Shepherd Tantra

Chapter 1335 Killing the Author

When Aiwass awoke from that tearing sensation again, he saw only ruins.

The whole world descended into a frenzied chaos.

People screamed, panicked, and hated. Then they were swept up in it, killing, destroying, and shattering—

The superhumans went mad, attacking everything in their path like a madman.

Rather than "hypnosis" or "mind control," they resemble zombies or fanatical believers who have lost their minds. Their behavior is quite abnormal, with a strong sense of immersion and catharsis, causing their out-of-control actions to be accompanied by uncontrollable screams and roars.

A series of dazzling spells bombarded the earth... and even the gods walking on the earth began to attack each other.

The world used to be normal...

Aiwass was very aware of this.

Because if the world were to perish at that rate, he would never see the "collapse and disintegration of cities." People would have already destroyed everything they saw and touched.

In other words, the destruction of the world happened not long ago.

At a certain moment, the end of the world arrived without warning.

August 1, 1902

At that moment, Aiwass heard that slow, sarcastic voice:
Before people even realized it, the whispers of the void had already seeped into everyone's minds.

Like the hooked legs of a worm clinging to the intestinal wall, the gaps in people's hearts have long been filled with those whispers.

Yes, no one can resist the warmth of being understood, forgiven, and embraced.

Everyone lacks that warm whisper in their heart; no one can be fully understood by another. When wronged, everyone's heart is like that of a child. They want to lash out, to yell, to strangle a passing bird, to destroy a sandcastle—but they don't, simply because no one will praise them for it.

"And what about you, Aiwass? What would you do?"

What would I do?

Aiwass retorted sarcastically, "Aren't you the one who knows best?"

His words had barely faded when the sound vanished again.

"—You're just like a rat, I'm getting a little tired of you now."

Aiwas looked up at the chaos before him and muttered to himself, "I wonder how Ah Huan has endured it all... all these years, has she had to bear this kind of gloomy gaze?"

no doubt.

What he saw before him was the scene of the world being destroyed in "Zero Cycle".

"teacher……"

Just then, he heard a soft, slightly fearful voice: "Why are you here too...?"

Aiwass looked down and saw a winged girl who seemed both familiar and somewhat strange. She was clinging to Aiwass's arm, but her body was leaning back as if trying to break free; yet instinct made her hold on tighter and tighter, like a lonely patient torn between her own desires.

She looks very much like Inanna, even the wings on her back are the same.

It is said that the probability of two winged beings having exactly the same wings is extremely low, much like human fingerprints.

However, her temperament was completely different from Inanna's—

The girl gave Aiwass a rather fragile feeling. She didn't possess the clear resolve of Inanna, but rather was filled with hesitation, insecurity, and fear.

She was just like Haina before she graduated. She had that innocent, naive college student vibe.

Is this... amber?

Is this what amber used to look like?
But she didn't even look like the Amber from Aiwass's memory who took the golden apple and became "Amber." She looked like a real mortal.

She was neither a strong and resolute warrior like Inanna, nor a gentle and steady mother like Amber. This innocent girl—anyone would want to protect her…

...Just like the original Isabel?
At this thought, Aiwass paused for a moment.

"...Don't be afraid, Inanna."

He spoke instinctively.

Only after Aiwass said those words did he realize that he seemed to have lost his composure, and even seemed to have mispronounced the name...

—Judging from the girl's reaction, she didn't seem to have any doubts about the name "Inanna". Even after Aiwass said "Don't be afraid", she still tried to come closer, even though she was still a little scared. She was obviously trying to fight herself and control her fear.

But what surprised Aiwass was something else entirely—

So Amber's real name really is Inanna?
...But upon closer reflection, it makes sense. After all, it was Ai Shiping who named her. Having regained most of his memories, Ai Huas's choices, in a sense, wouldn't be too different from Ai Shiping's back then... Or is it that the name Inanna is so deeply ingrained in his instincts that he can't forget her?

Just then, Aiwass suddenly felt the little bird fly into his arms.

She was trembling uncontrollably.

The girl was filled with fear, as if she were immersed in a mixture of ice and water.

That was a fear of the "mental plague" that is now ubiquitous—she was also afraid that she would be infected and turn into that kind of frenzied state.

At the same time, it is also a fear of loneliness.

In any case, she didn't want her respected and beloved teacher to become like that...!
This intense emotion overwhelmed everything, even the urge to escape, and made her cling to Aiwass desperately.

"Teacher...Teacher, don't be afraid."

The girl's voice trembled as she buried her face in Aiwass's arms, her sobs sounding like a low cry: "Inanna will always stay with Teacher... Teacher, please don't end up like them... okay...?"

In that instant, it was as if some switch had been flipped.

Two lines of tears involuntarily streamed down Aiwass's face.

"...Ah, don't worry. Teacher won't."

Evans replied gently and confidently.

His expression, movements, and voice remained calm and normal. But this created a strong sense of dissonance with the turbulent emotions within him... making Aiwass feel as if a barrier had formed between his soul and body.

Aiwass felt a burning emotion swell within him, making it impossible for him to suppress the urge to express himself...

"..."

But Aiwass didn't say anything.

He didn't say a word.

Aiwas simply closed his eyes and rested his chin on the girl's head.

He gripped the girl's wing roots with a slightly forceful grip. This grip caused some pain, but it also gave the winged girl a sense of reality—a feeling that she truly existed there.

And Aiwass's response to this...

"—I've been a bit long-winded, really."

Aiwas suddenly interrupted the narrator: "Why are you being so sentimental?"

The sudden accusation startled the girl.

She looked up in surprise, staring at Aiwass in disbelief, her face filled with unease, as if she had done something wrong.

—She was startled.

She might need comfort, a kiss right now...

Aiwass, however, ignored his own thoughts and gently patted her head: "It's alright, it has nothing to do with you."

"...Yes, there was a sound, wasn't there?"

The girl asked uncertainly.

"there is."

Aiwass nodded honestly: "I can't even tell exactly which part is my true thought..."

Just then, another feathered serpent, even larger in size, landed.

His gentle voice rang out, but now it became quite serious: "It sounds like you have some ideas."

"Ah."

Aiwass nodded: "I think I understand—the way that thing works is very simple."

"If we were all characters in a novel, then 'that' would be the narration. It's our inner thoughts, the transition that rationalizes our behavior."

"For example, it's very difficult for a person to actually kill another complete stranger. But if the narration describes how terrible their day was, then they become capable of killing that person."

"The only flaw is probably its 'wordiness.' Simple words are hard to string together a complete logical chain, so their narratives tend to overemphasize cause and effect. But in reality, most people don't have many complete cause and effect processes in their minds... those are all decision-making processes lurking in the subconscious."

"So if we want to break free from this control, we must kill this 'author'."

(End of this chapter)