The black sun hangs high

Chapter 443 Journey

"That's basically all I know right now."

Deep within the Dark Abyss Wasteland, in the settlement of the ratmen, Hughes's account of what he knew was finally drawing to a close: "I have gathered a great deal of information from the fragments of souls scattered throughout the Dark Abyss Wasteland. Judging from the fragmented memories of the dead, the war and conflict in Vaan has clearly entered a new phase... The Kingdom of Saint Steel, under the control of the Black Sun Society, has become aware of the threat posed by the Allied Forces, and is therefore trying to launch a counterattack and mobilize and contact other groups in Vaan that believe in the Black Sun as much as possible."

"The situation doesn't sound optimistic."

Aziv pushed aside the stone slab covered in characters, adjusted his reading glasses, and then moved another new slab over. He picked up his carving knife again and asked, "What do you think about this war against the Black Sun Society, especially the part you were personally involved in..."

"I have confidence in my comrades-in-arms, a lot of confidence."

"Hmm... what is the source of this confidence? Is it because of your close comradeship? Or something else?"

Hugh shook his head and replied, “It stems from my understanding of them, from the planning and work I have personally participated in… Mr. Aziv, trust in individuals or groups should not be blind. In this respect, it is consistent with judgments about future situations and trends, both originating from meticulous logic and detailed understanding.”

"Yes, I agree."

Aziv nodded, his carving knife moving incessantly as he recorded what Hugh had just said.

Hugh was already used to Aziv's actions, so he continued, "I have a lot of confidence in them because I myself am part of those plans and actions. I know that everyone involved, whether they are leaders, planners, or ordinary soldiers or logistics personnel, has a clear understanding of what they are doing and the goals at each stage."

"The memories provided by the souls of the dead have validated my judgment and viewpoint. Although sacrifices and casualties are inevitable in this process, in general, they have always been moving in their predetermined direction and have been making continuous progress."

Hughes breathed a sigh of relief: "I think they should have basically taken control of Watchtower by now... Taking control of Watchtower is equivalent to controlling the most important hub in the northern border region. If they can control the railway lines that were jointly built by the two countries of Water and St. Steel in the past as planned, then there should be even more significant progress."

Aren't you worried about a counterattack from the Black Sun Society?

As Azifu wrote on the stone slab, he asked, "Hmm... based on your description and my past understanding of these guys, they're never good at head-on confrontations. To be honest, they're like rats carrying a deadly plague. They can be easily driven away and burned by fire, but if you're not careful, they'll scurry out from the corner and bite people's heels. Attacking, creating chaos, lying in wait... that's what they're best at, isn't it?"

"Indeed."

Hugh shook his head helplessly: "If I could, I really would like to remind them that after taking control of Watchtower City, they must be as cautious as possible. Important leaders and commanders should not even enter the city. After all, the Black Sun Society's past operational methods are quite different from any normal organization. Other enemies, no matter what, might consider the ordinary residents in the city or the potential collateral damage, but..."

Azifu laughed: "The Black Sun Society, huh? They never care about these things. Although I don't know what changes have occurred in them over the past, I do know that the most common characteristic or idea of ​​any individual who firmly follows the Black Sun is to abandon everything from their past and regard themselves as part of the Abyss."

Aziv slowly turned around, his eyes behind his reading glasses gleaming with wisdom: "And once they begin to have such thoughts, the power of the Abyss will begin to seep into their bodies through ritual after ritual, and thus affect everything about them, even completely distorting and altering their thoughts."

"At this stage, it's too difficult to change or reverse anything. After all, their past beliefs and ideas are destined to become fertile ground for madness under the influence of the black sun."

Aziv's words were rhythmic, but his wording was extremely cold and cruel: "From now on, all they can do is be drawn to the shadow of the Abyss, like stones sinking into a bottomless swamp... If, in the process, they use some rituals to further transform themselves, then they can completely become new creations of the Abyss. At that point, they will be no different from those vicious dogs, beasts that can be dismantled and dispatched at will."

Hughes nodded in agreement: "You really know them well."

"Of course, if it weren't for this reason, I wouldn't be living in such a decaying place with such a rotting body."

At this point, a very peculiar expression appeared on Aziv's aged rat-man face. At first glance, Aziv seemed very lost and tired, but he was also satisfied and content.

In this bizarre world without a time scale, Aziv can only live like this.

He lives as a prophet of a race that has long been extinct in Vaan.

He was unable to connect with his hometown, could not see a way out, could not see a future, and could not even find someone to confide in.

Until Hugh came to him.

After a long period of torment and frustration, a hearty conversation gave Aziv maximum mental satisfaction, which was exactly what he needed right now.

"Are you happy?"

"I've never been this happy before."

As Aziv responded, he rose from his chair, flipped his palm, and used magic to lift the stone slabs one by one, then floated them orderly to a bed in the corner of the room, stacking them directly at the foot of the bed. Clearly, he intended to use these precious records as his bedtime reading.

"Is it because of news from Vaan?"

"Of course not..."

Aziv turned around with a smile, picked up a slightly deformed metal cane from the side, and leaned on it as he came to Hugh: "Come on, come with me, let's go for a walk outside and talk as we go."

So the man and the rat went down the stairs. Hugh paid special attention to Aziv's steps and, after confirming that the old man was walking without any problems, said, "I thought you would be even more anxious after hearing what I said... After all, Vaan's current situation is not optimistic."

“Indeed, the situation is not optimistic, but I sensed something else precious in what you said.” Aziv raised his hand and pushed open the door: “That is change, the change in Van’s.”

The faint glow of the crystal lamps outside the house shone in, and Hugh saw that many ratmen residents were gathered in the distance, cautiously looking in this direction. After discovering that their ratman prophet was having a pleasant conversation with the mysterious guest, they all breathed a sigh of relief, then bowed their heads in the direction of Aziv and quickly retreated.

"They...love you very much?"

"Aida?"

Aziv paused for a moment: "Ah, according to Vaan's usual thinking, that is indeed the case, but these guys are ratmen after all. They will always prioritize obeying their own habits and instincts. Even after so long, when they look at me, they are more afraid and worshipful than the kind of respect you understand."

Then, the topic returned to its original point.

“I never imagined that Vaan would become what you described… When I first heard the names of Merlin and the Legal Committee, I thought nothing had changed. But when you talked about those strange machines, vehicles, weapons, and wars, I started to feel confused and surprised… You know what? At first, I thought you were lying to me.”

Aziv slowly said, "But soon I discovered that everything you said matched each other perfectly. They had no loopholes and were very natural... Although I still can't quite understand a weapon that can be operated by ordinary people and directly kill a group of mages, I know that the appearance of such a thing will definitely bring new changes to Vaan."

"What surprises me even more is that these weapons are currently being used to fight against the Black Sun Society and those dangerous things."

At this point, Azifu revealed an extremely pleased and satisfied smile: "This is a very, very good sign. Although it means that Vaan is once again in a critical moment, think about it. In the past, those races that humbly bowed their heads under the black sun and countless gods now possess all sorts of powers and means to directly confront their enemies."

Aziv looked at Hugh: "Isn't this good news?"

"But even so, the struggle remains arduous."

Hugh said in a low voice, "After all, the countries and organizations in Vaan are not monolithic now. Everyone has their own ideas and thoughts, and the Black Sun Society may bring more unpredictable troubles and threats at any time... With those ancient rituals and magic, they even have the ability to summon the shadows of ancient gods. Faced with such enemies, all they can rely on is the magic and weapons in their hands."

Hughes did not tell the whole second half of his story.

In the present day, Vaan is destined never to produce another god like Mel who can control everything. In a sense, what Mel said before she left was true. After her, the word "god" will indeed never be born from the soil of Vaan again.

Unfortunately, the enemies she had driven out in the past have once again set foot in the world she cherished and protected.

"You're right, but what can we do about it?"

Azifu laughed and said, "If you don't want to perish, then you can only fight. If you don't have enough strength to fight, then you should try to gain strength... What a simple and easy-to-understand rule! Just like the rat people of the past, before disaster struck, they even had the mentality of dividing themselves and fighting among themselves. But when disaster really came, they had no choice but to gather together and struggle to survive."

"Since these nations and races within Vaan still have the mind to fight amongst themselves, it means they haven't been pushed to their limits yet, right?"

The aged ratman slammed his cane down hard, his voice tinged with helplessness: "Let them hesitate and struggle a little longer. You can't do anything about it now, can you? Compared to that distant past, Vann is so much better now."

"maybe……"

Hugh shook his head. He didn't completely agree with Aziv's point of view, but as he said, he seemed to be nothing more than an observer now, and even the information he received was neither timely nor accurate.

In this situation, being anxious or worried is completely useless.

At an intersection, Aziv stopped and turned to Hugh, saying, "Alright, we've discussed these things enough. Now it's time to address some of your issues."

Hughes frowned slightly: "My problem?"

"Yes, you've traveled a long way here, surely to resolve some matters?"

As Aziv laughed, he waved to several ratman warriors in the distance, who immediately sprang into action. Soon, a somewhat peculiar vehicle arrived in front of Hugh.

This was a vehicle, but it was not towed by any creature that Hugh was familiar with, but by two enormous, ugly, and ferocious-looking rats.

Hugh observed carefully and then he discovered that the two giant cart rats also had three tails. However, apart from the long tail in the middle, the tails on the left and right sides had degenerated to a great extent, leaving only small sections dragging on the sides, which looked extremely comical.

On either side of their heads, where horns should have grown, there are now two rather superfluous lumps of flesh, a result of the departure of the Earth Mother Goddess.

Azifu was quite agile, and in the blink of an eye, he had climbed into the simple carriage at the back and patted the seat next to him: "Come on up, it's a bit far, we have to walk quite a distance."

"Where are we going?"

"Go see a place you'll definitely be interested in... a place that might allow you to 'come home'."

(End of this chapter)