The black sun hangs high

Chapter 96 Iron Law
Theseus was starting to give Hughes a strange feeling.

Initially, Hugh would have thought of Theseus as a god with many quirks and eccentricities and great power.

However, in their two most recent encounters, Hugh felt that he could see some very subtle characteristics in the other. Sometimes, Theseus made Hugh feel that he was actually a human being, from his speech to his behavior, he was no different from a real human being.

But there are also times when Theseus displays some elusive interests and emotions, at which point his human qualities disappear, and he becomes chaotic and unpredictable.

What puzzled Hughes even more was that, as a being closely associated with the "lost gods," Theseus was very different from the ancient creations sealed in this dream sanctuary. Although his appearance was elusive, his body always remained human. Moreover, he seemed to know a great deal about the human world, and judging from some of the things he had said before, he was extremely knowledgeable about the human world.

And this "human world" includes more than just Vaan.

It also includes Hughes's hometown.

Hugh even began to wonder whether it was his creation of Vaan that gave rise to a god like Theseus, or whether the other party already existed and used a power that he could not yet understand to "inspire" him to create.

Hugh sat down in the chair next to Theseus and watched as the guy who called himself the "God of a Thousand Faces" skillfully started the game. However, this time his luck seemed to be not so good. After playing for less than a few minutes, Theseus returned to the main menu with dissatisfaction with the start and restarted the game.

While the game was loading, Hugh spoke up: "The prophecy about the Black Sun..."

"Why is it this question again? Isn't that something you wrote yourself?"

With that, Theseus reached out and picked up a mirror from the table beside him, placed it on the table in front of Hugh, and pointed the mirror at Hugh.

In the mirror, Hughes saw his own face.

Because of the light in the dream sanctuary, and because of the fierce battle that had just taken place, his face appeared even paler.

Theseus's voice came through: "I told you before, instead of asking me, you should ask yourself."

Hugh shook his head and then pushed the mirror aside. He ignored Theseus's perfunctory response and said directly, "The Black Sun Society is more deeply integrated with secular society than I imagined... I thought they would be more focused on the belief in and research of lost gods, but in fact, both the kingdom's regime and the continuation of those important families are suffering from their influence."

Theseus didn't turn his head, continuing to operate the computer absentmindedly, but he didn't avoid Hugh's words, responding softly.

"Ah."

Hugh continued, “My family is now under the control of the Black Sun Society. They are involved in the series of events that have occurred in Seren City… Moreover, judging from previous indications, their members have already infiltrated the regimes and high society circles of other countries.”

"If the society were merely a group of wild mages with the same beliefs, their influence and mobilization capabilities could never reach this level. Moreover, according to the Ernst family's leaders, the Black Sun Society may have existed even longer than the Legal Committee..."

Hearing this, Theseus finally stopped what he was doing. He tapped the keyboard lightly, pausing the ever-flowing time in the game, and the black mist that made up his face trembled slightly: "That's more like it, isn't it? I think these real events are much more interesting and exciting than what you wrote before."

"But if we had written it that way back then, it probably wouldn't have passed the review."

"A good joke, I like it."

Theseus clapped his hands, a classic "laughing-crying" expression appearing on his chaotic face, and then said, "I guess you're going to ask the same question again... What exactly does the black sun refer to, right?"

Hugh looked directly at the other person and nodded slightly.

"Regarding the prophecy of the Black Sun, I already gave you an answer last time, and the answer remains the same this time—it is a one-sided interpretation of the voice and will of the gods by a group of ignorant and lowly descendants."

Theseus replied, "However, there is indeed an accurate part in that prophecy, namely the rise of the black sun."

The faceless god's voice remained strange, but his tone became solemn: "The scorching sun belongs to humankind and the current gods of Vain, while the black celestial body symbolizes 'their' resurrection."

"Them?"

Hughes finally heard Theseus's direct answer to the question about the black sun, and he immediately focused his attention: "You mean the lost gods? They will awaken with the appearance of the black sun?"

"of course not."

Theseus chuckled twice: "If they really do awaken directly, then you don't need to worry about anything... You don't understand the extent of their power right now, nor do you understand what their awakening means for a world."

"I don't understand..."

Faced with Hugh's confusion, Theseus showed unprecedented patience at this moment. He crossed his legs, put his hands in front of him, and slowly explained: "In the era that once belonged to them, the black sun always hung high in the sky, because it was the passage connecting their dwelling place with the real world... As gods, they preferred to stay in their own territory, and the outside world was usually left to their own people and offspring to manage."

"The rise of the black sun is not the same as the resurrection of the lost gods, but it symbolizes that their power will once again reach Vaan from their world through this 'passage' and influence everything here."

Hugh thought about it seriously for a moment, then asked, "When you say their world, are you referring to... the Abyss?"

Theseus did not answer, but Hughes saw a checkmark flash across his confused face.

This conversation greatly helped Hugh. He quickly reviewed the information Theseus had given him in his mind, then frowned and asked, "But I think the Black Sun Society's attempt to summon the Black Sun is still very... far-fetched and exaggerated."

"Ha, barely and exaggerated?"

Theseus seemed intrigued by Hugh's statement: "Tell me more about it?"

“If the black sun is directly related to the power and existence of the lost gods, and is a ‘channel’ connecting Vaan with the lost gods, then I think it’s better to think about why it ‘closed’ than how to ‘open’ the channel.”

Hugh quickly stated his opinion: "Suppose that the rule and control of the lost gods over Vaan was 'interrupted' at some point in the distant past, and their families and offspring perished one after another. Then the one who orchestrated this event must have been an extremely powerful being, and it is very likely that it was one of the gods who are currently widely worshipped in Vaan."

"From this, we can draw a conclusion: to 'open' the channel to communicate with the lost gods and successfully summon the so-called Black Sun, one must either have enough power or rely on complex rituals directly related to the lost gods... But judging from the Black Sun Society's previous performance in summoning the Dark Abyss Offspring, they have not been able to reach this limit."

Hugh said seriously, “So I think that rather than performing some kind of ritual, they are more like deliberately creating some trouble and making things move toward the prophecy they know... If these guys really have the ability to touch that line, perhaps they should try to overthrow and replace the Legal Committee directly, which might be more efficient.”

“That’s a very good idea.” Theseus nodded, turned his chair around, and looked back at the computer screen.

In that space-themed strategy game, all sorts of celestial bodies floated in the boundless, dark starry sky. Theseus said, "That's why I say their so-called prophecies are just a foolish and one-sided interpretation, mixed with too many unnecessary and stupid fantasies..."

"For humankind, the rules established by the gods through their own power are no different from natural laws."

"The sun goes on a cycle, setting and rising again. It will not change because of the beliefs and actions of a few people. In the end, that is just wishful thinking on their part."

Theseus's voice deepened without him even realizing it, and the voice, a mixture of countless voices, pierced Hugh's mind like a flying bullet, almost leaving a mark on his consciousness.

"Shug, you'd better remember what I said."

"The concept of war has never been limited to between nations... It is about to begin, be prepared."

……

Hugh slowly climbed out of bed in the bookstore's attic.

He tugged at his collar, feeling a cold sweat break out on his back, which made him somewhat uncomfortable.

The snow outside had stopped, and bright sunlight streamed through the attic window, landing on a wind-up clock on the windowsill.

The clock has a unique design; it's a miniature goblin with enormous ears and a very cute face. It was probably bought by Ellen to please her daughter.

It's past noon, and it's almost 2 p.m.

"I slept for quite a long time... I slept right through lunch."

In this enclosed space, Hugh sighed. He tugged at his sleeve and examined the wolf fang tattoo on his right wrist. He found that one of the wolf fang patterns, which had faded during the experimentation with "Hound's Fang," had recovered somewhat and looked like it would be fully restored in another half day.

"The reload time is a bit slow, so it seems it can't be used as a regular firearm... but it's still a good choice as a sustainable weapon."

Hugh glanced at the long wooden box that had previously contained the roots of the young Killer Ivy, and only after confirming that it was indeed empty did he breathe a slight sigh of relief.

This shows that his previous sacrifice was indeed successful, and Theseus did not deceive himself.

However, to plant the Killer Ivy in a dream world... it still requires waiting for a while, which sounds rather strange.

In particular, Theseus volunteered to tell Hugh that he could help take care of her.

"I wonder if this guy will 'fertilize' the killer vine."

Hughes made a malicious guess.

He stood up and stepped into the bright afternoon sunlight, but his mood was somewhat gloomy.

Theseus's words in the dream sanctuary were unsettling, and when Hugh tried to recall Theseus's words in his mind, he felt a very strange sense of oppression.

This was completely different from when he was in Seren and waiting for the peace celebration to approach; Hugh now felt a very vague and abstract pressure.

"The black sun will rise... It has nothing to do with ceremony or faith; it is a line that is gradually approaching."

Hugh clenched his fist tightly: "Now, everything about the effects of the Black Sun makes sense. When the power from the land where the lost gods dwell reaches Vaan through the Black Sun, it will interfere with and transform the environment and living beings in Vaan. Such a world does seem suitable for a guy like Sniggy to live in."

As if sensing Hugh's thoughts, the scurrying rat inside the metal disc let out a soft squeak.

What exactly did Theseus mean by emphasizing that point?

Hugh picked up the coat and the two empty boxes. Still somewhat dazed, he softly recited in the tone of Theseus, "The concept of war has never been limited to relations between nations..."

“Between nations, between ethnic groups…and between civilizations and beliefs, even…”

Hugh licked his dry lips: "The so-called struggle between gods?"

He casually dispelled the basic ritual set up at the entrance to the attic, then opened the trapdoor and went down the stairs.

The bookstore was still very quiet. Although Hugh's footsteps were very light, they still caught the attention of Mrs. Ellen. She turned her head in surprise, and Hugh immediately nodded gratefully to her.

The woman smiled politely, then pointed to the bookstore's entrance, indicating that Ellen and the others were outside. Hugh then walked out.

On the street outside the bookstore, Hugh saw little Kara riding on the back of the burly Igor. She was holding a model of a steam airship and gesturing in the air, which looked exactly like the airship hovering next to Borden City.

Seeing Ellen smoking by the fir tree in front of the bookstore, Hugh went up and asked for one. Soon, as the cigarette was lit, Hugh inhaled the slightly pungent smell of the cigarette...

Across the street, several young clerks belonging to the Borden municipal government, wearing military insignia, were busy hanging and posting posters on the quiet building walls. The text on the posters was neat and eye-catching.

"Support the country, support our soldiers!"

Below that, there is another line of text.

"Choose Eagle Bonds! Help us achieve victory!"

(End of this chapter)