Chapter 12 Chapter Eleven Truth and Consequences
I took off my coat and examined the wound on my arm carefully.Dominic Flipside cut from wrist to elbow, and the blood still gushes out to this day.I didn't feel much when I didn't see the wound before, but now I feel extremely painful when I see it.The wound showed no signs of self-healing.Suzie bandages my wound with great skill and care, but she always wears gloves on her hands.I would have liked to groan loudly, or at least curse softly, but since Tommy Abrian, who was much more wounded than I, was silent, I couldn't be so weak.Suzy tightened the bandages on the front and back of my arm, and I stretched carefully.
"We'll have to sew up the wound later," Susie said.
"Yeah, say something to make me happy." I looked at Dominique's body. "Didn't expect a killer as cunning as him to use a silver dagger. Glad you happened to be wearing bandages, Suzy."
"What's good? I always carry a full first aid kit with me. As a bounty hunter, these are a must. Too bad most employers won't let me write off medical supplies, what a bunch of bastards."
I put my coat back on, letting the ripped sleeves hang over my arms. "I think..." I thought for a moment and said. "They won't let you reimburse because there's no way to determine whether it's you who used the consumables or the target you injured."
"Don't be silly, John. You know I only take the dead. It saves a lot of paperwork."
We turned to look at Tommy Abrian, still sitting slumped against the outer wall of St. Jude's.Suzie had pushed his internal organs into place and wrapped nearly half a mile of bandages around his abdomen, but at this moment those bandages were already stained with blood again.Tommy's brow was sweating, his face was pale, his eyes were wide open, and the corners of his mouth quivered.In this case, there is absolutely no way for him to use his willpower to awaken his talent to heal himself.
"We have to take him back to the Stranger Tavern." Suzy whispered. "The sooner the better."
"I can't use my loyalty card, and I can't use his," I said in the same voice. "Lilith has a way of hacking the membership card. She's on the verge of finding me, Suzy. I must never be found by her."
Susie looked at the devastated wasteland, and saw bursts of strange light coming from the other side of the horizon. "We're far from the tavern, John. We're far from any human habitation. Tommy wouldn't be able to walk across a war zone. Seriously, there's no way even the two of us could make it. Things are bad out there...how about we go inside St. Jude's and pray for a miracle?"
"Why don't you go in?" I said. "Tommy and I will stay out and wait. St. Jude is notorious for not forgiving sinners."
"Could you two please keep your voice down?" Tommy said hoarsely. "I'm dying with a splitting headache."
"He's starting to hallucinate." Susie said.
"It's fine if it's really a hallucination." Tommy said.
Suzy moved closer to me, pressed her lips to my ear and said, "Maybe it would be kinder to kill him here, John. Dragging him across the war zone just made his death more painful. His screams The noise would attract unwanted attention. I managed to do it, and I did it cleanly and without causing him any pain."
"No." I said. "I can't let him down. I can't watch him die. He saved my life. He crawled twenty feet and set fire to a lone spirit with six shots in his body. That's what I've ever seen in my life Most heroic act. In my journey into the past, I failed to be the hero he expected. But now he has become my lifesaver."
I'm reminded of what Larry Abrian said to me in Last Stand of the Future. "He trusted you, even when he had absolutely no reason to trust you. And yet when they knocked him down, you stood by and watched him die, doing nothing."
I look at Suzie. "How did you get here?"
"Razor Eddie used a razor to cut a crack connecting the two places out of thin air. I walked into the crack and came over." Susie's eyes turned cold, and she said firmly: "There is only one way to save him. Use you Talent, John. Find a way to the tavern."
"Using talent is no different than using a membership card," I said reluctantly. "Both will attract Lilith's attention. If you always rely on luck, luck will run out sooner or later. However... in this situation, Tommy's chance of survival is much lower than mine, so..."
Calling on my genius, I focused on trying to find my way through the chaos.Not for me, but for my friends; because they all stood up for me when I needed help.I tried my best, gritted my teeth, and sweat dripped down my face continuously.I sensed an opportunity, a possibility, close at hand, something we'd all been ignoring.I squeezed my talent to the point of a splitting headache, forcing my mind's eye to find what it was looking for.Finally, a door appeared before my eyes, or an existence containing the spirit of the portal.That is the rift in space opened by Razor Eddie with his godlike will and terrifying razor.The door closed automatically after Eddie left it alone, but the remaining gap was still there, but normal people couldn't see it.I opened my mouth and laughed like a dog barking.I finally found a way out.I felt Suzie coming to me, soothing my soul with her presence, but I couldn't see her or hear her voice.
I put all the willpower in my body on this invisible door, my muscles tensed, my stomach hurt like a twist, and bit by bit I regrouped the vanished portal.My skin was constantly sweating, my whole body was in pain, and my head seemed to fly away from my body at any moment.Blood oozed from the nostrils and ears, and even flowed from the eye sockets.I pushed my talent to an unprecedented level, and I did a lot of damage to my body.My breathing was short and heavy, my heart seemed to jump out of my chest at any moment, my field of vision narrowed rapidly, and finally only the portal was left in front of me.Now that door is fully visible, as real as my own being, simply because I want it to be.I lost feeling in the palms of my hands, and even felt no pain in my injured arm.A terrible chill hit the body.I bent my knees and fell to my knees, but there was no pain at all.I vaguely knew Suzie was crouching beside me, calling my name, but even her voice faded away from me.
I yelped as the portal burst open, a piercing cry of triumph.The portal floated before us like a window in the air.I turned off the talent, but the portal didn't disappear.It has completely succumbed to my will.Sight, hearing, and all the senses came back to me in the blink of an eye.I saw Suzie knelt beside me, putting her hands on my shoulders and shouting.I slowly turned my head and smiled at her, opened the corner of my mouth that was oozing blood, and mumbled a few words.She saw that I had regained consciousness, so she stopped shouting and took out a very clean handkerchief from the inner pocket of the leather jacket to wipe the blood and tears on my face.After I finished resting, she supported me to stand up again.
Through the portal, I can see the scene in the stranger's tavern.Walker and Alex Muresi were looking at us from the other end with comic-book surprises.I smiled and waved to them, and they immediately returned to normal expressions.Suzie helped me to step into the portal.
"No." I forced myself to say. "Take Tommy first, I'll be cured, he won't."
She nodded and let go of my hand.I swayed, but didn't fall again.Suzy picked up Tommy like a child and walked towards the portal.Tommy whimpered at the sudden pain, but that was all.For an existentialist with a weak exterior, he was a very tough guy.Suzie took him through the portal into the tavern, then came back to help me.I walked into the tavern with my own strength, but this is actually a very dangerous move.I pushed myself too hard this time, and I will pay the price later.Although there is werewolf blood in his body, God knows how much effect the blood will have left after Belle and Suzie change hands?
Suzie was close by my side, ready to help me if I fell to the ground.
Isn't this the best expression of love?
The portal closed tightly behind us, and we were finally back at the Stranger's Tavern.By this time Alex had laid Tommy Abrian on a table, and Lucy and Betty Coltrane were hurrying to get the healing spells.Tommy's breathing sounded terrible.I wanted to walk towards him, but suddenly I felt a cold and hot feeling hit my body, as if the whole tavern was shaking.Suzy pulled me a chair, and I immediately sank down gratefully.I struggled to examine my injuries, and found that there seemed to be no place to bleed on my body, and all my senses slowly recovered, and my whole body began to ache.Suzy snapped her fingers loudly, begged for a rag and some water, and started cleaning the blood off my face.The cold water feels so good on my skin and my mind is finally starting to clear. Razor Eddie stood in front of me, his expression very serious, his appearance still dirty, and his almost sick eyes radiated a deep look.He held a bottle of Periya mineral water in his hand, surrounded by countless flies.At such a close distance, his body odor was almost unbearable. "You reopened the portal I opened." He finally said with a ghostly look. "I didn't know you had it. I never thought anyone could." "Yeah, well..." I pretended to be relaxed. "It's always possible to unleash human potential when you have a mother by your side." Walker fetched me a glass of absinthe brandy.Although I would rather drink a cold and refreshing Coke, I still took the glass.I nodded my thanks and he nodded back at me.This is probably the limit of emotional communication between us.Whether we like it or not, the relationship between us is much closer than before.Susie stopped wiping the blood, looked at the bright red rag in her hand, nodded and threw the rag aside.She sat on the edge of the table facing me and started cleaning the barrel of the shotgun. On a table not far away, Tommy Abrian suddenly woke up in pain under Alex's spell.Betty and Lucy Coltrane held him down with all their might, while Tommy kept yelling obscenities that an existentialist shouldn't be able to say.Alex's spells are usually extremely violent, but effective immediately.I saw him chanting old Saxon spells while splashing sticky blue liquid on Tommy's exposed internal organs.Dead Boy stood behind him, watching him cast the spell with great interest. "I can lend you some rolls of tape if you like," he said. "I've always thought duct tape worked great." "Stay away from my patients, you freak." Alex said without looking up. "Or I'll put these super glues on your mouth." "Superglue?" Tommy gasped. "You're supergluing the wound? I want another doctor!" "Well, you're a noisy guy too." Alex said. "Shut up now and let me do my thing. Didn't see any GIs complain about superglue in Vietnam, and you don't need all the guts anyway... ok, done. Wait a few minutes for the superglue to dry, Nature will merge with the spell, and you will be able to get up when the time comes. The bullets are all with me, do you want to keep a souvenir?" Everyone couldn't help laughing when Tommy told Alex where to put the bullets.I looked around, observing the people who were still in the tavern.They are the last allies against Lilith.To be honest, the number of people is a bit small.I looked at Walker, who shrugged at me.He has returned to his former style, but his face is still full of fatigue. "The rest of my subordinates are performing missions outside, and the rest are either missing or dead. What you see...is all the combat power left." The only one left was Alex Muresi wiping the blood from his hands with a dirty rag.It was a black rag mourning the good life he had to miss as Alex Muresi.He cursed at me a few times, complaining that I had made his tavern so virtuous, but it was obvious that he was not paying attention.Tommy Abrian sat up at the table by this time, looking forlornly at his tattered shirt.He forced a smile, nodded at me, and gave me a thumbs up.Betty and Lucy Coltrane picked two chairs that could have a panoramic view of the tavern. While sitting and resting, they were always on guard against intruders.Their bodies are still as strong as usual, but they each have two extra dark circles under their eyes. Dead Boy strikes a laid-back pose in a baggy purple coat; Miss Destiny strikes a heroic pose in superhero attire, including a mask and cape.Standing next to Miss Fate in a big black leather coat is my teenage secretary, Cathy Barrett.I stopped and looked at her intently. "Cathy... what are you doing wearing a black mask?" "Miss Fate asked me to be her follower!" Cathy said happily. "I should be nicknamed the Deathfang Avenger or..." I couldn't help closing my eyes.teenager…… Razor Eddie stood alone, away from the others, as usual.Eddie had never been a gregarious person.Julian Advent held a champagne glass in one hand and a long cigar in the other, exuding a strong Victorian aura from his whole body, but the cloak behind him was already covered with holes and scorched marks.With his combination of size, courage, and indomitable spirit, he looked the most like a true hero of our group, because he was a true hero.Larry Abrian, in a tattered Gucci suit, stood next to his brother, nodding slightly as I glanced over. "You saved my brother's life," he said. "Thank you." "You're welcome," I said. I didn't abandon Tommy, and the thought brought a warmth to my heart.It meant that I had finally broken an obvious link between the present and the future.It felt so good, so good.But then a sense of guilt welled up in my heart, because saving a person who gave his life to save me was not as important to me as breaking the link in the future.I've always wanted to be good, but sometimes, life is just too complicated... "We are all very happy to see you back, Taylor." Walker said coldly. "But you'd better have some great plan, because we've run out of options. We're losing ground, John." I heard flames burning, guns exploding, footsteps running, human screams, and monsters roaring outside the tavern.Merlin's defensive magic is still effective, but the "big war" is getting closer and closer.It suddenly dawned on me that this might be the only safe haven left in the Nightside.I thought of the sight of my enemies embracing each other hiding in the last base, and couldn't help but tremble from the inside. "Is there anything else we can do?" Walker said. "We have tried head-on conflict, setting up roadblocks, hit-and-run, and guerrilla warfare, and all strategies can only slow down Lilith's progress slightly. Now we are the only ones left... We all have our own strengths, and everyone has their own strengths." It is a pity that the other party is Lilith. Even her offspring have been worshiped as gods for hundreds of years. Lilith represents a powerful force that humans cannot understand at all, and her army is growing day by day. Strong. I really hope that most people will join her under her command only out of fear, and will try their best to get out of her grasp as long as they have the opportunity, but..." Everyone looked at me, and the tavern was suddenly quiet, but I had nothing to say.I have no plans, no ideas, and all organs have been exhausted. "Can't you use your talent to find out what Lilith will do next?" Cathy asked.It was hard for me to meet her gaze because she still had faith in me. "Can't your talent find a way to defeat her?" I shook my head slowly. "I know you want to help, Cathy, but my talent doesn't work that way. Besides, under the current situation, using my talent is tantamount to revealing my true location to Lilith." "But the way you use your talent is always something new." "The clearer the question, the more complete the answer." I said wearily. "Questions that are too vague are not answered in any meaningful way." "Where did you get this talent?" Miss Fate asked. "I wish I had that kind of talent. I had to go through a lot of training to make me who I am today." "I got my talent from a game of poker," said Tommy Abrian suddenly. "It's the truth," said his brother Larry. "And he still bluffed, and he only had one-vs-threes in that hand. I really can't believe it." "My gift is inherited from an inhuman mother," I said. "The only inheritance I've ever had." "That's interesting," said Julian Advent. "Why did you inherit this unique talent, and why didn't you inherit other abilities? I mean, your mother is an ancient god, a mythical figure in the Bible. I think even by chance, you should be able to Inheriting half of her power is right. Since you only inherited this single talent, it means that she only wants you to get this talent. She doesn't want you to have the power to fight her, but she gave you this thing to find talent. Why?" A sudden earthquake shook the entire tavern.The table shook violently, the chairs wobbled, and the whole floor rattled.Cracks appeared in the walls, and there was the sound of cracking wood at the bar.People support each other so as not to lose their feet.The wine bottles in the wine cabinet fell one after another, and the surrounding light sources shook wildly.At first I thought it was Lilith finally coming to the door to break through Merlin's defense.However, the shock soon disappeared, and everything returned to tranquility again.Everyone stood in place, ready to face any possible threat. "The cellar!" Alex called suddenly. "I heard something moving, in the cellar!" We all remained silent and listened quietly.It'll come out of the cellar of the Stranger's Tavern, and it won't be anything good.Finally, we heard the faint but distinct sound of footsteps, slow, determined, and relentless, approaching, step by step, down the stairs under the bar.Then, the secret door on the floor behind the bar suddenly burst open, and the ancient wizard Merlin finally appeared in the tavern.Merlin from Canmelot, the only heir of the devil, climbed out of the grave covered in mud and came to us.I knew that as long as he had the heart, that oversized cross wouldn't be able to trap him at all. Merlin walked out from behind the bar in a leisurely manner, slowly admiring the terrified expressions on people's faces.Alex was dumbfounded.He had never seen his ancestor before, because so far, Merlin had always appeared on him through possession.But this time he really showed up, and Merlin's body crawled out of the grave, and walked the world again with his powerful supernatural willpower. Merlin Satanspoon.A man born from hell who became a warrior of heaven.Whether it is the messengers of heaven or hell, they are all afraid of him. His face was long, deep-boned, and hideously ugly, with two flames in hollow eye sockets (it was said that he inherited them from his father...), his hair and beard were long and hard with clay, and his skin was dry. Hard cracks, covered with moss.Still, he was in pretty good shape for a body that had been buried for 1,500 years.He was buried in the magician's robes of deep red, with gold trim around the collar.I remember this robe, it was the robe he was wearing when I killed him.The chest of the robe was open to reveal a druid tattooed chest underneath, but there was a big hole in the chest, from which I dug out his heart with my bare hands.At that time, I had a very good reason to dig out his heart.As far as I know, he didn't know that the heart was taken out by me. Merlin swaggered into the tavern, and all the tables and chairs on the road gave way automatically.His body continued to make a small rattling sound, and the dust from the grave kept falling from him.He is not breathing.Razor Eddie stood on the spot with a full posture, the razor in his hand was shining with a strong light, but Merlin ignored him.The barrel of Shotgun Suzie never left his head, but Merlin ignored her.Merlin completely ignored Dead Boy, Julian Advent, and everyone else, walking straight towards me.The corners of his mouth were drawn back in a most somber smile, showing yellowed teeth and a pale tongue. He stopped in front of me and bowed slightly. "Finally this moment has come." His voice was extremely kind, as if he was everyone's favorite elder. "Two sons with extraordinary parents, all their lives they only hope to break away from the influence of their parents and create their own destiny. I was born to be the king of destroying Christianity, but I went against the destiny and insisted on going my own way. My choice was right. I have always been We've had a lot in common since, you and I, John Taylor." "Why did you come here, wizard?" I asked.With strong willpower, I managed to make the tone sound calm and relaxed. (First rule of survival in the Nightside: Never show weakness or you'll be ridden on your head in no time.) "After all these centuries, what made you leave the grave again?" "I'm going to tell you something you need to know." He still had that unsettling smile on his face. "I know why Lilith gave you only one gift and not the greatest power in the Nightside. I am old and wise and know things I should never know. Death cannot stop me from listening, cannot Prevent me from learning. The reason why Lilith only left you that talent is because she will use that talent when she returns, and your talent will help her find a key item that can control Nightside." "I thought you should have figured it out a long time ago. If she really has the ability to reshape Nightside with her own will, why not reshape it now, isn't it? During her absence, Nightside has continued to grow and change , and now it has evolved into a place beyond her imagination... If not, why would she organize an army to conquer Nightside?" "Why didn't you show up before?" Walker asked suddenly. "You can help. Why wait until now, when it's almost too late?" "I only show up now because you finally asked the right question." Merlin never took his eyes off my face.He pulled up a chair and sat down in front of me. His posture and momentum turned an ordinary chair into an incomparable throne in an instant.His appearance dominates everything and attracts everyone's attention. "Now that I am alive again, Lilith will know that I am back. She will know where to find me. She must face me, because I am the only one who can contend with her. Unless she witnesses my destruction, Otherwise she will never feel at ease." "Can you stop her?" Julian Advent asked. Merlin ignored him, still staring at me. "The defensive spells I have placed around this tavern cannot stop her forever, she will come soon. If I am still like this when she comes, then she can kill me with a look and a spell." Knock down. Then she'll invade your body, John, and make you her puppet, taking your talents for herself. That's what she intended from the beginning." I thought about it for a long time, letting the silence around me grow more and more dignified. "But you showed up, and you came to save the Nightside. Because you have a plan in mind, don't you, Merlin?" He nods. "Yes. I have a plan." "Of course. You are Merlin Satanspoon, and you are fully prepared for any situation." "Don't mention my father." Merlin said. "You know we never get along. Now, John Tyler, I need your talent. I want you to find my heart and bring it to me. I'll put it back in my chest, and ...Ah, and then... I will show you sights and miracles that cannot be imagined in your dreams! I will be resurrected again, with a new body and life, and regain all the ancient power! I will become this age The greatest magician, leave this tavern and gain the ultimate freedom... Then come forward to teach Lilith a lesson, let her understand where she is wrong." After a long silence, I looked around.Apparently no one except Merlin thought this was a good idea. "You might be able to defeat Lilith," I finally said. "Probably not. Even if you do defeat her... who can guarantee that you won't bring the same threat to the Nightside?" Everyone looked at me, and then at Merlin.He slowly stood up from the chair, his bones cracking.I stood where I was, facing his gaze without showing any weakness. "I can force you to help me find my heart." Merlin said. "No, you can't," I said. We both stared at each other without moving.I looked at the two flames in his eye sockets and felt an unprecedented chill.In the end, Merlin was the first to look away, and sat back on the chair with a solemn expression.In order not to let others see how much my feet were shaking, I sat down immediately.The sound of admiration continued to come from all around, but I could only nod slightly with a stiff body.I'm the only one in the whole tavern who can be sure that I'm putting on a show. "Enough is enough," I said out loud. "I've heard too much speculation, too many warnings, and too many prophecies of doom. Now is the time to get straight to the point and reveal the truth. You're right, Cathy, the only way to find out is to use my talent. So, talent, why did Lilith give you to me?" I thought I'd have to face another challenge, raise my willpower to a near-death level again, but in the end, it all turned out to be as simple as taking a deep breath.It seemed like my gift had been waiting my entire life to ask the only question that mattered.I saw my shadow walk in front of me, leave my body, condense the actual shape, and become a clone exactly like me.Except for the darkness in the eye sockets, all the details are meticulous.Talent stood leaning against a table, with his hands crossed on his chest, and smiled mockingly at me. "It finally occurred to you to ask me," it said.Its voice is soft and confident, with just a hint of provocation. "Okay, here I come, John, your genius incarnate. Ask whatever you want." "Good." My mouth felt dry. "How do you work? Why do you always find things that others can't?" "It's very simple. I have direct contact with reality itself, so as to see through everything that exists. My ability is actually much stronger than you imagine, John." "Damn it," Tommy whispered. "This is really... too weird." "Why did Lilith give you to me?" I asked. "Because she's going to use you to find out the most powerful weapon in the world, the Gun of True Name. This gun was originally created to kill angels and demons, but it's capable of much more than that. Lilith will use the real name gun to reshape Nightside into the way she wanted it to be, to bring everything back to the most primitive concept, back to Nightside before the human invasion and blinded Nightside's nature and purpose. This gun was created by her long, long ago Created. At the beginning, Adam used his ribs and flesh and blood to create Eve; and when Lilith returned from hell, had sex with countless demons, and gave birth to countless monsters, she also relied on the help of exorcism craftsmen to use her ribs and flesh and blood to create Eve. Create the Gun of the True Name." "That's right." Suzy said suddenly. "There is an inscription on the handle of the gun of the real name: 'Exorcism craftsman. Time-honored. Since the beginning of Chaos, it has helped you solve problems.' I remember everything related to weapons very clearly." "Very good." My clone said. "Shut up now and listen, maybe you'll learn something. The exorcist was the world's first murderer - a descendant of Cain. If not, who do you think could have created such extraordinary destruction Weapon?" The avatar paused, and said again: "You should know that what I'm talking about now is an allegory, and what I represent is a more complicated reality! Very well, I can continue. The Gun of True Name is designed to The Word of Creation is pronounced in reverse. The Word of Creation is the language used to define the nature of things and to give all individuals a secret original name. By reversing the original name, the Gun of True Name can reverse all things Create, and then erase everything in the world. However, the Gun of True Name has another purpose. When it is held in the hands of the strong who gave it life with his own flesh and blood, the Gun of True Name can recreate the original name of all things. Pronunciation, and then change the nature of everything, and recreate the world. Lilith will use the real name gun to repronounce the original name of Nightside, and use her own thoughts to reshape Nightside into everything she imagined. Basically, I Personally, I am very happy to see it come true…” "Enough." I said, withdrawing my talent.Talent didn't resist, and obediently retreated into the darkness, becoming my shadow again.I think that from now on, I will not be able to look at my own shadow calmly, and then I think that talent is parasitic in my body like a parasite, maybe I will never be able to trust it without reservation. "Then..." Walker finally said. "Who owns the gun of the real name? My subordinates have lost it for a long time." "I saw the real name gun here last time, and it was in the hands of Susie Huett from the future." Alex looked at Susie apologetically and said. "In the end, both were expelled from our era by Merlin." "Don't look at me." Merlin said.Ever since he was glared at by me, his aura has not been as good as before. "I just kicked them out of here. They could have been anywhere, in any age." "The last time I saw it in this era, it was in Eddie's hands." I said and looked at Eddie.Everyone looked at Eddie with me.Eddie nodded slowly. "It was during the Angel Wars, and you took the Gun of Real Name against the angels from heaven and hell." I said it carefully, trying to avoid any provocative tone. "What did you do with it afterwards, Eddie?" "Give it away." Razor Eddie said coldly. "Give it to Father Time, he is the only life I can think of who has the ability to control the real name gun." "I thought the only thing you cared about was punishing rape and eliminating evil!" Susie said. "No." Razor Eddie said. "I want redemption. The two are different. Every time I held the Gun of True Name, I felt that it was trying to control me, trying to seduce me with its endless desire for death and destruction. But I have already I've had those temptations, and I've tasted the consequences of that temptation. Now, I'm beyond that." "According to the report of his subordinates, the Tower of Time has been destroyed by Lilith." Walker said seriously. "The whole tower is in ruins. Father Time is dead, and the Gun of True Name is buried in the ground." "No," I said, with a gleam of hope in my heart. "The Realm of Time is not in Night City at all. The Tower of Time is just a portal for people to talk to him. There is another way to find Father Time... So, who wants to carry out the final suicide mission together? Please Don't all raise your hands together."
The portal closed tightly behind us, and we were finally back at the Stranger's Tavern.By this time Alex had laid Tommy Abrian on a table, and Lucy and Betty Coltrane were hurrying to get the healing spells.Tommy's breathing sounded terrible.I wanted to walk towards him, but suddenly I felt a cold and hot feeling hit my body, as if the whole tavern was shaking.Suzy pulled me a chair, and I immediately sank down gratefully.I struggled to examine my injuries, and found that there seemed to be no place to bleed on my body, and all my senses slowly recovered, and my whole body began to ache.Suzy snapped her fingers loudly, begged for a rag and some water, and started cleaning the blood off my face.The cold water feels so good on my skin and my mind is finally starting to clear. Razor Eddie stood in front of me, his expression very serious, his appearance still dirty, and his almost sick eyes radiated a deep look.He held a bottle of Periya mineral water in his hand, surrounded by countless flies.At such a close distance, his body odor was almost unbearable. "You reopened the portal I opened." He finally said with a ghostly look. "I didn't know you had it. I never thought anyone could." "Yeah, well..." I pretended to be relaxed. "It's always possible to unleash human potential when you have a mother by your side." Walker fetched me a glass of absinthe brandy.Although I would rather drink a cold and refreshing Coke, I still took the glass.I nodded my thanks and he nodded back at me.This is probably the limit of emotional communication between us.Whether we like it or not, the relationship between us is much closer than before.Susie stopped wiping the blood, looked at the bright red rag in her hand, nodded and threw the rag aside.She sat on the edge of the table facing me and started cleaning the barrel of the shotgun. On a table not far away, Tommy Abrian suddenly woke up in pain under Alex's spell.Betty and Lucy Coltrane held him down with all their might, while Tommy kept yelling obscenities that an existentialist shouldn't be able to say.Alex's spells are usually extremely violent, but effective immediately.I saw him chanting old Saxon spells while splashing sticky blue liquid on Tommy's exposed internal organs.Dead Boy stood behind him, watching him cast the spell with great interest. "I can lend you some rolls of tape if you like," he said. "I've always thought duct tape worked great." "Stay away from my patients, you freak." Alex said without looking up. "Or I'll put these super glues on your mouth." "Superglue?" Tommy gasped. "You're supergluing the wound? I want another doctor!" "Well, you're a noisy guy too." Alex said. "Shut up now and let me do my thing. Didn't see any GIs complain about superglue in Vietnam, and you don't need all the guts anyway... ok, done. Wait a few minutes for the superglue to dry, Nature will merge with the spell, and you will be able to get up when the time comes. The bullets are all with me, do you want to keep a souvenir?" Everyone couldn't help laughing when Tommy told Alex where to put the bullets.I looked around, observing the people who were still in the tavern.They are the last allies against Lilith.To be honest, the number of people is a bit small.I looked at Walker, who shrugged at me.He has returned to his former style, but his face is still full of fatigue. "The rest of my subordinates are performing missions outside, and the rest are either missing or dead. What you see...is all the combat power left." The only one left was Alex Muresi wiping the blood from his hands with a dirty rag.It was a black rag mourning the good life he had to miss as Alex Muresi.He cursed at me a few times, complaining that I had made his tavern so virtuous, but it was obvious that he was not paying attention.Tommy Abrian sat up at the table by this time, looking forlornly at his tattered shirt.He forced a smile, nodded at me, and gave me a thumbs up.Betty and Lucy Coltrane picked two chairs that could have a panoramic view of the tavern. While sitting and resting, they were always on guard against intruders.Their bodies are still as strong as usual, but they each have two extra dark circles under their eyes. Dead Boy strikes a laid-back pose in a baggy purple coat; Miss Destiny strikes a heroic pose in superhero attire, including a mask and cape.Standing next to Miss Fate in a big black leather coat is my teenage secretary, Cathy Barrett.I stopped and looked at her intently. "Cathy... what are you doing wearing a black mask?" "Miss Fate asked me to be her follower!" Cathy said happily. "I should be nicknamed the Deathfang Avenger or..." I couldn't help closing my eyes.teenager…… Razor Eddie stood alone, away from the others, as usual.Eddie had never been a gregarious person.Julian Advent held a champagne glass in one hand and a long cigar in the other, exuding a strong Victorian aura from his whole body, but the cloak behind him was already covered with holes and scorched marks.With his combination of size, courage, and indomitable spirit, he looked the most like a true hero of our group, because he was a true hero.Larry Abrian, in a tattered Gucci suit, stood next to his brother, nodding slightly as I glanced over. "You saved my brother's life," he said. "Thank you." "You're welcome," I said. I didn't abandon Tommy, and the thought brought a warmth to my heart.It meant that I had finally broken an obvious link between the present and the future.It felt so good, so good.But then a sense of guilt welled up in my heart, because saving a person who gave his life to save me was not as important to me as breaking the link in the future.I've always wanted to be good, but sometimes, life is just too complicated... "We are all very happy to see you back, Taylor." Walker said coldly. "But you'd better have some great plan, because we've run out of options. We're losing ground, John." I heard flames burning, guns exploding, footsteps running, human screams, and monsters roaring outside the tavern.Merlin's defensive magic is still effective, but the "big war" is getting closer and closer.It suddenly dawned on me that this might be the only safe haven left in the Nightside.I thought of the sight of my enemies embracing each other hiding in the last base, and couldn't help but tremble from the inside. "Is there anything else we can do?" Walker said. "We have tried head-on conflict, setting up roadblocks, hit-and-run, and guerrilla warfare, and all strategies can only slow down Lilith's progress slightly. Now we are the only ones left... We all have our own strengths, and everyone has their own strengths." It is a pity that the other party is Lilith. Even her offspring have been worshiped as gods for hundreds of years. Lilith represents a powerful force that humans cannot understand at all, and her army is growing day by day. Strong. I really hope that most people will join her under her command only out of fear, and will try their best to get out of her grasp as long as they have the opportunity, but..." Everyone looked at me, and the tavern was suddenly quiet, but I had nothing to say.I have no plans, no ideas, and all organs have been exhausted. "Can't you use your talent to find out what Lilith will do next?" Cathy asked.It was hard for me to meet her gaze because she still had faith in me. "Can't your talent find a way to defeat her?" I shook my head slowly. "I know you want to help, Cathy, but my talent doesn't work that way. Besides, under the current situation, using my talent is tantamount to revealing my true location to Lilith." "But the way you use your talent is always something new." "The clearer the question, the more complete the answer." I said wearily. "Questions that are too vague are not answered in any meaningful way." "Where did you get this talent?" Miss Fate asked. "I wish I had that kind of talent. I had to go through a lot of training to make me who I am today." "I got my talent from a game of poker," said Tommy Abrian suddenly. "It's the truth," said his brother Larry. "And he still bluffed, and he only had one-vs-threes in that hand. I really can't believe it." "My gift is inherited from an inhuman mother," I said. "The only inheritance I've ever had." "That's interesting," said Julian Advent. "Why did you inherit this unique talent, and why didn't you inherit other abilities? I mean, your mother is an ancient god, a mythical figure in the Bible. I think even by chance, you should be able to Inheriting half of her power is right. Since you only inherited this single talent, it means that she only wants you to get this talent. She doesn't want you to have the power to fight her, but she gave you this thing to find talent. Why?" A sudden earthquake shook the entire tavern.The table shook violently, the chairs wobbled, and the whole floor rattled.Cracks appeared in the walls, and there was the sound of cracking wood at the bar.People support each other so as not to lose their feet.The wine bottles in the wine cabinet fell one after another, and the surrounding light sources shook wildly.At first I thought it was Lilith finally coming to the door to break through Merlin's defense.However, the shock soon disappeared, and everything returned to tranquility again.Everyone stood in place, ready to face any possible threat. "The cellar!" Alex called suddenly. "I heard something moving, in the cellar!" We all remained silent and listened quietly.It'll come out of the cellar of the Stranger's Tavern, and it won't be anything good.Finally, we heard the faint but distinct sound of footsteps, slow, determined, and relentless, approaching, step by step, down the stairs under the bar.Then, the secret door on the floor behind the bar suddenly burst open, and the ancient wizard Merlin finally appeared in the tavern.Merlin from Canmelot, the only heir of the devil, climbed out of the grave covered in mud and came to us.I knew that as long as he had the heart, that oversized cross wouldn't be able to trap him at all. Merlin walked out from behind the bar in a leisurely manner, slowly admiring the terrified expressions on people's faces.Alex was dumbfounded.He had never seen his ancestor before, because so far, Merlin had always appeared on him through possession.But this time he really showed up, and Merlin's body crawled out of the grave, and walked the world again with his powerful supernatural willpower. Merlin Satanspoon.A man born from hell who became a warrior of heaven.Whether it is the messengers of heaven or hell, they are all afraid of him. His face was long, deep-boned, and hideously ugly, with two flames in hollow eye sockets (it was said that he inherited them from his father...), his hair and beard were long and hard with clay, and his skin was dry. Hard cracks, covered with moss.Still, he was in pretty good shape for a body that had been buried for 1,500 years.He was buried in the magician's robes of deep red, with gold trim around the collar.I remember this robe, it was the robe he was wearing when I killed him.The chest of the robe was open to reveal a druid tattooed chest underneath, but there was a big hole in the chest, from which I dug out his heart with my bare hands.At that time, I had a very good reason to dig out his heart.As far as I know, he didn't know that the heart was taken out by me. Merlin swaggered into the tavern, and all the tables and chairs on the road gave way automatically.His body continued to make a small rattling sound, and the dust from the grave kept falling from him.He is not breathing.Razor Eddie stood on the spot with a full posture, the razor in his hand was shining with a strong light, but Merlin ignored him.The barrel of Shotgun Suzie never left his head, but Merlin ignored her.Merlin completely ignored Dead Boy, Julian Advent, and everyone else, walking straight towards me.The corners of his mouth were drawn back in a most somber smile, showing yellowed teeth and a pale tongue. He stopped in front of me and bowed slightly. "Finally this moment has come." His voice was extremely kind, as if he was everyone's favorite elder. "Two sons with extraordinary parents, all their lives they only hope to break away from the influence of their parents and create their own destiny. I was born to be the king of destroying Christianity, but I went against the destiny and insisted on going my own way. My choice was right. I have always been We've had a lot in common since, you and I, John Taylor." "Why did you come here, wizard?" I asked.With strong willpower, I managed to make the tone sound calm and relaxed. (First rule of survival in the Nightside: Never show weakness or you'll be ridden on your head in no time.) "After all these centuries, what made you leave the grave again?" "I'm going to tell you something you need to know." He still had that unsettling smile on his face. "I know why Lilith gave you only one gift and not the greatest power in the Nightside. I am old and wise and know things I should never know. Death cannot stop me from listening, cannot Prevent me from learning. The reason why Lilith only left you that talent is because she will use that talent when she returns, and your talent will help her find a key item that can control Nightside." "I thought you should have figured it out a long time ago. If she really has the ability to reshape Nightside with her own will, why not reshape it now, isn't it? During her absence, Nightside has continued to grow and change , and now it has evolved into a place beyond her imagination... If not, why would she organize an army to conquer Nightside?" "Why didn't you show up before?" Walker asked suddenly. "You can help. Why wait until now, when it's almost too late?" "I only show up now because you finally asked the right question." Merlin never took his eyes off my face.He pulled up a chair and sat down in front of me. His posture and momentum turned an ordinary chair into an incomparable throne in an instant.His appearance dominates everything and attracts everyone's attention. "Now that I am alive again, Lilith will know that I am back. She will know where to find me. She must face me, because I am the only one who can contend with her. Unless she witnesses my destruction, Otherwise she will never feel at ease." "Can you stop her?" Julian Advent asked. Merlin ignored him, still staring at me. "The defensive spells I have placed around this tavern cannot stop her forever, she will come soon. If I am still like this when she comes, then she can kill me with a look and a spell." Knock down. Then she'll invade your body, John, and make you her puppet, taking your talents for herself. That's what she intended from the beginning." I thought about it for a long time, letting the silence around me grow more and more dignified. "But you showed up, and you came to save the Nightside. Because you have a plan in mind, don't you, Merlin?" He nods. "Yes. I have a plan." "Of course. You are Merlin Satanspoon, and you are fully prepared for any situation." "Don't mention my father." Merlin said. "You know we never get along. Now, John Tyler, I need your talent. I want you to find my heart and bring it to me. I'll put it back in my chest, and ...Ah, and then... I will show you sights and miracles that cannot be imagined in your dreams! I will be resurrected again, with a new body and life, and regain all the ancient power! I will become this age The greatest magician, leave this tavern and gain the ultimate freedom... Then come forward to teach Lilith a lesson, let her understand where she is wrong." After a long silence, I looked around.Apparently no one except Merlin thought this was a good idea. "You might be able to defeat Lilith," I finally said. "Probably not. Even if you do defeat her... who can guarantee that you won't bring the same threat to the Nightside?" Everyone looked at me, and then at Merlin.He slowly stood up from the chair, his bones cracking.I stood where I was, facing his gaze without showing any weakness. "I can force you to help me find my heart." Merlin said. "No, you can't," I said. We both stared at each other without moving.I looked at the two flames in his eye sockets and felt an unprecedented chill.In the end, Merlin was the first to look away, and sat back on the chair with a solemn expression.In order not to let others see how much my feet were shaking, I sat down immediately.The sound of admiration continued to come from all around, but I could only nod slightly with a stiff body.I'm the only one in the whole tavern who can be sure that I'm putting on a show. "Enough is enough," I said out loud. "I've heard too much speculation, too many warnings, and too many prophecies of doom. Now is the time to get straight to the point and reveal the truth. You're right, Cathy, the only way to find out is to use my talent. So, talent, why did Lilith give you to me?" I thought I'd have to face another challenge, raise my willpower to a near-death level again, but in the end, it all turned out to be as simple as taking a deep breath.It seemed like my gift had been waiting my entire life to ask the only question that mattered.I saw my shadow walk in front of me, leave my body, condense the actual shape, and become a clone exactly like me.Except for the darkness in the eye sockets, all the details are meticulous.Talent stood leaning against a table, with his hands crossed on his chest, and smiled mockingly at me. "It finally occurred to you to ask me," it said.Its voice is soft and confident, with just a hint of provocation. "Okay, here I come, John, your genius incarnate. Ask whatever you want." "Good." My mouth felt dry. "How do you work? Why do you always find things that others can't?" "It's very simple. I have direct contact with reality itself, so as to see through everything that exists. My ability is actually much stronger than you imagine, John." "Damn it," Tommy whispered. "This is really... too weird." "Why did Lilith give you to me?" I asked. "Because she's going to use you to find out the most powerful weapon in the world, the Gun of True Name. This gun was originally created to kill angels and demons, but it's capable of much more than that. Lilith will use the real name gun to reshape Nightside into the way she wanted it to be, to bring everything back to the most primitive concept, back to Nightside before the human invasion and blinded Nightside's nature and purpose. This gun was created by her long, long ago Created. At the beginning, Adam used his ribs and flesh and blood to create Eve; and when Lilith returned from hell, had sex with countless demons, and gave birth to countless monsters, she also relied on the help of exorcism craftsmen to use her ribs and flesh and blood to create Eve. Create the Gun of the True Name." "That's right." Suzy said suddenly. "There is an inscription on the handle of the gun of the real name: 'Exorcism craftsman. Time-honored. Since the beginning of Chaos, it has helped you solve problems.' I remember everything related to weapons very clearly." "Very good." My clone said. "Shut up now and listen, maybe you'll learn something. The exorcist was the world's first murderer - a descendant of Cain. If not, who do you think could have created such extraordinary destruction Weapon?" The avatar paused, and said again: "You should know that what I'm talking about now is an allegory, and what I represent is a more complicated reality! Very well, I can continue. The Gun of True Name is designed to The Word of Creation is pronounced in reverse. The Word of Creation is the language used to define the nature of things and to give all individuals a secret original name. By reversing the original name, the Gun of True Name can reverse all things Create, and then erase everything in the world. However, the Gun of True Name has another purpose. When it is held in the hands of the strong who gave it life with his own flesh and blood, the Gun of True Name can recreate the original name of all things. Pronunciation, and then change the nature of everything, and recreate the world. Lilith will use the real name gun to repronounce the original name of Nightside, and use her own thoughts to reshape Nightside into everything she imagined. Basically, I Personally, I am very happy to see it come true…” "Enough." I said, withdrawing my talent.Talent didn't resist, and obediently retreated into the darkness, becoming my shadow again.I think that from now on, I will not be able to look at my own shadow calmly, and then I think that talent is parasitic in my body like a parasite, maybe I will never be able to trust it without reservation. "Then..." Walker finally said. "Who owns the gun of the real name? My subordinates have lost it for a long time." "I saw the real name gun here last time, and it was in the hands of Susie Huett from the future." Alex looked at Susie apologetically and said. "In the end, both were expelled from our era by Merlin." "Don't look at me." Merlin said.Ever since he was glared at by me, his aura has not been as good as before. "I just kicked them out of here. They could have been anywhere, in any age." "The last time I saw it in this era, it was in Eddie's hands." I said and looked at Eddie.Everyone looked at Eddie with me.Eddie nodded slowly. "It was during the Angel Wars, and you took the Gun of Real Name against the angels from heaven and hell." I said it carefully, trying to avoid any provocative tone. "What did you do with it afterwards, Eddie?" "Give it away." Razor Eddie said coldly. "Give it to Father Time, he is the only life I can think of who has the ability to control the real name gun." "I thought the only thing you cared about was punishing rape and eliminating evil!" Susie said. "No." Razor Eddie said. "I want redemption. The two are different. Every time I held the Gun of True Name, I felt that it was trying to control me, trying to seduce me with its endless desire for death and destruction. But I have already I've had those temptations, and I've tasted the consequences of that temptation. Now, I'm beyond that." "According to the report of his subordinates, the Tower of Time has been destroyed by Lilith." Walker said seriously. "The whole tower is in ruins. Father Time is dead, and the Gun of True Name is buried in the ground." "No," I said, with a gleam of hope in my heart. "The Realm of Time is not in Night City at all. The Tower of Time is just a portal for people to talk to him. There is another way to find Father Time... So, who wants to carry out the final suicide mission together? Please Don't all raise your hands together."