This time..
“After all these years, neither your appearance nor your soul has changed a bit; you still maintain the purity of those years, while I have.. gradually evolved from the Morning Star of Mesopotamia into the Demon Lord of Hell of Christianity, now, I have become a focal point of worship within a niche subculture.. Countless people worship me, offering their souls and physical bodies, yet they have never even tried to understand the real me.."
—Cain once said something similar.
Wood said softly, "To Believers, Gods often exist only as symbols, occasionally descending to say a few words or show them a small 'Miracle'—if Gods contact them too frequently, it might instead trigger their dissatisfaction, greed, the wavering of their faith."
So, even though there are more Believers in modern society, Gods find it easier to feel lonely than in ancient times.
Lucifer smiled indifferently, his fingers brushing across Wood's face: "Have you ever wondered why you are recognized as a Papa by a snake, a dog, a Girl who transcends life and death all at once?"
.. The Boss said I have Multiple Personality Disorder, that there is another personality inside me. That personality is connected to the Norse evil god Loki.
Wood said bluntly.
Today was his first formal meeting with Lucifer, but for some reason, he instinctively trusted Lucifer and was unwilling to hide anything from him.
So you've already concluded that the other personality within you is Loki?
If modern mythology had proven that Anubis from Egyptian mythology is indeed Fenrir from Norse Mythology, I might actually believe it, but..
Why can't Anubis be Fenrir?
Lucifer asked back lightly.
Wood: ".."
Fine, seeing as you're wearing such an unusually pained and troubled expression right now, I've decided to suspend my teasing of you.
Lucifer said leisurely, then unexpectedly asked, "Did your date with Cain go well?"
I and him—wait a minute! How do you know I met Cain last night?
Cain believes he possesses absolute freedom, yet he has always been my possession.
.. Your relationship is truly twisted.
Wood muttered in a low voice.
In my view, his relationship with you is the truly twisted one.
Lucifer spoke with a serious expression, then suddenly lowered his head and kissed Wood's cheek.
Hey—
Wood was shocked, just as he was about to react, Lucifer's lips had already pulled away.
I like you very much.
Uh?
If you also have feelings for me, we can start dating officially from today—
Cheating?!
—He won't mind something like that.
Lucifer was blunt.
Hearing this, Wood felt a sudden surge of rage in his heart: "What do you take me for! His toy? A pet? Or something else entirely?"
In my eyes, you are an extremely important existence whom I once cherished most but unfortunately lost by mistake, whom I can never afford to lose again.
Lucifer spoke one word at a time, his azure eyes filled with profound affection.
“I—”
Wood.
[Papa! Let me swallow this bird-man in one bite!]
Jormungand Cat shouted excitedly.
Anubis Dog also showed unusual excitement.
[I'm sick of things with wings! Before it was a Valkyrie, now it's—]
Valkyrie?
Wood raised an eyebrow. "There are Valkyries in Ancient Egyptian mythology too?"
Most myths share commonalities, not to mention that winged Gods already exist in Ancient Egyptian mythology.
Lucifer said with a strange smile, his eyes blinking slightly, as if he were concealing something.
Fine.. I'll accept your words for now.. but—
Wood suddenly stopped talking; he saw a petite figure, wearing a Red-cloaked outfit and a Black Long Dress, suddenly appear in the corner of the Showroom.
You are—
Papa..
The Girl looked up, revealing a beautiful face partially covered by a metal mask: "I am your Daughter~"
You.. you couldn't be..
Yes, I am Hela.
The Girl slowly stepped out from the dark corner, walked into the range of the lamp's light, reached out his skeletal right hand and fair left hand: "Can Papa give me a hug?"
I..
Wood was at a loss.
No matter how you looked at him, the Girl before him was incredibly cute, yet possessed an indescribable eeriness.
Papa is afraid of me, isn't he?
“..”
Hela understands Papa's hesitation—those past events were too painful, so after Papa escaped, he actively gave up all his past memories, not wanting to and not willing to remember the past—but Papa—the past that you hate and we all truly exist in this world; even if you refuse to remember, they are all the most real existences.
“..”
Wood bit his lip, not daring to let out a single sound.
Papa..
Tears welled up in Hela's eyes: "Can you really not give your daughter a hug?"
-----------------------
Author's Note: Thanks to readers Qian Duo, Er Jiao, Xing Ye, Naipi Wo Shi Chao Pian, kiki, Zhen Zhu Xue, Bu Hao Kao Du Jiu Jin Chang Da Gong, moonlit, Courage is Lifelong Reliance, Mu, Lei Zhuang, Shi Yi, Yuan Zhong Ren De Yi Yu Zhong Li, Fish Blowing Bubblegum, Meng Li Jian, Riyue Taosan Huan, Dian Ji Ke Kan Dao Chao Ji Mei Nu, Qing Yun, Min, Lan Wu, A Cat's Murmurs, Li Yu, Yi Tuo Da Yan for the Irrigation Nutrient Solution.
Please provide the paragraph you would like me to translate.
I..
Wood's body was paralyzed, as if nailed to the spot, filled with helplessness.
He refused from the bottom of his heart to acknowledge that the Girl before him had anything to do with him, but—
To see Papa again, I have crossed countless realities and illusions, traversing the boundaries of life and death.. I have thought of giving up countless times, of sinking into the darkness of Death, but I persevered in the end, because I wanted to see Papa again, wanted to rescue Papa from the cage of despair.. All these years, we have both suffered, waiting through torture.. Papa!
Hela cried out passionately, his arms wrapped tightly around Wood's waist, his head pressed against his ribs: "I've finally found you!"
But—
Wood hesitated for a long time, his hands resting cautiously on Hela's shoulders: "Many people say that I have Loki's personality inside me, but I am certain that I am not Loki, I am not your Papa Loki.. You.. you have the wrong person.."
It's okay, it doesn't matter if you can't remember.. I know you are my Papa.. Jormungand and Fenrir both know you are our Papa.. The Papa who gave birth to us.. Pa—
“Wait a minute!”
Wood could no longer endure it and shouted, "Loki is a male God, how could he possibly give birth like a woman! Fine, in Norse Mythology, Loki did indeed accidentally give birth to the stallion Sleipnir, but that was after he turned into a mare.. His three most famous children—Hela, Jormungand, Fenrir—who will eventually lead to Ragnarok—are the children of him and the prophetic giantess Angrboda. It was Angrboda who gave birth to the children, not Loki!"
Sorry, the Truth is not like that.
Lucifer spoke up suddenly, looking at Wood tenderly: "Angrboda is not the mother of the three children of fate; Angrboda is just a part-time doctor who helped Loki give birth to the children."
Huh?
Wood's mouth hung wide open.
Loki can have children?
The Fire God is naturally fertile.
“..”
Lucifer's words made Wood feel as if he had fallen into a thick mist, unable to comprehend them yet unsure of how to refute them.
Human civilization in the Current Era likes to distinguish all things in the world into masculine and feminine, that is to say, male and female, man and woman, justice and evil. In fact, everything in the universe—including life and death, light and darkness, the negative and positive poles of a magnet—is a mixture of intertwined and inclusive elements—therefore, fire is defined as masculine, but properly controlled fire is the most important driving force of civilization, while water is defined as feminine, yet uncontrolled water can destroy civilization at any time.
—What you say makes a lot of sense, I also accept the claim that the Fire God has the ability to procreate, but I—I am not Loki! I am certain that I am not Loki!
Wood emphasized helplessly, "It is absolutely impossible for me to be Loki! Even if my body has parts that belong to Loki, I—"
Why can't you accept it?
Lucifer violently interrupted Wood's murmuring, his deep eyes shimmering with the coldness of the starry sky: "Because you remembered what Lilith said to you when you killed him with my wings?"
“——!”
Wood was shocked, staring at Lucifer with eyes filled with disbelief, as if struck by lightning.
The Previous Era.. forced to extinguish.. Sun—she was holding you then, she said those words to you..
Lucifer repeated softly in a slow but unmistakable tone, every syllable he uttered causing a sharp pain to surge in Wood's heart, like a blunt knife stabbing into his most vulnerable parts, twisting and churning repeatedly until the pain swept through his entire body and blood flowed from the wound, covering the floor.
—I am not him, I have no interest in playing sentimental games of amnesia with you. I demand that you remember that past you refuse to recall! Now!
But—
Wood looked toward Jormungand, Anubis, Hela for help, hoping to receive their assistance.
However, this time—
[Papa! Sorry, Lucifer is right.]
I am very sorry, but I hope Papa can regain his memories as soon as possible—
Papa.. I.. I..