Chapter 681: 159. Brain in a Jar
“You mean, I am like you, a being born from the Sea of Souls, created by the master of the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans, who disguised me as a human and placed me within this world.”
“The Chaos Race is merely a term used by reality to refer to us; each of us is an independent individual, fond of observing the course of civilization for a long time, rather than being a true race in the traditional sense. We are a collective, a group that helps each other, united by our origin in the Sea of Souls. And you are the most precious existence among us; your soul has taken shape because of you, the Sea of Souls has taken shape because of you, and authority has ceased to repel one another, revealing their true names.”
Pisces nodded slightly, and his response seemed very sincere.
“The Sea of Souls is a masterpiece of creation from a great deity, a treasure unimaginable and incomprehensible by all gods. Yet, the gods stole it, pocketed it, and hid it away; thus, destruction was born. They committed crimes, and to prevent the destruction born from atoning for sins, a Trans created you, forged as a human, instilling their values into you, making you—a you stolen from the gods—become a tool to resist reckoning, while that Trans escaped. How pitiable, Fisher.”
The expression of Fate Lord slightly changed as she stood before him; Fisher had turned stiff. A sense of ominous premonition flashed through her mind, prompting her to hastily call out the gentleman’s name as a reminder.
“Fisher!”
“….”
Fisher returned to reality, raising his gaze to meet Pisces in the mist once again.
“Pisces, your consciousness should have been born from the Sea of Souls brought into the confines by the gods, right?”
“Indeed.”
“If so, everything you know must have been told to you by other beings, and you certainly have never faced the gods directly, am I correct?”
“….”
Pisces remained silent for a moment but still said, “But we witnessed that woman come to the Sea of Souls to fabricate you. You hesitated, and deep down you probably already doubted that the mission you carry was predetermined by others, fearing that everything you experienced was arranged. As for confronting the gods, they extinguished the Mother, allowed the pollution of the Spirit Realm to erupt, leading us to fall to such a state, repaying their errors day after day for thousands of years—that was their common tactic.
“The newly born consciousness of authority was deceived and tamed by them, bound to battleships without escape, naturally abandoning us ‘for the greater good.’ And you, they instilled in you that you were the key to saving destruction, driving you to endure suffering and face choices, unaware that you are the source of destruction, using the sins that cause destruction to combat destruction, using the treasures of the lost against the lost—how despicable.”
The magical haze dispersing from the star magic blurred Fisher, who stood within it. Fate Lord couldn’t discern his expression clearly, only capturing his silence with her ears. She could no longer hold back, stepping forward a few paces to reach for Fisher.
“Fisher, don’t forget you came here to save Valentina and the others, you—”
“Thud!”
But Pisces suddenly erupted from her movement. The Pisces in the mist raised a tentacle and smashed it fiercely against the magic before them, and that terrifying power instantly transmitted along the external crevice to Dalasgon’s body.
“Crack, crack, crack!”
The surrounding dream magic began to sway precariously, like a violent earthquake making Fate Lord dizzy. At a critical moment, it was still Fisher who reached out a hand to stabilize her form.
Now closer, Fate Lord saw Fisher’s calm expression. He checked that she was alright and then turned his gaze back to the magic.
“I cannot ascertain whether what you say is true or false, or if it could indeed be true. But since the deities from beyond have now revealed these secrets to you, it also means that you are cooperating with Elizabeth to help her achieve the death of Trinity, am I correct?”
“Indeed.”
“So, consider me the core of the Apocalypse Prophecy, consider the gods guilty of true offenses. However, if that is the case, then if the Apocalypse Prophecy is ultimately realized, I should also become a part that the gods must return to atone for their sins. But Elizabeth is unaware of this; she naively believes that once destruction arrives and the gods’ rules collapse to establish a new order, I will return to my previous form and stay by her side.”
Fisher’s words were calm, lacking any discernible emotion, which greatly surprised Fate Lord.
“If the deities from beyond concealed this from Elizabeth to achieve their goals, how can you ensure that they haven’t concealed something from you for the sake of getting your cooperation, claiming that everything they say is the truth? Perhaps in the eyes of those gods, you are no different from a human?”
“….”
Fisher’s response was brief, yet it plunged Pisces and the other Chaos beings into silence.
However, the truth that cannot be proven or disproven exists. The fact that the Sea of Souls was stolen is likely true, but the objectives of the gods belong to the domain of the former.
The Chaos beings probably had never considered themselves part of this world; since their inception, from the moment they began to observe the world from a distance, their origins were stolen, their existence should come from beyond this place, not from here.
“Reckoning against the gods will lead to the collapse of rules. I do not believe that Elizabeth can rely on the powers of the deities from beyond to reconstruct everything; even if she can preserve Nali, everything else outside will perish.”
“What does it matter? According to our long observations, the cumulative number of beings dying at each other’s hands within this world far exceeds the current moment. The oppression of other beings by mythical beings, the wars among mythical beings, and the oppression of subhumans and each other by humans are merely cycles.”
“You are right.”
Fisher smiled bitterly but still said, “But among those beings about to die, there are souls I care about; I cannot watch this unfold.”
“Then, good luck. Fisher.”
Pisces’ originally lofty voice began to falter, becoming as weak as in the beginning, as if they spoke in a subdued manner, or perhaps just the signal from the star magic had suddenly worsened again.
The next moment, the surrounding star magic gradually dissipated, and as Pisces vanished, a horrifying presence surged above the sky.
The terrifying sound of the demigod’s impact had ceased, seemingly a taxing endeavor to attack the crevice, needing a brief correction before continuing.
Fate Lord looked again at Fisher’s back; clearly, although he appeared resolute when rebutting Pisces moments ago, it remained unknown how much of the other party’s words he believed inwardly.
She slowly approached Fisher, raising her eyes to him, but found his expression still calm, seemingly lost in thought.
Fate Lord remained silent for a moment, looking at his office desk’s window, which was on the brink of breaking, and finally spoke.
“Can I take a look at your handbook?”
Fisher glanced at her, then reached into his bosom, retrieving the ancient-covered handbook to show Fate Lord. However, since the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans belonged to Fisher, she could not read its contents, only observing that its cover was no different from other completion handbooks.
“What is written inside?”
“A bit of my research report; in reality, it contains nothing at all. If I had to say, it’s more like a wishing machine that can exchange rewards, provided enough research on subhuman races.”
“Rewards? So, you like subhumans because of these rewards?”
Fisher looked at the handbook in Fate Lord’s hand, suddenly becoming dazed, a sense of emptiness arising within him, similar to when he first saw the statue of Teresa in the subhuman girl’s place.
Fate Lord sighed at his pause, returned the handbook to him, and shifted to another topic.
“Previously, when Asuka was still beside me, and Mr. Mikhail was still in contact with us, he once mentioned a very interesting question.”
As she spoke, she raised two fingers, mimicking a cylindrical tank the size of a head, and asked Fisher.
“Suppose one night, while you were deeply asleep, someone conducted an experiment on you, administering anesthesia and taking this opportunity to remove your brain, perfectly preserving it in a petri dish while keeping it alive. At the same time, they use highly advanced mechanical instruments to connect to your brain, giving output signals identical to those normally received, allowing you to experience the same illusions as usual.”
As she spoke, Fate Lord placed her hand on the illusionary desktop in front of her, where a tactile sensation was transmitted.
“From your perspective, you would still wake up the next morning, spending time with the women you know, conversing with them, but in reality, all of this would be simulated by the signals received by your brain, not real. If that’s the case, how can you prove that what you see now, what you talk about, and what you are solving regarding the Apocalypse Prophecy isn’t such a paradox? Perhaps all of it is merely a dream, a meaningless fabrication?”
Fisher was forced to engage his mind, pondering methods of proof, such as etching magic within the illusory constructed world, providing a magical circuit? However, according to the hypothesis, that scientist must be perfect, able to absolutely replicate all signals.
If that’s the case, how could he prove it?
Proving that everything he sees is real and not fabricated by someone.
Death might work, but the scientist could just as easily simulate the feeling of death, ceasing to supply the brain.
Fate Lord smiled, not rushing Fisher for an answer, but instead turning to look at the crevice outside, which had become increasingly fragile due to the scorching burns of the flames of the soul, inviting Fisher to—
“That’s alright, while we think, let’s also take a look inside the crevice and check how much time we have left.”
“Okay.”
He returned the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans to his bosom, while Fate Lord raised her hand, using the power of fate to shorten the external space, bringing the two of them out.
Within the crevice, the crimson mist was everywhere, contrasting sharply with the scene seen when looking up at the crevice in reality. Looking down now, they could faintly see the mountains and settlements they swiftly passed through among the crimson fog.
Beneath Sema Snow Mountain were the Northern Kingdoms, followed by the Kingdom of Sardinia, then an ocean, and beyond that, Shivali.
“Hehe.”
Slowly gazing downwards, Fate Lord had her hands behind her back, suddenly laughing softly to draw Fisher’s attention as he pondered.
“What are you laughing at?”
“I suddenly recalled the time when I just started interacting with Asuka a few thousand years ago. She, like every Trans, was our teacher, not only responsible for teaching us how to control the chaos within ourselves, but more importantly, helping us ‘complete’ the voids in our hearts. That’s also why we have our handbooks bearing such names.”
“When did you know her?”
“A long, long time ago, back when the stars had not yet invaded the Northern Kingdom, around seven thousand years ago.”
“Hard to imagine living that long; what does it feel like?”
“It feels like nothing, because I often cut off my brain. Besides some necessary memories, I discard the rest. So, in thought, I might remain forever young, and that’s also my secret to longevity.”
“You previously posed a question that seems resolved; cutting off your brain seems even more terrifying than putting it in a jar, doesn’t it?”
“Haha.” Fate Lord laughed at Fisher’s serious analysis, pointing at her own head and saying, “It’s not that terrifying. I’m not the holder of chaotic beings; I merely restored part of my brain, rewinding time. This accumulated chaos and madness will also dissipate, so that’s how I’ve managed to live this long.”
“Was that taught by Asuka?”
“No, it was something I discovered myself. Regarding chaos, she’s essentially helpless; the teachings she provides are more at the level of the heart. Only for those she cannot truly help, like Jahl Uzz, would she use magic to seal their memories, letting them be immersed in eternally stagnant memories, able to stabilize for decades at least.”
Fate Lord lowered her head, somewhat nostalgically looking at the vague crimson mist below, within which the sea could be seen.
“Actually, when I crossed over, I was only nine years old.”
“Nine? How did you survive?”
“Quite miraculous, huh? But actually, at that time, my mental age was already seventeen, as I seemed to have a strong connection with the chaotic power since my childhood. I could often see events happening in the future, one after another, to the point I grew unable to differentiate how old I was or which was real.”
Fate Lord made an illustration, making her situation more concrete.
“Do you know what it’s like? It’s like one day, during an afternoon when you were in high school in the cheerleading team, you suddenly returned to when you were nine years old, and then the familiar friends around you instantly turned into your classmates from elementary school? You might stay as a nine-year-old for another year or a few months, and then suddenly, you’d return to three years old, after years of drinking milk, then you turned seventeen. In this process, my cognition began to collapse; I often didn’t know what was real and what was illusory.”
“Brain in a jar, right?”
“Exactly. When I was seventeen, I could suddenly recall events that happened at three, but when you bring that vague memory back to the age of three, it turns that memory into a character in a script. You have no clue what will happen next but find everything so familiar, as if you had rehearsed it countless times, everything seeming preordained.”
Fate Lord mimicked a gun shape pointing to her brain, as if an old woman who had lived for thousands of years had transformed into a seventeen-year-old girl undergoing this collapsing process.
“So I began to feel lost, began to question the authenticity of everything, leading to a relentless indulgence; I indulged in drinking and smoking through my seventeen-year-old memories, using my parents’ pocket money to buy joints. In short, I did every bad thing you could think of. I even forgot I had lived different lives, becoming a girl with a mouth as foul as a madwoman. But everything changed when I met Asuka, who became my companion, helping me search for the real thing and explore the answers together.”
Fisher observed her, noticing her smile at the corners of her mouth, and asked, “It seems like you’ve found the truth, right?”
“Yes, but this is just my and Asuka’s method; it’s not the standard answer for the brain in a jar. Every person’s answer is different; we are all born to defend the answers in our hearts.”
“Indeed.”
“I mean, Fisher.”
Fate Lord’s smile faded, and her expression became serious. She turned her head to look at Fisher earnestly, requesting,
“Meeting Asuka was a milestone in my life, the starting point of my rebirth. I am very grateful to her, so after her disappearance, I tried my best to inherit her wishes, wanting to find her. Although it seems I still do not qualify to be her successor, I hope to see her again, at least to know her whereabouts, rather than being completely in the dark.
“Soon I will die; I want to hand over my pre-written ‘Fate Completion Manual’ to you as a substitute to search for her on my behalf, as if it were for these ten thousand years when she called and waited for you countless times.”
Fisher stared at her seriously, but after a moment of silence, she suddenly withdrew her gaze, her serious expression fading silently into a playful smirk.
“Of course, when we meet again, I don’t know how she will react to seeing so many women by your side. She probably would wish to cut you into a thousand pieces, but that’s none of my business anymore; I won’t see it. Well, for now, the crevice can still hold, though it’s at the brink of breaking, yet it refuses to shatter. Even if twelve demigods attack with all their might, as long as Dalasgon doesn’t perish, the crevice will continue to exist. Truly the work of a deity.”
Fisher sensed the genuine emotions Fate Lord was expressing at the moment, slightly moved inside, and in that instant, the fleeting inspiration he felt before the Duke of Peach surged to the forefront of his mind.
However, this time, he managed to grasp it.
He suddenly connected some dots: not just the Duke of Peach’s matter, but also Fate Lord’s presence nearby, the Apocalypse Prophecy; most importantly, what Pisces had mentioned earlier.
He may have previously felt contradiction.
If everything about him was fabricated by the Subhuman Girl Enthusiast and the gods, and he derived his current worldview from being beside Teresa, thus standing on the opposing side of the deities from beyond.
It sounded like a simulated brain-in-a-jar false proposition. Under these circumstances, his thoughts seemed to transform into hypocritical, artificially assigned entities, turning him from a living person into a tool with a brain in a jar receiving various signals.
Yet at this moment, while genuinely feeling his heart touched and sensing a tide of thoughts known as “emotions” flooding his mind, he seemed to come to a realization.
He gazed around the crevice, his eyes lighting up as he exclaimed,
“Yes! As long as Dalasgon isn’t dead, as long as he stays alive, the crevice won’t dissolve, regardless of how the Chaos beings attack from the outside!”
“Yes, it does seem so. Truly impressive for a deity, even when losing consciousness, they remain so formidable.”
Fisher looked around as if trying to gather the entire scene into his vision. A brilliant plan began to form in his mind, making his heartbeat quicken uncontrollably.
Perhaps anxiety, perhaps sorrow, perhaps joy.
In any case, he had a plan.
“Senior Ashley, I think I might have found my own answer.”
“So soon?”
Ashley turned her head in surprise, not expecting him to formulate a corresponding answer so quickly.
At that moment, they had swiftly traversed through the crevice, crossing the vast Western Continent to its extremely western edge, above Nali. The scene before Ashley left her particularly shocked.
She saw that the originally boundless crimson mist seemed to have come to a stop here, completely dispersing mid-air and forming a massive empty circle with a diameter comparable to Saint Nali. It appeared that this was the place where the Chaos beings collided, while simultaneously lowering Dalasgon’s state to the lowest, also driving away the crimson mist above to ensure that Elizabeth could witness the “death of the deity.”
Looking down from this position offered a view of the thriving Saint Nali’s urban area, where all citizens seemed to have their own jobs led by the Golden Palace, not knowing what orders Elizabeth had given for the upcoming decisive battle.
Here, where the crimson mist had evaded in the sky, had become the center of the world and would soon be the focus of impending destruction.
Fisher and Fate Lord stood alone in the air, where the glittering golden and bustling Saint Nali below resembled a gold hollow eye watching them coldly, making the two of them appear as tiny ants.
At this moment, on the ground was Elizabeth, in the Spirit Realm were the Chaos beings, and amidst the crevice was the base of chaotic incarnations—a chess game had already reached the dying stage.
“Hush, hush, hush.”
The wind howled through the sky, and Fisher stood for a long time without speaking, only providing the answer from his heart.
“I think, therefore I am.”
Fate Lord was slightly taken aback by his words, then smiled again, “That’s a clever answer; yes, thinking that way allows me to let go.”
“Senior Ashley, next I still need you and the Duke of Peach to assist me. I have a plan, uncertain if it can be realized, but at this moment, I have no choice but to do so.”
“….”
Ashley was momentarily stunned, feeling that in front of Fisher, she experienced more unexpected moments than any other time.
“What—what did you just say?”
“Something Pisces said earlier caught my attention. If, as he said, there are some precious properties on me, then this plan can be executed. But compared to a plan, this content feels more like a conjecture.”
“Specifics?”
“Specifics?”
Fisher looked at Saint Nali below, subconsciously focusing on the Golden Palace.
“If luck is on our side, we can all survive.”
“And if luck is not on our side?”
“I die, and you all live.”
