Chapter 327
The Resolve of a Monster
“Come out, Shadow Demon,” Eivass said suddenly. “You can come out openly, can’t you?”
The shadow beneath her feet swayed slightly, then solidified beside her. However, the Shadow Demon did not coalesce into Beyad’s form. Instead, it first formed a silhouette of black, then was colored in, taking on the appearance of the assassin Miss Chloe. The only thing that made her look inhuman was the ominous black smoke coiling around her like tendrils. Where shadows ought to be, they had come alive, twisting into smoke that wrapped around her. This made her appear flat, lacking dimensionality due to the absence of shadow, creating a strange sense of incongruity.
Unlike Beyad’s mature, cold, and sharp features, Chloe possessed a beautiful and radiant young girl’s face. She had short, curly caramel-colored hair, and a cute smile that radiated warmth and sweetness. She wore a light, flowing white slip dress, a stark contrast to Beyad’s heavy black evening gown.
“Chloe’s” face was even lightly made up, her lips boasting a dewy, translucent sheen. Only her slightly murky emerald pupils were wolf-like—black smoke flowed within them, making her eyes resemble green glass with black smoke billowing behind.
Seeing the Shadow Demon’s form, Beyad immediately leaned in with interest. “Wow, so sweet? Is this your preferred type?”
“This was an assassin who attempted to assassinate Master,” the Shadow Demon said with a smile, her voice soft and sweet. “She tried to steal my shadow, so I stole her appearance and voice.”
“Nonsense,” Beyad scoffed. She interlaced her fingers under her chin. “This aligns with our aesthetic; don’t make excuses for yourself. The faces we like best should be as soft and charming as Mother’s… but we resemble Father more, both in face and height. We were even often called ‘Young Master’ when we were children. I still remember it. The day I grew as tall as Father, I even cried that night out of frustration. I even considered asking Mother if she had any potion to shrink us… but I thought it would be too embarrassing, so I didn’t tell anyone. To make myself look less tall and not be mistaken for a man, I started growing my hair long from then on. I also stopped wearing pants and switched to dresses…”
Finally, Beyad sighed. “It’s so nice, being able to turn into someone else so easily. But you truly fancied her because of those green eyes, didn’t you?”
“Chloe” said nothing, only offering a seemingly gentle smile. Yet, within that smile lay a softness that said, “If you say another word, I will kill you.” Meanwhile, three bowls of meat soup were served. Each bowl was filled with chunks of beef—one piece was even piled so high it surpassed the surface of the broth.
“Are you showing your friend around, Miss Beyad?” the middle-aged man with graying hair chuckled heartily. “The soup has pepper in it, so the taste might be a little different. I wonder if you’ll like it. The first batch of imperial pepper from the Botanists has been on the market these past few years, and the price has fallen so much…”
“Indeed, our merchant guild is now planning to export pepper to Avalon,” Beyad replied with a smile. “Speaking of which, is there anything else you desire?”
“If I had to say, it would probably be that business is getting better and better, and we’re getting too busy to handle it,” the boss said, half boastful, half complaining. “The main issue is hiring. Transcendent individuals are all over the streets now…”
“I heard Demon Scholars talking about how those goblins from the south have successfully tamed a batch of trolls. They can follow orders and do simple labor, and they’re very obedient as long as they’re fed. They’re tough and diligent. Perhaps your guild could import some trolls? If trolls could help with the heavy lifting, I could fire all those clumsy laborers who just take the money.”
“Alright, I’ll look into it when I get back,” Beyad said with a smile. After the boss left, Eivass sighed, “Your guild’s business is quite extensive and thriving.”
“No matter how extensive, it will eventually fade into the dust of history,” Beyad smiled, taking a sip of wine. “There truly is nothing that lasts forever in this world. To pursue eternity is no different from pursuing stagnation.”
Hearing this, Eivass and the Shadow Demon were both slightly stunned and exchanged a glance. “It’s not a test. I’ve truly realized… what I am now is not the real Beyad, but merely a soul simulated by Pillar Gods.” Beyad chuckled, appearing remarkably carefree. “I was only somewhat suspicious at first. So, I decided to walk around the streets to see if there would be too few people… When I saw so many people, I wavered for a moment. But then I thought, perhaps this is a ritual of the Twin Mirrors. Only they would wish to watch ‘unexpected’ dramas, to see the reflection of history. Only the Twin Mirrors would directly construct a reflection of history, even allowing me to easily realize this is a dream you’ve orchestrated. As long as they wished it, the Pillar Gods could have ensured I never realized this. After all, even we weak Children of the Moon can easily seal others’ consciousness and prevent blood slaves from harboring harmful thoughts towards us. And all of us are now just fabricated, fake souls. The Pillar Gods could easily lock our thoughts… Even if they told us directly about the status of Ascenders and the truth of the Dream Realm, the Pillar Gods could make us turn a blind eye and a deaf ear. Of course, ordinarily, the Pillar Gods’ choice would be to use it as a test of adaptability, to gauge the Ascender’s ability to integrate into society. But judging by your reactions, I don’t think this is the Full Moon Ritual.”
Miss Beyad sighed, her thoughts clear and her speech fluent. “We are, after all, merely falsehoods. Not true souls, and this is not true history. At most, we are just ‘character prototypes’ of ourselves. —Falsehoods can never become true.”
“…Miss Beyad, you’re quite nonchalant about it,” Eivass said with interest, glancing at her, then back at the Shadow Demon.
“How should I put it…” Beyad smiled helplessly. “Children of the Moon are like this. We are inherently false beings. Why else would we fall so easily? Now, we are merely imitations of imitations.”
The Children of the Moon retained memories of their past lives, easily usurping the identities and social connections of the living. But they were ultimately impostors, monsters who had stolen memories, emotions, identities, talents, and social connections. Every Child of the Moon would go through a period where they firmly believed they were their past selves, resurrected and transformed into a Child of the Moon. It was just that their talents had been slightly altered by the influence of near-death, and their personalities and behaviors had changed under the curse of the Children of the Moon. But in their daily lives, they would gradually detect some loopholes, gradually realizing… that their past and present were ultimately two different existences. At that point, the Children of the Moon would clearly understand that they were monsters. They were ultimately a different race from humans. And then they would become depraved and cruel—the emotions and desires suppressed by human morality would erupt instantly, and their power would grow rapidly as their desires were unsealed. This process was known as the “coming of age” for a Child of the Moon. They would come to understand one thing: they were not human at all, and had been monsters who stole others’ identities from the very beginning. Then, the monster would gain the resolve of a monster. Looking at Eivass, who was heartily eating meat and drinking soup, Beyad’s eyes held a touch of sadness. “There’s just one thing… I can’t let go of.” She had once said, “Take me as your Master.” The girl’s charmingly sweet smile, the taste of blood lingering on her lips, that dangerous yet heart-stirring provocation. “If only all of this were real,” Beyad murmured softly. Her allure was so captivating, she must have an affinity for the Path of Love as well. If she were to drain her blood, she could guard her for eighty days, awaiting her reawakening, to become her eternal companion, her lover. If she became a Child of the Moon, she would undoubtedly become as powerful as herself… or even more powerful. No matter what dangers her merchant guild faced, no matter what crises the empire endured… they could escape. The world was vast, and there was always a place for them. They were both powerful and could live well anywhere. Even without human blood, Fairies of the Path of Love and Demons of the Transcendent Path could serve as sustenance for survival. …But would that still be her, in that state? She would gain an eternal companion, but would she have personally killed another? But if she didn’t act, wouldn’t she be simply watching her wither and die from the ravages of time? If she truly encountered such a mind-bewitching little succubus, she might indeed fall into helpless pain. “—Fortunately, none of this is real,” Beyad said softly, resting her chin on her hand.
