The King and the Priest[Comprehensive]

Tahir seemed to have had an extremely long dream.

The drowsiness brought about by this dream came quietly, and he sank into it unconsciously. His whole body was light, but he sank deeper and deeper uncontrollably.

I couldn't open my eyes because I was too tired.

He seemed to be sinking into the bottom of the sea little by little, and every time he fell, he was getting farther and farther away from the sea surface where he could still see a little light, and he himself was sinking into the darker deep sea.

But, somehow.

It is also falling into the endless space of darkness, but this time the feeling is different from before.

'...'

'Didn't feel...cold...'

really weird.

In the past, when I was in the dark, there was nothing around, deserted, like a void space.

Tahir would feel extremely cold, as if a trace of coolness had penetrated his non-existent skin, immersed in the same non-existent flesh and bone marrow, causing the blood to freeze, making his limbs unable to flex, and his whole body covered by this Devoured by the icy cold.

This feeling is of course painful, and it is also accompanied by a feeling of suffocation that the breathing is frozen.

But he got used to it inexplicably, after getting used to the extreme discomfort, suddenly the cold no longer swarmed up and imprisoned his fragile body, but he was not so used to it...

and.

The abyss, which was supposed to be a bottomless pit, unexpectedly at a certain moment, there appeared a bottom that could make him fall.

It seems to be a drop of water, lightly falling into the calm water for thousands of years.

Faint ripples spread, and the sound of flowing water echoed vaguely, and then quietly returned to calm.

Tahir fell into the water, his hands were like pieces of broken wood that fell ruthlessly after the pulling wire was cut off, which belonged to the broken part of the puppet's body.

His empty eyes couldn't see any color or scenery, but he still opened them, staring straight ahead.

That is the "sky" at this moment, as if there is some "thing" that I am persistently looking for.

what is it then?

In the vague memory, the "thing" occupying that position can absorb all the gazes cast upward from the ground.

It is so bright that it casts a light that will sting the eyes of anyone who forgets to look away.

It brings a hot temperature, and all life on the ground has received the grace from the sky, and can grow unrestrainedly.

No one can ignore its existence, and no one can overwhelm it...

What is such a great "it"?

The answer to this question should emerge in Tahir's mind.

'……Warm. '

The piercing chill no longer oppressed him, replaced by a strange but familiar warmth.

Tahir was still lying in the pool, as if the lake's liquid had only come to a very shallow height.

The lake water submerged his thin back, and all his long hair was soaked in the water, as if it was still swaying with the waves.

Still able to breathe normally.

It took him a long time to slowly recall that this place was supposed to be a deep sea that could not be seen, and he should have sunk into the bottom of the sea.

But when did it start?

In such a deep sea of ​​illusory, more than [-]% of the seawater has evaporated unknowingly, maybe even more.

The remaining seawater is only this shallow layer, which cannot even cover the whole body of a person.

From this, I can finally know the reason why I no longer feel cold.

Even the reason why the warm temperature felt familiar yet unfamiliar was also found at this time.

——It turned out to be the [Sun].

How could you forget it in the first place?

Isn't the sun always shining on the world in the middle of the sky?

His eyes still could not be opened, and the heavy pressure was the most abominable shackle.

Just being able to feel the long-lost warmth has made this person who has drowned in the darkness and bitter cold for too long feel happy from the bottom of his heart.

Maybe more than that.

On top of the joy, there is also the bitterness that almost wants to cry—and on top of the bitterness, there is even a point of relief that makes the whole body suddenly lighter.

the reason is simple.

Just because even if I couldn't see it with my own eyes, I broke through the obstacles that I couldn't overcome, and felt the warm existence that I was persistently chasing.

At the moment when he was gradually and completely surrounded by the temperature that warmed his heart, and even the remaining cold sea water was forced to heat up, Tahir smiled sincerely.

and.

He seemed to see the light leading to the land of liberation.

The body will move involuntarily, much lighter and faster than when it fell, towards the light source that represents no more pain and despair...

[You can't go there.That place is never the place you should go, Tahir. 】

A voice appeared faintly, without any warning.

In this special space where there is only his remnant soul, any sudden movement that seems normal, such as this peaceful voice, will have an extraordinarily terrifying effect.

Tahir heard it.

In fact, when this voice sounded, deep in his heart, he was instantly drawn to a sense of being sealed.

That consciousness is struggling, and it is about to completely get rid of the confinement of a temporary restriction.The place where such intense turmoil occurred is deep in memory.

The head hurts violently, and there is no warning.

【you……】

He opened his mouth subconsciously, similar to the "consciousness" that suddenly started impulsively. There seemed to be a few fixed sounds on the tip of his tongue, and they wanted to blurt out at any time——

But it seemed to be stuck tightly, and I couldn't say anything for some reason.

Can't name.

This "person"... No, it feels more noble than a human being...

We used to be together all the time, the most trusted...

that...

【grown ups? 】

[Put down all your wild thoughts, and listen to me now. 】

The "adult" who still couldn't remember his name and identity continued to make vague ethereal voices. As long as he observed carefully, he would find that his voice did not come from any real existence, but directly from the surrounding world. void.

It can be said that it is not in front of Tahir, but it can also be said that it is everywhere.

It is nothingness that surrounds human beings, and it is also the depositor that wraps this "deep sea".

That's right.

Up to now, it is finally possible to reveal a little bit.

[In order to keep your soul as much as possible, I kept you in my world. 】

Divine voices came from all directions, and finally converged into a huge volume.

Echo seemed incomparably hollow when first heard, but only the only listener here could discover how profound love was contained in this voice.

Yea, there's no mistake—it's the voice!

Tahir was stunned at first, letting the false sea water suddenly rise and fall, and the water splashed on his face.

Not long after, he made a move at the next moment, he changed from his rigidity before, and began to struggle all of a sudden, until his body got rid of the stiffness, and he was finally able to sit up.

The splash of water caused by his strenuous struggle was more intense than at any time before.

[It's you... I know, I should know!Damn it, why can't I remember, I...I...]

[Okay, don’t think hard, you will be able to remember everything after a while.Shouldn't you listen to me, your most trusted god, now? 】

Yes, the "sir" speaking here is a real god.

It's been a long, long time since Lord Shenming has appeared on the stage, and even the mere snake staff has a stronger sense of existence than it.

For this, it expresses its dissatisfaction, and it must use practical actions to let the forgotten self show its power and awaken the memory of believers.

[Where did you just say?Oh, for your soul... For thousands of years, you have been sleeping in the world I created until you were forcibly awakened by someone outside. 】

【Sorry, Tahir. 】

When the Lord God continued to speak, he suddenly said something strange.

Tahir didn't understand why, and couldn't figure out why the god would apologize to him.

Just hearing the voice of Lord Shenming, he felt countless warm currents coming out of his heart and flowing to all parts of his body, and his hands and feet immediately had countless strengths.

He is sure that he can trust it unconditionally at any time, and he will never believe that it has done something to him that can use the word "sorry".

【Why do you say that?Please...take back these three words! 】

It was no longer a place of chaos and darkness, and it was the first time that the remnant soul, who had never been frightened even in the depths of darkness, showed such uneasiness.

Blind, he had to follow the source of the unidentified sound.

At this moment, there was even a tinge of anger in his heart that shouldn't have appeared—of course it wasn't directed at the god, but at himself who actually made the god say "I'm sorry".

【I must have done something wrong to make you—】

【No, it's not your reason.Tahir, even the gods of Egypt should have respect for you far above all human beings, and you are worthy of this honor.Now, hear me out. 】

God sighs in the void.

Its voice should have sounded thousands of years ago, but it was delayed until now due to special reasons.

Fortunately, the desperate efforts at the beginning were not in vain, and the waiting and expectations were not disappointed.

It's not too late to tell all this slowly now.

So it said: [I am a god with only one believer, and my divine power is too weak to protect even this only believer. 】

[Weak gods are unable to resist divine punishment, and are not qualified to ask for forgiveness before the god king. All they can do for believers is to watch him suffer for countless people and force him to stay when he is about to disappear without a sound . 】

[But it's just 'staying'.I hid him in the crevice world I created, so I couldn't do any extra care.After that, I could only 'watch', watching him being corroded by the power of the underworld while he was sleeping, and wanting to disappear in another cruel way...]

It may be hard to believe, but it is true.

God also suffers.

What's more, this god who experienced such heavy pain watched his only believer crumble little by little in the gap between life and death, knowing that he was powerless.

It is undeniable that there is also the god himself who feels pain. Compared with the gods in the usual sense, it has a deeper human touch.

It can be said that it is a coincidence that it will come to the world at the beginning and meet the human beings who are still in their infancy, or it can be said that it is destined in the dark.

The god here—Master Mejed is actually just one of the many gods of Mejed.

The Medjed gods are little-known little gods under the command of Pluto Osiris. They have no clear priesthood, and there are not enough records in the human world. Naturally, their presence in the human world is rare.

Generally speaking, gods can take away a little power of faith from the pious beliefs of their believers in the world, and they can also get tributes from them.

If necessary, you can also use the eyes of believers to observe the world, and distribute your own strength to believers who are extremely meager.

For an unknown little god like Mejed, no one built a temple in the world, and he had no chance to enjoy the devotional offerings made by burning incense, and it was even more impossible to come to the world with the power of faith.

But the fact presented in front of him was that a Mejed had really squeezed into the human world miraculously, and stayed there for so long.

I don't know if it's good or bad luck for the god Mejed who is alone.

After all, it just happened to run to the edge of the underworld in a daze, happened to hear someone praying to "Medjed" in the world, and happened to receive a little power of faith-so it happened to be dragged over by "shua!", and appeared Beside a certain altar in this world.

Mr. Mejed, who was alone, was completely stupefied at the time, and didn't understand what was going on at all.

Then it looked up, and it happened to meet the little human being in front of the altar.

It's dumb.

The little human being looks calm, but in fact he is even more confused than it.After walking out with almost the same hands and feet, I was scared and cried.

Lord Mejed decided to follow him from the first moment he saw him, because this little guy was his "believer".

He presided over a deity ceremony for the first time after he became the high priest. He was overly nervous and unskilled in business. When saying prayers, he "accidentally" said the names of all the gods he had seen in his heart.

The name "Medjed" happened to be among them, and it was also pronounced by this little priest along with the gods, which was equivalent to picking up a believer and a portion of the power of faith for nothing.

On the other hand, it was also because of Mejed's lack of supernatural power and lack of popularity that it preempted other "Mejeds" and came to the human world from the underworld so easily.

In the eyes of the great God (for the sake of face), the believers picked for nothing are not qualified to serve the real God.

There are many reasons, the most plausible one is that although the "believers" seem smart and obedient, they just don't turn their heads when it comes to certain things.

How to give tribute to God!Can't we just adapt to the actual situation!

There is no one who puts the tribute before the gods and refuses to eat it. As a believer, a mortal reads a few words devoutly, and then eats the tribute himself!

Lord Mejed thinks this little believer is outrageous!

The more he found out that the little believer was not a qualified believer at all, the more he felt obliged to teach him well.

Anyway, he is a high priest, and he doesn't even know the basic etiquette. It's really embarrassing!

And this obligation must belong to Lord Mejed.

Otherwise, why did it come to the world instead of other gods—or other Mejeds?

Although Lord Mejed detested this little believer at first, he never disliked him from the beginning to the end.

It should be said that it liked him very much from the very beginning.

This is the first human being to have "belief" in it.

When I first met this human child, he was still so young. Under its watchful eyes, he grew up slowly. From a pitiful little boy who was ignored by no one, he grew into a cold beauty whom almost everyone loved crazily...

There is also an emotion called "sense of accomplishment" in God's heart.

Its appearance is not majestic enough, it looks small and strange, and sometimes it has a childish temper like a child.Master Mejed was not so "childish" before, it was all because of being influenced by human children after staying for a long time.

But there is no doubt that the life of a god is definitely longer than that of any human being.

Unknowingly, Lord Mejed regarded the only "believer" as his "child".

It does not deny that it is becoming more and more like a human being, rather than a "god" who should keep a distance from human beings.

Even the silly kid who got the glory of Ra after becoming a pharaoh is closer to a "god" than him.

—Speaking of that silly boy.

Master Medjed must admit that he has the same attitude towards the silly boy as that black loach.

Who let me watch the "children" grow up bit by bit with my own eyes, so innocent and cute, God knows why I fell in love with the noisy and silly boy, and even set foot on the road of no return for that boy, resolutely, always obsessed I don't regret it.

It's not that it hasn't thought about what its child will end up with.

However, the problem is still the one that cannot be avoided.

When the mind of God is eroded by humanity, it is no longer possible to be objective and indifferent.

Lord Mejed couldn't bear to watch the child commit suicide, and he also couldn't bear to refuse the child's request.

Whose fault is it that caused this tragic tragedy that made everyone involved in the end miserable?

No one is wrong, each holds its own firm beliefs.

Or is everyone at fault—including the "God" who watched everything happen in the sky and didn't help?

It should have started to generate resentment from this moment.

Just because it is an incompetent god, it cannot even protect the most beloved child.Even when he was with him who was dying and stubbornly living, he couldn't make a sound to comfort him.

Even after his death.

It didn't have any good effect. Rather than saying that keeping the remnant soul is a kind of shelter to forcibly save him, it's better to say that it seems like...

【—Torture. 】

God said.

[I have continued your pain, Tahir.If you still can't wake up, you will sleep in this space forever, slowly corroded by the residual breath of the underworld... and I am still powerless. 】

There is no more terrible gaze for God than this.

It is reluctant to give up on him no matter what, but if it wants to let this poor child end in a more cruel way because of its own sake——

【...Fortunately, there is no need to worry about that possibility anymore. 】

The key point has to go back to the pharaoh boy who was deeply disliked by Lord Mejed.

It calls it a miracle, and a miracle that only humans can perform.

[There is no sun in the underworld, nor in the world I created.The power of Ramses has changed the environment here, and it is he who has truly saved you, doing things that even gods cannot do. 】

【…】

[I, from the bottom of my heart, am happy for you. 】

[...I remembered, your name——I remembered, you are! 】

[Congratulations, let the eternal dawn replace the endless night, let the sun and the moon rotate, and let the Dead Sea dry up. 】

【plum……】

【Congratulations, this is the power that even a human being can create that even a god can't compete with.You are victorious, and even though your life has ended long ago, this power still continues to this day, and it will become more and more inflated-the real curse imposed on you by God himself has disappeared! 】

【Mejed... Your Excellency! 】

at last.

At this moment, the remnant souls that survived under its protection called out its name.

It was at this moment that the human being, who would not bend his back no matter how much the world tortured him, showed a side he had never seen before in the space of no one.

Tahir completely lost his composure.

He has endured such a terrible ordeal in the human world, and he endured it silently.

The unconscious ups and downs in the endless deep sea slowly dissipated, and after he got used to the pain, he became muddled.

When he suddenly "resurrected" and finally got to meet his "obsession", he was never so excited that he couldn't help himself.

Only at this time, the deeply suppressed emotions can no longer be controlled, so they have to vent completely after an instant outbreak.

【Lord Mejed...I know, I know...you haven't left, even if I can't see your figure or hear your voice, you still...]

【——Every moment, always by my side. 】

The blue eyes that couldn't tell the difference between day and night couldn't find any traces, but the blond remnant soul who was looking around and groping in confusion couldn't cry at this moment.

He remembered it all.

Lord Mejed and Ramses, these two existences have different definitions in his heart, but their status is almost the same.

Tahir loves Ramses, and the latter is the real "faith" he insists on. It is difficult to describe his feelings for him in words.

Tahir respected and loved Master Mejed, and he was grateful for its company and everything it had done for him.It is not a lover, not a "god", but the only relatives and elders he recognizes.

During the whole 1000 years of staying in the world, the reason why he was able to persevere was not all due to his "tenacious will".

Yes.

No one can persist from beginning to end with his own will, and Tahir is certainly no exception.

What he relies on is his longing for the sunshine that will embrace him at last, and——

【You gave me courage.If you are not present in the darkness... I can't bear it for a moment! 】

[Don't say that, I still haven't done anything for you. 】

God is in nothingness, it seems to be smiling, but it seems not to exist.

[Wait, you... why are you saying these things to me?Lord Mejed!Could it be, you... please wait——]

[Okay, it's time for you to go back, don't stay in such a cold place anymore. 】

Not giving the only "believer" any more opportunities to speak, in fact, it no longer has the strength to support this space for even a second.

Only the last words can be left for him, but please believe that this must be the most earnest blessing that God can give him:

[Tahir died as a human being, and the curse of God that 'can't stay with his lover as a king' was completely broken. 】

【Fortunately, death is not the end of you, go back and meet him, before you meet again next time...】

- Crack!

The darkness that has "trapped" the souls of the dead for thousands of years, shattered along with this gradually fading voice.

"Lord Mejed—"

"..."

Tahir woke up.

His temple hair was wet with sweat, and there were still traces of tears on his face.

The feeling was a little better, since Wen Nuan came to him, he never left.

A man hugged him and was carefully kissing away the tears still in the corners of his eyes.

The movements are extremely gentle, as if what you are touching is a fragile object that must be protected, and it is full of unspeakable love and nostalgia.

He should be content.

But not now.

because……

At the moment when the "darkness" dissipated, he understood: his lover came to his side, but his relatives really left him.

"what happened?"

The lover asked him cautiously.

"..."

After a long time, he said, "How long have I been asleep?"

"Just for a while."

"Is that so... But, I should say one more thing, Master Mejed asked me to do so."

"Ok?"

"I'm back, Ramses."

"what."

Wang responded: "Yes. Can you feel it? I have held your hand tightly."