Time seemed to stand still in this room. Xia De wanted to wait in silence for the Psychologist to speak again, but to prevent Iluna and Tifa from growing impatient and collectively storming the clinic to eliminate the Psychologist, Xia De spoke up:
“Because of some unexpected events at Lakeview Manor, I had already suspected then that you were possessed by a demon.”
This referred to the strange figure that appeared behind the Psychologist when he used Sublimation Words.
“Yes.”
“Do you remember when we met at St. Anthem Square?”
“The time you were peddling illegal magazines?”
“Uh, don't mention that, but yes, that was the time. I met you and Mr. Madison from Success Higher Medical College. He told me a bit about our group's past, mentioning the former leader and the relic out-of-control incident from many years ago. That's when I fully confirmed your connection to the demon. But I knew you could control that demon, so I didn't tell anyone about it.”
He had actually mentioned the demon to Luvia and Dorothy, but he hadn't mentioned the past events.
“Madison… Most of the people who experienced that incident have left Tobesk. You could only have heard about it from him.”
The Psychologist leaned on the windowsill and sighed deeply.
“I believed you could control the demon and originally intended never to bring it up. But for some reason, I've been tracking Human Pus, and its trail ultimately led here. Psychologist, you canceled our group study session yesterday afternoon, was it because you also went to the south of the City?”
“Yes.”
His voice was lost and low.
“Then, did you also see Felianna? Did you also go to the central Mirwood Forest?”
“I finally saw Felianna. This matter has already spread in the local black market; even as a participant, I still can't believe it. As for Mirwood Forest, where is that?”
“You didn't enter the core of the Darkness Domain?”
Xia De was a bit disbelieving.
“It's embarrassing to say, but I got lost. I could sense it, but the path inside was too difficult to navigate.”
Although the Psychologist had his back to Xia De, Xia De still felt he could believe these words. The Psychologist was acting alone, and without a top informant from the Church, he couldn't have known about the forgotten core area in advance like Xia De.
“Then, was Human Pus attracted by you?”
“No, it was captured by me. After Felianna appeared and cleared the entire Darkness Domain, I discovered that the Human Pus entity was still alive. So I immediately returned here, set up a ritual I learned from demon Knowledge, making it believe there was a host most suitable for its requirements here, and then seized the opportunity to capture it.”
This explained why Human Pus, which was originally intended for Yodel Palace, suddenly changed direction.
“Can the demon in you truly be controlled by you? Does devouring Human Pus truly have no effect on you?”
Xia De asked again. Psychologist Schneider, by the window, turned around, his blue eyes looking at him on the sofa, and slowly nodded:
“At least I believe I still control this terrifying power.”
“That demon, what is its name? Does it have a widely known name?”
“I cannot say.”
“After all these years, have you never thought about getting rid of it?”
“No, I willingly coexist with it.”
“Why?”
“I need to save Mr. Sherff Tim and Shana Aya. They were members of my previous group; they saved me.”
“They didn't die?”
“They died, but their souls were taken away, abducted by an existence more powerful and evil than the demon in me, an existence I cannot even mention by name. To save them, I must borrow the power of this demon and keep watch over it.”
In his left blue eye, a crimson glow slowly lit up, which was undoubtedly a sign of demonic possession.
But compared to Darkness, Psychologist Schneider was not frantic at all; instead, he had a sense of self-destruction in extreme calmness:
“Devouring the souls of wicked people and devouring other demons can make me stronger. In that accident many years ago, something evil, twisted, terrifying, and even unspeakable was released. I was saved by a noble person, and the demon in me suffered damage that was almost fatal. At that last moment, I agreed to its request to coexist with it. It uses me to heal, and I gain its power and guard it.”
This was similar to what Xia De understood:
“One of my elders—”
He wanted to say “elder,” but it didn't feel quite right:
“One of my friends said, cherish life, stay away from demons. These Evil Spirits of the third era will use various means to usurp our souls, and only at the very last moment will we realize the demon's conspiracy.”
Darkness was the best example; he eventually knew the conspiracy but still willingly gave his all to the demon.
“And Priest Augustus also told me that coexisting with demons will never end well.”
“Priest is an elder after all; he has always been right. I know I will lose control of it sooner or later.”
The Psychologist's normal right blue eye, and his left eye, which was pitch black with only a crimson dot in the center of the eyeball, simultaneously looked at Xia De.
“Then why not seek help from the College?”
“Because I need its power. Only it can help me reclaim the souls of Mr. Sherff Tim and Shana Aya. Detective, you cannot imagine what my enemy is.”
“Evil God?”
“Not a god, but equally terrifying.”
There were some hidden and bizarre, extremely terrifying evil things that existed in this world, circulating in stories and legends, such as that ancient demon whose mere corpse was enough to form a “Darkness Domain.”
Xia De understood what the Psychologist meant; no one could help him, he only trusted himself.
“Psychologist, do you know what you are doing? You are devouring Darkness, but one day, you will be devoured by this Darkness.”
“I understand, but I have inherited their wishes and have the responsibility to liberate their souls. I am willing to do this, even though I know I may not have a good end.”
The two looked at each other. Xia De was not afraid of the light in the Psychologist's eyes; after all, he had seen this appearance of his too many times recently.
The light was dim, and only a small part of the Psychologist's face, who was facing away from the window, was illuminated by the gas lamp on the desk. His expression was very calm, as if he had long expected to have this conversation with someone one day:
“The souls of wicked people allow me to draw power from sin, and the bodies of Evil Spirits and demons give me more Miracles. Devouring Human Pus has directly granted me two Ling Runes; merely the partially digested power allows me to even implant thoughts in dreams, change the dreamer's thoughts with negative emotions, and I can even feel that by digesting the other party, I can gain more power.”
Black pus oozed from the Psychologist's strange eyes, but it only covered half of his face. Compared to Darkness's frantic and violent Human Pus form, the Psychologist was truly extremely calm:
“But this is still not enough. I have devoured six Evil Spirits and demons over ten years; Human Pus is the oldest one. But this is far from enough; I will continue down this dark path until the very end.”
The power in these words made Xia De a little breathless. He had never imagined that Psychologist Schneider, who had always been kind to people, carried such a heavy secret:
“You also have to walk alone in the Darkness until you are devoured by the Darkness?”
This was something Darkness had done.
“No, what I want to do is devour the Darkness.”
The Psychologist lowered his head slightly:
“As a Psychologist, I perceive people's secrets, discover wicked people, and secretly carry out tasks related to demons. This is what I have been doing for over ten years. Xia De, you are the first person to know this secret; before this, I have never spoken to anyone about it. I hope you can inherit my wish—”
“What wish?”
Xia De was a bit puzzled.
“Once you find that I have lost control, please kill me immediately.” (Demonic language)
“Why me? Our group isn't just me.”
He didn't care that the Psychologist discovered he understood this language, and the Psychologist indeed didn't ask; the crimson light in his eyes grew even stronger:
“The only people I can trust are you. Priest Augustus is too old; although it's not pleasant to say, I don't think he can live longer than me.”
Xia De did not object.
“Annette, though young and healthy, is always so mysterious. Sometimes, I even feel like she carries a heavier burden than me, a desire heavier than what's on my shoulders.”
Xia De still couldn't object.
“As for Louisa, among us, she’s like the only normal person. Both her parents are alive, her career is successful, and her original life never involved any shocking secrets. I don't want the only normal person around me to get involved in anything related to demons.”
Xia De still couldn't object.
“As for you, Detective, I have Knowledge of demons in my head, and I know that since you have the demon hunter seal, it means you are an heir chosen by a Demon Hunter from the third epoch.”
Given that, Xia De was indeed the most suitable person.
“You always think my luck is bad, but I actually feel my luck is very good. I didn't die more than ten years ago; instead, I gained power unimaginable to ordinary Ring術士. I haven't lost control in more than ten years; instead, I met you, and you obtained this seal to watch over me.
I never complain about my experiences because I always believe that fate has always protected me.”
Xia De's lips moved, but he didn't voice the thoughts in his heart.
He also stood up and walked to the window. Reaching out to open the window in front of them, letting the damp outdoor wind rush into the room, the Psychologist, whose eyes had returned to normal, turned and looked outside with Xia De:
“I will keep your secret, but I hope you can achieve your desire yourself.”
The Outsider whispered.
The Psychologist chuckled and said nothing.
“Then this matter ends here. I will tell my companions, who were tracking Human Pus with me, that Human Pus has been eliminated.”
He then thought of the box he was carrying on his back:
“This is good too. I can have more apples, pipe wrenches, women's clothing, and other miscellaneous things every week. Everything this summer is over.”
“No, Human Pus has not been eliminated.”
The Psychologist reminded him.
“What? It wasn't by you—”
Xia De was a little surprised.
“You need to understand a very terrifying common sense: most Evil Spirits and demons from the third epoch can be killed, but they can never be eliminated. Human Pus is the malicious pus that flows from the festering sores generated by negative human nature. As long as there are intelligent beings and human nature in this world, it will never perish. My swallowing it this time only means that this generation of Human Pus has disappeared. It will reappear one day, but that will be many years later, and it will need to develop anew.”
This was Knowledge Xia De had never learned, not even Priest Augustus had mentioned it. Perhaps only the Psychologist, who wielded demonic power, could know such a secret.
Xia De learned the Psychologist's secret from him, but he didn't intend to reveal the college's understanding and concerns about the Psychologist. The Psychologist could indeed lose control at any time. Xia De would keep the Psychologist's secret, but at the same time, he agreed with the college's view that the Psychologist indeed needed to be closely monitored.
Facing the last rays of summer sunlight, both of them sighed deeply. The matter of the second Chosen One was over, but new things had emerged again. Xia De found it hard to describe his current feelings.
“Actually, you don't need to fear demons. Any power itself is just power. Demons, Darkness, and even sin, when we face stronger and more unbeatable opponents, these can all become aids.”
The Psychologist said.
Xia De agreed with this view. His “Great Sin Chains” was also not a normal power. He even once thought that this power, derived from the flesh of desire, was even stranger than demons.
“Control the Darkness, let light and shadow become a part of oneself. I will walk alone in the Darkness until I reach the end of this path and fall into the bottomless abyss. Because I inherited the desire, I am willing to devour the Darkness.”
The Psychologist's voice was faint yet firm. Xia De could feel the other party's strong heart and the will to bear responsibility.
Overcoming Darkness doesn't rely on light; the Psychologist fully demonstrated this. He transformed into a part of the Darkness, devouring that vast and boundless power amidst the interplay of light and shadow.
It's just that the demon on the Psychologist could even devour Human Pus. Xia De couldn't imagine how powerful the other party was:
“Devouring the souls of evil people, devouring the power of demons, and then strengthening oneself—the Psychologist's story seems to have only just begun.”
A gentle breeze brushed his face, and the sound of rain gradually weakened. It seemed only a few short minutes had passed, and this sudden light rain stopped. The dark clouds dispersed, and the late summer sunlight shone down on Tobesk.
Xia De, gradually relaxing, somehow found a smile on his face. Perhaps it was because Darkness's matter was over, or perhaps because of the Psychologist's candor.
With both hands on the windowsill, he took a deep breath, inhaling the City air with the scent of Tobesk. Below, the streets were bustling with traffic, and civilization at this moment moved forward as it had for centuries past. There was light and shadow here.
“Then the matter is officially over. I've been so busy lately. But Psychologist, don't ask me about my relationship with demons or why I was tracking Human Pus. Just consider this my reward for keeping your secret.”
He suddenly said, and the blue-eyed Psychologist was startled for a moment, a smile also appearing on his face:
“No problem, but be careful, Detective.”
Xia De nodded, gazing into the distance, taking in the City skyline.
The metal pipes on the outside of the buildings, freshly washed by the rain, reflected the sunlight. Little figures in the windows enacted urban life in the steam epoch. A thin mist lingered over the City, and distant black smoke slowly rose, eventually merging with the world, or rather, being devoured by the world.
Xia De and the Psychologist faced the sunlight, their backs to the Darkness. Light and shadow met at the window, and the people who had devoured the Darkness now gazed upon this civilization.
The Outsider was fascinated by this scene, and with the breeze, with a smile, “her” voice appeared in his ear:
【sixth epoch, common era 1853, autumn, harvest month. Leaning by the window with a demon-possessed person, as you gaze upon this world, the world also gazes upon you. Devour Darkness within Darkness, call upon connected power within the years. You personally removed the robes of Darkness, but also allowed Darkness to be by your side. Outsider, the wind of years accompanies your breath, chaste blood witnesses your growth, the curtain rises, and the story slowly unfolds. But, having seen Darkness, do you truly understand the true meaning of Darkness? Having devoured Darkness, are you clear about what awaits you next?】
“Actually, you don't need to mention chaste blood.”
Xia De complained quietly in his mind, then shook his head and said with a smile:
“Psychologist.”
“What is it?”
Psychologist Schneider turned to look at him. Xia De, by the window, was at ease:
“Compared to Ivan Darkness, who would stop at nothing for power, you are the true devourer of Darkness. I am glad to have witnessed your story, witnessed these stories of Darkness.”
“No, I hope the devourer of Darkness is you. You must remember, when I lose control, put on that ring and kill me with your own hands. The person wearing the ring will never be possessed by a demon. Also, who is Ivan Darkness?”
Xia De smiled without speaking, instead reaching out to unbutton his shirt collar, wanting to breathe deeply. No one could disturb his good mood now.
He didn't care about devouring Darkness; whoever tried to block his path to the Sublimation Words of the Thirteen Divinities, he would devour them. He also didn't care about light and shadow, because he himself was in this place where light and shadow intertwined.
Having understood this point, and thinking of Luvia, Mia, and everyone around him, he truly felt that he deserved a holiday.
The Genesis Darkness in his pocket glowed faintly at this moment. In a trance, the Psychologist, standing by the window with Xia De, seemed to see an old dark gold robe flash past behind the young Detective.
But upon closer inspection, there was clearly nothing there.
“An illusion, perhaps?”
The middle-aged Psychologist shook his head.
A gentle voice came to Xia De's ear. He felt as if someone was hugging him from behind:
【Outsider, you have gained new power.】
(End of this volume)
