Endless Debt

"This is a very complex psychology, um... like those people who want to commit suicide."

The Devil stood before the slab, eyes filled with nostalgia, as if it were a diary, evoking those memories that were about to be forgotten by the Devil.

"They indeed want to commit suicide, yet truly hope someone can rescue them, freeing them from the descent into pain."

The Devil commented, "The birth of this slab was the same; on one hand, we wanted to completely erase the past, on the other, we left it as a testament, proving that distant past of ours was not false, but real."

He praised it, "I thought throwing it into the depths of the Secret Source would mean no one could find it anymore."

"What happened in the past?"

At this moment, Hill understood many things and had a rough guess concerning the origin of the Devils.

"I guess, it’s about how you became Devils?"

The Devil chuckled twice, the sound ear-piercing, yet he did not answer Hill’s question, instead asking him rhetorically, "What did you discern from this slab?"

Hill walked to the slab, admiring the carvings on it alongside the Devil. Among those faded, clumsy colored imprints, he discerned one blurry outline after another, as rough as a child’s scribbles.

"An alien visitor."

Hill said, "On a distant day in the past, an alien visitor descended upon the Material Realm."

"And then?"

"He was like a beacon, bringing the Ether, while also drawing the vast Ethereal Realm’s attention to the Material Realm, for which in the centuries following, the Ethereal Realm consistently drew closer to the Material Realm, causing the ether concentration to continuously rise."

"You’re very clever, though I don’t remember such detailed content on this slab," the Devil said.

Hill calmly said, "It’s not just the slab’s content, there are also some of my personal speculations."

"Very well, continue."

"The alien visitor not only brought Ether, but also brought some other things, those shadows and tar I’ve seen within the Ethereal Realm."

Hill articulated his analysis, "I’ve always thought that the tar and Ether were symbiotic, but after some time of research, I realized the two are more like separate entities."

"In the Ethereal Realm exists only pure Ether, whereas that tar, like the Ethereal Realm to the Material Realm, is foreign to the Ethereal Realm. They invade and corrupt the Ethereal Realm, trying to completely swallow and occupy the power of the Ethereal Realm."

Hill shifted his gaze to the Devil. He and the Devil were already old friends; long ago Hill discovered that the Devils also carried that evil tar.

"That tar is a form of power, a kind of malevolent, bizarre power. The alien visitor not only brought Ether, but also brought the tar to the Material Realm."

"And then?" the Devil asked.

"What happened afterward is as recorded on the slab."

Hill examined the faint patterns on the slab. The rough traces sketched out an entity without specific form, and under Hill’s gaze, the blurry patterns began to move...

Like a drop of ink diffusing in water, expanding, clustering, twisting erratically. Amidst these changes, Hill could also sense the complex emotions emanating from within.

Using this slab as a conduit, Hill could transcend time and space, feeling the pain and weakness of the alien visitor.

In an instant, immense pain seized Hill; his body uncontrollably emitted cries of anguish. Every cell, every muscle trembled, as if a tremendous force was tearing at Hill’s shell from within, until it easily shredded him like fragile paper.

"Ha... ha..."

Hill pulled himself from that extreme sensation, his eyes wide open, chest heaving violently.

The Devil watched with amusement, patiently waiting, it took several minutes before Hill regained composure, his bent back straightening again.

"The alien visitor was injured; he is about to die."

Hill spoke as he made eye contact with the Devil, attempting to glean some information from the change in the other’s gaze.

"He descended upon the Material Realm from a very distant place. I’m unsure of his purpose or intentions, in any case, he was already near death as he arrived."

Hill is an extremely rational person, scarcely succumbing to emotional instability, but at this moment, Hill’s unwavering mind still trembled.

He couldn’t fathom where the alien visitor came from. If the alien visitor brought Ether and tar, then his power completely transcends human’s existing Alchemy Matrix Technology, his energy level far exceeds the Seeker of Glory, the Crowned. It is entirely beyond the limits of human understanding...

In other words, all human Alchemy Matrix Technology, the Source of Power for Devils, the essence of all worldly power comes from this alien visitor.

Originating from his rotting corpse.

Then, Hill realized another even more despairing possibility.

Who killed the alien visitor?

"We’ve also speculated that, before the alien visitor descended on the Material Realm, he was already dead, merely hanging by a thread, progressing through the vast void in search of a glimmer of vitality... but he still failed, finally falling in this world."

Hill, with keen awareness, pointed to another picture on the slab.