Endless Debt

Chapter 1292: Chapter 89: Lullaby

As the uncomfortable twisting sensation gradually dissipated, the dark vision slowly became clear. The dim light illuminated the outlines of their figures; they stood together at the end of the corridor, in front of the tightly closed door.

A vague snoring sound came from beyond the door, sounding thunderous, as if a giant was sleeping there.

"Leviathan."

A raspy, shrill voice rang out. Beside him, Sai Zong gazed at the figure shrouded in shadow.

At this moment, Leviathan had not only removed his helmet but had also shed his heavy spacesuit. His figure appeared thin and emaciated, surrounded by small schools of fish, as if pitch-black tar clung to him, boiling. His face was completely enveloped by black particles, like a constantly changing darkness.

Within this transformation, countless faces seemed to overlap upon it.

"Sai Zong."

Leviathan slightly lowered his head and bowed to Sai Zong, holding great respect for this battle-scarred and utterly loyal Chosen One before him.

"Interesting, Sai Zong." Suddenly, Leviathan said.

"What’s interesting?"

"Look at yourself."

Leviathan examined Sai Zong, whose body was covered in scars and sword marks. There were small cuts like mosquito bites, as well as sword scars that cut deep into the muscle, making it hard to imagine the brutal battles he had endured. Large areas of his skin were burnt and cracked by fire, the cracks dangerous and deep, revealing a blood-red hue akin to a grotesque painting.

"This is your essence, yet you usually play the part of a cat or dog," Leviathan couldn’t help but laugh. "Who would guess that beneath your ridiculous costume lies such a body?"

Despite Leviathan’s mockery, Sai Zong remained absolutely calm. He raised his hand gently, placing it on the door.

"That day, he rarely calmed down. As we celebrated around the bonfire, he sat alone in the corner, gazing into the distance."

Sai Zong recounted distant events, of which only he remained to remember, as all the others involved were long dead.

"I thought he was deep in strategic thought, crafting tactics for the next battle, but he told me he was pondering something else."

Even after such a long time, Sai Zong could vividly recall that moment, the face always fierce and determined, displaying, for the first time, a sense of... confusion.

"He asked me, Sai Zong, how many years have we been at war? I said, I don’t know. I only know that the war will never end, and endless slaughter always awaits us."

Sai Zong’s voice gradually softened, as if narrating a dark, whimsical fairy tale.

"Usually, hearing about war and slaughter would excite him, but this time his gaze turned even more confused. He said, we have near-eternal lives, yet we devote it to endless destruction. He also asked me, Sai Zong, if one day you no longer needed to fight, what would you do?"

Sai Zong fell silent. He withdrew his hand and turned to look at Leviathan.

"That night I thought for a long time. When the darkness faded and a dim glimmer appeared on the horizon, I still had no answer."

After a pause, Sai Zong spoke of his origins.

"I was born thousands of years ago, back when this world was nowhere near as ’civilized’ as it is now. I had no parents and was a slave from birth. They taught me the art of killing, hardened my will, and turned me into a warrior. Whenever conflict erupted, I was on the front lines.

Typically, suicidal attackers like us wouldn’t survive more than a few battles, but I was lucky enough to always survive, outliving even those free men."

"And then?"

Leviathan asked. He knew of Sai Zong’s existence but never learned the story before Sai Zong became the Chosen One.

"And then? It’s an ordinary story. I went through battle after battle until the scale of war reached its peak, nearly everyone was involved... I survived once again amidst the sea of corpses and then I saw him."

Sai Zong said, "At the time, I was lying in a bloodbath, on the verge of death. He walked over, stepping on corpses, clapped his hands, then lifted my hand, and cheered to the battlefield’s corpses, announcing that I was the champion of this war."

Recalling it now, Sai Zong found the scene incredibly absurd. Among all the corpses, he was the only winner, but Sai Zong didn’t feel thrilled or joyous. He was still shackled by the terror of death. Only him, that furious Devil, only he cheered and rejoiced like a child.

"Sounds truly perverse," Leviathan couldn’t help but remark, "So many became slaves, countless people slaughtered each other, inch by inch the land turned to scorched earth... and it all was a blood game manipulated by him, just to single out the only winner."

Leviathan questioned, "Didn’t you feel a sense of life-shattering absurdity then?"

"How could I? I was just a slave. I couldn’t even read, let alone have much self-thinking," Sai Zong said. "For me then, having enough to eat and being clothed was happiness. As for becoming his Chosen One, his slave, it wasn’t much different to me."

Sai Zong reiterated, "I was a slave to begin with."

Leviathan said, "Since then, you became his first champion, his Chosen One, accompanying him through prolonged wars."