Kingdom's Bloodline, page 495
Thales let out a slow breath. He could sense his memories gradually recovering.
“Asda said that he hated metaphors, and you don’t seem to like it either,” Thales said in an attempt to test the stranger.
The stranger remained silent… but Thales thought that he had acknowledged it.
“Why metaphors? Why do you hate metaphors?” Thales suddenly threw another question, then he immediately realized that something was not right.
He could not tell the stranger’s exact expression, he could only feel the eyes of the other party behind the ‘water curtain’ suddenly move. Several ripples stirred up, yet he did not look offended.
The stranger then spoke using a strange tone, “Because using metaphors in the most serious discussions between equals is lazy and manipulative.”
Thales thought of something, and felt that he had come to understand something.
The stranger continued, “It relies on superficial similarities to connect the tenor and the vehicle, but it is also easy to confuse the true nature and circumstance of the subject itself. It allows the speaker to indulge in his laziness and misleads the listener. They end up putting their understanding solely on the surface of the metaphor, and because of it, unknowingly twist the subject’s true image.
“It is a scout for sophistry and empty talk, the vanguard for judgment errors and misinterpretation. Even if they are similar, the vehicle and tenor may not be connected; even if it is easily understood, the listener’s understanding of the metaphor may not match the original meaning of what the speaker wished to convey,” the stranger said indifferently.
At that moment, Thales shuddered slightly. He seemed to have understood something. Thales instinctively spoke up. He imitated the stranger’s sentence pattern, but his subject changed.
“Even if they are similar, the label and the true self might not be connected; even if it is easily understood, the version of the self obtained through these labels may not necessarily be my true self, ” Thales said absent-mindedly.
The stranger did not reply, and only stared at Thales quietly. As he said these words slowly, the teenager’s train of thought slowly became smoother.
He looked at the stranger with a hint of urgency and excitement. “So, if I want to fix the anchor on my true self, what I really need is to actually get rid of every external label; get rid of the things that will ‘taint’ me, as you call it. Because those labels also blurred the true quality of a certain matter. It will blur your concept of what is your true self, right?”
The stranger remained silent.
Thales’ eyes brightened. He kept on asking, “They are like the vehicles used to describe other objects similar to them, but the meaning contained in these vehicles are either too much or too little. Since there is a deviation in meaning and the situation between labels and the self, labels cannot be used to represent the true self, right?”
Thales’ thoughts were getting clearer, he hit his palm with a fist. “So, I can’t rely on external objects to fix my anchor point to find my true self, this will be the ‘wrong anchor’.
“It is similar to how you two dislike using metaphors and similes in serious discussions to convey your opinions. It will form a misrepresentation of the situation you want to talk about and twist the crux of your discussion.”
The stranger watched him silently.
A few unique thoughts were formed within the thousands of thoughts created through mystic energy.
‘Maybe you’re right, Asda. He is indeed different. Not his bloodline, not his birth, not his aptitude. But it’s…’
When he thought of this, the stranger snorted gently. “Ironically, what you said is also a metaphor.”
It seemed that he regarded Thales’ words with extreme contempt.
‘But at least he did not deny it,’ Thales said in his heart, ‘That means…’ At that moment, Thales frowned tightly.
“Stay true to oneself,” he subconsciously repeated this sentence. “‘Will not be tainted by external matters’…” The prince raised his head. He looked like he was in deep thought. “So that’s what this means.”
The stranger crossed his arms over his chest, and weak ripples appeared on his face. It made Thales think he was smiling.
‘I need to find the original, complete, true matter that belongs solely to me in this world…’
“Because hell is other people,” Thales said in a stunned manner.
Puzzlement appeared in the stranger’s voice. “What?”
Thales came to his senses. He shook his head. “Nothing. It’s just nonsense from an old man named Sartre.”
The stranger and the thick fog around him started to disperse again. The mysterious Mystic said calmly, “Then go. Go back to the your most intense state of losing control to test your anchor point.
“If you succeed and remain rational, preserving your mind while you lose control so that you are not lost, then you will have officially settled in the ‘matter’ stage. You will be a true contactor… even though I think that the theories on mystic energy stages cannot really be applied on you.”
Thales’ expression tensed. He remembered his companions who were in danger on the other side, but did not say anything in the end.
When things came to a head, he began to hesitate a little. “If I fail?”
The stranger laughed coldly. “If your anchor point fails… then you will repeat the same mistake. You will evolve at insane rate until you knock on the Door. Then, you will just have to wait for the two girls—eagerly anticipating your arrival with clenched fists—to find you.”
Thales frowned.
“There are even worse things that could happen because you set off from the proximal world. So when you accidentally knock on the Door next time, your situation will be even more severe. I think there is a high possibility where you will be completely lost in your basic form. You will become a kite without a string.”
Thales was so stunned he could not speak. He laboriously tried to understand what the stranger was talking about. “A kite without a string? So where would I go?”
The stranger only shook his head. “I don’t know…”
The atmosphere around him changed. His words became stern. “…because there is no one who has ever returned.”
Chapter 432: Taurus Mill |
Thales felt chills in his heart after he heard what the other person said.
“Get ready.”
The stranger approached Thales and slowly extended his right hand.
Thales subconsciously stepped back, but in the end, stopped and gritted his teeth.
‘I can’t be afraid.
‘I need to…
‘Need to…’
The dense fog in the proximal world grew increasingly thin, and in just a short while, it became pitch-dark.
The stranger’s hand touched Thales’ face. It was cold.
“Be careful.
“Even if you feel that you have controlled it…”
Thales stared at him. He realized that he had become weightless, as though the ground had disappeared.
Then, he started feel himself fall again.
‘Here it comes,’ Thales thought silently as he suppressed his nervousness and tried to control his slightly-trembling limbs.
“Even if you feel that you are doing the right thing…
“Even if you feel that you can turn the power of the Mystics into the sword of justice when it is in your hands…”
The stranger still mysteriously remained in front of him motionlessly while he stroked his own face.
It was as if he had no corporeal form.
The surrounding light began to flow. The scenes before him turned from faint, blurry pictures to rapidly-changing, unfocused scenes.
“You are still not to let your guard down.
“Sometimes, the methods you resort to for noble purposes will turn against you and seize control over you without your knowledge.”
The stranger’s words seemed to contain endless meaning. His shining, mysterious gaze was like a lonely lamp at night. It was the only thing Thales could see in that world.
“Debates, for instance, are for the sake clarifying truths, but too many people are immersed in the thrill of winning the debate and the vain glory it brings. Violence, for instance, is for the sake of survival, but too many people are lost in pure violent impulses.”
The feeling of falling was getting stronger and stronger, and the images around him were becoming more and more jumbled up. It was as if color and shape had lost their meaning.
The stranger stopped speaking for a moment.
“Magic, for instance, is for…”
Right after he mentioned that, it sounded like he could not continue.
When Thales saw his reaction, he felt strangely upset.
“I know,” the prince consoled him by saying that.
The stranger snorted and shook his head indifferently. “You know?”
He retracted his palm, raised his finger, and gently tapped Thales’ forehead.
“You ‘think’ that you know,” the stranger said plainly.
The silver glow flowed out of the prince’s forehead with a flash. It seemed like it was greeting the stranger’s fingers.
Thales could only look at him silently.
The stranger gently said his next words. Each word in his sentence contained great emotion. It caused Thales to ponder over his words endlessly.
“Just like a hero believes that he will never submit to evil…
“Just like a wise ruler believes that having wisdom and power will allow him to right all wrongs…
“Just like a strong man believes that he is the master of strength and the commander of weapons…
“Just like a famous general thinks that as long as he continues winning, he can bring about peace…
“Just like the wizards think that as long as they expand their knowledge and improve their skills, all the problems in the world can be solved.
“Just like the reformers believe that as long as they have lofty ideals, great goals, and perform selfless actions, they can make the world a better place in the end.”
Thales was stunned.
‘Hero… ruler… strong man… famous general… wizard… reformer…’
Thales stared at the other person with all his attention, trying to see something from the stranger’s blurry face, but he failed.
They were falling faster and faster.
The stranger stopped speaking, and the mysterious gleam in his eyes gradually faded.
“Keep this in mind, child.” His words were tinged with a rare emotion. “Stay true to yourself.
“Do not let ‘them’ easily taint you, invade you, and capture you…” He was like a wise man who had witnessed all the changes in the world. He voiced out his thoughts slowly, “Even if their logic appears sound and plausible.”
The flowing light around them shone before the brilliance was stripped from the light.
It was as if they had entered the tunnel in the mountain; it was dark and gloomy.
Finally, Thales blurted out because he had a hard time smoothing out his thoughts. He could no longer suppress the thoughts in his heart.
“Who are you?”
The “person” suddenly appeared in the proximal world.
This… Mystic…
He was Asda’s guide. He called the Two Empresses “girls”, and was able to hide from their eyes and ears.
He was so strong that he could freely come and go in the proximal world. He knew Silver Shadowman under Dragon Clouds City. He did not seem to belong to any faction…
The stranger was silent for a moment.
Falling faster and faster, he sighed and said, “I am Taurus Mill.”
Thales was stunned.
Where did he hear that name before?
That was…
The mysterious man named Taurus continued, “The Magic Tower’s glory and shame, the Empire’s savior and disaster, the truth and end of the world…
“I am fortune itself, and I am also sin incarnate.”
His words harbored sorrow, which he could not seem to escape.
It caused Thales to sense the unspeakable weight of his words.
‘Glory and shame, savior and disaster, truth and end, fortune and sin…’
He then heard Taurus speak softly, “I am your first predecessor. I am the worst example.”
He pressed his index finger gently on Thales’ forehead and pushed forward.
“And… the worst future.”
At the next moment, light appeared again and heat rose. Thales’ vision darkened, and his breathing stopped.
He knew that he had left the proximal world.
Soon, he sank into a deep, endless sea.
He could not return to the proximal world.
….
‘Here we go again.’
While pictures flashed before his eyes before they disappeared. He joyfully stretched out his hands… No, the “hands” of his thoughts, and he touched everything.
His feeble physical body was no longer enough for him to utilize in that place.
A sense of achievement, accomplishment and satisfaction descended on him again.
The sky was high, quiet, and far away. He saw numerous snow peaks. The vast grassland was generous to all manner of living creature, the boundless desert was apathetic and quiet, the deep seabed had hidden undercurrents in it, the ancient cities were majestic as well as worthy of being written about in historical poems, and…
He slowly lifted his gaze and sensed a light in the distance.
It was above the sky, coming from the mysterious and endless stars.
He took a breath and sensed everything around him.
‘The whole word…
‘Is in front of my eyes.
‘It has laid itself bare for me.
‘Hmm? The world?’
“‘When you think of the world, what is the first thing you think of?”‘
The pleasant and annoying male voice rose faintly.
‘Again.’
He shook his mind—since he had no head to shake—and pushed those silly words aside. He continued to sense everything in his current magical state.
Of course, that was not enough…
He needed more and he needed to reach the highest place in the dream…
So he began to ascend, just like before.
And this time…
Nothing could stop him… in his desire to make that final step.
When he thought about it, he looked up gently.
‘Ah.’
He let out a sigh of satisfaction.
Yes, it was still the dark and silent space.
It appeared in front of him again.
He could see clearly that mysterious gray fog displayed before him in space. It was flowing about in the distance. But then, it surged towards him in the form of an endless white light.
It was as if the gray fog was sentient, and it was opening its arms to him. The gray fog seemed to be making the most formal invitation, calling out to him.
He continued to rise and he sensed the increasingly amazing feeling of omnipotence as well as omniscience. He looked at the fog, which continued to spread towards him, and understood what was going on.
That was a call.
What was in the gray fog? It was calling out to him, longing for his arrival.
“Come…”
In his daze, he even sensed faint cries from the fog.
“Together…”
Yes.
A familiar desire and impulse rose in him.
He sensed it. In the gray fog was something he wanted most, and it was the dearest, closest thing to him.
“Come.”
He ascended faster and faster, getting closer to the strange dark space. He also became closer to the fog, which was stained with white light.
“Come!”
He almost could not hold himself back from roaring.
‘Hurry up, hurry up and let me enter that space…
‘I want to touch the fog…
‘I have to do it.
‘Only by doing so… can I become more perfect.
‘And only then can I truly possess this world.’
‘World?’
His rising momentum came to a sudden halt.
“‘The world? It’s probably filled with people. Asda, what was the world like… during your time, when the Empire and Magic Towers were still around?”‘
The echoes of the past was traveled into his ears like a whisper.
‘Aaahhhh!
‘That damn drake voice again!
‘No!
‘Go away…
‘Go away!’
“‘Let me guess, the difference between then and now isn’t big, right? After all, the world we see is just a small part of what we perceive. Perhaps the world is formed by where we are right now and all the people we know. It is also formed by the world they talk about, see, and are surrounded by. We think we see the world, but in truth, what we see is our own retina.”‘
He was no longer ascending.
‘No no no!’
He roared in agony, and his head began to hurt.
‘This again!
‘The drake’s voice!’
‘This again! It’s stopping him from…’
He swore an oath. Once he rose to the top, became perfect, and became omnipotent… he would definitely tear the owner of that drake voice into pieces! He would crush him! Make him explode!
He would turn him into the finest and most indistinct piece of dust…
He would let that tiny existence, which stopped him from heading towards magnificence… bear the most terrible, painful, unimaginable, and ultimate punishment in the world!
Even if he had to destroy the world, even if it meant his own destruction, even if the end of all things was near, he would still make that drake voice pay the heaviest and unbearable price. That was despite never being able to atone for his sins even if he died a million times.
‘Aarghhhhh!’
“‘Are you leaving, Asda? Has the class ended, Asda? Sir? Young Asda? Ahem, small, small puppy? Stupid Asda?
“‘Huh, seems like he really left. He f*cking did it again… Why don’t you change your name and call yourself Bruce Wayne instead?
