Mystery: Time Travelers of the Fourth Era

Chapter 454 The Flame of Humanity

"Your outfit isn't much better than mine."

Klein glared at Xia'er. Even Alger knew that changing into ordinary clothes to avoid danger was appropriate, but Xia'er was wearing the priest's robes of the Storm Church. This was a bit too arrogant. And where did he get these clothes? They looked even more real than the real thing.

"These are work uniforms provided by a competitor; my business is quite large."

Shael's lips curled up. He wanted to know if Klein would regret having Arodes act as Dawn Dantes's stand-in to handle his social work in Rune for this raid.

Klein probably didn't know that although Arodes was just a mirror and had no interest in human reproduction, before the Fifth Age, Arodes had a mirror image that roamed around, especially enjoying social occasions. He was known for flirting but not marrying, and giving massages but not going all the way.

Its massage techniques are professional-level, and it can easily identify the sensitive spots of different people.

Mr. Dawn Dantes is an excellent gentleman, but the rumors about his health problems... are probably... hard to shake off.

"Actually, there are many benefits to wearing the Storm Church's clothes."

Although Alger himself wasn't wearing it, he felt that Shael was dressed well, and that in case of any unexpected situations, he might be able to shift the blame to the Church of Storms.

As he spoke, he glanced at the teleportation stone in his hand, which was still glowing faintly. Although it had an expiration time, it could still mark the starting point and allow him to return to the city, which was quite impressive.

Xiaer said he had business dealings with the Storm Church, and Alger believed him. Some of the Storm Church's overseas churches had a tendency to become warlord-like, so Alger wasn't too surprised by what his colleagues were doing.

"You're the only one who genuinely wants to go on an adventure."

When Xia'er saw Alger take out a lantern, he looked at Klein, whose hands were empty, and thought that this guy was very unprofessional, exploring a deserted island at night without even bringing a lamp.

You didn't either...

Klein felt embarrassed, but he was still unconvinced; at least he had brought a few boxes of matches... until he saw Shael take a tinderbox out of his pocket.

This is not high technology; archaeologists generally believe it was invented by the Church of Knowledge and Wisdom.

"If we encounter any extraordinary creatures on the way, Mr. Hanged Man will go first, followed by Mr. World. I will keep the spoils until we leave the island."

Chael followed Alger into the forest and set out a simple agreement.

Alger had no objections; he had already achieved his goal of bringing the world into the fold.

"That sounds fair."

"The Mad Adventurer" Gehrman Sparrow only dared to make a small sarcastic remark, but chose to accept it.

He wisely quickened his pace to catch up with Alger, while inwardly cursing. The last time he saw the angel, everything was fine, but this time it was absurd. Not only did it have no shadow, but it also walked without its feet touching the ground. It was like seeing a ghost.

In reality, it was no different from seeing a ghost, because they were simply interacting with the image of Shael that they had in mind.

Chael himself had already arrived at the church in the core area of ​​the original island.

Later, when Alger faced danger and displayed his powerful singing voice, Klein, who was almost unable to hold back and wanted to kill, was greatly shocked to see Shael, who remained calm and composed and even gave Alger some corrections and praise.

Looking at Alger's moved expression, as if he had finally found a kindred spirit, he even began to doubt his own willpower.

The way angels simultaneously belittle the Hanged Man while encouraging him and teaching him how to correct his behavior isn't inherently abstract, but when combined with the Hanged Man's shrewd and convinced demeanor, it instilled a sense of dread in Klein.

The church at the heart of the original island.

This place should have been in a state of ruin, with half of the temple collapsed.

But as Chael approached, everything here came alive, as if it were an image pulled from the ocean of the collective unconscious.

He could see desperate ascetics making their final prayers in the church, and then, in the golden light, burying themselves along with their most devout faith.

Most of them follow the solar pathway. They don't necessarily have to die, but they are heavily influenced by a higher being. They continue to live, but their beliefs are distorted. They still choose death, and these people have provided the answer.

"You can shelter these people."

"You are the god who holds the reins of the mind."

"You are the Lord they worship."

Chael stepped back a few paces to make way for a fanatical believer who was prostrating himself as he walked forward. With each step, the believer's head would slam heavily against the ground, as if he were atoning for his sins or repenting. Blood stained the ground. In the center of the church sat a middle-aged priest wearing a white robe and a cross, with eyes as pure as a baby's.

"This is their own choice."

This "Adam" sat there like a statue. His eyes may have shown compassion, or they may have shown only calmness, but what was clear was that he did not interfere in anything. Instead, he was like a true audience member, witnessing the end of a stage play.

Witnessing the last group of devout followers of the ancient sun god, who, in pursuit of their true God, brought the glorious era to a close through "martyrdom," the deaths of these believers served as proof that the true sun had fallen and the brilliance of the usurper was too intense.

"Aren't you going to save them?"

Xia Er casually found a stone bench and sat down.

Adam did not answer, but this seemed to confirm what he had said earlier: it was the ascetics' own choice.

"Can I also understand this so-called divinity as meaning that, within a grand narrative, some insignificant individuals can be sacrificed, and some trivial matters can be ignored?"

After Xia Er finished speaking, he shook his head first. "Those ordinary yet enormous individuals can be sacrificed, just as firewood is meant to burn. Trivial matters can be ignored. These are the noises that naturally arise in the operation of the world. We will pity the passing of life, and we will calmly observe the mayflies that live from dawn to dusk."

No one will grieve for the death of a mayfly; their ephemeral existence is simply the natural law of life.

We are simply moved by the grand concept of life, or by the emotions evoked by the scenery.

The rise and fall of civilizations, in the eyes of gods who transcend civilization, may be like observing the prosperity and destruction of an anthill in their own backyard. When the self is above civilization itself, even an empire created by one's own hands may not retain much emotion.

"The lives and deaths of these people are none of my concern; of course, they are already dead."

"I am also immersed in macro narratives, observing the rise and fall of the world with a detached eye."

"But the glimmer of light ignited by the lives of these martyrs is enough to attract me."

Chael slowly stood up, his eyes reflecting the firelight—the unextinguished flame of humanity that these martyrs still possessed in the sea of ​​their collective unconscious, even after thousands of years.

"Only the Way and Virtue reward good and punish evil!"

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