessel of that magic."

Under Hugh's surprised gaze, Theseus turned his head and said slowly, "Yes, this is the original creator of Vaan, the 'goddess of magic' you speak of, and also my mentor."

Although Hugh had a vague suspicion when he arrived at the figure, he was still somewhat shocked after Theseus confirmed it. He looked carefully at the female figure whose age and appearance were indistinguishable and who was clumsily operating the game character. For a moment, he could not reconcile this image with the great figure he had imagined.

"Don't have too high expectations. This is not her after all; it's just a blurry shadow she left behind."

Theseus’s words were somewhat cold, but his tone was unusually gentle: “This is the purest and simplest part of her will, so she is destined to be unable to answer questions that are too profound and complicated. So you don’t need to pay too much attention to her, and you don’t need to talk to her specifically… Just let her stay here, play with this and touch that, it’s fine.”

As he spoke, Theseus seemed to have thought of something. He suddenly stood up and walked to a vending machine next to him. As he raised his hand, the dark mist that had been sealing the vending machine instantly collapsed. Then, some kind of creation sealed inside the vending machine let out a terrified scream, but the scream only lasted for a moment before it disappeared without a trace.

Then, just like doing normal shopping, Theseus bent down and took out several strange-looking cans from the dispenser below the vending machine.

Like the "Color of Life" drink that Hugh had drunk before, these cans did not have any familiar logos, only some colorful patterns symbolizing the flow of magic and lines.

The faceless god carried the canned drinks to the side of the beanbag chair. As he approached, "Mel," who was engrossed in the game, finally reacted. She turned her head in surprise and looked intently in the direction of Theseus.

The latter picked up one of the bottles and shook it gently in front of "Mel" a couple of times. Then Theseus pulled the tab off the bottle and put it into "Mel's" hand.

Then Theseus took the handle that was on Mel's knee and began to instruct him on how to operate and use it.

The entire process was incredibly quiet. Communication between the two did not rely on language or writing, but Hugh could see the astonishing patience Theseus possessed in this matter, a quality that was completely inconsistent with his strange, faceless appearance.

After a while, Theseus finally finished his "teaching". He handed the handle back to "Mel" and neatly piled the remaining drinks next to Mel.

Theseus then stood up, gestured to Hugh, and walked towards the other end of the Dream Sanctuary without looking back.

Hugh paused for two seconds, then looked at "Mel" intently for a few moments, only to find that the other person had actually begun to enjoy the game and the drink.

A strong sense of absurdity washed over him. Although Hugh was extremely curious about the shadow left behind by this "goddess of magic," he could not linger there any longer. So he ended his observation of "Mel" and hurried after Theseus.

Soon, the two arrived at their most familiar spot and sat down facing each other.

Hughes stared at Theseus, who responded with his calm, chaotic expression.

Neither side spoke immediately.

However, not long after, Hugh began to look Theseus up and down with an obscure and inexplicable gaze. Under this strange "offensive," the faceless god finally could not sit still any longer.

That chaotic face instantly twisted into the familiar "sweating soybean" image that Hugh was familiar with, followed by Theseus's cold and strange tone: "If you don't clean up those awful thoughts of yours, I'll immediately throw you back into the wasteland of the Dark Abyss to play in the mud, you know what I mean?"

Hugh pursed his lips, using his subtle self-control to quickly banish some strange thoughts that popped into his head.

He spread his hands: "It's not my fault. You and... well, your mentor give off a really strange vibe. Plus, given my body's inherent 'occupational hazard,' it's normal to have some unnecessary associations, right?"

"Ah."

Upon hearing Hugh's words, Theseus let out a strange laugh. He shook his head, and the chaotic face that had formed the comical expression returned to normal. Then he picked up two bottles of "Color of Life" beverage from the side and tossed one of them to Hugh.

"In any case, we've now entered a new phase...it's something to celebrate."

As Theseus spoke, he pulled the tab on his drink, then leaned forward and lightly clinked glasses with Hugh.

"Celebrate? Celebrate what?"

Hugh was already used to Theseus's inexplicable behavior. He shook his head with a wry smile: "Celebrating my trip to the Dark Abyss?"

Unlike Hughes's helplessness, Theseus appeared extremely calm. He raised the can in his hand and poured the life essence inside into his chaotic, dark face.

"belch!"

He let out a loud burp, and thick mist from the abyss wafted out from his head. Theseus then casually tossed the empty can into a nearby trash can.

He laughed and said, "Don't be so pessimistic. Try to think about it from a different perspective... At least you're still alive, and you've exceeded all the goals you set. No matter how you look at it, it's a very good result."

Hugh opened his mouth, he really wanted to refute, but for a moment he didn't know where to start, so he simply opened the can in his hand and took two big gulps.

The rich magic contained within the "Color of Life" transformed into a chilling current the moment it was absorbed into Hugh's body. With its help, Hugh's chaotic thoughts and restless emotions quickly returned to calm.

He thought about it seriously for two seconds, then sighed: "Okay, I accept your statement. The current situation is not exactly good, but it's not too bad either... But before I make a next plan and put it into action, I have some questions that I need you to answer."

Theseus nodded readily: "Ask whatever you want. After all, I brought you here so you could ask questions."

Hughes raised an eyebrow: "Any question is fine?"

Theseus leaned back and sneered, "You'd better know your limits."

After receiving a clear response, Hughes put down his drink, stared at Theseus for two seconds, and then said, "The first question is about you. I want to know what your exact position is?"

Theseus crossed his arms with interest: "Hmm? Why would you ask that question? Tell me why."

"You always give me a very contradictory feeling, and this started from the first time we officially met... The first impression you left on me was that you were chaotic and dangerous. In your view, Vaan and everything in Vaan seemed to be just a huge drama and its specific components. The appearance of the Dark Abyss offspring, the destruction of Seren City, and the series of events that followed seemed to be within your expectations."

Hugh looked at Theseus, and seeing that he did not intend to interrupt him, he continued, "These things, or rather, disasters, have had a huge impact on Vaan, and are even more devastating to the residents of certain areas... If these things had been dealt with earlier, they would not have happened, and the Black Sun Society would not have had the opportunity to control Saint Steel through that 'Great War'."

Hearing this, Theseus chuckled twice, straightened up, and said, "So what you want to ask is, since I've chosen to stand by Vaan's side, why did I choose to sit idly by knowing that these things and disasters would happen?"

"Yes."

Hughes nodded and added, "However, this isn't a moral question, but rather based on efficiency and purpose..."

"Alright, alright, we're already so familiar with each other, there's no need for this pointless 'armor stacking'."

Theseus shook his head and fell silent, the mist that formed his body and face undulating endlessly.

After a long while, the deep and dejected voice came again.

“I have witnessed firsthand the desperate situation that Vaan faced. I personally participated in countless killings and campaigns against those enemies. My mentor, my comrades who have completely lost their names and titles, and I devised countless plans and used many methods beyond your imagination to gradually pull this world out of the control of those damned gods.”

“This world… Vaan, it’s different from the Dark Abyss. I like it, I love it.”

(End of this chapter)