047. Abyssal Lord
Li Aozi stared at the old woman. He knew she had signed a special contract with Star Abyss, which required her to uphold every vow and identity, so he boldly asked,
"Does this have anything to do with me taking over someone else's body?"
"No, that's not someone else's body."
The old woman gazed at Li Aozi.
"It's all yours. Your destiny has long been determined, like the protagonist of a popular novel, with an invisible hand, a dejected 'author,' manipulating and playing with your fate. Your destiny is being sketched out by someone."
"You mean I'm actually the protagonist of a book?"
"It's just a metaphor. You might not be a protagonist, nor necessarily in a book—maybe just a thought." The old woman continued, "But your life's trajectory... what I see through the spiritual realm is an eerie straight line, someone has arranged everything for you."
"I don't care what you say."
Li Aozi felt deeply unsettled.
"There's something in my mind hinting at something. Can you help me uncover it?"
The old woman looked at him and said,
"You will die."
"Why?!" Li Aozi was baffled. "If it's the brain, I can just replace it. Could that thing really destroy my conscious self?"
"Yes."
The old woman was brief.
"If you dare to do that, you'll be killing yourself with your own hands."
"What's the reason?"
"I told you, that's you. It's all you."
The old woman pointed to her head and said,
"You, Li Aozi, Leoz, Lizi, it's all you."
"Leoz? I haven't taken over Leoz's body?"
Li Aozi was stunned and, without overthinking, asked,
"What should I do? Even if it's not a problem now, what about in the future?"
The old woman shook her head. "I don't know."
"Can you solve it... Granny?"
Li Aozi felt the problem becoming thorny.
"Isn't there a way to keep it from affecting my thoughts? If this continues, I'll definitely be swallowed up by society due to schizophrenia!"
"In this area, you should seek someone more capable."
"Damn!"
Li Aozi almost jumped up.
"Atamash Lingxu, you're the greatest [Mind Mentor] in Abyss. If even you can't do it, where am I supposed to find someone who can?!"
"You."
Atamash Lingxu slowly stood up, took a bottle from the cabinet behind her, and placed it in front of Li Aozi.
"What's this?"
"Shar Gwenia's [Potion of Truth]."
Atamash said,
"That's a deity from the [Dominion of the Universe]. Although she doesn't have a good reputation, she resisted society to some extent. However, with the death of the main god of [Dominion of the Universe], Morphedria, Shar Gwenia also vanished."
"The Potion of Truth is an imitation, only a third as effective as the original. The ingredients are Mirk Moth, Dead Moon's Eye, and Morris Wolf bone powder. You're a craftsman yourself, so you can make it."
Li Aozi picked up the bottle and poured out one tablet. The light-yellow pill was about the size of a fingernail and emitted a strange rusted-metal smell, which he found somewhat repulsive.
"Will it cure me?"
He was skeptical.
Even though the one before him was the most mysterious [Mind Mentor] in the Abyss and the top mentor in the [Eerie] category.
"No, no one can cure you. It's like a volcano—its existence isn't wrong. But the disasters caused by its eruptions lead to extreme panic—aren't those your fears?"
Atamash slowly sat down.
"It can't save you, but it can help you release the pressure. It will allow the anxious, indifferent parts of your consciousness to make judgments in certain situations, continuously wearing down that mental burden without affecting you."
Li Aozi looked at the pill, then looked to Atamash for help.
"Can I not save myself?"
"Child, this isn't salvation; it's growth."
Atamash spoke coldly.
"You must understand that, no matter what mistakes you've made, even when you were beaten down like a dog, miserably, you're still you. You enjoyed the benefits brought by history, so you must bear the weight of history—you have to face this fact."
"Are there any side effects?"
"If you mean the medication harming your mind and body or affecting your endocrine system, I can assure you—no. Shar Gwenia was a talented goddess, and her drugs were flawless."
Atamash shook her head.
"But I have to warn you. The smarter your mind, the deeper that part of your consciousness affects you. It's not a bad thing—you should reconcile with yourself. If you want to truly 'save' yourself... then I suggest you stick to your current path."
"Alright… can you at least find out who implanted this mental suggestion in me?" Li Aozi shrugged. "Is that fair enough?"
"Pialinus. He's also known by a rather famous title."
Atamash said calmly.
"—[Abyssal Lord]."
Li Aozi's pupils shrank.
"So, it was indeed that spirit demon I encountered upon arrival."
"Pialinus has always coveted the [Dominion] path. For years, he's been searching for one of the Destroyers, the 'Eye of Recognition,' intending to kill it and seek revenge for himself. And the [Dominion] path lacks a main god. If he can foster one..."
"It's easy to see he'd have an army of divine adherents from a main god's temple—a force to oppose [Society] and the three Destroyers." Li Aozi understood her point.
"Has [Abyssal Lord] fostered anyone else?"
"Don't be nervous; there are plenty. You're not the only victim."
Atamash said slowly.
"If you want to solve this problem, you can only rely on yourself. Grow stronger. Once you're stronger, any problem will cease to be a problem."
Easy for her to say, but damn it, that's the Abyssal Lord!
—Li Aozi didn't say it out loud.
Atamash Lingxu was already considered close to a deity. Many players suspected she was once at the Omega level but had chosen to retire after a significant incident that greatly reduced her power and rank.
If this was her advice, then others, especially those on her level, would likely suggest the same.
"… Better than nothing."
Li Aozi suddenly laughed.
He'd mocked Yavanna before for being overly insecure, almost like a mental case. Now, here he was, almost splitting into multiple personalities.
Luckily, he'd strengthened his mental fortitude, or he wouldn't have realized it for who knows how long.
He still needed to continue boosting his mental resistance.
—Advance to [Bishop].
A flash of insight struck him immediately.
[Bishop] possesses a passive skill: [Sleepless Heart], reducing the effects of mental attacks by 60%.
This was the best solution.
Atamash's advice was straightforward.
A drop of ink in a bottle of water is pollution.
A drop of ink in an ocean—what does it matter?
By increasing his mental resistance and regularly releasing subconscious pressure, he wouldn't need to worry about such minor issues.
But Li Aozi didn't want to leave it at that.
The [Abyssal Lord] wanted to control his destiny, to make him ascend the path of the [Dominion] as a main god, then join in the hunt for a possibly dead Destroyer—the 'Eye of Recognition.'
The process may seem beneficial, but both the beginning and the end were far from ideal.
Destroyers are among the strongest in combat. A few main gods couldn't possibly stand against them. And for all anyone knows, they might already be dead, bodies decayed beyond recognition.
Li Aozi wasn't willing to be shackled like this. With his understanding of Star Abyss, there were few in history who could truly confront a Destroyer.
The [Abyssal Lord] wanted to drag him to his death? Not a chance!
"The path you want me to take, I'll go just as far!"
Li Aozi swallowed a pill.
[System Notification: You have taken the 'Imitation Potion of Truth.']
[You have gained the status: Subconscious Instinct.]
[Subconscious Instinct: During combat, certain instincts from your subconscious will be activated. However, this will not affect your basic judgment.]