Chapter 2763 Cocoon Breaking Rebirth <TOC> Chapter 2765 Destroyer of Atmosphere
Translator: SumTLMan
These doubts, probably only the Black Count can give an answer. However this certainly involves the Noah family’s secrets, Angel also finds it improper to ask……
「What in the world is going on? Didn’t you say you were about to die? How are you now fused together with Lord Black Count?」
While Angel was pondering how he ought to observe propriety at this moment, Daus, at his side, spoke up directly, heedless of occasion and atmosphere, and poured out all the doubts in his heart in one go.
「And also, who exactly are you now? Are you…… yourself, or Lord Black Count?」
Daus gazed into Vai’s eyes.
Vai had originally wanted to continue with a few barbs, or mouth off as he usually did, but seeing the suppressed, complex emotion in Daus’ eyes, he forced back the words that had surged to his throat.
「I am naturally still me. I thought I was about to die just now, but didn’t you see, my ancestor brought me back.」 Vai shrugged, wearing an expression of 『who could have predicted things would turn out like this』.
Daus: 「You said just now that you would become a puppet? Become like Aila? What is that about?」
Vai’s eyes wandered: 「What you mean is that…… it was just a misunderstanding.」
Daus had fired off questions in succession because his emotions were riding high; now, slightly calmed, he could also see that Vai’s answers were perfunctory, he did not wish to mention what had happened before.
Daus was silent for a moment: 「In this world nothing good comes out of thin air; everything has a price. Then you, what price did you pay?」
Daus did not continue to tangle with the earlier topic, but directly asked the most central question.
What Vai had said when he was 「near death」 was earnest and sincere; it was definitely not an act. From those words it could be known that Vai would certainly have to pay a price, and moreover, before this, Vai believed that price was enough to make him utterly perish.
Although now Vai appeared unchanged, how long would this state last? Would he still become the 「puppet」 he spoke of? Would he still have…… a future?
This was the question Daus cared about most.
If what Vai had gained was only temporary intactness, and after they parted ways, or say, in a year or two, he became a puppet, then what should be done?
Looking at Daus’ grave expression, Vai suddenly did not know what to say. He very much wanted, as before, to open his mouth and bluff, but Vai knew that Daus could hear whether his words were lies; not exposing him in the past had been a kind of tacit understanding and forbearance.
If Daus treated him so earnestly and he told lies, wouldn’t that be far too wrong?
But to have him tell the truth, Vai actually did not know where to begin. Although earlier his ancestor had communicated some matters to him, he was still muddleheaded, only knowing that his past thoughts were perhaps a bit too naive. The Black Count did have something he sought by letting avatars follow his descendants, but it was absolutely not to send them to die.
Moreover, without his ancestor’s permission, he dared not speak.
Since Vai could neither spout nonsense nor tell the truth, he could only respond with silence.
Daus knew Vai too well; seeing his awkward expression, he knew the struggle in his heart. Daus sighed lightly: 「I have many friends in the Southern Region, but few among them are willing to pursue truth. I still remember, when I was a wandering apprentice, the first time I heard the import of truth, that yearning and hot blood surging from my heart, and the one who told it to me then was you.」
「The wizard’s path, the pursuit of truth, is long and without end. Though you have idled away many years, I still believe only you will make the same choice as I.」
「You have your own concerns; I can understand; I won’t ask again.」
「But upon this path of pursuing truth, I will not stop, and I hope you can always be there.」
These words of Daus were a confession after dissecting his heart, and a genuine outpouring. Why did he care about Vai’s future? Because this path of pursuing truth is destined to be lonely; if a dear friend can accompany you, even for only a short stretch, that too is a kind of good fortune.
And now they did not even yet have the qualification to set foot upon the path of truth; at such a time, if one among them were to fall out of line, that would be a great regret.
Vai had probably not expected that Daus would, at this moment, speak such words in so solemn a tone.
Vai had always felt that his demands were actually very low, belonging to the rarely low-desire crowd of the Wizarding World.
He also believed that no one would have any expectations of him, much less any high standards.
With such self-assured thoughts, Vai had idled away his days in utter boredom. But what he felt, was that really the truth? And what were his heart’s true thoughts?
In those days of loafing, Vai would occasionally go to the highest point of Mesomiya and, at the summit called 「Eternal Mountain」, gaze into the distance.
Why he would go there, and what was on his mind, Vai no longer remembered; or rather, he had purposely forgotten.
But at this very moment, hearing Daus’ words, he seemed faintly to see those forgotten memories.
Atop Eternal Mountain he would not think about the divination shop, nor about gossip magazines; he thought about himself.
He thought of the true self, the id, and that superego which existed only in his imaginings.
He had also thought about the future, only……
As Vai immersed himself in selfhood, a cold snort sounded by his ear.
「You’re several decades late with these words.」 The voice came from Vai’s body, but it was not spoken by Vai.
With such a tone, there was only one person…… the Black Count!
After saying these words, the Black Count flew out from Vai’s face and reattached to the earlier slab.
And at the position of Vai’s nose, there was now a pitch-black hollow.
The Black Count floated slowly in midair, his nostril aimed at Daus: 「If you had said these words decades earlier, he might already have become a formal wizard. However, fortunately now is not too late either.」
After the Black Count jabbed at Daus with a few lines, he turned his head to look at Vai.
「Although I do not believe this brat Daus has the ability to step onto the path of truth, he did say one thing quite right: you have a chance to set out upon the path of pursuing truth.」
「Do you still intend to idle away your years like this?」
Vai did not answer, but there was a brighter gleam in his eyes than before.
What he had previously taken for granted was in fact all wrong. Daus still had expectations of him, merely keeping silent and waiting quietly; the Black Count also had expectations of him, otherwise the Black Count would long since have left and would not have kept him company in idleness for so many years.
To be expected of, in truth, is also a kind of responsibility and burden. Though somewhat troublesome, now Vai already had the courage and was willing to bear such trouble.
Though Vai did not speak, his expression already said it all; the Black Count let out a soft snort, which counted as acknowledging Vai.
After confirming Vai’s will, the Black Count continued: 「Tell him then. Although this is the Noah family’s secret, those who learn it will in the end know.」
「…… Just like a certain someone, if I don’t say it, he’ll go back and ask his mentor, or ask that old friend of mine, and he’ll still find out.」
Without the Black Count naming him, everyone knew that this 「certain someone」 undoubtedly referred to Angel.
Angel did indeed have such a thought…… however! He had after all not yet acted on it, wasn’t it a bit much to censure him in advance, hey!!
Angel was complaining inwardly, but outwardly remained calm and composed, looking as if he had not understood the Black Count’s words at all, as if detached and unrelated to this.
The Black Count having agreed to Vai’s account, Vai finally breathed a sigh of relief; he did not wish to conceal things from his close friend.
However, after a long while, Vai still did not open his mouth.
Only when everyone was looking at him in puzzlement did Vai, somewhat at a loss, say to the Black Count: 「Ancestor, I, I actually, I didn’t really understand just now either.」
Everyone: 「……」
The Black Count had originally been ready to wait for Vai to finish and then launch a new round of sarcasm himself, but now he no longer had the mood.
With a cold snort, the Black Count nevertheless took over for Vai and personally gave an explanation.
……
With the Black Count’s account, everyone more or less understood what had in fact happened before.
That Vai could withstand the Death Light from the Eye of Arcana had in fact come at a considerable price…… namely, he 「sacrificed」 his own innate talent, Death Scent.
Calling it a 「sacrifice」 is merely for ease of understanding. In actuality, Vai used the Death Scent inherited in the Noah bloodline as the price in exchange to ward off that strike of the Eye of Arcana.
After making this choice, Vai had in fact already thought out the path ahead.
Either be content with mediocrity, or, like big sister Aila, let Lord Black Count’s avatar possess him and become a puppet.
Yet what Vai had not expected was that he did not even have the right to choose. Because the Death Light of the Eye of Arcana was too terrifying, even though he sacrificed his talent, he still did not fully block the Death Light and only barely snatched back a life.
When he stepped down in a dying state and healing spells had no effect on him, Vai’s choices became: either die, or let the Black Count possess him.
Between the two, Vai chose to let the Black Count possess him. Even turning into a 「puppet」 like the living dead was better than complete dissolution.
As for why Vai in the end did not become a 「puppet」, this must be spoken of beginning with a certain 「conspiracy theory」.
Many had long been puzzled as to why the Black Count would place avatars by the side of Noah descendants. At first there were two guesses: one side believed the Black Count did it to protect the descendants; the other felt the Black Count had ulterior motives.
Judging by the Black Count’s conduct, his avatars protected descendants very many times; therefore, the Noah descendants tended toward the former view.
When, then, did the wind change?
When several Noah descendants in succession died for venturing into ruins, and the Black Count’s avatars controlled their corpses to return to the family, rumors began to be rampant.
The Black Count’s avatars indeed very much encouraged descendants to explore various ruins, but what the Black Count wanted more was for the descendants to grow; yet it was spread as…… malicious intent.
From then on, many Noah descendants began to be wary of the Black Count’s avatars, and the fashion of 「homebody men and women」 began to prevail among the Noah descendants.
But among the Noah descendants there were indeed those who truly loved exploring the unknown; though wary of the Black Count, this did not stop them from building dreams toward the distant.
Among them was Vai’s elder sister, Aila.
Once, Vai too, influenced by his sister Aila, loved seeking out the unknown; thus he came to associate with Daus and they became lifelong close friends.
But one day, Aila returned to the family, and when Vai saw her, he found Aila dull and foolish, already unable to speak; like a puppet, controlled by the Black Count……
Only then did Vai understand that his peers’ wariness of the Black Count was right.
Thus, from that day on, Vai also repressed what his heart truly sought and began to be a 「shut-in」.
Decades flashed by, and thus it came to today.
During this period, Vai also probed to ask the Black Count, and the answer the Black Count gave was as others had guessed: possession.
The Black Count spoke of sacrificing a talent and then an avatar possessing the body…… Aila had taken precisely this step.
The Black Count spoke only of the reasons and did not state the conclusion.
This led Vai to misunderstand: that once possessed, he would no longer be himself; his consciousness would die, becoming a living-dead puppet with only the body remaining.
Thus came the 「last words」 that Vai had just cried out through tears.
The above, then, was all that the Black Count had related.
Much was abridged therein, including why a bloodline-inherited talent could be sacrificed, and why one could hear in the Black Count’s tone a flavor of encouraging sacrifice?
This perhaps involves the Noah family’s secrets, and the Black Count deliberately avoided these details. But this is not too critical, because whether to sacrifice a talent or not is ultimately not the Black Count’s decision but the choice of the Noah descendants.
The Black Count is more like a witness and onlooker.
「Why did Vai in the end not die? Nor become a living-dead puppet?」 The Black Count did not explain these two questions in the end, only saying that all was 「rumor」; this made Daus unable to help but ask again.
The Black Count: 「He would not have died in the first place; my avatar’s possession would only let him regain his past talents, not make him die, much less make him a living-dead puppet.」
At this moment, Vai also explained: 「What my lord said is not wrong; I had misunderstood my lord before.」
Daus: 「Then your elder sister Aila……」
Vai weakly waved his hand: 「Sister Aila actually didn’t die.」
Didn’t die? Then what was all that wailing you just did for?
Looking at Vai’s 360-degree change in attitude, Daus still found it hard to believe. If he did not know Vai so well, confirming that the person before him was not someone else playing a role but indeed Vai, he would truly suspect it was all a play staged by the Black Count.
「I don’t yet understand the specifics, but ancestor has clearly told me that Sister Aila has not died.」 Vai explained again; he believed the Black Count’s words, at least in this matter, the Black Count had no reason to deceive him.
The Black Count also spoke at a timely moment: 「By his elder sister Aila’s side follows my tongue. Since my tongue possessed her, Aila has rarely spoken, probably psychological awkwardness; she has never quite stepped out of the shadow.」
At this time Vai also corroborated the Black Count’s words: the Black Count’s avatar following beside Aila was the tongue.
Everyone imagined for a moment, if one’s own tongue were sacrificed and replaced with someone else’s tongue, still a tongue one could not control, thinking about it was rather disgusting.
All the more so as Aila was a witch; having an opposite-sex tongue replaced would very likely leave psychological shadows.
However, in fact, they were all thinking wrong.
What the Black Count did not tell them was that the tongue’s ability was actually related to 「speaking」.
It can be understood as: say good things and they don’t come true; say bad things and they hit right on the mark.
The Black Count’s avatars do not all have temperaments as steady as the nose, tending toward the main body’s disposition; the tongue’s temperament is an exception, somewhat unrestrained, and especially foul-mouthed, always liking to say things that bring people bad luck.
Before, when Aila had her own innate ability, she would not intentionally speak 「bad things」, so she was still quite normal.
But after Aila sacrificed her own talent and the Black Count’s tongue possessed her, even though the talent returned bit by bit, the tongue’s foul-mouthed condition did not change.
To avoid the tongue’s foul mouth harming those around her, Aila simply lived in seclusion away from the group; even upon returning to the family she did not utter a word, and even when Vai came to see her, she held back from speaking.
This was actually to protect Vai.
But Vai misunderstood, thinking Aila had become a puppet living dead.
It can be said that here there were layers upon layers of compounded misunderstandings.
Regarding this, the Black Count actually knew full well, but he made no intervention and offered no explanation.
The Black Count’s possession was not without something sought; what he sought was his own transcendence. As for the specific method, that is a secret the Black Count will not spread outside.
But it can be said that although he has something he seeks of these descendants, he will not truly pit them to death. Even if the Black Count truly transcended and became legendary, the harm to these descendants would not be too great, much less would he pit them to death; indeed, after becoming legendary he could even feed back to them. Overall, this is a matter with pros and cons, but with the pros far outweighing the cons.
And as for the targets of possession, the Black Count is selective: those with potential and willing to break through between life and death are the ones truly worthy of possession.
If you keep being a shut-in, avoiding the unknown and veiling the path ahead, then it is better to let such people continue to misunderstand.
Thus the Noah lineage is now divided into two groups: one group are those already possessed, they know everything, but they will not spread the truth; the other are those who do not know the truth, rumor-believers who avoid things by means of being 「shut-ins」.
Once, Vai was also of the latter; this duel forced him over into the ranks of the former.
One could say it also opened the door to a new world for him.
This is also why the Black Count insisted on letting Vai go to duel. From the first duel, the Black Count could see that Vai’s keenness had not in fact vanished, his potential was still there, and his decisiveness was still there. So the Black Count gave Vai a chance, to make a choice between life and death.
Yet the Black Count had not foreseen that the other side would be so ruthless as to bring out the Eye of Arcana, leaving Vai without even the chance to choose.
Either die, or be possessed.
Under such circumstances, Vai had no choice but to choose possession; after all, the Noah lineage had nurtured him, and he was willing to do a bit of repayment before he 「died」.
But the result was not what Vai had expected.
Being possessed was not death, but the beginning of another journey.
Although Vai had more been forced into choosing possession, he had after all set foot upon this path. Perhaps this too could be considered a kind of…… luck?
Chapter 2763 Cocoon Breaking Rebirth <TOC> Chapter 2765 Destroyer of Atmosphere