Chapter 735: Subtle Changes Unfolding

Chapter 735: Subtle Changes Unfolding

In the deep expanse of space, the distant stars appeared as a static backdrop, swiftly moving past the edges of their field of vision as Alice guided them through. Meanwhile, Shirley, who had reverted to her original human form, and Dog, her constant companion, were absorbed in thought. They silently observed the interplay of light and shadows outside, a scene illuminated by the flickering flames.

Time seemed to stretch on endlessly until Duncan’s voice unexpectedly broke the silence, reaching Shirley’s ears. “What’s on your mind?” he inquired.

Caught off guard, Shirley blinked, her eyes glowing a demonic, blood-red hue. In a hushed tone, she confessed, “I just had a thought... I used to believe the Nether Lord was a monstrous, evil deity... Completely unhinged and malevolent, the worst sort imaginable...”

Duncan studied Shirley for a brief moment before looking away. “If you were to confront him now, alone, you’d likely perceive him just as you described. His voice would be incomprehensible to your mind, and you’d only witness his insanity and chaos – much like with other ‘gods’. What you ‘saw’ of the Nether Lord today was actually through my eye,” he explained.

Shirley nodded in understanding. “I get it, Dog had told me about this after your encounter with the popes of the four churches. It’s cognitive deviation, right?”

Duncan simply nodded in response, falling silent. After a pause, he suddenly asked, “Do you think I should have accepted the ‘Nether Lord’s’ offer?”

Shirley was momentarily taken aback, not fully grasping his question at first. “...Huh?”

Duncan continued, his gaze soft yet intense. “If I had accepted, the world you dream of could have been realized almost instantly. A world without demons harming people, no one disappearing into shadows, the sun rising and setting each day, the fog not engulfing people... The world you long for, where everyone can live safely, could be achieved if I took control of the sanctuary. It might last a thousand years, maybe ten thousand, or even longer. Once I assume control, every city-state will be as secure as Pland and Frost are now, and even the nights will be peaceful. As long as my flame burns, the Boundless Sea will remain tranquil, until all resources are depleted, and the sanctuary reaches its original lifespan limit... That was the ultimate lifespan the Nether Lord had planned but never actualized.”

After a moment of reflection, Shirley responded softly, “And then... everyone would eventually die, wouldn’t they?”

Duncan met her gaze calmly. “But that would be far in the future. Even if you were to live as long as a typical shadow demon, by then, you’d have no regrets left.”

Shirley sank into a deeper silence, pondering seriously. Dog remained quietly by her side, its thoughts a mystery.

“Actually...” Shirley finally broke the prolonged silence, her voice reflecting a mix of contemplation and uncertainty. “I don’t fully grasp it, to be honest. The Nether Lord’s idea seems quite solid to me. A sanctuary that’s safe, even if it’s not forever. Isn’t that worthwhile? I don’t dream of grand things; to live out our final days in peace and security seems enough, doesn’t it? After all, where else is there for us to go?”

In a soft, introspective tone, Duncan replied, “Yes, there’s nowhere else to go. Because this world is confined to the Boundless Sea, limited to these floating city-states, and restricted to this small space enveloped in fog... But Shirley, the true ‘world’ shouldn’t be this constrained. This is merely a... small, narrow paper box.”

Shirley listened, trying to comprehend his words, her understanding partial. Meanwhile, with the faint clinking of its chains, Dog interjected, “Like you said, this cramped box can’t contain the breadth of ‘possibilities’, right?”

“It’s far too confined. The Boundless Sea is restricted, and so is the ‘lifespan’ of several thousand or tens of thousands of years. For the myriad civilizations destroyed in the Great Annihilation, this tiny box can only accommodate a fraction of their remnants, and even the sanctuary’s limited lifespan isn’t sufficient for them to reconstruct their lost history... This is not a ‘new home’, do you see? If the ‘world’ before the Great Annihilation was akin to vast, thriving forests, then our current Boundless Sea is merely a small potted plant. The aftermath of the first three long nights was merely transplanting a few surviving flora from the forest into this pot, pretending the forest still exists. But no matter how much you water and nurture it, it will never grow into a forest again. It will always remain just a potted plant, and even a minor mishap could destroy it completely.”

After saluting the captain, Morris turned and noticed Shirley and Dog standing nearby. Catching sight of Shirley’s blood-red eyes, reminiscent of a shadow demon, his own eyes widened in surprise: “Shirley, what happened to you...?”

Shirley’s eyes widened in astonishment, even more so than Morris’s, as she stared at the esteemed scholar in his metallic state. After a lengthy, stunned silence, she finally managed to exclaim, “Old man, how in the world did you transform into that form?”

Duncan, too, gazed at Morris with a hint of surprise, nodding subtly in acknowledgment of the transformation: “...Quite a unique form indeed.”

It was then that Morris seemed to realize he was still in his metallic state. He quickly focused his mind, silently reciting Lahem’s prayer and invoking a divine spell to reverse his condition. The copper-like texture that had enveloped his body began to fade, astonishingly replaced by flesh and blood. The complex machinery within him – gears, bearings, pumps, and copper tubing – transformed back into human organs. Ruby focusers that had taken the place of his eyes retracted, and his human eyes returned. Blinking to readjust, he removed an intricate and complex brass mechanism from within himself, then smiled and nodded, “...The power of knowledge.”

Shirley looked on, completely dumbfounded. “...You and the captain never mentioned that the power of knowledge involved this when you were teaching me?”

In such a brief span, Shirley’s understanding of the phrases “knowledge changes fate” and “the power of knowledge” had been utterly redefined. It was an interpretation she would likely never forget for the rest of her life.

Suddenly, a strange whistling and murmuring sound filled the cave.

The writhing, undulating black gate stirred once more, and new demons began to emerge into the real world through this rift. Sinister skeletons, adorned with numerous limbs and tentacles, squeezed out from the gate’s writhing surface, crawling and wriggling towards them in the cave!

Lucretia instinctively raised her short baton, ready to act, but before she could, Duncan gestured towards the gate and commanded, “Go back.”

The sinister skeletons and their numerous limbs and tentacles began to hastily and chaotically retreat back through the gate.

“And close the door behind you,” Duncan added with an air of authority.

The previously expanding and contracting “black gate” gradually calmed and stabilized.

Lucretia stood in silence, momentarily lost for words.

Duncan then turned his head, signaling to the Sea Witch to snap out of her daze: “Let’s go, we still have much to do.”