Norton sat quietly on the luxurious and elegant leather sofa, seemingly lost in thought.
The gaming devices and various virtual machines that he almost never parted with two or three thousand years ago are now quietly placed around the room, untouched for who knows how many years.
The charming nuns and elegant knights who once filled the court of the Holy See Norton have all vanished without a trace.
The entire hall was empty. Although the pure silver murals on the walls were exquisitely carved and the long curtains were made of fine materials, exuding nobility and elegance, no one appreciated them anymore. They stood there in vain, making the entire hall seem even more desolate.
Abraham, dressed in a long robe, stood silently beside Norton with his hands clasped in front of him. He did not utter a word for a long time, but his gaze lingered on Norton's body, his mind filled with sorrow and grief.
Your Majesty is becoming increasingly lonely...
From a thousand years ago to the present, his actions and preferences have become completely different from those of the past. Human desires have once again been stripped from his body, leaving only his indifferent and aloof demeanor.
Although I had anticipated this outcome, I didn't expect it to happen so soon.
Omniscience and omnipotence—a blessing disguised as a curse.
I, Abraham, have already reached the Sixth Stage and feel like I'm standing at the very top, let alone Your Majesty, who has stood above the people from beginning to end!
The highest position can only bring loneliness, and omniscience can only bring boredom. If I, Abraham, had not been oppressed by Your Majesty, perhaps I would be just like Your Majesty today, unable to taste food or enjoy pleasure!
Only when under oppression can one appreciate the preciousness of freedom; only when suffering can one yearn for even the slightest happiness.
Your Majesty is omniscient and omnipotent, fearless, free from the hardships of survival and reproduction, and unbound by the constraints of family ethics.
Such a loss of humanity was inevitable. These thousands of years of hedonism not only failed to awaken their human desires, but instead propelled them into the abyss of so-called nihilism...
Abraham sighed inwardly. As Norton's close attendant, he could say that he had truly witnessed the changes in Norton's character over the past thousand years.
In the beginning, Norton would observe large-scale frontline micromanagement with great interest when studying human warfare, including but not limited to: moving the front line forward by five centimeters, raising the muzzle by 5 degrees, ensuring there were bullets before firing, and having the logistics department depart five minutes in advance...
However, as the years of war increased, his interest waned, and he gradually became someone who would just stand there and watch the war unfold, occasionally glancing at it, until now he is no longer on the front lines, but has returned to his Holy See.
After returning to the Holy See, he used to take out his electronic devices for some entertainment or go out for a stroll, but this was decreasing rapidly. It seems that one night three hundred years ago, he suddenly put down his electronic devices, sat quietly on the sofa, as if lost in thought, and remained silent.
At first, things were alright. At most, they would occasionally become dazed for ten days or half a month, but they would come back to their senses after sitting for half an hour or an hour, and their humanity would emerge. They would then start to play to some extent. However, as time went by, the situation became worse and worse.
The time span began to decrease, and he gradually evolved into sitting still once every one or two weeks. Sometimes the sitting time was short, half an hour or two or three hours, and sometimes it was long, lasting one or two days.
This situation lasted for only a few decades, and the sitting posture became more and more exaggerated, even forming a habit. Every Wednesday, they would sit on the sofa for three or four days straight.
The situation seems to be improving, yet it also feels more serious.
He is no longer seen sitting upright, yet he gives the illusion that he is constantly thinking.
However, Abraham did not believe this was just his imagination; he felt that His Majesty was truly thinking about things all the time.
All his former pastimes have been abandoned, and he has never picked up electronic entertainment devices again. Norton now spends almost all his time quietly standing on the top of the tower, gazing out at Garden of Eden, or sitting on this sofa, watching the miniature war model he created with his hand.
Joy, pain, suspicion, and disgust all seemed to have vanished from him, leaving only an expressionless indifference and a haughty sense of superiority.
As a primitive man who had studied modern knowledge, and as a qualified servant who had professionally studied psychology, Abraham understood perfectly what this meant.
He could even guess it.
Unfortunately, he dared not make any more rash moves.
"This scene seems familiar. In the past, His Majesty the Boya Empire used the same method to deceive me Abraham, for a hundred years, ultimately making me the final link in the foundation of God."
This seemingly nihilistic behavior might just be another trap set for me, Abraham!
Abraham's heart skipped a beat, and he tensed up slightly. He dared not look Norton in the eye, nor did he dare to show the slightest suspicion on his face. However, he was already on high alert, after Biyang, this was not the first time Norton had tricked Abraham like this.
He could even be said to have been scammed from beginning to end.
At this thought, Abraham's brow twitched again.
"Wait a minute! There are other experts?"
Abraham was on edge. He quietly raised his head and looked around the hall, but he still couldn't see that familiar figure.
The familiar scene made him want to slap his thigh until it bled, he gritted his teeth in hatred, and wept bitterly.
Scenes long buried deep in his memory resurfaced before Abraham's eyes.
He remembered that when Norton devoured Jonah last time, he, Abraham, was at the forefront and was deceived by Norton. The only other Vampire Prince, Elizabeth, remained hidden from the beginning and was not only not deceived by His Majesty, but also deceived himself.
She nearly died a violent death, but instead of dying, she disappeared gracefully and enjoyed herself for hundreds of years. Even when His Majesty was resurrected, he didn't bother her!
I'm so awesome! But now, she's disappeared again?
Seeing that there was no one around, Abraham felt a chill run down his spine.
He was so foolish, truly. All he knew was to do his best to please His Majesty and show his face in front of him so that he could survive in this world. He never expected that the truly clever people had already disappeared silently from everyone's sight.
Only he is still foolishly staying by His Majesty's side!
"So, you've all been lying to me, Abraham!"
Abraham felt a deep, agonizing grief.