Endless Debt

Now that the All Secrets Order has chosen to reveal its own desires at the very outset of this turmoil, it is precisely because they wish to use all of this to escape the Order Bureau’s Control and to put their own creed into practice.

Regardless of whether the Order Bureau can survive this round of strife, it will inevitably be grievously wounded, and that is exactly the fine opportunity for the All Secrets Order to rise.

"In fact, if you’re willing, we can completely convert you into the Night Race, so you may enjoy a truly Undying Body, rather than hiding in this dream-forged reality woven by the Fantasy Species, sustaining a false immortality."

Jos threw out another weighty bargaining chip, but no one was willing to accept it.

"The Night Race? Better forget it." A Legislator’s voice rang from within the hive. "As for the form of undying, we have our own ideas."

Jos sneered. "To go on hiding in this... crystal coffin?"

The Legislator had no intention of answering that question, and instead countered, "And what comes after? The promises made by the Rebellious Royal Court—can you guarantee them?"

"Of course. We’ve discussed this matter many times, and have even signed a pact."

Jos indulged in his vision of that splendid future. "The Eternal Night Empire will rise again, but this time we will no longer expand in disorder. After all, this world requires a certain degree of circulation. An Empire that completely Sovereigns the world has nothing awaiting it but rigid death."

Unexpectedly, the Night Race had in fact truly absorbed the lesson of the Dawn War. When the Eternal Night Empire expanded to its limit, its internal system fell into utter rigor mortis, and the resources it required multiplied. Yet, if there were a rival, an Empire under the daylight, the two locked in endless cycles, perhaps it could bring about a completely different answer.

Jos went on, "We shall govern the world of night, and as for all that belongs to the day, we will hand it over to you—Condensers."

The Legislators fell silent. Before long, more murmurs rose; they conferred with one another, shared their own thoughts. Each perhaps had his own inner conflict, but everyone agreed on one principle.

The All Secrets Order no longer had any other choice. From the moment they made contact with the Rebellious Royal Court, they had been bound to the War Chariot of desire: either they slaughter their way to the far end of the board, or die on the road.

Very clearly, no one intended to sit and await death.

The woman said, "Nesanel is not so easily killed. We need help."

Jos answered with satisfaction, "Very well. So long as you can lure Nesanel into the overlapping point, we are confident we can kill him. But remember, we likewise require your assistance."

"What about the others?" the woman said. "Nesanel has led an entire legion here."

"Them? Do you still plan to keep them as bargaining chips for negotiations?"

Jos looked toward the center of the hive, at that cluster of Radiant Hearts. "They’re a group of High Tier Condensers, very suitable to be refined into Fantasy Species—just leave them to you as resources for dream-crafting."

At that, the woman’s expression grew tense. Jos could see these were Fantasy Species; that fell within her expectations, but she had not thought that Jos would perceive even this.

Fantasy Species were a power unique to the Illusion Creation School, and only Condensers of the Illusion Creation School could condense such hearts. Yet after years of research by the All Secrets Order, they had successfully constructed a system whereby even Condensers of other Schools could be killed within the domain of the Fantasy Species, and thereby twisted into a new Fantasy Species.

By relying on such methods, the Ancestral Council had amassed a vast number of Fantasy Species, and by virtue of their power, had prolonged their own lives over the long term.

Jos displayed his power and continued, "You require an enormous quantity of Fantasy Species to cause this reality-twisting domain to keep expanding, until it covers the entire city. In this way, the Land of Secrets shall become a true Earthly Celestial Kingdom, and those who live here will no longer be troubled by birth, aging, sickness, and death."

The woman demanded, "How do you know all this?"

"Death—the end of all life, and also the conclusion that all life spends its entire existence resisting." Jos spoke as though reciting a poem, intoning loudly, then his voice softened, as though recounting some secret past. "I have witnessed many methods of resisting the Death God. Means such as yours are nothing out of the ordinary."

Jos added, "I once read in a book of someone who used a Fantasy Species to infinitely rewind his own time—what everyone calls the Extraordinary Disaster: Time Axis Disorder."

"He fixed the rewound time at a single day, so that he lived through the same day countless times. At first, he found it novel, but gradually he realized he had been imprisoned in that one day.

I do not know how many cycles he lived through that same day. I only know that when the power of the Fantasy Species was exhausted, he met the end of his Time Axis Disorder. All his strength was drained, and he turned into a withered skeleton that vanished on the spot... He believed he had gained a false undying, yet in the eyes of others, he merely died suddenly on some particular day. The world’s main time axis did not pause in the slightest on his account."

Jos seemed as though he could see the Ancestral Council’s ending at a glance, and he continued, "That is to say, perhaps the Earthly Celestial Kingdom you long for will, in the end, likewise become a cage. When it can no longer bind your desires..."

"Then we shall gather more Fantasy Species and further expand the domain, until everywhere our feet tread is an undying pure land."

The rumbling voices of the Legislators rolled out from the hive. Reflected by the surrounding walls, the echoes exploded in Jos’s ears like thunder.

On hearing this, the smile on Jos’s face grew wider. He had confirmed the Ancestral Council’s ever-swelling, uncontrollable desires, and thus believed that the Ancestral Council would become the most loyal slaves of desire, never betraying it.

"So, in the end, even Condensers will become a kind of resource, serving the supreme existence?" Jos murmured. "You truly are very much like us."

"Very well. Since these matters have been settled, I shall take my leave first, everyone."

Jos gave them a deliberately courteous smile, bowed with elegance, and then withdrew into the shadows.

He departed as though he had never descended at all. Within the Nest Core, only the Legislators remained in silence.

"Are we certain?"

"There is no other path left... Stop hesitating!"

After another bout of heated discussion, the Legislators’ thoughts fell into alignment. Following a squirming sound, another Legislator crawled out of the hive and landed steadily on the ground.

Unlike the woman, he did not directly Illusion Creation a set of clothes to drape over himself, but remained bare-skinned, his powerful muscles fully displayed.

"Nesanel won’t submit without a fight, Siti," the man said.

"I’ll send three Dukes to entangle him. With the Aurora Power, they shouldn’t fall so easily," said the woman called Siti.

"No, that’s still not enough. This battle must have a Seeker of Glory of the same Tier intervening."

The man remained uneasy. He flexed his body with force; his muscles flushed red with blood, his whole person like a raging beast.

"Can you do it, Jiru?" Siti said anxiously.

"There’s no helping it. I’m the Seeker of Glory closest in seniority to entering the battle, and I am precisely the kind suited to warfare," Jiru lifted his head and looked at the curled-up figures within the hive. "As for them, sending those old things out is nothing but sending them to their deaths."

This time, the Legislators remained silent. Seeing this, Jiru laughed in a mocking way and said, "We need unity, but we must not forget the benefits due to us."

The sound gradually faded. A Legislator answered, "After the incident is concluded, you will receive a larger allocation of resources."

"All right."

Having obtained the answer he wanted, Jiru said no more. He turned and walked toward the lift. Before the battle began, he needed an emergency round of supplies. Siti followed behind him; in all likelihood, she would also take part in this battle.

Only, before they completely left the Nest Core, the two could not help but look toward that radiant hive. Even within the Ancestral Council, there were still distinctions of class.

"Do you think the Earthly Celestial Kingdom is realistic?" Jiru suddenly asked.

"What is it?"

Jiru smiled and shook his head. "No, it’s nothing."

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