Magical Girl's Knight Brother

Chapter 552 The Past of the Old Gods

In the wasteland at night, the cold wind was like a knife, cutting through the thin warmth of the camp.

The pale blue energy campfire emitted a steady glow, illuminating the silent rocks and the dozens of experimental subjects standing like pale sculptures. Tang Zijun sat cross-legged beside the fire, facing Scáthach, who was hidden in the shadows.

The whispers between the two were no longer a lighthearted exchange of stories, but a somber discussion about the remnants of ancient divine war and the fragility of the modern dimensional barriers. A heavy, existential tension hung in the air. "...So, those 'rifts' weren't naturally formed, but more like failed experiments with some kind of high-dimensional weapon?" Tang Zijun's voice was low and clear, carrying the analytical tone characteristic of an agent. Scáthach's hood moved almost imperceptibly, a fleeting glint of violet light in her eyes at the edge of the firelight, as she whispered.

"Experiment? No, it's more like an out-of-control note in a symphony of destruction, the 'entropy melody' of which is still corroding the 'membrane' of the real world." "Whether it's the surface world or the inner world, they are all parts separated from the real world. You should have noticed this by now. In a sense, those dimensions surrounding the real world are actually byproducts of reality."

Tang Zijun listened to Scáthach's words and nodded thoughtfully. "What you're saying makes sense. For example, the Reverse World is a complete reflection of the real world. But I don't understand why they're separate from reality?"

"That's because the laws of the gods were out of balance. Countless gods and divine realms fell in a short period, causing the rules governed by the gods to completely spiral out of control. In order to achieve some kind of balance, the various dimensions began to split," Scáthach thought for a moment and then spoke again. "Humans in the real world should still have records of the gods. You should understand, right? In ancient times, the gods had duties they had to fulfill." "Duties they had to fulfill, which part are you referring to?" Tang Zijun asked.

"The sun rises in the east and sets in the west, the tides rise and fall—these are all the work of the gods," Scáthach said softly, looking at Tang Zijun. "Including but not limited to the cycle of life and the changing of the seasons." "But what does this have to do with the outer world and the inner world?" Tang Zijun still didn't quite understand, even after hearing Scáthach's explanation. Scáthach paused, then countered, "I ask you, what is it that triggers the birth of the outer world and the inner world?"

"Emotions, negative energy."

“That’s right, negative energy.” Scáthach nodded and continued, “In ancient times, the annihilation of this negative energy was also one of the tasks of the gods.” “The sea god would periodically send people to the abyss to carry the souls of shipwrecked people, and some lives lost at sea would also fall into the void. Impermanence and Death would guide the souls of the dead to the underworld. These realms of reincarnation exist in the domains ruled by various gods, and they are all different, but one thing will not change.”

"That means that once a person dies, all debts are settled, past events are wiped clean, and there is no longer any cause or effect or trace."

"Whether it's the Bridge of Helplessness and the Stone of Three Lives in the East, or the Ten Hells of the Underworld in the West, they are all places that help souls cleanse themselves of their sins. Once you step onto the other shore, there will be no more negative energy, and you can welcome a new life." "So that's how it is..." Tang Zijun was somewhat surprised. "Actually, in the past, the gods selflessly helped this world eliminate negative energy." "Actually, it wasn't that 'selfless'..." Scáthach's face stiffened, and she looked away.

"ha?"

"Ahem... Well, at first it was indeed selfless, but later..." Scáthach paused for a moment, then said in a low voice, "As you know, not all gods are perfect beings, and many of them rose from humanity, so... some of them also collect a toll."

"you mean"

"For example, when Charon ferrys the dead, he charges them a fee to complete the procedures for passing through the underworld. After seeing this, other divine realms followed suit. After all, you can't take anything with you when you die, so who wouldn't refuse to do one job and get two offerings?"

Seeing Scáthach becoming increasingly embarrassed, Tang Zijun couldn't help but ask, "You didn't also... back then, did you?"

"Of course not!" Scáthach raised her head, her face full of righteous indignation. "I am the Queen of the Land of Shadows, and my place is not responsible for guiding the dead." "But I remember that the Land of Shadows was also a land of the dead in its early days."

"Well...some people die and don't want to be reincarnated, so they come to me for help. Shouldn't I provide them with a place to live? And once they move in, they need to live, and living requires expenses. If there are too many people coming at once, shouldn't I carefully select them? Wouldn't an auction be more convenient? And in an auction, wouldn't the highest bidder win? I just want to give them a home!" Tang Zijun: .....

What kind of talk is this, "Sea King"?

"So even you gods have unclean hands?"

Scáthach glanced at Tang Zijun. "What are you saying? Didn't you ever bring back any of those bottles and jars from the Reverse World to sell?"

"Ahem, let's change the subject." Tang Zijun pushed up her glasses. "By the way, you just said that the negative energy of the deceased was eliminated, right?" "Yes."

"So where does all that negative energy go?"

"Most of it flows into the River Styx," Scáthach replied. "The River Styx has different names in different realms of the gods: the River of Oblivion, the River of Three Crossings, the River Styx... it has many names, but in the end, they all converge together. You can think of it as the sewers of the realms of the gods."

"With so much negative energy, didn't any monsters emerge?"

"Of course they exist, but they're not very useful. The river is constantly flowing, so it's difficult for them to materialize. They're just a bit scary. Plus, with the divine realm protecting them, nothing usually goes wrong. But if a spirit accidentally falls in, it's very difficult to save it."

"Where will all this negative energy eventually go?" Tang Zijun asked again.

"Enter the cycle of reincarnation," Scáthach said in a deep voice. "These negative energies are a great tonic for some beings, such as the World Tree, the Bodhi Tree, the Nine-Colored Lotus, and the Jianmu Tree." "I've heard Trova mention that before..." Tang Zijun stroked her chin.

So, it seems that in the reality of the mythological era, the world did indeed present a complex and strange balance, with gods, humans, and negative energy all in a state of equilibrium. But Tang Zijun still found it strange. "If those dimensions of negative energy only appeared after the fall of the gods, why did Trova tell me that mirror figures and evil creatures existed during the time of the gods?" "Because it wasn't just human negative energy that brought those beings into existence," Scáthach sighed.

"The gods can eliminate negative energy from humanity, but who can eliminate the negative energy of the gods? The gods possess long lifespans and immense power, and the negative energy they carry is also extremely terrifying." "Hera, the queen of the gods, hates every woman who has had relations with Zeus. Hades, despite being one of the twelve Olympian gods, is the least popular, with hardly any temples. The negative energy generated by these emotions is unparalleled and cannot be erased. So, slowly, the first batch of evil creatures appeared silently."

"The Evil Sword Immortal..." Tang Zijun's expression was somewhat surprised.

"What evil sword immortal?"

Just then, Tang Zijun's fingers, which were fiddling with the sticks in the campfire, suddenly stopped.

He raised his head, his gaze instantly locking onto the silent experimental subjects at the edge of the camp.

"Here you are." His voice wasn't loud, but it was like a pebble thrown into a still pond, instantly breaking the heavy atmosphere.

Scáthach did not respond, but her gaze beneath the hood fell upon the bodies.

The next moment!

Like a sophisticated war machine being activated simultaneously.

The dozens of pale bodies, which had previously only had cold, eerie blue flames burning in their eye sockets, suddenly shuddered collectively, their movements perfectly synchronized, carrying an inhuman mechanical quality. Their stiff fingers instantly clenched into fists, the knuckles making a clear "crackling" sound.

The once steadily burning eerie blue flames in the empty eye sockets suddenly began to fade considerably.

There were no gasps, no chaotic groping; an invisible torrent of will surged through the solid connection, instantly filling every body. A brief, less than a second of absolute silence.

It's as if all the "new owners" of these bodies are undergoing rapid self-checks of their neural pathways.

Immediately afterwards, all the test subjects, like the most elite soldiers receiving a silent command, smoothly and swiftly adjusted their postures—lowering their center of gravity, slightly separating their legs, placing their fists either loosely clenched or in a defensive stance in front of their bodies or at their waists, turning their heads slightly, and completely extinguishing the flames in their eyes, transforming them into agile gazes, scanning the unfamiliar camp, the central bonfire, and the two beings exuding an extremely dangerous aura beside the bonfire like searchlights.