Endless Debt-Chapter 766 - 236 Burning Sea of Flowers_2

Ewen pressed on, "Can you understand this feeling? Bologue, as an Undead, you should feel it, right?"

"You have the same name, the same shell, and have gone through the same things, but you understand, you are no longer him. Under the erosion of time, you have completely transformed into another person.

In the end, you even begin to doubt the reality of the past. Was that really me? Did I really experience all this, or was it just a fleeting afternoon dream?"

Bologue fell silent, Ewen’s words reminded him of Redwood Town, a place that should have been the most familiar, yet was shrouded in a persistent sense of unfamiliarity.

"See, you feel something similar, don’t you?"

Ewen noticed the subtle expression on Bologue’s face. Like a child discovering a secret, he smiled excitedly.

"Not just for immortality, nor just for the perfection of the work.

I return here to confirm the reality of my past life, to ensure that I truly came here, to establish that what I experienced wasn’t some nightmare beneath a winter’s day."

Ewen placed the bottle next to the chair, staring blankly at the burning sea of flowers.

"Thirty-three years ago, I lost something here. I’m not quite sure what it was, but I always feel that when I return here, I can reclaim it."

Silence lingered between the two for a long time. Bologue felt his thoughts waver, starting to believe Ewen’s sincere, earnest words.

All along, Bologue thought Ewen moved forward with some selfish intent, but now, in Ewen, he felt a sense of romance.

To Bologue, such romanticism seemed somewhat foolish, yet he didn’t dislike it.

"The Devil is contradictory."

Suddenly, Bologue began speaking about the Devil, "Just like what we face now, the Joyous Desire Witch."

"She bestows Protection on her followers, converting all intense emotions into joy. The simplest and most effective conversion is to experience pain.

Sounds lovely, doesn’t it? Erasing all complex emotions, leaving only absolute joy."

Bologue remembered those enemies he had faced. Their faces of pain and joy emerged in his mind, through those weary, fatigued eyes, Bologue could see their numb, insensible souls.

"Pleasure has a threshold. At first, just a bit of joy is enough to satisfy. But as more joy is absorbed, the inner emptiness grows immensely vast."

Just like Bulimia Nervosa that plagues all souls of The Imperfect.

"So they seek stronger sensory stimuli, more intense pain to obtain stronger pleasure. Thresholds therefore increase indefinitely, leaving only emptiness and numbness."

"Quite a morbid delight, isn’t it? As followers seeking pleasure, what they ultimately receive is stark numbness."

Ewen said, "So you mean, dealings with the Devil often result in unfulfilled desires?"

"Perhaps," Bologue wasn’t sure either, "My knowledge of Devils is not extensive. I’m uncertain if unfulfilled desires affect Devils too.

After all, if Devils could be satisfied, they wouldn’t go to great lengths, using such twisted methods to satisfy their pleasure and acquire human souls."

"Listening to this, Devils aren’t much different from us mortals, driven by some force, becoming slaves to certain things."

Ewen continued, "Are you suggesting I too will end up with unfulfilled desires?"

"No, who can be certain of what lies ahead?"

Bologue candidly admitted, "I was lost for a time, even questioning myself, unlike your pursuit of nobility, I don’t set such high standards for myself. I don’t even hope to be a good person under worldly values."

"Then what kind of person do you want to become?"

"Someone who won’t disappoint themselves."

Bologue continued, "Yet here I am as an Undead... I’ve always wondered, what did I do during those lost memories?

Was it truly out of fear of death that I wished to become Undead? If not, is my immortality just another unfulfilled desire, a twisted wish?"

Bologue took a deep breath, a rarity for him to discuss such matters with others, "I fear disappointing myself, much like how you fear losing your nobility."

The conversation unknowingly fell into silence again, reminding Bologue of holiday afternoons spent idly chatting with Palmer on the sofa, passing time without much concern.

"Thank you, thank you for discussing this with me," Ewen broke the silence, "Does this count as us beginning to trust each other?"

"Sort of, and just some resonance really."

Bologue squinted, reminiscing the past, "I once participated in The Scorched Earth Fury, during the war I made a group of friends, though now most of them have passed away."

Ewen wasn’t too surprised; ever since Bologue mentioned his centennial birthday, he roughly deduced Bologue’s age.

"Among those friends was one by the name of Dennis. He and I came from the same small town, with not much of an age difference. I always regarded him as an older brother. When the war came, he enlisted with me, and during a casual chat, he spoke of similar things."

Bologue remembered huddled days in trenches, Dennis insisted on staying by his side, saying he promised Bologue’s parents to protect him.

"Dennis said that for twenty years prior, he had been a good-for-nothing in town, amusing himself by beating up children. Yet now, he’s a soldier, disciplined, dancing with Death God for something noble, as if living entirely different lives."

"I think this situation is inevitable. As time passes and experience grows, we invariably become vastly different,"

Ewen praised himself, "Facing such situations, retaining the youthful idiocy, doesn’t it seem all the more precious?"

Bologue witnessed Ewen’s stubbornness, "Are you always this good at comforting yourself?"

"Well, my worldview is completely established," Ewen was very pleased with this, "So I am invincible."

Bologue helplessly smiled, realizing he had no other choice but to witness all this to the end. Moreover, under Ewen’s conversation, Bologue found himself curious about Ewen’s impending actions.

He wanted to know the ending of the story.

Bologue asked, "Don’t you need some treatment?"

"I’m not injured," Ewen shook his head, "Rest up, Bologue, there’s still a long journey ahead."

Bologue paused, unwillingly asked, "Ewen, thirty-three years ago, what did you go through in the Joyful Garden?"

Ewen shook his head with a smile, a secret belonging solely to him.

The Great Library was quiet, in the midst of their conversation, others had drifted to weary slumber. Seeing this, Bologue didn’t question further, stepping into the space between the bookshelves.

Ewen shifted his gaze back to the flower sea. He liked the brilliant colors, fingers gently rubbing, a faint pain emanating. During the battle with the Demon, Ewen had inadvertently been scratched by it, yet strangely, besides the pain, no wound manifested on his hand.

A rustling sound emerged from behind him, in the corner of his vision, Cinderella crept forward sneakily. Ewen knew she was hiding behind the bookshelf, eavesdropping on his conversation with Bologue.

"He truly lacks romantic flair."

Cinderella peeked toward Bologue leaving, then winked at Ewen with a playful demeanor.

"You’ve made your intentions so obvious, hasn’t he noticed yet?"

"Perhaps my thoughts are too foolish, so foolish that even if Bologue figured them out, he’d simply ignore them."

Ewen examined the girl. It didn’t surprise him that Cinderella could guess his thoughts, "This feeling is so awful, like having your little secrets discovered. But unexpectedly, at times like this, I still feel a bit of shame...

I shouldn’t have said so much to you."

Cinderella completely disregarded Ewen’s complex thoughts, she held up the rough draft, tried hard to suppress her shocked emotions and voice, whispering excitedly near Ewen’s ear.

"Oh my! Ewen, you’ve fallen in love with a Devil!"