TOMWDET Chapter 195.2

Thought (part 2)

 

Su Li wiped the sweat from his forehead, feeling the traces of damage left by the dark elements that Clemens had previously controlled within his body… The young man extended his hand toward Lan Zhe.

 

The latter gritted his teeth and pulled out healing potions and energy potions.

 

With his condition restored, apart from the strange taste in his mouth that was as if he had eaten shoe polish mixed with wind oil essence, Su Li was fine in all other aspects.

 

The battle continued.

 

The original form of the [Tiger] possessed even more terrifying combat power.

 

Clemens’s previous human form had been like a weakened version – his speed remained unchanged, but his attack power had been noticeably reduced.

 

Now that he had transformed back into the [Tiger], this giant beast that had lived for who knows how many years instantly had traces resembling a magic circle appear beneath his feet.

 

Large amounts of dark elements gathered toward him. When transformed into a tiger, the two wounds on his chest pierced by chains also appeared much more terrifying. But those injuries were also visibly healing…

 

Internal organs repaired, bones repaired, skin, fur… In the blink of an eye, the [Tiger] was still that same [Tiger].

 

“It’s vitality that’s simply exaggerated beyond description,” Lan Zhe sighed.

 

“Recovery rate significantly enhanced, strength greatly increased, massive body size yet speed undiminished – it looks like he has all the advantages,” Egbert gently pushed away Lan Zhe, who had been supporting him and giving him medicine.

 

“But that’s only how it appears.”

 

“The massive body size means more points of damage.”

 

“Compared to the difficulty of aiming during his human form stage, now it’s much simpler. As for that even stronger recovery power…?”

 

“——As long as we inflict stronger, greater damage, won’t that be enough to overcome it?”

 

It could work.

 

They would definitely win!

 

At the same time.

 

The mermaid who had discovered the humans fighting with Clemens chose not to rashly interfere in the battle.

 

Instead, they focused their attention on the other surviving monster beasts in the Queen’s Palace area.

 

Originally, they should have all died – whether it was the Beast Tribe monster beasts used as cannon fodder, or the giant rhinoceros.

 

They couldn’t have preserved their lives under the attack of the Super Mobile Elemental Cannon.

 

But fortunately, the massive shield that Clemens had created still blocked the vast majority of the pressure.

 

Large numbers of Beast Tribe monster beasts had died, but a few with exceptional strength had still managed to preserve their lives.

 

However, in order not to participate in that simply inhuman battle, the unified decision of this group of monster beasts was…

 

To play dead.

 

There was nothing better than playing dead, they sincerely thought so.

 

At this moment, reason overcame emotion.

 

The emotional clamoring to dedicate everything for the king was directly crushed by reason.

 

Dedicate everything? Was it to let their ashes accurately print Clemens’s footprints and the direction of his advance?

 

Otherwise, they’d better not act.

 

One act and they would truly die.

 

“I say, you all,” Leia looked at those monster beasts with sarcastic eyes, “hiding here, do you think you can still survive?”

 

“No,” the giant rhinoceros guarded against the possibility of the mermaid launching an active attack, “we chose to stop here only because we don’t want to add unnecessary trouble to the king who is destined to achieve victory for the Beast Tribe.”

 

“Is that so? Then don’t you think that by choosing to stay here so as not to add trouble to your king, you’re adding trouble to me? My suggestion for trouble has always been to nip it in the bud as early as possible,” Leia said bluntly.

 

“…Mermaid Ruler, you clearly know that we say such things only to keep our dignity from being placed too low,” the giant rhinoceros’s expression was ugly. “For the king, victory is what he wants, and we are not his choice for achieving victory.”

 

Leia’s gaze was cold. “I won’t continue to give you the chance to waste my time.”

 

“Don’t be like this, friend! I mean, we’re staying here for other purposes too. For instance, we really want to know why the king chose to abandon those Beast Tribe territories. If you think this kind of curiosity can also be satisfied after the battle ends, then I have other things to say. Please definitely give me a chance!”

 

The administrator of Ergonikin, a middle-aged male monster beast who appeared to be around forty or fifty years old, said anxiously.

 

“Another question I want to know is why His Majesty the King now has only enemies in his eyes, without the slightest consideration for us subordinates who are still alive…”

 

“Clearly we’re now in a life-and-death crisis, aren’t we? If he’s a qualified king, shouldn’t he prevent his subjects from facing various slaughter crises?”

 

“I admit these messy words are just to survive. But I also really want to know why the [Tiger], Clemens, King of the Beast Tribe, our respected majesty, would do such things.”

 

“Victory was originally within easy reach, yet he insisted on facing an enemy who could match his strength.”

 

“This seems very abnormal.” The administrator of Ergonikin had almost talked himself dry.

 

The administrator of another city supplemented during his swallowing stage. “I don’t have anything particularly I want to know, because he’s the king, and it seems all his actions can be explained by the fact that he’s the king, so I have no curious thoughts.”

 

“But I do have wants.” This administrator paused dramatically.

 

“I know that Beast Tribe monster beasts, from the moment of our appearance, are destined to have lives full of slaughter, but I don’t want to accept this kind of slaughter.”

 

“I want…”

 

“Peace.”

 

“That’s what he said. What do you think?” Leia looked toward Bartholomew.

 

The unicorn’s hands were tied firmly behind his back, with two particularly burly aquatic monster beasts standing at his sides.

 

“There’s nothing to think about,” Bartholomew said calmly. “Any human or monster beast, as long as they haven’t completely eliminated their ability to think, could never continuously act with full force toward a single direction of development.”

 

He emphasized the word “single.”

 

The opposite of single was multiple. Diversification represented too many things.

 

But here, the rules had granted all Beast Tribe members only one path.

 

If you didn’t follow the rules, then you were definitely a heretic who would die.

 

But if you chose to follow the rules, then sooner or later you would die in exile.

 

And if you chose something between following and not following, fooling the former while avoiding the latter, then the final result would be like now – suddenly erupting into a war that ordinary monster beasts simply couldn’t resist.

 

The final result…

 

Death either way.

 

So why, why must they die?

 

It couldn’t be because under the restrictions of rules, very few monster beasts would commit suicide anymore.

 

“With thoughts, when thoughts cannot be realized, people form disappointment. With disappointment, understanding that expectations could have come to pass, they feel resentment again. With resentment, even the most steadfast unified goals will show differences due to rebellious thoughts.”

 

In such endless cycles, these Beast Tribe monster beasts choosing neither to flee nor to assist Clemens in attacking, but staying here, didn’t seem so strange after all.

 

They had no way to retreat.

 

The Winged Tribe Queen’s Palace had directly evaporated, and the Beast Tribe territories had been invaded by the Water Tribe…

 

The current Beast Tribe… seemed to have truly been forced by Clemens into a deadly situation.

 

“I can’t help feeling that, eliminating all impossibilities, this possibility of wanting all Beast Tribe members to die has instead become the greatest possibility,” Leia spoke without hiding his malice at all.

 

But those Beast Tribe monster beasts uniformly fell into self-isolation.

 

They shouldn’t doubt the king.

 

But what was should and shouldn’t?

 

Clemens didn’t care about their lives or deaths at all.

 

“What do you think? If you don’t know how to proceed ahead, I don’t mind temporarily taking you in and having you follow my goals,” Leia pondered for a moment, then added with seemingly polite but actually sarcastic coercion, “Of course, if you refuse, then I can only ask you to die.”

 

“After all, wasting too much time on you would only make my ally suspect that I, who originally planned to support him, was carried away by those foolish birds we haven’t had direct communication with yet…”

 

“We agree,” the giant rhinoceros said through gritted teeth.

 

Not wanting to die, wanting to understand the truth. With both overlapping, betrayal no longer seemed like betrayal, right?

 

Never telling subordinates anything – how could subordinates advance according to the king’s thoughts?

 

“Whether you need us to unite with you to attack our king, or need to use our betrayal to stimulate the [Tiger], it’s all up to you. I just want the truth.”

 

“It really looks like a choice made after going all-in,” Leia said with a smile. “So high-sounding that it’s even more hypocritical than what I said when I established a new king for the Water Tribe.”

 

The Beast Tribe monster beasts stopped speaking.

 

Leia shrugged and once again focused his attention on the battlefield.

 

****

 

Egbert’s pupils were filled with bloodshot veins. He rolled on the ground, dodging a row of dark elemental bands that shot toward him.

 

Lan Zhe and Roy were also trying their best to avoid those… seemingly endless attacks.

 

Clemens’s elemental reserves far exceeded Su Li’s.

 

Not only was his elemental quantity large, but his elemental attributes were particularly pure.

 

Those elemental bands around his body were themselves the result of the dark elements pervading his surroundings gathering together.

 

This kind of virtually infinite elements, physical body powerful enough to rival monsters, ferocious combat ability, no concern for his own kind, no obvious weaknesses, no clear goals…

 

Could such a being really be defeated?

 

An elemental orb hit Lan Zhe’s back. The Dark Holy Son let out a “wah” and spat out a large mouthful of fresh blood.

 

Only after consuming large amounts of elemental potions did Lan Zhe manage to escape the destructive power of the dark elements on his internal organs.

 

Time passed for a long while, yet also seemed like just an instant of fear silently spreading.

 

Su Li silently appeared directly in front of the [Tiger]. His right hand was extended straight, palm facing the intersection point in the middle of the “王” on Clemens’s forehead.

 

Large amounts of elemental power began to gather. The Human Spirit from the depths of consciousness was loudly declaring: Now was the best time to attack Clemens’s heart!

 

The reason?

 

[For beings attempting to become gods, destroying the physical body does not have true destructive meaning. What you truly need to destroy is his divine nature.]

 

[You must ensure that his body can no longer condense those dark elemental bands around it. You must ensure that fear no longer needs to be linked with darkness.]

 

Elemental particles scattered and danced, powers of various colors once again gathered into the shape of chains.

 

Why was the timing now?

 

Who exactly possessed the power to influence others’ thinking – Clemens, or what the spirit called the so-called divine nature?

 

If a God of Darkness existed in the world, then who was the God of Light?

 

Were the actions of the Church of Light truly unrelated to the God of Light?

 

If Clemens was the God of Darkness, then the God of Light could only possibly be the [Spirit]?

 

Kill the [Tiger], kill him! The consciousness in the depths of his brain kept clamoring. The elemental concentration of the chains grew increasingly profound, and cracks appeared on the ring on his index finger.

 

Crack, crack——

 

For unknown reasons and unknown causes.

 

When facing a powerful enemy, Su Li should have only focused on Clemens.

 

But at this moment, Su Li followed his heart’s intention and turned his head.

 

He saw…

 

He saw the super weapon born from human hands being driven by Winged Tribe monster beasts.

 

Adonis had a trace of fanaticism on his face, Asgari’s eyes were filled with confusion about the unclear situation. Adison? The butterfly spirit had completely collapsed to the ground – after his power was drained, he had directly lost consciousness.

 

Why was he the one who fainted?

 

Su Li didn’t understand why his vision could focus on scenery several kilometers away at this moment, but all of this naturally unfolded before his eyes.

 

The barrel of the strange device, elemental powers of various colors compressed to the extreme – the two combined successfully produced a second attack.

 

Would it strike over here?

 

Was it driven by humans or by monster beasts?

 

What did making fear no longer linked with darkness mean?

 

Humans feared darkness. Even the myriad lights of modern society couldn’t make humans with unfathomable thoughts feel peaceful.

 

Ultimately, fear existed only because other emotional perceptions weren’t packed to overflowing throughout the entire mind.

 

Happiness, extreme happiness – then no matter what one faced, it would be impossible to trigger fear.

 

Ultimately, to prevent fear from becoming Clemens’s source of power, one only needed to make everyone shift their attention.

 

What was truly terrifying was…

 

Had it always been mental manipulation?

 

Kill him?

 

Huh?

 

Why kill him…

 

What could be gained by killing Clemens?

 

Must killing Clemens be the prerequisite for obtaining those things?

 

Something was wrong, very wrong.

 

In an instant, Su Li’s brain replayed everything about himself from recent days.

 

Speaking less, shortening communication with others, rarely thinking deeply about things he saw.

 

Speaking less could be attributed to spring turning to summer, seasonal influence. Reduced communication with others could also be explained as everyone understanding his unspoken words, thus not needing to waste words on excessive explanations.

 

But not thinking deeply about visible things…?

 

Don’t joke around!

 

This kind of thinking was the absolute foundation that Su Li, living in this world, could abandon anything but could never abandon.

 

Just like how people would die if they didn’t eat.

 

This was natural law.

 

Seeing the [Tiger], although the main thoughts wouldn’t be “Would a black tiger become a national treasure in modern society?” “Which dinosaur from the dinosaur era would a hundred-meter-tall tiger’s body size most closely resemble?” “Why do dark elemental bands look very much like meteor tails streaking across the sky?” “When creatures try to become gods, do they pursue immortality or breakthrough in consciousness?” “Do philosophy and theology have any common ground…”

 

But these things – he couldn’t possibly not think about them!

 

Su Li was someone, the kind of person who would continuously think and even make decisions even in his dreams.

 

Yet his mind was full of killing Clemens…

 

Ah ha…?

 

The sound of a mirror shattering came from deep within his heart.

 

The sound of a gem cracking rang out from the front of his index finger joint.

 

The young man’s voice was like a whisper in the night.

 

“Do I look like the kind of…”

 

The power in his right palm grew increasingly massive.

 

This time, Su Li aimed not at the so-called divine nature, but at Clemens’s skull.

 

The young man’s subsequent words continued:

 

“Idiot who casually tosses his own brain around for fun?”

 

[Spirit]

 

[Human Spirit]

 

A unique life form that depended on humans for survival.

 

Lacking direct combat ability, but possessing the ability to influence human hearts.

 

The root of influencing hearts wasn’t because it was a human spirit, but because everything that composed this world was fundamentally elemental.

 

Everything included spirits.

 

If the price of possessing elements was to make oneself no longer like oneself, then Su Li would rather choose to live without such power.

 

“It can’t be that for humans, not having special powers means they truly can’t survive!”

 

Massive power emanated from his palm. The ring on his right index finger shattered. Scattered, having lost all power, the young man once again…

 

Fell from the sky.

 

Only this time, it wasn’t him who steadied himself.

 

But countless people rushing toward him together…