"No, that's not how it is."
Luxiusi responded, trembling:
"Although the world has been mired in suffering for the past century, it is far from the point you described."
"That's right, Symbiotic Tree, Blood Exchange, mechanical modifications... these desperate measures are indeed tormenting everyone."
"However, precisely because of this, the survival instinct of humans and other intelligent beings is stronger than ever before."
"Since you have seen the pain, you must have seen the struggle. Since you have seen the struggle, why cruelly erase it all?"
" Samuer, why did I appoint you as my personal attendant? Why did I put you in charge of liaison with the Records Office? Why did I allow you to view all the documents and files?"
"The steadfastness of the Pure Ones, the cruelty of the Stained Ones, the dying breath of the neutral... Although I completely disagree with Sailesi and Geliwusi, I have always hoped that you could see that this world has not yet reached its dead end."
"Since every world is different, then you and that so-called Lord of Infinite Crystal Clusters are naturally different as well. So why insist on going your own way?"
"Stay here, Samuer. This world needs your power to be freed from the Demonic Tide."
The elderly cardinal looked at the young man ahead with pleading eyes; at this moment, there was no human being in his field of vision at all.
Some were just clumps of brown, tan, and gray mixed together, rhythmically expanding and contracting, mostly decaying plant tissue.
Symbiotic plant -- [ Clear Void Pine ]
A rare symbiotic plant that grows slowly but has extremely strong vitality. It can see through almost all illusions and disguises, and the strength of its ability is related to the host's willpower.
Luxiusi looked at Samuer, the man he had personally trained and promoted.
He recalled how, more than a decade ago, he had left the cathedral to explore the area because of a feeling he had been inspired to do so, and had ended up discovering Samuer's past as a boy in a secluded alley.
From the moment Luxiusi saw the other person, he knew the true nature of the child who looked human.
A being that is infinitely similar to the Tree God and even shares many similarities with it, but is not the Tree God.
The only thing that can be confirmed is that his connection with the Tree God is very close.
Son of God? Divine Abomination? Divine Body?
Things not recorded in the classics were equally unfamiliar to him, but even so, thanks to his unwavering belief and the effects provided by the symbiotic plant, Luxiusi was still able to sense the other's aura.
That was a deathly aura.
In the years that followed, Luxiusi could sense that Samuer's memories were gradually returning and that he was beginning to have his own secrets.
He could also sense that Samuer's power was gradually increasing, but he had no way of knowing the source of that power.
Only just now, only after Samuer had fully revealed his Decay half-crest before him, was he finally able to definitively ascertain the other's identity.
He is Tree God, but he is not Tree God.
He is the successor of the Tree God, and also a part of the Tree God.
The true Tree God is dead; this is a secret consensus among the higher-ups of the Tree Worship Church, and the creed of the Stained Ones originates from this.
Both the Son of God who had already besieged the city and Samuer, who stood before him, were beings who had inherited a portion of their Authority.
The Authority held by his personal guards was clearly:
Decay and death.
That's why he said, " Sailesi wants to die, and he needs to die."
Yes, the gods who hold the Authority Decay and death, and who are in a period of revival, naturally need Decay and death to provide them with power.
As for why it was himself?
How could Samuer possibly allow someone who could see through his true nature to submit to the Second Holy See?
He still has many plans to implement and many things to do, so of course he needs to continue to conceal his identity.
At this moment, Luxiusi's body had begun to wither and decay, but his mind was clear and lucid like never before.
He thought of many things:
From Antiya Lisi to himself, he could enter the Middle Tier through Middle Tier death, and ascend to the High Tier through High Tier death, so naturally he could also...
Luxiusi realized that Samuer's power would reach new heights with countless deaths.
The variables created by that Son of God in the north merely brought forward or postponed several wars, without truly eliminating them.
So...
Another problem is that Samuer's Authority is "death," while another Son of God holds the power of "life."
But when faced with millions, tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions of deaths, what level of Creation would be needed to counteract them?
Just then, Samuer's response reached Luxiusi's ears; it wasn't agreement or denial, but a rhetorical question:
"Stay?"
In what capacity?
The young man looked at his teacher and said:
"Although I don't quite agree with the actions of that ' Son of God,' at least one of his slogans is correct: ' The Only Holy Church.'"
Since the Holy Religion is unique, the Deity is naturally also unique.
"Although I don't care about this, I still want to ask you, teacher, who is the Tree God? Him, or me?"
Luxiusi felt his extremities beginning to go numb, but he paid no attention to it, simply looking directly at Samuer and speaking with certainty:
"Both, and neither."
Samuer looked around but didn't find anyone else.
He looked at Luxiusi with surprise and confusion:
"I thought that Son of God had already arrived before you said that."
"That's not how it works."
Luxiusi said:
"Over the past century, I have pondered many questions while managing the Tree Worship Church."
His tone also became gentler than ever before:
If we exist in reliance on deities, then why do we linger on in the face of their fall?
"If the great creator wanted us to perish with Him, why would He have taught us the method of living in symbiosis with plants to resist the Demonic Tide after Demonic Tide broke out, that is, before His own demise?"
"Only today have I finally figured it out—the God who exists, the God in my heart, the God of the past, the God of the future... these are the same, yet different."
Luxiusi felt his face growing numb. He knew the time had come, so he slowly rose, walked to the high-hanging icon, knelt down, his back straight, and crossed his hands over his shoulders.
" Samuer, I am about to give a sermon."
The young man frowned:
"To your god?"
"Yes, to my God."
Luxiusi closed his eyes and said slowly:
"Because of their life does not mean we should live for them, and knowing of their death does not mean we should die for them."
"My lord, today I return this gift, may you be freed in the future."