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Chapter 411 The Love of Protecting All Beings (Part 2)

Judging from the records left by rulers throughout history, the countdown time was always changing. Generally speaking, at each key juncture in Earth's history, the countdown would shorten rapidly, which meant an imminent threat.

If we allow these ideologies to intensify, civilization will face its end.

If a world war is lost, civilization will face its end.

If the Cold War is allowed to escalate further, civilization will come to an end.

The kings regarded it as a kind of "doomsday prophecy," and the blood alliance's mission was to do everything possible to postpone the prophecy's fulfillment.

Centuries ago, countdown shortening was a rare occurrence, as civilization in feudal dynasties did not develop at such a rapid pace. However, in the last 200 years, countdowns have become increasingly frequent, coinciding with several industrial revolutions, global wars, the arms race of the Cold War, the post-Cold War technological boom and explosion, and now the information age.

Humanity has surpassed the accumulation of thousands of years in less than 200 years, so naturally, the end of civilization is also accelerating.

The last change in the countdown was at the turn of the century, and it has remained unchanged ever since. Even without any more global threats, the fate of being invaded is already sealed.

Its origin is most likely the Empire of Truth, which has approached with technological advancements, or perhaps the omnipresent Sea of ​​Illusions. But the monarchy doesn't care much; the origin is no longer important. No matter which heretical force arrives, humanity has no hope.

Earth is a rather large island of dust, its population of nearly 70 billion far surpassing even behemoths like the city-state of Jingsha. Even though Earth's power is weak, its "status" is undeniably significant. The Blood Alliance, possessing only fragmented information, believes most heretics are simply enhanced versions of the current "abnormalities." But the Royal Authority knows that the ever-growing number of abnormalities is merely a direct manifestation of the influence of these heretics; the true heretics are far from being so weak.

To better prepare for the future, she made use of the unactivated experimental subjects, leveraging the resonance among the fallen to develop a rudimentary bio-computer. Based on current intelligence, even the arrival of just one true heretic would turn Earth into hell.

For a full year, Wang Quan exhausted every means to simulate the future. Yet, she faced one desperate obstacle after another. The existence of the precepts meant she could not inform others of the apocalypse; this was originally a means to protect all living beings in the tide of fate, but now it had become a fatal obstacle.

Even if she could break free of the rules, she couldn't see where she would go next. How much power could she unite in 13 years? How many families could she control with her abilities? Even if she gained control of the Blood Alliance by force, what then?
Even if humanity could truly unite to fight against heretics, what could they possibly accomplish in a mere 13 years?
Perhaps they can develop powerful weapons? Some kind of ingenious technology 50 years ahead of its time? Soldiers armed to the teeth?

What meaning do those things have in the eyes of heretics?
A single glowing corpse is enough to create a zombie frenzy that sweeps the globe.

A single soul container can cripple all existing technologies.

The lowest-level lustful demon, "Hunter's Claw," can devour the lives of an entire state in just one month.

The few remaining hopes lie in the funeral procession and the unreal demons; the low-level monks and demons do not yet possess the ability to cause large-scale destruction. However, that is only temporary. Once the monks arrive, they will spread death, and the invincible unreal demons will grow stronger by attaching themselves to the will of humanity. When higher-level heretics arrive due to circumstances, the outcome will remain unchanged.

And those who succumb...

The Fallen are the worst choice, for the Earth already bears too many traces of the Black Moon. Those Fallen who descend upon Earth would likely be at least of the Chosen One caliber, and these colossal, mountain-like monsters would turn the entire planet into their paradise. Humanity would not only perish, but would also suffer excruciating torment before their demise.

The more they speculated, the more desperate they became; the more they simulated, the more powerless they felt. Wang Quan practically worshipped the old man. How did he manage to hide these secrets and play the role of an ordinary person? How did he calmly accompany her in her fun? This kind of pressure could even drive the fallen to the brink of collapse, and generation after generation of kings spent their lives watching the countdown.

She turned to the wisdom of the ancients, looking at the absurd or insane contingency plans left by past rulers. The most feasible plan was still that left by the old man, who believed that in the final moments, a nuclear war could be attempted, causing a regression of civilization at the cost of massive population loss, thereby preventing information pollution.

However, Wang Quan knew this plan was impossible, because she understood all too well what kind of life form humanity was. Without any outside intervention, humanity would perish in a nuclear war.

She was desperate.

Time cannot be reversed, and civilization cannot be regressed. A mere 13 years cannot prevent the arrival of heretics.

So what else can she do?
Given that the heretics are bound to descend, what can the Dark Kingdom change? In what way can she fulfill the old man's wishes?
—You must remember that a happy life is the meaning of life.

At the moment when she was on the verge of a mental breakdown, she remembered the old man's words.

happy.

The core mission of the Blood Alliance is to protect the happiness of humanity.

That's enough as long as humanity can continue to live happily in the future.

She looked toward the worst-case scenario and came up with the only solution.

The arrival of the higher fallen will cause all humanity to die in agony.

But regardless of rank, the fallen all love their fellow human beings. They are always willing to give their fellow human beings unconditional love.

Then let humanity join the Black Moon family.

—Let humanity become the fallen.

·
The old man's decision was correct; the fallen are the only heretics who possess "love." Even though it is a false emotion, Black Moon is willing to give unconditional love.

It is willing to love all life, as long as the other party agrees with its reasoning. If the Black Moon could descend upon Earth, then humanity would also become its subjects, enjoying eternal happiness on the Moon of Flesh and Blood.

Therefore, she must summon the Cradle of Oblivion.

She wants to fulfill the prophecy herself, using it as a means to achieve salvation.

The royal authority made this decision without any burden, because it was the only feasible way at the moment to carry on the blood alliance's long-standing practices.

Go kill some people, to save more people.

She composed herself and acted swiftly. She now possessed the literal power of a ruler and began to manage this ancient and decaying organization. This was no more difficult than managing a school, for she still understood everyone's mindset. By appearing before different people with different guises, she could easily manipulate their actions.

She began to get used to becoming him. Eventually, she became it. It guided the death of the tortured patriarch toward the dark wizard, thereby quickly obtaining more information about the Black Moon ritual.

But a single mistake always leaves more problems, especially since she had spent a full year of her precious time on future deductions. Soon after, it faced a new test when the head of the Verus family began to suspect the Blood Alliance.

By human standards, that man's abilities were exceptional; he had even located one of the royal strongholds. If Verus were allowed to continue his investigation, he would soon find the royal power.

However, Verus differed from the old man's thinking. He was a hard-hearted man with a traditional style who would never agree to collude with the enemy and advocated fighting to the last moment. There was no possibility of cooperation between the two sides, so the royal authority arranged his fate.

It personally killed the twin serpents of Velus's time, leaving a hint for the cowardly Lucas, thus naturally destroying Velus and eliminating any further threats.

Looking back now, that was its second mistake. It should have buried the bloodline of Velus with its own hands, leaving no possibility of repercussions. But it was too busy, far too busy. It had countless things to deal with, and couldn't even take care of itself.

Therefore, when it discovered that the Verus family had a new head, the new head had already essentially taken control of the family's power. It had no reason to be an enemy of the new Verus, especially since something new had piqued its interest.

A young human with exceptional abilities, perhaps a rare individual influenced by the memes of martial arts practitioners. His rise to power was rapid, piquing the unusual interest of the royal court.

It desperately needs help, and perhaps this is someone it can take advantage of.

It gave the Verus family a special mission.

·
"Doesn't it feel like sitting in an office? Comfortable, peaceful, day after day."

This is a very nihilistic person, because people who are spiritually fulfilled don't often talk to their suitcases. He blatantly violates social rules, speeding on the highway without even a driver's license, showing little respect for his boss, little respect for the Blood Alliance, and seemingly not caring much about the life he has now.

"ひとりぼっちのクリスマスイブ~热えそうなサイレントナイト~"

(A lonely Christmas night, a night of seemingly frozen stillness)
"ここからどこへ行こう, もう何も见えない, 空の下~"

(Where should I go now? I can't see ahead under the starry sky~)

He suddenly started singing loudly, speaking in very broken Japanese, and using Chinese pronunciation to cover up parts he couldn't pronounce. He was singing the climax of an old Japanese song, but the song hadn't even started playing yet.

He seemed to only remember this halfway through the song, spending a long time adjusting the car CD player, and in the process, he overtook the large truck in front of him, childishly cutting in front of it. In the rearview mirror, he could see the truck driver sticking his head out and cursing loudly. He smiled, lit a cigarette, and the ash drifted onto the driver's forehead.

Wang Quan was somewhat bewildered because this person was utterly inexplicable. He couldn't fathom his thoughts at all; he seemed to simply... not care about anything, so he did whatever came to mind.

He'd only taken a puff of his cigarette before stepping aside, casually tossing a pack of cigarettes to the annoyed driver. The truck driver, bewildered, laughed and sped away. As he left the highway, he glanced at the crate, and Wang Quan inside saw his gaze.

A faint expectation flickered in his eyes; it was the first time Wang Quan had truly understood this man's thoughts. He desperately hoped that the box contained something extraordinary to break the monotony of his life.

The moment the box was opened, the anticipation turned into a pleasant surprise.

·
The king carries a very grand mission, and the countdown is shortening every moment. But it can still spare a day, which it plans to use to formally communicate with the Serpent of Sacrifice, perhaps hoping to use him as a pawn.

"So you've really seen it? Is it amazing?"

"You can't catch up with me!" Chu Hengkong said confidently.

He was incredibly confident. Even though he knew nothing, he possessed an unwavering conviction deep within him, like a confident caveman. This inexplicable confidence amused Wang Quan, so he fabricated a lie about an "observation mission," which the other party actually believed.

Thinking about it carefully, it's obvious that this is impossible. Wang Quan has too many things to deal with; how could he waste time on an assassin? But he seems to genuinely believe he has such great value. In his eyes, he seems to be the center of the world, and everyone in the world should revolve around him.

Wang Quan gave himself two extra days off; after all, it hadn't had a rest in a long time, and teasing this barbarian was more entertaining than killing him. It had originally planned to use disguise to fool Chu Hengkong, but the latter quickly learned to see through it. The barbarian's learning ability was unexpectedly strong.

It decided to put a little effort into studying this human, including his preferences, thought processes, and life rules, believing that imitating Chu Hengkong's personality would be very effective in relieving stress.

But the monarchy failed. Just as it couldn't understand the other at their first meeting, it now couldn't imitate their ways. Humans always have desires and wants, but the savage seems to have nothing. No pursuits, no desires, no weaknesses, simply existing powerfully, savoring a life of emptiness.

“Honestly, sometimes I feel like you’re a balloon,” Wang Quan said to him. He glanced at his abdomen: “I think I’m in pretty good shape.”

“It’s about the inner self! A balloon always needs to be tied up because it has nothing inside except air. Once the rope is untied, it will fly high into the sky, fly and fly until it’s out of sight. When it reaches the highest point, it will burst with a bang, leaving nothing behind.” Wang Quan used an analogy. “You’re currently only held up by the rope of Verus, aren’t you? If you hadn’t met Verus, you would have disappeared from human society one day, making a bang before you disappeared so that everyone would realize you had ever existed.”

He had no intention of using his brain at all: "Most people are like that, going with the flow."

“Most people aren’t as ‘empty’ as you; they always want something.” Wang Quan poked his chest. “But you’re practically a black hole.”

Chu Hengkong said lazily, "I'm a free man, it doesn't matter if I'm a balloon or a black hole. But you civil servants who live off the government are miserable, you're so heavy, you can't fly for even a moment."

Wang Quanzhen was furious: "What do you mean by 'heavy'? Open your eyes and look at my figure!"

That day, she disguised herself as a beautiful and youthful high school girl, wearing a sailor uniform and black stockings. In any high school, she would have plenty of boys chasing after her and sending her love letters.

Chu Hengkong laughed so hard: "You're still concerned about your figure even though you're pretending... I'm talking about lifestyle. Aren't you carrying a ton of tasks? They're so heavy they're suffocating you, which is why you keep coming to me to kill time."

Wang Quan paused for a moment, then said, "You have a very rich imagination."

“I see people working under pressure every day, so I understand what you guys are thinking. You always think you know everything and carry a ton of stuff, like you have no other way to solve it than yourselves.” Chu Hengkong lit a cigarette. “But a lot of things aren’t actually that complicated. If you really consider me a friend, you can talk to me, and I’ll ask my boss to help you find a solution.”

"So your amazing wisdom is getting your boss to help you... What an embarrassing wisdom!"

"Isn't finding smart people the most efficient way?" Chu Hengkong said dismissively. "Otherwise, do you think you're the best in the world?"

"Today is truly a day to remember in my life. I was taught a lesson by a megalomaniac about not being so arrogant."

Chu Hengkong reached out to pat it, but it laughed and dodged, leaving without saying goodbye. It wanted to take two more days off, maybe two weeks, to talk to this person as much as possible, or perhaps even live with him. But Wang Quan restrained itself; it had to leave after their next meeting, trying to avoid any further involvement with him.

Because Chu Hengkong is different from others.

They are different from humans who are obligated to love.

He understands it.

He was its equal. They were on the same level. When communicating with him, it didn't need to feign human emotions; it reacted naturally. Its cold heart was beating warmly. For a moment, it truly wanted to voice its responsibility and work together to find a solution.

But that's impossible, absolutely impossible.

It's no use speaking out; no one will understand. Besides, he is Verus's sacrificial serpent, and he has a blood feud with Verus for killing his father. Everything was already formed before they even met, as if it were a destiny ordained by fate.

·
Before bidding farewell to Chu Hengkong, it briefly explained its "motives." Unsurprisingly, the barbarian completely misunderstood love, and brazenly spouted off principles it had heard from others.

"Children will always grow up."

The older one gets, the more hardships one faces; the end of development is the apocalypse known as the Heretic Path. It had a bellyful of arguments to make, yet it couldn't utter a single word. Its mission was to protect humanity, and naturally, it also needed to protect Chu Hengkong.

Many times, the royal family privately wondered what would happen if they were told the secret. Would they set aside their hatred for the greater good and join the plan? Would they devise a more difficult path of confrontation?

No, none of that will happen. Chu Hengkong and Verus will come together because they always put themselves first. They never consider themselves saviors; personal vendettas take precedence over the greater good. They will prioritize revenge, and only consider grander, more distant meanings after learning the truth.

Even though by then it will be too late for anything.

Just as its research was progressing steadily, Vellus's investigation was also advancing meticulously, bit by bit. It used every means to interfere, obstruct, and delay that moment. However, the monarchy knew best that unless Velbert was killed, no one could stop her actions.

It thought there might be other people in the world like Chu Hengkong, and it could find other friends as substitutes. Therefore, it devoted itself to compiling a list, but the result was just another disappointment. They were still human, no matter how strong they were. Perhaps they had special skills in their respective fields, but in its eyes, they were all the same.

It finally contacted Chu Hengkong again, and incidentally issued a formal warning.

"Stop investigating. She won't find anything, but the elderly don't like being investigated."

The solution is actually quite simple: kill her, then kill him, and then no one on the planet can stop its plans. But the monarchy is a selfish, decadent individual, and it has only this one friend left. It doesn't want to lose anyone else.

It could only pray that Verus didn't move too fast, at least not before the Dark Moon's summoning succeeded. If everyone could remain ignorant, at least they could live in peace until the very end.

“Keep an eye on your girl and don’t let her go any deeper. We can be all in the mud of ignorance, but if she insists on going deeper, even I can’t change the outcome.”

Another warning has been issued, though it's pointless.

So they sent assassins to harass him, hoping that Velus would give up in the protracted battle.

Time flew by in this helpless stalemate, and its plan was finally nearing success. It had locked onto the crucial catalyst left behind by Black Moon. It hadn't expected Chu Hengkong to suddenly change his mind and destroy it, but the imperfect catalyst was now usable. It could use the blood of the Fallen to control all the clan leaders, which meant controlling the entire Blood Alliance.

So it was just a little bit short; if it had just been given another month, everything could have been over.

But Verus found out about that mission from back then.

"—"

So, what should we do now?
Should we beg for their forgiveness? Plead for compromise? A temporary agreement? Or devise another ingenious lie?

"—"

Why is it always like this? Why does it only meet someone who understands it after it has made a decision?

If it had happened a little earlier, everything would have been different. It could have saved the king, it could have spared Verus, it could have come up with a better plan, a perfect solution, at least to deceive them until the very end.

But why does this damn world never give it a chance?
"—"

Unable to truly solve the problem, you simply ignore it. Now the problem is finally about to erupt, but you are powerless to do anything about it.

The old man believed it was an ideal life capable of correcting mistakes. But he was terribly wrong. Every decision is a mistake. Mistakes cannot be corrected; they only accumulate. One mistake breeds new ones, and more mistakes pile up into a mountain of failure. When you finally realize it, you're standing on the edge of a cliff, forced to make the long-delayed choice.

What is most important?

What is most important to the Dark Kingdom?
"I will go on to love humanity."

I reminded myself in a low voice.

"I will protect this planet."

is love.

Love is the highest point.

Nothing can come above love.

·
I don't remember much about what happened after that.

All I remember is calmly arranging my plans and battling Verus on the chessboard of life. The game went from the Blood Alliance headquarters to New York, where it donned its pre-prepared family uniform as the building burned.

It stood in front of the car, its head bowed to conceal its gaze. It hurriedly opened the door for Verus, and in doing so, plunged a small knife into her chest.

What kind of look did Chu Hengkong have at that time? It couldn't even remember that. It only remembered that it pulled back the knife and smiled as it spoke to him.

"The Dark Kingdom sends its greetings."

·
And so, the monster's life came to an end.

He accomplished nothing, saved nothing, and after destroying everything with his own hands, he was killed by his best friend on a rainy night road.

The last image etched in its eyes was that car gradually disappearing into the distance. It knew the woman in the passenger seat was about to stop breathing, and that the man driving was probably weeping. But it had already failed; the defeated need not think any further.

It closed its eyes and sank into darkness.

·
Then it heard laughter from deep space.

Beyond the endless depths of space, the flesh-and-blood moon sings a hymn of celebration for its return. A benevolent old man emerges from the song and extends a warm hand to it.

"Come home with me, and we'll help you achieve your wish."

The old man said to it.

“I know you hate Cradle, but that doesn’t matter.”

Even if you don't love the moon, the moon still loves you.

And so it plunged into an endless abyss.

(End of this chapter)