yasinovel Chapter 4262 The Mind-Stealing Demon
Chapter 4262 The Mind-Stealing Demon
Chapter 4262 The Mind-Stealing Demon
The non-human examiner's cognitive perspective is inherently contrary to that of humans, not to mention that the other party is a spiritual aggregate without even a physical body.
It is by no means easy to grasp the stance of such an entity.
Angell's heart sank.
Now we can only wait and see if the identity information provided by Normefens can bring good news.
If we can judge its stance based on its identity, that would be best.
If that doesn't work, then we can only try and correct it little by little through extrasensory perception.
As Angell's thoughts wandered, the spiritual aggregate before him had completely broken free from the shackles of the seal and slowly opened its "eyes".
—Actually, Angel wasn't sure if these could be considered eyes. On the tentacles hanging down from its head, the dense, suction-cup-like circles slowly opened, revealing eyeballs resembling horizontal pupils.
Countless eyes slowly moved, eventually fixing on Angell at subtle angles.
Just as he was being locked onto by these "strange gazes," a message devoid of any emotional fluctuation emanated from the mental aggregate before him.
"Are you the one facing this test?"
Its way of conveying information is very special, like spreading out an arc-shaped field. People within the field can clearly understand its meaning without words.
This is somewhat like a variant of spiritual communication, but Angell vaguely felt that this was not its usual method.
After all, Angel himself can also use Nightmare Illusion for mental communication, usually through precise one-on-one transmission, but this method will dissipate unnecessary mental energy, and the information flow is also at risk of being spied on.
As if sensing the fleeting doubt in Angor's perception, the spiritual aggregate slowly added: "Direct spiritual communication is not allowed in the space of the Chapter of the Heart."
It paused, its countless horizontal pupils remaining completely unmoved: "Because the gods will listen."
Angell instantly understood.
The spiritual information that was dissipated was meant to be heard by the demon god.
Even if the demon god isn't paying attention right now, it doesn't mean He doesn't know.
“That’s right, I am the examiner.” Angell nodded without any pleasantries: “Please give me the question, examiner.”
Since it was the "demonstration" target chosen by the devil for him, given the devil's personality, the examiner would most likely also be annoyed by the procrastination.
For this type of situation, getting straight to the point is the safest approach.
As expected, the emotional feedback captured by his extrasensory perception was completely calm—his decisiveness did not elicit any negative reaction from the examiner.
"I like your directness. In the past, those test-takers, knowing I couldn't answer, would still ask about my identity, putting me on a high platform I couldn't get off. In that case, I could only send them to their deaths." The spiritual aggregate's words sounded like a praise, yet also like a threat.
However, Angell determined from extrasensory perception that it did not intend to threaten anything, but seemed to be simply stating an objective fact.
But if this is an objective fact, it sounds so strange.
Just because I ask your identity, I can put you on a pedestal?
Is it that easy?
Also, does "send them to their deaths" mean that you can lay a hand on the test takers?
Angell had many questions in his mind, but he managed to keep them to himself.
It is its own choice to share some information; however, if you actively press for details, you are very likely to trigger its "annoyance with procrastination" zone.
Angell's silence pleased it greatly, and it said with a hint of approval, "According to the will of the gods, I will give you a question."
"You're human...that's perfect, there's a question that's just right for you."
Angell raised his head and met the examiner's dense array of eyes.
"In your opinion, which is closer to perfection: a collective consciousness composed of pure, harmonious, and ruthless logic, or a civilization composed of chaotic, contradictory, but passionate individual consciousness?"
Although its tone had been approving before, Angel could sense a subtle malice as soon as it finished speaking.
It is commendable.
It is also full of malice.
"You can tell me at any time, but don't take too long. I hate waiting." After the mental aggregate finished speaking, its countless eyes closed instantly, as if entering some kind of dormant state, except for one single eye, which was still staring straight at Angel.
On the other side, Angell fell silent.
Just as Normeffens said, its problem is a typical positional question.
Is it difficult? Actually, it's not that difficult.
Because it specifically mentioned that Ingres was "human" before asking the question.
This question can be further simplified to: Which is more perfect, a civilization with a collective consciousness or human civilization?
Ingres himself didn't actually have a very clear subjective stance on this issue. If one had to say, his own position leaned towards the middle.
After all, he was taught by Jon.
When it comes to issues of civilization, Jon often says, "Each thing has its own beauty, and we should appreciate the beauty of others and share beauty together."
The translation is to respect the uniqueness of different civilizations and to believe that each civilization has its own merits.
This is a very typical centrist stance.
Therefore, if he were to answer this question honestly, he would inevitably take a restrained approach.
However, Angell felt that if he chose to remain silent on this issue, regardless of whether he could convince the examiners, he would most likely not attract the attention of the ruthless scholars.
Even if he is sincerely expressing his inner attitude.
The reason can be found if you think about it carefully.
According to the rules, to attract the attention of ruthless scholars, one needs to "have something substantial to say, and what one says must be compelling and impactful."
What does "sounding and impactful" mean? When it comes to exploring the essence of "perfection," a compromise answer that tries to encompass everything and offend no one is destined to be weak and powerless.
This sounds more like diplomatic rhetoric than an exploration of knowledge.
What can pique the interest of a demon god must be an extreme, pure, and even slightly dangerous "intellectual sharpness." The Doctrine of the Mean may sound the safest, but it is also the path least likely to reach the goal.
Therefore, Ingres directly ruled out the option of taking the path of sincerity in this matter.
Then the only option left is to conform.
To please the examiners... you must first understand their stance.
Although Normefens has not yet given him the identity of an examiner, the fleeting malice in the examiner's eyes just now showed that he was certain that this question would put Angel in a dilemma.
Furthermore, its specific mention of "human beings" is almost a deliberate reminder.
Therefore, Ingres speculated that its stance was likely to be on the opposite side of humanity; in other words, it stood on the side of collective consciousness.
However, although Angell had a deduction, he did not act rashly.
He still needed to wait for Normfins's message.
About two or three minutes later, Angel finally received a voice transmission from Normefens: "Sorry to keep you waiting, I'm a little rusty with access control."
"I've already found out. This examiner is likely a Mind Flayer, probably a subordinate of the God of Lust, since their appearance is often accompanied by the God of Lust's followers."
"Because it involves another demon god, I can't find much information on my end."
After Normefens finished speaking, his voice fell silent.
It only gave the name "Mind Flayer," and nothing else. This disappointed Angor... he had hoped to get more information.
However, Angell was not discouraged; he was not alone.
Angel calmed himself down. In the eyes of the Mind Flayer examiner, he appeared to be pondering the answer, but in reality, he had already made contact with Laplace in the outside world through God's perspective.
However, Laplace had not heard of the Mind Flayers, but she had her own connections. She gestured for Angel to wait a moment and then began to mobilize quickly.
ten minutes later.
Laplace brought intelligence.
Moreover, this information came from two sources: one from Secretary O'Longia, and the other from... Miss Gossa.
The information provided by Aya was as follows: A secret was recorded in the Black Goat's Mirror. In a certain indigenous tribe on the surface of the abyss, a horrifying event occurred: many men there suddenly underwent a drastic change in personality. Initially, because it was just a change in personality, it did not attract much attention. However, later, all the children born to the women were not close to their mothers, but only to their fathers, and this was not an isolated case, which finally drew attention.
Later, an investigation by a close half-blood demon revealed that the men whose personalities had drastically changed had some kind of special energy body in their minds. In other words, their changes were actually due to being parasitized by this energy body.
The child born will also possess this energy body.
They control physical life with energy bodies and give birth to their own kind with physical bodies.
This energy entity was referred to by that half-blood demon as... the Mind Flayer.
From the information provided by Ea, Angor vaguely grasped some key points, but it still felt somewhat unclear.
It was only after Miss Gossa provided the information that Angel truly understood.
Miss Gossa truly lives up to her reputation as the incarnation of a legendary life; the information she possesses is simply too comprehensive.
Mind Flayers are a race brought back from an unknown land by the Demon God of Lust.
Miss Gossa did not elaborate on what the "unknown land" was, only saying that it was hidden deep in the abyss and controlled by the ancients.
Mind Flayers, also known as the name given to them by the god of lust.
They initially had no thoughts; all their actions were subject to the commands of the single "King".
However, they are naturally capable of devouring the thoughts, emotions, and memories of intelligent beings, and the more they devour, the more likely they are to gain intelligence.
However, after they were enlightened, they did not develop much individual thinking. They treated wisdom as "sand" and handed it all over to the "king" to manage.
The "king" gathers grains of sand to form a tower, and the collective wisdom is used to develop the tribe.
This is the information Miss Gossa provided, and it's quite detailed. After learning about the news from Aya's side, she even asserted: "The so-called parasitic natives are actually perpetuating civilization in this way because they themselves cannot reproduce."
"Not only the natives, but also some abyssal demons and even humans have become the breeding ground for their offspring."
Once their offspring reach a certain stage of development, they can detach from their original bodies and manifest in the material world as spiritual aggregates.
The examiner that Angell was facing was clearly a mature mind-stealer who had already separated from his original self.
At this point, having gathered all the information about the Mind Flayer, Angor had essentially determined the examiner's stance.
Just as he had initially guessed, the examiner's stance was one of collective consciousness.
—Many grains of sand make a tower.
This is the reason.
The Mind Flayer views the wisdom that occasionally sprouts from individuals as scattered "sand," offering it to the sole "King" in order to construct the "Tower" of immortal civilization.
From its birth to its continuation, all the actions and ultimate goals of this race are aimed at transcending the individual and achieving the "whole".
In their worldview, everything about the individual, including random love and hate, is not only useless, but also "impurities" that need to be disciplined and even eliminated.
They do not rely on the combination of individual wills for the continuation of their species, but rather incorporate new life into the same vast mental network through a process that is almost "formatting" the host.
This also fundamentally negates the value and necessity of independent individual consciousness.
At this point, Angell had no further doubts, and the Mind Flayer examiner's stance was completely clear.
Although he guessed the examiner's stance from the clues at the beginning, guessing is different from understanding the root cause.
Now, Ingres finally has a basis to speak frankly.
He could even simplify the problem further.
The question posed by the examiner was actually asking Angor: which is more perfect, the mind flayers' collective stance or your human stance?
……
Angell initially thought that the examiner genuinely wanted to discuss the merits of collective consciousness versus individual consciousness.
But now it seems that the question it raised was not about philosophical "perfection" at all, but rather an arrogant examination.
It is its own perspective that condemns the “chaotic, contradictory, but passionate individual consciousness.”
It might think that Angor, as a human, would definitely defend human civilization from its own perspective, which is why it initially showed malice.
This malice was not emotional hostility, but rather a feeling that it foresaw Angell's doom.
After all, before any ruthless scholars step in, the examiners have absolute discretion. If Ingres were to present his answer from a human perspective, it would certainly reject it outright after he finishes explaining.
At that point, Angell will only face defeat.
However, Angor now has a deep understanding of Mind Flayers.
He already had a general plan in mind regarding how to choose and how to answer.
Since he was going to take the path of appeasement, his answer had to be completely based on the other party's position and support "collective consciousness" in the most resolute tone.
Thinking of this, Angell raised his head and met the gaze of the Mind Flayer examiner.
It seemed to notice the change in Angor's aura as well. Originally, only one eye was open, but now all the other eyes opened and locked onto Angor.
"You already have the answer?"
Angell nodded and praised in a serious tone: "There is absolutely no doubt that collective consciousness is more perfect."
"I just spent more than ten minutes carefully comparing and thinking about individual consciousness and collective consciousness. Then I found that there may be some interesting things in individual consciousness, but from a higher and more macro perspective, collective consciousness is undoubtedly a superior existence."