Chapter 158: One Truth
Perhaps ten days ago, this ugly and unremarkable little pill, with its faint fishy smell that could be detected by a mere sniff, was something that couldn’t possibly attract my attention.
But during those ten days of unconsciousness, I regained my past memories.
This pill appeared repeatedly in my memory, each time accompanied by sleepless nights filled with pain and the bitter taste in my mouth, etching itself deeply into my mind.
“Huff—huff—”
My breathing grew rapid; my hands, resting on the table, clenched involuntarily. My chest thumped wildly, and my eyes stared fixedly at Angel, unable to look at the pill in the box even once more—though I knew very well that the person sitting before me was not Dr. Romani, and I had long left that cave.
No one could force me to take it again; I knew that clearly.
Yet, the fear still crept through me like countless ants burrowing into my bones, spreading from my heart to every fingertip, no matter how hard I tried to calm myself, my hands continued to tremble slightly.
In the vast chamber, silence suddenly descended.
Angel, sitting opposite me, squinted his eyes, leaning back into the chair. For a while, he didn’t speak, his smile fading as his expression turned unpredictable, his gaze oddly fixated on my face, his pupils flickering with an odd light, lost in thought.
Was he observing my reaction…
Slowly, I moved my hand under the table, straightened my posture, then crossed my arms behind my back, shifting slightly until I felt comfortable, then lowered my head to glance at the fallen pie, hesitating for a moment… but not picking it up.
“Angel…”
My voice seemed to waver…
“Cough—”
I cleared my throat, took a deep breath, and lifted my head to meet his eyes directly: “How did you get what’s in the box?”
I hope I appeared relatively calm?
Not quite sure…
But I didn’t want Angel to notice anything, let alone think I was afraid. So I forced myself to relax, intertwining my fingers behind my back and fidgeting.
Angel, hearing my question, frowned slightly.
“Oh…”
He fell silent for a moment, then sighed in frustration, rubbing his face, tapping the table with his fingers, and contemplating for a few seconds before regaining his pleasant smile.
“Little Charcoal, what do you remember… if you can, tell me, okay?”
Tell him?
“I…”
…Why should I tell him?
The mysterious experimental organization remains shrouded in mystery, but one thing is certain: they must have substantial backing, or they wouldn’t have reached such a scale. Not only in the Valen Empire, but also in Silgaya, they have their “clinics.” There might be more I don’t know about… I don’t know who my enemies are, so it’s best not to reveal too much information.
It would be better to hear what Angel has to say first…
“First, tell me where you got this…”
Hearing this, Angel paused, then his smile deepened, pointing at my nose: “Oh, Little Charcoal, you’re trying to play games with me!”
“So what!”
I deliberately glared at him, standing firm.
This man seemed carefree and indifferent about everything, but he was actually quite smart… someone who could become the Pope, no matter how slovenly or lazy, wouldn’t be an ordinary person. My little tricks probably weren’t enough for him to notice, so I might as well be straightforward, not hiding anything, and make my stance clear… after all, given my appearance, using a domineering attitude often wins over most people, especially men… I’ve learned this.
And if men like it, there’s a good chance they’ll change their original views… this likely applies to women as well?
They’re just small tricks.
But they work.
Sure enough, Angel stared at me for a while, finally shaking his head helplessly: “Ah, Little Charcoal, you don’t know how long I’ve been thinking about telling you these things… I hesitated, wondering whether I should tell you, worrying that you might be upset… it really took me a long time! I care about you deeply, my heart is full of you… yet you don’t trust me, and here you are playing your games… it hurts…”
The man spoke in a dubious tone, saying something ambiguous.
But I caught the information hidden in his words.
“Why… would I be upset?”
“I don’t know, just worried.” Angel shrugged, returning to his relaxed demeanor, yawning as he said, “Because truth is often unpleasant… I intended to tell you anyway, but… are you sure you want to hear it?”
I nodded.
What was there to hesitate about?
“Alright…”
Angel rubbed his temples, then picked up the wine bottle on the table, only to realize it was empty, making an annoyed sound, and stood up, walking towards the wine cabinet on the left side, asking me, “Do you know what that thing is?”
“Yes…”
I nodded first, then immediately shook my head: “No.”
I only know it’s used to test something. The people at the bottom of the cliff made the “patients” eat it; many couldn’t adapt, their bodies began to rot, and they died. Only I and Eilushi were unaffected, eventually surviving.
But I don’t actually know its specific effects.
“So, what did you remember? Really…”
Angel took another bottle of wine from the cabinet, sat back down at the table, and without me seeing how he did it, popped the cork with a “pop.”
The rich aroma of wine wafted into my nose.
He filled a glass for himself and took a sip, a look of rapture spreading across his face.
How could he be like Victoria, a drunkard…
Wait!
Suddenly, I widened my eyes.
Just now, he asked me what I remembered… but I am an abyss! Why would he say “remember”? He couldn’t possibly know this!
Unless…
Unless he has known all along!
He has known from the start that I was once human, later turned into an abyss due to some ‘reason’, and lost my memories. He must have known all these, which is why he asked me that question!
In an instant, I felt my hair stand on end, goosebumps covering my body. A chill crept over me, and I tried hard not to show any emotion on my face as I carefully observed Angel’s posture.
He held the wine glass, sipping the wine bit by bit, his gaze fixed on my face.
After a moment, Angel suddenly thought of something and raised his eyebrows: “Wait, you think this thing is mine?!”
…Isn’t it?
I decided not to speak and just stared at him.
“Hey hey hey… Little Black Charcoal, you can’t do this…”
Stare…
Angel seemed very aggrieved… and a little angry…
“…Nice one, you’ve hurt my heart again…”
As he spoke, Angel exaggeratedly covered his chest.
Uh…
Did I misunderstand?
It shouldn’t be him…
“Little Black Charcoal, what should I say… If this damn pill were mine, would I show it to you? Use your brain.”
…That makes sense.
If the mastermind behind that organization was him, there was no need to directly show me the pill… wouldn’t that be self-incriminating? Even the most foolish person wouldn’t do that…
Thinking of this, I felt slightly relieved.
Angel’s attitude seemed sincere.
But…
“You knew about some things… didn’t you.”
“…Yes.”
Huh?
He actually admitted it so openly, and with such a fearless look…
What should I do?
I really want to punch him.
Bang!
“Oh!”
Splat—
By the time I realized what happened, I had already stood up from the table, retracting the fist I had thrown.
On the other side, Angel covered one eye, wine spilling all over him, the glass shattering on the floor, and he cried out in agony: “My thirty-year-old Tang Ma treasure! Little Black Charcoal, you went too far—”
“Not bad.”
“It’s the second time you hit me!”
“Serves you right.”
“I’m the Pope of the Holy Church! Be careful, I’ll have someone take care of you!”
“Gah…”
I might as well hit him again.
I immediately raised my arm, and Angel hurriedly waved his hands: “No no no, I apologize! Calm down, I’ll confess everything, you can hit me after you hear it!”
…Fine then.
I retracted my fist, pursed my lips, and sat down, seeing Angel rubbing his bruised eye socket, muttering “A gentleman wouldn’t argue with a young lady…”, bending down to pick up the wine glass, his face showing a mix of pain or concern, and the gloom in my heart dissipated a lot.
This person…
Perhaps he is trustworthy.
Such a thought suddenly popped into my head.
“Tell me… Angel. Everything you know, tell me.”
“Alright alright, I’m really scared of you…”
The black eye on his left eye was still expanding, looking very painful. Angel forced open his eyelids, sighing with frustration.
He cautiously looked at me, holding his hands in front of his chest like a maiden, full of vigilance.
“I did know some things, but perhaps not as much as you think… Don’t get angry, even if you do, don’t hit me, or I’ll scream.”
“Pfft—”
I almost couldn’t hold back my laughter.
What’s going on with this Pope? Is he trying to make me laugh? Ah, probably.
Completely unrecognizable, given his unreliable appearance…
Seeing I wasn’t saying anything, Angel seemed a bit uneasy. He held the wine glass close to his body, carefully wiping it with his sleeve, poured more wine, thought for a moment, put the bottle down beside him, then slowly began speaking.
“In fact, from the moment I met you… no, from when Carlos told me about you, I already guessed. You are probably one of them… I don’t know how to refer to them, let’s call them ‘blood treatment subjects’ for now.”
Blood treatment subjects…
He really does know about that experiment.
“Who are they,” I frowned.
But Angel did not directly answer my question.
“For many years, the Gate of Truth has been researching the role of ‘blood’. Not only human blood, but also various animal blood, and some unknown… I guess it might be ‘alien’ blood.”
“In their world, blood is the optimal medium for carrying power. And their source of power, the sin fire. That powerful force that burns everything, beyond the power of order, its origin… Little Black Charcoal, it is actually an existence co-originating with faith.”
…Co-originating?
“What does that mean?”
Could it be…
“The sin fire… According to church documents, it could purify everything evil during the era of divine presence, cleanse the soul, and is the deity who presides over good and evil, also the giver of the miracle sanction… one of Diana Augustin’s divine powers. This great being, during the critical moments of human survival, bestowed grace, assisting humans in defeating the powerful aliens. In our thousand-year development history, she has made indelible contributions. Therefore, future generations respectfully called her… the Sin Goddess.”
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Note: The translation preserves the original text’s style and context while ensuring clarity and readability in English.
