Chapter 400: Delusion about Heaven
The demon finally revealed itself, its form a withered tree of flesh and blood, a collection of thousands of years of regret, pain and obsession of the people of Jingsha.
The tree of flesh and blood sprouted, branched out, grew, and expanded, becoming a giant comparable to a city in just a few breaths. Its form constantly shifted throughout this process. The trunk that should have supported the structure became hollow and shrunken, and the few remaining dead wood actually poured into Parriman's body like water.
The only illusion of the outside world left was a rootless treetop, which had no foundation but was unusually strong. The red branches covered the sky, like the blood vessels of a giant floating above the city.
"Speaker..." "Hero Parriman." "Our wish..." "Everyone's prayer..."
Everyone saw the shadowy image of their beloved, their gaze drawn to it. A sense of familiarity welled up within them, and love and trust naturally emerged. Their lifeless eyes widened, and instinctively, they reached out to grasp at the illusory branches in the air.
They opened their mouths and uttered a monotonous sound, 1.7 billion meaningless scales pieced together to form intermittent promises.
"Peace will come." "No more death." "No more war."
"A happy country and a city of equality." "Eternal peace away from the world."
"The wishes of the dead." "The prayers of the living." "The meaning of the city-state!"
Only a handful of determined individuals could barely preserve themselves amidst the demonic voice. They knelt on the ground, their heads in their hands, in agony, resisting the instinct to revert to "love alone." However, their efforts were in vain, for the demon of love alone truly took shape the moment it was defined.
Now he is no longer an ambiguous thought, but a phantom demon larva that is about to transcend time!
In front of the flesh-and-blood tree, Parriman slowly rose to his feet. Now fused with the simulacrum, he had become the contractor capable of unleashing Duai's full potential. His height had grown to three meters, yet his frame remained incredibly thin. His torso had become a pile of dead branches, his spindly hands like ghostly claws. He no longer had a "face." Where his head should have been was merely pale bark, with the silver mask deeply embedded in its center.
Benintic stood across from him, the Temple of Law the only remaining green amidst the blood-red. He shielded Trick behind him and spoke in a calm voice, "That's enough, Perriman. You've strayed from the path, and there's no hope at the end of it."
Parriman's withered head shook slightly, as if he were laughing. After merging with the demon, his voice returned to his own.
"Why do you say that? I succeeded. The city-state is independent, and my love has taken shape. All that remains is to defeat you all and take control of the sacred tree. From then on, the dream will come true, and from then on, there will be eternal peace."
"Look behind you." Benintic closed his eyes. "Look at the rootless tree you are carrying!"
A vast, fleshy tree, with only a crown but no branches, was the form of the demon of sole love, like a rootless duckweed magnified a thousand times over. Benintic said gravely, "Any idea, any theory, must be grounded in reality. Only with tangible feasibility and shared interests can an idea be established within a group. However, your theory of sole love is merely a one-sided, extreme trend of thought. It cannot withstand internal debate, let alone resistance to attacks from outsiders."
"This rootless tree was established entirely by you alone. It was driven by you alone, supported by you alone, and has flourished to this day thanks to you alone. You have the fortitude to become its branches, but that is ultimately not the true wish of the citizens! It is nothing more than a demonic 'fantasy' without any real foundation from beginning to end!"
The facts are just as Benintic said.
Ultimately, the subconscious is a complex and chaotic sea of the mind. Hidden within this tangled psyche are endless emotions: decadence, sadness, evil, extreme love, and extreme hatred. These are the subtle emotions that everyone possesses, and precisely because they are so weak, they don't dominate the surface.
Du Ai, a part of the sea of subconsciousness, was truly formed within the city-state of Jingsha, influenced by the assassination of the World Tree by the Demon King "Mu Se". Even so, its power was initially very weak, unable to even wipe out the foreign enemies and rescue the wounded 20 years ago. It was only by relying on Parriman that it was able to create a mere hypocritical hero.
The important factor that made this weak emotion become the giant tree it is today was Parriman himself.
His heroic deeds fueled the movement of patriotism, which in turn fueled his rise to prominence within the city-state. In the post-war environment twenty years prior, patriotism had its moment. Even without Parriman, another speaker would have emerged as its spokesperson. The people had suffered so much... that without the aid of Parrimanism, they couldn't even return to reality.
Contractors and currents of thought mutually fostered each other, city-states and people choosing each other under extreme circumstances. All these factors combined to shape the current state of the Devil of Love in just 20 years. It's hard to call that true public opinion, but more like a radical trend of thought shaped by both the times and the Devil.
Parriman nodded gracefully, just as he used to stand on the political stage and preach to the people.
"I understand."
"This 'love for independence' is extreme, emotional, irrational, incomplete, without any basis in reality, and without any real possibility. The so-called 'winning happiness after independence' is nothing but wishful thinking for the future by the ignorant masses."
"——However, on the battlefield 20 years ago, it was this fantasy that saved me!"
He laughed wildly, tears streaming from beneath his mask. "They are the unspoken terror of the fallen, the hidden sorrow of those who have left, the undiminished pain accumulated by this beautiful nation in this hellish world. They are the hidden 'emotions' within the hearts of the people, the true will of the masses, bound by rationality!"
"Those weaklings who are about to die on the battlefield also have the right to live. In order to fulfill the wishes of all living beings, I will make their dreams come true!!"
The tree of flesh swayed at his roar, its thousand red branches drooping and piercing the temple of Benintic. Before the terrible power called the Living, even laws were but words.
The concepts of both sides conflicted so greatly that Parriman almost completely restrained Benintic's proposition. His weakness caused the floor of the temple to collapse, and the divine power merged into the sea of flesh and blood, giving rise to a counterattack of root frenzy.
Benintic brought Trek out of the temple ruins. Using the Oracle to calculate his route, he dodged the flesh tree's roots with pinpoint accuracy, but he met the attack just as he was about to escape, failing to escape. Vines were still entangled around his wrists, the original spell imposed by Perriman, the inescapable "group belonging" of a citizen of the city-state.
Parriman exerted his strength to pull him back beneath the flesh-and-blood tree. The Dark Soldier struck out, slashing at the midsection of the Sword of Law. Divine power flowed through the blade, clashing fiercely with the psychic force of the Devil of Love. The combined forces formed a wave of red and green, sweeping across the Thorn City like a hurricane. The Fallen, spawned from all over the land, were strangled by the aftermath of the clash between the two powerful figures before they could even react.
Benintik was clearly at a disadvantage, yet he refused to give up. His eyes flashed with dense numbers and calculations, his mind whirling with the rapidity of his calculations. He was deducing the enemy's weaknesses, calculating the weaknesses of that terrifying demon.
"If you truly care about the collective future, you must deny the irrationality of thought and personally correct and guide it. Weighing that fantasy against rationality is your duty as a leader!"
He struggled to suppress the bleak soldier and shouted angrily, "Blindly indulging and accommodating will lead the lives you love into the abyss. Even if independence succeeds, what good will it do? How can you, a vain person, protect this city?"
"On my own!" Parriman's words were filled with madness. "I will make Du Ai a god, devour the coming karma, and become the true supreme being."
"At the cost of billions of lives, I've transformed myself. With the power of my one and only love, I've protected the city-state, transforming it into an utopia far from conflict!"
Benintik's eyes flickered. The oracle's calculations had finally completed. However, at this point, the analysis was meaningless. In close combat, the two sides were already on different levels, and now that Perriman had been strengthened, he easily broke through Benintik's defenses. The Sword of Law soared high into the air, only to be shattered by the blood-red branches. The Dark Weapon pierced Benintik's shoulder blade, pinning him to the temple's foundation stone.
Parriman didn't pursue them, or rather, he never considered them his "mortal enemies." He sheathed his dim weapon and clasped his hands together in prayer. He channeled his thoughts into the rootless tree, the demonic power giving shape to his obsession.
[Curse binding, delusions manifest]
Without warning, the world as seen by all living beings transformed. The scent of blood turned to the fragrance of flowers, branches transformed into a gentle breeze, collapsed buildings were restored to pristine condition, and even damaged furniture was restored to its most perfect state. There was no fighting, no disaster. In the blink of an eye, the city-state of Jingsha returned to the most beautiful state people remembered.
No, it was far better than my memory. The city-state had never been so peaceful. Because the flesh-and-blood tree had become a towering tower in the center of the city-state. It connected to the great lily, perfectly isolating the inside and outside of the city-state, forming the foundation for the establishment of heaven!
No longer lost, no longer hesitant, people sat in their homes, smiling. They had almost forgotten everything, seeing only the beauty before them. Even the ruins where Benintic had been trapped had become a sea of flowers. The world he saw shifted rapidly, sometimes to a paradise-like paradise, sometimes to a demonic realm shrouded in flesh and blood.
"Your delusion...can't last forever...!"
"After I ascend to the throne, delusion becomes reality." Perriman recreated the Dark Soldier and approached, spear of pain in hand. "Thank you for your hard work, Captain Benintik. Your work ends here. This city no longer needs useless gods."
"The Jingsha City-State Divine Guard is officially disbanded from this moment on!"
He slashed down with his spear, aiming for the last remaining shield that maintained Benintic's sanity. However, another wooden spear appeared mid-flight, intercepting the Dark Soldier in one fell swoop!
"Young people today are really speechless."
"It's fine if you're skipping classes yourself, but you're also thinking of destroying other people's jobs? You'd better not misunderstand me, Parriman..."
Trek stood up, holding his wooden spear and smiling fearlessly.
"Your gods haven't reached the age of death yet, and the old ones are still planning to continue their dedication!!"
His injuries were completely healed, and the theoretically inextricable curse was gone. Behind him, branches of divine power, condensed in green light, swayed gracefully like willow leaves. Periman recognized that power; everyone in the city knew its true identity.
That was the support from the Jingsha sacred tree. In the dozen seconds that Benningtik gained, Jingsha barely spared his will and chose to give support to the weak Trek.
"Then, face your own end!"
Was this unnecessary? Shouldn't he have allowed personal feelings to creep in and crushed it from the start? Contradictory thoughts raced through Pariman's mind. He followed his emotions and raised the Dark Weapon, and the cursed rain fell again. This time, there was no point where the rain could be dodged. No matter where Trek teleported, the pain of the dead would shatter it!
"In the name of Jas Trek, third captain of the Thornshade Divine Guard, I now launch a crusade against Pariman, the Devil Contractor!" Trek held his spear high, standing still. "It's time to open your eyes to reality, Mr. Speaker!"
The rain of weapons fell relentlessly, bringing with it a soul-crushing, deadly pain. Yet, in the instant before impact, the illusory weapons twisted and dissolved. Sharp spears transformed into lampposts, hammers and bullets into balloons, poison gas faded into a colorful wind, and the rust on swords instantly faded, shrunken and dropped into the clanging hands of the little soldiers.
This wasn't war, not even a battle; it was simply a ridiculous, dreamlike fairy tale. The dream-creating merchant stood before Trek and showed him a legendary card embroidered with gold.
"Don't always focus on the past, Mr. Speaker." Hariroa smiled. "Even if the circumstances are difficult, there are still beautiful dreams in life. Come, play a happy game!"
"Stop talking nonsense, Captain Five!"
Parriman charged at him, his spear sharp as a war ghost's. Hariroa chuckled, dropped her card, and dodged with a dancing, teleporting movement.
Clowns, dolls, and cartoon lions emerged from her cards. She threw her hat and summoned doves and butterflies. They were merely trivial illusions, inferior relics crafted with props and mental power, yet Pariman's Dark Soldiers repeatedly failed.
Those toys transformed his weapons like a virus, even shaking the hatred in his gun!
"The Cursed Armor of Darkness is a weapon forged by amplifying the pain of our collective memories," Trek said calmly. "But this city-state is far more than just accumulated suffering. Our sacrifices have brought us more beauty, and our battles have allowed the weak to laugh. This truly existential happiness is no less than the pain of your memories!"
If it were merely a conceptual conflict, it would be fine, but it also coincides with a logical connection. The Fifth Vein, guarded by Halleluja, is the gathering place of ordinary happiness for the living. Even the suffering souls of the dead cannot bear to attack it, because those enjoying this happiness are the very ones they once fought so hard to protect.
As a result, the Dark Spear was powerless, and even willingly assimilated by it. The optimal solution calculated by the Oracle, after receiving the blessing of the sacred tree, became the ultimate weapon to seal the Dark Soldier!
Parriman noticed Benintic behind him crafting something, most likely a specialized weapon targeting demonic nature. Without time to waste, he immediately sheathed his weapon and focused his energy on strengthening the vines—the Cursed Voice.
Countless blood-red vines woven into a thousand long arms struck out, disrupting the mist and crushing weapons. Those bloody hands crushed Hariroa's cards, crashing down upon her like a mountain range.
"Barbaric cries are a manifestation of unreasonable violence, the 'folly' of a group that acts on its own. However, this city is by no means a place of sin that simply indulges desires. For those violent groups that knowingly commit crimes, shackles will be placed on them, and punishment awaits!"
An invisible blade flashed, sending a giant mass of flesh and blood splattering. A masked female captain descended from the sky, wielding a soft sword and possessing an imposing presence.
"Fourth Captain Ling Feng, enforcement commenced. You are hereby arrested for endangering the safety of the sacred tree."
Halleluja cheered: "Little Lingfeng is so handsome~"
"Enough of that, get serious you idiotic woman!"
Ling Feng summoned a turbulent emerald mist. Ten gusts of wind, like pillars of heaven, pierced the sky covered in blood-red branches. Trek repeatedly pressed the compass, and the four captains dodged the blows of the remaining Blood Hands. Ling Feng charged the enemy formation with the Rainbow Blade, shattering the barbarian voice with the destructive power of the Anti-Rainbow.
She is the captain of the team guarding the fields. Through years of law enforcement, she has become the embodiment of "order" feared by the people and the best weapon to deal with barbaric voices.
"That's a very righteous thing to do, Fourth Captain. But don't forget your choice!" Parriman wielded the branch as a blade, slashing with wind. "You supported the bill precisely for a peaceful future. Now, are you going to abandon the happiness of all people for your own selfish interests?"
"I may be greedy for petty gains and foolishly short-sighted. But even so, I will not let my city-state sink into your delusions!" Ling Feng glared. "If your independence is nothing more than a ritual for the devil to become a god, even if 1.7 billion people praise it in unison, I will risk my life to crush it!"
She transformed into a ray of light, streaking through the forest and striking Parriman with a devastating blow. The rainbow sword, blessed by the power of the thorn shackle, broke free from its bindings and pierced Parriman's skull, piercing through it.
His body decayed, shattered, and, under the power of that rainbow light, would soon become the smallest particles of matter. But Parriman still existed. Parriman could not die. His existence was conceptually fixed, and that was the curse of the "false hero."
"I am the hypocritical hero chosen by the people."
Parriman pulled out Ling Feng's rainbow sword with one hand.
"As long as there are still people praying, as long as there are still people praying.
Then even if I were to receive wounds enough to kill me a thousand times, I would never fall!"
"—Then, I will confront you with equal consciousness."
Trek clenched his fists.
"A true hero who emerged from a sea of blood and corpses, protecting the people!"
The final teleportation. From the front lines of Jingsha City-State, directly to the center of Jingsha. A burly figure emerged in divine light, six massive fists tightly gripping divine weapons. Even the ghostly mask couldn't conceal the rage within the giant.
"Second Captain Huan Ge, report!"
He shouted and punched out, six fists and weapons hitting out at the same time, knocking Parriman into the sky with a fiery spirit!
(End of this chapter)
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