Hear My Command

"The divine treasury?" Mercury Trojan suddenly pulled out a small knife. As Tamaxi glanced over, she sliced off her own hand and tossed it into the campfire. Flesh and bone melted in the flames like snow, and as the tongues of fire surged upward, the creeping advance of the night seemed to stall... "Which is to say, the treasury of the gods," she said calmly. "You have been here for only a day. What is your impression of Senluo?" Harvey: "A swarm of maggots crawling out of a rotting corpse. To put it pleasantly, fresh shoots sprouting from a withered old branch." Igola: "Your environment here is utterly wretched. You have external threats—the night's Strangling Green—as well as internal friction—the clash between the ideals of different grand laws." "A chaotic wasteland realm," Yaxiu said. "It seems you had glorious eras in the past. I honestly can't fathom how you ended up like this. It's already the year 1668, yet you're still stuck in an age of chaotic warlords." "A very accurate assessment," Mercury Trojan replied. "For Senluo, factional holy wars are an inevitability. The ideals of the grand laws are almost always colossal, often encompassing every single person in Senluo as their objective—such as Fire Cat's desire to 'allow ordinary people to command sorcery spirits.' Therefore, a faction must first unify Senluo before it can gather everyone's strength to overcome such monumental hurdles. "Senluo had four Divine Eras in the past. Starting from the Fire Cat Divine Era, sorcerers realized that holy wars were a cruel and inefficient method of competition. To solve this problem, they utilized the Silent Spiral to create a new competitive system: Divine Fire. "Using the Divine Fire system, they could select the grand law of the next era with the lowest level of conflict. Thus, the Fire Cat Divine Era transitioned smoothly into the Grey Fox Divine Era, right until the Grey Fox Divine Era suffered the 'Cataclysm.' The Divine Fire system was scattered, and Senluo regressed to an age of factional holy wars." She paused. "The divine treasury that the new Touch seeks is none other than the Divine Fire system." Yaxiu blinked. "Didn't you just say the Divine Fire system was scattered?" "Once scattered, it can naturally be collected and reassembled. Many factions have been secretly gathering intelligence on the Divine Fire system, but its technology is simply too profound. Even if a faction recovered the parts, they wouldn't know how to reconstruct it," Mercury Trojan said. "The Calamitous Fire Temple had gathered the most components, and when the new Touch wiped out the temple, she took those components with her. "Moreover, no matter how complex a system may be, it was ultimately created by sorcerers. Those who come after will not necessarily fall short of the ancients. She believes she has the ability to recreate the Divine Fire system." Igola said, "But she isn't a grand law... Even if she reassembles the Divine Fire system and immediately commits suicide to become a grand law, what good does that do her?" "First, every Candle Count values their ideal more than their own life. If they were certain their ideal could be realized after death, not a single Candle Count would hesitate," Mercury Trojan said. "Second... the Cataclysm of the Grey Fox Divine Era was reportedly caused by a grand law." Igola frowned. "A grand law's ideal caused the Cataclysm?" "No," Mercury Trojan said. "It was the grand law itself. Simply the grand law." Harvey said, "The grand law developed self-awareness?" "Grand laws have always possessed self-awareness; otherwise, they wouldn't have ideals," Mercury Trojan said. "However, ordinary grand laws operate mostly on 'instinct,' whereas a grand law recognized by the Divine Fire system seems able to retain the memories and thoughts from when they were alive. That is to say, they possess a personality... or rather, divinity." "So that woman wants to use the Divine Fire system to turn herself into a grand law with a personality?" Yaxiu said. "While seeing someone who tormented us so miserably achieve grand success is infuriating, it doesn't directly endanger us—aside from spiking our blood pressure, that is." "First, once a grand law receives the recognition of the Divine Fire system, every other grand law in Senluo will immediately perish," Mercury Trojan said. "Who knows how many miracles of destruction the sorcerers of the Fire Cat Divine Era sealed away in the Void Realm. "Second," she smiled, "do you know what her ideal is?" Yaxiu said, "I doubt it could be any worse than turning the entire world into the undead." "I have no interest in turning the entire world into the undead either," Harvey said impassively. "Let me emphasize once again: the goal of the necromancy faction is not to create death, but to make that which the living cherish immortal." "It might be a bit worse than that," Mercury Trojan said. "Simply put, she believes all realms are merely a dream of the gods. So-called reality is nothing more than an illusion born from our imprisonment by the gods, and the Void Realm is our true eternity." A dream? Yaxiu and the other two were dumbfounded. Even Tamaxi could not help turning his head to glance at her before quickly turning away, keeping his head tilted slightly so he could monitor their movements out of the corner of his eye. "Her surface ideal is to pierce through every illusion, end all suffering, terminate all destiny, and liberate every 'prisoner,'" Mercury Trojan said. "She likely has a deeper ideal beyond that, but I don't know it." "...I never expected to hear two different kinds of demented delusions from two wicked crows in a single night," Tamaxi scoffed coldly. "Rotten minds truly produce nothing but tedious filth." Igola said, "...Would the Divine Fire system really acknowledge an ideal doomed to fail like that?" "Between Fire Cat's 'allowing ordinary people to command sorcery spirits,' Square-Round Cicada's 'immortality,' and Light Chaser's 'resurrecting the dead,' which of those ideals was guaranteed to succeed?" Mercury Trojan said. "Besides..." "What if she actually succeeds?" They stared at Mercury Trojan, who met their gazes placidly. "Can you truly be certain that reality isn't just a dream?" Igola retorted at once, "For a consensus premise like that, the burden is on the skeptic to provide counter-evidence." "Why can't realms communicate with one another? Why can only our souls enter the Void Realm, yet Void Realm passages can connect different realms? Why do we remain in the Void Realm after death?" Mercury Trojan said. "Those are just reasons I came up with off the top of my head. Since she holds to her ideal with such conviction, she has surely found far more conclusive evidence. "Still, even if reality were only a dream, that is never a reason to destroy it." Mercury Trojan used her knife to slice off her forearm as well, casting it into the campfire. "Just as you wouldn't walk out into the night to test whether you are a Candle Count, we have no need to pin our hopes on an eternity after death. Life knows no true or false, real or unreal; it is divided only by happiness and regret. "Furthermore, even if her ideal doesn't succeed, all the grand laws will have perished by then. You would have to follow her just to survive in Senluo. If you refuse, every Senluo native you meet will become your enemy. Right now, you can get away with not venerating a grand law, but in a Divine Era, anyone who doesn't follow along is an evil heretic. "Not to mention, if she completely becomes a Touch, she will control the Four Pillar Cult. When that happens, will you still be able to go to her to resolve your Blood Seed problem?" Yaxiu could not help asking, "If you knew she was so dangerous, why didn't you eliminate her beforehand?" Mercury Trojan displayed her neck made of mercury. "The reason she defected from the Four Pillar Cult was precisely because I sent assassins after her. This body with its snapped neck is the fruit of my efforts. As for why I took her in back then: first, I had never seen her in person, having only communicated remotely; second..." "Everyone has flaws. You were confident you could control everything, so you weren't worried about her madness and merely wanted to exploit her talents," Igola said coolly. "That is simply how people are managed—except this time, you blew it." "Wait," Yaxiu suddenly recalled something. "She's both a Touch and a grand law?" "There is no precedent for it, but I don't rule out the possibility," Mercury Trojan said. "However, when the fifth Divine Era arrives, the Four Pillar Cult will inevitably enter a period of dormancy." Say what you will, isn't it just getting cracked down on like an illegal vice ring... Yaxiu muttered internally. After Mercury Trojan's analysis, they understood the urgency of the three crises. The most pressing was the night: if it wasn't resolved, Harvey would come to hate Alice. Next was the Blood Seed: if left alone, they would eventually be sucked dry. Last was the divine treasury: if that person's ideal wasn't shattered, they would ultimately become sacrifices to her ambition. However... "How does me becoming a Touch resolve these crises?" Yaxiu looked completely bewildered. "Can the Four Pillar Gods grant me three wishes or something?" Mercury Trojan pointed toward the night outside. "The reason this camp is being overrun by the night is not just because everyone died, but because the Four Pillar Gods averted their gaze. As long as you become a Touch, the statues in the camp will reactivate, and they will naturally continue to hold back the night. "As for the Blood Seed and the divine treasury, they are fundamentally problems caused by that person. You don't need to solve the problems; you only need to solve her. Becoming a Touch will not only prevent her from seizing control of the Four Pillar Cult, but it will also allow you to command the cult to hunt her down." "Sounds like an entirely lucrative deal," Igola remarked. "But why seek out Yaxiu, an outsider, instead of favoring your own kin?" "Not everyone can become a Touch," Mercury Trojan said. "Counting you lot, I have only ever met four people fit to become a Touch in my entire life." "Then why—" "Because if she becomes the Touch, she definitely won't spare me. She holds a vicious grudge," Mercury Trojan said. "With you, on the other hand, I'll still have a chance to run." Even if her answer was not entirely free of lies, every critical question had been addressed. Silence abruptly settled beside the campfire as everyone fell into thought. "As expected, I cannot let an opportunity like this pass by," Igola spoke up suddenly. "Becoming a Touch grants abilities bordering on divine miracles, and allows one to command the cult that will soon dominate this land... Yaxiu, you aren't thinking of snatching my chance, are you?" In just a few words, the Swindler staked claim to the opportunity as 'his,' making it seem as though any ambition from Yaxiu would leave him occupying the moral low ground. Yet Yaxiu merely struggled to sit up and looked toward the Black Crow behind them. "Tamaxi, did you know her? Before she became Mercury Trojan." "I did." "What was she like before?" "A cheerful, confident girl who liked playing pranks and loved to laugh." "And afterward?" Tamaxi turned to meet Yaxiu's gaze. "My mentor's throat was pierced by this blade," he said, gesturing to the Grey Fox blade protruding from his elbow. "And many, many others. Anoyi, Night Dew, Qiexiu..." Tamaxi paused. "They were all killed by my own hands. "When I attempted to assassinate Tanomu, my mentor, my friends, my comrades, my juniors—she controlled every single one of them and sent them to surround and slaughter me." With that, the Black Crow turned back to stare into the campfire. Mercury Trojan paid no heed to the accusation, as though she were merely listening to a story about strangers. "It seems becoming a Touch can cause a drastic personality shift," Yaxiu said. "Igola, I can barely manage you as you are now. If you became ten or a hundred times more evil, I'd have no confidence in dragging you back. What about you, Harvey?" Harvey: "I would strive to become ten or a hundred times more evil." "I almost forgot you're hardly a good person either..." Yaxiu rubbed his forehead, sighing. "Still, if I become ten or a hundred times more evil, it should be pretty easy to handle, right? After all, Igola, you're still holding one of my wishes over my head, and you're a mind sorcerer. "I'll leave the future me in your hands to protect." Igola tried to sit up, but Yaxiu gave him a gentle shove, sending him right back down. "...In the end, am I the one making a wish, or are you?" The corners of Yaxiu's mouth curved upward into a sly grin. "That's what we call sunk cost, Mr. Swindler. "Mercury Trojan, it's decided. Let me do it." "It could only ever be you anyway," Mercury Trojan said leisurely. "Becoming a Touch isn't an exam where a passing mark is enough; it's a competitive post. "If Igola is merely qualified, then you and that woman are exceptional. But each realm can have only one Touch. In other words, you have to compete with that woman for the favor of the Four Pillar Gods." "What a terrible way to put it," Yaxiu remarked with a sigh. Yaxiu's resolute decision to become a Touch stemmed not only from a measure of fearless resolve, but far more from a yearning to unravel secrets. He was no fool. Every time he arrived in a realm, he was immediately confronted by the Four Pillar Cult. Aside from the influence of the Everlasting Walker, the one he suspected most was Heath. Heath's past had always been an entangled mess. Becoming a Touch this time might just be the chance to resolve that once and for all. Running away was no solution after all, and he hoped to settle all the troubles haunting this body before he officially met the Sword Princess. "What do I need to do?" "It's simple. I will activate the potential inside you, and you merely need to call upon the Four Pillar Gods," Mercury Trojan said. "You know their names, right? Remember to include their honorifics." Yaxiu nodded. Pressing his palms together, he chanted: "Supreme Lord of Countless Radiance. "Pure and azure Monarch of Wind, Rain, and Snow. "Undying, roaming Heart of Eternal Heat. "Omnipresent Soul of Phantasmal Freedom. "O great Four Pillar Gods," Yaxiu cried aloud, "hear my command!"