“..”
Wood stared blankly at Rex, as every word the latter uttered left him both shocked and—
“Don't you believe me? Or is it—you don't dare admit that these are all facts? If what I say is true, then—Loki's fate is highly similar to Lucifer's—falling from glorious and great stars, descending into fallen sin. In fact, Loki's situation is even worse than Lucifer's—while Lucifer has been continuously slandered, He at least retained His former glory and basic dignity. Loki, however, has become a complete clown.”
“I—”
Wood subconsciously bit his lip.
At this moment, his heart raced and his mouth went dry, as a Voice in his mind screamed repeatedly: Cover your ears! Stop listening! If you keep listening, you will—
(What will happen to me..)
Why, even though you know very well that you are not your true self right now, do you still cover your ears and refuse to remember the past? Because you are afraid of the Truth, you are afraid of the moment the Truth is revealed—
“..”
By the same logic, your refusal to cooperate with me—your refusal is not because you wish to become a Hero, but because you are afraid that cooperating with me will force you to face the ancient Truth you are unwilling to confront. You once were—
Stop talking!
Wood interrupted Rex: "I know I have a long past, I know there is a massive secret hidden behind Loki! But none of that has anything to do with who I am now! Now, I only want to live as Wood! To live a peaceful life in New York City—"
A peaceful life? The peace you see is actually an illusion he has gone to great lengths to create! He has tailored a False Dream just for you, you are more than willing to sleep within it!
Rex's words grew increasingly sharp and vicious, his skeletal, gaunt body continued to expand, enlarge, deform imperceptibly, occupying the space between the sky and the ground.
Darling, stop trying to evade reality.
I—
If you cannot accept reality and only wish to live within a dream, then enter my body and become a part of me—I will craft for you an absolute dream, the sweetest dream in this world that will never end—
Rex's body swayed gently, surrounded by shimmering bands of colorful light that drifted around his surface, sometimes swirling around his body like planetary rings, at other times spreading out in all directions like swimming snakes.
The Assyrian King and his guards also raised their weapons, their pitch-black, featureless faces turned toward Wood, who was tightly surrounded by them.
Accept me! Once you have undergone Spiritual Fusion with me, you will never feel pain or sadness again!
Rex's Voice rang out as loud as a great bell, filling the entire world, while the multicolored light flowing from his body transformed into a fluid more viscous and transparent than jelly, lunging toward Wood in an attempt to envelop him completely!
You—
Wood bit his lip and, in one swift motion, turned and—
Splash!
The Holy Sword sliced through the viscous fluid, with flames dancing wildly at the cut.
Sorry, I don't want to die here for the time being.
Do you know why I spent so much time talking to you just now?
"Rex," he said unhurriedly, a strange, deep, eerie smile spreading across his shriveled lips.
Why? Could it be—
A strange chill rose in Wood's heart.
Yeah, you guessed right.
“Rex” looked at Wood gently, watching the thick, heavy mass of black, boiling like tar at his feet—slender substances that looked like human hands or tentacles continuously emerged from it, greedily entangling Wood's legs, layer upon layer, climbing upwards.
From the moment you stepped into this space, you had already been captured by me.
Rex" explained smugly, "The land is me, the sky is also me. You are within me, soon you will be digested and merged with me.
—You!
Our conversation just now was not an attempt to stall for time, but because I love you, I hoped you would merge with me of your own free will. It is a pity that you refused me, so we can only—
[Forced! Devouring!]
Multiple dark voices rose from all directions, transforming into countless eyes that continuously opened and closed, pounced upon Wood along with Rex, who had shed his human form!
-----------------------
Author's Note: Thanks to readers "Qing Yun", "Kitten Fishing for Big Fish", "Gu De Mao Nai", "Qian Duo", "Lan Wu", "Min", "Zhen Zhu Xue", "Dong Xi", "Yue Xia Yin Cha", "Courage is Lifelong Reliance", "Mu", "Shi Yi", "Lei Zhuang", "Meng Li Jian", "Li Yu", "Xing Ye", "Click to see super beauties", "Riyue Taosan Huan", "Milk Beer Milk Beer I am Potato Chips", "Fish Blowing Bubblegum", "kiki", "moonlit", "Yi Tuo Da Yan" for providing Irrigation Nutrient Solution.
Chapter 77 Quetzalcoatl's Secret Treasure (14)
It was a mass of shifting, amorphous wriggling, twisting like an Amoeba and a tangled fusion of multiple lifeforms, yet it was as thin as a mist covering space, casting the shadows of its tentacles under the light that was so fragile it was almost imperceptible.
It spread out in a vast expanse, covering all the sky visible to the eye and the entire land—countless eyes split open in the sky, countless soft, black tentacles emerged from the ground as well. Every tentacle was covered in eyes, which, along with the eyes in the sky, continuously opened and closed, while a deafening, distorted The Scream erupted within the mind.
[Join us!]
[Become a part of us!]
[Everything I love belongs to you! My beloved you!]
No power can save you! Become one with us!
Ah! Ahhh! Everything I need is you!
[..]
Along with The Scream that pierced the eardrums came a sound from deep within the earth—a continuous, grinding noise like the turning of massive machinery, yet simultaneously containing a weird rhythm like the beating of a biological heart. A strange scent permeated the air, smelling like blood, like rust, like—
[The Gate of Fate has opened—]
Accept your fate!
You will be nailed to the Cross! Just like that Son of Man from thousands of years ago!
[O Fate—forgive your child!]
[Oh, Fate—]
Multiple chants echoed from deep within the earth; the Assyrian King and his soldiers had long since transformed into writhing black monsters without fixed forms, continuously boiling and twisting around Wood's body.
A near-freezing pain entwined Wood's body and mind, as a nearly eerie memory surfaced from deep within his brain, which was filled with countless voices.
—By what right do you judge me!
his True Self spoke these words with his head held high, gazing up at the judges who sat high above, shrouded in intense white light.
Just as creation has no right to judge the gods who created them, you sitting in those judgment seats have no right to judge me! Everything you possess now stems from me. If you insist on judging me, on executing me—then, when I draw my final breath, you and your world will fall into eternal darkness, Nothingness, Death!
With these words, ripples of commotion broke through the once quiet and solemn tribunal.
Emotions named terror and unease spread frantically, almost every voice—
“Quiet! Quiet!”
On the judgment platform, a massive figure enveloped in the most intense white light waved his hands and shouted, "Do not believe his nonsense! If he is truly as great as he claims, why has he yet to demonstrate any power that matches such greatness! Instead, he obeys our commands like a clown?! He only dares to threaten us with nonsense!"
That's right! It's all his lies! He is trying to intimidate us with the lies he is best at to escape punishment! But we, in our wisdom, will not be deceived again! This time—he must absolutely be executed!
Execute him! Avenge my poor child!
“And my beloved wife's hair! That golden hair, as beautiful and bright as the Sun! Because of his trickery—it will never grow back again!”
He is an absolute liar! A shameless rogue!
Burn him to death! The Goddesses of Fate said we will obtain the final treasure from his corpse!
—Kill him! Kill him!
Burn him to death! Burn him to death!
Kill! Kill! Kill!
“..”
Roars swept through everything, the white light enveloping the judgment seat grew increasingly intense and frenzied.
Wood stood silently in the center, enduring the scorching madness from those around him like a bystander.
They were all watching him, madly venting their anger, resentment, impotence upon him.
But he did not care, for he had lost his past memories, also because he had long known the verdict—They did not dare to kill him, fearing his death would become the knell that tolls for destruction, They—They who claimed to be omnipotent—would all vanish into Nothingness the moment that knell tolls.
What an absurd and ridiculous judgment!
How—
—Why are you smiling! Are you mocking us! Are you looking down on us!
At the Judgment Seat, a loud Voice rang out once more, interrupting Wood's trance.
A tsunami-like response erupted from all around.
Yes! He is mocking us! He is looking down on us with contempt!
That Guy! That Dirty Thing!
I think we should kill him!
Cut open his body and take out that thing!
That's right! Kill him!
"Kill him!", "Kill him!", "Kill him!".. The cries surged in like a tide, as if desperate to completely topple and devour Wood, who stood in the center of the storm.
Wood quietly raised his head, looking at the brilliant white light upon the Judgment Seat with eyes as emerald and beautiful as new leaves.
“**, do you still remember the oath you made back then? You swore that you would keep your promise to me, to share everything I gave you with everyone around you, to guide the newborn world toward a better future!”
“..”
The clamor instantly ceased, the white light upon the Judgment Seat was completely extinguished. The noisy Gods were as if they had plunged into total darkness, leaving behind only faint, indistinct silhouettes.
Wood continued speaking, "I have endured all the slander without ever defending myself, because I still remember the oath I made to you beneath the World Tree—you have forgotten the oath, but I have not, neither has the World Tree."
“..”
Give me a clear answer! Why have you betrayed our oath! Why would you usurp power that does not belong to you at any cost! Why—
—Because we fear you. We want to obtain true, pure power. We do not wish to be held hostage, controlled, or manipulated by your gifts.
"So it was said by the majestic, aged Voice, as he spoke from the Judgment Seat submerged in darkness.
“Loki, you are my best friend and brother, but the more generous you are, the more intense the dread and unease we and my children feel! You give us so many treasures simply because of a promise, it makes us wonder—if one day you decide to break your promise, or if you find a promise more important than me and my children, what shall we do! If you become our enemy, do we have the power to stop you!”