Chapter 5 Chapter Four

"Death!" Saryon tried to snatch the thing from my hand, but I was faster than him.I hold it tightly. "I'm not saying you're going to die here and now," said Mosiah.There was a mild accusation in his voice. "If it was really dangerous, I wouldn't let it stay in this room." Saryon and I exchanged a look.We are all ashamed. "Of course, Mosiah," Saryon said, "forgive me. Forgive us for mistrusting you...it's just...it's just weird...those horrible people..." He shuddered, using The robe hugged her tall and thin body tightly.

"Who are they?" I gestured. "What is this?" I open my palms.In the palm is a round badge with a diameter of about two inches, which is made of very hard and heavy plastic.The back of the badge appears to be some kind of magnet, while the other side is transparent.I can see inside, but what I see is very strange.Encased in this badge is some sort of blue-green, thick, viscous ooze.In the palm of my hand, the ooze in the badge began to fluctuate, rushing towards the edge of the badge, as if trying to escape.It's not a pleasant sight, and looking at it makes me sick. I forced myself to continue holding it, filled with unease.

"It...it looks like it's alive!" Saryon frowned in disgust. "They're alive," Mosiah replied. "Or they were once alive. Most are dead, so Di Candale dropped it. The rest will be dead soon." "What's left! What's in it?" Saryon looked around with a terrified expression, as if he was looking for something to smash the badge open. "I'll explain later. For now, I'm going to remove the bugs that Di Candale put in your living room and your telephone. Now that they're here, we don't have to pretend anymore." He leaves the room and returns a moment later. "Now we can talk freely."

I handed the badge over, thankful I was finally free of it. "A very primitive organism," said Mosiah, holding it under the light, "an organic tissue fluid—if you want to give it a name. Single-celled organisms. Technicians bred them for one purpose— -die." "It's horrible!" Saryon said in shock. "But it's no different than raising cattle," I pointed out to him. "Those cattle end up being slaughtered, too." "Maybe." Saryon smiled and shook his head. My only quarrel with the owner (I can't even call it a quarrel) is that I'm a vegetarian and Saryon has always liked a little chicken or beef once in a while.When I first came to him, I tried out of my own enthusiasm to make him see it the way I did.I'm always sorry about that.We had a lot of bad times because of this incident, until we finally reached a consensus and respected each other's opinions.Now he's fine with my tofu, and I'm no longer against his burgers.

"The living thing always feeds itself on death," said Mosiah. "The eagle kills the mouse. The big fish eat the small fish. The rabbit eats the dandelion, which feeds on the microbes in the soil, which feed on dead and decaying plants and animals." Food. Life thrives on death. This is the cycle of life.” Saryon was clearly shocked by this. "I never saw nature that way." "Me neither." I gesture thoughtfully. "The dark sect has persisted for many generations," continued Mosiah, "and they have taken their beliefs one step further. If death is the foundation of life—"

"Death is the foundation of life!" Saryon seemed to understand suddenly. It took me a while to understand.Mostly because I couldn't hear the emphasized words in Mosiah's words. Of course, the life that Mosiah speaks of also represents magic.The Simharon believe that magic is life, and that those who live without magical abilities are dead.Or it can be said that this is the beginning of the story of Joram and the Dark Sword. Magic -- or life -- exists in all living things.Bugs, rabbits, eagles, fish, and us humans are all the same.In very ancient times, some people discovered how to draw life from the creatures around them, and used it to perform acts that others considered miracles, which they called "magic", and those who could not use magic Immediately began to fear and doubt the ability.Wizards and witches were tortured and killed.

"But what are the dark sects?" Saryon asked. "Recall your history lessons, Father," Mosiah said. "Recall how ancient magicians banded together and decided to leave Earth in search of another world—a world where magic could flourish, rather than A world where magic is doomed to decline and perish. "Recall how Merlin, the greatest of us, led his followers into the Starfields, and found a new world, Simharlan. There the magic was concentrated and fixed, so that it seemed to have come from the earth completely Disappeared." "'As if'?" Saryon repeated.

"Excuse me," I said, gesturing, "but if we're going to stay up all night, would you take my advice and go into the kitchen? I can make everyone a cup of tea." We've been standing and shivering in Saryon's bedroom.At least Saryon and I were shivering.My Master looked haggard and tired, but after so much frightening and bewildering experience, it is now impossible for my Master and I to sleep. "Or," I added, "do you think those dreadful people will come back?" Saryon interpreted my sign language.But I don't think it's necessary.Mosiah understands me, both in my thoughts and in my sign language.

"Di Candale will not be coming back tonight," said Mosiah confidently. "They wanted to sneak up on me. But now they know I'm aware of them, so they won't fight me head-on because they don't want to kill me. They want to capture me alive, they have to capture me alive." "Why?" Saryon asked. "Because I once joined their organization. I was the only one who followed the Blood Knights of Doom and escaped from them alive. I know their secrets. Di Candale wants to confirm how much I know. Most importantly The thing is, they want to know how much other people know. They think if they can catch me, they can make me tell. But they are wrong." He said in a simple and crisp tone: "I will die first."

"Let's have some tea first!" Saryon said quietly. He put his hand on Mosiah's arm.Now I know that my master trusts this man in his heart.I want to trust him too, but it's all so weird that I can hardly trust myself, let alone another human being.Is everything that just happened true?Did I really leave my body?I hid in a time fold? I filled the teapot with water, put it on the stove, and took out the tea pot and cup.Sitting at the table, Mosiah declined the cup of tea I offered him.He still held the badge in his hand.We didn't speak, just waited for the water to boil and the tea to be brewed.I started to believe it when I poured tea for my host.

"Let's start over!" Saryon said. "Do you mind," I interjected, "if I write this down?" Saryon frowned and shook his head.But Mosiah said he didn't care that our experience might one day turn into an interesting book, he just hoped there would still be people alive on Earth who would read it. I fetched my little computer from my bedroom, went back to the kitchen and sat down, with the computer on my lap, to record his narration. "Dark sects have always existed. Although we have found no record of these sects in Simharon. What we do know is that the Nine Councils represented by the nine magical arts of Simharon are from the Thirteenth Council of Earth. ...in an era when the council believed that all wizards should have their place, even those with unusual moral values; including, of course, those who practiced the dark side of magic. Perhaps there were still some naive people who wished To bring their brothers and sisters back to the light. If so, they did not succeed. In fact, they ended up corrupting themselves too. "Dark sects have poisoned non-magic mortals on Earth. Life, they believe, does not come from life. Life—or magic—comes from death. They dedicate themselves to the sacrifices of humans and animals, believing that the death of other life can Strengthen their power. They are cruel and selfish, using their mystical powers to satisfy their own desires, and constantly expanding their ambitions, reveling in the temptation to corrupt, enslave and destroy. "The mortals fought back. They captured the magicians, interrogated them, tortured them. The magicians were tortured until they were forced to admit that they were wizards, and then they were burned, hanged, or drowned. Many good wizards suffered too. Persecution. Shocked and mourned, the Thirteenth Council gathered together to discuss countermeasures. "The four dark sects - the White Ji, the Black Ji, the Red Ji, and the Cang Ji - all preach a war to conquer the world, destroy all opponents, and enslave all survivors. The nine bright sects completely refuse to consider this proposal. Dark The sect left the meeting in a rage. In their absence, the remaining sects unanimously decided that they would leave Earth forever. Considering the damage the dark sect might have done to this action, they carefully moved the dark sect to excluded from all their plans. "In 1600 AD, when Merlin and the Nine Sects left the earth, the secrecy work was very successful. When the Dark Sect noticed the migration of the Nine Sects of Light, it was too late to stop or forcibly follow the Nine Sects of Light. So they were thrown in on Earth. "In the beginning, the dark sects were happy with this upheaval, they thought that the nine sects of light would no longer be able to hinder their activities, and they saw themselves as the rulers of the human beings on earth, and they took immediate action to achieve their goals. But after Merlin arrived in Simharon, he established the holy well of that world, which absorbed the magic power from the earth and fixed it within the boundaries of Simharun. Only then did the dark sect find themselves deprived of their magical power . "They were furious, but they could do nothing. They knew well what had happened - the magic was preserved within Simharon, and their power declined. Mass death only increased when there was mass famine, plague, and war Their power. Even so, they can only perform some small magic to achieve their own interests. But they never lose their ambitions, and never forget how powerful they were. They believe that one day they will be strong again. "In this way, through countless generations, the four sects have remained loosely organized. Parents pass on their dark blood to their children. Valuable newcomers are introduced into the organization. Fear of discovery, the four sects Each practiced their dark arts in isolation. But they were always aware of each other's existence. A magician of the dark sect could recognize his fellows by special markings or codes. "A core organization has emerged, and it is controlled by the Kantic sages. This organization is extremely secretive, and even people inside the dark sect rarely know who its members are. Once a year, Sohuna the Tax Collector will appear Tithes are collected at the door of each member of the dark sect to keep the council running. Only when a member fails to pay taxes, or violates their strict rules, does the sect members gather to judge the offender. The final sentence will be executed by Sohuna. "As the years go by, the modern world no longer believes in witchcraft. Gradually the dark sects are able to leave their hidden lairs and emigrate to the cities with the knowledge and skills they have fumbled and developed for so long. They intervene in politics, Become government officials, rulers of nations, and then wage wars and rebellions to achieve their goals. Suffering and death make them happy, because their abilities are growing with it. "It was at this time that the Dark Sword was created." Mosiah glanced at Saryon.He smiled gently, shook his head, and sighed softly.But he didn't regret creating the Dark Sword, which led to Simharon's eventual loss.He often said that if it happened all over again, he would do it again, just hoping that the change would come with a little less pain and suffering. "The four dark sects knew about the sword's appearance," Mosiah said. "Some of them said they were aware of the sword's appearance in the first hour." Saryon was confused. "How is this possible? They are so far away..." "Not far enough. The magic thread binds us together. We are like worms stuck on the same spider web. If a thread is broken, the whole web will feel the vibration. The four dark sects don't know what happened , but they felt the power of the dark sword. They had strange dreams and saw strange omens. Some saw the shadow of a black sword, and the figure of a man rising from the flames. Others saw the same A black sword shattered a fragile glass sphere. They took this as a sign of hope. They believed that the creation of the sword would bring magic back to them. They were right. "Twenty years ago, Earth time, Joram used the Dark Sword to shatter the holy well. Magic flooded into the universe. When magic reached Earth, it was already thin, but to the extremely poor dark magicians, these magics were like The rain after a long drought brought them infinite vitality." "But I don't see why they would want that sword," objected Saryon. "The dark sword would disable magic. It was invaluable to Joram in Simharon's day, because he The only man at the time who didn't have any magical powers. It was the only tool he had to defend himself in a magical world. But what would a technologist on Earth do with a Dark Sword? Its power was nothing compared to... with a compared to the atomic bomb.” "On the contrary, Father. Technologists believe that the Dark Sword will give them great power, and it is comparable to the power of the atomic bomb. They can use it to control all human beings. And the power of the Dark Sword is far cheaper than the atomic bomb." , can be controlled with one hand, can be precisely concentrated on one point, and will not cause highly toxic pollution.” "I'm afraid I still don't understand—" "The dark sword sucks life, Father. You have said it yourself - and your young friend has recorded it - how that sword sucks from you the mana you draw from the world around you." Magic Surge Pass him like a hurricane', believe Reuven's words." Saryon turned pale.He put down the teacup he just picked up in a panic.His hands were shaking.He stared at Mosiah with sadness and pain in his eyes. "I'm afraid so, Father." Mosiah responded to the priest's gaze and his unspoken protest. "Technologists know that the dark sword has the ability to absorb life. They plan to study this ability, mass-produce the dark sword, and make it their regular equipment. These swords will absorb life force and then give it up, just like living things Giving up life in death. Because the technologists are used to gaining magic power from death, they believe that using the dark sword can also provide them with power, which is far cheaper and more effective than the means they use now." A magic battery.I typed a line like this. "What are they using now to power them?" Saryon asked.He stared at the badge, his voice low.That badge is now almost entirely dark brown-green. Mosiah picked up the badge and held it up to the light. "Imagine these protoplasms growing in petri dishes seven times the size of this house, big enough to enclose a city block. These petri dishes are constantly being filled with various gases, and currents are constantly passed through these gases, The result is this simple life form. They are prolific. These protoplasms boil and regenerate in petri dishes. Now, imagine many other petri dishes in which doomed protoplasms are also passed through by electric current. But The purpose this time is not creation, but destruction. "It's like those catalyst saints gave us life force..." Mosiah paused, looking at Saryon. "It's like you gave me life force before, Father. Do you remember? When we fought Heisho's henchmen, I turned into a huge tiger... I was very young then," he smiled slightly, " I like to show off my strength." Saryon smiled too. "I remember. I remember when I saw the tiger, I was so happy." Mosiah shook his head, shaking off the memories of the past. "Just as the Catalyst Saints draw life force from all living things and infuse it into us, Technicians draw life force from the death of living things. Not just from the protoplasm they make, but from the death of all living things in this universe. With Conifer's war is indeed a kind of luck for technologists." His voice was bitter. "I will never bring a Technician to Joram," Saryon said with certainty, "Never. Just like you..." He looked at Mosiah, "I will die first. You don't need to worry .” "On the contrary, Father," said Mosiah, "we want you to take those people to Joram." Saryon stared at Mosiah without speaking for a long time.His pain was so great that even I, the bystander, felt deep sadness. "You want the Dark Sword." Saryon frowned even tighter, "Who sent you here?" Mosiah leaned forward and folded his hands. "Technologists are very powerful, Father. They have seduced many of us. Those who found it much faster and easier to get what they wanted in this world simply by changing magic into technological power .Prince Jarod—” "Hey!" Saryon exhaled and nodded. "Prince Garrod does not dare to oppose them publicly," Mosiah said firmly, "Not yet. But we are secretly gathering strength, and when the right time comes, we will take action and—" "And what?" Saryon called. "Kill them? More kills?" "If you hadn't gotten the Dark Sword from Joram, what do you think they would have done to Joram and his family, Father?" Mosiah asked grimly. "The reason they've still allowed him to live in peace to this day is the law of mortals—forbidding anyone to set foot in Simharon. The technologists aren't ready to show their true colors to mortals. "But things have changed now. Their leader, the man named Coffin Smither, has gained enormous political power among mortals. Mortals don't know he's a technologist, even if someone does Tell them, and they won't believe it. Smither has convinced the commanders of the Earth Army that the power of the Dark Sword is available, and that Technologists can use it to defeat Conifer. At this moment of life and death, The Earth Army will use any means at all costs. Tomorrow, Coffin Smither, Prince Garrod and General Polis will ask you to meet with them, Father Saryon. They will strongly urge you to meet in the name of all mankind Joram, beg him to hand over the Dark Sword." "He won't," Saryon shook his head firmly. "You know that, Mosiah. You know him." Mosiah hesitated for a moment, then said, "Yes, I know him. Prince Jarod knows him too. All we can count on now is that he won't hand over the Dark Sword. We don't want Technicians to get it." Saryon blinked suspiciously, "You want me to ask him to hand over the sword, and you don't want him to hand it over?" "Yes, in a way, Father. Just ask Joram to tell you where the sword is hidden. As soon as we know where it is, we will fetch it and keep it in our hands. We will keep it secret and safe, guarding it with our lives. We will also guard Joram and his family. Of that, I can assure you." Saryon's long hair had turned completely gray and was very thin, falling down to his shoulders, as soft as a child's hair.His back was hunched, and a slight stroke made his hands tremble at times.These features, combined with a kindly face, gave him the impression of a frail, gentle old man.But now he doesn't look mild at all.He sat as straight as a gun barrel, his whole body was stiff, and the flames from his eyes almost burned the table in front of him. "You've tried to find the Dark Sword before, haven't you? Tried, but failed!" Mosiah looked at Saryon calmly. "It would have been much better for Joram if we had found the sword then, and taken it safely. The Technician would have no interest in him then. You may believe, Father, that if you cannot The way to get the sword of darkness, the technologist will do whatever it takes to get it." "What about Dukes?" Saryon asked.The flames in his eyes burned hotter. "What method will you use to obtain that sword?" Mosiah stood up, and the hem of the black robe slid down to his feet.He clasped his hands. "You must understand, Father. We will not let the Dark Sword fall into the hands of Technologists." "Why not?" I asked. "What if they can use it to beat Conifer? Isn't it worth it?" "Conifer plans to destroy humanity. Technicians want to enslave us. An unhappy choice, isn't it, Reuven? And, for me and for those like me, we have no choice at all. Besides Some Dukes thought we might be able to use this sword against Conifer as well. "So, Father?" Mosiah waited for an answer. "Because of Prince Jarod's mediation, we give you this opportunity to obtain the Dark Sword peacefully. If you fail to do so, the Technician will take the sword from Joram by force. .It is obvious what choice you should make." "And Joram?" Saryon looked up at him. "Where's his wife and children? He's the one you hate most in this universe. Duke Xis once swore to kill him. Maybe the only reason you haven't killed him yet is because you don't know what he's going to do with that weapon." Where is the sword hidden!" Mosiah's face was stern and pale. "We'll protect Joram—" Saryon stared at the enforcer without blinking. "Would you? What about the others? The thousands who swore to kill Joram and his wife and children if they saw them?" "Then how many people does Conifer have to kill?" Mosiah retorted. "You mentioned Joram's children, Father. So if we lose the war against Conifer, how many billions of innocent children will die? And we're on the verge of defeat, Father! Every day, they're getting closer Earth. We must get that sword! Must!" Saryon sighed.The fire in his heart was also extinguished.In an instant, he seemed to have become very old, very fragile and powerless.He sank into the chair and put his head in his hands. "I don't know. I can't promise you." Mosiah frowned, as if to put further pressure on my master. I stood up from my chair and stood in front of the law enforcement officer. "My master is very tired, sir," I sign to him, "it's time for you to leave." Mosiah glanced at both of us. "It's exhausting to deal with you. Your thoughts must be clouding. Go back to bed, Father. Get some sleep before making a decision. Emin will let you make the right decision." To my surprise, two more Dukes showed up in the room.They also wore black robes, with their faces hidden in black hoods, and stood on either side of Mosiah. Bodyguards, reinforcements, witnesses... probably all of them.They've definitely been here from the beginning.Surveillance, guarding, spying.Three black figures are arranged in a triangle.They all raised their hands, palms facing each other.Their energies merged, and the three disappeared. Saryon and I stared at where they had stood.We all shook our heads in disbelief. "This is what they planned!" As soon as I recovered from the shock, I signed in sign language: "They already knew that the Technician would come tonight. Prince Jarod should give us a warning and tell us to get out of here. " "But he didn't. Yes, Reuven." Saryon agreed. "Show us favors, make us fear the Technologists, and force us to join Duke's side. "Did you know, Reuven?" My host glanced at the chair where Mosiah had once sat. "I feel sad for him. He was Joram's friend. It was very difficult to be Joram's friend. He was loyal to Joram, even at the cost of his life. But now he is like everyone else Joram is lonelier, very, very lonely." "He still has you." I touched the master's chest very gently. Saryon looked at me, his pale and haggard face was full of sorrow and pain, and my eyes couldn't help being stung with tears. "Really, Reuven? But how can I turn them down? How can I turn them away?" He stood up, leaning back heavily in his chair. "I'm going to bed." I said goodnight to him.Although I know he can't be peaceful tonight.Then I grabbed my computer and went upstairs to my room to record everything that happened tonight while the memory was still fresh in my mind.Then I lay in bed, but I couldn't sleep. Every time I fell asleep, I would see my soul leave the body again.I'm afraid the next time my soul doesn't know how to get back.