Shadow of the Evil God

Cesar realized that he hadn't wanted to listen to its words, but it had pinpointed the one thing he couldn't disobey. At this point, their conversation wasn't about whether he trusted it or not, nor was it about whether he wanted to let it guide his thoughts and change his intentions like Altinya had.

Its narrative was methodical. "Many years ago, Ferris underwent a crucial decision," it said. "You can already guess what happened. She separated a significant part of herself—you could say it was her emotional part, but I'd say she eliminated the external part of herself, leaving only her true self."

"I don't understand what you're trying to say," he said.

"I'd say the little Ferriers beside you is a tool used to implement the real Ferriers's ideas after she makes her decision. You could also say she's a mask she shows to others. Having said that, you should understand that the little Ferriers beside you is essentially empty. She's a lonely mask hanging in the darkness, an empty shell that only knows what to do after the real Ferriers makes her decision. She has no inner self, and what drives her now is only Ferriers's thoughts and emotions at the time."

Cesar hugged Phils tightly, but his words remained calm. "That's strange," he said. "We've only just met, and you're discussing such a private matter with me. Don't you find it strange?"

"I don't think there's a distinction between inside and outside, or between private and confidential matters, Cesar. But if someone comes to me for help, I'll let them know what they really want and what they're really worried about. First, ask yourself, and then you can use rhetoric and sweet talk to argue with me."

"No matter how hard I try, I can't come up with the conclusion that her essence is empty," he retorted.

"Why can't I ask?

"You need others to adjust the different emotions in her mind for you. Do you still not realize the emptiness of her essence? Firiels is a very capable mage. As she grows, she gradually realizes that her outer self is too limited, distorted by the gaze of others, just like the silent figure curled up on the ground beside you. Her true self is bound within this shell, which makes her increasingly small and passive. If Firiels wants to take a step forward, she must separate them—that's obvious."

"It was obvious that she was next to me, and I could feel her temperature and heartbeat," Cesar told it.

"Yes, Cesar, why not? You can certainly continue to love her. After all, she has warmth and a heartbeat, and this has nothing to do with whether her essence is empty or not. However, precisely because of this, you must be extremely careful. If the empty remnant of memory finds the true purpose she has forgotten and begins to move towards its end, your fragile love will not be very stable. Therefore, I advise you to be cautious about Ferriers in the north."

"A confrontation between Ferrieres and I is inevitable," Cesar insisted.

"Sometimes, escape doesn't necessarily mean it's wrong." It stretched out its paws. "On the other hand, persistence may be the result of many thoughtful and familiar escapes. You should think carefully about what you should insist on - your stubborn mind, or your fragile love."

“There is no contradiction between the two.”

"Whether there's a contradiction between the two, you know best, Cesar. No one forced you to defend the Gural Fortress, nor did anyone force you to assist the prophesied emperor and allow her to rebuild a different Kasar Empire from the ruins. These are all your own desires, your own wishes, but you insist on using little Ferriers as an excuse, which is wrong. Ask yourself, how much does your current actions have to do with her? Not many people can even see her—no, perhaps it should be said that they can't even touch her. They would pass through her as if she didn't exist."

"After I confront Ferriers, she will exist to everyone," Cesar said to it with a frown.

"Perhaps not to you either, Cesar," it said in a gentle yet cruel tone. "It will happen, not just happen, but she will choose to make it happen after she remembers her forgotten mission. To keep her in existence, you must keep her in a state of eternal emptiness and stasis, where she will never grow or change. Obviously, this is what you want."

"I admit I can't argue with you, sir. Not only am I ignorant and uninformed compared to you, I can't even match your rhetoric. But my path won't change because of your carefully crafted narrative. No matter where it ends, I must face what I must face."

"You're right." It unexpectedly agreed, and even its attitude was very relaxed, as if it was really just offering advice. "Then just watch her disappear after you've satisfied yourself. In reality, you're choosing between betraying yourself and betraying her, don't you understand? Betray yourself and take her away, or betray her and stick to your own desires? These are two distinct paths, and the difference is obvious. I'm only revealing your heart because you've come to beg for help, Cesar. Don't deceive yourself anymore, and don't use her as an excuse anymore. If you want her, you have to retreat south. If you want yourself, you continue to go north. No problem! One of them will be abandoned anyway."

"I don't understand how this has become an either/or choice? Do you really think you're making a suggestion?"

"Giving advice also means making people understand themselves, Cesar. Don't tell me you didn't speak to the princess in the same way."

"I didn't recognize you as my teacher, nor did I ask you to teach me."

"I'm merely sharing what I know, Cesar, because all humans can be considered my students." It seemed to be smiling. "Look up to your left and see the silent mage. Why is she silent? Perhaps there's a lot she hasn't told you. Perhaps she's worried you won't be able to accept it, or perhaps she's concerned you might be emotionally unstable. Whatever the case, she didn't refute it."

Chapter 274 I Like It Very Much

"That's it?"

"That's all," it responded. "Think about it, Cesar. Often, things are just so helpless. If you want to persevere, you must first learn to give up. You can consider my advice now, or you can wait until you've been beaten to a pulp and reflect on it."

"Well then," Cesar nodded and said, "Since you think what you just said is the end, then let's say goodbye, sir. Brother Xiluo has found his home, and it seems that your hermits have nothing to do with me anymore. In this case, there is no need for us to discuss anything anymore."

It stared at him silently. After a moment, it slowly nodded. "You mean to say that in order for us to have room for conversation in the future, you need a monk to follow you."

"But it can't be Brother Shiloh," he said, the thought of him irritating him. "I don't want to ask him whether he doesn't want to write or just doesn't know. But Brother Shiloh or anyone like him won't do it. He's too perfunctory. I want a guy who's willing to cooperate."

"You want someone to write out the entire Great Library for you, to bring it back from the fire and ashes."

"That's what I started with, sir. If you agree, please assign your monk to be my scribe. If I'm still alive by then, I can come to your library once a year to debate with you, and the monk you assign to me will also serve as my guide. If you don't agree, then consider this our last meeting. I will consign your words to the darkest garbage heap of my memory."

"You really act like a businessman," it responded.

"I put myself on the line to question you, Your Excellency. It matters not who I am; I am here to restore the Great Library after it was burned."

"I like that you're putting yourself on the line." It smiled slightly. "However, I respect the opinions of the monks. I won't force them to work for anyone, especially not for you, Cesar. Your request is so unreasonable that even a hundred years would be too short."

"so?"

It smiled and replied, "Not far to the north, a group of invisible assassins are searching for members of the Hermit Sect. One unfortunate fellow is on the run. I'm not in a position to intervene, so if you can rescue him and bring the poor fellow to my library, I can delegate the task in the name of a rescuer..."

"I thought all the monks accepted your so-called destination. It turns out there are still some who don't accept it?"

"Why do you say that?" it asked in return.

"I'm guessing you sent Brother Xiluo out to lure us here," Cesar told it. This meant its words contained a lot of truth that was hard to discern. "The Kingdom Knights pose no threat to you. They don't even know what the Hermit Order is. There's no reason for you to let Xiluo be captured by them, and there's no reason for him to wait for me at the bottom of the fortress." He stared into its indigo eyes—those vertical pupils, unblinking.

It was unmoved. "You could have made our meeting more destined," it said.

"As for the hermit you're trying to get me to find—or capture, or rescue from the invisible assassin—I tend to think that he's someone who didn't accept your so-called destination," Cesar continued.

"You are so suspicious," it said again.

"I'm just saying this," Cesar said. "If you think that guy is capable of this, I'll rescue him and take him to the south of the fortress, but there's no need to go back to your library. Next year, if we're both still alive, I'll come here myself and discuss everything with you. Whether you believe me or not is entirely up to you. After all, I haven't lied to you yet."

"This 'temporarily' is also very comforting." It sneered. "Since your promise is true, I will give the memory of that place to your mage. Use the teleportation spell as soon as possible to deal with the assassins from the Templar and take the hermit monks who are unwilling to return to their home to the south. Then, you can make the final preparations for your fortress."

The ancient creature, unsure whether it was a lizard or a dragon, quickly departed. To be honest, Cesar hadn't anticipated this scene. The monastics it had dealt with were too inhuman, while it itself was too human. Its guiding words, its ambiguous choice of words, all reminded him of Legosius. However, compared to Legosius, its purpose was harder to predict, and its words were harder to ignore.

Should he believe it or not? Or rather, which part should he believe? Continue northward until he can sit down at a table with Big Ferrells to negotiate, just as he had done with Old Thane in Neuen. Would this strategy really make him a complete loser?

Or could he flee south, or even drift out to sea, exploring whether the world is round, with an edge of pure nothingness, or a sphere that can be spun back around? Could he encounter some elusive opportunity during his ethereal drift and change the current situation?

The question of what is truth and what is a lie is inherently difficult to make before the conclusion is reached. However, if he chooses the latter, he will never have the opportunity to peel off the layers of lies and fog and see the truth buried within.

No matter how cruel the truth was, no matter how miserable he would become after it was revealed, he had to reveal it.

The latter is not only deceiving himself, but also willingly being deceived, covering his eyes with a black cloth and willingly becoming blind. Only by removing the cloth and understanding all the connections and all the causes and consequences can he find a third way out besides the seemingly only two.

It was precisely because the librarian had not listed it that Cesar had to keep going. He had to keep going until he found a third way out, or even more ways out.

......

Cesar seemed to think it was necessary to clarify his thoughts with the others. However, before he could finish, Diana covered his mouth with her hand, indicating that he could say important things after returning home, so as not to fall into the eyes of the library owner, who she did not dare to speak to casually.

She silently recited the words in her mind and outlined another spell talisman that the library owner gave her. Then, she gently touched the handprint of Phils on her palm and asked her to cooperate with her spell.

"After meeting Nauzog, I've had a lot of ideas about teleportation spells," Diana explained to him. "They might come in handy this time. It's night time, and if the spell goes well, we can avoid a serious battle and quickly resolve this problem."

Seeing Cesar still staring at Fils, Diana sighed and stared at him for a long moment before leaning forward and kissing him on the forehead. "Look at me," she said, gazing into his dark eyes. "Finnie's self is far more powerful than your Faceless One. If you believe she can possess a mind, then Finnie can certainly provide for what's missing from her."

Cesar nodded slowly, as if he had exhausted all the energy to speak.

"This guy's proficient at self-persuasion, not self-deception," Ajeh said. "Do you think the verbal thoughts and unspoken emotions in his head are fighting? I bet there's a river of blood flowing there, no less than the ensuing battle. If I were you, I'd cut open his brain to see how intense the struggle is."

"It's hard for me to say whether I have a self or not," Fils said, shaking her head. "I just... love him, and I want to move on, as far as I can. I don't know what else I can do."

"You'll know it sooner or later, Finny," Diana said. "And knowing it won't bring you to the end. This is what we've been trying to do. Defending the Gural Fortress is just a small pebble on the road. We will overcome many more things in the future, including Grand Master Firiel himself."

Chapter 275 Don't Lick Me with Your Long Tongue

It was an unusually complex spell rune, written by the library owner himself, connecting to a distant location in the real world. With just a slight touch, one could gain insight into the creatures and topography there. However, the library owner's spell itself was unusual and required caution.

Furthermore, Diana believed that everything about it should be approached with caution, even seemingly innocuous conversations. If she didn't choose her words carefully, if she didn't consider all the details, she worried that she would become lost in it like the wizard who wrote the manuscript in the library, first for a day, then a month, and so on, until she would eventually sink into it, seeing the infinite extension of the library as the final destination of her soul.

After that, one could either end his life in a long period of solitude, writing down everything he had ever written in one of the libraries; or become a hermit monk, wandering here forever in ignorance.

Diana was so cautious because the library owner reminded her of the mages themselves. She not only recalled the mage slaves of many schools, but also the beasts used for research that had undergone destructive experiments. She felt that in the eyes of the library owner, whether it was the monks of the hermit sect or the mage who wrote the manuscript, they were all things like mage slaves, or even beasts that had undergone destructive experiments.

"Hold my hand, Finny," Diana said. "And you, Cesar, stop looking and hold my other hand, then hold hers. As for Ajeh, you can merge with his consciousness as usual and let him lead you in battle, okay? Okay, now we are all connected. We will arrive at that place together with our flesh and blood bodies, and then return to the jungle after we are done."

"Just go over and do it?" Cesar asked.

"It has begun now," she said. "Everyone, close your eyes and carefully feel the senses I am sharing with you. But remember, what we are seeing now are just other things happening in another distant place. While everything is still an illusion, you must be prepared and completely transform your form, Cesar. The moment we use the teleportation spell to arrive there, you must launch an attack in the shortest possible time and kill all threats."

Diana closed her eyes, and the scene of the place appeared like a painting etched on her eyelids. Broken roads, crumbling houses, and broken trees tumbled to the ground revealed the devastation of the place, the marks of magical destruction everywhere. This was the logging camp at the edge of the jungle, seemingly on the northern side.

Before their eyes was a huge rock pulled down from the hillside. Looking up, they could see the path of the rock's fall through the flying dirt on the slope. It hit the roof of a house and smashed it to pieces, but there was no body in the house and no blood on the ground - there were no dead or injured people in this place.

It was clear that the spell of destruction passed through the invisible assassin like an illusion, deflected by their blades or disintegrating like foam. The monk, feeling cornered, sought an indirect solution, attempting to crush the invisible assassin with a boulder or bury him. Unfortunately, the invisible assassin could walk along the sheer cliff face, even leaping back and forth between the collapsing rubble, making it easy for him to avoid the falling boulders.

Because time was passing at different rates, the dust raised by the huge rocks that smashed down the houses was slowly settling down, so slowly that it made people feel very uncomfortable.

Diana saw a blurry figure moving forward through the dust, its movements like leaping, leaving a distinct trail in the cloud. It was a long, curving arc, originating from the collapsed rooftop and ending on the rooftop of another. The invisible assassin's form remained unrecognizable to her, barely discernible through the dense dust cloud.

"Can you identify the other invisible assassins?" Diana asked Cesar.

"can."

"That's good," she said. "We'll be teleported there according to our position in the illusion. I can guarantee the accuracy of the spell and make sure it lands exactly where you want. So, you need to calculate a starting point from which you can strike them accurately and plan your entire trajectory. However, don't get closer than one meter to the invisible assassins at first. The sharp blades they carry will interfere with the spell."

"But you're standing too close. I might hurt you," Cesar said. "All I see is an illusion of that place, not our presence."

"Then... move closer, I can't see you," she said.

"Where are you?"

Diana leaned forward, parting her lips. Light immediately streamed from her mouth. She sought out Cesar for a kiss, but instead encountered a wolf's gaping mouth. A surprisingly long tongue stretched forward and licked across her face, smearing it with saliva. "Are you an idiot?" she cried. "You've turned into a wild animal before I've even prepared you! Don't lick me with your long tongue. I don't like domesticated animals!"

But Cesar was already like this, so she could only reluctantly suppress her thoughts and deal with him later, leaving her trouble for when she returned. She cupped his long, narrow jaws, letting the light penetrate his consciousness through her. From the enormous wolf's mouth, which seemed capable of cleaving a person in half, a burning shudder emanated. She felt the beast before her grow taller and taller, almost forcing her to crane her head to touch it. How big was this creature now? Could it possibly hold her in one hand?

Because Ajeh resided in his soul, this guy was spared the complete collapse of his physical form, but for the same reason, after losing his human form, he became closer to his true form as a beastman, which made her feel extremely uncomfortable.

Diana held Cesar's jaw, took a half step back, and breathed a sigh of relief, finally recovering from the almost suffocating feeling. Her hand rested on the beast's claw, feeling like a baby facing an adult. Considering that the spell was already halfway transmitted, it shouldn't matter if someone else continued.

She pulled Fils toward her and kissed her. The hand, smaller than her own, trembled slightly, and a soft, tender tongue reached out, gently licking her lips. Then, like a curious, colorful snake, it slithered in, gently capturing her tongue and entwining them, as if completely unaware of what she was doing. Fils, holding her fingers, leaned forward, pushing her against the creature's paw. Their noses touched, their breaths shifting, and in the midst of the ecstasy, she barely realized what she was doing.

This is undoubtedly Cesar's problem, there can be no other explanation.

Only when Phils approached Wolf Jaw, a light so bright she could see even with her eyelids closed, did Diana breathe a sigh of relief. She felt a numbing sensation on her tongue and lips. It wasn't that she wasn't used to it; it was that she was completely unprepared. This guy's mouth was too small, his lips too thin, and the touch was too soft. Compared to Cesar, it was like velvet and gravel. The previous kiss had left her mouth filled with mucus, soaking from her teeth to the depths of her throat, completely numb. This time was different.

Despite Diana's resistance, Fils was intrigued, not only about her but also about the beastly Cesar. She reached out and tugged at the fur on his wolf jaw, pried open the sharp teeth in his mouth, and even grabbed his tongue, biting it. Diana almost heard him hiss in pain. Then, she licked the teeth marks on his tongue. Light seeped out, then flowed, flowing along the crisscrossing skin and into his throat.

Why was she so nonchalant? Had she attempted something even more illogical? Perhaps she had.

Diana's first impression was that Phils was lying on his waist and could only kiss or bite with her teeth; when she saw her again, she thought she would be the same as usual, but she actually swallowed it in one gulp, filling her mouth and making one side of her cheek bulge; the next time, she could even see the bulging outline on her throat. The feeling of suffocation and foreign body was really unimaginable.

She didn't want to think too much, so she pulled Phils back and told Cesar that everything was ready.

After reconfirming, Diana completed the spell, and Cesar's mouth emanated an increasingly intense light. An intense sense of shattering seeped through her skin, carrying her through the transition from illusion to reality. They, who were not there, and there was another place that was not here, intersected with each other, meeting with the most precise precision. The neatly organized library vanished, dust and ash billowed in her face, and the whipping wind washed over her body.

Time flowed normally, and the sudden appearance of the mage caused a stir, but no one had time to react. The invisible assassin, leaping into the air, bore the brunt of the attack. He was still pursuing his prey, his long scimitar slashing a deadly arc—and then he vanished, along with the invisible assassin on the other rooftop. A pool of blood splattered countless meters away, and two blurry bodies slammed into the sky like boulders hurled from a catapult, leaving only trails of dust.

Cesar had vanished, and the lone remaining building had completely collapsed. At the center of the cloud of dust lay a devastating pit of broken wood and rubble, two clumps of shattered objects nestled within. Dust fell in a swirling cloud, swirling around the remains of the dehumanized rags, swirling down onto his slender, wolf-haired body.

There were no screams or groans of pain. Before death, they were not aware of what had happened. After death, they completely lost the appearance of a human body and the ability to make any sound.

A cloud of dust brushed across Diana's face, waking her from her reverie—the dust mingled with the pungent smell of blood. Cesar stood amid the ruins like a gigantic monster, surrounded by darkness. Rain was coming, and a fierce wind blew her clothes. All around her, weeds drooped and gravel tumbled.

"Search through the ruins!" she cried. "Find the monk, and then we'll go back to the jungle!"

"There's a dress here," said Firth. Diana looked in the direction of the voice, took a few steps forward, and reached out to grab a piece of dusty fabric from the rubble. She pulled it out of the rubble and saw that it was a long shawl, the main body of which was the color of lush green grass, with brown tassels on the edges.

"Winter clothes," Diana said. "They're from the north, that's for sure. Did you find anything, Cesar? Don't tell me you accidentally smashed someone to pieces. I don't want to collect body parts."

Chapter 276 It’s Too Early to Call Me Husband

"Over here!" Cesar shouted, "right under the wall!" Diana raised a halo of magical light from her fingertips and approached the ruins of the building. Only then could she clearly see the people buried in the rubble and Cesar, who was digging at the collapsed wall with his claws. They also came to help deal with the ruins, and soon cleared a large amount of rubble.

The rain had begun to fall, and she finally saw the monk in his claws. In the pale blue light, her pale face showed no signs of life. Diana felt that she looked familiar, and then she remembered that she was the administrator who had guided her in the Great Library and a member of the Altinia clan.

The Great Library of the Kasar Empire had been completely destroyed, and those who once guarded knowledge and truth within it had lost their homes. Perhaps it was destined to be burned down. During war, many once-respected places became despised burdens, unwilling to be defended or maintained by their own people, while outsiders were only too happy to plunder or burn them down.

Diana reached out and brushed the monk's silver hair away from his forehead. "It's Sister Mira," she said. "Take the body back. I know her, and convincing her shouldn't be difficult. I don't know how much advice she can offer to the city's defense, but she should have no problem restoring the library's documents."

.......

Very close, Cesar thought. He stood on the top of the city wall overlooking the hills in the distance, tightly clutching the map that Legosius had thrown to him in the early morning.

The city's defenses were still under repair, as he had provided so many suggestions that many areas were no longer just being repaired, but being rebuilt. The artisans, recently acquired from Tusos, were working in the workshops to maintain the war machinery. Supplies and rations were also being replenished to reassure the troops in the event of logistical disruptions. All aspects were progressing methodically, but time was running out, as the corpse-eaters were approaching.

We must give the fortress more time to allow for more preparations.

Cesar walked along the top of the wall, watching the dawn gradually break. The ancient north-south passage gradually unfolded in the hazy darkness. Hundreds of dim fires burned throughout the fortress, allowing people to move back and forth and carry goods. Outside the walls, especially on the northern hills, more workers could be seen moving back and forth, digging fortifications between the two cliffs. Once the refugees, as they had agreed with the temple priests, arrived south, the northern route would be completely sealed and destroyed.

He prepared a lot and thought a lot, but it was still not enough, so he still had to rely on factors outside the battlefield, use himself as bait to delay time, and use resisting the zombies as an excuse to arrange some large spells in advance. In addition, there are many, many things.

No matter how much he prepared, how much he considered, all his options remained uncertain. Either the gap between the two sides was too great, or the conditions were insufficient, making it impossible to achieve a clear victory. Ultimately, Cesar wasn't the only one who possessed means beyond the battlefield; the Corpse Eaters and Cleaves did too. There were too many variables, too many possibilities. His current thoughts were all wishful thinking, but he had no choice but to act accordingly.

Cesar could only do this and be prepared to deal with any unexpected events that might happen.

If he could stop the attacks of Clefas and the Corpse Eaters and secure all the lands south of the fortress, his influence would expand further, and his authority would rise even higher. With this as a pretext, everything that followed was understandable. Old Thane's rites were becoming increasingly influential. Whether it was Nauzog, Legosius, or even the Corpse Eaters, they were merely precursors to the rite's terror. Grandmaster Firiels's past also touched upon the shifting epochs, raising the possibility that she would emulate the mage orders of the Kasar Empire's past. Diana's family and lineage remained uncertain, and the movements of the Yesterlen School were also questionable.

All of these more profound and long-term threats and dilemmas could only be addressed with this as a pretext. Otherwise, Old Sean would be completely powerless, Grandmaster Ferriers would be even less likely to sit down at the same table with him, and the Yesterlen School would naturally not take him seriously. Without real power, there is no power of speech. Without the power of speech, one can only remain silent and a witness in history—but he did not want to bear witness, nor did he want to remain silent. He wanted to make a difference.

Gural Fortress was the closest turning point to him. Life or death, victory or defeat, whether the strategies he had laid out for the future would prove useful or become a hindrance to others, all depended on the outcome of this war.

As for the library owner's question, Cesar had no mood to think about it, let alone dwell on it. He was still walking in the darkness, still groping at the edge of the abyss. How could a man who could die if he took a wrong step have the energy to contemplate such a far-fetched question?

He has not had the energy to pay attention to the hermits recently, and has left all the work to Diana.

Cesar dusted himself off and prepared to inspect the city's defenses. Sure enough, Artinia would be there too. It was fair to say they were equally attuned to the state of repairs and maintenance of the city's defenses and fortifications. Whenever he walked along the construction site, he'd likely spot her somewhere amidst the smoke and dust, examining and assessing them. Previously, it was the other way around; she'd be the one looking for him near the fortifications.

Although there is a lot of dust on Altiniya's face recently, it is precious.

At this point, she was just a historian and military commander, and in other things, she was not much better than her brother Tussos.

"I haven't seen you much during the day lately," Diana suddenly said. "I thought you would be full of curiosity and concern for the monk who just came back to life."