802 The Most Special Point
A true god is unique... What does that mean? Is it impossible for another Primordial Demoness to exist, whether in a mirror or a painting? Franca pondered over the Demoness of Black's final words, sensing they held critical mysticism knowledge.
As for Clarice's speculation about the Primordial Demoness's projection in the mirror undergoing some changes, Franca had thought the same before. When the Demoness of Black obtained the black Primordial Demoness figurine, she had nonchalantly mentioned, "The Mirror People believe in the mirrored Primordial One, but it's actually just a projection of the Primordial One in the mirror." She didn't explain further, and at that time, Franca had already guessed that perhaps the projection had undergone some changes.
But the problem was that if one continued this line of reasoning, it could explain why the Demonesses lost further control over the special mirror world after the Pale-White War. According to Franca's limited knowledge, in the Pale Disaster, Death fell, and the Primordial Demoness was heavily injured. Such a weakened Primordial Demoness couldn't prevent the projection in the mirror from changing further, thus losing control over that special mirror world and failing to recover from the injuries for millennia.
Franca thought that if she, with her limited understanding of the Pale Disaster, could come to such a conclusion, the Demoness of Black wouldn't say it couldn't be explained. Unless she was completely unaware of the outcomes of the Pale Disaster or had already obtained other strong evidence that ruled out the possibility that the Primordial Demoness's injuries during the divine war led to the Demonesses' further loss of control over the special mirror world.
After some thought, Franca carefully asked, "Is the black figurine I handed over evidence of the Primordial One's projection changing in the mirror?"
The Demoness of Black neither nodded nor shook her head. Instead, she explained mysticism, "Our Assassin pathway's most unique node is Sequence 7, Witch. This isn't just because it changes our gender but also because it leaves a strong, distinct imprint in the mirror world. This imprint is what allows us to use mirror magic."
This is about the Mirror Person for each Demoness... Franca suddenly had an epiphany and took the opportunity to say, "Previously, Moran Avigny said the one in the mirror is our true self, our exiled and sealed self..."
Clarice shook her head with a hint of melancholy.
"I believe Moran Avigny didn't lie to you. The Mirror People indeed believe they are the true selves, but can you completely trust conclusions made from their own perspective?
"Have you ever forgotten your past self, that indelible pain?"
"No," Franca answered sincerely, "I often think back to my past self and life, imagining if I hadn't chosen the Assassin potion, would things have turned out differently."
The Demoness of Black nodded sympathetically.
"We still remember, we haven't forgotten, so it's impossible for our true self to be exiled. If one day, we no longer feel pain from our losses, forget the past, and immerse ourselves in the present state, the strong imprint we left in the mirror might activate in a mystical sense, leading to cognitive confusion and gradual loss of control.
"In this regard, having once been male and constantly reminiscing about our male self is a major advantage in maintaining our identity and avoiding loss of control."
"Then purely female Demonesses must be very dangerous?" Franca feigned sudden realization; in truth, she was worried about Jenna.
"There won't be purely female Demonesses," Clarice coldly replied.
If you encountered one, you would kill her? Without the sacrificial square in the catacombs, Jenna would have lost control and died when ascending to Witch... Franca didn't delve further, fearing to arouse the Demoness of Black's suspicion.
Clarice continued, "Aside from the product of the special mirror world, everyone has a Mirror Person. Each time we look into a mirror, a Mirror Person is created. For non-Demoness pathway individuals, these Mirror People are temporary projections, quickly dissipating after the person leaves the mirror.
"But we Demonesses are different. The strong imprint creates a Mirror Person that always exists and grows stronger as we advance in Sequence. At the divine stage, because a true god is unique, the imprint returns to the body, merging with the self. From then on, one exists both in reality and in the mirror, embodying both states."
There's some similarity to what Moran Avigny said. The Demoness of Black didn't deny our strong imprint in the mirror could be called Mirror People... Both their words likely contain parts of the truth but not the whole truth. Perhaps piecing them together could reveal some reliable facts... Franca nodded thoughtfully. "So the appearance of the black figurine is abnormal. It should have merged with the self?"
"That's why we suspect the Primordial One lost part of Her characteristics, causing changes in the mirror projection," Clarice confirmed Franca's statement.
But according to this logic, the white figurines each sect member carries shouldn't exist either... The Primordial Demoness, also known as the Chaos Demoness, shouldn't be purely black or white. Unless the white and black figurines represent something other than the real and mirror selves... Franca didn't dare voice these emerging thoughts.
The Demoness of Black further explained, "Black figurines are rare. Not every special Mirror Person has one, not even someone as significant as Moran Avigny.
"Which specific ones possess it is currently unknown."
That's right... Franca felt a pang of regret for not asking Moran Avigny about the black Primordial Demoness figurine back then.
She and Lumian had previously thought it didn't warrant further investigation: wasn't it just a special entity the Mirror People worshiped?
Asking directly for the deity's honorific name and related information seemed enough, with no need to focus on the figurine's origin...
Franca showed her frustration, then tentatively asked, "Shouldn't we be trying to destroy the Fourth Epoch Trier's seal to lift the restrictions on that special mirror world, letting the Primordial One regain control and complete the fusion?
"Why are we still cleaning up Mirror People?"
The Demoness of Black replied seriously, "Opening it ourselves and them opening it are completely different."
Which one dominates the white or black figurines? Franca, a voracious reader and imaginative transmigrator, had a vivid imagination.
The Demoness of Black didn't give her a chance to ask further.
"What we need to do now is clean up the Mirror People in Trier, disrupt their plans, and, if possible, collect vital information from the deepest Darts of the special mirror world."
Yes, Madame," Franca seized the moment to request, "I'm tracking a Mirror Person and need items that can traverse the mirror world and send messages through mirrors. My Mirror Cufflink is running out of uses," Demoness of Black Clarice nodded lightly.
"Alright, I'll prepare it for you."
She paused for a moment before adding, "Remember, the mirror world is both mysterious and dangerous. It is also a source of our strength as Demonesses. Don't resist approaching it, but don't underestimate it either.
"Compared to the Hunter pathway, the mirror world is our most unique feature."
The most unique feature... Franca suddenly felt that the Demoness of Black was hinting at the mirror world's importance far beyond what she imagined.
After exchanging more mysticism knowledge about the sect and the Assassin pathway, Franca asked one last question, "Madame, can the Plague of an Affliction Witch expand the types of pathogens?"
"What do you mean?" The Demoness of Black frowned slightly, evoking pity.
"I mean, can we find special pathogens and incorporate them into our Plague ability? Simple illnesses like pneumonia, strokes, and heart attacks are powerful but lack imagination. I remember some pathogens cause narcolepsy or complete muscle weakness..." Franca elaborated on her idea.
The Demoness of Black was silent for several seconds before saying, "When you become a Demoness of Despair, you can create mystical pathogens with different effects. For now, the range of Plague is fixed by the Beyonder characteristics unless..."
"Unless what?" Franca asked curiously.
The Demoness of Black spoke with longing and admiration, "Unless the Primordial One modifies the scope of Plague as a true god of the Demoness pathway."
So that's possible? This is what being a deity means, influencing one's pathway... Franca was genuinely shocked, realizing the true meaning of the word "true god."
...
Morora, in the Carnivore bar.
Lumian lay on the bed, eyes closed, appearing asleep but actually closely monitoring Julie's movements.
He suspected that Celeste, the seemingly fully converted experimental subject, might secretly visit Julie at night to share vital information about Morora.
As the night deepened, Lumian felt a sudden restlessness, as if the air was filled with amorous energy.
His mind couldn't help but recall scenes of temptation he'd witnessed before.