As Anthony Stevenson's words echoed in Memorial Square and spread to other places, the people of Rouen who participated in the Mass of Repose felt touched, sad, warm, and depressed.
In different squares, different choirs began reciting the poem. The ethereal and holy voice seemed to resound deep in everyone's hearts:
"The crimson full moon rises, and reflects on the land,
"Everyone sinks into a sweet dream, dreaming of themselves,
"Of parents, wives, husbands, and children, this is forever …" (Note 1)
Unknowingly, everyone felt as though their minds had been baptized, and their spirituality was naturally released.
They seemed to have really entered a dream, strolling in a quiet darkness.
Here lay their children, their parents, their wives, their husbands, their friends. There was no more suffering, no more pain. There was peace and gentleness in their expressions.
"We will look up at the night sky,
"Tenderly say 'Her' name,
"'Evernight Goddess!'
"… If 'She' hears it, she will definitely agree,
"She will definitely reveal a pure smile to the dead,
"'Come, rest, sleep in peace, my children!' (Note 2)
The people strolling in the dream once again felt a strong sense of sadness, as though they understood that they were really going to bid farewell.
They recalled all the beautiful scenes of the past, the scene of the family sitting around the dining table enjoying delicacies and chatting to their heart's content. They recalled the person who looked at them warmly. They recalled the pain of seeing them hurt and hearing of their passing that seemed to tear their souls apart. They recalled the dark clouds and parting brought about by the war.
They slept peacefully in this peaceful kingdom, no longer having any worries. However, the survivors had to suffer day and night, turning haggard and withering.
A tear slid down, followed by another. The people at Memorial Square's remnant Mass could no longer suppress the emotions in their hearts. They silently and unreservedly vented the accumulated pain.
Great sadness filled the air, intertwining with the choir's chanting as though it had a corporeal form.
"Cross your hands,
"Place them on your chest,
"Say the silent prayer,
"And shout from your heart,
"The only home is peace!" (Note 3)
The people who were crying silently with their eyes closed subconsciously followed the content of the poem and did similar actions. Then, they were infected by each other and shouted in their hearts,
"The only home is peace!"
The sadness reached its peak. More than ten thousand people in Memorial Square felt a strong resonance.
At this moment, Audrey opened her eyes, bent down, and took out a bottle of potion from the leather bag on Susie's back.
Countless fragments of light floated in the potion, as though it was the manifestation of the sea of collective subconscious.
Audrey didn't hesitate. Under such circumstances, she unscrewed the cap and gulped down the liquid inside.
Unlike in the past, where she could still experience the potion sliding down her throat and into her stomach, Audrey felt.
She felt that she could no longer feel her body. Her entire being seemed to have condensed into a ball of thought and merged with the illusory sea around her.
This was the first time that she had seen the sea of collective subconscious without going through the "island" where her dreams and mind were. It was like she had returned to her mother's arms before she was born. She had returned to the very beginning, where she was washed, disintegrated, and influenced by the imprints left by the ancestors of mankind.
There was fear, madness, and all kinds of terrible mental pollution in it. Audrey couldn't resist it for a moment. Her consciousness faded, and her "figure" swayed, about to melt.
Affected by this, Audrey, who knew that she was about to be assimilated by the sea of collective subconscious, also resonated with it. She felt uncontrollable grief.
The grief passed from one thought to another. Soon, it filled the "thoughts" that Audrey had "mutated" into. It pierced into her Soul Body and her soul.
Affected by this, Audrey, who knew that she was about to be assimilated by the sea of collective subconscious, also felt a resonance. She felt an uncontrollable grief.
The grief passed from one thought to another. Soon, it filled the sea of collective subconscious. It pierced through her Soul Body and soul.
The voice in her ear became clearer and louder. Finally, it echoed in the sea of collective subconscious.
"The only home is peace!"
"The only home is peace!"
"The only home is peace …" Audrey repeated the prayer as her figure quickly became clear.
With just a thought, she split into many transparent and illusory versions of herself. They roamed the sea of collective subconscious, arriving at the mind islands that represented different people and climbing them.
In these "places," she directly saw where the sadness of different people came from.
It came from the cannonballs that fell from the sky, from the airships that formed a formation, from the letters sent back from the frontlines, from the bad news delivered by the postmen, from the splattering of flesh and blood in front of her eyes, from the sudden collapse of a loved one, from the pile of toys that no longer had an owner, from the violent coughing in the Great Smog …
"The only home is peace."
The golden retriever, Susie, also closed her eyes during Mass. She recited the words in human language in her heart, not noticing any abnormalities around her.
Suddenly, Audrey's voice sounded in her soul, her Body of Heart and Mind.
"Susie, I succeeded …
"I've always been very worried. I was worried that as my Sequence advanced, I would be more and more affected by the potion. I would become colder and colder, becoming more and more like a Mythical Creature instead of a human."
Susie looked up in a daze, only to see that the blonde girl beside her had her eyes closed, but her face was covered in tears at some point in time.
Then she heard Audrey say in her heart:
"Fortunately, I can still feel their sorrow.
"How nice …"
In Susie's eyes, another drop of tear fell from the corner of the golden-haired girl's eye, sparkling and translucent.
At this moment, the Sun withdrew its last ray of light, and the night brought peace.
Everyone opened their eyes at the same time and said in a calm voice,
"The only home is peace!"
…
After crying uncontrollably for a while, Audrey, who was originally bright and cheerful, became a little more delicate, with a touch of sadness, which made everyone who saw her feel affection from the bottom of their hearts.
Under all kinds of protection, she returned to Empress Borough and returned to her room.
Only at this moment did she have the chance to seriously examine herself, digesting the knowledge and experience she had obtained from the potion and the sea of collective subconscious.
Others might not be able to tell, but Audrey knew very well that the tall, beautiful blonde girl in the mirror already possessed immense strength and exaggerated dragon scales for defense. She was the kind that could shatter a piece of steel with a single punch.
Oh, I can still Dragon Transformation, which is equivalent to using an incomplete Mythical Creature form. However, I have to wait until I get used to the potion and constantly stack the correct psychological cues. Otherwise, I'll directly lose control … Every Dragon Transformation can't exceed a certain amount of time. Otherwise, even if I have treatment methods that target my mind and soul, I'll be deeply infected by madness and chaos, causing me to lose control … My current limit is about a minute …
The core ability of a Manipulator is called Control. I can let the Body of Heart and Mind enter the mind island of others through the sea of collective subconscious, directly tampering with their subconscious, reading their thoughts, and silently driving them to do all kinds of things …
Paired with Control is Virtual Personas. I can create many personas, allowing them to have a corresponding Body of Heart and Mind. This can resist many of the effects of the mind domain. On the other hand, it can allow me to silently invade the target's mind island while conversing with others without any signs on the surface …
I can only create thirteen Virtual Personas at present …
A Manipulator can also create a terrifying Mental Plague. I can use the sea of collective subconscious to spread all kinds of mental illnesses and extreme madness …
Yes, Awe has become a large-scale Mind Deprivation. It's no longer just an effect of Awe …
I can also turn my designated thoughts into a Mind Storm that engulfs the surroundings and affects all enemies …
"Hehe, as a manipulator, it's a must to have the ability to roam the sea of collective subconscious. This is called 'Consciousness Walk'. Otherwise, if I were to slowly arrive at the predetermined place after going through complicated maneuvers like before, the target would've already left …" Audrey looked at herself in the mirror and suddenly revealed a faint smile.
Then, she puffed up her cheeks and opened her mouth as though she was about to spit out something.
Since her Mythical Creature form was a mind dragon, she definitely had Psychic Breath.
This could directly stimulate and damage the target's Body of Heart and Mind Body. It was an area-of-effect, enhanced version of Psychic Piercing.
Audrey's green eyes darted around slightly as she retracted her gaze and sighed inwardly.
This is a demigod. These powers even make me afraid … And how powerful must Mr. World be to be able to kill Hvin Rambis …
…
Above the gray fog, in the ancient palace.
As the participants of the hunt finished their preparations, they decided to organize a private meeting to discuss the specific details.
"Manipulators are that terrifying?" Magicians Fors looked at Miss Justice beside her and blurted out in shock.
Just now, Audrey had briefly mentioned the changes she had undergone after becoming a demigod. Although she didn't go into detail to protect her trump card, it still left the Magicians, The Hermit, Judgment, and The Star alarmed.
"Actually, it's not that terrifying. Mr. World knows very well." Audrey cast her gaze to the bottom of the long, mottled table.
The World Gehrman Sparrow didn't nod as he tersely acknowledged.
"I also had a powerful helper to kill Hvin Rambis."
He paused for a moment, then said,
"Before we discuss the hunt, I want to know how to make the House of Abraham feel my friendliness."
Note 1: Adapted from Tennyson, Lotus Eater.
Note 2: Adapted from Iba Browning, The Children's Cries.
Note 3: Adapted from Thomas Hood, The Bridge of Sighs and Tennyson, Lotus Eater.
PS: Update before making changes.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
