The liquid in the oak cup rippled slightly, reflecting the golden dome of the temple hall and the pale golden shimmer that wandered between the columns and paintings, and Gawain held the oak cup with a vague smile on his face, and the "god" sitting opposite him smiled similarly after a few seconds.

"Wonderful," He said with a smile, "you scared me." ”

"Because you've scared me," Gawain said calmly, "especially after seeing the 'truth' over Tallund." ”

Then he paused, and then continued: "Actually, even if I do this, I can't guarantee that my card will work—I can only prepare everything, but there are always variables in the world that people can't prepare." Like what...... I wasn't sure how much of a deterrent the fall impact would be to you, or if you had the ability to read your memories and tamper with the commands I gave me...... The only thing I can rely on is that a 'god' like you can't directly manipulate the legacy of the Voyager, intercept or tamper with my commands, and as it turns out, it's pretty good. ”

As he spoke, he reached out and took a random piece of dessert from the table that looked rather delicate and put it in his mouth.

Slightly sweet, not greasy, and has a peculiar fragrance.

"Indeed...... Even if I knew about your arrangement, I couldn't do anything about the legacy of the Voyager...... You have an element of gambling, but you are right," Ryujin also picked up the teacup in front of him and took a sip lightly, she looked at Gawain as if she were ordinary friends, "to ensure mutual destruction, even in the event of the extinction of one side, to ensure that the means of revenge will be automatically effective, amazing thinking - you see, those dark cultists are actually right to fear you, there is a very terrible mind under your glorious heroic image, I would venture to guess - this terrible habit of thinking is the same as your real ' Hometown' related? ”

"Almost," Gawain said casually, "but I still feel that the conditions of this world are much worse than my homeland. ”

"If I could, I'd love to see what your 'Extraterritorial Wanderer' really is like," Ryujin sighed, but then shook his head, "Well, it doesn't matter, what matters is - if it all does get to that point, will you really choose to destroy Tarlund?" You should be aware by now of how devastating the 'abandoned moons' are when they crash, enough to destroy and pollute a country, and many of its members...... Actually, I have a good relationship with you. ”

"So I'm glad it's just a deterrent." Gawain said calmly.

“…… That's right," the dragon god looked at Gawain for a few seconds before he said slowly, "Maintain this vigilant and decisive mentality, this mentality is essential if you have to deal with the gods in the future." ”

Gao Wen didn't speak for a while, he sorted out his sentences for a while, and then suddenly looked up at the other party: "Were the dragons who fought against the 'gods' in the center of the Eternal Storm not vigilant and decisive enough?" ”

"They ......" the dragon god seemed to hesitate for a moment, and there was a complicated expression in his eyes, "they are very good, they are all doing well...... It's a pity that it's a step late. They had a chance to succeed, but the faith of civilization as a whole had become too strong to confront it head-on, and in such a rash act of confrontation caused all the gods to descend and get out of control at the same time......"

"All the gods descending and losing control at the same time?" Gawain immediately frowned, "Then how did these 'all gods' become yours 'gods'?" Why do they ...... Fusion into you? ”

When he asked these questions, he felt very strange, because the object of his inquiry was the former "gods", the target of the dragons' disobedience, the greatest shadow and source of terror in the sky over Tarlund, and yet he had a feeling that the dragon god would answer himself, these seemingly rebellious questions, even the ones he had been waiting for for a long time.

“…… This is the result of the failure of mortals to break free from their chains," the dragon god said in a deep voice, his eyes became extremely serious, and his gaze was even a little burning, "Remember, you must remember - no matter what mortal race, they only have one chance, and if they fail, they will face the same result as the dragons." This will happen when the order of faith collapses completely, the relationship between God and man crosses the extreme value of contradiction, and the chains are finally unable to break free.

"The gods will merge into one, and the 'gods' will become the ultimate shackles.

"This 'god' will be in the name of civilization, with all the history, culture, worship and fear of civilization as the skeleton, and the minds of all members of civilization as the source of strength, and the gods will be as strong as the overall strength of civilization."

……

The terrifying roar and nightmarish whistling woke up many of the dragons living in the upper districts, and even Speaker Andal, who had just fallen asleep, was awakened by the unusual movement outside the hall.

The awe-inspiring primeval dragon raised his head from his "throne" entwined with countless pipes and cables, and heard the faint sound of thunder and storms still coming from the faint sound of thunder, and the nervous sensing terminals echoed with the anxious inquiries and exclamations of many of his kindred, and under the uneasiness, he immediately cried out, "Omega! What's going on out there? ”

Omega's interface quickly lit up, accompanied by a mechanically synthesized voice: "Transferring external monitor...... It was a storm of energy that was forming over the upper temple, and the energy level was still rising. ”

Immediately after, a clear surveillance image appeared on the surface of the largest crystal curtain in front of Andal, and he saw the golden Upper Temple appear in the curtain, and the temple was surrounded by a pale golden halo that was even more powerful than before, and a terrible cyclone actually hung upside down in the sky above the temple—the cyclone was wrapped in scarlet fire and lightning, and the scale might even be greater than the entire mountain, it swirled, spread, and constantly emitted a deafening roar and whistling, and it was expanding every minute!

Why is this terrible natural phenomenon occurring in the territory of Tallund?! How could such a thing be in this land protected by the gods!?

"Omega!" Speaker Andal immediately exclaimed, "Why is the weather controller not responding?" ”

"The weather controller is working properly, this phenomenon is outside the alert list......" Omega responded quickly, but then its debriefing was interrupted, "Special Contact - Speaker Andal, High Priest of Hlagor is on your call. ”

"Hragor?" Andal was stunned for a moment, then reacted, "Connect." ”

In the next second, the Omega interface on the side of the hall was replaced by the serious face of Helagor, and Andal then turned his head: "Helagor, the upper temple is ......"

"Everything is normal, nothing happens," the dragon priest on the interface said with a blank face, "Tell everyone, just rest assured." ”

The mechanical prosthetic eye in Speaker Andal's eye socket shimmered, and the mechanically controlled telescopic structure unconsciously moved slightly: "Hlagor, you ......"

"Our Lord is receiving guests," said the dragon priest with a slight indifference, "Your Excellency, nothing has happened—don't mind that cyclone, it will disappear, and tomorrow the sky will still be clear in Talrond. ”

After saying this, Hragor hung up the communication unilaterally without waiting for Andal's answer, and after a brief noise scene, Omega's interactive interface reappeared on the crystal curtain on the side of the hall.

"Speaker Andal," Omega's voice woke Andal from his momentary stupor, "is it necessary to issue an evacuation order?" ”

“…… No, no need," Andal took a deep breath and shook his head slowly, "Tell everyone that it's the weather controller making temporary adjustments - no danger, nothing happening." ”

"Yes, Your Excellency."

……

"I seem to hear something outside." Gawain put down his glass and looked slightly at the end of the hall, where there was an open balcony, but probably due to the angle, he didn't see much from here.

"Don't care," said the god sitting across from him, "just a little wind. ”

"Well, the wind, it's always very windy in the area of Tallrond," Gawain glanced at the "god" and shook his head indifferently, and then his expression became serious again, returning to the topic that had made him almost unable to hold the cup in shock, "Gods...... In other words, as long as 'disobedience' fails, the gods will surely merge into one and become 'gods'? How exactly does this process happen? Is there any rationale for this? ”

"You really like to investigate the principle," Ryujin smiled and shook his head, "Unfortunately, I can't give you an answer......

Gawain stared at the other party: "Don't know, or can't you say?" ”

"I don't know, I can't say," Ryujin said, "even though I am the result of the merging of the 'gods', I don't know how it all happened, and I believe that the truth behind this process is beyond the 'limits' of our communication—even if there is some knowledge between you and me, it cannot be easily communicated." ”

"Well, I see," Gawain nodded slightly regretfully, and then he looked thoughtfully at the entrance of the hall, at where Hlegor was theorizingly staying, "What about Hlagore?" You know...... I have seen a dragonborn in human form at the heart of the Eternal Storm, and I believe it is Hragor. Can you satisfy my curiosity on this point? ”

The dragon god fell silent.

Just when Gawain thought that this question was too sensitive and the other party would not answer, he heard the other party's voice suddenly sound: "Since you have seen it, then you should be able to see that he once stood in the center of that battlefield, leading the dragons to rise up against the out-of-control gods...... Ironic, isn't it? Now he is the highest priest in Tallund, serving the only and highest god in Tallrond. ”

Gao Wen's brows furrowed again, he looked at the dragon god, and his voice was low: "So this is some kind of 'punishment'?" Is it a reproach from the gods? Still is...... Pure 'bad taste'? ”

Ryujin shook his head: "Neither, it's a deal." ”

"Deal?"

"Mortals choose to give in, and the gods end the judgment," the dragon god said calmly, "This bargain needs a 'symbol,' and Hragor is that symbol." ”

"That's all?"

"That's all."

"Okay, I got it." Gawain nodded, indicating that the topic could be over.

"Maybe we should talk about something light," Ryujin suddenly smiled, his tone becoming as if he were talking about the weather and the everyday, "You and your friends have been touring Tallund for three days - I'm sure you've seen quite a bit, and now, I'd like to hear what you think." ”

"What do I think of Tallund?" Gawain raised his eyebrows, "You want to listen to the truth?" ”

"If I want to, I can hear countless gorgeous and sweet lies - I want to hear the truth, and listen to the heartfelt assessment of you, the 'Wanderer of the Territory'."

Gawain looked into the other's eyes, and in those eyes that were perfect beyond mortals, he saw a calm and nothingness.

"Deformed," he said, "prosperous but sickly, advanced and decaying, lifeless beneath the bustling surface." ”

Ryujin nodded: "Spicy and direct evaluation." ”

"That's what I see," Gawain said, "how many years has Tallund been stagnant?" Hundreds of thousands of years? A million years? Perhaps only such a long period of stagnation can explain everything I see. At first glance, I saw its exuberance and sophistication, and frankly it even startled me, and I almost thought it was an advanced society that had only appeared in fantasy - but as I looked inside, more and more dark and desolate things appeared before my eyes......

"Tarlund is dead, frozen in the technological framework that has been developed to the limit, in the social structure as rigid as a stone, frozen in this ...... In a sanctuary you call the 'Cradle of Eternity'. Frankly, I even felt like I was looking at a ruin when I looked at Tallund—a ruin that was moving on its own. ”

Gawain said in the end, and finally couldn't help but sigh: "This country is called the country of dragons, but the dragon clan seems to have become the last thing needed here—whether it is the citizens of the lower class of Tallrond or the so-called upper class citizens, they have actually been decoupled from the development of civilization, this is the fact I see." ”

After much hesitation, he finally did not say the words "the ultimate stage of capitalism" in his mind.

After all, while Tallrond's situation looked a lot like the stage he knew, he knew that the two were still fundamentally different – and that it was the more complicated reasons that had led him to where he was today.

One of the reasons is that he is even sitting in front of himself at the moment.

The dragon god was silent for a long time this time, even to the point that Gawain began to worry about whether he would drop the cup to summon five hundred sword axemen in, but finally he spoke, and after a sigh, he showed a relieved expression: "You can make this kind of evaluation, you really take it seriously." ”

"So, I'm curious now—" Gawain said in a deep voice, "what is the chain between God and man?" How does it work, and how does it trap mortals and gods? Where is its power embodied? If we want to break free from it...... Where do you start, what is the 'right' thing to start? ”