When the plot-skips players into the game world Chapter 1487 - 189: I Could Have Endured Darkness

"It must be you who helps ."

Aiwass nodded, "I can’t create water... The water of the Benevolent Lords demands the burning of the lives of slaves to be continuously summoned. Theoretically, the lives of four hundred people can be exchanged for a year’s water supply for thirty-two thousand people, roughly an annual loss of 1.25%."

"That doesn’t sound like much, even lower than the mortality rate of Avalon."

Sherlock looked at Aiwass, "Aren’t you going to ’dedicate’ them? Isn’t that what you Contributors love to do?"

"Because there’s no need, Sherlock. Isn’t there you?"

Aiwass said with a smile, "Compared to them, you’re my acquaintance, my good friend. I think dedicating you would make more sense!"

"... I see," Sherlock’s lips slightly upturned, an elusive azure radiance flickering in his eyes, "No wonder you gave this magic wand... Be honest, did you plan this scene before entering Parthia?"

"Of course," Aiwass replied innocently, "I told you long ago, you just didn’t pay attention."

"I just thought you wanted to produce water for our convoy. Who knew you’d stay to beco a Benevolent Lord..."

Realizing he had unwittingly fallen into the fox’s sches again, Sherlock shook his head in resignation and dropped the subject, "How do you plan to govern them? Do you rember what I just said? Even the slaves of Parthia support slavery. How can you convince them to abandon it?"

"I don’t intend to convince them."

Aiwass said gently, his voice calming, "I only intend to forgive them—as long as they don’t break the law, as long as they’re willing to obey my rules, as long as they can contribute to the city... I’ll turn them all into free people."

"And what about the slaves? Without slaves, they might get bribed by other Benevolent Lords."

Sherlock anticipated the future, "These shortsighted people have received no education. If you pardon them and let them beco free people, they’ll just think they’re worthy of that status. If other city-states recruit them, they’ll only regard themselves as free people, not as forr slaves.

"And you can’t offer them any benefits; other city-states—like Heaven City—could easily recruit them."

"You also know Heaven City can easily recruit them... then why can’t I?"

Aiwass countered.

He said aningfully, "I don’t need to change their mindset. I don’t have to make them oppose slavery. I just need to ensure all the slaves beco free people.

"Do you know, Sherlock? at is cursed. Once they’ve tasted their first bite of at, they can never return... The instinct to crave the savory juices will refuse to let them forget that mont. It’s an addictive curse, a poison called ’hope.’

"’I could endure darkness if I never saw the sun.’

"A person born in a lightless underground would not understand The Sun or the sky. If they’ve never seen light from the beginning, not seeing The Sun wouldn’t be unfortunate for them.

"And what I want to do is break this dark ground, drag everyone out, and let them see The Sun. Whatever they choose to do afterward, I won’t intervene. If they can bear the void of darkness, let them be.

"But I believe more people will be addicted. They’ll chase after that light at any cost... just like moths to a fla."

Aiwass spoke slowly.

"Interesting! As expected of you, Aiwass!"

Ligeia’s eyes sparkled with intriguing excitent upon hearing Aiwass’s words—

Even a year ago, she would never have dared to imagine being here today.

Shed that decrepit, dying body, gained an angelic form that’s young, beautiful, healthy, and strong—even left the rigid, decaying Avalon to cause an uproar in the Parthian Ancient Country!

She indeed was like what Aiwass described... when Ligeia was still called g, she had already prepared for death. The ascension ceremony she was about to attend was essentially an execution on herself.

Like a pilgrimage for aging warriors or old adventurers climbing snow-capped mountains. It’s not that they didn’t know the risks; they just couldn’t bear to die in bed.

If death must co, let it co in the pursuit of their vocation, in a aningful endeavor.

If life were a currency, then it should at least be spent on sothing valuable.

Old g couldn’t bear to beco so old she couldn’t move or to turn weak and senile. So she bet everything on attending the ascension ceremony while she still could move—to succeed if victorious; to die swiftly otherwise.

If she can’t burn brightly, she would prefer the silent death of a knife!

... But when she beca Ligeia, turned into that little dragon girl, her perspective changed.

—Life is beautifully good. A young body is sothing splendid.

Being alive is a hard-to-leave state... She wants to live longer, to taste more delicious food, to traverse more lands. She wishes to travel as a traveler, not as a warrior or an invader, to foreign lands.

Once she’s seen the light, she can no longer endure the darkness.

In the past, that light was brought to her by Aiwass.

And in the future, she will accompany Aiwass, and give this light to others.

—Not out of benevolence, not charity, nor compassion.

But with childlike innocently pure "showing off" and "sharing"—

Look, I’m doing well now! Co join !

The difference is, now she truly can do it.

"Just in case, let ask..."

Sherlock said after a long silence, seriously, "Fox, you should know the risks involved, right? You genuinely want to do this, not out of a re interest, correct?"

"Of course," Aiwass replied.

"If your plan succeeds, do you know what it signifies? It’s not rely about supplying water to a city or guiding people to avoid the Abyssal Celestial Envoy—it’s standing against the entire Parthia, because you’ll disrupt their culture, their tradition, their past, their everything.

"Those who view you as a mortal enemy might even be the ones you’re about to save; although you have no grudge against them, this will forge undying animosity. That’ll be hundreds of Fifth, maybe Sixth Power Level strong individuals, millions, tens of millions of lives filled with hatred and curse, with assassinations and curses lurking everywhere. So I must ask you, Aiwass—are you doing this genuinely from your heart, or is it an obsessional hallucination induced by Path affecting you?"

Sherlock’s eyes glead with azure electric light.

He tried to find even a trace of being beguiled by that charming red in Aiwass’s eyes... but he saw nothing.

"This is what I must do, unrelated to Path."

Aiwass carefully enunciated each word, "I cannot tolerate the existence of slaves in this world, neither can I tolerate slaves who relish in their state, and especially not those who view their oppressors as Benefactor and benevolent—that is a desecration of grace and goodness."

"Since you are conscious... I’ll help you."

Sherlock pressed his lips together, saying seriously, "There’s no turning back, Aiwass. Don’t do it halfway... do it thoroughly if you must."

"Of course," unlike Sherlock who was bracing for a fight, Aiwass seed at ease, "Don’t be terribly stressed. We’re not alone—staying aside the Holy Nation’s support, even within Parthia itself... soone may awaken.

"Alright, Detective. Accompany to study how to lift the Petrification Curse first."

Moreover...

Aiwass left one thing unsaid.

They also did have a vendetta.

The one who executed the Curse Killing of his parents was indeed the Cursing Sorcerer from Parthian Ancient Country.

Aiwass rembered the sorcerer’s na. One of the reasons for coming to Parthia is revenge.

As for the three Demons, they left shortly after—they didn’t know how to lift the petrification, leaving them here was pointless. So under Aiwass’s indication, Vinesse sent them to locate their forr master and attack him.

These Demons, just newly transford, rely at the Fourth Level, without even a Mark of Sin, were certainly incapable of killing a Sixth Power Level Benevolent Lord.

But it served as a warning. Like throwing a body-bag onto the doorstep of the enemy force.

—Inform him, I have arrived.

I have seen you.

The first one... is you.