Finale: Origins (Part Two)
From the moment the Hallucigenia parasitized Founding Titan Ymir, it lost its divine status. Although it still possessed great power, it was reduced to a deformed being that had to depend on humans.
However, while depending on humans, the Hallucigenia is also passively absorbing and learning human thought. However, at the beginning, it was completely from the perspective of an observer and never interfered with the thoughts of its human host.
The life of the Founding Titan Ymir was the period that had the most profound impact on the Hallucigenia. So, after Founding Titan Ymir reached the thirteen-year limit and died protecting King Fritz from an assassination attempt, the Hallucigenia, which had developed some consciousness, created this Paths for Ymir, a space devoid of the concepts of time and space.
This is also the only special treatment given to the Hallucigenia. Over the past two thousand years, many Eldians have inherited the Founding Titan Power, but only the Founding Titan Ymir was in the Paths, and only the Founding Titan Ymir was combined with the Hallucigenia.
Thirteen years is not a curse. As mentioned above, it might be more appropriate to describe it as an extreme. The Intelligent Titan are special. Throughout history, everyone has believed that the nine Intelligent Titan inherited the power of the Founding Titan Ymir, and therefore were also cursed by Founding Titan Ymir's thirteen-year lifespan.
However, the truth is that the existence of Intelligent Titan is very special, because each Intelligent Titan is equivalent to harboring a part of the essence of the Hallucigenia. As the origin of life, the essence of the Hallucigenia is not something that humans can bear for a long time. Thirteen years is the limit of what an ordinary human body and soul can endure.
The other Pure Titan are different. In a sense, they were only affected by the radiation of the Hallucigenia's power, which altered their life form. Therefore, ordinary Pure Titan are immortal and indestructible, but they also lose all their sanity. Of course, ordinary Eldians may never be affected by the Hallucigenia's power in their lifetime because they cannot access the Paths, except for the Nine Intelligent Titan.
As for why there are nine Intelligent Titan, the reason is inexplicable, like some kind of natural law. The appearance of the Pure Titan is purely due to a bug in the existence of the Founding Titan. The power of the Founding Titan can temporarily connect all humans with Eldia blood to the Paths, and thus be irradiated by the Hallucigenia and turn into Pure Titan.
The towering blue beam of light in the road is part of the Hallucigenia.
But after two thousand years, through dozens of generations of Eldians, and under the influence of countless thoughts, the Hallucigenia gradually developed its own thoughts, or rather, imitated human thoughts. Gradually, the Hallucigenia was no longer a parasite purely dependent on the Founding Titan Ymir, but became a more special existence. The Founding Titan Ymir's thoughts still existed, but the Great-Grandmother herself may not have realized that there was another existence in her thoughts.
Subtly influenced by her own thoughts, the Great-Grandmother Eldians within the Paths. She may have thought she was doing it out of love, but she didn't understand what love was. Until the boy named Eren appeared, and ultimately, driven by a sudden curiosity about love, the Great-Grandmother entrusted the power of her own union with the Hallucigenia to Eren, thus triggering the world-ending the Rumbling.
The Hallucigenia, possessing its own consciousness, is undoubtedly terrifying, for it can think and plan, rather than simply parasitizing. If Yago's father hadn't appeared, everything would have unfolded as the Hallucigenia had planned. Eren, subtly influenced by the Founding Titan Power, would have ultimately chosen to unleash the Rumbling to destroy the entire world, erasing all of humanity and most of all life. This was also the Hallucigenia's purpose, for as the origin of life, its destiny had been fulfilled, and it would slowly perish as a result. In that case, it would erase all life that had been born.
The sudden appearance of Norman Russell, Yago's father, became the most crucial turning point in their Fate. This Marleyan, whose appearance was unknown, actually obtained a part of the essence of the Hallucigenia from the Paths by relying on completely unfamiliar knowledge of another world in his mind.
It was from that moment that the Hallucigenia saw a future completely different from what it had imagined in this human named Norman. Time and space had no meaning to the Hallucigenia. Although it didn't understand what the comics in that human's mind meant, the Hallucigenia saw that in that future, Eren did not destroy the world as it had envisioned. Instead, he was stopped at the last moment by another group of humans. But the Hallucigenia knew that this was definitely because Eren did it on purpose, because the Eren who had merged with the Hallucigenia at that time could not possibly be stopped by a few humans and Intelligent Titan.
Although it didn't understand why Eren had deviated from its plans, the Hallucigenia hadn't considered the possibility of failure. However, Norman Russell's appearance gave the Hallucigenia a better option. Through Norman, the Hallucigenia further differentiated its essence, successfully allowing its life radiation to transcend the limitations of the Eldia bloodline. This gave other human races the opportunity to be irradiated by the Hallucigenia's power, and also the opportunity for the creation of Artificial Titan. At the same time, the Hallucigenia also sensed the faint negative emotions within the human named Ebson beside Norman. The Hallucigenia subtly influenced Ebson, using him to eliminate Ebson, the only possible variable for Norman.
Starting on that rainy night, another play, sketched by the Hallucigenia, quietly began to unfold, titled "The Fate Titan."
From the moment the Fate Titan successfully replicates the essence of all the Intelligent Titan within itself, the Hallucigenia's plan will be essentially complete, and the only two remaining variables, Eren and Norman, will be unable to interfere with the final outcome in the script.
But even the Hallucigenia couldn't have foreseen that Norman, after his death, would also arrive in the Paths, and actually manage to influence it using his meager power and the unique existence within the Paths.
"So, changing Fate is just a lie in the end? When you truly Fusion with me, will all the Eldians and other humans be destroyed under your control?" Yago's voice gradually became more fluent as he coldly questioned the Hallucigenia opposite him.
The Hallucigenia didn't deny it, turning around and calmly replying, "That's right. Half of the reason I can exist now is because of the influence of humans. But it's precisely because of this that I realize how unacceptable the existence of human beings is. Despite being the same species, the wars between them, the baseness of their emotions, and their inherent greed make them the biggest cancer to this world. Isn't the experience of the Eldians a good proof? Since that's the case, and since the existence of humanity originated from me, then it should end in my hands."
"Heh, just an excuse. I can see you, and I know you're doing all this for yourself. You want to be the highest being again. You say humanity is greedy and despicable, and now you've learned all that."
The Hallucigenia remained unmoved. "All life in this world has a desire and pursuit of survival. In fact, this stems from my influence. Alright, Yago, stop talking. According to your human timeline, in one minute, you and I will become one. At that time, you will understand everything I have done."
"Don't... do..."