554 The Dark Future (2/2)
”The catastrophe we called is only a very small fraction of something hidden in the darkness. If we don't destroy the roots, they will come back into life endlessly.
”We can only kill them by destroying their real body. The whereabouts of the real body and the source is the biggest secret of each and every catastrophe and their only weak point.”
Shi Dong continued, ”The technology and secrets held by the Church are also from the real bodies of the catastrophes. Up until now, men have killed six catastrophes. The real bodies of them were kept in secret by the Church, bringing us a lot of technologies and power beyond imagination—weapons, power, music theories, medications, you name it. Every catastrophe is a great treasure, even corrupted ones.
”The 'Hundred Years' War' between Anglo and Burgundy was for the ruin where a catastrophe's real body was buried.”
Silence.
In the silence, Ye Qingxuan got his pipe with his trembling hand. He was thrilled. He filled the pipe with Tabaco, lit it and smoked to calm himself. He puffed out the smoke and re-found his faith which had been ruined by Shi Dong's words. But it was not like before.
”Every catastrophe has its real body?” he asked.
Shi Dong nodded. ”The Three Pillar Gods are special. They came from the Originator, which cannot be figured out for sure. Except them, as observed and documented by the Church, every other catastrophe has.
”The Three Wise Men, the Four Living Creatures, the Eight Phenomena and everyone else, they all have their own origins.”
”What exactly are their real bodies?
”No one knows.” Shi Dong shook his head. ”In the three wars against catastrophes, the last phase of the wars was carried out by a secret force I never knew anything about. I have never seen a real body of any catastrophe but the vague contour of one.
”I had once, on my escort mission, seen them carrying something to the cart. It was a huge container, covered with heavy dust cloth. I might be mistaken. But I think the size of the thing was not fixed.
”At the first time, it took a whole month and six trips by train to transport the real body. Yet, at the second time, only several men and a suitcase were needed. Maybe different catastrophes have different real bodies. They may be of different levels.
”The musicians told me there was nothing peculiar that could be sensed about the real bodies. We may think they are worthless if judging from their appearances.”
Ye Qingxuan couldn't help ask, ”What would happen if the catastrophe abandons its real body?”
Shi Dong thought about for a while and shook his head. ”I don't know. But, I guess they may lose their powers if they are alive and may not be able to reborn if they die. However, the power will not disappear if the origin is not destroyed. There will be new catastrophes born from it.”
”Really?” Ye Qingxuan murmured.
Shi Dong glanced at him and said, ”No catastrophe as I know has done this. What kind of creature would be so silly as to give up eternal life?”
Ye Qingxuan smiled as if mocking himself and felt relieved. With no particular reason, he became happier and sadder at the same time.
”That's right.” Lowering his eyes, he murmured, ”No creature except humans commit suicide, right?”
Boss, it seems you really are dead.
-
They talked until it was six o'clock in the morning. Yet there was no light at all in the darkness. Shi Dong looked tired. It was torture like hell to stay up late into the night as his life was at tis end.
”Thank you for telling me those things, Mr. Shi Dong.” Ye Qingxuan removed the Wyrmrest enchantment and the sound isolating layers. Then, he poured the music theories of the Stone of Sages into Shi Dong's body, which turned into aether to circulate with his blood around his body, giving him great energy of life.
In great pain, Shi Dong vomited a lot of deep-purple sticky liquid, which smelt like corrupt body. Carroll and several apprentices got so scared that they hurriedly came up. Shi Dong raised his hand and waved them away.
Shi Dong looked even more haggard, yet his eyes brightened up.
”Is this the reward for following you? You are so generous, your holiness.”
”Consider it a reward for telling me those secrets.”
Shi Dong looked at Ye Qingxuan and seemed to understandwhat was on Ye Qingxuan's mind: you may not die now. You need to live until I allow you to die.
”Yes, your holiness.” Shi Dong smiled bitterly and heaved a sigh. ”I'm afraid you have known that the death of Hyakume means a lot more than it appears. The Sacred City will no longer be able to control this world. The descending of the abyss brought about not only darkness and wars, but also untied the bounds of the humans.
”I'm afraid more and more people will yearn for the power of the catastrophes. Even they are in deep trouble, they will want the secrets of the catastrophes. The war to decide the fate of the world will begin.
”Your holiness, it will begin very soon.”
”Do you look forward to wars like that?” Ye Qingxuan asked.
”I'm old, your holiness. I'm abandoned by the time.” Shi Dong shook his head in dismay. ”The future belongs to the young and talented like you.”
”The future?”
”Yes.” Shi Dong smiled and looked at the dark sky.
The future…