Chapter 374

Posted by Kuze, ? Views, Released on February 16, 2025

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Chapter 160 The Truth Part Three

“Can you understand the difference between these two things when I say this?”

Angel removed his white soft slippers, curled up his legs on the chair like an unruly young boy, and huddled his body together. His chin rested on his knees as he held half a glass of red wine in his hand, looking at me with an uncertain gaze.

Unable to hold back, I rolled my eyes.

“Are you treating me like a fool?”

But deep down, I knew Angel wasn’t treating me like a fool. He was just unsure if, as someone from the Abyss, I would realize that using “slaughter” to gain power was actually a terrible thing.

As the vanguard and guide of human society, the Holy Church’s primary concern was ensuring harmony and development within the grand rules, while maintaining its own exalted position. As the Pope, Angel was a key figure for both the Holy Church and humanity. Such issues naturally fell under his purview.

How could one make the era and economy progress simultaneously? How could people live in peace and prosperity… If viewed from this perspective, the Door of Truth was humanity’s greatest enemy, its harm no less than that of the Abyss.

After all, whether it was faith or order, these two transcendent abilities humans could wield had a natural talent aspect. Just like Angel said, some people could never obtain power, regardless of how hard they tried; it depended on whether the gods favored them, which was very unfair.

Imagine if there were a force that didn’t require any effort from you, only a ruthless heart and the willingness to take risks. You could gain extraordinary abilities, do whatever you wanted, and even kill others, absorb their blood, and become stronger… If such power became known to the public and easily accessible, what would happen?

Human civilization, which had developed over millennia, might be destroyed overnight.

Despite many injustices in the world, harvests must come through thought and effort. Without power, one could choose to be a small vendor, a bricklayer, a hunter, a butcher, or even serve in a wealthy household. With enough wit and the ability to seize opportunities, success would eventually come.

Every industry has its top performers who live well. And it is these countless individuals that drive society forward and promote progress. But if everyone sought easy power, no one would build cities, cultivate crops, and human society would regress to a barbaric age of survival of the fittest.

So, in a sense, the Door of Truth is a worse existence than the Abyss, both for the common good and personal interests. The Church must suppress its existence.

Because temptation is terrifying.

But more terrifying are those who cannot resist temptation.

Angel probably didn’t expect me to think so deeply. He simply wanted to tell me that the flames of sin and the Abyss share the same purpose of “destruction.” The difference is that the Abyss destroys others, while the flames of sin often destroy oneself and affect others as well.

Of course, I understood these principles. Who would have thought I was so clever.

“So, what is the pill?”

While speaking, I couldn’t help but shift slightly in my seat again.

… In such a large and luxurious church, why don’t the chairs have cushions?

It’s so hard…

“That’s something the Door of Truth is researching… a new form of power, or a way to acquire power.”

Angel put down his wine glass, picked up the box on the table, took out the crimson pill, and weighed it in his palm.

“See, it’s such an unassuming thing… If one day, anyone who takes it could possess power strong enough to rival the gods, without burning their blood or paying any price… What do you think?”

!

My heart tightened sharply, then widened my eyes.

Eating a single pill… No, this is impossible…

Too fantastical…

“You’re joking.”

“Right? You also think it’s impossible,” Angel shrugged.

… Huh?

I immediately furrowed my brows and pouted my lips, “What do you mean?”

Is he playing with me?

“There’s nothing specific. That’s just my guess… So, in fact, I don’t know what it really is.”

Angel put the pill back in the box and casually picked up his wine glass, draining it in one go. He closed his eyes and smacked his lips, savoring the taste.

This carefree demeanor instantly infuriated me, and I slapped the table, “If you don’t know, then why are you talking nonsense!”

Clang—

The empty plate on the table flew up ten centimeters before landing steadily. Angel jerked in surprise, leaning backward hurriedly, “Don’t rush! Listen to me, although I don’t know the effects of the pill, I know other things…”

“Then hurry up and tell me!”

Ah!

I’ve had enough of this verbose and enigmatic guy!

“One minute, and you better finish.”

As I spoke, I raised my little fist threateningly at him.

“Okay, okay…”

Angel immediately surrendered, but his eyes secretly glanced at the wine bottle on the ground beside him, noticing my gritted teeth.

The appearance, he immediately sat up straight and looked straight ahead, his mouth moving as fast as a machine gun: “In the Gregorian year 864, followers led by Isaac Leslie rebelled against the Holy Church and privately sought the power of the Sin Goddess in some form, bringing the force of the flames of sin. This act betrayed the mutual agreements among the gods, but we, being insignificant, were powerless to stop it. We watched as the heretics rapidly grew and engaged in countless wars with the church over several centuries, but they ultimately fell. They were driven to the Eastern Continent, twenty years ago their leader, the Great Demon, died at the hands of Levie, since then the Gate of Truth has been scattered, no longer having a leader, but they never gave up hope—”

He finished speaking in one breath, Angel stared wide-eyed, taking a deep breath, looking like a toad that had been choked.

“They attributed their previous downfall to the ‘characteristic’ of the flames of sin burning themselves, so they secretly researched new powers, using various modified blood on people to verify this, attempting to obtain a power strong enough to rival the gods. I discovered this during the Valen Disaster. At that time, out of curiosity, I went to the scene to understand the reason for the sudden appearance of the abyss, to prevent such things from happening again. Then I arrived at the place where the Gluttony Abyss first appeared. I found a crevice connecting to a collapsed cave, with signs of vessels and human activity inside. Since the cave was completely destroyed, there was no way to conduct further investigation, but I realized the possibility that the disaster was caused by human actions—”

“Wait! Stop! Slow down!”

He spoke too fast, I couldn’t remember. Did he just say… the Gluttony Abyss? Wait, that cave is the one in my memory… Does this mean that the Gluttony Abyss was born from the ‘clinic’? Is that what he meant? Ah?

“Angel, are you deliberately messing with me!”

I’m so angry!

What’s the point of him speaking so fast!

“Huh, huh… No, didn’t you tell me to speak quickly?” Angel panted, looking at me with a dazed expression, “You only gave me one minute…”

“Mm…”

Then I meant for you not to ramble! How can you not understand this… Straight man…

“Then you, speak slower, but not too slow… Just make sure I understand, and don’t make me feel like you’re rambling.”

“…Impossible.”

Angel was at a loss.

“I don’t care.”

“You’re making it hard for me.”

…So annoying.

The chair is also very hard.

I shifted in my seat, impatiently frowning, not wanting to waste any more words with him: “You said the Gluttony Abyss was man-made? In that cave?”

“I didn’t say that. I only mentioned the possibility, the possibility…”

“…”

I raised my hand angrily.

“Don’t hit! We agreed! The women of the abyss must keep their word!”

Angel stood up from his chair, his eyes trembling as he stared at my raised hand, his expression startled as he slowly backed away.

“…I am, the strong man of the abyss.”

Smack!

This slap landed on the table, once again shaking the dishes, “clang” sounding as it crashed down.

Forget it…

“Continue.” I gestured for him to sit back down.

But Angel dared not approach the table anymore. He carefully glanced at me while bending down to pick up the bottle on the floor, hugging it tightly as if it could give him some comfort.

“Well, I continue… But should I speak faster or slower?”

…Why ask me?

Don’t you know yourself whether to speak fast or slow!

I felt annoyed in my heart: “Stop rambling.”

“Oh… Then I’ll speak.”

“Okay.”

“…Two years later, I had people investigate secretly all along, but there were no results. Until two years later when you appeared, Carlos came to find me, I hurriedly rushed to Woodward Forest, the place where you woke up… Little Black Charcoal, guess what I found—”

“Cave, vessels, traces of humans.” I interrupted impatiently, “Angel, if you keep this up, I really will hit you.”

Vaguely, I still remembered some scenes from earlier dreams. A little girl with silver hair was smiling and waving at me. Behind her, the lush forest, now recalled, indeed resembled the environment of Woodward Forest.

That means, after I was sent to Silgaya, I was always there…

“You guessed right, it was another cave, about ten kilometers away from the crevice. Inside, everything was similarly destroyed, but this time they weren’t careful enough… Perhaps something happened suddenly, so they left in a hurry. In the cave, I found this pill and a bit of something related to the Gate of Truth… Little Black Charcoal, my intuition tells me, you are their…”

Angel didn’t continue, but his meaning was clear.

A product of the experiment…

Me?

I couldn’t help but look at my own hands.

My fingers were slender and long, the skin on my palms white and tender, like that of a newborn baby.

These are my hands.

But…

What exactly am I?

I felt very lost at heart.

Sadness spread uncontrollably throughout my body.

I wanted to cry a little.

But I had to hold it back.